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Chelsea start a massive week with a win at Turf Moor, so is momentum starting to build?

On Saturday lunchtime, the Blues proved to be simply too strong for Burnley, prevailing 2-0, with Pedro Neto heading home Jamie Gittens’ cross on the cusp of half time, before Enzo Fernández lashed home the clinching second right at the end.

​​​​​The match was significantly more comfortable than the scoreline would suggest, with the Clarets creating only one big chance and accumulating a miserly 0.44 xG, rarely threatening Robert Sánchez’s goal.

This made it three successive Premier League victories for Enzo Maresca’s side, who’ve now won five of their last six in the league, ahead of a massive week, with both Barcelona and then Arsenal visiting Stamford Bridge over the next eight days.

Despite victory in Lancashire, a few Chelsea players came in for some criticism, one in particular compared to a player who departed for pastures new over the summer.

Why Chelsea sold Noni Madueke

In one of the surprise moves of last summer, albeit this is now a well-trodden path at this point, Noni Madueke departed Chelsea during the Club World Cup to sign for Arsenal for a reported fee of £52m.

Last season, the England international scored 11 goals across all competitions for the Blues, including seven in the Premier League, a tally only bettered by talisman Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, another who was parachuted out.

Thus, it was certainly a surprise that Madueke was the one Chelsea decided to sell, but that has been the business model since Clearlake Capital’s takeover of the club and, having signed him from PSV Eindhoven for £28.5m in January 2023, Todd Boehly and the other owners simply view that as a quick profit.

Nevertheless, on the pitch, it could be argued that Maresca’s side have missed Madueke’s direct running and pace, even if he’s not featured for Arsenal since September due to a knee injury.

Having said all of that, a frequent criticism from Chelsea supporters of Madueke was that he was selfish, often going for goal when passing to a teammate would be the better option.

Well, to support this zeitgeist, Madueke attempted 80 shots in the Premier League last season, behind only Palmer, but had the lowest goals – xG figure of any player in the Blues’ squad, ending up with -2.6.

Meantime, he registered just three assists and created only six big chances, suggesting that perhaps the view of supporters – and Martin Keown – was not too inaccurate.

So now, which current member of the Chelsea forward line showed similar levels of selfishness at Turf Moor?

Chelsea's Madueke repeat at Turf Moor

Since the days of Didier Drogba, Chelsea feel as though they’ve found themselves in a never-ending search for a reliable centre-forward; they even twice signed Romelu Lukaku in an attempt to solve this issue.

This summer, after freezing out Jackson, as already mentioned, they put a lot of faith in Liam Delap, making it not ideal that he then missed six successive Premier League matches due to a hamstring injury, as well as another following a red card at Molineux in the EFL Cup on the day of his return.

Back now, Delap has started the last two Premier League matches either side of the international break, but is yet to score since netting against Espérance Sportive de Tunis during the Club World Cup, for what that is worth, and his display on Saturday did not earn rave reviews, with the numbers underlining why.

Shots on target

Zero

7th

Shots off target

1

4th

Expected goals

0.04

10th

Attempted dribbles

Zero

14th

Accurate passes

8

23rd

Key passes

Zero

14th

Duels won

2

21st

Offsides

1

2nd

Touches

20

21st

SofaScore rating

6.2

30th

As the table documents, Delap did not have much impact on the afternoon’s proceedings at Turf Moor.

He attempted zero dribbles, completed just eight passes and won only two of the eight duels he contested, while, in 67 minutes on the pitch, he touched the ball only 20 times, which is 28 fewer than goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, while only one more than his replacement Malo Gusto.

Simon Johnson of The Athletic noted that it is obvious that “Delap is still not fully up to speed post hamstring injury” while, as noted by Taha Hashim of the Guardian, there were multiple occasions when Delap failed to play the ball to a teammate after an opening had presented itself.

Considering Chelsea’s array of attacking options, when Delap is the centre-forward, one of his key responsibilities has to be facilitating attacks and linking up with teammates, as well as score goals of course, neither of which he is doing at the moment.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

If he continues to be both ineffective and selfish, you can bet your bottom dollar that Delap won’t be in the team much longer, because Boehly will probably just buy three other players in his position in January.

Their next Caicedo: BlueCo have signed a "world-beater" for Chelsea

The sensational talent could become Chelsea’s next Moises Caicedo.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 18, 2025

The Los Angeles Dodgers have already had an excellent start to their season, but no moment so far has been as electric as superstar Shohei Ohtani's walk-off home run on Wednesday night.

With the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves tied 5-5 at the bottom of the ninth, Ohtani positively nailed one out to center field, much to the enjoyment of every fan going home with his bobblehead that night.

After the fact, the much-lauded two-way star said he wanted to "live up to the expectations of all the fans today and make sure I perform"—and that he most certainly did.

Even those watching at home couldn't believe they had just witnessed the superstar's second career walk-off homer—and the Dodger's eighth straight win.

Take a look at some of their reactions below:

Parent company of Major League Cricket takes legal action over termination of commercial agreement

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2025There has been a power struggle at the heart of cricket in the USA for over a month now and it escalated on Tuesday, with American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the parent company of Major League Cricket (MLC), taking USA Cricket (USAC) to court for “improper termination” of their contract.The two parties had been commercial partners since May 2019 but a few weeks ago USAC ended it saying ACE had failed to “fulfill its contractual and fiduciary obligations”, including payments due to the national team and support staff. ACE disputed this, claiming it had actually offered more than the agreed amount.An ACE press release said on Wednesday: “USAC’s handling of the ACE agreement has been chaotic and reckless. It is emblematic of USAC’s bad faith. A small group of USAC directors have chosen to prioritize politics rather than preparing teams that can build on their recent successes.”These actions have jeopardized ACE’s significant investments into U.S. cricket over the last six years, as well as the continued success of cricket in the U.S.”USAC’s wrongful conduct cannot go unanswered, so today, ACE filed legal proceedings against USAC regarding its improper termination of the ACE agreement.”

“We have commenced legal proceedings against USAC to prevent the irreparable harm caused by its wrongful termination of the ACE agreement and to protect the thriving cricket community that ACE has cultivated in America”Johnny Grave ACE chief executive

This situation has caused unease among the USA players. ACE runs the highest profile cricket tournament in the country – MLC – and the development league associated with it – Minor League Cricket. It also owns the ground that houses the High Performance Centre at Grand Prairie in Dallas, Texas and operates other facilities in Morrisville, Florida and California.At the time of USAC terminating its deal with ACE, on August 21, it said it was open to renegotiations. Seven days later, it even suspended the decision to cut ties. On September 16, however, “USAC then unilaterally reinstated its original termination, effective today, without holding any meaningful discussions directly with ACE”.Johnny Grave ACE chief executive, said, “We’re disappointed with the actions of USA Cricket. For the last six years, ACE has been focused on the athletes, fans, and partners who have helped develop US cricket. We have commenced legal proceedings against USAC to prevent the irreparable harm caused by its wrongful termination of the ACE agreement and to protect the thriving cricket community that ACE has cultivated in America.”This standoff is taking place two months after the successful staging of the 2025 MLC season and less than six months out from the men’s T20 World Cup. USA are due to participate in that tournament in India and Sri Lanka and ACE had planned a training camp for 35 top men’s players with trial matches – three 50-over games and three T20s – in Morrisville against West Indies A.”Is that all still taking place or not? These camps have to take place for the players to get ready for those things,” USA allrounder Corey Anderson said recently. “All of those things are very much in a big question mark at the moment, which again just creates more uncertainty around the players.”

The Brazilian national team have confirmed that Arsenal defender Gabriel has suffered a thigh injury while on international duty. The Gunners centre-back has become a vital player for manager Mikel Arteta in recent years but he may face a spell on the sidelines. As a result of this issue, Brazil have revealed he will miss their upcoming clash with Tunisia which is a concern for the Premier League leaders.

Gabriel suffers injury setback

The Arsenal ace was substituted in the second half of Brazil's 2-0 friendly win over Senegal at The Emirates earlier this week after picking up a muscle problem. Following the victory, manager Carlo Ancelotti offered an apology to the north London club.

When asked about Gabriel’s injury, the former Real Madrid boss said: "Bad? I don't know, he had a problem on his adductor, the medical staff have to check tomorrow. We are really sorry for this, really disappointed, when players have an injury I hope they can recover well and soon."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBrazil issue Gabriel update

On Sunday, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed that the 28-year-old would miss his country's match in Lille against Tunisia this week due to this muscle injury. 

A statement reads, "Arsenal player Gabriel Magalhaes was re-evaluated this Sunday (November 16) and underwent imaging tests that revealed a muscle injury in his right thigh. Therefore, the player will not be travelling with the team to the match against Tunisia in Lille. No other player will be called up to replace him."

Can Arsenal manage without Gabriel?

If Gabriel is set for a spell out of the team, he will be sorely missed by Arsenal as they try and win their first Premier League title since 2004. The Brazilian has improved a great deal in the last couple of seasons, forming a formidable partnership with fellow centre-back William Saliba. But the Gunners have proven to be rock solid at the back, even with Saliba being out injured earlier this season. The likes of Cristhian Mosquera have come in and looked very assured in defence, and they also have Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie as backups. But his absence is undoubtedly a blow.

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AFPArsenal face Tottenham next

Arsenal sit top of the Premier League and hold a four-point cushion over a rejuvenated Manchester City. The Gunners return to league action on November 23 for the latest edition of the North London Derby against Tottenham at The Emirates. Whether Gabriel will be fit for that remains to be seen.

With Rangers currently fourth in the Scottish Premiership and rock-bottom of the gigantic Europa League table, they need wins and fast.

On Saturday, Danny Röhl’s side will go in search of a fourth successive league victory when last-placed Livingston visit Ibrox.

This is followed by a European clash with Braga and, considering the Gers are currently pointless halfway through the league phase, they really could do with a victory over the Archbishops from Northern Portugal.

However, potentially dealing with something of a defensive injury crisis ahead of Saturday’s game, how could Röhl combat his new injury problems?

Rangers' defensive injury crisis

The news any club supporter and indeed manager fears during an international break is reports that their players may have suffered an injury while away with their countries, but this may be exactly the reality Rangers are facing.

First, ahead of Scotland’s historic World Cup qualifying victory over Denmark at Hampden on Tuesday, mere minutes before kick-off, centre-back John Souttar withdrew from the starting lineup after suffering an injury during the warm-up.

The extent of the injury is currently unknown, but it is always a concern when it comes to Souttar, considering he has ruptured both anterior cruciate ligaments in the past.

This season though, he has been a near-ever-present in Rangers’ back line, starting 23 of the Gers’ 24 matches, rested against Alloa, as well as ten of Scotland’s last 11 competitive fixtures prior to Tuesday night.

Later that day, in the middle of the night UK time, further bad news emerged given that Derek Cornelius was withdrawn just 33 minutes into Canada’s 2-0 friendly victory over Venezuela in Fort Lauderdale.

Since arriving on loan from Marseille, the 27-year-old has cemented himself as a key figure, especially since Röhl has switched to a back three, given the scarcity of alternative centre-back options.

Similar to Souttar, it is not yet publicly known if Cornelius will be available for the weekend, but this has to be a concern.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Nevertheless, given bottom of the table Livingston are the visitors to Ibrox, neither should be risked if not 100% fit, hence why Röhl should entrust his forgotten “colossus” with a start.

How Rangers can solve their defensive injury problems

Of Rangers’ 13 new recruits during the summer, Emmanuel Fernandez is often forgotten and overlooked by supporters.

The 6 foot 4 central defender arrived from Peterborough United in July, having bounced around the lower division in England, representing non-league clubs including Sheppey United and Spalding United.

This move north of the border was supposed to be the 24-year-old’s big breakthrough, but he’s so far been more of a lesser-spotted species than an integral figure.

Fernandez scored on debut against Alloa Athletic, starting at St Mirren the following weekend, but has seen just one minute of action since 24 August, introduced late during the last-gasp, hard-fought victory over Hibernian at Easter Road, an unused substitute on 11 occasions.

This is despite the fact that the Englishman boasted impressive statistics in EFL League One last season, as the table below documents.

Goals

5

2nd

Tackles *

1.24

63rd

Interceptions *

0.91

46th

Clearances *

6.83

19th

Passing accuracy %

85.35%

20th

Passes *

65.93

5th

Aerial duels won *

4

27th

Aerial duels won %

62.24

25th

Ground duels won *

2.87

35th

Note: rankings are defenders only.

These performances for Posh last season led to Peterborough Chairman Darragh MacAnthony describing the central defender as a “colossus”, also noting that he is a “gentle giant” as well as a “great organiser and talker”.

His most spectacular moment came when he scored an astonishing long-range goal against Exeter City.

Also worth highlighting is that, according to Global Football Rankings, EFL League One is the 41st strongest division in the world, just eight places below the Scottish Premiership, suggesting Fernandez would be more than good enough to start, particularly against Livingston at home.

With fixtures coming thick and fast, and a must-win European match against Braga right around the corner, Röhl surely cannot risk either Souttar or Cornelius exacerbating their injury issues, emphasising that he has to trust Fernandez to start as the middle man in his back three at the weekend.

Ferguson 2.0: Rangers' "best player" is now more important than Tavernier

Rangers’ “best player” who is reminiscent of Barry Ferguson has emerged under Danny Röhl and it is not captain James Tavernier.

ByBen Gray Nov 14, 2025

Since taking over as owner of the New York Mets in 2020, Steve Cohen has been quite clear that he is ready to spend the team into greatness.

His biggest splash came in this past offseason, when the Mets brought in superstar Juan Soto on a staggering 15-year, $765 million contract that was more than 22 other MLB teams spent combined and made him the highest-paid player in sports.

Speaking at spring training, Cohen admitted that even with his deep pockets and willingness to spend, the team probably went a bit overboard this year.

“I’ve always wanted to be a little more measured in payroll growth, and then we get there and it’s never quite there,” Cohen told reporters on Tuesday. “I have the ability to spend if I have to, and I want to win. I want to put the best team I can on the field. But free agency is expensive. It’s just the way it is. And it’s always more expensive than you can imagine.”

When asked where he’d like payroll for the Mets to settle at, Cohen said that he’d like to get under “the Cohen tax,” referring to the moniker that has been given to the luxury tax threshold after his spending spree.

“Nobody wants to pay tax. Those are expensive taxes,” Cohen added.

Cohen said he came into the offseason with a thought of how much he was hoping to spend, but had already “blown through it.”

Still, Cohen wasn’t deterred by the expenses.

“I want a winning team,” he repeated. “I want to put the best team I can on the field.”

Baseball is expensive business, but Mets fans can rest assured that Cohen is not afraid to put his money where his mouth is when it comes to building a roster.

Arne Slot has done a sensational job in charge at Liverpool during his first campaign at the helm, producing a seamless transition after taking over from Jürgen Klopp last summer.

Their latest win over Tottenham Hotspur secured their second Premier League title with four games to spare, highlighting the impressive work conducted by the Dutchman.

The success endured has been made even more impressive given the fact that only one addition was made last summer in the form of Federico Chiesa, who’s only featured for 33 league minutes in 2024/25.

However, if they are to build on their achievements in Slot’s second season, additions are needed to bolster the squad and inject further quality in key areas of the pitch.

With the title secured, undoubtedly attention will now shift onto the transfer window, with numerous names already thrown into the mix over a switch to Anfield.

An update on Liverpool’s hunt for new attackers

In recent days, it’s emerged that Liverpool are one of a number of Premier League clubs in the race for Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman during the summer window.

The Nigerian, who has scored 18 goals this campaign, also has admirers from Chelsea and Manchester United, with the Serie A side demanding a £50m fee for his signature.

However, despite the interest in his services, the Reds have also made a move for Monaco’s 20-year-old forward Eliesse Ben Seghir, making an approach for him, according to French outlet L’Equipe.

The report also states that Slot’s side have been keeping a close eye on his progress in Ligue 1, with Manchester City also in the race to land the Moroccan international.

It also goes on to state that he’s frustrated at his current outfit, potentially being open to a move to England should the side give the attacker first-team assurances.

Why Liverpool’s target would be an upgrade on Luis Diaz

After joining in January 2022, many expectations were placed on winger Luis Diaz to succeed, especially after Sadio Mané departed Merseyside just a few months after his arrival.

Whilst he’s managed to net 40 goals in his 145 appearances to date, frustrations have been growing around the Colombian in recent months, leading to rumours around his future at the club.

Barcelona have recently been credited with an interest in signing the 28-year-old, whose current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2027 – but could yet extend his stay on Merseyside.

Such a situation could lead to a move for Ben Seghir in the months ahead, offering Slot an upgrade on the former Porto ace, adding a new dimension to his already impressive front line.

The Moroccan, who’s been labelled a future “£100m” star by The Athletic’s Euro Expert, may have registered fewer goals and assists, but has managed more progressive carries and carries into the final third per 90 – highlighting the threat he poses in attacking areas.

Games played

30

33

Goals & assists

9

17

Progressive passes

6.5

4.1

Progressive carries

4.5

4.1

Carries into final third

4.5

2.1

Take-ons attempted

4.9

4.4

Fouls won

2.9

1.2

Aerials won

37%

26%

Ben Seghir has also managed to achieve a higher tally of take-ons, whilst also winning more of the aerial duels he’s entered, offering Slot an excellent all-round option within the final third.

His talents don’t stop there, winning more fouls per 90, along with more progressive passes completed, demonstrating his relentless athleticism, which has seen countless defenders struggle to contain him.

At just 20, he has the current ability and potential to transform into an elite-level talent, having all the tools to back up the Euro Expert’s predictions around his future at the top level of the professional game.

Whilst it’s unclear what the situation is with Diaz heading into the summer, a move for the Monaco gem would allow the club to cash in should no contract be agreed – also landing a star who could improve tenfold and secure his place in the side for many years to come.

Worth as much as Huijsen: Liverpool struck gold on "special" £4m signing

Liverpool could sell this young star for a significant profit this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 30, 2025

Looking to put Edu Gaspar’s South American links to good use right away, Nottingham Forest have reportedly joined the race to sign the latest Brazilian wonderkid who’s been compared to Adriano.

Edu eyeing first Nottingham Forest targets

Joining Evangelos Marinakis at his portfolio of clubs which includes Nottingham Forest, former Arsenal sporting director Edu is seemingly looking to make his mark from the off. With Champions League qualification on the horizon too, the Brazilian is likely to be arriving at a time when those at the City Ground have more pull power than ever in the Premier League.

Major blow: £40k-p/w Nottingham Forest star now set to miss multiple games

He may have played his final game for the club…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 4, 2025

Marinakis previously spoke about Edu’s qualities after he left Arsenal, telling reporters: “Edu was a very good player and also a very good sporting and technical director. I have a lot of respect for him. The results we saw over the years at Arsenal were very good and he has done an excellent job at Arsenal.

“What I can say is that I would like to cooperate with him on a much bigger project, a global project. I’m optimistic that in case all this goes ahead, it will be another successful venture for both of us. I’m very optimistic about it, but we need to see how this will be developed and will be finalised, if and when time allows.”

The Brazilian’s first reported targets at the club certainly reflect Forest’s current ambitions too, with the likes of Victor Osimhen and Darwin Nunez threatening to steal the headlines in recent weeks.

Osimhen would be a particularly impressive arrival, given his experience on Europe’s top stage and how he has dominated on loan at Galatasaray this season. Such a player deserves to be playing Champions League football and Forest could be in a position to offer exactly that this summer. Meanwhile, the same can be said for one particular future star.

Nottingham Forest join race to sign Rayan

What Edu can instantly put to good use is his South American links to help those in the Midlands win the race to sign a rising star. According to The Boot Room, Nottingham Forest are now racing to sign Rayan from Vasco da Gama this summer in what would see the 18-year-old complete his first transfer outside of Brazil.

The young winger is certainly one to watch, with Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Forest all forming a hectic Premier League race to secure his signature.

That interest should come as no surprise after football talent scout Jacek Kulig compared him to the legendary Adriano and South American football expert Nathan Joyes dubbed the teenager “gifted”.

Whether the rising star is a gift that Edu will be able to hand Nuno Espirito Santo this summer remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that Rayan will be spoilt for choice when selecting his next move.