Chelsea 4 vs. 0 Morecambe FA Cup 3rd Round Review

A win that was needed!

Chelsea welcomed League 2 side Morecambe to Stamford Bridge on Sunday for the 3rd Round of this season’s FA Cup. Many including me expected some youth players to start the game but Lampard clearly decided that our struggling players needed a boost in form and Morecambe was a good team to get things started against. Kepa started in goal with Azpilicueta, Zouma, Rudiger, and Emerson making up the back four. Gilmour started in the CDM position with Mount and Havertz as the 8’s while Hudson-Odoi, Werner, and Ziyech started up front. As soon as the lineup came out many people’s expectation’s changed to this has to be a big win. 

The game was nervy initially as the clock ticked on and Chelsea became nervy in the final 3rd once again. Morecambe barely had a touch of the ball other than a shot that was taken from the right hand side which Kepa had to expertly save. Morecambe were so deep that it was impossible to pick out a pass and so Mount got Chelsea the lead in the 18th minute as he fired a shot from long distance into the net. Chelsea then got a boost and began to create more in the final 3rd. Morecambe held on but the killer blow came in the 44th minute as Ziyech picked out Havertz in the box who headed the ball into Werner and the German finally got a goal as he tapped in to make it 2. 

The 2nd half saw more of a lift from the team as a whole as Werner especially seemed to have got a weight off his shoulder and was suddenly more involved. The quick start got Chelsea a third goal in the 49th minute as Ziyech picked out a Hudson-Odoi with a great pass and CHO finished to make it 3. 3 nil and coasting it could have been way more as Giroud, Pulisic, Tammy, Tomori, and Anjorin all came on during the half. The final goal came in the 85th minute as Tammy did well to keep the ball and pass it into Azpi who’s good cross found a rushing Havertz and thumped in a header to seal the deal. A good win and onto the next round. 

Chelsea Team Review

Goalkeeper

Other than the early chance that Morecambe had which Kepa actually did well to save there was not much for the Spaniard to do. Kepa collected balls into the box well and in his 100th appearance for the club he kept a clean sheet. A good outing for him. 

Defenders

A clean sheet is all that the defence can do and if they get that it’s a job well done. Azpilicueta was better in the 2nd half but in the 1st half his pace was lacking and we could see Livramento brought in later down the line. Zouma, and Rudiger were solid were able to handle any threats that Morecambe had. Emerson did well to get forward and was threat in the 1st half as he got some shots off. Tomori did come on later on but it seems he will be heading out on loan. 

Midfielders

Gilmour did well in the Kante role as he managed the game and kept the ball ticking. Plenty of mobility and a bite in the tackle as he made a case to start more games down the line. Mount got a goal on his birthday and had a good game overall. Havertz was better in the 2nd half than the 1st along with getting a goal and an assist. Havertz is great playing further forward and that’s where he needs to be for us get the best out of him. Havertz did do well to track back as well and it was good to see him work hard. The German seems to be getting back to his pre-covid self. 

Forwards

The forwards all did well, Hudson-Odoi got a goal and an assist as he continues to be in form. CHO should start against Fulham and deserves to start against Fulham. Ziyech did well during the game as well, he was crucial for the Werner goal as his pass picked out Havertz while his pass to CHO was Mataesque with that left foot. A good game for the Moroccan. Werner managed to get a goal and post that he looked lively and vibrant once again. Not that Timo ever stopped trying but he just seemed to have more energy about him. Good to see and now hopefully he can kick on with a strong goal scoring run. Tammy did well when he came on while Giroud was also involved. Pulisic did well while Tino was also decent. 

Lampard

A good game for Lampard and it was nice to see him smile again. It’s now up to him and the team to carry this momentum into the games ahead and patch together a good run of wins. 

Onto the next round where we will face Luton Town at Stamford Bridge. For now we return to Premier League football as we travel to local team Fulham on Saturday. COME ON CHELSEA!!!

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Weekend Football Review

FA Cup always entertains!

FA Cup 3rd Round

Aston Villa 1 vs. 4 Liverpool

Liverpool took on Villa’s U23 squad after the senior team was under quarantine and the youngsters really took the game to Liverpool. Mane gave Liverpool the lead in the 4th minute but Villa mounted a comeback and Barry equalised in the 41st minute with a goal that will always stay in his memory. Villa looked good midway through the 2nd half but then Thiago and other brought on as the result began to look edgy. Wijnaldum, Salah, and Mane scored 1 each in the final 30 minutes to seal the win for the away team. 

Wolverhampton 1 vs. 0 Crystal Palace

Traore scored in the 35th minute to seal a win for Wolves in what was a close game against Palace. 

Everton 2 vs. 1 Rotherham

Tosun scored in the 9th minute to give Everton the lead but Rotherham fought back with a goal from Olosunde in the 56th minute. The game then went to extra time where Doucoure scored the winner in the 93rd minute. Good fight from Rotherham but Everton get through. 

Blackpool 2 (3) vs. (2) 2 West Brom

Yates scored in the 40th minute to give Blackpool the lead while Ajayi equalised in the 52nd minute for West Brom. Madine restored Blackpool’s lead in the 62nd minute but West Brom came back with a goal from Pereira in the 80th minute via a penalty. The game then went all the way to penalties after extra time and Blackpool edged into the next round. West Brom can now focus on survival. 

QPR 0 vs. 2 Fulham

This game also went all the way to extra time but Fulham got 2 goals via Reid, and Kebano to reach the next round. 

Burnley 1 (4) vs. (3) 1 MK Dons

Jerome scored in the 29th minute to give MK Dons the lead and it took a very late goal from Vydra in the 94th minute to take the game to extra time for Burnley. There were no goals in extra time as the game went to penalties and Burnley went through. 

Bristol Rovers 2 vs. 3 Sheffield United

A feisty game as Joe Day scored in the 6th minute to give Sheffield United the lead via an own goal. Kilgour equalised for Bristol in the 21st minute. The game then went mad over the course of 4 minutes in the 2nd half as Burke scored to make it 1-2 for Sheffield United in the 59th minute, Ehmer then equalised for Bristol in the 62nd minute and Bogle made it 2-3 in the 63rd minute for Sheffield. The Blades finally manage a win this season and maybe that can create some momentum in their league form. 

Stoke City 0 vs. 4 Leicester

Justin, Albrighton, Perez, and Barnes all scored in a comfortable win for Leicester in this round against Stoke. 

Arsenal 2 vs. 0 Newcastle

This game also went to extra time as Rowe, and Aubameyang scored in the added 30 minutes to seal a win for Newcastle and take Arsenal to the next round. 

Man United 1 vs. 0 Watford

McTominay scored in the 5th minute and United managed to hold on to that goal as they got a win against Watford who fought well but couldn’t manage a goal. 

Southampton vs. Shrewsbury

This game was postponed due to Covid. 

Crawley Town 3 vs. 0 Leeds

This was probably the surprise result of the round as mighty exciting Leeds got thumped by League Two side Crawley. Tsaroulla, Nadesan, Tunnicliffe all scored in the 2nd half as Leeds fell on their attacking sword aided by some poor goalkeeping from Casilla. 

Man City 3 vs. 0 Birmingham

Silva scored 2 and Foden scored 1 in the 1st half as City beat Birmingham in a routine win as they continue their good form. 

Marine 0 vs. 5 Tottenham

Vinicius scored a hattrick while Moura and Devine scored as Tottenham won their game against Marine a team in the 8th tier of English football. It was a good day for Marine as they gained a lot of revenue that will help them going forward and Tottenham progress to the next round. 

Newport County 1 (3) vs. (4) 1 Brighton

After 90 very close and tough minutes March gave Brighton the lead in the 90th minute. It looked like a win was certain for the Seagulls but Webster scored an own goal in the 96th minute to take the game to extra time. After 30 minutes it went to penalties and Brighton went through just about. 

Stockport 0 vs. 1 West Ham

Dawson scored in the 83rd minute to get West Ham the win after a very hard fought game. 

La Liga MW 18

Villarreal beat Celta Vigo 0-4, Sevilla beat Real Sociedad 3-2, Barcelona beat Granada 0-4, Real Madrid drew with Osasuna 0-0, while Valencia beat Valladolid 0-1. The Atletico game was called off. Atletico remain top of the table by a point although Real Madrid who sit 2nd have played 3 more games than them. Barcelona sit 3rd 3 points behind Real while Villarreal make up the top four. Real Sociedad sit 5th and Sevilla sit 6th. Valencia sit 14th. It’s still advantage Atletico and until they play their games in hand the advantage will remain with Atletico. 

Serie A MW 17

Atalanta beat Benevento 1-4, Milan beat Torino 2-0, Roma drew with Inter 2-2, Lazio beat Parma 0-2, Napoli beat Udinese 1-2, and Juventus beat Sassuolo 3-1. Milan lead the table by 3 points as Inter sit 2nd. Roma sit 3rd 3 points behind Inter while Juventus complete the top four. Atalanta and Napoli sit 5th and 6th while Sassuolo and Lazio sit 7th and 8th. An interesting race Italy continues as Milan bounce back from their loss last weekend to regain advantage at the top. 

Bundesliga MW 15

Monchengladbach beat Bayern 3-2 in a thrilling encounter, Leverkusen drew with Werder Bremen 1-1, Schalke beat Hoffenheim 4-0, and Dortmund beat Leipzig 1-3. Bayern remain top of the table by 2 points with Leipzig sitting 2nd. Leverkusen sit 3rd while Dortmund sit 4th in the table. Monchengladbach sit 7th in the table while Schalke finally win and move up to 17th. 

Ligue 1 MW 19

PSG beat Brest 3-0 as Poch got his first win with the club, Monaco beat Angers 3-0, Marseille drew with Dijon 0-0, Lille beat Nimes 0-1, and Lyon drew with Rennes 2-2. Lyon remain top of the table by a point with PSG sitting 2nd and going within 1 point of them. Lille 3rd also a point from the top while Monaco sit 4th 6 points behind 3rd. Marseille sit 6th. Ligue 1 is interesting but it will depend on what PSG do, if they kick on from this win then the league will be theirs otherwise the race remains close. 

Chelsea vs. Morecambe FA Cup 3rd Round Preview

No cake walk.

Chelsea take on League Two side Morecambe in the FA Cup 3rd Round on Sunday. League Two is the 4th Tier of English football in which Morecambe sit 7th in the table having won 10 drawn 4 and lost 6 this season. Morecambe are just 5 points from the top of the table and have won their last 4 games in a row as they go to Stamford Bridge as a team in form. The squad was under quarantine after a corona outbreak but they have been training for the last week and are able to play the game again. 

Chelsea go into this game having lost to Man City last weekend after what was a below par first half. Chelsea reached the FA Cup final last season and we will be hoping to emulate that run and eventually win it this season. For Chelsea the upcoming run of games is very tough with Lampard needing a bounce back to regain momentum in his favour. Lampard is under no direct threat at the moment but there are question marks and Chelsea need to return to winning ways to remove them. Essentially we need to go back to basics and that starts against Morecambe. 

Chelsea Team Preview

Christensen, Reece James, and Kante are out due to injuries although Reece James should be back in training on Saturday. Chelsea have brought in youngsters Jude Soonsup-Bell, Tino Anjorin, Tino Livramento, Lewis Bate, and Henry Lawrence over the last 2-3 weeks to prepare for this game and give some of these players a start for the senior team. I expect Kepa to start in goal with Lawrence, Tomori, Rudiger, and Emerson starting in defence. Gilmour should start in the CDM position with Bate, and Havertz as the 8’s. Hudson-Odoi, and Anjorin should start as the wingers with Werner up front. There’s going to be plenty of depth of the bench and the likes of Soonsup-Bell and Livramento can come on if the team is playing well and has a good lead. Werner, and Kai need some momentum and maybe goals against Morecambe can kick start a good run of form. CHO deserves to start while Anjorin should impress once again. 

Morecambe Team Preview

Morecambe are a team in good form and they will go into this game having no worries and trying to give it their all. Attacking midfielder Phillips, and winger Gomes are the threats for Morecambe having contributed the most goals this season but their defence is quite shaky having conceded 30 goals this season. It will be interesting to see their team play as they use a traditional 4-2-3-1 formation. 

Starting XI Prediction

Chelsea need to be at the top of their game because Morecambe have nothing to lose. A big chance for the youngsters to make a mark and hopefully a chance for the out of form players to kick start a strong patch of form. COME ON CHELSEA!!!

Weekend Football Preview

The FA Cup is back!

FA Cup 3rd Round

Aston Villa vs. Liverpool

The first game of the 3rd Round comes to us from Villa park where Aston Villa take on Liverpool. Liverpool sit top of the league on goal difference while Villa are 8th, 7 points behind them. Liverpool have not been their glorious selves this season and have already lost to Villa 7-2 this season. Liverpool are also coming off a defeat to Southampton on Monday night. An interesting game between two good teams and either team could probably go through. 

Wolverhampton vs. Crystal Palace

Not much separates Wolves and Palace in the league as they sit 13th and 14th respectively. Wolves have already played Palace this season as they beat the Eagles 2-0 in that game. This will be a close game with both teams evenly matched to get a result. 

Everton vs. Rotherham

7th placed Everton take on Rotherham who sit 23rd in the Championship having won 4, drawn 4 and lost 12 games this season. This should be a straight forward win for Ancelotti and team.

Blackpool vs. West Brom

Blackpool sit 13th in League One as they welcome West Brom who sit 19th in the Premier League. Blackpool are the team in better form but in terms of quality West Brom should have enough to gain a win over the home team. 

QPR vs. Fulham

London Derby as QPR welcome Fulham. QPR sit 20th in the Championship having won 4 drawn 9 and lost 9 while Fulham are 18th in the Premier League. Fulham are the better team and have been getting some good points recently having drawn their last 4 games. Fulham should see this game through. 

Burnley vs. MK Dons

16th placed Burnley take on MK Dons who sit 16th in League One. MK Dons have won 6 drawn 7 and lost 8 of their games this season. Burnley are getting back into form and are showing their defensive solidity once again. Burnley should manage to win this game. 

Bristol Rovers vs. Sheffield United

Bristol Rovers sit 18th in League One as they take on 20th placed Sheffield United. Bristol have won 6 drawn 4 and lost 8 of their games while Sheffield are still seeking their first win of the season. Bristol will feel encouraged that they can get a result against the Blades but the Blades should feel they can win this game. 

Stoke City vs. Leicester

Stoke sit 8th in the Championship as they take on Leicester who sit 3rd in the Premier League. Stoke have won 9 drawn 8 and lost 6 this season as they look to progress to the Premier League. Leicester are the team in better form and with a solid squad but this could be a tricky fixture. 

Arsenal vs. Newcastle

11th placed Arsenal take on 15th placed Newcastle with Arsenal coming into this game having won their last 3. Newcastle haven’t won a game in some time so they will be hoping for some FA Cup miracle in this game. Arsenal are looking to continue the momentum and should be able to dispatch of Newcastle. 

Man United vs. Watford

2nd placed United take on Watford who sit 6th in the Championship. Watford have won 10 drawn 7 and lost 5 as they look to get back into the Premier League this season. United lost to City in the Carabao Cup but are generally in good form and this should be an entertaining game. Watford themselves are looking to return to winning ways. 

Southampton vs. Shrewsbury

Southampton sit 6th in the Premier League as they take on Shrewsbury who sit 17th in League One. They have won 5 drawn 9 and lost 6 this season. Southampton should face no issues in this game and it should be a simple victory. 

Crawley Town vs. Leeds

Crawley Town sit 6th in League Two having won 9 drawn 7 and lost 6 while Leeds sit 12th in the Premier League. Leeds should find this a simple game. The magic of the FA Cup usually comes to the fore when fans are around but without fans these are just friendlies. 

Man City vs. Birmingham

City sit 5th in the Premier League and are in great form having beat United recently as they take on Birmingham who sit 18th in the Championship. Birmingham have won 5 drawn 8 and lost 10 this season. City should win this game easily. 

Marine vs. Tottenham

Marine are a Non League Division One side which is the 7th Tier of English football as they welcome Tottenham who sit 4th in the Premier League. Marine sit 6th in their table having won 5 and lost 2 games this season. Ordinarily this would be a great game for the home fans to see a big team but with no fans it doesn’t have that sparkle. Tottenham should be able to dispatch Marine without any issues. 

Newport County vs. Brighton

Newport sit 2nd in League Two having won 11 drawn 5 and lost 4 games this season. Brighton sit 17th in the Premier League as they struggle for form recently. Brighton are clearly the better team but Newport will feel they can cause an upset being in decent form recently. A tricky game. 

Stockport vs. West Ham

Stockport sit 4th in the National League which is the 5th Tier of English football as they welcome West Ham who sit 10th in the Premier League. Stockport have won 7 drawn 3 and lost 4 this season but West Ham should be a game too far for them. The Hammers should progress to the next round. 

La Liga MW 18

Villarreal take on Celta Vigo, Sevilla welcome Real Sociedad, Atletico welcome Bilbao, Barcelona travel to Granada, and Real Madrid travel to Osasuna, while Valencia travel to Valladolid. The rest are playing catchup to Atletico at the moment with the leaders still having 2 games in hand over the rest. This means that they teams behind them can’t afford to drop points. 

Serie A MW 17

Atalanta travel to Benevento, Milan welcome Torino, Inter travel to Roma, Lazio travel to Parma, Napoli travel to Udinese, and Juventus entertain Sassuolo. Some tricky games for all the Italian teams this weekend as the table begins to heat up. Milan can regain their advantage at the top but Roma could fall away once again if they lose against Inter. Juventus will look to continue making ground but Sassuolo are a tricky customer. 

Bundesliga MW 15

Bayern travel to play Monchengladbach, Leverkusen entertain Werder Bremen, Schalke welcome Hoffenheim, and Dortmund travel to Leipzig. A tricky weekend of fixtures in Germany as well as top teams face off against each other. Bayern are looking to increase their lead at the top of the table but the rest will hope Bayern drop points and their teams win. 

Ligue 1 MW 19

PSG welcome Brest, Monaco welcome Angers, Marseille travel to Dijon, Lille travel to Nimes, and Lyon travel to Rennes. Poch will look to get his first win with PSG after a draw in his first game while the rest will hope to stay in the fight. Lyon just need to keep winning to maintain their gap at the top. 

Midweek Football Review

Straightforward wins!

Carabao Cup 3rd Round

Leyton Orient vs. Tottenham

This game was cancelled after a lot of the Leyton Orient players tested positive for Covid. It is yet to be seen who goes through to the next round but it is likely to be Spurs by default. 

West Brom 2 (4) vs. (5) 2 Brentford

This game lit up in the 2nd half as Robson-Kanu gave West Brom the lead in the 56th minute via a penalty. Marcondes though equalised for Brentford 2 minutes later. Robson-Kanu scored another penalty in the 66th minute to restore West Brom’s lead, only for Brentford to equalise through a penalty of their own in the 73rd minute by Forss. The game then went to penalties and Brentford went through once again beating Premier League opposition. 

West Ham 5 vs. 1 Hull City

Snodgrass and Haller scored in the 1st half to give West Ham a 2-0 lead. Yarmolenko then scored a penalty in the 56th minute to make it 3-0 while Hull got one back through Wilks in the 70th minute. Haller and Yarmolenko scored 2 goals in stoppage time to seal the win for West Ham. 

Luton Town 0 vs. 3 Man United

After a tough first half United finally got the breakthrough before half time via a penalty from Mata. Luton had some good chances but Henderson made some good saves on his debut. The game stayed on a knifes edge until the final few minutes when Rashford and Greenwood scored to seal the win. 

Fulham 2 vs. 0 Sheffield Wednesday 

Kamara and Reid scored during the game to give Fulham a comfortable win over Sheffield Wednesday.

Millwall 0 vs. 2 Burnley

The two goals in this game came right at the end of each half as Brownhill scored in the 45th minute and Vydra right before the game ended. A comfortable win for Burnley in the end. 

Preston 0 vs. 2 Brighton

Jahanbakhsh and Mac Allister scored in the 2nd half as Brighton got a comfortable win over Preston to seal progression to the next round.

Fleetwood 2 vs. 5 Everton

Richarlison scored 2 goals in the 1st half to give Everton the lead. Duffy got one back for Fleetwood in the 48th minute only for Iwobi to go down the other end and make it 3 for Everton. Camps made it 2 for Fleetwood in the 58th minute but Bernard and Kean managed to score goals to seal a the win for Everton and Ancelotti. 

Morecambe 0 vs. 7 Newcastle

Joelinton scored 2 in the first half, while Almiron, Murphy, and Hayden also scored in the 1st half. Lascelles scored a goal in the 2nd half, while Lavelle scored an own goal to seal the win in the end. All Morecambe had was a red card in the 1st half. Newcastle record their biggest win ever and move to the next round.

Leicester 0 vs. 2 Arsenal

Fuchs scored an own goal in the 57th minute to give Arsenal the lead while Nketiah made it 2 in the 90th minute to seal the win. Arsenal move on to the next round while Leicester are knocked out. 

Bristol City 0 vs. 3 Aston Villa

El Ghazi and Traore scored within 15 minutes to give Villa the lead while Watkins came off the bench to scored the 3rd in the 2nd half. Straight forward win for Villa as they move on to the next round.

Lincoln City 2 vs. 7 Liverpool

Shaqiri, Minamino and two goals from Curtis Jones rounded off the first half for Liverpool. Minamino got his 2nd to start the 2nd half while Lincoln got one back in the 60th minute via Edun. Grujic scored for Liverpool in the 65th minute while Lincoln got one back via Montsma a minute later. Origi sealed the win in the 89th minute. 

Man City 2 vs. 1 Bournemouth

Delap scored his first senior goal in the 18th minute but Bournemouth equalised via Surridge in the 22nd minute. Foden got the winner in the 75th minute for City in a hard fought win. 

Chelsea 6 vs. 0 Barnsley Carabao Cup 3rd Round Review

Not smooth sailing but plenty to be excited about!

Chelsea played Barnsley in the 3rd Round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night as Lampard’s side ran out 6-0 winners. Lampard selected a good team with Caballero in goal, Emerson started at left back with Azpilicueta at right back while Silva got his debut alongside Tomori. Barkley and Kovacic started in a midfield 2 while Mount, Havertz, and Hudson-Odoi started behind Tammy up front. Barnsley also made 5 changes to the team that played against Reading but Struber for sure had come to play. 

The game started with Barnsley as the better team as they pressed with a high tempo and forced the Chelsea players into some difficult positions. Chelsea had the first sight of goal though as Havertz played a good ball into Hudson-Odoi’s path and his shot was saved by Collins. Barnsley went on to take shots of their own on Chelsea’s goal as Caballero was forced into some good saves. The opening goal came in the 19th minute as Tammy took advantage of some lazy possession by a Barnsley defender to nick the ball and finish past Collins. Barnsley still kept coming as it was a very end to end game. Mount then had a good chance to score after Havertz played him through but Mason put his shot wide of the post. The 2nd goal came in the 28th minute as Mount played a great ball into Tammy’s path who dummied for Havertz as the German came up behind him and slotted past Collins. First goal for Kai and a brilliant one at that. The rest of the half played out with both teams getting shots but Barnsley still having more chances. 

The 2nd half saw Chelsea up their game as we made it 3 in the 49th minute as Havertz did well to press and make a tackle up front as the ball fell to Barkley who drove forward and finished. The 55th minute saw Kovacic press well to nick the ball and pass into Tammy who flicked it on for Havertz who ran into the box and finished past Collins for the 4th. Silva played 60 minutes as Zouma came on for him for what was a successful night for the Brazilian legend. The 65th minute saw Havertz complete his first career hattrick as Tammy once again played a brilliant pass into Havertz who broke the line and dribbled past Collins to finish. The German was then taken off for Chilwell who made his debut. Barkley could have made it 6 as Giroud played a brilliant ball into his path but Ross missed in shocking fashion while Mount could also have scored after some brilliant play by him and Giroud but his shot was saved. The final goal came in the 83rd minute as Chilwell delivered a brilliant cross into Giroud who’s header found the net. 90 minutes, onto the next round on a good night for Chelsea. 

Player Review

Caballero – Very good, made several saves to keep Chelsea in this game and really staked his claim for that 2nd choice spot. 

Azpilicueta – Solid night for Azpi as he led the backline alongside Silva, and could have had a goal as well as he headed just wide in the 2nd half. 

Tomori – Solid game for Tomori as he looks likely to stay this season with Rudiger heading out. A good 90 minutes from the young player. 

Silva – Thiago Silva did well on his debut, there was a shaky start in the opening few minutes but the rest of the display was very assured. It looked like we had a leader in the backline and I felt more comfortable seeing him there. Good start. 

Emerson – Good game from Emerson, there are question marks whether he stays or not but it was a nice performance. Funnily enough I felt he played better when he was shifted on the wings after Chilwell came on. 

Kovacic – Great going forward as he resisted the press brilliantly but still when it comes to a CDM he is not the solution. 

Barkley – Good goal for Barkley and could have had 2 on the night, solid squad player if he stays. 

Hudson-Odoi – Callum had a quiet 70 minutes until he was switched wings to the left and he made a better impact on the game. Good work rate from him and if he stays that’s all he can do. I still think a good loan move would do him a world of good in his Chelsea career.

Havertz – Great game from Havertz in a man of the match performance. Kai played in his favoured 10 role and he was on it from the start. 3 very good finishes for his goals and got an assist for Barkley’s goal as well. Havertz could have had a few more assists but the finishes were lacking. The German was fluid behind Tammy as he glided around the midfield effortlessly. The relationship with Tammy was also nice to see and this is going to be the first of many for Havertz.

Mount – Good assist from Mount and could have had a few more along with a few more goals. Mount was quiet when he played out on the wings but he got better once he was brought in centrally after Havertz came off. How Lampard fits Mount in with Havertz once Pulisic and Ziyech are fit will be interesting to see but I really like them two as our attacking 8’s. Just need a solid CDM. 

Abraham – Great night for Tammy as well as he got a goal and 3 assists essentially. The partnership with Havertz was really good to see and Tammy also improved physically in his hold up play. Very nice. 

Zouma – Solid from Zouma as he came on for Silva to see out the game.

Chilwell – A good appearance from our new left back as he showed some good pace and delivered a beautiful assist for Giroud. Can’t wait for the first start.

Giroud – On the score sheet and could have had a few more if not poor deliveries from the right and probably could have had a couple of assists as well. Good cameo. 

All in all a good 90 minutes of prep for Chelsea as some confidence was built while also seeing some good pressing, and inter play between the players. This team is still without Pulisic and Ziyech who are set to return as well while Mendy is also missing from goal, while Werner didn’t even play last night along with Kante, and Reece James. The depth is looking good for what is going to be a very long season. Good sings and need to keep on building, COME ON YOU BLUES!!!.

Chelsea vs. Barnsley Carabao Cup 3rd Round Preview

Pre-season with stakes!

Chelsea entertain Gerhard Struber’s Barnsley in the 3rd round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. Barnsley beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 in the 1st round and beat Middlesbrough 0-2 in the 2nd round as they travel to Stamford Bridge. The Championship club sit 20th in the league having lost their first 2 games of the season. Gerhard Struber is an Austrian manager from the Red Bull Salzburg school of management, Struber has gone through the ranks at Red Bull and after a brief spell Wolfsberger he joined Barnsley last year. Barnsley just about avoided relegation to League One last season but they are known to play attacking football with a high press a kin to a team like Liverpool. 

Chelsea go into this game having lost to Liverpool on Sunday night. Lampard stated that these games are still part of a make shift pre-season as we only played Brighton before the season started and had a week to work together before playing them again in MW 1. While the game against Barnsley has to be taken seriously it is yet another chance to build our squad’s match fitness or at least 14 players match fitness. 

Chelsea Team Preview

Chelsea will be without Christensen who’s red card against Liverpool means that he sits this game out. Ziyech and Pulisic are close to featuring and might make it for the West Brom game but not this one. Silva and Chilwell are in the squad while Lampard also confirmed that Mendy was having his medical but would only possibly be available at the weekend. Lampard confirmed that Caballero would start in goal a decision that he made before Liverpool. I expect Azpilicueta to start at right back with Chilwell starting at left back. Silva should also start and I think Tomori might get to start along side him. The midfield is where it get’s tricky, I think Kovacic will start in the CDM position with RLC and Havertz in front of him. Hudson-Odoi should start at right wing with Mount at left wing and Tammy should start up front. Giroud should probably feature from the bench. 

Barnsley Team Preview

Andersen and Helik were sent off for Barnsley against Reading at the weekend and so will not be able to play in this game. The fact that both are starting centre backs and part of a back 3 is a bit problematic for Struber. Chaplin, Thomas, Freiser, and Schmidt are the danger men for Barnsley going forward but the team seems to still be adjusting to the beginning of the season. 

Starting XI Prediction 

A first glimpse of Chilwell, and Silva in Chelsea Blue awaits us but more importantly it is yet another game for this team to work together and get match fit. A good win is needed and a goal or two from the likes of Havertz, Hudson-Odoi, RLC would go a long way in boosting the team’s and players confidence. Werner might even start just so that he can kick off his goal scoring record. COME ON YOU BLUES!!!

Midweek Football Preview

Premier League big boys get involved in the Carabao Cup!

Carabao Cup 3rd Round

Leyton Orient vs. Tottenham

Leyton are 9th in Football League Two as they take on Tottenham having beaten Plymouth 3-2 in the last round. Tottenham have a game in the Europa League as well 2 days after this one and so they should field a 2nd string team. One could see Reguilon involved due to match fitness as well. Leyton have a good chance to get a win against a weakened Tottenham side but Tottenham should be reaching the next round. 

West Brom vs. Brentford

West Brom beat Harrogate 3-0 in the last round while Brentford beat Southampton. West Brom have not had the greatest start to life back in the Premier League having lost their last two games while Brentford have won their last two in all comps. An interesting game between two evenly matched teams. Chance to see Gallagher and Ivanovic involved for West Brom. 

West Ham vs. Hull City

West Ham beat Charlton 3-0 in the last round while Hull beat Leeds on penalties. On paper this should be a straightforward win for West Ham and the Hammers played well against Arsenal even though they lost. Hull sit 3rd in League One though and won’t be push overs, still West Ham should reach the next round. 

Luton Town vs. Man United

Luton sit 3rd in the Championship and beat Reading in the last round while United lost to Palace on Saturday and look shaky as a team at the moment. Luton are in good form and have beat some solid Championship teams over the last few weeks while there is uncertainty around United. On paper this should be an easy win for United but Luton could surprise a few and win this game. 

Fulham vs. Sheffield Wednesday

Fulham beat Ipswich in the last round while Wednesday beat Rochdale. The two teams sit in the relegation zone of the Premier League and Championship respectively and so they are in similar form. This could be a close game. 

Millwall vs. Burnley

Millwall beat Cheltenham in the last round while Burnley beat Sheffield United on penalties. Burnley suffered a loss to Leicester during the weekend though and Millwall sit 8th in the Championship. An interesting game that on paper Burnley should win but Millwall will have a chance. 

Preston vs. Brighton

Preston beat Derby in the last round and sit 16th in the Championship as they take on Brighton who thrashed Portsmouth and beat Newcastle comfortably last week. This should be a comfortable win for Brighton and Graham Potter. 

Fleetwood vs. Everton

Fleetwood beat Port Vale in the last round and sit 10th in the Championship as they take on Everton who beat Salford in the last round and beat West Brom comfortably. Everton should get by without any issues as they start the season in strong form. 

Morecambe vs. Newcastle

Morecambe beat Oldham Athletic in the last round as they sit 14th in League Two while Newcastle beat Blackburn in the last round but lost to Brighton during the weekend. Newcastle should win this game but it wont be an easy win. 

Leicester vs. Arsenal

The toughest of the clashes as Leicester take on Arsenal as they come off two successive wins in the league. The two teams are in good form with opposing styles of play, Rodgers the more attacking and Arteta more pragmatic. It should be an intersting game that can go either way. 

Bristol City vs. Aston Villa

Bristol beat Northampton in the last round and sit 2nd in the Championship as they take on Villa who beat Burton in the last round. An interesting game between two evenly matched teams. 

Lincoln City vs. Liverpool

Lincoln City beat Bradford 0-5 in the last round and sit 2nd in League One but Liverpool have won 2 in 2 in the league and will be looking to continue their winning streak. Lincoln have a chance to win this game if Klopp fields a weak team but other than that Lincoln’s good run should come to an end. 

Man City vs. Bournemouth

Bournemouth beat Palace on penalties in the last round and sit 4th in the Championship as they take on City who are yet to play a game this season but will have when this game comes around. City should win this game comfortably even if Bournemouth put up a fight. 

Midweek Football Review

The expected teams qualify!

FA Cup 4th Round Replay

Liverpool 1 vs. 0 Shrewsbury

Williams scored an own goal for Shrewsbury in the 75th minute to cap a woeful display from the away side on a day when Liverpool were playing their 3rd choice team. With all the first teams stars on vacation this was a great opportunity for Shrewsbury to get one up on Liverpool but their performance was really poor and Klopp without even trying reached the next round of the FA Cup. 

Oxford United 2 vs. 3 Newcastle

Longstaff and Joelinton scored in the 1st half to give Newcastle a comfortable lead. The final 10 minutes saw a resurgence from Oxford and Kelly got one back in the 84th minute. Holland then equalised in the 94th minute to send the game into extra time. Saint-Maximin then scored a brilliant winner in the 116th minute to send Newcastle to the next round.

Tottenham 3 vs. 2 Southampton

Stephens scored an own goal in the 12th minute to give Tottenham the lead, while Shane Long equalised in the 34th minute. Ings then got Southampton the lead in the 72nd minute but Moura equalised for Spurs 6 minutes later. With the game on a knifes edge and Southampton the better team a Son dive in the 87th minute got Spurs a penalty. Son stepped up and scored to send Spurs into the next round and rather harshly dump Southampton out. Southampton can be encouraged by their recent form while Tottenham continue their search for silverware this season with Mourinho at the helm. 

Copa Del Rey Quarter-Finals

Granada beat Valencia 2-1, Mirandes beat Villarreal 4-2, Real Sociedad beat Real Madrid 3-4, and Bilbao beat Barcelona 1-0. A case of the bigger teams taking things for granted as Granada, Mirandes, Real Sociedad, and Bilbao are the semi-finalists. Not a massive negative for Real Madrid as they still had a good performance but Barcelona go from bad to worse with poor performances on the pitch being complimented by internal turmoil between Abidal, and Messi. 

DFB Pokal 3rd Round

Frankfurt beat Leipzig 3-1, Werder Bremen beat Dortmund 3-2, and Bayern beat Hoffenheim 4-3. Bayern now the clear favourites in the DFB Pokal as some major teams drop out. Dortmund and Leipzig now have one less competition to worry about but Bayern can aim for more silverware. 

 

Midweek Football Preview

Cup games!

FA Cup 4th Round Replays

Liverpool vs. Shrewsbury

Klopp having gone 22 points clear in the league is now on vacation as he and his players can’t be bothered by the FA Cup. Shrewsbury now get a free hand at Anfield to beat a Liverpool youth team to reach the 5th Round of the FA Cup. Shrewsbury have lost both their games since drawing against Liverpool but they will not take this game lightly as a loss against a youth team won’t do any favours to their reputation.

Oxford United vs. Newcastle

Newcastle could not get the job done and have hit a bit of a goal drought as they now travel to Oxford. Oxford won their game since beating Newcastle and will be hopeful to get a win especially at home. 

Tottenham vs. Southampton

Southampton and Tottenham played out an entertaining draw last time out but Southampton are going through a bit of a rough patch at the moment. Tottenham got a morale boosting win against City on Sunday and will hope to carry that into this fixture as Mourinho looks to end Spurs trophy drought. 

Copa Del Rey Quarter-Finals

Quarter Final time in Spain as Granada take on Valencia, Mirandes take on Villareal, Real Madrid take on Real Sociedad, and Bilbao take on Barcelona. Some interesting fixtures throughout with none of the teams guaranteed a qualification to the semis. All to play for in this competition although Real should be the favourites based on their current form while Barcelona really need to pick up the pace.

DFB Pokal 3rd Round

DFB Pokal returns as Frankfurt entertain Leipzig, Dortmund travel to Werder Bremen, and Bayern take on Hoffenheim among other teams. The title race in Germany is a highly entertaining one at the moment and several top teams are still in contention to make it a double domestically.