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Chelsea 2021-22: What to expect from the season ahead

27Jul

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Chelsea 2021-22: What to expect from the season ahead

Winning the UCL in grand style would relax nerves and dampen the pressure in many top teams in Europe but not at Chelsea. Four European trophies in 10 years perfectly depict the hunger for success at Chelsea and it will be the same in the coming season. Here’s a quick look at how things might be next season in the various departments of the current European champions. Goalkeeping The acquisition of Edouard Mendy from Rennes proved to be arguably the best piece of business Chelsea did last summer. With 24 clean sheets in 43 appearances, no other goalkeeper in Europe had a better season statistically. Compared to the previous season that saw Kepa Arrizabalaga fluff his lines so much, the solidity of the Chelsea backline was down to Mendy’s wonderful performances between the sti...

14Jun

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Chelsea

Mason Mount is a force that has come to stay

The transfer ban against Chelsea did them a lot of good and continues to do so even after the departure of Frank Lampard. The Englishman was tasked with managing the Blues during the torrid period of no major acquisitions and he chose to stick with one young English player who has proven that he has the quality to thrive on the biggest stage if handed the opportunity. Chelsea have never been known to rely on players from their academy but had no choice but to do so in the 2019/20 football season as the likes of Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Reece James, and Mason Mount took up important roles in the team. Mason Mount was one player who never got the credit he deserved in his first season as a regular first-team player at Stamford Bridge. Many pundits and fans believed that he was ...

28May

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Featured

Manchester City face defining moment in club’s history

It’s all been building up to this. Since the takeover of Manchester City by Sheikh Mansour in 2008, winning the Champions League has been top of the club’s agenda. It’s taken a lot longer than many expected for the opportunity to present itself, but tomorrow night City face their date with destiny — the Champions League final against Chelsea in Porto. On paper, City shouldn’t have too much to fear. They are the favorites to win the match according to the Champions League odds, and with the Premier League title already in their back pockets, confidence will be high among coach Pep Guardiola’s squad. There is also the fact that opponents Chelsea have stuttered somewhat towards the end of the season, losing to Leicester City in the FA Cup final, and only narrowly making it into the top ...

28May

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Featured

2020/21 UCL Final – The clash of the billionaires and the tacticians

The 2020/21 UEFA Champions League final takes place tomorrow between two English giants in recent times due to the spending power of their respective owners. The two clubs who will be facing each other in the final of Europe's elite club competition were minnows in English football some decades back but have carved niches for themselves amongst Europe's elite clubs in recent times. Chelsea FC were just there before the arrival of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and Manchester City were the notable noisy rivals with no notable impact before the arrival of Sheikh Mansour. Regardless, both sides have become major players in English football since they were taken over by these billionaire figures. READ: BEST SITES FOR STREAMING LIVE FOOTBALL GAMES Both sides will face each...

17May

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Chelsea

Time for Tuchel to feel the pressure at Chelsea as fans return to earth

The events of the past week have shown that there are no guarantees in football. They have also shown that a manager is only the fans' favorite when he has the results to show in his favor. This is the present story of Chelsea as they prepare for their last two Premier League games of the season as well as the UEFA Champions League final against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in Portugal. The Blues were coming off the back of wins against Real Madrid and Manchester City and suddenly, their fans saw them as favorites for every tie. Well, the past week has also shown how the tide can turn, and how football fans can be brought back to earth. If Thomas Tuchel hasn't felt pressure in his entire managerial career, I can bet that he will feel major pressure as Chelsea's boss. The Blues ...

23Apr

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Chelsea

West Ham vs Chelsea – A potential banana peel for the Blues?

The race for the top 4 is the rave of the moment in the Premier League as Manchester City are very close to title triumph. Therefore, we'll see one of the fiercest London derbies this Saturday when Chelsea travel to the London Stadium to face West Ham. This should be one of the biggest games ever between the two sides as they are fighting for a place in the top four to seal qualification to next season's UEFA Champions League. They are both tied on 55 points respectively as Chelsea sit 4th while the Hammers sit 5th. Therefore, this game has what it takes to be a cracker and one of the best games of the weekend. The Hammers have been very impressive on their home turf and the Blues have a game on their hands. West Ham last lost at home to Liverpool in January 2021 and before the...

18Mar

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Featured

UCL – Can this Premier League trio make their numbers count?

The Premier League is the go-to league at the moment in Europe after three of their teams have made it to the quarterfinal stage of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League against all odds. We may have predicted this number making it to the round of 16 but making it further? Well, unless the folks at Footiehound are psychic. The likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester City are in the next stage of the competition and have ignited hopes that the UCL title can end up in England this season. However, can these clubs make their numbers count? England currently has the highest number of representatives remaining in the competition and this is a good one although there is the concern of an all Premier League encounter. Regardless, they've been impressive in the competition this season. RE...

18Mar

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Featured

La Liga sides must re-strategize ahead of next season’s UCL

The 2020/21 UEFA Champions League has reached its quarterfinal stage and the going can only get tough for the sides that have made it thus far in the competition. However, one country, whose clubs have been mainstays in this stage of the competition saw the majority of their clubs fall short this season and it may just be a one-off, hopefully so. La Liga clubs have been dominant in the UCL in the past decade but the ongoing season has seen them flatter to deceive, with just one club making it past the round of 16 stage. Real Madrid will be the only club representing Spain any further in the competition and if the La Liga is to have any hopes of boasting of their clubs' triumph in the competition, then all hope lies on Los Blancos. FC BARCELONA Barcelona were eliminated by French...

16Mar

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Featured

Chelsea vs Atletico Madrid – We’ll see an attack-minded Simeone side

All eyes will be on Stamford Bridge in London when Diego Simeone and his men come with the fight against the Thomas Tuchel-led side on Wednesday night for a place in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. The Blues lead the tie 1 nil via an Olivier Giroud goal in the first leg and will be looking to consolidate on the result and avoid a loss at home against the Rojiblancos to secure a place in the next stage of the competition. Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, need a win to seal a place as a draw won't cut it for them. The exciting thing about this matchup, in my opinion, is that the Spanish side will be forced to come out and play attacking football. READ: The Top 20 Clubs In Europe This Season On Points Per Game Basis The last time they faced Chelsea in the knockout stag...

24Feb

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Chelsea

Thomas Tuchel passes first major test as Chelsea boss

Thomas Tuchel has been impressive in his start to life as Chelsea manager and now has 6 wins and 2 draws in 8 games in all competitions including the impressive 1 nil win in the first leg of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League round-of-16 clash against Atletico Madrid in Bucharest. The Blues' style of play has changed under the former PSG boss as they focus more on keeping possession and dictating play whilst building from the back. The issue of building from the back has been a challenge for most clubs who lack the personnel that are skilled in passing the ball and keeping possession, especially the defenders, and the Blues have shown signs of struggles under the German in these early stages. Chelsea emerged victoriously over the leading table toppers in La Liga in a game that was ...