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im looking at City with Donnarumma, i can’t for the life of me understand how in the world were we not in for him when he was there for the taking, instead we have Sanchez and Jorgensen in goal.😑

They must be using AI for decisions. Its fucking useless, and the clues in the name.

De zerbi > maresca and he knows sanchez is shit

De Zerbi written all over it if they sack Maresca, they love the Brighton connection these frauds

Nothing makes sense at this club right now, the decisions whether it's bringing loan players back or not getting players in we need will be the complete death of us again. You can already see things starting to unfold with injuries, suspensions and results. Not even October and we are on a cliff edge, we could lose this with ease today

What was the point of breaking Guiu's loan if he isn't going to play at all? Makes no sense

How our sporting directors assess injury crock center backs Fofana and Badiashile every transfer window :

Would not be surprised if Tyrique is going to start. That goal midweek is going to gain him another 90mins. Yay.

Concussion is no joke, and I hope Fofana recovers well enough, but its a sadly comical state of affairs with this guy. Always out.

Would be shameful if they're quietly pulling the rug out from under Maresca. Don't get me wrong. He has been making a lot of bonehead moves on his own lately, but these decision makers are big part of the reason this squad is still subpar after 3 years.

Can see it happening mate

Colwill was outstanding under De Zerbi at Brighton. Apparently, Jewell and Egbhali, who watch every Strasbourg game live at the stadium, talked to De Zerbi about the sunny weather... 🌞

We will lose

Why is Colwill there? 😆 Was this like a recruitment pitch "Hey Roberto, how would you like to return to Premier league coaching"

Sam Jewell, Levi Colwill and Behdad Egbhali with Roberto De Zerbi at full time of Strasbourg - Marseille today. 👀

If I see Tyrique playing up top again I may end myself. I can’t deal with that shit any longer.

Joao Pedro only trained for the first time yesterday after his own fitness issues following Man Utd match last weekend. He is expected to be fine for inclusion vs Brighton tomorrow! (@kierangill_DM)

It is being reported that UEFA could vote on banning Israel as early as next week. FIFA may follow. Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza has killed many tens, if not hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, including many hundreds of Palestinian footballers and sportspeople. It has annihilated Gaza’s footballing infrastructure such as stadiums, training facilities and pitches. Both UEFA and FIFA acted quickly to suspend Russia’s national and club teams after its invasion of Ukraine. Calls to ban Israel are mounting. Earlier this week, 7 UN experts issued a statement calling for Israel to be expelled from international football. They appealed to sporting bodies to “not turn a blind eye to grave human rights violations, especially when their platforms are used to normalise injustices.” The UN experts letter reminds football’s governing institutions that the legal obligation to take action to prevent and stop genocide apply to all international bodies Reuters

Yeah but usually halfway through the season not a few games in! Going to be a long bunpy ride!!!

How many seasons in a row we have big injury problems? This just never stops.

Looks like Maresca doesn't make decisions around here...

Donald Trump warns World Cup games may be moved from ‘dangerous’ cities US president’s threat focused on Seattle and San Francisco Draw for 2026 tournament takes place on 5 December https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/sep/26/donald-trump-warns-world-cup-games-may-be-moved-from-dangerous-cities Donald Trump has warned that he will move matches from next summer’s World Cup away from host cities he deems to be dangerous. The US president said he was going to make sure San Francisco and Seattle were safe, adding that the cities were “run by radical left lunatics who don’t know what they’re doing”. Seattle’s Lumen Field is due to host six matches at the finals, with Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara – an hour away from San Francisco – doing likewise. Trump has again threatened to send federal troops into Chicago, having done so in Los Angeles and Washington DC. He pledged that Chicago would be made safe for the World Cup. The city is not hosting games. “If any city we think is going to be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup ... because they’re playing in so many cities, we won’t allow it,” said the 79-year-old. “We’ll move it around a little bit. But I hope that’s not going to happen.” The draw for the World Cup – which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico – takes place in Washington DC on 5 December.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6651432/2025/09/26/premier-league-predictions-md6/ Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion If you’re a Brighton fan, do you resent Chelsea for continually raiding you in the transfer market? Do you take pride in seeing your players move on to — in theory — bigger and better things at Stamford Bridge? Or do you find it funny? It’s probably a combination of all three, but closer to amusement. Even though Moises Caicedo has lived up to his billing as one of the best defensive midfielders around, Marc Cucurella has rediscovered his rhythm and Joao Pedro has shown flashes of his obvious talent, those three sales alone earned Brighton a minimum of £220million. That’s before you look at £25m for Robert Sanchez (back from suspension after his wild red card at Manchester United), the mystifying loan signing of Facundo Buonanotte (ineligible to face his parent club) and £20m-plus compensation for Graham Potter and his staff. (Hang on, did Potter really manage Chelsea?). It’s real “Ah, how is my favourite customer today?” stuff. There are people who admire Chelsea’s hyperactive approach to player trading. I’m not among them. Chelsea 1-1 Brighton

Gianfranco Zola: Why is the former Chelsea player driving a buggy at the Ryder Cup? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6657852/2025/09/24/gianfranco-zola-ryder-cup-buggy/ There was a surprise famous face featured on Team Europe’s official 2025 Ryder Cup photograph at the Bethpage Black course this week. The former Italy and Chelsea striker Gianfranco Zola squeezed onto the end of the line-up as visitors Europe stepped up their preparations for the event, which starts on Friday a few miles east of New York City. Zola, a keen single-figure-handicap golfer having retired from football, has landed an unusual role as the official buggy driver for Europe’s vice-captain Francesco Molinari, a fellow Italian. The 59-year-old will be on the course during the three days of the tournament to offer support as the Europeans attempt to win the Ryder Cup on American soil for the first time in 13 years. For those who don’t know… who exactly is Gianfranco Zola? Zola is a Premier League icon from his time at Chelsea, where he spent seven years between 1996 and 2003, helping the west London club win two FA Cups, a League Cup and the now-defunct UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. The diminutive 5ft 6in (168cm) forward was one of the most glamorous of the league’s early foreign imports following its launch in 1992, having made his name in Italy’s Serie A at clubs including Napoli and Parma, as well as with his homeland’s national team. Zola was a hugely popular figure at Chelsea (Ben Radford/Getty Images) He was part of the Italy squad who lost the 1994 World Cup final to Brazil in a penalty shootout and made 35 appearances at international level from 1991-97. Zola finished his playing career back on his home island of Sardinia with Cagliari from 2003-05 before retiring and becoming a manager. In England, he managed West Ham United, Watford and Birmingham City, as well as brief spells back at Cagliari and Qatar’s Al Arabi, but has been out of football since leaving his role as Chelsea assistant manager after a year in summer 2019. What is his job at this year’s Ryder Cup? Zola’s designated task is to drive the buggy for Molinari, who himself made history in 2018 when he won The Open to become golf’s first Italian major champion, around the course on Long Island, New York state. Molinari, 42, has been a member of three Ryder Cup-winning teams as a player and is one of five vice-captains selected for this event by current skipper Luke Donald, a list that also includes his elder brother Edoardo. Francesco also held a vice-captain’s role at the previous Ryder Cup in 2023, when Europe defeated the Americans 16½ 11½ near Rome. It was the first time the event has been played in Italy. Over the years, Ryder Cup vice-captains — usually veteran pro golfers who act as mentors to the younger players on the current roster and keep the captain up-to-date with on-course developments across its three days of often dramatic action — have been mocked as glorified buggy drivers themselves, so the fact they now have drivers to do that for them is another quirk of the modern tournament. Zola, right, prepares for his duties at Bethpage (Carl Recine/Getty Images) As no more than a keen amateur golfer, Zola will simply be there to drive his compatriot around the 18 holes at Bethpage, although it would be no surprise if some of the football fans on the Team Europe squad seek him out during the week for advice. How did he get the job? Purely through his connection and friendship with Molinari. The pair got to know each other in 2009, when Molinari moved to London and Zola was managing West Ham, who play their home games in the east of the UK capital. “Zola is a really nice guy, so I got attached to West Ham when he was managing there,” said Molinari in a 2010 interview. Though Molinari has since relocated to the U.S. state of California, the two have remained close. “He is a good friend of mine and there was no other choice,” Molinari said. “He has moved on but I have stuck with the Hammers.” The pair have previously reunited at Ryder Cups in an informal capacity, but this week Zola takes on a more involved role, inside the ropes separating the teams from fans and media, alongside Molinari. Is Zola a good golfer himself? He’s played to a single-figure standard since retirement and is a regular at Pro-Am tournaments and charity days. He played in last year’s Icons of Football golf series in a Team World vs Team England event in Bangkok, Thailand. Zola is a good golfer himself (Phil Inglis/Getty Images) Is this the first example of a footballer getting involved in the Ryder Cup? No, a number of figures from the game have cheered on the golfers in previous years and some have even been granted access to the team room. In 2014, Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary former Manchester United manager, gave a pep talk to Team Europe’s players ahead of the match at Gleneagles in his native Scotland. “For me, being a Manchester United fan, it was the highlight of the week so far,” said Rory McIlroy, a member of the European team then and now, at the time. Two years ago in Rome, Welsh hero Gareth Bale and Ukraine great Andriy Shevchenko — both low-handicappers — played in the curtain-raiser to the main event, a celebrity all-star match, and interacted with the players. Several Ryder Cup golfers have formed friendships with footballers, most notably Tyrrell Hatton, who makes his fourth straight Ryder Cup appearance this year, and former Liverpool and Manchester City player James Milner, with the two Englishmen being mutual supporters of each other’s sporting careers.

Cole Palmer to miss Chelsea’s next three games due to groin injury https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6664770/2025/09/26/cole-palmer-injury-Chelsea-tosin-fofana/ Enzo Maresca has revealed Cole Palmer will not play again for Chelsea until after the international break due to his groin problem. Palmer aggravated the injury, which also ruled him out of two games last month, during the 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday and was substituted in the 21st minute. Maresca has confirmed he will not have an operation, but it means Palmer is going to miss Premier League games at home to Brighton and Liverpool as well as the Champions League fixture against Benfica. “We decided to protect Cole a little bit in terms of not making the injury worse,” Chelsea’s head coach said on Friday. “We have decided to rest him for the next two, three weeks, probably until (after) the next international break just to see if, with rest, he can be able to recover 100 per cent and be completely fit after the international break. “I don’t think he needs surgery, it is just about managing the pain in his groin. With the amount of games it is something that can happen, it is the reason why we are trying to be a little more conservative with him. “We said that with Cole we are a better team but we also said we need to play games without him. We are going to find a solution. We are not going to play with 10 players for sure! We will find a different solution.” What You Should Read Next No Cole Palmer is no longer a problem for Chelsea Enzo Maresca now has a wealth of attacking options available - he should be able to keep Cole Palmer fresh for the season ahead Maresca also revealed Axel Disasi will not be called into the squad despite Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana adding to Chelsea’s injured centre-back list. Disasi has been told to train away from the main group, along with Raheem Sterling, after failing to get a move in the summer. Tosin has sustained a calf injury that will keep him out until after the international break, while Fofana is out for 12 days because of concussion and will not feature in the next three matches either. Levi Colwill is already on the sidelines for several months due to an ACL injury in his left knee. When asked if he will turn to Disasi to help fill in, Maresca replied: “There is not any information from the club to consider that so at the moment he is not an option.” Fofana was accidentally punched in the face by goalkeeper (and teammate) Filip Jorgensen within the first few minutes of the 2-1 victory over Lincoln City on Tuesday night. Chelsea followed concussion protocols and Fofana played the rest of the match, however, the Frenchman felt the symptoms following the final whistle. How Chelsea might cope without Palmer Being without Palmer is always going to be a blow for Chelsea. For starters, he scored four goals in the corresponding fixture at home to Brighton last year, when they won 4-2. Breaking down Benfica, who are bound to set up defensively with former Chelsea head coach Jose Mourinho at the helm, will not be easy on Tuesday night. Then comes the visit of champions and current Premier League leaders Liverpool. You always need your best players against them. Maresca obviously says he will find a solution, but that is easier said than done. Joao Pedro likes to operate there but with Liam Delap unavailable due to a hamstring injury, there is a question over who would then play up front. Enzo Fernandez has operated as a No 10 for Chelsea, while Brazil international Estevao Willian spoke openly before completing the move from Palmeiras in the summer that he wants to play there. Estevao, 18, is an option to replace Palmer in Chelsea’s line-up (Visionhaus/Getty Images) Facundo Buonanotte is on loan from Brighton so cannot play against his parent club, but will be available for the next two matches. One of the reasons he was signed was to provide cover for Palmer. Finally, Andrey Santos can be pushed further forward, although is more likely to play in a deeper position to allow Fernandez to play further up the pitch. Maresca has used Palmer in some different positions to the side of No 10 so it is not totally unusual for him not to be there specifically. Chelsea will still hope they come through this schedule unscathed and that Palmer will be over his issue once and for all next month.