All Activity

Top manager makes instant impact (conte , tuchel) Maresca is shit

That is true good analysis. So I guess next summer is when we will address the defensive side. Which is fine as long as we continue with the manager because I don't want to start again from the beginning where a new manager comes in and wants to try everyone...

We need to wait with Santos. Many teams wanted him this summer and where mad with the club for wanting to sell him, potentially. I think he merits some time.

The board think we have real quality in the squad, simple fact we don't, we have middle of the road average players, some of the starting 11 are bog average

Discipline record is pathetic...I switched the game on just after we went down to ten, and it was all Brighton, and then turned to my son and said 'it's game over' Weak mentality and a team full of fucking big babies

I'm not talking about Caicedo

They value Colwill as a £80m centreback. Colwill gets injured for the season, and they decide not to replace an £80m centreback when the most experienced centreback in the squad is Chalobah.

That was probably due to the club having the third best defensive record last season, but we struggled to score goals. Only Liverpool and Arsenal let in less goals than us, but in attack Brighton, Brentford both outscored us. We scored the same amount of goals as Spurs! Then we also lost Sancho, who wouldn't accept our wage structure and had to make up for the loss of Mudryk.

He's good , was just an error , chalobah should have been smart enough to leave it. Chance their player would have missed too, red card always the wrong choice unless it's in stoppage time

Its his first season playing PL football, I think he's fine as a squad midfielder. If Lavia wasn't made of glass, we'd actually have a decent rotation in midfield!

It is really concerning, how easily we let our guard down when we go to 10 men. This is where the lack of leadership and experience is shown. The team just loses their heads. Chalobah should have just let him go. Concerning, but not going to jump the gun yet, as the last 2 games, the game has been taken out of our hands with silly decisions from keeper and defender. We looked good up until Chalobah got sent off. Liverpool are top of the league, but I think we can take something if we keep 11 men on the pitch!! Big game against Benfica first on Tuesday. Team needs a reaction.

Inside Graham Potter’s eight months at West Ham: Intense pressure, clashes with key figures https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6637420/2025/09/28/west-ham-graham-potters-inside-clashes/ It was during a team meeting on Saturday morning that West Ham United’s squad suspected something was different. Training at the club’s main hub, Rush Green, was scheduled to start at 9.30am and head coach Graham Potter arrived early to prepare for Monday’s match away to Everton. But that session with his squad was disrupted by the 50-year-old wandering in and out of the room. It was not common for him to behave in this manner, which confused the players. It turned out Potter, who only succeeded summer 2024 appointment Julen Lopetegui in January, had been told he too had been relieved of his duties. The former Brighton and Chelsea manager then informed the players and said his farewells, with many of the squad shocked at the timing of the decision. Club secretary Andrew Pincher tried to ease their concerns by reassuring them someone new would be overseeing training at 12.30pm. The players were initially unaware that person would be Nuno Espirito Santo. Former West Ham manager Slaven Bilic held conversations with the board over a return, but Nuno was their preferred option. They first entertained the possibility of the Portuguese replacing Potter earlier this month, when he was sacked as Nottingham Forest head coach. West Ham officially announced Potter’s dismissal at 10.35am and confirmed Nuno, who has signed a three-year contract, as his successor four hours later. The 51-year-old will be assisted initially by academy coaches Mark Robson, Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville and Billy Lepine, with a further announcement on his coaching staff expected in due course. “I am very pleased to be here and very proud to be representing West Ham United,” Nuno told the club’s website. “The work has already started and I am looking forward to the challenge that is ahead.” Potter won only six of his 25 games during his eight months at West Ham, including two (against Fulham on January 14 and Leicester City on February 27) of his 12 home matches. Supporters turned on him during the 2-1 defeat by visitors Crystal Palace last Saturday with chants of, “You don’t know what you’re doing”, and, “You’re getting sacked in the morning”. But, despite being under pressure, he did not expect his week to end like this. Graham Potter talks to players during his last game in charge on September 20 (Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images) He oversaw training on Monday, gave the squad Thursday off with the Everton match not until Monday and conducted his usual media duties on Friday. At that pre-match press conference, Potter spoke about his appreciation of the board, the need to fix West Ham’s problems together and the rather peculiar viral face-swap trend that involves him. But as he acknowledged in a statement released after his departure, “the results have just not been good enough up to now”, and he leaves with West Ham 19th in the 20-team Premier League. The Athletic has talked to people at the club close to the hierarchy and to players, and people close to the outgoing head coach. Everyone spoke under the condition of anonymity, to protect relationships. We can reveal for the first time what went wrong for Potter at West Ham, including how: He was under intense pressure as early as May He clashed with players Edson Alvarez and Jean-Clair Todibo His concerns over captain Jarrod Bowen’s ability to lead the team The summer departures of Michail Antonio, Aaron Cresswell and Vladimir Coufal proved detrimental to team spirit. Before Potter signed a two-and-a-half-year contract to manage West Ham in January, a picture leaked online of him meeting their then technical director Tim Steidten in the foyer of a hotel. This annoyed Potter, who felt holding talks in such a public place was an amateurish move. But despite his frustration, he felt it was the right time to return to the touchline, 20 months after being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023. “As soon as I spoke to this club, it felt right for me,” Potter said in his first West Ham press conference. “I spoke to the board and everyone connected with the club. This one felt like the right one. I’m really excited to be here with a passionate and brilliant fanbase. I think it’s a good fit.” Potter learnt Spanish and sought advice from former England manager Roy Hodgson and current England rugby union head coach Steve Borthwick during his time away from the game. He was also heavily linked with the England job before Thomas Tuchel’s appointment late last year, so his arrival at the London Stadium was considered a coup. But it was a relationship that was strained from the start, given protracted negotiations over the length of his contract. Majority shareholder David Sullivan was initially only willing to give Potter a deal until the end of last season, terms he was reluctant to accept. Karren Brady, the vice-chair, then led negotiations, and all parties agreed to Potter’s terms. In his first week, he called a team meeting at the training ground and was happy with the players’ response about where improvement was needed. But he then got off to a rocky start on the pitch, losing 2-1 away to Aston Villa in the FA Cup in his first game in charge. Despite an encouraging performance that night, striker Niclas Fullkrug and winger Crysencio Summerville suffered hamstring injuries that would keep them out for three and seven months respectively. West Ham won only one of their next five games. (Warren Little/Getty Images) After the 1-0 home loss to Brentford on February 15, a team meeting was held. The players were aware that performance was not up to Potter’s standards. An honest discussion ensued, which yielded a positive display away to Arsenal a week later. Bowen’s solitary goal secured the win on what will be remembered as just about the only day in the Potter era where it clicked. His 5-3-2 formation worked, and the team spirit was palpable after full time: Potter embraced his backroom staff, Alvarez mischievously celebrated in front of the Arsenal fans seated behind the dugouts and Todibo hopped on fellow defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s back. Bowen led the walk to the away enclosure, where supporters serenaded the squad with various chants. Back in the dressing room, Potter told the players they had the next day off. It was not “Champagne football”, as he admitted in his post-match press conference, but it was a step in the right direction. Potter’s West Ham won 1-0 at Arsenal in February (Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images) Hours later, Potter was pictured travelling on the London Underground. He had a funny exchange with an Arsenal supporter, who was not best pleased to see him. But for the coach, it felt like a match where he was rewarded for his efforts on the training ground. A 2-0 home victory over Leicester a few days later meant West Ham had kept consecutive clean sheets for the first time since the November (when they drew 0-0 with Everton at home and won 2-0 away to Newcastle United under Lopetegui), and had their first back-to-back league wins since previous March, when David Moyes was still the manager. The positive run, though, was not to last. By the May 11 visit to Manchester United, West Ham were winless in eight games. Potter made three changes to the starting XI, with Coufal and midfielders Guido Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse brought in to replace Emerson Palmieri, Lucas Paqueta and Fullkrug. Kyle Macaulay, the head of recruitment, emailed the team sheet to Sullivan, who was not pleased with the line-up. Potter was informed failing to win that day could cost him his job, but West Ham ended up leaving Old Trafford with a 2-0 victory, courtesy of goals from Bowen and Tomas Soucek. Despite the team’s underwhelming performances, Potter remained confident he was the right man for the job. He thought his squad were responding well to feedback from him and his backroom staff. In April, Potter spoke about the benefits of sharing “home truths” with the players. “You have to look people in the eye and speak honestly,” he said at a press conference. “They help clear the air and give people a chance to voice their frustrations. That’s something we do all the time. It helps us understand and look under the bonnet to see things clearer.” One of Potter’s first acts at West Ham was to increase the intensity in training sessions and then give players time off. Under Lopetegui, some of the squad found it hard to understand what the Spaniard was trying to achieve, with the team often playing a possession-based game in training that had the goalkeepers sometimes mixing in with their outfield colleagues. (Harry Murphy/Getty Images) But Potter was very much hands-on, although he delegated most of the work to assistants Billy Reid, Bruno Saltor, Narcis Pelach and Prenderville, who was promoted from the club’s under-21s setup earlier this month. Reid, Saltor and goalkeeper coaches Casper Ankergren and Linus Kandolin have all left the club with Potter. Many of the players enjoyed how meticulous the head coach was when going over details pre-and post-match but, as poor results continued, some felt this information went in one ear and out the other. Potter inherited a tempestuous group when he followed the shortest-lived managerial appointment in the club’s 130-year history, with Lopetegui sacked after just 22 games. The new boss did not want history to repeat itself, although there were further dressing-room incidents. He also had concerns about the lack of leaders in the team, and appointed James Bell as a sports psychologist to help his squad better manage stressful situations. A common theme this season has been how quiet the dressing-room was after matches. Even following heavy losses to London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham, none of the senior players were vocal. Instead, it was Potter who did most of the talking. There were also questions over Bowen’s inability to lead the team. Although he is considered the club’s best player, he is not perhaps naturally suited to the captaincy and had a heated exchange with a West Ham supporter following last month’s Carabao Cup loss at Wolves. Jarrod Bowen tends to do his talking on the pitch (Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images) In April, Potter took issue with Fullkrug launching a diatribe against his team-mates after a 1-1 draw at home to already-relegated Southampton. The 32-year-old Germany international told Sky Sports of his “anger” at the display, saying “we didn’t have the ability or the motivation to push up”, and adding: “The motivation… sorry, we were s**t. I’m very angry.” Although Fullkrug didn’t get fined over the episode, Potter was not pleased with the comments, which further cemented his view of a player who is one of West Ham’s highest earners. To compound matters, Potter had a disagreement with Alvarez that same month and felt a summer departure for the midfielder would be best for all parties. In August, Mexico captain Alvarez joined Turkish club Fenerbahce on loan in a deal including an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season. Todibo is another who did not have the greatest relationship with Potter. Having initially joined on loan from Nice in the summer of 2024, West Ham activated a £32.8million ($43.9m at the current rate) obligation to buy in June. Todibo, who has two caps for France, rejected a move to Juventus in favour of West Ham. Countryman Alphonse Areola also advised the defender to turn down the Italian side and join him at the London Stadium. But Todibo frustrated Potter with his inconsistent performances and was dropped for the 3-0 defeat by Tottenham two weeks ago over bad timekeeping. He did not produce a performance in training that was up to Potter’s standards on September 11 and was called to the head coach’s office and told to improve. But then he arrived late the following day. Full-back Emerson lost his place in the latter stages of last season. The 31-year-old wanted to stay to fight for a recall, but Potter had other ideas. The left-back was not properly fit when he reported for pre-season and arrived late for training on a few occasions. Potter told the Italy international to train with the under-21s, and he was omitted from West Ham’s pre-season tour to the United States so he could find a new club. Eventually, on deadline day at the start of this month, Emerson joined Marseille for a small fee, becoming West Ham’s tenth departure in a summer that began with Mohammed Kudus being sold to Spurs for £55million. Antonio, the club’s record Premier League goalscorer, Cresswell and Coufal all departed in May upon the expiry of their contracts. The trio were popular members of the dressing room. Antonio, for example, was in charge of the squad’s fines system, would keep his fellow players in check and organised team-bonding sessions. Nobody has really replaced him as that figure. There is some sympathy for Potter among the players that this situation is not all his fault. He tried his best to unite the squad, but his decisions to get rid of some big characters counted against him. El Hadji Malick Diouf (Slavia Prague), Soungoutou Magassa (Monaco), Mateus Fernandes (Southampton) and Mads Hermansen (Leicester) came in over the summer, with Igor Julio joining on a season-long loan from Brighton, and Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson signing as free agents. West Ham spent around £125million altogether and, in pre-season, there was excitement from within over what they could achieve in their 2025-26 campaign. The atmosphere at the training ground, according to staff who work there, felt more together, more holistic. But the feel-good factor evaporated following a chastening 3-0 opening-weekend loss away to promoted Sunderland. Further defeats by Chelsea, Wolves, Tottenham and Crystal Palace added to Potter’s woes. Tara Warren, West Ham’s executive director, never usually attends their managers’ press conferences but was present when Potter addressed the media last Thursday, September 18, before the Palace game, and he faced reporters on Friday, the day before his dismissal, too. In a statement released by the League Managers Association later on Saturday, Potter said he was “incredibly disappointed” to be leaving West Ham, “particularly without being able to achieve what we set out to achieve at the start of our journey in east London”. Over to you, Nuno!

Explaining Trump’s threat to relocate World Cup games: What can he actually do? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6665455/2025/09/26/world-cup-2026-game-relocation-threat-explained-trump/ President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he could move 2026 World Cup games out of U.S. cities he deems unsafe rippled through soccer and political circles Thursday and Friday. The idea, previously unexplored, was raised by a reporter at the White House and entertained by Trump. It sparked a wide range of reactions, many tinged with confusion, because the U.S. government had no official role in choosing World Cup host cities; and it does not have any explicit authority to relocate World Cup games. Nonetheless, Trump’s comments elicited responses from host city mayors and World Cup organizers. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell ripped Trump’s “ignorance,” and said in a statement: “We’re working every day to make the World Cup a safe, welcoming, and fun experience.” The following is a rundown of what else has been said and whether games could actually be moved. What did Trump say? Trump did not proactively make the suggestion. In fact, he initially seemed to resist it. During a press session in the Oval Office, when the reporter prefaced his question with “immigration, crime and the World Cup,” Trump interjected with a hint of humor: “That’s a lot — that’s a lot of questions.” The reporter continued: “You have a number of cities that are pushing back against your immigration and deportation, as well as your crime initiatives.” Trump interjected again: “I don’t think they’re very much pushing back at all.” The reporter went on: “But some of those cities have World Cup games. Seattle, San Francisco.” Trump cut him off yet again: “They’re gonna be very secure.” But the reporter continued: “Could those games move if they don’t cooperate with your crime initiatives and your immigration initiatives?” Trump then spoke for two minutes and 45 seconds. He began: “Well, that’s an interesting suggestion. I guess. But we’re gonna make sure they’re safe.” He continued on a tangent about cities who, he said, are “run by radical left lunatics that don’t know what they’re doing.” He spoke about Washington, D.C., which is not hosting World Cup games. He spoke about Memphis and Chicago. “It will be safe for the World Cup,” he said, despite both Memphis and Chicago also being uninvolved. (Chicago pulled out of the running for World Cup games during the bid phase, citing “FIFA’s inflexibility” and taxpayer risk.) “If I think it isn’t safe, we’ll move it into a different city, absolutely,” Trump said. “It’s actually a very fair question. If I think it’s not safe, we’re going to move it out of that city.” He then went on another tangent about JB Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, who has accused Trump of deploying National Guard troops to Democrat-controlled cities in an effort to exert “authoritarian” control ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Trump concluded: “If any city we think is gonna be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup … we won’t allow it to go to [those cities], we’ll move it around a little bit. But I hope that’s not going to happen.” Can Trump do that? The World Cup is owned and operated by FIFA, soccer’s global governing body. FIFA, years ago, signed “host city agreements” and “stadium agreements” with entities in various U.S. markets, and chose 11 of them — plus three in Mexico and two in Canada — to host games. The federal government, meanwhile, signed various declarations and guarantees when the three North American countries were bidding to host the World Cup back in 2018, during the first Trump administration. But it had no role in selecting the cities or negotiating their contracts, which were originally signed in 2017 and updated with addendums in 2022. “The federal government is not a direct party to these agreements,” Nathan O’Malley, an attorney at Musick, Peeler & Garrett and co-leader of the firm’s Olympics & World Cup practice group, told The Athletic. Trump, therefore, cannot unilaterally cancel those contracts and move games to other cities. The contracts, some of which have been obtained via public records requests, do require cities to implement robust security and public safety measures. If FIFA deems a city unsafe, it could, potentially, terminate the agreements and relocate matches. Trump, in theory, could pressure FIFA to do so. But leaders in most or all 11 cities have stated their confidence in the security plans being developed. “Public safety officials, including our Republican-appointed Police Board, are working daily to ensure the games in Kansas City are safe for all,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas told The Athletic in a statement via a spokeswoman. “I am confident in their work. FIFA loves Kansas City and Kansas City loves FIFA. We’ll be fine.” What else could Trump do? Trump has a direct line to FIFA’s president, his “great friend” Gianni Infantino. Infantino has publicly supported and praised Trump repeatedly, and in December will bring the World Cup Draw to Washington, D.C., largely so that Trump can be involved. Trump, in theory, could leverage this relationship and push Infantino to pull games out of cities whose mayors resist him. It’s unclear how Infantino and FIFA would respond. They have not commented on Trump’s Thursday suggestion. Trump’s other potential lever is the $625 million in security funds that Congress allocated to World Cup cities this summer. That money will be split proportionally — not equally — among the 11 U.S. host cities, depending on their needs. The cities will submit their costs and requests for reimbursement, according to Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House’s World Cup task force. It’s unclear if Trump, who chairs the task force, could potentially politicize and withhold some of that funding. (Graphic: Drew Jordan / The Athletic) Which cities would Trump target? Trump has clashed with Democratic mayors throughout his second term over immigration policy and other topics. His latest push is on crime. After his federal takeover of D.C., he has threatened to send troops to Chicago and other cities, even as many mayors and governors say that crime is not out of control and federal assistance is not necessary or welcome. The World Cup host cities in left-leaning states with Democratic mayors that Trump could target would include Seattle, San Francisco and the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Boston. Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas and Kansas City are also led by Democrats. The U.S. men’s national team is due to play its group games in L.A. and Seattle. Is moving games realistic? At this stage, eight-and-a-half months out from the World Cup opener, finding new host cities would be unrealistic. The 11 chosen cities have already spent years preparing for matches and adjacent events, plus the thousands of visitors they’ll bring. It would be extremely difficult for a 12th city to cram all that planning into eight months. And especially after the Dec. 5 draw, relocation would anger fans and teams who’ve planned travel to a specific city. Perhaps some of the 11 cities could take on additional games, if one or two cities were forced out of the rotation. But even that would be a massive disruption. FIFA set the World Cup schedule, complete with dates and locations, in 2024. It has already sold hospitality packages to specific stadiums, and is set to open ticket sales next week. According to one person briefed on the planning efforts, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose details, FIFA has previously told local organizers that it will not be relocating games. Which cities are currently slated to host the 2026 World Cup? The 11 U.S. cities and stadiums slated to host the 2026 World Cup are: Boston — Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. New York — MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Philadelphia — Lincoln Financial Field Atlanta — Mercedes-Benz Stadium Miami — Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Kansas City — Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Dallas — AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas Houston — NRG Stadium Los Angeles — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. San Francisco/Bay Area — Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Seattle — Lumen Field In Mexico, Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City are the three hosts. The two in Canada are Toronto and Vancouver. Seattle will host 2026 World Cup games at Lumen Field (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) Seattle’s response to Trump Most mayoral offices and local World Cup host committees have declined to comment or did not respond to The Athletic’s inquiries. Representatives in a few cities, however, have spoken. Harrell’s words were the strongest. Seattle’s mayor said in a statement published on his website: “President Trump continues to display his ignorance about our city. We are doing the hard work to prepare for this once-in-a-generation opportunity to welcome the world to Seattle. “The facts are clear: violent crime is down 20% in Seattle. We are making record-breaking progress on police hiring with nearly 130 officers hired this year. My proposed 2026 budget also makes additional investments in safety preparations for the World Cup, including new removable vehicle barriers at Pike Place Market and Seattle Center campus. “While we are doing our part to make safety improvements ahead of hosting games, the Trump administration has made our city less safe by withholding critical funding for counterterrorism tools. While the City’s lawsuit has successfully released a portion of this funding, President Trump’s words about safety don’t align with his administration’s actions. “We’re working every day to make the World Cup a safe, welcoming, and fun experience for both residents and visitors to our city and will continue to advance plans with local partners to ensure we make the most of this special event.” A spokesperson for Harrell had previously told KOMO News: “While the president continues to peddle baseless, divisive, and empty threats, our administration is doing the hard work to prepare for this opportunity. We’re working every day to make the 2026 World Cup a safe, welcoming, and fun experience for residents and visitors. We’re advancing plans with FIFA and local partners to ensure Seattle is a destination and that we make the most of this special event.” Hana Tadesse, a spokeswoman for the Seattle World Cup host committee, wrote in a statement to The Athletic: “We are committed to ensuring a safe, welcoming, and memorable experience for fans, players, visitors, and residents alike. Since being selected by FIFA as a host city, we’ve worked closely with them, the White House Task Force for FIFA World Cup 26, community partners, and law enforcement, and are confident in our planning and coordination in advance of next summer’s matches. Seattle looks forward to shining on the world stage and hosting an event that is not only spectacular, but safe for all.” How have other cities responded? Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who has previously said that “Boston will not back down” from the Trump administration amid legal threats over immigration policies, said Friday in response to a question about Trump’s World Cup comments: “We are very excited for the summer that Boston will have next year. It’s going to be an incredible show of what our city’s made of as we welcome people from all over the world [for the World Cup and other events]. We are very proud, and hold ourselves to the high standards of being the safest major city in the country. And that takes work every day, but we have the record and the results to prove it.” Natalie Hamilton, a spokeswoman for the New York/New Jersey host committee, wrote in a statement to The Athletic: “Formal agreements are in place between each Host City and FIFA, and we continue to work closely with FIFA and our local, state, and federal partners to ensure a safe and secure tournament, which remains our top priority. Planning for World Cup is already underway, and we are fully committed to delivering an unforgettable tournament that this country, and this region, will be proud of well beyond 2026.” Philadelphia Soccer 2026 said in a statement to The Athletic: “We appreciate President Trump’s commitment to safety and security for this global event, and we share that same commitment, as do our colleagues across the nation. Safety is paramount to the City of Philadelphia, and we have every confidence in the significant planning that is ongoing between City, State, and Federal officials as well as the White House Task Force. Just as Philadelphia was for the political conventions, Papal Visit and NFL Draft, we will be ready to welcome the world and deliver a safe, exceptional experience for fans and residents alike.”

Chelsea 1 Brighton 3 – Are Maresca’s side their own worst enemies? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6664964/2025/09/27/Chelsea-brighton-premier-league-analysis/ Brighton and Hove Albion came from behind to beat Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon, a result that means Enzo Maresca’s side have now taken only one point from their past three Premier League games. Chelsea, without ever being perfect, dominated the first half and took the lead in the 24th minute via a close-range header from Enzo Fernandez. It was one of three efforts on target the west Londoners conjured up in the opening 45 minutes, three more than a lacklustre Brighton managed. But the second half was a completely different story. First, Trevoh Chalobah was sent off for a professional foul on Diego Gomez, then the visitors — capitalising on their numerical advantage — piled on the pressure, levelling with 13 minutes remaining, Danny Welbeck heading home a cross from the excellent Yankuba Minteh. Chelsea were then fortunate not to give away a penalty after Malo Gusto caught Minteh in the head, before Brighton secured all three points with an added-time header from Maxim De Cuyper and then a second strike from Welbeck. The Athletic’s Simon Johnson analyses a concerning afternoon for the world champions. Chelsea their own worst enemies once again For the second week running, Chelsea were the authors of their own downfall. Manchester United were effectively gifted three points last Saturday, courtesy of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez getting sent off in the first five minutes for denying a goalscoring opportunity. Maresca said afterwards he would have preferred it if Sanchez had just let Bryan Mbeumo make it 1-0 because then at least 11 Chelsea players were going to still be on the pitch. Chalobah clearly was not listening as he was guilty of the same offence this afternoon, fouling Gomez when he was through on goal. Chelsea had been in complete control up to that point. In fairness to Chalobah, he was put in a vulnerable position after the ball was lost in their own half. The match completely changed though, and Brighton took full advantage, turning the game around with two goals in stoppage time to win 3-1. (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images) Worryingly, Chelsea lost their cool too. Sanchez had to physically drag Benoit Badiashile away from a confrontation with Brighton players minutes before they went in front and soon after the France international defender had entered the fray as a 79th-minute substitute. The less said about Gusto’s half-hour contribution off the bench the better. This loss extends Chelsea’s winless run in the Premier League to three matches and puts Maresca under quite a bit of pressure ahead of back-to-back home games this week against Jose Mourinho-managed Benfica and champions Liverpool. Chelsea’s defensive crisis deepens Surely Maresca has no choice but to bring Axel Disasi back in from the cold now? Chelsea’s centre-back options are dropping like flies. Chalobah has become the latest absentee and will miss next Saturday’s game against champions Liverpool following his red card for a professional foul here. (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images) It has been an extraordinary tale of woe at the London club. The misfortune started with Levi Colwill suffering an ACL knee injury on the first day of pre-season training, an issue that will keep him out for most of the campaign. Maresca confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Friday that Tosin Adarabioyo is sidelined with a calf issue until after the October international break. Wesley Fofana also suffered concussion in the Carabao Cup win against Lincoln City in midweek and has to automatically sit out for 12 days. After Chalobah left the field, Chelsea had to rely on two 19-year-olds in Jorrell Hato and Josh Acheampong, surely one of the youngest centre-half pairings in the club’s history, albeit they obviously had help as the home side dropped back. Maresca was at least able to bring back Badiashile, having not played all season before today due to injury, and he came on for Hato in the second half — though is clearly some way from being fully match-fit, otherwise he’d have surely been brought on before Acheampong, who replaced the dismissed Chalobah. Disasi will not be 100 per cent either, having been exiled to the club’s bomb squad all summer while trying to get a move away. Yet he surely has to at least be considered for a bench role to provide some sort of cover for the Liverpool match. Chalobah will at least be available for Tuesday’s Champions League home game against Benfica because his suspension does not apply to the competition. His struggle for form of late will be a concern though, as will the fact that a rusty Badiashile and teenagers Hato and Acheampong are the only other choices to face former Chelsea manager Mourinho’s new employers. Enzo Fernandez begins to answer his critics This was the response Fernandez needed to make. His form has come under a lot of negative scrutiny of late, particularly from certain parts of the fanbase. The Argentina international has looked like one of the players who has struggled most with a post-Club World Cup hangover at times, with some of his runs looking more laboured than usual. But some people have short memories. Fernandez leads the way at Chelsea with goals and assists across 2025 and he added another key intervention to his collection to put the home side in front today. Since Maresca took over last summer, Fernandez has increasingly made more runs into the box to sniff out a chance. He was rewarded for doing just that here, getting on the end of a deflected Reece James cross to head in from close range. It was a smart finish. (Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) But his display was not just about that. Playing ahead of Moises Caicedo, he knitted Chelsea moves together neatly in the first half, knocking the ball around with confidence. Inevitably, Fernandez did not have as much of an impact once Chelsea were down to 10 men, but you could see how he was trying to organise his team-mates. One aimless clearance by Sanchez was greeted with an angry rebuke as it handed possession back to Brighton. With 15 minutes remaining, he played a lovely ball for Gusto, enabling him to run down the right flank towards goal. Bizarrely, the full-back cut inside instead, much to Maresca’s fury and disbelief. What did Maresca say? The Chelsea boss was disappointed after another game turned on a self-inflicted mistake. “They just said to me also in terms of data, we had so many shots in the first half, 70 per cent of possession, everything was fine. And then suddenly, because of our mistake, and then with the red card, again, the plan completely changed. So for me we played two games, first-half, and then unfortunately after the red card. “The message that we just said inside has been quite clear: against any team in the Premier League you cannot continue to give away presents, because what we are doing in this moment is to give away presents in terms of red cards, that is a big mistake because the game completely changed. “For sure we need to learn, and we need to learn quick, so the reason why it can be a mix of experience or a mix of simple mistakes, then in terms of injury, I think that if you just watch the first half today, you don’t think about the injured players, because we were in control, dominating the game, and then, again, I would like to tell you something different, but at the end it’s the reality of the last two games, unfortunately with two red cards everything changed.” What next for Chelsea? Tuesday, September 30: Benfica (home), Champions League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET

As long as they can do that and make 3m profit on some French teenager signed 2 years ago they are content

erm, Caicedo

Garnacho, Gittens or Neto? Analysing Chelsea’s left-wing options https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6665372/2025/09/27/Chelsea-neto-garnacho-gittens-left-winger/ Chelsea satisfied one of their key transfer targets twice over this summer, but are not yet reaping the full rewards. A right-footed left winger was always a priority, with Mykhailo Mudryk suspended by the Football Association for allegedly breaching doping rules. He says that he “never knowingly used any banned substances”, but is out of the picture for the foreseeable future. Chelsea also opted against making Jadon Sancho’s loan from Manchester United permanent. Instead, they set about seeking alternatives. Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens, two promising, young wingers with experience in top leagues, both arrived at Stamford Bridge for hefty fees — Gittens in early July, Garnacho at the end of August — but are yet to make a real impression. Gittens has made five appearances and Garnacho three, with the pair without a goal contribution between them. After all the buzz about the right-footed left winger who would slot seamlessly into Enzo Maresca’s system, the starting left winger for Chelsea’s Champions League opener at Bayern Munich was actually the left-footed Pedro Neto. Gittens and Garnacho are competing not only with one another but also with Neto, who is more experienced in Maresca’s system and capable of playing on either flank. Tyrique George can also play on the left, but Maresca has praised his performances as a striker in recent weeks and, with Liam Delap injured, that is where he is most needed. The Chelsea careers of Garnacho and Gittens are still in their fledgling stage. They are still working out their role in an attack that cannot count on the creative services of Cole Palmer or Delap. But each has his own qualities. Here, The Athletic analyses what Neto, Garnacho and Gittens bring to the table. Pedro Neto in full flight down the left (Boris Streubel/Getty Images) Injuries mean Maresca has little choice over many names on the teamsheet at the moment. The left wing is a welcome exception. “We like wingers who are good in one-v-one, they are quite vertical, aggressive, they can attack, they can create something,” Maresca said late in August. He expects his wingers to stay wide, stretch the defensive line and make space for the creators in the middle, and get the ball up the pitch rapidly. They also need a good understanding with the attacking full-back behind them. On the left, that is most often Marc Cucurella. Based on those qualities, it is easy to see why Neto is a reliable option. Since the start of last season, only three players have averaged a higher distance per carry in the Premier League than Neto’s 8.0 metres, with his confidence and pace allowing him to drag his side upfield. The example below from the recent draw at Brentford shows those qualities, even if Neto is on the right flank in this specific instance. Neto’s run single-handedly takes the play from inside Chelsea’s own half to their opponents’ penalty box, and does not give Brentford’s defence time to get organised. Neto also crosses more than either new signing. As a left-footer on the left, he is happy to drive to the byline and swing a cross in rather than go for goal himself. That is important in the context of Delap’s absence and Joao Pedro being the starting striker. At the moment, Chelsea’s wingers also need to maximise the output of someone who is not a natural No 9. One difficulty the Brazil forward has had is his tendency to drop deeper and try to progress the ball himself; Neto is capable of doing that job and finding Joao Pedro at the end of it, which frees up the latter to advance into finishing positions. However, Delap and Palmer’s injuries also create a need for others to share the goalscoring burden. Garnacho shoots more than his competitors, averaging 3.4 shots per game since the beginning of last season, compared to Neto’s 2.2. Like Neto, he is direct and likes to carry the ball forward. However, he is more likely than Neto to use those carries to carve out opportunities for himself. Inverting from the left onto his stronger foot naturally contributes to this, and his explosive pace allows him to drive into the box and create chaos. Defenders know he is capable of a powerful shot, so are naturally drawn out to close him down, creating space for team-mates. The sequence below shows Garnacho’s role in the build-up to Moises Caicedo’s goal at Brentford: the home defenders are so focused on closing him down that Palmer and Cucurella’s presence is not properly addressed. Keane Lewis-Potter has to clear the ball rapidly out of Palmer’s path and it falls to Caicedo to fire home. Garnacho’s aggression and single-minded desire to push towards goal helps to panic opponents, but he will need to add more variation to his attacking methods — such as combining with Cucurella to create overloads. Gittens is similarly direct — or at least, he tries to be. Last season, he was one of the most prolific take-on wingers in Europe, attempting 8.7 per 90 minutes on average for Dortmund. He also loved to cut inside and sniff out good shooting positions. That has not materialised to the same extent at Chelsea so far, but there have been glimpses of what he aims to do. In the following example, seeing the thicket of Brentford defenders that would intercept any ball towards his team-mates in the centre, Gittens decides to go it alone. His movement forces Mathias Jensen to step out towards him and creates space where Joao Pedro or Facundo Buonanotte could have moved to pick up a pass. Gittens shoots and, though his effort is easily held by Caoimhin Kelleher, it was one of the few times a Chelsea player in that first half was able to carve out an opportunity against Brentford’s low block. That serves as a welcome reminder of what Gittens can add, but his struggles with Michael Kayode’s physicality for most of the game highlighted that he still needs to adapt to the Premier League. A crucial way he should help Chelsea is by using the speed and unpredictability of his footwork to crack open low blocks, but he looks short of the confidence to do so yet. At a basic level, this trio share speed and directness — but have subtle differences that point to how Maresca might employ them. Gittens’ trickery makes him more suited to breaking up a low block. Garnacho’s explosiveness could be useful against tired legs as an impact player. Neto’s love of a drive down the touchline and a cross supercharges counter-attacks. Over what they hope is a long season across multiple competitions, Chelsea will need all of those tools.

"BBC Sport understands Chelsea set Maresca the target of qualifying for the Champions League this season with the intention of reviewing that at the end of the campaign" If thats the case.. which looks likely with the work going on and the decisions made behind scenes atm with signings or lack of sensible ones. Board just like ££££...fans however...

not gonna lie I am losing interest in this ClownLake iteration of the team to keep it simple, it is INSANE we did not completely upgrade at GKer and CBs (even before the Colwill injury) you cannot win the EPL nor the CL with our CBs and GKers simple as that

Always need to approach it with the assumption we want to be successful and win the league (probably isn't true on the boards part) or there's no point even following this clownshow.

But who would they bring in? Their appointments so far have been very questionable! It wont be anyone who you think ooo this make sense it'll be someone who has just been fired or done well in the Championship and they've heard the name mentioned! Seeing as they they turned down the current PSG manager that time and how well thats worked out...it won't be anyone decent

And look at the defense: Chalobah who the club tried to get rid of, Tosin coming on a free transfer, Ashampoo who is 19 years old, Fofana who can't play more than 25 minutes before getting injured for a year?

Palmer is out injured and who are these "attacking players"? The 17 year old kid? Who else? Guiu or Giu or whatever his name who wouldn't even be on the bench of any other PL team? Garnacho who was desperate to find another club after being kicked out of ManU? Neto who can't have a shot on target? Seriously.