Vesper

as in a hot poker right up our batty crease

Chelsea are reportedly preparing a surprise move in the transfer market involving Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho but their long-term plans could take a different turn entirely. The Blues are looking to keep Sancho at the club by activating the option they have to buy him permanently this summer from Man United. According to GiveMeSport, Chelsea intend to trigger their purchase option to sign Sancho permanently after his loan stint ends. However, the Blues’ strategy is not focused on keeping the winger, they are already considering selling him immediately to turn a quick profit. Chelsea’s hierarchy appear skeptical about his long-term fit at Stamford Bridge. Their decision seems driven more by financial opportunity and they are ready to use Borussia Dortmund’s interest in him to sell the player in order to make financial benefit. In addition to selling Sancho, Chelsea are simultaneously stepping up their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund’s highly-rated winger Jamie Gittens.

Enzo Maresca needs more Chelsea wins to turn doubters into believers https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6314782/2025/04/28/Chelsea-everton-premier-league-fans-feature/ https://archive.ph/YerPh The frustration was coming through loud and clear. “Who’s going to stay around after the final home game to see the players walk around the pitch for a lap of appreciation?” a Chelsea supporter asked as he made his way to Stamford Bridge on the London Underground on Saturday. “What’s the point of doing that after everything we have seen this season,” he continued, his friend alongside him agreeing. Elsewhere in the carriage, with the destination of Fulham Broadway just a few stops away, there were animated discussions about how head coach Enzo Maresca could get Cole Palmer back into form, and whether he was the right man to be in charge. Apart from the odd bewildered tourist or local going about their day, the vast majority of people in the carriage were heading to what most regarded as a ‘must-win’ match at home to Everton and the vibe, like the team’s results in 2025, was mixed. Maresca has had a lot to say about the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge lately. The Italian praised the crowd after the 1-0 win over Tottenham at the start of the month and then appeared to hold them partly to blame for the 2-2 draw at home against Ipswich Town 10 days later. As Chelsea’s form and performances have dipped this season, Maresca’s popularity has waned. To get a sense of the mood among fans, I watched Saturday’s crucial match from the stands rather than the usual position within the confines of the press box. Maresca’s job was not on the line against Everton, but Chelsea’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League via a top-five finish were. Given the remaining fixtures are against Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, only three points would do, which they collected thanks to the 1-0 win that put them fifth but level on points with Forest, who have a game in hand. snip

Donald Trump Demands Investigations Into Negative Approval Rating Polls https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-demands-investigations-negative-approval-rating-polls-2064949 President Donald Trump has said pollsters that have shown his approval ratings sliding in recent weeks should be investigated for "election fraud." Trump cited recent polls from The New York Times, ABC News/The Washington Post, and Fox News, which put his approval rating on 42 percent, 39 percent, and 44 percent respectively. Responding to the polls, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday: "They are negative criminals who apologize to their subscribers and readers after I win elections big, much bigger than their polls showed I would win, loose a lot of credibility, and then go on cheating and lying for the next cycle, only worse." Newsweek contacted the White House for comment on Monday outside of regular working hours. Why It Matters Trump has routinely attacked negative polls as rigged, while promoting those that are favorable to him. His call for an investigation into major pollsters is an escalation of his efforts to discredit institutions he perceives as hostile to his presidency. But polling Trump's base has often presented unique challenges to researchers, which has fueled concerns that his level of support is often underestimated. Presidential approval polls are also highly volatile and only offer a snapshot of public sentiment at a given moment. What To Know The ABC News/The Washington Post poll showed that Trump's approval rating had dropped to the lowest level of any president in the last 80 years at this point in their presidencies. The New York Times/Siena poll found that only 31 percent of respondents approved of Trump's handling of the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and only 43 percent approved of his handling of the economy. Responding to the pollsters, Trump wrote: "Great pollster John McLaughlin, one of the most highly respected in the industry, has just stated that The Failing New York Times poll, and the ABC/Washington Post poll, about a person named DONALD J. TRUMP, ME, are FAKE POLLS FROM FAKE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS. "They suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, and there is nothing that anyone, or anything, can do about it. THEY ARE SICK, almost only write negative stories about me no matter how well I am doing (99.9% at the Border, BEST NUMBER EVER!), AND ARE TRULY THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE! I wish them well, but will continue to fight to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" What People Are Saying Trump wrote in a separate post on Truth Social on Monday: "We don't have a Free and Fair 'Press' in this Country anymore. We have a Press that writes BAD STORIES, and CHEATS, BIG, ON POLLS. IT IS COMPROMISED AND CORRUPT. SAD!" John McLaughlin, Trump's campaign pollster, told Newsweek in a statement: "When President Trump received 50 percent of the popular vote, but The New York Times includes only 37 percent of his voters in their poll and ABC/Washington Post has only 34 percent Trump supporters, it seems that they deliberately biased their polls against President Trump." What Happens Next Trump's polling is likely to continue to fluctuate in the coming weeks in response to key policy issues including tariffs. Any sustained negative polling could affect the Republicans in the midterm elections in November 2026.

How I Knew My Sister Was Gay | Hilarious & Heartfelt Story | Cliff Cash Stand-Up Comedy

so angry we could basically walk (of course we would take the tunnelbana) to that stadium but we are out of town on May 1 smdh

we could do far worse I listed my big 4 demands for CFs (Isak, Lautaro, Gyökeres, Osimhen) but Hugo would be in the 4 below those 4 I have repped him for years here, so it isnt like I am some 'late come, jump-up deh bus' gyal

Sándor Kocsis ● Best Goals/Skills [Rare Footage] Sándor Kocsis ● The Man with the Golden Head [Wild Goal Show]

Why People Still Cry When They Watch Ronaldo Nazario

Alexander Isak Lautaro Martinez Viktor Gyökeres Victor Osimhen PICK ONE AND BUY HIM do not care which one but BUY ONE

as it stands, McTominay, under Conte, is probably the favourite to win Serie A most valuable player

Chelsea’s Romeo Lavia ‘one of the best midfielders’ says Enzo Maresca: ‘He’s unbelievable’ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6312345/2025/04/26/romeo-lavia-Chelsea-maresca/ https://archive.ph/xBoO9 Enzo Maresca praised “unbelievable” Romeo Lavia after the Belgian marked his first Chelsea start since January with an impressive performance in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Everton. Lavia played 67 minutes at the base of Maresca’s midfield at Stamford Bridge with Moises Caicedo inverting from right-back to play alongside him. The pair provided a foundation for an hour of impressive Chelsea control against Everton, punctuated by Nicolas Jackson scoring his first goal of 2025 to break the deadlock in the 27th minute. The withdrawal of Lavia for club captain Reece James midway through the second half precipitated an anxious finale for Chelsea as Everton pushed for an equaliser, but Maresca’s team held on to earn a victory that boosts their Champions League qualification hopes. “When he’s fit, he’s one of the best midfielders because he can defend very well, he can attack, he breaks the line, the pass between the lines, it isunbelievable,” Maresca said of Lavia, who has started just nine Premier League games for Chelsea in 2024-25. “He’s very good and hopefully we can have him until the end of the season. “I spent one entire season with Romeo when I was under 23 (coach) at (Manchester) City. So I know Romeo very well. For us it’s like Reece — they are both top players. The only shame for us is that unfortunately we need to manage them, we need to protect them. But there’s no doubt that Chelsea with Reece and Romeo is a better team.” snip

Estevao Willian leaves pitch on stretcher after vomiting in Palmeiras win on 18th birthday https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6308719/2025/04/25/estevao-willian-Chelsea-palmeiras-vomit/ https://archive.ph/M6p6A Chelsea-bound forward Estevao Willian left the pitch on a stretcher after vomiting during Palmeiras’ game against Bolivar on Thursday. The teenager, who is set to officially join Chelsea from Palmeiras this summer, turned 18 on Thursday and celebrated his birthday by scoring in his side’s 3-2 Copa Libertadores win over Bolivar. However, later in that game, Estevao dropped to the turf and vomited, subsequently leaving the pitch on a stretcher and being substituted just before the hour mark. The Brazil international explained after the game that he struggled to get used to the high altitude, with the match played at an elevation of around 3,650 metres at the Estadio Hernando Siles in La Paz, Bolivia. “It took me a while to get used to it and unfortunately I couldn’t continue,” he told Paramount+, as reported by Globo. “It was really a matter of the altitude. It’s surreal here.” The teenager was treated by the Palmeiras medical staff after returning to the bench. “I told the players that they would suffer,” head coach Abel Ferreira said of the conditions. “Here they would have to look for air to breathe. I climbed the stairs and I’m tired, imagine the players.” snip

5 goals in his last 2 and half games

Inter in the process of blowing the Scudetto they lost earlier today and now Napoli are up 2 nil McTominay on a hat trick already Napoli now clear top of the table by 3 points

Is Enzo Maresca’s tactical approach exacerbating Cole Palmer’s goalless streak? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6312832/2025/04/27/cole-palmer-form-enzo-maresca-Chelsea/ https://archive.ph/nHYpd “Enjoyment” One word — accompanied by a beaming smile emoji — captioned the story posted on Cole Palmer’s official Instagram account earlier this month, commenting on a clip of his spectacularly impudent first of four goals in a 6-0 home win over Everton a year ago. Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca alighted on a rather more sombre concept to describe Palmer’s contribution as Everton were beaten 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday: sacrifice. “Nico (Jackson) finally found the goal today,” Maresca said. “Hopefully, Cole soon can score goals. But I think Cole’s performance was very good. He sacrificed, he was pressing well. So it’s just a matter of time for all of them and for sure they’re going to help us.“ Palmer’s streak without a goal now extends to 17 matches across all competitions, and he has arguably never looked further from scoring than he did on Saturday. In 91 minutes on the pitch against Everton, he had zero shots — only the fifth time that has happened in the 61 Premier League games he has started for Chelsea — and only one touch in the opposition penalty area. The touch map above is consistent with a pure midfielder, which is a problem considering that Palmer has firmly established himself as Chelsea’s best finisher. His only notable run beyond Jackson on Saturday was picked out by a brilliant floated pass from Levi Colwill, before the ball was picked off by the recovering Jarrad Branthwaite after he chested it down. Maresca had already responded to an increasingly popular narrative in his Friday press conference at Cobham by insisting that Palmer’s struggles are not the result of his tactics. “The style of football we play is the same one,” he insisted. “The manager is the same one. The club is the same one. So nothing changes around Cole and Cole doesn’t change. It’s just mentally at this moment. For sure, you can see that he is a little worried because he wants to help the team.” Mental or tactical? Evidence could be found in the Everton game to support both theories. Palmer spent a large proportion of his time receiving and passing the ball too far from goal to threaten Jordan Pickford. But on the occasions when the ball did find him around the box, the cocky assurance that saw him nutmeg Branthwaite en route to scoring a 29-minute hat-trick in last season’s corresponding fixture was nowhere to be seen. At times, he also appeared uncharacteristically hesitant to shoot. snip

they easily could have scored 4 goals IF Palace play like they did yeasterday and Citeh do not show up, I could, perhaps, see Palace winning not predicting that, but it could happen

Slot the first Dutch manager to ever win the English topflight league title

imagine Arse winning both the mens and womens CLs in the SAME SEASON 😕

wow Arse crushing Lyon AT LYON

Pool draw even with Manure for most all-time English league titles 20 each