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Chelsea agree to loan Deivid Washington to Santos https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6142173/2025/02/17/Chelsea-deivid-washington-santos-loan/ Chelsea have agreed to loan striker Deivid Washington to his former club Santos for the 2025 season. Washington, who was part of the Brazil side which won the Under-20 South America Championship over the weekend, is now expected to play alongside Neymar at Santos to continue his development. The league season in Brazil starts on March 29 and ends on December 21, but Chelsea have installed a break clause which can be triggered in the English summer. There is also no option to buy included and Santos will pay his salary. There is no loan fee involved. Washington has made just three substitute appearances for the first team since joining from Santos for €16m (plus €4m in add-ons) in August 2023. Neymar, 33, agreed to join Santos on a six-month deal after the former Barcelona forward mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Saudi club Al Hilal. Meanwhile, Kendry Paez has arrived at the club’s training base to start a period of acclimatising to European football ahead of officially completing a transfer to Chelsea in the summer. Chelsea agreed a fee (including add-ons) with Independiente del Valle in 2023 when he was just 16. He cannot formally complete the transfer until he turns 18, with his birthday coming in May. But FIFA rules do allow him to spend some time at the club beforehand to have a period of adaption, as long as he doesn’t play for the club. Paez playing for Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier last year (Franklin Jacome/Getty Images) This is just the start of his experience and he is expected to remain in Europe rather than go back to play for Independiente del Valle, which is what he has been doing since negotiations were completed.Like Washington, Paez was also at the Under-20 South America Championships. He captained the side at the tournament but they were knocked out in the first group stage. GO DEEPER Kendry Paez, Ecuador's Chelsea-bound sensation: 'The bigger the challenge, the better he gets' (Top photo: Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

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Renato Veiga 7.6 – Superb performance from the Chelsea loanee. Tough to beat Physically and composed on the ball (88% passing accuracy via Sofascore). MOTM as a CB Shut down Inter in a 1 nil victory

The best cocktail recipes — according to bartenders This week the Noble in Glasgow shows you how to make the Martinez. Plus: the top drinks from around Scotland https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/the-best-cocktail-recipes-according-to-bartenders-jflz2ck20 The Noble’s Martinez swaps curacao for orange gin e love a cocktail at Alba, so we’ve asked mixologists from across Scotland to share the recipe for their signature drink. We’ll update the list regularly, so if you’re a cocktail fan, make sure you save this page. And please let us know if you’ve come across any bars or drinks worth shouting about in the comments section below. We’ll check them out ourselves, and add the best of them to our list. Slainte mhath! Drink of the week: The Martinez by the Noble, Glasgow “The Martinez is an age-old classic,” says Ewan Angus, who created this strong but smooth cocktail for the Noble, a new addition to Bothwell Street’s pub scene. “We swap curacao for orange gin and add a small hit of peach bitters and agave or honey to tie it all together.” Ingredients • 40ml Malfy Gin Con Arancia • 30ml Lillet Rosé • 10ml agave or runny honey • 2 drops peach bitters • 1 maraschino cherry or a twist of lemon peel, to garnish Method 1. Combine all the liquid ingredients in a mixing glass. Fill to the brim with ice and stir for 25-30 seconds until ice cold and slightly diluted. 2. Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick and Nora glass and garnish with the cherry or lemon peel. Matty Tomaszewski created the Violet Kiss to have luscious berry flavours to suit February 14 Violet kiss by Fingal hotel, Edinburgh “I wanted to make something with luscious berry flavours for Valentine’s Day,” says Matty Tomaszewski, the sommelier at the floating Fingal hotel. “You get a zesty, fruity hit from the vodka, smooth berry notes from the liqueurs, and sweetness from the syrup and pineapple juice. We serve it with violet and cassis macarons, made by our pastry chefs.” • Fingal hotel, Edinburgh review — indulgence and nostalgia in Leith Ingredients • 35ml Belvedere blackberry and lemongrass vodka • 15ml creme de cassis • 10ml Chambord • 5ml gomme syrup • 75ml pineapple juice Method 1. Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and dry shake. 2. Add ice and shake again. 3. Fine strain into a Nick and Nora glass. A dance in a glass: the Bolero from the Fife Arms ALEXANDER BAXTER ALEXBAXTER.CO The Bolero by the Fife Arms, Braemar “We call this one the Bolero because just as the dance combines tango, waltz and Latin, so the flavours in this drink intertwine as if dancing,” says Tomas Smazinas, the head bartender at the Fife Arms, who created this tart, silky, sour cocktail with the bar manager Skirmante Vosyliute. Ingredients • 30ml tonka tequila • 10ml mezcal • 25ml raspberry cordial • 5ml Tio Pepe sherry • Tonka bean dust, to garnish • Raspberry dust, to garnish Method 1. If you can’t get hold of tonka tequila, you can add half a teaspoon of vanilla extract to a bottle of tequila and leave to infuse overnight. 2. Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and hard shake for about 20 seconds. Double strain into a chilled glass (we suggest a coupe, rocks or Nick and Nora). 3. Garnish with a sprinkle of tonka bean and raspberry dust. • It’s the best-looking hotel in the Highlands, but does the food match up? The Praline Irish Coffee from Hawksmoor in Edinburgh works just as well with Scotch as Irish whiskey Praline Irish coffee by Hawksmoor, Edinburgh “Winter is the perfect excuse for any kind of boozy coffee,” says Liam Davy from Hawksmoor. “This Irish coffee riff uses an Irish whiskey — but feel free to play around with a good Scottish single malt. A richer-style blend or a young single malt work beautifully here, just nothing too smoky.” Ingredients • 2 tsp demerara sugar • 250ml double cream • 25g praline paste (or Nutella) • A shot of hot coffee • 25ml Irish whiskey • Pinch of sea salt • 10ml Frangelico hazelnut liqueur Method 1. Dissolve the sugar in 1 teaspoon of hot water to make 15ml syrup, chill. 2. Whisk together the cream and praline paste, chill. 3. Warm a heatproof glass with boiling water, then discard the water. Add the syrup, coffee, whiskey, salt and liqueur, leaving 1cm at the top for some of the cream. 4. Float the praline cream slowly on top — you will have more than you need, so keep the rest in the fridge for another drink. Not just a cocktail: the Crime Scene is also a clue in Somewhere by Nico’s murder mystery experience The Crime Scene by Somewhere by Nico, Edinburgh andGlasgow “The key to this light and refreshing cocktail is to pour the cherry syrup in first and keep the glass nice and cold, so the syrup lies undisturbed at the bottom of the glass when you add the rest of the ingredients,” says Jack McGhee, bar manager at Somewhere by Nico. The bar, which opened branches in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2024, changes its menu every six weeks. The Crime Scene is part of the Murder on the Midnight Express menu, where the cocktails themselves act as clues in an immersive two-hour cocktail tasting/murder mystery experience. Ingredients • 10ml maraschino cherry syrup • 15ml maraschino liqueur • 15ml RinQuinQuin peach aperitif • A splash of prosecco Method 1. Add ice to a chilled martini glass and pour in the cherry syrup. 2. Add the liqueur and RinQuinQuin then gently top with prosecco, taking care not to disturb the syrup at the bottom. 3. Once served, you can stir the syrup at the bottom into the drink, depending on how sweet you like it. . Watch out for Calabrian chilli flakes if you don’t like it hot, says James Clark, the owner of Sotto CHRISTINA LEAHY Calabrian margarita by Sotto, Edinburgh “This is a simple, classic cocktail with a southern Italian twist,” says James Clark, the owner of Sotto, a new enoteca and trattoria that opened in Stockbridge in October. “Try to get the bergamot from an Italian deli if you can — they’re much more floral than limes. Calabrian chilli flakes are hot, so you can adjust to your taste.” Ingredients • Calabrian chilli flakes • Salt • 50ml tequila, • 25ml Italicus bergamot liqueur • 12.5ml bergamot juice • 12.5ml lime juice • A small splash of simple sugar syrup • A bergamot slice, to garnish Method 1. Chill a martini glass. Grind some chilli flakes (enough to coat the rim of the glass) with some salt with a pestle and mortar to a fine powder. Coat the rim of the glass with some lime juice and dip into the chilli salt. 2. Add the liquid ingredients to a shaker with ice, shake hard then double strain into the glass. Garnish with a slice of Bergamot. • Read Chitra Ramaswamy’s review of Sotto The rhubarb rose cocktail has a flavour profile that will refresh visitors to Newhall Mains’ bar Rhubarb and rose cocktail by Newhall Mains, nr Dingwall “The combination of rhubarb and ginger brings a unique tartness that is balanced by the sweetness of the sugar cube and the floral notes from rose water,” says Rebecca Darden from Newhall Mains hotel on the Black Isle. “It creates a really complex and refreshing flavour profile.” • Read Jeremy Watson’s review of Newhall Mains Ingredients • 1 sugar cube • 25ml Edinburgh Gin’s Rhubarb & Ginger Liqueur • 2 sprays of rose water • Champagne (to top up) Method 1. Add the sugar cube to a glass, pour in the gin liqueur to dissolve the sugar. Add two sprays of rose water. 2. Top up the mixture with champagne, stir gently to combine, without losing too much carbonation from the champagne. The Bobby Burns is the creation of Cameron Ewen, the bar manager at Scotch at the Balmoral Hotel Bobby Burns by Scotch at the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh “I use Benedictine in this twist on a classic Rob Roy,” says Cameron Ewen from Scotch, the whisky bar at the Balmoral Hotel. “It complements the complex nature of Johnnie Walker Black Label. The subtle smoke found in Black Label adds intrigue, I always think.” Ingredients • 45ml Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky • 45ml Italian vermouth • 7.5ml Benedictine DOM liqueur • Twist of lemon zest, to garnish Method 1. Fill a mixing glass with ice and add the whisky, vermouth and liqueur. 2. Stir it all together, strain into a cocktail glass and add a twist of lemon zest. Dean Banks says drinking his elderflower fizz is like sipping champagne Elderflower fizz by Dulse, Edinburgh “This drink highlights one of my favourite ingredients, elderflower,” says Dean Banks from the Edinburgh restaurant Dulse. “Its crisp, floral notes bring a touch of warmth to autumn gatherings. It’s light, bubbly and gives you that luxurious feeling, much like sipping champagne.” This recipe requires a bit of planning in advance, since a week of steeping is needed to get a full elderflower flavour. Ingredients • 400g sugar • 1 lemon, zested and juiced • 1g yeast • 10 heads of elderflower Method 1. Combine 800ml water with the sugar, lemon zest and juice in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil. Allow to cool, then mix in 1.2L water and the yeast. 2. Add to a sterilised container, mix with the elderflower heads and leave in a dark place at room temperature for 7 days. 3. Strain then pour into sterilised bottles. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve. • Read Chitra Ramaswamy’s review of Dulse Mitch Murray from the Kylesku Hotel and his cocktail, Beyond the Tea Beyond the Tea by Kylesku Hotel, Sutherland “This is my favourite creation of all time,” says Mitch Murray, the bar manager at the lochside Kylesku Hotel. “It blends floral notes of lavender and the tried-and-tested, robust citrus flavours of Earl Grey tea.” Ingredients • 50ml vodka • 35ml sugar syrup • 2-3 heaped tsp loose-leaf Earl Grey tea and dried lavender petals, plus extra to garnish • 20ml lemon juice • 20ml egg white Method 1. Infuse the vodka and syrup for 2-3 hours with the tea and lavender petals. 2. Use a jigger to add the infused vodka and syrup to a cocktail shaker. Add the lemon juice, egg white and a generous serving of ice. Shake vigorously. 3. Double strain into the top half of the shaker and ditch the ice. Shake once more. 4. Double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a line of Earl Grey tea and lavender petals. High-quality ingredients are the way to make a margarita stand out, says Rory Cox from the Prancing Stag Peach margarita by the Prancing Stag, Glasgow “This fruity margarita is inspired by the fizzy peach sweets I used to get from the hospital shop when I visited my granddad as a wee boy,” says Rory Cox from the Prancing Stag restaurant in Jordanhill. “Margaritas are one of the most popular cocktails in the world and they lend themselves to lots of variations. There’s nothing in the way of mixer, so choosing high-quality ingredients is what makes the cocktail stand out. The Bandero tequila is beautifully smooth, and the peach liqueur is a French one made from vineyard peaches that smells a bit like those fizzy peach sweets.” Ingredients • 25ml Giffard Pêche de Vigne liqueur • 50ml Bandero Tequila Blanco • Juice of 1 lime • 1 tsp citric acid • 2 tsp caster sugar • Sprig of mint, to garnish • Lime wedge, to garnish Method 1. Add the liqueur, tequila and lime juice to a shaker with ice and shake. 2. Rim a rocks glass with some liqueur, then dip it in a mixture of the citric acid and sugar. 3. Fill a glass with ice and double strain the liquid into it. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a wedge of lime. Danny Mcmanus from the alcohol-free brewery Jump Ship Jump Ship punch By Jump Ship Brewing Created by Danny Mcmanus, a mixologist at the dedicated alcohol-free brewery Jump Ship, this refreshing mocktail balances zesty clementine and lime juice with herbal thyme syrup and crisp fruity notes from Jump Ship’s Gooseberry Gose. Ingredients • 15ml lime juice • 30ml clementine juice • 10ml Lyre’s Non-alcoholic Italian Spritz • 50ml Jump Ship Gooseberry Gose • Lime slice and a sprig of thyme, to garnish For the thyme syrup (needs steeping overnight) • 200g caster sugar • 10g fresh thyme Method 1. Mix the sugar and thyme in 200ml boiling water until the sugar is dissolved, leave to steep overnight. 2. Add the rest of the liquid ingredients and 15ml of the thyme syrup to a wine glass with ice, garnish with the lime slice and thyme sprig. Iain McPherson from Panda & Sons says his Wilderness cocktail is “as if Ribena and red wine joined forces” Wilderness By Panda & Sons, Edinburgh Fresh from being crowned winner of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award as part of the World’s 50 Best Bars, Iain McPherson shares this recipe from his buzzy New Town speakeasy, Panda & Sons. “The key ingredient here is Aelder Elixir, a liqueur made by Buck & Birch in East Lothian mixing wild elderberries, whisky and wild botanicals,” McPherson says. “I add it here for its lovely berry yet tannic notes — it’s as if Ribena and red wine joined forces. The sherry gives it a lovely long finish, going side by side with the maple.” Ingredients • 20ml Makers Mark • 15ml Aelder Elixir • 20ml manzanilla sherry • 15ml lemon juice • 15ml maple syrup • Soda water, to top up • 1 blackberry Method 1. Add the liquid ingredients except the soda water to a high-ball glass. 2. Add ice and top up with soda water. 3. Give a gentle stir to mix and garnish with the blackberry on a skewer. The Downstair’s at Betty’s team Matt Colagiuri and Stefan Creran have created a twist on the El Capitán El Capitán By Downstairs at Betty’s, Edinburgh “I came up with this recipe myself,” says Stefan Creran, general manager at Downstairs at Betty’s, a new cocktail and piano bar on Charlotte Lane. “It is a blend of an El Capitán to represent my Chilean roots, and a classic Manhattan, a nod to my business partner Matt Colagiuri.” Ingredients • 25ml Ragtime Rye whisky • 10ml Aba pisco • 10ml Lucky Liqueurs Smoky Cherry • 10ml Cocchi Vermouth di Torino • 3 dashes saline • Cherry bitters • Black walnut bitters • 1 cherry, frozen, to garnish Method 1. Add the whisky, pisco, smoky cherry, vermouth and saline to a mixing glass, stir for 15-20 seconds until ice cold and slightly diluted. 2. Strain into a Nick and Nora or cocktail coupe, mist the glass with 1 spray of cherry bitters and 1 spray of black walnut bitters. 3. Garnish with a frozen cherry. Meadowsweet, tart cranberry and elderflower are a dream accompaniment to Sonas gin Sonas gin fix by Knipoch House hotel nr Oban This refreshing summer drink uses Sonas gin, made with apples, kelp, hawthorn berries and meadowsweet from the shores and gardens at Knipoch’s sister hotels on Skye. “Enhanced by the delicate flavour of elderflower and tart cranberry,” says Knipoch’s Cameron Campbell, “it transports you to perfect summer days on the Isle of Skye.” Ingredients • 50ml Sonas gin • 12.5ml elderflower cordial • 12.5ml lime juice • 50ml cranberry juice • 50ml apple juice • 2 cucumber slices • 1 sprig mint Method 1. Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. 2. Pour into a chilled glass and garnish with two cucumber slices and a sprig of mint. The Guard Bridge banana sour is a “smooth, rich, nostalgic summer serve” Guard Bridge banana sour By Eden Mill distillery near St Andrews “Our beautiful banana sour is reminiscent of foam banana sweets,” says Hannah Ingram from Eden Mill, the Fife distillery that runs cocktail masterclasses at the Huxley bar in Edinburgh. “The sweetness of the banana syrup blends wonderfully with the whisky, and there’s a touch of tartness from the lemon juice, plus a pleasing mouthfeel from the foam. It all culminates in a smooth, rich, nostalgic summer serve.” Ingredients • 50ml The Guard Bridge blended whisky • 35ml Monin banana syrup • 20ml lemon juice • 1 egg white or foamer • Dried banana chips, to garnish Method 1. Add all the ingredients (except the banana chips) into a shaker and shake. 2. Open the shaker, fill it with ice then shake again until the outside is cold. 3. Strain into a Nick and Nora glass and garnish with a dried banana chip. Borders Distillery like to add a dollop of raspberry jam to their whisky-based cocktail for sweetness That’s My Jam By Borders Distillery, Hawick “This cocktail makes me think of juicy jam-filled doughnuts,” says its creator, Olivia Pattison, from Borders Distillery in Hawick. “Based on our WS:02 blended Scotch whisky, we add a dollop of raspberry jam to create a lovely summer drink that bursts with frothy, fruity sweetness.” Ingredients • 50ml The Long & Short of It • 20ml lemon juice • 10ml ruby port • 10ml grenadine • Spoonful raspberry jam • Egg white • Ice Method 1. Place all ingredients except ice into cocktail shaker and dry shake hard. 2. Now add ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled coupe. Celantano’s tequila-twist on a negroni White tequila negroni By Celantano’s, Glasgow Celentano’s mixologists Anna Parker and Erin Calvin make their own liqueurs and cordials for their cocktails, using herbs grown in the restaurant garden and honey from bees kept in their own courtyard. The good news is you can just use a shop-bought vermouth if making your own from wine, spices and orange peel feels like too much bother. If you are buying vermouth, choose one on the dryer side. Ingredients • 50ml Cazcabel tequila • 37.5ml dry white vermouth • Fresh orange peel • Slice of orange, to garnish Method • Add the tequila and white vermouth to a mixing glass or tin. • Twist the orange peel over a the glass, expressing its oils into the liquid. Fill to the brim with ice and stir with a bar spoon for 30-45 seconds until icy cold and slightly diluted. • Strain into a rocks glass, over one large ice cube. Garnish with the slice of orange. Iona Buick from Isle of Bute Distillery making a Bute martini Bute martini by Isle of Bute Distillery, Rothesay “Our Oyster Gin makes the perfect base for this martini,” says Iona Buick from Isle of Bute Distillery in Rothesay. “To make the gin, we charge our still with the shells of wild oysters — it creates a delicate but distinctive maritime essence. So this martini pairs really well with seafood.” Ingredients • 50ml Isle of Bute Oyster Gin • 12.5ml fino sherry • Pinch of salt Method 1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice cubes and stir gently to combine. 2. Finely strain into a chilled martini glass of your choice. The St Kilda sour at Rascal balances sweetness and acidity The St Kilda sour by Rascal, Glasgow “The combination of spirit, lime and sugar is a classic,” says Jack Cain at Rascal, a buzzing new cocktail bar in the West End of Glasgow. “The balance of sweetness and acidity is the foundation of any good cocktail. Isle of Harris Gin’s flavour profile of juniper, citrus and dry maritime notes is accentuated by the tart lime juice and balanced by sweet strawberry, making a well-rounded and delicious cocktail. “The name itself is inspired by a tradition in St Kilda, where men who wished to marry would prove their worthiness by walking to the edge of the Lover’s Stone. There, high on a cliff edge, they would have to balance on one leg to prove their ability to support their future wife.” Ingredients • 50ml Harris gin • 25ml fresh lime juice • 25ml strawberry syrup • 1 egg white Method 1. Separate egg white into the shaker then add all other ingredients. 2. Shake hard without ice to emulsify egg white, then fill shaker to the top with ice and shake hard for 15 seconds. 3. Double strain into a chilled coupe or Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with a fresh strawberry slice on the rim. Douglas Murray, the bar manager at Lady Libertine, and the tonka bean-infused Grasshopper The Grasshopper by Lady Libertine, Edinburgh Douglas Murray, the bar manager at Lady Libertine, infuses this creamy cocktail with a dash of cognac. “It has a tantalising hint of fruitiness,” he says. “And the tonka beans in the double cream complements the boozy ice cream flavours beautifully.” Makes 2 Ingredients • 10g tonka beans • 100ml sugar syrup • 45ml double cream • 30ml crème de menthe • 50ml Rémy Martin VSOP cognac • 30ml crème de cacao • 4 dashes of bitters • Mint leaves and grated dark mint chocolate, to garnish Method 1. Grate the tonka beans into the sugar syrup in a saucepan, then heat gently so it steeps, then strain and cool. 2. Stir 15ml tonka-infused syrup into the double cream, then mix this and all the other liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake hard and double strain into rocks glasses. 3. Garnish with the mint and a sprinkle of chocolate. Holyrood Distillery’s mixologist Elsie Cinnamond making a Clover Club cocktail Clover Club by Holyrood Distillery, Edinburgh “Texture is key to this cocktail,” says Holyrood Distillery’s mixologist, Elsie Cinnamond. “Egg white makes it frothy and our Height of Arrows gin uses beeswax at distillation, which adds a silky creaminess. “Not all recipes call for dry vermouth but we included it as it adds dimension and layers to a drink that could easily be overwhelmed by raspberry. It brings out the complex herbal notes of the juniper berry; highlighting the beautiful flavours of our classic gin.” Ingredients • 45ml Height of Arrows gin • 15ml dry vermouth • 25ml lemon juice • 25ml raspberry syrup • 3-4 drops of cocktail foamer or 1 egg white or 20ml aquafaba (chickpea water) • Raspberries, to garnish Method 1. Dry shake (shake without ice) all the liquid ingredients for about 10 seconds to emulsify the foaming agent. 2. Once frothy, add ice to the shaker and shake again to chill and dilute. 3. Fine strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a few raspberries. The Ruma co-founder Steven Aiken making the Dominicana The Dominicana By Ruma, Edinburgh This rum cocktail recipe was created by Sasha Petraske, the owner of Milk & Honey bar in New York, one of the first speakeasy-style cocktail bars now seen in hipster hoods the world over. “We had to have it on our launch menu,” says Steven Aitken, who with co-founder Jamie Shields has opened Ruma, a specialist rum bar on Broughton Street, Edinburgh. “We pair delicious Dominican rum with coffee liqueur made in Scotland. We top it with an indulgent layer of velvety cream. It’s simple but elegant, a perfect rum alternative to an espresso martini.” Ingredients • 45ml Dominican rum • 45ml Cross Brew coffee liqueur • Oat cream, whipped • A few shavings of 70 per cent dark chocolate Method 1. Shake the rum and coffee liqueur with ice and double strain into a coupe glass. 2. Top with whipped oat cream and sprinkle with shaved chocolate. • 120 of Scotland’s best restaurants — where to book in 2024 “It’s a great cocktail to drink with dessert — or even instead of it”, says Sarah Peel from the Cromlix hotel Chocolate and orange espresso martini By Cromlix hotel, Dunblane The Scotland the Best author Peter Irvine reckons Cromlix has the best hotel art in Scotland. We reckon the drinks ain’t bad either, especially its take on an espresso martini, which Cromlix’s sommelier and beverage manager, Sarah Peel, garnishes with orange zest and chocolate popping candy. “I love the aroma of the fresh zest and the fun of the crackle. It’s a great cocktail to drink with dessert — or even instead of it.” Ingredients • 25ml dark crème de cacao • 25ml Kahlúa or coffee liqueur • 25ml Grand Marnier • 1 double shot of espresso coffee • Orange zest and chocolate popping candy, to garnish Method 1. Add the liquid ingredients to a boston glass or shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled (30 to 60 seconds). 2. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the orange zest and a sprinkle of popping candy. The Lady Libertine Ingredients • 50ml Courvoisier VSOP cognac • 25ml vermouth • 2 dashes Angostura bitters • A strip of orange zest, to garnish Method 1. Add the cognac, vermouth and bitters to a glass. Give it a nice long stir and strain into a chilled, but preferably frozen, coupette glass. 2. Gently twist the orange zest to express the oils over the drink, then use it to garnish. The Buckfast mulled cider is a real winter warmer Buckfast mulled cider By Café Cùil, Skye Not a cocktail, rather a winter warmer from Clare Coghill, the head chef at Café Cùil, which sits at the head of Loch Harport in the shadow of Skye’s Cuillin Hills. “I was creating my own mulled cider at home, and didn’t have any port or red wine,” she says. “So I reached for the next best thing — Buckfast!” “It’s not just a drink to be enjoyed in our younger drinks years,” Coghill says. “Its sweet, almost medicinal flavour pairs perfectly with the winter spices. It’s a great drink to take with you in a flask at this time of year.” Buckfast mulled cider Serves 6 Ingredients • 1 tbsp brown sugar • 1 cinnamon stick • ½ tbsp cloves • 1 star anise • 2 x 440ml cans of dry cider • ½ orange, plus slices, to garnish • 150ml Buckfast Tonic Wine Method 1. Place a heavy-bottomed pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add the sugar and spices and warm until the sugar begins to caramelise and melt. 2. Add the cider and orange, simmer for a few minutes. 3. Pour into a jug or teapot, top with the Buckfast and stir. Serve in mugs, or pour into a flask to take somewhere. The Bru and Stormy — only available in Glasgow TURTLE BAY Bru & Stormy By Turtle Bay, Glasgow “What drink could better marry Caribbean flair with the spirit of Glasgow than a rum cocktail with an Irn-Bru mixer?” says Ben Hibbard, the marketing director at the Caribbean-inspired Turtle Bay chain, which has opened a fun restaurant on the corner of Hope Street and St Vincent Street. “We found that the hint of ginger you get in Irn-Bru, along with its sweet, tangy flavour, works really well with common Caribbean ingredients,” Hibbard says. “Pairing Irn-Bru with a smooth, spiced rum like RedLeg cuts the sweetness, while the addition of falernum — a syrup made with ginger, lime, almond and cloves — brings a tropical twist that accentuates the citrus and spices.” Ingredients • 25ml RedLeg spiced rum • 25ml falernum syrup • About 200ml Irn-Bru • 2 dashes of bitters • A slice of lime, to garnish Method 1. Add ice cubes to a highball glass with the rum and falernum syrup, and stir well with a bar spoon until the glass is cold to the touch. 2. Add ice cubes to the top of the glass and top up with Irn-Bru. 3. Add the bitters, garnish with a lime slice, and serve with a straw.

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1 nil spuds Maddison

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When Liam Delap dominates, people notice – no wonder big clubs are keeping tabs on him https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6138610/2025/02/16/liam-delap-ipswich-manchester-united-Chelsea/ As long as Liam Delap keeps scoring, Ipswich Town will have a chance of staying in the Premier League. Delap struck his 10th league goal of the season against Aston Villa on Saturday to secure third-bottom Ipswich’s first point since the beginning of January, keeping them within touching distance of Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are away to leaders Liverpool today, in the safety of 17th. The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the Premier League’s brightest young talents and as he walked past the away supporters packed into the Doug Ellis Stand at Villa Park after being substituted in the 80th minute, they showered him in adulation. It was a similar scene at full time, only this time he was joined by the visitors’ manager Kieran McKenna and the rest of their squad, who stood there as the buoyant crowd chanted about their prospects of staying in the Premier League for next season. As a striker, Delap is a throwback to yesteryear, but with a deft touch. He’s tall (186cm/6ft 1in), physical, direct, and can bully defenders. Just ask Axel Disasi, making his Villa debut on loan from Chelsea, what the first 45 minutes felt like. In the dressing room at half-time, McKenna spoke about his team having a chance to win against a lacklustre Villa, despite the fact his side lost Axel Tuanzebe, sent off for two yellow-card offences, before the break. All they had to do, in their manager’s words, was to get “one or two moments” and for one of them to fall to Delap. That is exactly what happened as Omari Hutchinson beat Ian Maatsen on the right before zipping the ball into a penalty area that contained four Villa defenders, only for Delap to cut across his man and clip a neat finish past goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Delap made it 10 goals this season in the 1-1 draw at Villa (Clive Mason/Getty Images) “Really good goal,” McKenna said after the match. “You always hope that he will get a couple of moments. It’s good movement from Liam and a different type of goal for him as well, in terms of getting across the defender. Really good.” Against Villa, it was no surprise that Delap’s overall input was limited, yet when Ipswich needed him to step up, he did. The Manchester City academy graduate was involved in more defensive actions (six) than he was in attacking build-up play (five). Marcus Stewart, who played up front for Ipswich in 2000-01, is the only player to score more goals (19) in a single Premier League campaign for the club, further highlighting Delap’s impressive impact since last summer’s £20million ($25.2m at the current exchange rate) move from the champions. In his own post-match press conference, Villa manager Unai Emery said Delap is doing a “fantastic” job, as well as describing him as a “very competitive striker”. Delap’s goals and performances this season have caught the attention of clubs throughout the Premier League, with The Athletic revealing earlier this week that Manchester United have been tracking his performances. City inserted a £40million buy-back clause into the deal when they sold him to Ipswich, while Chelsea have also expressed their interest. You would also expect Thomas Tuchel, England’s new head coach, to have noticed Delap this season. Tuchel will be picking his first squad soon for the national team’s opening World Cup qualifiers next month against Albania and Latvia. Ollie Watkins, who scored Villa’s equaliser yesterday, is the only English centre-forward to have registered more Premier League goals (11) than Delap this season. Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, another City old boy, is ahead of both with 14 but it is unlikely he will be leading the line for England in those games. What will surely appeal to Tuchel is Delap’s versatility. He scores from long range, close range, with both feet and with his head. His shot map from across the season highlights exactly that. Delap has a shot accuracy of just over 51 per cent, which is 10th among forwards who have played more than 900 minutes in the Premier League this season. This is better than Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, Watkins, Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur’s Dominic Solanke. It should not come as a surprise that his conversion rate is also high, just over 23 per cent, which places him sixth when judged by the same metrics as above. This is better than Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Cody Gakpo of Liverpool. GO DEEPER What sort of football will Thomas Tuchel's England play? “If you are going to be a striker for us in our first season back in the Premier League in 22 years, you are not going to be facing a low block in every game,” McKenna added. “In some games, we are more dominant and there are more crosses. In some games, it’s more counter-attacking, and in some games, teams play really high against us and there is space in behind. You need that balanced threat. “It’s really good for Liam and there are not many like him in terms of the mixed threat he has.”

Breaking down why Cole Palmer cut such a frustrated figure in Chelsea’s loss at Brighton https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6138219/2025/02/15/cole-palmer-Chelsea-form-frustration-palmer/ Minute 71, February 14, the Amex Stadium. With Christopher Nkunku dropping deep to receive the ball, Cole Palmer, thanks to Reece James pushing into midfield, escapes the clutches of Carlos Baleba, Kaoru Mitoma and Jack Hinshelwood — a situation that rarely came about in the 70 minutes before that — to find space. Nkunku chooses to pass sideways to Enzo Fernandez, drawing a frustrated reaction from Palmer. Fernandez could not escape Yankuba Minteh’s press and passed back to Levi Colwill. Palmer, with shrugged shoulders, shot Nkunku a questioning look as the France international joined him up front. These three snapshots — as well as several other moments of frustration peppered throughout Chelsea’s 3-0 loss at Brighton on Friday — summed up Palmer’s night. Not a lot is going his way at the moment and Chelsea are not helping their best player. It all looked rosy on December 15 when Chelsea won their fifth league match in succession, a 2-1 win over Brentford, to move into second in the Premier League. Chelsea were two points behind Liverpool (having played a game more) and Palmer contributed four goals and an assist during that run. Exactly two months since that result, Chelsea are clinging onto fourth place after a run of two wins in nine league games, during which Palmer has scored three times and assisted none. The England international was due a slump given his exploits since joining Chelsea from Manchester City for £42.5million in 2023. Teams have begun man-marking him tightly this season, with Brighton using a combination of Kaoru Mitoma and Carlos Baleba to slow him down two times in a week (they also beat Enzo Maresca’s side 2-1 in the FA Cup six days earlier). GO DEEPER Maresca is in a dangerous moment In these moments, Palmer must reinvent his game and receive more support from team-mates. The league defeat at Brighton provided little evidence of either. Maresca altered his line-up for this match, making Palmer his most advanced attacker and dropping Nkunku to a right-sided No 10 role in the first half. The idea seemed to be a bid for more fluidity in positional rotations between the two players while giving Palmer the opportunity to influence proceedings from a central position. In the fifth minute, the vision was clear. Colwill plays a line-breaking pass to Palmer, who drops deep to pull Jan Paul van Hecke out of Brighton’s back line. Palmer lays it off for Moises Caicedo to find Nkunku, who runs beyond the back line, with a pass over the top. Caicedo’s pass is blocked, but Chelsea finally seem ready to utilise runs beyond Brighton’s high line as a strategy — something they did not do in their earlier meeting and often struggle to do in Nicolas Jackson’s absence. Jackson is expected to miss the next six to eight weeks with a hamstring injury. The concerns for Chelsea arose when Brighton tweaked their approach. Van Hecke was given license to push ahead to press Palmer, with Joel Veltman drifting into a central area and Minteh playing as the right-back to tackle Pedro Neto. With Nkunku not making runs into the heart of the Brighton defence and preferring to stay closer to right-winger Noni Madueke, this allowed Brighton to limit Chelsea’s passes into Palmer. His 20 first-half touches were the third-fewest he has recorded in a half in the league this season. When Palmer did get on the ball, he did not have much joy and the frustration began showing early on. In this transition from the 15th minute, Palmer receives in space and tries to feed Madueke, who initially runs towards the ball and has to change direction. That allows Baleba to come across and nick the ball away, with Madueke withdrawing from a challenge. Palmer throws his arms up in frustration. In the 18th minute, Madueke nearly made up for that by setting Palmer up following some neat link-up play with Nkunku. Palmer shoots wide with a curler. Immediately after the miss, Fernandez, who is behind Palmer in a central position, remonstrates with the England international for not letting the ball run through to him. Palmer does not share his opinion. Madueke went down with a hamstring problem during that sequence and was replaced by Jadon Sancho, with Neto moving over to the right wing. This hurt Chelsea’s balance further as Neto, also left-footed, struggled to beat Tariq Lamptey for the second game in a row, while Sancho did not have the pace to trouble Minteh on the left. Maresca adjusted by getting Malo Gusto to invert from right-back and moving Nkunku into the central role he had occupied in previous matches, with Palmer operating behind him. The issue with this, though, was that it forced Palmer into deeper positions, such as in the sequence below from the 40th minute, with Nkunku playing with his back to goal. This stopped any chances of Chelsea hurting Brighton with balls over the top of their centre-backs. It also caused more frustration as after Palmer passes to Caicedo, Fernandez, who has positioned himself between two defenders, turns away exasperatedly as Palmer acknowledges him with a raised hand. Another sign of why this particular striker-No 10 partnership did not work came four minutes later. Palmer and Nkunku play a one-two but have little chance of progressing play as Chelsea need two players to beat Brighton’s five-man back line, which also stopped following Palmer, as it did earlier in the game. Nkunku and Palmer combined to have just three touches in Brighton’s penalty area and 12 in their own half in the first 45 minutes. They did not get in each other’s way, but did not let each other flourish either. The second half saw Chelsea continue to dominate possession with Brighton 2-0 (and later 3-0) up. Palmer was more actively involved, particularly with the arrival of substitute James, who occupied Brighton’s midfielders better than Gusto and played more line-breaking passes into him, such as this one from the 83rd minute. But Baleba and Mitoma, who paid close attention to Palmer throughout the second half, close him down to win the ball. Despite his increased involvement, Palmer lost possession 12 times in the second half, his third-worst in a half of a Premier League game this season. As his touch map below shows, Chelsea needed him to drop deep and when he went forward, he did not have much to work with. Questioned after the game about Palmer’s frustrated reactions on the pitch, Maresca put it down to “desire” and the unhappiness that accompanies losing games, but there is a tactical angle the Chelsea manager needs to rectify. It was roughly this time last year when Palmer went through an extended lean patch, failing to score in six games across the league, FA Cup and Carabao Cup final. He rebounded by scoring from his favoured right half-space on the edge of the box after collecting a pass from Fernandez, who was on the receiving end of Palmer’s frustration at Brighton multiple times, in a 3-2 league win over Newcastle United. Palmer and Chelsea desperately need something similar when they visit Aston Villa next weekend. Additional contributor: Conor O’Neill

What does Premier League losing APT ruling mean for Manchester City and other clubs? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6138205/2025/02/15/premier-league-apt-ruling-man-city/ Manchester City may not have done too much winning on the pitch this season, but their victory over the Premier League in relation to the associated party transactions (APT) rules is a significant one. A tribunal comprised of Lord Dyson, Christopher Vajda KC and Sir Nigel Teare concluded the APT rules in place between December 2021 and November 2024 were “unlawful” and “void and unenforceable” following a two-day hearing at the end of last month. City have long argued the rules were unlawful and against competition law, while the Premier League maintained they were. But the arbitration tribunal’s ruling makes clear without any doubt that they were not. This decision has the potential to lead to other clubs claiming compensation for deals that were blocked or adjusted under APT rules between the end of 2021 and 2024, potentially causing many more headaches for the Premier League and its executive board. The Athletic answers the key questions… What did the sponsorship rules entail? APTs were voted in by Premier League clubs in December 2021, following the sale of Newcastle United to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in October 2021. Although it was never said explicitly, the prevailing feeling within multiple clubs was it was important to introduce a new set of rules that prevented clubs, such as Newcastle and City, from signing inflated commercial deals with companies linked to their owners in a bid to increase their revenues. The idea behind the APT rules was to ensure any deal agreed by clubs with sponsors represented fair market value (FMV). Any deal that was submitted to the Premier League and deemed not to be FMV would be readjusted. To determine FMV, clubs needed to confidentially submit their commercial agreements to the league, who would then upload them to a databank, giving them the means to determine what represented a fair deal or not. Newcastle’s then-co-owners Mehrdad Ghodoussi and Amanda Staveley flank Eddie Howe during his unveiling in November 2021 (Scott Heppell/AFP via Getty Images) How significant is this for Manchester City? The Premier League will argue that the amended APT rules in place, which were voted through 16-4 — City, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United voted against their introduction — in November, make this ruling redundant. However, this is a huge win for City and a devastating blow for England’s top flight. A tribunal has called its APT rules “void and unenforceable”, as well as “unlawful”. Both City and the Premier League claimed a victory after October’s initial ruling that found three aspects of the APTs were unlawful, most notably around the deliberate exclusion of shareholder loans, which is when a club borrows money from its ownership group, usually interest-free. But now the full ruling is out, there is only one winner — the reigning Premier League champions. What about the second legal case? As it stands, the amended rules that were voted on in November are still in place and clubs need to comply with them. At the time, City warned other clubs not to vote on the proposed changes until the tribunal released its full ruling, and they will at least feel vindicated by that stance given the previous version of the regulations have been deemed unlawful. Strictly speaking, however, City’s win over the league does not impact the second case that was launched against the new rules last week. GO DEEPER Man City in fresh legal battle with Premier League over APT rules The Premier League remains confident that the tribunal, which is being chaired by the same three-person panel that has just ruled in City’s favour, will determine the amended rules are legally sound. City, though, will undoubtedly feel buoyant about their chances of getting the latest set of rules thrown out — and if that happens, the league will be plunged even deeper into crisis. Does this have an impact on City’s 129 charges? In short, no. This case is entirely separate from the 100-plus charges the Premier League brought against its champions in February 2023 following a four-year investigation. Those allegations include failing to provide accurate financial information and, among other charges, failing to provide accurate details for player and manager remuneration breaches of its financial regulations. They were also charged for not cooperating with the investigation. City vehemently deny all of the charges, saying they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence”, and are confident they will be cleared of any wrongdoing. The hearing began in September and concluded in December, meaning we could be weeks away from a ruling being delivered. GO DEEPER Man City's Premier League charges - exploring what their past cases and evidence reveals How might other clubs feel about this decision? Will some benefit? The Premier League is now open to further legal challenges from clubs as they could claim compensation for deals agreed between December 2021 and November 2024 that had to be adjusted for not being considered fair market value. And if a club chooses to initiate legal action against the Premier League, then considering the 2021-24 APT rules are “void and unenforceable”, you would expect them to have a good chance of receiving compensation. Another element of this ruling that will likely irk clubs is the fact City’s legal costs will need to be covered by the Premier League, meaning the teams are ultimately paying for it. Is there a wider-ranging impact on the Premier League? Richard Masters, the Premier League’s chief executive, and Alison Brittain, the league’s chair, will no doubt have to answer difficult questions from clubs, especially if they are now going to be paying for City’s legal costs and further compensation claims. If Premier League clubs believe Masters’ position is untenable — and it is not known whether that is a view commonly held across the league — then they have the powers to remove him from his position. GO DEEPER Running the Premier League - an impossible job? The league’s handbook spells out how clubs can oust Masters or any other director. “The members may terminate the appointment of the chair or of any director by a resolution voted by a simple majority of members entitled to vote at a general meeting,” the clause reads. For this to happen, 11 clubs would need to vote in favour of removing Masters. Richard Masters, the Premier League’s chief executive (Tom Dulat/Getty Images for Premier League) Could City now push even further financially? Which deals were blocked? As with other clubs who had a commercial deal blocked or adjusted between 2021-24, City could seek further legal recourse to claim compensation. City had sponsorship deals with Etihad Airways, an Abu Dhabi-based airline, and First Abu Dhabi Bank, blocked under the APT rules in 2023. This is what prompted them to launch their legal challenge against the APTs, which they deemed to be anti-competitive. GO DEEPER Man City vs the Premier League: Who do lawyers think won the APT case? What did the Premier League say? On Friday night, the Premier League released a statement in response to the arbitration tribunal’s ruling. “The tribunal’s decision has found that the three narrow aspects of the old APT rules, previously found to be unlawful, cannot be separated from the rest of the previous rules as a matter of law,” it read. “The result, the tribunal has determined, is that the previous APT rules, as a whole, are unenforceable. “However, the previous APT rules are no longer in place, as clubs voted new APT rules into force in November 2024. This decision expressly does not impact the valid operation of the new rules. “The tribunal has made no findings as to the validity and effectiveness of the new rules. The tribunal states that whether its decision has any benefit to the club, therefore, depends on whether the new APT rules are found to be lawful as part of the second challenge issued by the club last month. The league continues to believe that the new APT rules are valid and enforceable and is pressing for an expeditious resolution of this matter. “The new APT rules are in full force and clubs remain required to comply with all aspects of the system, including to submit shareholder loans to the Premier League for fair market value assessment.”

Enzo Maresca is in a dangerous moment https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6137871/2025/02/15/enzo-maresca-Chelsea-potter/ It is hard to recover from a three-goal league defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion as Chelsea head coach… just ask Graham Potter. With Enzo Maresca looking increasingly forlorn on Friday evening as his Chelsea side came second to Brighton in every department, it brought back memories of Potter’s own humiliation in October 2022. Back then, Chelsea lost 4-1 rather than 3-0, but most of the same ingredients were there, with Chelsea outfought, outthought and outplayed. There were even two members of Chelsea’s first XI on the receiving end again in centre-back Trevoh Chalobah and former Brighton left-back Marc Cucurella. Moises Caicedo experienced a contrast. On this occasion, the midfielder was wearing a Chelsea shirt rather than a Brighton one and getting abuse from the home crowd rather than cheers as he was when on the winning team against Potter’s Chelsea three years ago. At least Potter’s Chelsea managed a shot on target that day, seven in fact. Maresca’s suffered the ignominy of not registering a single goal-bound effort, which has not happened to them in a Premier League game since September 2021 against Manchester City. The jeers and taunts from the Brighton fans were perhaps even louder than in 2022 given their side had also knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup on the same pitch just six days earlier. “Can we play you every week?” they sang with great mirth. GO DEEPER The Briefing: Brighton 3 Chelsea 0 - more problems for Maresca, Madueke injury and hosts' magic moments What has Potter’s painful experience got anything to do with the here and now? Well, Potter proved unable to turn the negative momentum around after his humbling at the home of his former club. Chelsea lost 10 of their next 21 matches, winning only six, and he was dismissed. Like Maresca, Potter was also given a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge, but that counted for nothing in the face of such mounting adversity. He ended up staying for less than seven months. Maresca has been in situ for one month longer and it is far too early to say his job is under threat. However, the Italian is showing a similar inability to get better results after setbacks. Chelsea have not won away in the league since December 8 and have picked up just nine points from as many matches overall. Maresca told BBC Sport after the match that “probably since I arrived, that is the worst performance”. He also admitted to Sky Sports, “I feel pressure always.” Perhaps the most alarming revelation was provided by full-back Malo Gusto to Premier League Productions when he said, “They had more desire to win than us.” This does not reflect well on the players selected, nor the man who picked them. The strong team spirit seen in the early months has disappeared. Players are gesturing angrily at each other rather than being supportive. Instead of leading by example, Chelsea’s best player, Cole Palmer, is letting his frustration show regularly. It took assistant coach Willy Caballero to convince the players, including Palmer, to acknowledge the small section of away fans who had remained until the end. Yet like their display in attack over the previous 90-plus minutes, it was half-hearted. Pressed on whether Palmer should be setting a better precedent, Maresca replied after the match, “We need all of them, in this moment, to be more positive because this is a moment where we need to stick together and try to finish in the best way.” Palmer against Brighton on Friday (Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC via Getty Images) It may not be what every follower wants to hear, but Chelsea have been happy with the job Maresca has done so far. Chelsea have stayed in the top four for the majority of the campaign and he was told on taking the post that he was not expected to qualify for the Champions League until next season. There is also sympathy for the impact injuries have had on the team. In the past two months, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Romeo Lavia, Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu have all been sidelined. Noni Madueke has joined them with the hamstring strain he picked up in the first half against Brighton on Friday night. Mykhailo Mudryk is unavailable due to being provisionally suspended in December for testing positive for a banned substance. But many Chelsea fans have little sympathy for all this. They are clearly growing increasingly restless, just as they did when Potter began to struggle. The away end at Brighton emptied significantly after Chelsea went 3-0 down with still over half an hour to play (including added time), which is never a good sign. Beforehand, loud chants for former owner Roman Abramovich were heard as well as “We want our Chelsea back”. A strong indication of how quickly the mood has soured is that a few months ago fans were singing “We’ve got our Chelsea back” during a 5-1 victory at Southampton. Maresca is not the only source of their anger. The Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium, plus co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, are not going to win many popularity contests at the moment. But Maresca, the third permanent coach hired by the current regime, has to come up with solutions to Chelsea’s poor form, and fast, to improve his own standing in the polls.

Are Chelsea getting worse the more they play Marescaball? An analysis https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6134095/2025/02/14/Chelsea-enzo-maresca-analysis-style/ It is reasonable to conclude from his public pronouncements this season that Enzo Maresca is not a basketball fan. Chelsea’s head coach is famously more of a chess man and this personal proclivity informs his view of how his football team should play. For much of the first five months of this season, Maresca publicly implored his young team, from his technical area and his press conference microphone, to curb their impulse to turn Premier League games into wars of transition — even as playing fast and furious yielded points at a Champions League qualification rate. “There are games, especially (this one), where if you do a basketball game, they (would) destroy us because Newcastle are strong,” he said after a 2-1 win over Eddie Howe’s team at Stamford Bridge in October. “The problem is if you attack quick, you are going to concede a quick attack and it’s not our idea, it’s not our football.” Maresca delivered a similar message after Fulham came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in December, sparking their worrying winter slump. “Fulham are a team that if you want to attack quick, then they will attack quick and it becomes a basketball game,” he said. “That’s not for us. We need to control it better.” This insistence on control over chaos often manifests in Maresca ostentatiously applauding a Chelsea player who eschews a transition opportunity to consolidate possession, even as groans of frustration ripple around Stamford Bridge — and there are signs in recent weeks that his message is sinking in. Having initially accelerated on their Mauricio Pochettino-era trajectory towards becoming one of the most frequent counter-attacking teams in the Premier League early on in Maresca’s tenure, Chelsea have steadily generated less and less xG from fast breaks ever since. The problem for Maresca is that Chelsea slowing down in possession — partly at the urging of their head coach and partly in response to opponents increasingly defending in low blocks against them — has coincided with a run of two wins in eight Premier League games that have seen their attack struggle and left their hopes of securing a top-four finish looking precarious. Among increasingly anxious and angry supporters, the question is growing louder: does playing Marescaball actually make Chelsea worse? Using the 2-1 win over Brentford at Stamford Bridge on December 15 (the result that immediately preceded Chelsea’s underwhelming eight-game Premier League sequence) as the point of demarcation, we can identify other potential markers of a change in the style of play — while bearing in mind that eight games is too small a sample size to make concrete conclusions. For starters, Chelsea’s average share of possession has risen from 56.7 per cent in the 16 Premier League matches culminating in the Brentford win to 60.8 per cent in the eight league games since. They are also averaging 40 more passes attempted per game, but the average number of passes being played into the opposition box has remained remarkably consistent (26.1 up to the Brentford win, 25.8 since). Chelsea's last eight league games This may well be partly a consequence of Chelsea’s opponents increasingly defending deep and allowing them to have more of the ball but, just as with the drop in fast break attacks, it chimes with Maresca’s stated desire to see a slower, more patient approach in possession. Chelsea’s average non-penalty xG has dropped slightly over the same stretch, from 2.0 per game down to 1.8. More significant, however, is their performance in front of goal, scoring around five goals fewer than the quality of their chances suggest they should have since that Brentford game. They over-performed by over two goals in that regard in the opening months of the season. Put simply, Maresca’s team have gone from being more clinical than expected in the final third over their first 16 Premier League games to being wasteful relative to the quality of the chances they are creating in the last eight league matches — a conclusion that many Chelsea supporters have reached simply by watching them in recent weeks. Enzo Maresca’s side have won two of their last eight Premier League games (Michael Regan/Getty Images) At the other end of the pitch, it’s a similar story. Chelsea’s expected goals against (xGA) has actually improved slightly from 1.5 over their first 16 Premier League games to 1.4 in the last eight league matches, but their opposition are being more clinical. They conceded 19 goals from an xG of 23.6 before the Brentford fixture, and have conceded 13 from 12.9 xG since — about right, but another big swing from their previous form nonetheless. These two trends in combination have significantly narrowed Chelsea’s margin for error but they are also making more of them; having made what Opta defines as errors leading to goals in just three of their first 16 Premier League matches, Maresca’s team have made one such mistake in five of their last eight league games. Fluctuations in the quality of finishing and frequency of costly errors are to be expected over the course of a 10-month season, and it is possible that Chelsea are simply going through a stretch in which the stars are aligning against them. The good news is that the difference between their expected goals and expected goals against remains as healthy as it has been since the peak of Thomas Tuchel’s tenure — during which they were an even more patient possession team. Nicolas Jackson being sidelined until April with a hamstring injury makes it less likely that Maresca will lean back into the fast breaks that bore fruit for Chelsea earlier this season. “When you don’t have a proper nine (a striker), you probably need to use a different kind of nine but you probably have to change the way you want to play,” Chelsea’s head coach said in his press conference on Thursday. “You cannot be direct; you probably need more linking because you don’t have a threat in behind. We will find a solution.” In the meantime, the greatest scope for Maresca to revive Chelsea’s faltering form may lie at the other end of the pitch. Their average expected goals against this season (1.45 per game) ranks 11th in the Premier League, nearly identical to Pep Guardiola’s struggling Manchester City. While significantly better than Pochettino’s historically bad defensive record in 2023-24, Chelsea still have a long way to go to be considered a good defensive team — a reality underlined by their paltry record of four clean sheets in 24 Premier League games this season. If nothing else, there is a chance that Chelsea being less of a basketball team could help with that. Additional reporting: Thom Harris

Jonathan Tah has chosen Barcelona for his next club as he prepares to leave Bayer Leverkusen on a free transfer in the summer.

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