Vesper

Todd Boehly says those who criticise Chelsea 'don't know what they're talking about' I don't like this at all, not a good look.... https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/todd-boehly-says-fans-who-criticise Yes, Todd Boehly, many of us will agree with what you’ve said this week. Chelsea are doing so much better this season, finally, after a turmoil few seasons under your part-ownership. It’s been truly toxic at times, let’s not forget that. Things are feeling a lot better of late and I agree, this young squad will continue to grow and evolve. I don’t think many people have ever doubted that. I think what we have all wanted was the massive squad rebuild to have just been done with more balance from the off and get better results and play better football along the way. It has just always seemed a smarter way to do it. None of us mind signing top young talents. I mean, look at us all enjoying Estevao Willian right now! None of us wanted to fill a starting Xl with 30-years-olds. It’s always just been about doing it with more balance and adding more experience to a very young team from the off. Why does it have to be one way or another? Of course a group of young players will mature and get more experience, eventually, but it could have been helped by adding more leaders and experience from the start. It would have just been smarter, surely!? And you know who else has said that other than fans? John Terry, Frank Lampard, Jody Morris, John Obi Mikel, Frank Leboeuf, and a bunch of other former Chelsea players. As well as top pundits and journalists (I’m talking top and not just your Gary Neville’s and Jamie Carragher’s). So, does John Terry not know what he’s talking about either? Does Joe Cole not know what he’s talking about, either? Cole has said this below today and he’s absolutely spot on. How can anyone disagree with this? “It’s clear the club are working within a business framework. Anyone who’s worked for Brighton seems to be coming in. “They want to do that model and are trying to apply it. But my problem with that model – the data-driven model – at the very, very top is I think the margins are in the unseen, what data can’t see. “I think data has a big part to play, but at that very, very top, I think it’s always the human element that makes the difference. “They’re at where we expected them to be at. Slow improvement, could be quicker with experienced players in it added but that’s not the mandate. That’s not what the club are going to do.” Careful though Joe, you’ll be in the category of ‘criticising’ soon… I’m happy to see positive quotes come out from Boehly, I think it’s great to hear him talking like this and it gives us confidence and hope as a fan. But to go on and say that fans who are criticising have no idea what they’re talking about is absolutely ludicrous, rude, and like a smack in the face. You simply cannot say that any fan with concerns, questions, or criticism, does not know what they’re talking about - that is not how the world works and it’s certainly not how a football club and football fandom works. So, what’s happened? Basically, Todd Boehly has been speaking at a financial event/talk this week and as always, was asked about Chelsea. He only ever seems to speak about Chelsea at events like this, by the way. Remember, I’ve invited him on my Podcast before and he’s not come on. He would have had countless other opportunities to speak to Chelsea related media as well but has chosen not to. I had this quote sent to me… Todd Boehly: “You’re going to watch our team continue to grow and evolve. We’ve got them together for a long time, I am pretty excited about what the future looks like.” “Criticism? I just find it’s one more person that doesn’t know what they’re talking about.” So on this bit, in context, this is how it was written… The first bit above is great, no issues with him having that confidence and belief in what they are doing at the club. In fact, I love to hear it. But the second bit on criticism is just insanity to me. I really don’t understand it. As a club owner, you have to accept and take on board any criticism, whether you agree with it or not. Fans are your paying customers, mate. Show them some respect. I know he’s probably aiming this more at the media than the fans, but us fans have been the ones out here offering the most criticism and asking the most questions - so it’s a dig at the fans too. Having concerns about anything around Chelsea, like whether the current goalkeeper is good enough or whether the squad has enough leaders in it is NOT a fan not knowing what they are talking about - it’s a genuine concern and a genuine question that we fully have a right to ask. The way he’s reacted to that is bang out of order. Maybe he can snap back like that when we have won the Premier League or the Champions League again. But we’ve not done anything major yet mate, despite the Club world Cup win being a good achievement that I will always acknowledge as being a successful win. We have a long way to go yet. You want fans on side? Maybe give them the respect that they deserve. Football is a game of opinions and not everyone is going to agree. Not everyone will agree with what I’m writing here, and that’s fine. But I’m not going to tell those who disagree with me that they don’t know what they’re talking about. Absolute madness. By the way, I’m not disagreeing with what he has said on Robert Sanchez and Reece James either - that’s not the point. It’s what he has said after this that’s completely out of order and disrespectful to the people who help fill his pockets right now - the Chelsea fans. And guess what? A lot of them certainly do know what they are talking about. On the other side of this, I get why Boehly might be emotional about it as well. Some sections of the Chelsea fan base have spent years making clown faced pictures of Boehly and really going at him. I’ve always believed that’s been too much. So I can see why he might be annoyed about all of that. But what did he expect when he bought one of the biggest clubs in the land? There’s an expectation at Chelsea and there always will be. Criticism is just all part of the game, and some fans will always take it too far - you cannot ever change that. I’ll tell Todd the same as what I say to any player who doesn’t like criticism. Deal with it, let your feet (club) do the talking, and be humble. Once you win the Premier League and UCL, come back and boast about it, but be humble whilst you do so and do not disrespect an entire fan base pretty much, because I know that nearly all of us would have had concerns and offered criticism in the last few seasons. This is all being written by someone who has consistently been a defender of Todd Boehly and supported him through it all. I even went on The Overlap and defended him. But for me, this is a slap in the face and I really don’t like it. It’s changed my views on him a bit, unfortunately. I see a bit of arrogance now that doesn’t sit well with me.

Fichajes has passed them up on the shit-meter.

It is just insane the world class talent we have or had recently that are perhaps in the process of or definitely were destroyed by injuries: Cole (not there yet, but he needs to get healthy and stay there) Wes Fofana, who (if he had never had the Leicester and onward horrid leg injuries) would be a top 10 on planet CB. Lavia... arfffff. Chilwell (was such a weapon for a spell until he went all pear shaped on the chronic injury front) Reece (hopefully over it, but it has taken a toll) Nkunku (was arguably the best AMF/2nd striker combo on the planet at Leipzig until he started destroying his knees and legs) Also the never got close to world class: Xavier Mbuyamba: had insane beast potential at CB until he destroyed his knees Armando Broja....

Fichajes is even worse than peak shit patrol Don Balón. I really wish they could be shut down for fraud. Many of their purely invented tales are far worse than this Rüdiger speculation. Shame, shame on Romano for pushing their dross. 👎👎

You would be hard pressed to find a worse overall source than Fichajes, even if they are right on this one. They are horrific rumour-mongers and liars. Romano pushing their shit has destroyed his credibility IMHO.

World Cup 2026: Curacao becomes smallest nation ever to qualify with draw against Jamaica https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6816600/2025/11/18/curacao-smallest-nation-world-cup-2026-teams/ Curacao has become the smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup after Tuesday’s 0-0 draw against Jamaica. Curacao has a population of 185,487 —the world’s 189th most populous nation, as ranked by Worldometer — and surpasses Iceland (population 398,266), who qualified in 2018 — as the smallest nation by population to play in the tournament. Last month, Cape Verde — whose 525,000 inhabitants make it the second-smallest country by population ever to qualify — joined Jordan and Uzbekistan as first-time participants. Curacao nearly tumbled to second in the group, but a penalty call in Jamaica’s favor in second-half stoppage time got overturned by video review. Meanwhile, Panama, a 3-0 winner over El Salvador, clinched qualification by winning its qualifying group over Suriname, which missed out on its first qualification through automatic means by coming in second in its group. A late own goal in their 3-1 loss to Guatemala did salvage a place in March’s inter-confederation playoffs, though, as one of the top two second-place finishers in the qualifying round, while Jamaica will also play for its World Cup life in the playoffs. Curacao and Panama will be joined at the World Cup by Haiti, which beat Nicaragua 2-0 to top its group and has reached its second men’s World Cup, having competed in the 1974 tournament. The 2026 World Cup will be contested between 48 nations for the first time, an expansion from the 32-team format that ran between 1998 and 2022. Due to the U.S., Canada and Mexico qualifying as co-hosts, Concacaf had three World Cup spots available through the qualification process, alongside two additional spots in the inter-confederation play-off system. Honduras and Costa Rica surprisingly missed out altogether. Those playoffs are held in North America in March, with Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq and New Caledonia the other four participants. The mini tournament will yield the final two qualifiers for next summer’s competition.

Sources: Chelsea in contact for player who reminds Gianfranco Zola of himself! A real situation brewing up here... https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/sources-Chelsea-in-contact-for-player Chelsea have an opportunity to sign a player who Gianfranco Zola has said reminds him of himself in his playing days. Zola of course is one of the best ever players to play for our club, so to say that there is a player who reminds him of himself, is something not to be ignored. Chelsea are sensing an opportunity, and there is a real transfer situation brewing up here that The Blues are involved in. Kenan Yildiz of Juventus is in a bit of a contract stand off with his club at the moment, and as a result, many other clubs are sniffing around. Yildiz has been tracked by Chelsea for a couple of transfer windows now and they even tried to sign him in the summer. At that time, the deal was not possible because Juventus held firm and had no intentions of selling the 20-year-old Turkish international. But now, with his current contract situation, Chelsea are back in the mix for Yildiz and are one of the clubs who have made fresh contact to seek out the situation. Yildiz can play on the left wing, as a 10, or on the right wing, and will provide some versatility to any club he goes to. It’s a case of Chelsea having tracked the youngster for some time and now see an opportunity to get him in. However, even though the contract talks have stalled for now because Juventus do not want to pay what the players reps are asking, his current deal does run until 2029. So the ball stays in the Italian club’s court for now. But Juventus have budget restraints, and with Chelsea, Real Madrid, Liverpool, and other big clubs calling about Yildiz right now, they may well be forced to sell the player if he does not agree to a new deal. By the way, contract talks have stalled and not stopped. There is a chance that they can still come to an agreement. But Chelsea are certainly one of the clubs watching this situation closely.

https://thedailybriefing.io/p/ruben-neves-transfer-latest-update Earlier this season I published some information I’d been given on a potential high-profile January deal, and I can now reveal some updates to the situation. It remains the case that Ruben Neves looks likely to leave Al Hilal this January, as I wrote back in September, with some lingering interest still there from Premier League clubs such as Manchester United, Newcastle, and Tottenham. United manager Ruben Amorim had been really keen on Neves, as I understood it, but the overall feeling now is that they’ve moved on to other targets as a priority for that position, such as Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson. Ruben Neves attracting interest from Turkey as wage demands look too high for Premier League clubs My information now is that Neves’ considerable wage demands look like being an issue for him getting a Premier League move. The former Wolves man is clearly a top player, and he’s shown that in English football in the past, but his big move to Saudi saw him pocket a contract worth £410,000-a-week. That’s going to make it tricky for Neves to get a move to a top English club, and my sources say he’s now attracting interest from Turkey. One particularly trustworthy figure with ties to the agents industry told me this morning: “There have been contacts between Premier League clubs and Neves’ representatives, but it’s not progressing - he earns £410,000 a week and that’s seen as too high. Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are the ones to watch now - they want a major midfield signing and Neves fits the bill.” Other sources mentioned clubs in Serie A monitoring Neves as well, but that seems less concrete for the moment. Ruben Neves can leave for €20m One thing to keep an eye on is Neves’ asking price, which I’m again told could be as low as €20m due to Al Hilal being open to a sale before he comes to the end of his contract. That might appeal to some clubs, but it still seems likely that his wage demands would have to come down to open more doors to him this January. Still, Neves himself is said to be “keen to come back to Europe” after his spell in the Saudi Pro League, so it will be interesting to see if this means he ends up backing down when it comes to finances. One source also spoke of Neves feeling he has “unfinished business in England”, so that could tell us something about his priorities, but again it doesn’t mean much if there aren’t any clubs willing to pay what’s required. It’s easy to imagine, however, that an experienced player like Neves would be really appealing if the terms were right, so it remains one to keep a close eye on in the weeks ahead.

Who are this season’s unsung heroes in the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6789236/2025/11/19/premier-league-big-six-unsung-heroes/ The biggest Premier League clubs covet the best players, and that’s understandable: quality on the pitch is (usually) reflected in results. But football has very few examples of 11 superstars combining to fire their team to glory. Instead, successful sides usually contain a careful blend of marquee names and more unsung heroes; players who make a team greater than the sum of its parts and ensure the manager’s chosen tactical system functions as it is meant to. Here, The Athletic runs through a key performer at each of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ clubs so far this season. Arsenal — Leandro Trossard Leandro Trossard was omnipresent for Arsenal last season, featuring in 56 matches across all competitions, more than any player has for the club in over two decades. He started 37 of those games and was used across the front line, even stepping into Martin Odegaard’s role during the captain’s absence. His adaptability helped Arsenal maintain structure and consistency through a demanding campaign. After less than 50 minutes of Premier League action in the first four fixtures this season, he returned to the line-up against Manchester City in September and has been one of Arsenal’s most reliable performers since. Trossard’s game is built on intelligence and timing. He reads space instinctively, drifts into half-pockets and combines fluidly with those around him. Whether finding Riccardo Calafiori on the overlap or linking with Martin Zubimendi inside, his movement creates room for the forward runs of Calafiori and Declan Rice. Two-footed in dribbling, passing and shooting, and calm in decision-making, the 30-year-old Belgium international acts as a natural connector in every phase of the game. In what is a younger Arsenal squad, his experience carries even more weight. Away at Fulham last month, he was the oldest outfield player on the pitch for the visitors and showed his know-how in the game, scoring its only goal. Beyond his involvement in build-up and defensive work, Trossard remains just as sharp in front of goal, with four goals and four assists making him Arsenal’s most productive player so far this season. His thunderous strike from the edge of the box last time out against Sunderland, followed by the quick footwork and close control that created space for himself, underlined just how dangerous he remains inside the area. Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images Manchester City — Nico Gonzalez Signed from Porto in January for €60million (£52.8m; $69m at the current rates) to bolster a Manchester City midfield lacking long-term injury victim Rodri, Nico Gonzalez was quickly questioned over both that fee and how he fitted into Pep Guardiola’s side. Less than a year on, those early doubts have all but disappeared. Nico has blossomed into one of the most essential players in City’s new-look system. There is greater directness and intensity in both his game and their overall play, and long-time Liverpool No 2 Pep Lijnders’ summer arrival as an assistant to Guardiola has clearly contributed here. That shift is visible in how Nico balances the team without the ball. The 23-year-old Spaniard leads City in both tackles won and defensive duels, relying on anticipation more than aggression to do so. Against Liverpool in City’s final game before this international window, he repeatedly stepped across passing lanes alongside right-back Matheus Nunes to close the central spaces in a performance that summed up his blend of composure and awareness. On the ball, he sets City’s pace. Among Premier League midfielders to play at least 500 minutes this season, he is first in successful passes per 90 minutes (65.2) with a 90 per cent accuracy, and also ranks among the leaders for line-breaking passes into advanced zones. When he starts, City keep more possession, commit fewer fouls and take all three points far more often. The difference seems clear: five wins in six with him in the line-up, compared with just two in five without. Their win-rate climbs from 40 to 83 per cent, possession rises from 54 to nearly 60 per cent, and the team take more shots, concede less of them and pass the ball with greater accuracy. Those details point to a player now central to Guardiola’s structure, and the numbers mirror the eye test and underline how Nico has become City’s quiet metronome, setting a rhythm that keeps them in control. Carl Recine/Getty Images Liverpool — Curtis Jones Liverpool’s summer rebuild was loud and expensive, but the start of the champions’ 2025-26 season has featured more uncertainty than dominance, with those new signings still adjusting and key players missing. Amid all the turbulence, Curtis Jones has quietly become one of the team’s most reliable performers. Jones’ adaptability was evident last season, when he featured in 46 games across all competitions in midfield and attacking positions, making six Premier League goal contributions. Once known for flair in youth football, he has evolved into a steadier, more disciplined midfielder who fits seamlessly into Arne Slot’s possession-focused system and values control as much as creativity. His positional intelligence rarely shows up on the statistical dashboards, but gives Liverpool a quiet sense of order in the centre of the pitch. Opportunities have been limited this season — he has only two Premier League starts in the first 11 matches — but his impact has been immediate whenever Slot turns to him. In the 1-0 defeat of Arsenal at Anfield in August, he came off the bench after an hour with the game still goalless to calm the build-up, take the ball under pressure and thread passes through the press, eventually winning the free kick that Dominik Szoboszlai hammered into the net. His composure shifted the tempo of play and restored order in midfield. Yagiz Gurtug/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images Jones is among the hardest players in the Liverpool squad to dispossess, using balance and awareness to protect possession and turn away from pressure. He completes more passes per 90 than any midfielder at the club (66.6), including 22.4 into the final third, and leads the group for recoveries and duels won. In the 5-1 Champions League win away at Eintracht Frankfurt last month, Jones started as the deepest midfielder and dominated the game’s rhythm. He finished with a match-high 139 touches and 127 completed passes from 132 attempts, more than any other player on the pitch, while covering over seven miles (11km). His positioning anchored Liverpool’s shape and allowed smoother transitions into attack, a performance that showed how comfortably he controls matches from deeper zones. That blend of press resistance, control and defensive balance makes him the quiet conduit between chaos and calm, a player who can keep Liverpool steady in turbulent moments. Tottenham Hotspur — Guglielmo Vicario Only five Premier League clubs have conceded a higher expected-goals figure than Tottenham Hotspur this season, yet only three have let in fewer actual goals. Much of that discrepancy is down to their goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. After an injury-hit 2024-25 season, Vicario has been one of the league’s most effective shot-stoppers in the early months of this one, relative to the chances he faces. His +0.34 post-shot xG saved per 90 minutes puts him on course to prevent around 12 goals across the 38-game campaign. So far, he is already four goals above expectation, a swing that could be worth two extra wins over a season. Only Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson has prevented more. The shift to a more compact structure under Thomas Frank has been mutually beneficial for both new head coach and goalkeeper. Tottenham now concede fewer high-value shots, but the real difference lies in the quality of Vicario’s performance. His save percentage has climbed from 65 to 77, and the goals conceded have fallen from over 1.5 per game to 0.9, despite only a modest drop in shots faced. In 2024-25, he allowed 37 goals from 37.6 expected on-target attempts; this season, that figure has flipped in his favour, evidence of a goalkeeper performing well above expectation. He has not been flawless. Two goals conceded from long range against Aston Villa last month and a pair of errors leading to shots, one resulting in a goal, have brought scrutiny. Yet those moments sit within an overall campaign largely defined by command and consistency between the posts. Now established within the leadership group of a young squad, the 29-year-old Italian has given Spurs the composure they missed last season. Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Chelsea — Malo Gusto Chelsea’s best performances this season have invariably come with Malo Gusto in their starting line-up, and the difference when he isn’t there is striking. They have won all six games he’s begun in the Premier League, scoring 2.7 goals per game and conceding just 0.3. In the other five, they have lost three times and drawn twice. Gusto’s importance extends beyond the black-and-white of results, though. He shifts seamlessly between full-back, midfield and advanced wide roles, using his positioning to form triangles that keep the team connected across the right flank. In last month’s win against Liverpool, he stepped into midfield as a hybrid full-back, helping control possession and stretch play; against Tottenham a couple of weeks ago, he held deeper, providing balance while still progressing the ball forward. That adaptability allows head coach Enzo Maresca to tailor the system to different opponents without losing fluency, and it reflects a player who is growing rapidly in both awareness and responsibility. At 22, the Frenchman is still developing, but his defensive recovery speed and decision-making have improved with every game. His first senior goal, in the 3-0 home win against Wolves that took Chelsea into this international window, offered a glimpse of his growing confidence in the final third, too. Michael Regan/Getty Images Manchester United — Leny Yoro Leny Yoro has quietly established himself as the balancing presence in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation, operating on the right of Manchester United’s back three. Amorim often uses him in games where he wants to push the line higher and compress the space between defence and midfield, trusting Yoro’s pace and anticipation to hold the structure. Amorim’s centre-backs are also asked to step into midfield to close gaps, a demand Yoro fulfils naturally. The 20-year-old’s composure and decision-making reflect a defender far beyond his years. With Amad often pushing high and wide from wing-back, Yoro carries heavy responsibility, covering the channel behind Amad, defending diagonals and tracking late runs into the box, yet he invariably handles it with calm assurance. This season has underlined how quickly Yoro’s defending is evolving. His aerial success rate has climbed from 50 to 67 per cent, placing him among the Premier League’s best centre-backs in duels won. That progress has come through cleaner tackling, sharper anticipation and quicker recovery across the ground. His reading of play allows him to break up attacks before they develop, giving United greater control in transition. On the ball, he remains composed and secure, supporting rather than initiating United’s build-up, but his range of passing hints at further growth. During his time playing for Lille back home in France, he frequently played long diagonals to stretch defences, a part of his game that remains underused in England. There is more to come then, but already Yoro looks like the stabiliser in a system that demands both precision and bravery.

Enzo Fernandez is crucial for Chelsea – the numbers and Maresca’s selections prove it https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6816605/2025/11/19/enzo-fernandez-Chelsea-analysis-report/ Enzo Fernandez has been able to take a rare rest during this international break because of a knee injury. The Chelsea midfielder certainly needed a breather. To suggest Fernandez has had a lot of football over the past three years is an understatement. Since his final season with boyhood club River Plate of Buenos Aires got underway in February 2022, the Argentina international has made 221 appearances for club (also including Portugal’s Benfica and current employers Chelsea) and country. This is a player that successive Chelsea head coaches have been reluctant to be without following his £106million ($139.3m at the current rate) move from Benfica in January 2023. Nobody has played more than his 131 games for the west London club in that time. Moises Caicedo (112) and Marc Cucurella (106) are his closest challengers among the current squad. Their current head coach Enzo Maresca has certainly leant heavily on the now 24-year-old — Fernandez has played in 69 of the 81 games the Italian has had as Chelsea manager. He has missed just two of the 52 matches Chelsea have played across six competitions this calendar year through injury — against Wolverhampton Wanderers in January and the visit to Nottingham Forest last month. Of the four other occasions when Fernandez did not feature, he was an unused substitute for three of the games so will still have had an active role in the squad’s preparations for them. The only time Maresca left Fernandez out entirely that was not injury-related was the second leg of the UEFA Conference League quarter-final at home to Legia Warsaw seven months ago, when Chelsea had won the first leg in Poland 3-0. Fernandez was leading the way for most minutes played across the Chelsea squad this season until Caicedo’s early introduction as a substitute against Qarabag in the Champions League early this month, after Romeo Lavia had to go off with a quad problem. As you can see from the table below, the margin between them at the top is small. The two men have more in common than just playing in Chelsea’s midfield regularly. Caicedo has also had to live with the pressure of being one of the most expensive players in the game, having arrived from Brighton & Hove Albion for a fee worth up to £115million in August 2023. That move meant he replaced Fernandez as Chelsea’s record buy. However, while Caicedo is now finally being regarded, both within Stamford Bridge and by outside observers, as one of the best players in the Premier League, the level of Fernandez’s contribution still divides opinion, including among the Chelsea fanbase. The video Fernandez posted in summer 2024 of him and his Argentina team-mates singing a chant about the heritage of French players after the nation’s Copa America final win over Colombia, which the French Football Federation (FFF) called “unacceptable, racist and discriminatory”, has certainly affected his public perception. Fernandez apologised publicly, in private and in person to his Chelsea team-mates — Wesley Fofana branded the song “uninhibited racism” in a now-deleted X post. Fofana later said Fernandez was “not racist” but hoped the incident “educated him”. On the pitch, there have also certainly been games where Fernandez has not been at his best and has looked laboured. The amount of football he has played, let alone the impact travelling to South America to play for Argentina and back to Europe several times per year has on mind and body, does not seem to get taken into account when you are a £100million-plus player. The knee problem he’s been managing in recent months is not the only injury he has suffered, either. He missed the final six games of the 2023-24 season after surgery on a groin issue that had been causing him discomfort for months (he recovered quickly and started four of Argentina’s six matches at the Copa America that June and July and came off the bench in another). Chelsea’s squad has also gone through an extraordinary rebuild during his near three years at Stamford Bridge. This is obviously going to take some toll on an individual’s form, due to needing to build understandings and partnerships with team-mates. Fernandez has also played under four different head coaches in that time (Graham Potter, Frank Lampard, Mauricio Pochettino and Maresca). In a rare interview shown this week by Saudi digital platform Koora Break, Fernandez appeared to refer to these extensive comings and goings, but made it clear that things are now as positive as they have ever been. He said: “I went through an incredible process here at the club with many changes, and well, today I feel very good with a group of people who are my team-mates, with whom I share every day, with the coaching staff. The truth is that I feel very happy today.” Fernandez’s happiness can be seen in his output. The following chart shows players from the current squad with the most goal involvements (goals and assists) in 2025. I’ll give you one guess who is top. Granted, Cole Palmer’s chances to add to his tally have been greatly hindered by injury this season — he has played in four of Chelsea’s 17 matches — but it is still some achievement for the Argentinian. It is not as if his contributions have all come in minor fixtures. For example, there were key goals in wins over Tottenham and Liverpool on the Premier League run-in, which helped Chelsea secure a fourth-place finish and so qualify for this season’s Champions League. He also scored the crucial equaliser against Real Betis of Spain in the eventual 4-1 Conference League final victory. Under summer 2024 appointment Maresca, Fernandez has been encouraged to get forward a lot more. While no one can match the standards or figures Chelsea’s most celebrated No 8, Lampard, achieved (he remains the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with 211), there are occasional similarities. Fernandez provides a similar threat from that position with his late runs into the box. There were no goal involvements from him in Chelsea’s two most recent league wins against Spurs and Wolves, but anyone who watched those games should have noticed he was one of the most influential players on the pitch. Fernandez is also one of the main leaders in the dressing room and regularly captains Chelsea when Reece James is not on the pitch. Maresca is clearly a huge admirer, and has said as much during media interviews. Fernandez let teenage newcomer Estevao take the second penalty Chelsea were awarded in the 5-1 Champions League victory against Ajax last month, despite being their recognised first-choice for that job. This gesture drew particular praise, because it set an example for the bond Maresca wants to forge among his players. The coach said: “It was very, very good. I told the players after the game that for sure we were very happy about the winning, about the three points. But the main thing about that game was Enzo, when he gave the ball to Estevao, we got to show how the team is in this moment, how they are all together in terms of togetherness, in terms of effort. This is what we need if we want to try to do something important.” Chelsea are also very happy with Fernandez. There’s an awareness among sources within the club, who asked to be kept anonymous to protect relationships, that he has improved the most of any player under Maresca. He is regarded by the same sources as being a perfect system-fit for how the Italian wants his team to play. With Chelsea having high-profile games against Barcelona and Arsenal in the next two weeks, they will provide further opportunities for Fernandez to show just how important he has become.

Arsenal’s Gabriel set for further tests on thigh injury, fears he will miss one to two months https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6813855/2025/11/18/gabriel-arsenal-thigh-injury/ Arsenal defender Gabriel is set for further tests after sustaining a muscle injury in his right thigh, with concerns that he faces between one and two months out. The 27-year-old picked up the injury while on international duty with Brazil last weekend. He was substituted in the 65th minute of Brazil’s 2-0 friendly win over Senegal — which was hosted at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium — after receiving treatment for several minutes and appeared to be in pain as he departed the pitch, holding his leg as he walked off. Brazil subsequently confirmed the right thigh injury and that Gabriel had withdrawn from the squad and would not be available for Tuesday’s friendly against Tunisia in Lille, France. Sources briefed on the injury, speaking on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to do so publicly, confirmed that further tests are required to discover the full extent of Gabriel’s injury but initial examinations suggest he will miss a month or two. Gabriel’s injury comes ahead of a busy period for Arsenal, who play at least 14 games in the next eight weeks. The centre-back has played every minute of Arsenal’s Premier League campaign so far and started all four of the club’s Champions League fixtures. He has made 227 appearances for the club, scoring 22 times, since joining from Lille in 2020 and signed a contract extension until 2029 in the summer. Arsenal have seen several players miss time this season through injury, including Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, and Gabriel Martinelli. Arteta’s side return to action on Sunday when they host north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. They then face Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich three days later at the Emirates before ending the week facing Chelsea in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on November 30. Additional reporting: Mario Cortegana and David Ornstein How will Arsenal cope without Gabriel? Analysis by Arsenal correspondent James McNicholas The loss of Gabriel is a big blow to Arsenal, ahead of a busy run of nine matches within 31 days. The Brazilian centre-half has been one of Arsenal’s best performers thus far. Not only is he dominant in both boxes, but he’s a leader. The only consolation is that this is an Arsenal squad with more depth than ever before — particularly at the back. One solution could be to draft in Cristhian Mosquera. The Spain Under-21 international has already deputised brilliantly for William Saliba this season. Mosquera, 21, is naturally right-sided, though. To maintain the balance of one right-footed centre-half and one left-footer, Arteta could turn to either Riccardo Calafiori or Piero Hincapie. Given Calafiori’s excellent form at left-back, moving him to the middle may be an unnecessary complication, so on-loan Ecuador international Hincapie could be the obvious solution. Arsenal strongly believe that in Hincapie and Mosquera, they have the depth to cope with Gabriel’s absence.

absolutely

Mbappé v Haaland v Kane https://scoutedftbl.com/mbappe-haaland-kane-best-striker-in-the-world/ For the first time in Erling Haaland’s lifetime, Norway are going to the men’s World Cup. The man who had not yet been born when Norway reached the knockout stages for the first time in 1998 will, in 2026, be leading the line for his country as the all-time top-scorer. After back-to-back braces in a historic international break, Haaland has now scored 55 goals in 48 caps. Of the 84 men with at least 50 goals at professional senior international level, only one has a better goals-per-game ratio than Haaland; Niels Poul Nielsen scored 52 goals in 38 caps for Denmark. It would be very easy to argue, then, that Haaland will heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the best goalscorer in the world. I have used ‘best goalscorer’ instead of ‘best striker’ intentionally. Not because I disagree, but because 'goalscorer' requires greater nuance. It sounds ridiculous to write, but not every striker should be evaluated on their goal output alone. Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane also scored a brace of their own during this break, taking their international tallies to 55 in 94 caps and 78 in 112 caps respectively. Combined, Mbappé, Kane and Haaland scored 8 goals and attempted 20 shots between them during this international break. Across league and UEFA Champions League competition this season, they have scored 55 goals in 45 games. They are the three most prolific goalscorers on the planet right now. So, given how well the Rice v Caicedo discussion in the previous international break went down [we see you lot, only clicking when we wade into mainstream drama. Shame - ed] I’ve decided to do something similar. I am going to wander the same profiling path for these three players in attempt to translate their style as a striker into any particular metrics that we can then use to discover similar players. The not-so-groundbreaking theory is that despite all three players scoring a bucket-load of goals, the similarities might end there. Conveniently, Kane (57), Mbappé (55) and Haaland (53) are the only three players that have scored 50 non-penalty goals across Europe’s Big Five Leagues since the start of the 2023/24 season. We'll be comparing that output within a pool of 283 players tagged exclusively as a Forward when exporting the data from Stathead FBRef, each with at least 900 minutes played in that period. I am fully aware that no matter how well this newsletter appears to translate style, we’ll never be able to find players of similar substance. The starting graph provides an immediate and interesting contrast just by looking at the total number of touches. Haaland barely touches the ball, Kane is operating at an average level and Mbappé is funnelled possession constantly. Looking at specific zones, Mbappé is the most extreme of outliers for Touches in the Attacking Penalty Area per 90 while Haaland is the most extreme of outliers for Penalty Box Proximity (the percentage of touches inside the opposition box). Straight away we have an effectiveness versus efficiency contrast. Of course, due to their standing as the most elite forwards in the world, they also rank well for the mirror metric. But it’s clear from the off that Mbappé is the most effective at getting touches inside the box, while Haaland is the most efficient. In fact, Mbappé is a super-effective final third presence overall, not just inside the box. Haaland’s AOE is the penalty area, Mbappé’s is the final third. But what about Kane? Well, he doesn’t profile notably above or below average for any substance or style metrics. As we saw with Declan Rice, the ability to operate at an average level across all thirds is a skill or at least a playing style in itself. It’s just incredibly hard to quantify or spot. And although he ranks above average for the penalty box metrics, he doesn’t camp inside it, unlike Haaland. Perhaps the most striking datapoint for Kane when looking at AOE is Percentage of Passes Received as Progressive Passes. In direct comparison with Haaland and Mbappé specifically, he is very different. Let’s keep exploring. The primary function of pretty much any striker is taking shots and all three of these players are well above average for Shots per 90. However, we once again see that Mbappé is super-effective - he ranks first for volume with 4.7 per 90 - and Haaland is hyper-efficient - he ranks first with 17.3% of his Touches as Shots. Kane is in the middle of these two for both metrics. The same points apply to Shot Involvements when including Key Passes: Mbappé is super-effective, Haaland is super-efficient, Kane is an elite balance of both. We don’t learn too much beyond what we already know through this graph. When it comes to Production, all three players are shooters first, shot-assisters second - although Mbappé is again super-effective at producing both - so let’s take a closer look at Shooting as a skill. Again, these three players are the elite so it shouldn’t be a surprise to see them rank well above average for most metrics. Instead, then, it’s worth focussing on the most extreme differences between them. From top to bottom, the first row that might catch your eye is Non-Penalty Goals - Non-Penalty Expected Goals (NPG-NPxG). Essentially, Mbappé and Kané are performing significantly above the average centre-forward while Haaland is operating just above the expected level. It’s quite obvious that this is linked to Average Shot Distance and Non-Penalty xG per Shot. To use either end of the spectrum again, Mbappé is shooting from 17.8 yards on average compared to Haaland’s 12.1 yards which means that when the Frenchman scores, he’s pretty much always over-performing. Conversely, because of Haaland’s ability to take shots from the most dangerous positions, he’s penalised quite heavily if he does miss one. That’s why it’s so important to consider these efficiency metrics in conjunction with output. Mbappé and Haaland rank first and second for Shots On Target per 90. Mbappé is likely to hit the target due to the sheer volume of efforts - he’s effective. Haaland is likely to score because of the location of his efforts - he’s efficient. Kane, once again, falls in the middle of these two. But now we’re going to take a look at what makes Harry Kane completely unique. As we’ve seen with pretty much every stat so far, Mbappé is ultra-high usage while the extent of Haaland’s passing is a collection of short bounce passes. But I adore Kane’s Passing profile. Relative to other strikers, Kane has absolutely no interest in those Short Passes (between 5 and 15 yards). He plays them, but the majority of his passes are either Medium (34.3) or Long Passes (15.2%). When it comes to Long Passes (>30 yards), Kane not only ranks above average for per 90, but he is a huge outlier for style. This is why his Percentage of Passes Received was below average and I think it makes his goalscoring output even more impressive. This guy is quarter-backing while maintaining a scoring rate of 0.85 Non-Penalty Goals per 90. Kane is also Switching play (0.6 P90) or playing a Through Ball (0.52 P90) once every 90 minutes. This outrageous and ambitious profile becomes even more obvious when looking at Progression and Penetration via Passing. Strikers like Haaland should never be evaluated based on any of this metrics. He ranks below average for every metric and towards the very bottom for a few. But it has no bearing on his game, or at the very least his role for Manchester City. Kane, however, is a phenom. His penchant for Long Passes means he ranks second in the entire dataset for Distance per Pass Completed and 7th for Progressive Distance per Pass Completed. He is spraying it the width and length of the pitch. Similarly to the contrast between Mbappé and Haaland for Shooting, the same relationship emerges between Mbappé and Kane for Passing: Mbappé is super-effective, Kane is hyper-efficient. I’m not convinced 'efficiency' is the right word for every metric here - the average of length of a pass is very much a stylistic trait. However, it’s clear that when Kane decides to pass, it’s extremely likely that he’s going to achieve meaningful Progression or Penetration. Combining these traits with his Shooting effectiveness and efficiency despite the below average Shot Distance helps illustrate that ball-striking ability and vision we know Kane has in abundance; he can effortlessly cover distance with one swing of his boot. The question remains whether it will prove valuable when looking for similar players or is it a purely unique trait? But while Passing helped separate Kane from our other elite picks, Carrying begins to cast a spotlight on Mbappé. In fact, the only Carrying metrics that Haaland and Kane rank above for are the Percentage of Carrying Distance as Progressive Distance (Direct Ratio) and the Percentage of Carries as Carries into the Penalty Area - although the later applies to Haaland only. I think that metric does help highlight Haaland’s Power Forward playstyle. His data makeup is very much that of a Goal Hanger due to the dominance of Manchester City, but this season we are starting to see more of those bulldozing carries through the centre. For Mbappé, however, his wide forward tendencies are blatantly obvious through the ultra-high usage once again. He averages 2.73 CPA per 90, just below Mohamed Salah and just above Rafael Leão while the top-ranking players for this metric are Vinícius Júniior (4.68), Noni Madueke (3.77) and Bradley Barcola (3.47). However, if we take a closer look at the breakdown of Progression and Penetration, Mbappé is not an outlying carry-first forward. Kane’s reliance on his Passing is obvious. He is notably above average for the Percentage of his Progressive Actions as Passes, Final Third Entries as Passes and Penalty Area Entries as Passes. We then see the long-range, heat-seeking style illustrated through his Z-Scores for Distance per Action and Progressive Distance per Action. My theory is that he will index even more into this superpower as he ages, something I briefly touched on in a recent edition of The Shortlist. It turns out that Mbappé is not just super-effective at moving the ball into the final third or penetrating the penalty area, he’s pretty efficient. But he’s not particularly biased when it comes to Passing or Carrying to achieve it. I was quite surprised by that, especially considering how much he dribbles. Just as Passing was Kane’s secondary superpower (or you could even argue his primary one given its uniqueness), Dribbling is certainly Mbappé’s. His volume is once again elite, but he is also above average for the stylistic metric, Percentage of Touches as Take-On Attempts. He also ranks in the top 10 for Shot-Creating Actions via Take-Ons: he uses Dribbling as a means to achieve Production. His dribbling preference becomes even more extreme when looking towards the sky. Mbappé ranks joint-last alongside Lamine Yamal for the Percentage of Touches as Aerial Duels with just 0.47% - they have absolutely no interest, or rather no need, to challenge anything in the air. Kane and Haaland meanwhile are competent in aerial contests but are not asked to engage in them as often as most centre-forwards, a luxury afforded by their team’s dominance. But a high-volume of Aerial Duels does not always reflect aerial ability, especially for strikers. For example, Haaland has attempted the most headed shots across Europe’s Big Five Leagues this season. So, to sum it all up, although Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé are the most prolific goalscorers in the world right now, they have earned that reputation through different means. 👤 Kylian Mbappé is an ultra-high usage, super-effective, dribble-first phenom. Give him the ball in and around the final third and let him cook, as the kids say. He will produce a bucket-load of shots for himself and for his teammates through flashes of flair. 👤 Erling Haaland is a hyper-efficient shot-monster. We can’t quantify this with FBRef metrics, but his combination of stature, speed and intelligent movement grants him the unique ability to generate a tonne of shots from the most dangerous locations. 👤 Harry Kane is an unrelenting forward-first frontman. Whether lining up a max-range pass or striking the ball at goal, his ability to turn the ball into a heat-seeking missile means he can blow open a game at any given moment from any part of the pitch and is always looking to do so. Understanding the master of a craft gives you the tools to discover an apprentice. But we’ll save that for the SCOUTED Squads, coming to an email inbox near you soon.

After back-to-back braces in a historic international break, Erling Håland has now scored 55 goals in 48 caps for Norway, who have now qualified for the 2026 World Cup Finals in North America next summer. Of the 84 men with at least 50 goals at senior international level, only one now has a better goals-per-game ratio than Håland; Niels Poul Nielsen, who scored 52 goals in 38 caps for Denmark from 1910 to 1925.

Ibrahima Konate revealed that Mbappe “calls me every two hours to sign for Real Madrid”. (Telefoot)

Antoine Semenyo decides next move amid Liverpool, Man United & Man City interest Bournemouth star has made his preference known.. https://thedailybriefing.io/p/antoine-semenyo-decides-next-move Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo has informed the Cherries hierarchy that Liverpool is his preferred destination if a transfer materialises in the upcoming January window, according to Indy Kaila News on X. The 25-year-old winger, who has been one of Bournemouth’s best performers over the past year, is attracting significant attention from Premier League giants, but it appears he has already made his choice. Semenyo has been “vocal” and transparent with Bournemouth’s management about his ambitions. While he remains committed to performing for the club, he believes a move to Anfield would take his career to the next level. Antoine Semenyo is adamant on Liverpool move Internally, Semenyo is said to view Liverpool not only as a step up but as a club where he could compete for major honours immediately. Those around the Ghana international say he genuinely believes he can make an instant impact under Arne Slot and that joining Liverpool gives him a real shot at achieving his biggest dream: Winning the Champions League. The winger has reportedly told team-mates and staff that he sees Liverpool as a club “built for trophies,” and the opportunity to join a side competing at the very top of European football is a key driving force in his decision. The Bournemouth attacker has scored six Premier League goals this season for Andoni Iraola’s side. Whether Liverpool see Semenyo as a long term Mohamed Salah replacement or someone who can fill the void left after the departure of Luis Diaz, remains to be seen. While Bournemouth are reluctant to lose one of their most influential players mid-season, they will not stand in his way if an acceptable offer arrives but they are expected to demand a significant fee. Liverpool face Premier League competition The club are aware that interest will only grow, with Manchester United and Manchester City having also monitored the Ghanaian’s progress. However, insiders insist that Liverpool’s advantage is clear: the player only wants Anfield. Everything now rests on whether the defending Premier League champions choose to act. If they do, Semenyo could become one of the surprise signings of the season and potentially fulfil his Champions League dream sooner than expected. What is intriguing about all this is what Man United and Man City will do if the player decides to move to Anfield in the near future. Are they going to do anything to convince him or change their transfer target?

That was my first thought as well. Larry Ellison is a menace on multiple levels, as his his son.

What are Arsenal's Chances in the UEFA Champions League Looking Like? Can Arsenal finally win their first Champions League title? https://thedailybriefing.io/p/arsenal-champions-league Although Arsenal have been impressing us domestically in recent years, their record in Europe is pretty pitiful! While other English clubs like Chelsea, Man City, and Liverpool have seen success in the Champions League in recent years, the Gunners haven’t quite translated their Premier League form into Europe. Despite qualifying for a record 19 seasons between 1998/99 and 2016/17, they’re still looking for their first Champions League title. Their last outing did offer some hope, as they progressed to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2009/10, breaking their run of seven consecutive exits in the Round of 16. Although they did lose to Bayern Munich 2–3, it was still a promising display from the club. So, do I think we could see Arsenal lift their first-ever Champions League trophy this year? Well, let’s find out! Arsenal’s European Form Although a team’s previous form isn’t the be-all and end-all of their chances, it gives us a good indication of how they could fare once again. Arsenal’s form in Europe has long been a sticking point in their rebuild since Wenger left the club back in May 2018, after 22 years at the helm. Under Wenger, they held the record for the most qualifications in a row, making it through to the Champions League 19 times between 1998 and 2017, and they were usually a strong contender in European contests. Under new head coach Unai Emery, who took charge on the 23rd of May 2018, they made it to the final of the Europa League. However, they suffered at the hands of Chelsea, who beat them 4–1 to claim their second Europa League title. Not only did they lose the tournament, but it was their last opportunity to secure qualification for the Champions League and meant they were absent from Europe’s top competition once again. Out of Europe Their loss to Chelsea marked the start of a poor European run for the Gunners. Under their next head coach, Mikel Arteta, who took charge in December 2019, they finished eighth in the Premier League, their lowest result since 1994/95. However, they secured a place in the Europa League with a record-extending 14th FA Cup title. In the 2020/21 season, they once again finished in eighth and failed to qualify for any European competition for the first time in 26 years. The following season, they finished fifth, qualifying for the Europa League but missing out on a Champions League spot by two points to London rivals, Spurs. Although they topped their group in the subsequent Europa League, they didn’t make it past the Round of 16. They initially drew against Sporting CP 2–2 on aggregate but were eliminated on penalties after extra time. Coming Back Stronger After finishing second in the Premier League 2022/23 season, when they spent the most time at the top of the table without winning the league, they qualified for a Champions League spot in the 2023/24 competition. They topped their group against Sevilla, RC Lens, and PSV Eindhoven, sending them through to the Round of 16 for the first time in the Champions League since the 2016/17 competition. They drew the game against FC Porto 1–1, but this time, the penalties went their way and they made it through to the quarter-finals. Although they left the competition after losing 3–2 on aggregate to Bayern Munich, it was still their strongest showing in Europe’s top competition for decades. They continued their streak in the next Champions League 2024/25, going 17 European games unbeaten before losing in the semi-finals to the eventual champions, PSG. How are They Fairing in the Champions League So Far? Firstly, let’s cover the new Champions League format, so you’ll know exactly what is going on. Rather than playing in groups, all 36 of the teams who qualified are in a league. Each will play eight different opponents, four away and four at home. The top eight teams at the end of that will go straight through to the Round of 16, while those ranked from 9th through to 24th will compete in a two-legged playoff stage for the remaining eight places. Those ranked lower than 24th will be eliminated straight away and not drop into the Europa League. When the final 16 is decided, the competition will stick to its existing format of two-legged knockout games. Just to clear up what I mean by two-legged, it’s two games played against the same team, with one at home and the other away. Who plays who is decided based on seeding, so that the top teams don’t meet each other until later on in the tournament. Remember, like last year, there’s no away goals rule, so drawn games go straight to extra time and penalties if needed! How are Arsenal Doing? Arsenal find themselves sitting in fourth place in the Champions League 2025/26 table at the moment, having won all three of their first games. Although all five top teams are undefeated and joint on nine points, Arsenal find themselves behind Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, and PSG on goal difference, but ahead of Real Madrid. All three of their wins have been convincing, and they’re yet to concede a single goal in the competition. Their most recent win was also their best, with a 4–0 victory over Atlético Madrid on the 21st of October. All four goals came within 14 minutes, and Gyökeres secured an impressive brace. Atlético aren’t competition to be taken lightly either, they made it to the quarter-finals of the competition last year and finished fourth. Are There Any Hurdles on the Horizon? Arsenal could stand a real chance this year, they’ll have to make it to the Round of 16 first, of course, but I don’t see them falling far enough down the table to prevent that from happening. I think they’re more than likely to be in the eight that go straight through, but if not, I’d say they would be likely to clinch it in the play-offs. Their toughest challenge will come against Bayern Munich on the 26th of November. The Reds always pose a real threat, and at the moment, they’re running away with the Bundesliga and are in top form. The tie will also see Spurs’ legend Harry Kane face his former London rivals. Kane already has five goals from three games in the Champions League this year, and twelve goals in eight appearances in the Bundesliga. If anyone’s likely to throw a spanner in the works for the Gunners, I’d say it’s Harry Kane and Bayern. Do I See Arsenal Winning the Champions League? I don’t see progressing to the Round of 16 being a problem for the Gunners this time around if their current form is anything to go by. There’s a long way to go; we’re only three of eight games into the first stage. However, I just don’t see them capitulating like they have done so many times in the past. It will be the knockout stages, where they’re often so unpredictable, that pose the real test for Arsenal Their Biggest Competition If they want to win, they’ll likely have to best defending champions PSG, who just seem untouchable, at some point. Although they’re only one point ahead in Ligue 1, PSG have been immense in Europe in recent years. They’ve had some tough matches already in this Champions League, but they’ve beaten Barcelona 2–1 and Atalanta 4–0. They also managed to put seven past Leverkusen, even scoring six of those with 10 men after Zabaryni was sent off in the 37th minute. You can’t write off Bayern Munich, either; they’ve been incredible in the Bundesliga so far and sit ahead of Arsenal on goal difference (currently by just one goal). I think we’ll know a lot more about Arsenal’s chances after the two go head-to-head on the 26th of November. I’m personally waiting on the outcome before I can seriously consider the Gunners. My Thoughts on Arsenal’s Chances If their domestic form is anything to go by, Arsenal could be a real threat in the Champions League this year. At the moment, the Premier League is theirs to lose as they sit on 22 points, seven ahead of last year’s winners Liverpool and four points over the closest team, Bournemouth. There’s a way to go, but I’m already impressed with the Gunners in this year’s Champions League. They look to be putting their inconsistent ways behind them. I’m still holding out on their match against Bayern before I start seriously considering them as contenders for the win. I’m also treading with caution because of their history when it comes to progressing after the Round 16; you just don’t know what Arsenal you’re getting in Europe. They’ll also face a strong challenge from PSG and Bayern, who both look formidable in this year’s contest and their own leagues. Despite all that, I still reckon they have one of the best chances of winning the Champions League this year, given their form, and I certainly wouldn’t bet against them!

Former Tottenham owner Joe Lewis pardoned by Donald Trump British billionaire was fined £4m for insider trading but, despite US president’s intervention, will not be returning to London club https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2025/11/13/former-tottenham-owner-joe-lewis-to-be-pardoned-by-trump/ https://archive.ph/EM5FS Former Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis is to receive an official pardon from US president Donald Trump, but will not be making a return to the club. Lewis was fined £4m last year after pleading guilty to insider trading, having handed ownership of Tottenham to the Lewis Family Trust in 2022. The Lewis family this year took full operational control of Tottenham, following the departure of former chairman Daniel Levy, but 88-year-old Joe will remain in retirement. Tottenham will continue to be run by the next generation of the Lewis family – Joe’s daughter Vivienne, his son Charles and Nick Beucher, the husband of Vivienne’s daughter – along with non-executive chairman Peter Charrington and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham. Eric Hinson last month joined the club’s board as a non-executive director. Lewis’s pardon is due to be published by the White House later today and the British billionaire said: “I am pleased all of this is now behind me, and I can enjoy retirement and watch as my family and extended family continue to build our businesses based on the quality and pursuit of excellence that has become our trademark.” A source close to the Lewis family added: “Joe and the Lewis family are extremely grateful for this pardon and would like to thank President Trump for taking this action. Over his long business career, Joe has been a visionary, creating businesses across the world which multiple generations of his family are now taking forward. There is so much more to the Joe Lewis story than this one event.” Vivienne has been a regular at games since Levy’s departure and the Lewis family last month confirmed the injection of £100m into Tottenham, as first revealed by Telegraph Sport. The family have vowed to prioritise sustained sporting success, with the club fifth in the Premier League table and 10th in the Champions League standings. Lewis, who was born in London’s East End, was ranked 39th in the 2023 Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated worth of around £5bn. Before his sentencing in April last year, Lewis said that he learned as he grew up in England during World War II how “precious life is” and had devoted himself to finding a cure for “horrendous diseases”. Trump has issued a number of pardons since returning to the White House, some of which have provoked controversy and criticism.

A sentiment to how far Marc Cucurella has come His story is madness https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/a-sentiment-to-how-far-marc-cucurella Marc Cucurella was literally written off by nearly everyone at one point. I will say, I did see some Chelsea fans sticking with him and still believing in him, but the majority had lost faith. I had always said, and I can find the articles if needed, that Cucurella was a good player simply because I watched him at Getafe and Brighton and saw how good he was, and I always wanted us to sign him. I thought he was a superb left back. Then he came to Chelsea and he did struggle a lot. He had some off field personal issues going on which likely effected his form. But whatever happened, he was largely not rated by the Chelsea fan base. Before the last Euros in 2024, Cucurella was still being written off by everyone, and Gary Neville even said that Cucurella would be the reason Spain don’t win in that tournament. Of course, Spain went on to win that tournament, and Cucurella played some of the best football he had played in a while to help them. It kicked started his Chelsea career too and since then, his form has been superb and he has become one of the most important players in our team and probably one of the first names on the team sheet. What an incredible turnaround. Cucurella went from being booed by a section of Chelsea fans, being written off and being the butt of all jokes, to being one of Chelsea’s most important players and also, Michael Olise’s toughest opponent to face! Olise said this week: “I’ve faced a lot of top players over the years but the toughest has to be Marc Cucurella. “I’ve played against him a couple of times, and trust me, it’s never easy.” This is probably one of the biggest compliments you can have as a player, for one of the best wingers in the world to say that you are his toughest ever opponent. If only these two were on the same team playing in blue, hey!? Fair play, Cucu, fair play. His attitude is top, and to face adversity like he did and to rise back up, will always have my upmost respect and admiration. He’s become one of our needed leaders in this young group. I applaud Marc Cucurella!

🔵 View from the Bridge — John Terry tears into the UK Government https://aviewfromthebridge.substack.com/p/view-from-the-bridge-john-terry-tears snip Speaking on The Obi One podcast, John Terry slammed the UK Government for their treatment of Roman Abramovich, who was sanctioned shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. “I think he’s one of the nicest people you could ever meet in your life,” said the Chelsea legend. “I think it’s disgusting what happened to him, I really do. I think the UK government should be embarrassed by our actions towards him. “What he did during lockdown and what he did for the NHS was sensational. He opened up Stamford Bridge to all the nurses and gave people homes during that difficult time. “He was just a lovely, lovely man who loved our football club and thankfully turned away from one other football club and made the right decision to come.”

Givairo Read is the most modern full-back https://scoutedftbl.com/givairo-read-is-the-most-modern-full-back/ The full-back role is perhaps the best bellwether for football’s constant change. The full-back ‘meta’ has shifted significantly in a short space of time: as soon as the inverted versions became a mainstay at the top level, the traditional flyers were back in fashion. That means a full-back that can do both is of heightened value. Givairo Read can do both. He can move beyond the ball, manipulating width to provide depth and development in a more traditional method, and also progress and penetrate as a passer from behind the play, tucking inside in build up. In terms of contemporaries and compatriots, the Feyenoord right-back offers a fleet-footedness that compares to Jeremie Frimpong and a sturdiness that is reminiscent of Jurriën Timber. His rounded skillset was outstanding for the Netherlands as they triumphed at the UEFA U-19 EURO last summer and has been a boon for Robin van Persie at club level this season. His profile is burgeoning in the Eredivisie and beginning to attract interest from some of the biggest clubs on the European scene. His tactical, technical and physical flexibility is a golden goose for head coaches and squad planners at the highest levels. Expect to see him make a milestone move next year.

EXCL: Man United ready to move "fast" to beat multiple EPL clubs to £65m-plus signing of Antoine Semenyo https://thedailybriefing.io/p/antoine-semenyo-transfer-united-liverpool Manchester United are understood to be preparing a January transfer window move for one of the most exciting players in the country at the moment. I’m talking, of course, about Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, and not for the first time either, as I reported here last month about Man Utd’s growing interest in the Ghana international. Ruben Amorim has long been keen to bring Semenyo to United, with Duncan Castles notably reporting that the Portuguese tactician actually met with the player in the summer to discuss a move. It didn’t happen on that occasion, with Bournemouth understandably demanding big money for Semenyo, but the sense now among well-connected sources in the industry is that the Red Devils would be prepared to make a big offer for the 25-year-old this January. Antoine Semenyo to be subject of Manchester United transfer bid Speaking to one source familiar with United’s plans for the upcoming winter window, it certainly sounds like they’re going to be the main name to watch for Semenyo’s signature. However, multiple sources also mentioned names like Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City to me. “United’s scouting department have been tracking Semenyo for some time now and there’s strong interest,” one source said. “They want to move fast to anticipate competition from Liverpool in particular, as well as Arsenal and Man City.” The source added that a bid of “around £65m” looks likely to be “on the table” for Bournemouth this January, though it remains to be seen if the Cherries would accept that or insist on quite a lot more. How much is Antoine Semenyo worth? Semenyo is arguably worth a lot more than £65m, with Bournemouth perhaps likely to look for £80m or more, though this has been unconfirmed yet. For now the main thing to factor in is that Bournemouth will most likely push not to sell at all, with Andoni Iraola’s side surely set to aim to keep Semenyo until the end of the season at least. Still, we also know that Bournemouth sold players this summer as big names like Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez left the club, so they are a side who tend to cash in on their best players if the money’s right.

Chelsea eye TWO elite CB signings, including Liverpool transfer target https://thedailybriefing.io/p/Chelsea-araujo-ordonez-transfers Chelsea are eyeing up two central defenders as potential targets, with the Blues weighing up whether to move for a signing in that position in January or next summer. There’s been plenty to cheer about at Stamford Bridge this season after a strong start by Enzo Maresca’s side, though defence looks like one area of weakness in this squad. According to Simon Phillips, this has led to Chelsea exploring two options to potentially come in and bolster Maresca’s defence - Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo, and Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez. As previously reported here, Araujo is also a target for Liverpool, with the Reds also scouring the market for new signings in that position amid doubts over Ibrahima Konate’s future. Chelsea like Ronald Araujo but Joel Ordonez transfer fits their strategy better According to Phillips, Chelsea have had Araujo on their list for some time, with the Uruguay international a proven player at the highest level after some strong displays for Barcelona down the years. However, the reporter also notes that the Blues tend to prefer to stick to their policy of recruiting the best young talent in world football, so that could steer them towards Ordonez instead. The talented 21-year-old is also someone who Moises Caicedo knows well as they’re Ecuador international teammates. Some Chelsea fans may well be keen to see the club go for at least one or two more proven players, but there are also signs now that the long-term project put in place under this ownership is starting to bear fruit. Chelsea eyeing other elite young talents Another exciting player on Chelsea’s radar at the moment is Como playmaker Nico Paz, who is also being eyed for a return to Real Madrid. Another young attacking midfielder to watch could be Kenan Yildiz, as previously reported by Fabrizio Romano and others.

The Magic Of Blue 💙 | Chelsea Christmas Ad 2025 The Magic of Blue 💙 With 700,000 Londoners experiencing loneliness, we're coming together with @Chelseafcfoundation, Chelsea Supports’ Trust and local charities to donate gifts and raise funds supporting those who may be spending Christmas alone.Help make Christmas a little brighter for those that need it most. ✨ To find out more about The Magic of Blue, Chelsea Foundation beneficiaries involved and our charity partners for the festive campaign, head to: https://www.chelseafc.com/en/the-magic-of-blue Chelsea Football Club and Chelsea Foundation have launched The Magic of Blue, a powerful new Christmas film that highlights the growing epidemic of loneliness in London and beyond. There is a chance to contribute to the campaign by donating gifts or purchasing from a festive range of merchandise. Research commissioned by the Greater London Authority found that a large number of Londoners, 700,000, say they are ‘often or always lonely’, with 15 per cent of over-65s and nine per cent of young people spending Christmas alone according to a study by the Policy Institute at King's College London. As society becomes more digitally connected, many are feeling increasingly isolated, but football, with all its emotions and passion, offers a place to belong. Christmas film At its heart, The Magic of Blue is a story about community, imagination and the unexpected bonds that can form between strangers. It follows the story of a young girl and her elderly neighbour, both facing loneliness in different ways. When the neighbour gifts her a Chelsea shirt for Christmas, a magical journey begins - one that transforms not only her day but his as well. The young girl, Molly, unwraps her first Chelsea shirt on Christmas morning and is instantly transported into a world of wonder and escapism. In her imagination, her London townhouse becomes a stadium; her quiet play turns into a match alongside stars like Enzo Fernandez, Joao Pedro, Lauren James and Naomi Girma, and her everyday surroundings transform into something truly magical. Meanwhile, her elderly neighbour, spending Christmas alone, is surprised when Molly returns the gift by inviting him into her family home to share the joy of the season. It is a full-circle moment that captures the true meaning of togetherness and reminds us that football is more than just a game – it is a way to belong. The Magic of Blue features cameos from Leo Woodall (A-list actor from One Day and The White Lotus) and WWE superstar Jey Uso, as well as players from Chelsea’s men’s and women’s squads including Moises Caicedo, Estevao Willian, Alejandro Garnacho and Millie Bright. Donations welcome The Chelsea family are invited to join efforts in the build-up to Christmas this year and make a difference by donating thoughtful gifts that can offer comfort and joy to someone who may otherwise be spending Christmas alone. From 20 November to 13 December, Chelsea Foundation, in partnership with the Chelsea Supporters' Trust, will host Magic of Blue collection points for supporters to donate gifts on upcoming matchdays at both Stamford Bridge and Kingsmeadow. This covers the following home games: Chelsea Women vs Barcelona Femini - UEFA Women's Champions League - Thursday 20 November Chelsea vs Barcelona - UEFA Champions League - Tuesday 25 November Chelsea vs Arsenal - Premier League - Sunday 30 November Chelsea Women vs Everton Women - Women's Super League - Sunday 7 December Chelsea Women vs Roma Femminile - UEFA Women's Champions League - Wednesday 10 December Chelsea vs Everton - Premier League - Saturday 13 December Items welcome for donation include (all gifts need to be in their original packaging and we are not able to accept food or drink items): Soft cosy blankets Unisex warm socks/slipper socks (with grip bottoms) Gloves Mittens Hats Scarves Craft kits Puzzles Crossword books Photo albums Notebooks 2026 diaries and calendars Posh pens Christmas decorations At Stamford Bridge, the matchday drop-off point will be situated at Stamford Gate behind the security checkpoints. At Kingsmeadow, it will be near the merchandise outlet and ticket office. Look out for the Chelsea Foundation/Magic of Blue gazebo. There will also be Magic of Blue roaming fundraisers giving you the chance to donate money to support loneliness. Those who will not be able to make it to Stamford Bridge or Kingsmeadow and who wish to support with an online donation can do so via this Magic of Blue donation link As part of the campaign, a festive range featuring a Chelsea-inspired Christmas jumper (which sold out last year), winter accessories and gifting options will all be available in the Stamford Bridge Megastore and through our online store. A percentage of all sales from the club’s Christmas range will be donated to fundraising efforts, with expert charities including Age UK and Shepherd’s Star distributing donated items and funding to support those experiencing loneliness within our communities. Donated gifts will also be shared with the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust’s chosen charities. Campaign charity partners Players from the men’s and women’s teams will learn about the work our charity partners do by spending time with beneficiaries in the build-up to Christmas, and Chelsea Foundation will once again open the doors to Stamford Bridge and welcome vulnerable members of our local community when hosting its yearly Christmas lunch. Age UK Age UK is the UK's leading charity working with and for older people. The organisation is dedicated to providing essential services and support to help older people make the most of their later life. Age UK's work includes campaigning, local support, advice and friendship, aiming to change the way older people are treated and represented in society. Shepherd’s Star Shepherd’s Star is a community initiative dedicated to reducing isolation and empowering adults facing hardship in south-west London. Through skills introduction workshops, social connection, shared meals and signposting to support services, it helps individuals rebuild confidence, develop new skills and re-engage with their communities. Chelsea Foundation beneficiaries Chelsea Foundation arranged for five participants in its programmes to feature in The Magic of Blue film and they are introduced here: Catalina is 65 and from the Philippines. She attends walking football and walking tennis regularly and became involved through Age UK. She is married to Frank (details below). Frank is 67 and attends walking football and walking tennis. He also got involved through Age UK and has self-reported that he experiences low levels of social interaction in a recent survey. Abdul became involved with Chelsea Foundation following a heart attack. He now attends walking tennis and other sessions regularly. He lives alone and self-reported experiencing isolation in a recent survey as well as qualitatively to staff several times. Freya is in Year 5 at school and is really into her football. She is part of the girls’ team at school and has taken part in our Players’ Project from the start. She suffers with communication and language barriers. Elias is a super-enthusiastic boy and is a massive football fan. He takes part in our Players’ Project. He met Millie Bright at our World Book Day event last March, which was also the launch of the Players' Project. Laura Cordingley, CEO Chelsea Foundation, said: 'The Magic of Blue is about bringing people together and spreading kindness at a time of year that can feel especially lonely. 'Recent reports have confirmed that one in nine people will be spending Christmas Day alone and so the need for connection has never been greater. This campaign celebrates the power of community. Whether that's between generations, neighbours or fans, they are all united by their love of Chelsea. 'Through initiatives like our Walking Football, we’ve seen how simple moments of connection can transform lives. After just five months engagement with the programme participants, participants who said they feel isolated had dropped from 15% to just 2.5%. 'This Christmas, we’re helping make the season a little brighter for those who need it most - because the real magic of Chelsea lies not just in football but in the compassion and togetherness of our community.' Jess Millwood, CEO Age UK Kensington and Chelsea, added:‘We see every day how loneliness can affect older people — especially at this time of year. Partnering with the Chelsea Foundation on The Magic of Blue helps us end this crisis hidden in plain sight and reminds us of the incredible power of community, kindness, and connection to bring people together.' The Magic of Blue follows Chelsea FC and Chelsea Foundation’s 2024 festive campaign Wrap Up Warm, which saw over £90,000 raised and 3,600 items of warm clothing donated to support those in London affected by homelessness.