Pizy

The hell is the EFL Cup?

Diego Costa: world's ultimate troll

Dire performance. To be expected with this team. No ideas going forward, no chances created, total lack of attacking quality outside of Hazard. We've been confined to counter attacking, lumping it up to Diego to no effect, and playing for free kicks. Further evidence to our board that we are a long way away.

Ivanovic, man... He realizes he's playing for Chelsea and not Watford, right? Keeps passing it straight to them!

Feel like Oscar and Matic especially have to have massive games since we'll likely be outnumbered in midfield. They need to make sure we don't get completely overrun.

Not really feeling that XI. Not expecting much out of Pedro. He should only be playing when Cesc does because his off ball movement compliments Fabregas' game. There's really no one in midfield to play him in.

How was that a pen?

Just can't see past Manchester for 1st and 2nd. Neither team have even meshed but have cruised in their first few matches. Seeing as how our board has thus far failed to back Conte with the players we'll need to compete with those two, 3rd is really the highest I think we can achieve. That could change before the window closes but it's not looking likely. We're failing with nearly every target.

Then we'll be looking for another two CB's soon since he and JT are 32+

Was just reading that Mazzari likes playing a 3-5-2 and that it's likely what we'll see tomorrow. Wonder if Conte will start with Cesc instead of Oscar in this one to exploit that. Through balls and balls over the top for Diego could wreak havoc. With both Matic and Kante behind him it's worth a try. Oscar can always come on if it doesn't work.

Lukaku to "snub" Chelsea. Wasn't he the one desperate to come here? Of course the media make it sound like we were the ones desperate for him and he's refusing to come here.

Zlatan is just so powerful that he's unstoppable when he's up for it. Like Messi or CR7 you just have to hope you catch him on a bad day. He can score in so many ways that you can't take everything away from him. Stop him playing with the ball at his feet and he can just score monstrous headers like that and like in the Comunnity Shield. I really hate that he's in the PL.

He's a monster.

Damnit, why would they let Phil Neville commentate this? He's already jizzing himself here...

That would arguably be the greatest transfer window ever.

Huh? He doesn't play in the same position as any of the #10's I just named. He's a winger.

This is the type of match that Kante will hopefully dominate. He'll need to really help the CB's out against these two strikers.

All true, good points. I'm just not sure I can imagine Wenger spending that much on an attacking player. He's got Cazorla back nowand he's got Walcott, Ox, and Iwobi who can all play that third attacking mid position alongside Sanchez and Özil. Wenger often refuses to reinforce areas he's in dire need of. Buying a marquee player in an area he's well stocked in would shock me.

When you look at it, Chelsea are really the only big team in the PL without a top class, creative #10 type. Arsenal have Özil, United now have Mkhitaryan and already had Mata, City have Silva and KDB can also play there, Spuds have Eriksen, and Liverpool have Coutinho. James could definitely be that for us but would likely mean a shift back to the tried and true 4-2-3-1 that we've been using for years.

Mourinho would sometimes give the media a bit when it came to transfers. If he was asked about specific names he would maybe say "he's a player I like or are interested in." Conte has clearly been told not to say a word about targets. Won't budge an inch from what I've seen in his pressers. It's smart, obviously, but makes me anxious and nervous.

Don't see where he'd fit in at Arsenal at all, actually. Mahrez made sense because he's a natural wide player with pace. James plays in Özil's position. Buying a player for £60m or whatever and then playing him out of his natural position would be dumb.

Are they without any of their important players?

How strange would it be to see an actual LB playing at LB for Chelsea again? RR + new CB will make a world of difference.

Unreal. Absolutely unreal.

Looks like he's about 50 years old.