Chelsea players under Enzo, Mudryk, Benoit, Cucurella and Fofana trained at Cobham ahead of today's EPL game against Brighton at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are desperate to get back to winning Ways as they have not won in their last 5 encounters with Brighton in all competitions and have lost their last 2 matches under Frank Lampard in all competitions. Chelsea manager Lampard has confirmed that Koulibaly will not be available due to his injury but will be replaced by Benoit Badiashile in defence.
Chelsea's potentially deadliest starting XI The line-up that could help Frank Lampard win his first since returning to Stamford Bridge will feature goalkeeper Kepa Arizabalaga surrounded by four defenders. Chelsea's defense will consist of Ben Chilwell, Benoit Badiashile, Thiago Silva and Reece James while the midfield will include Enzo Fernandez, Ngolo Kante and Mason Mount. Chelsea's deadly attack will open up Mykhaylo Mudryk, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke as they eagerly await Destroy Brighton at Stamford Bridge.
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Arsenal have been accused by former manager Unai Emery of making mistakes in the transfer market.
Arsenal news:
Unai Emery has changed Ollie Watkins since his arrival (Image:
RECEIVE)
Unai Emery turned Ollie Watkins into the striker Arsenal wanted. Edu is said to want to sign the striker in 2021 but his price has certainly increased due to the impact the Aston Villa boss has had on him.
Emery took over at Villa on 1 November last year after replacing the sacked Steven Gerrard. He won his first game in charge, beating Manchester United 4-1 at home in the Premier League. Watkins had scored just 2 goals in 13 appearances before Emery arrived. But he has been a different player since then, especially after the World Cup break.
The 27-year-old has scored 12 goals in 17 appearances under Emery, including 11 in his last 12, after netting a brace against Newcastle on Saturday. Four of his six assists also came with Emery at the helm.
Watkins is brimming with confidence and seems transformed. That suggests Arsenal's recruitment team has had an eye on talent, but perhaps it's too late now.
The Sun, in October 2021, claimed the Gunners had included Watkins on their striker target list to replace Alexandre Lacazette. When Lacazette left last summer, sporting director Edu instead chose to support Mikel Arteta by signing Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City.
Jesus has proven to be a top player and has certainly helped Arsenal become title contenders this season. But there's no harm in having depth ahead. Arsenal really only have Eddie Nketiah as a striker to replace Jesus. Nketiah has performed well at times when called up, but not at the level of Watkins.
Many may have questioned the signing of Watkins from Arsenal last summer after a season in which he scored just 11 goals in 35 appearances. But the decision didn't seem like a costly mistake on Edu's part.
Unai Emery
Arsenal news:
Unai Emery has had a huge impact at Aston Villa (Image: Photo:
RECEIVE)
Should Arsenal attempt to sign Watkins at the end of the season, Villa will be entitled to an exorbitant fee. He is in talks over a contract extension at the Midlands club, with his current contract set to expire in just over two years.
Watkins is not a mere goalscorer. He has the speed to keep up and also shows the ability to be a provider for his teammates.
His sixth assist of the campaign was against Newcastle. Watkins did a great job of parrying pressure from the Newcastle defense to head Jacob Ramsey early to put his side ahead. He was the star of the match against the Magpies and deservedly the man of the match in a 3-0 win for Villa. He scored twice in the second half after an own goal at close range thanks to VAR.
Watkins' versatility when moving around in attack would make him an ideal player on Arteta's team. But not signing him before he hit that form turned out to be a mistake.
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