We breed them great, Happy Birthday Mario Melchiot. Have a defender’s birthday .
Chelsea’s new signings made them look like genuine title contenders
Chelsea’s new signings made them look like genuine title contenders as Frank Lampard’s six new stars all shone from the start in their 3-0 victory at Burnley.
Perhaps Boris Johnson pushed back his Saturday press conference from its original 4pm start because he’d paid the £14.95 to watch Chelsea. A wise decision from the PM if so.
For anyone who tuned in saw a performance of genuine Premier League title contenders on a cold October afternoon in Burnley, with the pieces falling into place for Frank Lampard.
All six of Lampard’s summer signings — Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Edouard Mendy — started and excelled at Turf Moor.
Frank Lampard’s new signings – including Hakim Ziyech – impressed as they won 3-0 at Burnley
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The midfield balance was there, with N’Golo Kante flanked by Havertz and Mason Mount. It was reminiscent of Fernandinho as the holder behind David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne for Manchester City.
There was real fluidity to Lampard’s 4-3-3 set-up. The touch maps of his players show they weren’t restricted to a single area of the pitch, but rather encouraged to roam.
‘They’re giving me nice feelings and ideas as we move forward,’ said Lampard, whose only complaint was that he lost Christian Pulisic to a hamstring injury in the warm-up.
Edouard Mendy could face his former club Rennes on Wednesday
The Senegalese international joined Chelsea from Rennes at the end of September and will be hopeful of starting against his former club when we meet at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, having played a big part in the French club qualifying for the competition for the first time in their history last season.
Mendy has enjoyed an excellent start to life in west London, conceding just once in his six appearances for the Blues so far. But how closely have you been paying attention to our new goalkeeper during those matches and how much do you know about his career before Chelsea? You can find out in our quiz on the 28-year-old below. Good luck!
Petr Cech was struck by talent of Edouard Mendy
‘I’ve watched 30 goalkeepers in the last 18 months and he was the one who came to mind’: Petr Cech was struck by talent of Edouard Mendy and reveals role in spotting Chelsea No 1, who followed his path from Rennes to Stamford Bridge
Petr Cech has revealed that he was hugely impressed by the talent of Edouard Mendy when Chelsea were considering a move for the goalkeeper.
After enduring much frustration in the goalkeeping department as Kepa Arrizabalaga frequently made mistakes, Mendy has been a considerably calmer presence between the sticks since making the switch from Rennes in September.
Cech, Chelsea’s technical advisor, joined the Blues from Rennes himself in 2004, and disclosed that he played a part in the signing of Mendy.
‘We have Kepa and Willy Caballero, who every time we needed him was ready to step in and we decided with Kepa going through a difficult moment where things were not happening for him on the pitch, we decided to add to our goalkeeping group and we agreed to bring in Edouard. So far, he’s been doing great.
‘In my first eight games [at Chelsea], we had seven clean sheets. If he [Mendy] gets that and makes it better, I will be happy, because the team will do well and we will be winning, and this is ultimately what we want.’
Mendy has received much praise for his performances for Chelsea so far and will certainly benefit from the advice of a club legend in Cech.
Cech has been registered as a non-contact player in the Premier League, but it is anticipated that Mendy will play the majority of games for Frank Lampard’s side.
There was a special occasion for Mendy on Wednesday night as he was in action against his former side Rennes in the Champions League.
Speaking before the game, Lampard revealed that Mendy gave him ‘a lot of detail’ about the French side.
Mauricio Pochettino reveals what it is like to share a room with Diego Maradona
Mauricio Pochettino reveals what it is like to share a room with Diego Maradona
Mauricio Pochettino joined Jamie Carragher and David Jones on Monday Night Football where he spoke about growing up idolising Diego Maradona and going on to share a room with him as his teammate.
Arrizabalaga and Pulisic: Latest Chelsea injury news and return dates ahead of Rennes showdown
A round-up of all the very latest Chelsea injury news and return dates ahead of Frank Lampard’s side’s clash with Rennes in the Champions League on Wednesday evening football london
The victory over the Clarets came as little surprise to anyone, with the Blues having swept Russian outfit FC Krasnodar aside in the Champions League just a few days earlier.
Now, Chelsea will be aiming to maintain their unbeaten start to their Champions League campaign when they face French outfit Rennes at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening.
Ahead of the tussle with the Ligue 1 club, head coach Frank Lampard will be sweating over the availability of several key figures, including star winger Christian Pulisic.
With that in mind, here is a round-up of all the very latest Chelsea injury news ahead of their return to Champions League action.
Christian Pulisic
Pulisic was named in the starting line-up at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon, but was unable to start the contest as he suffered an injury scare in the pre-match warm up.
The USA international was replaced by summer signing Werner, who operated on the left of the front-three, with Tammy Abraham leading the line.
“He had a small sensation in his hamstring so we had to pull him out,” Lampard said after the game.
MOUNT: WE’RE CLICKING IN ATTACK AND INCREASING OUR SET-PIECE THREAT
Mason Mount believes Chelsea’s attacking play will continue to improve as time passes and understandings develop further.
Seven goals in two games has been the perfect riposte to the goalless draws against Sevilla and Manchester United, with the three strikes against Burnley exemplifying the different type of goal this Chelsea team is capable of scoring. The first was a well-worked team move finished off by Hakim Ziyech, the second from a corner and the third a clinical counter-attack.T
The signs are good, according to Mount, who started a game for Chelsea for the 50th time at the weekend.
‘It feels like it’s starting to come together for us,’ he said.
‘It was always going to take some time for us to all click as a team, but [on Saturday] it felt like we were moving with each other, we knew where each other was going to go, and it kind of clicked.
‘It’s exciting when we’re playing like that and winning and scoring goals. Now we need to focus on keeping that going.
‘There’s a lot of competition in the squad to try and get in the team, but we are all working hard, we are all a group, all a family, so all we want to do is win as many games as we can and try to keep pushing to be number one. That’s our goal.’
At Burnley our dominance was not further rewarded until shortly after the hour mark, when Mount’s pinpoint corner was crashed into the net by Kurt Zouma. It was the Frenchman’s third Premier League goal of the campaign – already his best return in the competition – and Mount believes it is proof of our increased threat from dead balls.
‘The gaffer said at half-time at 1-0 it’s never done. They put some pressure on us early in the second half. We knew it was going to come, we had to weather it and then getting that second goal from big Zou winning headers.
‘We need that set-piece threat, we didn’t really have it last season, and we have scored quite a few already this season. It’s something we can continue to improve on.’
Welcome back, Eden: Hazard
Welcome back, Eden: Hazard & a goal to remind us how f*cking good he is back with wonder goal.
Think back to watching Eden Hazard at Chelsea and what do you see?
That outrageously smooth way he would glide past defenders, perhaps? Or what about the way he could protect a ball with his monumental arse? Maybe you think back to one of the many, many, many times he made Phil Jones look like he was playing with his hands and feet the wrong way around.
We’ve never tried to hide our love of Hazard – even going as far as describing his season playing alongside Joe Cole and Dimitri Payet as our wet dream – so his debut season at Real Madrid made us feel incredibly sad.
The Belgium international himself described 2019-20 as “the worst season of my career” after fitness issues restricted him to just 14 La Liga starts, in which he scored a solitary goal.
After another untimely knock ruled Hazard out of the start of 2020-21, the 29-year-old made his first start of the campaign in Real Madrid’s La Liga clash with Huesca on Saturday.
A ridiculous 392 days had passed since his only previous goal for Los Blancos, a strike which arrived at a time when a global pandemic was still a dystopian nightmare rather than a grim reality.
But with 39 minutes on the clock and the scores still locked, Hazard suddenly resembled his former self, turning on the ball once again with the protection of his sturdy backside before rifling a 25-yard thunderbastard into the corner of the net.
Plenty of people were enjoying the prospect of being able to write off Eden Hazard as yet another mega-money flop. The knives might be out, but as Hazard proved with his goal against Huesca, you’re going to need a lot more than a knife against a master gunslinger.
CHELSEA VS RENNES PRE-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE AND HOW TO FOLLOW THE GAME
A third successive midweek of Champions League action sees Chelsea welcome new opposition to Stamford Bridge, and here we detail how you can watch Frank Lampard and one of his players preview the clash with Rennes on Tuesday afternoon, as well as follow the action…
The Blues top Group E after the opening two games with four points on the board and now will be looking to build on that positive start with a double-header against French opponents.
Chelsea vs Rennes kick-off time
The match gets underway at 8pm UK time on Wednesday 4 November.
Chelsea vs Rennes pre-match press conference
Lampard and one of his players will be speaking to the media via video link from approximately 1.30pm on Tuesday and you watch it live on the 5th Stand app and this website.LAMPARD WILL DELIVER THE LATEST TEAM NEWS ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON
Chelsea vs Rennes live stream
The match is being broadcast live on BT Sport in the UK.
Chelsea TV’s matchday programming is on the 5th Stand, Facebook Live and our official YouTube channel with three live shows: pre-match (starting 70 minutes before kick-off), half-time and post match.
ZIYECH AND PENSIONERS FEATURE IN SHEFFIELD UNITED PROGRAMME, AVAILABLE NOW
Premier League football returns to Stamford Bridge for the first time in three weeks when we take on Sheffield United this weekend and the matchday programme for the game is available to order now, featuring an exclusive interview with in-form Hakim Ziyech and a special front cover to commemorate Remembrance Day.
With Saturday’s game our closest fixture at Stamford Bridge to 11 November, it’s an opportunity to salute everyone that has served and is serving in our armed forces, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in conflict.
There is also a photographic feature celebrating our unique history with the beloved Pensioners, while both Frank Lampard and Cesar Azpilicueta pay their own tributes within their usual columns. On top of that, club historian Rick Glanvill looks back at Stamford Bridge during the First World War in the latest instalment of Brick by Brick.
The headline feature of this weekend’s programme is an interview with Ziyech, our summer signing from Ajax who had to wait patiently on the sidelines while battling back from injury before making his mark.
Goals on each of his first two starts for the Blues, against Krasnodar and Burnley, have served notice of what the 27-year-old is capable of and, in a wide-ranging chat covering his first months at the Bridge, his mentality as a footballer and so much more, we found out what makes him tick.
‘When you play for a big team there is always pressure, and that will never change,’ said Ziyech, referring to his former club, Ajax. ‘But I was always thinking, “Yeah, there is pressure, but people make it bigger than it is.”HAKIM ZIYECH’S DEBUT DOUBLENew Blues attacker Hakim Ziyech became the first player to score in both of his first two starts for Chelsea in all competitions since Diego Costa in August 2014. Have another look at Hakim’s excellent week here…
‘I feel like you have to put pressure on yourself. Of course, there is pressure on big games, but that is people making that for you – I think you have to put it on yourself, not let other people put you under pressure.
‘You have to motivate yourself, don’t let other people motivate you, because they’re living their own life and you’re living your own life. That’s the biggest factor that I changed in Ajax, I think.’
So, how does he put that into practice?
‘Just always stay calm,’ he added. ‘Try to be calm and, good or bad, there will always be opinion from people.
‘At the end of the day, you have to make sure that, when you go from training or the game, you’re just happy in your life. Don’t let other stuff kill your happiness. I think how happy you are outside the pitch is also how happy you are on the pitch.’
A FIRST PREMIER LEAGUE GOAL LAST TIME OUT FOR OUR MAGICAL MOROCCAN
Catch up on all the latest goings on from elsewhere at the club, as Academy coaches Andy Myers and Ed Brand, and Chelsea Women boss Emma Hayes bring you up to date with their sides. For Brand and his Under-18s, it’s been quite the week as they beat Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup semi-final on Friday night but then fell at the final hurdle three days later.
For Blues fans of a certain vintage, you’ll be able to reminisce with Mark Stein about the striker’s two-goal showing against the Blades on a dramatic final day of the Premier League season in 1993/94. Steino talks us through that and what it meant to him in the latest What’s the Story.
You can order your copy of the Sheffield United programme for £3.50 (plus P&P) from our programme partner Reach Sport. There are also still copies available of tomorrow night’s programme for the game against Rennes