SPORTS
Chelsea vs Tottenham: Chelsea Team Injuries, suspensions and line-up
Published
7 years agoon
By
ReporterChelsea vs Tottenham is set for the weekend as the blues look forward to bounce back from a 2-3 defeat to Burnley on the opening day of their Premier League title defence.
The second week of the season sees Chelsea as the first visitors to arrive to Spurs’ new and temporary home of Wembley Stadium. Spurs have moved to Wembley as they finish off the building of their new stadium after leaving White Hart Lane at the end of last year.
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They go into the game having beaten Newcastle United at St James’ Park on the opening day of the season and Chelsea are working this week to improve their selection problems ahead of the game.
CHELSEA INJURIES
Conte is faced with a host of selection problems after Chelsea sustained two red cards versus Burnley. They also had Eden Hazard, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Pedro and Victor Moses out of the defeat at Stamford Bridge last week but they will hope the problems ease ahead of a London derby.
Pedro is most likely to return but he is no guarantee as he works on getting over an ankle injury sustained against Arsenal in the Community Shield.
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Hazard and Bakayoko have begun training with the first team at Cobham this week but are unlikely to come straight in and start against their rivals.
Diego Costa has been ordered back to Cobham to train as he remains away from the first team group in Brazil. He has no chance of playing against Spurs and he is still expected to be sold, with Atletico Madrid his most likely destination.
CHELSEA SUSPENSIONS
Victor Moses is back after missing Burnley at the weekend due to a red card he picked up against Arsenal in the FA Cup final last season.
However, Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas are out of the weekend’s action as Chelsea went down to nine men versus Burnley. Cahill misses three games, while Fabregas misses one.
POTENTIAL STARTING LINE-UP
Chelsea have continued into the new season with the 3-4-3 formation that brought them title glory last season. Conte is likely to keep using this winning shape and the return of Moses will bring back some much needed balance to the side.
Jeremie Boga started on the wing as options were limited on the opening day of the season but, if Pedro is fit, he will likely come back in for the Ivory Coast international.
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Alvaro Morata may have done enough to convince Conte to give him his first start after getting a goal and an assist on his debut. Michy Batshuayi struggled last weekend and Conte may opt to switch his front men around.
Morata 13/8 to score anytime
Chelsea face selection problems in centre midfield with N’Golo Kante as the only fit and available senior player who performs in that role. Assuming Chelsea don’t complete a deal for a midfielder ahead of the match, it is likely that David Luiz or Andreas Christensen will start in the middle.
Kyle Scott is another option to play in central midfield but he will likely be on the bench, which will once again be very youthful, as Chelsea aim to add new players in the transfer market before 31 August. Bakayoko and Hazard are not expected to be rushed back into the starting line up.
BURNLEY TEAM NEWS
Mauricio Pochettino has no fresh injury worries as they look to make Wembley a fortress this season. Kieran Trippier is still out with “minor ligament damage” but he is expected to be back after the international break.
Victor Wanyama and Heung-min Son could be brought back into the starting line up after being on the bench against Newcastle. Kyle Walker-Peters made his debut last weekend as he came in to replace Kyle Walker.
The defender of a similar name moved to Manchester City for £50million earlier in the transfer window.
BEST OPTA MATCH FACTS
- This will be the first-ever Premier League match played at Wembley Stadium and it will be the 58th different stadium to host a game in the competition.
- Tottenham Hotspur went an entire campaign unbeaten at home in the league last season – the first time they’ve done this since 1964-65.
- Chelsea have lost just two of their last 17 games in all competitions against Tottenham (W8 D7 L2).
- Since beating Chelsea in the 2008 League Cup final, Spurs have won just one of their last nine games at Wembley Stadium (W1 D2 L6). That win came in a registered ‘home match’ in the Champions League group stages against CSKA Moscow last season (3-1).
- Harry Kane’s next goal for Tottenham will be his 100th in all competitions for the club – though he’s failed to score in any of his 11 Premier League appearances in the month of August.
- Since Álvaro Morata’s first season as a top-flight player (2010-11), the Spanish striker has scored more goals as a substitute in the big five European leagues than any other player (22).
Article continues below
TV COVERAGE & KICK-OFF TIME
The match is at 16:00 BST and will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports’ Premier League and Main Events channels.
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SPORTS
Fabregas Speaks On Coaching Premier League Club
Published
2 weeks agoon
April 15, 2024By
ReporterCesc Fabregas, a retired football star who played mostly in the Premier League, wants to be the head coach of a top team there. Even though he has experience coaching Arsenal’s youth teams and Como’s U19 team, he doesn’t want to be an assistant coach.
Fabregas only coached Como’s U19 team for a month because he didn’t have the right licence. He’s been working on getting that licence and doing sports analysis while he waits.
Now 36 years old, Fabregas is taking a course to get his UEFA Pro licence to allow him to coach in the best European leagues, and his dream is to lead a Premier League powerhouse.
“100 per cent my ambition one day is to coach a top club in the Premier League, the Champions League.
“But you need to respect the right steps. I feel I am ready to be a first-team coach already so I don’t want to go into these types of little coaching on the side or being an assistant. I have very clear things in my mind that I just want to be a main coach, a first-team coach, and that’s why I will do my own way until I am ready to jump onto a big train”, he said.
Check here for more sports news.
NEWS
Manchester City Defender, Manuel Akanji Wants To Help Nigerian Kids; Talks Afrobeats And Burna Boy
Published
3 weeks agoon
April 12, 2024By
ReporterManchester City defender Manuel Akanji is back on social media and using his platform to connect with his Nigerian roots. The Nigerian-Swiss player recently spoke about his passion for helping Nigerian children.
Akanji had a stellar season with Manchester City last year, helping them achieve a historic treble: the Premier League trophy for the third year in a row, the FA Cup, and most importantly, their first-ever Champions League win.
Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s manager, valued Akanji’s skills as a central defender who can also play the ball well. Akanji wasn’t afraid to take risks by pushing forward and joining the midfield when needed.
Manuel Akanji wants to help Nigerian kids
Akanji’s off-field style is as progressive as his approach to the game, as evidenced by his recent collaboration with Hypebeast, a fashion trendsetter.
Since joining Manchester City, he’s been a rock star on the pitch, consistently delivering top performances.
Hypebeast recently interviewed Akanji at Manchester City’s training ground, where they discussed his life in Manchester, the influence of manager Pep Guardiola on the team’s fashion sense (they’re apparently known for being very stylish), the new Netflix documentary, “Together: Treble Winners,” and more.
One topic particularly close to Akanji’s heart is his Nigerian heritage. He spoke about his desire to help underprivileged children in Nigeria who weren’t as fortunate as him growing up in Switzerland.
He said,
“In Nigeria, I like to help kids who didn’t have the same luck that I had with growing up in Switzerland.”
Manuel Akanji on Burna Boy and Afrobeats
The conversation also touched on music. When asked about Afrobeats, Akanji said…
“My favourite artist is Burna Boy.
I spoke with him after the Champions League final. I love listening to Afrobeats.”
While Manuel Akanji has a strong connection to his Nigerian heritage, as evidenced by his desire to help children there, he ultimately chose to represent Switzerland on the international football stage.
This is likely due to growing up in Switzerland and potentially coming up through their youth development system.
Check out more sports updates here.
SPORTS
Tobi Amusan And Favour Ofili Face Off In 100m Showdown At Tom Jones Invitational
Published
3 weeks agoon
April 11, 2024By
ReporterNigerian track fans are in for a historical showdown this weekend at the Tom Jones Invitational on April 13th. Two of the country’s brightest sprinting stars, Tobi Amusan and Favour Ofili, will be facing off in the 100-metre flat for the very first time.
Tobi Amusan is a legend in the 100-metre hurdles and the current world record holder in that event. She is using this race as a strategic move to gauge her raw speed before a major competition later in April. While Amusan is known for her hurdling prowess, she’s no stranger to success in the flat 100 metres either. She achieved a personal best time of 11.10 seconds.
On the other side of the track, Favour Ofili is a rising star with the wind at her back. This year has been a breakout season for her, with a record-breaking performance in the 300m that secured a new African record. But that’s not all. She scorched the track earlier this year, clocking a blistering 10.85 seconds in the 100m. This made it the world’s fastest time for that distance so far in 2024!
This clash of titans is sure to be an electrifying race. Amusan will be aiming to outrun her younger compatriot and also smash her personal best time. However, both Nigerian queens will face stiff competition from a talented pool of international sprinters. The starting line-up has established names. The names include Tamari Davis, a world championship finalist from the US, and her fellow American, Melissa Jefferson, a former US champion. Jamaican athletes Alana Reid and Kemba Nelson will also be vying for the top spot, along with the returning American star Abby Steiner.
Women’s 100m entries – Tom Jones Memorial
🇺🇸 Tamari Davis
🇺🇸 Melissa Jefferson
🇺🇸 Abby Steiner
🇳🇬 Tobi Amusan
🇳🇬 Favour Ofili
🇬🇧 Imani Lansiquot
🇯🇲 Alana Reid
🇯🇲 Kemba Nelson
🇺🇸 Masai Russell
🇩🇪 Gina Luckenkemper
🇺🇸 Talitha Diggs
🇺🇸 Nia Ali
🇺🇸 Quanesha Burks
🇱🇷 Maia McCoy— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) April 10, 2024
A victory for either Amusan or Ofili would be a monumental achievement and a powerful statement to the world. This would solidify their readiness to dominate the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. This race is not just about who crosses the finish line first; it’s a glimpse into the future of Nigerian sprinting and a chance to witness history in the making.
Check here for more updates.
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