Football Mag

Tammy Abraham scored his 10th Premier League goal for Chelsea as they secured a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The 22-year-old striker became the youngest Blues player to reach double figures in the Premier League since Arjen Robben when he swept home following a clever Willian pass. Chelsea had found clear-cut chances hard to come by against a stubborn Palace side, whose manager Roy Hodgson was taking charge of his 300th game in England's top flight. Abraham's cool finish broke the deadlock, though, before a simple header from Christian Pulisic made certain of a sixth league win in a row for Frank Lampard's side. Source :  GOAL

                                                                                                                         -  The Guardian The Wales international Ethan Ampadu is close to continuing his development at RB Leipzig next season with Chelsea negotiating his departure on a season-long loan to the Bundesliga club. Ampadu, who has eight senior caps, underwent a medical in Germany on Friday having been omitted from the Chelsea senior squad who are currently in Japan on a two-game pre-season tour. Frank Lampard, who had attempted to secure the youngster while Derby manager, had made clear his intention to loan out the 18-year-old in search of regular first-team football...

Frank Lampard suffered his first defeat as Chelsea manager as Leandro Damiao's late strike gave Kawasaki a 1-0 friendly win in Yokohama. The pre-season contest had appeared to be heading for a goalless draw at the Nissan Stadium, until Brazil striker Damiao headed home with just two minutes to go. Despite the result, however, Lampard will still have taken much from his side's run out in searing temperatures against the J-League champions, with midfielder Mason Mount once again catching the eye ahead of the new campaign. However, it was the introduction of Ross Barkley as one of several half-time changes that gave Chelsea's play some much-needed impetus in the second half, only for Shota Arai to thwart the visitors with a number of smart stops.

Chelsea have lodged an appeal with FIFA against their ban from signing players during the next two transfer windows. FIFA announced in February that the ban had been imposed on Chelsea for alleged breaches of regulations regarding the acquisition of players under the age of 18. At the time, Chelsea were quick to announce their intention to appeal the decision, stating the club 'categorically refutes' the findings of FIFA's Disciplinary Committee. A statement released on the club’s official website read: “Chelsea FC has today received a decision from the FIFA Disciplinary Committee concerning alleged breaches of the FIFA Regulations that relate to the international transfer of players under the age of 18. “The decision imposes a transfer ban of two consecutive registration periods and a fine of 600k Swiss francs. “Chelsea FC categorically refutes the findings of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and will therefore be appealing the decision."

Jose Mourinho has defended his decision to allow Mohamed Salah to leave Chelsea in 2014, claiming he “wasn’t physically prepared” for the Premier League. Salah joined the Blues in 2013 and scored two goals in 13 league appearances, including the final goal in Mourinho’s team’s 6-0 win over Arsenal in March 2014. He was loaned to Fiorentina before being sold to Roma in 2016, where he earned his reputation as a reliable goalscorer in Serie A. Mourinho, who was sacked by Chelsea in 2015 just months after winning a third league title with the club, told BeIN Sports: “I asked Chelsea to sign Mohamed Salah, he was inexperienced and not prepared physically to adapt to the style of play in Premier league. “Now, he is physically and mentally strong and well adapted to Premier League because he went to Italy and gained experience. “He is a wonderful person and I wanted him to stay at Chelsea but he was looking for more minutes.”

Eden Hazard reached a major milestone for Chelsea during Sunday’s trip to Fulham after he became only the third player in the club’s history to score and assist 50 Premier League goals. The Belgium international provided the set-up for Jorginho to net the decisive goal in a 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage, clocking up a half-century of assists in the top flight. It means Hazard – who has also found the back of the net on 81 occasions – has had a hand in 131 goals in the Premier League since he joined from Lille in 2012. The 28-year-old has already reached double figures for goals in a single season for the fifth time at Chelsea, needing only four more to equal his personal best of 16 in the league, which he achieved in the 2016-17 campaign. The feat means that he joins a select club in Blues history, with Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba the only other men to have managed such an achievement with the club.

Jorginho's first goal from open play in the Premier League proved decisive in Chelsea's 2-1 London derby win over Fulham on Sunday, as Kepa Arrizabalaga returned from his post-EFL Cup final exile. Spain international Kepa was dropped for the midweek win over Tottenhamafter refusing to be substituted in the Wembley defeat to Manchester City, but he returned at Craven Cottage as Chelsea moved back to within two points of the top four. Fulham, playing their first game since Claudio Ranieri was sacked and replaced by interim boss Scott Parker, put up a scrap at times and even cancelled out Gonzalo Higuain's opener when Calum Chambers equalised. But Jorginho put Chelsea back in front and, despite Fulham's noble efforts, the Blues managed to hold on, leaving Parker's men 10 points adrift of safety.

The FA are reviewing allegations following reports of alleged illegal payments to Andreas Christensen's father around the time of his transfer to Chelsea from Brondby. The Blues reportedly employed the young Dane's father - Sten - as a scout on the same day that they signed the player, and was paid over £650,000 across four years. Clubs are not allowed to make payments to families of minors and the Premier League have handed both Liverpool and Everton fines and youth transfer bans in the past for similar breaches of conduct. “The FA is aware of the allegations and we are reviewing them,” an FA spokesman said in a statement to Goal. Sten was a goalkeeping coach at Brondby, and Football Leaks' original allegation - published by Politiken in November - suggested that he remained at his post at the Danish club and did not actually work as a scout for Chelsea. If the Blues were to be handed a youth transfer ban, it will come at a bad time for the club, who have rece...

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri insists that he is yet to make a decision on whether Kepa Arrizabalaga will be recalled for his side's clash with Fulham. Towards the end of extra-time in the Blues's Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City, Kepa went to ground seemingly injured on two occasions, with Chelsea subsequently attempting to replace him with Willy Caballero. But Kepa refused to leave the pitch in what Sarri later claimed was a "misunderstanding" , his punishment being a fine and a place on the bench for Wednesday's 2-0 win over Tottenham . "As I said in the press conference after the [Tottenham] match, the Kepa situation is closed," Sarri told reporters. "Kepa is our first goalkeeper, but we are very happy for Willy that he can play in a very difficult match. "Kepa will be on the pitch for one of the next two matches. I have not decided yet, I want to see the last two trainings of course, for every player. "On Su...

Tottenham striker Harry Kane will not face any punishment following an incident with Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta on Wednesday. England captain Kane, 25, appeared to move his head towards the Spaniard in an incident during Chelsea's 2-0 Premier League win at Stamford Bridge. Kane was not punished at the time and, as the incident was seen by officials, no further action will be taken. Tottenham host Arsenal in the north London derby on Saturday. The incident took place after Chelsea kicked the ball out of play to allow Spurs' Kieran Trippier to receive treatment. Kane pressurised Chelsea defender David Luiz when Tottenham returned the ball. Luiz complained to Kane and captain Azpilicueta confronted him before the pair were separated by Luiz.

Tottenham were left red-faced as a pair of sloppy goals dealt a significant blow to their Premier League title hopes in a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea on Wednesday. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris allowed a Pedro strike to sneak between his legs just short of the hour, before a miscommunication between the France international and Kieran Trippier saw the full-back roll a backpass into an open net. Coming on the back of Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Burnley, the loss leaves Spurs eight points adrift of second-place Manchester City and nine off leaders Liverpool. For Chelsea, who dropped Kepa Arrizabalaga in favour of Willy Caballero following the former's refusal to be subbed during the EFL Cup final, the result is the perfect response to their Wembley defeat against City on Sunday. Chelsea had an opportunity to take an early lead when the ball fell to Gonzalo Higuain in the box after six minutes, but the on-loan Juventus striker did not hit the ball cleanly, finding only the right-hand ...

Maurizio Sarri insisted Kepa Arrizabalaga remains his number one after dropping the goalkeeper for Chelsea's victory over Tottenham on Wednesday. Sarri drafted Willy Caballero into his starting XI after Kepa refused to be substituted in the closing stages of Chelsea's Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City. Kepa was handed a fine by the club , although he and Sarri initially explained away the incident as a misunderstanding . Sarri said he was trying to send a message to his squad by dropping Kepa that Chelsea are a team and not a collection of individuals. While standing by his decision to call on Caballero, who did not face a single shot on target but dealt confidently with any balls into his box, Sarri says Kepa will not be out of the side for long. Asked whether Kepa was still his number one, the Italian told a news conference: "Of course. "I think it was the right decision [to drop him]. Kepa made a big mistake. He paid [a fine] with the club and then he ...

Manchester City are keeping tabs on Eintracht Frankfurt forward Luka Jovic, as per reports. The 21-year-old is the Bundesliga's top scorer this season and has also attracted interest from Barcelona and Chelsea, with the Catalans understood to be at the front of the queue for his signature. The striker is on a two-year loan from Benfica and Frankfurt are hopeful they can trigger a clause to sign him outright for €6 million (£5.3m/$6.8m) this summer, before selling him on for €60m (£52m/$68m). Barcelona, for their part, hope to sign him for €40m (£34.3m) and that kind of price would appeal to City, who have prioritised other areas for reinforcement in the upcoming transfer window. The Premier League champions will move for a holding midfielder and a left-back, but sources have reported that they have been monitoring Jovic closely in recent months.

Speaking ahead of a Premier League clash with Tottenham, the Belgian winger has offered his support for his boss amid reports of dressing room unrest. Eden Hazard insists that the Chelsea players are all behind under-fire manager Maurizio Sarri, three days on from his dramatic stand-off with Kepa Arrizabalaga in the Carabao Cup final. The Blues were beaten on penalties by Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday, having held their rivals to a goalless draw after normal and extra time. Despite a resilient performance with plenty of positives for Sarri to draw on, Kepa's refusal to leave the pitch as a substitute for Willy Caballero overshadowed the team's exploits. Hazard, who produced a star turn as a false nine against City and has been a talismanic figure for Chelsea throughout the 2018-19 campaign, says that the squad are still united under Sarri despite their poor run of results. "We are all together," Hazard told Chelsea's official website. "We are al...

Maurizio Sarri is yet to decide if Kepa Arrizabalaga will start Chelsea’s midweek Premier League clash with Tottenham, but insists the club “don’t want to kill” their goalkeeper following his act of defiance in the Carabao Cup final. When asked about that selection call, Sarri told reporters: “I don’t know, I have to decide yes or no. I think [he is fit], he only had a recovery yesterday but I think so. It will be the decision of the group, of all the players.” Sarri added on his discussions with Kepa since seeing his instructions waved away: “I spoke to Kepa, I spoke to everyone. He said sorry to the technical staff, but it was not enough." “He said sorry to the players and the club. We don’t want to kill him. It was a big misunderstanding.”

Chelsea have fined Kepa Arrizabalaga one week's wages for refusing to be substituted during the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City. The Spanish goalkeeper went to ground with an apparent injury in the closing moments of extra time, prompting manager Maurizio Sarri to ready penalty specialist Willy Caballero to enter for the impending shoot-out. A messy cross-field exchange ensued as Kepa argued with Sarri - who had to remain on the touchline - over his ability to remain in the game. Chelsea would go on to lose the shootout, with Kepa letting a tame penalty run underneath him to contribute to the defeat.

Maurizio Sarri has been left in a fragile situation at Chelsea after Kepa Arrizabalaga's act of defiance in their League Cup final defeat against Manchester City, according to Jose Mourinho. The club's £70 million ($91m) record-breaking signing refused to be substituted for Willy Caballero in extra-time, despite pulling up twice with a physical issue towards the end of the contest. Mourinho offered his take on the Kepa incident in the wake of the match on DAZN , revealing he has never experienced anything like it as a manager himself. The former Manchester United and Chelsea coach also admitted he now fears for Sarri's position at Stamford Bridge, as he stated: "Luckily I never had to live through anything like this. "I think on the one hand the goalkeeper wants to show his personality, his confidence and wants to say 'I'm here, I want to go to penalties and save them, and I am here with the confidence that I will go and do it'. And this is what I like...

John Terry believes Maurizio Sarri should have forced Kepa Arrizabalaga off after Chelsea's goalkeeper refused to be substituted in the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City. City retained the trophy courtesy of Sunday's 4-3 penalty shoot-out success, Raheem Sterling scoring the winning kick after a tense goalless draw at Wembley. But the true drama had come at the end of extra time when Kepa, who had already received treatment for what appeared to be cramp, went down for a second time. Kepa's act of defiance left Sarri furious, with Chelsea's head coach heading towards the tunnel before returning to the touchline. And Chelsea legend Terry, currently Dean Smith's assistant at Aston Villa, insisted that Sarri should have done more to ensure that Kepa left the field. "I think [it leaves Sarri] in a tough place, I'm surprised he didn't come on and force him to come off," Terry told Sky Sports. "If I'm the manager there, yo...

Kepa Arrizabalaga has come out to explain his on-pitch row with Maurizio Sarri in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, which threatened to overshadow Chelsea's penalty shootout defeat to Pep Guardiola's side. Sarri has described the incident as a "misunderstanding" in his post-match press conference but he was seen to be seething on the final whistle and he had to be held back Antonio Rudiger at Wembley Stadium, when confronting his goalkeeper. "I understand that on television, on social media, they’re talking about this but I am here to explain it, to say that it wasn’t my intention to go against the manager. We have spoken now, and I was only trying to say I’m fine. He thought I wasn’t fine. It was in tense moments, with a lot happening," said Kepa.  "Of course I did [see my number go up on the digital board]. But because of that, it was until the medics had got back to the bench to explain I was fine, that I could continue. It wasn’...

Chelsea star Eden Hazard has the talent and personality to play for La Ligagiants Real Madrid, according to his former manager Jose Mourinho. Hazard, 28, revealed earlier this month he had made a decision on his future, but whether he is staying at Stamford Bridge or leaving remains unclear. The Belgium international is contracted until 2020, yet has been linked consistently with a switch to Madrid. Mourinho, his former coach and an ex-Madrid boss, is unsure what Hazard will do, but he believes the attacker is capable of starring at the Santiago Bernabeu. "Eden's ambitions... playing at Chelsea his whole life or going out to a giant like Real Madrid?" he told DAZN on Sunday. "Let's talk about talent. Does he have the talent to play for Real Madrid? He does. Does he have the personality to wear a super heavy shirt and play in front of a crowd like the Bernabeu? He has personality, yes."