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Chelsea are now eyeing a summer move for a “composed” defender, with manager Enzo Maresca believed to be a keen admirer, according to a report.

Blues eyeing centre-back amid latest Disasi update

Axel Disasi has spent the second half of the season on loan at Aston Villa, and it looks as though the 27-year-old could be heading for a permanent exit at the end of the season, with the Villans now opening talks over a summer deal.

Maresca’s side have been faring well in their pursuit of the Champions League without Disasi, and they are now just one win away from securing qualification for Europe’s elite competition next season, with the crucial trip to Nottingham Forest pencilled in for next weekend.

As such, it could make sense to sanction the Frenchman’s departure, but Maresca may be keen on bringing in a top-level replacement, should his side return to the Champions League, with FA Cup-winning captain Marc Guehi among the potential targets.

After leading his Crystal Palace side to FA Cup glory, Guehi is likely to have no shortage of interest this summer, but the 24-year-old is not the only English centre-back of interest to the west Londoners.

According to The Telegraph’s John Percy, Chelsea are now interested in signing Leicester City defender Ben Nelson, who caught the eye with his impressive performances for Oxford United in the Championship last season.

£172k-per-week star keen to join Chelsea regardless of Champions League race

He’d want the move to Stamford Bridge no strings attached.

13

By
Emilio Galantini

May 17, 2025

The Blues have been keen on Nelson for quite some time, having also considered a move back in the January transfer window, and their interest seems like it stems from their manager, with Maresca believed to be an admirer.

The Italian has previously described his former player as “ideal”, while also adding: “He’s quick. He can play right or left – it’s perfect.”

"Composed" Nelson destined for the top

Not only is Maresca a big fan of the Leicester ace, but he also impressed teammate Peter Kioso during his time with the U’s, with the fellow defender saying: “Nels has come in and done what he’s needed to do. Credit to him, he’s still a young lad and I feel like he’ll go to the very top in football, just from his mentality and how he reads the game, and how composed he is.”

Player	Current club	Potential cost
Marc Guehi	Crystal Palace	£60m
Antonio Rudiger	Real Madrid	Unknown
David Hancko	Feyenoord	£42m
Ousmane Diomande	Sporting CP	£68m

The 21-year-old missed large parts of the campaign with injury problems, but he remained a key player when fit, making 17 appearances for Oxford in the Championship, featuring at centre-back on every occasion.

Having put in some solid performances in the second tier at a young age, the £5k-a-week defender may soon be ready to make the step-up to the Premier League, but Chelsea should also make sure to bring in a more experienced centre-back, having identified a number of targets.

Glasgow Rangers’ next managerial appointment at Ibrox is the most important decision in the club’s recent history.

Since Rangers won league title number 55 in the 2020/21 season, the Gers have gone from coach to coach with no real identity, winning just two trophies in the process.

With the 49ers Enterprises takeover reportedly edging closer to completion, whoever comes in to manage at Ibrox next must be the man who can end years of their Old Firm rivals’ dominance.

Of course, this is easier said than done, especially considering the magnitude of the challenge faced by the next manager. Can a team be built over the course of a single summer that could change the future of the Light Blues?

It will be difficult, but there is no doubt that it can be done. Martin O’Neil signed players such as Chris Sutton, Neil Lennon and Alan Thompson upon arriving at the club in the summer of 2000.

A year later, he led the club to a treble success, reinvigorating the Parkhead side within a single transfer window.

Fast-forward 20 years and Ange Postecoglou did a similar sort of thing when he took the reins ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Rangers must bring in their own Postecoglou this summer

During the summer of 2021, Steven Gerrard was looking to kick on from the club’s Premiership title success and turn them into the dominant force in Scotland.

A lack of backing by the board – which ultimately culminated in his departure that November – meant the Light Blues didn’t make much progress on the field, domestically anyway.

Postecoglou was deemed a risky appointment by Celtic, despite enjoying success in Japan during his previous role. Signings such as Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Jota provided the springboard for the Parkhead side to eventually overtake their rivals, although it did take a few months for things to gel.

The following year, they won another treble, and it was evident that the Australian manager had built something special in the space of just two years.

His style of play ensured Celtic had an identity, and they regularly got the best of the Gers during this period, losing to the Ibrox side just three times under the current Spurs manager.

Perhaps this is the direction that Rangers should be heading in this summer? Bringing in someone with a distinctive style of play that will appease the supporters and, in turn, achieve positive results.

As such, a shortlist has reportedly been chosen by the club for whom the next manager could be.

Rangers search for a new manager

The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has reported recently that a quartet of names are being considered for the vacant managerial role. Gerrard is being ‘considered’ for the job, despite the board wanting to go in a new direction. Elsewhere, Rob Edwards, Gary O’Neil and Russell Martin are the other three names which are mentioned in the report.

McGrath states that there is ‘no clear favourite’ and there are several foreign coaches also on the current longlist.

With news that Athletic Club were knocked out of the Europa League at the semi-final stage, Rangers now enter the second round of Champions League qualifying, with the first leg either on July 22 or 23.

This indicates that the club need to make a decision on a new manager as soon as possible, especially with competitive fixtures starting so soon after pre-season.

With so many names being linked or on a shortlist, could the club bring in their own Ange by appointing Martin to the role of first-team manager?

Why Rangers must hire Russell Martin

Martin’s name may not stand out with regard to several other of the potential candidates, including the likes of Marco Rose or even Gerrard, but his attacking style of play could be key in getting him the role.

Indeed, respected analyst John Walker has regularly lobbied for Martin to secure the job ahead of next season and has praised him on numerous occasions of late.

Goals

87

Goals per game

1.9

Ball possession

66%

Big chances per game

2.8

Clean sheets

12

Goals conceded per game

1.4

Walker said that Martin “improves younger players” while promoting “exciting attacking football” that could see Rangers begin to thrive in domestic competition once again.

Even greater praise has come from Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who said earlier this season: “He’s proven that his philosophy is extremely successful, what he did with Southampton and last year they were 25 games unbeaten. It was a joy to watch that team play, they deserve much more than what they have already.”

Indeed, Southampton may have struggled in the Premier League under the Scot, but in the second tier, they were incredible.

The Saints ranked in the top three out of all Championship clubs for chances created, shots at goal and big chances missed, while also completing the second-fewest long passes in the division.

This last statistic is particularly important. His teams love building up the play and focus on weak spots in the opposition defence. At times, under Philippe Clement, the back four regularly punted long balls up the pitch for the likes of Cyriel Dessers to chase, a tactic which did the coach no favours at all.

Judging by this, Martin has an approach which would fit with the direction Rangers wish to go in, especially with some of the players he will have at his disposal next season.

Operating with a 4-3-3 system, this could work wonders for the likes of Nico Raskin, Mohamed Diomande and Hamza Igamane going forwards.

Although he hasn’t won anything during his coaching career thus far, his style of play has been evident across spells with Southampton, Swansea and MK Dons. That much is certain.

Manager Focus

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Will the board and new owners wish to appoint him, however? Especially given his lack of success. Or will they take a gamble this summer?

With the way things have gone recently, perhaps a gamble wouldn’t be a bad idea. He might just turn out to the club’s very own Ange.

Forget about Cerny: Rangers could land the "next Sadio Mane" for just £1.7m

Rangers will need to sign a winger or two this summer

ByRoss Kilvington May 10, 2025

Chelsea have seen a huge improvement defensively in recent weeks, keeping five clean sheets in their last seven games, only conceding two goals and 16 shots on target across those seven games.

However, the attacking prowess does seem to have tailed off, with the Blues only scoring nine in their last seven games, with four of those goals coming against bottom of the Premier League, Southampton.

Enzo Maresca will be keen to add some extra firepower to his forward line this summer, with a new striker high on the wish list, alongside a new winger who suits the Italian’s system.

Chelsea battling for £64m "cheat code"

The Blues have been linked with a number of forwards over recent months, from Newcastle superstar Alexander Isak to Ipswich forward Liam Delap.

However, they’re not just casting their net across the Premier League but across European football, too.

Indeed, according to reports from TBR Football, Chelsea are interested in signing AC Milan’s £150m-rated winger, Rafael Leao. The player’s camp are currently assessing the player’s options ahead of the summer.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

That being said, the Blues could face competition from London rivals Arsenal, who are also now emerging as an option for the Portuguese winger.

Both Chelsea and Arsenal are keen to add a right-footed left-winger who offers a direct goal threat, speed in transition and creative qualities to unlock a game through their individual brilliance.

Leao has made 43 appearances for the Italian outfit this season, scoring ten goals, providing nine assists and totaling 2,997 minutes.

Chelsea are also reportedly in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens, so just how do the pair compare?

How Leao compares to Gittens this season

Dortmund’s Gittens is another target emerging for Maresca’s side and it’s easy to see why.

The 20-year-old sensation – who is seen as the future of English football – has made 42 appearances for the German outfit this season, netting 12 goals and providing four assists.

He notably shone in the Champions League, scoring against Real Madrid, and would be a superb signing. Still, he’s not quite as good as Leao.

Both players fit the bill of a Maresca winger, looking to get into plenty of 1v1 isolations with the opposition fullback, capable of going both inside and outside and having the directness to drive towards the box themselves.

One factor that could be slightly more worrying surrounding Leao compared to Gittens is work rate, with Maresca often asking his wide players to work hard defensively.

Goals

0.28

0.43

Assists

0.26

0.11

xG

0.28

0.20

xAG

0.27

0.13

Progressive Carries

4.86

5.74

Progressive Passes

3.67

2.08

Shots Total

2.30

2.59

Key Passes

2.09

1.09

Shot-Creating Actions

4.37

3.77

Successful Take-Ons

2.99

3.81

Whilst Gittens has a slightly higher shot volume, manages more progressive carries and successful take-ons, Leao offers more through creative passing, with more key passes, more shot-creating actions and higher assist numbers.

Described as one of football’s “cheat codes” by analyst Raj Chohan, Milan’s Portuguese star has blistering pace, the persistence to be direct and attack the opposition full-backs. He always forces them into uncomfortable scenarios and has the ability to create something out of nothing in a split second.

Both players would be excellent signings for Chelsea, but with the Blues already having such a young and inexperienced side, an addition like Leao could provide more of an instant boost, with a big-name signing to raise morale and ready to play a significant part in a title challenge.

He doesn’t turn the ball big, doesn’t have mystery deliveries, but whatever little he has is ideal for T20 and he keeps winning big moments

Sidharth Monga04-Jun-20251:27

Moody: Krunal Pandya screams character to me

Don’t look at numbers. Just close your eyes and say if you think Krunal Pandya is among the ten best bowlers in the IPL. You will, of course, say yes on the day that he became the first to win multiple Player-of-the-Match awards in IPL finals, but answer seriously: does he have any business being in the list of top-ten bowlers in the best, most competitive T20 league in the world?Now look at the numbers. He is among the top ten on every major metric in IPL 2025. He is No. 10 on most wickets, No. 7 on economy (among those who have bowled at least 25 overs), and No. 6 on ESPNcricinfo’s list of most impactful bowlers. Add to all that his 73 not out against Delhi Capitals (DC), and you have ESPNcricinfo’s second-most impactful performer of this IPL.This match was the perfect example of why Krunal sneaks into these lists, why he is valued by champion sides – this was his fourth title, after all – despite not looking like he should be. He doesn’t turn the ball big, he doesn’t have the classic action to get him alarming dip or drift, he doesn’t have mystery deliveries. But whatever he has is ideal for T20s: the right pace, the ability to pitch the ball where he wants to, the knowledge of where he should be pitching the ball, and a competitive streak.Related

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• Kohli and RCB are finally IPL champions

• Kohli: I've given this team my youth, my prime, my experience

Krunal’s combination of high pace and lengths almost provides him immunity from the shot that spinners hate the most: the sweep. All through this IPL, he has conceded just 65 runs to all the varieties of the sweep shot put together. Nine spinners have gone for more. In the final, they tried sweeping him twice but couldn’t score a run. The option then for the batters is to either get a bad ball or try to manipulate the length by going deep into the crease or skipping down the track.This is where Krunal shows his smarts. When a subdued Prabhsimran Singh finally decided to step out against him, Krunal watched till the end and bowled his slowest delivery till then and also went wide because Prabhsimran looks to make room when he charges a spinner. Bowled at 81.49kph, this also turned the most till then and went out of Prabhsimran’s reach.When Josh Inglis, Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) best batter of the night, charged him, Krunal went the other route: bowling only his second 100kph-plus delivery and looking to cramp Inglis for room because he advances straight down. Both those balls created wickets, but it was as much the work around those deliveries that won Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) their first IPL final.Krunal Pandya has now won four IPL titles•Getty ImagesKrunal bowled unchanged for an analysis of 4-0-17-2 after RCB had been kept to 190, the lowest first-innings score all season in Ahmedabad. In his four overs, Krunal overpitched only once. And that was a yorker. There was nothing in the 2-4m zone that you can hit without stepping out. Only one delivery out of the 20 that he bowled to right-hand batters pitched more than a set of stumps wide.Because Krunal relies on bowling into the pitch and tries to put work on the ball with his hand more than his action, he can tend to err on the shorter side. In T20 cricket, if you must err, it is better you do so on the shorter side. Still, only five balls went shorter than 7m, only one shorter than 8m.The only boundary Krunal conceded was when he pitched shorter than 7m and also went really slow, probably his attempt to turn the ball big gone wrong. His pace ranged from 79.88 to 108.33. Krunal said it takes guts to slow the ball down in T20 even though it did seem to him going slow was the thing to do.Coach Andy Flower said that RCB wanted Krunal precisely for his temperament, his experience of having been part of big matches. He repaid them immediately with his first match in the RCB red. He was only beginning as he meant to end. Now he is one of only eight players to have won four IPL finals. Another top ten you wouldn’t have bet on him making.

Cornwall smashed a century off 45 balls for Royals, while TKR found a new face in left-arm wristspinner Waqar Salamkheil

Rvel Zahid04-Sep-2023

Barbados Royals’ marvelous turnaround after heaviest CPL defeat

Early in the third week of the CPL, Knight Riders chased down 179 against Patriots, as all their big names delivered. Then they waltzed their way to a pulverising 133-run win over Royals, who were bundled for just 61 in pursuit of 195. That turned out to be the heaviest defeat by margin of runs in the history of the tournament.Martin Guptill hogged the limelight with an unbeaten 100 from only 58 balls despite having started with a run-a-ball 20. Earlier this year, Guptill had slammed the first century of this year’s PSL, something which he repeated at the CPL too this season.Related

• Rayudu, Muzarabani end CPL stints with Patriots after three games

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But in just about 24 hours, Rovman Powell galvanised his team into action, as Royals comfortably chased down 161 against defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs.Tallawahs opener Alex Hales failed to create an impact in his first game of season, while on the other hand, Alick Athanaze’s mature knock of 76 for Royals eclipsed Shamarh Brooks’ 78 for Tallawahs. Athanaze stole the show with his pyrotechnics in a crunch situation, as he continues making big strides in the nascent stage of his career. After scoring the joint-fastest fifty on ODI debut against UAE in June, he gave resounding proof of his batting prowess with a match-winning knock against Tallawahs.But at the post-match presentation, Powell urged those concerned to manage Athanaze well: “I think he has a very good future. It’s important that West Indies look at that, and start managing him. We have seen players play all three formats in such quick time. There is a lot of talent in the Caribbean, but the problem is we don’t harness that talent.”Thereon, Royals’ topsy-turvy campaign continued as they suffered a 90-run defeat at the hands of St Lucia Kings. However, they saved their best batting performance for the last game of the Barbados leg, which came against Patriots. Royals beat the bottom-placed Patriots by hunting down 221 with as many as eight wickets and 11 deliveries to spare.Johnson Charles struck 78 off 52 balls against Barbados Royals•CPL T20 via Getty ImagesIt was ‘Cornball’ all the way: Rahkeem Cornwall ruled the roost with a jaw-dropping century that put his team in the driver’s seat before retiring hurt on 102 seemingly because of tiredness. Given how Royals’ top order had been struggling before the final game of week three, not many would have envisaged that they would gun down the mammoth target rather convincingly.Cornwall entertained the home crowd splendidly with his power-hitting, as one of his 12 sixes included a monstrous 110-meter hit which surpassed Kieron Pollard’s 107-meter six earlier in the tournament. Cornwall then bettered his own record by crashing a 111-meter six over backward square. He got to his hundred off 45 balls, and followed that with a bat-drop celebration.

St Lucia Kings’ juggernaut rolls on with Raza at the helm

Stand-in captain Sikandar Raza hasn’t let Kings’ intensity drop a wee bit after regular captain Faf du Plessis’ departure for a surgery for his long-standing tennis-elbow injury. Under Raza, Kings beat Royals by 90 runs, further solidifying their hold at the top of the table after three wins from their last five games, two of which were washed out by rain.Waqar Salamkheil got 2 for 21 in the two-run win over Jamaica Tallawahs•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Salamkheil helps Trinbago Knight Riders clinch nail-biter

Knight Riders edged past Tallawahs by two runs while defending 142, as Waqar Salamkheil followed up his 4 for 14 against Royals with 2 for 21. Royals needed 12 in the final over of the chase, before Imad Wasim’s boundary brought it down to eight off five balls. But Ali Khan bowled three dots in a row, and though Imad hit a four again, he could manage only a leg bye out of the remaining four required off the last delivery.Earlier, during Knight Riders’ innings, Tallawahs’ debutant Kelvin Pitman picked up 3 for 27, including the wickets of Nicholas Pooran and Pollard. And though Pitman’s efforts went in vain, Tallawahs will be pleased with his performance as the group stage nears its business end.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots’ woeful campaign continues

Patriots’ fortunes couldn’t change either under Evin Lewis or Sherfane Rutherford, as they suffered a massive defeat against Amazon Warriors. Patriots made a forgettable start to the third week, succumbing for 88 in pursuit of 187 after Dwaine Pretorius dented them early with three wickets.That was followed by a big defeat at the hands of Royals despite raking up 220, which included half-centuries from Rutherford, Will Smeed and Andre Fletcher. That meant six losses in a row after their first two matches were washed out, keeping them at only two points from eight matches. With Rutherford leading against Royals, Patriots were let down by the bowlers and he also rued the fielding lapses after the loss.”Nothing is guaranteed, so we just need to keep a good mindset, stick together, and anything can happen,” he said.

And who holds the record for the most runs before lunch in first-class and Test cricket?

Steven Lynch10-Aug-2021Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, with a combined age of 74, opened the bowling in the first Test against India. Was this anywhere near a record? asked Phil Wiseman from England

The combined age of England’s new-ball pair at Trent Bridge in the first Test – Jimmy Anderson turned 39 less than a fortnight ago, while Stuart Broad was 35 in June – was not quite the oldest for England. Back in 1947-48, Harold Butler (almost 35) and Gubby Allen, the 45-year-old captain, took the new ball against West Indies in Port-of-Spain.Butler and Allen were the oldest pair of fast(ish) bowlers to open any Test innings, but there have been three older combinations involving spinners. The remarkable Australian slow left-armer Bert Ironmonger features in the top two: he was 48 when he took the new ball with medium-pacer Ron Oxenham (39) in the second innings against West Indies in Sydney in 1930-31. Two seasons earlier, Ironmonger (making his debut at 46) had opened with legspinner Clarrie Grimmett (nearly 37) against England in Brisbane, again in the second innings. The other instance came for South Africa at Lord’s in 1951 when, with England needing just 16 to win, skipper Dudley Nourse (40) opened the bowling with Eric Rowan (41).The oldest new-ball pair since that 1951 match involved two more spinners – Rangana Herath (40) and Dilruwan Perera (who celebrated his 36th birthday during the match) for Sri Lanka against South Africa in Colombo in 2018.I believe that “caught Marsh bowled Lillee” is still the most prolific fielder-bowler combination in Tests. Is anyone close, and who holds the records for one-day and T20I? asked Kieron McKenna from Australia

You’re right that “c Marsh b Lillee” is still top of this list in Tests: there were 95 such dismissals. Also for Australia, “c Gilchrist b McGrath” came close with 90, but the leading current combination is some way down the list – there have been 52 instances of “c de Kock b Rabada” so far. That assumes that New Zealand’s BJ Watling really has retired – he caught 75 off Tim Southee, 57 off Trent Boult, and 55 off Neil Wagner (all including a few in the field, not as wicketkeeper).The record in ODIs is 75 instances of “c Boucher b Ntini”, just ahead of Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist, who combined for 72 catches – and, surprisingly, a stumping. The victim was New Zealand’s Craig McMillan, who strayed out of his crease in Wellington in 2004-05. Some suggested McGrath might not have been too pleased that the keeper had moved up to the stumps, after spotting McMillan leaving his ground: “I believe he is trying to have it withdrawn from the record books,” joked Gilchrist a few years later.In T20Is the most prolific pair is Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh, who have so far shared six catches and 11 stumpings; the Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal took 14 stumpings and one catch off Saeed Ajmal.There were four ducks in England’s total of 183 on the first day of the first Test. I was wondering what the highest and lowest Test totals were with four or more ducks? asked Mrinal Sinha from India

The four ducks in England’s first-innings 183 at Trent Bridge was a long way from either record. The highest total which has included four players who were out for nought was 501, by West Indies against India in Georgetown in 2002 – the local pair of Carl Hooper (233) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (140) made up for the other failures. When South Africa totalled 429 against Bangladesh in Centurion in 2008-09, their total included five ducks (and centuries from Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher).The lowest is, perhaps not surprisingly, the lowest Test total of all – New Zealand’s 26 against England in Auckland in 1954-55 included four ducks (and a highest score of 11).Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Jos Buttler and Ollie Robinson all fell for a duck each in England’s first innings•Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty ImagesFurther to the recent questions about birthday performances, has anyone scored a T20I century on the big day? asked Tim Johnstone from New Zealand

The only man to achieve this distinction is Australia’s David Warner, who smacked 100 not out from 56 balls against Sri Lanka in Adelaide on his 33rd birthday in October 2019. The next-highest is a more modest 60 not out, by Yuvraj Singh for India against Sri Lanka in Mohali on his 28th birthday in December 2009 (he also took 3 for 23).The highest score in one-day internationals by a player on his birthday is 134, by Sachin Tendulkar for India against Australia in Sharjah on the day he turned 25 in April 1998. Three others – Ross Taylor (131 not out on his 27th birthday in March 2011), Sanath Jayasuriya (130 on his 39th in June 2008) and Vinod Kambli (100 not out on his 21st in January 1993) – have scored ODI centuries on their birthdays.Who holds the record for the most runs before lunch – in Tests and in first-class cricket? asked Keith Waterfield from Scotland

The most runs in a pre-lunch session in a Test match is 130, by England’s Ben Stokes, who zoomed from 74 to 204 on the second morning against South Africa in Cape Town in 2015-16. He finished with 258, including 30 fours and 11 sixes. Stokes beat the old record of 123, set by Les Ames, also for England, against South Africa at The Oval in 1935.The most on the first day of a Test match is 112, by Charlie Macartney for Australia against England at Headingley in 1926. Macartney came in at No. 3, after Warren Bardsley had been dismissed by the first ball of the game. There have been only five other centuries before lunch on the first day of any Test.The first-class record is held by the South African Test player Russell Endean, who smashed a scarcely believable 197 runs before lunch on the first day for Transvaal against Orange Free State in Johannesburg in 1954-55. One explanation, though, is that it was a three-hour pre-lunch session. Endean was deprived of the chance of a unique double-century before lunch when his batting partner, Cyril Tayfield (the brother of Test offspinner Hugh), saw out the last over before the interval. That onslaught broke the mark set by the magical Indian KS Ranjitsinhji, who stroked 180 runs before a declaration at lunch on the second day of Sussex’s match against Surrey in Hastings in 1902.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

The Dodgers built a comfortable lead over the Reds in Game 1 of their National League wild-card series and hung on for a 10–5 victory. Shohei Ohtani blasted a titanic home run and Blake Snell was dominant through seven innings. But a trio of pitchers—Alex Vesia, Edgardo Henriquez and Jack Dreyer—were very shaky in an eighth inning that resulted in three Cincinnati runs.

And Colin Cowherd thinks that's a very bad sign for a team expected to valiantly defend their World Series crown.

"Last night's a prime example of why they're not going to win the World Series," Cowherd said on his show Wednesday. "

"Dave Roberts doesn't trust the bullpen," he continued. "Dodger fans don't trust the bullpen. The Dodger bullpen doesn't trust the bullpen. They're going to push their starters as long as they can go."

Cowherd believes Los Angeles need to get great starting pitching and have their big bats deliver. Which sounds like a lot but is the same challenge almost every team in the MLB playoffs is hoping to receive. So there's no need to panic, especially with that lineup.

There is also the possibility that razor-sharp focus wasn't there in an 8–0 game and the effort could be better with more on the line.

"It feels good," Cowherd said of the opening triumph. "But this is how they're going to have to win."

Chelsea have built a squad full of brilliant players over the last few years, with the likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella all being genuinely world-class.

However, it would also be fair to say that, so far, their summer signings have not exactly hit the ground running.

In particular, Jamie Gittens has failed to live up to the expectations people had of him after his impressive campaign with Borussia Dortmund last year, during which he recorded 17 goal involvements.

So, it’s not a surprise to see reports linking Chelsea with an exceptionally exciting winger who could end up being a significant upgrade on the Englishman.

Chelsea target Gittens upgrade

With the transfer window less than a month away from reopening, Chelsea have once again been linked with a plethora of brilliant players.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, while there has been plenty of talk about Emmanuel Emegha, the Blues have also been linked with his free-scoring teammate, Joaquín Panichelli.

On top of that, the West Londoners have also been one of several sides linked with Nottingham Forest’s imposing Murillo.

However, while both players would improve Maresca’s squad, because of where they play, neither could be described as an upgrade on Gittens, unlike Yan Diamonde.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are one of a handful of top teams interested in signing the Ivorian winger.

In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the Blues’ board are convinced about the 19-year-old wonderkid and see him fitting into the team perfectly.

However, on top of having to get ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, the Pensionsers would also have to stump up a lot of money to secure the player.

According to the report, RB Leipzig would want up to €100m to sell their star asset, which is about £87m, but even so, Diomande looks like a player Chelsea should go all out for, especially as he’d be a significant Gittens upgrade.

How Diomande compares Gittens

Now, while Diomande is someone who can play on both flanks and has actually spent a little more time on the right recently, he is seen as a left-sided player.

Therefore, were he to join Chelsea next month, one of his main rivals for game time would be Gittens, but who is the better player?

Well, when it comes to raw output, which is fundamentally the most crucial metric of all, it’s not even close.

For example, in 15 first-team appearances this season, totalling just 951 minutes, the Ivorian star has scored seven goals and provided four assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.36 games, or every 86.45 minutes, which is a rate of return that lends credence to journalist Bence Bocsák’s claim that he is a “generational talent.”

Appearances

15

18

Minutes

951′

830′

Goals

7

1

Assists

4

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.73

0.27

Minutes per Goal Involvement

86.45

138.33′

In stark contrast, the Englishman has scored a single goal and provided five assists in 18 appearances this season, totalling 830 minutes.

That comes out to a pretty underwhelming average of a goal involvement every three games, or every 138.33 minutes.

Moreover, a caveat about the Reading-born ace’s age cannot be made, as the Leipzig star is just 19 and already running games in attack.

On top of having the better output, the Abidjan-born superstar in the making also has some brilliant underlying numbers to his name.

For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 2% for progressive carries, the top 10% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Finally, while the competition is less fierce, it is impressive that the Ivorian monster has already won four senior caps for his country, compared to none for the Englishman.

Ultimately, Gittens may well come good, but at the same time, Diomande is massively outperforming him and looks like someone Chelsea should break the bank on.

Fewer touches than Sanchez & 70% duels lost: Chelsea flop must be dropped

It was another night to forget for Chelsea, especially for one starter who Enzo Maresca must now drop.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 5 days ago

It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster season for Chelsea already this year.

One week, they’ll demolish Barcelona in the Champions League and hold Premier League leaders Arsenal to a 1-1 draw despite being down a man, but just a few days later, they’ll go and lose 3-1 away at newly promoted Leeds United.

The West Londoners do have a lot of talent in the team, but they’ve also got areas that are underperforming, like their summer striker signings, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap.

It looks like the club aren’t overly pleased with the pair’s output either, as reports are now linking them with a goalscoring striker who could send them both packing.

Chelsea target Delap & Pedro upgrade

As is the case every year, Chelsea have started to be linked with a whole host of brilliant players ahead of the winter transfer window opening next month.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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For example, Club Brugge’s highly rated young centre-back, Joel Ordonez, has been touted for a move to Stamford Bridge, where he would join up with former Independiente del Valle teammate and compatriot Moises Caicedo.

However, while the Ecuadorian international could be the answer to the Blues’ defensive issues, he’s certainly not an upgrade on Delap or Pedro, unlike Serhou Guirassy.

Yes, according to a recent report from German publication BILD, Chelsea are one of several sides interested in signing the prolific centre-forward.

In fact, the report has revealed that the West Londoners have already been in contact with the player’s camp over a potential move.

However, any move would have to take place in the summer as the 29-year-old has made it clear he wishes to end the season with Borussia Dortmund, who have placed a €50m release clause in his deal, which is about £44m.

Even so, this is a transfer Chelsea should be pushing for, as Guirassy is a goal machine and would be a clear upgrade on Pedro and Delap.

How Guirassy compares to Delap and Pedro

Now, there are two things that both Pedro and Delap have over Guirassy.

These are their ages, as the Guinea international is now 29, and they have Premier League experience.

However, the Dortmund star has them not just beaten, but comfortably so, when it comes to the most important metric of all for forwards: output.

For example, so far this season, the 26-capped international has scored nine goals and provided four assists in 19 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.46 games, or every 115.46 minutes.

In contrast, the Brazilian has produced seven goal involvements in 17 appearances, totalling 1345 minutes, which comes out to an average of one every 2.42 games, or every 192.14 minutes.

For his efforts, the Englishman has produced a single goal involvement in ten appearances, totalling 421 minutes.

Okay then, what about last season? Surely it wasn’t as one-sided?

Unfortunately for the two Chelsea stars, it very much was, with the Dortmund monster racking up a truly world-class tally of 38 goals and nine assists in 50 appearances, totalling 4244 minutes.

That comes out to an outrageous average of a goal involvement every 1.06 games, or every 90.29 minutes, which more than justifies Lothar Matthaus’ claim that he is “one of the best strikers in Europe.”

Guirassy vs Pedro vs Delap

24/25

Guirassy

Pedro

Delap

Games

50

33

46

Minutes

4244′

2299′

2976′

Goals

38

13

13

Assists

9

7

3

25/26

Guirassy

Pedro

Delap

Games

19

17

10

Minutes

1501′

1345′

421′

Goals

9

4

1

Assists

4

3

0

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For comparison’s sake, Pedro produced 20 goal involvements in 33 appearances, totalling 2299 minutes, which is an average of one every 1.65 games, or every 114.95 minutes.

Delap did even worse than that, producing 16 goal involvements in 46 appearances, totalling 2976 minutes, which comes out to an average of one every 2.87 games, or every 186 minutes.

Ultimately, while it might not be a simple transfer to complete, Chelsea should be going all out to sign Guirassy, even if that spells the end for their two summer signings.

Related Watch out Cucurella: Chelsea in pole position to sign "exceptional" £53m star

Cucurella could find himself with some extra competition if Chelsea sign this international monster.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 3, 2025

One former Atlanta Brave is over Ronald Acuna Jr.

Earlier this week, Acuna called out Braves manager Brian Snitker for his handling of an incident where outfielder Jarred Kelenic didn't hustle on a ball hit to the outfield. Kelenic presumed the ball was leaving the park for a home run, but was thrown out at second base when it stayed in play as he rushed in an attempt to salvage a double.

Snitker said he didn't make a comment to Kelenic about the play, and Acuna jumped on X and said, "If it were me, they would take me out of the game."

On Tuesday, broadcaster and former Atlanta outfielder Jeff Francoeur joined on Sports Radio 680 The Fan and discussed the situation.

Francoeur defended Snitker and Kelenic, claiming it was the first time he hadn't run in a situation like that, while Acuna had been warned about running balls out repeatedly. Then he waded into some deeper waters by claiming the Braves didn't actually need their superstar outfielder.

"We won a World Series without Ronald, we went to the playoffs with(out) Ronald, you don't have to have him," Francoeur said.

While it's true that no player is bigger than the team, Acuna's presence makes the Braves a contender. When they won that World Series in 2021, they had Freddie Freeman, Dansby Swanson, Jorge Soler, Adam Duvall, Charlie Morton, Max Fried, and others to make up for his absence. While the roster is still excellent, it's not loaded like it was that season.

Acuna is currently recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. The four-time All-Star and 2023 National League MVP is still a month away from returning to the Braves.