FORGET RICE & CAICEDO: WHY RAYAN CHERKI IS NOW THE PREMIER LEAGUE'S MUST-WATCH MIDFIELD KING
Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki is being hailed as an "old-school" genius. See how he compares to Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice.
Rory Jennings from talkSPORT thinks Rayan Cherki, not Declan Rice or Moises Caicedo, is the best midfielder in the Premier League right now.
Rice and Caicedo have both been great for Arsenal and Chelsea this season. Arsenal is leading the Premier League with 39 points, a little ahead of Manchester City and Aston Villa. Chelsea's had a rough patch recently, but Caicedo just got back from a ban in their 2-2 draw against Newcastle.
Lots of folks see those two as the top midfielders in the league because they're so important to their teams.
But Jennings is all about Rayan Cherki, who Man City got from Lyon for only £34 million this summer.
Rayan Cherki could be the best midfielder in the league right now, Jennings said on Drive. I really think he could be the best in the midfield.
Just look at how well and how consistently he's been playing.
He's just great to watch. He reminds me of those old-school, free-spirited players from the '70s who just played with flair.
Jennings went on, He really loves the game. He's not stuck in a system at all.
And Pep Guardiola seems to be getting the best out of him.
He's got quick feet, a knack for goals, and a great finish. I think he's one of the best players in the league, for sure.
Cherki was one of several new players Man City picked up this summer, including Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Even though he's only started seven league games because of a thigh issue he got in August, Cherki's been making a splash since he came back, racking up six Premier League assists.
But here's a different view:
Joe Cole, who used to star for Chelsea, isn't buying what Jennings is saying. Way back in November, Joe said Caicedo is the best midfielder in the world when it comes to bossing the field.
"I think he's close to being the best, maybe even is," Cole said on talkSPORT back then.
I watched him at Brighton and thought, 'He's the best midfielder in the world between the boxes.'
In today's game, where it's all about moving the ball and gaining ground, he's the best at it.
He breaks up plays, he's technically great, and I was wondering if he could score goals. Now he's adding goals to his game. And he's stepping up as a leader, too.
He's the most important player at Chelsea. If we had a final tomorrow, I'd want him on the team sheet first.
He's incredible, and that £100 million price tag is looking like a steal now.
AWONIYI DOUBLE LEAVES NOTTINGHAM FOREST ON THE VERGE OF PREMIER LEAGUE SAFETY
Nottingham Forest moved closer to safety with a 3-1 win over Chelsea, while West Ham fell into the relegation zone after Spurs won.
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Nottingham Forest came out of the weekend looking pretty safe after pulling off an impressive 3-1 win at Chelsea. They’re almost clear of the relegation mess. Tottenham’s big away win at Aston Villa shook things up too, and now West Ham are back in the bottom three, running out of time faster than ever.
Forest have stepped up just when they needed to, leaving West Ham and Tottenham behind with a string of solid performances. Honestly, no one saw this coming, especially since Vitor Pereira shuffled his lineup with eight changes, fresh off a Europa League win against Aston Villa.
Even so, Forest were ahead within 90 seconds, thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi’s quick strike. By the 15th minute, Igor Jesus calmly buried a penalty after Malo Gusto’s reckless foul in the box. Chelsea had a chance to get back in it, but Cole Palmer wasted a penalty right before the break after a scary head collision involving Jesse Derry.
Awoniyi doubled down and scored again early in the second half, pushing Forest six points ahead of West Ham with just three games left.
West Ham’s weekend started badly; they looked flat and lost to Brentford. Things got worse Sunday night when Tottenham pulled off their first back-to-back Premier League wins since August 2025, beating a heavily rotated Aston Villa side 2-1.
Forest is now out of West Ham’s reach, or almost. Tottenham’s still close enough for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team to worry, but with three tough games coming up, Spurs could stay up even without another win, unless West Ham digs deep and pulls off something unexpected before their home finale against Leeds.
Right now, Forest can practically taste safety. Spurs finally see a way out after weeks of struggle. As for West Ham, they’re left hoping for a miracle, a last-minute twist to dodge the drop.
CESC FABREGAS CONFIRMS INTEREST IN PREMIER LEAGUE RETURN AMID CHELSEA'S MANAGER SEARCH
As Chelsea searches for a new manager, Cesc Fabregas breaks his silence on his future at Como and his Premier League ambitions.
Cesc Fabregas recalls exactly how a conversation with Jose Mourinho prompted him to join Chelsea, despite having the opportunity to return to Arsenal.
After winning six trophies in just three seasons, the Spanish World Cup winner left Barcelona for the second time in 2014. That summer, Fabregas made a move back to the Premier League, signing with Chelsea for about €33 million.
He already knew English football well. Fabregas had arrived at Arsenal as a 16-year-old from Barcelona in 2003 and made 212 Premier League appearances for them. When he decided to leave Barcelona, Manchester City also wanted him, but Chelsea convinced him, mostly thanks to Mourinho.
Talking with talkSPORT’s Rory Jennings on YouTube, Fabregas laid out how it all happened. “Honestly, when I made up my mind to leave Barcelona, my first thought was just to go back to Arsenal. They had this buyback clause; they had two weeks to use it after I told them I was leaving. They knew about it but didn’t take it. That surprised me a little, but in the end, I had to think about my career. I was 27, at the peak of my career, and I wanted to continue performing and winning trophies. City and Chelsea were both options.
“But when Mourinho spoke to me, that was it. He showed me his plans for the team and told me about Diego Costa, Courtois, and Filipe Luis and how, with those guys, we’d win the league. He was right, by the way. We won both the Premier League and the Carling Cup.”
Fabregas wasted no time winning over Chelsea fans. On his debut at Burnley, he set up two goals, including a stunning assist for Andre Schurrle. He finished his first season at Chelsea with five goals and 24 assists, along with Premier League and League Cup medals.
Things dipped the next season. Fabregas got just 15 goal contributions, and Chelsea slipped all the way to tenth. But when Antonio Conte took charge in 2016-17, they bounced back, and Fabregas picked up another league title.
He added an FA Cup win in 2018, his second, after his earlier one with Arsenal, and left for Monaco a few months later. His last Chelsea match came in the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest. When he got subbed off, he couldn’t hold back tears.
Chelsea supporters still sing about him; that “Oh, Fabregas is magic...” chant sticks around. And with his name in the conversation for a possible return, maybe they haven’t seen the last of him yet.
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