REECE JAMES SLAMS TEAMMATES AFTER SHOCKING COMEBACK DEFEAT TO CLINICAL ASTON VILLA
Chelsea captain Reece James blames "errors" as Ollie Watkins scores twice to give Aston Villa a 2-1 comeback win in London.
Chelsea's captain, Reece James, thinks they only have themselves to blame after blowing their lead at halftime and losing 2-1 to Aston Villa.
The Blues were on top in the first half at Stamford Bridge and should've scored more than just João Pedro's goal from James' corner.
Ollie Watkins came off the bench after the break, scoring two goals and shocking the home team. Villa was completely turned around by Unai Emery's subs, catching Chelsea off guard.
We were the better team for 60, 65 minutes, James said. We started strong, setting up the right way and getting on the attack.
They didn't get any chances in the first 60 minutes, and then they got one, and everything changed.
We knew they'd sub players, and the shape would change a bit, but it wasn't something we couldn't handle. We know how they want to play. We can only blame ourselves.
A couple of things in the second half changed the game. They got some energy. We made a couple of small mistakes and paid for them. That's why this league is the toughest. Losing at home is always a letdown.
Chelsea rarely looked this good at home in the first half of this season. Just four minutes in, Cole Palmer controlled the ball well and shot just wide. The England forward also made a strong run, setting up Enzo Fernández, whose shot went past the post.
Pedro got a foot to Pedro Neto's cross, but Emiliano Martínez made a close-range save as Chelsea kept creating chances.
After halftime, John McGinn took the ball from Alejandro Garnacho, and James forced Martinez into a great save. Then Emery made his subs—Watkins, Jadon Sancho, and Amadou Onana—and things changed.
Chelsea now only has one win in their last six Premier League games, dropping from second to fifth.
Lots of teams go through rough patches, James said. We just have to keep trying, game by game. We're fighting every day, trying to get better.
We need to forget this game and concentrate on the next one against Bournemouth in a few days. We have to get ready and come back to win.
Villa's win was their 11th in a row in all competitions and their 12th in 13 league games, keeping them in touch with the top of the Premier League.
Three months ago, they were worried about their poor form after not winning any of their first five league games.
We were very worried three months ago, in August and September, Emery said.
But we weren't looking at the standings; we were just thinking about each game, building a strong structure, and working hard.
JAVIER PASTORE SLAMS LIAM ROSENIOR’S "UNFAIR" SUSPENSION OF STAR ENZO FERNANDEZ
Enzo Fernandez’s agent warns Chelsea over "unfair" treatment as Real Madrid rumours swirl ahead of the World Cup.
Enzo Fernandez’s agent isn’t holding back; he just blasted Chelsea’s head coach, Liam Rosenior, and the higher-ups, calling the decision to bench Fernandez “completely unfair.” Fernandez, fresh off a World Cup win with Argentina, got punished after saying in an interview that he’d like to live in Madrid someday. Of course, that kicked off a round of speculation connecting him to Real Madrid.
His agent, Javier Pastore, who used to play for PSG, can’t believe Chelsea took such a hard line. Rosenior made it official: Fernandez won’t play in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale, or next weekend’s key Premier League meeting with Manchester City. The coach said Fernandez crossed the line when it comes to the club’s values, after talking about his interest in Spain.
But Pastore says that’s just not right. “This punishment doesn’t fit at all. You’re banning one of Chelsea’s most important players from two really crucial games that could decide if they make the Champions League,” he told The Athletic. Pastore says Fernandez is an anchor for the squad and, in his view, there’s no real justification for such a harsh response.
All this goes back to Fernandez telling an interviewer he’d like to live in Spain one day. Rosenior saw that as a distraction and disrespectful to the club, but Pastore insists his client was just honest about his lifestyle preferences, not making a pitch for a Real Madrid move. According to Pastore, Fernandez didn’t ask for this, and even though he accepted the coach’s call because he’s professional and respects the team, he still doesn’t get why it happened. “He never mentioned any club or said he wanted to leave Chelsea, not even close,” Pastore added. Fernandez only brought up Madrid because it reminds him of Buenos Aires, with the language and culture. “He never said he wanted to leave Chelsea or London,” Pastore pointed out.
And the timing couldn’t be messier. The club and Fernandez’s team have been talking about a possible contract extension for the £107 million signing, but this drama just put everything under a microscope. Pastore warned the board that if they don’t reach a new deal by the end of this summer’s World Cup, Fernandez will start looking at other clubs. That’s more pressure on a club already juggling internal issues. Pastore blamed journalists for overhyping Fernandez’s comments, insisting, “He never said he wanted to leave reporters just twisted things.”
Fernandez isn’t the only one clashing with Rosenior, either. The manager recently had to deal with Marc Cucurella’s interview about wanting to go back to Barcelona. Cucurella didn’t get suspended, but Rosenior made it clear he wasn’t happy those views went public instead of being handled inside the club. So, there’s definitely more than one fire to put out at Cobham these days.
MOISES CAICEDO SPARKS REAL MADRID TRANSFER RUMORS WITH "TIME WILL TELL" ADMISSION
Chelsea’s season hits a low point as Caicedo admits tactical struggles and refuses to rule out a Real Madrid move.
Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo isn’t exactly shutting down the rumours about a move to Real Madrid. When reporters asked if he could see himself joining Madrid one day, he dodged a firm answer. It’s a messy time for Chelsea, too, with captain Enzo Fernandez openly saying he likes Madrid and wouldn’t mind living in Spain. Fernandez got dropped for the next two games, and his agent is fuming about what he called an “unfair” decision.
It’s not helping the mood at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea just crashed out of the Champions League after four straight losses to PSG, and they’ve slipped to sixth in the league. The new manager, Liam Rosenior, is trying to pull everyone together before Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal against Port Vale. Still, there’s clear tension: Marc Cucurella used the international break to voice his own frustration.
Now Caicedo, another crucial player, has added to the uncertainty. Speaking to reporters in Madrid while on duty with Ecuador, he didn’t exactly hide the possibility of switching clubs: “You never really know in football, right?” he said. “I’m under contract with Chelsea, and honestly, I haven’t thought about leaving. But you just never know.”
He didn’t leave much doubt that he’s enjoying his time in London, though. “Chelsea is a great club. They’ve looked after me since I got here, and I want to give something back every game, for as long as I’m here. Time will tell.”
Caicedo has made 139 appearances since Chelsea spent £115 million to bring him in from Brighton last August. His contract runs until June 2031, which makes all the transfer talk kind of hypothetical for now, but his other quotes didn’t exactly kill the speculation.
Then there’s the coaching situation. Cucurella spoke up about how the team has struggled since Enzo Maresca left in January, and Caicedo agreed. “It’s tough. We got used to a certain style with Maresca, and Rosenior does things differently. It’s been hard to adapt,” he said. “Sometimes you adjust fast, sometimes it takes longer. Honestly, the whole team feels it right now. But we just have to push through. There’s still a lot to play for.”
