WHY CHELSEA ARE BETTING ON LIAM DELAP’S LONG-TERM STAMFORD BRIDGE FUTURE
Not for sale: Discover why Chelsea is blocking Everton's move for Liam Delap and Rosenior's plans for the Arsenal derby.
Chelsea have some thinking to do about Liam Delap’s future at Stamford Bridge this summer. They really don’t want to let him go, even though Everton are sniffing around, according to Football Insider. The club just isn’t interested in selling; they want Delap around for next season. He’s signed until June 2031, so there’s no rush.
Right now, Chelsea sits fifth in the Premier League after 27 games. They’re just ahead of Liverpool on goal difference. Last time out, they drew 1-1 at home with Burnley. Not exactly the result they wanted.
Chelsea only picked up Delap from Ipswich Town last year. He was brought in to give their attack a boost, add some competition, and deepen the squad up front. The 23-year-old has played 25 times in all competitions this season, with 18 league appearances. He’s only managed two goals and four assists so far – not exactly lighting it up – but there’s still time for him to find his feet.
Delap’s taken the long road already. He started at Derby County, then joined Manchester City’s youth setup in 2019. He only made six first-team appearances for City, but he got loan moves to Stoke, Preston, and Hull in the Championship to toughen up and get more minutes. Ipswich signed him permanently in 2024, and then Chelsea came calling.
So, what’s next after that frustrating draw with Burnley? Chelsea have to head to the Emirates to face Arsenal this weekend. After the Burnley game, Liam Rosenior didn’t mince words. He said, “We’ve basically thrown away four points in two home games. That’s not good enough for a club like this. It’s not enough to just play well; we have to win. I know what needs to change, and we’ll work on it this week. Every game is an inquest, win or lose. I’m learning which players you can rely on when things get tough, and we need to fix that fast.”
WHY REECE JAMES’ TENTH HAMSTRING SETBACK THREATENS CHELSEA’S TOP FIVE PURSUIT
Reece James faces another spell on the sidelines as Chelsea confirm the captain suffered a hamstring injury vs Newcastle.
Chelsea just got some tough news: their captain, Reece James, has picked up another hamstring injury, and he’s set for a scan to find out how bad it is.
The timing couldn’t be worse. With Chelsea pushing hard for a top-five finish in the Premier League, they’ve now lost their leader right when they need him most.
James had just played two full games in four days: first away against PSG in the Champions League, then at home versus Newcastle in the league. Right between those matches, he signed a new six-year deal with the club.
Fans started to worry when James missed Chelsea’s open training session on Monday, the day before PSG visited Stamford Bridge for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
At his press conference before the PSG match, Rosenior confirmed what people feared. “He felt something in his hamstring at the end of the Newcastle game,” Rosenior said. “We don’t know exactly how bad it is yet, but he’ll definitely miss the PSG game. Hamstring injuries are always tough, so we’ll get him scanned and see what we’re dealing with.”
Chelsea needs a miracle to turn around their Champions League tie after losing 5-2 to PSG in France last week.
For James, this is yet another setback. Since December 2020, he’s suffered ten different hamstring injuries, split between both legs. England manager Thomas Tuchel has even more reason to be anxious, with the national team set to play Uruguay and Japan later this month. James would have been a sure pick, and Tuchel has to name his World Cup squad by May 30.
Just last week, James joined Rosenior for a press conference after his new contract was announced. He told reporters, “I’m in a really good place at the moment; my body feels good." I’m playing regularly two or three games a week, and all I want is to help the team as much as I can.”
Unfortunately, luck just isn’t on his side. He’s set for several weeks out, watching from the sidelines again.
ANALYZING CHELSEA’S POSSESSION CONVERSION RATE CRISIS BEFORE HOSTING A HIGH SCORING PSG SIDE
Trevoh Chalobah targets a "special" night as Chelsea host PSG, aiming to overturn a 5-2 Champions League deficit.
Trevoh Chalobah is looking ahead to what he calls a “very special” night as Chelsea prepares to host Paris Saint-Germain at Stamford Bridge. After last week’s heavy 5-2 loss in Paris, where PSG pulled away late to take control, Chelsea faces the daunting task of overturning a three-goal deficit to reach the Champions League quarter-finals. The reward? A showdown with either Galatasaray or Liverpool.
Coming off a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Saturday, Chelsea have just three days between that disappointing result and this crucial second leg. Despite the tight schedule and the uphill battle, Chalobah remains optimistic, eager for a memorable night under the floodlights.
“This is Chelsea, and this is what we’re playing for,” Chalobah said ahead of the match. “We want to compete in the top competitions, both in Europe and in the Premier League. Tuesday’s game is big, and I’m sure it will be something special. It’s going to be tough, but we’ll give it our all. We have to move on from the last match and focus on what’s ahead, starting with PSG.”
Chelsea’s performance against Newcastle left fans frustrated, with the home side booing their team off following Anthony Gordon’s 18th-minute winner. While the defeat added to Chelsea’s struggles on home turf this season, Chalobah acknowledged that tough games like this are part of football.
“We created plenty of chances that didn’t quite come off,” he reflected. “We controlled a lot of possession, spent a lot of time in their half, but Newcastle defended well, sat deep, and made it difficult. We just lacked that final finish in front of the goal. It was a mix of things; our final product wasn’t quite there, and Newcastle were disciplined with their low block. They were clinical with their chance, and that made the difference.”
“These things happen in football. It’s often about small margins. Now, we just have to pick ourselves up and focus on the next challenges, because there are plenty of big games coming.”
