Sports
Chelsea double injury setback hurts more than Delap suspension
Enzo Maresca was not happy with Liam Delap on Wednesday night.
Only just back from injury for Chelsea‘s Carabao Cup fourth round clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, the striker will now miss another Premier League match after being sent off at Molineux.
The 22-year-old had missed ten matches in all competitions due to a hamstring injury and will now miss the Premier League clash with fierce London rivals Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
Maresca said after the game: “After the yellow card, I told him four or five times, keep calm. But Liam is a player inside the pitch, playing the game for himself and he struggles to listen to things around him.
“Very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary. Absolutely deserved. It was a stupid foul. We can avoid that. I completely support the red card.”
Disciplinary problems
Chelsea have the worst disciplinary record, not only in the English top flight, but across Europe’s top five divisions. Delap’s sending off was the Blues’ fifth of the season in all competitions, with only Spanish side Girona suffering as many red cards.
Chelsea take on Spurs at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with the game live on Sky Sports at 5.30pm. It is the big game of the weekend, with the two teams expecting to be jostling for Champions League positions come the end of the season.
Without Delap, Maresca is likely to have to call upon Marc Guiu again in the striker role, unless he goes with Joao Pedro as the central striker, although he has hinted already that he does not see the Brazilian playing there.
“Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao’s a fantastic player, he’s going to score and give assists but he’s a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland.”
Injury problems
Delap is added to a list of players Maresca cannot call upon for the derby with Spurs, and while it will be frustrating not to have him available, after just getting him back, there are two, perhaps bigger problems for the clash.
Chelsea’s injury list boasts key names like Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill and Benoit Badiashile already and two of those names are perhaps bigger misses than Delap would be.
Palmer is a hugely influential figure for the Blues, while Colwill is also an integral part of the defence when he is available. Not only that, but both have a perfect record when playing against Tottenham.
Palmer has been involved in all four games against Spurs in the past two seasons, with a 100% record from those matches, scoring three goals and providing two assists.
Colwill missed one of those four through injury, but also has a 100% record as a Chelsea player against Tottenham. He did, however, lose to Spurs while he was on loan at Brighton – a 2-1 defeat in 2023.
Sports
Arsenal Want to Sign £52m Bayern Munich Target Nathaniel Brown
Arsenal are showing interest in Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown, according to The Athletic.
The Gunners paraded their Premier League title through the streets of North London on Sunday afternoon as they celebrated a successful season under Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal missed out on Champions League glory after losing on penalties to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain. However, the North London outfit will be keen to build on the 2025-26 campaign as they prepare to defend their league title.
The Gunners are looking to strengthen their squad this summer as they look to maintain their status as one of the best sides in Europe.
Arsenal interested in Nathaniel Brown
Brown, 22, is ‘expected’ to leave Eintracht Frankfurt this summer and according to The Athletic he is wanted by both Bayern Munich and Arsenal.
The left-back is part of Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany World Cup squad and can also play as a left-sided forward. It has been reported Frankfurt will look for around £52m to part ways with the player.
His performances at the World Cup have the potential to bump his price tag up.
Earlier this season, Nagelsmann described the player as “very fast, creative, and very composed on the ball”.
He made 42 appearances for Frankfurt in all competitions in the most recent campaign, with four goals and six assists.
Brown played at left-back 20 times and in left midfield 16 times while on three occasions he was used as left winger. He also filled in at right-back and centre midfield on a handful of occasions.
If Arsenal did make a firm move for the player, he could offer versatility to Arteta. He has previously been linked to Premier League rivals Manchester United.
Nathaniel Brown poised for key Germany role at World Cup
Brown came off the bench twice during Germany’s World Cup qualification campaign but the most recent international break suggests the player has moved himself up the pecking order.
Speaking back in March, Nagelsmann said Germany “expect a lot of him” and that “his time will come soon.”
During the friendlies in March, Brown started both games as Germany beat Ghana 2-1 and hammered Finland 4-0 – suggesting he is set to form a key part of the squad for the tournament which starts next week.
Arsenal already have strong options at left-back with Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly, although the latter is a midfielder by trade.
Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli are the left-forward options. It is unclear how Brown would fit into Arteta’s plans.
He can offer the versatility of playing anywhere on the left while a potential move to North London could see Lewis-Skelly be used more regularly in his natural midfield position.
Arsenal Want to Sell 4 Stars After Losing CL Final – With Dream Replacements Named
Their four dream replacements have also been named 👀
Sports
Liverpool Working on ‘Fast’ Deal for Diomande, He’s Iraola’s Next Semenyo
Liverpool are closing in on appointing Andoni Iraola as their new manager with an agreement already reached between the two parties.
Liverpool chiefs will have tasked the former Bournemouth boss with turning their fortunes around following a tough season on and off the pitch at Anfield.
The Reds produced a miserable defence of their Premier League title as they finished fifth and 25 points behind champions Arsenal, although they faced the heartbreaking loss of Diogo Jota, while club-record signing Alexander Isak was impacted by injury throughout the campaign.
Meanwhile, Iraola led the Cherries to sixth and Europa League football, following an outstanding second half of the season on the south coast.
The 43-year-old arrives at Anfield as one of the best young coaches in European football, and a manager who is brilliant tactically and loves to play the high-intensity football that Reds supporters love.
While Liverpool still have a lot of good players in their ranks, there will be changes this summer, with some enforced after the departures of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate this summer.
Incomings are on their way, especially in attacking areas where there is a shortage of quality and depth after Salah’s exit.
Romano: Liverpool In Talks Over ‘Fast’ Yan Diomande Deal
Liverpool’s priority is to sign a replacement for Salah this summer, and RB Leipzig sensation Yan Diomande has emerged as one of their top targets to replace the Egyptian on the right after a breakthrough campaign for the Bundesliga outfit.
The 19-year-old scored 13 goals and registered a further 10 assists this term for Leipzig, which are impressive numbers for a teenager, and reports in Germany have suggested that the club value him at up to £130m.
As well as his goal contribution numbers, Diomande has also impressed with his pressing intensity and his work rate, which prove he is a team player despite being someone who causes nightmares for defenders.
Romano has issued the latest on Liverpool’s pursuit of Diomande, who is also a target for Paris Saint-Germain, on his YouTube channel, with the player’s representatives wanting a deal wrapped up before the World Cup begins on June 11.
He said: “Liverpool are in negotiations. They are on it, for sure. PSG are also speaking with the player’s camp. The battle is on.
“I can tell you the preference on the player side is to do the deal fast before the start of the World Cup so Diomande can go to the World Cup without thinking. They will try to accelerate the deal before the World Cup.
“It will depend on Leipzig. It is never easy to negotiate with them but Liverpool and PSG are both working on it.”
Diomande Would be Iraola’s Next Semenyo
Semenyo exploded under Iraola at the Vitality Stadium prior to his move to Manchester City, scoring 10 Premier League goals this season before his transfer in the January window.
Like Diomande, Semenyo showed he could play on both flanks during his time with Bournemouth, and he caused big issues for his opponents.
Germany-based journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor is someone who has watched a lot of Diomande during the 2025-26 campaign, and he even said himself that the Ivorian ‘reminds me of Semenyo’.
It appears as though Diomande isn’t going to come cheap this summer, but he has the attributes to thrive under Iraola at Anfield if a move does materialise.
Sports
Gilberto Silva Ranked Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes From Worst to Best
One of the biggest debates in English football, one that still rages today, is who was the better player: Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard? The question is one that has split opinions throughout the sport, with fans, players and pundits offering their takes on the subject.
All three shone in the Premier League. Scholes represented Manchester United and was key to their success throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Gerrard was Liverpool through and through, guiding the Merseyside club to the promised land on multiple occasions throughout the 2000s and 2010s, and Lampard first impressed at West Ham United before becoming a Chelsea legend, known for his goalscoring exploits as the Blues wrestled control of the Premier League from United during the 2000s and 2010s.
All three were very different kinds of players, but they’ve been compared to one another for two decades now. Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva was the latest former player to give his opinion on the trio and he ranked them from worst to best during an appearance on the podcast, From My Left.
Gerrard vs Scholes vs Lampard: Total Career Ballon d’Or Votes Compared
The number of Ballon d’Or votes Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard received during their careers.
Gilberto’s Ranking of Scholes, Gerrard and Lampard
During his appearance on the From My Left podcast, Gilberto was tasked with ranking Patrick Vieira with Scholes, Gerrard and Lampard. The Brazilian wasted no time ranking his former teammate in first place, before then moving onto the English trio. In first place, he picked Scholes.
The two did battle during Arsenal’s rivalry with United in the early 2000s, with the two teams competing for the Premier League title. The ex-Gunner even went on to describe Scholes as the toughest player he ever had to face off against. Speaking about the former United star, he said:
“He was very smart. Every time I had to face him in the middle, the challenge, he was very smart. These players raise your game and you have to raise your standard to face them.”
Scholes is considered the best midfielder in Premier League history, so there won’t be many who disagree with Gilberto’s decision to rank him ahead of Gerrard and Lampard. In second place, he picked the Liverpool man. Over the years, Gerrard earned a reputation for his ability to lead Liverpool through the toughest of circumstances. He is beloved by the Reds faithful and there aren’t many fans of the club who would choose anyone over him.
Lampard Chosen Last, But Certainly Not Least
Lampard came last in Gilberto’s ranking. The former Chelsea man is the greatest goalscoring midfielder in Premier League history. He became the first player in his position to score at least 10 league goals in 10 straight seasons and always stepped up to the plate when the Blues needed it most.
He was a fierce competitor and was also a dependable leader, always rising to the occasion when John Terry was unavailable, such as in the 2012 Champions League final.
Every Current 2026/27 Premier League Manager [Ranked]
From Mikel Arteta to David Moyes, all current Premier League managers have been ranked from best to worst.
Now, out of the trio, he is the best manager of England’s golden generation midfield, with his latest achievement seeing him take Coventry City from consistent Championship playoff contention to the league title, with the Sky Blues back in the Premier League.
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