Chelsea are having a difficult time at the moment and Enzo Maresca is coming under pressure to turn results around. However, supporters are blaming the sporting directors at the club after the Blues made just one signing during January’s transfer window. 19 year-old midfielder Mathis Amougou arrived at Stamford Bridge for £12million and signed an eight year contract but the club says he is a player for the future and will not play a significant part in dealing with Chelsea’s current problems. Frustrations inside the club and on the terraces are beginning to affect confidence on the field and in training.

With the windows of opportunity rapidly closing to win a major trophy, Chelsea have said goodbye to the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup and competing for the title seems too far away and only the UEFA Conference League is still a possibility. They are through to the Round of 16 but their next opponents will not be named until later this month.

Supporters were calling for another striker to be signed but that never happened and on deadline day their main striker Nicolas Jackson was injured along with Marc Guiu. Maresca says he is hopeful Jackson’s injury will not keep him out of the team for long.

Christopher Nkunku has been played out of position and is struggling. Pedro Neto celebrated a goal in the losing FA Cup tie last weekend but his overall form has been poor. Jadon Sancho is going through a confidence crisis and his clever dribbling footwork and intelligent play have deserted him for the moment. Noni Madueke has the talent but when it comes to decision making he seems to make the wrong choice almost every time.  

 

Slot sent off for protesting late Everton goal

Arne Slot is unlikely to be in the coaching dugout against Wolves on Sunday after receiving a red card for verbally attacking the referee after the Everton v Liverpool match on Wednesday evening. It was impossible to speak with Slot after the game because the usual post-match interview was cancelled. He was still angry in the dressing room after the game had finished half an hour earlier. The game was always going to be spicy being the last time the two bitter rivals would meet at the Goodison Stadium.

However, no one expected the match to end in chaos as the players lost their composure, the referee lost control and so did Arne Slot. The Liverpool coach is known for his straight talking approach who wears his heart on his sleeve when in the technical area with constant shouting and arm waving and his dislike for bad refereeing never stops him from complaining and arguing with the fourth official and on pitch referees for disputed decisions.

Liverpool’s Curtis Jones and Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure were both sent off after fighting at the end of the game when Doucoure celebrated James Tarkowski’s 98th minute equaliser goal in front of the Liverpool fans which incited Jones who rushed over and began pushing his opponent. Other players joined in and Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff were both shown red cards for complaining about a push in the penalty box which they thought should disallow the goal. Ironically Liverpool’s match against Wolves will probably see ex-Everton defender John Heitinga in the Liverpool team dugout on Sunday after joining Slot’s staff at the beginning of the season.

 

Saka back in training

Bukayo Saka was in good spirits this week as he focused on light training in Dubai and at the Colney centre in north London. Mikel Arteta watched intensely on both occasions and was in close discussion with his assistants as they took him through a carefully managed session. His return to the first team will take place next month, most likely at Manchester United on the 9th March. Bukayo suffered a torn hamstring injury and underwent surgery after the 5-1 win over Crystal Palace on the 21st December.

 

The one Arsenal player who can fill Xhaka’s role

Feelings were always difficult at Arsenal between ex-captain Granit Xhaka and the club coaches and supporters. Many said he was irreplaceable in the team but Mikel Arteta could not wait to get rid of the midfield dynamo. However, Arsenal have fortunately discovered two jewels in their crown. Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have been introduced as the future of Arsenal and both look capable of improving the side under Arteta who has made it a personal mission to strengthen the team using their youth and skills. They have given the coach so many more options. Lewis-Skelly works perfectly on the left as he is a natural left-footed player. Arteta has tremendous faith in him and given him freedom to combine with Rice and Leandro Trossard moving forward from defence into space and fighting for possession with strong runs from deep passes after fooling opposition players and drawing them out of position. Originally a left-back, Arteta has developed the 18-year-old into a player who can more than hold his own upfield and with both Jorginho and Partey closing in on ending their careers at the Emirates, young Lewis-Skelly ticks all the boxes to fill Xhaka’s role. 

 

Osimhen on Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle wish list

Chelsea and Arsenal both need a new striker and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen is top priority for both clubs. The 26-year-old Nigerian striker has scored 17 goals in 23 appearances this season. The Nigerian was hoping to come to the Premier League in January but his parent club held on to him and his on-loan club Galatasaray has no option to buy in June when he will return to Italy. Chelsea have lined up the finance to acquire the striker but the fee being discussed is £60million. That might put Arsenal off but the Italian club intend to offer Newcastle the first chance to buy him after they walked away last year when Napoli wanted a huge £113 million.

 

Pickford honoured by Everton as one of the best

Everton have one of the best European goalkeepers in Jordan Pickford and even at age of 33 he retains his sharpness and focus plus athletic ability. Jordan is never quiet when he is between the posts and is known for letting his defenders know when he thinks they are not protecting him but they all recognise that he is one of the best in the business. The club recognises Jordan’s value to the team and are preparing a new contract offer which is part of their plans to rebuild the squad under David Moyes. His current contract still has two years to run which emphasises his importance. Pickford has been a loyal servant to the Toffees during his eight seasons and been voted their Player of the Year four times since 2017. He has also earned 73 England caps.

Everton’s new owners The Friedkin Group plan to give Moyes a financial war chest in the summer now they are progressing up the table after a disastrous start under previous manager Sean Dyche. A number of players including Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be out of contract in the summer.