Carabao Cup
Maresca sets Delap return target as Chelsea prepare for cup tie
Delap back in training and likely available for the next match, says Maresca ahead of cup tie. Soon.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed striker Liam Delap is back in training and could return to competitive action before the end of the month. Maresca made clear that Saturday’s visit from Sunderland remains too soon, but he suggested Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fourth-round meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers could be a sensible target.
“Liam took part in the session yesterday with the team for the first time, so he’s not going to be available for tomorrow’s game, but probably for the next match,” Maresca explained. “He can be available.”
Delap’s imminent comeback would arrive at an important moment. Chelsea have struggled in front of goal in his absence, and João Pedro, another summer signing, has been required to tweak his role to help cover for the Englishman. That adjustment has coincided with a drop in his output.
Pedro should be well rested for Saturday after being forced to sit out the 5–1 win over Ajax through suspension. Chelsea had no trouble finding the net against the Dutch visitors, and one of the game’s standout moments came when captain Enzo Fernández passed to Estêvão so the young Brazilian could take the penalty his quick feet had won. Estêvão converted from 12 yards.
“It’s very, very good,” Maresca reflected. “I told the players after the game that for sure we were very happy about the winning, about the three points against Ajax.
“But the main thing about that game was Enzo, when he gave the ball to Estêvão we got to show how is the team in this moment, how they are all together in terms of togetherness, in terms of effort and this is what we need if we want to try to do something important.”
With Delap training again, Maresca has options to restore a striker who could relieve pressure on attacking teammates and provide fresh competition as Chelsea look to maintain momentum in cup and league fixtures.
Carabao Cup
Gameweek 6: Premier League preview and score forecasts
Predictions for Gameweek 6: key fixtures, form notes and score forecasts across the Premier League..
The Premier League schedule for Gameweek 6 arrives with the major clubs progressing into the Carabao Cup fourth round and a crowded weekend of league fixtures. Manchester United head to Brentford on Saturday after a chaotic 2–1 win over Chelsea earlier in the week, and the Red Devils have a shot of winning back-to-back Premier League games for the first time under Ruben Amorim. The early kick-off comes at a ground where they’ve succumbed to 4–0 and 4–3 defeats in the recent past. Brentford were beaten 3–1 by Fulham last weekend, and Keith Andrews’ Bees are described as not quite as potent as Thomas Frank’s iterations.
Chelsea host Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge. Bryan Mbeumo has the chance to wreak havoc against his former club, as does João Pedro, with Chelsea potentially entering a period of struggle in Cole Palmer’s absence.
Leeds United’s 3–1 victory at Molineux was their second league win of the season, and they return to Elland Road to face an impressive Bournemouth side. Burnley travel to Manchester City and are expected to rely on defending for 90 minutes.
Nottingham Forest begin their Europa League return after a 2–2 draw at Real Betis and welcome Sunderland to the City Ground. There were hints of ‘Ange-ball’ in Seville, and the new manager will present his ideas to a home crowd for the first time since he succeeded Nuno Espírito Santo.
Wolverhampton Wanderers remain without a Premier League point but did beat Everton in the week to progress in the Carabao Cup. Wolves meet a Tottenham Hotspur side that have started the season well under Thomas Frank. Wolves have won four of the five previous meetings between the clubs.
Aston Villa, described as narrow and “lazy” in their Europa League win over Bologna, host Fulham, who remain dangerous despite a quiet summer window. Arsenal travel to Newcastle for their first meeting of the 2025/26 season; the teams met four times last term with Newcastle winning three, and no more than two goals were scored in each game. Anthony Gordon is available again for the hosts.
David Moyes’ Everton face former club West Ham United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium as the wins-and-losses narrative continues.
Predictions
12.30 p.m. BST Brentford vs. Man Utd 1–2
3 p.m. BST Chelsea vs. Brighton 1–2
3 p.m. BST Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool 1–1
3 p.m. BST Leeds vs. Bournemouth 0–2
3 p.m. BST Man City vs. Burnley 3–0
5.30 p.m. BST Nottingham Forest vs. Sunderland 2–1
8 p.m. BST Tottenham vs. Wolves 2–1
2 p.m. BST Aston Villa vs. Fulham 1–0
4.30 p.m. BST Newcastle vs. Arsenal 1–1
8 p.m. BST Everton vs. West Ham (fixture listed)
Carabao Cup
Gusto: Chelsea ‘Bullied’ in Poor First Half as Form Worries Grow
Malo Gusto criticised Chelsea’s first-half at Lincoln; a worrying performance amid recent struggles..
Malo Gusto did not mince words after Chelsea’s Carabao Cup tie at Lincoln City, describing the Blues’ opening 45 minutes as substandard and saying the League One opponents “bullied” the world champions. The defender singled out the first half at the LNER Stadium as the low point of a match in which Chelsea controlled possession but failed to convert it into meaningful threat.
The Italian manager was quick to criticise his team’s first-half display against Lincoln after the full-time whistle. Chelsea had 78% possession before the break but managed just three shots to their opponents’ nine, with none of Chelsea’s efforts on target.
Gusto was similarly blunt in his assessment, calling the opening period “really bad.” “Of course, in the first half we played like kids,” said the Frenchman. “They bullied us in every part of the pitch. It was really bad for us.
“The second half was important to come back with more desire, more confidence. It is important for the team to keep building these kinds of things to become better.
“We knew they were going to play like this. It was their qualities, so they played with that. We were aware before of that. It was the game. The game was about duels, fighting. That is why we tried to do more in the second half to show our desire to win, and that is what we did.”
Chelsea exit the competition this season and will reflect on a performance that continued a sequence of disappointing displays. The defeat follows an uninspiring draw with Brentford, a heavy loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and last weekend’s collapse against Manchester United. Last season Chelsea were knocked out in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup and the club will face Wolverhampton Wanderers away in the next round as they aim to go deeper in the competition this term.
Carabao Cup
Liverpool consider wage sanction after Hugo Ekitiké’s Carabao Cup red card
Two-week wage docking and squad reprimands loom after Hugo Ekitiké’s Carabao Cup red card. Details..
Hugo Ekitiké’s sending off against Southampton in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie has prompted anger within the Liverpool squad and the club is expected to respond beyond words.
Team-mates described the incident as “Naïve,” “silly,” “stupid.” Manager Arne Slot, typically composed in public, was openly furious and the forward quickly apologised on social media. Reports suggest the club will move to dock pay as part of a formal punishment.
The Daily Mail reports Ekitiké stands to lose two weeks of wages. The article notes the €95 million summer recruit from Eintracht Frankfurt reportedly signed a six-year contract worth €15 million per year, and that the red card would cost in the region of €575,000.
Internal reprimands are also expected. The Daily Mail states the forward will face a dressing-room sanction after Jeremie Frimpong delivered the first scolding, pushing his new team-mate and shaking his head before the red card was issued.
Liverpool’s vice-captain Andy Robertson remarked after the match:
“I’d be very surprised if he does it again.
“I think scoring a goal is always emotional and you always get that emotion. But he’s obviously just forgotten he’s been booked. His first one is stupidity, kicking the ball away, we know the rules around that. Two silly bookings to pick up and now we miss him for Saturday.
“It’s silly from his part but he’s only young and he will learn from it.”
Federico Chiesa offered a similar verdict to the Daily Mail. “It was a bit naïve of him,” the Italy international told the Daily Mail, before adding: “It was really naïve. We need him, he is a fantastic player. He showed it here—he is always there when we need a goal, just like [Alexander] Isak. I’m really sorry for him but he is young and he has to improve. Next time, he has to think twice before doing something like that.”
The club now faces a decision on formal discipline that could combine a financial penalty and internal rebuke for what team members have labelled an avoidable lapse.
