Chelsea
Maresca Insists Chelsea Must Curb Avoidable Bookings After Delap Exchange
Maresca urges Chelsea to stop avoidable bookings and improve discipline among his players this season
Enzo Maresca has acknowledged Chelsea must reduce avoidable bookings after a series of dismissals earlier this season. The manager tempered his previous insistence that the squad had no disciplinary problem, saying players need to learn to avoid meaningless cautions during matches.
Maresca singled out Liam Delap alongside Malo Gusto and João Pedro, who were sent off earlier this season for two yellow cards, and contrasted those incidents with straight red cards shown to Robert Sánchez and Trevoh Chalobah for denying goalscoring opportunities. He spoke directly about the difference between dismissals that could be prevented and those that were harder to avoid.
“If I say that we need to avoid a red card, it’s we need to avoid red card,” Maresca told Friday’s press conference. “I say what I think is correct to say.
“Sometimes we had a red card that was difficult to avoid and sometimes we had some a red card that we could avoid.”
Pressed on whether the problem was club-wide, Maresca admitted there was room for improvement. “I think that some of the red cards that we concede, we can avoid it.
“It’s also something that we need to learn. Something that we have to do better. And for sure, no doubt that in the future we’re going to be better also on that.”
The manager’s post-match message to Delap after the win over Wolves became a central talking point. Maresca said Delap apologised to the squad immediately after the game and that he did not need to have a prolonged conversation with the striker.
“I didn’t need to speak with Liam,” Maresca continued. “I spoke with Liam, but Liam, he knows everything. He’s aware of the situation. He knows that he made a mistake. And full stop. No more than that.
“Probably because I’m not from England so sometimes when I try to translate from Italian to English, sometimes it’s a bit different. Liam, when he’s inside the pitch, is more focused to do his battle against the central defender than the rest. This was what I was telling, what I was trying to say after that game.
“There are three players in this team that I know them better than the rest. Roméo Lavia, Cole Palmer and Liam Delap because I know them from the Under-21s [at Manchester City], four years ago. So I know Liam always and I know that Liam will be a fantastic player for us but there are some things like the rest that he needs to improve.”
Arsenal
Premier League Academies Dominant as England Name U17 World Cup Squad
Manchester City lead Premier League representation as England announce 21man squad for U17 World Cup
England have named a 21-player squad for the 48-team FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, which begins at the start of November. The group contains a heavy contingent drawn from Premier League academies, underlining the route those clubs provide to the senior game.
Marc Guéhi, Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Phil Foden were among those who started the 2017 final victory over Spain, with the latest crop of youngsters hoping to emulate their success in the coming years. Only four members of Ryan’s 21-player squad do not currently ply their trade for Premier League teams. Lyon forward Alejandro Rodríguez is the only player based outside England, while Louis Page, Dylan Moody and Igor Tyjon represent Leicester City, Southampton and Blackburn Rovers respectively in the Championship.
Manchester City supply more players than any other club. City defenders Dante Headley and Kaden Braithwaite are joined by midfielder Harrison Miles and forward Reigan Heskey, who is identified in the squad as the son of former Liverpool and Villa striker Emile Heskey. Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur provide three players each. Chelsea’s representatives are Landon Emenalo, Reggie Walsh, who has already made his senior debut at club level, and Chizaram Ezenwata. Tottenham’s trio are Jun’ai Byfield, Luca Williams-Barnett and Tynan Thomspon.
Liverpool are the only traditional Big Six club without a player in the travelling party. Arsenal’s sole inclusion is goalkeeper Jack Porter, the 17-year-old who made his Gunners senior debut in the Carabao Cup last season. West Ham United’s Lanre Awesu and Southampton’s Dylan Moody complete the goalkeeping group.
Other Premier League names in the squad include Manchester United’s Bendito Mantato, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Freddie Simmonds, Fulham’s Seth Ridgeon and Aston Villa’s Bradley Burrowes. The list reflects the strength of top-flight youth systems and offers a clear development pathway for those selected.
England have been drawn into Group E for the tournament. Their group-stage schedule begins against Venezuela on Nov. 4, continues with Haiti on Nov. 7 and finishes against Egypt on Nov. 10, with Egypt appearing at the competition for the first time since 1997.
Arsenal
Evaluating the Premier League’s Best Midfielders
Assessment of the Premier League’s leading midfielders: roles, form, transfers and impact. Season 25.
The Premier League currently fields an unusually deep pool of midfield talent, spread across the traditional powers and beyond. Below is a concise assessment of the players outlined in the original draft, concentrating on roles, recent form and defining attributes.
Xavi Simons arrived at Tottenham Hotspur last summer from RB Leipzig and is still adapting to English football. The Netherlands international has shown glimpses of his creative brilliance. A versatile attacking midfielder, Simons excels in small spaces, using a low centre of gravity and a quick turn of pace to influence play around the penalty area.
Martin Ødegaard remains one of the division’s top midfielders despite a dip in stock over the past year due to injuries and questions over his long-term role. The Arsenal captain is often deployed into the wide right space by the system, but he has built a strong relationship with Bukayo Saka. He may be better suited to a traditional attacking midfield role where his playmaking and left foot are most threatening.
Bruno Guimarães has been a model of consistency since joining Newcastle United in 2022. An all-action presence, he combines tackles, accurate diagonals and timely goals with a tireless work rate, forming a central trio with Sandro Tonali and Joelinton.
Martín Zubimendi turned down Liverpool in summer 2024 before joining Arsenal. The Spaniard has adapted quickly, offering defensive midfield control through a blend of ferocity and finesse.
Sandro Tonali returned from a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules and has repaid Newcastle’s faith since early in the 2024–25 season. He contributes goals, tempo, ball carrying and accurate distribution, backed by tenacity.
Dominik Szoboszlai impressed Liverpool supporters with spectacular strikes on arrival but has been noted for his work ethic. Used across midfield and even at right back, he is valued for stamina, clean ball striking and passing range.
Enzo Fernández required time to settle at Chelsea but now matches the expectations of his £107 million transfer fee, offering box-crashing runs and chances from both deeper and more advanced positions.
Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, has been hampered by injuries and missed nearly all of 2024–25. On form he remains one of the best defensive midfielders, a calming, intelligent presence essential to Manchester City.
Bruno Fernandes has been Manchester United’s standout player in recent years, producing double-digit goals and assists in each of his five full seasons at the club with exceptional touch and vision.
Alexis Mac Allister rose to prominence at Brighton & Hove Albion, claimed the World Cup while representing the Seagulls, and has since become Liverpool’s deep-lying playmaker.
Cole Palmer, a Manchester City academy product, emerged at Chelsea as a talisman after a breakthrough debut season in 2023–24 and is described as a generational talent.
Florian Wirtz has had a subdued start since his £116 million move to Liverpool but previously spearheaded Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal double in 2023–24 and is expected to improve.
Ryan Gravenberch was redeployed into a combative defensive midfield role under Arne Slot in 2024–25, playing a key part in Liverpool’s title and winning the Premier League Young Player of the Season award.
Declan Rice, acquired for £105 million, has transformed Arsenal’s midfield. Effective as a holding player and in a box-to-box role, he contributes goals, assists and set-piece delivery and is viewed as a complete midfielder.
Chelsea
Chelsea to reassess Tyrique George’s role as January transfer window approaches
Tyrique George faces an uncertain Chelsea future as discussions over his next steps loom before Jan
Chelsea are set to revisit Tyrique George’s situation closer to the January transfer window, with the club reported to “hold talks” over the 19-year-old’s future. The academy graduate has been deployed both as a winger and as a striker this season.
George came close to leaving Stamford Bridge in the summer when a proposed £22 million ($28.9 million) move to Fulham collapsed at the eleventh hour. Roma and RB Leipzig were also linked with the teenager before he remained at Chelsea.
Since then George has been reintegrated into the senior group and used as a rotation option. He scored and assisted in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup fourth round win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, having recorded the same combination in the third round at Lincoln City.
The forward’s long-term prospects at Chelsea are unclear because of the depth in the final third. Out wide, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto and Estêvão are ahead of him in the pecking order, while João Pedro, Liam Delap and Marc Guiu lead him in the No. 9 department.
As per Mail Sport, discussions over George’s immediate future will take place nearer to the January transfer window, with George reportedly having a big say over whether or not he departs. The likelihood of a move may depend on interested clubs and their plans. Fulham’s position is uncertain after they signed two wingers over the summer in Kevin and Samuel Chukwueze, with the latter only arriving on loan.
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