Chelsea
Eghbali Responds to Chelsea Unrest: Recruitment, Maresca Exit and Rosenior’s Challenge
Eghbali responds to fan unrest, outlines recruitment tweaks, defends Rosenior and backs Fernández…
Chelsea ownership and supporters will confront each other this weekend as a sizeable protest, involving both Chelsea and Strasbourg fans, targets the group led by Clearlake Capital’s Behdad Eghbali. The demonstrations have crystallised around transfer policy, managerial changes and the club’s direction.
“For the fans, we care,” Eghbali stressed. “We want the club to be successful. We’re focused on delivering that on-pitch performance.” He acknowledged widespread criticism of a recruitment model that prioritises young, high-potential signings over experienced senior players, and accepted that adjustments are needed.
“There’s a full reflection on what we can do better, what we can improve on,” Eghbali acknowledged. “There is a plan. We reflect on the plan. We try to improve the plan and tweak the plan if it’s not working. The message is we’re committed.
“I think we’ve done a few things right, a lot of things right. We’ve got to be better on a few things, to add more ready-made players at this part of the project, to take [it] to the next level, to be consistent over time.
“We recognize we need balance. We have world champions, we have Champions League winners, we have elite, elite young players. Experience has developed now. The team has been together for two or three years. The objective is to keep your best players, and we’ve done that, and there’s no intention to rebuild every three or four years. You tweak a model, you improve, you learn from mistakes.”
Fan unrest accelerated after the January departure of Enzo Maresca. The sacking followed a reported breakdown in his relationship with those above him and prompted open criticism from some players and a vocal response in the stands, with Eghbali’s name frequently sung alongside calls for the return of the previous owner.
“Our policy has been no in-season changes,” Eghbali confessed. “You certainly review and hold not only the manager, but the management team, the sporting team, accountable, but typically in the summers, not in season.
“It’s not a change we wanted to make. It’s a change that had a bit of a negative impact in the season, when you’re changing systems and personnel, and it’s one we’ve got to fight our way out of.
“We still have six matches in the Premier League, and an FA Cup semifinal coming up. So hopefully the story of this season hasn’t been written yet, and you’ve got a lot to fight for. In my perspective, when you get punched in the face, you’ve got to fight back, you’ve got to stand up and fight. And it’s going to hopefully show a lot about the character of this squad.
“I think the perspective is stability, and frankly, getting that stability on the manager side is one of the things we haven’t done right yet, and it’s something we’re striving to improve on.”
Liam Rosenior, who replaced Maresca, has divided opinion. Eghbali defended him: “On Liam, we had the opportunity to work with him daily for 18-plus months, so we knew what we were getting,” Eghbali continued. “We think he has every attribute to be successful here.
“He got off to a great start. We’ve had a tough past five, six matches, but I think we’re behind Liam. Of course, it’s a results business, but we think he can be successful long term.”
The summer will also bring questions over Enzo Fernández after pro-Real Madrid interviews during the international break. Eghbali did not answer specifics but signalled Fernández remains central to the club’s plans. “Our goal is to have elite, elite players on the pitch, elite characters off the pitch that our fans can bond with, that will be at the club, that will be club legends for the next 10 or 15 years and beyond,” he explained.
Chelsea
Anfield Draw: Winners and Losers From Liverpool v Chelsea
Gravenberch’s early goal and Enzo Fernandez’s free kick ensured a draw that exposed winners. on show
A draw between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield left both sides assessing where they stand in the Champions League race. Ryan Gravenberch’s sixth-minute stunner put Liverpool ahead early, but Chelsea responded through Enzo Fernández’s drifting free kick that evaded everybody and beat Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Liverpool were missing key personnel: Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké were unavailable. In their absence Rio Ngumoha emerged as the clear creative focal point. He had 19 touches in the first half, completed three of four dribbles and repeatedly troubled Malo Gusto. Ngumoha’s decision to come inside and his weighted pass into space allowed Gravenberch to curl the early strike into the top corner. His withdrawal in the 66th minute prompted boos from the crowd, reflecting confusion at the substitution.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s thunderous free-kick struck the wall before play worked out to Ngumoha, whose pass created Gravenberch’s opportunity. Despite the positive moments, Liverpool were warned by the result. The draw is not a disaster, but the Reds could drop to fifth and be only three points clear of sixth if Aston Villa and Bournemouth secure positive results.
For Chelsea a draw was a useful outcome after six successive Premier League defeats prior to the trip to Merseyside. Enzo Fernández, whose recent absence included an internal two-game suspension, has returned in strong form. Operating higher and linking with Cole Palmer, Fernández exploited spaces left by Ibrahima Konaté and Curtis Jones’s lack of communication and helped shift momentum during periods of the first half.
Marc Cucurella, deployed on the left wing by stand-in manager Calum McFarlane, provided energy and combinations with Fernández and João Pedro. He was almost decisive early in the second half but a VAR offside call ruled out the move when Moisés Caicedo played him through.
Jeremie Frimpong continues to struggle for rhythm after injuries, attempting just two dribbles and completing none, with one cross, one defensive contribution and one tackle recorded by FotMob. Cody Gakpo offered little up front, with 77 minutes, 12 touches and eight passes and no shot on Filip Jörgensen’s goal. Levi Colwill, making his first Premier League start of the season after a torn ACL, enjoyed an easier afternoon than many expected.
Chelsea
Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool: Fortunate Leveller But Early Problems Persist
Chelsea drew 1-1 at Anfield as Enzo Fernández’s fortunate equaliser followed an early concession….
Chelsea left Anfield with a 1-1 draw after recovering from an early deficit but will rue a missed chance to claim all three points. Enzo Fernández’s free-kick cross sneaked inside the bottom corner for the equaliser, a strike described in the match as fortunate but earned by Chelsea’s growing control of the first half. Cole Palmer had what might have been a winner shortly after the restart, only for the effort to be ruled out by a narrow offside.
The result offered little clarity for either side’s Champions League ambitions. Chelsea’s bid is not quite over, and Liverpool’s remains unsealed.
The Blues’ recurring vulnerability to early goals remains a clear problem. After shipping the first of three Nottingham Forest goals after 83 seconds on Monday afternoon, João Pedro lamented a common theme for Chelsea. “This is the Premier League,” he fretted, “if you concede very early, it’s difficult to come back. Everyone needs to look at themselves, me included, to find a way to do better. I feel sorry for the fans.” That pattern continued at Anfield when Ryan Gravenberch needed six minutes to bend the ball beyond Filip Jörgensen following a second-phase set piece. It was the ninth goal Chelsea have conceded in the opening 10 minutes of Premier League matches this season, a tally only surpassed by relegated and manager-less Burnley.
Chelsea responded well after the early setback and forced Liverpool into a more cautious shape, allowing the visitors to exert authority on the match. Fernández’s equaliser could have proved decisive had the opening moments not again worked against Chelsea.
Player ratings
GK: Filip Jörgensen — 6.6. Might have reached Gravenberch’s strike but produced several important saves thereafter.
RB: Malo Gusto — 6.7. A lively contest with Rio Ngumoha, trading small victories.
CB: Wesley Fofana — 6.8. Limited impact; a missed aerial challenge at the goal from Fernández’s cross was telling.
CB: Levi Colwill — 7.3. First Premier League start of the season following a torn ACL; a solid return despite expected rust.
LB: Jorrel Hato — 7.2. Largely untroubled by Jeremie Frimpong.
CM: Enzo Fernández — 7.0. Roamed freely across midfield and found the equaliser.
CM: Moisés Caicedo — 7.8. Defensive linchpin, often operating as a fifth defender and covering all thirds.
CM: Andrey Santos — 6.4. Frequently a stride behind his marker.
RW: Cole Palmer — 6.6. Threatened but lacked decisive end product.
ST: João Pedro — 6.9. Created space and openings, the sharpest of Chelsea’s attackers.
LW: Marc Cucurella — 6.6. Adapted well when pushed higher amid an injury crisis.
SUB: Reece James (63’ for Santos) — 7.1. Failed to make a lasting imprint.
Unused subs: Gaga Slonina, Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Mathis Eboué, Roméo Lavia, Liam Delap, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen.
Match statistics
Possession: Liverpool 48% | Chelsea 52%
Expected Goals (xG): Liverpool 0.51 | Chelsea 0.47
Total Shots: Liverpool 8 | Chelsea 6
Shots on Target: Liverpool 3 | Chelsea 3
Big Chances: Liverpool 1 | Chelsea 1
Passing Accuracy: Liverpool 84% | Chelsea 86%
Fouls Committed: Liverpool 2 | Chelsea 4
Chelsea
Wirtz Omitted by Slot for Liverpool’s Chelsea Selection After Illness
Wirtz left out with stomach bug; Slot alters shape, Szoboszlai returned to attacking midfield. vs.
Florian Wirtz was absent from Liverpool’s starting line-up against Chelsea after being left out with an illness on Saturday. The Germany international’s difficult debut season at the club suffered another setback when he was reported to be unavailable due to feeling unwell, a situation first revealed by The Athletic’s James Pearce. It was clarified by BBC Sport as a case of a stomach bug.
Wirtz had been substituted from last weekend’s damaging derby defeat to Manchester United, where he operated as a false nine alongside Dominik Szoboszlai. In that match Szoboszlai outshone his ephemeral teammate and Wirtz was described in press coverage as having been bullied out of the game. The chance to respond to that performance was removed when the playmaker missed Wednesday’s training session after feeling “a bit unwell,” as Arne Slot revealed during his prematch press conference. Slot later downplayed concerns by confirming Wirtz had returned to training.
Slot selected a 4-2-3-1 for the Chelsea match: Giorgi Mamardashvili; Curtis Jones, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Milos Kerkez; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Jeremie Frimpong, Dominik Szoboszlai, Rio Ngumoha; Cody Gakpo.
Substitutes: Freddie Woodman (GK), Joe Gomez, Andy Robertson, Federico Chiesa, Trey Nyoni, Kieran Morrison, Mor Talla Ndiaye, Will Wright, Alexander Isak.
Wirtz’s absence coincided with a tactical change. Slot appeared to abandon the double false nine system used in the 3–2 reverse at Old Trafford, instead deploying Rio Ngumoha as a natural winger in place of the floating Wirtz role. That shift restored Szoboszlai to his preferred attacking midfield position, while Jeremie Frimpong retained the right-wing slot. Frimpong was moved into a more advanced role partly because Mohamed Salah remains absent; Salah only has three more chances to make another appearance for Liverpool before his pre-planned summer departure.
