Chelsea
Liverpool’s late Gusto interest ran into Chelsea’s loan-only stance
Liverpool asked about Malo Gusto, but Chelsea’s valuation and loan-only stance ended the chase.
Liverpool did make a late check on Chelsea right back Malo Gusto on Deadline Day, but the move never moved beyond the enquiry stage.
According to Fabrice Hawkins, Liverpool looked into the possibility of taking Gusto on loan. Chelsea, however, were not prepared to let the French defender go unless the arrangement was permanent. That position effectively ended the conversation before it could develop.
The club’s valuation was another major barrier. Gusto had previously been priced at $100 million (£75 million) when he was linked with a summer move to join former boss Enzo Maresca at Manchester City. Liverpool, after a summer in which they became the first team to surpass $540 million (£400 million) in net spend in a single transfer window, had already gone on to spend a further $291 million (£250 million) 12 months later. That level of outlay left them in a difficult position on the final day of the window.
As a result, Liverpool were not willing, or not able, to match Chelsea’s asking price, and their interest was limited to a season-long loan. Chelsea, who are known for considering many different deal structures, simply rejected the idea of a temporary exit for Gusto.
The approach also reflected Liverpool’s problems at right back. There remains strong belief that academy graduate Conor Bradley can develop into an elite full-back in the mould of Trent Alexander-Arnold, but the 23-year-old has been out since January with a serious knee injury and there is still no clear return date.
Liverpool have also had Ronald Araújo on loan from Barcelona, with the Uruguayan able to cover on the right side. Even so, he has struggled badly in recent years and is more naturally suited to central defence.
With Frimpong struggling and Araújo as the only obvious alternative, Liverpool have looked vulnerable defensively at the start of the season.
Chelsea, for their part, were not forcing Gusto out. Playing in midfield is one possible solution to one of their current issues, with Moisés Caicedo and Jordan Henderson injured. Lavia and captain Reece James are also options, although both carry extensive injury records.
Analytics & Stats
Premier League Gameweek 6: the standout performers by FotMob rating
FotMob ratings highlighted the top performers from a strong Premier League Gameweek 6 return.
After a three-week international pause, the Premier League resumed with a sixth round that produced a strong spread of individual displays. Using FotMob’s player ratings, here is a rewritten look at the weekend’s top 10 performers.
Declan Rice earned an 8.3 in Arsenal’s 2-1 comeback win over Leeds United. The midfielder was central to the result, posting a match-high 89 touches, adding 10 defensive contributions and producing the kind of subtle quality that made Bruno Guimarães’s winning goal possible.
Chelsea also featured heavily. Morgan Rogers, rated 8.3, scored the Blues’ second in their 5-1 win over Bournemouth and continued to settle quickly at Stamford Bridge. His dribbling stood out, while a cross-cum-shot helped take him to four Premier League goals in six games. He also recorded a match-high 13 defensive contributions.
Crystal Palace’s 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest included strong showings from Yéremy Pino and Adam Wharton, both on 8.3. Pino got on the scoresheet and created the most chances in the match with three, while Wharton supplied an assist from a corner and combined control with discipline, winning 75% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial battles without conceding a foul.
Jérémy Doku changed Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool from the bench, yet still led the match in dribbles with five and chances created with three before finishing with a superb strike. Elliot Anderson, rated 8.5, provided relentless energy and creativity, capped by the assist for Doku’s goal.
Rayan Cherki was the top-rated City player against Liverpool at 8.6, ending the scoring with a goal that summed up his flair and confidence. João Pedro led the weekend with an 8.8 after two goals for Chelsea against Bournemouth, doing his job in the physical contest and still making a decisive attacking impact from 25 touches.
Aston Villa
Premier League Matchday 6 verdict: who impressed, who unravelled, and who merely survived
Matchday 6 mixed sharp wins, poor finishing and controversy across the Premier League table.
Matchday 6 left the table untouched in one sense, but the performances were impossible to ignore. In the post-verdict era, points can feel fragile, yet the evidence on the pitch still matters. City’s second-half surge past a faltering Liverpool side may be revisited later, but Erling Haaland’s strike and Rayan Cherki’s invention are already part of the record.
Sunderland, deprived of key figures, were left with too little invention and too little calm in possession. Régis Le Bris was right to question the side’s lack of “quality or composure” after they controlled much of the ball but found no answers without Brian Brobbey. Bournemouth also remain short of rewards, and their latest defeat under Marco Rose brought another reminder that encouraging spells mean little without a first win. “The last games we had some good performances,” the incoming manager admitted, “but today we struggled.”
Manchester United’s problems continue to widen. Michael Carrick’s side were exposed again, this time by Tottenham Hotspur, and the mood around Old Trafford is growing less forgiving. Carrick’s own assessment was blunt: “I understand the disappointment,” he shrugged, “the reality is what it is.”
Elsewhere, Newcastle’s 4–1 defeat at Coventry City was harsh on the chances they created, yet costly for the gaps they left behind. Liverpool’s collapse after Ryan Gravenberch’s dismissal became the major talking point in a contest Andoni Iraola felt was shaped by the referee, while Crystal Palace were celebrated after a win that owed plenty to a generous interpretation of events from Pierre Sage.
There were also hard-earned points for Everton, Hull, Aston Villa, Brentford, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. Some wins were built on control, others on stubbornness, and a few on little more than survival. On a weekend where margins dominated, several teams learned how thin the line remains between progress and frustration.
Chelsea
Reece James setback leaves Chelsea weighing their options
Chelsea await clarity on Reece James after a knee problem forced him out against Bournemouth.
Chelsea’s win over Bournemouth came with an unwelcome note, as Xabi Alonso confirmed that club captain Reece James has suffered another injury. The defender had been expected to be available after returning to training, but he was left out of the squad just a day later.
James had already missed Chelsea’s defeat to Brentford before the international break, while Thomas Tuchel also left him out of England’s squad because of injury. On Friday, Alonso had sounded encouraged, saying his captain was “ready to go” for the Bournemouth match. That made his absence on Saturday a surprise, but the reason quickly became clear after the final whistle.
Alonso said the problem emerged in training and later showed up during testing.
“He felt something in training,” Alonso said after the match. “But after we did the tests later in the afternoon he had some little issues on the knee, so we need to check how long it will be.”
The new issue was described as a knee injury, and it came during Chelsea’s final session before the game. While there was no formal diagnosis, the earlier problem James had been managing before the international break was understood to be muscular. This latest setback therefore appears to be separate, and that will concern Chelsea given the short time span involved.
Alonso declined to set a return date and instead said that “we need to assess him week by week.” A trip to Everton is Chelsea’s next league assignment, and a return there is possible in the best-case scenario. Even so, the club may choose caution because of James’s injury history and the importance of avoiding another setback.
That could mean Chelsea hold him back for longer, with a home London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Oct. 24 mentioned as another possible target. James has started the season almost exclusively as a central midfielder under Alonso, adding further weight to the decision over when he returns.
