Chelsea
Maresca criticises Delap after avoidable red leaves Chelsea a man down
Maresca called Liam Delap’s red card “stupid and embarrassing” and warned the club must avoid them..
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was forthright in his assessment after Liam Delap was sent off in the closing stages of the match with Wolverhampton Wanderers, calling the decision both avoidable and damaging to his side. Delap was booked in the 79th minute for twice pushing Yerson Mosquera to the ground and, seven minutes later, was dismissed after leading with his elbow in a challenge with Emmanuel Agbadou that could have resulted in a straight red.
Chelsea have now received five red cards across all competitions this season, a run that has prompted questions about discipline within the squad. Maresca rejected the suggestion his team suffer from an overarching disciplinary problem but made clear he was angry with Delap’s conduct. “We had a very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary and was absolutely deserved,” he said. “We can avoid red cards like these and we have to avoid them.”
The manager underlined that the dismissal was preventable and that he had repeatedly urged restraint. “When it’s a red card like today, it’s embarrassing. There were two yellow cards in seven minutes, both avoidable. It’s no good. After the yellow card, I told [Delap] four or five times to keep calm.”
On Delap’s temperament, Maresca added: “But Liam is a player that when he’s inside the pitch probably he’ll be playing the game for himself and he struggles to realise and to listen around him.” Delap becomes the third Chelsea player to be sent off for two yellow cards this season, joining Malo Gusto and João Pedro. Robert Sánchez and Trevoh Chalobah have been shown straight red cards.
Maresca said his criticism applied across the squad while acknowledging there are differing circumstances behind some dismissals. “[The message is] to everyone,” he said. “I completely understand when there are red cards like Brighton or Man Utd, that is difficult, but red card against Nottingham Forest and red card today, both we can avoid that. And we have to avoid that.”
Delap must serve a one-match suspension and will miss the upcoming weekend meeting with Tottenham Hotspur.
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.
Chelsea
Mourinho Sets Tone of Reconciliation as Hazard Enters Premier League Hall of Fame
Mourinho praised Hazard after his Hall of Fame induction recalling shared success and past tensions.
José Mourinho used a short video message to close a chapter and publicly congratulate Eden Hazard after the forward’s induction into the Premier League Hall of Fame. Mourinho, who returned for a second spell at Chelsea in 2013, made clear there was no lingering animosity.
The Portuguese coach had long been open about his admiration for Hazard, even joking in prematch team meetings by writing opposition stars off as “no Maradona, no Messi, no Hazard.” The relationship between manager and player, however, was tested across three seasons.
As Hazard recalled on a podcast with his former Chelsea teammate John Obi Mikel last year, “The first two seasons [with Mourinho], amazing. Remember the first year, the team was new so it was just the beginning. Then the second season of José we won the league and we won the League Cup.
“Then the third season was like starting problems, we lost games and at the end the relationship went away a little bit.”
Hazard’s form dipped sharply in 2015–16. By the time he scored his first Premier League goal of the season in April, Mourinho had been out of a job for four months. There had been debate over the player’s best position, with a push for a more central role floated by Hazard, and Mourinho was ultimately sacked in December 2015 as his defending champions hovered just above the relegation zone.
A decade on, Mourinho bore no ill will. In the video he said, “Eden, many congratulations on joining the Premier League Hall of Fame. Everybody knows that you belong there. You are one of the most amazing players that I ever worked with and of course you have to be there.
“You are in the Hall of Fame so now you stay in our memories—and by the way thank you so much for helping to win my last Premier League title!”
Hazard reflected on his induction and career in his own words: “For a small Belgian guy from Braine-le-Comte just playing football for fun, being inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame with these great players at 34 years old is incredible,” and “My dream was to play at the highest level and I did it, so I am really happy. Week after week, you have big games, and at the end of the season you lift a trophy with your teammates. It’s a beautiful feeling.
“When you score goals, when you win trophies, you just want more. I am proud to know I did a few good things for seven years in the Premier League.”
