Chelsea 2 Arsenal 2

[JaneB]

Ref: Chris Kavanagh

VAR: Jarred Gillett

[Chelsea_Matt]

On 13/10/2023 at 09:41, paulw66 said:

Reading it was a dead leg. He watched the remainder of the game from the bench, rather than heading back to the dressing room, so I don't think it is much.

Potential forward line selection headache, for this. Sterling, Mudryk, Jackson, Broja, Madueke (2 goals last night) and Palmer for 3 spots.

For me it’s not a headache at all. For once it would be nice to be able to choose based on merit rather than necessity. I’m still not *quite* sold on Broja though - what do you reckon? 

[paulw66]

2 hours ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

For me it’s not a headache at all. 

It's a metaphor.

Poch will have 6 players to condense to 3 positions. Be interesting to see who he chooses. 

I think it will be Sterling, Jackson, Palmer.

[Sleeping Dave]

So who is available and who is still out injured (or newly injured)?

 

[Chelsea_Matt]

11 hours ago, Sleeping Dave said:

So who is available and who is still out injured (or newly injured)?

 

You’ll be as stunned as I was to read that Reecey has apparently injured himself again so won’t be ready. 

[My Blood Is Blue]

I think we'll see:

Sanchez

James - Disasi - Silva - Colwill

Enzo - Caicedo - Gallagher

Sterling - Jackson - Mudryk

[Miguelito07]

2 hours ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

I think we'll see:

Sanchez

James - Disasi - Silva - Colwill

Enzo - Caicedo - Gallagher

Sterling - Jackson - Mudryk

I dont think James will play from the start

[asvaberg]

Gusto is available and I hope he will be in the lineup (James on the bench)

Edited October 19, 2023 by asvaberg

[chiswickblue]

Injury latest should be out soon, but hopefull Badiashile, Broja and James are fit for the bench, meaning that still on the injured list are Bettinelli, Chilwell, Chalobah, Fofana, Lavia, Nkunku and Chukwuemeka. Leaving us with a matchday squad of 20 not including development squad players and 3 GKs:

Sanchez

Gusto Disasi Silva Colwill

Fernandez Caicedo

Palmer Gallagher Sterling

Jackson

Subs: Petrovic, Cucurella, James, Badiashile, Maatsen, Ugochukwa, Mudryk, Madueke, Broja

[paulw66]

3 minutes ago, chiswickblue said:

Injury latest should be out soon, but hopefull Badiashile, Broja and James are fit for the bench, meaning that still on the injured list are Bettinelli, Chilwell, Chalobah, Fofana, Lavia, Nkunku and Chukwuemeka. Leaving us with a matchday squad of 20 not including development squad players and 3 GKs:

Sanchez

Gusto Disasi Silva Colwill

Fernandez Caicedo

Palmer Gallagher Sterling

Jackson

Subs: Petrovic, Cucurella, James, Badiashile, Maatsen, Ugochukwa, Mudryk, Madueke, Broja

For the first time all season we have a bench that looks like it is made up of players who can all properly contribute, and across all areas of the pitch.

Edit - when Chilwell, Chalobah, Lavia, Nkunku and Chukwuemeka all return, there will be some serious players not making the matchday squad.

Edited October 20, 2023 by paulw66

[chiswickblue]

22 minutes ago, paulw66 said:

For the first time all season we have a bench that looks like it is made up of players who can all properly contribute, and across all areas of the pitch.

Edit - when Chilwell, Chalobah, Lavia, Nkunku and Chukwuemeka all return, there will be some serious players not making the matchday squad.

I guess there may be renewed attempts to sell Cucurella and Chalobah in January, if we have more fit players by then.

[Miguelito07]

3 hours ago, chiswickblue said:

I guess there may be renewed attempts to sell Cucurella and Chalobah in January, if we have more fit players by then.

With Reece James' injury record I doubt they will sell Cucurella in January but I do think Chalobah will leave

[paulw66]

3 hours ago, Miguelito07 said:

With Reece James' injury record I doubt they will sell Cucurella in January but I do think Chalobah will leave

There's no doubt they would sell Cucurella if a decent off came in.

Now that big Ben (and Trev) are back, Disasi could cover RB (after RJ and Gusto)

[kev61]

Back on home soil to watch this,bright - eyed and bushy - tailed after a lovely relaxing time in Turkey.

I watched the Irish rugby team lose to New Zealand there and there were a few of my compatriots in tears after the game.

I pretended I was disappointed - but hells bells what does anyone see in that game?.

It is as exciting as synchronised swimming to me.

 

[xceleryx]

9 hours ago, paulw66 said:

There's no doubt they would sell Cucurella if a decent off came in.

Now that big Ben (and Trev) are back, Disasi could cover RB (after RJ and Gusto)

We'll sell Chalobah before we sell Cucurella IMO. 

Also makes the most sense really. 

[paulw66]

4 hours ago, xceleryx said:

We'll sell Chalobah before we sell Cucurella IMO. 

Also makes the most sense really. 

I guess it comes down to what is on the table. If you get the chance to get most of your money back on an expensive mistake on high wages, you take it. 

[ROTG]

2 hours ago, paulw66 said:

If you get the chance to get most of your money back on an expensive mistake on high wages, you take it. 

The club would be lucky to get half there money back on him - One can assume another zero cost player can be sold to make ups the difference 

[ROTG]

6 hours ago, xceleryx said:

We'll sell Chalobah before we sell Cucurella IMO. 

Also makes the most sense really. 

How?

It wouldn't be anything to do with you trying to convince people for the past 18 months how good a dud like cucurella is because of a season in a mid table PL team? -

Just admit you are wrong and Cucrella is a dud

Edited October 21, 2023 by ROTG

[martin1905]

6 hours ago, xceleryx said:

We'll sell Chalobah before we sell Cucurella IMO. 

Also makes the most sense really. 

Almost no doubt we will sell Chalobah first but that's because Cucurella is going to be very difficult to shift. Chalobah is far more sellable

Anyway, I'm going today, my mate can't make it so got my ticket back, really looking forward to it after this international break. I have a good feeling about today's game and think we will beat them, with a very impressive performance.

Sanchez

Gusto Disasi Silva Colwill

Enzo Caicedo

Sterling Palmer Mudryk

Jackson

Expect we will see Gallagher instead of either Palmer or Mudryk and play 433.

 

 

[My Blood Is Blue]

God, I hope we beat that smug git Arteta!

I hope today is revenge for those games where we gifted them a result when they were crap.

[Dwmh]

1 hour ago, martin1905 said:

Almost no doubt we will sell Chalobah first but that's because Cucurella is going to be very difficult to shift. Chalobah is far more sellable

Indeed.  Also while the Creamcakes are no doubt professional traders, you'd have to be very very professional to get over the psychological hurdle of taking a significant cut on a player bought 14 months ago as opposed to a player we "got for free" or rather came through the Academy.  And it would look bad.  high wages too.
And because Cucurella has the precise characteristics the former Brighton scouting team look for, and therefore will still be highly regarded by the current Chelsea team.

2 hours ago, martin1905 said:

Anyway, I'm going today, my mate can't make it so got my ticket back, really looking forward to it after this international break. I have a good feeling about today's game and think we will beat them, with a very impressive performance.

 

Good for you.  I'm glad proper football has returned, but  I look at this and think we aren't as good as we suddenly think.

And worse Arsenal probably are as good as they think.

Still the good news is that top of the table really aren't all that good at all

[Proud-Blue]

I had a dream last night that Kai Havertz scored and Arsenal won. I hope I haven't just put that in the universe...

Anyway, had this been a few weeks ago I'd have been very worried. But I think we'll give them a game today at the very least. Just a shame the pressure is on a bit more since we had such a bad start...

[xceleryx]

1 hour ago, ROTG said:

How?

It wouldn't be anything to do with you trying to convince people for the past 18 months how good a dud like cucurella is because of a season in a mid table PL team? -

Just admit you are wrong and Cucrella is a dud

Has nothing to do with Cucurella actually - (which you should probably learn to spell correctly if you're going to try and make it a point). 

Chalobah is simply the more logical and easier sell. He's arguably last in the pecking order of central defenders, even ignoring Fofana being out all season. Even looking beyond this season and assuming Thiago Silva leaves, he'd still be in no real greater position. He's good enough to play consistently elsewhere, and a lot of sides will likely have interest in him come January or seasons end. Selling him would cause virtually zero impact on the first team as it stands either. 

From a non-sporting perspective, he's pure profit from a FFP point of view. While his contract and value isn't something that'll price a lot of sides out either, so his scope of destinations is greater. All in all a more attractive option for others, and an easier sell for us with greater financial upside. 

[Blue Moon]

Quite looking forward to this one - going to the Bridge soon hoping for a good draw or a cheeky win (although if we've been hammered by halftime, might bugger off home and watch the rugby in the village pub).

Does anyone know if you can use a photo of a season ticket on your mobile to get access to the ground?

[My Blood Is Blue]

James does not start.

Jackson doesn’t play.

Palmer, Sterling and Mudryk start.

Disasi on the bench.

Cucurella starts LB.