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Karun Nair was back in Delhi Capitals’ XI, while Sediqullah Atal made his debut

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-20253:40

Kumble: Young Indian players key in PBKS’ success

Faf du Plessis stood in as captain for Delhi Capitals (DC) for the second game in a row, and opted to bowl in their final game of the season, against Punjab Kings (PBKS). DC’s regular captain Axar Patel had missed their previous match, against Mumbai Indians three days back, due to a flu, and continued to remain out of action.Du Plessis said at the toss that they were playing an extra batter in Karun Nair, with Abishek Porel dropped, and KL Rahul once again starting on the bench in their bowling-first XI. Tristan Stubbs will slot in as wicketkeeper in Porel’s place. DC also handed an IPL debut to Afghanistan’s opening batter Sediqullah Atal, with Dushmantha Chameera making way.PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, wants his side to build on the momentum even as they are already into the playoffs. PBKS have won three games in a row going back to when the IPL hadn’t been disrupted, and had last played six days back, when they beat Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur itself.PBKS played the returning Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis in their batting-first XI, as they replaced Mitchell Owen and Xavier Bartlett from the side that beat RR.Victory over DC will push PBKS up to 19 points, and with that, the No. 1 spot in the points table.PBKS bat-first XI: 1 Prabhsimran Singh, 2 Priyansh Arya, 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Azmatullah Omarzai, 10 Harpreet Brar, 11 Arshdeep SinghImpact Subs: Pravin Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Xavier Bartlett, Kyle JamiesonDC bowl-first XI: 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Sediqullah Atal, 3 Karun Nair, 4 Sameer Rizvi, 5 Tristan Stubbs (wk), 6 Ashutosh Sharma, 7 Vipraj Nigam, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Mohit Sharma, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Mukesh KumarImpact Subs: KL Rahul, Manvanth Kumar, Tripurna Vijay, Ajay Mandal, Darshan Nalkande

Chelsea are now firmly in the race to sign an England international also wanted by Barcelona, who has been described as “one of the best” in Europe.

Blues miss opportunity to go top of the table

The Blues squandered their chance to go top of the Premier League table on Saturday afternoon, with Fabio Carvalho bagging a stoppage-time equaliser for Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, to ensure the spoils were shared in a 2-2 draw.

Enzo Maresca was forced into making three half-time substitutions, given that a number of players are yet to reach full match fitness, including Wesley Fofana, who made his first Premier League start of the season.

Maresca is a little light on options in defence, having not brought in a replacement for Levi Colwill during the summer transfer window, with the Englishman set for a lengthy spell on the treatment table due to an ACL injury.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, however, signing a new centre-back is on the to-do list, with Chelsea now firmly back in the race to sign Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who nearly joined Liverpool in a £35m deal on deadline day.

Speaking about the west Londoners’ interest, Bailey said: “Chelsea know all about Guehi, but this summer they opted not to bring in a new central defender, even after Levi Colwill’s injury. However, the chance to add a homegrown star, currently one of the best in Europe – it is just not logical for them not to be involved.

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“Chelsea know Guehi’s character, he is a fantastic person and everyone who meets him relays that fact – I was told by one high ranking Premier League executive that signing him is one of the ‘least risky’ transfers that anyone could do.

There could be fierce competition for the defender’s signature, however, with Liverpool still thought to be in pole position, while the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also named as potential suitors.

Guehi could be upgrade on Colwill

There are indications the Palace captain could be an upgrade on Colwill, given that he is far more established at international level, having picked up 25 caps for England, compared to just five for the Chelsea defender.

Not only that, but the 25-year-old has outperformed Colwill across a number of key defensive metrics over the past year, while also proving himself as more of an attacking threat.

Average per 90

Levi Colwill

Marc Guehi

Non-penalty goals

0.06

0.11

Tackles

1.38

1.80

Blocks

1.03

1.46

Clearances

3.31

4.63

Guehi could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea, and should they qualify for the Champions League once again, moving to Stamford Bridge is likely to be an attractive proposition next summer.

Bangladesh haven’t had a great run in ODIs lately. In addition, they have little to no prep heading into the Champions Trophy 2025. But captain Najmul Hossain Shanto strongly believes Bangladesh are title contenders.”We are going to the Champions Trophy to become champions,” Shanto said. “All eight teams deserve to be champions in this tournament. They are all quality teams. I believe our team has the ability. No one will feel extra pressure. Everyone genuinely wants (to become champions), and believes in their capabilities. We don’t know what Allah has written in our fate. We are working hard and doing our best. I believe we can achieve our goal.”Since 2023, Bangladesh have lost 24 out of the 41 matches they’ve played, which includes series losses against Afghanistan and West Indies. Shanto, too, has not been in great form, as he is coming off an injury and a string of low scores in the Bangladesh Premier League [BPL]. He also hasn’t played international cricket since November after he missed the West Indies tour due to a hamstring injury. Bangladesh last played ODIs at the start of December in 2024, which they lost 3-0.Related

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Bangladesh will also be without senior allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, although his absence was along expected lines. He has been suspended from bowling in top-flight cricket due to an illegal action and recently failed a second independent assessment of his action. When asked whether Bangladesh would miss Shakib’s presence, Shanto said that the team does not linger on hopes of a miraculous Shakib comeback, adding that it was “irrelevant” to discuss the subject before the tournament.”Of course, we will miss him but I don’t know why this question is being asked,” Shanto said. “Everyone already knows the answer, and many players have said it before. Of course, we will miss Shakib . It would have been great if he were here. This question has been answered many times. I don’t think it’s relevant to talk about this before a tournament.”So who will take over Shakib’s role in the team? “Whoever gets the responsibility will have to play Shakib’s role,” Shanto said.There are a few more big names – like Litton Das and Tamim Iqbal – missing from the Bangladesh squad, but Shanto insisted that he was happy with his team. “I am very happy and confident with the 15 players in the squad,” he said. “Anyone who plays has the ability to win a match single-handedly.”Shanto also called for Bangladesh to asses the conditions quickly and raise their game by chasing and defending 320-plus totals. Bangladesh are set to play their first match against India in Dubai before facing New Zealand and Pakistan in Rawalpindi.”I expect the pitches in Pakistan to be 300-plus wickets. If we bat first, we need to put up such scores. Even while defending, we will need to defend such scores. In Dubai, conditions vary at different times. Still, I think scores will be around 260-280. It’s tough to predict exact numbers, but historically, that’s how it has been. We will analyse how many runs are needed on a given day or how many we need to restrict the opposition to.”Shanto also hopes his bowling attack, particularly the pacers, continue to give their best, and believes Bangladesh have a “balanced team”.”Not too long ago, we didn’t have quality pace bowlers, but now we have a strong pace bowling unit,” he said. “We didn’t have wristspinners before, but now we do. Overall, we have a balanced team. If everyone fulfills their responsibilities properly, we can defeat any team at any time.”

Bond reckons that there is a lot to with the Bangladesh bowling attack but the batting is the problem

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-20251:58

‘Disappointing to see Bangladesh’s big players go missing in a must-win game’

Bangladesh endured another dismal campaign in a global event which has placed a harsh spotlight on their batting unit. They were knocked out of the Champions Trophy after two sub-par totals – 228 all out and 236 for 9 – which, in former India batter Wasim Jaffer’s view, continued the trend of their experienced players not turning up in ICC events.Jaffer was particularly critical of Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim’s performances in the five-wicket loss to New Zealand on Tuesday. Both men were dismissed playing rash shots which left Bangladesh five down in just the 27th over. New Zealand hardly broke a sweat in chasing the eventual target down.”We’ve only seen probably Shakib [Al Hasan] with that 2019 [ODI] World Cup where he was a standout player,” Jaffer said on ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day. “But I don’t know if it’s the pressure that gets to them or they put too much pressure on themselves, they just don’t turn up.”Related

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Mahmudullah has history in performing well at ICC events, he made back-to-back hundreds in the 2015 ODI World Cup and a hundred when Bangladesh beat New Zealand in the 2017 Champions Trophy. But here, he missed their first match with injury and self-destructed in the second.”Even the shot selection we’ve seen today was very disappointing,” Jaffer said. “Mushfiq [Mushfiqur] playing that shot, Mahmudullah playing that wild shot. And this is a must-win game. You want them to step up in these kinds of games and make themselves count. So that’s been the story in the ICC events, unfortunately.”Jaffer also felt that Bangladesh were at least “50 to 60 runs short” on a Rawalpindi surface which wasn’t offering much help for the bowlers.”They could have easily put 300-plus on that pitch,” he said. “They have got themselves to blame. It is too much to ask from the bowling unit to get a team New Zealand all out for below 240.”Shane Bond, the former New Zealand fast bowler, suggested that while “there is a lot to work with” Bangladesh’s bowling attack, their batting seems to be a problem. He also said the chances Bangladesh missed in the field also played a role in their five-wicket loss. Rachin Ravindra survived a run-out chance when he was on 26 and was dropped on 93 by Mehidy Hasan Miraz and then by Mahmudullah on 106.1:07

Jaffer: Bangladesh at least 50-60 runs short

“I like the look of their bowling attack,” Bond said. “They have got the heat, they have got the left-armer [Mustafizur Rahman] which New Zealand and a team like England doesn’t have. The spinners are good.”Also the fine margins… they missed chances. If you miss those run-out chances or those dropped catches, they are the difference between winning or losing a game. If they had taken those chances, this game could have been completely different. There is a lot to work with with their bowling attack. I think their batting in the end was the problem.”Bond, who coaches extensively in the franchise T20 circuit, also felt that any coach would “feel a bit grumpy” after the kind of performance Bangladesh put in as their Champions Trophy 2025 journey came to an end.”I think it’s the natural inclination as a coach to feel that way,” Bond said. “If you start talking about what you shouldn’t do and let emotion pour out as a coach, it’s a dangerous place to go. So you’re still trying to create an environment where you want guys to come out and play positively, you want them to be really clear about how you’re going to play.”And at the end of the day, if they go out and try to execute their game plans and play the way that you want and they lose, then that’s okay. If they don’t, then it makes it very difficult. So that’s what you’re looking for as a player.”You want, ‘this is how the coach wants me to play my role in the team. If I go and do that to the best of my ability, then it’s okay.’ You know, some days it’s not going to work and we’re not a fly on the wall in the Bangladesh camp, so we don’t know what those conversations are and it’s difficult to make judgments on that stuff.”

Liverpool have reportedly entered the race to sign a player with ambitions of winning the Ballon d’Or, with as many as seven Premier League clubs eyeing him up.

Slot coy about Liverpool's attacking options

The Reds take on Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on Sunday afternoon, with new signings Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike all expected to start. Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arne Slot was asked about his Liverpool attack, amid interest in Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, with the Dutcham remaining coy about the situation.

“These are a lot of questions! As you know from me – and I think every manager works like this – you never talk about players that are not yours. I can talk to you about Hugo [Ekitike], who we signed recently and has done really well until now. I and we are very happy with the squad we are having and there is every reason to be happy about that because we won the league last season.

“OK, players left, but we have brought players in as well and youngsters are doing good. At this moment in time, Darwin [Nunez] might indeed leave, but things are not signed yet, so you need to wait maybe a few days before that is completely done. But there is indeed a chance he is going to leave.”

While signing Isak is the dream for Liverpool, another midfielder wouldn’t go amiss, and the Reds have been linked with a move for a Premier League star.

Liverpool enter race to sign Carlos Baleba

According to a new report from Caught Offside, Liverpool are in a seven-club race to sign Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba this summer. The £100m-rated Cameroonian is being “closely monitored” by the Reds, but they are far from the only team in the mix to snap him up, with Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham all mentioned as suitors, too.

Admittedly, Liverpool feel well-stocked in midfield ahead of the new Premier League season, but if there is a chance to sign a player of Baleba’s pedigree, they shouldn’t miss the opportunity.

The 21-year-old has vast potential – he has said he wants to win the Ballor d’Or, like Manchester City midfielder Rodri did in 2024 – and the hope is that he finds the Reds the most alluring, becoming their biggest ever defensive signing ahead of Virgil van Dijk.

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In truth, it is easier to envisage Baleba moving to United instead, with Liverpool’s rivals more in need of a midfielder, and the Premier League champions surely focusing their funds on Isak and a new centre-back.

There is still well over a month left before the end of the summer transfer window and it remains to be seen whether or not Cyriel Dessers will still be a Glasgow Rangers player when it slams shut.

Russell Martin confirmed that the club rejected an offer from a club for the Nigeria international earlier this month, and he has been linked with a move to Greek side AEK Athens.

The 30-year-old striker has scored 34 goals in two seasons in the Scottish Premiership for the Light Blues, but the experienced forward has also missed a whopping 47 ‘big chances’ in that time.

If Dessers moves on from Ibrox this summer, whether that is to AEK Athens or another club, Rangers will need a new striker to potentially lead the line.

Rangers considering move for free agent centre-forward

Despite the Nigerian forward still being at the club, as well as Danilo and Hamza Igamane, the Scottish giants are reportedly looking at another experienced number nine signing.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to Football Insider, Rangers are considering a swoop to sign out-of-contract centre-forward Luuk De Jong, who moved on from PSV at the end of last month.

The report claims that the Gers are giving serious ‘consideration’ to the possibility of a deal for the 34-year-old attacker, as they weigh up the kind of contract that they would be willing to put on the table for the free agent.

Speaking to Football Insider, scout Mick Brown added that it would be an “ambitious” signing for the Light Blues, as they would be bringing in a “proven player”.

However, it now remains to be seen whether or not the Premiership side are going to press ahead with a deal for the striker, as they are currently only considering a move.

Why Rangers should sign Luuk De Jong

If Rangers have the opportunity to snap De Jong up on a one or two-year contract to bolster their centre-forward options, Martin and Kevin Thelwell must push for a move to go through because he would come in as an upgrade on Dessers.

De Jong’s experience in Europe could be particularly useful for Rangers if they make it through their second qualifying round against Panathinaikos, which he would not be eligible for were he to sign in the coming days, as he has scored eight goals and provided seven assists in 16 Champions League qualifiers in his career.

Meanwhile, Dessers has scored three goals in eight Champions League qualifiers in his career, which suggests that the Dutchman may have a greater chance of helping Rangers to qualify for the league phase.

De Jong’s form for PSV in the Eredivisie over the past two seasons also suggests that he would offer more to Martin at the top end of the pitch at league level than the Nigerian forward.

Appearances

65

70

Goals

43

34

Headed goals

14

6

Big chances created

34

10

Assists

23

6

Duel success rate

54%

33%

Aerial duels won per game

4.3

0.9

As you can see in the table above, the 34-year-old scored nine more goals and delivered 17 more assists than Dessers, despite playing five fewer league games, which speaks to the kind of quality that he can offer in front of goal.

Former Dutch international and ex-PSV manager Mark Van Bommel described him as one of the best three players in Europe at scoring headers and claimed that the striker “always delivers”, which is hard to disagree with when you look at his output.

Overall, the potential is there for De Jong to be an upgrade on Dessers as a scorer and a creator of goals at league level, whilst also having more experience in the Champions League and in qualifiers, which could improve the club’s chances of making it through to the league phase.

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Therefore, Rangers should be pushing to get a deal for the former PSV star over the line because he could come in as a proven striker who has the quality to be an upgrade on Dessers, as a goalscorer, a creator, a Champions League performer, and an aerial presence in the number nine position.

Fallout from Pakistan’s dismal T20 World Cup campaign claims its first victims

Danyal Rasool09-Jul-2024The fallout from Pakistan’s disappointing T20 World Cup campaign has claimed its first victims, with Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq both sacked as selectors from the national side. Razzaq, who was appointed to the selection committee for both the men’s and women’s side just weeks ago, will no longer serve as a selector for the women’s team, either.As ESPNcricinfo reported last month, Wahab’s job was in danger following Pakistan’s group stage exit from the T20 World Cup. Despite being removed as chief selector earlier this year, and officially appointed as one of seven selectors to a committee that had no chief at all, Wahab was widely viewed as the de facto head of the committee. Internally, Wahab had raised frustrations at this public perception, primarily because it resulted in him bearing the brunt of any criticism for decisions the committee made, and it was a frustration that he also expressed on X after he was sacked.In a statement on Wednesday, the PCB confirmed that “it has notified” the duo that “that their services will no longer be required in the national selection committee setup”.As reported earlier, the nature of the selection committee is also likely to be reconstituted, with a chief selector eventually expected to be reappointed. The numerical strength of the panel is expected to be reduced, making it unlikely that Wahab and Razzaq will be replaced to make up the numbers.Related

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Wahab’s departure is a speedy fall from grace for a man viewed as extremely close to PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. Wahab had served in his cabinet as caretaker sports minister while Naqvi was appointed caretaker chief minister of Punjab, and followed him to the PCB, where he was initially appointed chief selector. Wahab had also travelled with the Pakistan side to the T20 World Cup as senior team manager, another duty he is likely to be stripped of. Naqvi, for his part, is understood to have been keen to demonstrate no one was immune from adverse consequences.The decision effectively means the PCB has performed another U-turn on the procedure by which players are picked for the Pakistan national side. The seven-member committee was only announced less than four months ago, with Wahab demoted from chief selector, with each of the seven members carrying an equal vote, and Naqvi saying at the time that the committee would “make a majority decision based around debate and argument to reach a satisfactory conclusion”.It also indicates a continuation of the instability that has plagued the selection committee over recent years. The PCB has seen five chief selectors since January 2022, with Wahab, Haroon Rashid (twice), Shahid Afridi and Inzamam-ul-Haq all serving brief stints; Mohammad Wasim and Misbah-ul-Haq also served stints in the preceding period.The remaining five selection committee members are the head coach and captain of the respective formats, Mohammad Yousuf, Asad Shafiq and Bilal Afzal.

Liverpool have “made contact” with a rival Premier League attacker over a move to Anfield in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool in need of Nunez and Jota upgrade

The Reds are expected to have one of their busiest summers in years, with upgrades needed in various positions, despite their Premier League title win.

In attack, a new centre forward is badly needed, with neither Darwin Nunez nor Diogo Jota representing the solution in that area now. The former simply hasn’t kicked on enough in three seasons, while the latter is an injury-prone player who cannot seem to stay fit for a whole season.

Eintracht Frankfurt ace Hugo Ekitike has been linked with a move to Liverpool various times, and could stand out as the most exciting No.9 option this summer, especially considering Newcastle United look highly unlikely to allow Alexander Isak to leave.

Brighton attacker Joao Pedro has also been mentioned as an option for the Merseyside, as has Bayer Leverkusen superstar Florian Wirtz, who could potentially be used in a false nine role, even though it isn’t his most common position. Now, a big claim regarding the Reds signing another attacking player has emerged.

Liverpool make contact with Premier League attacker

According to Foot Mercato‘s Santi Aouna on X, Liverpool have made contact with Chelsea attacker Christopher Nkunku over a summer move to Anfield.

There would have to be question marks about Liverpool signing the £195,000-a-week Nkunku, considering he hasn’t exactly been a roaring success in a Chelsea shirt since arriving from RB Leipzig in 2023, only making nine starts in the Premier League this season.

Signing the 27-year-old would feel like a gamble by the Reds – one they don’t need to take – even though Thierry Henry has admitted he loves watching him play, and he has been lauded by former Chelsea and England centre-back Gary Cahill, who hailed him as a “very strong” player.

If Richard Hughes and Arne Slot truly feel that Nkunku is the best option to bring in this summer, they need to be trusted, but given his injury record and form at Chelsea, it would be a surprise if that was the case.

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Liverpool would be far wiser to look to sign Ekitike, who is five years his junior and seemingly on an upwards trajectory, following a great season for Frankfurt that has seen him score 15 goals in 30 Bundesliga starts.

With rumours continuing to surround Morgan Gibbs-White over his future at the City Ground, Nottingham Forest are now reportedly ready to take formal steps in the race to sign a potential replacement.

Man City plotting Gibbs-White swoop

Gibbs-White undoubtedly plays a huge role in everything positive Nuno Espirito Santo’s side do at the City Ground, meaning that clubs above them were always likely to keep a keen eye on his talents. Such is the ruthlessness of Premier League football, not even European football could stand in the way of Manchester City making their move successfully this summer.

The midfielder was once again at the centre of the action against West Ham United last time out, scoring a crucial opening goal to send Forest on their way to a crucial 2-1 victory at the London Stadium.

His seventh Premier League goal of the season to go alongside his eight assists, replacing Gibbs-White will be one of the toughest tasks that Nottingham Forest face this summer if he chooses to join Manchester City.

On that front, however, those at the City Ground have already reportedly been lining up a number of targets, including City’s own James McAtee. The young midfielder has struggled for game time at The Etihad and if Gibbs-White heads to Manchester, he could yet head in the opposite direction towards the Midlands this summer.

Unlike in recent years, it’s worth reiterating that Forest are now a European club again and should be in a far stronger position to attract top talent as a result. So, if it’s not McAtee who replaces Gibbs-White, it may well be a talented option from outside of English football.

Nottingham Forest readying Akliouche move

According to L’Equipe, Nottingham Forest are now ready to take formal steps in the race to sign Maghnes Akliouche from AS Monaco this summer in a deal worth as much as €60m (£51m). Battling against the likes of Paris Saint-Germain for the winger’s signature, Evangelos Marinakis should consider making his official move as soon as possible.

With the ability to play as both a winger and attacking midfielder, it should come as no surprise that Akliouche is on Forest’s shortlist to potentially replace Gibbs-White this summer. Even on the numbers front, the 23-year-old has almost mirrored the Forest star.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Maghnes Akliouche

Morgan Gibbs-White

Starts

27

33

Goals

5

7

Assists

10

8

Key Passes

49

51

All signs point towards a player who’d be ready to step into the Premier League next season and step into European football with Nottingham Forest. Whether those at the City Ground win the competitive race to sign Akliouche remains to be seen, however.

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Described as “elegant” by Jacek Kulig, Akliouche is undeniably one to watch when the summer transfer window arrives. If Forest are looking to instantly ease their potential Gibbs-White problem, then the Frenchman should be a serious option.

Chelsea already have one foot in the Europa Conference League final after a convincing 4-1 victory over Swedish outfit Djurgarden away from home last night.

Goals from Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke and a double from substitute Nicolas Jackson secured the victory for the Blues, handing them a three-goal lead ahead of next week’s return leg.

Youngster Isak Alemayehu Mulugeta registered a late consolation goal for the hosts, with Enzo Maresca’s side having the advantage after a dominant showing.

The Italian could claim his first title come the end of the season with the Conference League, potentially coming up against Real Betis or Fiorentina in the final should they reach it.

Numerous players managed to impress during the victory in Sweden, potentially handing the manager a selection headache ahead of the second leg next Thursday at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s star performers against Djurgarden

Enzo Fernández started the game at the heart of the Chelsea midfield, once again performing to the high standards he’s set for himself, registering two assists within the first 45 minutes.

The Argentine completed 88% of the passes he attempted, three of which were into the final third, aiding Sancho and Madueke – subsequently allowing them to find the back of the net.

He wasn’t the only first-team player to star throughout the triumph, as centre-back Tosin impressed at the heart of the defence, registering a staggering 111 touches and two tackles won – the most of any player.

The 27-year-old also managed to complete 102 passes and 100% of the dribbles he attempted, having a huge impact with and without the ball at his feet against the Allsvenskan opposition.

The Europa Conference League has been a superb competition for various Blues players to stake their claim to Maresca, with multiple other players doing just that in the win last night.

The Chelsea star who’s rapidly becoming a bigger star than George

Academy graduate Tyrique George has integrated into a first-team player at Chelsea this season, taking full advantage of the opportunities that have been handed his way.

After scoring against Fulham in the Premier League nearly two weeks ago, the 19-year-old was handed a start at the top end of the pitch in the semi-final, but was unable to produce his best display.

George featured for 88 minutes of the contest, only managing 30 touches and 13 passes, unable to make a huge impact on proceedings despite the four-goal showing.

He only managed two efforts on goal, neither of which were on target, unable to take full advantage of the opportunity handed to him by Maresca to start in the final third.

However, the same can’t be said for right-back Josh Acheampong, who had an evening to remember, certainly giving the manager something to think about going forward.

The 18-year-old was handed just his sixth start of 2025, but produced a showing way beyond his tender years, playing a vital role in their victory last night.

He registered a total of 109 touches, completing 86 passes at a completion rate of 98% – thriving with the ball at his feet, looking composed despite coming under constant pressure.

Minutes played

90

Touches

109

Passes completed

86/88 (98%)

Duels won

5

Fouls won

3

Tackles won

1

Dribbles completed

1

The teenager also managed to win five duels – the most of any player on the pitch – along with three fouls won, often being a nuisance to the Swedish opposition.

As a result of his showing, Acheampong was handed a 7/10 match rating by Goal’s Richie Mills, showcasing how impressive he was during the win away from home.

After such a showing, Maresca now has a huge decision to make over his future between now and the end of the season, with the teenager more than deserving of a consistent run in the side.

There’s no denying that George ultimately failed to take his chance, with more hype needing to be directed towards Acheampong, who could save the Blues millions in the years ahead.

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