Álvaro Morata needs to play regularly, rusty Manolo Gabbiadini can solve Southampton’s problems, and Stoke are in big trouble Related: Chelsea’s Morata tries to run his way into Antonio Conte’s good books | Barney Ronay Related: Mohamed Salah will get even better before the season is out, says Jürgen Klopp Continue reading...
Maligned centre-forward looked a lot better in Chelsea’s FA Cup quarter-final win in extra time against Leicester CityAntonio, Antonio. And still, just about, Antonio. Never mind the tide of snark on social media, or the sense of death that attaches itself to the endgame of every Chelsea manager; the travelling fans still sing Antonio Conte’s name with the same protective affection as they did from the start at the King Power Stadium.Chelsea kept their season alive here, edging past Leicester City into the FA Cup semi-finals. But this was also a victory studded with a sense of what might have been in another, happier second Conte season. Related: Pedro’s extra-time header takes Chelsea past Leicester into semi-finals Related: Antonio Conte...
Antonio Conte had reason to curse the absence of a ruthless streak but the grimmer reality is Chelsea have won two games in the knockout stages of this competition since 2012Chelsea could at least seek to console themselves in the immediate aftermath of elimination. They had reason to curse profligacy, and the absence of a ruthless streak which saw the Premier League team strike the woodwork four times over the two legs but succeed in scoring only once. They could always point, too, to Lionel Messi’s brilliance. Antonio Conte described the tie’s decisive performer as “not a top player, but a super, super, super top player”, the kind who crops up once or twice a century. He was the difference....
Barcelona’s injury-plagued €105m French forward scored his first goal for the club against Chelsea, but the Argentinian had the final word as everFive men slammed on the brakes simultaneously. Together they had been running towards Lionel Messi and together they turned and ran away from him again, as if he had flicked a switch, as if he had some kind of control over them. Which, in a way, he did. The moment that led to the second goal on a night which ended with the Camp Nou roaring their team into the quarter-finals, was an encapsulation of the power that ultimately took them there.Messi twice sent shots through the legs of Thibaut Courtois and into the net, in the third...
Alex Iwobi is drifting, Pellegrino is on dangerous ground and Manchester United produced a classic performanceIt always feels unfair to single out a young player, not least one who seems with each performance these days to become a one-man Arsenal social media event, a living banter-meme. Just check out Alex Iwobi on Twitter the next time Arsenal are playing – and hope he never makes the mistake of searching his own name. But watching him against Watford it was tempting to wonder about stalled progress, and a comfort zone at the wrong moment in his career. He has been more productive since Christmas, has made an effort to make more decisive forward runs. But he remains a strange footballer, a...