Sophie Ingle: We know what we are capable of

The 29-year-old explains what the team needs to improve on from Sunday’s performance, but has full belief that we will register our first triumph of the season at our Kingston Upon Thames home.

‘We need to move the ball a bit quicker and be more clinical in front of goal. That’s not just one player’s responsibility, that’s everyone as a whole team, we have to do better in those areas to make sure we are winning games.

‘We’re creating a lot of chances in games which is great but we have to put the ball in the back of the net which is the main objective. Everyone wants to beat Chelsea, we won the title and the Conti Cup last year, so we’ve got a target on our backs now.

‘We don’t feel pressure, we have a long season ahead of us and we know what we are capable of. We know we can and will score goals, our squad is full of world-class goalscorers – we are only just getting started.

‘Our mentality is to focus on ourselves, we don’t look too far ahead, we just focus on one game at a time.

‘It’s been a really strong week on the training pitch, we’ve all been working really hard to be ready for Bristol on Sunday.’

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Under-18s report: Brighton 1 Chelsea 1

We got off to a very quick start, Jude Soonsup-Bell finding the net in the opneing minute on the South Coast but we had to defend for much of the half after that. Our efforts couldn’t stop Brighton scoring and they drew level shortly before the break.

A much better second-half showing saw the Blues control the game but lack the finishing touches displayed in the first minute. Soonsup-Bell went close to adding a second, as did Alfie Gilchrist soon after, but a point was the fair result on the opening day of the season.

The young Blues

Ed Brand’s first challenge of the season was picking an 11 to continue the strong form shown by his side last season. We started with a back-line of boys who played some Under-18s football last campaign, Luke Badley-Morgan being the only new scholar in defence. New boys Jimi Tauriainen and Edwin Andersson both appeared in Chelsea blue for the first time, while Soonsup-Bell led the line from the start.

Quick off the mark

As the men prepare to take on Brighton’s senior team on Monday evening, the Under-18s were at the training centre to open their season and it didn’t take long until the fruits of pre-season labour began to show.

Chelsea looked bright from the first kick and inside the first 60 seconds we were rewarded for the quick start. Harvey Vale picked up the ball in midfield and threaded a perfect pass through the Brighton back-line, which Soonsup-Bell picked up and fired into the bottom corner beyond the home keeper. It was an excellent start for the boys and one that took most by surprise.

Mounting pressure

The early goal proved a wake-up call for Brighton and our goalkeeper, Lucas Bergstrom, was called into action for the first time, responding well to the attack by spreading himself to make the save after rushing off his line.

His team-mates soon had their goalkeeper to thank again. With their height, Brighton posed a threat from set-pieces and Bergstrom was forced into a magnificent save low to his left from Ben Jackson’s towering header.

The pressure on Bergstrom’s goal was mounting as Brighton searched for a way back into the game. After 20 minutes of action, the Finn got a strong right hand to a dangerous-looking low cross but the ball only reached as far as midfielder Odell Offiah on the edge of the box, his arrowing shot rebounded off the bar and away from danger luckily for Chelsea.

Equalising blow

Chelsea chances were limited but as our hosts failed to make their chances pay, our lead remained a slender one. Xavier Simons tried his luck with a well-struck volley following a Vale corner but Fynn Talley got strong hands behind the shot.

As half-time approached, Brighton eventually found the net and it was a goal the Blues will be disappointed to have conceded. A low ball in from the left was turned in by winger Jack Leahy who was unmarked in the box and that brought an end to the action of the first half.
 

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The Stats – Unbeaten league record against Seagulls to defend

Our only pre-season friendly was at Brighton on 29 August before the international break when the sides drew 1-1. Brighton used 24 players over the 90 minutes and Chelsea 23.

The starting XIs were:
Brighton (5-3-2): Ryan; Veltman, White, Dunk (c), Webster, March; Lallana, Bissouma, Alzate; Trossard, Maupay
Scorer: Gross 90 (pen)
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Arrizabalaga; James, Christensen, Clarke-Salter, Alonso; Kante (c), Kovacic; Ziyech, Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi; Werner
Scorer: Werner 4

Eleven first team squad players were called up for international duty last week.
Minutes played: Christensen 180, Rudiger 180, Werner 180 (1 goal), Kante 153, Kovacic 151, Hudson-Odoi 118, Giroud 117 (1 pen), Jorginho 90, Mount 30. Arrizabalaga was twice an unused sub and James returned to the club with an injury prior to the first game.
 

Last season’s Premier League stats

Most starts: Azpilicueta 36, Arrizabalaga 33, Mount 32, Willian 29, Jorginho 27
Most goals: Abraham 15, Pulisic 9, Willian 9, Giroud 8, Mount 7
Most assists: Willian 7, Azpilicueta 6, Hudson-Odoi 5, Mount 5
Most clean sheets: Arrizabalaga 8

Timo Werner was the fourth-highest league scorer (28 goals) in Europe’s top five leagues for RB Leipzig in 2019/20 behind Ciro Immobile (36), Robert Lewandowski (34) and Cristiano Ronaldo (31).


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CHELSEA FC WOMEN’S OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME – ORDER NOW!

This weekend’s league fixture against Bristol City will take place at Kingsmeadow without fans in the stadium due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so we are making sure at least one part of your usual matchday ritual can stay the same.

In this 28-page publication, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes and Magda Eriksson address you, the supporters, directly, through their programmes notes.

We take a look back on our FA Women’s Community Shield victory over Manchester City, while the programme also holds a pull-out poster of the moment Blues skipper Eriksson lifted the trophy at Wembley.

There is news of another award for our star striker Bethany England, Hannah Blundell talks about life during lockdown and there is also an opportunity for our young Blues to get their hands on a load of Chelsea goodies!

The programme, priced at £2 (plus p&p), is available to order now from our programme partner Reach Sport.

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Chelsea Top 10s in the Premier League

While the no.10 was worn in the past by several Chelsea legends including Bobby Tambling, Ian Hutchinson and Charlie Cooke, it was only in 1993 that it was formally allocated to one of our players following the introduction of squad numbers in the Premier League.

Gavin Peacock became the first Chelsea player to use it on a full-time basis and did well with the number on his back in 1993/94, scoring in 1-0 wins at home and away against Manchester United in the league, and netting six goals in the FA Cup as we reached the final for the first time in 24 years.

Two seasons later in February 1996, Peacock became the first Chelsea player to score a Premier League hat-trick in a 5-0 trouncing of Middlesbrough.
 

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Pre-Season Briefing – part two: Milestones, regulations and more

On 22 October it will be 60 years since Bonetti’s predecessor Reg Matthews made the last of his record nine penalty saves, against Burnley (22 October 1960).

13 November 2020 will be the 75th anniversary of the epic friendly visit of Moscow Dynamo to the Bridge (13 November 1945).

November also brings the 60th anniversary of the Blues’ all-time record victory in the League Cup: 7–0 away to Doncaster Rovers in round three (16 November 1960).

Forty years ago, between December 1980 and May 1981, Chelsea failed to score in 19 of 22 matches at the end of the Division Two campaign, slipping from second in the table to 12th.

In January 2021 it will be 10 years since striker Fernando Torres joined Chelsea from Liverpool for a club record fee (31 January 2011).

February brings the 30th anniversary of Chelsea winning 2-1 to inflict Arsenal’s only league defeat of the season (2 February 1991).

In February 2021 it will be 30 years since heartache for the Blues again in the club’s fifth ever League Cup semi-final (24 and 27 February 1991).

25 March will be the 110th anniversary of Chelsea competing in the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time, and at only the sixth attempt (25 March 1911).

On 5 May it will be a seventy years since a 4-0 home victory over Bolton produced Chelsea’s ‘great escape’ with a goal average just 0.044 better than relegated Sheffield Wednesday (5 May 1951).

May will mark the 50th anniversary of the 1970/71 Cup Winners’ Cup final and replay against Real Madrid (19 and 21 May 1971), the Blues’ first European triumph.

Sixty years ago, in 1960/61, Jimmy Greaves recorded the most league goals in a season for Chelsea (41).

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Contract extension and Premier League loan for Batshuayi

Since arriving at Chelsea from Marseille in the summer of 2016, Batshuayi has scored 25 goals in 77 appearances for the Blues, including six last season. He rejoined the Chelsea squad following a previous loan spell at Crystal Palace to provide additional attacking cover besides Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud, although the form of first Abraham and then Giroud meant he found playing time hard to come by.

He did however provide one of the season highlights, a memorable late winner off the bench away to Ajax in the Champions League. He also netted a fine individual goal against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup.

It was Batshuayi’s goal at West Bromwich Albion in May 2017 that sealed our fifth Premier League title win at the conclusion of his first year in west London. In his second, he netted another iconic late goal as we won away to Atletico Madrid, before he joined Borussia Dortmund on loan for the second half of that campaign. There followed time in Spain with Valencia.

Batshuayi’s latest loan move sees him return to the south London club where he spent four months in the first part of 2019, scoring six goals in 13 appearances.

Palace’s league season starts at home to Southampton on Saturday, before they travel to Old Trafford a week later.

As a consequence of Batshuayi’s move, Billy Gilmour will now take the 23 squad number at Chelsea for the 2020/21 campaign. 

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Premier League announces players to wear No Room For Racism sleeve badge throughout 2020/21 season

The announcement further explains this is the first time the badge will feature on players’ and officials’ kit throughout the season, and will act as a constant reminder of the commitment by the Premier League, its clubs, players and PGMOL to eradicate racism.
 
This initiative will build on the momentum created last season when, in consultation with the players, ‘Black Lives Matter’ appeared on kits for all the games following the restart. The League will also continue to support players who ‘take a knee’ at matches.
 
Since launching in March 2019, the No Room For Racism campaign has brought together the Premier League’s wide-ranging work promoting equality and inclusion across all areas of football.
 
Matches dedicated to No Room For Racism have sent strong messages to fans attending games and those watching around the world, encouraging behavioural change and urging them to take action by reporting any racist conduct.
 
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: ‘We, our clubs, players and match officials have a long-standing commitment to tackling discrimination.
 
‘Players rightly have a strong voice on this matter, which we saw last season. We have continued to talk and listen to players on this issue and will support them as well as continuing to emphasise the Premier League’s position against racism.
 
‘Discrimination in any form, anywhere, is wholly unacceptable and No Room For Racism makes our zero-tolerance stance clear. We will not stand still on this important issue and we will continue to work with our clubs, players and partners to address all prejudiced behaviour.’

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Lampard exclusive: Havertz a fantastic young talent who must be given time to settle

As well as having his own identity on the pitch, Havertz has impressive characteristics off it, as our manager explains…

‘On his personality, I have been absolutely overwhelmed with how humble and down to earth he is, and how well he wants to do here, and how he is very excited with the challenge. He wants to come here and be a top player for Chelsea, and really prove his talents on this stage.

‘That to me has been one of the most exciting things, not just to be excited about him arriving as a top talent, but to see his mentality as he has come in. That gives a really good feeling about how his career is going to be at Chelsea.’

In his first interview as a Chelsea player, Havertz said he believes Lampard can help him in his position as a player, especially with scoring goals. Lampard has views on whether the scoring of goals as an attacking midfielder can be coached or whether it is an instinct.

‘I think it is both. The ability to score and know the right areas to arrive into, which I have seen in Kai when I have watched him play, it can be quite a natural instinct but it is something that can be worked on and improved even more. The fact Kai comes in saying that he wants to improve in those areas is a great thing.

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Glowing Return – Chelsea’s different kit colours

If you delve deeper into our history, you’ll see that from the first time we turned out in a red away kit, way back in 1911, every decade from then until the end of the century we played in red at least once.

In fact, when we met Dynamo Moscow in a friendly in 1945, the biggest-ever crowd for a Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge saw us in a red jersey, paired with white shorts and black socks, so that our visitors from Russia could wear their traditional blue strip. What lovely hosts we were. And then, a decade later, our change strip was also red as we went on to be crowned Division One champions for the first time.

Since then, we regularly turned out in red during the Sixties and Seventies. Legendary Blues boss Dave Sexton sparked the trend, thanks to his infatuation with the great Hungary side of the 1950s, which led to the colour being paired with white and green.

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