Premier League 2023/24

[stokeriño]

I'm struggling to maintain interest in watching Chelsea matches like this and that makes me sad.

[Colly]

What's actually going on? In my head Chelsea had this ludicrously enormous squad, and while I know there's a fair few injuries I literally only recognised two names on your bench today.

[stokeriño]

1 hour ago, Colly said:

What's actually going on? In my head Chelsea had this ludicrously enormous squad, and while I know there's a fair few injuries I literally only recognised two names on your bench today.

The Chelsea official squad page currently lists 33 players (4 GK, 29 outfield). From that, we can also remove Malang Sarr who is the only listed player without a squad number and can therefore be presumed a persona non grata. 

Of the 28 outfield players, I would place 4 of them in the "youth team teenagers we expect nothing from" bracket. Namely: Alfie Gilchrist, Deivid Washington, Alex Matos, Ronnie Stutter. All of these were on the bench today (as were two goalkeepers, Petrovic and Bergstrom... sigh).

So on the face of it, a senior* squad of 24+4 is still a little on the bloated side. But of those 24 outfield players, 11 were unavailable for today's game, leaving only 13, aka the starting 10 plus the 3 others on the bench not already mentioned above (Chilwell, Maatsen, Palmer). Absences range from season-ending-injury to minor illness, but a vague summary is as follows:

Fofana (knee injury until June 2024)
Nkunku (knee injury until Dec)
Chukwuemeka (knee injury until late Oct)
Broja (knee injury, due back in 'weeks')
Chalobah (thigh injury, due back in 'weeks')
James (hamstring injury, due back in 'weeks')
Badiashile (thigh injury, has returned to training)
Lavia (ankle injury, still pending full assessment)
Caicedo (returned from international duty with 'a knock to the knee')
Madueke (returned from international duty with 'a muscle issue')
Cucurella (has a fever, apparently) 

* (it feels ridiculous applying the word 'senior' to this squad given that two-thirds of them are under the age of 24, but whatever)

So yeah, that's what's going on. Chelsea used to only break players figuratively, but they've add 'literally' to their repertoire as of late.

[DavidMarrio]

Even with the players you do have, feels like even if the games went another 90 minutes yous wouldn't score. 

[Lineker]

 

[Gazz]

They won't be saying that when he gets sacked in February

[Lineker]

 

[FLiam]

Massive. 

[gunnar hendershow]

Yeah that's great for Arsenal. For all the other talented players they've brought in he's in many ways the cornerstone of it all. You could replace some of them but I don't think you can replicate what Odegaard brings to the squad.

[hugobomb]

The fact that he's only 24 stuns me. Felt sure he was a few years older than that. Probably a combination of me forgetting just how young he was when he moved to Real and 2015 feeling so long ago at this point.

[Lineker]

Red card for Rodri means that he misses the Arsenal game, amongst others.

[Lineker]

Where on Earth would Everton be right now without Doucoure!

[Colly]

Away at Brentford unless he drives the bus.

[Lineker]

 

[Kyle]

Michael Oliver has just had a complete nightmare and for once it went in our favour. Completely got in the way of a Brentford opportunity.

[Adam]

Donny and Everton winning on the same day, this is exceptionally rare.

[Colly]

Jonny Evans with a Titus Bramble-esque arrowed cross there. Wonderful assist.

[Baddar]

By no means convincing, especially first half, but we won a game!

[Lineker]

Raya starts over Ramsdale again for Arsenal; Johnson comes in for Spurs over Solomon.

[Baddar]

Shameless celebration from Saka throwing a dart considering the shot was very clearly off target.

Although I did like Drury's call of him "aiming for the bull and it's gone in off the wire" referring to the deflection though. That's why he's the goat and Martin Tyler is probably back with Andy Gray on Qatari TV.