All posts by z3u9t.icu

One of Sheffield Wednesday’s future stars is being closely monitored by a Premier League giant ahead of the January transfer window, it has emerged, with the club having been impressed by him so far.

Sheffield Wednesday battling in Championship midtable

It has been a decidedly mixed start to the Championship season for Sheffield Wednesday this time around. The Hillsborough side sit in midtable with as many wins as they have losses, but are just five points outside the playoff places after three wins in their last five games.

Only just avoiding relegation last season, this time Danny Rohl’s outfit are already well clear of the drop zone, with 10 points separating them from Hull City in the bottom three, and they are set up to mount a push up the table for the remainder of the campaign, rather than looking worriedly over their shoulder.

Sheffield Wednesday’s season so far

Games

18

Wins

7

Losses

7

Goals scored per game

0.88

Goals conceded per game

1.08

Points per game

1.4

There are more reasons to be optimistic in Sheffield too, with several young stars impressing and waiting in the wings at Hillsborough. Danny Rohl was quick to point to those talents last month, hinting at the club’s exciting future.

“I think we should also bring attention to the players from the academy who are taking the next step. I’m not sure when the last time [that happened] was.

“We have Di’Shon Bernard, Pierce Charles, Gabriel Otegbayo… they could be the future for this club. This is also the outcome from since I joined in the last year.”

Now though, a Premier League side are eyeing up one of those talents.

Liverpool monitoring Sheffield Wednesday talent after scouts impressed

That comes as a fresh report names Liverpool as one of the sides keeping a close eye on young goalkeeper Pierce Charles.

The former Manchester City youth academy product is yet to feature in the Championship this season, but has earned rave reviews for his performances in the Carabao Cup and has impressed for Northern Ireland since making his debut in the October international break, keeping three clean sheets in four outings.

And that has made clubs sit up and take notice of the teenager, with Sheffield Wednesday News revealing that “Liverpool are one of the teams to have made checks on 19-year-old Charles this season”.

Arne Slot’s side “are on the lookout for a young and exciting no.2 goalkeeper” and have watched Charles in action this season. Indeed, it is added that the scouts were left “impressed” by his performances for Northern Ireland.

Fortunately for Sheffield Wednesday and their fans, any move for the goalkeeper is unlikely to materialise in January should it do so at all, with Liverpool already well stocked in goal for this season and Giorgi Mamardashvili arriving in the summer from Valencia.

However, Caoimhín Kelleher has made no secret of his desire to leave the club, while Alisson has been subject to strong interest from Saudi Arabia in recent transfer windows, which could see a major changing of the guard at Anfield next summer. Could Charles be one that Liverpool come back for?

In an afternoon to forget for Leeds United against a battling Preston North End side, Graham Smyth spotted a second player to blame during the Brad Potts goal that eventually cost Leeds two precious points.

Preston hold Leeds to end impressive run

Sitting second in the Championship and on an impressive run of two defeats in their last six games, many expected Leeds to continue their form up against a Preston side stuck in a mid-table battle with the thought of a place inside the top six merely a fantasy at this stage. But football is never that simple and the Whites soon found themselves in a frustrating encounter despite resucing a point late on.

Leeds want to sign "out-and-out striker" in January instead of Louie Barry

The Aston Villa youngster has been linked.

ByCharlie Smith Dec 13, 2024

Scoring what could be a decisive goal in the automatic promotion race, Potts raced onto the end of Milutin Osmajic’s pinpoint cross to bundle home beyond a disappointed Meslier, whose fumble was not enough to keep Leeds level after just 23 minutes on the clock.

Despite the fact that many were quick to point fingers the way of the disappointed goalkeeper, however, The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Smyth decided to share the blame, highlighting Pascal Struijk’s role in the opening Preston goal.

Despite going top for now, Leeds must turn their attention towards their next chance to bounce back, which will come against Oxford United in a game that Daniel Farke’s side, on paper, should be taking all three points from. As highlighted by Preston, however, anything is possible in England’s second tier.

Leeds could lose promotion advantage

Whilst there’s still a long way to go, any potential advantage can still prove to be the key to unlocking promotion to the Premier League. And with a four point lead over Burnley, Leeds currently have that advantage. After suffering a frustrating time against Preston, however, there’s now every chance that Burnley find a way past Norwich City and move onto the shoulder of Farke’s side.

It’s once again a game in which Meslier should be questioned too. As much as Smyth was quick to share the blame and also point fingers towards Struijk, there’s a strong argument that the shot-stopper should have kept Potts’ effort out.

It’s not the first time that he has cost Leeds this season, either, having gifted promotion rivals Sunderland a late equaliser back in October. With the January transfer window just a few weeks away, Meslier’s mistakes certainly present Farke with an interesting question to answer.

For the rest of this month at least though, Meslier remains Leeds’ number one and must bounce back at his next opportunity and prove the increasing doubters wrong.

Celtic are back in action once again in the Scottish Premiership at lunchtime today as they prepare to travel away to Dundee United in the early kick-off.

Despite this being his fifth season in charge of the Hoops, over two spells, this is Brendan Rodgers’s first visit to Tannadice Park, and he will be hoping that it is a successful one.

The Premiership champions come into this match off the back of winning the League Cup at Hampden Park on penalties against Rangers last weekend.

Rodgers could look to make some alterations to the starting XI that lined up at the national stadium, including dropping Reo Hatate from the team.

Why Reo Hatate should be dropped

The Japan international was selected to start the final and lined up in midfield next to captain Callum McGregor and summer signing Paulo Bernardo.

Unfortunately, however, the experienced central midfielder failed to show the best version of himself at Hampden Park, as his performance was rewarded with a 6/10 player rating by the Daily Record, who wrote that he ‘struggled to exert himself’ in the game.

Football FanCast then published an article explaining why the Celtic star should be brutally ditched from the starting XI next time out, as his lacklustre play in the middle of the park has left him open to being dropped.

Hatate, who has only contributed with one goal and zero assists in his last nine appearances for club and country across all competitions, should now be taken out of the team after a disappointing showing in the final.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Removing the Japanese maestro from the starting XI will open the door for another player to step up, and Rodgers must unleash Luke McCowan from the start.

Why Luke McCowan should start for Celtic

The Scottish dynamo was ineligible to feature in the final, as he had played for Dundee in an earlier round, but should now return to the line-up after missing out completely last weekend.

Celtic signed the left-footed whiz, who was described as a “game winner” by Marvin Bartley, from Dundee in the summer transfer window as an experienced Premiership operator, and it has been a terrific piece of business to date.

McCowan has started two of the club’s last three league matches and contributed with one goal and three assists from the middle of the park – more goal contributions than Hatate has managed in his last nine outings for club and country.

Appearances

14

Starts

7

Goals

5

Assists

4

Duel success rate

52%

As you can see in the table above, the Hoops star has been incredibly productive in the final third despite only starting half of his appearances in the division.

This speaks to the quality he can provide in the middle of the park as a plug-and-play star who does not need regular game time to be dropped into the team and expected to deliver.

Therefore, Rodgers must unleash McCowan from the start to provide an injection of attacking quality ahead of Hatate, who has struggled in that regard of late.

Perfect for Maeda: Celtic pushing to seal deal for "super talented" PL star

Celtic are reportedly interested in a swoop to sign the experienced defender.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 20, 2024

Speculation is mounting over Sean Dyche’s Everton future after The Friedkin Group acquired ownership of Everton earlier this week, and there has now been a major update.

Everton takeover completed

The Friedkin Group finally completed their takeover of Everton on Thursday, which was met with “relief and excitement” amongst fans, having endured some difficult times under the ownership of Farhad Moshiri over the past few years.

With the new stadium having now been officially handed over to the Toffees, there are plenty of reasons for the blue side of Merseyside to be optimistic about the future. More exciting news has also emerged this weekend, with the report that Dan Ashworth could be brought in as a sporting director by the new ownership group, following his shock exit from Manchester United.

For the first time in a while, all the news coming out of Goodison Park seems to be positive, but one lingering question remains – do the new owners see Dyche as someone who can play a long-term role in the future of the club?

iNews‘ Mark Douglas has now dropped a major update on the 53-year-old’s future on Merseyside, and it is not good news for the former Burnley man, with a source close to the Friedkins revealing there is “no way” he remains at the club beyond the end of his contract.

The Englishman’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the season, and there is seemingly no way he can convince his new employers that he deserves to sign fresh terms. Dyche doesn’t align with the “ethos” of the Friedkins, who are said to believe the German school of managers are “world-class”.

With the Toffees’ short-term concern of staying in the Premier League still a pressing matter, it remains to be seen how long their current manager remains in the dugout.

Everton now want new Calvert-Lewin replacement who is wowing their scouts

It comes with the Englishman set to leave at the end of the season.

ByBen Browning Dec 18, 2024 A new dawn for the Toffees

With a change of ownership and a new stadium to move into next season, a new dawn is very much underway on Merseyside, so it makes sense that the Friedkins are keen to put their own stamp on the club by hiring their own manager.

That said, relegation to the Championship prior to moving to Bramley-Moore Dock would be a disaster, so it makes sense to keep Dyche until the end of the season, given that he has a history of being able to keep teams in the Premier League.

However, if the Toffees are going to kick on next season and aim to compete for Europe in the future, they may need to change their style of play to a more forward-thinking philosophy, the opposite of Dyche’s cautious and often simply boring style of play.

As such, it is the right decision not to renew the manager’s contract, and it will be exciting to see who the Friedkins’ first appointment will be.

Leicester City are now leading the race to sign a “promising” defender this month, despite interest from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, according to a report.

Leicester now in serious trouble

Leicester are in serious danger of being relegated back to the Championship this season, having now lost their last five Premier League games on the spin, meaning Ruud van Nistelrooy has now started to look at potential reinforcements this January.

Fixing his side’s leaky defence is seemingly one of Van Nistelrooy’s main priorities, and the Foxes are now believed to be keen on signing Marseille defender Chancel Mbemba, who previously played in the Premier League for Newcastle United.

Not only is Van Nistelrooy keen on strengthening at centre-back, but the Dutchman is also weighing up options at right-back, and Kyle Walker-Peters has now emerged as a transfer target, with his Southampton deal set to expire at the end of the season.

Leicester City racing to sign "interesting" £16m+ defender ahead of Spurs

He’s a man in demand…

ByTom Cunningham Jan 3, 2025

Last week, it was reported that Leicester are racing Premier League rivals Tottenham and Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen for the signature of Udinese’s Thomas Kristensen, in a deal that could cost £16.5m.

Now, there has been a promising new update on the Foxes’ pursuit of Kristensen, which has clarified they are leading the race for the defender’s signature, while also confirming they are willing to pay the £16.5m price tag.

Van Nistelrooy is clearly extremely interested in the centre-back, with the report claiming the Udinese man is being “literally stalked” by Leicester, and all that remains is for the Foxes to formalise their interest by lodging an official bid.

Leicester City’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Crystal Palace (h)

January 15th

Fulham (h)

January 18th

Tottenham Hotspur (a)

January 26th

Everton (a)

February 1st

Arsenal (h)

February 15th

Kristensen impressing in the Serie A

Analyst Spencer Mossman praised the Dane back in the summer, in light of the start he has made to life in the Serie A since arriving from Aarhus.

The 22-year-old may not be in his prime just yet, but he has put in some impressive performances for Udinese over the past year, using his 6 foot 6 frame to his advantage by ranking in the 87th percentile for aerials won per 90, compared to his positional peers.

It is clear that Leicester need to strengthen in the centre-back department this January, considering they hold the second-worst defensive record in the Premier League.

While signing Kristensen could be a risk, as he is yet to fulfill his potential, his age means he could be a long-term success at the King Power Stadium, and it could be a risk worth taking as the Foxes look to claw themselves out of the relegation zone.

Sunderland have reportedly made contact to sign an “incredible” winger alongside their move for Leicester forward Tom Cannon.

Tom Cannon to Sunderland latest

The Black Cats have already made their first signing of 2025, bringing in midfielder Enzo Le Fee on loan from AS Roma until the end of the season. A move will become permanent in the summer should Sunderland win promotion to the Premier League from the Championship.

Regis Le Bris doesn’t want to stop there, though. Talking recently, the manager admitted that Sunderland are targeting a versatile forward to provide competition to the likes of Patrick Roberts, Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda.

“Probably, we’ll have a target for the 11, 9, 7 position. A versatile player will be useful for us because we have two injuries on the left side at the moment, for the example.

“We know for example that Wilson has been really good, Eli really good, Pat really good – but we have only had three main players in these positions. Others have been involved, but not as much. So another forward could be important for us, yes.”

Sunderland now seriously interested in signing 21 y/o forward in January

Regis Le Bris wants to sign a player Sunderland are already aware of.

ByBrett Worthington Jan 14, 2025

That man appears to be Leicester City’s Tom Cannon. Reports have revealed that Sunderland have made a bid to sign the attacker on loan with an obligation to buy for £13m should they go up.

Cannon has been on loan at Stoke City, however, the Foxes have now recalled the forward ahead of a potential move to the Stadium of Light or Bramall Lane, with promotion rivals Sheffield United also interested.

However, alongside Cannon, Sunderland appear to have made their first move for another addition in the final third.

Sunderland also make enquiry for "incredible" winger with Cannon

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Sunderland have made an enquiry to sign Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo. Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday have done the same, however, an unnamed European club have agreed a deal to sign Matondo on loan.

It looks as if Sunderland haven’t had the answer they wanted in their pursuit of the “incredible” attacker, with Matondo capable of playing on the left wing, right wing or as a second striker.

He’s been at Ibrox since 2022 after joining from FC Schalke and has made 67 appearances for the Scottish giants, scoring eight goals and registering 12 assists.

The 24-year-old ticks the box when it comes to a versatile attacker wanted by Le Bris, but it looks as if he’ll be heading elsewhere this month, leaving the Black Cats to look at alternative targets.

After suffering a disappointing 2-0 defeat away at Middlesbrough, Tony Mowbray might well have been fearing a potential banana skin clash with Portsmouth as his second game back at the helm of West Bromwich Albion.

The 61-year-old didn’t need to fear anything after all as his Baggies side swept the floor with Portsmouth in devastating fashion in a 5-1 victory, as the Hawthorns masses afterwards sang Mowbray’s praises after such an exhilarating performance.

Mowbray had made a number of changes for this contest to try and get a reaction out of his troops, with the decision to play Grady Diangana up top working an absolute treat.

Diangana's stunning performance vs Pompey

This was only the ex-West Ham United attacker’s eighth start of the season in the Championship, and based on what he offered up versus Pompey, he will be a shoo-in for more starts moving forward.

His campaign had been disrupted by injury when Carlos Corberan was still in the building, but under fresh management, Diangana could really kick on and get back to his previous best.

The cool finish above saw Diangana pick up a brace on the day to gift his side a bumper 4-0 lead, with the Congolese ace also turning provider in the one-sided affair with two assists next to his name come full-time.

Praised after the full-time whistle by Mowbray for his ability to “dance on the ball”, it will be intriguing to see if Diangana can put in more breathtaking displays like this in games to come, as the 26-year-old attacker goes about trying to win himself a new contract at the Hawthorns.

No doubt goal-laden performances such as these will ensure contract talks whir into motion, with the potential for Diangana to cause more havoc alongside a new recruit.

West Brom looking at "powerful" striker

As per a new report by Football Mercato – relayed by Sport Witness – West Brom still remain in the hunt to snap up St. Gallen forward Willem Geubbels this window.

But, they may need to move quick in order to strike up a deal with the potent Frenchman as Luton Town are now reportedly in ‘advanced talks’ themselves over winning the 23-year-old’s services.

Regardless of any new developments, the Baggies will presumably try to tempt Geubbels to call the Hawthorns home over Kenilworth Road, with the potential there for an imposing 6 foot 2 striker to form a deadly relationship in attack with a reinvigorated Diangana.

After all, this season playing out in Switzerland, Geubbels has helped himself to a reasonable six goals from 13 league contests, with only an injury-stricken Josh Maja scoring more at 12 in the current Baggies ranks when glancing at the league numbers.

Games played

13

Goals scored

6

Assists

2

Shots per game

2.2

Scoring frequency

145 mins

Big chances missed

2

Big chances created

4

Total duels won

3.7

There’s plenty more to be encouraged by when delving deeper into his Swiss Super League statistics too, with a healthy scoring frequency next to his name of every 145 minutes, whilst his tag as a “powerful” attacker – as he has been billed in the past by The Rangers Journal – is also apparent with 3.7 duels won per league game.

In contrast, Diangana – although he can be nippy and direct – comes in just short with 3.6 for the season, with the 26-year-old’s trickery and creativity away from his ability to be imposing meaning Geubbels could immediately hit the ground moving to England.

Whilst losing Corberan was demoralising in the moment, West Brom look to have bounced back now with the popular appointment of Mowbray, who will aim to get even more out of his group after such a fantastic victory on Saturday.

West Brom have struck gold on "animal" who is worth more than Isaac Price

This West Bromwich Albion star will hope he can impress Tony Mowbray.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 21, 2025

Manchester City’s spending spree continued.

On deadline day, the four-in-a-row Premier League champions brought in midfielder Nico González from Porto, paying his reported £50m release clause.

This takes the Sky Blues’ January spending to £178m, following on from the signings of Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Omar Marmoush and Juma Bah which, as Philip Buckingham of the Athletic notes, means they spent more than all 19 other Premier League clubs combined in this window, as well as four times more than the next highest-spenders, namely Wolves.

Thus, it is clear that the Citizens are seeking to refresh their squad, so could one of the club’s greatest-ever players fall by the wayside after the arrival of Gonzalez?

Manchester City's next big signing

Deadline day signing González joined Barcelona’s fabled La Masia as an 11-year-old, making 37 appearances for Barça’s first team, before being sold to Porto for €8.5m in the summer of 2023.

Still only 23-years-old, the Spaniard has come in for rave reviews, with Anantaajith Raghuraman of the Athletic stating that he “reads space well and dictates the tempo of games”, expecting him to “slot immediately into Man City’s midfield” where there is currently a “gaping hole”.

Meanwhile, Ali Tweedale for the Premier League adds that Nico’s “ball-carrying ability” stands out given that “he regularly drives through midfield with the ball”, while Nick Wright of Sky Sports describes him as a “box-to-box midfielder”, believing he can certainly play alongside compatriot Rodri, once he returns from injury.

In 131 senior appearances, the January arrival has only racked up 12 goals and 12 assists to date, but seven of these goals, as well as six assists, came during the first half of this season, most recently bagging the winner in the Europa League against Maccabi Tel Aviv to keep Porto in the competition.

This shows he has taken a gigantic leap forward in his development, suggesting he is more than ready to perform at a higher level and, potentially, fill the void of one of City’s greatest ever players.

Manchester City to move on from all-time great

As reported by Jeff Rueter of the Athletic, MLS expansion club San Diego FC are “interested” in signing Kevin De Bruyne this summer, with Tom Bogert, also of the Athletic, claiming the Belgian is considering the move stateside.

De Bruyne, who will celebrate his 34th birthday in June, is out of contract in the summer, and his importance at Man City has been on the decline.

During Sunday’s 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal, statistically, the midfielder’s favourite opponents, having scored against them eight times, he only came on for the final 18 minutes, accumulating just 1,326 minutes so far, which equates to 41% of Man City’s total minutes.

So, let’s examine De Bruyne’s statistics from across the last five seasons.

Appearances

40

45

49

26

24

Minutes

3,043

3,338

3,685

1,750

1,326

Goals

10

19

10

6

2

Assists

18

15

29

18

6

Goals – xG

-2.1

+9.5

+2.2

+2.4

-1.3

Pass completion %

75.9%

75.4%

72.2%

74.6%

76%

Shot-creating actions

178

197

218

111

93

Touches per 90

58

63

52

67

68

As outlined in the table, in his pomp in 2021/22 and 2022/23, De Bruyne’s numbers were off the scale, with former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp amongst those labelling him the “Premier League’s best midfielder ever”.

However, what’s clear now, is that the midfielder is declining, with all of his attacking metrics significantly down this season, although pass completion percentage and touches per-90 are up, suggesting he’s operating a lot further away from goal.

Thus, with De Bruyne seemingly on the way out, he may appear irreplaceable, but have Man City just signed a ready-made superstar ready to fill this enormous void? The box-to-box Gonzalez will certainly hope so.

Forget Gonzalez: Man City must regret letting their next Rodri leave for £0

It could have saved them a fortune on the Gonzalez deal

1 ByJoe Nuttall Feb 4, 2025

West Ham United managed to bolster their attacking department during the final day of the January transfer window.

The Irons have a horrible history of signing centre forwards and that hasn’t improved with a certain German named Nicklas Fullkrug.

Well, with the striker injured, they’ve been keen to boost their options at the top end of the pitch and they did so by signing Brighton and Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson on a loan deal until the end of the season.

His arrival will give Graham Potter a big boost, especially if the Republic of Ireland international centre-forward can stay fit and healthy.

What Evan Ferguson can bring to West Ham United

Ferguson hasn’t exactly enjoyed the most productive of seasons on the South Coast. A series of injuries have restricted him to just 15 appearances in all competitions, scoring just one goal in the process.

While this term and 2023/24 have been hampered by injury problems, when Ferguson burst onto the scene during the 2022/23 campaign, he was a breath of fresh air.

Ten goals and three assists for the Seagulls in just 25 games as a teenager looked like it had set the striker on the path to greatness, with a series of big clubs already showing interest.

While things haven’t exactly gone to plan over the previous 18 months or so, if Potter can get Ferguson to bring the sort of form that he showcased in his maiden season, West Ham may have made one of the best signings of the window as they strive to score more goals.

Michael Owen

1998

25

126

Robbie Fowler

1994

22

140

Nicolas Anelka

1998

12

221

Francis Jeffers

1999

12

172

Wayne Rooney

2005

11

175

Evan Ferguson

2023

11

143

However, has the club already sold their own version of Ferguson?

West Ham's very own Evan Ferguson

A certain Divin Mubama made his senior debut for the Irons during the 2022/23 season, but it wasn’t until the following season that he began to enjoy more minutes under David Moyes.

During that term, Mubama scored 30 goals for the first team, U21s and U18s, being instrumental to the success of the latter two sides.

He even won the Mark Noble Award due to his impressive displays, with Academy Manager Kenny Brown lavishing praise on the forward, saying: “He has truly enjoyed an incredible season and he’s a great personality too.”

The 20-year-old made 12 first-team appearances for the club throughout 2023/24, although he failed to get on the scoresheet or grab an assist.

His contract expired at the end of last season and, despite his early promise at the club, it was soon announced that he had departed West Ham along with Ben Johnson after rejecting a contract extension.

Manchester City soon snapped him up, with the two clubs agreeing on a compensation fee of just £1.2m for the Englishman.

Mubama has already made two appearances under Pep Guardiola, no mean feat given the players at his disposal, even scoring against Salford City in the FA Cup last month.

If he continues performing and impressing the Spaniard, more game time in the first team could come between now and the end of the season.

There is no doubt that failing to keep the 20-year-old will turn out to be a poor decision by the Irons and considering they’ve now loaned in another top young prospect, a player who is coincidentally the same age, perhaps they will regret not tying their academy prospect down.

After Ferguson: West Ham plot bid to sign their biggest talent since Rice

It’s deadline day, and Graham Potter is looking to make more than one West Ham signing.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 3, 2025

Brighton & Hove Albion take on Chelsea in the FA Cup on Saturday evening, with the two Premier League sides looking to book a spot in the last 16.

The Seagulls, who have never won the famous cup competition, host the Blues, who have lifted the trophy on eight occasions.

FA Cup 2024/25: Cup final details, results, TV picks & more

Find all the latest and key FA Cup info here ahead of the weekend’s final between Crystal Palace and Manchester City.

1 ByRoss Kilvington May 12, 2025

Both clubs will fancy their chances of making it to Wembley come May, with this meeting a welcome distraction from the pressures of the Premier League.

Brighton v Chelsea team news Brighton

The Seagulls have a long injury list with Mats Wieffer, Jason Steele, James Milner, Solly March, Ferdi Kadioglu, Carlos Baleba, Yasin Ayari, Igor and Pervis Estupinan all missing last time out against Nottingham Forest.

Fabian Hürzeler has revealed that Wieffer is back in training and March is making good progress, however, none of the players are set to return this weekend.

Chelsea

Chelsea’s absentees last time out were Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, Benoit Badiashile, and Omari Kellyman. All of them look set to miss the match against Brighton.

Marc Guiu has also suffered a ‘bad’ injury, as revealed by Enzo Maresca, whereas Nicolas Jackson is also a doubt for the trip to south coast.

Where to watch Brighton v Chelsea on TV

The fixture between Brighton and Chelsea was selected to be shown live by ITV. Scheduled to kick-off at 8pm (GMT) on Saturday 8, February, ITV4 will broadcast the match live, whereas viewers can also stream the game on ITVX.

In the USA, the match will be streamed on ESPN+, and in Canada, live on TV with channel Sportsnet.

Brighton v Chelsea referee and is there VAR?

Despite the match being played by two Premier League clubs, there will be no VAR for the fourth-round tie, with the FA deciding to introduce Video Assistant Referees from the fifth round.

Therefore, the man with all the power will be referee Jarred Gillett. The Australian will be assisted by Darren Cann and Sam Lewis, with the fourth official being Stephen Martin. Gillett, 38, has taken charge of eight Chelsea games and seven for Brighton in the past.

Games

7

8

Record

4W, 0D, 3L

3W, 4D, 1L

Cards received

9 Yellow, 0 Red

15 Yellow, 1 Red

Cards to opponents

10 Yellow, 0 Red

11 Yellow, 0 Red

Penalties for/against

3/2

3/0

Brighton v Chelsea form Brighton

A few weeks ago, Brighton were on course to be coming into this FA Cup clash in fine form and full of confidence. However, back-to-back defeats in the Premier League to Everton and Nottingham Forest have changed that.

Hürzeler’s side lost 1-0 to Everton then shipped seven against Forest last time out, leaving them 10th in the Premier League.

Date

Opponent

Competition

Result

Sat 1st Feb

Nottingham Forest (a)

Premier League

L 7-0

Sat 25th Jan

Everton (h)

Premier League

L 0-1

Sun 19th Jan

Man Utd (a)

Premier League

W 1-3

Thu 16th Jan

Ipswich (a)

Premier League

W 0-2

Sat 11th Jan

Norwich (a)

FA Cup

W 0-4

Chelsea

Meanwhile, Chelsea, who ended 2024 with successive defeats against Fulham and Ipswich Town, have also struggled for consistency which has seen them drift away from the title race.

A defeat to Manchester City last time on their travels, Maresca’s Blues did manage to come from behind to beat West Ham last time out to keep them in the top four.

Date

Opponent

Competition

Result

Mon 3rd Feb

West Ham (h)

Premier League

W 2-1

Sat 25th Jan

Man City (a)

Premier League

L 3-1

Mon 20th Jan

Wolves (h)

Premier League

W 3-1

Tue 14th Jan

Bournemouth (h)

Premier League

D 2-2

Sat 11th Jan

Morecambe (h)

FA Cup

W 5-0

Brighton v Chelsea head-to-head

Before Brighton’s promotion to the Premier League in 2017, the two sides only met on a handful of occasions, with all four of their first games coming in the FA Cup.

The sides met in 1933, twice in 1967 and again in 1973 and overall, it is Chelsea who have the better record between the two sides.

Brighton wins

3

Draws

5

Chelsea wins

16