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EP 63: Matchday Review - Spurs
17 Plays14 days ago
Join Matt and Luke discuss the whopper of a win against Spurs!
Spurs bottled it as usual and Chelsea just had too much class.
Palmer breaks more records, where is the limit for him? Honestly!
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Transcript
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to the Daily Chelsea, brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network. I'm your host Matt Blagdon. And joining me today to talk about the unreal win against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend is, of course, the most lyrical, the most wonderful, it's Luke. Luke, how you doing?
00:00:28
Luke
I'm very, very well, thank you. Always, always great to get three points at three-point lane, as it's actually known by most Chelsea fans.
00:00:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, absolutely.
00:00:36
Luke
So, yeah, feeling, feeling very, very happy, very, very, yeah, just optimistic now for the remainder of the season. But I'm sure we'll come on to all of that as we go through the podcast.
00:00:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely. Yeah. There's so much to talk about today. Obviously, seven goals scored, three for Spurs, four for Chelsea. We were on the right side of that score line.
00:00:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
A bit of a nightmare start for us, but then, you know, we still came into the game. We were still making plenty of chances. And so many strong performances, most noticeably by Cole Palmer. And maybe some slightly fortuitous decisions for us as well, some of the tackles some of our players made. But ultimately, you know, from this, our Chelsea potentially in a title race. That's all to come. Luke, I think there's just one place to start, you know, before we get into everything. And that is the lineup.
00:01:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously, Mariska made seven changes from that Southampton chain game in midweek. We did expect most of that just because we need to rest and rotate the team. and Spurs is definitely a stronger outfit compared to Southampton, so we need to have of our first 11 names on the on the team sheet.
00:01:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And essentially, Mariska put out the same squad against Villa, albeit with Baddishile coming in for Fafana, because he's out injured. And Carcedo was then again at right back. Were are there any kind of confusions from you? Did you approve of Mariska's selection um we got the win? But going into the game, did he actually get it right? so
00:02:05
Luke
I think a lot of the decisions made sense. I was kind of surprised that maybe Madaweki wasn't in from the start, but potentially that was, but again, for a tactical sp standpoint, was it to potentially isolate Pedro Porro and Romero and that side with Sancho being a lot more of a technical dribbler than a kind of the Neto's, who's the out and out pace, who would have probably been on the left-hand side if Madawecki had started on the right. but But yeah, I think, I didn't look into the lineup and go kind of any shocks or any unexpected changes. I think Jorgensen had done enough to keep his place, but of course we know that Sanchez is, is of course, number one.
00:02:40
Luke
so and make again, it makes sense for the as you say, what what is considered a slightly bigger game, a bigger fixture than Southampton, not by much, but slightly in terms of difficulty.
00:02:51
Luke
It comes down to you're going to get those familiar faces returning into that 9-11. So, yeah, I didn't have a lot of question marks, I suppose.
00:02:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:02:59
Luke
Again, Kaiseido is very adept as a deputy in that right back position.
00:03:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:03:05
Luke
He's not, obviously it's not his his go-to position. You want him on the ball a lot more than maybe he will be in it from a defensive standpoint and as a right back but he could do a job there and I think yeah there wasn't there wasn't particularly any kind of shocks or or really big things for me to look at and go oh god i we we look really weak here for example it wasn't really like that it was it was more invasive okay I understand it and I've come to a point now and Mareska makes these slight tactical tweaks and there must be a reason why he's done so so I don't really question it as much as maybe we would have done in the past when we've had some rogue lineups be announced
00:03:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I think Chelsea fanbase really are trusting Maraska, given the results that we're we're getting, but also just the way the team are playing. And since the Southampton game, we're all saying, you know, our Chelsea is back. didn't have a great start, though, this game. Within the first 15 minutes, we were 2-0 down, and that was largely down to Kukarela having the wrong kind of studs or wrong kind of boots on. Two slips leading to two goals.
00:04:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, Luke, is that just, you know, unfortunate that, you know, those slips happened and from that two girls were conceded, or is that actually a crucial error from Kookarela on his part?
00:04:14
Luke
age Of course, it's you don't want things like that. It's so ridiculous that that that that we can see two goals from a position where we've had one of our more dominant defenders slip in and be in that position.
00:04:24
Luke
and Because we're not set, everything of course goes haywire at that point. And you put yourself in the back foot, of course.
00:04:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:30
Luke
but I think, I reflected upon it obviously, it's a lot easier to reflect upon it now, we know the full time result, but at the time I was thinking this is just typical Chelsea, it's the kind of thing where everyone is expecting us to do really well against Tottenham, they're they're their lowest there but we always do well here, and look at the reason we're 2-0 down, it's because the players got the wrong boots on.
00:04:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:48
Luke
And it is Cucarello, who's ah ah is' a bit of a figure of fun for some of the for some of the rival fan bases. So it was just typical. I just looked at him like, well, this is, yeah, like, there was some way we were going to make it difficult for ourselves and look, hey, we found a way. But right now, rightly so, he changed his boots and we didn't even think about it for the remainder of the game. It it was like, it was like he could actually walk again and run around. So it was fine.
00:05:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. It was almost strange, but thankfully, you know, a quick change of the boots and no problems anymore. And it wasn't any underhand spurs tactics of just overly watering that watering that bit of the pitch. um was just a boot change thing.
00:05:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
But quickly after the 2-0, I don't know about you, Luke, but so I still felt very confident the game. I thought that, sure, there's two soccer mistakes to make, but we've still got a lot of the game to go within, and we've got a game plan, we've got a better team, and we'll come back into it. And shortly after, around the 18-minute mark, Sancho Shorenoff does that with a blistering run and a shot fired into the corner you know sort of that is two goals and five assists for Chelsea now looks like a bit of a revelation at Chelsea. What did you make of his performance?
00:05:56
Luke
I thought I thought he was really good, really dangerous. Every time he was on the ball, particularly in that first half, he was one of our one of our stronger attacking outlets. it's just really good to see he's clearly enjoying his football. He clearly is feeling valued at the club.
00:06:08
Luke
He also understands that he is part of this rotation policy. He hasn't got as much stature as, say, Jackson or Kaiseido do, where they will partner as well as the name I was thinking of, where they will know that there will be the starters every week kind of and in the main 11 team.
00:06:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:06:24
Luke
you put Coelho and Coelho probably now in those positions as well but but he he is becoming very very important for us and he adds a little bit of extra dynamism that we don't necessarily have from the other wingers because he just has this ability to to dribble so quickly on either foot and cut inside and and we saw it today like he will go on the outside he'll cut in but He makes quick decisions, he's part the weight of his pass is always pretty much bang on. and he He runs upright and dribbles with his head up, looking at all the options all the time. and if you watch If you watch his feet move, it's incredible to watch. and and Every time he does something positive and has a really good input impact on the team.
00:07:02
Luke
i I'm slightly more happy to maybe some other place because I know how much man united fans are seething that we have this quality player now in our ranks that we're going to sign for what 20 million at the end of the season so it's it's absurd but Yeah, he's he's really good, really, really dynamic and yeah excellent goal, excellent finish, but it's just more to come. like We know hey there was that player with that level of potential. We've seen flashes of it at different points. He's now just getting on a consistent basis. And I think Mareska, as he's done with a lot of different players, is really finding how to fine-tune players to the best of their abilities. I mean, another example.
00:07:34
Luke
I'm sure we'll talk about him a bit, but Enzo Fernandez, a few weeks ago we were talking, we didn't know how he fit into the team. Now he's almost getting to the point where he's undroppable. So it's it's really exciting and really good to see that everyone is having an opportunity to thrive now and really finding their feet in the system.
00:07:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:07:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely, it is just the a happy camp, you know sort of within within the chelsea team and the chelsea squads I mean both the fans and squads absolutely delighted getting three points out -point lane as we know as And yeah, everyone is just thriving with a smile on their face and everyone's got each other's backs and it's probably like the best thing about you know, sort of when you see that within your team and um Obviously we do have a standout performance to talk about and it'll be coming just after that this break.
00:09:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome back. Now, I'm sure you can guess the player that we're going to be talking about just now about the star player, the man of the match. But here's a little excerpt that we got from Jake, who was actually at the game a little clue.
00:09:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Of course, it is cold, cold Palmer. Luke, this guy just keeps on delivering. I mean, it's it's hard to say, you know, he can't do. And, you know, sort of can we expect him to go on to have a season a bit like Ronaldo and Messi? You know, is he actually capable to get to those sort of heights? Or are we talking way, way too early?
00:09:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously he had a hand in three goals again in this game. Let's start off with the penalties Luke obviously a Great slot and then a delightful pen anchor Yeah, just talk us through those penalties because they both came up crucial times what did you make of the way Palmer took those penalties and top of that would you make of his celebrations?
00:10:13
Luke
Yeah, I mean, he he is cool as personified, isn't he? the The clue is kind of in the name that that he's given himself and the fans have given him as well. it I don't have any sort of doubt. he I have that level of confidence in him stepping up, taking a penalty in the way that we used to have with Frank Lampard.
00:10:28
Luke
And I think it's very much clear to see that you can't faze the boy, like he hit any moment, any opportunity he will take to like, you were watching it in the building, he was holding the ball on his arm, he was redoing his laces. It's like anything to sort of just kind of take himself anywhere else, steps up, slots it right in the bottom corner. no wage No way, no chance that um Fraser Forster gets a glove on it.
00:10:52
Luke
I thought it actually had quite a decent game for Tottenham, but yeah, yeah, um he's just beyond doubt. and And I think the second one in particular, to do a Panenka, yes, it wasn't the goal to give us the lead, but it was the goal to extend this lead and actually turned out to be the winner.
00:11:06
Luke
it's it's and And to know that that was the goal that broke the record for the the most consecutive penalties without a miss in Premier League history, because he was level with the IRL Toure for the first one, and then to go for 12 now, 12 without a missing. The only thing I worry now is that he'll just be so nonchalant that he'll miss the next one, and be like, well, I've still got the record. But that's the only thing I'll say. I don't think he will, but I'm just a bit like, OK, it'll be typical now. And the next one, he goes, no, he's got the record. But no, he yeah, phenomenal. Phenomenal. Yeah. he He is far and away one of the most special players in the Premier League. He is crucial to our team. He is that level of ability now where you look at it and you say,
00:11:45
Luke
we're a good team but we have Eden Hazard in our team in the past and so he's a difference maker. We have Zola, it'll go a little further back, he's got that little dynamism, little edge about them that really makes a difference for the team and Cole Palmer is that he he he is he's certainly a player that other teams have to think about when they're doing the tactics to play against us and that immediately gives us an advantage because they're gonna have to double up so we have space elsewhere so if he's not necessarily performing directly other players are going to be able to thrive because he he allows that for them so it's a great place to be and it's a great yeah it's just a great it's great watching Chelsea play football at the moment and particularly watching Palmer do well and I think for for for the future it's just really really exciting as you touched on before the team seemed really together everyone's really excited everyone wants to do their best and
00:12:30
Luke
I think yeah, that the long-term plans with this team, we're really on the right foot and we're we can only improve because everyone is so young as well, and so they're still learning and still learning their craft.
00:12:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, just a few more stats on Palmer. I promise I won't be too long, but he now has a 51GA in the Premier League. Mount has a 50GA, but Palmer has played 83 fewer games than Mason Mount. Now that is pretty, pretty incredible.
00:12:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
season alone. He's played 15 games. He's got 11 goals and six assists Maybe that's why pep's been, you know scratching his face so much because just because he really could have been doing with Cole Palmer right now and Like we touched on or you touched on with him breaking the penalties record from yayo Tori Palmer has now broken the Chelsea records of most GA Contributions in one calendar year. It was 36 was Hasselbank and now it's 37 with Cole Palmer Can he get to 40 or more by the end of the year?
00:13:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Probably. I wouldn't put it past him.
00:13:29
Luke
Yeah, you wouldn't be surprised, would you? Yeah, yeah.
00:13:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He now has 50 GAs in 48 games for Chelsea. He's the first player to reach 50 GAs since the start of last season. In total penalties, he's had 17, and he's scored 17.
00:13:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he's the first player to create 40 chances this season. I mean, clinical, creative, it's everything. And in talking about creativity, let's ah just walk us through, Luke,
00:13:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Our third goal, the goal for Enzo Finandez, him starting on the right and then ending it up with Enzo banging it in. How did that come about? And yeah, talk us through it.
00:14:06
Luke
Again, it's just one of those because he has such a ah ah level of ability and a level of presence now on the pitch. Tottenham players they couldn't get near him because they were worried about fouling him, I suppose. and so he He can dribble with that confidence that he knows that he is going to be technically better than these defenders he's coming up against.
00:14:25
Luke
so And you saw it kind of in the fourth goal as well, where it was such a sloppy penalty for them to give away. And you knew exactly what he was going to do, but they still went in and did it.
00:14:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:33
Luke
And it's like, well, of course he's going to get his body in the way and and get a foul and get a second penalty. but yeah, that, that third guy was excellent. It was, it was, it was, yeah, it was, it was everything you needed it to be from kind of that exciting wing play, speed up the ball, accelerate, dribble past a couple of players, get the ball across.
00:14:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:14:47
Luke
It was a slightly lucky deflected on the cross, but I think it would have found Fernandez anyway. Uh, and it was great. It was great. improvisation from Fernandez to sort of volley on his left foot, just get it round Pedro Poro and into the bottom corner and, uh,
00:14:59
Luke
Yeah, thankfully ah Jackson stopped him from from taking his shirt off, otherwise it would have been a the yellow card for another midfielder. but yeah i think yeah it's it's It's really, really good to see that that all these players are caring so much now about wanting to score and be involved.
00:15:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah me
00:15:13
Luke
and we We relied a lot heavily on Parma last year now, so we still are, but I would say that it it feels more cohesive in terms of the level of effort and output. Whereas if Parma isn't as ah ah involved in a game, I'm not as worried now that someone else won't step up and um and take ah take the mantle for us. And I think that comes down to the the kind of the growth of the team development, another year of working together, but also Maresca and the way that he lines up the system. So it's, yeah, it's's it's really joyful to see. and And I think, yeah, for someone like Enzo Fernandez, he had a few weeks out of the team, we were talking saying, is this going to be and like a hundred million pound plus mistake? But now it looks like he's found his confidence. He's found his position in the side. And, yeah, the world is really his oyster. He can make it what he wants to. And I think he's thriving now, having that captain's armband as well.
00:16:03
Luke
knowing he's going to have it for quite a while with Rhys being out for a while now. It's ah yeah it's great to see and it's it's yeah it's really really good, it's really really positive for us as as Chelsea fans.
00:16:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. It is is amazing to see, particularly with Enzo, like, I think being, you know, Argentinian and, you know, Southern American, they do just have an actual elevated element of, you know, passion and sort of energy, I think, than us Brits do. And you really see that come across in sort of the, in his celebrations, not only when he scores, but when his teammates score, and particularly after the game, just, you know, going up to the show fans, going, famos!
00:16:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
He really feels like sort of super integral to the team, which again, it's almost magic from Oresco to be able to so fit him into the team again, because in that double pivot, it kind of looks like with a lot of games earlier in the season that he was just getting out muscled, how's this going to work? Maybe we just need to sell him on to Real Madrid. All of these conversations. And now within a couple of weeks, we know that's never going to happen, is it? it's He's definitely solid in that first 11.
00:17:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just a few stats on him. He's now got a GA of six this season in the prem and that is more than Odegard and Ryse combined and it's more than Enzo got in the entirety of last season. So kind of just showing how much he's stepping up his game this season. And yeah, just mean there's so many more people that we could talk about. we'll talk about that more after this second break.
00:17:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome back. Luke, 12 months ago, this game had two red cards and five goals. This year we've had seven goals and no red cards. But were both teams actually quite lucky to have 11 players on the pitch? Just for reference, Casado does go into a crunching tackle on Saar in the first half with studs up. It is a bit of a follow through by catching Saar.
00:18:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
And also, Kula Sessji does have a high elbow going into Lovey's head at near half time. Neither of those, you know, nothing done with them with VAR. Do you think the officials got the right calls on those on those challenges? And was that just to sort of, you know, sort of damage limitation given what happened last season?
00:18:48
Luke
potentially I think there's a level of skepticism I suppose in terms of the the quality of the decision making that I think both fan bases have from the officials at the moment in terms of it felt a little bit like oh we didn't give the first one so we won't give the second one and then it felt like if we'd given the first one we definitely would have given the second one to balance it out and you look at it and you go well we We want the officiating to be done right, not to be feel like it's being questioned and and and it's is's working itself out.
00:19:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:21
Luke
So yeah, it was it was it was a strange it was strange situation.
00:19:24
Luke
I think i think the Kaisodo one, yeah, I would have... I agree with what they said in terms of, I don't think there was that full on intent of a follow through. It wasn't reckless danger. It was a bad tackle, but he looked like he was in control. It looked like he sort of, he put the studs on, but he sort of pulled out on the force. So I was surprised it wasn't even given as a booking. fact that it was just sort of left and reviewed and, but obviously VAR can't give a yellow card if it, if it hasn't been given on the pitch, but, um, I was surprised it wasn't given as a booking because there was a heavy coming together. and the Kulesetsky one again.
00:19:57
Luke
it, speed of play, I can get where the ref wouldn't get involved. And then the VAR decision, there's been pictures that have come out post-game actually, Lavia has taken a photo, it's like quite a deep gash on the side of his head from where the elbow has cut into him.
00:20:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm. Mm.
00:20:10
Luke
But again, can't read too much into that in terms of because obviously it's quite a soft area in terms of if any sort of contact in that sort of area will will cause, could cause issue. It's fairly surface level, I don't imagine he would have had to stop playing.
00:20:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:23
Luke
i think I think he was subbed off for a tactical reason and also because he was on a yellow card. I don't think it was because he had a serious head injury, touch wood, hopefully that's not what comes out. But yeah, on a different day, I think they both could have been given.
00:20:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:20:36
Luke
I think a it it would it would it i agree in terms of what some of the kind of commentators were saying at the time, if you don't want to see players sent off.
00:20:46
Luke
So in the sense of
00:20:50
Luke
The spirit of the game, it's good they weren't sent off, but I don't know. I think, yeah, on the balance of play, I think they both at least should have been bookings. And the fact that I don't think either of them were.
00:20:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
hmm yeah definitely i mean the officials are never out and sort of in the clear really in the Premier League nowadays there's always something to discuss with them for sure just on Spurs Luke uh Tottenham are the first club in Premier League history to lose 11 games after leading by multiple goals
00:20:59
Luke
It's pretty strange.
00:21:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
that doesn't say bottle jobs I'm not sure what it does say but definitely spurs are the you know the little brother in London I would think in terms of always trying to be like Chelsea they just can't be Chelsea Also, throughout the first half in particular, it just looks like there are a lot of, you know, rubbish, a lot of rubbish has been thrown on the pitch, particularly when we were playing getting corners, Luke. Is that just, you know, it sort of summing up how, I guess, spiteful Spurs are of our squad, of our team, and that, you know, they just wish they were Chelsea?
00:21:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
In blunt sense.
00:21:54
Luke
I think, I think, yeah, I think they're fed up with us going there and putting in performances and kind of twisting the knife in with, with the fact that they can't really, they really struggle to beat us or to get anything from games against us and kind of recent history.
00:22:07
Luke
It. yeah Ultimately, it's it's just it's so so petty because it goes from being a display to kind of build that sort of aura and sense of occasion around the stadium to then just constantly people just ripping off the thing that's been put together like the banner and then just throwing it down. It's just like, but what are you doing? like All you're going to end up doing is the players aren't going to be really that effective. It slows the game down and it's a bit of a nuisance. but you're just going to stop the club doing anything like that again.
00:22:34
Luke
And then you're going to say, oh, there's no atmosphere. There's no, do you know what I mean?
00:22:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:22:37
Luke
Like, so you're ruining it for people that want to kind of go for the football as an occasion, not just to be a fun, like petty fan.
00:22:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:22:44
Luke
And I'm pretty sure that you're talking again, as always, it's a smaller percentage of fans that want to do it.
00:22:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah.
00:22:50
Luke
I'm pretty sure. half the state of the Tottenham fans have been like, this is stupid, like what are you doing? like we we We know that a 2-0 lead doesn't mean anything, so what's doing this is like they can come back into it and it gets even more stupid, looking even more silly.
00:23:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:23:02
Luke
So yeah, I think her you touched on a color of that how many leads they've thrown away with a bit of... dominant positions. It's just, it's a difficulty where you have with Poster Kogliu where he just won't, he won't change his philosophy.
00:23:16
Luke
So what Mareska did is he went, right, okay, we've done this first half where we tried to play the off, over the top balls, try to beat the offside track, try to get Nicholas Jackson in. a lot more. And then we went, okay, well, that's not, that's not working in the same way it normally does, because they've got van der Venne, they were sort of covering those sort of over the top balls. We got in a couple of times, but it wasn't our main route of getting in. We were very much more like a wing play and cutting back. So he made a tactical tweak at halftime. Spurs just didn't match the intensity. They were really good at putting the pressure on us in the first 15 minutes. Although I don't think they actually created a lot. They they made their chances and their goals from our mistakes.
00:23:51
Luke
but they lost all of that impetus in the second half. And it it is really difficult for the kind of, there's criticism of post cognitive for sure, because he doesn't have a backup plan.
00:24:04
Luke
He doesn't, he won't change how he wants to play. But when you've got players like Saar and Basuma, who are making stupid decisions to give away penalties to a, basically a 99.5% chance that Chelsea are going to get a goal because of Cole Palmer,
00:24:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Hmm. Yeah.
00:24:18
Luke
why Why are you doing that? Why like kick out for a corner? like Or force them out?
00:24:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:24:23
Luke
of Because you've done all right defending the corners so far. We didn't really look that threatening from those sort of set pieces. But you give someone a but like you you go in for a late tackle, a big tackle to try and win the ball. it's just it's It's brain dead.
00:24:35
Luke
It doesn't make any sense. And as a professional footballer, you've got to know that there are times to do those things and times not to do those things. So yeah, I just i think It's a mentality that kind of runs further than the club.
00:24:46
Luke
You do look at it and go, what is the answer?
00:24:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:24:48
Luke
Because I think post-cogli may go, but then you look at it and go, well, then who are they going to get in?
00:24:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:24:53
Luke
Who is going to do any better?
00:24:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:24:56
Luke
where Because the squad is Their first 11 on its day is good, but ultimately they don't have don't have that level of tenacity.
00:25:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:04
Luke
They don't have that kind of level of grit. And you look and and i did I did think it was strange because they brought we brought Madison the second half and he was quite good. He had a bit of impetus and I think he would have been more dangerous against us if he'd started.
00:25:15
Luke
And I'm not quite sure why he didn't. But again, yeah, it's always good for Chelsea to to kind of get to go there, turn up and and and have a good performance against Tottenham.
00:25:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely.
00:25:26
Luke
But yeah, I think i think yeah they've got they've got a like got a lot of their own questions to court sort deal with and it'd be interesting to see what happens long-term. the
00:25:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. Maybe there's a question of whether Andrew will be in the job after Christmas, because they are without a win in their last seven games. Chelsea, though, we've got we've won our last four Premier League games since we drew with Arsenal. So definitely on the up and with our form.
00:25:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Finally, Luke, you know there's been a lot of chat about title challengers, particularly because of the drop in form from Arsenal and particularly actually within with Manchester City. Our current reading, so obviously Liverpool didn't play this weekend, they're on 35 points. City are currently eight points behind them, potentially 11 again if Liverpool win that game.
00:26:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Arsenal in 29, so six points behind. And then Chelsea with only four points behind, albeit, you know, Liverpool could win that game in hand and extend their lead. But there is a growing sense that we are probably a bit more stable than Arsenal and City right now. Despite this, you know, Mariska keeps downplaying title contender talks. Even, you know, Cole Will was saying that in his interview with Sky Sports today after the game.
00:26:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is there any potential that we can change our mindset or do we have to really sort of be a lot more patient with this season? And then if we're still in a position ah say February time, do we then actually change the narrative and change our perspective on what we want to achieve this this year?
00:26:56
Luke
I mean, it's difficult to say. but As Chelsea fans, we historically are used to being involved in these sorts of title races, and we're certainly doing everything right by winning, as you say, I'm winning kind of, but scoring a lot of goals, keeping our goal difference high, rotating players, keeping people fresh and keeping the competition there. We we have a lot of potential now to to be dominant on multiple fronts, but in particular in the conference league, and and hopefully we'll get a good run in the in the FA Cup as well. but But you do look at it and you think,
00:27:24
Luke
and until Liverpool actively do slip up, they are still going to, most likely they'll play that game in hand, they will get three points, they will be seven points ahead of us.
00:27:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:32
Luke
So we've had our opportunity to play them, we lost to them, we played well, but we didn't quite match their level.
00:27:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:27:38
Luke
And I do think that talk of a title race It's tough to say. All we can do is focus on ourselves using all the cliches here. All we can do is win our own games. But you do look at it and go, it's not where it's one point.
00:27:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:51
Luke
It's not where it's kind of even two or three points. It is a sizable gap. There's going to have to be a couple of weeks where Liverpool don't get any results to really sort of fill in the change momentum. So no, it's far too early to call.
00:28:04
Luke
This league is mental. We're not even halfway through it. And anyone feels that they can beat anyone, really, on their day.
00:28:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:28:11
Luke
You wouldn't have thought that the Crystal Palace team that were down in the doldrums would be able to get two goals and a point from Manchester City come this game week. So you really can't tell who's going to do what.
00:28:21
Luke
And I think there's going to be some managerial changes. We've seen Roode Rannister has now come in at Leicester, and they've had a bit of an upturn. So you just you just don't know, you just don't know. and And it's nice to be here and it's really, I feel a lot more confident now that we'll be playing Champions League football next year, which will make everything easier to build forward with.
00:28:40
Luke
And it's exciting to be talking about these sorts of conversations, but like I do think that the we don't yeah i' i've being I'm being optimistically cautious because I don't want to say we're title challenges, because I still think that we if we win all our games, Liverpool can do exactly the same and we get nowhere near.
00:28:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:57
Luke
So it's it's hard, it's hard to look at it like that and be like, okay, because I think we we we have, obviously we've got a lot of reverse fixtures still to play. That will be interesting to see how that comes in. It'll be interesting to see how the kind of fixture congestion comes towards the end of the season for the other teams, because Liverpool flying the Champions League, if they've got an important It's a two-legged affair against, I don't know, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid or a big European team that they're going to be concentrating on.
00:29:25
Luke
Are they going to slip up a way to Bournemouth when they play there mid-March or whatever? I don't know. It would seem likely based on the level of the intensity of the Premier League most teams have got now, where anyone could be anyone, excuse me.
00:29:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm.
00:29:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:29:37
Luke
So, yeah, it's great. It's really good to be in a competitive Premier League, I'll say that. well
00:29:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh,
00:29:45
Luke
Excuse yeah Yeah, getting get lost for words, just getting excited about about this season's release.
00:29:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, yeah.
00:29:51
Luke
But yeah, I'm excited. I'm enjoying it, but I want to take it for what it is and just enjoy it game by game. So I'm excited now for a conference league game in the midweek and then the next game at the weekend.
00:29:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm.
00:30:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly. and That old adage of, you know, just to get a game at a time. um And like I said, you know, we can only play who's in front of us. Let's just focus on ourselves. so ah Because we are building something here, aren't we? We are really sort of galvanizing Chelsea again. We've got a lot of youth, a lot of quality, exciting players. And it does seem at this moment in time, at least, we are definitely on the up and Chelsea are back. Anyway, unfortunately, we're out of time. Luke, thanks so much for joining me tonight.
00:30:28
Luke
No, thank you for having me. it sayss Always good talking about a win after we beat Tottenham.
00:30:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, absolutely. it's It's a sweet, sweet joy that only Chelsea fans can really, really understand, but absolutely. Guys, thanks so much for listening to us. This has been The Daily Chelsea. us on your podcast wherever you listen, and we'll see you on the next one.