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Thomas Tuchel was far from impressed by England's performance in his first match in charge as they beat Albania 2-0 at Wembley on Friday.

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England win 2-0 in first match under TuchelLewis-Skelly and Kane secure victory at WembleyTuchel expects better from Three Lions starsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

England got their World Cup qualifying campaign off to a strong start, with debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly opening the scoring with a record-breaking goal after 20 minutes before Harry Kane doubled their lead in the second half.

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England were dominant in their maiden performance under Tuchel – registering 12 shots to Albania's three over the 90 minutes – but the German coach says he expects better from his Three Lions players.

"We can do better, we have to do better. We started well, we had seven-eight minutes with 100% ball possession with a lot of passes and high energy," he said to . "The opponent is hard to break down as they defend in a deep block. In the Euros they managed to not concede chances. Second half, I felt we were too slow and in general not enough runs off the ball to get behind the line."

TUCHEL ON LEWIS-SKELLY, RASHFORD & FODEN

Lewis-Skelly made a lot of headlines with his dream debut and Tuchel was full of praise for the 18-year-old Arsenal star, while he issued words of warning for the likes of Marcus Rashford, making his first England appearance in a year, and Phil Foden.

"Amazing player. Amazing personality. He came into camp and showed straight away that it's normal to fall in love with him. It is well deserved," he said of Lewis-Skelly, before turning to the Aston Villa loanee and City star, adding: "We hope for more impact in these positions. More dribbling and more aggressive runs towards the box. In general that was missing. The chances come from the little runs behind the line. There was a bit missing they were not as decisive as they can be."

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

The Three Lions continue their World Cup qualifying campaign with a home match against Latvia on Monday.

Leeds United are currently chasing promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking and are second in the Championship as it stands.

Their 1-1 draw with Preston North End last time out has left them three points behind Sheffield United in the title race, but ahead of Burnley in third place.

This means that the Whites are still well in contention to secure automatic promotion back to the top-flight, after they missed out in the play-offs last season.

The January transfer window officially opens for business at the start of next month and Daniel Farke may want to dip into the market to give his side a push ahead of the second half of the season.

He did utilise the winter window in his last promotion success at Championship level, signing Dimi Giannoulis on loan from PAOK for Norwich in 2021, with the Greek international going on to start 16 games in the second half of the season to help them win the title.

This shows that the German head coach knows the boost that can come from bolstering a promotion-chasing side in January, but he may have to make room for new signings by ditching one or two of his current squad.

The Leeds forward who should be sold in January

One player who should be ruthlessly ditched in the upcoming January transfer window is centre-forward Patrick Bamford, who has been

linked with an exit from Elland Road.

TEAMtalk recently reported that Genoa and Wrexham are both keeping tabs on the English attacker’s situation and could make a move for him, as a transfer away from Leeds is looking likely in 2025.

The Whites should look to take advantage of the growing interest in the former England international’s services and finally part ways with the ex-Chelsea man, who has been at the club since the summer of 2017.

Bamford is the third-choice striker in the squad, behind Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph, and is not doing enough – with zero goals and zero assists this season – to justify Leeds fighting to keep hold of him on a reported £40k-per-week contract.

The 31-year-old centre-forward has been an unreliable player for a lot of his time in West Yorkshire, as he has failed to hit double figures for league goals in four of his six full seasons to date.

In fact, since the start of the 2017/18 campaign – one year before he joined the club – no player in Europe, or the world, in leagues with data available has underperformed their xG by more than Bamford.

Per VisualGame on X, using a table from FBref, the Leeds striker has underperformed by a whopping 23.9 goals – 4.8 more than Florian Sotoca, who has the second-worst xG conversion rate in the world over the last seven years or so.

What makes this statistic even worse is that FBref did not introduce Championship xG data until the 2018/19 campaign, so the forward, who has missed his last three penalties, still tops this list despite his form for Middlesbrough not contributing to it – with 56 league goals from 79.9 xG for Leeds.

With this, and his lack of contribution this season in comparison to his weekly wage, in mind, Farke must ditch Bamford by swooping for one of the club’s reported targets.

Leeds eyeing Premier League forward

Brighton & Hove Albion centre-forward Evan Ferguson has been linked with a temporary move to Elland Road at the start of the January transfer window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who is said to be well-connected to the club, urged the club to pursue a deal for the Ireland international next month, as he believes that the Whites need an out-and-out number nine to bolster their squad.

The retired shot-stopper, who is now a pundit, said that the links with Ferguson are not going away and that the “pest”, as he described him, would “get goals” for Leeds in the second half of the season.

Football Insider reported that Brighton are prepared to send the 20-year-old marksman out on loan to get regular game time, as he has been behind Joao Pedro and Danny Welbeck in the pecking order.

The outlet added that a number of Premier League clubs are also interested in signing him, which means that Leeds will need to convince him to drop down to the Championship.

Farke must, now, push to get a deal over the line as he could replace the worst finisher in Europe – Bamford – with an impressive finisher at Premier League level.

Why Leeds should sign Evan Ferguson

The Irish forward has failed to establish himself as a regular for Brighton in the top-flight but his record for the club in recent years suggests that the potential is there for him to be a superstar in the Championship.

Ferguson, who was described as “phenomenal” by James Milner, was unable to hit the ground running this season because of an ankle injury that kept him out for 146 days from the start of April to the end of August.

He has, therefore, only started two of his 11 appearances in the Premier League this term, but has scored one goal from 0.36 xG for Brighton.

22/23

5.67

6

+0.33

23/24

3.97

6

+2.03

24/25

0.36

1

+0.64

Total

9.99

13

+3.01

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland international, who only turned 20 in October, had scored 12 goals in the top-flight in the two previous seasons combined.

Ferguson has outperformed his xG by around three goals since his Premier League debut, which shows that the youngster is a ruthless and efficient finisher at the top level.

Whereas, Bamford has proven himself to be the worst finisher in Europe since his Leeds debut, as he has been incredibly wasteful in front of goal at both Premier League and Championship level.

Imagine him & Gnonto: Leeds keen on deal to sign "tricky" 15-goal star

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing a swoop for the promising attacker in January.

ByDan Emery Dec 17, 2024

Therefore, Farke could improve his squad for the second half of the season by ditching the struggling Englishman and signing the lethal Irish marksman.

Liverpool are flying. Of course, they were held to a draw against Newcastle United on Wednesday evening, dropping points in the Premier League after seven victories on the trot in all competitions, but the incredible start to the season remains intact.

It’s foolish to think that Arne Slot’s Reds will win every game they play, though it’s frustrating that Fabian Schar was able to restore parity late on.

Defensively, Liverpool have been solid this season, making improvements on last year’s efforts. The Anfield side top the Premier League and Champions League tables so far, but in order to achieve illustrious heights across many years under Slot’s wing, some areas do need some work.

The areas where Liverpool need to improve

Liverpool flattered to deceive in defence at St. James’ Park, lacking the robust and steely quality that Ibrahima Konate brings to the table, fusing his athletic skillset with Virgil van Dijk’s cultured style.

Of course, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are both out of contract at the end of the season, and though FSG are hoping to tie down both stalwarts to fresh deals, it’s gravely concerning all the same.

Losing two core parts of an imperious backline would be to Slot’s detriment, for both stars transcend their so-called defensive roles and operate at world-renowned levels.

Liverpool could also add an extra element to the thriving midfield. Ryan Gravenberch has been in fine fettle this season but looked tired against Newcastle and needs some competition at number six. Martin Zubimendi, who is still believed to be of interest to Liverpool, could be the missing component there.

Elsewhere, though, there are one or two mainstays who could actually find themselves dislodged from their starting position. While he’s been an integral part over the years, Andy Robertson may be one of them.

Why Liverpool should replace Andy Robertson

Liverpool signed Robertson from Hull City in 2017, completing a £10m transfer that was met with derision from many pockets of the Premier League.

This young and relatively unknown Scotsman was surely not the kind of player that Jurgen Klopp’s project needed to propel themselves to new heights. Liverpool, it seemed, were content with mediocrity, settling back into the familiarity of passableness.

How the detractors were silenced. Robertson is one of the greatest left-backs in Premier League history, conqueror of the biggest prizes and only trumped in creativity by his prodigious partner Alexander-Arnold.

1.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

61

2.

Andy Robertson

59

3.

Leighton Baines

53

4.

Graeme Le Saux

44

5.

Antonio Valencia

39

The thing is though, Robertson’s creeping toward his 31st year and has served tirelessly within Liverpool’s highly-charged system for many years, completing 316 appearances.

Described as a “Duracell Bunny” by Liverpool writer Leanne Prescott, Robertson has operated at full throttle for many years and indeed is starting to look like a lesser version of the superstar who was hailed as “the best left-back in the world” by Klopp about three years ago.

There’s still a lot to like about the veteran, who ranks among the top 1% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 2% for progressive passes and the top 3% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

But then he’s found himself jockeying with Kostas Tsimikas for that first-choice spot this season, Slot seemingly unsatisfied with the £160k-per-week Robertson in phases.

Though he’s regarded as one of Alexander-Arnold’s “closest friends” – as revealed below – the Tartan Army skipper cannot keep his place in the side over the coming years if it is going to hamper Slot’s system from hitting its apex.

Liverpool need to be ruthless, and though tying Alexander-Arnold down to a lucrative new contract is crucial, so too is the good of the collective team.

Former scout Mick Brown, recently speaking to Football Insider, believes that the Reds are getting ready to focus on strengthening the left-back position in 2025, with Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez and Antonee Robinson – who has been recently hailed as “one of the best left-backs in the world” by journalist Dougie Critchley for his exploits at Fulham – at the very top of the shopping list.

Compared to Robertson, it’s perhaps fair to say that both carry greater athletic and rounded qualities at present and that Liverpool might be wise to make the bold move.

Matches (starts)

13 (12)

14 (14)

14 (14)

Goals

0

0

1

Assists

0

4

2

Touches*

68.5

72.1

51.3

Pass completion

88%

82%

83%

Key passes*

1.5

0.9

1.0

Dribbles completed*

0.2 (33%)

1.4 (67%)

0.5 (70%)

Ball recoveries*

4.0

3.8

4.1

Tackles + interceptions*

1.7

4.6

2.5

Ground duels (won)*

1.7 (51%)

4.6 (59%)

3.0 (65%)

This isn’t to say that Liverpool’s long-time servant needs to be sold, but a reduced role might be on the cards over the coming campaigns and this would only prove to elevate Slot’s exciting system higher.

Ultimately, Liverpool still have a reliable left-back in their mix, with elite ball-playing skills and a wealth of experience besides. The Redmen need to evolve over the coming years though, and Robertson might need to be axed at some point soon.

Ignored by Klopp: £32m Liverpool flop is now outscoring Salah in 2024

Klopp sold a star at the beginning of his Liverpool era, and now that very flop is outscoring Mohamed Salah in 2024.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 6, 2024

Vice-captain acknowledges his name will be “strongly talked about” as successor

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Apr-2022Ben Stokes, England’s vice-captain and the man widely tipped to take over from the outgoing Joe Root this summer, says that he offered his team-mate “nothing but love, respect and support” during an emotional phone-call last week, in which Root confirmed his intention to stand down after a record 64 Tests in charge.Writing in his Daily Mirror column, Stokes expressed his admiration for Root’s cricketing ability, but also his deep gratitude for his support as a friend – most recently during Stokes’ break from the game in the 2021 home summer, but also in the wake of the Bristol night-club incident in September 2017, after which he had feared for his professional future.”Our relationship goes deeper and further than just team-mates,” Stokes said. “We are good friends and have been for a long time. We’ve had some great moments on and off the field during this time and we’ve also had some pretty difficult ones too and it is that mutual support that has helped make it so special.Related

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Joe Root – The Leading Cricketer in the World in 2021

“When I took my break from the game in 2021, Joe was brilliant,” Stokes added. “He said: ‘I just want my friend to be alright.’ The cricket came second, his concern was for my well-being full stop.”And going back a few years now to the Bristol incident, that was where my captain really went to bat for me. That is where my total loyalty towards Joe comes from, and he will always have it because he has never been anything but a good man towards me and the rest of his players.”Root had concluded England’s recent Test tour of the Caribbean with a declaration of his intention to carry on as captain. But, having subsequently taken a month’s holiday to reflect on an arduous year, in which England have won one Test out of 17, he last week came to the conclusion that it was time for a change.Stokes admitted he “didn’t know what to expect” when Root’s name flashed up on his phone, but added that he knew what was coming as soon as Root started talking.”As you can imagine it was quite an emotional conversation, but it wasn’t a long chat, there will be time for that in the future,” Stokes said. “This was an emotional few minutes and in return there was nothing but love, respect and support from me because that is what Joe Root has shown me throughout his time as England Test captain.”Now that he has stood down, I fully expect him to continue his brilliance with a bat in hand and show why he is the greatest batsman we’ve ever produced,” Stokes added. “We are lucky to have him and he’s still got so much to offer English cricket.”Ben Stokes is back in the nets after a knee injury•Getty ImagesAlthough Stokes has not actively courted the role, he acknowledged that his name was sure to be “strongly talked about” as England’s new managing director, Rob Key, begins the process of appointing a new captain before the three-Test series against New Zealand in June.”I’m sure we’ll talk soon enough, as he will with other players and support staff,” Stokes said of his impending discussions with Key. “It is an exciting time for us all, at the start of a new era for the Test team.”Stokes has already received the endorsement of England’s white-ball captain, Eoin Morgan, who believes he would lead by example if offered the opportunity.”Obviously Ben is a fantastic player, a brilliant leader, though he doesn’t need to have the captain’s armband on to lead like he does,” Morgan told Sky Sports.”The experience of the World Cup final here [at Lord’s] really showed his true colours in the way that he led from start to finish – and throughout the whole tournament as well. He’d certainly be a candidate.”I think it would be hard to turn down the captaincy. It’s a privileged position to be in. Obviously circumstances have to be right, but most people who want to take red-ball cricket forward would like to take it on.”Morgan himself has been mentioned in passing for the Test captaincy, but having not played any first-class cricket since 2019, he has dismissed the notion out of hand.”I haven’t played red-ball cricket for a long time,” he said. “I wouldn’t have any interest in the job. I would be no good at it.”

Arsenal have been told why winning the Premier League or Champions “isn’t necessary” at this stage, despite going five years without a major trophy.

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Arteta oversaw FA Cup triumph back in 2020Has also win Community Shield on two occasionsMissed on biggest domestic & continental prizesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Mikel Arteta enjoyed a bright start to his spell as Gunners boss, winning the FA Cup a matter of months after inheriting managerial reins at Emirates Stadium in December 2019. He also savoured Community Shield success in 2020, before landing the same piece of silverware in 2023.

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The biggest of prizes have, however, proved elusive. Arsenal have come close in back-to-back Premier League title bids, while sitting second in the table this term, and are also into the Champions League quarter-finals. Positive progress is being made without tangible reward to show for it.

WHAT ANDERS LIMPAR SAID

Former Arsenal midfielder Anders Limpar considers that to be a good thing, with the Swede – speaking in association with the brands reviewed and ranked by experts at – telling GOAL when asked if Arteta needs to land another top honour on the back of a few near misses: “I’m not sure that he needs the title. He is an unbelievable manager, one of the best in the world. He has proved it.

“When it comes to titles, of course as an Arsenal fan that would be unreal to win the Champions League or the Premier League, but it’s not necessary. Over the last few years we have been so close, so everybody is looking at Arsenal and thinking we have to win. Of course we have to win something, the FA Cup or League Cup.

“To go for the Champions League or a Premier League title, that’s so hard to win. In my opinion, we don’t need to win the two big titles over the next year or two, we should be up there among the best.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arsenal have 10 Premier League games to take in this season, as they look to secure a third successive runners-up finish, but have not savoured domestic dominance since the fabled ‘Invincibles’ of 2003-04. In the Champions League, the Gunners face the biggest of European tests against holders Real Madrid.

Nat Sciver, whose 109 off 85 balls went in vain for England against Australia, moved up to No. 6 among batters

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2022Australia captain Meg Lanning has climbed two spots to be ranked No. 2 among ODI batters. She is currently just 15 points behind the leader, team-mate Alyssa Healy. Lanning hit 86 in Australia’s World Cup opener against England on Saturday, as they opened their campaign with a close 12-run win against the defending champions.Rachael Haynes, whose 130 at the top was instrumental in Australia posting 310, has broken into the top ten. She is at No. 7 after gaining six places in the chart. The opener, who was also the Player of the Match, added 196 with Lanning for the second wicket in that match. Haynes’ knock came off just 131 deliveries, and included 14 fours and a six.Full rankings tables

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England’s Nat Sciver, who cracked an unbeaten 109 from just 85 balls in a losing cause, also made strides among batters. Sciver jumped five spots to get to No. 6, as her quick knock kept England is sight of the target for the longest time.Meanwhile, West Indies’ Hayley Matthews moved up in all three rankings tables after her all-round contribution helped her team pip hosts New Zealand in an opening-day thriller in the tournament. Matthews hit 119 in West Indies’ total of 259, with the next highest score being 36, as her innings came off 128 deliveries, and featured 16 fours and a six.And in the New Zealand run chase, she dismissed the in-form Amelia Kerr and Brooke Halliday in an economical spell of 2 for 41 from ten overs.

Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes lashed out at his team-mates for failing to "compete" against Sunderland, while Eddie Howe issued an apology to fans for his team's 1-0 derby defeat on Sunday. The Magpies have now failed to beat the Black Cats in their last 10 English top-flight meetings, and have dropped into the bottom half of the table.

Derby spoils go to the Black Cats

After a difficult start to their 2025-26 campaign, Newcastle were slowly gaining some momentum as they were unbeaten in their last three Premier League outings, which included a win over Manchester City last month. The Magpies were looking to continue that upturn in form by beating their local rivals this weekend, but they produced a terrible performance. Nick Woltemade's own goal early in the second half sealed the three points for Sunderland and piled pressure on Howe in the Newcastle dugout. 

AdvertisementAFPGuimaraes tears into his team-mates

As the leader of the pack, Guimaraes was left fuming with the performance of the entire team as he told reporters after the match: "I'm very angry, I'm so embarrassed and I'm so frustrated. There was no crossing, no passing and no shooting. No nothing. It was a mess, in my opinion. We know we have a better team than them (Sunderland) but we didn't play like the better team. It was a mess. The consistency isn't there, the mentality isn't there. We didn't compete. The fans expect and deserve better. We accepted the way they play with the long balls. You need to compete in a derby and we didn't." 

Guimaraes added: "Disappointed, frustrated, lack of energy, don't put the things that we are able to do, cross the ball, pass the ball. We were like a mess in my point of view. Disappointed, angry. This one is a tough one to accept. I've played many, many derbies in my career. It's not easy to get a defeat, but today I think we disappointed the fans. We disappointed the fans in general because they were expecting much more. We were as well. But we didn't perform like the team that should come here with the right mentality. So yeah, we understand the fans. Now we have just, for me, one way to go. That is beating everyone, improving our form, qualifying the club for the semi-final of the Carabao Cup, qualifying for the Champions League and improving our level in the Premier League as well."

Howe apologises to Newcastle fans

A frustrated Howe came out to issue an apology to the fans as he told reporters: "That will sting for a long time. We know our performance was off what we needed to be. Not defensively, we defended well. It was a game of few chances. Unfortunately, the one big moment goes against us. But we weren’t good enough to open them up. I am disappointed for the supporters and sorry for our performance, for a lack of goalmouth action and clinical attacking. It certainly wasn’t a lack of effort. But the first 60 minutes, I don’t think we posed a threat at all. It wasn’t the finest day for any of our front players. The openings were there, with a better decision or pass. But the quality was not there in that phase of the game."

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AFPNewcastle shift focus to Carabao Cup defence

Howe will hope that his players bounce back from the Sunderland loss as early as possible amid a hectic schedule in December. They will now shift focus to their title defence campaign in the Carabao Cup as they next face Fulham at home in a quarter-final clash.

Following the cup tie, the Magpies are scheduled to face Chelsea, Manchester United and Burnley in a span of 10 days in the Premier League.

Liverpool have approached the entourage of a Serie A star about a potential move to Anfield in January, according to reports.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds and FSG had a quiet first summer under new manager Arne Slot, signing just two new players. The first, goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, remains with Valencia and won’t move to Anfield until next summer, while the second, Federico Chiesa, has barely featured for the Reds due to fitness and injury problems.

After the New Year, however, Slot may be a bit busier in the transfer market. The Reds have already been linked with a number of big, and small, names, including Fulham’s American full-back Antonee Robinson, Sporting Lisbon starlet Geovany Quenda, and Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk.

Meanwhile, a deal for Sevilla defender Loic Bade, according to a recent report from Spain, already been agreed. The Spanish publication claims that Bade had been a target for Liverpool since last summer and that he will now join them in January, assuming ‘”nothing goes wrong.”

Ederson approached by Liverpool

Another player who could be Merseyside bound next year is Atalanta midfielder Ederson. According to sports journalist Rudy Galetti, Liverpool and FSG have recently approached the Brazilian’s entourage to “explore the negotiation margins for January.”

Galetti claims that Manchester United have also approached Ederson’s team, while Manchester City are in the race for the 25-year-old, too.

Atalanta, however, wouldn’t want to lose the Brazil international, who has been capped twice by his country, in the winter, says Galetti, but could be willing to listen to bids in excess of £42 million next summer.

Ederson began his career in his home country with Desportivo Brasil. Following spells with Cruzeiro, Corinthians, and Fortaleza, he moved to Italian club Salernitana in January 2022. He spent just six months at the Stadio Arechi before being snapped up by Atalanta, where he’s since established himself as one of Serie A’s top holding midfielders.

Last season, he also played a starring role as La Dea won the Europa League for the first-ever time, beating Bayer Leverkusen in the final.

Appearances

12

Starts

11

Minutes played

975

Goals

1

Assists

1

Pass completion rate

88.1%

Aerial duel wins per game

1.4

Interceptions per game

1.2

Back in January, South American football expert Tim Vickery described Ederson to Sky Sports as a “strong, well-built central midfielder.”

“Strong on the ball, versatile, box-to-box. Strong personality as well. The first time I remember him was his professional debut really. He was thrown in the deep end in a big team called Cruzeiro, who were really on the slide. They were relegated in dreadful form and even in this bad context, he stood out, so a lot of virtues.”

Ederson’s former Corinthians head coach Tiago Nunes, meanwhile, previously described him as “a player with a lot of strength, a lot of physical ability, a player who was a powerful striker on the ball, with good technique.”

Chelsea captain Reece James has struck a bullish tone amid his team's chances of achieving a double goal for the 2024/25 campaign.

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James confident of achieving double goalChelsea want to win Europa Conference LeagueBlues face Leicester on SundayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

James was on target for the Blues as they edged out Copenhagen 2-1 in the first leg of their Europa Conference League round of 16 clash on Thursday. After guiding his team to glory in Europe, the club captain now aims to maintain the winning momentum in the Premier League as well as he remained confident that the west London side will win the Conference League and qualify for next season's Champions League.

AdvertisementWHAT REECE JAMES SAID

Speaking to the club's official website, James said: "We have another game in a few days against Leicester and now it’s the business end of the season. It’s time to kick on and keep the wins going. Building momentum is key. We have our goals of winning the Conference League and qualifying for the Champions League. I have zero doubts in achieving that. We look forward to our next few games."

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While James remained optimistic of finishing among the top four teams, manager Enzo Maresca previously claimed that the Blues are ahead of schedule in terms of fulfilling the club's target for the 2024-25 season as set by the owners.

The Italian had told : "The club asked to play Champions League in two years. If we are able to bring this club after one year, it will be fantastic. In the next five to 10 years, Chelsea will be one of the teams, or the team, that is going to dominate English football."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

The Premier League giants will be back in action on Sunday as they host Leicester City in a crucial league clash at Stamford Bridge.

Craig Overton likely to share new ball with Woakes after Robinson left out of 12-man squad

Cameron Ponsonby06-Mar-2022Chris Woakes has spoken of his excitement about being given another chance in an England shirt after fearing he may have been dropped in the wake of their disastrous Ashes series.Woakes is set to share the new ball in the first Test in Antigua, starting on Tuesday, with Somerset’s Craig Overton after Ollie Robinson, who suffered a back spasm in the warm-up match last week and did not train on Sunday, was left out of the 12-man squad.”[Robinson has] had a great start to his Test career so naturally he’ll be a big miss,” Woakes said. “At the same time, it gives people opportunities. This tour is not just solely about opportunities, we’re trying to win games of cricket, but at the same time it does give that chance to someone to potentially make their Test debut or who’s been waiting in the wings for quite a while, and show that they can do it at this level.”England 12 for first Test

Joe Root (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes (wk), Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Speaking after training at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, where England are due to commence their three-Test series against the West Indies, Woakes insisted that he expected a tough start to Operation Red-Ball Reset as the tourists look to embrace a new mentality.”By no means is this going to be an easy Test series for us,” he said. “We haven’t won a lot of Test matches here in the last 50 or 60 years from what I’ve heard so it’s not by any means going to be a walkover.”I think it’s more of a mindset, really. In Australia, we maybe got into a place where people were thinking more internally, thinking on personal levels rather than thinking fully about the bigger picture and about how to win games of cricket as a team.”We’re trying to focus on that in particular, the last week or so we’ve tried to focus on how we can get better at doing things as a unit rather than individually. Naturally it’s a game that produces individual performances but we still need to be better as a collective, we can’t just rely on certain individuals to always step up and put their hand up. We need to do it as a group and that’s something we’ve tried to focus on in the 10 days we’ve been here.”Woakes was one of many to endure a poor Ashes series, taking just six wickets in three matches at an average of 55.33. His performance furthered concerns about his contrasting home and away records, which has seen him average 22.63 from 25 matches with the ball in England, but 52.38 from 17 matches away. With a mass overhaul planned, Woakes worried that his time may have been up.”Yeah, definitely. Pretty much everyone would have been bar maybe a few. It would have been silly not to. [I’m] delighted to be here, to be backed and have another opportunity to have a crack at it. I’d have liked Australia to go better but obviously it didn’t.”It’s clear my away record isn’t as good as my home record, but I don’t prepare in any different way. I look at conditions and try to figure out how best to perform on any given surface. I’ve never played a Test in the Caribbean so I’m excited about the challenge of that. It is a Dukes ball here so I’m hoping it might suit me a little better.”Related

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Far from being dropped, Woakes has instead been a main beneficiary of interim managing director Andrew Strauss’s comments ahead of the series that these matches represent a chance for, “some of the bowlers that have been playing in the team to play either a slightly different role or more of a senior leadership role”.For Woakes, his role is both slightly different and more senior. In the absence of James Anderson and Broad, Woakes will take the new ball – something he has only done for England in 13 of his 42 Test matches. He will also be the de facto attack leader, with Overton expected to play his seventh Test in Robinson’s absence and England banking on Mark Wood’s availability after illness for extra pace; the uncapped Saqib Mahmood is the other seam-bowling option in the 12.”It’s something that I’m excited about,” Woakes said, “it’s not like I’m putting any more pressure on myself, I think we’ve spoken a lot over the last ten or so days and something I took away from Australia is making sure you don’t take playing for England for granted.”We worked so incredibly hard to get to this point, to become an England player and to get to this environment. You know it’s easily taken away from you. It’s making sure that every game is really important to you, you’re wearing the Three Lions and you give the best of yourself every time you step out there.”