Portugal international Adrien Silva has said that he is not prepared for potential relegation with AS Monaco, given he has no experience over the same. The midfielder joined the Principality outfit in a loan swap involving Youri Tielemans with Leicester City and he has since been a steady force at the heart of the club’s midfield.
In Silva’s first seven matches, Monaco made an uptrend trend from the relegation zone by going unbeaten but things have since gone pear-shaped with a seven-match winless streak. As such, the club are now within goal difference off the bottom three and Silva has stressed that the club must show the perseverance to beat the drop in the final two games of the season.
Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante has said that the Blues can turn the season into a success by going on to win the Europa League title. The west London giants recently progressed to the semi-final of the competition after a 6-3 aggregate triumph over Slavia Prague and they are now regarded as the front-runners to secure the European crown.
Speaking to BT Sport, Kante said that the players want to make the season beautiful by securing the Europa League title for the second time in their history, he quipped: “We can make the season beautiful by winning the Europa League. That’s the only title we can win now, so it would be great to win the Europa League.”
Speaking to BeIN Sports, Fabregas said that he was not entirely pleased with some fan moments associated with Wenger before his departure, he said: “Some moments I was sad yes, He doesn’t deserve it for what he’s done. In football, it’s all about today. What you’ve done yesterday, unfortunately, doesn’t count.”
He added that the present world does not appreciate past achievements, but Wenger has left a legacy which will be remembered for a long time, he added: “When you retire after twenty, thirty years people will talk about it and remember it like wow what they did. Right now you need to perform today. This is the world we live in. It’s great because you cannot live in the past.”
France head coach Didier Deschamps has admitted that Olivier Giroud would like to play more for Chelsea after displaying an impressive run of goalscoring form. The striker has been heavily criticised by a section of the supporters of late after the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Wissam Ben Yedder were ignored for his selection in the French squad.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Deschamps spoke positively about the influence of Giroud by stating his recent scoring form for club and country. He added that the marksman has been in good touch for the Blues in the Europa League and would probably prefer to play more regularly for the side across all competitions.
He said: "Giroud is there, he scores goals. He does so too with his club. He’d like to play more and when he plays in the Europa League, he also scores goals. In a match like tonight's, against a low-ranked opponent, his presence as a pivot is very useful. He's quite complementary with the other players because of his role that is different and this allows our team to have a varied offensive play."
Chelsea defender Emerson has said that the Blues are going in the right direction despite their dreaded form on the road this year. The Blues have been extremely poor on their travels since the beginning of 2019 and the 2-1 Europa League triumph at Malmo was the first time they had scored in five away matches.
Despite this, Emerson has insisted the club are moving in a positive manner with a couple of crucial Cup games during the ongoing month, he said: “We have a lot of important games during this month still, so we need to focused on responding in the best possible way to each game. I'm sure we're going in the right direction, and even though we have a final to play, we need to think game by game. Playing away from home is always very difficult. I did my best on both offensive and defensive functions, and I'm happy that I was able to help the team come out with the victory and a good advantage for the second game at home.”
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has revealed two players who could handle the burden after the departure of Cesc Fabregas during the winter transfer window. The Spaniard had only played a bit-part role for the Blues through the first half of the season but Sarri has nonetheless expressed the concern, given he had been identified as the back-up to Jorginho in the holding role.
Speaking to reporters, Sarri said that he is looking into the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Ethan Ampadu to adapt to the defensive midfield role such that he can afford a rest for Jorginho when required, he said: “I have to try with our own players. So, I think Mateo Kovacic could be a very good option.
Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has indicated that midfielder Cesc Fabregas should part ways with the Blues at the earliest opportunity after declining a contract extension. The 31-year-old has just six months remaining on his existing deal and Sarri has confirmed that the Spaniard has snubbed a one-year renewal after receiving a better offer from an overseas club.
Speaking to reporters, he said: “I can say only my opinion. I don't know the decision of the club. In my opinion, he needs to go. You know very well in this club there is a rule - the renewal of players over 30 is usually for one year. He has an offer for two years. I don't want a very important player as Cesc not happy.”
Belgium international Eden Hazard has said that he is content at Chelsea, although he is keen to take the additional step with the Blues and win the Champions League. The attacker’s future has been a regular discussion topic this season with his current contract due to expire in the space of 18 months.
In a report covered by Metro, Hazard has admitted that he has no concerns with the Blues but he would like to score more goals while helping the club secure big trophies including the Champions League, he said: “I know I play for one of the biggest clubs in the world, and I can improve a lot in the future I think. I need to score more goals; we need to win more trophies. I won already a lot with Chelsea, but when you play for Chelsea you want big trophies like the Champions League, and to reach finals.”
AC Milan have reportedly stepped up their interest in signing Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas amid the recent injury crisis at the club. The Rossoneri are already without Lucas Biglia and Biacomo Bonaventura with long-term injuries and this has intensified their search for a new central midfielder, who could be affordable during the winter transfer window.
According to Calciomercato, the Rossoneri are understood to have already made contact with the representative of Fabregas and they are keen to push through a winter move rather than wait until the season close. The San Siro giants had initially planned to discuss a pre-contract with Fabregas when he approaches the final six months of his Blues deal in January, but their stance appears to have changed amid the recent bout of injuries which have hampered them.
Spain international Cesc Fabregas has not given up on cementing regular gametime under the guidance of Maurizio Sarri this term. The 31-year-old has yet to make a league start for Chelsea this campaign but he remains optimistic of changing the mindset of the manager in the forthcoming months.
Speaking to reporters, Fabregas highlighted that Sarri only sees him as a holding midfielder and he is keen to change the Italian’s mindset, having played further up the field for most of his professional career, he said: “When you just play once a week, you try to be safe. You don’t have the confidence you should have. You want to look good for the coach, but you don’t want to make mistakes.
