The Chelsea Chronicle

Chelsea put out an improved performance to pick up another Premier League victory against Tottenham, with a number of players clearly upping their game to impress Xabi Alonso.

Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos scored as the Blues kept their European hopes alive with a 2-1 win, throwing their rivals into a final day relegation fight.

Fernandez in particular drew praise for his performance, while Chelsea fans saw the best of Cole Palmer for the first time in a long while.

What formation do you want to see Xabi Alonso deploy at Chelsea?👀

Feeling a 4-2-3-1!

Liam Delap is in trouble when Xabi Alonso arrives

It was clear the concept of Xabi Alonso played a part in their performances, with some players being handed a rare start to make their mark.

One of those was Liam Delap, who has found starting opportunities hard to come by with the presence of Joao Pedro in the squad.

Unfortunately for the striker, Tuesday’s performance followed a pattern which has emerged for him throughout his time at Chelsea.

He offered no real goal threat, coming towards the end of a season where he has just one Premier League goal to his name.

The Englishman lost eight of his 12 duels up front, and committed three fouls as his discipline came into question once again.

He was booked, with Djed Spence surprised he wasn’t sent off as his elbow caught the Spurs defender in the face.

Does Liam Delap deserve a chance under Xabi Alonso?🤔

Perhaps he can work his magic on him!

Delap’s Chelsea future already in doubt

Despite only joining the club less than a year ago, there are already reports saying Chelsea want to part ways with Delap this summer.

The difference in impact between himself and Pedro has been incredible, and the Blues need some better support for the Brazilian in the role.

Even Xabi Alonso’s hiring has not changed the club’s stance on Delap, with him seemingly happy to let him go too.

It remains to be seen if the Blues sign a striker this summer, but targeting someone with more experience should be their main priority.

It is fair to say that Andrey Santos’ wife was quite surprised after her husband was able to score in Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur!

Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring on Tuesday night before Santos doubled Chelsea’s lead in the second half.

It was only the midfielder’s third goal this season and his first in the Premier League, hence Mrs Santos’ surprise.

However, it was something he desperately needed after being left out of Brazil’s squad for the World Cup.

Andrey Santos’ wife asked Chelsea midfielder what’s happened to him after Tottenham goal

After the game, one of the first things that Santos did was check his phone, and he was greeted by quite a funny text message.

Not seeing him score too often this season, the Brazil international’s wife questioned what had happened to him!

In an interview with Chelsea’s official club website, Santos said: “I’m so happy with this performance. I even looked at my phone after the game, and my wife had sent me a message saying, ‘Wow, what’s happened with you today?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, but I’m so happy, and I want that to happen more times!'”

After that Tottenham performance, does Andrey Santos make a Xabi Alonso first XI?🤔

What a performance, though 🤩

That was one of the best performances that Santos has put in during the current campaign, and not just because he scored. The 22-year-old’s display was a pretty complete one.

For example, according to Sofascore, he completed all 39 of his passes, giving him a 100% pass success rate. Santos also won all five of the tackles he attempted and six out of eight ground duels.

The former Vasco da Gama man would have been one Chelsea star sad to see Liam Rosenior go. Santos was a key player for Rosenior at Strasbourg, while it was the Englishman who gave him a real opportunity at Chelsea.

Santos will now get the chance to work with Xabi Alonso, who was named as the new manager of Chelsea last weekend, if he is not sold in the summer.

Moments of clinical quality were the reason Chelsea got the better of Tottenham in their Premier League clash, with Roberto De Zerbi praising Enzo Fernandez after the game.

Fernandez got the ball rolling for the Blues with a stunning strike from distance, before picking up an assist for Andrey Santos’ first Premier League goal.

The Argentine scored well in our player ratings and helped his side come out on top in the key midfield battle, up against former Blue Conor Gallagher.

What formation do you want to see Xabi Alonso deploy at Chelsea?👀

Feeling a 4-2-3-1!

Roberto De Zerbi praises Enzo Fernandez after Chelsea 2-1 Spurs

Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines as his side’s relegation battle goes on to the final game of the season.

The Italian was disappointed when his side conceded a second goal as he prepared to make a triple substitution, but admitted his side were powerless to the first goal.

De Zerbi told Sky Sports that Fernandez is a ‘big player’, stating: “One great goal. Enzo Fernandez is a big player, but I thought we could do something better.”

Jamie Carragher was providing analysis on the game, and he was full of praise for the Argentine, describing Fernandez as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

DISCUSS: Carlo Ancelotti was wrong to leave Andrey Santos out of his Brazil World Cup squad 🏆

He was inch-perfect aganist Spurs.

Enzo Fernandez future saga runs on

Despite the confirmed hiring of Xabi Alonso, there has so far been no massive change in the midfielder’s stance on staying at the club.

Alonso is set to sit down with Fernandez soon to discuss his future, with him already knowing he wants to build his side around the Argentine.

Fernandez wants to see Chelsea sign some top players, something which may prove more difficult given the fact they will not be able to offer Champions League football.

It remains to be seen whether Alonso can convince the World Cup winner to stay, but replacing his goals from midfield already looks like a difficult task should they have to do it.

Chelsea rejuvenated their hopes of European qualification on Tuesday with a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur and Wesley Fofana has teased the Blues’ London rivals on Instagram.

After a winless run of seven Premier League games, which included six defeats, Chelsea finally secured three points to boost their chances of getting back into Europe. The win sees Chelsea climb to eighth.

Who was your Man of the Match tonight?

While Bournemouth ended Chelsea’s hopes of Champions League football with a draw against Man City, the Blues are still capable of finishing in seventh position which would guarantee the Europa League.

As things stand, Chelsea sit in eighth – thanks to goals from Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos – which would see the Blues qualify for the Conference League. All at the expense of Spurs on Tuesday night.

Wesley Fofana pokes fun at Tottenham as Chelsea record remains

While Chelsea did not have the honour of relegation Spurs last night, they kept West Ham’s chances of survival alive. In the race to avoid 18th, the two sides go into the final day looking for a crucial victory.

Chelsea, meanwhile, go to Sunderland needing a win to finish in seventh. It was a solid performance even if Chelsea failed to keep a clean sheet for a 15th consecutive Premier League match. Fofana was superb.

The Blues defender has improved of late, even if he didn’t have Levi Colwill alongside him. That’s six Chelsea wins in a row against Spurs, and 11 wins in the last 13 against Roberto De Zerbi’s neighbours.

Fofana alluded to Chelsea’s impressive record against Tottenham after the narrow win, posting a four-word message on Instagram to Chelsea’s fans following the full-time whistle: “Always the same result.”

Wesley Fofana form improves after Liam Rosenior sacking

There have been a few examples of Chelsea’s players improving since Rosenior was sacked. Robert Sanchez in goal has been excellent in the last few games, even if he made a “horrible” save last night.

What do you make of Wesley Fofana in a Chelsea shirt? Is he good enough?🤔

Fernandez was majestic on Tuesday night, scoring one and getting the assist for Santos’ winner. Calum McFarlane won only his second match as Chelsea’s interim manager in his seventh outing.

Fofana has also improved since Rosenior’s exit. He won plenty of aerial duels on the night against Richarlison and alongside the impressive Jorrel Hato, Chelsea kept Tottenham to half chances.

Richarlison might have scored a scrappy goal, but Chelsea looked improved again despite only playing in the FA Cup final a few days prior. That upward spike must continue against Sunderland on Sunday.

It has been a good few days for Chelsea and Robert Sanchez, which they needed after their FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City.

Last Sunday, it was announced that Xabi Alonso has been appointed as the new manager of Chelsea, with the 44-year-old set to take charge in July.

Since then, Chelsea have also beaten their fierce London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, moving them back into a European football place.

Does Liam Delap deserve a chance under Xabi Alonso?🤔

Perhaps he can work his magic on him!

Robert Sanchez hopeful of stability at Chelsea under Xabi Alonso

Sanchez is one Chelsea player who cannot wait to start working with Alonso after a turbulent season.

The Blues have had three different managers in the current campaign, and Sanchez is now looking forward to having some stability under Alonso.

Speaking to the BBC after his side’s 2-1 win against Spurs, he said: “It’s good. I’m very happy and the boys are as well. It’s good to see we’ll have a bit of stability for the future and pre-season. I know what a great manager he is, so I can’t wait to work with him.”

Sanchez also discussed one save he made following the full-time whistle, with the goalkeeper putting in a pretty good performance.

However, Sanchez has still been inconsistent this season, making some costly mistakes between the sticks.

Xabi Alonso could replace Robert Sanchez with another goalkeeper

Unfortunately for Sanchez, while the Spaniard may be excited about the prospect of working with Alonso, he may not actually get a chance to.

The Blues could end up replacing him in the upcoming transfer window. It was recently reported that Chelsea have eyes on six different goalkeepers as they weigh up bringing in a new shot-stopper.

Robin Roefs, Jordan Pickford, Bart Verbruggen, Marco Carnesecchi, Diogo Costa and Mike Maignan are all thought to be on their list.

The arrival of a new goalkeeper does not necessarily mean that Sanchez will have to leave. Filip Jorgensen is the one who could be sold, while Mike Penders is sent out on another loan.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher thinks Chelsea sent out a small reminder on Tuesday night after beating London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Calum McFarlane’s side beat Tottenham 2-1 thanks to goals from Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos.

Chelsea were without some key players, with Joao Pedro and Levi Colwill both missing the game.

In the end, though, that was not enough to stop them from claiming all three points and moving back into a European place in the Premier League table.

Who was your Man of the Match tonight?

Jamie Carragher claims Chelsea have ‘real quality’

While Chelsea can still qualify for the Europa League or Conference League, the chances of playing in the Champions League are over following Bournemouth’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City.

It has been a poor season for the Blues, who have underperformed. However, Carragher believes this is still a team with a lot of quality, which was on show at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

Speaking on Sky Sports after Chelsea’s second goal, the retired England international said: “What Chelsea do have is real quality. The finish is a little bit scruffy, but Chelsea won’t care.”

Santos needed that goal after a disappointing week. The midfielder was left out of the Brazil squad for this year’s World Cup.

Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian have also missed out, with the latter currently injured. Carlo Ancelotti spoke about Pedro’s omission, admitting that the 24-year-old was unfortunate not to be called up.

Enzo Fernandez’s quality shone through against Tottenham

While they have failed to reach any of their objectives this term, Chelsea are not a bad team. They do have plenty of quality, and Fernandez showed that.

He was excellent against Roberto De Zerbi’s men, scoring one of the Blues’ goals of the season with a magnificent strike from outside of the box.

According to Sofascore, Fernandez also made two key passes and created one big chance.

Chelsea’s problem is they are inconsistent and are quite an immature team. Hopefully the addition of some more experienced players in the summer solves those issues.

A run of seven Premier League games without a win is finally over as Calum McFarlane guided Chelsea to a 2-1 victory over Tottenham – and yet, Robert Sanchez is not happy with his performance.

Goals from Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos saw Chelsea secure three precious points in the race for European football. The goals, one in each half, were enough to see off Richarlison’s at the other end.

Who was your Man of the Match tonight?

Chelsea have climbed into eighth place largely thanks to Everton, Brighton and Brentford failing to win on the weekend. Bournemouth’s draw against Man City means Chelsea can no longer finish in sixth place.

That means any Champions League hope is over, but the Blues can still qualify for the Europa League with a seventh-placed finish. Robert Sanchez helped keep Tottenham at bay and spoke after the 2-1 victory.

Robert Sanchez admits he “hated” his save against Tottenham

With the scoreline still reading 0-0, Mathys Tel tried his luck from the edge of Chelsea’s area. Tel, who was a target for Chelsea before Tottenham signed him from Bayern Munich, saw his effort strike the post.

Indeed, replays showed Tel’s effort hit the post before Sanchez got a touch on it and the ball bounced to relative safety. Asked about his save on BBC Sport after the match, Sanchez says it was a “horrible” save.

“It was a horrible save, I hated it. It hit the post, it hit my hand. I’m very happy. The boys performed. A couple of changes from training, a couple of injuries. They performed, they were brilliant. Very happy.”

Robert Sanchez’s form improves but Chelsea lack clean sheet

It is interesting that since Liam Rosenior’s exit, Sanchez’s form has improved. Rosenior was once seen with his head in his hands after Sanchez made a mistake during Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the league.

DISCUSS: Carlo Ancelotti was wrong to leave Andrey Santos out of his Brazil World Cup squad 🏆

He was inch-perfect aganist Spurs.

It has been a tricky season for Sanchez, and if Filip Jorgensen had remained fit under Rosenior, there is no doubt that the Dane would be first choice. Yet since Rosenior’s exit, Sanchez seems like a different player.

His performances against Leeds and Man City in the FA Cup were excellent, and it is hard to pin any of the goals against Chelsea, since Rosenior’s sacking, on Sanchez. Chelsea still lack a clean sheet in the league.

A run of 15 Premier League games without a clean sheet is clearly something Alonso will have to fix. A list of six potential signings in goal has been compiled, including Jordan Pickford and Robin Roefs.

But if Xabi Alonso is watching, and he surely will have been on Tuesday night, then he will have been impressed by his fellow countryman’s efforts between the sticks. All eyes turn to Sunderland on Sunday.

Chelsea ended their painful run without a win in the Premier League by picking up their usual three points at home to Tottenham. Let’s take a look at our player ratings from the game.

The Blues kept their faint hopes of qualifying for European football alive with a 2-1 victory over their London rivals.

Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos found the net for the Blues, who were forced into a nervy ending after Richarlison’s close-range finish.

Who was your Man of the Match tonight?

The result leaves Spurs in jeopardy on the final day of the season, needing to avoid defeat to guarantee their place in the Premier League next season.

The Chelsea Chronicle have handed out player ratings from the 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.

Robert Sanchez: 6/10

Didn’t have a great deal to do but made a number of routine stops. Was nothing he could do to deny Richarlison’s goal.

Josh Acheampong: 6/10

Was under the cosh from the start up against former Blues target Mathys Tel, although dealt with the pressure well in what was a rare start for Josh Acheampong.

Wesley Fofana: 6/10

Wesley Fofana has started to find a bit of form in recent weeks, and defended well in the most part against Spurs at Stamford Bridge.

Jorrel Hato: 7/10

Jorrel Hato made the transition from back five to back four seamlessly, making some vital defensive contributions including a brilliant late block on James Maddison.

What formation do you want to see Xabi Alonso deploy at Chelsea?👀

Feeling a 4-2-3-1!

Marc Cucurella: 7/10

A strong defensive performance from Marc Cucurella kept Randal Kolo Muani silent in the game. It is clear to see why Alonso is keen on keeping hold of the Spaniard.

Moises Caicedo: 8/10

Played some lovely passes in behind to get the Blues in the first half, and frequently was able to win fouls whenever they were under the cosh.

Andrey Santos: 8/10

In the week he was left out of the Brazil squad for the World Cup, Santos reminded Carlo Ancelotti what he is all about. A strong midfield performance added to by a first Premier League goal in the second half.

Enzo Fernandez: 7/10

Superb strike from distance got the ball rolling for Chelsea, and played a key part in winning the midfield battle up against Conor Gallagher and co.

Cole Palmer: 8/10

Where has this Cole Palmer been all season? A completely different body language from the number 10, certainly leaving an impression on both Xabi Alonso and Thomas Tuchel.

Cole Palmer – back to his best?

Will we see more of this under Xabi Alonso?

Pedro Neto: 6/10

Relatively quiet return to the starting side for Pedro Neto, however produced an excellent cross which eventually led to Santos’ goal.

Liam Delap: 6/10

Showed moments of brilliant hold-up play that reflected the club’s desire to sign him last summer, but again didn’t really threaten the goal despite quality play around him.

Trevoh Chalobah: 6/10

Slotted into defence to give the Blues some much-needed control after conceding.

Mamadou Sarr: N/A

Shumaira Mheuka: N/A

Alejandro Garnacho: N/A

Dario Essugo: N/A

Enzo Fernandez’s status as a Chelsea player is by no means secure, however it would be significantly boosted if they signed one of the Tottenham players this summer.

Xabi Alonso wants to build his Chelsea side around Fernandez when he arrives at the club at the end of the season.

However, up to now the World Cup winner hasn’t been convinced to commit his future to the Blues, with Real Madrid’s interest in signing him public knowledge.

CONFIRMED XI to face Spurs!

Plenty of changes… are you still confident?

Enzo Fernandez wants Chelsea to sign Cristian Romero

Chelsea’s ability to sign players from elite clubs in Europe may take a hit if they are not in the Champions League next season, although looking at underperforming sides could be a great avenue for the club.

One side who fits that bill is Tottenham Hotspur, who will not be safe in the Premier League unless they pick up a rare win at Stamford Bridge tonight.

Relegation would almost certainly spark an exodus at the club, with Cristian Romero one of those who many clubs in Europe would be interested in signing.

He is a player who Simon Phillips has stated that Fernandez has asked Chelsea to sign, as he seeks assurances over the club’s direction in the transfer market.

He said on his Substack: “Our sources heard that Fernandez recently had new conversations with the club over a new contract, but nothing was agreed at this point. In these conversations, Fernandez told the club to sign Cristian Romero from Tottenham and wants to see more top players come in.”

Concerns may fall in the discipline department. Romero has four red cards in his Premier League career, an area Chelsea have let themselves down in already this season.

Has Xabi Alonso chosen the right TWO players to build his Chelsea team around?🤔

Romero signing could appease Xabi Alonso

Chelsea will likely be doing their summer business with the new manager in mind, after managing to convince Alonso to accept the role of manager.

Alonso has already asked Chelsea to sign two new centre-backs when he arrives, perhaps leaning to thoughts that he would like to operate in a back three.

Moises Caicedo and Roberto De Zerbi will reunite on Tuesday night when Chelsea take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

De Zerbi was Caicedo’s manager at Brighton & Hove Albion, and the Spurs boss is a huge fan of the midfielder.

In fact, De Zerbi thinks Caicedo is one of the best players in his position and has shared why.

What would you go with for the Spurs game? A back three or back four?

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi thinks Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo is ‘complete’ with and without the ball

Many people praise Caicedo for his tackling and ability to win the ball back. However, De Zerbi feels that the 24-year-old is also very good in possession.

Discussing how complete Caicedo is in his pre-match press conference, De Zerbi told Hayters TV: “Caicedo was a great player. It was a pleasure working with him, like Robert Sanchez, like Levi Colwill and Joao Pedro.

“I think Caicedo now is one of the best midfielders in the world because he’s a complete player with the ball, without the ball.”

At the start of the season, Caicedo certainly did look like a complete midfielder. As well as making tackles, he was also scoring goals and dominating games in the middle of the park.

However, his form really tailed off as the campaign progressed, although he has looked sharp in Chelsea’s last couple of matches.

De Zerbi was actually linked to Chelsea after Mauricio Pochettino left the club in 2024, but they went for Enzo Maresca in the end.

Moises Caicedo’s stats under Roberto De Zerbi

Understandably, Caicedo was a very important player for De Zerbi during the Italian’s time at the Amex Stadium.

In total, Caicedo made 37 appearances under him, as per Transfermarkt, before joining Chelsea in the summer of 2023.

The Ecuadorian failed to score a single goal during De Zerbi’s tenure at Brighton and also picked up 12 yellow cards, but he was still brilliant overall for the current Spurs boss.

Caicedo will now be looking to plunge his old boss and Tottenham into further relegation trouble. Spurs are just two points above the relegation zone but can secure safety with a victory at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s season is practically over, but for Tottenham, there is still everything to fight for.