The Chelsea Chronicle

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur could find themselves going toe-to-toe for one forward this summer.

Chelsea have already recruited Liam Delap from Ipswich Town but still appear to be in the market for a No.9.

Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro is attracting interest from Chelsea; however, the 23-year-old is not the only Brazilian forward who is currently being linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

If the Blues do go on to sign another striker, then Nicolas Jackson could depart. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Jackson could move to another Premier League club if his current employers receive a suitable proposal.

Tottenham want to convince Rodrigo Muniz to join them instead of Chelsea

In April, it was claimed that Chelsea had met with Rodrigo Muniz’s agent, with the Fulham striker seemingly on their radar.

According to GiveMeSport, the Blues are still showing interest in the Brazilian but could face competition from London rivals Tottenham for his signature.

The same outlet states that Spurs are also keen on Muniz and want to see if they can convince him to join them instead of the Conference League winners. It is thought that the 23-year-old will cost £50m.

Tottenham and Chelsea have seen first-hand what Muniz is capable of. He scored against both clubs last season, including a last-minute winner at Stamford Bridge.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike is also believed to be on Chelsea’s shortlist, but his current price tag makes a deal very unlikely. Eintracht value Ekitike at around £86m.

What former Chelsea star Willian has said about Rodrigo Muniz

If Muniz does join Chelsea this summer, one person who is likely to be happy is former Blue Willian.

Willian played alongside Muniz at Fulham and is a huge fan of his compatriot. “He’s always tried to work hard,” the Brazil international told TNT Sports last year. “Before he had a difficult time to adapt but when he started to play more, he started to score goals.

“We are really happy for him and I think he can improve even more. He’s only 23 and for me, he will be one of the best strikers in the Premier League for sure.”

When asked if Muniz could compete with the likes of Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah for the Premier League Golden Boot in the future, Willian went on to add: “I think so. He’s got the quality, he can score goals, he’s strong and I’m sure he can be one of the best in the league.”

Whoever gets the ex-Middlesbrough loanee, should he leave Craven Cottage, will be acquiring a talented forward with a lot of potential.

Before Chelsea take on Real Betis in the Conference League final, their Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will face off for the Europa League trophy.

It is a game that is likely to be of great interest to Enzo Maresca, as the final result could impact Chelsea‘s transfer plans.

The Blues are expected to bring in a new striker when the transfer window opens this summer.

Chelsea could sign Benjamin Sesko following RB Leipzig’s failure to qualify for European football, but there is also interest in Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap.

Europa League final outcome could decide Liam Delap’s future

Chelsea are very keen on Delap, but they are not the only Premier League club chasing the 22-year-old’s signature.

Manchester United are also targeting Delap, whose future could be decided by the outcome of Wednesday night’s Europa League final.

According to ESPN, if United fail to win the trophy and qualify for the Champions League, Chelsea will strengthen their position in the race to land the Englishman.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

With that in mind, while most Chelsea supporters will want to see their London rivals Tottenham lose, Maresca is going to be hoping for a United loss.

Maresca has already confirmed that he wants to bring in a new striker, and the 45-year-old is a huge fan of Delap after working with him at Manchester City.

What Enzo Maresca has said about Liam Delap

Delap has impressed many this season, scoring 12 goals in 36 Premier League appearances, which is not bad for a forward playing for a relegated team.

However, Maresca was already aware of his talent and spoke very highly of him before Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Ipswich back in December.

When Maresca was asked about Delap, he replied: “Liam is a fantastic player. Also for his age, we spent one year together. I think in that season, he scored 22 or 24 goals.

“This is a very good striker — as I’ve said many times, England are quite lucky because they have very good players, very good strikers, and it is working hard off the ball, on the ball he understands the game and he can score goals. Because of his age, I think he can be an important player for England.”

The two could now reunite at Stamford Bridge, but Maresca may need a favour from Ange Postecoglou if that is to happen.

Again, Chelsea fans will not want to see their London rivals end their trophy drought, but it could actually benefit the Blues.

Moises Caicedo has been speaking in the build-up to Chelsea’s London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night.

Chelsea have already beaten Ange Postecoglou’s side this season, winning 4-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson back from injury, Blues supporters will be optimistic about a repeat of what happened in north London.

That day, they played a huge part in the team’s victory, according to Caicedo, who has now spoken about that game.

Moises Caicedo on Chelsea fans’ support in Tottenham win

Chelsea found themselves 2-0 down the last time they played Tottenham, with Marc Cucurella slipping twice to aid two devastating Spurs attacks.

However, they were able to fight back and win the game after goals from Jadon Sancho, Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez.

Palmer will be looking to humiliate Tottenham again after scoring twice at their place, including a Panenka penalty. He was key to the victory, but Caicedo says it was Chelsea fans’ support that inspired the team’s comeback.

In an interview for Chelsea’s latest matchday programme, which has been shared by Chelsea’s official website, the midfielder said: “I think the last game, away, was a good one because we were losing 2-0 but the team came back and it was a good performance from the boys.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

“The Chelsea fans were crazy in that game and they supported us a lot, and that’s why I think we felt we could come back and win the game.”

Being one of the most important players in Enzo Maresca‘s side, Caicedo will be expected to start in the reverse fixture.

With Romeo Lavia ruled out, a midfielder of his profile will be needed even more now for such a clash.

Moises Caicedo on run-in

Caicedo has also discussed Chelsea’s run-in, with the Blues having some really tough games left at this stage of the season.

After Tottenham, they have a couple of more London derbies against Brentford and Fulham. Maresca’s men also have to play the likes of Newcastle United and Liverpool before the campaign concludes.

Caicedo, though, is not fazed by the challenge, which you would expect. The 23-year-old is a battling and combative midfielder from South America; there probably is not much that scares him.

“This is a very big club and it deserves a lot,” Caicedo said. “The team is working hard until the end of the season because we know we have something to fight for and we are concentrated on doing our best every single day. We are looking forward to it.”

Between now and the end of the season, there is so much for Caicedo and his teammates to play for.

The striker position has been a problem area for Chelsea in recent years, but it certainly wasn’t an issue when former Blues star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink led the line at the start of the 21st century.

Retired centre-forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, now aged 53, enjoyed an incredible playing career. In particular, he had a golden spell at Chelsea between 2000 and 2004.

Without a doubt, the current Blues squad would be drastically improved with a prime Hassselbaink in their ranks.

Hasselbaink is included in the list of Chelsea’s greatest ever strikers. Unfortunately, he left just before an era of dominance for the Blues under Jose Mourinho’s management.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored the perfect hat-trick without realising against Tottenham

On 13 March 2002, Chelsea recorded an emphatic 4-0 home win over London rivals Tottenham in the Premier League. Hasselbaink stole the headlines by scoring a hat-trick, while a young Frank Lampard was also on the scoresheet.

Hasselbaink completed the footballing feat of a perfect hat-trick, which is scoring with both feet and your head. It turns out that he only learned afterwards what he had done, though.

During an interview in 2023 with FourFourTwo about his career, Hasselbaink explained that he hadn’t even realised he had scored a “very special” hat-trick until after the match.

The former Chelsea striker said: “I scored a hat-trick against Spurs – left foot, right foot and a header. When I was told after the match that I’d scored a perfect hat-trick, I didn’t know what that was, I just thought a hat-trick was a hat-trick. But when they explained, that made it very special too.”

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

It’s a timely reminder of Hasselbaink’s achievement just before Chelsea host Spurs on Thursday night in an important league meeting.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is impressed by Chelsea, even though their form has been shaky in 2025. Let’s see if anybody can step up and write their name into the history books with a major performance.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink part of rare Chelsea group that includes Cole Palmer

There are only six players that have ever scored a perfect hat-trick in the Premier League while playing for Chelsea.

Until last year, Hasselbaink was one of five Blues stars in history to achieve the incredible feat.

However, current talisman Cole Palmer joined the club when he netted a perfect hat-trick against Everton in April 2024. It’s one of countless records that the youngster has broken already during less than two years at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Maresca was asked about Jadon Sancho in his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea versus Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite Chelsea having an obligation to buy Sancho at the end of the season, his long-term future at Stamford Bridge is in severe doubt.

Chelsea can get out of their agreement to sign Sancho permanently by paying a penalty fee to Manchester United.

Maresca was coy about his future when asked about it on Wednesday, but the 45-year-old was clear about one thing.

Enzo Maresca has not sugar-coated Jadon Sancho’s poor record

At the start of the season, Sancho looked like he was going to be a real asset to Chelsea. In his first three Premier League games, the winger managed to register as many assists.

December then saw Sancho put his shooting boots on, with the Englishman scoring in back-to-back games against Southampton and Tottenham.

However, he has not netted since then, going on a run of 14 top-flight matches without a goal. In that time, Sancho has also only managed to record one assist.

Maresca, after giving an injury update on Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, has now told the former Borussia Dortmund star that he should be doing better in front of goal.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

Speaking in his latest pre-match press conference, the Chelsea boss said: “To be honest, probably you have more news than me in terms of Jadon. For me, Jadon’s situation doesn’t change. It is exactly the same. For sure, in terms of numbers, he could do better, no doubt.”

With an xG of just 1.74 this season, according to WhoScored, it is no surprise that Sancho is not scoring at the minute.

Sancho is also averaging just 0.8 shots per game, which is nowhere near enough for an attacking player at a club like Chelsea.

What Jadon Sancho has said about his form

In Sancho’s defence, the England international at least knows that he needs to do better.

Before Maresca’s latest assessment, Sancho admitted that he could improve in front of goal and overall.

“I know I can do better, especially in front of goal, it’s annoying not to score, but I know it’ll come,” the Chelsea wide man said.

Sancho now needs to start showing that improvement; otherwise, he will be heading back to Old Trafford once this campaign concludes.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has given an injury update on Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson.

Palmer missed the Blues’ 1-0 loss to Arsenal just before the international break, while Jackson has not played since the start of February.

However, before Maresca‘s pre-match press conference for Thursday’s Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur, Palmer was spotted training.

Jackson had also been seen on the grass at Cobham, and Maresca has now given an update on both players.

Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson both available for Tottenham game

In a huge boost for Chelsea, Palmer and Jackson are set to be available for the massive game against Tottenham.

In his pre-match press conference, Maresca said: “Cole Palmer is back, he is okay. Noni Madueke is better. Nico Jackson is better. They are all good.”

Palmer was not in the best of form before his injury. Last month, Joe Cole discussed Palmer’s dip, claiming that he needs a more senior player around him to give some support during this difficult period.

Whatever the case, the attacking midfielder is still Chelsea’s best player, so Maresca will be pleased to have him back.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

As for Jackson, the Chelsea head coach will also be glad to welcome the 23-year-old back. In his absence, the Blues have not had too many other striker options.

Pedro Neto has had to play up front, with Marc Guiu also being out injured. Christopher Nkunku has experience in the centre-forward position, but Maresca has preferred him on the left.

Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson’s records against Tottenham

Palmer scored two goals in Chelsea’s last outing against Tottenham, a 4-3 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Both were penalties, including a Panenka, and saw the England international take his record against Spurs to three goals in three games.

Regarding Jackson, he has managed four goals in three appearances versus Chelsea’s fierce rivals, scoring a hat-trick in north London last season.

With Chelsea in a real battle to qualify for the Champions League, April is going to be such a huge month for Enzo Maresca’s men.

Chelsea are currently fourth in the Premier League table, but they have played one game more than Newcastle United, who are just two points behind them.

Fifth place should also ensure Champions League qualification this season, but there is no guarantee that the Blues finish there either.

Ultimately, with so many teams gunning for a spot in the top five right now, Chelsea need a successful month. With that in mind, here is what a perfect April could look like for Maresca.

Cole Palmer guides Chelsea to victory against Tottenham

Chelsea begin their April with a London derby against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.

Cole Palmer has returned to training after a small injury, so he should be available for the match. The attacking midfielder humiliated Spurs when Chelsea travelled to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December.

Palmer scored a Panenka penalty that day as the Blues went on to win 4-3. Maresca will now be hoping that the England international can inspire his side to another victory over Ange Postecoglou’s men.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

Chelsea win all three of their London derbies

Following their game against Tottenham, Chelsea have two more London derbies to play before April concludes.

The Blues travel to the Gtech Community Stadium to take on Brentford before another west London derby against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Maresca’s men were able to beat Brentford 2-1 in the reverse fixture, with Marc Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson scoring on the night, but they lost to Fulham by the same scoreline at the Bridge.

Chelsea get their revenge against Liam Delap and Ipswich

Ipswich Town were also able to defeat Chelsea earlier in the season, winning 2-0 at Portman Road.

Liam Delap opened the scoring with a penalty after winning a very controversial spot-kick before former Chelsea player Omari Hutchinson doubled the home side’s lead.

Delap’s goal was controversial because, simply put, he dived to win his team the penalty. Filip Jorgensen, who was between the sticks that day and conceded the spot-kick, will not forget that.

Jorgensen and the Ipswich star could actually be teammates next season, with Delap a target for Chelsea.

All in all, get wins against Ipswich, Fulham, Brentford and Tottenham, and Maresca will be a very happy man going into May.

Chelsea are preparing for the first of nine Premier League cup finals as they look to achieve their goal of qualifying for the Champions League for next season.

The Blues return from the international break with another London derby, this time against arch-rivals Tottenham, with Enzo Maresca desperate to see his side return to winning ways.

Chelsea have already been buoyed by the news that Cole Palmer is in training again ahead of Thursday’s game, with Nicolas Jackson also back with the first team after his own injury woes.

Spurs arriving to Stamford Bridge has usually been a successful outing as far as the Blues are concerned. They have lost just once in 35 years against this opposition at home.

Nevertheless, the Blues are going to need some big moments and some key players to step up if they are going to maintain their place in the top four, like many Chelsea sides have done before them.

The Chelsea Chronicle have ranked the five biggest wins over their nemesis in the past, including cup final wins and comeback victories that have delighted fans.

Chelsea 4-2 Spurs 2016 FA Cup

Antonio Conte made the brave call to bench both Eden Hazard and Diego Costa for the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley in 2016, however was able to turn to the pair off the bench with the scores level at 2-2.

It was the magnificent Belgian who struck to put the Blues ahead, before Nemanja Matic’s piledriver ended all hopes of another Spurs comeback.

MORE CHELSEA STORIES

The win booked their place in the final against Manchester United, where Hazard was on target from the spot to deliver the trophy in Conte’s last game in charge of Chelsea.

Chelsea 2-0 Spurs 2015 League Cup

Winning trophies has very much been Chelsea’s thing rather than Tottenham’s in the modern day, and this was no different when the two squared off in the League Cup final in 2015.

Jose Mourinho’s first trophy in his second stint at the club came against Spurs, after goals from John Terry and Diego Costa gave them a comfortable victory in the final.

The Blues went on to also win the Premier League this season, while their rivals missed out on a place in the top four.

Chelsea 2-0 Spurs 2019 Premier League

Fresh off a defeat in the EFL Cup final to Manchester City that was dominated by Kepa Arrizabalaga refusing to be substituted, the Spaniard was dropped from the side for their huge league game against Spurs.

This had no impact on the result though, after a Pedro strike and comical Kieran Trippier own goal gave them a big three points in their chase for Champions League football for the next season.

The result put an end to their opponents’ already lingering title hopes, with the Blues eventually overtaking their rivals in the last two games of the season to finish third.

Spurs 0-3 Chelsea 2021 Premier League

Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea were looking to start the 2021/22 season off hot and show their Champions League victory would set them up to dominate the next campaign.

They proved their worth as one of the top dogs with a devastating second half display at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. Goals from Thiago Silva, N’golo Kante and Antonio Rudiger gave the away fans a memorable afternoon.

Things fell apart later in the campaign for the Blues. A public spat involving Romelu Lukaku derailed his individual campaign, and they were forced to settle for third in the table, 19 points off leaders Manchester City.

Spurs 3-4 Chelsea 2024 Premier League

Earlier this season, Chelsea’s electric start to the campaign was under threat as they found themselves 2-0 down to Spurs and up against it away from home.

Jadon Sancho fired them back into the game, before a Cole Palmer double from the spot and Enzo Fernandez dagger gave them a big victory which put them firmly in the conversation for a Premier League title race.

Looking ahead to their next meeting on Thursday night, it is a place in the top five which Chelsea are looking to nail down, and a win against Spurs will be a huge step in the right direction for Maresca’s men.