Happy new Premier League season football fans! For supporters of Chelsea Football Club, it’s been largely a summer to forget, but their transfer window is really heating up now, so maybe, when deadline day arrives, we’ll look back at this period much more favorably.
Chelsea’s preseason results left a lot to be desired, but that doesn’t matter any more now! Not sure that if ever did, although Blues boss Thomas Tuchel begs to differ! The new era is here, as this will be the first competitive match under new ownership, in American billionaire and Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers owner Todd Boehly.
Everton vs Chelsea FYIs
Kick: Sat Aug. 6, 5:30 pm Goodison Park
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction: go here
After Extra Time Podcast: Spotify Apple Podcasts
Google Result Probability: Chelsea win 59% Draw 24% Everton 17%
Odds: Everton – 4/1 Draw – 11/4 Chelsea – 4/6
CLUB STATEMENT: MARC CUCURELLA.
Contrary to inaccurate reports from numerous media outlets this evening, no agreement has been reached with any club to sell Marc Cucurella.
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) August 3, 2022
Chelsea FC Team News
The new era begins against a good old friend of the club, Frank Lampard and the side that he now leads, Everton. So we have a match that is overflowing with storylines here. In terms of team news right now, there isn’t a whole lot to discuss- just Armando Broja, who faces a race to be fit in time to make the matchday squad. He has dealt with a few injury issues this past summer.
The way more interesting news right now, relating to Chelsea, is in the summer transfer window. Multiple reports indicate that the Blues have reached an agreement in principle with defender Marc Cucurella of Brighton & Hove Albion for £52.5m.
But as you can see from the embedded tweet above, Brighton claims that is all fake news. The Seagulls claim that no Cucurella agreement has been reached at all, but some outlets are saying the left back’s medical has already been scheduled. Not sure if he can be registered in time to see the pitch in this one, but he could be officially unveiled as a Chelsea player by the time this one kicks off. There is another wrinkle to this transaction though.
We could see young Chelsea player Levi Colwill going the other way, as Brighton are keen on him.
Turning over to Everton, this is where the biggest headline team news is for this match.
Star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin faces about a month on the sidelines after having suffered a “freak” knee injury in training. Ouch. Lampard definitely didn’t need that.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.