Week two of the Premier League regular season brings 20/21’s first true headliner fixture- reigning champs Liverpool FC visiting summer transfer window “champions” Chelsea. One of the reasons Chelsea have “won” the summer transfer market was their ability to persuade forward Timo Werner to select them over Liverpool.
The German was strongly linked with the Reds while he was still with RB Leipzig, but made the switch the Stamford Bridge instead, joining up for £47.6 million. He is one of six new players (and counting) to join the Blues this silly season, as they have splashed the cash to the tune of over 200 million GBP.
Liverpool at Chelsea FYIs
Kickoff: Sunday Sept 20, 4:30pm local
Early Chelsea team news: go here
Team News and Starting XIs: coming Thursday-Friday
Odds: Chelsea (+215), Liverpool (+115) Draw (+270)
Werner, one of the first big signings of the west London club this summer (whose acquisition no doubt then helped them to persuade others to join) reiterated his confidence in his decision to sign with Chelsea instead of Liverpool.
“When I decided to leave Leipzig, I talked to different clubs, of course,” Werner told a press conference.
“Next to Chelsea, there were some other clubs I talked to. But for me I don’t want to talk so much about other clubs because at the end I decided for Chelsea.”
“There are some other clubs like Liverpool, they have a great team and maybe I could fit good in some other team but in the end I decided for Chelsea because it was the best decision I could take, not only because of the style of football but also what they have shown me.”
“I think it was a hard decision but I am very, very excited and proud and happy that I decided like this. When I’m here now for maybe two months, it feels right. It feels very good. The team is brilliant.”
Given their top four finish last season, plus all the value they haved added to the side, Chelsea expectations are raised.
They must compete for the league title this season, and Sunday might give us a glimpse into whether or not they have closed the gap between themselves and last year’s runaway league winners.
“We have some very good but always calm players. It is fun to play here at Chelsea, to be part of the team,” Timo Werner added.
“We can do very well with this team in the next few months and years.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.