Chelsea news LIVE updates: Le Saux calls Jose Mourinho 'RUDE', Conte mentions the Ox
CHELSEA got off to a flyer in their opening Champions League group game last night and have a couple of more days to recover before they face Arsenal on Sunday - and Express Sport brings you the latest news from Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea news LIVE updates: Follow here for the latest news from Stamford Bridge.
Saturday 16 September
Welbeck must play - Merson
18.35: Danny Welbeck must start for Arsenal against Chelsea tomorrow as he is the only Gunners player who causes the Blues problems, according to Paul Merson.
Merson says his pace and running off the ball can be effective against Antonio Conte’s side.
“If there’s one player that’s got to play against Chelsea it has to be Welbeck,” Merson said on Sky Sports.
"He’s the only one that causes them problems.
“He runs beyond and he’ll run them in the channels.”
Laca would challenge Alvaro - Nicholas
14.30: Alexis Sanchez is not the only Arsenal player who could get in the Chelsea team, according to former Gunner Charlie Nicholas.
“You kind of look at this game, perhaps looking at all the fixtures this weekend and thinking ‘who would you lay your hat on as a Premier League team to win a football match?’” Le Tissier said on Sky Sports.
“And I looked at that fixture and Chelsea stood out for me.
“You think if Chelsea are on the game they can win this football game more comfortably.”
Morata more subtle than Costa - Nicholas
13.30: Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata is more “subtle” in his attacking play than Diego Costa, according to Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas.
Morata has been a direct replacement for Costa in the Blues’ starting XI after being he was told by manager Antonio Conte he is no longer in his plans.
“It’s his movement. Costa’s more aggressive, wants to fight more,” Nicholas said.
“He’s just more subtle in his approach play, he goes on the shoulder. He sussed out Leicester quite quickly, he realised he’ll compete with them.”
Conte taken gamble - Merson
13.10: Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has taken a huge gamble by not buying another striker in the summer transfer window, according to pundit Paul Merson.
“The biggest worry is the centre-forward. If Morata gets injured, God-forbid he doesn’t, and the other lad’s got to play 12 games on the trot, then I see a problem,” Merson said on Sky Sports.
“To come in for a couple of games here and there, he won’t let Chelsea down and he hasn’t.
“But if you give him a long distance of games, a longevity of games, I don’t think he will be enough.”
Conte on Ox
10:07: Antonio Conte is adamant Arsenal are a Premier League title contender - and name-checked Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain when discussing his rivals’ chances.
Oxlade-Chamberlain left Arsenal for Liverpool in a £40m deal last month after snubbing a move to Chelsea.
And Conte said: “For sure Arsenal is a big rival for the title.
"If you see their squad you can understand there are a lot of top players. I don't understand why they can't fight for the title.
"They lost only one player now, (Alex) Oxlade-Chamberlain. They kept all the players from last season. In their squad there are many top players.
"I think Arsenal is one of the six top teams in England.
Le Saux calls Mourinho ‘rude’
09:00: Jose Mourinho was rude and up to his usual mischief when he called Chelsea defensive last week, according to former Blues Graeme Le Saux.
“Jose Mourinho was a little rude about Chelsea after last weekend's matches, criticising Conte's side for defensive football,” Le Saux told Betfair.
“But that's typical Mourinho, up to his usual mischief.
“Chelsea are not a negative side - the goals for column tells you that!
Morata confirms Man Utd offer
07:30: Alvaro Morata has revealed Jose Mourinho made contact with him about a move to Manchester United this summer.
When asked if Mourinho had been in touch with him above about a move to United, Morata told the Daily Mail: “Yes. I had various offers this summer, not only Chelsea and Manchester United but also from different leagues.
“It was a good situation for me. The most important and best conversation I had was with Conte, he wanted me to come here.
“At the start of the summer, I didn’t know that Chelsea were interested in me. I thought they were in for a different player….”
“Maybe Lukaku or maybe someone else, I don’t know. I didn’t think the option of Chelsea was open."
Friday September 15
Conte on Arsenal
22:00: Antonio Conte says he isn’t interested with the turmoil going on at London rivals Arsenal.
Chelsea host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday seeking a fourth straight league win.
Calls for Arsene Wenger to leave Arsenal have intensified as the north London club labour early on in their title challenge, but Conte isn’t interested in Wenger or his perilous situation at Arsenal and instead wants to focus on his own side.
“I don’t care nothing about Arsenal’s situation, I care about Chelsea’s. When we talk about it we are unlucky. They will solve their problems, we will solve ours,” Conte said in his pre-match press conference.
Poyet backs Chelsea win
19:00: Chelsea legend Gus Poyet is backing his former club to beat Arsenal on Sunday (1:30pm).
Poyet told talkSPORT: “I agree (Chelsea will win), of course after Chelsea with Burley, it’s difficult to arrive at this situation.
“But overall Chelsea sit stronger. Arsenal have too many issues, too many problems. The fans aren’t happy.
“Everything is coming to a point where it’s difficult for the team to perform. It’s a great time for Chelsea to play Arsenal and prove themselves are capable of winning the Premier League."
GETTY
Fernando Llorente has lifted the lid on rejecting Chelsea
At the very last minute, Pochettino called me and convinced me
Fernando Llorente
Chelsea vs Arsenal prediction
16:00: Former Rangers manager Ally McCoist has backed Chelsea to exploit under-pressure Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
“Right now you’d have to say Chelsea are the in form team at the moment,” McCoist said on talkSPORT.
“No points at Stamford Bridge since 2011? That’s incredible. Is it that far back? It’s a tough game for Arsenal. No one would want to go to Chelsea at the moment.
“(Alvaro) Morata is scoring goals and didn’t play in midweek. This is a tough, tough game for Arsenal.”
Alvaro Morata Champions League confidence
15:00: Chelsea forward Alvaro Morata believes he can reach yet another Champions League final this year.
His Chelsea side got their continental campaign off to a perfect start with a 6-0 thrashing of Azerbaijan champions Qarabag.
And Morata believes with the right mentality, his new club can go far in this year's competition.
"It’s very difficult to win the Champions League but I think we have a good team, and with a good mentality we can do good things," Morata said.
“It’s an incredible competition. With all the teams I’ve played for in the Champions League I have reached the final and I hope to do so this year too."
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GETTY
Alvaro Morata thinks Chelsea can win the Champions League this season
Llorente chat
14:00: Fernando Llorente has opened up on his reasons for choosing to join Spurs over Chelsea in the transfer window.
Llorente was linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in January but decided to stay at Swansea and helped keep them in the Premier League.
The Spanish striker had worked with Chelsea manager Antonio Conte in the past which lead critics to express surprise at his decision to snub the Italian coach.
But Llorente says it was a call from Mauricio Pochettino which convinced him.
“The truth is that Chelsea have been after me for a long time but at the end you know how this works," Llorente said.
"At the very last minute, Pochettino called me and convinced me.”
Cesar Azpilicueta suggestion
13:00: Chelsea need to make it tough for Antonio Conte to choose his starting XI.
Chelsea went into Tuesday night’s Champions League group stage fixture off the back of three Premier League wins on the spin.
And Azpilicueta says those kind of performances when Conte rotates his team are just what’s needed as the reigning champions look for success on four fronts.
Azpilicueta told the Evening Standard: "We need everyone in the squad, we know it's a long season - we have games every three days.
"That's what we need, everyone pushing together to get the job done and making it difficult for the manager [to select his team]. For a striker to get a goal was important for him.”
