Mourinho Bemoans ‘Disgraceful’ Ball Boys

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said Leicester City deserved to beat his struggling Chelsea side on Monday night but branded the ball boys at the King Power stadium a “disgrace to the Premier League.”

Leicester moved back to the top of the Premier League table with goals from Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez condemning Mourinho’s side to just a point above the relegation zone.

But afterwards Mourinho launched a bizarre attack on the Foxes’ ball boys as his side failed to score an equalising goal after Loic Remy reduced the deficit.

“They fought with everything and defended everything,” he said.

“We just couldn’t score. The ball boys were amazing too.

“The ball boy point I just say because it is a disgrace for the Premier League.”

Chelsea host Norwich at the weekend as they look to avoid dropping into the relegation zone for the first time this season.

Ranieri: “No Club in the World Can Afford Vardy and Mahrez”

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has claimed “no club in the world can afford Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez” after the duo stole the show in his side’s 2-1 win against Chelsea last night.

Vardy has scored 15 premier league goals this season whilst Mahrez has had a hand in 18 of his side’s 34 goals this season with 7 assists and 11 goals.

“No,” replied Ranieri when asked if he was worried his star performers would leave in the January transfer window.

“Why? No one can buy them. They don’t have the money to buy them.

“I think the performance of Mahrez and Vardy was fantastic, but they are only the pinnacle of the iceberg because behind them there is a big spirit who work and help each other.

“We know Vardy and Mahrez are our credit cards, but to do this, it is important that the other players play well too.”

Leicester travel to Everton on Saturday looking to extend their lead at the top of the Barclay’s Premier League Table.

Majestic Mahrez Stuns Chelsea

Leicester City produced a brilliant performance to beat Champions Chelsea at the King Power Stadium last night increasing the pressure on Jose Mourinho.

Claudio Ranieri’s men returned to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-1 win over the Blues in a match which saw Chelsea drop to just one-point above the relegation zone.

Jamie Vardy’s 15th goal of the season before half time and Riyad Mahrez’ superb curling solo finish shortly after the break sealed the win for the Foxes.

Chelsea substitute Loic Remy pulled one back but Leicester defended valiantly to hold on and replace Manchester City at the summit of the table.

Mourinho’s job now hangs in the balance with his Chelsea side collecting just 4 wins from the opening 16 games.

Ranieri kept faith with the same eleven who started the 3-0 win away at Swansea last weekend and Mahrez, who scored all three goals at the Liberty Stadium, tested Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois inside two minutes with a curling effort from distance.

The hosts maintained their high-tempo start but suffered a blow when playmaker Danny Drinkwater was replaced in the 17th minute by Andy King after suffering a hamstring injury.

Chelsea settled soon after but then were forced into a change themselves when last season’s player of the year Eden Hazard had to be brought off after a clash with Vardy in the 31st minute.

Vardy inflicted further misery on Mourinho just a few minutes later when man-of-the-match Mahrez’ tantalising cross evaded the static Kurt Zouma and was volleyed beyond Courtois by the oncoming Vardy.

Chelsea came close to an immediate equaliser, but Nemanja Matic’s looping header clipped the crossbar and went behind.

Mourinho’s side were unable to get a shot on target in the first half and three minutes after the restart the Foxes made them pay.

Mahrez controlled the impressive Albrighton’s cross exquisitely before shimmying magnificently away from Cesar Azpilicueta and curling a fine finish into the opposite corner.

Chelsea’s first shot on target finally came in the 62nd minute, but, after being released by Cesc Fabregas, Costa was well denied by Kasper Schmeichel.

Chelsea came close from the resulting corner when the Dane failed to collect the initial cross in from Willian’s corner but Ivanovic was denied at the back post by a fine block from full-back Christian Fuchs.

Mourinho then switched to a three-man defence and Remy headed home a Pedro cross to halve the deficit with 13 minutes remaining, but Leicester held out a nervy final 10 minutes to a rapturous reception from the home fans.

After the final whistle, Mourinho spoke of feeling “betrayed” by his players in the defeat.

He said; “They deserved to win because they were better than us during a long period of time. I think we were the best team, I will say for 20-25 minutes, maximum 30 minutes. They were the best team for one hour.

“They were very consistent and very focussed. They didn’t make any mistakes. They were aggressive with everybody playing high intensity, high tempo with a great mentality. It was difficult for us and then we conceded two goals that are unacceptable to me because I know one of my best qualities is to read the game for my players.

“It is to read the opponent and identify every detail about the opponent. These two goals, the movement of Vardy between the two central defenders then the cross with the left foot. The Mahrez in the box one against one – I want one against two because I want the midfield player to close the best foot.

“(The) two goals are difficult to accept because I feel like my work was betrayed.”

With his side now 14 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, Mourinho was asked if his side’s top-four chances had gone;

“Yes. Clearly, yes”, he replied.

In stark contrast City manager Claudio Ranieri said he was “very satisfied” with his side’s performance and that his team must stay “grounded” when faced with the expectation their current position sees them in.

He said; “We played against the champions but we want to make a fantastic match for our fans because they believe, they are dreaming.

“It is good if they continue to dream but for us it was important to make a great performance with a fantastic spirit. (Also) tactically I am very satisfied. We concentrated for 95 minutes against the champions. That is not easy.

“For our fans we are top of the league, but for me and my players we need another five points. Don’t laugh. It is the truth.”

Leicester travel to Everton on Saturday looking to extend their lead at the top, whilst Chelsea host Norwich at Stamford Bridge.

Boro’ Still Keen On Bamford

Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka has left the door open for Crystal Palace loanee Patrick Bamford to return to the club next month.

The Eagles face losing England Under-21 international Bamford during the January transfer window as parent club Chelsea weigh up whether to activate a recall clause in his season-long loan deal.

The 22-year-old has struggled for game-time since moving to Selhurst Park, failing to score in his eight appearances for Alan Pardew’s side, much to the frustration of the Blues, who had expected him to get plenty of Premier League experience.

Middlesbrough could reportedly put pressure on Chelsea to recall Bamford by offering to give him more first-team football at the Riverside – the Englishman having flourished during his loan stint in the north-east last season.

Boro boss Aitor Karanka has kept his cards close to chest on a possible move for Bamford but admits it would be nice to have him back should the opportunity arise.

“I think it’s understandable that he is linked with us because he was really successful last season here,” said Karanka.

“Everybody has a good relationship with him at this club. I have always said the door is open to him, I have a good relationship with him and we will try to make the best decision for everybody.”

Defeat At Leicester Could Spell The End For Mourinho

Jose Mourinho’s time in charge of Chelsea could come to an abrupt end should the Blues lose at leaders Leicester on Monday.

The champions travel to the King Power Stadium having collected just 15 points from 15 games this season, sitting 17 points adrift of their high-flying opponents.

This in itself is a stark contrast from last season where at the same stage, Chelsea were top and Leicester were bottom with 26 points separating them.

Coincidentally, the man who Mourinho took the job of during his first stint in charge at Stamford Bridge will be in the opposite dugout on Monday, and could be the man to drive the sword in the Portuguese’s’ back.

Ranieri spent 4 seasons in charge at the Bridge and despite being remembered fondly by the fans, his treatment by owner Roman Abramovich was far from pleasant.

Incidentally, should Chelsea lose at Leicester it will be the manner of defeat which will matter most for Mourinho.

If the Foxes scrape a scruffy 1-0 win the result will not be as glaring but if Leicester turn on the style, as they have been doing in recent weeks, Mourinho’s men will really have it tough.

Chelsea lost 1-0 at home to Bournemouth on Saturday but did not deserve to lose.

If Ranieri’s Foxes come out all guns blazing, Chelsea could find themselves on the end of a battering.

With all Mourinho’s multimillion pound, match-winning talent, losing doesn’t seem to hurt enough for Stamford Bridge’s superstars.

They have become complacent, lethargic and careless since winning the league, everything Leicester City are not.

City play with energy, raw pace, unpredictability and more importantly, sheer fighting spirit.

The King Power Stadium has been transformed into a medieval fortress.

The fans cheer on their team with the thunderous passion you could expect of a Viking landing fleet, or a 15th Century cult.

As a result, Leicester have lost only 4 times at home in 2015, just the once this term.

I don’t know about you, but if I was Jose Mourinho, I would not be looking forward to a trip to the East Midlands in a do-or-die effort to save my job.

The ‘Special One’ has a battle on his hands, and Monday could be Armageddon.

Bizarre Monthly Award Selections Prove Process Must Be Changed

The Barclay’s Premier League monthly awards always spark controversy but none more so than the announcement of this morning’s winners.

Manchester United’s young French striker Anthony Martial was selected by the population as the league’s best player for September along with Tottenham’s Mauritio Pochettino as Manager of the Month.

Martial has been impressive in September bagging 3 goals in 3 appearances for the Red Devils, but Leicester City and the league’s top scorer Jamie Vardy has returned 4 in 3 for his club.

Pochettino’s Tottenham were too, impressive, in September but with the exception of Spurs’ excellent 4-1 victory at home to Manchester City, were not exceptionally better than you would expect of them.

Roberto Martinez’ Everton side beat Chelsea in their September unbeaten run and arguably looked just as good if not better than Tottenham on the field in all of their games.

Andre Ayew of Swansea and Manuel Pellegrini won the August accolades, both of which received stern criticism from fans with Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez and West Ham’s Dimitri Payet both putting in impressive performances along with manager’s Alan Pardew and Claudio Ranieri performing far better than expected.

This leaves the question then; Is the award process flawed?

As the awards are voted for primarily by fans of the Premier League, clubs with larger fan bases find themselves with an easier opportunity to stain the voting procedure with their own club’s preferences.

Both Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool all contain much larger fan bases than any other in the Premier League so is it any surprise that these awards are constantly won by members of these clubs?

Maybe it is time for the awards process to be taken out of solely the fans’ hands?

7 Finals That Shook the World

With the 2014/15 Champions League soon upon us, the pre-match buzz is beginning to build.

All eyes will turn to Berlin on Saturday night as Italian champions Juventus face La Liga winners Barcelona for the first time in Champions League final history.

Europe’s greatest competition has yielded a vast array of great finals in years gone by ensuring Messi, Suarez, Pirlo and co. have a lot to live up to…

7. The Drogba Final: Bayern Munich 1-1 Chelsea – 19^th May 2012.

German champions Bayern Munich were on home soil with the final taking place at the Allianz Arena. Having won the trophy four times facing a side who in Chelsea had yet to taste success, Bayern were clear favourites.

Both teams progressed to the knockout stages by finishing top of their group. Bayern then beat Basel, Marseille and Real Madrid to reach the final, while Chelsea knocked out Napoli, Benfica and defending champions Barcelona.

Bayern took the lead late in the second half through Thomas Müller, but Didier Drogba, in his final (first stint) appearance for Chelsea, equalized five minutes later to take the game to extra time.

Former Blues star Arjen Robben missed a penalty keeping the scores level at 1–1 and the match went to a penalty shoot-out.

After one of the most defensive displays ever seen in a Champions League final, underdogs Chelsea won 4–3 to clinch their first Champions League title. In doing so, they became the first London club to win the tournament, the fifth English club and 22nd overall.

6. The Zidane Final: Bayer Leverkusen 1-2 Real Madrid – 15^th May 2002.

The 2002 Champions League final went down in history as one of the greatest due to one of the finest goals in the competition’s history.

Real Madrid were regarded as clear favourites before the match at Hampden Park in Scotland, possessing one of the greatest teams to ever grace the game.

The Galacticos took the lead after just eight minutes with a brilliantly worked goal from Spanish striker Raul. Leverkusen defender Lucio equalised five minutes later but the winner was one of exceptional class.

Roberto Carlos burst away down the left-wing, lofted it high to the edge of the box where Zinedine Zidane struck the ball first time on the volley into the top corner. It was a goal worthy of winning the trophy and he did just that. For that reason, the Zidane final is one of the greatest ever.

 

 

5. The Special One: Porto 3-0 Monaco – 26^th May 2004.

The 2004 final saw the battle of the underdogs as Portugease side Porto took on French club Monaco. Both teams were viewed as outsiders for the trophy until they emerged as front runners in the latter stages.

Before 2004, Porto’s last triumph in the competition had been in 1987 – although they had won the UEFA Cup the previous season – while Monaco were playing in their first ever Champions League final.

Both teams started their UEFA Champions League campaigns in the group stage and defeated former European champions on their way to the final. Porto beat 1968 and 1999 winners Manchester United, famous for then relatively unknown Jose Mourinho’s touchline sprint at the end of the game, while Monaco defeated nine-time champions Real Madrid.

A man-of-the-match performance from Deco in Gelsenkirchen saw Porto ease to victory with goals from Carlos Alberto, Dmitri Alenichev and Deco himself enough to separate the sides.

Neither team have made the final since and Mourinho left Porto to become Chelsea manager shortly after. Undoubtedly though, this game announced him on the global stage.

4. The Best Tribute: Manchester United 4-1 Benfica – 29^th May 1968.

Ten years after the devastation of the Munich Air Disaster, Manchester United returned to the latter stages of the European Cup with a mission.

The final, staged at Wembley, gave them home advantage and United’s performance was filled with passion and determination to honour the memories of the eight players who lost their lives on an icy Munich runway in 1958.

Under surviving Coach Sir Matt Busby and Captain Bobby Charlton, the Red’s took to the Wembley turf after ten long years of rebuilding against a Benfica side spearheaded by the sensational Eusebio.

Charlton opened the scoring early in the second half with a rare headed goal before midfielder Jaime Graca equalised for the Portugease side.

Benfica nearly won it at the end of normal time but goalkeeper Alex Stepney made a terrific save to deny Eusebio one-on-one, a save applauded by the talismanic star.

As the match ticked into extra-time however, it was clear there was only going to be one winner. Three minutes in George Best took the game into his own hands picking up the ball 25 yards from goal breaking into the penalty area, dribbling round the goalkeeper and rolling the ball into the empty net.

One of the greatest cup final goals ever recorded, was followed up with a third for United from Brian Kidd just a minute later before Charlton rounded the game off before 100 minutes had been played.

United became the first English team to win the trophy and the memory of the Busby Babes lived on in a new breed of young British talent.

 

3. The Year of the Underdog: AC Milan 4-0 Barcelona: 18^th May 1994.

The 1994 Champions League final in Athens was one of the most surprising results in the tournament’s history.

Barcelona were clear favourites to win their second European Cup in three years, having just won La Liga for the fourth year in a row.

Milan’s preparation for the final was in disarray; Legendary striker Marco van Basten and £13 million sensation Gianluigi Lentini (then the world’s most expensive footballer) were out with injuries, sweeper and captain Franco Baresi was suspended, as was defender Alessandro Costacurta; and UEFA regulations at the time that limited teams to fielding a maximum of three non-nationals meant that coach Fabio Capello was forced to leave out Florin Răducioiu, Jean-Pierre Papin and Brian Laudrup.

Surprisingly however, Milan dominated early and were rewarded when Dejan Savićević ran down the right flank and passed to Daniele Massaro, who tapped the ball into an empty net.

Massaro netted his second just before half-time to make it 2–0 after a solo run by Roberto Donadoni down the left wing and Milan were flying.

Shortly after the break Savićević capitalised on a defensive error by Miguel Ángel Nadal to lob goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta for the third and eight minutes later, after Savićević had hit a post Milan defender Marcel Desailly beat the offside trap to make it 4–0.

Milan had completed a rout over the much fancied Catalans.

Desailly became the first player to win the trophy in consecutive years with different clubs having won it in 1993 with Marseille.

The result was one of the greatest performances in Champions League history.

2. The Discovery of Fergie Time: Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich – 26^th May 1999.

The second greatest final in history, taking place at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, saw Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United incredibly score two injury-time goals to win the treble.

In a game the Red Devils had trailed for 85 minutes of, the result is seen as one of the best turnarounds in football history.

United had won the Premier League and the FA Cup earlier that month and Bayern were playing for a treble themselves having won the Bundesliga and earned a place in the DFB-Pokal final (which they went on to lose).

The two sides had faced each other in the group stage drawing both games, but it was Bayern who qualified top of the group. United went on to beat Inter Milan and Juventus in the knockout stages whilst Bayern saw off Kaiserslautern and Dynamo Kiev.

Bayern took the lead after just six minutes through a brilliantly swerved free-kick from striker Mario Basler. Despite David Beckham’s tireless running, United appeared to be deeply missing suspended midfield duo Roy Keane and Paul Scholes.

In a game which saw Basler threaten the United goal on numerous occasions, goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel under heavy bombardment, United seemed to be clinging on.

German midfielder Mehmet Scholl hit the post with fifteen minutes remaining and another miss from Basler prompted Ferguson to introduce Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to the game with ten minutes left.

With the clock ticking into injury-time the match turned on its’ head.

United won a corner which prompted Schmeichel ventured up to Bayern’s penalty area. Beckham flighted the corner in just over Schmeichel’s head, Dwight Yorke put the ball back towards the crowded area, and after Thorsten Fink failed to clear, the ball arrived at the feet of Ryan Giggs on the edge of the area.

His right-footed snap-shot was weak and poorly struck, but it went straight to another substitute Teddy Sheringham who swiped at the shot with his right foot and nestled the ball in the bottom corner of the net.

The goal was timed at 90:36. It looked as if, having been behind for most of the match, United had forced extra time.

Less than 30 seconds after the subsequent kick-off, drama. United forced another corner, but Schmeichel stayed in his penalty area this time. Beckham again swung the corner in, finding the head of Sheringham, who nodded the ball down across the face of goal. Solskjær reacted fastest, shot out a foot and poked the ball into the roof of the Bayern goal for United to take the lead.

The goal was timed at 92:17. Solskjær celebrated by sliding on his knees, mimicking Basler’s earlier celebration, before quickly being mobbed by the United players, substitutes and coaching staff. Schmeichel cartwheeled with glee.

Bayern were in utter despair. In a game they thought they had won just moments before the players needed the assistance of referee Pierluigi Collina to get up and continue. Celebratory flares had already been set off in the Bayern stands and Bayern ribbons were already being tied to the trophy.

Collina described the news from the United end as like a “lions roar” at the end quoting it as his favorite game in officiating. It was just the second time Manchester United had won the famous trophy.

1. The Simply Unbelievable: Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan – 25^th May 2005

For drama and excitement the 1999 final went down in history as the greatest comeback in Champions League memory. Little did we know that just six years later, United’s long time bitter rivals would eclipse them three times over.

In fact, there are finals, and then there’s Istanbul.

Liverpool, who had won the competition four times, were appearing in their sixth final, and their first since 1985. Milan, who had won the competition six times, were appearing in their second final in three years and tenth overall.

Liverpool finished second in their group behind 2004 runners-up AS Monaco and subsequently beat Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus and Chelsea to progress to the final.

Milan won their group ahead of Barcelona and faced Manchester United, Inter Milan and PSV Eindhoven before reaching the final.

The Italian side were regarded as favorites before the match and took the lead with just a single minute on the clock through Captain Paolo Maldini.

Argentine Hernan Crespo added two more goals before the break to make it 3-0 and Liverpool seemed dead and buried with over half the game left to play.

Some Liverpool fans swarmed to the exits; an hour later, those that did must have wished they hadn’t.

In the most dramatic six-minute spell in football history, Liverpool launched an incomprehensible comeback scoring three goals to level the game at 3-3.

A brilliant uncharacteristic header from Captain and man-of-the-match Steven Gerrard got Liverpool back in the game before Vladimir Smicer smashed home a second.

Xabi Alonso missed a penalty moments later but was quickest to react and stabbed home the rebound to level the game sending the travelling Reds’ fans into raptures in the stands.

The game became tight and edgy for the remainder of normal time with Clarence Seedorf and John Arne Riise both having chances to win the game but squandering them forcing the game to extra time.

Milan had the better of the chances Shevchenko wasting a one-on-one, twice shooting and twice being denied by the tremendous Jerzy Dudek in the Liverpool goal. As penalties came there was only one winner.

Milan missed their first two penalties through Serginho and Andrea Pirlo whilst Liverpool scored theirs with Dietmar Hamann, struggling with a broken toe, and Djibril Cisse.

Jon-Dahl Tomasson and Kaka both scored theirs and Riise missed for Liverpool tying the shootout at 2-2. When Smicer scored however, it became sudden death.

Legendary Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko stepped up to face Dudek once again after losing out to the Pole all game. Shevchenko should have known then it wasn’t going to be his night.

Dudek saved the resulting penalty and Liverpool won the trophy. An emphatic night for Liverpool and English football in final now nicknamed “The Miracle of Istanbul.”

Chelsea Close In On Title With Impressive Comeback

Chelsea survived a scare at Leicester yesterday to move within three points of the Premier League title.

After falling behind to a spirited Leicester City on the stroke of half-time, Jose Mourinho’s men produced a stunning second half performance to turn the game on its’ head and underline their dominance in the division.

Marc Albrighton’s close range finish put the hosts in front in a thunderous atmosphere at the King Power Stadium, but under the floodlights Chelsea shone with goals from veteran striker Didier Drogba, John Terry and Ramires putting the result beyond reach of the Foxes.

The result means victory at Stamford Bridge over Crystal Palace on Sunday will guarantee Chelsea the title.

Meanwhile, Leicester, who were good value for their lead, remain one point above the relegation zone with four games to play.

The hosts started brightly as expectation in a capacity crowd was high following four straight wins for Leicester in April.

Decorated midfielder Esteban Cambiasso’s wonderful first time pass early on picked out Leonardo Ulloa but his first touch let him down as the ball squirmed away from danger.

Shortly after, Chelsea were tested again as Paul Konchesky’s low drive was palmed away by Petr Cech before a goalmouth scramble saw the instrumental Cambiasso and Albrighton somehow avoid putting Nigel Pearson’s men ahead.

Three minutes were added on at the end of the first half due to two injuries to Leicester’s Andy King and Robert Huth, and deep into time added on Leicester finally head their lead.

Jamie Vardy’s pacey run evaded Gary Cahill sending over a tempting ball across the box which saw Cesar Azpilicueta slip following a heavy downpour and Albrighton was on hand to tap home the opener.

The home crowd were sent into raptures and chants of ‘we are staying up’ reverberated around the King Power at the break.

However, just two minutes after the restart the game turned on it’s head.

With Mourinho’s stern words still echoing around their heads, Chelsea came out with intent. On 47 minutes, Branislav Ivanovic evaded the vulnerable looking Konchesky on the Chelsea right and laid back for a waiting Didier Drogba who swept home instinctively to give the league leaders the equaliser.

Chelsea grew in confidence and their revitalised midfield, spearheaded by Willian created more chances for Drogba.

The 37-year old Ivorian failed to find himself a second but it was captain John Terry with 11-minutes left who broke Leicester hearts.

Cesc Fabregas’ corner picked out Gary Cahill whose header was tipped away by Kasper Schmeichel only for Terry to react fastest and poke the ball past a despairing Cambiasso on the line.

As Leicester wore visibly tired following the intensity of which they had played for the majority of the match, Chelsea took full advantage and the result looked inevitable.

Four minutes later Fabregas danced down the right flank, skipping past Konchesky once more to set-up Ramires on the edge of the box.

The Brazilian fired a first time rocket past the stranded Schmeichel who was helpless to prevent what was a tantalising Chelsea goal.

With the stroke of the full-time whistle, Chelsea fans were in jubilation in the corner of the ground, teasing Arsenal with chants of ‘boring boring Chelsea’ with the league title now within sight.

Leicester fans inspirational throughout, many of whom stayed behind after the final whistle to sound their appreciation to their team and claim defiance in the face of the relegation scrap ahead.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho praised his side’s fight following a successful month for his side.

“It’s fantastic because I know April is the month where everybody was waiting for Chelsea to slip, was waiting for Chelsea to lose points, lose one game, lose and draw, take this title race to the last couple of matches,” he said.

“But it was exactly in this month – a month with problems, a month without Diego Costa, without Loïc Rémy, with Drogba and Oscar playing striker, no other solutions, just this small group of players we have – where we were phenomenal.

“We were tactically phenomenal, team spirit, the team ethic, the way we defended, the way we were clinical with our goals, the stability we showed in every game. Everyone expected us to drop points against Arsenal and Manchester United but April was the month that we destroyed opponents. We won every game except the draw against Arsenal, so I’m very pleased. Now we just need three more points.”

Nigel Pearson bemoaned the first-half injuries his side suffered which forced him to make two substitutions very early on.

“It was difficult tonight as we had to make substitutions which in normal circumstances we wouldn’t have done,” he said.

“It was a tough game. We took the lead and showed a decent account of ourselves. Chelsea showed more intent in the second half and showed quality which was needed. But I do half-rue to the fact that we had to make decisions in terms of changing players that normally we wouldn’t have to. But that’s life.

“It would be unfair on Chelsea [to blame the early substitutions for the result].

“We had a game plan, we chose the bench which reflected how we wanted to do things but you can never second guess how things go throughout the entirety of the game.”

Chelsea face Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday whilst Leicester go into the relegation run-in starting at home to Newcastle on Saturday lunchtime.

 

Cambiasso Up For Monthly Accolade

Veteran Leicester City midfielder Esteban Cambiasso has been nominated for the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month Award for April.

The 34 year-old Argentine has been influential for the Foxes guiding them to four straight wins out of five matches this month.

Nominated alongside Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke, Crystal Palace’s Yannick Bolasie, Manchester United’s Ander Herrera, Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil and recently voted Premier League Player of the Season, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, Cambiasso will face stiff competition to scoop the award.

Cambiasso’s performances have not gone unnoticed and the most decorated player in Argentina’s history capped a fine month last night with an impressive leading performance during Leicester’s 3-1 defeat at home to league leaders Chelsea.

Adding four goals to his tireless work ethic this term for Nigel Pearson’s men, Cambiasso’s quality shows no sign of letting up despite his advancing years.

Designed to give fans a strong voice in the game, the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month award is endorsed by the players and their clubs.

Each month, one lucky fan will get the chance to meet the winning player and present the award pitch side before the following game.

Fans can vote for their favourite player at 90min.com with voting closing at midnight tonight (April 30), with the winner to be announced tomorrow.

 

Is Patrick Bamford Chelsea’s Next Superstar?

After scooping the Championship player of the year award on Sunday night, Patrick Bamford is the man on everybody’s lips.

Bamford, 21, beat Ipswich Town’s Daryl Murphy and Watford’s Troy Deeney to the prize after racking up an impressive 19 goals for loan side Middlesbrough this season.

Following previous loan spells at MK Dons and Derby County, the English youngster has produced his best form yet for Aitor Karanka’s promotion chasing side and is being tipped for a role in parent club Chelsea’s first team next term.

Jose Mourinho’s men have been short on attacking options recently and the West Londoners’ frailties have shown in light of their strikers’ poor return of goals.

Despite winning on both occasions with talisman striker Diego Costa out injured, Chelsea have only racked up two goals in their last two games; 1-0 away at QPR, and 1-0 at home to Louis Van Gaal’s Manchester United.

Chelsea’s veteran striker Didier Drogba has struggled in recent weeks and has faced tough criticism from pundits and fans alike, providing Bamford with the perfect opportunity to show Mourinho what he can offer.

Speaking in a recent interview with the Daily Mail, Bamford said; ‘There’s no reason why I wouldn’t want to be at Chelsea. That’s my dream, to pull on that blue shirt, so hopefully it’ll come true.

‘In the Premier League, strikers are about 23 or 24 if they’re playing week-in, week-out and at a club like Chelsea, you’ve got the money to go out and buy a world class striker like Diego Costa.

‘And there’s also that pressure they need to win trophies, win the league. It’s just one of those things, you have to stick with it, be patient and hopefully the rewards will come.’

Born in Lincolnshire and a regular for England’s Under 21 side, Bamford could benefit the Premier League table toppers with more than just goals.

With the minimum number of ‘home-grown’ players in each Premier League squad currently at eight and following FA Chief Greg Dyke’s recent proposal to increase this amount, having Bamford in the squad would aid Mourinho in achieving this goal.

Bamford then, is the perfect fit for a Chelsea side in need of bolstering their attacking options to sustain their Premier League dominance next season.