How Chelsea became the Premier League's coming force 🔹🔷🟦 Smart recruitment, Maresca's chess matches, Estêvão's dancing feet, and 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 This week's sport feature in @thelondonstandard.bsky.social. #CFC

How Arsenal gave Harry Kane his toughest ever trip to the Emirates. A bruising night as #AFC shackled him www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Estevao Willian, a “special player but a normal guy.” www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Talking points from (easily) one of the best wins of Maresca's Chelsea reign… 🇧🇷 Estevao's greatest moment yet 🔄 Selection decisions vindicated ✅ 🔥 #CFC's RUTHLESS intensity www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Maresca: “When you start to compare him with Messi or Ronaldo, it’s too much for a young boy like Estevao. He needs to relax, come to the training ground, enjoy. The goal reminded me of the goal he scored against us in the Club World Cup!” #Cfc

Estevao vs Lamine Yamal, and why a battle of the wonderkids could define Chelsea vs Barcelona tonight... www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Crystal Palace will need to significantly up their offer of a new wage packet for Jean-Philippe Mateta if they are to have any hope of convincing the Frenchman to sign a new contract. Understand the sticking point is his base salary. #CPFC www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Cole Palmer is feeling good. Enzo Maresca doesn't expect him back for #AFC but doesn't rule it out. Palmer quotes in full from #CFC manager: www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Three things we learnt from Chelsea's win at Turf Moor 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Gittens finding his feet ❌ Delap's struggles continue 🇵🇹 Why Standard Sport was right about Neto www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Chelsea want Cole Palmer back asap, but his period out has allowed others to come to the fore. They’ve coped well without him. Burnley v #CFC preview www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

News of Cole Palmer’s freak toe fracture was communicated to Enzo Maresca in the form of an 11pm text from the club doctor. Plan was he'd return to training Thursday… but #CFC man stubbed his toe Wednesday... Just unlucky www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

The Premier League has announced that the 2026/27 season will have the competition's latest-ever start date (22 Aug) as it seeks to protect “player welfare” at a time when the global football calendar has become “increasingly congested”. www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Cole Palmer fractured his toe in a freak accident at home two days ago and will miss the Burnley, Barca and Arsenal games for Chelsea. Setback for the #CFC star's return

Why Burnley away on Saturday is an audition for the biggest week of Chelsea's season so far… #cfc www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

How Pedro Neto quietly became one of the key players of the Enzo Maresca era at Chelsea. #CFC www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Understand Armando Broja has avoided serious injury after being stretchered off for #Albania vs England. Ex-Chelsea striker set for scans on ankle after reporting to #Burnley training ground this morning. Not expected to be as bad as first feared. www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

End-of-year piece on Thomas Tuchel's England. Ways he's made them better, plus next steps he and they still must take… www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Nigeria and Cameroon fail to qualify for a 48-team World Cup. Hungary, Greece and Serbia not good enough to even reach the play-offs. Pretty humiliating

Tuchel's first and perhaps only full year with England ends as it started: against Albania. Preview here www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Eberechi Eze has explained why he is convinced it will be a great season for Arsenal as he works towards becoming a “complete player”. #afc www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Understand Axel Disasi's return to match action for Chelsea not ruled out. #CFC defender is being reintegrated into first-team training as reward for attitude. Appearances in cup competitions could be further reward. Still transfer-listed for January www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Phil Foden passed his first test as a false nine, but to know if he truly is the best understudy for Harry Kane, Tuchel should try it again in Albania on Sunday. A piece on Foden and the hunt for Kane's World Cup deputy www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

My talking points from Wembley as England's subs kept the pace up www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

On the real Jude Bellingham, and Thomas Tuchel's quest to get the best out of him This week's sport long-read in @thelondonstandard.bsky.social…

Shim Mheuka pushing for more first-team minutes for Chelsea. #cfc www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Thomas Tuchel has called on his England players to take up meditation and keep wearing their new ‘mind-altering’ slippers www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Reece James interview On how leading Chelsea when he was out injured was the “hardest thing” but is now “growing as a captain” for #CFC www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Maresca says he can see why Estevao was valued at more than £100m this week. #cfc www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Three things we learned from Chelsea's handsome win over Wolves… 🐺Grinding down the league's bottom team 🇧🇷Estevao's instant impact for #CFC ⚽️Gusto's first career goal (and Maresca's reaction) www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Estevao Willian is pushing for a start against Wolves on Saturday. I've explained why he's #CFC's best attacker right now: www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

After the briefest of false dawns against Wolves, Liam Delap is back. Needs a good performance in Baku, and needs to start reminding Chelsea why they signed him. Piece on the #cfc striker www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Reggie Walsh reveals which #CFC first-team star he looks up to most. Cole Palmer, naturally… www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Andrey Santos discusses his best position, his "perfect relationship" with Estevao, and reflects on his nightmare loan at Nottingham Forest, when he was "too young" and not "ready" for the Premier League. #CFC www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

A key factor, I think, in why the Premier League is the best league in the world… Behind only the Andorra and San Marino top divisions (unsurprisingly dominated by Spanish and Italian players, respectively), the Premier League ranks third for the highest percentage of foreign players… (1/3)

Marcel Desailly exclusive interview Chelsea legend on: 🏆 When they'll next win Premier League ➕ Needing an extra star signing 💰 #CFC recruitment strategy 🇪🇨 Caicedo value for money? 🇮🇹 ‘Magnificent’ Maresca www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Jorrel Hato opens up about his first few months in English football, and declares Estevao a ‘special one’ New quotes from the #CFC teenager, on: 🇧🇷 Special Estevao 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 “struggles” in England initially 🌟 Chelsea's experienced leaders www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

A piece on Chelsea's youngsters, and a night that offered a nod of approval to their recruitment strategy — and showed just how good the kids really are. Average age of #CFCF XI by the end: 20.6❗️ www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Three takeaways from Chelsea's hammering of Ajax… ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ #CFC hit ruthless streak 🌟 Young stars take their chance 🇪🇸 Marc Guiu makes his case www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

At Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea have named Ryan Kavuma-McQueen on the bench — a player so young he is just 39% as old as the Ajax goalkeeper.

Understand Thomas Tuchel is to decide this week whether to stick or twist with his England squad for November. Tuchel meeting coaching team and FA staff at St George's Park today www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Piece on Chelsea teenager Josh Acheampong, his performance this weekend, and his impressive development. #cfc www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

At 23 years and 345 days old on average, Chelsea's line-up today is the youngest any Premier League team has named this season. Feels a bit of a Mondo Duplantis situation. They keep breaking their own record. #CFC

Enzo Maresca admits his £8,000 fine for celebrating Chelsea's stoppage-time winner v Liverpool was well worth it. #cfc www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

It’s understood the 6-week time frame for Cole Palmer refers to a return to match action, not training. #CFC

I’ll be on talkSPORT at just after 7:35pm talking England, Tuchel and the World Cup

Thomas Tuchel's England is the subject of this week's print feature in @thelondonstandard.bsky.social. Take a look below

Big read on Thomas Tuchel's England, and how this 18-month, £5m-a-year project is faring one year after his hire. What's good, what's bad, and how he's approaching the Impossible Job: www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Harry Kane is in Ballon d'Or form, whether you like it or not. Thomas Tuchel loves it, and so should England fans hopeful of World Cup glory. Piece www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

Declan Rice or Moises Caicedo? Who is the Premier League's best midfielder? The Standard Sport writers gave our views on the debate here... #AFC #CFC www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...

3 takeaways from 🇱🇻Latvia 0–5 England🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🌍 England reach the World Cup – and how! 🥅 Anthony Gordon takes his chance ✈️ Djed Spence closing in on seat on the plane www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba...