Chelsea are flying high and are suddenly full of confidence having turned around their miserable run of form under Graham Potter.
The Blues have picked up three successive wins to ease pressure on Potter and completely alter the mood around the club. Things had appeared bleak after the 2-0 defeat by Tottenham a few weeks ago but wins over Leeds and Borussia Dortmund were followed by a 3-1 success at Leicester on Saturday.
With some key players back from injury and a more settled nature to the starting XI, Chelsea are beginning to click. Goals for Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic settled things at the King Power Stadium – and attention now turns to Everton on the weekend.
Here are the latest pieces of news from Chelsea.
Potter makes Fernandez prediction
Enzo Fernandez enjoyed a strong game at Leicester on Saturday and earned some glowing praise from his manager.
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"He's a fantastic player, a young player. I think he's going to get better and better when he's with us more,” Potter told reporters after the match.
“He's just arrived to a new country and a new league so you always have to adapt to that. You can see his quality, when he gets the ball he passes forward. He sees everything."
The £105million man was always going to be judged by his record transfer fee after a stellar World Cup, and he is now beginning to find his feet in the Premier League.
Madueke admission
PSV Eindhoven director of football Marcel Brands has admitted that the club did not want to sell Noni Madueke to Chelsea in January, but felt they had little choice.
Chelsea paid £29million to sign the 20-year-old winger from the Dutch club – and the club’s spending power forced PSV to sell.
“Of course, it was a financial issue,” Brands told the BNR programme The Friday Move, via Voetbal Primeur. “But on the other hand, you also have to be realistic. If Liverpool come for Gakpo and promises have been made, you can’t stop that.
“Madueke was not planned and not expected, but it came a lot of money on the table, and it was Chelsea. That’s when we made that choice.”
Ancelotti uses Chelsea example
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has called on his side to remember their close brush with Chelsea to ensure they are not complacent against Liverpool this week.
Real host Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday with a 5-2 lead, but Ancelotti highlighted last season’s tie against the Blues when the Spanish giants secured a 3-1 first-leg victory at Stamford Bridge – before almost crashing out.
Chelsea raced into a stunning three-goal lead in the Spanish capital to put them ahead of the tie, before a Madrid fightback saw them eventually advance after extra-time in a pulsating 5-4 aggregate victory.
"We have had the experience of last year against Chelsea," Ancelotti said. "We had a three-goal advantage, that is why we are and were favourites, but the other fact is that we have to play another 90 minutes.”
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