News Thread

The growing prevalence of agents in football across the last decade is well-documented due to the key role they play in transfer negotiations. The eye-watering finances involved at the top end of the football industry has led to agents receiving incredible fees for facilitating moves or contract extensions for their clients. 

On Monday, Chelsea welcome an embattled Everton side to Stamford Bridge in the hope of finally putting together a decent run of form that could see Mauricio Pochettino’s side begin to dream about an end to the chaos that has engulfed the club on and off the pitch this season. Despite a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United last weekend, Chelsea remain unbeaten in their last five league games and have tasted defeat just twice in their last 10. As such, the London club sit just five points off Manchester United in sixth place. 

With the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League concluded the European starters for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States have been determined. With Barcelona knocked out, Atlético Madrid have qualified via the UEFA four-year co-efficient standings. Atlético are the second team behind Real Madrid to qualify for the tournament, and, with the exception of the hosts, only two clubs per country can qualify for the Club World Cup. With the four UCL semi-finalists already qualified for next summer’s World Cup, the path has been cleared for Red Bull Salzburg to qualify via the co-efficient standings. 

Cole Palmer continued his magnificent season by scoring four goals in Chelsea’s comprehensive 6-0 rout of Everton on Monday night. It remarkably represented consecutive hat-tricks at Stamford Bridge after he also took home the match ball in the dramatic 4-3 win over Manchester United earlier in April. 

Last summer Premier League clubs spent over €1b on new transfers. Some of it was certainly money well spent, with the likes of Cole Palmer, Alexis Mac Allister and Declan Rice flourishing in their new colours this season. However for some players, for various reasons, it just hasn’t worked out. The pressure of signing for a Premier League club is higher than ever, such is the scrutiny that comes with any wrong move after a high profile transfer. Social media has only heightened that feeling in recent years.

Not only is London widely known as one of the business and tourist capitals of the world, it is a city brimming with football. A metropolis in love with the beautiful game. Currently seven of the 20 teams that make up the Premier League reside from the UK’s capital city. On a good day, within three hours of driving you could visit all seven different stadiums of the London clubs currently in the English top-flight. Just four miles separate Arsenal and Tottenham. There’s just 1.7 miles between Chelsea and Fulham. From this naturally comes great rivalry between the London clubs. Arsenal have taken on both Chelsea and Tottenham in the last week, and there's another huge London derby this Thursday, as Spurs go to Stamford Bridge.

At times it seems every Premier League club feels they are the hardest done by when it comes to injuries. There have been countless occasions where managers have berated their injury woes in press conferences, and it’s a subject often quoted by fans as to why their clubs haven't been as successful as some would hope. However, there have been lots of clubs who genuinely have been ravaged by injuries this campaign, but which Premier League teams have actually suffered the most this season?