Chelsea

Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour said it was a "dream come true" to make his full Premier League debut for the Blues on Sunday against Everton at Stamford Bridge.

The 18-year-old spoke to Sky Sports News (h/t Matt Davies at the Evening Standard) about the game after Chelsea won 4-0 to close the gap on Leicester City in third place to two points.

"It was amazing, a dream come true to make my full debut in the Premier League, but most of all to get the three points and carry on winning. Hopefully we can continue that going forward.

"It was a tough game. I thought against Liverpool I played well, but you can only go into the next game and do exactly the same—work your hardest, play well and do the best for the team."

Manager Frank Lampard handed Gilmour his first league start for the club after he impressed in Tuesday's 2-0 FA Cup fifth-round win over Liverpool.

Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane was impressed with his performance against the Reds:

Roy Keane was blown away by Billy Gilmour's performance against Liverpool 🤯

🗣 "There are certain traits you want from a midfielder. Quality on the ball, football intelligence, composure, he had everything.

"It was one of the best performances I've seen in a long, long time." pic.twitter.com/z4raCNOjyo

— GOAL (@goal) March 8, 2020

Lampard said before kick-off that the teenager "deserves to play" and that he had decided to start him because "he's trained well all season" in an interview with Sky Sports (h/t Metro).

Gilmour went on to produce a superb performance in the heart of midfield that saw him named the man of the match and attract plenty of praise:

Gilmour is a key reason why this Chelsea midfield is moving the ball so well here #CHEEVE

— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) March 8, 2020

It can't be Gilmour's first PL start... he must have played 100 games in disguise already?

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) March 8, 2020

Opta highlighted how impressive the youngster was in possession:

74 - Billy Gilmour completed more passes than any other player in Chelsea's 4-0 win over Everton. Assured. #CHEEVE pic.twitter.com/mO66PrFV1G

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 8, 2020

Lampard offered his thoughts on the teenager's performance in his post-match press conference.

"One of the most pleasing thing with Billy today was he showed those balls in the first half but when he stepped up and played higher up in the pitch second half he instantly took it on board, arriving in the box and playing balls higher up the pitch. He showed he can do both, which is a great thing for me when I'm thinking about how the midfield looks at times."

Chelsea were without injured midfielders N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic on Sunday, while Jorginho was absent through suspension which forced Lampard's hand slightly regarding his team selection.

Yet Gilmour has fully repaid his manager's faith with two impressive performances in a row and will be hoping for more first-team game time between now and the end of the campaign.

Chelsea crushed Everton 4-0 in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to close to within two points of Leicester City in third place.

Mason Mount opened the scoring on 14 minutes with a neat turn and low finish to beat Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford at his near post.

Chelsea's second arrived seven minutes later when Ross Barkley sent Pedro though on goal, and the Spaniard made no mistake with a crisp strike past Pickford.

Willian grabbed the third at the start of the second half with a low shot from distance before crossing for Olivier Giroud to stab home from close range.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard handed 18-year-old midfielder Billy Gilmour his first Premier League start for the club against Everton after an impressive performance in Tuesday's FA Cup win over Liverpool.

Goal shared the two teams:

Kepa and Gilmour start for Chelsea 💙

Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison together up top 🔥

Team news 👇 #CHEEVE pic.twitter.com/qH2746JX4e

— GOAL (@goal) March 8, 2020

It was to prove a good decision by the Blues boss as his midfield of Gilmour, Barkley and Mount enabled the hosts to move the ball quickly and dictate the game.

The opening goal saw Gilmour roll the ball to Mount, who found Pedro out wide on the left. The Spaniard then picked out Mount in the penalty area to produce an instinctive swivel and finish to beat Pickford:

20 - There were 20 passes in the build up to Chelsea's first goal against Everton, scored by Mason Mount - the second longest passing sequence leading to a Chelsea goal in the Premier League this season. Silky. #CHEEVE pic.twitter.com/TFWEupxKaJ

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 8, 2020

Chelsea didn't have to wait too much longer to double their advantage. Gilmour, Giroud and Barkley all combined to send Pedro clean through to score his first Premier League goal since February 2019.

Everton offered little in the way of an attacking threat. Their best chance of the first half fell to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but the 22-year-old mis-hit his shot wide after being played in by Richarlison.

Lampard's side secured all three points with two goals in three minutes at the start of the second half to end any hope of an Everton comeback.

Former Toffees midfielder Barkley was involved again with another pass to Willian. The Brazilian was then given far too much time and space to rifle a low shot across goal and past Pickford from outside the area.

Willian then turned provider by curling in an inviting ball from the left for Giroud to poke home his second Premier League goal of the season:

10 - Willian has been directly involved in 10 goals in the Premier League this season (five goals and five assists); one more than he managed in the whole of last season in the competition. Influence. pic.twitter.com/66vrUkplMv

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 8, 2020

Chelsea continued to create chances but could not add to their tally. Pickford palmed a fierce Pedro shot around the post, while substitute Tino Anjorin was denied by Djibril Sidibe's well-timed sliding challenge.

Meanwhile, the Blues' afternoon was marred slightly by the loss of Mount to injury:

Mason Mount comes off to a rapturous ovation. However, he appears to be holding his left hamstring and after consulting with several Chelsea staff members, he heads down the tunnel. Doesn't appear from here to be a major issue but clearly there's some concern.

— James Olley (@JamesOlley) March 8, 2020

Chelsea's comfortable lead allowed Lampard to hand some more of his youngsters game time in the second half. Academy products Anjorin and Armando Broja both came on to make their Premier League debuts on an impressive afternoon for the Blues.

  

What's Next?

Chelsea's next fixture is away at Aston Villa on Saturday. Next up for Everton is a visit from city rivals Liverpool on Monday, March 18.

Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud has said he did "everything" he could to leave the club in the January transfer window.

The France international striker was strongly linked with a move away from the Blues earlier in the year, but he ended up staying at the club and is currently the team's starting centre-forward, with Tammy Abraham injured.

Speaking to Telefoot (h/t Goal), the 33-year-old opened up on his efforts to get a move in January and the clubs who were interested in signing him:

"Even I saw myself elsewhere to be honest. I went through six complicated months. That's why I tried to leave in January. I did everything [to leave]. In the end, with the circumstances, Chelsea did not want to let me go. The crucial condition for my departure was to have a replacement.

"The most interesting club for me was Inter Milan. The problem is that it dragged on. In the end, and even if Lazio were there towards the end and Tottenham too, it was no longer a question of where I was going to leave but could I leave. There was nothing to do. I was stuck."

Giroud added that he also attracted interest from Lyon, but making the switch to Inter was a "priority."

In the same interview, the former Arsenal man said Major League Soccer was a possibility too, although that move would have hindered his chances of playing for France at the UEFA European Championship in the summer, per football writer Jeremy Smith:

Giroud: Deschamps warned me. We briefly spoke about MLS but that wasn't an option if I wanted to play in the Euro. https://t.co/3wvSLA1if0

— Jeremy Smith (@jeremysmith98) March 8, 2020

Although the striker was keen to depart in January, he has since said that he would like to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge. Giroud's current Chelsea deal expires at the end of the campaign, meaning he is currently free to talk to clubs with a view to signing a pre-contract.

After being named in the starting lineup for Sunday's Premier League showdown with Everton, Giroud has now started the last five games for Chelsea in all competitions.

Per Sky Sports Statto, it's been a long time since Giroud was given such an extended run of starts:

📊 Billy Gilmour (18 years, 271 days) makes his 1st PL start, the 4th youngest player to start in PL this season, after Saka, Greenwood & Martinelli

Olivier Giroud starts his 3rd successive PL game, best run of league starts since Sept-Oct 2018 pic.twitter.com/GeT8J6DR2F

— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) March 8, 2020

As he has done throughout his career, the veteran is proving himself a useful option at the top end of the field. Football writer Paul Brown was full of praise for the striker's display in the 2-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup on Tuesday:

And another thing. This result wasn't possible without #Giroud. Absolutely tireless, brilliant hold-up play, always providing an out ball. Gave Joe Gomez kittens. Deserves huge credit for coming into side after so long frozen out #CFC #CHELIV

— Paul Brown (@pbsportswriter) March 3, 2020

Giroud will be cherishing this time in the team, as he has so frequently been on the fringes at Chelsea. For the Blues, having him around for another season would be useful, as the forward offers a different option and a strong alternative in cup competitions.

However, as Giroud edges towards the twilight of his career, he will want to get as many minutes as possible. At Chelsea, that looks unlikely beyond the current campaign.

Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham has reportedly rejected a contract offer, and according to Neil Moxley of the Daily Mirror, he wants parity with some of the club's biggest earners:

"Abraham has seen a string of players pledge their allegiance to the Blues, with Reece James, Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Billy Gilmour all signing up for the long term. However, Abraham has seen the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi cash in big style in the past 12 months and is determined to hold out for a deal around that level."

Hudson-Odoi is earning around £180,000 per week.

While Chelsea supporters were delighted to tie down one of their brightest prospects, football analyst Nouman commented on the precedent that's been set: 

When a club gives a super deal to an unproven youngster, it creates a ripple effect! Chelsea gave CHO the deal & if they do the same with Tammy, Chelsea won't be able to stop this ripple effect. Any youngster who plays a few good games will demand the same! This needs to stop

— Nouman (@nomifooty) March 8, 2020

Abraham has enjoyed a breakthrough season in the Premier League, having been entrusted to lead the line by manager Frank Lampard. While he's lost some form of late and is currently sidelined because of injury, the 22-year-old has already netted 15 goals.

He recently spoke about his encouraging season and said he thinks he can get even better: 

"This is just the beginning"

Tammy Abraham was the big winner at the London Football Awards on Thursday.https://t.co/KfYD3tBDKF pic.twitter.com/mE7dGe9J38

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 6, 2020

The England international still has a couple of years left to run on his Chelsea deal come the end of the campaign. While there won't be alarm bells ringing at Stamford Bridge quite yet, if there's no extension agreed come the end of the campaign, then Chelsea supporters will be a little anxious.

At the top end of the pitch, Chelsea have Olivier Giroud as an alternative, although he came close to leaving in January. Meanwhile, Michy Batshuayi has fallen out of favour in recent weeks.

Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger says he won't keep quiet after the closure of the investigation into Rudiger's allegation that he was racially abused by a Tottenham Hotspur fan.

Per Goal's Stephen Darwin, both Spurs and the Metropolitan Police looked into the matter after Blues captain Cesar Azpilicueta notified the referee of the allegation during a match on December 22.

The investigation found no evidence of the alleged abuse, which Rudiger told Der Spiegel (h/t Darwin) made him feel like an animal:

"I ask myself: 'How is it possible that nobody of the 60,000 people in this stadium realised anything about it?' So, I stand there [accused] as a liar. I have the feeling that I'm expected to shut my mouth. But I have a message: I won't do that.

"I felt as if I wasn't a human being, but an animal. A monkey. I think if you haven't lived such situations you can't imagine how I felt. Against Tottenham I felt incredibly lonely."

Spurs emphasised their support for the 27-year-old in their statement announcing the results of the investigation, and captain Harry Kane apologised to Rudiger after the match: "I said [to Kane]: 'It's absolutely not your fault, you don't have to apologise.' But he wanted to do it as a sign that his club doesn't think like that. That was good for me [to hear]."

The Blues beat Spurs 2-0 in the December 22 meeting, with Willian bagging two goals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WFiVBAPJ9g

Per Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail, Rudiger complained of more abuse after the rematch at Stamford Bridge in February. He also said "racism won" after the investigation was closed.

Incidents of racist abuse across Europe have dominated football headlines this season. In February, Porto's Moussa Marega walked off the pitch during a match with former club Vitoria de Guimaraes after fans threw seats at him while he celebrated by pointing at the colour of his arm.

Other examples include Shakhtar's Taison against Dynamo Kyiv, Brescia's Mario Balotelli against Verona and Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku against Cagliari.

Chelsea welcome former manager Carlo Ancelotti's Everton side to Stamford Bridge on Sunday as they return to Premier League action.

The Blues earned an impressive 2-0 FA Cup victory over Liverpool on Tuesday and will be looking to make it two home league wins on the spin for the first time since November when they face off against the Reds' neighbours.

Frank Lampard has cut a frustrated figure on the sideline in recent weeks, with Chelsea struggling to maintain winning form heading into the final weeks of the season. In contrast, the Toffees have improved their resilience since Ancelotti's arrival in December, and Everton are only five points off a European place.

               

Time: 2 p.m. GMT, 10 a.m. ET

Date: Sunday, March 8

TV: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League (UK), NBCSN (USA)

Stream:  Sky Go, NBC Sports App

Odds: Chelsea: 5-6, Everton: 67-20, draw: 53-20 (via Caesars Palace)

                   

Preview

Despite losing nine league games this season, Chelsea are holding on to fourth with just 10 games of the season remaining.

Lampard's team were exciting and dynamic in the opening weeks, but they have fallen from grace since October.

The Blues have earned consecutive victories across all competitions just once since October 26, when they beat Burnley at the conclusion of a seven-match winning streak. Defeats have since peppered Chelsea's campaign.

Lampard will be delighted by his team's endeavour in the cup victory over Liverpool, but he could be without nine players for Everton's visit.

Nick Purewal of The Independent reported the Blues' injury list now contains Callum Hudson-Odoi after the winger suffered another hamstring injury. However, Lampard revealed on Friday that Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic are closing in on returns, as Hayters TV shared:

Ancelotti is set to be in the dugout despite being shown a red card at the end of Everton's 1-1 draw against Manchester United.

According to the Press Association (via MailOnline), the Italian accepted an £8,000 fine for confronting referee Chris Kavanagh on the Goodison Park pitch and refusing to exit when the official asked him to leave the field.

The 60-year-old's experience has quickly been harnessed by the Toffees since his first game in charge against Burnley on December 26. Everton have lost only lost three times in the 11 games since his appointment, and Ancelotti has the Goodison outfit playing confidently.

Ancelotti tweeted his players are ready for their trip to his former club:

Concentrated on our visit to Stamford Bridge this weekend. #COYB pic.twitter.com/kvwsWd06ky

— Carlo Ancelotti (@MrAncelotti) March 6, 2020

Chelsea's Ross Barkley could be in line for a rare Premier League start after scoring against Liverpool. The England international has spent plenty of time on the bench this season, but Lampard could look towards the dynamic midfielder to help ease the Blues' injury crisis.

Lampard's team have lacked inspiration in recent weeks, so he could be counting on Barkley to be motivated to show his best against his boyhood club.

Frank Lampard has offered fitness updates on a number of Chelsea players ahead of their Premier League trip to Everton on Sunday.

Goal's Nizaar Kinsella relayed his comments from Friday's press conference:

Lampard on injuries: "Kovacic isn't fit. His Achilles injury takes him out for the weekend. Willian is a question mark, we will assess him ahead of Sunday." #CFC

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) March 6, 2020

Tammy Abraham has missed the Blues' last two matches with an ankle problem, while Callum Hudson-Odoi has not played since February 1 because of a hamstring injury.

Per The Athletic's Liam Twomey, the manager confirmed the latter will be sent for a scan to assess the recurrence of his injury.

Mateo Kovacic went off shortly before half-time in the Blues' 2-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup on Tuesday.

Willian, who opened the scoring against the Reds in somewhat fortuitous circumstances, was withdrawn six minutes into the second half.

Lampard also provided updates on Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic: "Ruben, actually we just had an in-house game which Ruben and Pulisic took part in. Great to see Pulisic playing but he is short on match fitness. It is a big step forward. Ruben is trying to find match fitness."

Loftus-Cheek has not appeared since he ruptured his Achilles tendon in May last year, although he has been on the bench for Chelsea's last two league games.

As for Pulisic, he last played on New Year's Day, having been absent since with an abductor muscle tear.

Kinsella painted the picture Chelsea could be faced with at Stamford Bridge on Sunday:

Chelsea could be without nine players this weekend.

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) March 6, 2020

Jorginho is suspended for the match as part of a two-game Premier League ban for picking up his 10th booking of the season in their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

Meanwhile, N'Golo Kante hasn't featured since he went off after 12 minutes in Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on February 17, and Andreas Christensen could be a doubt after he missed the Liverpool win with a "small issue."  

Tammy Abraham is hopeful he will be back fit in time to be available for England's friendlies against Italy and Denmark later this month.

The Chelsea striker is sidelined with a recurrence of an ankle injury that he originally suffered in January's 2-2 draw against Arsenal.

He has missed four of Chelsea's seven games since and has only started one of the other three.

The Englishman has now made it clear he will only return again when he is back to being fully fit.

When asked whether he would be in line to join up with the England squad, Abraham replied confidently, per James Olley of the Evening Standard:

"Yes, definitely. I'm almost fit. There's still a bit to do. I'll get there soon. It's a recurrence. [The problem was] playing on it and aggravating it even more. It is still like a swollen ball really but it is getting better day by day.

"The club wanted me to go to Barcelona [for a consultation]. They just wanted different eyes, a different mindset on this situation. He told me what was wrong, exactly what the Chelsea physios said and he recommended some stuff for me to do. I'm doing physio right now. This time, I just said, 'I'll just come back when I'm 100 per cent' instead of coming back and going again."

Abraham is a big loss for Chelsea as he has largely enjoyed a superb 2019-20 campaign.

He has established himself as the Blues' No. 1 striker option, netting 13 goals and providing three assists in 25 appearances in the English top flight:

6 - Most goals by players currently aged under 25 within the top 5 European leagues in 2019-20 (all comps):

Timo Werner: 23
Kylian Mbappé: 18
Marcus Rashford: 15
Lautaro Martínez: 13
Tammy Abraham: 13
Victor Osimhen: 13

Exciting. #MUNNEW pic.twitter.com/6tmtLt95hp

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2019

The 22-year-old's fine form saw him called up to the England squad for their final UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers back in October and November.

He scored his first goal for the Three Lions in a 7-0 win over Montenegro at Wembley Stadium.

Abraham could well be crucial for Gareth Southgate at Euro 2020 this summer because Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford are both sidelined with long-term injuries.

Both are expecting to return in time for the Europe-wide tournament, but they may not be match fit for England's group games, which start with June 14's clash against Croatia.

Per Olley, Abraham described the possibility of appearing for England at a major tournament as a "dream come true," and if he can return in time for the March friendlies, he can stake his claim to be included in the squad.   

Olivier Giroud has said he wants a new contract at Stamford Bridge after establishing himself in the Blues first team recently while Tammy Abraham has struggled with fitness. 

The French striker was close to leaving Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window after starting only two Premier League games in the first half of 2019-20:

Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud is close to agreeing to personal terms with Inter, according to @lequipe ⚫🔵 pic.twitter.com/WHdqV1MdgO

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 13, 2019

He ended up staying put, though, and has appeared in Chelsea's last three Premier League games, starting two, after 10 consecutive games left out the squad.

The 33-year-old also started Chelsea's 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League last week and Tuesday's 2-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup:

FT:#CFC 2-0 #LFC

"Chelsea deserved that. Liverpool could have been there another half hour and they wouldn't have scored!" - @donhutch4

Chelsea are through to their 11th #FACup quarter final in the last 15 seasons!

Live reaction ⬇️
📲⚽️ https://t.co/bmHWW75PAJ#bbcfootball pic.twitter.com/Fn5wgaWCVi

— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) March 3, 2020

Giroud's current contract at Chelsea expires in June, and when asked if he would like a new deal, he replied, per Jack Rosser of the Evening Standard:

"Yes. Yes. Yeah, of course. There are a few months to go, games to win and maybe another trophy, and after, you know, I think I have two (or) three nice seasons in front of me. It's not the time to talk about contracts and everything, but I will take a decision when it comes."

Giroud has spent much of his time warming the bench since he moved to west London from Arsenal in January 2018.

He has started only 17 of the 79 Premier League games he has been available for since joining the Blues.

As such, it was no surprise when manager Frank Lampard said at the start of the year that the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner could potentially leave.

There are numerous other clubs that Giroud would get a great deal more game time at.

When Lampard opted for Michy Batshuayi ahead of Giroud in Abraham's absence for February's home clash against Manchester United, it appeared the Blues manager still had no faith in the former Arsenal forward.

But after starting the last four games for Chelsea in all competitions, Giroud now appears eager to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge. 

Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour has recalled an incident between himself and Manchester United's Harry Maguire earlier in the season in which the defender grabbed his throat.

Gilmour, 5'6", started the Blues' Carabao Cup clash with the Red Devils in October and came up against 6'4" Maguire.

Per MailOnline's Adam Shergold, the 18-year-old said on Tuesday:

"He was pushing me off, gripping me by the throat. Basically he was saying I'm a wee [small] guy. 

"That's something I have to deal with. But I won't let that happen again. That was a lesson.

"He is going to try to bully young ones and that's where I need to learn how to be stronger.

"I've been working on that and I can only get stronger. But that was a learning curve when he gripped me in the box."

Gilmour was on the losing side that night as United triumphed 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in what was his second senior start for Chelsea.

He made his third start for the club on Tuesday as the Blues played Liverpool in the FA Cup, and he played an important role in helping his team record a 2-0 win.

Despite his age and small stature, the Scot looked at home alongside his senior team-mates and opponents.

BT Sport Football shared a look at some of his highlights as he put in an all-action performance at Stamford Bridge:

Positioning 🏃‍♂️
Vision 🎯
Interceptions 👊
Tackles 💪

Billy Gilmour displayed it all last night...🤩 pic.twitter.com/bNqm0Mkalf

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 4, 2020

Match of the Day pundits Alan Shearer and Ian Wright were full of praise for the midfielder, as was Chelsea boss Frank Lampard:

Everyone's raving about Billy Gilmour!

Here's why... 👉 https://t.co/rRunKtDbj8 #CFC #CHELIV #FACup pic.twitter.com/byyixPL6pg

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) March 4, 2020

Squawka Football shared the numbers behind his man-of-the-match showing:

Billy Gilmour's game by numbers vs. Liverpool:

77% pass accuracy
62 touches
37 passes completed
5 tackles
2 take-ons
2 aerial duels
2 clearances
1 chance created

Just 18-years-old. 💎 pic.twitter.com/wmop3R202o

— Squawka (@Squawka) March 3, 2020

The Blues have drawn Leicester City in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, and they'll face off at the King Power Stadium on March 21.

Gilmour's performance against the Reds gives him a good chance of featuring in the next round, while Sunday's Premier League game against Everton could offer another chance to impress.

Fellow midfielder Mateo Kovacic went off before half-time with a knock against Liverpool, while N'Golo Kante is already injured and Jorginho will miss the next two league games through suspension.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek could make his return from a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered last May, though. He has been an unused substitute in Chelsea's last two league games, and he completed 90 minutes for the first time in an under-23 match on Monday.