Chelsea welcome Leicester City to Stamford Bridge this weekend, but UK-based fans won’t be able to watch the Premier League clash.
The Blues had a rare weekend off due to being knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton in the previous round.
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Chelsea are struggling for league formCredit: Getty
Chelsea are one of several teams locked in the battle for European places next year.
They will no doubt see this match as a great chance to claim three points.
Meanwhile, Leicester also had the weekend off after losing to Manchester United in the previous round of the cup.
The Foxes are being cut adrift in the relegation zone and have lost their last four Premier League games without scoring a goal.
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Ruud van Nistelrooy‘s men are in desperate need of three points to spark a dramatic late escape, but it’s looking unlikely.
Why is Chelsea vs Leicester not on TV?
When the TV broadcast selections for this weekend were made, this match wasn’t picked.
Therefore, it was initially scheduled for 3pm on Saturday.
Instead, it is set to kick off at 2pm on Sunday.
It had to be moved due to Chelsea’s European commitments with the Blues in Europa Conference League action against Copenhagen on Thursday.
Enzo Maresca‘s side are making the journey to Denmark for the first leg of their last-16 tie, which is set to kick-off at 5:45pm UK time.
Still, there needs to be a certain amount of time between games for players to recover, meaning the match has been changed.
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Leicester are sliding towards the ChampionshipCredit: Getty
Sky Sports have instead picked Tottenham’s home game against Bournemouth and Arsenal’s visit to Old Trafford as their matches.
talkSPORT will be on hand with all the goals during our Sunday Session coverage.
Follow Adrian Durham for all the goals as they go in from the Premier League, EFL and Women’s FA Cup Quarter Finals, including Chelsea v Leicester, Tottenham v Bournemouth and Manchester United v Arsenal.
Wayne Bridge says a heated training ground bust-up between Andriy Shevchenko and Tal Ben Haim still lives long in the memory.
And it proved to be a painful ending for ex-Chelsea defender Ben Haim despite his penchant for ‘smashing’ into teammates.
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Bridge was a Chelsea player from 2003-09Credit: Getty
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Shevchenko was a goal machine at Milan but he failed to replicate his goal-scoring form at Chelsea, bagging nine in total in the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
The ex-England defender, who spent six years at Stamford Bridge from 2003 to 2009, witnessed plenty of intense moments during his time with the Blues.
When the team was in its pomp, tensions sometimes ran high, especially between Shevchenko and Ben Haim.
Speaking on ‘The Dressing Room’ podcast with Joe Cole and Carlton Cole, Bridge said: “The best one I’ve seen was Shevchenko and Tal Ben Haim.
“Tal loved to smash people. I think there were a couple of incidents between them, I think Sheva gave him a warning.
“You know what Tal is like. Then there was another smash from Tal.
“They both basically ended up in each other’s faces. And the combo Sheva threw.
“Unbelievable. It was something like a jab, cross, hook, cross. Bang, bang, bang, bang! Game over. It was done mate.
“You just move on then, it was sorted. Tal just had to swallow a bit of pride and move on. And just don’t go near Sheva again!”
Shevchenko arrived at Chelsea in 2006 as a marquee signing, having previously won the Ballon d’Or at AC Milan.
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Ben Haim played just 23 times for ChelseaCredit: Getty
However, his time in London was underwhelming, with just 22 goals in 77 appearances before he returned to Milan in 2008.
Ben Haim also had an even shorter-lived stint at the club, making only 23 appearances during the 2007/08 season before moving on to Manchester City.
But while neither player left much of a footballing legacy at Chelsea, Shevchenko certainly left an unforgettable mark on at least one teammate – literally.
Bridge spent time at Manchester City after his six years with Chelsea but spent a lot of it with loan spells at West Ham, Sunderland and Brighton before finishing his club career with Reading.
And Bridge is no stranger to fights – be it on the training pitch or in the ring.
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KSI was originally scheduled to fight BridgeCredit: GETTY
Bridge was due to fight KSI in the ring in a Misfits Boxing bout on March 29, but the former footballer withdrew after the YouTuber made a cruel jibe about Terry.
He wrote in a lengthy statement: “I’m sure a lot of you have seen what happened on Saturday night at the Misfits Boxing event. Firstly, I think it’s important that I explain my reason for accepting the fight.
“I always like to challenge myself. This felt like a good opportunity to go up against an interesting opponent on a big stage.
“I have always loved boxing as part of my everyday training routine.
“I was fully prepared to train hard and have some fun. Of course, I expected to face some criticism, but I feel like what was said on Saturday crossed a line.
“These are deeply personal comments that affect mine and other families involved in the situation. I’m a family man first and my priority is protecting them.
“My opponent is someone that many children look up to around the world, including my kids. I hope one day he will look back on this differently. I personally don’t want to be involved in these exchanges.
“I will no longer be fighting on March 29. I’m still looking out for my next big challenge and have some exciting things coming up in 2025. Thanks for all the love.
“The support has been overwhelming. I want my friends and family to know how special they are. Deep down I know this is the right thing to do.”
KSI has since lined up Dillon Danis for the fight and has apologised to the ex-Chelsea star.
The summer window can’t come soon enough for Chelsea fans.
That’s because they’ll finally get their hands on Brazilian whizz kid Estevao, whose two sensational goals for Palmeiras on Saturday left Blues supporters drooling.
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Estevao’s two goals for Palmeiras were sublimeCredit: Getty
The 17-year-old started on the right wing for Palmeiras in their Campeonato Paulista quarter-final away to Sao Bernardo.
It took the teenage talent just 16 minutes to open the scoring with a shot that somehow didn’t blast a hole in the net, such was the ferocity of the strike.
Estevao controlled the ball from a header before taking a touch to open up space for a strike from outside the 18-yard box.
With his left foot, the Chelsea-bound star rifled a shot into the top-right corner of the goal that left Sao Bernardo goalkeeper Alex Alves clutching at thin air.
Safe to say, Chelsea supporters were in awe of the 17-year-old’s strike.
One user on X wrote: “Oh my word Estevao what a goal. The power on that strike.”
Another said: “Another day, another banger from Estevao. What. A. Goal.”
One fan added: “Just saw Estevao’s goals so far from tonight. What a joke. This kid is actually a demon. The absolute biggest thing out of Brazil since Neymar. Don’t you dare fumble his development, Chels.”
The teen collected his second goal of the contest in first-half stoppage time.
With the ball at his feet high on the right flank, Estevao beat his marker and cut inside to find himself in acres of space before unleashing a driving curling effort past a sprawling Alves.
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Chelsea fans were left in awe of Estevao’s two goals against San BernardoCredit: Getty
By scoring twice against Sao Bernardo, it brought Estevao’s total goal involvements for Palmeiras to 30, 20 of which were goals and ten being assists.
It meant Estevao became the first Brazilian to reach 30 career goals and assists before the age of 18 since superstar winger Neymar accomplished the feat in 2010.
Unfortunately for Palmeiras supporters, they only have a few more months left to enjoy Estevao before he moves to Chelsea on a permanent basis.
However, due to FA and Premier League rules, teams are unable to sign players from abroad if they are under the age of 18, meaning Estevao cannot join until the summer.
But it hasn’t stopped Chelsea fans from getting excited ever since they agreed the deal to sign him, especially since he has been nicknamed ‘Messinho’, or ‘Little Messi’, owing to his small stature and remarkable ability on the ball.
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It won’t be long before Blues fans could see Estevao in action for the clubCredit: Getty
He was also crowned the Best Young Player and Best Attacker of the 2024 Brasileirao thanks to his exploits with Palmeiras as he registered 13 goals and nine assists in 31 Serie A appearances.
Estevao’s success will no doubt give Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca a headache of the good kind as the Italian works out how he could fit the teenager into his team.
Further complicating matters is the fact Estevao previously told ESPN Brazil his ‘favourite position is number 10.’
“But I am comfortable in every position, also on the wing,” Estevao added.
We have the starting XIs in for Newcastle United versus Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup fifth round.
It’s mixed news for the hosts, who welcome Alexander Isak back up front after he sat out the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in midweek with a groin problem.
Joelinton also returns from injury.
However, there is no Sven Botman or Lewis Hall, with the latter suffering from an ankle problem.
He is set to see a specialist to assess the severity, and the Toon will hope it’s nothing with the Carabao Cup final on the horizon.
Meanwhile, Brighton have won their last four in a row, and there is just one change from the side that beat Bournemouth 2-1, with Jack Hinshlewood in for Diego Gomez.
Despite an initially promising start in coaching, John Terry is now set to switch careers.
The Chelsea legend is planning to start his own podcast, and only has one name in mind for his first guest.
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Terry is looking at a new career after coaching didn’t work outCredit: Getty
Terry left the Blues as a Champions League and Premier League winning captain in 2017 and spent his last season in football with Aston Villa before retiring as a player.
There he was an assistant coach under Dean Smith and appeared to have a burgeoning reputation.
Yet he left Villa in 2023 and, despite working for Chelsea’s academy, it now looks like podcasting will be his next venture rather than a return to a professional dugout.
Having not made it as a top tier coach, he’s now looking to land a top tier guest – his former manager Jose Mourinho.
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A source told The Sun: “John is excited and has told friends there can only be one person as the first guest — and that is Jose Mourinho.
“John has seen a lot of players do their own podcasts and thinks he will have a lot of appeal.
“He’s a controversial character for some of his decisions on and off the pitch but isn’t afraid of tackling tough subjects.
“It’s likely his show will have a strong Chelsea focus but he’ll go into other areas.”
Mourinho coached Chelsea in two different stints, winning the Premier League three times.
He’s still revered by many of his former players, and has already appeared on one of their podcasts, that of John Obi Mikel.
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Mourinho and Terry still have a good relationshipCredit: Getty Images – Getty
However, Terry’s chances of landing the Portuguese right now might be tough given current circumstances.
Mourinho is currently embroiled in a shocking exchange of statements in the Turkish Super Lig with current side Fenerbahce.
Fener took on fellow Istanbul giants Galatasaray in the league on February 24 in a top of the table clash and it was clear that not all was well.
A foreign referee had been given the game in the shape of last year’s Champions League final official, Slovenian Slavko Vincic.
The encounter was a non-event and ended 0-0, but post-match the coaches went at each other, and Galatasaray later put out a statement accusing Mourinho of racism over a comment where he said their players were ‘jumping like monkeys’.
I’m not Kurt Zouma’ – Jose Mourinho brutally mocks his former player when asked pet question
In a statement, Fenerbahce said: “We would like to announce to the public that Jose Mourinho has filed a lawsuit for moral damages of 1,907,000 Turkish Liras (£41,467) against Galatasaray Sports Club, through the lawyers of Fenerbahce Sports Club, due to the personal rights of our coach Jose Mourinho.”
The Blues have since spent over £1billion on transfers and sacked three separate permanent managers in that time.
However, despite all the money spent, they are yet to win a major trophy under their new owners.
Boehly has now responded to the unrest amongst sections of the fanbase, though.
Speaking at the Financial Times’ Business of Football summit, he explained: “I just think it is par for the course.
“The sooner you learn you are not going to keep all the people happy all the time, the freedom shows up.
“We are just trying to execute a plan and recognise things aren’t linear, and we are trending in the right direction. The trend is moving in the right direction and that’s the thing that really matters.
“In June, it will be three years in charge. That’s not a lot of time, especially when you get to 50, 60 or 70 years old in life.
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Fans made their feelings known before the Blues beat SouthamptonCredit: John Walton/PA Wire
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Boehly addressed the criticism from Chelsea fans at the Financial Times’ Business of Football summit on ThursdayCredit: Getty
“It’s a whirlwind of activity and steep learning curve, but I think that’s also a good thing.”
Meanwhile, Boehly proposed a rule change to help bridge the gap between the Premier League and the Championship.
Last season saw all three promoted sides, Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United, suffer immediate relegation for the first time since 1998.
The same fate currently awaits Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich, with the trio occupying the drop zone with 11 matches remaining.
Boehly added: “There is a bit of an unorganised landscape in European football, which reminds me of the Retail Sports Network market in America. There is a handful of things that needs to be sorted.
“One of the challenges is relegation in football. It’s hard to price. If everyone was equal, you’d have a 15 percent chance of relegation.
“But everyone isn’t equal, so you have to work out how best to address that valuation challenge.
“Relegation is cultural and not going anywhere. So why not every season when a team is in the EPL, you get one share of EPL stock and even if you go down you keep that stock.”
Simon Jordan SLAMS those criticising Chelsea owner Todd Boehly for co-owning ticket resale website
“But everyone isn’t equal, so you have to work out how best to address that valuation challenge.
“Relegation is cultural and not going anywhere. So why not every season when a team is in the EPL, you get one share of EPL stock and even if you go down you keep that stock.”
As for Chelsea, Enzo Maresca’s side are well in the hunt for a top four finish after beating the Saints this week.
The Blues are one point adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City in fifth as they eye a return to the Champions League after two years away.
Simon Jordan has slammed Chelsea fans for protesting against the club’s owners.
Supporters marched to Stamford Bridge with flares and banners before Tuesday’s win over Southampton.
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Jordan labelled the Chelsea protestors a ‘clown college’Credit: talkSPORT
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Supporters targeted the owners with banners and chants on TuesdayCredit: John Walton/PA Wire
The protest was aimed at current owners BlueCo and Todd Boehly, who bought the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022.
Of the banners on display, one read: “BlueCo stop killing Chelsea. Get out of our club.”
Meanwhile, another said: “You’re destroying our club.”
Fans also chanted: “We want our Chelsea back,” as well as Abramovich’s name.
However, Jordan was very vocal in his criticism of the fans on Wednesday morning.
Speaking on White & Jordan, the talkSPORT co-host labelled the protestors a ‘clown college’.
He then went on to add: “They weren’t a big club in any significance until Abramovich’s money turned them into something very meaningful.
“And so they’re going to hold on to the fact that Roman Abramovich was a martyr that gave them so much money and didn’t ask for anything in return.
“And now you’ve got a different ownership that took you away from an existential threat and because it’s not manifesting itself the way you’re entitled to, you’re going to protest against the owners.
“I agree with the principle of fans having the right to air their views and having the right to complain about things.
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Some Chelsea fans have called for BlueCo to sell the clubCredit: John Walton/PA Wire
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Boehly bought the Blues from Abramovich in 2022Credit: Getty
“But when you start to elevate that to organise protests against an ownership model of a football club that’s been there for two years, undoubtedly made lots of mistakes.
“People that run businesses that go into football make mistakes. They always do because you’ve got to learn the language of the industry.”
The former Crystal Palace chairman continued: “There was a thread sent to me by a Chelsea fan that was correcting the Chelsea fan that came on here that was babbling about them being in £140 million in debt.
“Babbling about them being £140million in debt. There’s a £140million liability to the ownership model, who don’t charge any interest on it and are not calling it in.
“And so we sliced and diced him because he made a fool of himself. The fact is they say their argument isn’t backed, it’s a listing of things and they’ve got lots of resonance in it.
“They have come in there, they have made decisions that aren’t great, they have put sporting directors in that haven’t done a particularly good job, they have bought players over inflated values, they have bought a manager in from Chelsea that wasn’t successful.”
WATCH Chelsea fans chant for former owner Roman Abramovich at protest against new owner Todd Boehly
Since Boehly’s arrival at the club, Chelsea have spent over £1billion on players and sacked three separate managers.
Meanwhile, the Blues finished 12th and sixth in the previous two seasons.
Enzo Maresca’s side are currently on course to finish even higher this season, though.
Their 4-0 win over the Saints on Tuesday has lifted Chelsea back up to fourth in the table with 11 matches remaining.
