Chelsea
Ramblings Of The Rich And Bored: Shiek Mansour, Roman Abramovich And Tony Fernandez, What Do They Have In Common?
Shiek Mansour, Roman Abramovich and Tony Fernandez, what do they have in common? A Shit ton of money.
The Trio are some of the wealthiest owners of football clubs in the premier league. They represent an increasing number of affluent people who have taken the step towards owning football clubs all over the world.
However, many have not been happy with latest developments. Fans of other clubs who have yet to gain infusion of petrol/steel/airline/etc dollars claim that such backing brings about detrimental impacts. After all, such money gives them an edge over other clubs with less capital in the transfer market. For years now, countless articles have gone out showing what fans or the industry think about such developments? What about our favourite tyrannical billionaires? Surely they have opinions too?
For one, Chelsea are facing a tough battle for 4th place despite having spent millions on the world’s top young boys. They are also left with 2 misfiring strikers and a manager who can’t seem to stay focused on the prize. Add that to negative sentiments on the Frank Lampard contract debacle and you realize how great a headache Abramovich has on his hand. In Manchester, Current Champions Manchester City sit on a double digit deficit from league leaders Manchester united. The team which Shiek Money Mansour spent hundreds of millions of dollars on are not playing well. Aguero has yet to hit the same heights as last season and a discontented Yaya Toure stirs up a storm in the back ground.
If you think that’s bad, what about Tony Fernandez? Air Asia’s eccentric CEO. His club now sits at the bottom of the table with 23 miserable points. All this despite spending a shit ton of money buying footballing stars. This is an absolute nightmare situation for any investor to be in. In times of crisis, I like to think that the best places for solace lies in meeting with people who are in just as much shit as you are. Hence, in that eventuality, what would our owners say to each other in such a situation?
In a not so secret meeting location many miles away….
Mansour: Welcome Roman to my humble abode. You are now in my luxury suite at the Etihad stadium. If you would like, I could give you a tour of my private art collection or let you have a taste of some expensive caviar.
Abramovich: Well Mansour, it surprises me how you take every opportunity you can to rub your wealth all over my face. I get the point that I am no longer the Premier league’s sugar daddy. Right now, I feel like a rich Arsene Wenger. This disgusts me, I need to freshen up in the toilet.
Minutes later…
Abramovich: What a splendid and lavishly decorated toilet. I expected nothing less from you. At one point, I even thought oil would flow out from that tap. However, I can’t seem to understand one thing. Why are there fireworks laid out in the bathtub?
Mansour: Ah my apologies Roman, those fireworks must have been left behind by Balotelli. I was really hoping to try lighting those up with him eventually. Too bad he was shipped off to Milan. What an irony, I was hoping that Mancini could get the best out of that brat. I am never buying Italian “wonder kids” ever again.
Abramovich: This is why you can’t spend ridiculous amounts of money on players. Look at Shevchenko and Torres. I could not even get these 3 players to score more goals than Drogba. And Drogba was a Jose Mourinho buy. That guy’s shadow stalks the entire team! Now these media vultures are saying that I am making wrong decisions for Chelsea football club. But it is my club!
Mansour: You can’t have that attitude in the club managing game Roman. You also can’t make transfer decisions for the club. That’s why I have my expensive team of scouts and negotiators to do that for me. They might need my yacht or private jet now and then to bribe players but I get what I want.
Abramovich: Throwing ridiculous bags of money to get what you want, how nice…
Mansour: Now now Abramovich, don’t take the moral high ground on me. It is not as if you were not doing that before I entered the scene. All is fair in the game of football.
Abramovich: Fairness is one thing, but I cannot tolerate how you keep undercutting me at every turn. First with David Silva then Nasri and then Aguero! I had to buy a replica of David Silva in Mata to console myself. It was a miracle you did not steal Hazard away from me.
Mansour: Hey, I take Mata any day. He has become the best player in your club while Nasri and Silva have not been playing well this season in my club. Forget about that playboy Hazard, he flirted with every single team and dumped everyone majestically for you. I am done with that kind of player.
Abramovich: Hazard was a major coup but still… playing second fiddle to your wealth is infuriating.
Mansour: Don’t worry friend! If you do need an ego boost, hang out more with Tony next time. Girls can tell who the poorer rich guy is.
Abramovich: How ingenious! I should start following him on Twitter and Facebook then. Oh look, here he comes.
Tony arrives…
Tony: Hello my friends, I have just got off the phone with several football agents. They are adamant that their clients move if we get relegated. I can’t believe it, it is as if everyone wants to jump ship already.
Abramovich: Took you that long to figure out? I never understood your transfer strategy anyway.
Mansour: Be nice Roman. I feel your pain Tony. Spending 12.5 million dollars each on Loic Remy and Chris samba was a huge move. Yet even though Remy consistently scores, you can’t seem to find your way out of relegation.
Tony: I can’t wrap my head around Chris Samba. It was as if Russia made him a lousier defender. He got torn apart by Fulham that day and I am paying him 90 grand a week!
Abramovich: January transfers are crazy. The last time I spent money in January on players, I got a Torres and David Luiz. Now Torres isn’t scoring any goals and Luiz is just crazy. I paid for a defender god damn it, not some defender who thinks he can be both Xavi and Ronaldo at the same time.
Tony: Well, David Luiz is a great player to me. How about trading him for anyone of my players? Would you consider Adel Taraabt? That kid is full of talent.
Abramovich: No way, that kid carries tons of emotional baggage which I can’t handle. I think I will stick to sideshow bob. I mean come on. Afros are totally cool. Hmmmmm…this got me thinking, how about I buy a team full of players with Afros?
Tony: I would totally jump in on that deal.
Mansour: I will get Tevez to grow one and transfer him over. That would be epic.
Abramovich: You know who we can get? Fellaini! That Belgian is crazy talented.
Mansour: Sigh, I am over the whole “talented” tag thing. Just look at Scott Sinclair! I thought he was full of talent until I watched a YouTube clip featuring him during a free kick training. He couldn’t even complete a free kick properly! This is the last time I am buying any ex Chelsea youth team players.
Abramovich: Excuse me? I have spent tons of money on my youth team. Sinclair was just a piece of deadwood. Just look at Lucas Piazon, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne. They are excellent young starlets for my Chelsea revolution.
Tony: If only you can keep them at the club. Funny how you are sounding more and more like a paedophile. Besides you didn’t mention Courtois. It’s crazy how you still rely on Cech when you have the best young keeper in the world right under your nose.
Mansour: Yeah. You should dump Cech already Roman, Courtois is the future.
Abramovich: Hey don’t insult Cech! He may be over 30 but he still adds value to my team. And Look who is talking now. How dare you criticize my transfer policy Tony?! At least I don’t screw up and buy two keepers in the same transfer market. Poor Rob Green, he thought he would be the number one until you paid another premium for Julio Cesar.
Mansour: I have got to agree, that was a poor decision and a waste of money Tony. What do you think this is? FIFA? I thought you had more sense than that.
Tony: Well at least I am a better FIFA player than all of you. Besides, I am damn sure I won’t pay 50 million on a striker who can’t score or a striker who took a vacation in the middle of the playing season. Face it! You guys have made mistakes as well.
Abramovich: Well we are not staring relegation in the face. Try to accomplish that on FIFA Tony.
Tony: Trust me. QPR is not getting relegated this season. The Players will come to their senses soon.
Mansour: What senses do they have when money has clouded it. On a side note, what is Park Ji Sun doing in the side anyway? I get that you are Asian and need to have fill your Asian quota but did you have to get him? There are better players Asian players out there.
Tony: Park has tons of marketing value. He is practically a god to Korea women so that tons of loyal fans. How about you? Fancy any Arab players coming in anytime soon?
Mansour: That’s Ridiculous…. We Arabs don’t do Arab players! Besides we are digressing my friends. May I remind you that we came together to find a solution to our problems. Roman needs to maintain a champions league placing and Tony needs to stay in the premier league. I am losing my patience with Mancini. He may have built up a title winning squad but the management of it is getting atrocious!
Abramovich: That’s why I don’t put my faith in a manager completely.
Tony: You fire every manager that gets a bad run of results. That’s bordering crazy. You have an addiction to the chopping block, admit it!
Mansour: Agreed. You have got to start trusting people Roman. Very soon no one will want to manage Chelsea. Imagine if you kept getting fired on your first job, you wouldn’t be here today right? I would probably be talking to some Chinese Billionaire right now.
Abramovich: Oh please, who I fire is my own problem. Besides don’t you like the feeling of firing people?
Tony: Not even remotely you sadist…
Abramovich: Fine, it is probably the Russian mafia in me that enjoys it but honestly, all my managers have been subpar. And I lost out on my one true love Guardiola. Thinking about it breaks my heart. But rest assured, there are plenty of candidates ready to take the leap of faith as long as money is around. Chelsea will bounce back! Till then I will keep firing and hiring till Guardiola gives me a chance.
Tony: What about your fans? Surely they are tired with this managerial merry go round?
Abramovich: Money always talks Tony. Who cares what the fans think. That’s Rule one of being a ridiculously rich and powerful man. Besides, as long as we win, everything will soon be forgotten.
Mansour: That’s true. Too bad I don’t have the heart to adopt your approach.
Abramovich: Oh please, your Arab syndicate dictates oil prices on a whim. Don’t pretend to be compassionate in front of us.
Mansour: You got me there. Nevertheless, I will definitely be splashing huge amounts of cash in the next transfer window. No hard feelings if I steal your transfer targets?
Tony: Just leave the old birds and Russian league players to me brothers.
Abramovich: It is funny how we called an emergency meeting yet the solution was right in front of us the whole time. Gotta love money.
Mansour: Well money is the only solution before fair play comes in.
Tony: Fair play? That’s the biggest joke UEFA ever tried to pull. Get your cheque books out boys, it’s time to spend.
Chelsea
Nicolas Jackson ended Ange Postecoglou’s short Tottenham Hotspur dominance back in November 2023, and they are yet to recover from it
Nicolas Jackson ripped Tottenham Hotspur to shreds the last time Chelsea visited the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, during the 2023/24 season
After a very promising start under new manager Ange Postecoglou back in 2023, Tottenham Hotspur were flying high. Despite Arsenal and Manchester City asserting their dominance like in the 2022/23 season, the Aussie manager had his own tricks up his sleeve.
Having been unbeaten for three months, that also saw them come unscathed at the Emirates Stadium in a heated North London derby, Spurs were looking like title contenders, come November 2023. However, things went awry, or in fact, have gone awry, ever since that wretched night at their home ground in early November.
Welcoming a struggling Chelsea, not many gave the Blues a chance in this London derby. Their newly-bought striker, Nicolas Jackson was firing blanks, and looked far from clinical (low on confidence too), even when he had the easiest of chances.
And once the match began, it looked like there was going to be only one winner. Dejan Kulusevski cut into the edge of the box, and his attempted shot took a deflection and found its way into the back of the net, putting Spurs 1-0 up. However, Tottenham Hotspur’s highline began gaving themselves troubles, as Chelsea’s pacy attack began a wave of attacks after the 20th minute.
Raheem Sterling put the back of the net after an impressive run and a scrambling finish, only to be ruled out for a handball. However, this was only a sign of things to come. A few minutes later Moises Caicedo struck an impressive long-ranger, which was once again ruled out for offside (obstruction). In the process, in a major turn of things, the VAR found Cristian Romero guilty of committing a red-card offense inside the box.
The Argentine was sent off, and the penalty conceded was converted by the in-form Cole Palmer, who was getting into his groove back then. Spurs then saw off the half, with the scores level at 1-1.
Further chaos and Nicolas Jackson bursts into life
Just when it looked like Spurs could indeed put up a fight with 10-men, Destiny Udogie got his second yellow card in the 55th minute, and they were down to 9-men. Despite the setback, Postecoglou persisted with a high-line. Surprisingly, Chelsea’s attack remained neutralized until the 75th minute when Nicolas Jackson scored a tap-in, to make it 1-2 Chelsea. All hell brooke lose, fifteen minutes later as Jackson scored two more easily worked goals, to complete his hattrick.
The destruction of Spurs was complete. Since that loss, Spurs lost track of their then-successful season and their campaign soon derailed. They ended up finishing outside the top 4, and even until today, December of the 2024/25 season, they have not recovered, or have found form.
Arsenal
5 players who have played for Arsenal and Chelsea since Mikel Arteta became the Gunners’ manager
We take a look at 5 players who have played for both London clubs, Arsenal and Chelsea since Mikel Arteta became the Gunners’ manager
Time has flown by. It’s almost been 5 years since Mikel Arteta took over as Arsenal‘s manager. The Spaniard has done a commendable job since his appointment but failed to win major trophies, constantly coming under criticism whenever the North London side exits a tournament like the League Cup/FA Cup/Europa League and more recently the UEFA Champions League.
However, in this article, we will take a look at 5 players who have played for both Chelsea and Arsenal since Mikel Arteta took over. It is worth noting that most of the moves have happened from West London to North London and only few the other way.
Here is a look at 5 players who have played for Arsenal and Chelsea since Mikel Arteta became the Gunners’ manager.
Willian
A lot of eyebrows were raised when Willian was signed in the 2020/21 summer transfer window. Although the Brazilian came up with a decent amount of G/A throughout his stay with the West London club, he did have a large chunk of critics who were Chelsea fans. And when the then-32-year-old signed with the rival club, it was not welcomed. As expected, Willian’s stay at Arsenal was pretty dismal. In the 25 starts he made in the league, the winger scored just one goal, and left the club in the next season.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
One of the greatest Arsenal strikers in the Emirates era, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was banging in goals at Arsenal for fun until it all began fizzling out towards the end of 2020. He soon fell out of favor with Mikel Arteta as well. By late 2021, he was slowly reduced to the bench. He eventually joined Barcelona in early 2022, before returning to London, in a shock move to Chelsea. However, the Gabonese never really got going at Chelsea, scoring just one goal in 15 league appearances.
Kai Havertz
Like many other Chelsea to Arsenal transfers, Kai Havertz’s arrival was also frowned upon by a large chunk of the Arsenal faithful. However, the German proved the naysayers/doubters wrong in his first season (2023/24), scoring 13 goals in 37 league appearances. He’s been decent so far in the 2024/25 season as well.
Jorginho
Jorginho’s contributions to Chelsea will never be forgotten. The Italian was one of the main men in the Blues’ stunning Champions League victory in the 2020/21 season. However, following manager Thomas Tuchel’s departure in 2022, Jorginho fell out of favor with the then-manager Graham Potter. And during early 2023, Arsenal were in dire need of a backup midfielder, and Mikel Arteta eventually bought him. He has since made 41 league appearances for Arsenal.
Raheem Sterling
The latest star to move from West London to North London, albeit on loan. Raheem Sterling, after two years at Chelsea, joined Arsenal on loan for the 2024-25 season. However, he has not been getting many starts.
Arsenal
Chelsea XI that last beat Arsenal at Stamford Bridge looks unrecognizable now
The Chelsea XI that last managed to beat London rivals Arsenal at Stamford Bridge looked completely different.
It’s that time of the year again. London Derby. A struggling Arsenal visit Stamford Bridge on the 10th of November, 2024. While the season started off pretty well for the Gunners, unnecessary red cards and injuries have thrown them into a rut.
The last 6 games have seen them just win twice, (one win coming in the EFL cup) and lose thrice, with one draw. With hardly any momentum on their side, they take on the Blues who are a place above them in the EPL table.
Chelsea, under new manager Enzo Maresca, have been quite good. Although they are level on points with Arsenal, it’s a much better start compared to the ones in recent seasons. They will be hoping to keep their good form going when they host the North London club.
However, history might not be on their side. It’s been a staggering 6 years since Chelsea last beat Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. A rather staggering fact. Both the teams looked very different back then, and here we take a look at how the Chelsea XI looked.
Here is all about how Chelsea looked when the last time they beat Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
GK – Kepa Arrizabalaga
Kepa Arrizabalaga was in his first year at Chelsea. While the Spaniard never lived up to the expectations of the Blues, he did make over 100 league appearances for them. While being a part of the club, he first went on loan to Real Madrid for the 2023/24 season, and now is on loan to Bournemouth.
LB – Marcos Alonso
Marcos Alonso was signed by Antonio Conte in 2016. His performances for Chelsea, especially in their title-winning 2016/17 can never be forgotten. After 6 years at the club, Alonso left for Barcelona in 2022. He now plays for Celta Vigo.
CB – Antonio Rudiger
Antonio Rudiger was an Antonio Conte signing as well. The German signed for Chelsea from Roma, and went on to be a key part of the club until 2022. He now plays for Real Madrid.
CB – David Luiz
David Luiz was in his second-three-year stint with Chelsea. In 2019, he joined Arsenal in a rather shock move. After 2 years at the North London club, he joined Flamengo, where he currently plays.
RB – Cesar Azpilicueta
Cesar Azpilicueta will go down as one of the greatest Chelsea defenders of all time. The Spaniard made almost 350 league appearances for Chelsea, before leaving the club for Atletico Madrid in 2023.
CDM – Jorginho
Jorginho was an important player in Chelsea’s major wins, especially the UEFA Champions League in 2021. After almost 5 years at the club, he left for Arsenal in early 2023, where he currently plays.
CDM – N’Golo Kante
When Kante left in 2023, he left as one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time. He now plays for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi League.
CM – Ross Barkley
Ross Barkley was in his second season at Chelsea, after having joined them in January 2018. He went on to be a part of the club until 2022. He then left for Nice, Luton Town, before going back to Aston Villa (was on loan from 2020-21), where he currently plays.
LW – Willian
Yet another Chelsea player who later joined Arsenal. After almost 8 years at Chelsea, the Brazilian joined the North London club in 2020. However, he was there only for a year, before joining Corinthians in 2021. He came back to the EPL, joining Fulham in 2022. He now plays for Olympiacos.
ST – Alvaro Morata
Alvaro Morata at Chelsea never worked out. After almost 4 years at the club, Morata joined Atletico Madrid in 2020, while also playing for Juventus from 2020-22 (on loan from Atletico). Morata currently plays for AC Milan.
RW – Pedro
Pedro’s contribution to Chelsea will never be forgotten. The underrated Spaniard always put in a shift when he was on the pitch. After 5 seasons at the club, Pedro joined Roma for one year. Since 2021, he has been a regular starter for Lazio.
The entire Chelsea XI that started at Stamford Bridge against Arsenal in 2018 is not a part of Chelsea now.
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