Not Too Xabi Start for Chelsea

0:00Sierra has all the best active and outdoor brands for the super athletic stuff like running gear for cruising up the trail Woo! And the super athlete-ish stuff. Like fishing gear for chillin' by the creek. Nice cast. Fitness apparel to push for higher reps. You got this! And golf balls priced so you can afford to lose one. Or a few. Head to Sierra or Sierra.com for the brands you want at the prices that let you do it all. From athletic to athletic-ish, Sierra's got it.

0:34Hello everyone and welcome to the latest edition of ESPN FC with myself Alexis Yunus alongside Shaka Hislop. We're going to kick things off in the Premier League because goals, goals, goals galore over in West London as Chelsea and Brighton played out quite a thriller. Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto and João Pedro put the Blues 3-0 up, but Brighton managed to reduce the deficit to a single goal. And that was also thanks to Joao Pedro's own goal before Cole Palmer, who came up Trump's and made it four for Chelsea. So they win this one 4-3 at Stamford Bridge. So let's welcome in one of our favorite former Chelsea men and World Cup winner in our Frankie Leboeuf and Gabriele Marcotti, who was actually at Stamford Bridge for this game.

1:19Gab, Chelsea looking good. They certainly did look good. And I think Chelsea fans are so frazzled that it was kind of remarkable because they race out to the 3-0 lead. They're absolutely dominant. And then fall asleep defensively and it's 3-1. And then the Joe Pedro own goal and it's 3-2. And then suddenly things got nervy. Insults are flying against certain players. Also because of some of the chances that were missed by Joe Pedro and by Palmer. and then Cole Palmer pops up and settles all the nerves. Ignore that goal at the end. I mean, total garbage time, completely irrelevant just before the final whistle and everybody feels good again.

2:04I think this is going to be the ride this season for Chelsea. The good news, as we said before, no European football, which means Xabi Alonso has a lot of time on the training pitch to go and fix what needs fixing. Frank, what do you think of your old side? Xabi Alonso seems to be working so magic And as Gab says, with no European football, it could be a great season for Chelsea. It could be. It could be. But I'm going to ruin a little bit the enthusiasm of everybody because I'm a perfectionist. And I saw so many things where, in fact, you know, yes, offensively, we have something to do. But defensively and be careful when I say defensively, I'm not meaning because of the defender.

2:46Everybody has to work better on the three goals. Neto on the first one on the on the counter-attack was supposedly trying to defend and did something stupid and Didn't get the ball then on the second goal that was Palmer We didn't follow the one who almost called the goal if it's because it's a Pedro on goal and the third one is Morgan Rogers not following as well is man So those people they have to understand when they work defensively. They have to work as defenders Otherwise, yeah, lots of chances. I love the verticality of the game. I love the fact that tactically, Xabi Alonso, a lot Brighton to play to open up.

3:26But they have to be careful. On top of it, Brighton didn't play with their best players at front. Therefore, they could have scored many goals. It's already lots of goals conceded. But so far, so good. We have to be happy. Again, it's because I'm a perfectionist that I warn everybody. Be careful. you have to be more consistent defensively altogether. Shekhar, you agree with Frank, especially considering Emi Martinez didn't quite get the clean sheet he probably would have been hoping for. No, well, first of all, surprised to see Emi Martinez in the squad having just joined, but Robert Sanchez not being on the bench maybe signals something to come in the next couple of days.

4:03I'll echo what Frank said. I think there's a lot here for Chelsea fans to be excited about. There's a lot, similarly, to be concerned about in two league games so far this season. Chelsea have now scored seven goals, but they've also conceded five. And that has to be a concern. I will say, though, while I say that, watching the game, it felt like Chelsea was certainly in more control than maybe the scoreline suggested and certainly more than the stats suggested. When you look at the full screen of the stats that we had up earlier, Brighton had 74 % possession. at Stamford Bridge. So while you celebrate the three points, you celebrate the four goals, it clearly highlights that there's still a lot of work for Chelsea and Xabi Alonso to do.

4:54Let's also say that Brighton have shown themselves to be a very good team. What we've seen over the last couple of seasons, you could just ask Villa from last week, Brighton are a hell of a footballing team. So you take the three points, But you have to recognize that defensively, as Frank pointed out, you have a lot of work to do if you are to live up to the expectation of the Chelsea squad. Gab? I agree with the boys' assessment. What I would say is the other big concern is in the middle of the park. Moises Caicedo, who I still maintain is Chelsea's best player, obviously he wasn't fully fit.

5:33He comes on and then had to come off again. and we're going to hopefully get more news in the next 24 to 48 hours. But that is a role where I think they're already undermanned. Romeo Lavia played very well in this game. However, we know his injury record. That was his first goal in four years, if you can believe that. Valentin Barco came off, who supposedly he can play central midfield, but very well at Strasbourg. But this is obviously a different level. Rhys James, we know his injury record. Malagusto had to start there. on this occasion. You wonder, and as it stands, I mean, we don't know if we're going to see Enzo again in a Chelsea shirt or not.

6:13I think that's all TBD with the transfer window closing in a few hours. So you put those things together, you wonder if maybe that is the position where they might be a little bit undermanned, if indeed, especially if it turns out that there's some things wrong with Caicedo. Potentially at centre forward as well. You know, Emmanuel Emega has come in. Is he capable of being the alternative to Joel Pedro? I don't know. These things obviously are mitigated by the no European football, but there is, as the boys were saying, there is a lot to work on. A lot to work on, indeed. But what about in what's left of the transfer window?

6:52Frank, what did you make of the fact that Xabi Alonso didn't have Enzo Fernandez or Robert Sanchez in the team today, in the squad? I'm not surprised. I mean, everybody made a statement about Roberto Sanchez and what happened last game that he played and the goal he conceded. And it was kind of an emergency, and it's been like that. And it's why Emiliano Martinez signed. And he signed this morning, I think, and played in the afternoon. So that's only fair. That's what it is. We play in a world of competition, and you have to accept that competition. And it's been a while since we warned everybody about Roberto Sanchez's consistency.

7:30and that's why they made that choice and very quickly. But Enzo Fernandes, I think he's gone. I mean, we have the case with Julien Navarez. A club can fight and try to keep a player, but if the player wants to go, he has to go because there is no way that he would be fully fit, fully fit also psychologically to give 100%. So I think nobody wants Enzo Fernandes to stay. it's time for him to go because he decided to go because he showed last season because of his comment that he wanted to leave so bye bye, good luck Gab, what are you hearing about Robert Sanchez and where he could possibly go is it the end for him now at Chelsea?

8:16I think it probably is I mean they like Mike Penders a lot they had Mike Penders on the bench and I think they see Penders as the backup but I also think it kind of suggests that maybe they're also, they know they have to go in a slightly different direction with Emi Martinez in terms of the build-up play and, you know, Emi's not quite as good on the ball as obviously Robert Sanchez is, although on recent performances people might debate that. But obviously Penders, given that he's about 20 feet tall, is also not going to be necessarily quite as comfortable on the ball. So it might also suggest that they're going to go in a slightly different direction in terms of build-up play and what they want for a goalkeeper, and that's fine.

8:58And as for Enzo Fernandez, I 100 % agree with Frank. He was booed when he came on Craven Cottage by both sets of fans, and the absolute biggest cheer was for Debo Martinez when his name was announced at Stanford Bridge today. So you can tell that the club have pretty much made up their mind I think you can find Robert Sanchez a home as a last-minute situation where he can compete for a spot. I don't think he's as terrible as some people make him out to be, but I think it's pretty obvious his future is not at Chelsea. All right. Well, lots of questions for these boys to answer, and guess where they'll be answering it?

9:42Over on Extra Time. The people have spoken. We'll be answering them later on after ESPN FC over on our YouTube channel. Buster Olney here for La Quinta by Wyndham. Cooler weather, changing leaves, and scenic road trips are even better when your best friend comes along. At La Quinta by Wyndham, many locations are pet-friendly, so there's no need to leave your furry travel companion behind. Whether you're hiking a new trail, exploring a charming small town, or simply enjoying a relaxing fall weekend, everyone in the family is welcome and earn Wyndham Rewards points with every qualified stay. Tonight, La Quinta.

10:16Tomorrow you shine. Book your next trip at LaQuinta.com. Terms and conditions apply. As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional-grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities.

10:46Call 1-800-GRANGER, click granger.com, or just stop by.

10:54In La Liga Action, Real Madrid took on Malaga, and it was a big win for Los Blancos. They continue their perfect start to the season with three wins from three, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe among the goal scorers as Jose Mourinho's men continue cruising. So we're also going to go live to the Santiago Bernabeu right now because that's where you will find our Alex Kirkland. who managed to take in this game. Alex, yet another good win for Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid. What's your biggest takeaways from this one? Yeah, their best win yet, I think. Alexis had the game wrapped up after half an hour.

11:29There was no doubt after that point what the result was going to be. Biggest takeaway is probably Jude Bellingham, who I think has been the outstanding player so far this season for Real Madrid. Lots of talk about him post-match. He spoke to Real Madrid TV, Bellingham. Quite interesting this, I think. Talked about how he's enjoying being a bit more free, playing with freedom, being able to get up and down the pitch. It's one of the big talking points last season, this time last season under Xabi Alonso. He wanted Bellingham to be a bit more maybe limited or focused in what he did to not be covering so much ground.

11:58It sounds like Bellingham's getting a lot more freedom under Jose Mourinho. He certainly thinks so, and he's happy, and he's contributing. It's two goals and two assists for Bellingham so far this season. Of course, scored the opening goal today and basically created the second goal as well. So for me, the big talking point, the big headline is that Bellingham is back to his best. Yeah, Shaka, do you agree that Jose Mourinho has given him that freedom and that's exactly what Bellingham needed? Yeah, absolutely. Listen, we all know how good Bellingham can be, particularly in that kind of 10th position.

12:26We saw that under Carlo Ancelotti in his first season. But somehow it just didn't click last season under Xavi Alonso. And I think that had a lot to do with Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe and what's Bellingham's role in kind of filling in around that tandem. Now, you look at the movement and the interactions between Vinicius Julien and Kylian Mbappe, it just feels a whole lot better. It feels a whole lot more natural now. And as a result, Bellingham just kind of slots in and is doing similarly. So I hold my hands up. When Jose Mourinho was signed as manager, I thought this was more to do with a discipline problem within that Real Madrid dressing room.

13:09But what we've seen so far, yes, it's Malaga, but the performance today, and in particular, that performance of that front three come front four, was Real Madrid as good as we've seen it since Kellen Mbappe arrived. And that uncertainty between him and Vinicius have kind of plagued Real Madrid since. Yeah, Alex, is that what all the talk is now, that the dressing room is back to being perfect, the perfect harmony once again?

13:38well it's very very early let's see how they get on you know away Betis later in the week let's see how they get on in the Madrid derby in a couple of weeks time there'll be much bigger test than a newly promoted side at home at the Bernabeu but there is a difference it does feel different look the team that started the game today the starting 11 there was only one new face in Cucurea the other 10 players were all here last season this could almost have been a Real Madrid side from last season but it looks different it feels different There's more structure. On Xhaka's point, they're not kind of getting in each other's way.

14:09Mbappe and Vini and Bellingham, they seem kind of clear about what each of their roles are and how it fits together. Yes, there'll be much bigger tests to come. And when they play against a really good side, let's see if they can keep this up. But I think the early signs, it's fair to say, are really good. Well, Real Madrid's title rivals in Barcelona, they're in action tomorrow. But Alex, it seems like they're closing in on a deal for Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus. What are you hearing about that one? Yeah, really interesting one. We know that Julian Alvarez has been Barcelona's number one target ascent for this summer.

14:42It's not happening. Atletico Madrid have said time and time again, it's not happening, absolutely. And so Barca have given up on that and they've looked for alternatives and they've found one in Gabriel Jesus, a player who's really struggled with injuries the last couple of seasons. That's really limited his impact. I think we shouldn't forget what a big impact he had when he joined Arsenal from City. Everyone talked there about how he'd sort of raised their ceiling and arrived with a winning mentality. He was a really positive character to have around the dressing room. But since then, injuries have really limited what he could do for Arsenal.

15:11I think as an option, as a fairly cost-efficient option for Barcelona, he's not going to start a lot of games properly. We've seen Rafinha so far this season being kind of a false nine for Barca. But as a backup, as an option off the bench, an experienced player, a player who will fit into the dressing room, I think it's not a bad option if, and it's a big if, he can stay fit. Julian Alvarez must be clawing his eyes out looking at that headline because as Alex said, he made it clear. He made it clear, though, that it was Barcelona he wants to go to. But Atleti said no. Alex Kirkland, thank you so much.

15:43We know it's been a long day for you. We're going to let you go and party hard into the Madrid night, possibly. Or maybe file and continue working, as you always do. Yeah, right. Don't try the backtrack now. That's the one. Bye. Madrid is a true city that never sleeps. All right. All right, well, Dan and the boys continue talking about Gabriel Jesus getting ready to join Barcelona over on our YouTube page. Make sure to check it out. And speaking of Barcelona, like I said, they're in action on Monday up against Rayo Vallecano. 3.30 p.m. Eastern time is kickoff. But join us 30 minutes before for the pre-show on the ESPN app and ESPN Deportes.

16:22Life insurance is one of those things that's easy to put off because it doesn't feel urgent today. But it's not just another financial box to check. It's about having a plan in place. So if life throws something unexpected at your family, they're not left dealing with the financial side without support. Ethos makes getting life insurance fast and easy. It's 100 % online, so you can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and get same-day coverage. There's no medical exam. You just answer a few simple health questions online. You can get up to$3 million in coverage and some policies start as low as$30 a month.

17:00Ethos has also earned strong customer feedback with a 4.8 out of 5-star rating on Trustpilot based on more than 4 ,000 reviews. Take 10 minutes to get covered today with life insurance through Ethos. Get your free quote at ethos.com slash sports. That's E-T-H-O-S dot com slash sports. Application times may vary, rates may vary. Trustpilot rating as of June 1st, 2025. If you've shopped online, chances are you've bought from a business powered by Shopify. You know that purple ShopPay button you see at checkout? The one that makes buying so incredibly easy? That's Shopify. And there's a reason so many businesses sell with it.

17:40Because Shopify makes it incredibly easy to start and run your business. Shopify is the commerce platform behind 10 % of all e-commerce in the U.S. From household names like Mattel and Gymshark to brands just getting started. Shopify gives you a leg up with hundreds of beautiful, ready-to-go templates to express your brand style and forget about the code. Tackle all those important tasks in one place, from inventory to payments to analytics and more. Spread your brand's word with built-in marketing and email tools to find and keep new customers. And did I mention that iconic purple ShopPay button that's used by millions of businesses around the world?

18:18It's why Shopify has the best converting checkout on the planet. Your customers already love it. If you want to see less carts being abandoned, it's time for you to head over to Shopify. Sign up for your$1 per month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com slash network. Go to Shopify.com slash network. Shopify.com slash network.

18:47All right. Well, let's get to it then. Shaka, because indeed, a big win for Manchester United, led by Captain Bruno Fernandes, who managed to get a hat-trick as they won 5-2 over Ipswich Town. This is Bruno's only second hat-trick in the Premier League and his first in five years. But the truth is, everyone is talking about the goal that eventually gave Manchester United the lead in the second half, where Harry Maguire was at the center of it all. A bit of controversy there. The boys over here, Gab, in the green room, Craig and Shaq and Dan, were having a big debate about it. What did you make of it?

19:26I'm okay. I'm okay with the fact that, you know, thank you. I thought you might be Alexis. Look, his arms are in front of his chest. It obviously hits his arms. If it hadn't been there, it would have hit his chest. He then, I think, takes two touches and then shoots on goal and it gets deflected by Greaves, that's not a punishable accidental handball. Or rather, it might have been, but on the field, it was ruled an accidental handball that was not punishable because it did not lead directly to the goal. And so, Villar lets it go. They say, we want light touch Villar. That's what, or at least that's what they told us that we're getting.

20:13I don't think he got any kind of advantage out of it because, like I said, his arms hadn't been there. It would have hit his chest. It would have still been there for him. And then there was still a lot to come before the goal. So for me, I'm okay with it. VAR was not going to step in. All right, well, before I let Frank in, because I know he's chuckling over there, I just want to say that the Premier League match centre said that the referee's call of the goal for Manchester United was checked and confirmed by VAR, with it deemed that Maguire was not the immediate goal scorer after an accidental handball.

20:42It's an own goal. And the accidental handball, Frank, is not punishable. So they recommended that the goal was awarded. Frank, the floor is yours. No, well, you know, saying that, you know, I can understand the explanation that gave Gabby about the fact that it's not punishable because the two hands or the two arms were close to Maguire's chest. I could understand that. But trying to give us an information that it wasn't even the guy who scored the goal, therefore, he doesn't make the end ball. That's BACS. I'm very sorry. Keep it simple. That's okay. For me, the thing I put myself in my warrior's feet, you know, when I said if I control the ball with my chest, will it be more difficult than if I do it with my arms or my forehead?

21:38Yes. it is more difficult. So you can control it. We can see the left forehand of Mike Guerrier going a little bit like that to push the ball. So yes, he's close to his chest. It's a tricky situation. And we can go either way. But for me, putting his hand or his arm, the forehand on the ball helps Mike Guerrier to direct the ball. It's where I would have said no goal. Chaka, you also had a problem with this reasoning, if you will. So let me just start by saying it was not a debate in the green room. Everybody was aghast. Except me. That call stood. Craig told you to come and speak for him today.

22:23And make sure to say as much. I thought it was just a god-awful decision. And while we could get into the explanation, the black and white of the law and the semantics around it, Maguire handles the ball. He has a direct, I do not think anybody will debate that he has a direct impact immediately from that on whether the goal is scored or not. So now saying, well, it was a known goal. If Maguire hits that shot and goes straight in, goes disallowed, I don't think anybody denies that. So now we're in a position where Maguire is being rewarded for being a poor footballer. Is that where we are right now?

23:10Is that the gray area? That is just absurd. As a footballer, listen, I am sure referees will say otherwise and point out a number of things. As a footballer, that makes no sense at all. If he puts a top corner with the outside of his right foot around three players, no goal. But if he shanks it 10 yards wide and it comes off the ankle of a defender, that's all right. How does that make sense? Gab? I mean, well, Krishaka, when you put it like that, I would tend to agree with you. But I do think, you know, the assumption was that Maguire's shot would have gone wide without the deflection. And so they're applying sort of this very narrow definition, right?

24:12When we all agree the handball was accidental and so therefore wouldn't have, when you take a step back and remember why this law exists, right? This law is so that if players score with an accidental handball, right, that's what it's for. And we've seen that they, when they kind of sort of reintroduced it, at first they were disallowing goals left and right, and then they decided to interpret it this way, that it's really only if it's kind of the last touch. And I think there were a bunch of touches between that and the shot, as well as a deflection. Without the deflection, the ball does not go in, right?

24:50We agree, and it's not a goal. And so therefore, they said, well, this is too far back. We're not going to rewind that back. I can see the logic in their decision. That's what I'm saying. All right, well, enough about this handball should have been or shouldn't have been. The point is Manchester United won, looking comfortably. Bruno Fernandes with a hat trick. Michael Carrick, Frank, said that United needed to bounce back in a big way after that opening loss to Hull City. Did we see it? We did see it in the second half. In the first half, I was very worried about the way that Man United were coping.