Mauricio Pochettino said it is unrealistic to expect Chelsea’s summer recruits to be playing their best football for the club already, despite upwards of £350million having been spent so far this transfer window.
The team is winless after the manager’s first two games in charge with one point on the board in the nascent Premier League table, with flashes of good play having been punctuated by inconsistency as was the case in Sunday’s 3-1 loss to West Ham.
Their plight has been worsened by injuries to goalscorer Carney Chukwuemeka, who was forced off at half-time having equalised for his side and is expected to miss six weeks, and winger Mykhailo Mudryk who will also miss Friday’s meeting with Luton at Stamford Bridge.
The pair join summer signing Christopher Nkunku and defender Wesley Fofana as long-term injury absentees whilst none of Reece James, Benoit Badiashile, Armando Broja or Trevoh Chalobah are ready to return.
On Thursday the club confirmed the £17m signing of Brazilian forward Deivid Washington from Santos, though the 18-year-old may be sent out on loan rather than join the first team straight away.
It leaves Pochettino relying on new faces finding their feet quickly as the team look to win for just the sixth time in their last 32 league matches when newly promoted Luton visit west London.
But after record buy Moises Caicedo, signed from Brighton for a fee likely to rise to £115m, became the latest player to endure a torrid time in blue when he conceded a penalty on his debut at the London Stadium, the manager called for perspective on the pace of change taking place at Chelsea.
“(It’s unrealistic) if we expect today the best of Caicedo, (Romeo) Lavia, (Axel) Disasi, all the players that arrived in the last moments, with only a few days working with us and starting to compete,” he said.
“Of course, if we see the perception of these players and we expect the best of them, yes we should win every single game.
“But at the moment the form of them, we need to provide the tools to improve every day. The way that we are playing, the platform and the structure of the team, gives us the signal that we are in a good way. It’s only a matter of time to put it all together and start to perform.
“With the situation (with transfers) in and out, next week when the transfer window has closed it’s going to be easier also to put it all together. I have no doubt about the quality of the squad.”
With an average age of 23.7 years Pochettino has the Premier League’s youngest squad, following the club’s policy of signing promising players of relatively little experience and tying them to long contracts – in Caicedo’s case up to nine years.
The manager admitted he still needs to sign a goalkeeper, after Kepa Arrizabalaga joined Real Madrid on a season-long loan, and another forward player, but he insisted that any further buys should not bar the path of academy graduates and other young players to the first team.
Albania international Broja, who has been at the club since he was 12, is expected to play a part as a number nine when he is fit to return.
“We need to wait with Armando,” said Pochettino. “He’s close but sometimes the last step is always difficult after the injury that he suffered. He’s training well and we have hope.
“It’s easy to say we need another offensive player. We have offensive players, they need to recover. If you bring in a player that maybe is not fit or needs to adapt to the Premier League, you’re going to spend the same time you need to wait for Broja or Nkunku or for Carney. You’re going to create a mess in the squad.
“We will win, we will succeed in the way that the players will buy into the ideas and the philosophy and the way that we play, it’s only a matter of time. (But) it’s a process we cannot force to go quick. I think it’s about working on the confidence.”
The manager added that nothing has changed regarding Romelu Lukaku’s situation, with the striker still training away from the first team and keen to leave before the transfer deadline, but he refused to fully close the door on a possible return.
“Things can change. This is football. I saw (Jurgen) Klopp said ‘I will not be in the business (if Liverpool spend £100m)’ and then they offered £100m (for Caicedo) and he says, oh I made a mistake, and something changed.”
Caicedo is expected to make his full debut against Luton but fellow new signing Lavia “needs a few more weeks to assess”.
Warm Heart toughed it out to take the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks for Aidan O’Brien in a thrilling finish from Free Wind.
The James Doyle-ridden 9-1 winner was the second string for Ballydoyle, with her Irish Oaks-winning stablemate Savethelastdance the 100-30 favourite under Ryan Moore.
The latter made the running, as Warm Heart travelled patiently in mid-division, eventually making her move around the final bend and smoothly gaining all the way up the home straight.
John and Thady Gosden’s Free Wind had to wait for a gap before going with her and the two battled all the way to the line, with Warm Heart just getting the verdict by a head from Frankie Dettori’s mount.
Savethelastdance was another two lengths back in third.
The highly-popular Ropey Guest claimed a notable victory at York when taking the Clipper Handicap for George Margarson.
The gelding is great campaigner for the stable and has often come within inches of landing a big handicap prize, including second-placed finishes in the past two renewals of the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket.
At one stage the highest-rated maiden in the country, he has looked like he was due a bit of luck and on the Knavesmire he finally received it under regular rider Tom Queally.
Having started at 40-1, the six-year-old ran gamely and saw off all challengers to come home a head in front of Point Lynas.
Margarson said: “Last time at Ascot he blew the start and before that in the Bunbury he was very unlucky, Sean Levey was devastated, so we knew he was in better form this year than he ever has been.
“The Guest family (owners) live near Ascot and have their business there so he tends to run there a lot and it’s good money there. There is a race at Ascot next week but I said we’d come here and go for the big one, it’s over £70,000 to the winner.
“Fair play to Tom, he said he’d ride him as a stayer, he has won over a mile at Yarmouth but you can’t really count that. He’s done most of his running in sprints. This is great for the yard, especially with the sales season coming up.
“Katie (daughter) is away in Finland competing in a triathlon, she’s devastated she can’t be here but Rosie (daughter) has been riding her out and has obviously improved him!
“That’s his fourth win and he’s won over £200,000 in prize-money. He’s six now yet he was running in the Coventry and Acomb at two so we’ve never shirked anything.”
The highly-popular Ropey Guest claimed a notable victory at York when taking the Clipper Handicap for George Margarson.
The gelding is great campaigner for the stable and has often come within inches of landing a big handicap prize, including second-placed finishes in the past two renewals of the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket.
At one stage the highest-rated maiden in the country, he has looked like he was due a bit of luck and on the Knavesmire he finally received it under regular rider Tom Queally.
Having started at 40-1, the six-year-old ran gamely and saw off all challengers to come home a head in front of Point Lynas.
Margarson said: “Last time at Ascot he blew the start and before that in the Bunbury he was very unlucky, Sean Levey was devastated, so we knew he was in better form this year than he ever has been.
“The Guest family (owners) live near Ascot and have their business there so he tends to run there a lot and it’s good money there. There is a race at Ascot next week but I said we’d come here and go for the big one, it’s over £70,000 to the winner.
“Fair play to Tom, he said he’d ride him as a stayer, he has won over a mile at Yarmouth but you can’t really count that. He’s done most of his running in sprints. This is great for the yard, especially with the sales season coming up.
“Katie (daughter) is away in Finland competing in a triathlon, she’s devastated she can’t be here but Rosie (daughter) has been riding her out and has obviously improved him!
“That’s his fourth win and he’s won over £200,000 in prize-money. He’s six now yet he was running in the Coventry and Acomb at two so we’ve never shirked anything.”
Oleksandr Usyk kept it short and sweet during Thursday’s press conference ahead of this weekend’s world heavyweight title clash with British underdog Daniel Dubois.
Usyk will take on mandatory challenger Dubois at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw on Saturday night with his WBA, IBF and WBO belts on the line.
A crowd of up to 43,000 will be able to attend and support for Usyk will be strong given a number of Ukraine natives now reside in Poland since Russia’s invasion of their country last year.
Ukrainian hero Usyk has embraced the role of home favourite during this fight week but took the unusual step on Wednesday of spending some of his open workout by enthusiastically dancing, which delighted his ringside fans.
The 36-year-old continued that eccentricity on Thursday by answering only one question during a short press conference, where his opponent Dubois was largely a bystander until the duo took part in a drama-free face-off.
Usyk started: “Hi everybody, what’s up? I am grateful for my team, my family, my wife, I love you Katerina, my country and Ukrainian soldiers. Thank you so much.
“My preparation is all good. We do a lot of work, with swimming, we play football, we dancing, yeah. Enough?”
Alex Krassyuk, Usyk’s promoter, brought the press conference to a close soon after but only after the former undisputed world cruiserweight champion was honoured on what is Independence Day of Ukraine.
Despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Usyk has continued to live in his home country and has joined the country’s soldiers on the frontline during the past 18 months.
He was given a painting produced by Oleksandr Klymenko after his brief answer two days out from fight night in Poland.
K2 promoter Krassyuk said: “We have a special present for Oleksandr Usyk. His contribution was recognised by the military forces of Ukraine.
“A very special item, the icon of the God Mother painted by the outstanding master Oleksandr Klymenko, whose masterpieces are kept by the Pope, the Swedish King Gustaf and Polish president (Andrzej) Duda.
“The icon is made on the wooden board from the ammunition to the shell that were used by our soldiers defending Bakhmut.”
Usyk and Dubois shared a fist bump after a cordial face-off with both fighting for the first time in 2023.
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Dubois was last in action in December at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where he recovered from a knee injury and being put down three times in the first round to beat South African southpaw Kevin Lerena by stoppage.
Meanwhile, Usyk will step back in the ring again for the first time since he beat Anthony Joshua by split decision in Jeddah last August.
Talks between Usyk’s team and the camp of WBC belt holder Tyson Fury over a potential unification bout did take place earlier this year but a proposed date of April 29 could not be finalised.
Usyk must now concentrate on adding another British boxer to his win column after previously defeating Tony Bellew, Derek Chisora and Joshua.
Dragon Leader blew his rivals out of the water with a runaway victory in the Goffs UK Harry Beeby Premier Yearling Stakes at York.
The Clive Cox-trained colt had won both career starts going into the race, taking a pair of Salisbury novices and subsequently arriving at York well-fancied as the 7-2 joint-favourite.
Under Ryan Moore he made light work of a big field, surging into an unassailable lead to score by an impressive four and a half lengths from fellow market leader Ziggy’s Condor, in scenes almost reminiscent of Mums Tipple in the 2019 renewal.
Cox said: “We liked him and that’s three from three, so it was no surprise (to see him win), but to do it quite as comfortably as he did was great.
“Ryan got into a really nice rhythm and to see him kick like he did was amazing, so we’re very happy.
“It means a great deal to win Harry Beeby’s race as he was a very close friend.
“Ryan is top drawer and I think our strike-rate is pretty good when he does occasionally dip in, but a lot of thanks goes to John Fahy who worked hard on this horse in the spring as well.
“He’s in the sales race at Doncaster (Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes), which is a jolly nice prize as well. His median value qualifies him really nicely for that, but we’ll just see how we go.
“That was always the intention, but we’ll be thinking about that (Group races) properly as well.”
Dragon Leader blew his rivals out of the water with a runaway victory in the Goffs UK Harry Beeby Premier Yearling Stakes at York.
The Clive Cox-trained colt had won both career starts going into the race, taking a pair of Salisbury novices and subsequently arriving at York well-fancied as the 7-2 joint-favourite.
Under Ryan Moore he made light work of a big field, surging into an unassailable lead to score by an impressive four and a half lengths from fellow market leader Ziggy’s Condor, in scenes almost reminiscent of Mums Tipple in the 2019 renewal.
Cox said: “We liked him and that’s three from three, so it was no surprise (to see him win), but to do it quite as comfortably as he did was great.
“Ryan got into a really nice rhythm and to see him kick like he did was amazing, so we’re very happy.
“It means a great deal to win Harry Beeby’s race as he was a very close friend.
“Ryan is top drawer and I think our strike-rate is pretty good when he does occasionally dip in, but a lot of thanks goes to John Fahy who worked hard on this horse in the spring as well.
“He’s in the sales race at Doncaster (Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes), which is a jolly nice prize as well. His median value qualifies him really nicely for that, but we’ll just see how we go.
“That was always the intention, but we’ll be thinking about that (Group races) properly as well.”
A limited number of replica Mary Earps goalkeeping shirts are finally being made available to buy by England kit manufacturer Nike.
Earps had said prior to the World Cup it was “hugely disappointing and very hurtful” that the replica kits were not available to purchase.
Calls for Nike to put things right have grown louder over the last week – including from former sports minister Tracey Crouch – after Earps saved a penalty for England in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain, with the Lionesses ultimately slipping to a 1-0 defeat.
And the company has now acted, with a spokesperson saying on Thursday: “We’ve seen and share the unprecedented passion and interest in women’s football this year and remain committed to playing our part by offering the best products and services to athletes and fans.
“We invested more in this year’s World Cup than any other global tournament to date. Nike has secured limited quantities of goalkeeper jerseys for England, (the United States), France and the Netherlands to be sold through the federation websites over the coming days, and we are also in conversations with our other federation partners.
“We recognise that during the tournament we didn’t serve those fans who wished to show their passion and support to the squad’s goalkeepers. We are committed to retailing women’s goalkeeping jerseys for major tournaments in the future.”
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will look to sign a centre-back after Cameron Carter-Vickers and Maik Nawrocki were ruled out for eight weeks.
Carter-Vickers went off halfway through Celtic’s recent league win over Aberdeen with a hamstring issue and the problem is worse than first feared.
Summer signing Nawrocki pulled up with with a similar problem towards the end of Celtic’s Viaplay Cup defeat at Kilmarnock on Sunday.
Rodgers was already facing at least the same amount of time without Stephen Welsh, who has had ankle surgery.
The Celtic boss, whose team host St Johnstone on Saturday, said: “It is obviously disappointing for us in terms of Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki and Stephen Welsh, probably about eight weeks.
“Stephen Welsh had an operation just the other day so he has come through that well.
“The other two we were hopeful would come back sooner, but we sought further scans on them and it puts them probably about eight weeks from now.”
When asked if he would look for reinforcements in that area ahead of next week’s transfer deadline, Rodgers said: “I think we have to look at it, there’s no doubt. It’s an area that we are light on.
“When you are losing three players for that length of time, and knowing the number of games we will have and the importance of every game, then it’s definitely something we have to look at.”
England’s troubled build-up to the World Cup continued with the news that Anthony Watson will miss the entire tournament because of a calf problem.
In the week Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola were issued with bans that rule them out of the critical opener against Argentina, Steve Borthwick has now lost a first choice wing.
Watson sustained the damage in Saturday’s 29-10 rout by Ireland and has been replaced in the 33-man World Cup squad by Jonny May, who starts Saturday’s clash with Fiji.
Relief Rally flew up the stands side rail to land the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at York.
William Haggas’ filly was a three-time winner coming into the Group Two contest and started as the 2-1 favourite under Tom Marquand after victory in the Super Sprint at Newbury.
Ridden patiently on her first try at six furlongs, the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned bay began to make headway in the final furlong and pulled away as the line approached to prevail ahead of Aidan O’Brien’s Cherry Blossom.
Ireland have handed a full international debut to hooker Tom Stewart for Saturday’s clash with Samoa as they sweat on the fitness of Dan Sheehan ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
Ulster player Stewart won his first Test cap as a replacement during his country’s 33-17 victory over Italy at the start of the month.
The 22-year-old now has a further chance to stake his claim for a place in Andy Farrell’s final 33-man selection for the upcoming tournament in France when Ireland conclude their warm-up fixtures in Bayonne.
Head coach Farrell, who has made 12 personnel changes to the starting XV which began Saturday’s resounding 29-10 win over England, potentially has problems in the number two position.
First-choice starter Sheehan has remained in Dublin for assessment on the foot issue which forced him off in the first half against Steve Borthwick’s side, while fellow Leinster hooker Ronan Kelleher is yet to play competitively this summer due to a hamstring problem.
Rob Herring will provide back-up for provincial team-mate Stewart from the bench after coming on to replace Sheehan last weekend at the Aviva Stadium. Uncapped Munster hooker Diarmuid Barron is also with the group in south-west France.
Saturday evening’s match at Stade Jean Dauger is a final audition for players before Farrell names his World Cup squad on Monday afternoon.
Stuart McCloskey has another chance to impress at inside centre, while Jack Crowley will partner Munster team-mate Conor Murray in the half-back positions in the final match of captain Johnny Sexton’s three-game ban.
International rookie Stewart will be joined in the front row by props Cian Healy and Finlay Bealham, with Iain Henderson skippering the side from the second row, where he will pack down with Tadhg Beirne.
Caelan Doris returns at number eight in an all-Leinster back row, joining Ryan Baird and reigning world player of the year Josh Van Der Flier.
Centre Robbie Henshaw, wings Keith Earls and Mack Hansen, and full-back Jimmy O’Brien also start.
Props Jeremy Loughman and Tom O’Toole, lock James Ryan, flanker Peter O’Mahony, scrum-half Craig Casey, fly-half Ross Byrne and centre Garry Ringrose join Herring on the bench.
Ulster wing Jacob Stockdale and Leinster fly-half Ciaran Frawley are among those left out with World Cup selection looming.
In a poignant moment that encapsulated the emotional depth of his victory, Kyron McMaster paid a heartfelt tribute to his mother, Jocelyn, after securing a historic silver medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. The 26-year-old hurdler from the British Virgin Islands not only etched his name into the annals of his country's athletics history but also dedicated his triumph to the person who stood unwaveringly by his side throughout his journey.
As the first athlete from the British Virgin Islands to clinch a medal at an outdoor global athletics championship, McMaster's achievement was laden with significance. Yet, amidst the jubilation and celebrations that followed his silver medal win in the 400m hurdles, McMaster's first instinct was to honor his mother's enduring support.
“Basically, it goes back to the early beginnings. My mom used to wake up 4:30 in the mornings, drop me at training with Coach Dag Samuels. So she’s been there from the beginning and made a lot of sacrifices. She’s been there. She understands me. She understands what I wanted to achieve, my paps, too, he understood, everybody understood.”
On the occasion of her birthday, McMaster walked over to his mother and gently placed the replica silver medal around her neck, saying ‘Mom, this is for you’. The act was a poignant gesture of appreciation, a tangible symbol of gratitude for her steadfast presence, and a reflection of the sacrifices she had made along his path to success.
The silver medal, achieved with a remarkable time of 47.34 seconds in the 400m hurdles, not only marked McMaster's personal triumph but also a moment of profound connection between a son and his mother. With tears of joy and pride shining in both their eyes, McMaster's tribute encapsulated the depth of his gratitude for her sacrifices and encouragement, even during the times when success seemed elusive.
Reflecting on the significance of the moment, McMaster shared: "It meant a lot. A lot because my mom’s been to a few of my games where we wanted to deliver a medal and I just couldn’t deliver for her at certain points. I didn’t want her to fly to Budapest for nothing. That would have broken my heart if I couldn’t deliver again, but she is going home with a silver medal."
McMaster's journey to this remarkable achievement was marked by challenges and setbacks, including previous global disappointments. A two-time Commonwealth Games champion and Diamond League champion, McMaster had, prior to Wednesday, always came up short on the global stage.
At the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon he suffered a hamstring injury during the preliminary rounds and took no further part in the competition. At the championships in 2017, he was disqualified. In Doha in 2019, he was fourth and at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics he was also fourth in a time of 47.08, a time that would have won him gold in every other Olympic year except for that year and in 1992 when Kevin Young ran a world record 46.78 to win.
However, this time, he broke free from the shadow of past struggles to secure his place on the podium.
The silver medal, earned behind Norway's Karsten Warholm's gold-winning performance, resonates as a testament to McMaster's resilience and his mother's unyielding support. Through this touching tribute, the hurdler's win becomes a shared victory—a celebration not just of his athletic prowess, but also of the bond between a son and the woman who helped shape his path to glory
Kylian takes the step up to six furlongs as he attempts to enhance his growing reputation in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York.
The colt has had a busy and successful juvenile campaign so far, running with promise in a handful of novices before winning the Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown by an impressive six lengths.
He then went to the Molecomb at Goodwood and was beaten only by Mick Appleby’s Royal Ascot scorer Big Evs, who prevailed by a length and a half and was supplemented for the Nunthorpe as a result.
Kylian stays among his own age group, however, and heads the market ahead of this Group Two six-furlong assignment with connections retaining plenty of faith in the son of Invincible Spirit.
“I think he has got the speed for five, but he was just drawn out on the wing at Goodwood and by the time Ryan (Moore) managed to get him across to the stands rail he was already three or four lengths behind the front two,” explained Philip Robinson, assistant racing manager for owner Sheikh Hamed Dalmook Al Maktoum.
“He finished very strongly and he looks like he will get the six – Ryan thinks it will be better for him. He’s favourite and I think rightly so.
“You don’t see many win as far as he did over five furlongs and I think he is a very useful horse.”
Aidan O’Brien saddles the sole Irish-trained representative in Johannes Brahms, winner of a Naas maiden and second to Big Evs in the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot.
Richard Hannon’s Haatem lines up after his one-length success in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, before which he was second to the highly-regarded City Of Troy in the Superlative Stakes.
Ralph Beckett has a runner in the Kingman colt King’s Gamble, winner of his only start to date when taking a Newmarket novice in early August.
That success was fairly decisive as he won by a length and a quarter, and connections were clearly convinced to supplement him for his chance at Group Two level.
“We supplemented him and his sectionals and figures looked very good at Newmarket that Friday,” said Joe Foley, racing manager for owners Clipper Logistics.
“He’s a horse that we will probably step up to seven soon, but Danny Tudhope) thought he showed a lot of speed that day and the sectionals backed that up, so we thought we would give the Gimcrack a go. There’s only one Gimcrack every year.”
Elsewhere is Archie Watson’s Action Point, well behind Big Evs in the Windsor Castle but the winner of the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury in July.
Richard Fahey’s Emperor’s Son takes his chance, as does William Haggas’ Lake Forest and Kevin Ryan’s Jehangeer.
The Alice Haynes-trained duo of Power Mode and Hala Emaraaty, fourth behind Vandeek in the Richmond Stakes, complete the field.
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