Thomas Tuchel is worried Mateo Kovacic may have sustained a "major injury" in the awful challenge from Dan James that reduced Leeds United to 10 men in Chelsea's 3-0 win on Wednesday.
Needing three points to get back on track in their pursuit of Champions League qualification, Chelsea's task was made easier at Elland Road by James' first-half red card.
In similar fashion to Luke Ayling's dismissal at Arsenal in Leeds' previous game, James lunged in on Kovacic, getting the ball but then planting his studs in his opponent's ankle.
That earned the 99th card of Leeds' league season and was soon followed by a landmark 100th (Kalvin Phillips' booking) – a Premier League first and evidence of the relegation battlers' ill discipline.
Chelsea, already 1-0 up through Mason Mount, took advantage with goals from Christian Pulisic and Romelu Lukaku, although Tuchel surely would have preferred to play against 11 men and not lose Kovacic to injury days before the FA Cup final.
"If we did not have the major injury to Mateo Kovacic, it would have been close to a perfect evening," Tuchel told BBC Sport. "It was a very strong performance from the start.
"We accepted all the obstacles we'd have to face – a physical team and an emotional stadium. We were strong from the beginning and deserved to win.
"We never dropped in concentration. We stayed very disciplined to avoid any chance of offensive transition. We did what we had to do at a very high level."
On Kovacic's injury, the Chelsea coach added: "It looks swollen and painful. It's the same ankle he had injured already. It doesn't look good."
Kovacic was involved in an exchange with Leeds supporters as he made his way off, with the strugglers' home stadium again proving anything but a fortress.
Leeds have lost nine games and conceded 37 goals at Elland Road this season, both their second-worst home returns in top-flight seasons (10 defeats in 1946-47, 46 goals conceded in 1959-60).
It allowed Chelsea to complete their first top-flight double over Leeds since 1936-37.
"I'm gutted," Jesse Marsch added. "We give up an early goal and go down a man again – deja vu from the Arsenal game – against a real big opponent."
Arsenal ready to write a different story – Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta believes Champions League quarter-final success against Bayern Munich will take Arsenal to the next level as he told his players to “write a different story” at the Allianz Arena.
The Gunners head into Wednesday’s second leg locked at 2-2 with Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern after a thrilling draw at the Emirates Stadium last week.
Defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday has since dented Arsenal’s Premier League title bid as attention now turns to Europe once again.
Arsenal had lost seven last-16 ties in succession before returning to the Champions League this season – three times to Bayern.
Arteta, though, feels reaching a semi-final against either holders Manchester City or record 14-time winners Real Madrid would elevate Arsenal.
Asked how transformative victory would be and whether it would take Arsenal to the next level, the Spaniard replied: “Absolutely.
“It would be unbelievable. If we make it happen tomorrow and we’re in the semi-final, we’ll be in a really high emotional state with something that we haven’t achieved in 15 years and that’s the opportunity.
“All the preparation has been to achieve that. We have earned it. We have earned it for 10 months and everything we did last season, to start our journey in the Champions League after so many years.
“Tomorrow we have an unbelievable opportunity to make it happen.”
Arteta has overseen a sea change in approach to big away games this season, ripping up the recent form books and guiding Arsenal to draws at title rivals City and Liverpool.
They have lost 5-1 on their last two visits to the Allianz – but Arteta wants another memorable away performance to redress more recent history.
“We have to change it and the opportunity comes there,” he added.
“There are lots of things we can do to write our story very differently tomorrow, we know that and it is going to be about putting in a very, very strong performance collectively and individually to earn the right to be in the semi-final.
“Most of our players haven’t experienced a night like this, this is going to be the first one, they are super-motivated, they are prepared, they feel confident and it is something that tomorrow we are going to have to show against an opponent that has this experience – but we want to make it happen.”
Old Trafford regeneration task force meet for first time
Manchester United’s regeneration task force charged with exploring the redevelopment of Old Trafford has met for the first time.
Lord Coe, chair of a group that also includes Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and former United captain Gary Neville, oversaw the meeting that took place on Monday.
United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is looking to build a world-class stadium by either redeveloping Old Trafford or constructing a new ground on adjacent land owned by the Premier League club.
“Yesterday, I chaired the first meeting of the Old Trafford regeneration task force to kick off a conversation about how development of a world-class football stadium for the north of England can deliver social and economic benefits for the region,” London 2012 chief Coe said on X.
“At the London 2012 Olympics, I saw first-hand how sport can be a powerful driver of urban regeneration and I am excited to be part of this project.
“This meeting marked the start of a multi-stakeholder process to explore options for the stadium and surrounding area. We are at the start of this journey, and it is too soon to know where it will lead.
“But we will consult closely with fans and local residents along the way, and keep everyone informed of progress.”
Ratcliffe has described the plans to build a new ground and regenerate the Old Trafford area as a “once-in-a-century opportunity”.
With redevelopment of the existing site costing in the region of £1billion and building a new stadium altogether requiring a £2billion outlay, the task force will also examine options for financing the project.
I owe everything to him – Trent Alexander-Arnold grateful to Jurgen Klopp
Trent Alexander-Arnold says he owes everything to Jurgen Klopp and believes the Liverpool manager’s impending departure could feed into the title-race drama.
Reigning champions Manchester City sit top of the Premier League pile with six matches remaining after second-placed Arsenal and the third-spotted Reds suffered shock defeats on Sunday.
Liverpool’s 1-0 home loss to Crystal Palace compounded Thursday’s 3-0 Europa League quarter-final defeat at the hands of Atalanta in what could prove Klopp’s final European night at Anfield.
Alexander-Arnold made his return from two months out with a knee injury in the Eagles encounter and expects more “twists and turns” as the popular German’s final season in charge comes to an end.
“I think experience is a massive part of it,” the Liverpool academy product told The Overlap podcast.
“Obviously the other two teams will have experience from last season. They had their own title race within themselves.”
Asked if Klopp leaving and the emotion around gives Liverpool an edge in the run-in, Alexander-Arnold said: “I think he will feed into that, the further it goes.
“Let’s say we get into May, the start of May, and it’s still that tight, then he’ll start to feed into how it’s going to look, how it could feel. Up until then, we just need to try and stay (composed).
“He never says, ‘We’re trying to win the league, we’re going to win the league’.
“He doesn’t really speak about it. It’s more, ‘We’re going to get the most out of ourselves, we’re going to squeeze every drop of potential’.
“There will be twists and turns, no matter what.”
Liverpool are hoping for an almighty change in fortunes at Atalanta on Thursday, when the second leg could see Alexander-Arnold make his first start since February 10.
Every one of his appearances for his boyhood club have come under Klopp, to whom the homegrown star is eternally grateful.
“Incredible, really,” Alexander-Arnold said. “I owe everything to him, really, as a player.
“I was thinking about this recently. The only thing you can ever ask for as a young player is opportunity.
“All you can do is hope that when you get to 18, 19, you’ve got a manager that’s willing to give you a chance and I was fortunate enough to have that.
View this post on Instagram“Not only that, he put his arm round me and guided me through it, through the ups and downs, the winning of stuff, losing things.
“Good games, bad games, because your first bad game you think you’re never going to kick a ball again. You think, ‘I’m done’.”
Alexander-Arnold is expecting it to feel “weird” returning to pre-season without Klopp, although he likes the idea of a “new challenge” under an as yet undetermined new boss.
The 25-year-old will likely return late to Liverpool given England are among the favourites for Euro 2024, at which Gareth Southgate has a midfield role in mind for him.
Asked whether he sees himself as a midfielder or a right-back, Alexander-Arnold said: “I’d probably say I still see myself as a right-back.
“I see myself as someone who can probably play in both positions if needed.
“But I think my focus, until I’m told otherwise by the gaffer, is that I’m still a right-back.
“I come inside and I play inside when we have the got ball, but essentially, when you write the team-sheet, I am a right-back.”
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