[NoSkillz]

Sun. October 6, 2024

Barclays Premier League
Chelsea (4-1-1, 13 points, 5th) vs. Dover (4-1-1, 13 points, 6th)
Zola Stadium, London, UK

Betting Odds: Chelsea: 5-4 (Favourites) Draw: 11-5 Dover: 7-4
Past Meetings: 3W 4D 7L

We’re currently in a dead heat with Chelsea on the table but they are ahead due to better goal differential. After winning the league in 2022/23, they fell back a bit last year, finishing in fifth place and dropping down to the Europa League this term. Romelu Lukaku has led the team in scoring six years in a row and in nine of the past 12. He’s 31 years old but still producing, with 7 goals through 9 games this year already. Chelsea added six players in the transfer window, spending £38 million, with £22 million spent on Hoffenheim DC Makarani Mumbara. They will be missing influential winger Miguel Sousa today due to injury.

Our own injury woes are well-documented, as we are down to one healthy striker in Chiquinho, as Zoltan Bardi, Paul Moses, Manuel Lugo and now Andy Broomes are all sidelined. Broomes should be back after the upcoming international break so he’ll only miss today’s game. The others are all on the long-term injury list, with Bardi the closest to returning. Normal right midfielder Graham Allan is going to play up front with Chiquinho today in our flat 4-4-2. I’ve also called up 18 year old Alberto Velazquez from the U18s - he’s been absolutely lighting it up with the youngsters and may come on as a substitute. Benedikt Raab was sensational last game and will get a second consecutive start, this time spelling Neil Cairney. Rafinha will play at DL today, as Renato Gaucho has been mistake-prone in our last two games and will get the day off. Saber Nasri is in for the injured Rayane Hamon - Hamon should also be back on the pitch after the international break. Manuel Perez is in goal. We’re going to start with a counter attacking mentality on the road today.

Dover: 4-4-2 Counter
GK - M. Perez
D - Rafinha, C. Contreras, R. Hamon, S. Loucif
M - A. Bamba, B. Raab, Jose, G. Bolis
S - G. Allan, Chiquinho
Bench - Emerson, M. Yilmaz, E. Harvey, A. Rocca, L. Kunchev, M. Pedersen, A. Velazquez

Chelsea play a 4-2-3-1 and Lukaku is alone up front with seven goal man Luis Carballo sitting in behind. Rafael Romo is in goal - he always plays great against us. Lets play well for the travelling support!

26’ - We started out well but Chelsea have dominated possession the last fifteen minutes. We get a corner and Benedikt Raab crosses to the near post. Saber Nasri heads it towards goal and it first hits Chelsea midfielder Ignacio Villa then deflects off Tony Nijhuis and just barely crosses over the goal line! An own goal and we lead! DOVER GOAL 1-0

29’ - Now it’s Chelsea with a corner and the cross is also to the near post. The ball hits off the back of midfielder Ronald Gimenez and goes IN. Geez. CHELSEA GOAL 1-1

33’ - We have a throw in down the right flank and Bolis sends it in to Chiquinho. He delivers a quick pass to the outer edge of the area to Jose and our midfielder sends a quick SWERVING blast that curls off the finger tips of a diving Romo and it’s IN! “We’ll be seeing that goal for some time”, bellows the announcer! A world-class strike from Jose and we’re back in the lead! DOVER GOAL 2-1

HALFTIME - Chelsea held 52% of possession but we outshoot them 10-6 (2-2 on target). Not a bad half. Graham Allan looks lost playing striker though. I try to encourage the team - I don’t think a one goal lead is enough right now.

67’ - And I’m right, as Romelu Lukaku shows his class with a turnaround shot from some 30 yards out that is past a diving Perez and into the corner of the goal. Sensational strike there. CHELSEA GOAL 2-2

75’ - Gianluca Bolis is tired so I move Allan to his position and bring in 18 year old Alberto Velazquez for his first senior level game. Against Chelsea…not ideal but we need some inspiration up front.

78’ - Chelsea with another corner and Luis Carballo’s cross is headed in by new signing Mumbara and Chelsea now LEAD. CHELSEA GOAL 2-3

We take out Arsene Bamba and bring in Mads Pedersen. We move to an overload mentality as well.

VERY disappointing loss. We’re only seven games into the new season and we’ve already lost as many games as we did ALL OF LAST YEAR.

Chelsea 3 - 2 Dover
Goals - Tony Nijhuis OG, Jose (8.3)
Assists - Saber Nasri (6.5), Chiquinho (7.2)
Man of the Match - Jose
Other Dover Notables -
Attendance - 54,144

Possession ended dead even and we outshot them 19-12 but they had six shots on goal and we only had 2. Not good enough and a very disappointing result. The injuries to our strikers are killing us, as our attack lacked cutting edge today. Ugh. This isn’t going to be easy…

-- Arsenal and Middlesbrough both win to keep their spots in the top four and we’re starting to lose touch with that top grouping due to our early season losses.


BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE - STANDINGS
(ALL TEAMS HAVE PLAYED 7 GAMES UNLESS NOTED)

1. Arsenal - 19 points
2. Manchester United - 18 points
3. Middlesbrough - 18 points
4. Chelsea - 16 points
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5. Newcastle - 14 points
6. Dover - 13 points
7. Manchester City - 11 points
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Premier League Team of the Week

-- Jose makes the team of the week for his fine game against Chelsea.



Dover Injury Update

-- Deep breath…Andy Broomes (gashed lower leg) and Rayane Hamon (bruised shin) are close to returning and should be back when this international break is over. Zoltan Bardi (dislocated shoulder) is a couple weeks from resuming training while Paul Moses (torn calf muscle) and Manuel Lugo (broken foot) are both on the long term injury list. We won’t see Moses until late December at best and Lugo likely won’t return until January.



Dover Reserves Update

-- We get a brace from Paolo Secchi, normally a midfielder but playing striker today due to our injuries, as a very weak squad due to international play is able to defeat Fulham’s reserves 4-2. Warren Ward and Neil Evans notch singles.

-- Oh wonderful, another injury to a striker, as U18 star Alberto Velazquez suffers a pulled hamstring and will miss 2-3 weeks. So now we have FIVE STRIKERS injured. Truly bonkers.



Injury Update

-- Woo! Two players return to full training: striker Andy Broomes and Rayane Hamon return but both head away on international duty for England and France respectively. DON’T GET HURT!



International Update

-- Gaining youth caps are Felix Hernandez, Hans Briers, Emerson (one assist in two games), Vlastimil Silhavy, Andy Broomes (two goals) and Marcel Quade.

-- Gaining senior level caps are Mwemere Mutesa (one assist), Salim Loucif, Neil Cairney, Graham Allan, Jose, Chiquinho (three goals in two games), Saber Nasri, Lyubomir Kunchev (one goal in two games), Manuel Perez and Mads Pedersen (two goals and one assist in two games).



Dover U18 Update

-- Despite missing most of our key players due to injury or international fixtures, the U18s wallop Sutton United 5-0. Freddie Laird and Neil Evans both bagged braces while young fullback Eneko Remirez scores as well.



Injury Update

-- OH MY GOD WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!?! Now it’s Graham Allan, a natural wide midfielder equally adept at playing striker getting hurt while playing for Scotland. He breaks his arm and will miss 3-4 weeks. Seriously…we’re back to five strikers being hurt. I’ve never seen anything like this before - we’ve been bleeding for weeks and we’ve almost bled out.

DOVER INJURY: Graham Allan (fractured arm - 3 Weeks)



Dover Reserves Update

-- Showing good scoring ability at striker, normal midfielder Paolo Secchi notches a superb hat trick and now is up to five goals in his last two reserves games as we stroll to a 6-0 win over Arsenal’s reserves. U18 striker Neil Evans scores two goals and Mwemere Mutesa scores a single. Evans also had two assists.



Next Up

-- We try to end a two game winless streak in league play against cellar-dwellers Blackpool in a game at Crabble Athletic Ground.