In our look at the latest Chelsea-related news stories from the media, Julen Lopetegui believes Chelsea are the best attacking side in England and Joan Jordan reveals he used to watch Frank Lampard growing up.
These stories are samples pulled from external media sources. They do not represent the views or position of Chelsea Football Club.
Sevilla boss names Blues England’s best attacking team
Sevilla manager Julen Lopetegui has been very impressed with the Blues this season and believes they are the best attacking team in the Premier League.
Chelsea this week have been preparing to face the Europa League reigning champions in matchday five of the Champions League.
With both teams having secured qualification for the next round, our trip to Sevilla could determine who finishes at the top of Group E.
‘It’s a huge and exciting challenge against a team who could win the Champions League,’ the head coach said describing the fixture to the Daily Mail.
‘They are the best attacking team in England at the moment, they have great players.
‘It’s a real excitement to play against them and it motivates us to play our best.’
The last time we faced Sevilla it was a stalemate 0-0 at Stamford Bridge. Since then, Frank Lampard’s team has shown much improvement in front of goal like Lopetegui stated.
Spanish star on Lampard’s influence
Spanish midfielder Joan Jordan has revealed Frank Lampard as one of his big influences when growing up.
Jordan told The Athletic when his volley went over the bar at Stamford Bridge during Sevilla’s last visit, his movement to arrive late in the box was a trait he learnt from the Chelsea head coach in his playing days.
‘I remember watching quite a lot of Lampard when I was growing up, he was a top, top, top player,’ Jordan said.
‘What really sticks is the way he arrived late in the box, that was spectacular. It is something very difficult, that he made look easy. I watched him a lot, many of his games. He finished each season having scored lots of goals.’
As a Spanish midfielder, those who watch the player state that he doesn’t really fit the ‘tiki-taka’ mould of a player in Spain, but a rather a box-to-box midfielder like those found in England.
‘I remember Steven Gerrard too, talking about the Premier League,’ the Sevilla midfielder said. ‘He and Lampard were standout players, especially when they got forward, arriving late from the second line.
‘I always looked at all the little details I could, from many different players, to become a more complete player myself.'
Chelsea monitoring Brighton centre-back
Ben White has continued to impress and the Brighton defender’s stats show him as being the fourth-best performing centre-back in the Premier League, Sky Sports reports.
After helping Leeds win promotion last season while on loan, White has started all 10 Premier League games this season, with Chelsea said to be one of several top clubs watching his progress with interest.
According to Wyscout, a digital scouting service, White ranks as the fourth-best performing defender in the league. Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma are the two Blues defenders that join him in the top five.
Chelsea are not the only club looking to bring another centre-back in, with Manchester United and Liverpool among some of the clubs keeping an eye on the 23-year-old.
White recently signed a new four-year contract with the Seagulls.