"Bonkers" - Liam Keen analysis after Wolves' Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea
Enzo Maresca must upgrade Chelsea’s defence in the January transfer window to resurrect their Premier League hopes
Given Chelsea’s massive £285m expenditure, it felt somewhat surprising even during the transfer window none of their 10 arrivals were defenders apart from Mamadou Sarr, who was loaned straight back to RC Strasbourg, and 19-year-old Jorrel Hato.
Instead four of the six attackers they brought in (at a cost of over £100m) have combined for 546 Premier League minutes and one goal contribution while Enzo Maresca’s side boast the joint-10th best defensive record in the top flight. Still, at least it’s better than their disciplinary record.
Liverpool disaster gives Guehi food for thought
As the rain poured down on a brolly-less Arne Slot at Anfield on Wednesday as his side were torn apart by Crystal Palace, the Dutchman resembled Rishi Sunak announcing the 2024 general election and his own execution as Prime Minister - out of ideas, soaking, doomed, And for the second time this season, Guehi had the best ticket in the house to watch Liverpool implode, in a game that indicates The Eagles could be more likely to win silverware this season than Slot’s Reds.
Up against a youthful side that still possessed plenty of talent and pedigree through Milos Kerkez, Joe Gomez, Federico Chiesa, Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Rio Ngumoha, Liverpool put up their most disappointing home display in years with the worst combination of a leaky defence and toothless attack.
The Reds’ sixth defeat in seven games since The Eagles handed Slot his first loss of the season in September leaves Liverpool rapidly running out of options in 2025/26. Guehi may well be counting his lucky stars that Oliver Glasner kept him hostage at Liverpool in the summer.
Crystal Palace have reportedly committed to cashing in on Guehi this January, but the 25-year-old should seriously consider whether he really wants to swap London for Merseyside. His £35m deal only collapsed as The Eagles failed to find a replacement, but two months later Chelsea look closer to a Premier League title and have an obvious starting berth available to Guehi.
Guehi can replicate Carvalho impact in and out of possession for Chelsea
A centre-back who came through the Chelsea youth ranks and could potentially captain both England and The Blues, the lazy comparison for Guehi is John Terry. But it’s Terry’s centre-back partner in the greatest defensive season English football has ever seen, Riccardo Carvalho, who is more similar.
Arguably Chelsea’s greatest ever player, Terry thrived on how he matched his intelligence and tactical acumen with his physicality and tough tackling rather than pace and technical ability. Guehi’s also never been put on trial for racist abuse, so there’s another difference.
It’s interesting to wonder whether he could enjoy the same level of success playing in modern football and while Guehi will never be as terrifying to face as Terry, he (or prime Carvalho) are more suited to what they’ll need in 2026. Meanwhile Carvalho’s defensive solidity combined with his ability to move the ball up the pitch was a major part of Chelsea’s first three Premier League triumphs and it’s no coincidence that their goal difference virtually halved when he departed for Real Madrid.
Guehi and Levi Colwill could be a supreme centre-back pairing and while The Blues could still use an upgrade at goalkeeper, that defensive core would resemble a title-winning trio much better than Chelsea’s current offer. Maresca also has the obvious advantage of allowing Guehi to remain in London rather than relocating to the north, at a club the defender knows well.
While Chlesea ultimately deemed Guehi surplus to requirements, it will be difficult for the defender to completely discount the 14 years he spent at the club, starting aged seven.
Crystal Palace’s January valuation of Guehi is yet to be revealed but they’ll hope to recoup most or all of the £18 million they paid for the England star back in 2021, and if so it will go down as one of the best deals of the 2020s given he’s taken Palace to an FA Cup and Community Shield.
Or Chelsea can miss out on Guehi a second time, watching Liverpool steal him away from London and turn him into a cornerstone of a star-studded team capable of beating Chelsea to league and knockout silverware into the 2030s. Your call, Enzo.
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