Chelsea News

NEW DEAL FOR DAVID LUIZ

The Brazilian international committed his future to Chelsea shortly after playing in Saturday afternoon's 1-0 win over Stoke, and will extend a career at the club that began in January 2011.

'I am very happy to sign a new contract with Chelsea,' said David Luiz.

'It is a great club and I look forward to winning more trophies here. I want to play for a long time at the top level - which is what playing for Chelsea means. I love everything about the club and especially the fans, who have made me very welcome and given me great support.'

The defender has started 55 games with four further substitute appearances. He has scored five goals.

His first full season at the club ended in glory in Munich. He overcame a hamstring injury suffered in the FA Cup semi-final (which forced him to miss the final) to play in the Champions League Final and smashed home a penalty in the decisive shoot-out.

This season the 25-year-old has started all but one game and was recently captain of Brazil in two internationals.

Cole rejects one-year Chelsea contract

Ashley Cole has rejected a new one-year contract from Chelsea, and could sign a pre-contract agreement with another club in January if no deal is reached.

Cole, 31, earns around £130,000-a-week at Stamford Bridge and his old Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, now at Real Madrid, is keeping a close eye on developments, while another old boss, Carlo Ancelotti, would willingly take him to PSG next summer, when the England left-back would be a free agent.

Blues manager Roberto Di Matteo stated on Sunday that he was "optimistic" that Cole's contract would be sorted out and that he will stay; however, the offer of a one-year deal has been firmly rejected, and it is the length of any new contract that is presently the sticking point.

"The club have a policy that anyone who is over 30 years of age is offered a short-term new contract. Ashley is 31, but he is fit and still at the peak of his form, but so far all that has been offered is a one-year deal. Whether that included a pay rise is irrelevant as Ashley was hoping for more than one extra year.

"As it stands that leaves Ashley free to talk to clubs and to actually sign for a new club from January onwards, and that clearly is an option unless something changes from Chelsea's end. There are no further negotiations planned as far as can be seen, but that now depends on Chelsea.

"Clearly this policy resulted in Didier Drogba leaving the club in the summer and it could mean Ashley leaving."

Cole has made it clear publicly that he wants to see out his entire career with the Blues, and Di Matteo clearly believes that the player's desire to stay at the Bridge will swing the decision towards Chelsea.

But the ESPN source added: "These type of issues are not dealt with by the manager but by the club, and therefore it is not about whether the manger is optimistic or not. Everyone knows Ashley wants to stay, but as yet the club have offered a one-year deal and that was immediately turned down."

Former England Captain John Terry Retires from International Football

With his Football Association hearing over his alleged racial abuse of Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand looming, John Terry has announced his retirement from the England national team. 

Mail Online's Martin Samuel reported the news, and the BBC passed along this quote from Terry on the subject: 

I feel the FA, in pursuing charges against me where I have already been cleared in a court of law, have made my position with the national team untenable.

The FA meeting was scheduled for Monday.

As the BBC also notes, Terry, who also plays for Chelsea, "was cleared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in July."

So the untenable situation leaves England without a supremely experienced player.

Terry has 78 caps in his fine international career, and while it is under regrettable circumstances that his international career will come to a close, it is not all that surprising. Terry is no stranger to controversy. 

After making his debut for England in 2003, Terry, 31, became the captain of the Three Lions only to have that stripped twice for off-the-field issues.

While Terry obviously had external factors leading into this decision, it does not change the fact that the timing of this announcement puts his former team in a bind. 

Terry thanked his England coaches and teammates, but it does not change the fact that this was a selfish decision. He is clearly waging in a petty fight with the FA. 

While this is not to belittle a man trying to stick to his principles, there is a time when those should be put aside for the better of the team. This is definitely one of those times. 

World Cup qualifiers take place next month, and now England manager Roy Hodgson is left with a position to fill. 

Source: BleacherReport

Chelsea 3 - 3 Manchester United

Wayne Rooney & Chicharito lead astonishing comeback as visitors recover from three goals down

The Red Devils come from 3-0 down to rescue a point at the Bridge after an Evans own goal, Juan Mata and David Luiz gave AVB's men the lead in a thrilling Premier League clash

Two penalties from Wayne Rooney brought Manchester United back from the dead to draw 3-3 with Chelsea in a pulsating game at Stamford Bridge.

The hosts were riding high on a three-goal lead shortly before the hour mark, with an own goals from Jonny Evans and a David Luiz header either side of a Juan Mata stunner giving the Blues the advantage.

But United unleashed a second-half onslaught to rescue a point at the Bridge, with Rooney and Javier Hernandez the heroes for the Red Devils.

United went into the game having failed to win in their last nine visits to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, and looked to the returning duo of Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young to spearhead the attack along with Danny Welbeck.

Chelsea, meanwhile, handed a first start to new signing Gary Cahill, with skipper John Terry ruled out through injury.

The game had the feel of a usual heavyweight bout in the opening twenty minutes, with each side attempting to edge their way in to the game without leaving themselves exposed to the counter attack.

United had the lions’ share of possession in the opening exchanges, and looked the more likely to break the deadlock as Rooney and Welbeck began to combine well up top. 

The visitors were left to feel aggrieved with referee Howard Webb as they had two strong penalty appeals turned down within the space of ten minutes: first Young went over under a nudge from Jose Bosingwa, then Welbeck was felled by Cahill as he ran through on goal, but neither decision went the way of the Red Devils.

The game remained fairly balanced towards the end of the half, but then out of the blue, the Blues struck the first blow.

Juan Mata and Fernando Torres worked the space to the left of United’s penalty area, and Daniel Sturridge wove his way in behind Patrice Evra before running at the near post. His cut-back took a nick of David De Gea’s outstretched leg before striking Jonny Evans in the chest at nestling in the back of the net.

The goal brought the game to life, as Sturridge then tested De Gea from distance before a United onslaught closed out the first half, with Petr Cech denying Rooney on two occasions and Welbeck from close range.

David Luiz thought he'd won it for Chelsea before United's stunning comeback

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side looked the most likely to grab the next goal, but just forty seconds after the restart, Chelsea doubled their lead in emphatic style.

Torres got the ball in space on the right flank, and picked out Mata with a pin-point cross before the former Valencia man rifled home a sumptuous volley from inside the area.

And just five minutes later, Villas-Boas’ side had a third, after Mata’s free-kick was flicked on by David Luiz and turned home by Rio Ferdinand’s shoulder.

It was further insult to the England international, as he suffered a torrent of abuse from the home fans throughout due to the on-going race row between his brother Anton and John Terry.

Desperate for a way back in to the game, Ferguson threw on Javier Hernandez to bolster the attack, and shortly before the hour mark, United grabbed a lifeline.

Sturridge brought down Evra inside the Chelsea box, and it was third time lucky for the visitors as referee Webb pointed to the spot. Rooney crashed home the ensuing penalty in to the top right-hand corner to keep his side in the game.

With such an open game, chances were coming thick and fast. De Gea had to get down low to save from Malouda, whilst Cech denied Rooney from the edge of the area after good link-up play between the England man and Hernandez.

But it was the Champions who struck next, again from a Rooney penalty, after Welbeck was caught by the outstretched leg of Ivanovic following good work from Hernandez.

The Bridge had gone from rocking to rocky, and it almost got worse for the hosts when substitute Oriol Romeu gave the ball away in his own half, but Hernandez could only fire wide across goal after being played in by Giggs.

Torres was then gifted a golden opportunity as a simple ball bounced over Evans’ head, but the Spaniard dallied on the ball after driving goalwards and was eventually robbed by Valencia.

And with less than ten minutes to go, Torres – and Chelsea – were left to rue that miss, as United's famous comeback was completed.

Valencia and Welbeck combined well down the right. The former’s cross was gathered in by Rooney, whose shot was parried by Cech to Giggs before the Welsh veteran picked out Hernandez with a cross to and the Mexican headed home the equaliser.

Chelsea could have stolen the three points at the death when Mata's free-kick seemed destined for the top corner, but De Gea did brilliantly to turn the ball behind.

In the end, the sides had to settle for a point apiece from a match which will rightly go down in the annals of Premier League classics.

Source: goal.com