CHELSEA fans chanted “OK, it’s over” after discovering Anthony Taylor will take charge of their Premier League opener against Manchester City.
Enzo Maresca will lead his team at Stamford Bridge on Sunday before going head to head with former teammate Pep Guardiola.
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Big things are expected from the Italian after yet another summer splurge.
And Chelsea’s squad could get even bigger, as this week they target players like João Félix and Victor Osimhen.
However, not even the arrival of the best strikers in the world has managed to convince Chelsea fans that they have a chance of winning this weekend.
This is because former opponent Taylor was confirmed as the game’s referee after a series of controversies in previous seasons.
Taylor, who was born in Wythenshawe, Manchester, has received the ire of Blues fans for a number of key decisions.
In the 2020 FA Cup Final, Taylor was accused of harshly sending off Mateo Kovacic before Chelsea lost to Arsenal.
The following year, Reece James saw red for a debatable handball in the league draw with Liverpool.
And in 2022, Taylor and VAR ignored Cristian Romero’s famous hair pulling on Marc Cucurella in the Tottenham penalty area.
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The game ended 2-2, with Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte sent off in a dramatic clash after the whistle.
And Chelsea fans are not holding their breath ahead of another crucial game.
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Chelsea are planning a surprise move for Joao Félix after Samu Omorodion’s move to Stamford Bridge fell through.
In other news, Saudi Pro League clubs are interested in Brentford striker Ivan Toney.
Elsewhere, Martin Zubimendi is a Liverpool target this summer, and the Reds could decide to trigger his £53m release clause soon, according to reports.
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One of them said, “OK, it’s over, let’s move on to the next match.”
Another declared: “Exactly what we needed against Man City.”
One of them noted: “There goes the last hope I had for this game.”
Another added: “How does this keep happening?”
History has certainly not been kind to Chelsea in recent games against Man City.
The Blues are yet to win a game in any competition following their 2021 Champions League final victory.
City have won seven of their last nine games, including their most recent FA Cup semi-final clash.
And after Mauricio Pochettino secured draws in both of last season’s league games, Maresca will be hoping to at least share the points on Sunday.
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