https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/
chelsea-here-chelsea-there-sterling-impresses-simons-debuts
Chelsea Here Chelsea There: Sterling impresses, Simons debuts and Maatsen
goes top
18 OCT 2022
In the latest round-up of our players out on loan, there is a debut for a
teenager in the Championship and an impressive performance for a defender
in the Potteries, while Ian Maatsen's Burnley rise to the top of England's
second tier…
https://i.imgur.com/08DZ0tz.jpg
Dujon Sterling started his fourth consecutive game for Stoke City as the
Potters won 2-0 away at Preston North End in the Championship. The
22-year-old has been in impressive form in recent weeks deployed in a
variety of defensive roles, most recently at right wing-back at Deepdale as
Alex Neil's side continue their climb up the table.
His display in helping Stoke to a first clean sheet in four matches earned
particular praise from the his boss, with Neil saying afterwards: 'Dujon,
for me, is arguably one of the best one-on-one defenders I've seen. There
are few players who get past him – he is strong, powerful and determined.'
Also in England's second tier, there was a Hull City debut for Xavier
Simons, who came off the bench for the final nine minutes as the Tigers
were beaten 2-0 at home by Birmingham City. The midfielder made his Blues
bow last term in our Carabao Cup tie away at his former club Brentford in
December.
https://i.imgur.com/pmPZeZO.jpg
Xavier Simons in action for our Under-21s earlier in the season
Nathan Baxter was in goal for the fifth game running as Hull slipped to
just a point and a place outside the bottom three.
At the other end of the table, Ian Maatsen and Burnley continued a
promising start to the season with a 4-0 victory over Swansea. The
Dutchman played all but the final five minutes of the big win at Turf
Moor, which saw the Clarets move to the top of the standings on goal
difference.
On the continent, Ethan Ampadu played the duration of a 2-2 draw for
Spezia against Cremonese in Serie A. The young Welshman was used as a
centre-back in the game as the side from northern Italy keep a little
distance between themselves and the drop zone.
Callum Hudson-Odoi started for Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League
last midweek but couldn't help the Germans from falling to a 3-0 defeat at
the hands of Porto, leaving them bottom of the group but still only three
points off the top two. The forward was then absent for the 5-1 Bundesliga
defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend.
https://i.imgur.com/vsOA6hN.jpg
Hudson-Odoi and Bayer Leverkusen can still advance in the Champions League
but there is work to do
In France, Malang Sarr played 90 minutes for Monaco in a 4-0 loss to
Trabzonspor in the Europa League, during which he scored an unfortunate
own goal when the goalkeeper played the ball directly against him with a
clearance. He was an unused sub for the 1-1 draw with Clermont in Ligue 1.
https://i.imgur.com/3XQvQEO.jpg
Sarr attempts to win possession in the Europa League
Back in England, there was a win and a defeat for Lucas Bergstrom as
Peterborough United beat Forest Green Rovers 4-1 before falling to a 3-1
defeat at Wycombe Wanderers.
Jamie Cumming, another Chelsea Academy goalkeeper currently plying his
trade in League One, featured in back-to-back losses for MK Dons, 1-0 to
Bristol Rovers and 4-1 to Plymouth Argyle.
In League Two, Sam McClelland was again a starter at the back as Barrow
suffered a narrow 2-1 reverse at the hands of Rochdale.