⚽️ Chelsea Scored! Seriously, Chelsea Scored!

Until the 18th minute of yesterday’s match with Fulham, Chelsea had not scored a Premier League goal in 38 days. The Blues then scored twice in two minutes. Kind of reminds us here at Crossing the Pond HQ of our single days. But never mind that.

In the email today:

It was only two goals. It was only three points. But somehow, Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Fulham yesterday just felt…different. Bigger. It has taken the Blues longer under Mauricio Pochettino to play cohesive soccer than anyone expected. Yesterday, though, Chelsea looked like Chelsea. That is, they were defensively tight and aggressively opportunistic when Fulham turned the ball over. That’s how Chelsea used to play when they were the best team in the world.

• Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja, both of whom had been under fire from the Blues’ supporters for being unproductive, scored the goals for Chelsea.

• Mudryk scored his first goal for Chelsea, and Broja made a successful return from injury.

• Chelsea very nearly had a third when Ian Maatsen hit the post in the 62nd minute.

• The win pushed Chelsea up to 11th place in the league table with eight points.

• Pochettino praised his team's performance and emphasized the need for continued hard work and improvement.

Our take: If Chelsea have in fact figured themselves out, it’s none too soon. In their next five Prem matches, they host both Arsenal and Manchester City and travel to Tottenham Hotspur. Chelsea’s next match is at Burnley, a last chance to get sorted before running that gantlet.

2) 🎩 Luton Town/Burnley Could Have Long-Term Ramifications

Relegation from the Premier League to the Championship is a financially devastating proposition. Promotion, conversely, is a windfall, one that Luton Town and Burnley realized by stepping up to the Prem this season. But predictably, both teams have struggled to get up to speed at the top level. Burnley are 19th in the table on goal difference, and Luton are 17th. Tonight’s match between them, then, could have a huge impact come May 19, 2024.

• The match between Luton and Burnley was initially scheduled as Luton's first home game in the Premier League; it was originally set for mid-August but had to be postponed because Luton's stadium redevelopment was not completed in time.

• Luton enters the game with confidence, having earned four points from their last two matches, including a 2-1 victory over Everton.

• Burnley, managed by Vincent Kompany, has not yet won a game this season and will see this match as an opportunity to secure their first three-point night of the campaign.

Our take: The books have Burnley (+160) slightly favored over Luton (+190). The big winner here is the Premier League fan, who gets a very rare Tuesday match to watch as a midweek tide-me-over.

3) ❌ Tweet of the Day: How Can He See the Ball?

4) 🗳️ Who Will Win the Luton Town/Burnley Match?

Have additional thoughts? Reply directly to this email to comment, and see if we include your response tomorrow.

5) 🔗 Links Roundup:

• 📹️ If VAR didn’t exist, it would be Spurs at the top of the league table.

• 🖥️ The VAR’s who blew the Luis Diaz call in the Spurs/Liverpool match over the weekend are getting the weekend off, but match referee Simon Hooper will be working.

• 🔵 Chelsea legend Frank Lampard may be pressing some sour grapes into wine musing about his former club’s early struggles.

• 🎥 While the men’s game continues to question whether VAR is worth the trouble, the women’s game still wants to try it out.

• 🔫 Pedro Neto’s hot start for Wolverhampton Wanderers has Arsenal checking in on his availability.

The newsletter today was written by Phil Keidel. Follow Phil on X @philkeidel.

Thanks for reading!