Good Morning!
Today my 7 a-side team is playing in the San Clemente Adult Coed League Semi-Finals. Pass That FC vs Sand Pipers. The winner gets to play in the championship immediately after, the loser gets to slash the other teams tires in the car park.

 It’s a clash of the titans…. If the Newcastle vs Man U game is a dud and you find yourself in South OC. Swing on by! (we may need more subs)

 - Gabe

Matches

🔥 Headline Match: Newcastle vs. Manchester United

🖤 Newcastle: Magpies Eye Top-Four Finish
Newcastle, currently 7th, have a game in hand and are making a real push for a Champions League spot. Eddie Howe is out with illness, and Anthony Gordon remains sidelined with a hip injury (thankfully he’s sponsored by Life Alert).

🔴 Manchester United: Keep(er) Quiet
United sit 13th and are juggling Europa League fatigue with some serious internal tension. Confidence looks shaky, and goalkeeper inconsistency has been a recurring theme.

• 🎤 Verbal Spat: Before their 2–2 draw with Lyon midweek, GK André Onana said that United were better “on paper.” Lyon MF Matic responded by calling him one of the worst goalkeepers in United’s history (Watch Here) Onana didn’t do himself any favors and gave up two soft goals during the tie. Maybe he shouldn’t have let his game do the talking….

• 📊 Head to Head: United hold the all-time edge in this fixture (16 wins to Newcastle’s 8), but recent form favors the Magpies — Newcastle have won 4 of the last 5 meetings. Safe to say... the birds are feeling hot hot hot.

⚽ Elsewhere in the League:

🦁 Chelsea vs. 🐎 Ipswich: Chelsea, sitting sixth, are cruising through the Conference League but need to stay focused as they host an Ipswich side fighting for survival. The Blues have won four straight at home, but can’t forget the 2–0 loss to Ipswich earlier this season.

🔴 Liverpool vs. ⚒️ West Ham: League leaders Liverpool are eager to bounce back after a surprising 3-2 defeat to Fulham. Facing a West Ham side that is winless since February, the crowd at Anfield will expect a show.

🐺 Wolverhampton vs. 🐓 Spurs: Wolves, have climbed away from relegation concerns with recent victories. Tottenham, sitting 15th, have their hands full as they juggle European commitments, an injury to key winger Kulusevski, and dealing with a mild case of espionage. (Clip Here)

Extra Slice

🥇 From Chelsea Misfits to World-Class Champions.

Today we’re taking a look at the world-class talent that once wore Chelsea blue but never quite made it with the first team. Call it the Premier League’s ultimate “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone” list.

When it comes to elite players, Chelsea don’t just import talent they also send it packing.

• Mohamed Salah.The Egyptian King made just 13 Premier League appearances for Chelsea (2014) before being loaned out and eventually sold. Fast forward to today: he’s Liverpool’s third all-time top scorer, a Premier League and Champions League winner, and one of the greatest wingers in Premier League history.
  

• Then there’s Kevin De Bruyne. Chelsea bought him from Genk in 2012, then barely played him. A couple of loans and a permanent move to Wolfsburg before KDB returned to the Prem with Man City where he established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League era.
  

• Thibaut Courtois had a successful career at Chelsea, but he was so successful after he left I had to mention him. He made over 100 appearances for Chelsea and won two Premier League titles.

  But after leaving in 2018 to be closer to his family in Spain, he took his game to another level. At Real Madrid, he’s won La Liga, the Champions League, and the 2022 Yashin Trophy.

Chelsea clearly know how to spot talent but being able to wait for it to develop the tricky part.
🎙️ Hear John Terry reflect on playing with KDB and Mo Here

🥈 Honorable mentions:

1. Declan Rice – Released at 14, became West Ham captain, England mainstay, and now a star at Arsenal.
   

2. Fikayo Tomori – Couldn’t break into Chelsea’s XI; now a title-winning rock at AC Milan.
   

3. Tariq Lamptey – Left for minutes, turned heads at Brighton with pace and flair.
   

4. Nathan Aké – Never fully trusted at Chelsea. Now a reliable starter for Man City.

Deeper Dive: Chelsea is notorious for owning multiple squad worth of players and then loaning them out to be developed at other clubs. See a list of all the players Chelsea has loaned out/sold over the last year HERE

 Three Things to watch 📺

1. Worst Ever? Saints are still on track for lowest points ever(10) in a PL season
   

2. SEEING RED. Palace vs Brighton EPIC 3 red card thriller (Watch Here)
   

3. Thierry Henry Interview W/Declan Rice and Breaking down his free kicks

📈 Table