At Guinness, SuperSport watch party, Yobo predicts good season for Chelsea

Former Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, feels Chelsea have what it takes to end the ongoing 2024/2025 English Premier League season on a high note. Yobo, who was among top football dignitaries at the Guinness and SuperSport Watch Party, a season opener held at Landmark Event Centre in Lagos, said that the Blues still have a good chance of bouncing back from their home defeat to Man City.

He told the fans at the event that Chelsea just needed to improve on certain area, including their finishing to end the season well. It was a thrilling experience as football fans across Lagos converged at Landmark Event Centre last weekend to witness the intense football matches between Chelsea and Man City alongside Crystal Palace and Brentford in the new football season.

The watch party had fans get a first-hand viewing experience as Crystal Palace, for the first time in almost 50 years, sealed their victory against Brentford following Yoane Wissa’s winning goal at the match on Sunday, August 18, 2024.

With the London rivals engaging in an intense match that saw Brentford’s player, Ethan Pinnock, score an own goal, cancelling out Bryan Mbeumo’s opener in the first half, the first half of the game was eventful with many missed opportunities for Crystal Palace.

In the 26th minute, Eberechi Eze scored a goal that was disallowed after referee Samuel Barrott ruled that a foul had occurred in the box before Eze’s attempt.

Unfortunately for Crystal Palace, Yoane Wissa’s close-range finish gave Brentford their first win in the new Premier League season. Excitement soon ramped up, and the crowd filled both inside and the outside of Landmark hall and were waiting for the highly anticipated match of the day as Chelsea and Man City went head- -to-head in an intense game that Man City won with two goals from – Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic.

With this win, Erling Haaland scored his 91st Man City goal on his 100th club appearance, and Chelsea’s coach, Enzo Maresca, lost his first Premier League game. Although the match was between Chelsea and Man City, fans could not help but notice the quality of game management by Pep Guardiola, as many were expecting the same mastery from Maresca, who was under his tutelage in Man City.

Regardless, Chelsea put up a tough game but lacked finishing, which led to many opportunities being lost. Although Nicholas Jackson scored a goal, it was disallowed by VAR for being offside. Many fans have speculated that this lack of finishing will be an element the team can master with the help of Victor Oshimen if he ever makes it to Chelsea.

Amid the shock that came from Chelsea fans, who were visibly angered at the watch party by their players’ lack of execution, the night soon progressed as prizes were given away to those who had predicted the match scores correctly.