Palmer takes corners for England but not Chelsea

Thomas Tuchel utilizes Palmer for set pieces during international duty, including a wicked delivery that should have led to a goal against Uruguay. In contrast, Chelsea's set-piece coach, Bernardo Cueva, appears to prefer a different approach, keeping Palmer in the box for rebounds or strikes rather than taking dead balls himself.

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Even before Sonia Bompastor was sent off in stoppage time for her protests to the referee, there was plenty to frustrate Chelsea.

There were superb saves from Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar to deny Lauren James and Sjoeke Nusken. There was Sandy Baltimore’s cross that bounced just out of Sam Kerr’s reach in the Arsenal box. There was Nusken’s glancing header across the face of goal, and the effort Alyssa Thompson lifted over the bar in the first half.

There were so many occasions that this Chelsea squad, had they been at the peak of their powers, would have turned into a goal that could have sparked a memorable Champions League comeback. Instead, a stoppage-time effort from Nusken was not enough to overturn their first-leg deficit and Chelsea lost 3-2 on aggregate — their earliest exit from this competition since 2021-22, at the hands of their biggest rivals.

“Our season is not good enough from (our) ambitions,” Bompastor said after the match. “I’m a manager who always gives clarity from the beginning of the season, saying, ‘We want to win the four titles’.”

The next natural step for Chelsea for somtre time now has been winning their first Champions League. After a domestic treble last season, and an impressive 1-1 draw with Barcelona — the team who have been their constant European stumbling block — in the autumn, the logical continuation of that dynasty was for this to be their year to conquer Europe.

Instead, what has played out this season is not a squad reaching new heights, but one needing to fast-track a transition.

Plenty of Chelsea’s strengths were still on show against Arsenal. In the first leg, James’ stunning long-range goal showed the magic she can bring. Nusken demonstrated her versatility again by popping up across the pitch in the return fixture at Stamford Bridge, often pushing up from midfield to act as a second forward and being rewarded with a goal for her efforts. Chelsea dominated the ball in the second leg and created several strong chances.

This tie was also significantly impacted by officiating. Veerle Buurman had a goal disallowed for a soft foul at the Emirates, and in stoppage time at Stamford Bridge Chelsea were furious that Arsenal’s Katie McCabe was not sent off for pulling Thompson’s hair. Bompastor’s protests earned her two yellow cards and a dismissal.

Chelsea are within their rights to be angered by those decisions, but Bompastor said after the game that the “main reason” her team did not progress was their own shortcomings in front of goal.

“It’s probably been a little bit the story of our season,” Bompastor said. “We have been missing that clinical element in front of the goal and that’s probably why, like today, our season is not at the level we want the season to be.

“The players are trying hard. I’m behind them. I’m proud of them and the performance they put on the pitch. But it’s just the reality between one team being clinical, especially in the first leg, and us tonight not being clinical enough.”

Part of Chelsea’s ongoing difficulties in front of goal is confidence — but it also speaks to a wider need to refresh the squad.

The striker position is the clearest example of Chelsea’s need for transition. Kerr, 32, has not been the match-saving player she used to be for them. Early in the second half there was a flash of her trademark confidence when she held up the ball against two defenders, only to have her attempted lob saved. Later, she would see a volleyed shot saved but the flag went up anyway.

Kerr has produced crucial goals for Chelsea this season, but is not the player she used to be and is expected to leave at the end of her contract in the summer. With Catarina Macario moving to San Diego Wave and Mayra Ramirez and Aggie Beever-Jones struggling for fitness, Chelsea need to consider new options up front.

That is only one area where their team of serial winners needs a refresh. Injuries this season have stretched the squad and contributed to a struggle for cohesion. Lucy Bronze found herself playing out of position at centre-back against Arsenal, while James has stepped in as a makeshift striker on other occasions and Nusken has played across defence and midfield. The squad depth chart below shows the lack of cover in certain positions.

Plenty of players are approaching the end of their contracts, are in the latter stages of what would usually be considered their prime playing years, or both. Many of them still have absolutely critical experience, leadership, and on-pitch ability that continue to add value for Chelsea. However, the lack of options Bompastor had at her disposal to change the game against Arsenal underlined that new talent is needed.

Chelsea’s recent signings show promise for how they can handle that transition. Summer signings Ellie Carpenter (right-back) and Thompson (winger) have stood out this season and are shrewd buys, with Bronze now 34 and winger Guro Reiten completing a move to Gotham recently. Buurman, 19, has been hugely impressive in defence during Millie Bright and Naomi Girma’s absences through injury.

An obvious difference is that former head of women’s football Paul Green, credited with much of Chelsea’s smart succession planning over the past decade, has left since those signings were made. His departure comes at a time where many of Chelsea’s squad are out of contract either this year or next — leaving a huge task for new women’s sporting director Phil Radley and the rest of the leadership team. Being proactive in the market to bring in young players while Chelsea’s experienced leaders are still there to learn from will be key.

Chelsea’s attention now turns to ensuring they qualify for next season’s Champions League — but unless they handle their summer business carefully, they risk squandering one of their final chances to conquer Europe with this legendary generation of players.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Chelsea, Women's Soccer

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Marcus Smart has been arguably the Los Angeles Lakers' biggest X-factor this season. His defense, ball-handling, facilitating, resourcefulness and even his timely shooting have played a sizable role in the team's 50-26 record and pursuit of the Western Conference's third seed.

The 32-year-old has also been a positive presence in terms of his leadership both on and off the court. When he has played, the Lakers have a plus-6.4 net rating, and while he leads them in that category, no stat can measure how important his presence has been in the locker room.

As a result, he has been named one of 12 finalists for the NBA's Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award.

Marcus Smart is a finalist for the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. https://t.co/pg7V8lTrCt

— Benjamin Royer (@thebenroyer) March 31, 2026

This honor was first given out for the 2012-13 season, and it goes to a player the voters feel is the "best teammate based on selfless play, on and off the court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to their team." Last season, it went to Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.

Smart is averaging 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals a game this season. While he's shooting 33.6% from 3-point range on the season, he has hit 36.3% of his 3-point attempts since the start of January.

He has missed each of L.A.'s last five games with an ankle injury, and he will once again be out when it faces the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Marcus Smart is finalist for Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award