Author: admin

LEEDS: Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has criticised his team’s poor performance after their Premier League title challenge was dented by a shock 3-1 defeat to bottom-placed Leeds United.

Chelsea suffered a sloppy first half at Elland Road, with Leeds scoring through Jaka Bijol and Ao Tanaka.

Pedro Neto reduced the deficit after the break, but a defensive error allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin to score the home side’s third goal late in the game.

The defeat to the 17th-placed team in the league, who had previously lost four games in a row, was a double blow to Chelsea’s hopes of continuing to follow leaders Arsenal.

It was also the Blues’ first defeat in eight games across all competitions, leaving them nine points behind Arsenal in fourth place.

“Nobody is at their best. They are better in every aspect and deserve to win.

“A very bad night. We played well against Arsenal and Barcelona before, but it doesn’t guarantee the same performance every time because of the different situations and the need to rotate players,” said Maresca.

Chelsea are without midfielder Moises Caicedo, who is suspended after receiving a red card in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal last Sunday.

In that action, Chelsea took the lead through Trevoh Chalobah before Mikel Merino equalized.

Maresca rested Neto, Reece James and Wesley Fofana to refresh his squad, which was tired after playing with 10 men for a long time against Arsenal.

Leeds took advantage of every mental and physical weakness Chelsea had.

“I hope it’s just a bad night. It’s hard to take anything away from a game like this.

“They are stronger in the fight for the ball. This is the Premier League, you have to perform well every game,” he said.

Leeds took the lead in the sixth minute when Anton Stach’s corner was headed past Robert Sanchez by Bijol. Chelsea, who have often struggled without Caicedo – winning just 29 per cent of their league games without him in the starting line-up – once again looked sluggish.

Tanaka then scored Leeds’ second goal in the 43rd minute with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, dealing a major blow to Chelsea’s hopes of a comeback.

Neto tried to spark a comeback when he came on as a substitute and scored his fifth league goal of the season in the 50th minute.

Cole Palmer’s appearance after two months out due to injury almost resulted in an equaliser when his attempt, a pass from Alejandro Garnacho, went just wide.

A Chelsea defensive error led to Leeds’ third goal in the 72nd minute – Noah Okafor seized the ball after a panicked pass from Tosin Adarabioyo, before Calvert-Lewin easily pushed the ball in.

Maresca could only watch in disappointment as his team’s chances of keeping pace with Arsenal faded.

MANCHESTER, England: Manchester City travel to Newcastle United for an early-morning clash this Sunday with Erling Haaland’s destructive power once again in the spotlight.

The Norwegian striker is in exceptional form, leading City’s attacking machine which is increasingly emerging as a major contender for the English Premier League (EPL) championship.

Pep Guardiola’s side returned from the international break on a run of four consecutive wins in all competitions, including a stylish 3-0 victory over Liverpool which marked the Spaniard’s 1,000th game in his managerial career.

With Arsenal slipping again and the points gap at the top is closing in, City are looking to maintain the momentum, while Haaland continues to shine with 32 goals in 20 games for club and country this season.

Newcastle, on the other hand, remain an unpredictable team.

Eddie Howe’s side have been struggling a bit with inconsistent performances – wins in the League Cup and Champions League – and league defeats that have left them in 14th place, just two points above the relegation zone.

Liverpool, on the other hand, will look to emerge from the post-championship shadow when they host struggling Nottingham Forest tomorrow night.

Arne Slot’s side slipped to eighth place after losing five of their six league games, with a heavy defeat at Manchester City before the break making matters worse.

There was a glimmer of hope through victories over Aston Villa and Real Madrid, but consistent performances continued to plague Slot and his men.

Forest came into the game with confidence after a 3-1 win over Leeds United and a draw against Manchester United under Sean Dyche, but they remain second from bottom and have yet to win away from home.

Liverpool, who are eight points behind Arsenal, cannot afford to drop any more points.

With Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker on the verge of returning and Anfield support, the Reds are expecting three points.

Manchester United await the visit of Everton early Tuesday morning, aiming to continue their five-match unbeaten run under Ruben Amorim.

The Red Devils are now just one point off the top four, with Bryan Mbeumo’s goalscoring exploits being the catalyst for their recent comeback.

MANCHESTER: Erling Haaland has emerged as the main character behind Norway’s comeback after scoring 16 goals in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, helping the small Scandinavian nation book a spot at the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

The Manchester City forward scored twice as Norway beat Italy 4-1 at San Siro, taking his tally to 16 goals – twice as many as any other European player in qualifying.

Haaland, 25, also scored five goals in a huge 11-1 win over Moldova and has at least one goal in each of Norway’s eight matches.

“It’s all about being in a situation where I can score goals. This is absolutely crazy. I’m proud and very happy. The 4-1 away win… it shows we’re becoming more unpredictable,” said Haaland.

His closest challengers – Harry Kane, Memphis Depay and Marko Arnautovic – have only collected eight goals each.

Norway manager Stale Solbakken hailed Haaland as a “goal machine”, while acknowledging that Italian fans also gave the star a standing ovation.

The applause was not just for his goals, but for his prowess as a 1.95-meter-tall striker who combined physical power, accuracy and sharpness of finish, making him one of the most feared strikers in the world.

Haaland insists taking Norway to the World Cup is the “main goal” of his career and the success of qualifying this time is proof of the rapid development of Norwegian football.

“We broke the code, became better players. Many made great successes like Antonio Nusa and Oscar Bobb.

“As a small country, we need to enjoy this moment. I think this is the beginning of something big,” he said.

In Norway, which has a population of less than six million, Haaland is considered a national icon.

In his hometown of Bryne, several murals have been created in his honor, and there was even a three-meter-tall wooden statue that was stolen in 2022 because it was said to be “unidentical”.

His leadership was also evident during the 4-1 win over Estonia, when he gave an emotional speech at half-time and then caused a sensation by buying dozens of burgers for his teammates after the match while still wearing a Norway jersey.

With his reputation now at an incredible level, Haaland will continue to be at the heart of Norway’s bid for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.