Tammy Abraham struck twice as patient Chelsea ground out a 3-0 win at home to West Ham to stop the rot in their final Premier League match before Christmas.
Talk of a title challenge from Frank Lampard s side had been stifled by consecutive defeats to Everton and Wolves, slipping out of the top four while champions Liverpool pulled clear.
But victory on Monday moved the Blues back up to fifth after Abraham settled nerves at Stamford Bridge with a clinching pair in the 78th and 80th minutes.
Chelsea had endured a long night after Thiago Silva nodded them into a 10th-minute lead, with West Ham after a double against their London rivals last term on the front foot but unable to forge a legal opening.
8 Chelsea have scored more goals from corners than any oth…
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has hit out at criticism of Bayern Munich s senior players after their miserable run of form for club and country, calling for more respect from the media.
Bayern have dropped to sixth in the Bundesliga after defeats to Hertha Berlin and Borussia Monchengladbach followed a draw with Augsburg.
A stalemate with Ajax in the Champions League means Niko Kovac s side have not won in four matches, leading to scrutiny of the form of Bayern s senior stars.
However, Rummenigge and the Bayern board remain in support of Kovac and his squad, and the chairman has lashed out at the negative coverage towards the club that has dominated German football.
We got together on Monday after the Holland match [against Germany] and how it was reported, he …
Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston believes they can be a “really top team” if they sharpen up in both boxes but he accepts they are running out of chances in the Champions League.
The Scottish champions suffered defeat by the narrowest of margins against Lazio on Wednesday night.
Luis Palma was ruled offside by the VAR officials after thinking he had put Celtic 2-1 ahead in the 81st minute after it was decided that the ball skimmed off the leg of Daizen Maeda on its way to the winger.
Then Lazio got the crucial third goal of the night five minutes into stoppage time after former Chelsea and Barcelona forward Pedro won the ball back and headed home seconds later with the VAR officials ruling him just onside.
2/6 | |
— S.S.Lazio (@Offici…
Inter Milan want to sign Franck Kessie from Barcelona in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that despite the intense rivalry between Inter and AC Milan, the former Italian champions are keen on bringing the Ivory Coast international midfielder back to San Siro and have already made contact with Barcelona.
Kessie joined Barcelona in the summer of 2022 on a free transfer after leaving AC Milan at the end of last season. The 26-year-old has had injury problems at Barca so far this season, and his agent is reportedly looking for clubs to sign him in the middle of the campaign.
The midfielder has made two starts and five substitute appearances in La Liga for Barcelona so far this season. Kessie has also made three starts and three substitute a…
Antoine Griezmann says he gave everything for the Barcelona shirt and is upset his time at the club came to an abrupt end after completing a return to Atletico Madrid.
The France international rejoined Atletico on an initial loan with an obligation to buy on Tuesday after spending just two years at Camp Nou.
Barcelona spent €120million to sign Griezmann from LaLiga rivals Atleti in 2019, but the 30-year-old never managed to recapture his best form in Catalonia.
Former Real Sociedad attacker Griezmann made his 100th appearance for Barca in all competitions two weeks ago and targeted another century of games for the club.
But he went on to appear just two more times for Barca before finalising a deadline-day return to the Wanda Metropolitano.
C…
Real Madrid round off a disappointing end to the Liga season against Getafe on Saturday, in what is widely speculated to be Carlo Ancelotti s final match as head coach.
Madrid were seeing off all comers during a record-breaking 22-match winning streak before the mid-season break.
However, the campaign has tailed off for Madrid and Barcelona s 1-0 victory at previous champions Atletico Madrid means the Liga title is heading to Camp Nou for the seventh time in the last 10 years.
Real have won eight of their past nine league matches, but the writing was on the wall from the moment they lost March s Clasico 2-1 in Barcelona.
Disappointment in the league has been compounded by the fact Real have also relinquished their Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League cr…
Eddie Nketiah has penned a new long-term contract with Arsenal, while also moving to take the number 14 shirt at Emirates Stadium made iconic by Thierry Henry.
The Hale End academy graduate was due to be available as a free agent following the conclusion of the 2021-22 season but established himself as a core member of Mikel Arteta s side in the latter stages of the Premier League campaign.
Five goals in the final seven matches of the league campaign, during which Arsenal sealed a return to European competition with qualification for next season s Europa League campaign, proved his worth to the club.
I’m delighted Eddie is staying with us. He represents what we are all about and all the values of the club, Arteta told the club s website.
We are very…
Barcelona abandoned plans to sign Paul Pogba in 2016 because they could not compete with Manchester United s financial muscle, Blaugrana president Josep Maria Bartomeu has revealed.
Pogba rejoined United from Serie A champions Juventus in an £89million move almost three years ago.
Barca had hoped to hijack the France star s return to Old Trafford but aborted their bid after learning of the fee they were required to match, which was then a world record.
Speculation linking 26-year-old Pogba to the LaLiga giants has resurfaced this season and he will be a central figure when Barca and United meet in the Champions League quarter-finals, beginning with the first leg in Manchester on Wednesday.
In the summer of 2015, Paul Pogba was playing in Turin and we si…
Lionel Messi insists there is no problem between himself and Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe following Argentina s World Cup final triumph over France.
Messi finally won the biggest prize of them all in Qatar last year, guiding Argentina to their first World Cup title since 1986.
Argentina appeared to be cruising to victory when 2-0 up at half-time, but a quick-fire double from Mbappe near the end of the regulation 90 minutes took the game to extra time.
Messi s second goal of the game had Argentina back in control again, but as before, Mbappe levelled to complete his hat-trick with two minutes left, forcing a penalty shoot-out.
Argentina ultimately prevailed 4-2 on penalties to spark wild celebrations, some of which bizarrely seemed to revolv…
Portugal moved two points clear at the top of Nations League Group A2 with a 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Lisbon on Thursday.
The two sides entered the contest at Estadio Jose Alvalade level on four points apiece after two rounds of fixtures, and it was Portugal who took control at the summit.
Joao Cancelo blasted the home side in front from a tight angle and Goncalo Guedes added a second before half-time, with both goals assisted by Bernardo Silva.
The Czech Republic were unable to find a route back into the contest as they were leapfrogged by Spain – 1-0 winners over Switzerland – in second place.
Two in two for João Cancelo
— UEFA Nations League (@EURO2024)
Portugal had to see out a spell of early pressure, with Mic…