27/10/2025

SPORTS MONDAY | OCT 27, 2025

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Blues boss Maresca laments lack of consistency

Ű BY ROBERT O’CONNOR

Mukiele made amends with a dev ilish long throw that caused chaos in Chelsea’s box, in the midst of which Wilson Isidor appeared to prod home his fourth of the season and Sunderland’s leveller. Chelsea spent much of the game moving the ball from left to right and back again waiting for space that Sunderland refused to yield. There remains a sense that Maresca’s style is too predictable and easy for teams to defend against. “A lack of creativity, we didn’t cre ate a lot,” he admitted. “We struggled. We need our players to perform 100%. Even at 1-0 we lost duals, we lost second balls. Against this team you need to win those.” – The Independent

said Maresca. “We were two v one, the striker is facing his own goal. It’s an easy situation to defend. In that case we have to do better.” It had been a fierce contest and a fair fight between teams who had amassed the same number of Premier League points, but if Chelsea harbour ambitions to push on from last sea son’s fourth-place finish and break into the title race, these are matches that cannot continue to get away from them. Everything had looked rosy in the fourth minute when Alejandro Garnacho received Pedro Neto’s pass out on the left and ran around Nordi Mukiele, who was beaten easily, to finish between the legs of Robin Roefs.

“We were not good enough and in the Premier League the conse quences can be bad,” he said. “When you’re not able to win it’s important that you don’t lose. “If you want to be there, you need consistency. Winning four in a row and then today’s (result), it shows that. “If we can have that level and this level, probably it’s better to have something in between, to be always in the same way.” A draw would have been a fair result but Talbi’s late winner, rolled into the bottom corner after Brian Brobbey had held the ball up all alone against two defenders, made it a remarkable one. “That can be an easy situation,”

CHELSEA head coach Enzo Maresca said a lack of consistency is costing his team after they were stunned by a goal in the third minute of stoppage time to lose 2-1 to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge. Substitute Chemsdine Talbi scored a dramatic winner to turn the game on its head and end the Blues’ four match winning run in all competi tions. It was a marked contrast to their last home Premier League outing when it had been their own substi tute Estevao Willian whose goal in added time downed champions Liverpool, leaving Maresca scratching his head at the reversal in fortunes.

Frank Lampard. – AFPPIC

Lampard salutes Championship leaders Coventry FRANK LAMPARD hailed Coventry’s clinical finishing as the Championship leaders beat 10-man Watford 3-1 yes terday. Brandon Thomas-Asante and Jamie Allen set the Sky Blues on their way inside the first seven minutes before Tatsuhiro Sakamoto effectively wrapped up their sixth successive league win before the interval. Watford’s James Abankwah was sent off for a professional foul before half-time, while Imran Louza’s second half penalty was little consolation for the out-classed visitors. “At the minute we’re clinical and we’re dangerous, and we’ve been more dangerous than today,” Lampard said. “It was a tricky game for us and I thought we did the job and we did it well.” Hayden Hackney’s first goal since August preserved second-placed Middlesbrough’s unbeaten home record by securing a 1-1 draw with Wrexham at the Riverside Stadium. Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna was impressed with his players’ charac ter in their gritty 1-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion at Portman Road. Jack Clarke netted in the 83rd min ute as Ipswich got back to winning ways after successive Championship defeats. “To be fair it was a good win in that if I could have picked the type of win that would really benefit the group today, I think it would be one where we have a clean sheet, we have a really sta ble performance and give nothing away,” McKenna said. Millwall boss Alex Neil ranked the 1 0 victory against Leicester at The Den as a key step in his side’s development. Femi Azeez produced a fine finish from Casper De Norre’s sublime pass late in the first half. The win could have been more comfortable had Mihailo Ivanovic not had a penalty saved in the second half, but third-placed Millwall are now just two points behind Middlesbrough. “It felt like a big win because, in this narrative, I think – because this has hap pened at a lot of clubs, it’s not the first time it’s happened to me - there’s always ‘oh, we’ve won a few, we’re going to lose the next one’,” Neil said. “Then when you win the next one, the feeling changes, doesn’t it?” Sheffield Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat against Oxford added to the club’s woes after they were placed in admini stration this week. Bottom of the table Wednesday received a 12-point deduction as a result of the administration, leaving them on -6 points. – AFP

Late scare for Devils Amorim jokes ‘it would not be Man Utd without suffering a bit’ R UBEN AMORIM joked “it would not be Manchester United without suffering a little bit” after his side survived a late scare on their way to sealing an important 4-2 victory against bogey team Brighton. The Red Devils had lost six of their previ Ű BY SIMON PEACH

with Will because he’s not 100% fit. He’s nursing an ankle problem, so we’ve got to try to manage him cor rectly. “But I think you’ve seen, every one that’s watched us, a big devel opment in his game, a big change in his confidence levels because of that. He’s coming on the pitch and influencing matches and he’s got great attributes. “Today, he did really, really well, I thought, to choose the right time to shoot. Leno’s made a good save, but our captain is there to finish off the move, so it’s a massive goal for us.” – Te Independent The Portuguese picked out goalscor ing summer signings Cunha and Mbeumo for praise and called Casemiro an example to others having risen from the periphery of his squad to become a key per former. “I think he gives a lot of experience, he’s an example for everyone,” Amorim said. “In the beginning he was behind every mid fielder, even Toby (Collyer, currently on loan at West Brom). “But he fought and he worked and now he’s back in the national team. He’s so important for us. “Today he ran a lot, he had to press so high and then return and he’s doing that, so I’m really pleased with him and the other guys need to look at Casemiro. “We understand that football can change really fast. You just need to work. “For me, if you are the best one or I think you are the best one to play the game, you are going to play the game if you do the right things.” Brighton counterpart Fabian Hurzeler did not want to get into officiating after the match, saying his side were to blame for the result rather than any refereeing decisions. “Easy to summarise this game,” he said. “Too many easy mistakes on our side. “We gave the balls away too easy, like this you can’t win the game. I think overall we had the control of the game, we had good actions. “We always were dangerous and in their half, in their box. But in the end, if you do two easy mistakes, like we did, and make them like four presents you can’t win the game.” – The Independent

ous seven Premier League meetings with the Seagulls, who were looking to rack up a fourth straight win at Old Trafford. But Brighton left the north west empty handed despite a late push having fallen behind to Matheus Cunha’s first United goal, a deflected Casemiro effort and Bryan Mbeumo’s second half drive. Danny Welbeck’s freekick and a stop page-time header from Charalampos Kostoulas made for a nervy conclusion, only for Mbeumo’s second to secure a deserved third straight win. “It was really important (to win again), also the performance,” boss Amorim said. “We had to play different games in differ ent moments of the game, and I think the players understood really well what to do in every moment. “We suffer a little bit in the end but it would not be Manchester United without suffering a little bit! “But I think we deserved the win against a very, very good team, a team that is really hard to press really high but we did well.” Amorim felt it was a “more complete per formance” than the previous weekend’s impressive 2-1 win at arch-rivals Liverpool as he praised the overall display as well as some individuals.

Man United’s Bryan Mbeumo (right) scores their third goal during the English Premier League match against Brighton at Old Trafford yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

Newcastle lucky to have ‘special’ Guimaraes, says Howe

Ű BY DAMIAN SPELLMAN

lucky to have him.” Newcastle took an 18th-minute lead when, after he had robbed defender Calvin Bassey and raced away, Jacob Murphy fired across goalkeeper Bernd Leno and in off the post. Sasa Lukic levelled 11 minutes after the restart with impressive half-time substitute Kevin the archi tect, and the visitors looked to have secured a point until Guimaraes pounced after Leno had parried Will Osula’s shot after he too made a tell ing impact from the bench. Asked about Osula’s contribu tion, Howe said: “I’m really pleased

“His will to win, his drive, his determination to be successful is there for us every day. “His professionalism to prepare himself to play is of the highest level and I always think you get your rewards if you do that and 90th min ute, he’s still going. “How he’s ended up in the box at that moment, I’d love to see back because there must have been a moment where he’s had to put the burners on and foresee what’s going to happen. “But that’s down to his motiva tion, so he’s a very special player and as I say, a special person and we’re

NEWCASTLE boss Eddie Howe saluted “special” player and person Bruno Guimaraes after seeing him fire his side to a hard-fought Premier League victory over Fulham. The Brazil international’s 90th minute strike at St. James’ Park after he had earlier passed up a great chance to restore the Magpies’ lead proved decisive as they emerged with a 2-1 win. “Bruno, I’ve spoken about him many times, but the player and the person together is a very special thing,” head coach Howe said.