15/12/2025

SPORTS MONDAY | DEC 15, 2025

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Parker heartbroken by Burnley fans after Fulham loss SCOTT PARKER said the sound of Burnley fans booing at the final whistle of yesterday’s 3-2 home loss to Fulham “breaks my heart” after his relegation-bat tling side fell to a seventh straight Premier League loss. The Clarets had their chances in the game but where Fulham were clinical, the hosts spurned their best opportunities as Bernd Leno made some critical saves for Marco Silva’s side. And Burnley’s defence – key to their success in the Championship last term – wilted, badly at fault for Emile Smith Rowe’s opener and then, after Lesley Ugochukwu levelled, for allowing Calvin Bassey to put the Cottagers back in front. Harry Wilson, who set up the first two goals, added a decisive third before the hour with Oliver Sonne’s consolation too late for the hosts. Former Fulham boss Parker had already heard chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” from the visiting fans but it was the boos from the home stands that brought an emotional response. “That makes me sad, obvi ously,” he said. “It was only four months ago that I was standing on the balcony in the town cen tre and all of us were celebrating and the fans were right with us, and within four months that quickly changes. “I understand their frustration. This is the world we’re in cur rently. I get it. How the world of football is the instant reaction is to boo. “I don’t think you can ques tion the commitment of this team. This team are foot to the floor and hugely committed and nothing’s changed. The level of hard work, the commitment we put in to be successful last sea son is exactly the same now. “It breaks my heart at the end of the game because we came here today wanting to please our fans and wanting them to sup port us.” Parker twice suffered relega tion from the Premier League with Fulham and once with Bournemouth and has been here before, but said this season feels different. “That’s why it’s frustrating,” he said. “I’ve been in relegation fights and I knew the challenge. A team like us coming into the Premier League, the challenge is there. “There’s a lot of good things and what frustrates me is, I understand from the outside world, at the end of it there’s nothing to show for it. There’s no points and I get the judgment of this world. “But we’re hugely competi tive, we’re dominating in certain moments and we’re just falling short on this lack of focus, lack of urgent, a lack of understanding in this division.” – The Independent Ű BY IAN PARKER

Maresca bemoans ‘worst 48 hours at Chelsea’

ENZO MARESCA said he had suffered his “worst 48 hours” since joining Chelsea after a 2-0 win at home to Everton yesterday as he lamented a lack of support. Victory took the London club into fourth place in the Premier League table and ended a run of four winless games in all competitions, with Cole Palmer scoring on his first home start since August. Yet Chelsea boss Maresca, who in his debut 2024/25 season in charge guided the Blues to both the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup titles, was far from happy, although he stressed he was not

criticising the London club’s fans. “The last 48 hours has been the worst since I joined the club because many people didn’t support me and the team,” he said. Maresca, asked whether he was referencing Chelsea supporters, replied: “I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans.” Maresca was initially responding to a question about the performance of Malo Gusto, the scorer of Chelsea’s second goal, before he made his comments about an absence of backing, although he did not specify who he was talking about. During a pre-match press

two-month spell on the sidelines, with groin and toe injuries checking his progress following a superb initial 18 months at Chelsea. “With Cole we are a better team,“ said Maresca. “I really praise the players because we played 16 Premier League games, five without Moises Caicedo, 11 without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap. “No matter who is playing is doing fantastic. We played almost all season without our best player. This is the reason why I’m so happy for the players. I would like people from the outside to appreciate that.” – AFP

conference on Friday, the Chelsea manager insisted only victories would stop supporters from complaining on social media, saying all his decades in football meant “I know that if you don’t win everyone complains”. But there was no doubting Maresca’s backing for his players, and Palmer in particular, as they ended a poor run of results that included losses away at Leeds and Atalanta and a goalless draw at Bournemouth. Cole, an injury-plagued attacking midfielder missed Tuesday’s Champions League defeat by Atalanta as part of his recovery from a

‘Horrible habits’

‘Bizarre’ Wolves own goals can’t hide Arteta’s fury

FROM LEFT: Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard react after Wolves’ Sam Johnstone’s own goal in yesterday’s Premier League match. – REUTERSPIC

Ű BY JAMIE BRAIDWOOD

And if this was a glimpse at how Arsenal will respond to the pressure of the title race, having conceded a late goal in the defeat at Aston Villa the previous weekend, then Arteta did not like it. “That is the big lesson we have to learn,” he concluded. But what happened? Arsenal retreated against a team whose confidence should have been on the floor. Arteta felt Arsenal stopped trying to play. “The first time that they have the opportunity to do it, they scored the goal, and this is the problem,” he bemoaned. “We are relieved because we managed to score a goal at the end and go and win it, but we need to improve in that sense.” Of course, the manner of it was cruel on Wolves, crushing for Mosquera. Gabriel Jesus looked to be on the end of Saka’s cross and Mosquera was caught as he headed into his own net. “In the end luck decided the game and it was bad luck,” Edwards reflected. “The lads gave everything, and I am proud of a lot of it, but it hurts. It was bad luck, but they earn it. “If someone said to me that at the beginning, we’re gonna score three tonight, I’d say I’d take that. It was bizarre circumstances.” – The Independent

Instead, blowing it, then winning it moments later gives Arsenal an immense boost heading into a free week and Sunday’s (4am) trip to Everton. “Today it went our way, so we’ll take the points and move forwards,” Saka said. “It was frustrating at times, I’ll be honest, but we got our reward. We’ve got a break now and we’ll enjoy it.” Before yesterday, Arsenal had won 10 of the 11 games played at the Emirates this season. Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur were among those swept aside. Not, though, Wolves. Arsenal lacked their usual zip and fluency. They didn’t have a shot on target until the 66th minute and the passes required to break Wolves down were hurried and inaccurate. The breakthrough came from the set-piece but the relief Arteta felt was almost spurned by what followed. The Premier League’s bottom side had offered no threat but Arteta was furious at how passive his players became when they had to defend the edge of their own box. “We made it harder for ourselves with how we conceded the goal and that was unacceptable,” Arteta said. “Horrible defensive habits. It was nowhere near the level required.”

T HE face on Rob Edwards said it all as he applauded the Wolves supporters at the Emirates. The Premier League’s bottom side were moments away from just a third point of the season, away at the leaders, only to be denied as a second own goal of the night consigned them selves to a ninth straight defeat. There was pride at how Wolves had scrapped and fought and ultimately hauled themselves level with Tolu Arokodare’s stoppage-time header. But there was pain, so much pain, at the sight of Yerson Mosquera glancing Bukayo Saka’s cross into his own net and the Wolves players collapsing to the turf as if the strings had been cut from them. The late drama changed everything for Arsenal in a heartbeat. They were heading to a valuable three points at the end of a frustrating performance, fortuitously secured by Sam Johnstone’s own goal as Saka’s inswinging corner crashed off the post and deflected in off his back. Most people leaving the Emirates would have shrugged their shoulders, muttered something about a seventh game in 21 days, and moved on.

Coventry stay clear at Championship summit COVENTRY maintained their five point lead at the top of English football’s second-tier Championship with a 1-0 win over Bristol City yesterday. before the break thanks to David Strelec and a sixth goal in six games from Morgan Whittaker.

Power Stadium. Fatawu’s astounding lob from some 65 yards, doubled Leicester’s lead two minutes before half-time, after Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s powerful early strike. The Foxes sealed victory in the 52nd minute when Jordan Ayew converted Ricardo Pereira’s cut-back before substitute Jens Cajuste scored for the visitors. Portsmouth climbed out of the relegation zone by coming from a goal down to beat fellow strugglers Blackburn 2-1 at Fratton Park. – AFP

man Millwall. This was the Tigers’ second straight win and this was an encounter they largely controlled as they went back above Stoke who won earlier on Saturday. Defeat meant promotion-chasing Millwall lost for the first time in five games to drop to fourth place, while they also lost top scorer Femi Azeez to a straight red in the second half. Abdul Fatawu scored a spectacular goal from inside his own half as Leicester won 3-1 at home to in-form Ipswich Town at the King

Tommy Conway’s penalty – his first goal since August – wrapped up victory in the second half as Middlesbrough increased their advantage over third-placed Preston to seven points, with only the top two at the end of the regular season guaranteed promotion to the lucrative Premier League. Kyle Joseph scored twice in the early stages as Hull kept themselves sixth with a 3-1 victory away to 10

Ephron Mason-Clark scored the winner for the hosts in the second half as the Sky Blues maintained their advantage over second-placed Middlesbrough. Boro made it four wins from four under new head coach Kim Hellberg thanks to a comfortable 3-1 win over Queens Park Rangers. The northeast side were 2-0 up