12/01/2026

SPORTS MONDAY | JAN 12, 2026

29 Blues eye Wembley Rosenior hails ‘real positives’ after securing first win as Chelsea boss N EW Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior promised more to come from his sec ond string after they swept aside Charlton 5-1 at the Valley in his first match in charge. match in charge. No-one expects Rosenior to land a prize as illustrious as the Premier League trophy as quickly as the Italian managed at the end of his first season, but on this showing his team could fairly claim to have Wembley in May in their sights. at the defenders, created a lot of moments. A lot of real positives and a good start.” optimism for the future.” Rosenior now faces his first game game in charge against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semifinal first leg on Thursday (4am Malaysian time) before Brentford visit Stamford Bridge for his maiden Premier League fixture. Ű BY ROBERT OCONNOR

UNDER-FIRE Tottenham boss Thomas Frank was left “hurt” by their FA Cup exit to Aston Villa, but defended his passionate players after a full-time melee and criticised Ollie Watkins. A spirited second-half rally could not prevent Spurs suffer ing another early exit in a domestic cup to increase the pressure on Frank, who has lost seven of his last 13 matches after this 2-1 defeat. Frank had endured a night mare week after he inadvertently used a coffee cup with the logo of Spurs’rivals Arsenal before a 3 2 loss at Bournemouth last week, and first-half goals by Villa duo Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers denied him a much needed cup run. Wilson Odobert reduced the deficit in the 55th minute and Spurs created further second half chances, but they ultimately lost again to spark more boos for Frank with Villa’s away support poking fun at the Danish coach with chants about him being an Arsenal fan. Tempers spilled forward Watkins celebrated in front of Palhinha, who went on to clash with Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa as players from both teams piled in to produce ugly scenes, but Villa progress. “We are all hurt. There is noth ing we want to do more than to get through to the next round no matter who we face. “We play at home, we had a good opportunity and unfor tunately we couldn’t go through,” Frank said. Quizzed on if his players were losing control after they clashed with Tottenham fans away to Bournemouth, Frank said: “I don’t think so. “I guess you have seen the situation through? “I just saw it to be sure I saw what I saw. Of course it’s all Frank ‘hurt’ after FA Cup exit Ű BY GEORGE SESSIONS over at full-time after Frank’s old Brentford (but) losing a tight game, season not going perfect and I think Ollie is very provoking. “The way he is going down to celebrate in front of the Villa fans and he is walking into Joao, he can just easily walk around.” Unai Emery made six changes after a gruelling schedule for Villa, but they sealed a 13th win in 15 matches. “After 90 minutes, with our momentum, with their momen tum. “I think we deserved to win,” Emery said. – The Independent about keep ing a cool head. “ T h e p l a y e r s gave every thing, every thing out there,

Amongst the senior players left out were Malo Gusto, Cole Palmer and Reece James, all of whom have suffered frequent injuries and had their game-time carefully managed. Under Maresca, the club felt that the players were sometimes hurried back from injury against the advice of medical staff. “Malo, Cole and Reece were precautionary,” said Rosenior. “I don’t want to take any risks at this stage of the season. They had minor tweaks or knocks. “I feel like I’ve got such a good squad here that I don’t need to risk their health. I believe in this group. I believe in all of them. “If we want have a really strong season, we need to use them. “They’ve given me cause for

“Very happy with the attitude of the team even in the first half,” he said. “This (the Valley) is not an easy place to come. We controlled the game. Our press was very intense.” “For long periods we completed really well,” he said. “My biggest disappointment is the second and third goals. They killed us really. They are schoolboy. We can’t concede from that kind of set-play. “We show them, we give them clear pictures about how to defend the edge of the box. That’s the frustration. We did something that cost us the game.” – The Independent

Teenage striker Marc Guiu made it three after Charlton had briefly rallied through Miles Leaburn’s strike, before Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez came off the bench to add seniority and two more goals. Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens also impressed in rare starts out wide. “I was delighted with the starting XI, I was delighted with the front three,” said Rosenior. “I felt Ali (Garnacho) kept going in his one vs ones, Marc Guiu was magnificent and deserved his goal. “Jamie looked like he was going

It took a patient first half before the opening goal of the FA Cup third round tie and of the Blues’ new era arrived from the unlikely boot of defender Jorrel Hato. Rosenior made eight changes after watching last week’s 2-1 defeat to Fulham and soon the players largely forgotten by former boss Enzo Maresca were firing, including Facundo Buonanotte’s cross for Tosin Adarabioyo to head home their second goal. Not since Antonio Conte in 2016 had a new Chelsea manager won his first

Ű BY ANDY HAMPSON Lijnders targets ‘finals’ as City hammer Exeter

the Carabao Cup. “We go further here in the FA Cup and we are in the Champions League in a good position. We want to build on that. But for us the most impor tant thing, Pep says it all the time, we want to grow, we want to make the next step as a team. “For that we need to keep working hard and take nothing for granted. With this we will grow and we will make the next step.” Youngster Max Alleyne began the rout before Rodri scored his first goal in 20 months. City then benefited from two own goals. Rico Lewis scored twice in the second half with further goals coming from Semenyo, Tijjani Reijnders, Nico O’Reilly and 17-year-old debutant Ryan McAidoo. Semenyo, who also made a goal for Lewis, was only confirmed as a City player after completing his move from Bournemouth on Friday. Lijnders said: “I think (there were) a lot of good performances today. When the team plays like that it becomes easier for the individual but Antoine is settling well.” – The Independent

PEP LIJNDERS says Manchester City are deter mined to keep firing on all fronts after smashing double figures past Exeter in the FA Cup. New £62.5 million (RM362m) signing Antoine Semenyo made a goalscoring debut as City pro duced a powerful statement of intent by thrashing the League One side 10-1 at the Etihad Stadium. Title-chasing City had been held to frustrating draws in their previous three Premier League games and they now face Newcastle in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semifinal on Wednesday (4am). Lijnders, Pep Guardiola’s assistant manager, felt it was important the team got back to winning ways in such emphatic fashion. The Dutchman, who directed affairs in the technical area as Guardiola served a one-match touchline ban, said: “We want to

reach finals this year and we are on our way. We play now the semifinal for

Man City’s Antoine Semenyo (left) evades a challenge from Exerter City ‘s Jack Aitchison during yesterday’s FA Cup third round match at the Etihad Stadium. – AFPPIC

Howe: Magpies counting cost of FA Cup run

Ű BY DAMIAN SPELLMAN

find a more FA Cup game than this one. “I think, very difficult. “We have been losing, we have been winning, we have been very close to winning it, we conceded 2-2 in stoppage time. “I think we played well well in extra-time – We found a way to make it 3-3 at the end, then we go to the penalty shoot-out… and we are unfortunately out of the competition.” – The Independent

of it, really, and try to re-group and try to get the players fresh for Tuesday (Wed).” Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was Newcastle’s shoot-put hero, saving from Evanilson, Alex Jimenez and Bafode Diakite as Nick Woltemade and Bruno Guimaraes missed from 12 yards to put the Magpies into the hat courtesy of a 7-6 victory. Cherries boss Andoni Iraola, who began life without Antoine Semenyo at St James’ Park, said: “It’s difficult to

a hamstring injury in an encounter which stretched Howe’s resources to their limit in the wake of their epic midweek win over Leeds. He said: “The players have worked far harder than we wanted them to with extra-time especially with Tuesday (Wed 4am M’sian time) in mind, but the priority was to try to get through and to stay in the competition and we’ve managed that, so we’re very pleased. “Now we’ve got to count the cost

EDDIE HOWE was left counting the cost after watching Newcastle edge their way into the FA Cup fourth round with a penalty shoot-out victory over Bournemouth. The Magpies progressed after an energy-sapping 3-3 extra-time draw at St. James’ Park three days before Manchester City arrive on Tyneside for the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal, but lost Tino Livramento to