23/02/2026

SPORTS MONDAY | FEB 23, 2026

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Leeds ‘warriors’ deserved three points: Farke

SHORTS Lampard relief as Coventry revive promotion push

Ű BY SUNNY BADWAL

home, difficult for other teams to get points playing here, even the best teams in the League. “Sometimes we were performing like now and we were maybe more clinical or energy was full and we were so excited and now we are trying to recover energy. “I am happy with how we are reacting because the last two matches we have won against Brighton and drew, it’s not bad. Today is a good point. “We are setting our standard high and sometimes we can become frustrated but overall our consistency is still there and demands are still there.” – The Independent

disappointment we have to say it’s a valuable point and a deserved point. It’s one point closer to what we want to achieve.” Villa were title challengers not long ago but will now be looking over their shoulder for Champions League qualification after they dropped points at home for a third time in their last four matches. Unai Emery admits not much has changed from when they previously won eight successive home matches this season but different factors have contributed to their slight dip. He said: “We can see it two ways. One way, losing two points at home. How we were feeling here so strong at

nudge the hosts level two minutes from time to give both sides a share of the points at Villa Park. Farke insists it is credit to his team that they are disappointed with a draw against a side third in the table. He said: “It’s crazy that we travel away as a newly-promoted side to one of the title contenders, one of the best teams in the country and are slightly disappointed with just one point. “My warriors today deserved all the praise. It’s a really good point for us and another top away performance. “We came so close to winning all three but after a moment of

LEEDS BOSS Daniel Farke believes his “warriors” deserved more than a point in their 1-1 draw with Aston Villa. Leeds were on track for a first away win since September when Anton Stach scored a stunning free-kick on his first appearance since returning from a hip injury. Ollie Watkins thought he got Villa level but saw his effort ruled out for offside and Emiliano Martinez produced a brilliant save to prevent Lukas Nmecha from putting Leeds two to the good. That proved decisive as Tammy Abraham climbed off the bench to

FRANK LAMPARD said Coventry are back to their best after a rocky patch as the Championship leaders won 2-0 at West Brom yesterday. First-half goals from Ephron Mason-Clark and Jack Rudoni made it successive victories for Lampard’s side after a three match winless run threatened their bid to reach the Premier League. It was the Sky Blues’ first away win since November after a run of eight games without a victory on the road in all competitions. Lampard was encouraged by the way Coventry followed up a vital win over promotion rivals Middlesbrough with another mature display. “I think it’s the first time a lot of our lads have been in this situation,” said Lampard. “I’ve been through it a lot in my playing career and I under stand the difficulties that come with it. “You become hardened to that feeling when you get there again and again. “It doesn’t mean you win the league but you understand the intense scrutiny that comes with it.” Coventry are three points ahead of second-placed Middlesbrough, who were held to a 0-0 draw by lowly Oxford. Third-placed Millwall are six points behind Middlesbrough after crashing to a 3-1 home defeat against Portsmouth. while Wrexham boosted their promotion hopes with a 5-3 victory over fellow high-fliers Ipswich. Nuno rues missed opportunity NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO admit ted he thought West Ham had three points in the bag when the ball fell to Jarrod Bowen in the dying seconds against Bournemouth. The Hammers had already had 19 attempts at goal when, deep into stoppage time, Crysencio Summerville burst for ward yet again and played in Bowen. The West Ham skipper was just the player Nuno would have wanted in that situation, 12 yards out with the goal at his mercy. But Bowen blazed his shot over the crossbar, the match fin ished goalless and Nuno was left to reflect on missing a glorious chance to give their survival hopes a huge shot in the arm. “I was praying for that,” said the Hammers boss. “What I was thinking, I was seeing three points and happy days. “We were really close. And that is the feeling of sadness that is with us that we felt that it’s almost there for us to take, and we didn’t take it. “But at the same time, we per formed well, we were solid. “We didn’t allow too many situations. What can we say about the players? They did it all. They gave it all. The team ran to the end.”

Steep learning curve for Liam Rosenior must know fast who he can ‘rely on’ after Chelsea draw with Burnley

g L IAM ROSENIOR said he is learning who he can and cannot rely on after Chelsea had Wesley Fofana sent off before throwing away two points in added time in a 1-1 draw against Burnley. The Blues had dominated once Joao Pedro put them in front in the fourth min ute at Stamford Bridge, but after going down to 10 men in the second half they retreated. A Burnley leveller looked a certainty, and it duly arrived when Zian Flemming evaded his man to head home from a cor ner. Chelsea had four central defenders on the pitch at that point but none of them were anywhere near Flemming as he met James Ward-Prowse’s cross, with Rosenior saying afterwards one of his players had marked the wrong man. It formed part of a damning verdict on a display showing alarming paral lels with the failure to finish off Leeds Ű BY ROBERT O’CONNOR

threat with Ward-Prowse on the pitch was set plays. We went as big as we possibly could because that was the only way they could score with 10 men. We still don’t see it out. We’ve set fire to four points from two home games. It’s not good enough for a club of this level for me to say we were the better team. “I’m learning about the players. I’m learning about the people you can lean on when things aren’t going your way and you need to see a game out. That’s something we need to address very quickly.” They had started so impressively, Joao Pedro stretching every sinew on the slide to bounce Pedro Neto’s cross, albeit with his thigh, beyond Martin Dubravka amid a tan gle of limbs. Chelsea then dominated with out ever really extending Dubravka, leaving the door ajar for Flemming to leave them with a familiar feeling of regret. “We need to have players you can rely on in the moment to do their jobs,” said Rosenior. “Set plays are massive in the Premier League. Our record this season in defending set plays is not to the level required to achieve what we want. “I know what we need to get there. It’s not down to youth. It’s down to assessing the players you can rely on in the difficult moments.” A point for Scott Parker’s side moved them to within eight of Nottingham Forest in 17th, and it could have been even better had Jacob Bruun Larsen hit the target with a free header in the final seconds. “A little bit frustrated to miss a massive chance at the end,” said Parker. “I couldn’t ask much more of the group. “The players have shown a real resil ience today, going a goal down so early, the level of quality we’re playing against. We grew into the game. Brilliant quality (from Ward-Prowse). A real set-play specialist.” – The Independent

when 2-0 up here in their last out ing, while Fofana’s red card – shown for a second booking for a late tackle on Ward-Prowse – proved that the team’s disci plinary problems have not gone away. “That wasn’t on

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior reacts during the Premier League match against Burnley at Stamford Bridge yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

Wesley,” said Rosenior of his team’s collapse. “That was on our performance. From the first goal, we lacked incision when we had con trol. I want us to create wave after wave of attacks. We were too safe in our possession. “We knew their biggest

Record-breaker Milner happy to ‘still contribute’

Ű BY GEORGE SESSIONS

finish the season strongly.” Hurzeler hailed Milner and said: “He is still super fit. Every week and in every training session he runs the most, he sprints the most and therefore it is not a surprise that he is capable of doing these performances. “He is capable of doing a lot of impossible things and when you see his body and how he manages it, I don’t know what he will do and how long he will continue playing, but I just enjoy working with him.” – The Independent

England international insisted there is more to come. “There’s been a lot of talk about it. For me, anyone who knows me, the most important thing has always been the team,” Milner told BBC Radio Five Live . “I’m delighted I was able to play a few more minutes today and at Villa and hopefully people can see I can still contribute to the team. “To be honest, it’ll be nice to stop getting asked about it and concentrate on my football! I’m desperate to do well for Brighton and

boss Fabian Hurzeler after one League win in 13 games and he again turned to veteran midfielder Milner in an attempt to arrest a worrying run of results after a recent start at Aston Villa. Milner, 40, produced an accomplished display in midfield on a landmark occasion before his 90th minute substitution was marked with applause from both sets of supporters. Brighton players pushed Milner out in front to celebrate with the away fans at full-time, but the former

BRIGHTON MIDFIELDER James Milner was happy to show he can still contribute during his record breaking 654th Premier League appearance in a 2-0 win at Brentford. Milner’s inclusion at Gtech Community Stadium meant he moved past Gareth Barry’s previous record tally in the competition and it proved an occasion to remember for the Seagulls after first-half goals by Diego Gomez and Danny Welbeck. The pressure had mounted on