Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo has penned an unusual post, confirming his desire to leave the club in the current winter transfer window.

Caicedo released a statement on his Instagram account where he said he was grateful to the club and its owner but now was the time to move on.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I am grateful to [club owner] Mr. [Tony] Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them. I always play football with a smile and with heart."&nbsp;

"I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador."

The 21-year-old added that he wanted to bring a record transfer fee for the club to help them reinvest it and continue to be successful.&nbsp;

"The fans have taken me into their hearts and they will always be in my heart so I hope they can understand why I want to take up this magnificent opportunity.”

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According to reports, Caicedo did not train with the squad on Saturday and his decision to go public with the statement was another indication that he did not want to stay at the Amex anymore.&nbsp;

Caicedo, owing to his superlative set of skills in the middle of the park has been courted by numerous clubs in the last few weeks. While Liverpool were in the race earlier, the current interest has come from Arsenal and Chelsea.&nbsp;

According to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal on Thursday submitted a $74&nbsp;million bid for the Ecuadorian.&nbsp;

However, the Seagulls rejected the request as they are seeking anywhere near $92&nbsp;million for the midfielder.&nbsp;

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi remained optimistic that Caicedo will remain at the club, at least until the end of the season.&nbsp;

"He's a good guy. He's focused only on Brighton. I hope he can stay with us until the end of the season because in my opinion, it's the best solution for him, for us,"&nbsp;

"I spoke with him Wednesday and I told him my opinion. I think it's always difficult to change during a season. For our way, it's important for him to stay another four months with us."

Alongside, World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, Caicedo forms the double pivot in Brighton's midfield. If he was to leave midway into the season with Brighton pushing for a European spot, it could throw a spanner into&nbsp;De Zerbi's work.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo has penned an unusual post, confirming his desire to leave the club in the current winter transfer window. Caicedo released a statement on his Instagram account where he said he was grateful to the club and its owner but now was the time to move on.

Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo has penned an unusual post, confirming his desire to leave the club in the current winter transfer window. Caicedo released a statement on his Instagram account where he said he was grateful to the club and its owner but now was the time to move on. "I am grateful to [club owner] Mr. [Tony] Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them. I always play football with a smile and with heart." "I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador." The 21-year-old added that he wanted to bring a record transfer fee for the club to help them reinvest it and continue to be successful. "The fans have taken me into their hearts and they will always be in my heart so I hope they can understand why I want to take up this magnificent opportunity.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Moisés Caicedo23 (@moises_caicedo55) × According to reports, Caicedo did not train with the squad on Saturday and his decision to go public with the statement was another indication that he did not want to stay at the Amex anymore. Caicedo, owing to his superlative set of skills in the middle of the park has been courted by numerous clubs in the last few weeks. While Liverpool were in the race earlier, the current interest has come from Arsenal and Chelsea. According to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal on Thursday submitted a $74 million bid for the Ecuadorian. However, the Seagulls rejected the request as they are seeking anywhere near $92 million for the midfielder. Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi remained optimistic that Caicedo will remain at the club, at least until the end of the season. "He's a good guy. He's focused only on Brighton. I hope he can stay with us until the end of the season because in my opinion, it's the best solution for him, for us," "I spoke with him Wednesday and I told him my opinion. I think it's always difficult to change during a season. For our way, it's important for him to stay another four months with us." Alongside, World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, Caicedo forms the double pivot in Brighton's midfield. If he was to leave midway into the season with Brighton pushing for a European spot, it could throw a spanner into De Zerbi's work. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Brighton player releases statement begging to be sold amid Arsenal, Chelsea interest

In what comes as a bizarre turn of events, a Women’s Super League clash between Liverpool and Chelsea was abandoned after six minutes of play as the pitch was deemed unsafe to play on.

In what comes as a bizarre turn of events, a Women’s Super League clash between Liverpool and Chelsea was abandoned after six minutes of play as the pitch was deemed unsafe to play on. The embarrassing scenes were reported at the Kingsmeadow Stadium, the home ground of the Chelsea Women's and U-21 team. The pitch was wrapped in covers from the morning and an inspection at 9:30 AM had deemed it unplayable. Despite the conditions being less than ideal, the kickoff took place at the scheduled time. However, soon enough, it became clear that the players could not play a competitive match in such conditions without injuring themselves. Video clips of players slipping and struggling to stay upright on the pitch went viral after the match. One of the Chelsea players could be seen pulling their hamstring after tumbling. Chelsea women vs Liverpool highlights #CFCW #WSL pic.twitter.com/mlYu3yb1DQ — frankirbydaily (@frankirbydaily) January 22, 2023 × Read more: Premier League: Arsenal edge past Manchester United in a five-goal thriller Chelsea manager Emma Hayes was scathing in her assessment of the English FA and said the game should never have started whilst describing the pitch as being like an “ice rink”. “You could see from the opening minutes that it was like an ice rink down the sides. It’s not for managers to decide if it’s on – it’s up to the FA and officials. The game should never have started." "Everyone wanted to get the game on but when you have got emotions of teams wanting or not wanting to play, that’s when you need a decision from above. The FA weren’t here - they need to be making the decision.” WATCH | Gravitas: The death of possession football? Similar sentiments were echoed by Hayes' Liverpool counterpart Matt Beard. "It’s frustrating. I did say to the referee that we had to move our warm-up because it wasn’t safe.Someone could have got hurt today, especially with the history of ACL’s [injuries] this year." The players also took to social media platforms to question the authorities and asked for better amenities for the women's game. “Apologies to both sets of fans who travelled today. Players’ safety should always be the number one priority. Luckily no one was injured today and the right decision was taken eventually. Women’s football deserves better and we won’t stop fighting to make that happen,” tweeted forward Fran Kirby. Apologies to both sets of fans who travelled today. Players safety should always be the number one priority❗️ Luckily no one was injured today and the right decision was taken eventually. Womens football deserves better and we won’t stop fighting to make that happen 💪🏻 — Fran Kirby (@frankirby) January 22, 2023 × Read more: Liverpool in talks with Saudi and Qatari consortiums after Mukesh Ambani takeover rumour: Reports A WSL spokesperson in the aftermath of the cancellation said the fixture will be rescheduled in due course. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Chelsea vs Liverpool match abandoned only after six minutes. Know why

Graham Potter pleaded with his Chelsea players to "stay together" after a shock 2-1 defeat at Fulham that saw Blues forward Joao Felix sent off on his debut before a decisive blunder from Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Potter's troubled side crashed to a seventh defeat in their last 10 games in all competitions after another spluttering display.

Chelsea fell behind to a goal from their former winger Willian in the first half at Craven Cottage on Thursday.

Kalidou Koulibaly equalised after the break but Felix was dismissed for a reckless studs-up lunge on Kenny Tete.

Fulham were gifted their late winner by Chelsea keeper Kepa, who made a hash of dealing with a cross that Carlos Vinicius converted to leave Potter facing renewed talk of the sack just four months after he replaced the axed Thomas Tuchel.

"We made a couple of mistakes for their first goal, then the red card changes the game. Disappointed with the second goal because I think we could do better and that is what cost us," said Potter after the match.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-manchester-city-scrape-past-chelsea-1-0-to-close-the-gap-to-leaders-arsenal-549877">Read more:&nbsp;Premier League: Manchester City scrape past Chelsea 1-0 to close the gap to leaders Arsenal</a>

Potter this week labelled managing Chelsea as "the hardest job in football" after a turbulent period that is severely testing owner Todd Boehly's faith in the former Brighton boss.

Chelsea are languishing in 10th place, 10 points adrift of the top four after their wretched run extended to one win in their last nine league games.

They have managed just four goals in their last eight games in all competitions and Potter desperately needs a victory against Crystal Palace on Sunday to buy himself at least a little breathing space before squaring up against Liverpool next Saturday.

"We have got to keep working. There is no other solution. You have to keep working, stay together and try to get the three points," Potter said.

Hampered by a debilitating injury list, Potter held a meeting with senior players Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic on Tuesday in an attempt to calm the crisis.

But Chelsea fans' patience is already wearing thin and losing to sixth-placed neighbours Fulham was another bitter blow to his hopes of avoiding the sack.

'Another blow'

It was in keeping with Potter's misfortune that Felix's promising debut ended prematurely after his loan move from Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

"It was a forwards tackle. There was no malice in it but I understand why it was a red. It is another blow. The hits keep coming at the moment," Potter said.

The 23-year-old Felix, who cost Chelsea a reported $12 million loan fee, was one of four changes from the 4-0 FA Cup defeat at Manchester City last weekend.

Given license to roam across Chelsea's three-man attack, Felix's pass found Kai Havertz and when the German's shot was blocked, he laid the rebound to Lewis Hall, whose low drive was saved by Bernd Leno.

Picked out by Mateo Kovacic, Felix fired wide from the edge of the area, then volleyed over after Azpilicueta's cross found him unmarked 10 yards from goal.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-death-of-possession-football-542811">WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: The death of possession football?</a>

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But Potter was left to rue dreadful defending when Fulham took the lead in the 25th minute.

Hall surrendered possession and Chalobah failed to clear properly before Willian unleashed a powerful drive that took a deflection off Trevoh Chalobah as it flashed past the wrong-footed Kepa.

Potter was ashen-faced on the bench as Fulham fans taunted him by singing "Stamford Bridge is falling down" and "you're getting sacked in the morning".

Chelsea were level two minutes after half-time as Mason Mount's free-kick hit the post and rebounded to Koulibaly, who stabbed just over the line before Leno could save.

But even then, Potter's luck wouldn't last as Felix saw red after needlessly throwing himself into a high tackle that crashed into Tete's shin.

There was an even more ignominious contribution to Chelsea's downfall from Kepa in the 73rd minute.

Kepa completely misjudged the flight of Andreas Pereira's cross, allowing it to sail over his head to Vinicius, who nodded into the empty net while Chelsea defender Thiago Silva screamed at the hapless keeper.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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Graham Potter pleaded with his Chelsea players to "stay together" after a shock 2-1 defeat at Fulham that saw Blues forward Joao Felix sent off on his debut before a decisive blunder from Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Graham Potter pleaded with his Chelsea players to "stay together" after a shock 2-1 defeat at Fulham that saw Blues forward Joao Felix sent off on his debut before a decisive blunder from Kepa Arrizabalaga. Potter's troubled side crashed to a seventh defeat in their last 10 games in all competitions after another spluttering display. Chelsea fell behind to a goal from their former winger Willian in the first half at Craven Cottage on Thursday. Kalidou Koulibaly equalised after the break but Felix was dismissed for a reckless studs-up lunge on Kenny Tete. Fulham were gifted their late winner by Chelsea keeper Kepa, who made a hash of dealing with a cross that Carlos Vinicius converted to leave Potter facing renewed talk of the sack just four months after he replaced the axed Thomas Tuchel. "We made a couple of mistakes for their first goal, then the red card changes the game. Disappointed with the second goal because I think we could do better and that is what cost us," said Potter after the match. Read more: Premier League: Manchester City scrape past Chelsea 1-0 to close the gap to leaders Arsenal Potter this week labelled managing Chelsea as "the hardest job in football" after a turbulent period that is severely testing owner Todd Boehly's faith in the former Brighton boss. Chelsea are languishing in 10th place, 10 points adrift of the top four after their wretched run extended to one win in their last nine league games. They have managed just four goals in their last eight games in all competitions and Potter desperately needs a victory against Crystal Palace on Sunday to buy himself at least a little breathing space before squaring up against Liverpool next Saturday. "We have got to keep working. There is no other solution. You have to keep working, stay together and try to get the three points," Potter said. Hampered by a debilitating injury list, Potter held a meeting with senior players Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic on Tuesday in an attempt to calm the crisis. But Chelsea fans' patience is already wearing thin and losing to sixth-placed neighbours Fulham was another bitter blow to his hopes of avoiding the sack. 'Another blow' It was in keeping with Potter's misfortune that Felix's promising debut ended prematurely after his loan move from Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. "It was a forwards tackle. There was no malice in it but I understand why it was a red. It is another blow. The hits keep coming at the moment," Potter said. The 23-year-old Felix, who cost Chelsea a reported $12 million loan fee, was one of four changes from the 4-0 FA Cup defeat at Manchester City last weekend. Given license to roam across Chelsea's three-man attack, Felix's pass found Kai Havertz and when the German's shot was blocked, he laid the rebound to Lewis Hall, whose low drive was saved by Bernd Leno. Picked out by Mateo Kovacic, Felix fired wide from the edge of the area, then volleyed over after Azpilicueta's cross found him unmarked 10 yards from goal. WATCH | Gravitas: The death of possession football? × But Potter was left to rue dreadful defending when Fulham took the lead in the 25th minute. Hall surrendered possession and Chalobah failed to clear properly before Willian unleashed a powerful drive that took a deflection off Trevoh Chalobah as it flashed past the wrong-footed Kepa. Potter was ashen-faced on the bench as Fulham fans taunted him by singing "Stamford Bridge is falling down" and "you're getting sacked in the morning". Chelsea were level two minutes after half-time as Mason Mount's free-kick hit the post and rebounded to Koulibaly, who stabbed just over the line before Leno could save. But even then, Potter's luck wouldn't last as Felix saw red after needlessly throwing himself into a high tackle that crashed into Tete's shin. There was an even more ignominious contribution to Chelsea's downfall from Kepa in the 73rd minute. Kepa completely misjudged the flight of Andreas Pereira's cross, allowing it to sail over his head to Vinicius, who nodded into the empty net while Chelsea defender Thiago Silva screamed at the hapless keeper. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Chelsea flounder at Craven Cottage as Felix receives a red card on Premier League debut

Defending champions Manchester City beat injury-hit Chelsea 1-0 on Thursday to close the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to just five points.

Pep Guardiola's men were well below par in the first half but were transformed after the break, with substitutes Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez combining for the only goal, scored by the Algerian in the 63rd minute.

Graham Potter's Chelsea came into the game languishing in 10th place in the table and were expected to face a searching examination from second-placed City.

Chelsea, however, were up against it from the opening minutes, with forward Raheem Sterling forced off after suffering an apparent hamstring injury, replaced by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Potter was also without a string of senior players including Mason Mount, Reece James, Ben Chilwell and N'Golo Kante.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-death-of-possession-football-542811">WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: The death of possession football?</a>

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The game at Stamford Bridge was scrappy in the initial stages, with the visitors dominating possession but creating little of note.

Chelsea were first to threaten, in the 16th minute, but City defender John Stones came to the rescue as Christian Pulisic bore down on goal, producing a perfectly timed sliding tackle to deny the US forward.

The American was injured in the challenge and was forced off minutes later, compounding Chelsea's problems.

Teenager Carney Chukwuemeka, who came on for Pulisic, almost made an instant impact, but his shot was blocked and Hakim Ziyech's effort was saved by City goalkeeper Ederson.

Erling Haaland, who has one more Premier League goal this season (21) than the entire Chelsea side, smashed a shot wide in the 38th minute.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-kane-fires-two-in-tottenham-win-as-forest-escape-relegation-zone-549533">Read more:&nbsp;Premier League: Kane fires two in Tottenham win as Forest escape relegation zone</a>

But Chelsea continued to look the more dangerous side and came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock when Chukwuemeka hit the post in the 44th minute.

Guardiola made a double substitution at half-time, bringing on Rico Lewis and Manuel Akanji for Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker in search of more control.

The visitors immediately settled and began to dictate play, with Nathan Ake heading against the woodwork, but Chelsea responded well and were inches away from taking the lead when Thiago Silva flashed wide.

Guardiola brought on Grealish and Mahrez on the hour mark to further freshen up his attack.

The decision paid dividends minutes later when Grealish produced an excellent pass from the left and Mahrez prodded home from close range.

Potter made changes of his own, including bringing on England forward Conor Gallagher, but they were unable to find an equaliser despite some late pressure.

The result leaves City five points behind Arsenal, who dropped points in a 0-0 draw against high-flying Newcastle earlier in the week.

Chelsea now have just one win in their past eight league games and remain 10 points off the top four.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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Defending champions Manchester City beat injury-hit Chelsea 1-0 on Thursday to close the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to just five points. Pep Guardiola's men were well below par in the first half but were transformed after the break, with substitutes Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez combining for the only goal, scored by the Algerian in the 63rd minute.

Defending champions Manchester City beat injury-hit Chelsea 1-0 on Thursday to close the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to just five points. Pep Guardiola's men were well below par in the first half but were transformed after the break, with substitutes Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez combining for the only goal, scored by the Algerian in the 63rd minute. Graham Potter's Chelsea came into the game languishing in 10th place in the table and were expected to face a searching examination from second-placed City. Chelsea, however, were up against it from the opening minutes, with forward Raheem Sterling forced off after suffering an apparent hamstring injury, replaced by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Potter was also without a string of senior players including Mason Mount, Reece James, Ben Chilwell and N'Golo Kante. WATCH | Gravitas: The death of possession football? × The game at Stamford Bridge was scrappy in the initial stages, with the visitors dominating possession but creating little of note. Chelsea were first to threaten, in the 16th minute, but City defender John Stones came to the rescue as Christian Pulisic bore down on goal, producing a perfectly timed sliding tackle to deny the US forward. The American was injured in the challenge and was forced off minutes later, compounding Chelsea's problems. Teenager Carney Chukwuemeka, who came on for Pulisic, almost made an instant impact, but his shot was blocked and Hakim Ziyech's effort was saved by City goalkeeper Ederson. Erling Haaland, who has one more Premier League goal this season (21) than the entire Chelsea side, smashed a shot wide in the 38th minute. Read more: Premier League: Kane fires two in Tottenham win as Forest escape relegation zone But Chelsea continued to look the more dangerous side and came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock when Chukwuemeka hit the post in the 44th minute. Guardiola made a double substitution at half-time, bringing on Rico Lewis and Manuel Akanji for Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker in search of more control. The visitors immediately settled and began to dictate play, with Nathan Ake heading against the woodwork, but Chelsea responded well and were inches away from taking the lead when Thiago Silva flashed wide. Guardiola brought on Grealish and Mahrez on the hour mark to further freshen up his attack. The decision paid dividends minutes later when Grealish produced an excellent pass from the left and Mahrez prodded home from close range. Potter made changes of his own, including bringing on England forward Conor Gallagher, but they were unable to find an equaliser despite some late pressure. The result leaves City five points behind Arsenal, who dropped points in a 0-0 draw against high-flying Newcastle earlier in the week. Chelsea now have just one win in their past eight league games and remain 10 points off the top four. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Premier League: Manchester City scrape past Chelsea 1-0 to close the gap to leaders Arsenal

Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku aims to extend his stay at Inter Milan and is hopeful of convincing Chelsea for the same. Following Belgium’s premature exit from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Lukaku will be back in action for the Italian club after missing major chunk of the season earlier due to hamstring and thigh injuries.

In a bid to complete a permanent move from Chelsea to Intern, where he is currently on a loan, Lukaku says he will do whatever is necessary to make this deal happen. The 29-year-old was bought by Chelsea for 97.5 million pounds from Inter in 2021.

Speaking to Sky Italy, the Inter Milan striker said, "Everyone knows what I want. Right now, I have to do whatever is necessary with the team to make Inter win and then we can talk to Chelsea.”

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/star-kiwi-pacer-pulls-out-of-india-pakistan-tours-due-to-lack-of-preparation-548728">Star Kiwi pacer pulls out of India, Pakistan tours due to lack of preparation</a>

Revealing that his son is also studying and playing in the Inter academy right now, Lukaku said his aim has always been to keep growing and that he wants to do it over here.

"The idea is to finish (my career) with (boyhood club) Anderlecht. I'm (nearly) 30 years old, my son started school here and plays in the Inter academy. I'm fine, Inter always has ambition to keep growing.

"I want to stay here and do things right. I hope to do well with Inter in the next six months, work to the maximum and then at the end we talk to Chelsea and hope to find a solution," Lukaku said.

As Lukaku entered the World Cup underprepared after missing a lot of games due to injuries, he couldn’t leave an impact for his team – that got knocked out in the group stage itself, finishing third after Morocco and Croatia.

Following the exit, he got consoled by Belgium’s assistant coach and former World Cup winner Thierry Henry – whom he thinks rightly deserves to be Belgium’s next head coach.

"For me Henry is the next coach of Belgium. There are no doubts, I say it openly: he will be the next coach," Lukaku said.

"He has the respect of all the players, he has won everything. He knows how to coach, he knows what we have to do to get there. He wants to win, and I don't think the federation is going to get a coach who wants to change everything and start from scratch," Lukaku concluded.

Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku aims to extend his stay at Inter Milan and is hopeful of convincing Chelsea for the same. Following Belgium’s premature exit from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Lukaku will be back in action for the Italian club after missing major chunk of the season earlier due to hamstring and thigh injuries.

Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku aims to extend his stay at Inter Milan and is hopeful of convincing Chelsea for the same. Following Belgium’s premature exit from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Lukaku will be back in action for the Italian club after missing major chunk of the season earlier due to hamstring and thigh injuries. In a bid to complete a permanent move from Chelsea to Intern, where he is currently on a loan, Lukaku says he will do whatever is necessary to make this deal happen. The 29-year-old was bought by Chelsea for 97.5 million pounds from Inter in 2021. Speaking to Sky Italy, the Inter Milan striker said, "Everyone knows what I want. Right now, I have to do whatever is necessary with the team to make Inter win and then we can talk to Chelsea.” ALSO READ: Star Kiwi pacer pulls out of India, Pakistan tours due to lack of preparation Revealing that his son is also studying and playing in the Inter academy right now, Lukaku said his aim has always been to keep growing and that he wants to do it over here. "The idea is to finish (my career) with (boyhood club) Anderlecht. I'm (nearly) 30 years old, my son started school here and plays in the Inter academy. I'm fine, Inter always has ambition to keep growing. "I want to stay here and do things right. I hope to do well with Inter in the next six months, work to the maximum and then at the end we talk to Chelsea and hope to find a solution," Lukaku said. As Lukaku entered the World Cup underprepared after missing a lot of games due to injuries, he couldn’t leave an impact for his team – that got knocked out in the group stage itself, finishing third after Morocco and Croatia. Following the exit, he got consoled by Belgium’s assistant coach and former World Cup winner Thierry Henry – whom he thinks rightly deserves to be Belgium’s next head coach. "For me Henry is the next coach of Belgium. There are no doubts, I say it openly: he will be the next coach," Lukaku said. "He has the respect of all the players, he has won everything. He knows how to coach, he knows what we have to do to get there. He wants to win, and I don't think the federation is going to get a coach who wants to change everything and start from scratch," Lukaku concluded.

Romelu Lukaku keen on extending his stay at Inter Milan, says he's happy here

Chelsea dropped more points in their quest to climb back up the Premier League standings as Serge Aurier earned Nottingham Forest a 1-1 draw with Graham Potter's side on Sunday. Fresh from their first league win in six games last time out against Bournemouth, Chelsea started well in the Nottingham drizzle, with Raheem Sterling firing them into the lead in the 16th minute with his first league goal since August.

Forest improved after the break and were desperately unlucky not to equalise early in the second half as Morgan Gibbs-White's drilled half volley hit the underside of the crossbar but bounced on the goal line and away.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-ryder-cup-player-barry-lane-passes-away-at-62-548625">Former Ryder Cup player Barry Lane passes away at 62</a>

The hosts kept coming and deservedly levelled things up as Aurier slotted home his first goal for his new club in the 63rd minute, with Forest looking the more likely winner from there on in. They could not complete the turnaround, however, with Chelsea hanging on for a point that leaves them eighth in the standings, seven points behind Manchester United in fourth.

The hosts remain in the relegation zone but climbed to 18th, level on 14 points with West Ham United above them.

"I think overall when the game was controlled in the first half I don't think we did well enough, our performance level wasn't good enough, didn't move the ball fast enough," Potter said.

"They use their advantages which is the environment, the crowd. The second half we didn't control it well enough."

Chelsea needed the reset that the World Cup gave them, given they had gone on their longest league run without a win, five, in 10 years prior to the tournament. It appeared they had turned the corner after the Bournemouth win and their impressive start at the City Ground. They nearly broke the deadlock in just the second minute as Mason Mount fired over from a good position.

The visitors went one better through Sterling after Christian Pulisic's cross had looped onto the crossbar and the England forward hammered home the rebound.

Chelsea continued to remain in control until the break, with Pulisic wasting a good chance to make it two just before the interval, firing straight at home goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Brennan Johnson saw one first half effort saved, but missed an even more gilt-edged opportunity early in the second period, firing too close to Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from a good position.

Gibbs-White was causing Chelsea all kinds of problems, firing against the crossbar before playing a big part in Aurier's equaliser, curling over a corner the visitors could not clear and former Tottenham Hotspur full back pounced.

Chelsea substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should have done better with a late header, but it would have been harsh on the home side, who more than warranted at least a point from the contest.

"I know we didn't win today but it was a good reference point that we can play against the big teams in the league," Forest coach Steve Cooper said. "We're in control of our destiny and we have to keep building."

Chelsea dropped more points in their quest to climb back up the Premier League standings as Serge Aurier earned Nottingham Forest a 1-1 draw with Graham Potter's side on Sunday.

Chelsea dropped more points in their quest to climb back up the Premier League standings as Serge Aurier earned Nottingham Forest a 1-1 draw with Graham Potter's side on Sunday. Fresh from their first league win in six games last time out against Bournemouth, Chelsea started well in the Nottingham drizzle, with Raheem Sterling firing them into the lead in the 16th minute with his first league goal since August. Forest improved after the break and were desperately unlucky not to equalise early in the second half as Morgan Gibbs-White's drilled half volley hit the underside of the crossbar but bounced on the goal line and away. ALSO READ: Former Ryder Cup player Barry Lane passes away at 62 The hosts kept coming and deservedly levelled things up as Aurier slotted home his first goal for his new club in the 63rd minute, with Forest looking the more likely winner from there on in. They could not complete the turnaround, however, with Chelsea hanging on for a point that leaves them eighth in the standings, seven points behind Manchester United in fourth. The hosts remain in the relegation zone but climbed to 18th, level on 14 points with West Ham United above them. "I think overall when the game was controlled in the first half I don't think we did well enough, our performance level wasn't good enough, didn't move the ball fast enough," Potter said. "They use their advantages which is the environment, the crowd. The second half we didn't control it well enough." Chelsea needed the reset that the World Cup gave them, given they had gone on their longest league run without a win, five, in 10 years prior to the tournament. It appeared they had turned the corner after the Bournemouth win and their impressive start at the City Ground. They nearly broke the deadlock in just the second minute as Mason Mount fired over from a good position. The visitors went one better through Sterling after Christian Pulisic's cross had looped onto the crossbar and the England forward hammered home the rebound. Chelsea continued to remain in control until the break, with Pulisic wasting a good chance to make it two just before the interval, firing straight at home goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Brennan Johnson saw one first half effort saved, but missed an even more gilt-edged opportunity early in the second period, firing too close to Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from a good position. Gibbs-White was causing Chelsea all kinds of problems, firing against the crossbar before playing a big part in Aurier's equaliser, curling over a corner the visitors could not clear and former Tottenham Hotspur full back pounced. Chelsea substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should have done better with a late header, but it would have been harsh on the home side, who more than warranted at least a point from the contest. "I know we didn't win today but it was a good reference point that we can play against the big teams in the league," Forest coach Steve Cooper said. "We're in control of our destiny and we have to keep building."

PL: Fight for top-four finish tightens up for Chelsea after 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest

Manchester United made a positive start to life without Cristiano Ronaldo as Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial stepped out from the Portuguese's shadow to score in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Tuesday. Ronaldo's rollercoaster second spell at Old Trafford came to an end during the World Cup break after an explosive interview in which he took aim at manager Erik ten Hag and the club's owners.

On the field, his influence had already waned since Ten Hag took charge at the start of the season. Rashford has been a player transformed under the Dutch coach and carried his fine form for England at the World Cup into the Premier League's return. A brilliantly worked corner opened the floodgates for United as Christian Eriksen picked out an unmarked Rashford inside the area to sweep into the top corner. Forest were without their first choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson as he is on loan from United and his understudy Wayne Hennessey was culpable when the home side doubled their lead just three minutes later. Rashford's burst down the left and teed up Martial at the edge of the box, but the Frenchman's strike should not have had enough power to beat the Welsh international goalkeeper.

United were also short handed at the back with Lisandro Martinez absent following Argentina's World Cup celebrations, Diogo Dalot injured and Harry Maguire still feeling the aftereffects of an illness. As a result Raphael Varane was forced into starting just nine days after playing 113 minutes for France in the World Cup final, while Luke Shaw lined up as a centre-back in a back four for the first time. But Forest did little to test a makeshift backline as they remain with just one goal away from home in the league all season.

Steve Cooper's men did have the ball in the net shortly before half-time, but Willy Boly's effort was ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR check. 
Ten Hag has publicly stated his desire to add a striker in the January window given Ronaldo's departure and United should have added more than one goal in the second half. Antony fired straight at Hennessey after fine play from Rashford and Bruno Fernandes gave the Brazilian a clear sight of goal.

Hennessey also stood firm to block from Martial and Rashford from close range, but the Red Devils finally got the third goal they deserved three minutes from time. The imperious Casemiro strode forward to win possession and picked out his Brazilian compatriot Fred to slot into the far corner. Victory takes United to within one point of the top four and with a game in hand to come on fourth-placed Tottenham. Forest remain rooted in the relegation zone, but just one point adrift of safety.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/karim-benzema-was-fit-but-sent-home-prematurely-benzemas-agent-lashes-out-at-france-boss-deschamps-547290">Karim Benzema was fit but sent home prematurely: Agent lashes out at France boss Deschamps</a>

Chelsea manager Graham Potter praised the Blues' reaction to a poor run prior to the World Cup as they eased past Bournemouth 2-0 on Tuesday to end a five-game winless streak in the Premier League. Kai Havertz and Mason Mount struck inside the first 24 minutes to get Chelsea back in the hunt for a place in next season's Champions League. Victory took Chelsea up to eighth and within six points of the top four.

"You have to use breaks as best you can," Potter told Amazon Prime. "Evaluate and reassess and get injured players back. We used it as best we could even with players coming back at different times." However, victory came at a cost as defender Reece James limped off on his return from the knee injury which kept him out of England’s World Cup campaign.

James cruised through the first half but called for a substitution early in the second and looked disconsolate as he pointed to his knee before going to ground."You can see his quality. It's a blow for us," added Potter. "I'm not sure on the state of the injury. It's too early to say." Potter, aiming to avoid overseeing a fourth consecutive Chelsea league defeat for the first time since 1998, handed Denis Zakaria his Premier League debut.

The Swiss midfielder broke forward well to drive Chelsea up the pitch in the first half, while the effervescent attacking duo of Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic led the Bournemouth defence on a merry dance. Sterling provided the opener with an incisive low cross to the back post where Havertz slid in to convert in the 16th minute. Mount doubled the lead with a well-taken drive from the edge of the box as Chelsea stepped up another gear before Pulisic had another goal disallowed for a foul by Havertz in the build-up.

After three games in all competitions without scoring a goal, the Blues were determined to end their disappointing streak and get their season back on track. Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers did well to deny James after a dynamic burst forward, then made an even better save to foil Sterling before the break to keep his team in the game. Havertz fired wide and Mount forced Travers into a smart low stop as Chelsea tried to put the game out of sight.

In the end they didn't need to as Bournemouth failed to threaten other than Jaidon Anthony's late free-kick that was beaten away by Kepa Arrizabalaga. "We won't be measured on games at Chelsea," said Bournemouth boss Gary O'Neil. "You need everything to go for you. The response to being 2-0 down, they showed incredible belief we could get something from the game." A fifth defeat in six league games leaves Bournemouth just three points above the relegation zone

Manchester United made a positive start to life without Cristiano Ronaldo as Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial stepped out from the Portuguese's shadow to score in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.

Manchester United made a positive start to life without Cristiano Ronaldo as Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial stepped out from the Portuguese's shadow to score in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Tuesday. Ronaldo's rollercoaster second spell at Old Trafford came to an end during the World Cup break after an explosive interview in which he took aim at manager Erik ten Hag and the club's owners. On the field, his influence had already waned since Ten Hag took charge at the start of the season. Rashford has been a player transformed under the Dutch coach and carried his fine form for England at the World Cup into the Premier League's return. A brilliantly worked corner opened the floodgates for United as Christian Eriksen picked out an unmarked Rashford inside the area to sweep into the top corner. Forest were without their first choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson as he is on loan from United and his understudy Wayne Hennessey was culpable when the home side doubled their lead just three minutes later. Rashford's burst down the left and teed up Martial at the edge of the box, but the Frenchman's strike should not have had enough power to beat the Welsh international goalkeeper. United were also short handed at the back with Lisandro Martinez absent following Argentina's World Cup celebrations, Diogo Dalot injured and Harry Maguire still feeling the aftereffects of an illness. As a result Raphael Varane was forced into starting just nine days after playing 113 minutes for France in the World Cup final, while Luke Shaw lined up as a centre-back in a back four for the first time. But Forest did little to test a makeshift backline as they remain with just one goal away from home in the league all season. Steve Cooper's men did have the ball in the net shortly before half-time, but Willy Boly's effort was ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR check. Ten Hag has publicly stated his desire to add a striker in the January window given Ronaldo's departure and United should have added more than one goal in the second half. Antony fired straight at Hennessey after fine play from Rashford and Bruno Fernandes gave the Brazilian a clear sight of goal. Hennessey also stood firm to block from Martial and Rashford from close range, but the Red Devils finally got the third goal they deserved three minutes from time. The imperious Casemiro strode forward to win possession and picked out his Brazilian compatriot Fred to slot into the far corner. Victory takes United to within one point of the top four and with a game in hand to come on fourth-placed Tottenham. Forest remain rooted in the relegation zone, but just one point adrift of safety. Also read: Karim Benzema was fit but sent home prematurely: Agent lashes out at France boss Deschamps Chelsea manager Graham Potter praised the Blues' reaction to a poor run prior to the World Cup as they eased past Bournemouth 2-0 on Tuesday to end a five-game winless streak in the Premier League. Kai Havertz and Mason Mount struck inside the first 24 minutes to get Chelsea back in the hunt for a place in next season's Champions League. Victory took Chelsea up to eighth and within six points of the top four. "You have to use breaks as best you can," Potter told Amazon Prime. "Evaluate and reassess and get injured players back. We used it as best we could even with players coming back at different times." However, victory came at a cost as defender Reece James limped off on his return from the knee injury which kept him out of England’s World Cup campaign. James cruised through the first half but called for a substitution early in the second and looked disconsolate as he pointed to his knee before going to ground."You can see his quality. It's a blow for us," added Potter. "I'm not sure on the state of the injury. It's too early to say." Potter, aiming to avoid overseeing a fourth consecutive Chelsea league defeat for the first time since 1998, handed Denis Zakaria his Premier League debut. The Swiss midfielder broke forward well to drive Chelsea up the pitch in the first half, while the effervescent attacking duo of Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic led the Bournemouth defence on a merry dance. Sterling provided the opener with an incisive low cross to the back post where Havertz slid in to convert in the 16th minute. Mount doubled the lead with a well-taken drive from the edge of the box as Chelsea stepped up another gear before Pulisic had another goal disallowed for a foul by Havertz in the build-up. After three games in all competitions without scoring a goal, the Blues were determined to end their disappointing streak and get their season back on track. Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers did well to deny James after a dynamic burst forward, then made an even better save to foil Sterling before the break to keep his team in the game. Havertz fired wide and Mount forced Travers into a smart low stop as Chelsea tried to put the game out of sight. In the end they didn't need to as Bournemouth failed to threaten other than Jaidon Anthony's late free-kick that was beaten away by Kepa Arrizabalaga. "We won't be measured on games at Chelsea," said Bournemouth boss Gary O'Neil. "You need everything to go for you. The response to being 2-0 down, they showed incredible belief we could get something from the game." A fifth defeat in six league games leaves Bournemouth just three points above the relegation zone

Premier League: Man United off to bright start sans Cristiano Ronaldo, Chelsea beat Bournemouth 2-0

There have been reports of Cristiano Ronaldo joining the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr after his fallout with Manchester United. While the 37-year-old striker has had a tough time in the last few months, with his strained relations with Man United manager Erik Ten Hag and the Old Trafford club owners, the Portugal star has also not found it easy to find a suitable club.

With the Al-Nassr looking set to be Ronaldo's new home, there are reports that Chelsea midfielder&nbsp;N'Golo Kante is also set to join the Portuguese striker. According to The Mirror, the 31-year-old Frenchman&nbsp;is out of contract following the end of the season. Thus, he&nbsp;could move on a free transfer in search of a new challenge despite him wanting to remain firm&nbsp;in London.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/real-madrid-is-ready-to-pay-ps1-billion-for-kylian-mbappe-next-summer-reports-546256">Real Madrid ready to pay £1 billion for Kylian Mbappe next summer - Reports</a>

Kante has been one of the top performers for Chelsea ever since he became a part of the club in 2016,&nbsp;from Leicester City. Nonetheless, he hasn't been featured on many occasions for the club in recent times. In the ongoing season, he has played just twice for Chelsea as he is no longer reliably fit and even missed the Qatar World Cup, where France ended as runners-up.

Playing in Saudi Arabia might prove to&nbsp;be&nbsp;less taxing on Kante's body and, in turn, offer also help him secure a huge deal in what would likely be his last few years as a professional footballer.

There have been reports of Cristiano Ronaldo joining the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr after his fallout with Manchester United. While the 37-year-old striker has had a tough time in the last few months, with his strained relations with Man United manager Erik Ten Hag and the Old Trafford club owners, the Portugal star has also not found it easy to find a suitable club.

There have been reports of Cristiano Ronaldo joining the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr after his fallout with Manchester United. While the 37-year-old striker has had a tough time in the last few months, with his strained relations with Man United manager Erik Ten Hag and the Old Trafford club owners, the Portugal star has also not found it easy to find a suitable club. With the Al-Nassr looking set to be Ronaldo's new home, there are reports that Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante is also set to join the Portuguese striker. According to The Mirror, the 31-year-old Frenchman is out of contract following the end of the season. Thus, he could move on a free transfer in search of a new challenge despite him wanting to remain firm in London. Also Read: Real Madrid ready to pay £1 billion for Kylian Mbappe next summer - Reports Kante has been one of the top performers for Chelsea ever since he became a part of the club in 2016, from Leicester City. Nonetheless, he hasn't been featured on many occasions for the club in recent times. In the ongoing season, he has played just twice for Chelsea as he is no longer reliably fit and even missed the Qatar World Cup, where France ended as runners-up. Playing in Saudi Arabia might prove to be less taxing on Kante's body and, in turn, offer also help him secure a huge deal in what would likely be his last few years as a professional footballer.

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante to unite with Cristiano Ronaldo at Saudi club Al-Nassr: Reports

The Premier League continues to make heads turn. There is lots happening in the PL as the action has kept the fans glued to the tv sets across the globe. For Southampton FC, it hasn't been a memorable campaign so far. They are currently languishing at the bottom of the table, at the 18th spot, with only three wins and equal number of draws but have lost as many as eight matches in the 2021/22 season.

Despite this, there is something to cheer for the Southampton FC fans. UK's newly-elected Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is a big fan of the club.&nbsp;At a hustings event in Exeter in in late October, Sunak mentioned about Southampton FC when asked&nbsp;what would've been his line of work had he not entered politics. To this, the 42-year-old said, "‘I’m a massive football fan, I’m from Southampton and if I would get to be able to run Southampton [I would do that]."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/europa-league-complete-draw-manchester-united-to-take-on-fc-barcelona-in-playoffs-for-a-spot-in-last-16-531951">Europa League complete draw: Manchester United to take on FC Barcelona in playoffs for a spot in last 16</a>

Following the revelation from UK PM, Sunak received a massive uproar from the crowd and said, "Oh, wow, is there a Saints fan here? Look at that, brilliant. Well, there’s three of them. Amazing. Well, if I could run Southampton Football Club, I would be a very happy man.’

Rishi Sunak - An ardent fan of Southampton FC

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Taken 32 years but worth the wait. 
 
Now let’s hope it lasts 😬 <a href="https://t.co/Wxv7e1suFE">pic.twitter.com/Wxv7e1suFE</a>
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) <a href="https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1325014586177822723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Talking about the Southampton FC, also known as the Saints,&nbsp;legend Matt Le Tissier is Sunak's favourite player from the club. In their last outing, the Saints lost to Newcastle United FC 4-1 as their woes continues in the ongoing PL season. Their next game in the championship will be against the eighth-ranked Liverpool, who has won five and lost four games.&nbsp;

Despite their barren run in the Premier League, the&nbsp;James Ward-Prowse-led Southampton FC will look to draw some inspiration in their upcoming games from the fact that they are closely followed by UK PM Sunak.&nbsp;

The Premier League continues to make heads turn. There is lots happening in the PL as the action has kept the fans glued to the tv sets across the globe. For Southampton FC, it hasn't been a memorable campaign so far.

The Premier League continues to make heads turn. There is lots happening in the PL as the action has kept the fans glued to the tv sets across the globe. For Southampton FC, it hasn't been a memorable campaign so far. They are currently languishing at the bottom of the table, at the 18th spot, with only three wins and equal number of draws but have lost as many as eight matches in the 2021/22 season. Despite this, there is something to cheer for the Southampton FC fans. UK's newly-elected Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is a big fan of the club. At a hustings event in Exeter in in late October, Sunak mentioned about Southampton FC when asked what would've been his line of work had he not entered politics. To this, the 42-year-old said, "‘I’m a massive football fan, I’m from Southampton and if I would get to be able to run Southampton [I would do that]." ALSO READ | Europa League complete draw: Manchester United to take on FC Barcelona in playoffs for a spot in last 16 Following the revelation from UK PM, Sunak received a massive uproar from the crowd and said, "Oh, wow, is there a Saints fan here? Look at that, brilliant. Well, there’s three of them. Amazing. Well, if I could run Southampton Football Club, I would be a very happy man.’ Rishi Sunak - An ardent fan of Southampton FC Taken 32 years but worth the wait. Now let’s hope it lasts 😬 pic.twitter.com/Wxv7e1suFE — Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) November 7, 2020 × Talking about the Southampton FC, also known as the Saints, legend Matt Le Tissier is Sunak's favourite player from the club. In their last outing, the Saints lost to Newcastle United FC 4-1 as their woes continues in the ongoing PL season. Their next game in the championship will be against the eighth-ranked Liverpool, who has won five and lost four games. Despite their barren run in the Premier League, the James Ward-Prowse-led Southampton FC will look to draw some inspiration in their upcoming games from the fact that they are closely followed by UK PM Sunak.

Not Man United, Man City or Chelsea! Here's which Premier League team UK PM Rishi Sunak supports

Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League as Gabriel Magalhaes sealed a gritty 1-0 win against Chelsea after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's revenge mission fell flat on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta's side made it 11 wins from 13 league games thanks to a close-range finish from Brazilian defender Gabriel in the second half at Stamford Bridge.

The Gunners are two points clear of second-placed Manchester City after the champions briefly took pole position with a win against Fulham on Saturday.

With only one round of games remaining before the World Cup brings the Premier League to a halt, Arsenal have emerged as genuine contenders to end City's grip on the tite.

After beating Tottenham and Liverpool at home earlier this season, winning in west London was another significant statement from Arsenal as their unexpected challenge gathers pace.

This was an even sweeter victory than their other landmark successes this term as it came at the expense of former Arsenal star Aubameyang.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-world-cup-2022-india-thrash-zimbabwe-by-71-runs-to-top-group-2-book-semi-final-clash-against-england-531641" hreflang="en">T20 World Cup: India thrash Zimbabwe by 71 runs to top Group 2, clash with England in semi-final</a>

Aubameyang was anonymous in his first meeting with his old team since he was stripped of the captaincy and sold to Barcelona in January after Arteta lost patience with the Gabon forward's repeated disciplinary issues.

Exiling Aubameyang has proved an inspired move by Arteta as Arsenal look a far more unified and determined group without the sulking striker.

Booed by the travelling Arsenal fans, Aubameyang was so underwhelming that it might not be long before he becomes unwelcome at Chelsea as well.

Chelsea boss Graham Potter might also be feeling the heat soon after his side's winless league run extended to four games with a second successive top-flight defeat, prompting jeers from Blues fans at full-time.

Seventh-placed Chelsea lacked Arsenal's urgency and now trail the leaders by 13 points, with even a top four finish far from certain.

Arsenal have not won the title since Arsene Wenger's Invincibles in 2004, but no Gunners team has amassed more points at this stage in the Premier League era.

Authority and intent

Facing the latest test of their title credentials, Arteta's men were quickly into their stride, probing the Chelsea defence with authority and intent.

Ben White fired narrowly wide from the edge of the area after a flowing move cut through the Blues rearguard.

Snapping tigerishly at Chelsea, Arsenal were first to every 50-50 ball.

Gabriel Jesus robbed Ruben Loftus-Cheek and the Brazilian's menacing run took him into the Chelsea area before Thiago Silva snuffed out the danger with a superbly-timed sliding tackle.

Aubameyang struggled to make any impact and lost his cool with a reckless lunging foul on White that earned a booking from Michael Oliver.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-world-cup-2022-suryakumar-yadav-becomes-first-indian-batsman-to-achieve-massive-feat-531636" hreflang="en">Suryakumar Yadav becomes first Indian batsman to achieve massive T20I feat</a>

Gabriel Martinelli was a constant threat and his floated cross picked out the unmarked Jesus, whose face was a picture of frustration after his diving header missed the target from just six yards.

Aubameyang's booking had raised the temperature in an increasingly fractious encounter.

Bukayo Saka was accused of diving by Potter after failing to win a foul when he went to ground after a shoulder barge from Marc Cucurella.

Arteta joined a furious exchange between the two coaching staffs and Saka responded by scything down Cucurella moments later as the Arsenal star was booked.

Having managed just four touches in the first half, Aubameyang finally had a sight of goal after William Saliba's miskick but the Arsenal defender recovered to block the shot.

Played in by Saka's deft pass, Jesus forced a good save from Edouard Mendy and from the resulting corner Arsenal took the lead in the 63rd minute.

Chelsea's defending was woeful as Saka's delivery was missed by three Chelsea players before Gabriel reacted fastest to poke home on the goal-line.

The sight of Aubameyang being substituted moments after Gabriel's goal only added to the glee among the Arsenal fans crammed into one corner of the Shed End as they start to dream of title glory.

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Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League as Gabriel Magalhaes sealed a gritty 1-0 win against Chelsea after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's revenge mission fell flat on Sunday.

Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League as Gabriel Magalhaes sealed a gritty 1-0 win against Chelsea after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's revenge mission fell flat on Sunday. Mikel Arteta's side made it 11 wins from 13 league games thanks to a close-range finish from Brazilian defender Gabriel in the second half at Stamford Bridge. The Gunners are two points clear of second-placed Manchester City after the champions briefly took pole position with a win against Fulham on Saturday. With only one round of games remaining before the World Cup brings the Premier League to a halt, Arsenal have emerged as genuine contenders to end City's grip on the tite. After beating Tottenham and Liverpool at home earlier this season, winning in west London was another significant statement from Arsenal as their unexpected challenge gathers pace. This was an even sweeter victory than their other landmark successes this term as it came at the expense of former Arsenal star Aubameyang. Also read | T20 World Cup: India thrash Zimbabwe by 71 runs to top Group 2, clash with England in semi-final Aubameyang was anonymous in his first meeting with his old team since he was stripped of the captaincy and sold to Barcelona in January after Arteta lost patience with the Gabon forward's repeated disciplinary issues. Exiling Aubameyang has proved an inspired move by Arteta as Arsenal look a far more unified and determined group without the sulking striker. Booed by the travelling Arsenal fans, Aubameyang was so underwhelming that it might not be long before he becomes unwelcome at Chelsea as well. Chelsea boss Graham Potter might also be feeling the heat soon after his side's winless league run extended to four games with a second successive top-flight defeat, prompting jeers from Blues fans at full-time. Seventh-placed Chelsea lacked Arsenal's urgency and now trail the leaders by 13 points, with even a top four finish far from certain. Arsenal have not won the title since Arsene Wenger's Invincibles in 2004, but no Gunners team has amassed more points at this stage in the Premier League era. Authority and intent Facing the latest test of their title credentials, Arteta's men were quickly into their stride, probing the Chelsea defence with authority and intent. Ben White fired narrowly wide from the edge of the area after a flowing move cut through the Blues rearguard. Snapping tigerishly at Chelsea, Arsenal were first to every 50-50 ball. Gabriel Jesus robbed Ruben Loftus-Cheek and the Brazilian's menacing run took him into the Chelsea area before Thiago Silva snuffed out the danger with a superbly-timed sliding tackle. Aubameyang struggled to make any impact and lost his cool with a reckless lunging foul on White that earned a booking from Michael Oliver. Also read | Suryakumar Yadav becomes first Indian batsman to achieve massive T20I feat Gabriel Martinelli was a constant threat and his floated cross picked out the unmarked Jesus, whose face was a picture of frustration after his diving header missed the target from just six yards. Aubameyang's booking had raised the temperature in an increasingly fractious encounter. Bukayo Saka was accused of diving by Potter after failing to win a foul when he went to ground after a shoulder barge from Marc Cucurella. Arteta joined a furious exchange between the two coaching staffs and Saka responded by scything down Cucurella moments later as the Arsenal star was booked. Having managed just four touches in the first half, Aubameyang finally had a sight of goal after William Saliba's miskick but the Arsenal defender recovered to block the shot. Played in by Saka's deft pass, Jesus forced a good save from Edouard Mendy and from the resulting corner Arsenal took the lead in the 63rd minute. Chelsea's defending was woeful as Saka's delivery was missed by three Chelsea players before Gabriel reacted fastest to poke home on the goal-line. The sight of Aubameyang being substituted moments after Gabriel's goal only added to the glee among the Arsenal fans crammed into one corner of the Shed End as they start to dream of title glory.

Premier League: Arsenal back on top with impressive win as Chelsea crash again

Graham Potter's impressive start as Chelsea manager continued as Mason Mount's double gave his side a 2-0 Premier League victory at struggling Aston Villa on Sunday.

Chelsea are unbeaten in six games since Potter replaced Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge and the win at Villa was their fifth in a row in all competitions.

They were given a helping hand by their hosts with Mount cashing in on a horribly misguided defensive header by Tyrone Mings in the sixth minute.

Villa responded well and created several good chances before the break but were frustrated by Chelsea's keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga who made a series of saves including a miraculous one to deny Danny Ings an equaliser.

Any hope of Villa salvaging something from the game disappeared in the 65th minute when Mount's dipping free kick deceived keeper Emiliano Martinez.

Victory left Chelsea in fourth place with 19 points from nine games, four behind London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

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Villa are 16th, one point above the relegation zone, with pressure mounting on manager Steven Gerrard who was taunted by Chelsea fans throughout the game.

With England manager Gareth Southgate sitting in the stands to run the rule over some of his England squad, the day could not have been more different for Mings and Mount.

Mings has lost his place in the England squad and hardly boosted his prospects of a recall for the Qatar World Cup when he gifted Mount Chelsea's opener.

Ben Chilwell's pass was deflected up in the air and Mings got his clearing header all wrong, glancing it backwards towards his own goal where Mount pounced to volley home.

Chelsea's goal led something of a charmed life after that with Arrizabalaga producing excellent saves to keep out efforts by John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey as Villa attacked with verve.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-newcastle-united-frustrate-manchester-united-and-misfiring-ronaldo-in-goalless-draw-525920">Premier League: Newcastle United frustrate Manchester United and misfiring Ronaldo in goalless draw</a>

His best effort, however, was springing through the air to keep out an Ings header from point-blank range.

Raheem Sterling was denied by the woodwork as Chelsea looked dangerous going forward but rocky at the back.

Mings's afternoon got worse when he gave away the foul which gave Mount the chance to size up a free kick.

The England midfielder got plenty of movement on the ball but Martinez should have done more to keep it out.

Villa were subdued after that but while there were boos at the final whistle, Gerrard would have been encouraged by the way his team caused Chelsea problems.

Graham Potter's impressive start as Chelsea manager continued as Mason Mount's double gave his side a 2-0 Premier League victory at struggling Aston Villa on Sunday.

Graham Potter's impressive start as Chelsea manager continued as Mason Mount's double gave his side a 2-0 Premier League victory at struggling Aston Villa on Sunday. Chelsea are unbeaten in six games since Potter replaced Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge and the win at Villa was their fifth in a row in all competitions. They were given a helping hand by their hosts with Mount cashing in on a horribly misguided defensive header by Tyrone Mings in the sixth minute. Villa responded well and created several good chances before the break but were frustrated by Chelsea's keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga who made a series of saves including a miraculous one to deny Danny Ings an equaliser. Any hope of Villa salvaging something from the game disappeared in the 65th minute when Mount's dipping free kick deceived keeper Emiliano Martinez. Victory left Chelsea in fourth place with 19 points from nine games, four behind London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Also Read: I will leave Barcelona if I think I'm not the solution, says head coach Xavi ahead of El Clasico Villa are 16th, one point above the relegation zone, with pressure mounting on manager Steven Gerrard who was taunted by Chelsea fans throughout the game. With England manager Gareth Southgate sitting in the stands to run the rule over some of his England squad, the day could not have been more different for Mings and Mount. Mings has lost his place in the England squad and hardly boosted his prospects of a recall for the Qatar World Cup when he gifted Mount Chelsea's opener. Ben Chilwell's pass was deflected up in the air and Mings got his clearing header all wrong, glancing it backwards towards his own goal where Mount pounced to volley home. Chelsea's goal led something of a charmed life after that with Arrizabalaga producing excellent saves to keep out efforts by John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey as Villa attacked with verve. Also Read: Premier League: Newcastle United frustrate Manchester United and misfiring Ronaldo in goalless draw His best effort, however, was springing through the air to keep out an Ings header from point-blank range. Raheem Sterling was denied by the woodwork as Chelsea looked dangerous going forward but rocky at the back. Mings's afternoon got worse when he gave away the foul which gave Mount the chance to size up a free kick. The England midfielder got plenty of movement on the ball but Martinez should have done more to keep it out. Villa were subdued after that but while there were boos at the final whistle, Gerrard would have been encouraged by the way his team caused Chelsea problems.

Mason Mount bags a brace as Chelsea beat Aston Villa 2-0 to maintain winning streak in Premier League

A lot of action and drama is taking place in the ongoing English Premier League (EPL) 2022-23 edition. Ahead of the much-awaited Chelsea-Manchester United clash, set to be held on October 22, a controversy has emerged, off the field, with the Old Trafford club's&nbsp;fans not pleased at all.

The&nbsp;Manchester United Supporters Trust have&nbsp;threatened legal proceedings against Hammersmith and Fulham Council after&nbsp;a&nbsp;cut to the ticket allocation for Erik Ten Hag-led club's&nbsp;visit to Chelsea, to be held later this month.

Manchester United Supporters' Trust lawyers have, thus, taken matters into their own hands and recently&nbsp;sent a letter to Hammersmith and Fulham Council in a bid to place a request to&nbsp;issue a new safety certificate to allow&nbsp;fans to attend the high-voltage clash, at the Stamford Bridge stadium in Fulham.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/neymar-faces-five-year-jail-term-request-in-corruption-and-fraud-trial-525217">ALSO READ |&nbsp;Neymar faces five-year jail-term request in corruption and fraud trial</a>

"United fans, and football supporters in general, have had their fill of being on the receiving end of unfair and irrational decisions by councils and the police who seem to consider us to be a public order problem rather than ordinary people freely enjoying a day out,” the fan group -- addressed as MUST --&nbsp;revealed on Thursday (October 13).

"Tickets had been sold for this game and fans are being treated like second-class citizens. Our first priority in policing football â€” and the increasing crime and disorder associated with it â€” is the safety of fans and those who live and work in the local community,” police stated.&nbsp; “This can require significant resources and we have to balance this commitment against our many other policing responsibilities across London.

"For this reason, the agreement in place between the Met and London clubs is that fixtures assessed as high risk should start before 16:45 at weekends to help keep people safe.” United had written&nbsp;to their ardent supporters last week.

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"While we are very disappointed by this outcome and believe it is unjustified, it is clear it is a final decision. Over recent years, we have made significant progress in protecting away ticket allocations for our fans and we can assure you that we will continue to fight for this in future," the club further informed.

In the legal letter to the council, the fans have argued saying "there is no rational reason to reduce the ticket allocation for away fans at a 5:30 p.m. kick-off when it is accepted that there would be a full ticket allocation at a fixture beginning no later than 4:45 p.m."

Talking about the EPL standings, Chelsea are placed a spot above Man United. After eight games, they have five wins and two losses -- with 16 points -- whereas the Cristiano Ronaldo-starrer club occupies the fifth position with five wins and three defeats to have 15 points.&nbsp;

A lot of action and drama is taking place in the ongoing English Premier League (EPL) 2022-23 edition. Ahead of the much-awaited Chelsea-Manchester United clash, set to be held on October 22, a controversy has emerged, off the field, with the Old Trafford club's fans not pleased at all.

A lot of action and drama is taking place in the ongoing English Premier League (EPL) 2022-23 edition. Ahead of the much-awaited Chelsea-Manchester United clash, set to be held on October 22, a controversy has emerged, off the field, with the Old Trafford club's fans not pleased at all. The Manchester United Supporters Trust have threatened legal proceedings against Hammersmith and Fulham Council after a cut to the ticket allocation for Erik Ten Hag-led club's visit to Chelsea, to be held later this month. Manchester United Supporters' Trust lawyers have, thus, taken matters into their own hands and recently sent a letter to Hammersmith and Fulham Council in a bid to place a request to issue a new safety certificate to allow fans to attend the high-voltage clash, at the Stamford Bridge stadium in Fulham. ALSO READ | Neymar faces five-year jail-term request in corruption and fraud trial "United fans, and football supporters in general, have had their fill of being on the receiving end of unfair and irrational decisions by councils and the police who seem to consider us to be a public order problem rather than ordinary people freely enjoying a day out,” the fan group -- addressed as MUST -- revealed on Thursday (October 13). "Tickets had been sold for this game and fans are being treated like second-class citizens. Our first priority in policing football â€” and the increasing crime and disorder associated with it â€” is the safety of fans and those who live and work in the local community,” police stated. “This can require significant resources and we have to balance this commitment against our many other policing responsibilities across London. "For this reason, the agreement in place between the Met and London clubs is that fixtures assessed as high risk should start before 16:45 at weekends to help keep people safe.” United had written to their ardent supporters last week. ALSO READ | Europa League: Manchester United, Arsenal scrape wins as Real Sociedad claim top-two spot "While we are very disappointed by this outcome and believe it is unjustified, it is clear it is a final decision. Over recent years, we have made significant progress in protecting away ticket allocations for our fans and we can assure you that we will continue to fight for this in future," the club further informed. In the legal letter to the council, the fans have argued saying "there is no rational reason to reduce the ticket allocation for away fans at a 5:30 p.m. kick-off when it is accepted that there would be a full ticket allocation at a fixture beginning no later than 4:45 p.m." Talking about the EPL standings, Chelsea are placed a spot above Man United. After eight games, they have five wins and two losses -- with 16 points -- whereas the Cristiano Ronaldo-starrer club occupies the fifth position with five wins and three defeats to have 15 points.

Before Man United's Chelsea visit, Red Devils' fans threaten legal action over reduced ticket allocation

India is a sport-loving country. While cricket continues to rule&nbsp;the hearts of many across the nation, many other sports have also risen in popularity in recent years. Football is rising at a rapid pace but still has miles to cover to make an impact globally. The likes of Sunil Chhetri, Indian football captain, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and the likes have created a strong base, but many of their young followers need to stand tall and help the country's football to make a strong impact worldwide.

Andre Villas-Boas -- football manager and Laureus ambassador -- is one of the youngest top-flight managers who won the Europa League with FC Porto at 33. The game has been associated with him over the years. Recently, he got a chance to interact with underprivileged kids during his three-day visit to India -- and spoke at length&nbsp;on the future of the game in the country during an exclusive interaction with Wion Sports' Editor Digvijay Singh Deo.&nbsp;

After conducting a masterclass for the young small children of Delhi, the former Chelsea manager Andre revealed how his meeting went with the young kids. "Emotionally, it was very very rewarding for me. Hope it was the same for them. I'm thankful for the work done by Slum Soccer for these kids in India. I'm humbled and honoured. In such difficult circumstances they live, without infrastructure, and these 30 kids are still able to enjoy themselves. Put out the best skills they have. Not only technical skills but also&nbsp;cooperation, leadership and communication are some important tools they can take&nbsp;into their future. I thank Slum Soccer once again and Laureus for the work they do. We need more and more&nbsp;to change other people's lives."

During his visit to Delhi, Andre caught up with young football fan Jatin, a goalkeeper for his local football club - Rurka Kalan. Their mutual love for football made them connect instantly and Jatin got a chance to interact with the former Chelsea manager, a moment he will not forget for quite some time.

Jatin earned the chance to meet Andre after winning a unique drawing competition, which featured hundreds of participants from around the world. The young Indian fan's design will now be engraved on the back of the 16th special edition timepiece that Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has launched in collaboration with Laureus Sport for Good.

“I am really excited to be in India to meet Jatin and the young people from Slum Soccer. It’s wonderful to think that the watch which Jatin helped to design will contribute to raising awareness for Laureus. It was a great honour recognising Jatin as the winner of the competition and we enjoyed talking about football during our time together.

I am also thinking of all the other young people, like Jatin, who are in Laureus programmes around the world, similar to Slum Soccer here in New Delhi, and who are benefiting from the experience. This is a brilliant and unique initiative and I would like to thank Laureus Global Partner IWC sincerely for their support," Andre said about his interaction with the young fan.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-united-report-loss-of-ps1155m-for-202122-season-518762">Manchester United report loss of £115.5m for 2021/22 season</a>

Football is certainly one of the most accessible sports to play. On being asked if he feels&nbsp;Indian football needs that push as, despite the population, India has not reached the levels it should have, Andre&nbsp;pointed out that we need to tap into the talent.

"I think you need a lot of reforms. I know a lot of Portuguese have come here for the stars league that you (India) have proposed. I spoke to them before coming and they told me to make the most of the experience. You need to create a culture. You need to get the football into schools, into kids' heads so that they idolise their heroes and try to emulate them. The Ronaldos and the Messis. But you need the infrastructure and conditions. You guys have enough technical skills, you just need to work on it."

The population of India surely indicates that there is no dearth of talent across any field. Thus, hopes for high for Indian football and the youngsters joining the game to take it to a level that it has never reached as yet.&nbsp;

India is a sport-loving country. While cricket continues to rule the hearts of many across the nation, many other sports have also risen in popularity in recent years.

India is a sport-loving country. While cricket continues to rule the hearts of many across the nation, many other sports have also risen in popularity in recent years. Football is rising at a rapid pace but still has miles to cover to make an impact globally. The likes of Sunil Chhetri, Indian football captain, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and the likes have created a strong base, but many of their young followers need to stand tall and help the country's football to make a strong impact worldwide. Andre Villas-Boas -- football manager and Laureus ambassador -- is one of the youngest top-flight managers who won the Europa League with FC Porto at 33. The game has been associated with him over the years. Recently, he got a chance to interact with underprivileged kids during his three-day visit to India -- and spoke at length on the future of the game in the country during an exclusive interaction with Wion Sports' Editor Digvijay Singh Deo. After conducting a masterclass for the young small children of Delhi, the former Chelsea manager Andre revealed how his meeting went with the young kids. "Emotionally, it was very very rewarding for me. Hope it was the same for them. I'm thankful for the work done by Slum Soccer for these kids in India. I'm humbled and honoured. In such difficult circumstances they live, without infrastructure, and these 30 kids are still able to enjoy themselves. Put out the best skills they have. Not only technical skills but also cooperation, leadership and communication are some important tools they can take into their future. I thank Slum Soccer once again and Laureus for the work they do. We need more and more to change other people's lives." During his visit to Delhi, Andre caught up with young football fan Jatin, a goalkeeper for his local football club - Rurka Kalan. Their mutual love for football made them connect instantly and Jatin got a chance to interact with the former Chelsea manager, a moment he will not forget for quite some time. Jatin earned the chance to meet Andre after winning a unique drawing competition, which featured hundreds of participants from around the world. The young Indian fan's design will now be engraved on the back of the 16th special edition timepiece that Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has launched in collaboration with Laureus Sport for Good. “I am really excited to be in India to meet Jatin and the young people from Slum Soccer. It’s wonderful to think that the watch which Jatin helped to design will contribute to raising awareness for Laureus. It was a great honour recognising Jatin as the winner of the competition and we enjoyed talking about football during our time together. I am also thinking of all the other young people, like Jatin, who are in Laureus programmes around the world, similar to Slum Soccer here in New Delhi, and who are benefiting from the experience. This is a brilliant and unique initiative and I would like to thank Laureus Global Partner IWC sincerely for their support," Andre said about his interaction with the young fan. ALSO READ | Manchester United report loss of £115.5m for 2021/22 season Football is certainly one of the most accessible sports to play. On being asked if he feels Indian football needs that push as, despite the population, India has not reached the levels it should have, Andre pointed out that we need to tap into the talent. "I think you need a lot of reforms. I know a lot of Portuguese have come here for the stars league that you (India) have proposed. I spoke to them before coming and they told me to make the most of the experience. You need to create a culture. You need to get the football into schools, into kids' heads so that they idolise their heroes and try to emulate them. The Ronaldos and the Messis. But you need the infrastructure and conditions. You guys have enough technical skills, you just need to work on it." The population of India surely indicates that there is no dearth of talent across any field. Thus, hopes for high for Indian football and the youngsters joining the game to take it to a level that it has never reached as yet.

EXCLUSIVE | You need to get football into schools, says Andre Villas-Boas on the future of Indian football

English Premier League club Chelsea sacked their commerical director Damian Willoughby less than a month after his appointment after a female football finance agent alleged he sent her "inappropriate messages" and sexually harassed her last year.&nbsp;

Willoughby, who had enjoyed stints at Manchester City and gaming company Electronic Arts, was appointed as Chelsea's commercial director earlier this month after Todd Boehly took over at Stamford Bridge. However, his contract was terminated immediately after an investigation was completed into the allegations against him.

As per The Telegraph, the female football agent launched a complaint against Willoughby to Chelsea's president of business Tom Glick, who had hired him as the commerical director of the club. In her complaint, the agent alleged she was sexually harassed and threatened over the phone by Willoughby before his appointment at Chelsea.&nbsp;

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The female agent also submitted evidence in the form of messages sent to her by Willoughby. In one of the messages, Willoughby asked the agent to be naked and promised her he will arrange a meeting for her with Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano if she was willing to be 'naughty' for one night.

"When you come to London will you be naughty?" - Willoughby allegedly asked the agent in one of his messages while introducing City chief executive Soriano.

"No," the agent replied following which Willoughby &nbsp;said - "happy to connect you, if you promise to be naughty one night."

Chelsea released a statement to confirm Willoughby's sacking and said despite the fact that the messages have been sent prior to his arrival at the club, the commercial director's behaviour was in contrast&nbsp;to the kind of workplace environment and corporate culture the club are trying to build under the new ownership.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-still-feel-motivated-cristiano-ronaldo-shuns-retirement-talks-wants-to-play-euro-2024-after-world-cup-518406">'I still feel motivated': Cristiano Ronaldo shuns retirement talks, wants to play Euro 2024 after World Cup</a>

“Chelsea Football Club confirms that it has terminated Commercial Director Damian Willoughby’s employment with immediate effect. Evidence of inappropriate messages sent by Mr Willoughby, prior to his appointment at Chelsea FC earlier this month, has recently been provided to and investigated by the Club," read a statement from Chelsea.

“While they were sent prior to his employment at the Club, such behaviour runs absolutely counter to the workplace environment and corporate culture being established by the Club’s new ownership."

“The Club’s owners are working tirelessly to set and achieve the highest standards both on and off the pitch, and are determined to establish and nurture a culture of transparency, accountability, inclusivity, diversity and opportunity. The Club is committed to creating an environment which embodies these values," it added.

English Premier League club Chelsea sacked their commerical director Damian Willoughby less than a month after his appointment after a female football finance agent alleged he sent her "inappropriate messages" and sexually harassed her last year.

English Premier League club Chelsea sacked their commerical director Damian Willoughby less than a month after his appointment after a female football finance agent alleged he sent her "inappropriate messages" and sexually harassed her last year. Willoughby, who had enjoyed stints at Manchester City and gaming company Electronic Arts, was appointed as Chelsea's commercial director earlier this month after Todd Boehly took over at Stamford Bridge. However, his contract was terminated immediately after an investigation was completed into the allegations against him. As per The Telegraph, the female football agent launched a complaint against Willoughby to Chelsea's president of business Tom Glick, who had hired him as the commerical director of the club. In her complaint, the agent alleged she was sexually harassed and threatened over the phone by Willoughby before his appointment at Chelsea. Also Read: KFC threatens legal action over France forward Kylian Mbappe's sponsorship stance The female agent also submitted evidence in the form of messages sent to her by Willoughby. In one of the messages, Willoughby asked the agent to be naked and promised her he will arrange a meeting for her with Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano if she was willing to be 'naughty' for one night. "When you come to London will you be naughty?" - Willoughby allegedly asked the agent in one of his messages while introducing City chief executive Soriano. "No," the agent replied following which Willoughby said - "happy to connect you, if you promise to be naughty one night." Chelsea released a statement to confirm Willoughby's sacking and said despite the fact that the messages have been sent prior to his arrival at the club, the commercial director's behaviour was in contrast to the kind of workplace environment and corporate culture the club are trying to build under the new ownership. Also Read: 'I still feel motivated': Cristiano Ronaldo shuns retirement talks, wants to play Euro 2024 after World Cup “Chelsea Football Club confirms that it has terminated Commercial Director Damian Willoughby’s employment with immediate effect. Evidence of inappropriate messages sent by Mr Willoughby, prior to his appointment at Chelsea FC earlier this month, has recently been provided to and investigated by the Club," read a statement from Chelsea. “While they were sent prior to his employment at the Club, such behaviour runs absolutely counter to the workplace environment and corporate culture being established by the Club’s new ownership." “The Club’s owners are working tirelessly to set and achieve the highest standards both on and off the pitch, and are determined to establish and nurture a culture of transparency, accountability, inclusivity, diversity and opportunity. The Club is committed to creating an environment which embodies these values," it added.

Chelsea sack director Damian Willoughby for 'inappropriate messages' sent to female agent

Ashley Cole was previously touted as one of the greatest players in his own right ever to emerge from the English footballing circuit. Moving up from Arsenal's academy, Cole was always backed to captain the Emirates Stadium-based outfit.

However, a contract dispute with the Gunners forced Cole to seek refuge elsewhere, which interestingly happened to be their neighbouring&nbsp;rivals, Chelsea.

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During a recent interaction with talkSPORT, former Arsenal chief David Dein offered fans some insight into the situation before admitting that he regretted the way things turned out with cole and issuing an apology for the same.

"We should never have lost him in my opinion," he told&nbsp;<a href="https://tinyurl.com/mr3yzsvc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">talkSPORT</a>&nbsp;of Cole. "His contract came up for re-negotiation and we didn't offer him the right sort of money, meanwhile, Chelsea did..."

"That was the end of that and it really was a great shame because Ashley was home-grown, an Arsenal boy, and I regret that we didn't do enough at the time to keep him at the club.

"It was also at a time where we were talking about building the stadium and finances, so tensions were raging about how we were going to finance the stadium and we were watching every penny.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-nathan-collins-sent-off-for-horrific-challenge-on-jack-grealish-during-man-citys-clash-against-wolves-517168" hreflang="en">WATCH: Nathan Collins sent off for horrific challenge on Jack Grealish during Man City's clash against Wolves</a>

"We didn't go enough to keep him, and I regret that with hindsight. Ashley, if you're listening, I'm sorry," asserted Dein.

Cole, while describing his exit from Arsenal in his book,&nbsp;had previously admitted that he had been fed to the sharks by the very club that he had served so loyally from his boyhood days.&nbsp;

Ashley Cole was previously touted as one of the greatest players in his own right ever to emerge from the English footballing circuit. Moving up from Arsenal's academy, Cole was always backed to captain the Emirates Stadium-based outfit.

Ashley Cole was previously touted as one of the greatest players in his own right ever to emerge from the English footballing circuit. Moving up from Arsenal's academy, Cole was always backed to captain the Emirates Stadium-based outfit. However, a contract dispute with the Gunners forced Cole to seek refuge elsewhere, which interestingly happened to be their neighbouring rivals, Chelsea. ALSO READ: Erling Haaland makes history with goal against Wolves, Jack Grealish scores quickest goal of the season During a recent interaction with talkSPORT, former Arsenal chief David Dein offered fans some insight into the situation before admitting that he regretted the way things turned out with cole and issuing an apology for the same. "We should never have lost him in my opinion," he told talkSPORT of Cole. "His contract came up for re-negotiation and we didn't offer him the right sort of money, meanwhile, Chelsea did..." "That was the end of that and it really was a great shame because Ashley was home-grown, an Arsenal boy, and I regret that we didn't do enough at the time to keep him at the club. "It was also at a time where we were talking about building the stadium and finances, so tensions were raging about how we were going to finance the stadium and we were watching every penny. ALSO READ: WATCH: Nathan Collins sent off for horrific challenge on Jack Grealish during Man City's clash against Wolves "We didn't go enough to keep him, and I regret that with hindsight. Ashley, if you're listening, I'm sorry," asserted Dein. Cole, while describing his exit from Arsenal in his book, had previously admitted that he had been fed to the sharks by the very club that he had served so loyally from his boyhood days.

'I regret that'- Former Arsenal chief issues apology to Ashley Cole for his controversial move to Chelsea

After a loss to&nbsp;Dinamo Zagreb, Thomas Tuchel was sacked as the Chelsea manager with immediate effect. His sacking came as a shocker to many and the German has now finally reacted to his exit. Being replaced by&nbsp;Graham Potter, the 49-year-old has revealed that the recent turn of events has definitely left him devastated but shared some of his high points serving as Chelsea's manager.

"This is one of the most difficult statements I have ever had to write, and it is one which I hoped I would not need to do for many years. I am devastated that my time at Chelsea has come to an end," Tuchel wrote on Twitter on Sunday (September 11).&nbsp; "This is a club where I felt at home, both professionally and personally. The pride and joy I felt at helping the team to win the Champions League and the Club World Cup will stay with me forever," he added.

Tuchel further asserted, "I am honoured to have been a part of this club’s history and the memories of the last 19 months will always have a special place in my heart," said Tuchel.

Under Tuchel, Chelsea won the&nbsp;Champions League title in 2021 after joining The Blues early in the same year, in January. Thus, his impact was felt immediately, however, the club's poor start to new campaign turned things upside down for Tuchel. A defeat at the hands of&nbsp;Dinamo Zagreb on September 6, by a 1-0 margin, led to his ouster. He has been replaced by Graham Potter.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/graham-potter-pens-open-letter-to-brighton-hove-albion-begging-for-forgiveness-after-leaving-for-chelsea-515171">Graham Potter pens open letter to Brighton &amp; Hove Albion fans after leaving for Chelsea</a>

Before joining The Blues, Potter also looked back at his time Brighton's manager and penned a heartfelt note for the club fans. He wrote,&nbsp;”For some I recognise that the change that comes so suddenly in football can be hard to accept. I may not be able to persuade you all to forgive my departure but I would at least like to take the chance to say thank you. I hope that you will understand that at this stage of my career, I felt I had to grasp a new opportunity,” wrote the former Brighton manager in a heartfelt letter.&nbsp;

"I did not know at the time that it would be the end, but looking back now we played so well. There was so much positivity around the club. The last few days have been an unexpected whirlwind. Leaving the training ground for the last time was a poignant moment. To my successor, whoever that may be, I would say, congratulations. You'll be working for a great club with a fantastic squad, supported by a great chairman and board,” wrote Potter.

Will Potter occupy the top post at Chelsea for a long&nbsp;period? Only time will tell...

After a loss to Dinamo Zagreb, Thomas Tuchel was sacked as the Chelsea manager with immediate effect. His sacking came as a shocker to many and the German has now finally reacted to his exit.

After a loss to Dinamo Zagreb, Thomas Tuchel was sacked as the Chelsea manager with immediate effect. His sacking came as a shocker to many and the German has now finally reacted to his exit. Being replaced by Graham Potter, the 49-year-old has revealed that the recent turn of events has definitely left him devastated but shared some of his high points serving as Chelsea's manager. "This is one of the most difficult statements I have ever had to write, and it is one which I hoped I would not need to do for many years. I am devastated that my time at Chelsea has come to an end," Tuchel wrote on Twitter on Sunday (September 11). "This is a club where I felt at home, both professionally and personally. The pride and joy I felt at helping the team to win the Champions League and the Club World Cup will stay with me forever," he added. Tuchel further asserted, "I am honoured to have been a part of this club’s history and the memories of the last 19 months will always have a special place in my heart," said Tuchel. Under Tuchel, Chelsea won the Champions League title in 2021 after joining The Blues early in the same year, in January. Thus, his impact was felt immediately, however, the club's poor start to new campaign turned things upside down for Tuchel. A defeat at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb on September 6, by a 1-0 margin, led to his ouster. He has been replaced by Graham Potter. ALSO READ | Graham Potter pens open letter to Brighton & Hove Albion fans after leaving for Chelsea Before joining The Blues, Potter also looked back at his time Brighton's manager and penned a heartfelt note for the club fans. He wrote, ”For some I recognise that the change that comes so suddenly in football can be hard to accept. I may not be able to persuade you all to forgive my departure but I would at least like to take the chance to say thank you. I hope that you will understand that at this stage of my career, I felt I had to grasp a new opportunity,” wrote the former Brighton manager in a heartfelt letter. "I did not know at the time that it would be the end, but looking back now we played so well. There was so much positivity around the club. The last few days have been an unexpected whirlwind. Leaving the training ground for the last time was a poignant moment. To my successor, whoever that may be, I would say, congratulations. You'll be working for a great club with a fantastic squad, supported by a great chairman and board,” wrote Potter. Will Potter occupy the top post at Chelsea for a long period? Only time will tell...

'Devastated that my time at Chelsea has come to an end'- Thomas Tuchel reacts after being sacked

Brighton &amp; Hove Albion's Graham Potter recently jumped ship to take control of Chelsea after Thomas Tuchel was relieved of his duties following a torrid start to the season in London.

Shortly after having moved on to greener pastures, Potter decided to discuss his sudden move in a letter that was shared on Brighton's official website.&nbsp;

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In his letter that was&nbsp;addressed openly to the club's fans, Potter recalled the time he had spent at the&nbsp;Falmer Stadium, looking back at all their successes and failures.

”For some I recognise that the change that comes so suddenly in football can be hard to accept. I may not be able to persuade you all to forgive my departure but I would at least like to take the chance to say thank you."&nbsp;

"I hope that you will understand that at this stage of my career, I felt I had to grasp a new opportunity,” wrote the former Brighton manager in a heartfelt letter.

He subsequently went on to describe the experience of conducting the final training session with the team before he moved away for good. Potter also sent well wishes to his successor, talking up the club, the chairman, and most importantly, the fans.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/marco-jansen-takes-career-best-5-35-as-south-africa-bowl-out-england-for-158-in-3rd-test-515153" hreflang="en">Marco Jansen takes career best 5-35 as South Africa bowl out England for 158 in 3rd Test</a>

"I did not know at the time that it would be the end, but looking back now we played so well. There was so much positivity around the club,” Potter added.

"The last few days have been an unexpected whirlwind. Leaving the training ground for the last time was a poignant moment. To my successor, whoever that may be, I would say, congratulations. You'll be working for a great club with a fantastic squad, supported by a great chairman and board,” wrote Potter

Brighton & Hove Albion's Graham Potter recently jumped ship to take control of Chelsea after Thomas Tuchel was relieved of his duties following a torrid start to the season in London.

Brighton & Hove Albion's Graham Potter recently jumped ship to take control of Chelsea after Thomas Tuchel was relieved of his duties following a torrid start to the season in London. Shortly after having moved on to greener pastures, Potter decided to discuss his sudden move in a letter that was shared on Brighton's official website. ALSO READ: Carlos Alcaraz vs Casper Ruud, US Open 2022 final: Head-to-head record and key stats In his letter that was addressed openly to the club's fans, Potter recalled the time he had spent at the Falmer Stadium, looking back at all their successes and failures. ”For some I recognise that the change that comes so suddenly in football can be hard to accept. I may not be able to persuade you all to forgive my departure but I would at least like to take the chance to say thank you." "I hope that you will understand that at this stage of my career, I felt I had to grasp a new opportunity,” wrote the former Brighton manager in a heartfelt letter. He subsequently went on to describe the experience of conducting the final training session with the team before he moved away for good. Potter also sent well wishes to his successor, talking up the club, the chairman, and most importantly, the fans. ALSO READ: Marco Jansen takes career best 5-35 as South Africa bowl out England for 158 in 3rd Test "I did not know at the time that it would be the end, but looking back now we played so well. There was so much positivity around the club,” Potter added. "The last few days have been an unexpected whirlwind. Leaving the training ground for the last time was a poignant moment. To my successor, whoever that may be, I would say, congratulations. You'll be working for a great club with a fantastic squad, supported by a great chairman and board,” wrote Potter

Graham Potter pens open letter to Brighton & Hove Albion fans after leaving for Chelsea

Chelsea sacked manager Thomas Tuchel earlier this week after their shock defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champios League. Tuchel had joined Chelsea from Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and guided the club to a memorable Champions League triumph in the same season.&nbsp;

He also won the FA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup with Chelsea but was not spared by the new ownership at the club after the poor start to the ongoing season. Chelsea are currently at the sixth spot on the Premier League table after six games this season and lost their opening game in the Champions League.

Many believe it was a harsh decision from Chelsea owner Todd Boehly to sack Tuchel as the manager despite his credentials and his previous record. Christian Heidel, the sporting director of German club Mainz has now&nbsp;slammed Boehly stating that the American businessman has no idea about football.

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Heidel worked with Tuchel during his first stint with Mainz and knows the German manager well. The Mainz sporting director lashed out at Boehly and said Chelsea will regret this season as they won't get a good coach quickly.

"The sacking is grist to the mill of those who are against investors in football. It was purely an investor’s decision," he told German outlet BILD.

"Someone who has no idea about football probably thought that sixth place wasn’t good enough for him and said: ‘Then let’s try another coach.’ After only six games, I can’t think of any other reason. But Chelsea will bitterly regret this decision – they won’t get such a good coach again so quickly," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-giving-you-the-runaround-psg-manager-galtier-responds-to-rumours-of-rift-between-neymar-and-mbappe-514838">'Not giving you the runaround': PSG manager Galtier responds to rumours of rift between Neymar and Mbappe</a>

As per reports, Tuchel's indifferences with Boehly over signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United played a role in his sacking. Boehly reportedly was keen on bringing Ronaldo to Stamford Bridge but Tuchel turned down the proposal as he didn't want the 37-year-old in his squad.

Chelsea are after Brighton manager Graham Potter to replace Tuchel at Stamford Bridge and have reportedly already agrees terms with the highly-rated English football coach to take over at the London club.

Chelsea sacked manager Thomas Tuchel earlier this week after their shock defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champios League. Tuchel had joined Chelsea from Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and guided the club to a memorable Champions League triumph in the same season.

Chelsea sacked manager Thomas Tuchel earlier this week after their shock defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champios League. Tuchel had joined Chelsea from Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and guided the club to a memorable Champions League triumph in the same season. He also won the FA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup with Chelsea but was not spared by the new ownership at the club after the poor start to the ongoing season. Chelsea are currently at the sixth spot on the Premier League table after six games this season and lost their opening game in the Champions League. Many believe it was a harsh decision from Chelsea owner Todd Boehly to sack Tuchel as the manager despite his credentials and his previous record. Christian Heidel, the sporting director of German club Mainz has now slammed Boehly stating that the American businessman has no idea about football. Also Read: LaLiga raises Barcelona's spending cap to €800 million after sale of club assets Heidel worked with Tuchel during his first stint with Mainz and knows the German manager well. The Mainz sporting director lashed out at Boehly and said Chelsea will regret this season as they won't get a good coach quickly. "The sacking is grist to the mill of those who are against investors in football. It was purely an investor’s decision," he told German outlet BILD. "Someone who has no idea about football probably thought that sixth place wasn’t good enough for him and said: ‘Then let’s try another coach.’ After only six games, I can’t think of any other reason. But Chelsea will bitterly regret this decision – they won’t get such a good coach again so quickly," he added. Also Read: 'Not giving you the runaround': PSG manager Galtier responds to rumours of rift between Neymar and Mbappe As per reports, Tuchel's indifferences with Boehly over signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United played a role in his sacking. Boehly reportedly was keen on bringing Ronaldo to Stamford Bridge but Tuchel turned down the proposal as he didn't want the 37-year-old in his squad. Chelsea are after Brighton manager Graham Potter to replace Tuchel at Stamford Bridge and have reportedly already agrees terms with the highly-rated English football coach to take over at the London club.

He has no idea about football: Mainz sporting director slams Chelsea owner Todd Boehly for sacking Tuchel

Chelsea's leadership was recently dealt a heavy blow after the fledgling ownership of the London-based outfit moved to discontinue their association with the German. However, it seems like the club has made headway in the managerial department, having arrived at a verbal agreement with Graham Potter.

Potter previously assumed the position of&nbsp;the front-runner for the role after the Premier League giants decided to part ways with Tuchel. Chelsea's fresh-faced owner Todd&nbsp;Boehly recently conducted a meeting with Potter in central London, to discuss the prospects of bringing him on board.&nbsp;

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The duo discussed matters including Potter's future at Brighton &amp; Hove Albion and the nature of his role at Stamford Bridge. Furthermore, the also discussed the club's plans t bolster football operations within the club.

Revealing details about their interaction, Boehly admitted that their discussions were heading in a positive direction. The discussions continued well into the early hours of the next day, with the focus on legal details of his new contract and the back-room staff.&nbsp;

Although neither party has put pen to paper to cement the deal, they have reached a verbal agreement with signs pointing to the installation of the Brighton manager at the helm of Chelsea's footballing operations sooner rather than later.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/uefa-champions-league-robert-lewandowski-nets-hat-trick-as-barcelona-thump-viktoria-plzen-5-1-513978" hreflang="en">UEFA Champions League: Robert Lewandowski nets hat-trick as Barcelona thump Viktoria Plzen 5-1</a>

&nbsp;Potter's success or failure as the manager of the club will affect more than just his stock in the eyes of the fans, pundits and shareholders. The 47-year-old gaffer's appointment marks the first managerial decision of the Boehly era after he took over control from the controversial Roman Abramovich earlier in the summer.

With his authority and reputation hanging in the balance, the American will hope for Potter to turn things around at Chelsea, who have found themselves in a slump of sorts as they suffered a 1-0 loss at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb in the Group Stage of the Champions League.

Chelsea's leadership was recently dealt a heavy blow after the fledgling ownership of the London-based outfit moved to discontinue their association with the German.

Chelsea's leadership was recently dealt a heavy blow after the fledgling ownership of the London-based outfit moved to discontinue their association with the German. However, it seems like the club has made headway in the managerial department, having arrived at a verbal agreement with Graham Potter. Potter previously assumed the position of the front-runner for the role after the Premier League giants decided to part ways with Tuchel. Chelsea's fresh-faced owner Todd Boehly recently conducted a meeting with Potter in central London, to discuss the prospects of bringing him on board. ALSO READ: Manchester City star Erling Haaland breaks Kylian Mbappe's elite record with stunning brace against Sevilla The duo discussed matters including Potter's future at Brighton & Hove Albion and the nature of his role at Stamford Bridge. Furthermore, the also discussed the club's plans t bolster football operations within the club. Revealing details about their interaction, Boehly admitted that their discussions were heading in a positive direction. The discussions continued well into the early hours of the next day, with the focus on legal details of his new contract and the back-room staff. Although neither party has put pen to paper to cement the deal, they have reached a verbal agreement with signs pointing to the installation of the Brighton manager at the helm of Chelsea's footballing operations sooner rather than later. ALSO READ: UEFA Champions League: Robert Lewandowski nets hat-trick as Barcelona thump Viktoria Plzen 5-1 Potter's success or failure as the manager of the club will affect more than just his stock in the eyes of the fans, pundits and shareholders. The 47-year-old gaffer's appointment marks the first managerial decision of the Boehly era after he took over control from the controversial Roman Abramovich earlier in the summer. With his authority and reputation hanging in the balance, the American will hope for Potter to turn things around at Chelsea, who have found themselves in a slump of sorts as they suffered a 1-0 loss at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb in the Group Stage of the Champions League.

Chelsea arrive at verbal accords with Graham Potter to replace Thomas Tuchel at the helm of the club

Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel as the manager of the club on Wednesday following their shock 1-0 defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. It was an abysmal performance from Chelsea, who have not had the best of starts to the season and are currently sitting at the sixth spot on the Premier League table with three wins in six matches so far.

Tuchel reportedly was left shocked after he was told about his sacking on a brutal phone call with Chelsea owners on Wednesday. The German manager pleaded not to be sacked and wanted a second chance to improve the results at the club but was not spared by the club's hierarchy, who felt it was time for him to leave.

As per a report in The Sun, Tuchel turned up at Chelsea's Cobham training ground on Wednesday to give the players a dressing down following their poor show in the game against Zagreb last night. However, he was in for a surprise as the German was greeted by none and was asked to attend a conference call with the club hierarchy.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/thomas-tuchel-sacked-a-look-at-top-five-contenders-to-replace-him-as-new-chelsea-manager-513766">Thomas Tuchel sacked: A look at top five contenders to replace him as new Chelsea manager</a>

As per the report, the call lasted ten minutes, during which Tuchel was informed his services were no more required at the club. The German manager pleaded no to being sacked and asked for a second chance to spark a turnaround at the club. However, the decision to sack him had already been made and there was no going back for the Chelsea owners.

Tuchel was left 'totally shocked' by the decision as he collected his belongings and bid his final goodbyes to the staff at the training complex before leaving. Chelsea then went on to announce the club have parted ways with the manager, who led them to a memorable Champions League triumph in 2020-21.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/chelsea-sack-manager-thomas-tuchel-in-the-immediate-aftermath-of-champions-league-loss-against-dinamo-zagreb-513721">Chelsea sack manager Thomas Tuchel in the immediate aftermath of Champions League loss against Dinamo Zagreb</a>

As per the latest reports, Chelsea have already drawn a shortlist of managers they are targeting to replace Tuchel as the new boos at the London club. Brighton's Graham Potter is the leading contender having impressed many with his tactical genius over the last couple of years.

However, Potter is not the only name on Chelsea's shortlist as they have also been linked with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Brendan Rodgers among others to take over as the new boss at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel as the manager of the club on Wednesday following their shock 1-0 defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. It was an abysmal performance from Chelsea, who have not had the best of starts to the season and are currently sitting at the sixth spot on the Premier League table with three wins in six matches so far.

Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel as the manager of the club on Wednesday following their shock 1-0 defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. It was an abysmal performance from Chelsea, who have not had the best of starts to the season and are currently sitting at the sixth spot on the Premier League table with three wins in six matches so far. Tuchel reportedly was left shocked after he was told about his sacking on a brutal phone call with Chelsea owners on Wednesday. The German manager pleaded not to be sacked and wanted a second chance to improve the results at the club but was not spared by the club's hierarchy, who felt it was time for him to leave. As per a report in The Sun, Tuchel turned up at Chelsea's Cobham training ground on Wednesday to give the players a dressing down following their poor show in the game against Zagreb last night. However, he was in for a surprise as the German was greeted by none and was asked to attend a conference call with the club hierarchy. Also Read: Thomas Tuchel sacked: A look at top five contenders to replace him as new Chelsea manager As per the report, the call lasted ten minutes, during which Tuchel was informed his services were no more required at the club. The German manager pleaded no to being sacked and asked for a second chance to spark a turnaround at the club. However, the decision to sack him had already been made and there was no going back for the Chelsea owners. Tuchel was left 'totally shocked' by the decision as he collected his belongings and bid his final goodbyes to the staff at the training complex before leaving. Chelsea then went on to announce the club have parted ways with the manager, who led them to a memorable Champions League triumph in 2020-21. Also Read: Chelsea sack manager Thomas Tuchel in the immediate aftermath of Champions League loss against Dinamo Zagreb As per the latest reports, Chelsea have already drawn a shortlist of managers they are targeting to replace Tuchel as the new boos at the London club. Brighton's Graham Potter is the leading contender having impressed many with his tactical genius over the last couple of years. However, Potter is not the only name on Chelsea's shortlist as they have also been linked with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Brendan Rodgers among others to take over as the new boss at Stamford Bridge.

Thomas Tuchel was left 'totally shocked', pleaded not to be sacked in brutal phone call with Chelsea owners

Although the Premier League season is currently in its early stages, fans and pundits have been handed a shocking update with respect to Chelsea FC. The baby-faced ownership of the club has decided to cut Thomas Tuchel's future at Stamford Bridge short by parting ways with the German with immediate effect.

Tuchel had been at the helm of the club for a matter of a year and a half, laying claim to the UEFA Champions League title in his first season on the job. Reports suggest that the highly-decorated manager was informed of the decision on a day before it was made public. Anthony Barry is reported to temporarily lead the team.

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Rumours floating around London at the moment suggest that Tuchel would have had to face the axe regardless of the result against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League as the new owners,&nbsp;Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital did not believe Tuchel was the best man for the job.&nbsp;

Although Chelsea's latest loss against Zagreb may not have been the catalyst behind his dismissal, it is essential to note that it underlined the recent struggles that the club have faced under Tuchel's leadership.

Chelsea have suffered two losses over the course of their first six games in the Premier League. It is essential to note that Chelsea have been one of the biggest spenders in the league, parting ways with nearly&nbsp;$300 million to acquire some of the biggest names in the circuit.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kylian-mbappe-shines-as-psg-beat-juventus-2-1-to-get-off-to-a-winning-start-in-champions-league-513713" hreflang="en">Kylian Mbappe shines as PSG beat Juventus 2-1 to get off to a winning start in Champions League</a>

The club also released a statement, offering fans some insight into their decision. "As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since&nbsp;taking over the Club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition.&nbsp;

"Chelsea’s coaching staff will take charge of the team for training and the preparation of our upcoming matches as the Club moves swiftly to appoint a new head coach.&nbsp;There will be no further comment until a new head coach appointment is made," read the statement published by the club.

Although the Premier League season is currently in its early stages, fans and pundits have been handed a shocking update with respect to Chelsea FC. The baby-faced ownership of the club has decided to cut Thomas Tuchel's future at Stamford Bridge short by parting ways with the German with immediate effect.

Although the Premier League season is currently in its early stages, fans and pundits have been handed a shocking update with respect to Chelsea FC. The baby-faced ownership of the club has decided to cut Thomas Tuchel's future at Stamford Bridge short by parting ways with the German with immediate effect. Tuchel had been at the helm of the club for a matter of a year and a half, laying claim to the UEFA Champions League title in his first season on the job. Reports suggest that the highly-decorated manager was informed of the decision on a day before it was made public. Anthony Barry is reported to temporarily lead the team. ALSO READ: Nick Kyrgios handed shock upset by Karen Khachanov at the cusp of US Open semi-finals Rumours floating around London at the moment suggest that Tuchel would have had to face the axe regardless of the result against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League as the new owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital did not believe Tuchel was the best man for the job. Although Chelsea's latest loss against Zagreb may not have been the catalyst behind his dismissal, it is essential to note that it underlined the recent struggles that the club have faced under Tuchel's leadership. Chelsea have suffered two losses over the course of their first six games in the Premier League. It is essential to note that Chelsea have been one of the biggest spenders in the league, parting ways with nearly $300 million to acquire some of the biggest names in the circuit. ALSO READ: Kylian Mbappe shines as PSG beat Juventus 2-1 to get off to a winning start in Champions League The club also released a statement, offering fans some insight into their decision. "As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the Club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition. "Chelsea’s coaching staff will take charge of the team for training and the preparation of our upcoming matches as the Club moves swiftly to appoint a new head coach. There will be no further comment until a new head coach appointment is made," read the statement published by the club.

Chelsea sack manager Thomas Tuchel in the immediate aftermath of Champions League loss against Dinamo Zagreb

It might be time for Liverpool to start worrying about its slow start to the English Premier League. Jurgen Klopp's team dropped points for the fourth time in six games after an eventful 0-0 draw at Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday, with Mohamed Salah hitting the post in the 95th minute.

Chelsea has VAR to thank for not being in a similar position. Thomas Tuchel's team, having lost two of their previous three games, held on for a 2-1 victory over West Ham at Stamford Bridge after the visitors had an injury-time equalizer overturned in what Hammers manager David Moyes called a 'scandalous&nbsp;and rotten'&nbsp;decision.

Chelsea already has two losses and a draw in the opening six games, while Liverpool has three draws and one loss, having needed a goal in the eighth minute of injury time to beat Newcastle in midweek.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-clubs-spend-more-than-la-liga-serie-a-and-bundesliga-combined-in-record-ps19billion-spree-512667" hreflang="en">Premier League clubs spend more than La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga combined in record £1.9billion spree</a>

"It's not the start we wanted,"&nbsp;Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said. "It's not a dream, it's exactly 50% of the points available. But that's the points we got, and let's go from here. If we go through these really hard moments together we have a good chance to create better moments in the future."

Tottenham's start to the league has been more impressive, and Antonio Conte's team remained unbeaten after beating Fulham 2-1 at home in another London derby, with Harry Kane scoring his fifth goal of the season to take sole possession of third place in the Premier League's list of all-time top scorers.

In the highest-scoring game of the day, Ivan Toney had a hat trick for Brentford in a 5-2 win over Leeds, whose American manager Jesse Marsch was sent off in the second half for protesting a refereeing decision.

Bournemouth,&nbsp;still without a manager after Scott Parker was fired this week, came from 2-0 down in the second half to earn a 3-2 away win at Nottingham Forest in a game between promoted sides, while Wolverhampton earned its first victory of the season by beating Southampton 1-0.

Newcastle missed a host of chances as it was held at home by Crystal Palace to 0-0. Manchester City played at Aston Villa late, while leader Arsenal was traveling to Manchester United on Sunday.

GOALKEEPERS SHINE

Perhaps the only two players to be happy with the 0-0 draw at Goodison Park were the goalkeepers. Everton's Jordan Pickford and Liverpool's Alisson pulled off stellar saves while Liverpool also had three shots hit the woodwork.

That included Salah's shot in injury time which brushed the fingertips of Pickford before slamming against the near post. Everton also hit the post once in the first half while Alisson's best save came in the 85th when he was at full stretch to push Dwight McNeil's deflected shot over the bar.

Everton thought it scored in the 69th when former Liverpool player Conor Coady turned in a low cross-shot from Neal Maupay at the far post, but it was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/jurgen-klopp-lauds-jordan-pickford-for-holding-liverpool-off-in-a-goalless-draw-512709" hreflang="en">Jurgen Klopp lauds Jordan Pickford for holding Liverpool off in a goalless draw</a>

MOYES FURIOUS

Moyes didn't hide his anger with the decision to rule out West Ham's equalizer at Stamford Bridge. "It's a scandalous decision," the Scottish manager said. "Absolutely rotten decision."

Maxwel Cornet hammered the ball into an open net after Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy managed to only push the ball into his path, but referee Andy Madley ruled it out after a review. He judged Jarrod Bowen fouled Mendy when attempting to jump over him.

The decision bailed out Chelsea after an underwhelming performance that once again highlighted the team's lack of firepower up front.

With new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang watching in the stands, Chelsea didn't produce a single shot on target by the time Michail Antonio put West Ham ahead following a corner in the 63rd minute.

But defender Ben Chilwell equalized from a tight angle then teed up Kai Havertz to side-foot home in the 88th. Tuchel gave the United States international Cristian Pulisic his first start of the season alongside Raheem Sterling in attack but he was taken off after an hour.

It might be time for Liverpool to start worrying about its slow start to the English Premier League. Jurgen Klopp's team dropped points for the fourth time in six games after an eventful 0-0 draw at Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday, with Mohamed Salah hitting the post in the 95th minute.

It might be time for Liverpool to start worrying about its slow start to the English Premier League. Jurgen Klopp's team dropped points for the fourth time in six games after an eventful 0-0 draw at Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday, with Mohamed Salah hitting the post in the 95th minute. Chelsea has VAR to thank for not being in a similar position. Thomas Tuchel's team, having lost two of their previous three games, held on for a 2-1 victory over West Ham at Stamford Bridge after the visitors had an injury-time equalizer overturned in what Hammers manager David Moyes called a 'scandalous and rotten' decision. Chelsea already has two losses and a draw in the opening six games, while Liverpool has three draws and one loss, having needed a goal in the eighth minute of injury time to beat Newcastle in midweek. ALSO READ: Premier League clubs spend more than La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga combined in record £1.9billion spree "It's not the start we wanted," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said. "It's not a dream, it's exactly 50% of the points available. But that's the points we got, and let's go from here. If we go through these really hard moments together we have a good chance to create better moments in the future." Tottenham's start to the league has been more impressive, and Antonio Conte's team remained unbeaten after beating Fulham 2-1 at home in another London derby, with Harry Kane scoring his fifth goal of the season to take sole possession of third place in the Premier League's list of all-time top scorers. In the highest-scoring game of the day, Ivan Toney had a hat trick for Brentford in a 5-2 win over Leeds, whose American manager Jesse Marsch was sent off in the second half for protesting a refereeing decision. Bournemouth, still without a manager after Scott Parker was fired this week, came from 2-0 down in the second half to earn a 3-2 away win at Nottingham Forest in a game between promoted sides, while Wolverhampton earned its first victory of the season by beating Southampton 1-0. Newcastle missed a host of chances as it was held at home by Crystal Palace to 0-0. Manchester City played at Aston Villa late, while leader Arsenal was traveling to Manchester United on Sunday. GOALKEEPERS SHINE Perhaps the only two players to be happy with the 0-0 draw at Goodison Park were the goalkeepers. Everton's Jordan Pickford and Liverpool's Alisson pulled off stellar saves while Liverpool also had three shots hit the woodwork. That included Salah's shot in injury time which brushed the fingertips of Pickford before slamming against the near post. Everton also hit the post once in the first half while Alisson's best save came in the 85th when he was at full stretch to push Dwight McNeil's deflected shot over the bar. Everton thought it scored in the 69th when former Liverpool player Conor Coady turned in a low cross-shot from Neal Maupay at the far post, but it was disallowed for offside after a VAR review. ALSO READ: Jurgen Klopp lauds Jordan Pickford for holding Liverpool off in a goalless draw MOYES FURIOUS Moyes didn't hide his anger with the decision to rule out West Ham's equalizer at Stamford Bridge. "It's a scandalous decision," the Scottish manager said. "Absolutely rotten decision." Maxwel Cornet hammered the ball into an open net after Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy managed to only push the ball into his path, but referee Andy Madley ruled it out after a review. He judged Jarrod Bowen fouled Mendy when attempting to jump over him. The decision bailed out Chelsea after an underwhelming performance that once again highlighted the team's lack of firepower up front. With new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang watching in the stands, Chelsea didn't produce a single shot on target by the time Michail Antonio put West Ham ahead following a corner in the 63rd minute. But defender Ben Chilwell equalized from a tight angle then teed up Kai Havertz to side-foot home in the 88th. Tuchel gave the United States international Cristian Pulisic his first start of the season alongside Raheem Sterling in attack but he was taken off after an hour.

Liverpool's woes continue in goalless draw against Everton, Chelsea storm to 2-1 victory against West Ham

The latest Premier League gameweek was marred by a plethora of bad decisions that changed the nature and progression of the games that were played in England.

Fans and team members, playing or administrative, were left fuming by the end after a series of decisions were overturned due to the intervention of VAR and after multiple fouls were overlooked despite the presence of a review system.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/raise-a-drink-qatar-to-allow-beers-sales-at-fifa-world-cup-2022-matches-3-hours-before-kick-off-512796" hreflang="en">Raise a drink! Qatar to allow beers sales at FIFA World Cup 2022 matches 3 hours before kick-off</a>

These feelings were made extremely apparent by the managers and players concerned in the aftermath of their respective matches.

In the wake of these developments, the Premier League has now called for an investigation in tandem with the PGMOL to look into the circumstances surrounding critical moments at St. James Park and Stamford Bridge.

Shortly after the PGMOL were asked to look into the matter, the organisation admitted that the decisions that were taken during the matches were incorrect.&nbsp;

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PGMOL has accepted the VAR controversies involving West Ham and Newcastle were incorrect. <a href="https://t.co/48m3UyYfaz">pic.twitter.com/48m3UyYfaz</a>
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1566463534518730753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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They declared that they will be working with the Premier League to fine-tune their processes and ensure that such circumstances never present themselves again.&nbsp;

In London, West Ham were denied the opportunity to level their score with Chelsea after a late equaliser by Maxwel Cornet was ruled out after a VAR review declared that The Blues goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was fouled moments before the goal.

During the game between Newcastle and Crystal Palace, on the other hand, what would have been a winning goal was disallowed after it was judged that&nbsp;Joe Willock was fouled Palace&nbsp;goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/liverpools-woes-continue-in-goalless-draw-against-everton-chelsea-storm-to-2-1-victory-against-west-ham-512714" hreflang="en">Liverpool's woes continue in goalless draw against Everton, Chelsea storm to 2-1 victory against West Ham</a>

In addition to these errors, Leeds, who suffered a loss at the hands of Brentford, were robbed of a penalty for a tackle on&nbsp;Crysencio Summerville by Aaron Hickey.

Aston Villa faced their fair share of VAR trouble as Philippe Coutinho's goal against Manchester City was chalked off as the assistant referee incorrectly called for an off-side. However, VAR was unable to overturn the decision as the whistle was blown before the ball found the back of the net.

The latest Premier League gameweek was marred by a plethora of bad decisions that changed the nature and progression of the games that were played in England. Fans and team members, playing or administrative, were left fuming by the end after a series of decisions were overturned due to the intervention of VAR and after multiple fouls were overlooked despite the presence of a review system.

The latest Premier League gameweek was marred by a plethora of bad decisions that changed the nature and progression of the games that were played in England. Fans and team members, playing or administrative, were left fuming by the end after a series of decisions were overturned due to the intervention of VAR and after multiple fouls were overlooked despite the presence of a review system. ALSO READ: Raise a drink! Qatar to allow beers sales at FIFA World Cup 2022 matches 3 hours before kick-off These feelings were made extremely apparent by the managers and players concerned in the aftermath of their respective matches. In the wake of these developments, the Premier League has now called for an investigation in tandem with the PGMOL to look into the circumstances surrounding critical moments at St. James Park and Stamford Bridge. Shortly after the PGMOL were asked to look into the matter, the organisation admitted that the decisions that were taken during the matches were incorrect. PGMOL has accepted the VAR controversies involving West Ham and Newcastle were incorrect. pic.twitter.com/48m3UyYfaz — Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 4, 2022 × They declared that they will be working with the Premier League to fine-tune their processes and ensure that such circumstances never present themselves again. In London, West Ham were denied the opportunity to level their score with Chelsea after a late equaliser by Maxwel Cornet was ruled out after a VAR review declared that The Blues goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was fouled moments before the goal. During the game between Newcastle and Crystal Palace, on the other hand, what would have been a winning goal was disallowed after it was judged that Joe Willock was fouled Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita. ALSO READ: Liverpool's woes continue in goalless draw against Everton, Chelsea storm to 2-1 victory against West Ham In addition to these errors, Leeds, who suffered a loss at the hands of Brentford, were robbed of a penalty for a tackle on Crysencio Summerville by Aaron Hickey. Aston Villa faced their fair share of VAR trouble as Philippe Coutinho's goal against Manchester City was chalked off as the assistant referee incorrectly called for an off-side. However, VAR was unable to overturn the decision as the whistle was blown before the ball found the back of the net.

Premier League to review controversial VAR decisions, PGMOL accepts certain calls were incorrect

It was a stunning summer transfer window for the English Premier League (EP) clubs, who went all out in spending big money to strengthen their squads and rope in the best of talents from across Europe. Premier League clubs smashed their own previous record by splurging a whopping £1.9 billion ($2.2 billion)&nbsp;in transfers this summer.

Manchester United's acquisition of Brazilian winger Antony from Ajax on the deadline day took the English top flight's transfer expenditure near the £2 billion pound mark. United, who broke their summer spending record o back manager Erik Ten Hag, shelled out more than £200 million for new signings.

However, the Red Devils were still not the highest-spending club in the Premier League as Chelsea surpassed their spending by a fair margin under new owner Todd Boehly. Chelsea went berserk in the transfer market and made some quality additions to their squad taking their overall expenditure to&nbsp;£255 million.

As per Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, the £1.9 billion spent by the English Premier League clubs this summer is the highest in the history of the competition, surpassing the £1.86&nbsp;billion spent by the Premier League clubs in the 2017 summer and winter transfer window combined.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/when-ghanaian-witch-doctor-claimed-he-caused-cristiano-ronaldos-knee-injury-ahead-of-fifa-world-cup-2014-512576">When Ghanaian witch doctor claimed he caused Ronaldo's knee injury ahead of FIFA World Cup 2014</a>

As many as nine out of the 20 clubs in the Premier League spent more than £100 million this season as they bounced back after the gloomy COVID-19 period. The Premier League's&nbsp;£1.9 billion expenditure this summer is more than that of the Serie A ($749.2m), La Liga ($505.7m) and the Bundesliga ($484.1m)&nbsp;combined, as per Deloitte.

Which Premier League clubs spent the most money this summer window?

Chelsea were the biggest spenders in the transfer market this summer after being taken over by new owners. The London club's expenditure reached a whopping&nbsp;£255 million after they bought the likes of&nbsp;Raheem Sterling, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.

Chelsea went on to spend the most money by a Premier League club in a single transfer window in the history of the competition. Manchester United too breached the&nbsp;£200-million mark after roping in the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, Antony and Tyrell Malacia to strengthen their squad.

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There's been some 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 business done in the Premier League this summer 
 
The average spend per club is £94,200,000 <a href="https://t.co/vh2BeczNiz">pic.twitter.com/vh2BeczNiz</a>
— LiveScore (@livescore) <a href="https://twitter.com/livescore/status/1565003981767802880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/darwin-nunez-to-aurelien-tchouameni-5-most-expensive-signings-of-2022-summer-transfer-window-so-far-502378">Darwin Nunez to Aurelien Tchouameni: 5 most expensive signings of 2022 summer transfer window so far</a>

Nottingham Forest were the surprise package in the Premier League this summer as the newly-promoted team spent an extraordinary £145m to recruit as many as 21 players - breaking the Premier League record for most recruitments by a club in a single season. The likes of West Ham United, Newcastle United and Arsenal also broke the bank for new signings.

For the first time, the Premier League clubs recorded a net transfer spend of over £1billion this summer as they acquired a total of 169 players this summer, 21 more than the 148 players in the 2021 summer window.

It was a stunning summer transfer window for the English Premier League (EP) clubs, who went all out in spending big money to strengthen their squads and rope in the best of talents from across Europe.

It was a stunning summer transfer window for the English Premier League (EP) clubs, who went all out in spending big money to strengthen their squads and rope in the best of talents from across Europe. Premier League clubs smashed their own previous record by splurging a whopping £1.9 billion ($2.2 billion) in transfers this summer. Manchester United's acquisition of Brazilian winger Antony from Ajax on the deadline day took the English top flight's transfer expenditure near the £2 billion pound mark. United, who broke their summer spending record o back manager Erik Ten Hag, shelled out more than £200 million for new signings. However, the Red Devils were still not the highest-spending club in the Premier League as Chelsea surpassed their spending by a fair margin under new owner Todd Boehly. Chelsea went berserk in the transfer market and made some quality additions to their squad taking their overall expenditure to £255 million. As per Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, the £1.9 billion spent by the English Premier League clubs this summer is the highest in the history of the competition, surpassing the £1.86 billion spent by the Premier League clubs in the 2017 summer and winter transfer window combined. Also Read: When Ghanaian witch doctor claimed he caused Ronaldo's knee injury ahead of FIFA World Cup 2014 As many as nine out of the 20 clubs in the Premier League spent more than £100 million this season as they bounced back after the gloomy COVID-19 period. The Premier League's £1.9 billion expenditure this summer is more than that of the Serie A ($749.2m), La Liga ($505.7m) and the Bundesliga ($484.1m) combined, as per Deloitte. Which Premier League clubs spent the most money this summer window? Chelsea were the biggest spenders in the transfer market this summer after being taken over by new owners. The London club's expenditure reached a whopping £255 million after they bought the likes of Raheem Sterling, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang. Chelsea went on to spend the most money by a Premier League club in a single transfer window in the history of the competition. Manchester United too breached the £200-million mark after roping in the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, Antony and Tyrell Malacia to strengthen their squad. There's been some 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 business done in the Premier League this summer The average spend per club is £94,200,000 pic.twitter.com/vh2BeczNiz — LiveScore (@livescore) August 31, 2022 × Also Read: Darwin Nunez to Aurelien Tchouameni: 5 most expensive signings of 2022 summer transfer window so far Nottingham Forest were the surprise package in the Premier League this summer as the newly-promoted team spent an extraordinary £145m to recruit as many as 21 players - breaking the Premier League record for most recruitments by a club in a single season. The likes of West Ham United, Newcastle United and Arsenal also broke the bank for new signings. For the first time, the Premier League clubs recorded a net transfer spend of over £1billion this summer as they acquired a total of 169 players this summer, 21 more than the 148 players in the 2021 summer window.

Premier League clubs spend more than La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga combined in record £1.9billion spree

If what Chelsea frontman Thomas Tuchel says is to be believed, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is all set to tackle the challenges that come with sporting the blighted No. 9 jersey at the club, which is said to be cursed.

Many have tried to make the No. 9 jersey at Chelsea their own. However, they have all failed to accomplish the feat. Among those who have tried their hand at the feat are&nbsp;Romelu Lukaku,&nbsp;Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, Tammy Abraham and more.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bayern-munich-held-talks-with-cristiano-ronaldos-agent-over-potential-transfer-but-deal-was-not-an-option-512374" hreflang="en">Bayern Munich held talks with Cristiano Ronaldo's agent over potential transfer but deal was 'not an option'</a>

However, the German gaffer believes Auba has what it takes to write his own legacy at Chelsea and make the time that he spends at Stamford Bridge fruitful. "Auba is not afraid of the past and what a number means. He is ready to fight to create his own history, taking the number nine means he is brave enough," said Tuchel.

"Auba from my point of view has always been happy to fight for something and to accept the challenge, so the more challenges he has the better it is.&nbsp;If he wants to overcome the No 9 curse, or if he wants to show somebody in London he's better than certain people think he is, then the more the better."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ryan-giggs-trial-judge-refers-gary-neville-to-attorney-general-for-potential-contempt-of-court-512397" hreflang="en">Ryan Giggs trial judge refers Gary Neville to Attorney General for potential contempt of court</a>

A deadline day transfer worth&nbsp;<a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11668/12686953/pierre-emerick-aubameyang-striker-joins-chelsea-from-barcelona-as-marcos-alonso-heads-the-other-way" target="_blank">£10m made it possible for Aubameyang to be reunited with Tuchel as the duo spent a significant amount of time together in Germany under the promotional banner of Borussia Dortmund.&nbsp;</a>

Under the expert guidance of Tuchel, Aubameyang netted&nbsp;79 goals in 95 appearances for Borussia Dortmund before he was forced to part ways with the Signal Iduna Park-based outfit to be acquired by Premier League giants Arsenal.

If what Chelsea frontman Thomas Tuchel says is to be believed, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is all set to tackle the challenges that come with sporting the blighted No.

If what Chelsea frontman Thomas Tuchel says is to be believed, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is all set to tackle the challenges that come with sporting the blighted No. 9 jersey at the club, which is said to be cursed. Many have tried to make the No. 9 jersey at Chelsea their own. However, they have all failed to accomplish the feat. Among those who have tried their hand at the feat are Romelu Lukaku, Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, Tammy Abraham and more. ALSO READ: Bayern Munich held talks with Cristiano Ronaldo's agent over potential transfer but deal was 'not an option' However, the German gaffer believes Auba has what it takes to write his own legacy at Chelsea and make the time that he spends at Stamford Bridge fruitful. "Auba is not afraid of the past and what a number means. He is ready to fight to create his own history, taking the number nine means he is brave enough," said Tuchel. "Auba from my point of view has always been happy to fight for something and to accept the challenge, so the more challenges he has the better it is. If he wants to overcome the No 9 curse, or if he wants to show somebody in London he's better than certain people think he is, then the more the better." ALSO READ: Ryan Giggs trial judge refers Gary Neville to Attorney General for potential contempt of court A deadline day transfer worth £10m made it possible for Aubameyang to be reunited with Tuchel as the duo spent a significant amount of time together in Germany under the promotional banner of Borussia Dortmund. Under the expert guidance of Tuchel, Aubameyang netted 79 goals in 95 appearances for Borussia Dortmund before he was forced to part ways with the Signal Iduna Park-based outfit to be acquired by Premier League giants Arsenal.

‘He is brave enough’- Thomas Tuchel backs Pierre-Emerick Aubameyamg to break ‘No. 9 curse at Chelsea’

With the transfer mill running rampant as the deadline for the window approaches, Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea have confirmed a swap deal with Barcelona worth&nbsp;£10M, bringing on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in exchange for Marcos Alonso.

Although Auba will be making his way back to London, he will be sporting the iconic blue jersey of the Stamford Bridge-based outfit. He previously charted a course to Spain after Arsenal decided to ship him off to Catalunya for free. However, he is set to return to the city, joining the ranks of their neighbouring arch-rivals.

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Auba was recently cleared to fly to the United Kingdom to complete the formalities that come with joining a new club, including his medical. His personal terms are not expected to be a roadblock in completing this transfer.

However, it will be some time before the team gets the opportunity to train alongside the Gabon international as he is currently recovering from a minor fracture to his jaw, which he suffered during an attack on his home over the weekend. His recovery is well on track and he is expected to return to non-contact training in a week and full fitness in no more than three.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/erling-halaand-hits-second-successive-hat-trick-as-man-city-attain-big-win-arsenal-beat-aston-villa-2-1-511961" hreflang="en">Erling Halaand hits second successive hat-trick as Man City attain big win, Arsenal beat Aston Villa 2-1</a>

Chelsea's frontman Thomas Tuchel has kept extremely busy during the transfer window, having shelled out a whopping&nbsp;£268m on players over the summer. With this massive amount, Tuchel has acquired players including, Raheem Sterling from Manchester City, Marc Cucurella from&nbsp;Brighton &amp; Hove Albion FC, Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli and Leicester City's Wesley Fofana.

The German coach will be more than excited to be reunited with Aubameyang, who previously scored almost 80 goals for&nbsp;Borussia Dortmund over the course of two seasons under his expert guidance. Whether the 33-year-old will be able to replicate this success is something that remains to be seen.&nbsp;

With the transfer mill running rampant as the deadline for the window approaches, Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea have confirmed a swap deal with Barcelona worth £10M, bringing on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in exchange for Marcos Alonso.

With the transfer mill running rampant as the deadline for the window approaches, Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea have confirmed a swap deal with Barcelona worth £10M, bringing on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in exchange for Marcos Alonso. Although Auba will be making his way back to London, he will be sporting the iconic blue jersey of the Stamford Bridge-based outfit. He previously charted a course to Spain after Arsenal decided to ship him off to Catalunya for free. However, he is set to return to the city, joining the ranks of their neighbouring arch-rivals. ALSO READ: Jury discharged following failure to reach verdict in Ryan Giggs assault trial Auba was recently cleared to fly to the United Kingdom to complete the formalities that come with joining a new club, including his medical. His personal terms are not expected to be a roadblock in completing this transfer. However, it will be some time before the team gets the opportunity to train alongside the Gabon international as he is currently recovering from a minor fracture to his jaw, which he suffered during an attack on his home over the weekend. His recovery is well on track and he is expected to return to non-contact training in a week and full fitness in no more than three. ALSO READ: Erling Halaand hits second successive hat-trick as Man City attain big win, Arsenal beat Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea's frontman Thomas Tuchel has kept extremely busy during the transfer window, having shelled out a whopping £268m on players over the summer. With this massive amount, Tuchel has acquired players including, Raheem Sterling from Manchester City, Marc Cucurella from Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli and Leicester City's Wesley Fofana. The German coach will be more than excited to be reunited with Aubameyang, who previously scored almost 80 goals for Borussia Dortmund over the course of two seasons under his expert guidance. Whether the 33-year-old will be able to replicate this success is something that remains to be seen.

Chelsea agree to a £10M swap deal with Barcelona as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang returns to London

Thomas Tuchel urged "soft"&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;to toughen up after a shock 2-1 defeat against Southampton plunged his spluttering team into Premier League turmoil on Tuesday. Tuchel's side blew the lead at St Mary's after Raheem Sterling put them ahead midway through the first half. England forward Sterling bagged his third goal in two games with a close-range strike in the 23rd minute.

But&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;had squandered a host of chances before Sterling's opener and, not for the first time in Tuchel's reign, their profligate finishing came back to haunt them. Romeo Lavia equalized in the 28th minute with his first goal for Southampton, curling home from the edge of the area after&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;failed to clear a corner.

Adam Armstrong put Southampton ahead on the stroke of half-time as he took Romain Perraud's pass and drilled a deflected shot past&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;keeper Edouard Mendy. Chelsea, beaten 3-0 at Leeds in their previous away fixture, were unable to muster a response as they slipped to a second defeat from their last three games.

"Soft, soft, soft defending. There is no need to give shots away. Just toughen up as a team and show a different mentality," Tuchel said.

With just two wins from their first five matches, the Blues are already five points behind leaders Arsenal, who play their game in hand against Aston Villa on Wednesday. Despite a significant close-season spending spree, which is set to continue with several more signings mooted before Thursday's transfer deadline,&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;are struggling to find any sustained momentum at present.

While it is too early to write them out of the title race, Tuchel will be concerned by his team's latest sloppy display -- with key mistakes at both ends of the pitch -- having already criticised them publicly after the Leeds loss.

"It is too easy to put us off balance, to beat us, to confuse us. It is too easy. It happened against Leeds. We need to understand why and find solutions," Tuchel said. "We lose concentration, we lose our plan and lose consistency. I don't understand why we have so many injuries. "In a match where you are in the lead there is no need to give away half-chances. To have no answers in the second half was disappointing."

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<h2>- Everton frustrated -</h2>

Everton's wait for a first win this season goes on after Luis Sinisterra's first league goal for Leeds earned a 1-1 draw at Elland Road. Frank Lampard's team went ahead when Alex Iwobi's incisive pass was flicked through the legs of Diego Llorente by Anthony Gordon, whose clinical finish capped a superb move in the 17th minute.

But Colombia winger Sinisterra marked his first start for Jesse Marsch's men in memorable fashion with a composed finish from Brenden Aaronson's pass in the 55th minute. Fulham ended Brighton's unbeaten start to the season with a 2-1 win at Craven Cottage that lifted them to sixth place.

Fourth-placed Brighton had won three of their first four games, but Marco Silva's promoted side broke the deadlock in the 48th minute through Aleksandar Mitrovic's fifth goal this season. Neeskens Kebano provided the pass and Serbia striker Mitrovic tapped in at the far post for his 100th league goal for the Cottagers.

Fulham doubled their lead seven minutes later as Brighton defender Lewis Dunk diverted Andreas Pereira's cross into his own net.Alexis Mac Allister converted a 60th minute penalty for Brighton after Pervis Estupinan fouled Bobby De Cordova-Reid.

Yoane Wissa's late leveller rescued Brentford in their 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace. Wilfried Zaha showed why Arsenal and&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;have been linked with him as the Ivory Coast forward gave Palace the lead with a brilliant strike from the edge of the area after 59 minutes. But Wissa was left unmarked to equalise with a close-range header in the 88th minute.

Thomas Tuchel urged "soft" Chelsea to toughen up after a shock 2-1 defeat against Southampton plunged his spluttering team into Premier League turmoil on Tuesday.

Thomas Tuchel urged "soft" Chelsea to toughen up after a shock 2-1 defeat against Southampton plunged his spluttering team into Premier League turmoil on Tuesday. Tuchel's side blew the lead at St Mary's after Raheem Sterling put them ahead midway through the first half. England forward Sterling bagged his third goal in two games with a close-range strike in the 23rd minute. But Chelsea had squandered a host of chances before Sterling's opener and, not for the first time in Tuchel's reign, their profligate finishing came back to haunt them. Romeo Lavia equalized in the 28th minute with his first goal for Southampton, curling home from the edge of the area after Chelsea failed to clear a corner. Adam Armstrong put Southampton ahead on the stroke of half-time as he took Romain Perraud's pass and drilled a deflected shot past Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy. Chelsea, beaten 3-0 at Leeds in their previous away fixture, were unable to muster a response as they slipped to a second defeat from their last three games. "Soft, soft, soft defending. There is no need to give shots away. Just toughen up as a team and show a different mentality," Tuchel said. With just two wins from their first five matches, the Blues are already five points behind leaders Arsenal, who play their game in hand against Aston Villa on Wednesday. Despite a significant close-season spending spree, which is set to continue with several more signings mooted before Thursday's transfer deadline, Chelsea are struggling to find any sustained momentum at present. While it is too early to write them out of the title race, Tuchel will be concerned by his team's latest sloppy display -- with key mistakes at both ends of the pitch -- having already criticised them publicly after the Leeds loss. "It is too easy to put us off balance, to beat us, to confuse us. It is too easy. It happened against Leeds. We need to understand why and find solutions," Tuchel said. "We lose concentration, we lose our plan and lose consistency. I don't understand why we have so many injuries. "In a match where you are in the lead there is no need to give away half-chances. To have no answers in the second half was disappointing." ALSO READ | Manchester United agree deal to sign highly-rated Brazilian winger Antony from Ajax - Everton frustrated - Everton's wait for a first win this season goes on after Luis Sinisterra's first league goal for Leeds earned a 1-1 draw at Elland Road. Frank Lampard's team went ahead when Alex Iwobi's incisive pass was flicked through the legs of Diego Llorente by Anthony Gordon, whose clinical finish capped a superb move in the 17th minute. But Colombia winger Sinisterra marked his first start for Jesse Marsch's men in memorable fashion with a composed finish from Brenden Aaronson's pass in the 55th minute. Fulham ended Brighton's unbeaten start to the season with a 2-1 win at Craven Cottage that lifted them to sixth place. Fourth-placed Brighton had won three of their first four games, but Marco Silva's promoted side broke the deadlock in the 48th minute through Aleksandar Mitrovic's fifth goal this season. Neeskens Kebano provided the pass and Serbia striker Mitrovic tapped in at the far post for his 100th league goal for the Cottagers. Fulham doubled their lead seven minutes later as Brighton defender Lewis Dunk diverted Andreas Pereira's cross into his own net.Alexis Mac Allister converted a 60th minute penalty for Brighton after Pervis Estupinan fouled Bobby De Cordova-Reid. Yoane Wissa's late leveller rescued Brentford in their 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace. Wilfried Zaha showed why Arsenal and Chelsea have been linked with him as the Ivory Coast forward gave Palace the lead with a brilliant strike from the edge of the area after 59 minutes. But Wissa was left unmarked to equalise with a close-range header in the 88th minute.

Thomas Tuchel calls 'soft' Chelsea to toughen up after shock defeat vs Southampton

The Champions League group stage draw got underway in Istanbul, Turkey, with some of the most successful European teams going up against equally formidable opponents for the pleasure of fans all over the world.&nbsp;

The reigning champions Real Madrid found themselves in Group F among the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic and RB Leipzig. Last year's finalists Liverpool, on the other hand, joined Ajax, Napoli and Rangers in Group A.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/will-never-former-liverpool-star-lashes-out-at-cristiano-ronaldo-for-brutally-ignoring-jamie-carragher-510109" hreflang="en">'Will never...': Former Liverpool star lashes out at Cristiano Ronaldo for brutally ignoring Jamie Carragher</a>

Group B featured Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge and FC Porto. While Group D will see&nbsp;Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham Hotspur,&nbsp;Sporting Lisbon and&nbsp;Marseille lock horns with each other on the football pitch.

Group E will witness Chelsea, AC Milan,&nbsp;Salzburg and&nbsp;Dinamo Zagreb go toe-to-toe against each other. Group G houses the Premier League kingpins Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and&nbsp;Copenhagen. The final group in the tournament will see PSG, Benfica, Juventus and&nbsp;Maccabi Haifa.

In addition to the group stage draws, UEFA also went on to honour players and managers with awards, recognizing their performances over the course of the last season.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/how-many-stories-do-you-have-man-citys-benjamin-mendy-asked-police-after-being-arrested-for-rape-509797" hreflang="en">'How many stories do you have?': Man City's Benjamin Mendy asked police after being arrested for rape</a>

Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Karim Benzema were nominated for the title of UEFA Men's Player of the Year. However, it was the Real Madrid striker who walked away with the title. The title of the Women's Player of the Year, on the other hand, was conferred upon&nbsp;Barcelona's Alexia Putellas.

Carlos Ancelloti, who led Real Madrid's charge to La Liga and Champions League glory, was honoured with the title of UEFA Men's Coach of the Year. The Women's Coach of the Year accolade was picked up by&nbsp;Sarina Wiegman, who spearheaded England's Euro 2022 win.

The Champions League group stage draw got underway in Istanbul, Turkey, with some of the most successful European teams going up against equally formidable opponents for the pleasure of fans all over the world.

The Champions League group stage draw got underway in Istanbul, Turkey, with some of the most successful European teams going up against equally formidable opponents for the pleasure of fans all over the world. The reigning champions Real Madrid found themselves in Group F among the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic and RB Leipzig. Last year's finalists Liverpool, on the other hand, joined Ajax, Napoli and Rangers in Group A. ALSO READ: 'Will never...': Former Liverpool star lashes out at Cristiano Ronaldo for brutally ignoring Jamie Carragher Group B featured Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge and FC Porto. While Group D will see Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting Lisbon and Marseille lock horns with each other on the football pitch. Group E will witness Chelsea, AC Milan, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb go toe-to-toe against each other. Group G houses the Premier League kingpins Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Copenhagen. The final group in the tournament will see PSG, Benfica, Juventus and Maccabi Haifa. In addition to the group stage draws, UEFA also went on to honour players and managers with awards, recognizing their performances over the course of the last season. ALSO READ: 'How many stories do you have?': Man City's Benjamin Mendy asked police after being arrested for rape Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Karim Benzema were nominated for the title of UEFA Men's Player of the Year. However, it was the Real Madrid striker who walked away with the title. The title of the Women's Player of the Year, on the other hand, was conferred upon Barcelona's Alexia Putellas. Carlos Ancelloti, who led Real Madrid's charge to La Liga and Champions League glory, was honoured with the title of UEFA Men's Coach of the Year. The Women's Coach of the Year accolade was picked up by Sarina Wiegman, who spearheaded England's Euro 2022 win.

UEFA Champions League: Group stage draws revealed, Manchester City  take on Borussia Dortmund and more

In the wake of the completion of the Champions League play-off ties, UEFA has announced the pots for the 2022/23 Champions League group stage draw. The draw is set to take place on Thursday at 17:00 BST in Istanbul.

The reigning UCL&nbsp;champions Real Madrid find themselves in Pot 1 with the likes of&nbsp;Eintracht Frankfurt,&nbsp;Manchester City,&nbsp;Paris Saint-Germain,&nbsp;AC Milan,&nbsp;Bayern Munich,&nbsp;Ajax, and Porto.&nbsp;

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The second pot will feature last year's finalists, Liverpool alongside some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Liverpool, Barcelona,&nbsp;Sevilla,&nbsp;Juventus,&nbsp;Chelsea,&nbsp;Atletico Madrid,&nbsp;RB Leipzig, and Tottenham.

The third pot houses clubs like&nbsp;Borussia Dortmund,&nbsp;RB Salzburg,&nbsp;Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli, Sporting CP, and Benfica.

While the fourth pot will see the likes of&nbsp;Club Brugge,&nbsp;Celtic,&nbsp;Maccabi Haifa,&nbsp;Viktoria Plzen,&nbsp;Marseille,&nbsp;Rangers,&nbsp;FC Copenhagen, and Dinamo Zagreb.

The Champions League group stage matches are all set to go down&nbsp;on September 6th and will come to an end on November 2nd.

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The schedule of the tournament has been adjusted according to the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which is set to kick off later this year. The Champions League is slated to start early in September and will end 5 weeks ahead of schedule in early November.

The initial six rounds of the tournament will be played up until November before the footballing community will leap headfirst into a short hiatus prompted by the first World Cup being held outside the European summer. The Champions League final is all set to take place at Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium on June 10th.

In the wake of the completion of the Champions League play-off ties, UEFA has announced the pots for the 2022/23 Champions League group stage draw. The draw is set to take place on Thursday at 17:00 BST in Istanbul.

In the wake of the completion of the Champions League play-off ties, UEFA has announced the pots for the 2022/23 Champions League group stage draw. The draw is set to take place on Thursday at 17:00 BST in Istanbul. The reigning UCL champions Real Madrid find themselves in Pot 1 with the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Ajax, and Porto. ALSO READ: Barcelona vs Manchester City live streaming: When & where to watch the friendly match in India? The second pot will feature last year's finalists, Liverpool alongside some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Liverpool, Barcelona, Sevilla, Juventus, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig, and Tottenham. The third pot houses clubs like Borussia Dortmund, RB Salzburg, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli, Sporting CP, and Benfica. While the fourth pot will see the likes of Club Brugge, Celtic, Maccabi Haifa, Viktoria Plzen, Marseille, Rangers, FC Copenhagen, and Dinamo Zagreb. The Champions League group stage matches are all set to go down on September 6th and will come to an end on November 2nd. ALSO READ: Man United's Cristiano Ronaldo was open to take pay cut to be part of Borussia Dortmund: Report The schedule of the tournament has been adjusted according to the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which is set to kick off later this year. The Champions League is slated to start early in September and will end 5 weeks ahead of schedule in early November. The initial six rounds of the tournament will be played up until November before the footballing community will leap headfirst into a short hiatus prompted by the first World Cup being held outside the European summer. The Champions League final is all set to take place at Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium on June 10th.

UEFA confirms Champions League group stage draw pots for the upcoming season

Chelsea have issued an indefinite ban on a season ticket holder because of the racist abuses that he hurled at the player during their fiery London derby against Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday. In a previous statement, club authorities revealed that they would take the strongest action after allegations about the same were made.

"Chelsea Football Club finds any form of discriminatory behaviour totally abhorrent. It has no place at Chelsea or in any of our communities.

"Chelsea FC has consistently made its zero tolerance position on discriminatory behaviour very clear, yet there are still idiots like this that attach themselves to this club as so-called ‘fans’, which shames Chelsea FC, our coaches, players, staff and our true supporters."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/chelseas-thomas-tuchel-slapped-with-ban-and-ps35000-fine-following-on-field-bust-up-with-antonio-conte-508636" hreflang="en">Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel slapped with ban and £35,000 fine following on-field bust-up with Antonio Conte</a>

In a statement that was subsequently released, the club released that they had conducted their investigation and decided to level a ban on the fan in question, based on the results of their investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Following our statement this week on racist abuse at the Tottenham game last Sunday, Chelsea Football Club can confirm that it has identified and banned a season ticket holder indefinitely," read the statement released by club authorities.&nbsp;

The incident occurred during The Blues' 2-2 draw against the Antonio Conte-led outfit.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-was-fuming-raging-raheem-sterling-slams-man-city-for-mistreatment-after-joining-rivals-chelsea-508695" hreflang="en">'I was fuming, raging': Raheem Sterling slams Man City for mistreatment after joining rivals Chelsea</a>

This is not the first time the club have handed out indefinite bans to fans who have been found of racial abuse at Stamford Bridge. It has been a part of their long-standing No To Hate campaign, which made it easier for fans to report incidents of racial abuse.

In addition to these issues, the action-packed clash between the London-based squads was also marred by a series of heated bust-ups between Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel and Spurs' Antonio Conte.&nbsp;

Chelsea have issued an indefinite ban on a season ticket holder because of the racist abuses that he hurled at the player during their fiery London derby against Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday.

Chelsea have issued an indefinite ban on a season ticket holder because of the racist abuses that he hurled at the player during their fiery London derby against Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday. In a previous statement, club authorities revealed that they would take the strongest action after allegations about the same were made. "Chelsea Football Club finds any form of discriminatory behaviour totally abhorrent. It has no place at Chelsea or in any of our communities. "Chelsea FC has consistently made its zero tolerance position on discriminatory behaviour very clear, yet there are still idiots like this that attach themselves to this club as so-called ‘fans’, which shames Chelsea FC, our coaches, players, staff and our true supporters." ALSO READ: Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel slapped with ban and £35,000 fine following on-field bust-up with Antonio Conte In a statement that was subsequently released, the club released that they had conducted their investigation and decided to level a ban on the fan in question, based on the results of their investigation. "Following our statement this week on racist abuse at the Tottenham game last Sunday, Chelsea Football Club can confirm that it has identified and banned a season ticket holder indefinitely," read the statement released by club authorities. The incident occurred during The Blues' 2-2 draw against the Antonio Conte-led outfit. ALSO READ: 'I was fuming, raging': Raheem Sterling slams Man City for mistreatment after joining rivals Chelsea This is not the first time the club have handed out indefinite bans to fans who have been found of racial abuse at Stamford Bridge. It has been a part of their long-standing No To Hate campaign, which made it easier for fans to report incidents of racial abuse. In addition to these issues, the action-packed clash between the London-based squads was also marred by a series of heated bust-ups between Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel and Spurs' Antonio Conte.

Chelsea slap an indefinite ban on season ticket holder following abuses hurled at Son Heung-Min

Former Manchester City attacker Raheem Sterling recently opened up about the way he was mistreated by the club, and how his new club Chelsea have restored his faith and happiness in football. Sterling recently completed a transfer&nbsp;worth&nbsp;£47.5 million to Stamford Bridge following an extremely successful seven-year-long stint at the Etihad Stadium.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/chelseas-thomas-tuchel-slapped-with-ban-and-ps35000-fine-following-on-field-bust-up-with-antonio-conte-508636" hreflang="en">Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel slapped with ban and £35,000 fine following on-field bust-up with Antonio Conte</a>

Although he was a vital cog in the Manchester City machine&nbsp;in all their title runs during his tenure, his role on the squad during his final year with the team was just not as crucial as he featured on the team only 30 times, merely starting 23 of those matches. This led the Englishman to believe that he was not valued at a club&nbsp;

"Everyone wants to feel wanted, football is no different. When you play your heart out, sacrifice some of your kids' birthdays, and then get treated in a certain way, it's disappointing.&nbsp;At the time I was fuming, raging, but it's gone, it's in the past and I can only focus on the present, which is now, here at Chelsea, and the opportunity I've got here to go out and showcase my talents once again.&nbsp;

"A lot of things came into play, a lot of reasons, but I wasn't complaining, I was ready to challenge and, as you can see, even with some of the performances I put in, you couldn't guarantee yourself a place so it just didn't make sense to fight a battle you can never win.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-had-fantastic-temparament-ex-man-utd-manager-sir-alex-ferguson-defends-ryan-giggs-in-assault-trial-508646" hreflang="en">He had fantastic temperament: Ex-Man Utd manager Sir Alex Ferguson defends Ryan Giggs in assault trial</a>

In the time that he spent at the Manchester-based outfit, he scored&nbsp;131 goals in 339 appearances, winning four Premier League titles, four League Cups and one FA Cup. Sterling will hope to go replicate this success at Chelsea as he begins a new chapter in his footballing career.

Former Manchester City attacker Raheem Sterling recently opened up about the way he was mistreated by the club, and how his new club Chelsea have restored his faith and happiness in football.

Former Manchester City attacker Raheem Sterling recently opened up about the way he was mistreated by the club, and how his new club Chelsea have restored his faith and happiness in football. Sterling recently completed a transfer worth £47.5 million to Stamford Bridge following an extremely successful seven-year-long stint at the Etihad Stadium. ALSO READ: Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel slapped with ban and £35,000 fine following on-field bust-up with Antonio Conte Although he was a vital cog in the Manchester City machine in all their title runs during his tenure, his role on the squad during his final year with the team was just not as crucial as he featured on the team only 30 times, merely starting 23 of those matches. This led the Englishman to believe that he was not valued at a club "Everyone wants to feel wanted, football is no different. When you play your heart out, sacrifice some of your kids' birthdays, and then get treated in a certain way, it's disappointing. At the time I was fuming, raging, but it's gone, it's in the past and I can only focus on the present, which is now, here at Chelsea, and the opportunity I've got here to go out and showcase my talents once again. "A lot of things came into play, a lot of reasons, but I wasn't complaining, I was ready to challenge and, as you can see, even with some of the performances I put in, you couldn't guarantee yourself a place so it just didn't make sense to fight a battle you can never win. ALSO READ: He had fantastic temperament: Ex-Man Utd manager Sir Alex Ferguson defends Ryan Giggs in assault trial In the time that he spent at the Manchester-based outfit, he scored 131 goals in 339 appearances, winning four Premier League titles, four League Cups and one FA Cup. Sterling will hope to go replicate this success at Chelsea as he begins a new chapter in his footballing career.

'I was fuming, raging': Raheem Sterling slams Man City for mistreatment after joining rivals Chelsea

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