Manchester City, Liverpool look for fresh impetus after Premier League stumbles

Chelsea produced the perfect response to manager Maurizio Sarri's weekend criticism to beat London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on penalties on Thursday and set up a League Cup final showdown against holders Manchester City.

Trailing 1-0 from the semi-final first leg, Chelsea turned the tie on its head with goals by N'Golo Kante and Eden Hazard in the first half but Fernando Llorente struck for Spurs in an enthralling Stamford Bridge duel.

Chelsea had 20 goal attempts to Tottenham's five but the visitors held firm to set up a penalty shootout.

Christian Eriksen scored Tottenham's first spot-kick but teammate Eric Dier, the hero of England's World Cup shootout win over Colombia last year, fired over and Lucas Moura's penalty was well-saved by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Chelsea's penalties were more clinical and David Luiz slotted past Paulo Gazzaniga to seal the victory and send Chelsea into their 15th cup final in 17 years.

Spurs, who were without Harry Kane, scorer of a penalty in the first leg, and England teammate Dele Alli, both because of injury, plus South Korean Son Heung-min who is on international duty, battled hard but their wait for silverware goes on.

They have not won a trophy since beating Chelsea in the 2008 League Cup final.

After Chelsea's 2-0 weekend Premier League defeat at Arsenal, Sarri raised eyebrows by accusing his players of being "difficult to motivate" and publicly demanded more of his Belgium forward Hazard.

But a visit from rivals Tottenham, with a Wembley final at stake, provided the incentive for a far sharper display, with Hazard at the heart of Chelsea's attacking endeavour.

"I think that they reacted well tonight," Sarri, who has never won a trophy during his near 30-year managerial career, told reporters.

"But I didn't attack my players. I just said we had a problem. The reaction was very good but we need to have motivation with continuity now.

"In the last three or four matches we were not able to be dangerous. Tonight was better."

Tails Up

Tottenham, who are four points above Chelsea in the Premier League standings, looked comfortable early on but the hosts gradually began to exert a measure of control.

Chelsea went ahead in the 27th minute when Kante's shot from the edge of the area went through the legs of two Spurs players and squirmed past Gazzaniga -- in goal instead of Hugo Lloris.

With their tails up Chelsea began to dominate and they went ahead in the tie in the 38th minute when a fluid passing move ended with Cesar Azpilicueta's low cross being calmly side-footed home by a stretching Hazard.

Tottenham responded after the break and Kane's replacement Llorente bundled in a header from Danny Rose's cross to put them back on level terms on aggregate in the 50th minute.

The Spanish striker also wasted a great chance from Eriksen's raking pass before being replaced by Moura.

However, it was Chelsea who looked the more likely side to avoid the need for penalties. Hazard twice went close and Spurs needed some last-ditch tackles to keep Chelsea at bay.

It was all in vain for Mauricio Pochettino's side, though, as they faltered with a domestic final in sight.

"We are disappointed but it's a massive success to get to the semi-final with all the circumstances," he said.

"We're so disappointed to lose in that way, but it can happen. The players were brave and with all the circumstances I can only feel proud. It will make us stronger."

Chelsea produced the perfect response to manager Maurizio Sarri's weekend criticism to beat London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on penalties on Thursday and set up a League Cup final showdown against holders Manchester City.

Chelsea produced the perfect response to manager Maurizio Sarri's weekend criticism to beat London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on penalties on Thursday and set up a League Cup final showdown against holders Manchester City. Trailing 1-0 from the semi-final first leg, Chelsea turned the tie on its head with goals by N'Golo Kante and Eden Hazard in the first half but Fernando Llorente struck for Spurs in an enthralling Stamford Bridge duel. Chelsea had 20 goal attempts to Tottenham's five but the visitors held firm to set up a penalty shootout. Christian Eriksen scored Tottenham's first spot-kick but teammate Eric Dier, the hero of England's World Cup shootout win over Colombia last year, fired over and Lucas Moura's penalty was well-saved by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Chelsea's penalties were more clinical and David Luiz slotted past Paulo Gazzaniga to seal the victory and send Chelsea into their 15th cup final in 17 years. Spurs, who were without Harry Kane, scorer of a penalty in the first leg, and England teammate Dele Alli, both because of injury, plus South Korean Son Heung-min who is on international duty, battled hard but their wait for silverware goes on. They have not won a trophy since beating Chelsea in the 2008 League Cup final. After Chelsea's 2-0 weekend Premier League defeat at Arsenal, Sarri raised eyebrows by accusing his players of being "difficult to motivate" and publicly demanded more of his Belgium forward Hazard. But a visit from rivals Tottenham, with a Wembley final at stake, provided the incentive for a far sharper display, with Hazard at the heart of Chelsea's attacking endeavour. "I think that they reacted well tonight," Sarri, who has never won a trophy during his near 30-year managerial career, told reporters. "But I didn't attack my players. I just said we had a problem. The reaction was very good but we need to have motivation with continuity now. "In the last three or four matches we were not able to be dangerous. Tonight was better." Tails Up Tottenham, who are four points above Chelsea in the Premier League standings, looked comfortable early on but the hosts gradually began to exert a measure of control. Chelsea went ahead in the 27th minute when Kante's shot from the edge of the area went through the legs of two Spurs players and squirmed past Gazzaniga -- in goal instead of Hugo Lloris. With their tails up Chelsea began to dominate and they went ahead in the tie in the 38th minute when a fluid passing move ended with Cesar Azpilicueta's low cross being calmly side-footed home by a stretching Hazard. Tottenham responded after the break and Kane's replacement Llorente bundled in a header from Danny Rose's cross to put them back on level terms on aggregate in the 50th minute. The Spanish striker also wasted a great chance from Eriksen's raking pass before being replaced by Moura. However, it was Chelsea who looked the more likely side to avoid the need for penalties. Hazard twice went close and Spurs needed some last-ditch tackles to keep Chelsea at bay. It was all in vain for Mauricio Pochettino's side, though, as they faltered with a domestic final in sight. "We are disappointed but it's a massive success to get to the semi-final with all the circumstances," he said. "We're so disappointed to lose in that way, but it can happen. The players were brave and with all the circumstances I can only feel proud. It will make us stronger."

Chelsea edge Spurs on penalties to reach League Cup final

Angry Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri accused his players of lacking determination and being "difficult to motivate" after watching their lacklustre 2-0 defeat away to London rivals Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.

When he eventually emerged from the dressing room the Italian insisted on delivering his post-match comments in his native language in order to fully express his bitter disappointment with his team.

"I prefer to speak Italian today because I want to send a message to my players and I want it to be very clear," the 60-year-old former Napoli coach began before switching to Italian.

The translation would not have made pleasant listening for his players who despite bags of possession at the Emirates were blunt in attack and casual in defence and could have conceded more in a first half dominated by Arsenal.

"I have to say that I'm extremely angry because this defeat was due to our mentality," he said through a translator.

"We played against a team that mentally was far more determined than we were and this is something I can't accept.

"We had the same issue as this at Tottenham and we spoke frankly about that particular loss. I thought we had managed to overcome this issue. But it seems we have an issue of having the right amount of determination and being mentally strong.

"The fact of the matter is I'm finding that this group of players is extremely difficult to motivate."

Chelsea remain in fourth place but are only three points above Arsenal and Manchester United after goals by Alexandre Lacazette and Laurent Koscielny condemned his side to defeat.

'MORE DETERMINED'

With Liverpool and Manchester City battling for the title, it leaves Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and United scrapping for third and fourth places. Sarri appeared to question whether his side have the stomach for the dogfight.

"Today I could see that one team was quite obviously more determined than the other," he said. "It was not about tactics. From a technical point of view the two teams were pretty much on the same level today. But their higher level of determination was pretty obvious, particularly in both penalty areas.

"(Arsenal) were clinical and we weren't strong enough in defence. Don't get me wrong we could have lost this game anyway but I feel we lost it because of a lack of determination."

Asked if he could change the mentality of his team, Sarri did not sound convinced.

"That's a difficult question," he said. "It seems that as a group of players they are not particularly aggressive from a mental point of view and they don't have the kind of ferocity and that's to do with their characteristics.

"That could take a long time to change. By the same token it could be changed by a new player coming in or one of the old heads assuming responsibility and driving them forward."

With a 1-0 deficit to overturn against Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup semi-final second leg on Thursday, Sarri hopes some hard truths can be expressed this week.

"They cannot be afraid to face up to their own responsibilities," he said. "They should be able to come and talk to the coach about mistakes that have been made or issues that have arisen. If any player is afraid of that then they should not be playing at this level.

"I'm very aware that this team will never be known for its battling and fighting qualities, but what we need to be is a team that can adapt and suffer, then play our football."

Angry Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri accused his players of lacking determination and being "difficult to motivate" after watching their lacklustre 2-0 defeat away to London rivals Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.

Angry Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri accused his players of lacking determination and being "difficult to motivate" after watching their lacklustre 2-0 defeat away to London rivals Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday. When he eventually emerged from the dressing room the Italian insisted on delivering his post-match comments in his native language in order to fully express his bitter disappointment with his team. "I prefer to speak Italian today because I want to send a message to my players and I want it to be very clear," the 60-year-old former Napoli coach began before switching to Italian. The translation would not have made pleasant listening for his players who despite bags of possession at the Emirates were blunt in attack and casual in defence and could have conceded more in a first half dominated by Arsenal. "I have to say that I'm extremely angry because this defeat was due to our mentality," he said through a translator. "We played against a team that mentally was far more determined than we were and this is something I can't accept. "We had the same issue as this at Tottenham and we spoke frankly about that particular loss. I thought we had managed to overcome this issue. But it seems we have an issue of having the right amount of determination and being mentally strong. "The fact of the matter is I'm finding that this group of players is extremely difficult to motivate." Chelsea remain in fourth place but are only three points above Arsenal and Manchester United after goals by Alexandre Lacazette and Laurent Koscielny condemned his side to defeat. 'MORE DETERMINED' With Liverpool and Manchester City battling for the title, it leaves Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and United scrapping for third and fourth places. Sarri appeared to question whether his side have the stomach for the dogfight. "Today I could see that one team was quite obviously more determined than the other," he said. "It was not about tactics. From a technical point of view the two teams were pretty much on the same level today. But their higher level of determination was pretty obvious, particularly in both penalty areas. "(Arsenal) were clinical and we weren't strong enough in defence. Don't get me wrong we could have lost this game anyway but I feel we lost it because of a lack of determination." Asked if he could change the mentality of his team, Sarri did not sound convinced. "That's a difficult question," he said. "It seems that as a group of players they are not particularly aggressive from a mental point of view and they don't have the kind of ferocity and that's to do with their characteristics. "That could take a long time to change. By the same token it could be changed by a new player coming in or one of the old heads assuming responsibility and driving them forward." With a 1-0 deficit to overturn against Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup semi-final second leg on Thursday, Sarri hopes some hard truths can be expressed this week. "They cannot be afraid to face up to their own responsibilities," he said. "They should be able to come and talk to the coach about mistakes that have been made or issues that have arisen. If any player is afraid of that then they should not be playing at this level. "I'm very aware that this team will never be known for its battling and fighting qualities, but what we need to be is a team that can adapt and suffer, then play our football."

Furious Maurizio Sarri says Chelsea players lack motivation

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign striker <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Gonzalo+Higuain">Gonzalo Higuain</a> on loan from Juventus until the end of the season, according to reports in the British media.

The Argentina international joined the Italian champions in 2016 but was loaned to AC Milan at the start of the current season where he has scored eight goals in 22 appearances this term.

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri is keen to strengthen his options in attack after dropping misfiring Spain forward Alvaro Morata to the bench and being forced to deploy playmaker Eden Hazard as a 'false nine' in recent games.

Sarri worked with Higuain when he was manager at Napoli and it was under the Italian that the striker scored 36 goals to equal the Serie A record for most goals in a season in 2015-16.

Sky Sports reported on Wednesday that the loan deal for Higuain could be extended for another 12 months subject to certain conditions.

Higuain's arrival could see Chelsea sanction a loan move for Morata, who is in talks with boyhood club Atletico Madrid about a return to Spain's La Liga.

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign striker Gonzalo Higuain on loan from Juventus until the end of the season, according to reports in the British media. The Argentina international joined the Italian champions in 2016 but was loaned to AC Milan at the start of the current season where he has scored eight goals in 22 appearances this term.

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign striker Gonzalo Higuain on loan from Juventus until the end of the season, according to reports in the British media. The Argentina international joined the Italian champions in 2016 but was loaned to AC Milan at the start of the current season where he has scored eight goals in 22 appearances this term. Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri is keen to strengthen his options in attack after dropping misfiring Spain forward Alvaro Morata to the bench and being forced to deploy playmaker Eden Hazard as a 'false nine' in recent games. Sarri worked with Higuain when he was manager at Napoli and it was under the Italian that the striker scored 36 goals to equal the Serie A record for most goals in a season in 2015-16. Sky Sports reported on Wednesday that the loan deal for Higuain could be extended for another 12 months subject to certain conditions. Higuain's arrival could see Chelsea sanction a loan move for Morata, who is in talks with boyhood club Atletico Madrid about a return to Spain's La Liga.

Chelsea agree Gonzalo Higuain loan from Juventus: Reports

Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri has requested a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cesc-fabregas-joins-monaco-from-chelsea-189695">replacement for Cesc Fabregas</a> after his side's 2-1 Premier League victory over Newcastle on Saturday.&nbsp;

Spanish midfielder Fabregas has completed the transfer move to French club AS Monaco on Friday.&nbsp;

The move has left Jorginho as the only player Sarri considers capable of playing at the pivot position in his preferred 4-3-3 formation.&nbsp;

While speaking to media, Sarri said, "As you have seen today, today Jorginho was in trouble and on the bench there wasn't a player for that position, so I need a player for that position. I need an option for Jorginho."

Sarri also added that he has "no idea" when the club will get a suitable replacement. &nbsp;

"The club knows very well my opinion. I need a player there, so it depends on the club decision I think. I cannot do anything more," Sarri added.&nbsp;

Apart from talking about the transfer activities, Sarri has warned his Chelsea players to improve their mentality after Willian's sublime strike sealed a hard-fought win over struggling Newcastle.&nbsp;

He told reporters, "Today we started very well I think, for 10 minutes, but after the goal, I think we thought 'now it's easy,' but it wasn't. And so we slept for 20-25 minutes and at the end of the first half, we were in trouble."&nbsp;

"Better in the second half but we need to improve in the mental reaction because, after our first goal, something happened," added Sarri.&nbsp;

Fourth-placed Chelsea extended their advantage over fifth-placed Arsenal to six points.&nbsp;

Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri has requested a replacement for Cesc Fabregas after his side's 2-1 Premier League victory over Newcastle on Saturday. Spanish midfielder Fabregas has completed the transfer move to French club AS Monaco on Friday.

Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri has requested a replacement for Cesc Fabregas after his side's 2-1 Premier League victory over Newcastle on Saturday. Spanish midfielder Fabregas has completed the transfer move to French club AS Monaco on Friday. The move has left Jorginho as the only player Sarri considers capable of playing at the pivot position in his preferred 4-3-3 formation. While speaking to media, Sarri said, "As you have seen today, today Jorginho was in trouble and on the bench there wasn't a player for that position, so I need a player for that position. I need an option for Jorginho." Sarri also added that he has "no idea" when the club will get a suitable replacement. "The club knows very well my opinion. I need a player there, so it depends on the club decision I think. I cannot do anything more," Sarri added. Apart from talking about the transfer activities, Sarri has warned his Chelsea players to improve their mentality after Willian's sublime strike sealed a hard-fought win over struggling Newcastle. He told reporters, "Today we started very well I think, for 10 minutes, but after the goal, I think we thought 'now it's easy,' but it wasn't. And so we slept for 20-25 minutes and at the end of the first half, we were in trouble." "Better in the second half but we need to improve in the mental reaction because, after our first goal, something happened," added Sarri. Fourth-placed Chelsea extended their advantage over fifth-placed Arsenal to six points.

Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri requests Cesc Fabregas replacement

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri is unsure whether midfielder Cesc Fabregas has played his last game for the club but he feels the Spaniard must leave for the good of his career.

Fabregas appeared to say goodbye to Chelsea after Saturday's 2-0 FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge, where he applauded all sides of the ground.

The 31-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season, with British media reporting the player is close to securing a move to AS Monaco this month.

"I don't know if he is able to play tomorrow because in the last match he had cramp in the calf so he needs to rest I think," Sarri told reporters ahead of Chelsea's League Cup semi-final first-leg clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.

"Yesterday he had a free day for the injury but I don't know (if he is going to Monaco). I can say only my opinion, I don't know the decision of the club. In my opinion he needs to go."

Fabregas, who has won two Premier League titles since joining Chelsea in 2014, has struggled for first-team opportunities under Sarri, making six appearances in the league this season.

"You know very well the situation and in our club there is a rule, the renewal for players over 30 is usually for a year," Sarri added.

"He has an offer for two years and I don't want a very important player like Cesc to be unhappy."

Sarri ruled out Ruben Loftus-Cheek from the Spurs clash at Wembley Stadium after the midfielder was substituted against Forest with a back injury.

The Italian coach said the club will look to boost their midfield options if Fabregas leaves this month.

"Now with the midfield we are in trouble because I don't know about the situation with Loftus-Cheek, if it's serious or not," Sarri added.

"Without Cesc we only have five so we need a replacement."

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri is unsure whether midfielder Cesc Fabregas has played his last game for the club but he feels the Spaniard must leave for the good of his career.

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri is unsure whether midfielder Cesc Fabregas has played his last game for the club but he feels the Spaniard must leave for the good of his career. Fabregas appeared to say goodbye to Chelsea after Saturday's 2-0 FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge, where he applauded all sides of the ground. The 31-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season, with British media reporting the player is close to securing a move to AS Monaco this month. "I don't know if he is able to play tomorrow because in the last match he had cramp in the calf so he needs to rest I think," Sarri told reporters ahead of Chelsea's League Cup semi-final first-leg clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday. "Yesterday he had a free day for the injury but I don't know (if he is going to Monaco). I can say only my opinion, I don't know the decision of the club. In my opinion he needs to go." Fabregas, who has won two Premier League titles since joining Chelsea in 2014, has struggled for first-team opportunities under Sarri, making six appearances in the league this season. "You know very well the situation and in our club there is a rule, the renewal for players over 30 is usually for a year," Sarri added. "He has an offer for two years and I don't want a very important player like Cesc to be unhappy." Sarri ruled out Ruben Loftus-Cheek from the Spurs clash at Wembley Stadium after the midfielder was substituted against Forest with a back injury. The Italian coach said the club will look to boost their midfield options if Fabregas leaves this month. "Now with the midfield we are in trouble because I don't know about the situation with Loftus-Cheek, if it's serious or not," Sarri added. "Without Cesc we only have five so we need a replacement."

Chelsea's Maurizio Sarri backs Cesc Fabregas exit amid talk of Monaco switch

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has urged the club to "solve the problem" of Eden Hazard's future, amid speculation that the Belgian winger will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

Hazard, who has one-and-a-half years remaining on his Chelsea deal, said he will not make a decision on his long-term future until the end of the campaign, which did nothing to stop the persistent rumours linking him to Real Madrid.

Asked what he thought Hazard would do, Sarri told a news conference on Friday: "I don't know. I speak to him only about the position on the pitch. But I think that it's time to decide.

"I think we have to solve the problem. If we want to plan the future, we have to solve this problem."

Hazard boasts a hand in 19 Premier League goals this season, more than any other player, and was again on the scoresheet with a brace in Chelsea's 2-1 win over Watford on Boxing Day.

While Hazard prefers to play on the wing, Sarri has used him in a central "false-nine" role during the last few matches and may do so again for Sunday's trip to Crystal Palace.

With strikers Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata struggling to score on a regular basis, the Italian manager expects Hazard to shoulder most of the goalscoring responsibility.

"He played four matches as false number nine, and he scored three goals and two assists," Sarri said.

"I am really very happy with him in this position, because he's very able to score, first of all, but he's very able to open spaces for the team mates, to come and play with the team mates.

"But in the future he can also play as a winger of course."

Sarri also ruled out Pedro for at least 10 days with a hamstring problem.

The Spanish forward picked up the injury in the first half at Vicarage Road and was replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has been nursing a hamstring problem of his own and was taken off in the 85th minute.

"We have two problems, the first more serious with Pedro," Sarri said. "A hamstring injury and I think that he will have to rest for about 10 days.

"The second problem was Odoi, it's not as serious but I don't think he will play in the next match."

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has urged the club to "solve the problem" of Eden Hazard's future, amid speculation that the Belgian winger will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has urged the club to "solve the problem" of Eden Hazard's future, amid speculation that the Belgian winger will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season. Hazard, who has one-and-a-half years remaining on his Chelsea deal, said he will not make a decision on his long-term future until the end of the campaign, which did nothing to stop the persistent rumours linking him to Real Madrid. Asked what he thought Hazard would do, Sarri told a news conference on Friday: "I don't know. I speak to him only about the position on the pitch. But I think that it's time to decide. "I think we have to solve the problem. If we want to plan the future, we have to solve this problem." Hazard boasts a hand in 19 Premier League goals this season, more than any other player, and was again on the scoresheet with a brace in Chelsea's 2-1 win over Watford on Boxing Day. While Hazard prefers to play on the wing, Sarri has used him in a central "false-nine" role during the last few matches and may do so again for Sunday's trip to Crystal Palace. With strikers Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata struggling to score on a regular basis, the Italian manager expects Hazard to shoulder most of the goalscoring responsibility. "He played four matches as false number nine, and he scored three goals and two assists," Sarri said. "I am really very happy with him in this position, because he's very able to score, first of all, but he's very able to open spaces for the team mates, to come and play with the team mates. "But in the future he can also play as a winger of course." Sarri also ruled out Pedro for at least 10 days with a hamstring problem. The Spanish forward picked up the injury in the first half at Vicarage Road and was replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has been nursing a hamstring problem of his own and was taken off in the 85th minute. "We have two problems, the first more serious with Pedro," Sarri said. "A hamstring injury and I think that he will have to rest for about 10 days. "The second problem was Odoi, it's not as serious but I don't think he will play in the next match."

Time to resolve Hazard's Chelsea future: Maurizio Sarri

Maurizio Sarri has described the alleged racist abuse of Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling by Chelsea fans as "disgusting" and condemned discrimination in any form in his first public comments on the incident.

Chelsea said on Monday they had banned four supporters from their matches pending a police investigation into the incident which occurred during City's 2-0 Premier League defeat at Stamford Bridge last Saturday.

"First of all, I want to say that I condemn any form of discrimination, of course. I think that I have to stop here," the Chelsea manager told reporters ahead of Thursday's Europa League match against Vidi in Budapest.

"Because there is an investigation so I think it's better not to say something more. Of course, my opinion is that I condemn every sort of discrimination.

"It was disgusting. You know very well my opinion, the opinion of the club, but now we have to go on."

Sterling posted a statement on Instagram last Sunday in which he said newspapers were fuelling racism in soccer due to their negative portrayal of young black players in comparison to their white counterparts.

His comments were echoed by the Professional Footballers' Association and former players.

One of the Chelsea supporters who has been banned admitted directing abuse at Sterling but said the vitriol was 'not racist in nature'.

Sterling's England teammate Ruben Loftus-Cheek said a strong response was needed to rid the sport of the problem.

"It doesn't happen a lot in England, but obviously still happens. Most people don't like this and it needs to be out of the game as quick as possible," Loftus-Cheek said.

"He (Sterling) was right to say what he said. I don't think it should be in the game or anywhere. Him speaking out was the right thing. If it happened to me I would do the same."

Maurizio Sarri has described the alleged racist abuse of Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling by Chelsea fans as "disgusting" and condemned discrimination in any form in his first public comments on the incident.

Maurizio Sarri has described the alleged racist abuse of Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling by Chelsea fans as "disgusting" and condemned discrimination in any form in his first public comments on the incident. Chelsea said on Monday they had banned four supporters from their matches pending a police investigation into the incident which occurred during City's 2-0 Premier League defeat at Stamford Bridge last Saturday. "First of all, I want to say that I condemn any form of discrimination, of course. I think that I have to stop here," the Chelsea manager told reporters ahead of Thursday's Europa League match against Vidi in Budapest. "Because there is an investigation so I think it's better not to say something more. Of course, my opinion is that I condemn every sort of discrimination. "It was disgusting. You know very well my opinion, the opinion of the club, but now we have to go on." Sterling posted a statement on Instagram last Sunday in which he said newspapers were fuelling racism in soccer due to their negative portrayal of young black players in comparison to their white counterparts. His comments were echoed by the Professional Footballers' Association and former players. One of the Chelsea supporters who has been banned admitted directing abuse at Sterling but said the vitriol was 'not racist in nature'. Sterling's England teammate Ruben Loftus-Cheek said a strong response was needed to rid the sport of the problem. "It doesn't happen a lot in England, but obviously still happens. Most people don't like this and it needs to be out of the game as quick as possible," Loftus-Cheek said. "He (Sterling) was right to say what he said. I don't think it should be in the game or anywhere. Him speaking out was the right thing. If it happened to me I would do the same."

Alleged racist abuse of Raheem Sterling 'disgusting', says Maurizio Sarri

Chelsea bounced back from the disappointment of losing at Wolves in midweek as they <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-city-fall-from-top-spot-with-2-0-loss-to-chelsea-182559">defeated Manchester City 2-0</a> in Premier League's Matchday 16 action on Saturday.&nbsp;

City dominated the first half but failed to profit with Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane missed big chances.

Despite the victory, Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri complained about his side's level of motivation.

While interacting with media, Sarri said, "I think that we have a team with some difficulties to be motivated and in this kind of match, it is easy to have great motivation, a very good level of determination, the right level of aggressivity."

"But then during the season, you will also have to play against the small teams."

Sarri had lost all of his previous three meetings against Guardiola and was growing increasingly frustrated at his side's inability to hold possession as the visitors dominated the first half.

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MASSIVE RESULT. 
 
A brilliant day's work for the Blues! 👏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CHEMCI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CHEMCI</a> <a href="https://t.co/tku9PJXXN4">pic.twitter.com/tku9PJXXN4</a>
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"We won today but we have to say we were a bit lucky in the first 25 minutes."

"We played very well in the last minutes of the first half and the first 20 minutes of the second half," he added.

Sarri's decision to field Hazard as the focal point of the Chelsea attack and maintain Kante in an advanced midfield ultimately paid off.

The Italian has resisted calls to return Kante to the deep-lying midfield role where he shone in winning the World Cup with France and Premier League titles for Leicester and Chelsea at the expense of Jorginho.

Chelsea bounced back from the disappointment of losing at Wolves in midweek as they defeated Manchester City 2-0 in Premier League's Matchday 16 action on Saturday.

Chelsea bounced back from the disappointment of losing at Wolves in midweek as they defeated Manchester City 2-0 in Premier League's Matchday 16 action on Saturday. City dominated the first half but failed to profit with Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane missed big chances. Despite the victory, Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri complained about his side's level of motivation. While interacting with media, Sarri said, "I think that we have a team with some difficulties to be motivated and in this kind of match, it is easy to have great motivation, a very good level of determination, the right level of aggressivity." "But then during the season, you will also have to play against the small teams." Sarri had lost all of his previous three meetings against Guardiola and was growing increasingly frustrated at his side's inability to hold possession as the visitors dominated the first half. MASSIVE RESULT. A brilliant day's work for the Blues! 👏 #CHEMCI pic.twitter.com/tku9PJXXN4 — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 8, 2018 × "We won today but we have to say we were a bit lucky in the first 25 minutes." "We played very well in the last minutes of the first half and the first 20 minutes of the second half," he added. Sarri's decision to field Hazard as the focal point of the Chelsea attack and maintain Kante in an advanced midfield ultimately paid off. The Italian has resisted calls to return Kante to the deep-lying midfield role where he shone in winning the World Cup with France and Premier League titles for Leicester and Chelsea at the expense of Jorginho.

Chelsea players have 'some difficulties to be motivated': Maurizio Sarri

Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri said that he is "very worried" after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-united-battle-to-draw-with-arsenal-liverpool-march-on-181761">losing 2-1</a> at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday as the Blues lost more ground in the Premier League title race.

During the post-match interview, Sarri said, "I don't know why but I am very worried, not for the result, but for the fact that we didn't react of the first goal of the opponent. We didn't react at all."

Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota scored goals in a four-minute span around the hour mark to condemn Chelsea to a second loss in three games, after a recent 3-1 defeat at Tottenham.

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The Blues are beaten this evening.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WOLCHE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WOLCHE</a> <a href="https://t.co/NhQaqba1TI">pic.twitter.com/NhQaqba1TI</a>
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The former Napoli boss Sarri further added, "I think that we played very well for 55 minutes. After the first goal, the 1-1, that was an accident because we were in full control of the match."

"We were suddenly another team without the right distances, without our football," he concluded.

Chelsea is 10 points behind unbeaten leader Manchester City and could now be in a race just to finish in the top four to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri said that he is "very worried" after losing 2-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday as the Blues lost more ground in the Premier League title race.

Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri said that he is "very worried" after losing 2-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday as the Blues lost more ground in the Premier League title race. During the post-match interview, Sarri said, "I don't know why but I am very worried, not for the result, but for the fact that we didn't react of the first goal of the opponent. We didn't react at all." Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota scored goals in a four-minute span around the hour mark to condemn Chelsea to a second loss in three games, after a recent 3-1 defeat at Tottenham. The Blues are beaten this evening.#WOLCHE pic.twitter.com/NhQaqba1TI — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 5, 2018 × Sarri says what happened did not depend on the changes to the line-up, it depended on the mentality of the team. #WOLCHE — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 5, 2018 × The former Napoli boss Sarri further added, "I think that we played very well for 55 minutes. After the first goal, the 1-1, that was an accident because we were in full control of the match." "We were suddenly another team without the right distances, without our football," he concluded. Chelsea is 10 points behind unbeaten leader Manchester City and could now be in a race just to finish in the top four to qualify for next season's Champions League.

'I am very worried,' says Chelsea's boss Maurizio Sarri after losing to Wolves

It has taken less than two weeks for the optimism generated by a 12-match unbeaten start to Maurizio Sarri's reign at Stamford Bridge to fizzle out and this weekend the Italian faces his biggest test to date when Manchester City visit.

In fairness to the former Napoli manager, he stressed throughout the heady days of early Autumn that Chelsea were not equipped to challenge City for the title and ahead of Saturday's clash between the sides a 10-point gap has opened up.

On Tuesday, Pep Guardiola's City maintained a searing pace at the top with a win against Watford. Twenty-four hours later Chelsea went down 2-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers -- their second defeat in three Premier League games.

Sarri said his side had only played well for 55 minutes at Wolves and knows they will have to be at full tilt for 90 minutes on Saturday evening if they are to have any chance of halting the City juggernaut.

He said he expects a "big reaction" on Saturday but already appears to have settled for a top-four scrap along with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal rather than chasing down Liverpool and champions City.

"Manchester City are in another category. We have to play and to fight to be in the top four," Sarri said after the setback at Wolves.

"City are the best team in Europe, maybe the best in the world. They can win the Champions League."

Juergen Klopp's Liverpool, who like City are unbeaten, started without Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at Burnley on Wednesday but still won 3-1.

With a huge 'must-win' Champions League game coming up next week against Napoli, Klopp may well gamble on squad rotation as they travel to seventh-placed Bournemouth for Saturday's early kickoff.

Victory for Liverpool would take them top, at least until City's later clash with Chelsea.

Third-placed Tottenham Hotspur will also have a massive Champions League night on their minds when they travel to Leicester City on Saturday evening.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino will be less than pleased that his side kickoff at 1945 GMT with a trip to Barcelona following on Tuesday -- a game Tottenham will almost certainly have to win to reach the last 16 of the tournament.

Fifth-placed Arsenal have no such concerns as they host Huddersfield Town on Saturday looking to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 21 matches.

Manchester United, who are 18 points behind leaders City and eight adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea after three successive draws, are at home to bottom club Fulham.

United boss Jose Mourinho has made 46 changes to his starting lineup already this season and all eyes will be on his selection again as he comes face to face with the original "tinkerman" Claudio Ranieri, now at the helm at Fulham.

Mourinho left record signing Paul Pogba on the bench for Wednesday's 2-2 draw at home to Arsenal and also started without Romelu Lukaku but goalscorer Anthony Martial picked up an injury against Arsenal and is a major doubt to face Fulham.

Also on Saturday, Burnley host Brighton and Hove Albion while new Southampton boss manager Ralph Hasenhuttl will be in the dugout for the first time as his side take on fellow strugglers Cardiff City.

West Ham United will be seeking a third consecutive win when they host Crystal Palace in a London derby.

It has taken less than two weeks for the optimism generated by a 12-match unbeaten start to Maurizio Sarri's reign at Stamford Bridge to fizzle out and this weekend the Italian faces his biggest test to date when Manchester City visit.

It has taken less than two weeks for the optimism generated by a 12-match unbeaten start to Maurizio Sarri's reign at Stamford Bridge to fizzle out and this weekend the Italian faces his biggest test to date when Manchester City visit. In fairness to the former Napoli manager, he stressed throughout the heady days of early Autumn that Chelsea were not equipped to challenge City for the title and ahead of Saturday's clash between the sides a 10-point gap has opened up. On Tuesday, Pep Guardiola's City maintained a searing pace at the top with a win against Watford. Twenty-four hours later Chelsea went down 2-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers -- their second defeat in three Premier League games. Sarri said his side had only played well for 55 minutes at Wolves and knows they will have to be at full tilt for 90 minutes on Saturday evening if they are to have any chance of halting the City juggernaut. He said he expects a "big reaction" on Saturday but already appears to have settled for a top-four scrap along with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal rather than chasing down Liverpool and champions City. "Manchester City are in another category. We have to play and to fight to be in the top four," Sarri said after the setback at Wolves. "City are the best team in Europe, maybe the best in the world. They can win the Champions League." Juergen Klopp's Liverpool, who like City are unbeaten, started without Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at Burnley on Wednesday but still won 3-1. With a huge 'must-win' Champions League game coming up next week against Napoli, Klopp may well gamble on squad rotation as they travel to seventh-placed Bournemouth for Saturday's early kickoff. Victory for Liverpool would take them top, at least until City's later clash with Chelsea. Third-placed Tottenham Hotspur will also have a massive Champions League night on their minds when they travel to Leicester City on Saturday evening. Manager Mauricio Pochettino will be less than pleased that his side kickoff at 1945 GMT with a trip to Barcelona following on Tuesday -- a game Tottenham will almost certainly have to win to reach the last 16 of the tournament. Fifth-placed Arsenal have no such concerns as they host Huddersfield Town on Saturday looking to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 21 matches. Manchester United, who are 18 points behind leaders City and eight adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea after three successive draws, are at home to bottom club Fulham. United boss Jose Mourinho has made 46 changes to his starting lineup already this season and all eyes will be on his selection again as he comes face to face with the original "tinkerman" Claudio Ranieri, now at the helm at Fulham. Mourinho left record signing Paul Pogba on the bench for Wednesday's 2-2 draw at home to Arsenal and also started without Romelu Lukaku but goalscorer Anthony Martial picked up an injury against Arsenal and is a major doubt to face Fulham. Also on Saturday, Burnley host Brighton and Hove Albion while new Southampton boss manager Ralph Hasenhuttl will be in the dugout for the first time as his side take on fellow strugglers Cardiff City. West Ham United will be seeking a third consecutive win when they host Crystal Palace in a London derby.

Biggest test for Sarri as stuttering Chelsea host City

A relieved Maurizio Sarri said his players were too tense after last weekend's mauling by Tottenham Hotspur to kill off bottom-placed Fulham, until substitute Ruben Loftus-Cheek's late strike settled the Blues' 2-0 win on Sunday.

Despite going ahead in the fourth minute when Spain forward Pedro skipped inside his marker to score, Chelsea struggled to show much fluency and were indebted to goal-keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga for denying Fulham an equaliser in the second half.

"Today it was really very important the result," Sarri told reporters. "We needed, I think, to kill the match before but today I think that we were a little bit tense.

"Of course it wasn’t easy in the days after Tottenham -- for me, for the players -- but I think we have talked too much about that match...Today it was important to react."

Spurs beat Chelsea 3-1 last Saturday in a game that could have finished with a much more embarrassing scoreline for Sarri's team who had been undefeated in the league before then.

"In Tottenham, 11 players played very badly. I thought that today it was natural to give them another chance," Sarri said.

Chelsea -- who sit third in the Premier League pending the outcome of Spurs' encounter with Arsenal on Sunday -- will face stiffer tests than Fulham over the next six days.

They visit Wolverhampton Wanderers, one of the surprise success stories of the season so far, on Wednesday and host league leaders Manchester City on Saturday.

Fulham's new coach Claudio Ranieri, who oversaw a 3-2 win against Southampton last weekend in his first match in charge, said he was happy with the performance of his players against Chelsea despite their defeat.

"It’s strange to tell but it is true. I think we played much better today than the Southampton match. We have to continue this way," Ranieri, a former Chelsea manager, said.

During the game, the Italian appeared annoyed as his players wasted chances to punish Chelsea and he vented his frustration in coarse Italian on the touchline.&nbsp;

But he was more measured in his post-match news conference.

"My players must understand better my philosophy because I play very, very fast," Ranieri said.

A relieved Maurizio Sarri said his players were too tense after last weekend's mauling by Tottenham Hotspur to kill off bottom-placed Fulham, until substitute Ruben Loftus-Cheek's late strike settled the Blues' 2-0 win on Sunday.

A relieved Maurizio Sarri said his players were too tense after last weekend's mauling by Tottenham Hotspur to kill off bottom-placed Fulham, until substitute Ruben Loftus-Cheek's late strike settled the Blues' 2-0 win on Sunday. Despite going ahead in the fourth minute when Spain forward Pedro skipped inside his marker to score, Chelsea struggled to show much fluency and were indebted to goal-keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga for denying Fulham an equaliser in the second half. "Today it was really very important the result," Sarri told reporters. "We needed, I think, to kill the match before but today I think that we were a little bit tense. "Of course it wasn’t easy in the days after Tottenham -- for me, for the players -- but I think we have talked too much about that match...Today it was important to react." Spurs beat Chelsea 3-1 last Saturday in a game that could have finished with a much more embarrassing scoreline for Sarri's team who had been undefeated in the league before then. "In Tottenham, 11 players played very badly. I thought that today it was natural to give them another chance," Sarri said. Chelsea -- who sit third in the Premier League pending the outcome of Spurs' encounter with Arsenal on Sunday -- will face stiffer tests than Fulham over the next six days. They visit Wolverhampton Wanderers, one of the surprise success stories of the season so far, on Wednesday and host league leaders Manchester City on Saturday. Fulham's new coach Claudio Ranieri, who oversaw a 3-2 win against Southampton last weekend in his first match in charge, said he was happy with the performance of his players against Chelsea despite their defeat. "It’s strange to tell but it is true. I think we played much better today than the Southampton match. We have to continue this way," Ranieri, a former Chelsea manager, said. During the game, the Italian appeared annoyed as his players wasted chances to punish Chelsea and he vented his frustration in coarse Italian on the touchline. But he was more measured in his post-match news conference. "My players must understand better my philosophy because I play very, very fast," Ranieri said.

Sarri breathes easier as nervous Chelsea sink Fulham

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri was not happy with Chelsea's performance in a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/chelsea-held-0-0-by-everton-lose-ground-in-title-race-176699">goalless draw against Everton</a>&nbsp;on Sunday as his side failed to score in a match at Stamford Bridge for the first time this season.

Chelsea could not make their home advantage count against a well-organised Everton.

While addressing the media, Sarri admitted that Chelsea will struggle to challenge. He said, "I didn't like too much the first 25 minutes (of the match), because like in the match against Crytal Palace."

"We started the game moving the ball very slowly, so it was impossible for us to be dangerous, and it was too easy for our opponent to defend," he added.

"We were a little bit unlucky. Of course, I am not happy but I think we are in the right way."

Sarri is unsure why his Chelsea side are starting slowly in matches, but he believes fatigue is not to blame.

"I don't think that the problem is physical because in the last two or three matches the warm up it was the same."&nbsp;

In the second half we played at another speed and intensity, so I don't think the problem is physical.

"Maybe (it's) a mental problem, and we have some difficulties to approach the match from the mental point of view, maybe, I don't know. It is very difficult to answer."

The result left Chelsea in third place on 28 points, two points behind Liverpool and one behind champions Manchester City who host local rivals Manchester United later on Sunday.

"At this moment, the average of points of City and Liverpool are very high. I think about 100 points."

"It's very difficult to stay close to this teams, but I hope a match like this, and our match today, it will happen in the future to other teams," he concluded.

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri was not happy with Chelsea's performance in a goalless draw against Everton on Sunday as his side failed to score in a match at Stamford Bridge for the first time this season.

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri was not happy with Chelsea's performance in a goalless draw against Everton on Sunday as his side failed to score in a match at Stamford Bridge for the first time this season. Chelsea could not make their home advantage count against a well-organised Everton. While addressing the media, Sarri admitted that Chelsea will struggle to challenge. He said, "I didn't like too much the first 25 minutes (of the match), because like in the match against Crytal Palace." "We started the game moving the ball very slowly, so it was impossible for us to be dangerous, and it was too easy for our opponent to defend," he added. "We were a little bit unlucky. Of course, I am not happy but I think we are in the right way." Sarri is unsure why his Chelsea side are starting slowly in matches, but he believes fatigue is not to blame. "I don't think that the problem is physical because in the last two or three matches the warm up it was the same." In the second half we played at another speed and intensity, so I don't think the problem is physical. "Maybe (it's) a mental problem, and we have some difficulties to approach the match from the mental point of view, maybe, I don't know. It is very difficult to answer." The result left Chelsea in third place on 28 points, two points behind Liverpool and one behind champions Manchester City who host local rivals Manchester United later on Sunday. "At this moment, the average of points of City and Liverpool are very high. I think about 100 points." "It's very difficult to stay close to this teams, but I hope a match like this, and our match today, it will happen in the future to other teams," he concluded.

Maurizio Sarri 'not happy' with Chelsea's performance, admits team will struggle to challenge

Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek had a&nbsp;Europa&nbsp;League&nbsp;night to remember by scoring the first hat-trick of his career as the midfielder inspired them to a 3-1 home win over Belarus champions BATE Borisov on Thursday.

Arsenal also celebrated a victory in their group after a late strike by Danny Welbeck secured a 1-0 win over Sporting in Lisbon, while Real Betis pulled off the shock of the evening with a 2-1 win at former European Cup winners AC Milan.

Making the most of a rare start for Maurizio Sarri's side, Loftus-Cheek fired Chelsea ahead in the second minute when he whipped home a low cross by Davide Zappacosta and then doubled their lead six minutes later with a clever touch.

The 22-year-old England international made it 3-0 with a sublime finish in the 54th, side-footing into the bottom left corner from 22 metres after taking a loose ball in his stride.

BATE right back Aleksey Rios netted a 79th-minute consolation for the visitors, whose goalkeeper Denis Scherbitski made several fine saves in the second half.

The result left Chelsea top of Group L with a maximum nine points, while BATE, PAOK Thessaloniki and Hungary's Vidi are locked on three each after Vidi enjoyed a surprise 2-0 win at PAOK.

Arsenal forward Welbeck struck the 79th-minute winner at Sporting with a crisp low shot from 15 metres through the legs of goalkeeper Renan Ribeiro, who had produced a string of good saves in a fast-paced contest.

Arsenal, who recorded their 11th successive win in all competitions to match their best run since October 2007, lead the Group E standings with nine points from three games, while second-placed Sporting are on six.

Miserable week

Milan's miserable week continued following Sunday's 1-0 Serie A defeat by city rivals Inter as goals from Betis' Antonio Sanabria and Giovani Lo Celso condemned the Italians to their first Europa&nbsp;League&nbsp;setback after two wins in Group F.

Sanabria silenced the San Siro crowd when he bundled the ball home from point-blank range on the half-hour and Lo Celso netted a thumping long-range shot shortly after the break.

Patrick Cutrone pulled one back for Milan with an 83rd-minute solo effort but it was too little too late for the winners of seven titles in Europe's elite club competition.

Lazio engineered an impressive 3-1 victory at 1993 European champions Olympique de Marseille, while Sevilla, the winners of a record five&nbsp;Europa&nbsp;League&nbsp;titles, ran riot in a 6-0 home demolition of Turkish rivals Akhisar.

Brazilian defender Wallace headed Lazio into an early lead and Felipe Caicedo made it 2-0 with a cool finish after good work by strike partner Ciro Immobile.

Dimitri Payet gave Marseille a glimmer of hope before Adam Marusic sealed Lazio's win with a superb strike into the top corner in the 90th minute.

RB Leipzig brushed aside Celtic 2-0 to boost their own hopes of reaching the last 32 from Group B where Salzburg maintained their perfect record with a 3-0 rout of Norwegians Rosenborg.

Clinical first-half finishing by Matheus Cunha and Bruma gave Leipzig a home victory over Celtic, while Salzburg made it three wins from three games with a Munas Dabbur double and a third goal from Hannes Wolf despatching Rosenborg.

FC Zurich led and then had to come from behind to beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 at home and Zenit St Petersburg also fought back from a goal down to beat Girondins Bordeaux 2-1 at home although Artyem Dzyuba missed a penalty for the Russian side.

Two quickfire goals in the second half enabled Fenerbahce to recover from a 2-0 deficit and force a 2-2 draw at Anderlecht while Dinamo Zagreb made it three wins in a row in Group D after coming from a goal down to beat Spartak Trnava 2-1 away.

In Group G, Rangers were held to a 0-0 home draw by Spartak Moscow as Villarreal crushed Rapid Vienna 5-0. Rangers and Villarreal have five points each ahead of Rapid on three.

Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek had a Europa League night to remember by scoring the first hat-trick of his career as the midfielder inspired them to a 3-1 home win over Belarus champions BATE Borisov on Thursday.

Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek had a Europa League night to remember by scoring the first hat-trick of his career as the midfielder inspired them to a 3-1 home win over Belarus champions BATE Borisov on Thursday. Arsenal also celebrated a victory in their group after a late strike by Danny Welbeck secured a 1-0 win over Sporting in Lisbon, while Real Betis pulled off the shock of the evening with a 2-1 win at former European Cup winners AC Milan. Making the most of a rare start for Maurizio Sarri's side, Loftus-Cheek fired Chelsea ahead in the second minute when he whipped home a low cross by Davide Zappacosta and then doubled their lead six minutes later with a clever touch. The 22-year-old England international made it 3-0 with a sublime finish in the 54th, side-footing into the bottom left corner from 22 metres after taking a loose ball in his stride. BATE right back Aleksey Rios netted a 79th-minute consolation for the visitors, whose goalkeeper Denis Scherbitski made several fine saves in the second half. The result left Chelsea top of Group L with a maximum nine points, while BATE, PAOK Thessaloniki and Hungary's Vidi are locked on three each after Vidi enjoyed a surprise 2-0 win at PAOK. Arsenal forward Welbeck struck the 79th-minute winner at Sporting with a crisp low shot from 15 metres through the legs of goalkeeper Renan Ribeiro, who had produced a string of good saves in a fast-paced contest. Arsenal, who recorded their 11th successive win in all competitions to match their best run since October 2007, lead the Group E standings with nine points from three games, while second-placed Sporting are on six. Miserable week Milan's miserable week continued following Sunday's 1-0 Serie A defeat by city rivals Inter as goals from Betis' Antonio Sanabria and Giovani Lo Celso condemned the Italians to their first Europa League setback after two wins in Group F. Sanabria silenced the San Siro crowd when he bundled the ball home from point-blank range on the half-hour and Lo Celso netted a thumping long-range shot shortly after the break. Patrick Cutrone pulled one back for Milan with an 83rd-minute solo effort but it was too little too late for the winners of seven titles in Europe's elite club competition. Lazio engineered an impressive 3-1 victory at 1993 European champions Olympique de Marseille, while Sevilla, the winners of a record five Europa League titles, ran riot in a 6-0 home demolition of Turkish rivals Akhisar. Brazilian defender Wallace headed Lazio into an early lead and Felipe Caicedo made it 2-0 with a cool finish after good work by strike partner Ciro Immobile. Dimitri Payet gave Marseille a glimmer of hope before Adam Marusic sealed Lazio's win with a superb strike into the top corner in the 90th minute. RB Leipzig brushed aside Celtic 2-0 to boost their own hopes of reaching the last 32 from Group B where Salzburg maintained their perfect record with a 3-0 rout of Norwegians Rosenborg. Clinical first-half finishing by Matheus Cunha and Bruma gave Leipzig a home victory over Celtic, while Salzburg made it three wins from three games with a Munas Dabbur double and a third goal from Hannes Wolf despatching Rosenborg. FC Zurich led and then had to come from behind to beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 at home and Zenit St Petersburg also fought back from a goal down to beat Girondins Bordeaux 2-1 at home although Artyem Dzyuba missed a penalty for the Russian side. Two quickfire goals in the second half enabled Fenerbahce to recover from a 2-0 deficit and force a 2-2 draw at Anderlecht while Dinamo Zagreb made it three wins in a row in Group D after coming from a goal down to beat Spartak Trnava 2-1 away. In Group G, Rangers were held to a 0-0 home draw by Spartak Moscow as Villarreal crushed Rapid Vienna 5-0. Rangers and Villarreal have five points each ahead of Rapid on three.

Loftus-Cheek treble boosts Chelsea, Arsenal edge Sporting

Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored the first hat-trick of his career as the midfielder that inspired his team to register a win over Belarus champions BATE Borisov in Europa League on Thursday.&nbsp;

Reaction from Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri after Ruben Loftus-Cheek's performance was quite hilarious when he said that there is a "little problem" with the club right now.&nbsp;

Sarri said while addressing the media that he got a little problem, he said, "I have to put only eleven players in the starting eleven and I have 28 players."&nbsp;

Loftus-Cheek is yet to start a Premier League match under new boss Sarri but handed the taskmaster Italian an acute reminder of his talents with a coolly-taken treble.&nbsp;

"So, I have this little problem and I don't know how to solve it. I can ask to play with fifteen or sixteen (players) but, as I said before, I have a tactical problem with the midfielders, with their characteristics."&nbsp;

"We need to work, they have to improve in the defensive phase so maybe in the future, I will be able to put (Ross) Barkley and Loftus(-Cheek) in the starting eleven at the same time."&nbsp;

Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored the first hat-trick of his career as the midfielder that inspired his team to register a win over Belarus champions BATE Borisov in Europa League on Thursday.

Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored the first hat-trick of his career as the midfielder that inspired his team to register a win over Belarus champions BATE Borisov in Europa League on Thursday. Reaction from Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri after Ruben Loftus-Cheek's performance was quite hilarious when he said that there is a "little problem" with the club right now. Sarri said while addressing the media that he got a little problem, he said, "I have to put only eleven players in the starting eleven and I have 28 players." Loftus-Cheek is yet to start a Premier League match under new boss Sarri but handed the taskmaster Italian an acute reminder of his talents with a coolly-taken treble. "So, I have this little problem and I don't know how to solve it. I can ask to play with fifteen or sixteen (players) but, as I said before, I have a tactical problem with the midfielders, with their characteristics." "We need to work, they have to improve in the defensive phase so maybe in the future, I will be able to put (Ross) Barkley and Loftus(-Cheek) in the starting eleven at the same time."

Maurizio Sarri don't know how to solve Chelsea's 'little problem'

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has backed forward Alvaro Morata to "restart" his season after the Spaniard scored in the 1-0 Europa League victory over Hungarian champions Vidi on Thursday.

The goal was Morata's second in 10 appearances this season but the striker also had a glaring miss in the first half, shooting wide when one-on-one with the goalkeeper to underline his continuing crisis of confidence.

Morata missed several other chances before scoring 20 minutes from time and Sarri is hopeful the striker will gain enough confidence from the goal to kickstart his season.

"It's very important for him to score," the Italian said. "He played a very good match. I think Alvaro can restart from this performance."

Morata became Chelsea's record signing when he joined the club under Sarri's predecessor Antonio Conte last year, but the forward has struggled to adapt to the pace and physicality of the English game.

Sarri is short of attacking options, with Olivier Giroud, who has not scored for Chelsea in seven appearances this season, the only other traditional centre forward available.

"At the moment we have Alvaro and Giroud but we have to play every three days for a long time," Sarri said. "And so (Morata) is a very important player for us, for our season.

"For Alvaro Morata, it's very important to score and very important to play well too for the team, like he did in this match."

Victory lifted Chelsea to the top of Group L in the Europa League. Sarri's team are third in the Premier League and visit Southampton on Sunday.

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has backed forward Alvaro Morata to "restart" his season after the Spaniard scored in the 1-0 Europa League victory over Hungarian champions Vidi on Thursday.

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has backed forward Alvaro Morata to "restart" his season after the Spaniard scored in the 1-0 Europa League victory over Hungarian champions Vidi on Thursday. The goal was Morata's second in 10 appearances this season but the striker also had a glaring miss in the first half, shooting wide when one-on-one with the goalkeeper to underline his continuing crisis of confidence. Morata missed several other chances before scoring 20 minutes from time and Sarri is hopeful the striker will gain enough confidence from the goal to kickstart his season. "It's very important for him to score," the Italian said. "He played a very good match. I think Alvaro can restart from this performance." Morata became Chelsea's record signing when he joined the club under Sarri's predecessor Antonio Conte last year, but the forward has struggled to adapt to the pace and physicality of the English game. Sarri is short of attacking options, with Olivier Giroud, who has not scored for Chelsea in seven appearances this season, the only other traditional centre forward available. "At the moment we have Alvaro and Giroud but we have to play every three days for a long time," Sarri said. "And so (Morata) is a very important player for us, for our season. "For Alvaro Morata, it's very important to score and very important to play well too for the team, like he did in this match." Victory lifted Chelsea to the top of Group L in the Europa League. Sarri's team are third in the Premier League and visit Southampton on Sunday.

Maurizio Sarri hopes Morata goal can spark return to form

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has said that striker Alvaro Morata needs to boost his confidence to get back on form.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Alvaro has to gain confidence with one, two, three goals," Sarri said while speaking in a press conference.&nbsp;

Despite winning the game against PAOK in the Europa League on Thursday, Chelsea missed a number of chances to find the net, especiually Spanish striker Alvaro Morata, who failed on many occasions.

"I am not able to give him confidence," he said in comments carried by the British press on Friday.&nbsp;

"In this match he has had three, four opportunities. He was unlucky," Sarri said following the 1-0 win against the Greek football club.

"I hope for him that in the future I can try to help him, but the confidence can become only with goals.

"I have to say also, for maybe the first time in this season Alvaro was ready in the box. He was on the ball and was active."

Morata, 25, scored freely in the first few weeks after joining Chelsea last year but has appeared short of confidence recently. He has scored once this season, in August's win over Arsenal.

Chelsea have won all five of their Premier League games so far under Sarri ahead of Sunday's trip to West Ham, and Willian's seventh-minute strike was the difference in Greece.

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has said that striker Alvaro Morata needs to boost his confidence to get back on form. "Alvaro has to gain confidence with one, two, three goals," Sarri said while speaking in a press conference.

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has said that striker Alvaro Morata needs to boost his confidence to get back on form. "Alvaro has to gain confidence with one, two, three goals," Sarri said while speaking in a press conference. Despite winning the game against PAOK in the Europa League on Thursday, Chelsea missed a number of chances to find the net, especiually Spanish striker Alvaro Morata, who failed on many occasions. "I am not able to give him confidence," he said in comments carried by the British press on Friday. "In this match he has had three, four opportunities. He was unlucky," Sarri said following the 1-0 win against the Greek football club. "I hope for him that in the future I can try to help him, but the confidence can become only with goals. "I have to say also, for maybe the first time in this season Alvaro was ready in the box. He was on the ball and was active." Morata, 25, scored freely in the first few weeks after joining Chelsea last year but has appeared short of confidence recently. He has scored once this season, in August's win over Arsenal. Chelsea have won all five of their Premier League games so far under Sarri ahead of Sunday's trip to West Ham, and Willian's seventh-minute strike was the difference in Greece.

Morata needs goals to boost confidence, says Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri

Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri was captured showing the "middle finger"&nbsp;to Juventus fans ahead of Napoli and Juventus clash on Sunday.

When the team bus of Napoli arrived at the Allianz Arena in Munich it was surrounded by Juventus fans and a group of people who allegedly spit&nbsp;on Nalopi team bus.

"I replied to a group of people who were spitting at the bus and insulting us for being Neapolitan," said Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri on the alleged unethical behaviour.

He also mentioned that, "I would never make a gesture like that towards anyone for being a Juventus fan."

"The vast majority of Juventus fans are wonderful people and there was one in our hotel who we had a good laugh and joke with."&nbsp;

Watch the video:

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Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri showing his middle finger to the Juventus fans who were insulting him ?<a href="https://t.co/t7LSdBzwQJ">pic.twitter.com/t7LSdBzwQJ</a>
— Ahmed Wagih (@Ahmed__Wagih) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ahmed__Wagih/status/988117752132046854?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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After winning the match 1-0 to Juventus, Sarri said that he replied to a group of people who were spitting and insulting the Napoli team. He also mentioned that he was not targeting Juve fans.

Maurizio Sarri was spotted giving the middle finger to a group of Juventus fans on Sunday

Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri was captured showing the "middle finger" to Juventus fans ahead of Napoli and Juventus clash on Sunday. When the team bus of Napoli arrived at the Allianz Arena in Munich it was surrounded by Juventus fans and a group of people who allegedly spit on Nalopi team bus. "I replied to a group of people who were spitting at the bus and insulting us for being Neapolitan," said Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri on the alleged unethical behaviour. He also mentioned that, "I would never make a gesture like that towards anyone for being a Juventus fan." "The vast majority of Juventus fans are wonderful people and there was one in our hotel who we had a good laugh and joke with." Watch the video: Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri showing his middle finger to the Juventus fans who were insulting him ?pic.twitter.com/t7LSdBzwQJ — Ahmed Wagih (@Ahmed__Wagih) April 22, 2018 × After winning the match 1-0 to Juventus, Sarri said that he replied to a group of people who were spitting and insulting the Napoli team. He also mentioned that he was not targeting Juve fans.

Caught on camera: Napoli manager Sarri's obscene gesture at Juventus fans

Manchester City beat Napoli 2-1 in their Champions League Group F match on Tuesday, maintaining their 100 percent record after three games, but Pep Guardiola&#39;s side were forced to hang on despite going 2-0 up inside 13 minutes.

City started as they left off in their 7-2 crushing of Stoke City in the Premier League on Saturday, attacking with a speed and fluency which the Serie A leaders struggled to cope with.

Raheem Sterling put the home side ahead in the ninth minute, finishing with his left foot after Kyle Walker&#39;s attempt to convert a David Silva pull-back was blocked.

Four minutes later, the in-form Kevin De Bruyne created the second, powering down the right flank and delivering a pinpoint low cross to Gabriel Jesus who made no mistake.

The Premier League leaders were producing wave after wave of attacks and the appreciative crowd sensed that this could be another massacre.

Belgian midfielder De Bruyne fired a long-range shot against the bar in the 25th minute after a swift City counter-attack, and then Jesus had a goalbound effort cleared off the line by Kalidou Koulibaly.

But then City began to lose focus, sloppily giving the ball away in dangerous positions, slowing down their breaks, and Napoli sensed that the game might not be just about damage limitation.

The Italians had an opportunity to narrow the deficit in the 38th minute after Kyle Walker gave away a penalty but City&#39;s Brazilian keeper Ederson produced a fine save to keep out Dries Mertens&#39; spot-kick.

After the break, Napoli grew into the game, with some clever touches and smart movement troubling the City defence and John Stones needed to use his midriff to stop a Marek Hamsik shot that was heading for an open goal.

Napoli&#39;s reward came when they got a second chance from the spot in the 73rd minute, this time Amadou Diawara firing home after Faouzi Ghoujlam was tripped by Fernandinho.

Despite some late pressure from Maurizio Sarri&#39;s side, City showed some grit as they held on to secure their third straight win which leaves them on top of the group with nine points.

&quot;We knew they played patient football and had attacking threat. We knew it would be tough but we wanted to play our football,&quot; said City defender John Stones.

&quot;At times it was great to watch. I am upset to concede the goal we did but overall ... a great team performance. We have put ourselves in a good position (in the group). There are a lot of games to play still. This was a good test to see where we are at,&quot; he added.

Napoli are third on three points, trailing second-placed Shakhtar Donetsk who are on six.

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said City are now at par with Barca and Real

Manchester City beat Napoli 2-1 in their Champions League Group F match on Tuesday, maintaining their 100 percent record after three games, but Pep Guardiola's side were forced to hang on despite going 2-0 up inside 13 minutes. City started as they left off in their 7-2 crushing of Stoke City in the Premier League on Saturday, attacking with a speed and fluency which the Serie A leaders struggled to cope with. Raheem Sterling put the home side ahead in the ninth minute, finishing with his left foot after Kyle Walker's attempt to convert a David Silva pull-back was blocked. Four minutes later, the in-form Kevin De Bruyne created the second, powering down the right flank and delivering a pinpoint low cross to Gabriel Jesus who made no mistake. The Premier League leaders were producing wave after wave of attacks and the appreciative crowd sensed that this could be another massacre. Belgian midfielder De Bruyne fired a long-range shot against the bar in the 25th minute after a swift City counter-attack, and then Jesus had a goalbound effort cleared off the line by Kalidou Koulibaly. But then City began to lose focus, sloppily giving the ball away in dangerous positions, slowing down their breaks, and Napoli sensed that the game might not be just about damage limitation. The Italians had an opportunity to narrow the deficit in the 38th minute after Kyle Walker gave away a penalty but City's Brazilian keeper Ederson produced a fine save to keep out Dries Mertens' spot-kick. After the break, Napoli grew into the game, with some clever touches and smart movement troubling the City defence and John Stones needed to use his midriff to stop a Marek Hamsik shot that was heading for an open goal. Napoli's reward came when they got a second chance from the spot in the 73rd minute, this time Amadou Diawara firing home after Faouzi Ghoujlam was tripped by Fernandinho. Despite some late pressure from Maurizio Sarri's side, City showed some grit as they held on to secure their third straight win which leaves them on top of the group with nine points. "We knew they played patient football and had attacking threat. We knew it would be tough but we wanted to play our football," said City defender John Stones. "At times it was great to watch. I am upset to concede the goal we did but overall ... a great team performance. We have put ourselves in a good position (in the group). There are a lot of games to play still. This was a good test to see where we are at," he added. Napoli are third on three points, trailing second-placed Shakhtar Donetsk who are on six.

Champions League: City make it three out of three with win over Napoli

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