Sports

Brighton hand Chelsea humiliating 3-1 defeat

Published

1 month ago

September 28, 2025

Brighton hand Chelsea humiliating 3-1 defeat

Brighton came from behind to defeat an ill-disciplined Chelsea side that saw a player sent off for the second Saturday in a row.

Substitutes Danny Welbeck and Maxim de Cuyper scored within 11 minutes of added time as the visitors capitalized on Trevoh Chalobah’s 53rd-minute red card.

The Blues had been coasting to victory in the first half when Enzo Fernandez headed in Reece James’s cross, following a deflection from Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma.

However, Mitoma played a key role in the game’s big turning point, as he won possession from Chelsea’s Andrey Santos on his first Premier League start, leading to Chalobah’s desperate challenge on Georginio Rutter.

Chalobah was ejected following a long video assistant referee review, just seven days after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off early in their 2-1 loss to Manchester United.

And Welbeck capitalized by scoring twice, his first coming shortly after coming in to head in the equalizer at the far post in the 77th minute.

De Cuyper then headed Brighton ahead from a corner in the second minute of stoppage time, before Welbeck scored from close range in the ninth to win the victory.

READ ALSO:

Chelsea, who dropped to sixth position, exited the field to boos. They haven’t won a Premier League match since the international break, and Liverpool is the next team to visit west London.

Meanwhile, Brighton moves up to the 10th spot following another strong performance against big six opponents.

Midfielder Santos was the primary perpetrator, with Chalobah paying the price for attempting and failing to correct his teammate’s mistake.

The Brazilian midfielder lacks experience, and Chelsea is taking a risk by fielding the Premier League’s youngest squad.

Regardless, head coach Enzo Maresca will need to assist his players in eliminating mistakes and ill-discipline, as well as improving results following only one win in five games across all competitions.

That one win came in the Carabao Cup against League One club Lincoln City, which was an uninspiring 2-1 success.

Aside from the encounter, Chelsea conceded a last-minute equalizer at Brentford due to poor marking.

The Blues played well at Bayern Munich, but they conceded cheap goals against an experienced Champions League side. Sendings-off have lost them points in the last two league games, against Manchester United and Brighton.

The problems at Stamford Bridge are exacerbated by a selection crisis, with Maresca missing his four preferred center-backs, as well as top attacker Cole Palmer, for the following match against champions Liverpool.

Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Levi Colwill are all out injured until after the international break, and Chalobah has been suspended.

Marc Cucurella is regarded as one of the league’s greatest defensive left-backs, but Yankuba Minteh caused him numerous headaches over the course of 90 minutes.

His power, pace, and technique cause Cucurella all sorts of problems, eventually leading to Welbeck’s equalizer.

Minteh’s whipped cross for Welbeck broke down Chelsea in the 77th minute, after Maresca attempted to shore up his 10-man side by bringing on defenders Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto, and Josh Acheampong, as well as defensive midfielder Romeo Lavia.

It began a wonderful return for Brighton, who have sold around £260 million in players and staff to Chelsea since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital purchased the London club in 2022.

Seagulls owner Tony Bloom’s recruitment strategy continues to produce players capable of competing with rivals like Chelsea. Even when Chelsea keeps signing their top players.

When asked if the results will lead to Chelsea signing more of his players, Hurzeler answered, “I need to talk to Tony. We should avoid these changes!

“It’s football. You have to accept it. That’s the normal business—so it’s more about finding solutions and getting results.”

The Austrian manager deserves credit for his replacements, which included not only Welbeck and De Cuyper scoring but also Mats Wieffer and Brajan Gruda assisting.

Brighton hand Chelsea humiliating 3-1 defeat

Sports

De Ligt’s late strike earns Manchester United dramatic draw at Tottenham

Published

11 hours ago

November 8, 2025

Trends Admin

De Ligt’s late strike earns Manchester United dramatic draw at Tottenham

Manchester United snatched a dramatic 2–2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, thanks to a last-gasp equaliser from defender Matthijs de Ligt deep into stoppage time.

In a pulsating Premier League encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, United looked set to return to winning ways after Bryan Mbeumo’s first-half header gave them control. The winger met Amad Diallo’s precise cross to nod past Spurs goalkeeper and silence the home crowd.

United goalkeeper Senne Lammens produced a string of fine saves to keep out efforts from Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, as Tottenham pushed hard after the break.

The hosts eventually levelled six minutes from time when substitute Mathys Tel, who was earlier booed upon his introduction for Xavi Simons, turned sharply inside the box and fired past Lammens to make it 1–1.

READ ALSO:

Moments later, the stadium erupted again when Richarlison flicked in Wilson Odobert’s long-range effort to give Tottenham a 2–1 lead, seemingly sealing a comeback victory.

However, in the final minute of added time, United threw everyone forward for a corner — including goalkeeper Lammens. The ball fell kindly to De Ligt, who fired home from a tight angle to secure a valuable point for Ruben Amorim’s men.

The dramatic equaliser left both sets of players stunned. Richarlison was visibly distraught, having thought his late strike would deliver victory, while Amorim expressed relief after seeing his side salvage something from a game they nearly lost control of.

The result denied Tottenham their first home win in three games and extended United’s unbeaten run under Amorim, in what was one of the most thrilling finishes of the Premier League season so far.

De Ligt’s late strike earns Manchester United dramatic draw at Tottenham

Sports

Super Falcons star Chiamaka Nnadozie nominated for 2025 FIFA best goalkeeper award

Published

2 days ago

November 7, 2025

Trends Admin

Super Falcons star Chiamaka Nnadozie nominated for 2025 FIFA best goalkeeper award

Zurich — Nigeria’s Super Falcons goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, has been shortlisted for the 2025 Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper Award, following an outstanding season for both club and country.

FIFA announced the nominees on Thursday while opening the global voting process for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2025. Fans worldwide can now cast their votes via the official FIFA app to decide the winners in various categories, including Best Player, Coach, and Goalkeeper.

Nnadozie joins a competitive shortlist that includes Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany), Cata Coll (Spain), Christiane Endler (Chile), Hannah Hampton (England), Anna Moorhouse (England), and Phallon Tullis-Joyce (USA).

READ ALSO:

The 24-year-old earned her place among the elite after an exceptional 2024/25 campaign, during which she captained her former club Paris FC to victory in the Coupe de France Féminine — the club’s first major title in nearly two decades.

Nnadozie also played a crucial role in Nigeria’s 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) triumph in Morocco earlier this year, where she was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament.

Since joining Brighton & Hove Albion Women in England, the shot-stopper has maintained top form, further earning recognition with a fourth-place finish in the 2025 Women’s Yachine Trophy rankings at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

She is also among the leading contenders for the CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award, which would mark her third continental title in that category.

Voting for The Best FIFA Football Awards closes on November 28, with the winners set to be unveiled during an official ceremony early next year.

Super Falcons star Chiamaka Nnadozie nominated for 2025 FIFA best goalkeeper award

Sports

Gabon unveils 27-man squad ahead of crucial World Cup playoff against Nigeria

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2025

Trends Admin

Gabon unveils 27-man squad ahead of crucial World Cup playoff against Nigeria

With anticipation building ahead of their decisive 2026 FIFA World Cup African playoff clash against Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Gabon’s national team, the Panthers, have announced a formidable 27-man squad.

Head coach Thierry Mouyouma revealed the roster at a press conference in Libreville on Thursday, confirming the team that will face Nigeria on November 13, 2025, at the C.S. Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco. The winner of the encounter will advance to face either Cameroon or DR Congo in the next round of the playoffs.

Leading the Gabonese side is veteran forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, currently with Marseille. The 36-year-old former Arsenal and Barcelona star will be joined by key players including the Lemina brothers—Mario (Wolverhampton Wanderers) and Noha (Yverdon Sport FC)—as well as Denis Bouanga of Los Angeles FC, who topped Gabon’s scoring chart in the qualifiers with eight goals.

READ ALSO:

Despite a strong qualifying campaign, Gabon narrowly missed automatic qualification, finishing second in Group E with 25 points—just one behind group leaders Côte d’Ivoire.

Full Squad List:

Goalkeepers: Jean-Noël Amonome (AS Arta/Solar7, Djibouti), Donald Nzé (AS Mangasport), Anthony Mfa Mezui (FC Rodange, Luxembourg)
Defenders: Bruno Ecuele Manga (Chamois Niortais, France), Lloyd Palun (RWD Molenbeek, Belgium), Aaron Appindangoye (Free Agent), Johann Obiang (Stade Lavallois, France), David Sambissa (Pau FC, France), Sidney Obissa (Olympiakos Nicosia, Cyprus)
Midfielders: Mario Lemina (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England), Guélor Kanga (Red Star Belgrade, Serbia), Jim Allevinah (Clermont Foot, France), Louis Ameka Autchanga (Sabah FC, Azerbaijan), Noha Lemina (Yverdon Sport FC, Switzerland), Yoann Wachter (US Saint-Malo, France)
Forwards: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Marseille, France), Denis Bouanga (Los Angeles FC, USA), Axel Meye (CR Belouizdad, Algeria), Aaron Boupendza (Al-Shabab, Saudi Arabia), Ulrick Eneme Ella (Angers SCO, France)

With a blend of seasoned internationals and emerging talents, Gabon will be aiming to overcome Nigeria and keep their World Cup hopes alive.