Sports

3 things we learned from Chelsea win as a new undroppable emerges

Published

2 months ago

December 13, 2025

It had so far been a bruising December for Chelsea.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Four games without victory had ensured the sky-high confidence from so ruthlessly putting Barcelona to the sword quickly dissipated, replaced by a pessimism for how closely they are realistically going to push Arsenal and Manchester City this season.

So a professional and largely uneventful 2-0 home win against Everton — sitting seventh heading into the game, just two places below the Blues — was just what the doctor ordered.

Everton had not beaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in any of their last 30 attempts, yet had won four of their last five in the league this season and were on a high under David Moyes.

Goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto had the beating of Moyes’s side, much to the relief of Enzo Maresca.

AFP via Getty Images

A return to winning ways

More than anything, this sunny afternoon at Stamford Bridge was all about the result.

Chelsea’s performances have dipped of late, but it has been their winless run of four matches that has caused the greater concern among supporters and left Maresca joking in self-deprecating fashion at his Friday press conference after winning November manager of the month that the award may well not be on its way back to him this month. You don’t say, Enzo.

Everton had chances. Plenty. On another day, perhaps they would have left with a result in their back pocket from that performance, but Chelsea scored twice before the break and closed the game out with a professional team effort in a second half dictated by their concerted effort to manage the game.

Palmer back among the goals

When Maresca spoke on Friday about Palmer’s gradual and closely-managed return over the last week or so after more than two months out, he was the bearer of bad news for Chelsea fans. Palmer is in the Reece James camp of not being able to come through three full games in a week, Maresca said, and had been in a “completely bad” way after just 21 minutes off the bench against Leeds. Not particularly encouraging.

Having been spared the trip to Atalanta in midweek, Palmer came through training on Thursday with a “mixed feeling” but was fit to come up against Everton and made his presence known with his third goal of the season and first since September.

REUTERS

In a cagey game’s first risk-taking off-the-ball run, Palmer told Fofana to play the ball to Gusto, and once the Frenchman had done so he darted off between the lines. Gusto fed into Palmer’s path, where he gave England colleague Jordan Pickford the eyes before slotting coolly past him at his near post.

Out came the ‘Cold Palmer’ celebration Chelsea fans have so dearly missed these past few months, Stamford Bridge’s most enticing entertainer back among the goals.

After 57 minutes of popping up here and there and toying with the Everton defence, he was replaced by Andrey Santos. Chelsea’s approach: take no unnecessary risks.

Gusto’s best performance

It was in the 3-0 win against Wolves just before the November international break that Gusto scored his very first senior goal of his career in his 98th appearance for Chelsea and the 165th match of his senior career.

Not a particularly attacking player, he had one of the games of his life and certainly his most accomplished of the season, scoring and assisting in a lung-busting first half.

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Reece James again filling in for the suspended Moises Caicedo in central midfield, Gusto lined up at right-back, yet it often felt as though it was he who was the right-sided full-back shuttling up and down in midfield, flying into challenges and trying to cut out Everton attacks at source.

He fed a smart through-ball from which Palmer opened the scoring, and then the Frenchman was alive and alert in the box to convert from Pedro Neto’s low delivery to double the lead and cut dead the chanting of the Everton fans in the away end just before the interval.

Gusto’s work ethic never wavered in the second half, either. This was a day when he demonstrated his importance to the whole operation.

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Sports

Not Arsenal: Semi Ajayi’s old club target Super Eagles star Dele-Bashiru

Published

1 week ago

January 26, 2026

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Super Eagles midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has emerged as a top target for Championship side West Bromwich Albion, Soccernet.ng reports.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The Baggies are looking to bolster their midfield during the January window to sustain their push for promotion to the Premier League.

Currently, West Brom find themselves in 19 position on the Championship table, but they are looking to plug the holes in the team.

Asides from their defensive concerns, the Baggies have struggled for creativity and clinical finishing in the final third.

With 32 goals in 29 games, their output is among the lowest in the top 20 teams. However, with 17 games remaining, the club remains firmly in the hunt for a playoff spot.

According to West Brom Xtra, the club has identified Dele-Bashiru as a key target to solve these issues.

The Super Eagles star is a dynamic attacking midfielder known for his high work rate and ability to contribute goals from deep. His arrival would provide a significant boost to Carlos Corberán’s squad.

Why It Will Be Tough To Get Dele-Bashiru’s Signature
While Dele-Bashiru would be a massive coup for West Brom, getting a deal will be complicated. He is currently on the books at Serie A side Lazio, and the 24-year-old has experienced a turbulent tenure since arriving in Italy two years ago.

Dele-Bashiru has endured inconsistent playing time due to a combination of tactical shifts and minor injuries.

Under manager Maurizio Sarri, he has struggled to cement himself as an indispensable member of the starting XI.

The main challenge for West Brom will likely be in the prestige gap; moving from a top-tier Italian side to the English second tier is often viewed as a step down.

However, the lure of regular football and a path back to the Premier League could be persuasive.

Financially, the deal is feasible. Dele-Bashiru is valued between €7–10 million, which is an okay price point for the Baggies.

If the move materializes, he will join the list of Super Eagles stars to have represented the club, including Semi Ajayi and the legendary Peter Odemwingie.

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Sports

La Liga: Akor Adams surpasses Rashidi Yekini as Sevilla climb away from trouble

Published

1 week ago

January 26, 2026

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Adams Akor broke new ground in Nigerian football history on Saturday night as his penalty helped Sevilla to a 2-1 comeback win over Athletic Club and secured the club’s first La Liga victory of 2026, Soccernet.ng reports.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The Super Eagles striker struck in the second half at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán to take his personal tally in Spain’s top flight to six goals, a figure that now places him 11th on the list of Nigeria’s all-time La Liga scorers.

It was Adams’ third goal in two matches since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, where he helped Nigeria claim the bronze medal, and another reminder of his growing importance to Matías Almeyda’s side.

More significantly, the goal carried historical weight. With six La Liga strikes, Adams has now moved ahead of legendary Super Eagles forward Rashidi Yekini, who scored three times in the competition, and has also overtaken the marks set by Bartholomew Ogbeche (three) and Christantus Uche (five).

While Adams still has a long way to go to threaten the towering figures of Christopher Ohenhen (48 goals), Finidi George (43) and Ikechukwu Uche (43), his steady progress is a pointer to how quickly he is carving out his own place in Nigerian football’s European story.

Comeback win lifts Akor Adams’ Sevilla up the table
The match itself was a tight, nervy affair between two sides separated by little in the table.

Athletic Club struck first in the 40th minute through Robert Navarro, but Sevilla hit back almost immediately when Gerard Fernández levelled the score just two minutes later to send both teams into the break on equal terms.

Ten minutes after the restart came the decisive moment. Yuri Berchiche was penalised for a handball in the box, and after a VAR check confirmed the offence, Adams stepped up and calmly rolled the penalty into the bottom-left corner to complete the turnaround.

Athletic Club pushed hard for an equaliser, but Sevilla held their shape and saw out the contest, condemning the visitors to their seventh away defeat in 11 league matches this season.

The victory lifts Sevilla above Athletic into 11th place. Both sides are now on 24 points after 21 games, but Sevilla’s superior goal difference gives them the edge and, crucially, leaves them five points clear of the relegation zone.

For Adams, it also marks his most productive La Liga campaign so far, matching the momentum he showed during the 2023-24 season at Montpellier, when he scored eight league goals.

Sevilla now travel to face Mallorca on Monday, February 2, while Athletic Club turn their attention to Europe, hosting Sporting CP in the Champions League.

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Sports

WATCH: Victor Osimhen sets new Galatasaray milestone in Fatih Karagumruk win

Published

1 week ago

January 26, 2026

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Victor Osimhen became the fastest player to reach 50 goals in Galatasaray’s history as the Turkish champions claimed a 3-1 away win at Fatih Karagumruk on Saturday night, Soccernet.ng reports.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The Nigeria striker reached the landmark in just 59 appearances when he scored the third goal of the game, capping another strong display from the league leaders.

Victor Osimhen’s latest strike also confirmed his growing status as one of the most important players in the club’s recent history.

Galatasaray went into the match looking to protect their lead at the top of the Super Lig and made the perfect start. Inside the opening minute, Gabriel Sara punished a mistake from the home side while they tried to play out from defence, calmly finishing to give the visitors an early advantage.

Karagumruk struggled to create chances but made the most of their best moment in the first half. In the 27th minute, Serginho led a quick counter-attack before squaring the ball for Kalayci, who curled a fine shot into the top corner to level the score with what turned out to be the hosts’ only effort on target before the break.

Victor Osimhen seals victory and makes history
Galatasaray came out with more control after half-time and soon regained the lead. A patient move ended with Rolland Sallai sending in a cross, and Gabriel Sara arrived at the right time to head home his second goal of the night and make it 2-1.

Four minutes later, the moment everyone was waiting for arrived. Osimhen controlled a cross from Gündoğan with his chest inside the box and fired a powerful shot into the roof of the net. It was his 50th goal for the club and one that put the result beyond doubt.

The win keeps Galatasaray top of the Super Lig table with 46 points, four clear of second-placed Fenerbahçe, who still have a game in hand. Karagumruk, meanwhile, remain bottom of the standings with just nine points from 19 matches.

Osimhen’s goal was his seventh in the league this season and his 13th in all competitions in 18 appearances. Last season, he scored 37 goals in 41 games and played a key role as Galatasaray won both the Super Lig title and the Turkish Cup. Once again, he proved he is a player who delivers on the biggest nights.