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After 21 matches in the Premier League, Aston Villa are still holding their own near the top of the table.

That said, since the 1-0 win over Arsenal at the start of December, their performances have been less convincing with just two victories from five games.

Therefore, with Unai Emery looking to secure Champions League football and a trophy this season, a new signing could be on the cards.

Unai Emery is targeting a new forward

According to a report from Ben Jacobs, writing for GIVEMESPORT, Villa are interested in signing Armando Broja.

The reporter noted: "Broja remains a possible exit with Fulham one club to watch. Marco Silva really wants a striker this month and it's understood Fulham are currently considering a loan.

"Aston Villa also like Broja but haven't yet made an enquiry. Wolves have also explored Broja but currently feel the price is too high. West Ham can't be entirely discounted due to holding a historical interest having made a £33m bid in summer 2022."

Jacobs further states that Chelsea are willing to cash in on the Albanian, but only for a minimum fee of £35m.

January transfer window: All the deadline day deals from England and Scotland

Stay on top of all the latest transfer deals across the Premier League, EFL and SPFL as the January window closes.

ByCharlie Smith Feb 1, 2024 How Broja would fit into Villa's starting XI

Moussa Diaby became Villa's club record signing in the summer, as he joined from Bayer Leverkusen for £51.9m.

The 24-year-old forward has four goals and assists apiece in 21 Premier League games, but the Spaniard has looked to manage his minutes to an extent, as highlighted by his 65 minutes per game this season.

However, Diaby's best campaign to date was in the 2021/22 Bundesliga season, where he scored 13 goals and registered 12 assists.

In that side, he combined with a traditional target man in Patrik Schick, and the potential signing of Broja, who has a similar style of play to the Czech Republic striker, could see Diaby reach similar standards.

The Chelsea forward has only played 36 minutes per game at Chelsea this season over 13 appearances, with his lack of playing time being the driving force behind a potential exit. With that in mind, the table below shows a selection of Broja's statistics from the last year.

Goals

0.20

Bottom 7%

xG

0.48

Top 34%

Touches (Att pen)

6.94

Top 6%

Progressive passes received

7.33

Top 18%

Successful take-ons

2.58

Top 4%

The 22-year-old has had an awful time with injuries over the last couple of seasons, notably missing 45 games since December 2022, which has clearly impacted his confidence in front of goal. The striker's goal statistics prove that, but his xG suggests that his movement and ability to arrive in the right areas are excellent.

Broja would slot into Diaby's current position as a second striker, which would ultimately allow the France international to play in his preferred wide-right role, where he can use his dribbling and speed to burst past the opposition full-back, which he can't do in the inverted role where the pitch is more compact.

Villa signing a traditional centre forward to play alongside Watkins and operate in the box should see Diaby's output and creativity increase significantly, as he already ranks in the top 9% and top 6% of wingers in the Premier League for crosses and expected assisted goals.

Furthermore, with Broja having been described as a "complete forward" by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, his ability to combine play and beat a man would also provide Diaby with more space to work his magic, and increase the number of times he can get himself in and around the box to score for himself.

The Chelsea attacker clearly needs minutes and the right environment to succeed, and alongside the likes of Watkins and Diaby, it is difficult to see him failing at Villa if he were to switch London for the Midlands.

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero has insisted that he never said he wanted to leave the club in the summer ahead of signing a new contract at the club. The World Cup winner was heavily linked with a move to Atletico Madrid but instead committed his future, whilst also being appointed club captain.

Romero hits back at exit suggestions

Reports throughout the summer claimed that Atletico were eyeing a swoop to sign the World Cup winner, but he ultimately shocked and delighted fans in equal measure by signing a new long-term contract and being appointed club captain. Now, he has hit back at suggestions he wanted to leave. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesA key player

Romero is perhaps the most important cornerstone of the club's project under Frank, with the Argentina international playing every minute of every game thus far this season. He scored in the UEFA Super Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain, and also has a Premier League assist to his name. 

Romero's fierce rebuke

Romero has hit back at any suggestion that he wanted an exit ahead of the club's Champions League clash with Villarreal. 

He told reporters: "I never said I wanted to leave the club. Nothing came from me in that effect. It is important what the manager and president say. I am very happy here, it is like a family. I like the manager. I like the way we work, the way we train. Always things can improve but I think everyone here at all levels are taking the right steps to improve. I am very happy here."

Getty Images SportAll eyes on more European glory

Spurs are, of course, playing in the Champions League this season after their Europa League triumph last season. Romero won Player of the Match in the final, and will be out to help guide Spurs to the Wanda Metropolitano for this season's showpiece; the club have unfinished business there, having lost the 2019 final to Liverpool in the same stadium. 

The opener was dropped four times on the way to his second BBL hundred

Peter Della Penna05-Jan-2020D’Arcy Short made the hosts Perth Scorchers pay for a sloppy fielding display, making the most of a string of reprieves to post the slowest century in the history of the Big Bash, but one that served to set up victory for the Hobart Hurricanes by eight runs in front of more than 30,000 on Sunday night. Short was spilled on 21, 38, 53, and 68 in an explosive but charmed knock, striking seven sixes by the end of his innings as he brought up three figures on the final ball that served to produce a total which wound up being just out of reach of a valiant effort led by Mitchell Marsh in pursuit.The Hurricanes victory was all the more impressive in light of injuries to James Faulkner before the night began and Riley Meredith during the match itself as an understrength bowling unit withstood a late charge from the hosts. The Hurricanes moved up into fifth place with the win while the Scorchers sit in seventh on the BBL points table.Short’s record long stayThe Hurricanes opener set a new mark for the most deliveries spent at the crease to reach three figures in the history of the Big Bash League, taking 70 balls to do it for his second career ton in the BBL and first since an unbeaten 122 two seasons earlier against the Brisbane Heat. He had some help along the way though, including a pair of key assists from Tim David.Getty ImagesThe Singapore international David took four excellent catches and produced a runout in a brilliant fielding display to help knock off Scotland in a thriller at the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Dubai this past October, but his fielding on Sunday night was unrecognizable from that occasion. The easiest of the four chances offered by Short was the first one of the night put down by David, who charged in from the sweeper-cover boundary in the fifth over for a skied drive off the bowling of Matt Kelly. But David nearly overran the ball while covering the ground and as he slid to cushion the catching attempt, the ball wound up clanging off his chest instead of his hands and wound up going to ground.It was Short’s 14th delivery at the time and he continued to struggle for rhythm by the time he was dropped again. Three balls after Liam Livingstone broke the opening stand having Caleb Jewell caught at long-on, Livingstone could not hold onto a sharp one-handed return chance, which pushed Short to 39 off 38 balls.Short used his feet to strike Ashton Agar over long-on in the 13th for six and a single later in the over took him to a 44-ball fifty. Another tough return chance was put down by Jhye Richardson in his follow-through in the next over before Fawad Ahmed was the last bowler to miss out on claiming Short in the 16th. David could not clasp onto a top-edged sweep at deep backward square for what would have been another double-wicket over after Fawad claimed David Miller with a missed sweep. Short then struck three sixes in his final two overs, including a scoop over fine leg on the final ball of the innings to bring up his ton.Perth’s Rocky PowerplayThe Scorchers chase was blunted by three wickets in the first 15 balls. Having just struck two boundaries, Livingstone was overambitious in attempting a third in a failed attempt to go across his stumps to scoop Meredith’s 145 kph pace and was bowled for 13 in the second over. Cameron Bancroft’s waft outside off stump in the third gave Scott Boland a wicket. Boland then dropped Marsh on the first delivery to the Scorchers captain but the fumble caromed onto the non-striker’s stumps with Josh Inglis comfortably out of his crease.However, the Hurricanes early inroads were neutralized somewhat by an injury to Meredith in the fourth over. The fast bowler began clutching at the left side of his ribcage mid over and had to come off the field by the end of it. He never returned, leaving Hurricanes captain Ben McDermott pondering his options to fill in two overs later on.Mitchell Marsh is quite strong down the ground•Getty ImagesMarshalling the FightbackScorchers captain Marsh kept his side in the hunt with a 75-run partnership alongside Cameron Green. He was content knocking singles while waiting for loose balls to hit for six that rarely came, however. The stand ended when Nathan Ellis pinned Green leg before missing a flick to midwicket for 33. Chris Jordan was promoted to No. 5 but fell three balls later swatting a half-tracker from legspinner Qais Ahmad to Short at long-on.After a few lusty blows from David, Boland struck in the 16th with a slower ball before Marsh’s stay finally came to an end for 48 with a skied flick to deep midwicket to make it 129 for 7. A late flurry from Richardson made the scorecard more flattering for the Scorchers, who entered the final over needing 29 to win with two wickets in hand and wound up eight runs short.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan put on their eighth century stand in T20Is to lay the platform for Pakistan’s victory

Sreshth Shah13-Oct-2022An unbeaten 20-ball 45 from Mohammad Nawaz helped Pakistan overcome their middle-overs jitters to defeat Bangladesh in the last league game in Christchurch. Pakistan now face New Zealand in the final on Friday, while Bangladesh head to Australia for the T20 World Cup having lost all their four games in the tri-series.Even though Pakistan won the match by seven wickets, the finish was closer than what the scorecard suggests. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan set up the platform with their eighth century stand in T20Is, but Pakistan did not run away with the chase because of some disciplined bowling from Bangladesh.It was Nawaz’s innings at a strike-rate of 225 that finally swung the game decisively towards Pakistan. It also helped him redeem his bowling figures, having conceded 37 runs in three overs in the first innings. Nawaz was Pakistan’s most expensive bowler as Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan scored fifties to help Bangladesh score their highest total of the tri-series.Litton’s turnaround, Shakib’s consistency
Bangladesh tried another new opening pair with Soumya Sarkar partnering Najmul Hossain Shanto but they once again lost an early wicket. That brought in Litton at No. 3 but he suffered a muscle strain early in his innings, which suggested that he would not be able to bat much longer. Instead, his inability to run fluently freed him up and he relied on hand-eye coordination to dominate a young Pakistan pace attack comprising Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain and Mohammad Wasim.Luckily for Bangladesh – especially with the T20 World Cup looming – Litton’s muscle strain seemed to go away, and he built an 88-run stand for the third wicket with Shakib Al Hasan. Their partnership allowed Bangladesh to build some momentum through the middle overs, a contrast to their previous three performances in the tri-series.Shakib and Litton batted together from the sixth over to the 15th, dominating Shadab Khan’s legspin and Nawaz’s left-arm orthodox spin. When the pacers went short, the batters countered with pulls and cuts, and Litton also enjoyed a bit of luck when Pakistan dropped a catch and missed a chance to run him out.Shakib batted until the penultimate over to score his second consecutive fifty in the tri-series. He used his feet to get to the pitch of the spinners and exploited the leg side in the slog overs. Bangladesh, however, could score only six runs off the last eight balls after Shakib was dismissed. They finished on 173 when they were looking for a total above 180, credit for which goes to Wasim who conceded only three runs in the 20th over.Nawaz ensures Pakistan finish the job
Bangladesh had a young seam-bowling unit too and it was their most inexperienced medium-pacer Hasan Mahmud who impressed the most. He took 2 for 27 in four overs and did not allow Pakistan’s openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to dominate him.Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam also used changes of pace to force mis-hits from the batters, and though Babar and Rizwan raised their century stand in the 13th over, the game remained in the balance.In his last spell, Mahmud dismissed Babar and Haider Ali in the same over, which fuelled Bangladesh’s hopes of victory. What they needed was a couple of tidy overs, perhaps with another wicket before the death, but it wasn’t to be as Rizwan stayed steady while Nawaz found the boundary early in his innings.Mohammad Saifuddin was the weak link in the Bangladesh attack on the day, conceding 53 runs, and Nawaz and Rizwan entered the slog overs with momentum on their side.Though Rizwan fell in the 19th over, Nawaz played the field, hitting the ball into gaps and milking a hat-trick of twos to shut Bangladesh out in the final over. He ended the contest with a boundary off the penultimate ball of the match.

This Premier League season has been Ipswich Town’s first in 22 years, and to say it’s been tough so far would be an understatement.

Kieran McKenna’s side have already played Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in their first 14 games, and while they’re down in the relegation zone, they’ve looked better than people were expecting.

Much of their success has come thanks to the signings made over the summer, but not everyone bought in over the window has been a roaring success in Suffolk.

In fact, one addition, who the manager was particularly excited about, has been dreadfully underwhelming and should be axed from the team for some time.

Ipswich's summer success

So, starting with the positives, and while there have been several successes from the summer arrivals, the most obvious is Liam Delap.

The young striker joined the club from Manchester City for around £20m, and while he was a relative unknown then, he isn’t now, as several clubs from the ‘big six’ have supposedly taken interest following his impressive return of six goals and one assist in 15 games.

He’s not been the only new arrival to have found the back of the net, though, as Irish international Sammie Szmodics appears to have found his feet at Portman Road following his £11m move from Blackburn Rovers.

He hasn’t been quite as prolific as the former City man, but given that he’s played out on the left, his haul of three goals in 13 games isn’t too bad.

Finally, while he was signed on loan last year, Omari Hutchinson made his move to East Anglia permanent in the summer, and while he endured a slow start to the campaign, he once again looks like one of the best players in the team.

He was sensational in the win against Spurs and then scored a brilliant goal to secure a point at home against Manchester United. However, while all three of these signings have made the team better, the same cannot be said of another wide player signed from a Championship giant.

The Ipswich player who must be axed

So, with most of the significant summer signings already covered, it should be no surprise that Jack Clarke is the one we are talking about.

Ipswich spent £15m plus add-ons to sign him from Sunderland in the summer, and considering he produced 44 goal involvements in 92 games across the last two seasons, it was easy to understand the move.

In fact, the club were so pleased with the additions that when speaking to the press, McKenna said of the York-born ace that he’d prove to be a “terrific asset” for the Tractor Boys.

Appearances

50

42

Goals

11

15

Assists

14

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

0.45

Unfortunately, that has not proven to be the case so far this season, and after being given another chance to start in the game against Crystal Palace on Tuesday night and failing to reach the required level, the manager simply must axe him from the starting lineup.

It might sound harsh, but it’s fair, and it may well be the best thing for the 24-year-old, as his display against the Eagles did not impress the watching press, with the East Anglian Daily Times’ Alex Jones giving him just a 4/10 at full-time.

In all, the former Sunderland star has only been able to muster a single assist in his 13 appearances this season, which is a far cry from his form in the northeast and certainly not enough to warrant a start ahead of Szmodics tomorrow afternoon.

Ultimately, Clarke is not a bad player, but he’s in undeniably poor form at the moment, and with every game being a must-win for Ipswich, McKenna would be doing him and the team a favour by taking him out of the firing line for a while.

Al-Hamadi 2.0: Ipswich could sign £5m Clarke rival in promising EFL star

The exciting talent could be a brilliant addition to Ipswich’s squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 5, 2024

Moreno reacted to Pulisic's comments about the "aggression" narrative, tells U.S. star "I'll spell it out for you"

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

USMNT lost to both Panama and CanadaChristian Pulisic says "aggression" narrative is "easy"ESPN's Ale Moreno goes in on AC Milan starFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Following the USMNT's disappointing 2025 Nations League showing, a semifinal defeat to Panama and a third-place match loss to Canada, critics have come in fast and come in harsh on their performances.

Ex-players such as Landon Donovan and Kasey Keller and Tim Howard have asked for more from the players and staff. ESPN analyst and former Venezuela international Alejandro Moreno joined the chorus.

"I need to see an improvement – that is obvious to see," Moreno said on ESPN FC. "And while Christian Pulisic said, 'Well, you know, the easiest thing to point out is the aggression' … Yes! Because it's obvious! It's obvious that this team lacks aggression. And so if he wants me to spell it out for him, I will: Christian, I'll spell it out for you, I'll define it for you: 92nd minute, your team is losing 2-1, and you guys are keeping possession in the back line and in the midfield.

"Again, let me repeat that you're losing 2-1 in a game in which you were supposed to show a response. And you're keeping possession of the ball in the midfield and the back line without actually showing aggression to get the ball forward, to manufacture chaos, to push for a goal your team. The United States never looked likely to score a game-tying goal. In fact, I would argue that Canada looked more likely to score at their own goal themselves."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Moreno's comments were in response to Pulisic, who said after the Canada match that critics asking for the USMNT to be aggressive were giving an "easy" analysis of their performances.

"It's an easy thing to say we lacked aggression, there's a lot of things that go with that – it's not just fighting and kicking," Pulisic said after the match. "You know the other team, you've got to play better football, you've got to have better ideas, you've got to be more aggressive in the way we attack… just creating more, getting more opportunities and just being more of a threat to the other team."

The AC Milan star was substituted 69 minutes into their loss against Canada, and played 90 minutes against Panama.

DID YOU KNOW?

The U.S. failed to win the Nations League for the first time in the competition's history in 2025. They had won all three previous editions.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT?

The U.S. return to the pitch in June for the FIFA international break, where they will play both Switzerland and Turkey in a pair of friendlies leading up to the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

“What stood out was her accuracy. She was not much of a swing bowler, she was more of a bowler who would get the ball in and out”

PTI24-Sep-2022Jhulan Goswami’s commitment to the game was such that she would “spit fire” even while bowling in the nets, according to her longtime team-mate and captain Mithali Raj.Having shared the dressing room for close to two decades, Raj and Goswami saw the massive growth of women’s cricket in India, shared many memorable wins and also some heartbreaking losses.”We are of the same age, so we have that comfort level and communication,” Raj said. “It was always very easy to reach out to her and speak to her. Someone who was always high on energy on the ground, may be because she is a fast bowler.”Related

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Celebrating Jhulan Goswami, from Lord's to Eden Gardens

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Farewell Jhulan Goswami, the link between two ages of Indian women's cricket

Though swing was not her biggest weapon, accuracy and use of the seam got her a bagful of wickets as Goswami eventually became the leading wicket-taker in ODIs.The competitive spirit in Goswami was very much evident even in the nets, recalled Raj.”In the nets, I would often ask her ‘why are you spitting fire, you are my team-mate only na’. Then she would say ‘to get out is the toughest’. She always had the competitive streak including domestic cricket where we played against each other often. I enjoyed that rivalry as well.”Raj also recollected a game in domestic cricket that revealed Goswami’s softer side.”We were playing in the semi-finals [Railways versus Bengal]. I did not carry my helmet during that domestic season. Jhulan was aiming right at my head and I did leave a lot of her bouncers.”After a while, she came up to me and said, ‘Why are you not wearing a helmet?’ I was like, ‘I did not carry a helmet, how will I wear one?’ Those were the fun times.”The former India captain said even the opposition would give her due respect, especially when she was at her peak.”What stood out was her accuracy. She was not much of a swing bowler, she was more of a bowler who would get the ball in and out. The cutters were her strength. At her peak, she would hardly give loose balls.”After the retirement of pacers Rumeli Dhar and Amita Sharma, Goswami was the constant in India’s pace attack, even as the team relied heavily on spin.”She was a lone ranger from one end for a very long time. She would get support at times but often she would be the only one trying to put pressure. That holds true even in recent times.”Both Raj and Goswami started playing at a time when women’s cricket was a neglected sport, before it finally came under the BCCI’s umbrella in 2006.”We had a lot of fun probably early in our careers though she was more at the receiving end of my pranks. As we got older and matured, we saw many of our team-mates leave the game and both of us were left among a bunch of new faces.”Having her in the team helped because she was also that person who would speak to everybody and communicate. Whenever I needed an opinion she would always give one.”Raj also fondly remembers their partnerships in the middle.”I enjoyed batting with her as well and I always thought she could contribute a lot more with the bat. There were some good partnerships, some amazing wins, some bad losses, we have seen it all through. It is a sad moment [that she is retiring] but also a moment to celebrate someone who played for such a long time. It is not easy to have a career like that as fast bowler.”

Nathan McSweeney’s 85 held Australia’s innings together but they were dismissed for 185

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2025A collective bowling effort from India A, followed by KL Rahul’s 74 from the top, kept them in the hunt on day three, chasing a daunting 412 set by Australia A. They raced to 169 for 2 in the final two sessions, at over four runs an over, to keep up with the high-scoring rates seen through this series.Rahul retired hurt in the final hour of play, paving the way for Devdutt Padikkal to walk in at No. 4. He has been picked for the home series against West Indies, but could not capitalise on the game time, falling to Todd Murphy for just 5. Earlier, Murphy had also claimed the wicket of N Jagadeesan (36) to break an 85-run opening partnership. Sai Sudharsan looked on course to hit his second fifty of the match at stumps, and finished the day on 44 not out alongside Manav Suthar, promoted to nightwatcher.The day began with Australia A on 16 for 3, which soon became 17 for 4. Australia A captain Nathan McSweeney, unbeaten overnight, consolidated for the visitors with a 90-run partnership alongside Josh Philippe. Suthar dismissed Philippe after he had scored a 48-ball 50.Josh Philippe came in at 17 for 4 and made 50•Tanuj/ Ekana Cricket Stadium”I like having that approach against spin,” Philippe said when asked about his aggressive batting in this match. “You know, especially now with the rough and the left-arm spinner coming around the wicket… I feel like sort of that hard sweeping – both reverse and normal – are really good options for me and shots I’m quite good at. So, yeah, [I was] just really trying to stick to my strengths.”McSweeney, who had already made 74 in the first innings, did not find much support from the lower order as the frontline India bowlers shared the wickets among them. Suthar took three wickets to finish with 8 for 157 in the match, accounting for Phillipe and Todd Murphy (12), having scalped up Oliver Peake in the final over of the second day. Gurnoor Brar added Jack Edwards (10) and Will Sutherland (0) to his own tally to finish with three in the innings too, while Mohammed Siraj and concussion substitute Yash Thakur finished with two wickets apiece.The hosts’ bowling effort meant Australia A were restricted to 185, and India A’s start kept their chances of chasing a stiff target alive. Philippe identified the need for early wickets when Australia A take the field tomorrow. “We just sort of need that one breakthrough early tomorrow and yeah, hopefully we can get on a roll on and yeah, get three or four [wickets],” he said.Negotiating the spinners will be India A’s biggest challenge as they enter the final day with 243 runs to get with eight wickets in hand.

Donald Trump, president of the United States of America, once hinted at which Premier League he supports in a chat with Arsenal fan Piers Morgan.

Donald Trump is a sport fanatic with love for golf, UFC, football and baseball

The 79-year-old, who is currently into his second term as president, has never hid his love for sport and recently made the trip to New York to watch The Ryder Cup at Bethpage.

Trump regularly plays golf and through his holding company, the Trump Organization, even owns 17 different courses around the world.

Trump also enjoys watching UFC and his relationship with UFC president Dana White has been well-documented.

When it comes to American Football, Trump’s team is thought to be the New England Patriots due to friendships with CEO Robert Kraft and legendary quarterback Tom Brady.

Also a fan of Major League Baseball, Trump’s team appears to be the New York Yankees, although he does have appreciation for the New York Mets as well.

Over in England, Trump even appears to have a favoured football team in the Premier League, and it isn’t Chelsea despite being involved in the Blues’ Club World Cup celebrations.

Donald Trump hints at which Premier League team he supports

Talking to journalist and Arsenal fan Piers Morgan back in 2018, Trump was presented with a Gunners shirt with his name on the back. Trump’s son, Barron, is a fan of Arsenal, with Morgan looking to make the President a supporter of the north London side.

However, Trump admitted that his allegiance lies with another Premier League giant, Manchester United.

That “friend” in question appears to be Edward Glazer, co-owner of the Red Devils. In fact, it is claimed that Glazer donated £45,000 during Trump’s first ever US presidential campaign.

The American president isn’t the only famous Man Utd supporter from across the pond, with singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake also a huge Old Trafford fan.

Chelsea made Women's Super League history on Sunday afternoon despite being held to a 1-1 draw. The Blues have made an unbeaten start to their title defence but their stalemate with Liverpool at the Totally Wicked Stadium means they have now failed to win back-to-back league matches for the first time since the 2021-22 season as they were pegged back by the Reds.

Getty Images SportChelsea fail to make dominance count at Liverpool

Chelsea set out their intentions early on as Erin Cuthbert dragged an effort wide in the first minute following some good work by Alyssa Thompson down the left flank. And the Blues were ahead in the ninth minute as Thompson fired past Faye Kirby after cutting onto her right foot.

The west London side pushed for a second but were unable to capitalise on their dominance and were made to pay in the 33rd minute as they came undone owing to a 33rd minute Beata Olsson strike. Nathalie Bjorn failed to successfully cut out Lily Woodham pass leaving Olsson one-on-one with Livia Peng, and the Reds striker made no mistake from close range.

Chelsea controlled proceedings but were unable to carve out chances as they failed to break Liverpool down on Merseyside, as they were unable to muster a shot on target since Thompson's opener. As such, the Blues lost ground on their way to defending their crown but did make history in the process.

AdvertisementChelsea make WSL history at Liverpool

While the result wasn't ideal for Chelsea, they still set the record for the longest unbeaten run in Women's Super League history. Indeed, the Blues are now unbeaten in 34 league matches, a record that stretches back to the end of the 2023-24 season.

Incidentally, the last team to beat Chelsea was Liverpool back in May 2024, as the Reds came from behind to claim a late 4-3 win. Aggie Beever-Jones had put Chelsea ahead, but found themselves behind midway through the second half as a Sophie Haug and an Erin Cuthbert own goal turned the clash on its head.

Beever-Jones scored hers and Chelsea second but the Reds were ahead again a minute later owing to a Leanne Kiernan strike. Teagan Micah's own goal drew Chelsea level again late on and the game looked destined for a draw only for Gemma Bonner to bag an injury time winner for Liverpool.

Getty Images SportMan City going top changes nothing claims Bompastor

Chelsea went into the weekend second in the WSL as their 1-1 draw with Arsenal combined with Manchester City's win over Everton saw City moved to the top of the table. And City opened up a four-point lead at the WSL summit as they trounced Manchester United on Saturday afternoon.

The draw may have closed the gap at the top by a point, but Chelsea lost ground in their title defence. Blues boss Sonia Bompastor isn't worried by City's rise to the top and that competition is good for the league and Chelsea.

"The league is really competitive here. I understand from an outside point of view that last season, maybe the competition was not that high because we finished in a really strong position, 12 points ahead of everyone," Bompastor said ahead of Sunday's stalemate.

"But for us, it always felt that every weekend was tough and the competition was high. Nothing has changed this season. We know a lot of teams in this league can compete for the title.

"The title race has been really tough, and Man City are now at the top of the table, but it doesn't change anything for us. We are still early in the season. We know what we want to achieve, and we keep this in mind. We are focused on achieving our goals, and we are still in a good position for that.

"It's really good for the women's game to have that competition and to have many teams who are in the title race and compete at the highest level with us."

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Chelsea back in Champions League action next week

Chelsea remain unbeaten in the WSL but will rue a missed opportunity to put further pressure on City. Bompastor will hope to see her Chelsea side return to winning ways when they face Barcelona in the Champions League next week.

The Blues were imperious in their 6-0 win over St. Polten last time out, a result that means Chelsea sit fourth having collected seven points from the opening three matches of the European campaign.