Premier League

NONI MADUEKE staged a miraculous recovery from near death to ensure Chelsea at least end a dramatic year at Stamford Bridge on a high note.The substitute winger was left crumpled in a heap following a standing tackle from Eberechi Eze which secured the penalty that proved decisive.
Noni Madueke scored a late penalty to seal the winCredit: Reuters
The 85th minute challenge left the winger on the deck only to find an amazing new lease of life to step up and score from the spot and claim his first Premier League goal on a rare outing in the first team.
This was Chelsea’s final home game of 2023 – they started their annus horribilis at home with a 1-0 win over Palace back in January.
If this is progress then it’s not much but right now Chelsea and their frustrated head coach will take whatever they can get. They climb to tenth in the table.
Victory against a team without a win in eight games now is hardly a cause for mass celebration but it keeps the heat off Pochettino for a while – at least until they visit resurgent Luton on Saturday.
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The Argentine coach named Chelsea’s youngest ever Premier League starting XI with an average age of 23 years and 21 days. And at times it showed with some naive football.
Chelsea’s youthful team started like kids rushing downstairs on Christmas morning. There was energy and buzz, excitement in the air.
Pochettino gave a first start and home debut to Christopher Nkunku and that too seemed to add a touch of sparkle to Chelsea’s play in the beginning.
The French forward was a brief bright note from Sunday’s otherwise miserable trip to Wolves on Sunday and he picked up from where he left off.
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Mykhailo Mudryk opened the scoring in the 13th minuteCredit: AFP
Christopher Nkunku started his first Premier League gameCredit: Getty
Chelsea dominated possession, but it was a fairly even match between the two sides
Playing just behind centre forward Nicolas Jackson, he was able to forge a link with the midfield and the widemen.
It was one such combination that led to Chelsea taking the lead on 13 minutes. 
Malo Gusto started the move on the right side of the pitch, laid the ball off then dashed across to the opposite flank. There he switched passes with Nkunku before squaring for Mudryk to divert the ball in from seven yards.
Just moments earlier, Nkunku and Mudryk also joined forces to set up Ian Maatsen whose shot beat Palace keeper Dean Henderson only for Tyrick Mitchell to scamper back and clear the danger.
Crystal Palace dominated the early stages before Mudryk’s opener
It was all Chelsea with zip and purpose up front and Jackson scrapping away – teeing up Nkunku who should have made it 2-0 only to clip the leg of chasing defender Chris Richards as he bore down on goal and scuffed what would have been a certain goal.
But Chelsea’s positivity in attack wasn’t fooling Pochettino even if most of the crowd inside Stamford Bridge were drinking it in.
The manager was raging with his defence for a long time in the lead up to Palace’s equaliser that he clearly saw coming.
At one point Chelsea’s head coach had to plead clemency from fourth official Tim Robinson for straying too far down the touchline to berate left back Levi Colwill for taking his eye off the dangerous Olise lurking out wide.
The warning went unheeded and in first half added time, they paid the price.
Michael Olise equalised on the brink of half timeCredit: Reuters
The midfielder celebrated in front of the home fansCredit: Getty
Conor Gallagher impressed for the Blues
Jordan Ayew catapulted a delightful all across the entire width of the turf to find Olise in space at the far post to take the ball on his chest and turn the ball in sharply for the equaliser.
Pochettino turned away in despair and at the half time whistle spat into the ground to show his disgust at the way his naive team had surrendered the lead against such out of form opposition. 
Olise is well known to Chelsea for having been one of the few players in world football to turn them down during their mind-boggling transfer spree, opting instead to sign a four year deal and remain at Palace.
His neat finish was everything that Chelsea weren’t and still aren’t.
Things hardly picked up in the second half either and on 57 minutes, frustrated Pochettino was forced to massively up the average age of his team by swapping 20-year-old Colwill for 39-year-old Thiago Silva in defence to get a steady hand on the tiller at the back.
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Romeo Lavia was also given his debut after a long recovery from an ankle problem and Madueke’s introduction shows that at least there is a growing list of options on the bench. 
Chelsea’s PA system belted out ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’ at full time. Irony is not dead at least here.
Romeo Lavia was handed his Chelsea debutCredit: PA
The Blues sit 10th in the Premier League tableCredit: Reuters More

FOOTBALL fans are convinced that the Premier League title will be won at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season.But Ange Postecoglou’s side are not expected to take the crown on home soil.
Tottenham host Man City and Arsenal at the end of the seasonCredit: Getty
Spurs are set to host title challengers Manchester City and Arsenal in back-to-back fixtures at the end of April.
One fan highlighted the bizarre scheduling on X, writing: “Someone is securing the league title at Spurs’ stadium.”
That has already got Arsenal supporters excited at the prospect of clinching the trophy at Tottenham for the THIRD time.
One person wrote: “WIN the league AT WHL and the Guard of Honour at OT??? The pain of the past 20+ years, I deserve this moment.”
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Another added: “As an Arsenal fan it will be insane if we clinched that league title at the Spurs stadium.”
A third wrote: “Arsenal can create history if they don’t bottle it.”
While rival fans are hoping that Man City put a dent in the Gunners’ title hopes once again, with one person writing: “Spurs better not lose that Arsenal game.”
Another said: “(Erling) Haaland scoring to make it 2-0 and the entire stadium roars because it means Arsenal won’t win the league.”
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Arsenal won the league at White Hart Lane in 2004 before securing their iconic ‘Invincibles’ status.
They also clinched the league title there in 1971.
After playing Tottenham on April 27, the Gunners are set to host Bournemouth before travelling to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.
They will then end the season at home against Everton.
Meanwhile, Man City face Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Fulham and West Ham after their trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Liverpool, who are still among the title challengers, also face Spurs at the end of the season.
Jurgen Klopp’s side host the Lilywhites at Anfield on May 4 before facing Aston Villa and Wolves in their final two games. More

DAVID MOYES has denied telling friends he will soon leave West Ham – because he doesn’t have enough pals to start a rumour.As it stands Hammers boss Moyes, 60, will be out of contract at the end of the season.
David Moyes is expected to leave West Ham at the end of the seasonCredit: Alamy
The uncertainty has opened the door for speculation, including one suggestion that Moyes had declared privately he expects to be shown the door.
But he insisted: “I don’t have many friends, let me tell you, so I don’t know who that is. That would be the first thing I’d say.
“My intention is to keep working. I want to keep moving the team on and I’m sure we will get around to talking very shortly.
“David Sullivan said we would talk around the end of January so we would probably talk later that month.”
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Many Hammers fans would be happy to see the Scot’s four-year spell end as they are convinced a new manager means more exciting football.
Moyes insisted his seventh-place Hammers, who travel to Arsenal tomorrow, WERE great entertainers.
He said: “I think we are playing well – I genuinely do.
“When you look at Lucas Paqueta, Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse, we have got some incredible talent. Emerson is playing fantastically well.”
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Moyes also pointed out that winning the Europa Conference League in June meant 2023 was West Ham’s best since lifting the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965.
He said: “I believe so and I think so.
“There have been a lot of really good things going on and we are in a strong position just now.”
Moyes will check on defender Nayef Aguerd, who is back in training following illness, but striker Michail Antonio remains sidelined. More