CHELSEA COULD NOW APPOINT SHOCK MANAGER WITH ENZO MARESCA EXPECTED TO LEAVE

Enzo Maresca is ‘highly likely’ to leave Chelsea on Thursday (January 1) after a ‘complete breakdown in his relationship with the club’. This is according to a shock report from The Guardian, who understand that emergency talks are being held over the Italian manager’s position at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca is no longer expected to be in charge for Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League clash against Manchester City on Sunday. Sources have indicated to The Guardian that Maresca wants to leave the Blues, although it’s unclear if he is willing to walk away without a payoff.

Chelsea currently sit fifth in the Premier League table, 15 points behind leaders Arsenal, but December’s results have put Maresca under increased pressure. The west London outfit have won just one of the previous seven league matches.

Maresca, 45, was appointed by Chelsea in June 2024, replacing Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge. The former Italy Under-21 international, who played for the likes of West Brom, Juventus, Fiorentina and Sevilla during his playing career got the Chelsea job after guiding Leicester City to the Championship title.

While Maresca has enjoyed success at Chelsea - winning the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup titles - it appears the breakdown in relations between him and the club’s hierarchy will lead to his imminent departure.

Early Contenders to Replace Maresca at Chelsea

It’s currently unclear who will replace Maresca if the Italian does leave, although The Guardian say that ‘one solution’ would be to appoint Liam Rosenior - the current Strasbourg head coach.

The 41-year-old Englishman, who spent most of his professional playing career with Hull City before managing the Tigers between 2022-2024, may jump at the opportunity to coach one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.

Rosenior has impressed at Strasbourg, who are Chelsea’s partner club, although his potential appointment will depend on whether his current employers are able to find a quality replacement now.

Other names that currently among the bookmakers’ favourites include Como boss Cesc Fabregas, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez.

In any case, it feels increasingly likely that Chelsea will now be on the hunt for their fifth permanent manager since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover of the club in 2022.

- Rob Swan

NOTTINGHAM FOREST SACK HEAD COACH NUNO AFYER RIFT WITH OWNER

Nuno Espirito Santo has been sacked by Nottingham Forest © Ben STANSALL / AFP

London (AFP) – Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked by Nottingham Forest early on Tuesday, becoming the first English Premier League manager this season to lose his job.

"The club thanks Nuno for his contribution during a very successful era," said a club statement released just after midnight.

The Portuguese had been in charge for 21 months at the City Ground, but two weeks ago said his relationship with the club's owner, the Greek billionaire Evangelos Marinakis, had deteriorated.

"Nottingham Forest Football Club confirms that, following recent circumstances, Nuno Espirito Santo has today been relieved of his duties as head coach," the club said.

The 51-year-old took charge in December 2023 after Steve Cooper was sacked and went on to save the club from relegation.

Last season the club finished seventh in the Premier League, their highest since 1994/95.

That secured a first European berth in 30 years, with a Europa League place handed to Forest instead of their initial Conference League spot, after Crystal Palace's demotion for breaching UEFA's multi-club ownership rules.

"The club thanks Nuno for his contribution during a very successful era at the City Ground, in particular his role in the 2024/25 season, which will forever be remembered fondly in the history of the club," said the statement

"As someone who played a pivotal role in our success last season, he will always hold a special place in our journey."

Postecoglou in frame

Forest sit 10th in the Premier League on four points after three games, but were soundly beaten 3-0 by struggling West Ham in Nuno's last match in charge.

British media reported that talks had begun to appoint a successor quickly, with former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou said to be among the candidates along with Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner and Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola.

Nuno Espirito Santo (right) appears to be confronted by Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis at the end of the match against Leicester City in May © JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP

Cracks between the owner and head coach began to show in May last season, when Marinakis appeared to confront Nuno on the pitch following a 2-2 draw against Leicester at the City Ground.

Forest later said the owner was frustrated that striker Taiwo Awoniyi had continued to play following an 88th-minute injury but added there was "no confrontation" and to suggest otherwise was "fake news".

Nuno, who also managed Tottenham in 2021, was publicly critical of Forest's transfer activity since the end of last season, which reportedly did not go down well with Marinakis.

Forest brought in 13 players as new sporting director Edu Gaspar took a more hands-on role in signings, but they let several others go, including Anthony Elanga, Danilo and Wayne Hennessey, leaving Nuno to complain his side had become "unbalanced".

"I always had a very good relationship with the owner. Last season we were very close and spoke on a daily basis. This season it is not so well," Nuno said last month of his dealings with Marinakis.

"Our relationship has changed and we are not as close. Everybody at the club should be together but this is not the reality."

Nuno later said he had spoken to Marinakis on the phone since and the two would meet during the international break to iron out their differences.

Sky Sports News reported that the meeting never materialised and Marinakis decided instead it was better to replace Nuno.

Edu and chief football officer Ross Wilson will oversee the appointment of a new head coach.

Forest's next match is away to third-placed Arsenal on Saturday.

© 2025 AFP

SARR AT THE DOUBLE AS PALACE AND BRIGHTON'S UNBEATEN HOME RUN

Crystal Palace winger Ismaïla Sarr scored a brace as his side beat arch-rivals Brighton 3-1 at the Amex Stadium on Sunday, handing the Seagulls their first home defeat in the Premier League this season.

Unbeaten in their last five league games, Palace climb to 15th place in the table with 16 points from as many matches. They are four points clear of relegation-threatened Ipswich Town, who sit 18th.

Brighton drop to ninth with 24 points, four behind fourth-placed Nottingham Forest.

"We look up, in front of us, and it was a massive chance for us to reduce the gap to the teams in front of us. But we don't talk about the table, we talk about our performance. The positive thing is we can play better," Palace manager Oliver Glasner told Sky Sports.

"It's a very important game for us, it's a very important game for our fans and I told the players it was the best Christmas gift we could give them because they are always behind us."

Both teams got off to a lively start with Kaoru Mitoma nearly opening the scoring inside three minutes after Joao Pedro produced a brilliant overhead flick, but Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson pulled off a fine save to deny the Japan winger.

It was the visitors who drew first blood when centre-back Trevoh Chalobah fired into the top corner from close range in the 27th minute thanks to a quality corner from midfielder Will Hughes which led to some confusion in the Brighton box.

Ismaila Sarr scored twice as Crystal Palace claimed victory at Brighton.
Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who made no changes to the side that drew 2-2 with reigning champions Manchester City at Selhurst Park last weekend, and his side held their breath through a VAR check for handball before the goal was confirmed.

Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen made a double save to keep out Sarr and Daniel Muñoz before being beaten as the home side found themselves two goals down six minutes later when Sarr eventually met a deep cross from left back Tyrick Mitchell with a brilliant header.

Missing their leading league scorer this season in Danny Welbeck, Brighton created very little against a confident-looking Palace in the first half.

Henderson went on to make a string of saves, keeping out a Lewis Dunk header and moments later a Julio Enciso shot, as Brighton responded with a wave of attacks following the interval.

Palace right wing-back Muñoz had the ball in the net in the 67th minute but just as the Colombian celebrated what he thought was his side's third goal, referee Michael Oliver came to Brighton's rescue and chalked it off for a foul by Sarr on Pervis Estupiñán.

However, Sarr scored his second goal of the afternoon to leave the home side with a mountain to climb when he collected Eddie Nketiah's pass and raced past Dunk to calmly finish off past Verbruggen, before centre-back Marc Guéhi scored an own goal in the 87th minute.

"We conceded the goals too easy. We didn't score in the phases when we had plenty of chances and that is why it is a bad experience. It is very disappointing but we should see this as a lesson for us," Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler told BBC Sport.

Game Information

American Express Stadium

5:00 PM, December 15, 2024

Coverage: USA Net/Tele

Falmer, England

Line: BHA -0.5

Over/Under: 2.5

Attendance: 30,893

Referees:Michael Oliver

- Reuters 

HOW DAICHI KAMADA CAN SUCCEED IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE

After a solitary season in Serie A with Lazio, Japan international Daichi Kamada has joined Premier League outfit Crystal Palace where he will reunite with manager Oliver Glasner, who he won the Europa League with at Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021-22. Piero Cruciatti/Anadolu via Getty Images

 On Monday, conjecture over the future of Japan international Daichi Kamada was finally put to rest as it was announced he had signed for Crystal Palace on a two-year contract.

For one of the Samurai Blue's most well-credentialled players, moving to the Premier League was the next logical step in his career progression following an already-creditable European journey that has seen him feature in both the Bundesliga and Serie A.

And for Japan, as one of Asian football's traditional powerhouses, having another export plying his trade in possibly the biggest league in the world further highlights the talent they are consistently producing.

But what does it truly mean for Japanese football? And how can Kamada give himself the best chance of succeeding in the Premier League?

The 'how'

For all the experience and past successes a player might boast, success in a new country is never a guarantee, especially in a competition as unforgiving as the Premier League.

One clear advantage Kamada already has is that, in Palace manager Oliver Glasner, he is reuniting with a tactician who is familiar with what he is capable of from their time together at Eintracht Frankfurt.

In Glasner's two seasons in charge of Frankfurt, Kamada's 93 appearances in all competition was a tally only bettered by goalkeeper Kevin Trapp. The fact that Glasner not only knows Kamada but also has previous history of trusting him to do the job bodes well for the Japanese midfielder.

The 3-4-3 formation that Glasner has been employing at Palace is will also be familiar to Kamada, given he operated in similar systems at both Frankfurt and, most recently, Lazio -- who he left on a free transfer after just one season to pave the way for his move to South London.

Kamada's skillset suggests that his best football could come as a No. 10 but opportunities to feature in that role have only periodically arisen while on international duty.

At club level, he has had to settle for a more traditional central midfield role and yet it has hardly hampered his attacking output.

In his two seasons under Oliver Glasner at Eintracht Frankfurt, Daichi Kamada featured prominently with 93 appearances in all competition -- racking up an impressive tally of 25 goals despite predominantly playing in central midfield. Alex Grimm/Getty Images

In his final two seasons at Frankfurt, where he played arguably his best football, Kamada racked up nine and 16 goals respectively -- impressive tallies for one who spent most of his time in the engine room rather than a more advanced position in the final third.

The energy he provides could be crucial to him thriving in the high-intensity nature of the Premier League, and his scoring instincts should make him a handy addition to Palace outfit that only got one goal from their out-and-out central midfield brigade in 2023-24.

While the physicality of the English game has, in the past, been an area in which Asian imports struggle to adapt to, Kamada should have no such issues given his previous European experience -- which also saw him win the Europa League with Frankfurt in 2021-22.

Standing at 1.84 metres, the 27-year-old may look gangly but it belies his battling nature and appetite for the contest -- traits without which surely would not have seen him achieve all his previous successes.

Hailing Kamada as "one of Europe's best attacking midfielders in recent seasons", Palace chairman Steve Parish also labelled the club's new signing "a truly exceptional talent", adding: "his experience, technical quality and commitment mark him out as an excellent addition to our already talented squad."

It is not a given that Kamada will automatically slot into Palace's starting XI given competition is high among a team that last season achieved the club's first top-half finish in the Premier League since 2014-15.

Seasoned campaigners such as Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes will both be expecting to feature prominently, while England rising star Adam Wharton made an instant impact after arriving in the January transfer window.

Still, if Kamada can rediscover the Frankfurt form he displayed under Glasner, he could just prove impossible to leave out.

Daichi Kamada's move to Crystal Palace sees him add to Japan's Premier League contingent that already boasts Liverpool anchorman Wataru Endō and Brighton livewire Kaoru Mitoma. Markus Gilliar - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images

The 'what'

By now, Japanese football is no stranger to laying claim to some stellar names to have graced the sport.

Hidetoshi Nakata remains their biggest name to date, while Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa and Shunsuke Nakamura all made their mark under the brightest lights in European football. Shinji Okazaki even claimed a miraculous Premier League title with Leicester City.

Nonetheless, recent attention has shifted to South Korea given the emergence of a certain Son Heung-Min as a genuine world-class talent.

Son's footsteps being subsequently followed by Hwang Hee-Chan and Lee Kang-In has gone some way in enhancing impression that it is South Korea who are now leading the way in Asian football, even if it is Japan who are still the continent's highest-placed nation sitting 17th in the FIFA world rankings.

It perhaps does not help Japan's case that their leading lights at present are primarily defensive players who do not steal as much of the headlines, such as Liverpool anchorman Wataru Endō, Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, and even new Bayern Munich signing Hiroki Itō.

But where South Korea have quality -- and an undeniably top-grade one at that -- Japan can more than make up for it with quantity.

Kamada's move to Palace takes Japan's Premier League contingent to four and, as well of a defensive job as Endō and Tomiyasu perform on a weekly basis, the onus will be on him and Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma -- who did enjoy a stellar 2022-23 campaign -- to grab the attention in the attacking third.

With Samurai Blue stars featuring prominently all across Europe's top leagues, there can be no refuting that Japanese football continues to be in an extremely healthy state.

Still, should one of their own take the most heavily-scrutinised league by storm come the start of next season, it will only provide further credence to Japan's claim to being Asia's premier footballing nation.

- Gabriel Tan