Chelsea

Leroy Rosenior, Liam’s father, played for the likes of Fulham, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers, and his managerial career peaked with a five-month stint at then-League One side Brentford in 2006.

In 2019 he was awarded an MBE in the 2019 New Year Honours for his services to tackling discrimination in football and wider society.

When Rosenior Jr retired from playing he followed his father’s footsteps. He began writing a column for The Guardian, where in 2017 he acknowledged the under-representation of black coaches. He highlighted that race does not influence ability and said opportunities should be given on merit.

He also made a point he would repeat: that vast under-representation leads to misunderstandings of players from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

In a podcast with The Athletic FC, Rosenior highlighted how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled “difficult” and “emotional”, but said he understood the Netherlands international with Nigerian parentage. Emegha is set to join him in moving from Strasbourg to Chelsea in July.

In further Guardian columns, Rosenior also admitted he was “ashamed” to hear an unnamed coach make a homophobic slur when he was a player. He pledged his support for the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign and wrote an open letter to Donald Trump during his first US presidency, accusing him of “blatant” racism.

Rosenior has since made his name as a manager – first at Hull City, then Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney said this week he was “as good a coach as I’ve ever worked with” following their time together at Derby County.

Rosenior said his farewells at Strasbourg on Tuesday morning before signing a six‑and‑a‑half‑year contract at Chelsea.

The Blues had the Premier League’s first black manager in Gullit and the first black captain in Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since worked in multiple senior positions, including the FA’s diversity and inclusion board, and is now the vice-chairman at Charlton Athletic – who Chelsea play in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

“Liam, in my opinion, represents everything that was right about the 21st century,” Elliott said.

“He has been an outstanding player, very articulate, hugely intelligent, and you can see that whatever he did – whether as a manager or technical director – he was really cognizant of the game.

“Whatever he did, I knew he would be a success. His passion was to forge a career in football management. He speaks in a way I hadn’t heard from many people – you felt you were learning.

“It sends out a strong, positive message to current and future generations – that people of colour who look like Liam can go to the very top and be at the cutting edge of football management.

“But let’s not forget – he’s there on merit. He’s there on talent.”

There is pressure on Chelsea to get this appointment right, with some supporters chanting the name of former owner Roman Abramovich during Sunday’s draw at Manchester City and a fringe group of fans planning a protest against the owners before the next home Premier League match against Brentford.

It is against that backdrop they have turned to a man who is well known to key figures at Stamford Bridge.

Rosenior first met Chelsea‘s co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart more than 15 years ago while playing for Brighton.

And Sam Jewell – Chelsea‘s director of global recruitment – worked closely with Rosenior when he began coaching Brighton Under-23s after retiring.

Rosenior also knew Stewart during his time as an analyst at Hull, where he played and later managed.

Last summer, during the Club World Cup, he travelled to the United States with Strasbourg president Marc Keller to meet Chelsea‘s leadership, and owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly have made regular visits to the French club.

He has always been seen as a potential successor to Maresca, but a mid-season change was not planned. Chelsea hoped Rosenior could continue to build experience at Strasbourg, but Maresca’s comments at the end of last year forced the owners into a change.

They see their new man, who favours a similar possession-based style, as the most seamless option.

Sources close to Rosenior also believe he has a more empathetic tone of communication – drawing on lessons from his mother Karen, who is a social worker.

He will face scrutiny over his perceived rawness, but Chelsea will point to the fact he has more experience than Maresca when the Italian was appointed in 2024.

Maresca had won the Championship, of course, while Rosenior has yet to lift a trophy – but the incoming coach has managed 153 senior games at Hull and Strasbourg compared with his predecessor’s 67. Maresca was also Pep Guardiola’s assistant during Manchester City‘s Treble-winning season of 2022-23.

There is also the issue of Rosenior coming to Chelsea on a bad run of form, having won none of his past five Ligue 1 matches, just two in 10, and having dropped 13 points from winning positions this season.

French football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I really believe the owners put him in the Strasbourg job to get him ready for the Chelsea job one day.

“I think if he showed he could be capable at Strasbourg, which is taking a team which was almost going down into Europe – to taking it close to Champions League qualification, which is what he did last season.

“I think that showed his potential. It showed his development, showed his ability to improve the team and players individually.”

Liam Rosenior says he could not turn down Chelsea but admits unusual situation as a deal has not yet been signed.

Racing Strasbourg coach Liam Rosenior says he has reached an agreement with Chelsea to become their next manager but has yet to sign a contract with the Premier League club.

“I ‍haven’t signed yet. I have agreed verbally with Chelsea. It’s really important – this is different to anything anyone has ever done. Nobody has made a statement before they have signed a contract,” ‍Rosenior said at a ⁠news conference on Tuesday.

“Everything is agreed, and it will probably go through in the next few hours,” he said in Strasbourg, France. “I’m here because I care about this club and I felt it was right to answer your questions physically here today before I move on.”

Rosenior added that he would take his ⁠assistants Kalifa Cisse and Justin Walker with him to the Premier League club.

The 41-year-old, who joined Ligue 1 side Racing Strasbourg in 2024, said his time at the club had been the most rewarding period of ​his career after spells at Derby County and Hull City.

“The ‌last 18 months have been a joy and the best of my professional career,” Rosenior said. “I have met some incredible people, created incredible memories and made history.”

He said he had been transparent with Strasbourg’s ‌ownership about outside interest.

“I have had interest from many clubs, including Champions League clubs, which I have always been open ‌with to our president, Marc Keller, and our ownership,” ⁠Rosenior said. “I will love this club for the rest of my life, but I cannot turn down Chelsea.”

Little-known Rosenior had been widely touted as the front runner to succeed Enzo Maresca since the Italian was sacked on Thursday, not least because Strasbourg and Chelsea are owned by the same consortium, BlueCo.

Rosenior, who has no Premier League coaching experience, will become Chelsea’s fourth permanent boss since BlueCo took control of the Londoners in 2022.

Chelsea has yet to confirm the appointment but held talks with Rosenior in London on Monday.

The mood inside the Etihad at full-time felt like one of deflation rather than the expected elation, as City failed to win successive games for only the second time this season.

Guardiola’s side are unbeaten in their past 10 games in all competitions, but the draws in their past two could be significant come the end of the season.

Arsenal are aiming for a first top-flight triumph in more than two decades, while City are looking to reclaim the crown having failed to win silverware last season – the results in the first week of 2026 feel important when considering where the title could end up.

Despite going ahead City could not hold on against a stubborn Chelsea side led by interim manager Calum McFarlane, the under-21s coach who was taking charge of his first senior game and denied Guardiola all three points.

“It’s a brilliant result for Chelsea, with no manager,” former City goalkeeper Shay Given told BBC Sport. “And it is a brilliant result and week for Arsenal, who are now six points clear.

“City dropping four points in the last two games is huge at this time of the season. We always say Christmas and new year, with such a busy schedule, is so important and it’s not been a great festive period for Manchester City.”

Erling Haaland has had a prolific campaign scoring 38 goals for club and country this season, but he has now failed to net in his past three games, which has proved pivotal.

The Norwegian was shackled for long periods by the Chelsea backline and struck the post in the first half, while in the second he had little joy as the home side looked to double their lead.

But they were unable to be clinical enough in the final third and Fernandez’s late equaliser not only snatched a draw for Chelsea but ruined a clean sheet for City and handed the initiative to Arsenal.

“Manchester City will be kicking themselves,” ex-City defender Micah Richards said on Sky Sports. “They know they should’ve had three points today with the chances they created.

“They are normally more ruthless. You are looking at it thinking, ‘what has changed?’ Haaland’s not scored in a few games, Phil Foden had near misses, Rayan Cherki looking very tricky but not the final product. They’ve only got themselves to blame today.”

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville added on Sky Sports: “Pep Guardiola could smell it. The City fans could smell it. I don’t think Chelsea could though. City needed to make it 2-0.

“It was a big goal for Chelsea – and a big goal for Arsenal.”

Liam Rosenior has flown to London to finalise his expected appointment as Chelsea head coach.

As BBC Sport reported on Thursday, Strasbourg boss Rosenior is the leading candidate to replace Enzo Maresca, who has left Stamford Bridge.

Talks to appoint Rosenior are at an advanced stage, and the 41-year-old is in the capital to complete formalities before he is named as Maresca’s successor.

BlueCo – the investment vehicle set up to purchase Chelsea in 2022 – has started the process of identifying candidates to replace Rosenior at sister club Strasbourg.

Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane says “there’s a chance” the new boss will be in place on Monday.

The under-21s coach stepped in after Maresca parted company with Chelsea following disagreements with leadership figures at the club.

McFarlane’s Chelsea drew 1-1 away at title challengers Manchester City on Sunday thanks to an equaliser in the closing moments from midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

Speaking after the match, McFarlane said: “When I first took the job, I was told I would take the Manchester City game. So that was three days with the group.

“There’s a chance the new manager will be in on Monday – that’s what I was told originally.

“Obviously, it’s Sunday now. We’ve been solely focused on the game. I’m sure I’ll get more information once I’m out of this press conference. But as far as I know, the new manager will be in shortly and I’ll lead the team until he’s in.”

Chelsea interim manager Calum McFarlane admits it’s been a “whirlwind” 24 hours since he was named as temporary replacement for Enzo Maresca.

Italian Maresca parted company with the Blues on Thursday, 18 months after replacing Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.

McFarlane, Chelsea‘s U21s head coach, was named as interim manager and will take charge of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Manchester City.

Such was the unexpected nature of McFarlane’s appointment, the Englishman’s training ground pass had to be amended to grant him access to the club’s press conference room on Friday morning.

“It’s been a crazy 24 hours, a whirlwind, as you can imagine, but also really enjoyable and really exciting,” said McFarlane.

“I can only feel positive about it. It’s an amazing experience.”

He added: “I am quite relaxed. I am sure as we get closer to the game it will become more nerve-wracking. I haven’t worked at this level before but the lads have been brilliant and we will do this together.”

Maresca’s departure came after a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on Tuesday, which left the Blues 15 points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

It means McFarlane’s debut as a manager of a senior team will come against Pep Guardiola, who celebrated managing his 1,000th match as a head coach in November.

“The team needs to be ready and prepared and our role is giving the players the support they need to go and execute,” he said.

“I wouldn’t say we have nothing to lose. We have to give a real good account of ourselves.”

Chelsea travel to Manchester three places and 11 points behind second-placed City.

Reports following Maresca’s departure suggested the Italian had held talks with City over succeeding Guardiola, though the former Leicester City boss denied the claims.

“From my point of view Chelsea have lost an incredible manager and an incredible person,” Guardiola said on Maresca’s departure.

“It’s a decision from the Chelsea hierarchy so I’ve nothing to say. How lucky I am in the club where I am. My club is extraordinary.”

Asked about his own future, Guardiola – whose current deal runs until the end of the 2026-27 season – said: “I have one more year.

“I’ve been here for 10 years and I promise you I will leave one day but I have a contract, I’m happy, I want to fight with my team, the hierarchy respect me – they proved last season when we didn’t win one game in three months.”

Rosenior, a right-back, had a solid but unspectacular career as a player – featuring in the top flight for Fulham, Reading, Hull and Brighton.

Roughly half his career was spent in the EFL and that’s where he started his coaching career.

After a spell as Brighton‘s under-23s coach, he spent three years at Derby.

He was first-team coach under Phillip Cocu and then assistant boss to Wayne Rooney – before taking over as interim boss after Rooney’s departure.

But he was more hands-on than the average assistant.

“There was an argument when Mel Morris sacked Phillip Cocu in November 2020, Rosenior should have been put in charge, not Rooney,” said BBC football news reporter Simon Stone.

“Rooney had the profile of course, but it was Rosenior who put the sessions on at Derby and who guided the team during games.

“Rosenior replaced Rooney for a short time in 2022, after administration had led to relegation into League One.

“It was Rosenior who put Derby back together, helping to bring in 14 new players after the club had been left with only five under contract.

“History suggests the new ownership would have been better leaving Rosenior in charge, given they were seventh when he left and under his replacement, Paul Warne, they didn’t even end with a play-off place.”

He then spent almost two years as Hull manager – with observers again thinking he was harshly done by at the end.

The Tigers were one point above the relegation zone when he took over in November 2022 and led them to 15th.

The following season they finished three points off the play-off places, and Rosenior was sacked.

In 2024-25 while Rosenior was leading Strasbourg into Europe, Hull City avoided relegation from the Championship on goal difference.

Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior is the leading contender for the Chelsea job vacated by Enzo Maresca.

Former Leicester boss Maresca, 45, left his role as Chelsea head coach on Thursday amid internal tensions with the club’s hierarchy and ownership.

The process to replace the Italian is under way, and it is understood Englishman Rosenior is the frontrunner, though sources have stressed other candidates are also under consideration.

Rosenior’s current employers are owned by investment vehicle BlueCo – the consortium set up to purchase Chelsea in 2022.

The 41-year-old, who previously managed Hull, has significant backing internally at Chelsea and it is understood candidates to replace him at Strasbourg are being considered because of his possible departure.

Porto’s Francesco Farioli has also been mooted as a potential contender.

Before appointing Maresca in 2024, Chelsea interviewed Marseille manager Roberto de Zerbi, Ipswich counterpart Kieran McKenna, and Thomas Frank, who was then at Brentford but has since moved to Tottenham.

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola and Fulham‘s Marco Silva have also been linked with the role in the past, though it is unclear if they are now contenders.

The club will not change their style of play, so it is highly unlikely they would move for Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner.

It is not yet clear who will lead the side for Sunday’s match against Manchester City, though under-21s head coach Calum McFarlane will take on media duties for a news conference to preview the game on Friday.

A social media post from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez indicated that Maresca’s backroom team have also departed the club.

Maresca exits the club midway through a turbulent season with the team winning just one Premier League game in December.

Chelsea have parted ways with ‌Enzo Maresca, a dramatic fall from grace for the Italian who was named ‍Manager of the Month ‍for November before the club won just one of their last seven league games, causing them to fall out of the Premier League title race.

“Chelsea Football Club and head coach Enzo Maresca have parted company,” the club said in a statement on Thursday.

Maresca, who joined Chelsea in 2024 after steering Leicester City to Premier League promotion, leaves 18 months to the day since he was ⁠tasked with reviving the club’s fortunes after two years of failing to qualify for the Champions League.

He eventually ​guided the London side to UEFA Champions League qualification with a fourth-placed finish, the Conference ‍League trophy and the Club World Cup title in his first season with a young but expensively built squad.

Poor run of form

However, a poor run of form in December and an uncharacteristic outburst from the Italian prompted the club hierarchy to take ‍action and part ⁠ways with the 45-year-old manager.

“With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football, Enzo and the club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track,” the Chelsea statement said.

Chelsea were as high as third in November and were among the title contenders, high on confidence after they had also crushed Barcelona 3-0 in ​the Champions League at Stamford Bridge.

But they have since slipped to fifth in ‌the league to sit 15 points behind leaders Arsenal at the halfway stage of the season.

‘Worst 48 hours’

Last month, Maresca voiced frustration over issues behind the scenes, saying he felt he had a lack of support from the club, describing a period ‌after a 2-0 win over Everton as “the worst 48 hours” of his tenure.

The Italian did not clarify what he meant by the comment, but the damage ‌seemed to have been done as Chelsea’s league form nosedived.

Although Chelsea ⁠beat Cardiff City to reach the League Cup semifinals, they picked up only two points in their last three Premier League games.

Off the pitch, there was also the unwelcome distraction of rubbishing links to the Manchester City job as Maresca pointed out that he was committed ‌to Chelsea, where he had a contract until 2029.

But Tuesday’s 2-2 home draw with Bournemouth – where fans chanted, “You don’t know what you’re doing” when he substituted playmaker Cole Palmer while they also booed at the final whistle – proved to be his final match in charge.

The club did not say who would take charge before Sunday’s match against second-placed Manchester City.

Maresca stunned even members of his own staff when – after beating Everton 2-0 for Chelsea‘s solitary Premier League win in December – he said “many people” had made it his “worst 48 hours” since joining the club.

Those comments came without any warning to club staff or senior management, who would have preferred any discussions to remain private.

But friction had been brewing in the months before that.

Maresca had hoped to raise his profile following the Blues’ successes through opportunities outside the club. He was planning to publish a book before being blocked, and spoke at Il Festival dello Sport – an event in Italy organised by La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper – without the club’s permission.

He also made public that he disagreed with the club not signing a central defender after Levi Colwill injured his anterior cruciate ligament in pre-season. The club’s hierarchy explained that doing so could prompt academy prospect Josh Acheampong to request a transfer, which ultimately led Maresca to back down.

The former Leicester manager has also switched agents – from the Wasserman agency to Jorge Mendes – and has been talked of as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, which Maresca has dismissed.

In addition, he has increasingly avoided wearing club tracksuits – opting instead for his own clothing.

Following his last game with Chelsea – a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on 30 December – assistant manager Willy Caballero said Maresca felt too unwell to do his post-match media duties, but it is understood his absence was more due to his disillusionment at the club.

And it was noticeable that when Chelsea posted a 52-second video on social media on New Year’s Eve summarising their year, there was no trace of Maresca.

Chelsea were satisfied with Maresca at the end of last season after he delivered Champions League qualification – regarded internally as his most important achievement – plus a Uefa Conference League win, which had broadly been expected, and a Club World Cup triumph, which came as a welcome surprise.

There was genuine delight and backing among key figures at Stamford Bridge, including sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Lawrence Stewart, and influential owner Behdad Eghbali.

In line with the agreed strategy when appointing Maresca from Leicester City in 2024 – for which the club paid £10m – he focused on coaching the team while those above him oversaw much of the backroom staff, medical department and transfers.

The transfer policy – signing the world’s best young players from lesser leagues to create the youngest team in the Premier League – remains in place.

Maresca will have known what he was signing up for. His complaints are not about the quality of his players or the strategy, but about the perception of his work with this young group.

The Italian is encouraged to rotate his squad, but he often feels that when he does so in the Premier League, his team drops points. He has also openly urged reporters to question the hierarchy.

Those familiar with his thinking say he has defended his work because he believes he is performing better than many have acknowledged, given the squad’s age. He also feels the club should have offered him stronger protection from external criticism.

Maresca has sought to raise his own profile following recent success. He had planned to publish a book – blocked by the club – and spoke at Il Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy, without Chelsea‘s permission, at an event organised by La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

His “worst 48 hours” comments came without prior warning to club staff or senior management, who would have preferred such discussions to remain private. The remarks even surprised members of his own team.

Maresca also publicly criticised Chelsea for failing to sign a central defender after Levi Colwill suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in pre-season. The hierarchy explained that doing so could prompt promising academy prospect Josh Acheampong to request a transfer, which ultimately led Maresca to back down.

There has also been a switch of agents – from the Wasserman agency to Jorge Mendes – alongside links to a potential move to replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, which Maresca has denied.

In addition, he has increasingly avoided wearing club tracksuits, opting instead for his own clothing.

Chelsea have a history of poor December form, collecting just 62 points from a possible 120 over the past seven seasons. Last season, they endured a stretch of only two wins from mid-December through the final week of February.

This context shows that Chelsea could have taken bad spells on the chin previously – the situation remains recoverable – but those other factors which have strained his relations with the club hierarchy now mean results are essential to strengthen Maresca’s position.

As Villa manager Unai Emery’s changes swung the game in their favour, Maresca’s substitutes made little impact.

Star attacker Cole Palmer reacted furiously to being taken off in the 72nd minute for 18-year-old Estevao Willian, while the decision to withdraw Marc Cucurella drew criticism – though it was later revealed that the Spaniard had a potential hamstring issue.

Maresca’s substitutions have faced scrutiny before, notably in defeats with 10 men against Manchester United and Brighton earlier this season. Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere even suggested they “drop” in the second half after his side came from behind to beat Chelsea in their Champions League game in Italy earlier this month.

While Maresca’s changes have occasionally worked, it has usually been when resting key players. In the Carabao Cup against Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Cardiff City, he rotated heavily but ultimately relied on star players to secure wins.

This has sparked a chicken-and-egg debate: some blame the lack of quality on the fringes of the squad, while others question Maresca’s handling of certain players.

Asked about the issue by BBC Sport, Maresca smiled before replying: “No, I think it’s in general.”

That guarded response came after a defeat defined by substitutes.

Villa’s quintet of Watkins, Amadou Onana, former Chelsea loanee Jadon Sancho, Lucas Digne and Lamare Bogarde, had an average age of over 26.

Chelsea, meanwhile, made four changes – Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap and Malo Gusto – with an average age of under 21.

In terms of attacking impact, Estevao has delivered five goals and an assist since moving to Stamford Bridge, but injury-hit Delap has scored just once, as has Gittens, albeit having also delivered five assists in all competitions.

“It’s probably how we can improve after we concede a goal, to manage the game a little bit better, in terms of experience game after game,” says Maresca.

Chelsea rely on youth, and have had minimal impact from their changes in the Premier League this season.

The average age of their starting XI is 24 years and 219 days, while substitutes average 21 years and 349 days – both are the youngest in the league.

Alongside Arsenal, Chelsea make the earliest changes, averaging their first substitution at 48 minutes, often at half-time. Despite this, their substitutes have contributed only three goals and one assist in the league this season.

Chelsea are investigating after a bottle was thrown towards the Aston Villa bench following their 2-1 Premier League defeat at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

After the full-time whistle, an open plastic bottle was directed at Villa’s celebrating bench, splashing staff and players with a liquid that appeared to be water.

One member of staff pointed towards the area from which the bottle came, which seemed to be a section containing both Chelsea fans and staff.

It remains unclear who was responsible. Chelsea have launched an investigation but have not commented officially at this stage.

It is also unclear whether referee Stuart Attwell and his officials saw the incident or whether it will be included in his report. BBC Sport has contacted the Football Association for comment.

Villa substitute Ollie Watkins scored twice to overturn Joao Pedro’s first-half opener for Chelsea.

Unai Emery’s side have now equalled a club record of 11 consecutive wins in all competitions and sit three points behind league leaders Arsenal in third. Chelsea are fifth before Sunday’s games.

Aston Villa’s latest comeback win has highlighted coach Unai Emery’s remarkable record of turning around games, which has put his side firmly in the Premier League title race.

After Saturday’s 2-1 win at Chelsea – their 12th in 13th league matches – Villa have claimed 18 points from losing positions so far this season, more than any other team.

And it is not just this year that the Spaniard has been ⁠affecting games with his decision-making. Across the last three seasons, Villa have won more points from matches in ​which they were losing than any other Premier League team, according to data firm Opta.

In ‍the 58th minute on Saturday, with Chelsea 1-0 up and looking in control, Emery gambled on a triple substitution, bringing on Ollie Watkins and more attacking firepower in the form of winger Jadon Sancho, along with midfielder Amadou Onana.

Five minutes later, Watkins ‍pounced on a ⁠through ball by Morgan Rogers to beat Robert Sanchez in the Chelsea goal.

Buoyed by their equaliser and their change of personnel, Villa looked transformed from the side that was pinned back by their hosts for most of the first hour.

In the 84th minute, Watkins – hoping for a place in the England World Cup squad next summer – met a Youri Tielemans corner with an angled header that left Sanchez with no chance.

“He’s a tactical genius,” Watkins said when asked by Sky ​Sports about Emery’s ability to change the momentum of matches.

The coach himself tried ‌to sound a bit less effusive. “It’s something, of course, that makes us proud of everything we are doing,” Emery said when asked about Villa’s ability to turn losing situations into victories.

He sought to play down his side’s chances of winning the title, despite ‌their blistering form.

“I am not feeling it,” Emery said. “I am feeling we competing very well, and we are now the third in the league with two ‌teams, Manchester City and Arsenal, wow.”

But with the season only halfway ⁠through, Villa, who struggled badly at the start of the campaign, need to show more consistency, he said.

Villa face league leaders Arsenal in London on Tuesday.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca had to face questions about much less impressive statistics for his young side, who have ‌dropped 11 points from winning positions in home Premier League matches this season – four more than any other side.

“We need to understand why when we concede a goal, we struggle a bit to manage the game,” ‍the Italian told reporters.

He was left to rue Chelsea’s failure to build a bigger lead before Villa’s fightback.

“By the time they scored the goal, I think we should have scored two to three goals,” Maresca said.

Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool maintain form

Manchester City threw down the gauntlet for the ‍second successive weekend, and Arsenal proved undaunted ‍as they kicked off their festive fixtures with a narrow 2-1 defeat of Brighton & Hove Albion to stay as Premier League leaders on Saturday.

City won 2-1 at Nottingham Forest, with Rayan Cherki grabbing a goal and an assist to briefly move to the top of the pile.

But Arsenal, just as they had done last week by beating Everton after City’s earlier win over West Ham United, were unwavering as captain Martin Odegaard scored his first goal of the season for Mikel Arteta’s side.

Arsenal also needed an own goal and ⁠a spectacular save by keeper David Raya to preserve their lead, as the halfway point in the Premier League season looms.

The London side have 42 points from 18 games, with City on 40.

When Odegaard drilled in a 14th-minute opener for the Gunners, and Georginio Rutter’s own goal from a Declan Rice corner made it 2-0 shortly after the break, it should have been ​a routine three points for the hosts.

But Diego Gomez’s reply for Brighton changed the complexion of the contest, and there was relief at the final ‌whistle as Arsenal cleared another obstacle in the title chase.

“The knock-on effect of winning is incredibly powerful,” Arteta said of a victory that should have been easier.

“It should never be 2-1, but that’s the Premier League. What I like is that we have a lot of issues [but] we’re dealing with it in an incredible way. Yesterday, we lost Jurrien [Timber]; today, we lost [Riccardo] Calafiori in the warm-up; Declan [Rice] has to play as a full-back, and you see the performance that ‌he put in. So, that’s the spirit and that’s how much our players want it.”

Florian Wirtz scored his first Liverpool goal as they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 on an emotional Anfield afternoon, when both sets of fans remembered the late Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash in July.

Wirtz doubled Liverpool’s lead shortly after Ryan Gravenberch had put them in front, although Wolves rallied in the second half and Santiago Bueno pulled a goal back.

Reigning champions Liverpool moved fourth on 32 ‍points, while the misery for the ⁠bottom club Wolves continues.

They have now broken the Premier League record for winless starts to a season and have two points from 18 games, and are 16 points behind the fourth-from-bottom Nottingham Forest.

Emery may deflect title talk, but his body of work at Villa and the Midas touch he displays – match-winner Watkins described his manager as a “tactical genius” – means they are now right at the heart of the conversation at the top of the table.

Villa’s acid test may just come in their next game, when they face league leaders Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, 30 December (20:15 GMT) but Emery has made a habit of making life difficult for his former club.

He ticks every box for an elite manager, taking Villa into the Champions League last season, only missing out on this term’s competition on the final day of the last campaign, and now taking them just three points from the top of the table and only a point behind Manchester City.

Another figure of significance is that Villa’s win means they are now 10 points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea, a position they would have accepted with gratitude after failing to win any of their first five league games.

Emery proved his pedigree when he acted to galvanise a stuttering Villa display just before the hour as they trailed to Joao Pedro’s messy 37th-minute goal, the striker touching home Reece James’ corner in a scramble.

With Villa going nowhere but the game still in the balance, Emery sent on Watkins, Amadou Onana and Jadon Sancho for Donyell Malen, John McGinn and Emiliano Buendia.

The impact was stunning, Watkins equalising inside four minutes then powering home a header for the winner.

Emery did what the best managers do – he took the big decisions that turned a game which looked to be getting away from Villa on its head.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery insists it is still too early to say whether his side is in contention for the Premier League title despite being third in the table after their 2-1 victory against Chelsea.

MATCH REPORT: Chelsea 1-2 Aston Villa

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The PGMOL, the body responsible for refereeing all Premier League matches, has been approached for comment.

Newcastle were 2-1 up at the time, but Chelsea forward Joao Pedro equalised midway through the second half after a slip by Malick Thiaw.

No team have thrown away more points – 13 – from winning positions in the Premier League this season than Newcastle.

They are 11th in the table, have won only once away from home and travel to Manchester United on 26 December.

“My glass is very much half full,” said Howe. “I know everyone else might have a different opinion, but I feel we’re improving.

“We have been moving in the right direction, but we have got lots of work to do to be the team that we ultimately want to be and that’s consistently winning.

“That’s what’s eluded us this season – the ability to put winning runs together, which is the defining thing we need to do.”

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says reports describing him as a potential successor to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola are “100% speculation”.

The 45-year-old is the former assistant to Guardiola at City and there have been multiple reports that his mentor could step down at the end of this season.

The Italian was appointed Chelsea manager in June 2024 and has a contract running until 2029, with an option to extend by a further season.

When asked whether there was any truth to the City reports, Maresca said: “It doesn’t affect me at all because I know that is 100% speculation. And at this moment, there is no time for these kind of things.

“First of all, because I have a contract here until 2029 probably. And my focus, I said many times, is just about this club and I’m very proud to be here. But again, it’s speculation. One week ago I was in Italy, the same with Juventus. So I don’t pay attention because I know that is not true.”

Fourth-placed Chelsea play Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday at 12:30 GMT.

Holders Chelsea have been handed a home tie against second-tier Crystal Palace in the draw for the fourth round of the Women’s FA Cup.

Six-time winners Chelsea beat Manchester United 3-0 in last season’s final to secure a domestic treble, while Palace were relegated from the Women’s Super League (WSL).

League leaders Manchester City travel to third-tier leaders Bournemouth, while 14-time winners Arsenal host fellow WSL side Aston Villa.

Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham also play an all-WSL tie at home to Leicester City, while Manchester United face third-tier Burnley.

London City Lionesses face a trip to WSL 2 side Sunderland, while Brighton host second-tier Nottingham Forest.

The fourth-round ties will take place on the weekend of Saturday, 17 January, with the date of each tie yet to be confirmed.