SPORTS DIGEST HOLIDAY SPECIAL
Chelsea Sack Maresca After 18 Months as Fans Turn on Struggling Boss
Chelsea FC – Manager Departure
Enzo Maresca has left his role as Chelsea head coach after just 18 months in charge, the club confirmed yesterday. The Italian’s departure follows a dramatic breakdown in relations with the club hierarchy and a run of one win from the last seven Premier League games that has left Chelsea 15 points behind leaders Arsenal.
The final straw came after Tuesday’s 2-2 home draw with Bournemouth, where Stamford Bridge erupted in boos and chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” when Maresca withdrew star playmaker Cole Palmer in the 63rd minute. The manager refused to face the media after the match, with assistant Willy Caballero telling reporters Maresca had been feeling unwell, though it later emerged the Italian had already begun considering his future.
Sky Sports News reports that Maresca’s exit was unanimously agreed by Chelsea’s board, with disagreements over return-to-play protocols for injured players, speculation linking him with Manchester City, and the club’s recent poor form all contributing factors. Chelsea have now parted ways with four permanent managers since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought the club in May 2022.
Liam Rosenior, currently managing sister club Strasbourg, has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Maresca. The 41-year-old former Fulham player impressed during his spell at Hull City before taking charge of Strasbourg, who are owned by Chelsea’s parent company BlueCo. Chelsea expect to announce a new head coach within days.
Maresca departs having won the Conference League, Club World Cup, and secured fourth place in his first season, but the wheels came off spectacularly this campaign. Chelsea sit fifth on 30 points, having dropped 20 points from winning positions this season.
TRANSFER WINDOW OPENS
Fulham Push £40m Club Record Bid for USMNT Star as Silva Contract Talks Continue
Fulham FC – January Transfer Window
The January transfer window opened on Thursday 1 January with Fulham immediately making headlines as they prepare a second bid for PSV Eindhoven striker Ricardo Pepi after seeing an initial offer of £26 million rejected.
PSV value the 22-year-old United States international at closer to £40 million, a fee that would smash Fulham’s transfer record if completed. The club’s current record signing cost between £27-34 million, making the potential Pepi deal a statement of ambition from the Cottagers.
The pursuit of Pepi comes as manager Marco Silva’s contract situation remains unresolved. Silva’s current deal expires at the end of this season, and while Fulham have tabled a three-year extension, the Portuguese boss wants guarantees of significant January backing before committing his future. Sources suggest Silva is seeking reinforcements in central midfield, on the wing, and up front, with the club potentially needing to spend upwards of £60 million to meet his demands.
Fulham are also monitoring Fiorentina striker Moise Kean, whom Silva knows well from their time together at Everton. With Raul Jimenez turning 34 and in the final year of his contract, and Rodrigo Muniz recovering from hamstring surgery, strengthening the forward line has become imperative.
The club has also lost three players to the Africa Cup of Nations this month, further depleting Marco Silva’s squad depth.
FOOTBALL
Remarkable Fulham Streak Continues as Jimenez Strikes Again
Fulham FC – Premier League West Ham United 0-1 Fulham (London Stadium) – Friday, 27 December
Fulham secured a remarkable third consecutive Premier League victory despite missing several key players, with Raul Jimenez once again proving the match-winner at the London Stadium. The Mexican striker headed home Harry Wilson’s perfectly weighted cross with just five minutes remaining to deepen West Ham’s relegation worries and lift Fulham into 10th place on 26 points.
The victory was all the more impressive given Fulham were without Samu Chukwueze, Calvin Bassey, and Alex Iwobi, yet still found a way to break down a stubborn West Ham side. Jimenez’s late intervention came after Oliver Scarles air-kicked a wild clearing attempt, allowing Wilson to exploit the space and deliver the decisive pass.
The win continued Fulham’s resurgence following the return of Antonee Robinson from long-term injury. The United States left-back, known as “The Jedi”, made his first Premier League start of the season on 13 December at Burnley after undergoing knee surgery in May. Robinson had struggled with a split tendon that caused severe pain throughout last season, eventually requiring surgery that kept him out until mid-December.
Since Robinson’s return to the starting XI, Fulham have won three consecutive matches, scored crucial late goals, and climbed away from mid-table mediocrity. The 28-year-old’s influence on both ends of the pitch cannot be overstated – he finished last season with 10 assists, the fourth-most in the Premier League and easily the best mark among all defenders.
For West Ham, the defeat extended their winless run to seven matches and left them five points adrift of safety in 18th place. The Hammers have now lost their last six London derbies and taken just three points from their last seven games, with manager Nuno Espirito Santo under increasing pressure.
Cairney Stunner Denies Fulham Fourth Straight Win
Fulham FC – Premier League Crystal Palace 1-1 Fulham (Selhurst Park) – Thursday, 1 January
Tom Cairney came off the bench to rescue a dramatic point for Fulham with a stunning 80th-minute equalizer at Selhurst Park, denying the Cottagers what would have been a club-record fourth consecutive Premier League victory. The veteran midfielder, making his 150th Premier League appearance, curled a magnificent left-footed strike into the top corner from the edge of the box to cancel out Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-half header.
Fulham dominated the early stages, with Raul Jimenez somehow side-footing wide after Dean Henderson had pushed away Harry Wilson’s fierce effort. But Palace took the lead six minutes before the break when Nathaniel Clyne delivered an inviting cross from the right, allowing Mateta to power home a header for his first goal since late November, ending an eight-game drought from open play.
Marco Silva’s side pressed for an equalizer throughout the second half, with Jimenez agonizingly striking the post with a well-guided header. Palace came desperately close to sealing victory when Bernd Leno tipped Maxence Lacroix’s header onto the crossbar, only for Lacroix’s follow-up to be blocked on the line.
Cairney, introduced for Sander Berge, made an instant impact with his first goal of the season – a moment of brilliance that took him to 34 years and 346 days, making him Fulham’s fifth-oldest Premier League goalscorer. The equalizer sparked a frantic finale, with Henderson producing an outstanding save to deny Timothy Castagne before Joachim Andersen blazed over from six yards in the dying seconds.
The result extends Fulham’s unbeaten run to four matches and sees them climb to 10th place on 27 points, level with Crystal Palace in ninth. While Silva will rue the missed opportunity to equal the club’s Premier League record of four straight wins, the point maintains Fulham’s impressive form despite the absence of Bassey, Iwobi, and Chukwueze on AFCON duty.
Chelsea’s Troubling Run Continues in Bournemouth Stalemate
Chelsea FC – Premier League Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth (Stamford Bridge) – Monday, 30 December
Chelsea’s winless run extended to three matches in a breathless encounter that saw all four goals scored inside the opening 27 minutes at Stamford Bridge. The result, combined with the fan backlash, would prove fatal for manager Enzo Maresca, who refused to conduct media duties after the final whistle.
Bournemouth captain David Brooks bundled his side into an early sixth-minute lead, only for Cole Palmer’s 15th-minute penalty to restore parity after Antoine Semenyo fouled Estevao. Enzo Fernandez marked his 100th Premier League appearance with a sensational curling finish into the top corner to put Chelsea ahead in the 23rd minute, but Justin Kluivert tapped in four minutes later after the Blues failed to deal with another Semenyo long throw-in.
The chaotic first half stood in stark contrast to a second period where Chelsea established more control but couldn’t find the winning goal. The lively Estevao proved a constant threat, but Maresca’s decision to withdraw Palmer in the 63rd minute sparked jeers from the home crowd. Those boos turned to chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” as frustration boiled over.
Fernandez spurned a glorious chance to grab all three points 13 minutes from time, curling over the crossbar when well placed. Chelsea missed the chance to leapfrog Liverpool into fourth place, instead remaining fifth on 30 points, 15 points behind leaders Arsenal. For Bournemouth, the point extended their winless league run to 10 matches despite an impressive away performance.
The match would prove to be Maresca’s last in charge, with assistant Willy Caballero likely to take charge for Sunday’s trip to Manchester City while the club finalizes a permanent replacement.
Dons Struggle to Find Form Over Holiday Period
AFC Wimbledon – League One AFC Wimbledon 0-1 Exeter City (Cherry Red Records Stadium) – Sunday, 29 December
AFC Wimbledon’s inconsistent season continued with a frustrating home defeat to Exeter City, who secured all three points through Jayden Wareham’s 37th-minute strike. The loss, coupled with a goalless draw against Stevenage on Boxing Day, leaves the Dons in 12th place with 31 points from 23 matches.
Manager Johnnie Jackson made just one change from the Stevenage draw, bringing in Callum Maycock for Myles Hippolyte, but Wimbledon struggled to create clear chances against well-organized opposition. Omar Bugiel marked his 100th league appearance in a Dons shirt, but the milestone was spoiled by the defeat in front of 8,621 fans at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
The match saw Wimbledon dominate possession at 54.4% but fail to convert territorial advantage into goals, managing just one shot on target from 11 attempts. Exeter goalkeeper Joe Whitworth was largely untroubled, making five saves to secure the clean sheet.
The result means Wimbledon have won nine, drawn four, and lost 10 of their opening 23 matches. Jackson will be looking for a response as the Dons aim to climb the table and push toward the playoff positions.
CRICKET
England End 15-Year Wait with Consolation Victory After Ashes Humiliation
England Men’s Cricket – The Ashes, 4th Test Australia 152 & 132 – England 110 & 178/6 (Melbourne Cricket Ground) – 26-27 December
England secured their first Test victory in Australia in 15 years with a dramatic four-wicket win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day, though the triumph came with The Ashes series already lost after three demoralizing defeats. The match, played in front of record crowds exceeding 186,000 across two extraordinary days, lasted just 852 balls – the second two-day finish in this remarkable series.
Australia had already retained the urn after crushing England by eight wickets in both Perth and Brisbane, before inflicting an 82-run defeat in Adelaide to take an unassailable 3-0 lead. Ben Stokes’ battered side arrived in Melbourne playing only for pride and to avoid a humiliating whitewash.
Josh Tongue starred with match figures of 7-89, claiming 5-45 in Australia’s first innings to skittle the hosts for just 152. England replied with 110, with Harry Brook top-scoring on 41, before Tongue and Brydon Carse combined to dismiss Australia for 132 in their second innings, leaving England requiring 175 for a famous victory.
Jacob Bethell, recalled for this match, compiled a crucial 40 in tricky conditions to give England the upper hand before his dismissal sparked a mini-collapse. Joe Root fell lbw to Jhye Richardson and captain Ben Stokes carved an edge off Mitchell Starc with just 10 runs needed, but four leg byes off the final delivery completed the victory to roars from the Barmy Army.
The win was England’s first in Australia since the 2010-11 Ashes and came despite the series already being lost. Stokes acknowledged the match lasting just two days was “far from ideal” for Cricket Australia, who face significant financial losses, but praised his team for avoiding a whitewash.
The ICC subsequently rated the MCG pitch “unsatisfactory” and handed Cricket Australia a demerit point, the third tier in a four-tier rating system. The match was the fifth time in Test history that a series included multiple two-day finishes, with England and Australia remarkably producing two in this Ashes alone.
England now travel to Sydney for the fifth and final Test starting Sunday 3 January, with The Ashes already surrendered but pride partially restored. A win in Sydney would see them lose the series 3-2 rather than suffer the ignominy of a 4-1 or 5-0 defeat, though the damage from those three opening Test thrashings cannot be undone.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
WSL Winter Break: The FA Women’s Super League is on its scheduled winter break, which runs from 22 December through 10 January. Chelsea Women and other WSL clubs return to action during the weekend of 11-12 January. Fulham Women’s Championship season also observes the festive break.
RUGBY UNION
PWR & Premiership Break: Premiership Women’s Rugby and men’s Gallagher Premiership both observe the festive period break. Harlequins Women and other PWR clubs return to action in mid-January.
COMING UP NEXT WEEK
Weekend of 3-5 January:
- Chelsea vs Manchester City – Premier League, Sunday 5 January, 5:30pm (Etihad Stadium, Sky Sports)
- Fulham vs Liverpool – Premier League, Wednesday 8 January, 7:30pm (Craven Cottage, Sky Sports)
- England vs Australia – 5th Ashes Test (Sydney Cricket Ground) – Starts Sunday 3 January evening UK time
Full transfer window: The January transfer window remains open until 7pm on Monday, 2 February 2026, with Fulham, Chelsea, and AFC Wimbledon all expected to be active in the market.
LEAGUE TABLES
As of Thursday, 1 January 2026
Premier League
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 19 | 14 | +25 | 45 |
| 2 | Man City | 19 | 13 | +26 | 41 |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 19 | 12 | +7 | 39 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 19 | 10 | +4 | 33 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 19 | 8 | +11 | 30 |
| 6 | Man United | 19 | 8 | +4 | 30 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 9 | Brentford | 19 | 8 | +2 | 27 |
| 10 | Crystal Palace | 19 | 7 | +1 | 27 |
| 11 | Fulham | 19 | 8 | -1 | 27 |
| 12 | Tottenham | 19 | 7 | +4 | 26 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 18 | West Ham | 19 | 3 | -17 | 14 |
| 19 | Burnley | 19 | 3 | -17 | 12 |
| 20 | Wolves | 19 | 0 | -29 | 3 |
League One
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff City | 23 | 15 | +17 | 48 |
| 2 | Lincoln City | 24 | 13 | +11 | 45 |
| 3 | Bradford City | 23 | 12 | +8 | 43 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 12 | AFC Wimbledon | 23 | 9 | -4 | 31 |
