Rosenior’s Chelsea rebuild begins as Fulham suffers late heartbreak

SPORTS DIGEST: 12-18 JANUARY

Fulham Women lead the way at the summit of FA WNL Division One South-East, reaching the Capital Women’s Cup quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory over Chelsea Academy as Naomi Bradley starred.

Across west London, new Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior secured his first Premier League win with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Brentford, while Fulham’s men suffered stoppage-time heartbreak at Leeds.

AFC Wimbledon’s home struggles continued with a 99th-minute defeat. Harlequins knocked two-time champions La Rochelle out of the Champions Cup with a composed late flourish in France.

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RUGBY UNION

Quins stun La Rochelle to seal knockout spot and eliminate former champions

Harlequins Men – Champions Cup

La Rochelle 17-27 Harlequins (Stade Marcel Deflandre) – Sunday, 18 January

Harlequins defied their dismal Premiership form to knock Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle out of the Champions Cup and secure a home tie in the last 16. The two-time champions needed just a losing bonus point to progress, but Quins delivered a composed performance in France to deny them even that consolation. With the score locked at 17-17 heading into the final ten minutes, Tom Lawday delivered the decisive moment, storming over on the right after a long pass from Jarrod Evans. Man of the match Marcus Smith converted and added a late penalty to complete the shock, leaving La Rochelle to reflect on their first pool-stage exit since 2019-20.

Smith had earlier been sent to the sin bin for a high tackle but returned to guide Quins home. Tries from Cadan Murley and Tyrone Green had kept Harlequins in contention after Davit Niniashvili’s early score for the hosts. The victory means Quins finish second in Pool Three behind Leinster and will host Sale Sharks in April’s knockout round.

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FOOTBALL

Late heartbreak at Elland Road halts Fulham’s momentum

Fulham FC – Premier League Leeds United 1-0 Fulham (Elland Road) – Saturday, 17 January

Fulham’s push for European qualification suffered a late setback at Elland Road as Lukas Nmecha’s stoppage-time header secured Daniel Farke’s side three vital points in their fight against relegation. The match, played as Leeds paid tribute to former player Terry Yorath who died earlier in the month aged 75, was decided in the 91st minute when Nmecha got on the end of Ethan Ampadu’s cross to break Fulham’s resistance and send the home crowd into raptures. For Marco Silva’s side, the defeat ended a six-match unbeaten run and left them in 10th place, five points adrift of the European places with their momentum stalled at a critical juncture.

Rosenior gets off the mark as Blues see off Brentford

Chelsea FC – Premier League Chelsea 2-0 Brentford (Stamford Bridge) – Saturday, 17 January

Liam Rosenior’s reign as Chelsea manager began with a much-needed victory as the Blues ended their nine-game run with just one win. João Pedro opened the scoring in the 26th minute before Cole Palmer doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the 76th minute. The result came despite Brentford dominating large periods of the second half and creating multiple clear chances that could have altered the outcome. Rosenior, who officially started work on Thursday morning, inherits a squad that has struggled with discipline this season – Chelsea had received seven red cards before this match, including three first-half dismissals in league games. The clean sheet and three points, however temporary the relief, lift Chelsea to sixth in the table on 34 points, though the gap to the top four remains significant.

Premier League

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Dons’ home woes continue as late Bailey header sinks Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon – League One AFC Wimbledon 0-1 Doncaster Rovers (Cherry Red Records Stadium) – Saturday, 17 January

AFC Wimbledon’s search for a home win continues after Owen Bailey’s 99th-minute header condemned them to another Plough Lane defeat. The Dons haven’t won at home since late September, and this latest setback – decided deep into added time – epitomised their struggles in SW17. Nathan Bishop kept Wimbledon in the contest with several crucial saves, including tipping a Molyneux effort onto the crossbar, but couldn’t prevent Bailey’s towering header from a late corner. Johnnie Jackson’s side remain in the lower mid-table on 28 points, their season lacking the spark needed to mount a serious promotion challenge. With home form this poor, Wimbledon’s playoff ambitions look increasingly unlikely as the campaign reaches its halfway point.

League One

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Bradley brilliance books quarterfinal spot as league leaders march on

Fulham Women – Capital Women’s Cup Fulham Women 2-1 Chelsea Academy (Motspur Park) – Sunday, 18 January

Naomi Bradley’s commanding performance earned Fulham Women a place in the Capital Women’s Cup quarterfinals with victory over Chelsea Academy at Motspur Park. The No. 42, named Legend of the Match by sponsors Royal Caribbean, was “absolutely everywhere” according to the club’s social media, calmly converting a cross to give the league leaders the lead at the break. Chelsea equalised in the second half to set up a tense finale, but Fulham found a winner to secure progression in the knockout competition. The result continues Fulham’s impressive form this season as they top the FA WNL Division One South-East table, balancing their push for promotion with silverware ambitions in the Capital Women’s Cup.

FA WNL Division One South-East

STORY OF THE WEEK

New managers, old problems – Rosenior begins Chelsea rebuild after nine-game slump that saw just one win, while Fulham and AFC Wimbledon’s contrasting fortunes continue.