SPORTS DIGEST: 27 Jan – 1 Feb 2026
FOOTBALL
Chelsea stage historic comeback as Carrick’s perfect start continues
Chelsea – Premier League Chelsea 3-2 West Ham United (Stamford Bridge) – Saturday, 31 January
Chelsea produced their first-ever Premier League victory from two or more goals down at half-time, rallying from 0-2 to beat relegation-threatened West Ham in dramatic fashion. Liam Rosenior’s side looked disjointed after making seven changes from their midweek Champions League triumph in Naples, trailing to Jarrod Bowen’s fortunate seventh-minute opener and Crysencio Summerville’s clinical finish.
The manager’s triple half-time substitution transformed the contest. Wesley Fofana and João Pedro combined for the Brazilian’s 57th-minute header before Marc Cucurella stooped to convert a rebound with twenty minutes remaining. Jean-Clair Todibo struck the post for West Ham before Enzo Fernández coolly stroked home the winner in the 92nd minute, sending Stamford Bridge wild.
In stoppage time, former Fulham winger Adama Traore – making his West Ham debut just days after his cross-London move – hurled Cucurella to the ground, sparking a mass brawl. Todibo ran from across the pitch and grabbed João Pedro around the throat, earning a straight red card for violent conduct. A miserable debut for Traore, whose aggression triggered the incident that saw his teammate sent off as West Ham collapsed from 2-0 up to 3-2 down.
Rosenior admitted his rotation backfired: “We got back at 5am Thursday from Napoli, the team were tired. Tactics went out the window in the second half – it was about personality, quality and character.” Chelsea move to fifth place with 40 points from 24 games, while West Ham remain 18th, five points adrift of safety.
ENZO FERNÁNDEZ
Midfielder
World Cup winner Fernández joined Chelsea for a British-record £106.8 million in January 2023 from Benfica, where he’d spent just six months after his breakthrough at River Plate. Despite initial criticism during his adaptation period, the 25-year-old has flourished under new manager Liam Rosenior, dominating Chelsea’s 2025 statistics across all metrics. He led the squad for goals, assists, goal contributions, chances created, and successful passes into the final third. His dramatic 92nd-minute winner against West Ham completed Chelsea’s first-ever Premier League comeback from 2-0 down at half-time—a historic moment that epitomises his redemption arc.
Deep-lying playmaker with exceptional passing range and vision • Makes powerful late runs into the box combining technical ability with relentless energy • Press-resistant in tight spaces, combative in duels • Drives forward or breaks up opposition attacks with equal effectiveness
Won FIFA’s Young Player of the Tournament award at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he helped Argentina lift the trophy. His dramatic winner against West Ham was his fourth goal in January 2026 alone, building on a 2025 season where he led Chelsea in goals, assists, chances created, and successful passes into the final third—the complete midfielder.
Manchester United – Premier League Manchester United 3-2 Fulham (Old Trafford) – Sunday, 1 February
Benjamin Sesko’s stoppage-time thunderbolt maintained Michael Carrick’s perfect record as interim Manchester United manager, sealing a dramatic comeback after Fulham had clawed back from 2-0 down to level at 2-2. Casemiro rose magnificently to head home Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick in the 19th minute after VAR had overturned a penalty decision, then produced an outrageous no-look pass for Matheus Cunha to blast United’s second eleven minutes into the second half.
Raúl Jiménez converted an 85th-minute penalty after being fouled by Harry Maguire, and substitute Kevin completed the comeback with a stunning curling strike from the edge of the area to level at 2-2 in the 91st minute. But Sesko, who had hit the post with a header moments after coming off the bench, swivelled in the box to hammer his shot into the top corner in the 94th minute, assisted by the tireless Fernandes.
The victory extends Carrick’s record to three wins from three league matches since his appointment on 13 January, following victories over Manchester City (2-0) and Arsenal (3-2). Fernandes now has 12 Premier League assists this season, while Casemiro’s commanding display at 33 suggests he deserves a contract extension. United move to 41 points, consolidating fourth place. Fulham remain eighth on 34 points.
Premier League Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | W | D | L | GD | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 24 | 53 | 16 | 5 | 3 | +29 | WDDLW |
| 2 | Manchester City | 24 | 47 | 14 | 5 | 5 | +26 | DDLWD |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 24 | 46 | 14 | 4 | 6 | +9 | WDLWL |
| 4 | Manchester United | 24 | 41 | 11 | 8 | 5 | +8 | DDWWW |
| 5 | Chelsea |
24 | 40 | 11 | 7 | 6 | +15 | DLWWW |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 8 | Fulham |
24 | 34 | 10 | 4 | 10 | -1 | DWLWL |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 18 | West Ham United | 24 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 14 | -19 | LLWWL |
AFC Wimbledon – League One AFC Wimbledon 0-1 Bolton Wanderers (Cherry Red Records Stadium) – Saturday, 31 January
Promotion-chasing Bolton secured a narrow victory thanks to debutant Corey Blackett-Taylor’s 13th-minute strike on his first appearance since signing on loan from Derby just two days earlier. The winger made no mistake after John McAtee’s perfectly weighted pass, firing into the bottom right corner to silence the home crowd.
Wimbledon dominated the second half but couldn’t find an equalizer. Alistair Smith came closest, his close-range header flying just wide of the right post in the 54th minute. The defeat extends Wimbledon’s miserable home form—they haven’t won a league match at the Cherry Red Records Stadium since September. Manager Johnnie Jackson remained defiant: “If we perform like that week in, week out, we’ll pick up points.”
Bolton, sitting third in League One with 52 points, are firmly in the promotion hunt. Rob Apter also impressed on his debut from Charlton. Wimbledon remain 17th with 32 points, safely mid-table but desperate to end their home drought. Attendance: 8,659.
League One Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | W | D | L | GD | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff City | 29 | 60 | 18 | 6 | 5 | +23 | WDDLW |
| 2 | Lincoln City | 29 | 58 | 17 | 7 | 5 | +19 | WDWWL |
| 3 | Bolton Wanderers | 30 | 52 | 14 | 10 | 6 | +11 | WDWWW |
| 4 | Stockport | 29 | 52 | 15 | 7 | 7 | +7 | WDWLW |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 17 | AFC Wimbledon |
27 | 32 | 9 | 5 | 13 | -8 | WDWDL |
RUGBY UNION
Quins snatch late bonus-point win after six-week break
Harlequins Women – Premiership Women’s Rugby Trailfinders Women 26-27 Harlequins Women (Trailfinders Sports Ground) – Friday, 30 January
Harlequins returned from a six-week break to produce a dramatic late bonus-point victory, with Wales international Alex Callender scoring the decisive try in the closing stages on her first start of the season after recovering from injury. Claudia Pena’s conversion edged Quins ahead 27-26, completing a remarkable fightback after Trailfinders had led 26-20.
Ireland back row Aoife Wafer was the standout performer, scoring a hat-trick despite ending the match with a cut eye. The 22-year-old emphasised the importance of building momentum: “Every win is crucial pre the international break. This is huge for us.” Harlequins extend their unbeaten run to four matches and remain third in the PWR table on 28 points, six ahead of fourth-placed Trailfinders (22 points).
The top four teams will compete in the semi-finals following the Women’s Six Nations in April and May. Both Wafer and Callender will hope their performances boost their chances of international selection when the Six Nations begins in February.
Premiership Women’s Rugby
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | W | D | L | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saracens | 8 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 1 | WWWWW |
| 2 | Gloucester-Hartpury | 7 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 0 | WWWWW |
| 3 | Harlequins Women |
8 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 3 | LWWWW |
| 4 | Exeter Chiefs | 8 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 2 | WDWLW |
| 5 | Trailfinders Women | 8 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 4 | LLWDL |
COMING UP: SIX NATIONS 2026
The Guinness Men’s Six Nations Championship begins this week with a historic Thursday night opener as France host Ireland at the Stade de France on 5 February – the first Thursday fixture since 1948.
England, captained by Maro Itoje, begin their campaign on Saturday, 7 February against Wales at Twickenham (kick-off 4:40pm GMT). Steve Borthwick has named a 36-player squad featuring three uncapped players: Greg Fisilau, Vilikesa Sela, and Emmanuel Iyogun.
England’s remaining Round 1 fixture sees Italy host Scotland in Rome earlier on Saturday morning. France are defending champions after defeating Ireland 42-27 in Dublin last year to clinch their first title since 2022, with Louis Bielle-Biarrey scoring a record eight tries across the tournament.
England’s full fixture list:
- Round 1: vs Wales (7 Feb, Twickenham)
- Round 2: at Scotland (14 Feb, Murrayfield) – Calcutta Cup
- Round 3: vs Ireland (21 Feb, Twickenham)
- Round 4: at Italy (7 Mar, Rome)
- Round 5: at France (14 Mar, Paris)
STORY OF THE WEEK
Chelsea’s historic comeback from 2-0 down at half-time represents more than three points—it’s a psychological breakthrough for Liam Rosenior’s evolving project.
The Blues had never previously won a Premier League match from two or more goals down at the break, and the manner of the victory, with three substitutes combining for all three goals, demonstrates the squad depth Rosenior inherited.
His bold decision to make seven changes backfired spectacularly in the first half, with the side booed off at the interval, but his willingness to admit “tactics went out the window” and trust his bench to rescue the situation shows admirable pragmatism.
With a Carabao Cup semi-final at Arsenal on Tuesday, Chelsea head into a crucial week with confidence coursing through them.
