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RIYAD MAHREZ DOUBLE HELPS MAN CITY BRUSH ASIDE CHELSEA IN ONE-SIDED FA CUP CLASH

Riyad Mahrez struck twice as Manchester City eased to a comfortable 4-0 victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup third round.

Three of the champions’ goals in a one-sided encounter at the Etihad Stadium came in a 15-minute spell late in the first half as Mahrez, Julian Alvarez – from the penalty spot – and Phil Foden all found the target.

Mahrez added a fourth with City’s second penalty of the afternoon five minutes from time.

It was City’s second win over the out-of-form Londoners in the space of four days and piled on the frustration for their manager Graham Potter.

After a run of just one win in seven in all competitions, Chelsea supporters booed their side and were also heard chanting the names of former owner Roman Abramovich and ex-manager Thomas Tuchel.

City have no such concerns and, as well as looking to reel Arsenal in at the top of the Premier League, could now be hosting them in the fourth round – if the Gunners can see off Oxford on Monday.

City, who rested Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, effectively had the game wrapped up by half-time.

The sides made 13 changes between them from the teams that played each other on Thursday but it was soon apparent City boasted greater strength in depth.

Chances were scarce as the game began at a slow tempo but City comfortably established control.

Mahrez first threatened when he beat Lewis Hall on the right but Kepa Arrizabalaga claimed his cross.

Cole Palmer wasted a golden opportunity after 13 minutes when he latched onto a long ball from Aymeric Laporte and shot into the side-netting instead of squaring for Alvarez.

Mahrez made no mistake, however, after he was fouled just outside the area by Hall. He got up to curl a superb free-kick into the top corner, albeit via a slight deflection off the wall, to put City ahead after 23 minutes.

Things got worse for Chelsea on the half-hour when Kai Havertz inexplicably charged and punched the ball away defending a corner. The offence was initially missed by referee Robert Jones but there was no escape for Havertz following a VAR review.

Alvarez fired the resulting penalty past Kepa despite the keeper getting a hand to his shot and having done his best to put the World Cup winner off with some words as he placed the ball on the spot.

Alvarez went close to another soon after but Kalidou Koulibaly just did enough to take the sting out of his effort.

Foden made it 3-0 when he rounded off a fine team move seven minutes before the interval.

The ball was spread from the right to the left and then back to the right, where Mahrez controlled brilliantly and casually fed the onrushing Kyle Walker to cutback for Foden to tuck home.

City went close again on the stroke of half-time when Alvarez was inches away from connecting with a Mahrez cross.

Such were Chelsea’s struggles, they did not even register a shot until a Mason Mount effort was deflected wide in the 55th minute.

City eased off but Mahrez curled an effort narrowly wide in the 73rd minute. He then did even better from the spot late on after Koulibaly bundled over Foden.

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CHELSEA SACK DIRECTOR FOR SENDING WRONG MESSAGE

Chelsea have sacked commercial director Damian Willoughby after he sent “inappropriate messages” to a female football finance agent.

Willoughby sent improper messages to Catalina Kim before he joined the club last month.

Kim was involved with a bid to buy the West London club in March.

“Chelsea confirms that it has terminated commercial director Damian Willoughby’s employment with immediate effect,” a club spokesperson said.

“Evidence of inappropriate messages sent by Mr Willoughby, prior to his appointment at Chelsea FC earlier this month, has recently been provided to and investigated by the club.

“While they were sent prior to his employment at the club, such behaviour runs absolutely counter to the workplace environment and corporate culture being established by the club’s new ownership.”

Last month Willoughby began a second spell at Stamford Bridge following the club’s takeover by an investment group led by businessman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Willoughby worked for Chelsea between 2007 and 2010 – and has also worked for Manchester City and EA Sports. But he has been sacked less than a month into the role.

The Telegraph, which first reported the story

, said that Kim highlighted the messages to Chelsea’s head of business, Tim Glick, who hired Willoughby.

Kim’s firm C&P Sports Group were involved in British property owner Nick Candy’s bid to buy the club after it was put up for sale by former owner Roman Abramovich earlier this year.

A Chelsea spokesperson added: “The club’s owners are working tirelessly to set and achieve the highest standards both on and off the pitch, and are determined to establish and nurture a culture of transparency, accountability, inclusivity, diversity and opportunity.

“The club is committed to creating an environment which embodies these values.”

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LIVERPOOL BEAT CHELSEA ON PENALTIES TO WIN FA CUP FINAL

Alisson Becker was the spot-kick hero as Liverpool secured another penalty shoot-out triumph against Chelsea to win the FA Cup and keep their quest for an unprecedented quadruple alive.

Just 76 days after the Reds edged past Thomas Tuchel’s men on penalties following a scoreless Carabao Cup final, Wembley witnessed another gripping clash between these sides that went down to the wire.

Nothing could split them after 90 minutes and extra time again, with Alisson coming up trumps in the shoot-out as Liverpool won their first FA Cup since 2006.

Edouard Mendy prevented Sadio Mane striking the winner after Cesar Azpilicueta had hit the post, only for the Brazil goalkeeper to deny Mason Mount before Kostas Tsimikas struck to seal a 6-5 win.

While the quadruple may eventually prove out of reach given Manchester City’s Premier League advantage, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds still have a shot at Champions League glory to come as a superb season heads towards a memorable conclusion.

Wembley was rocking to Liverpool’s beat at full-time, just as it was in the opening minutes as they flew out the blocks.

But Chelsea saw out the early storm and began to ask questions at the other end in a first half that saw Reds star Mohamed Salah limp off injured.

Marcos Alonso’s audacious free-kick hit the bar during a rampant Chelsea start to a topsy-turvy second period, which ended with Luis Diaz and Andrew Robertson striking the post for Liverpool.

That pulsating half made way for a tepid period of extra time between exhausted sides that raised themselves for penalties, which ended with red smoke and Liverpool cheers filling the air.

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RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK SETS CHELSEA ON THE WAY TO SEMI-FINAL VICTORY OVER PALACE

Ruben Loftus-Cheek capped his impressive comeback with a first Chelsea goal since May 2019 as the Blues defeated Crystal Palace 2-0 to reach their third successive FA Cup final.

Loftus-Cheek’s thunderbolt finish dragged the Blues out of a sluggish performance and into a 16th FA Cup final, with Mason Mount’s angled effort sealing the deal.

England midfielder Loftus-Cheek spent the 2017-18 season on loan with the Eagles, even forcing his way to the World Cup after his campaign at Selhurst Park.

But the 26-year-old showed no split loyalty in dumping his former side out of England’s premier cup competition.

Loftus-Cheek’s first Chelsea goal since the 1-1 Europa League draw with Eintracht Frankfurt on May 9, 2019 spurred the Blues on past their clear fatigue and into yet another final.

Chelsea relinquished their Champions League crown despite beating Real Madrid 3-2 at the Bernabeu Stadium on Tuesday night, only exiting the European stage 5-4 on aggregate and after extra time.

That fourth period of extra time in a punishing season took its clear toll as Chelsea struggled to hit their usual straps against Patrick Vieira’s well-organised and talented Eagles.

Just when Vieira’s men started to threaten an upset, however, up popped Loftus-Cheek with a powerful drive.

Chelsea nerves finally settled, Mount quickly latched onto Timo Werner’s inside ball and slotted home to kill the contest.

Loftus-Cheek excelled in a hybrid role mixing right wing-back and midfield in Chelsea’s 6-0 thrashing of Southampton and that vainglorious win in Madrid.

But at Wembley the Chelsea academy graduate was forced into action in defensive midfield, after Mateo Kovacic sustained an ankle problem in the early exchanges.

And this opportunist finish showcased another side of his talents, for a man who suffered a nasty torn Achilles in a friendly match at New England Revolution in Boston on May 16th, 2019.

Loftus-Cheek has only just this season started to hit his full straps again after an operation to repair that Achilles, and subsequent back concerns.

His match-turning strike here therefore certainly deserves to be seen as a major turning point in his Stamford Bridge career.

Chelsea’s midweek exploits carried a clear toll on the sluggish Blues, who could not drive the tempo or the rhythm in a staccato first half.

Thomas Tuchel’s men simply did not move the ball quickly or crisply enough, allowing Palace to shut them out through regimented defending and relatively high pressing.

Losing the influential Kovacic did not help matters, with the Croatia star unable to run off an early blow.

The Eagles even had the best chance of the half, when Cheikhou Kouyate’s volleyed drive forced Edouard Mendy into a fine save.

Joachim Andersen struck a post with the rebound but was clearly offside in any case.

Kai Havertz was booked for a blatant dive in Chelsea’s low point of the half, the Germany forward taking a tumble in expecting a challenge from Marc Guehi that never came.

Werner should have opened the second half with at least a shot on target but was muscled out by Kouyate when sent in on goal by Loftus-Cheek’s flicked pass.

Chelsea could not build on that opening however, and Kouyate nodded a corner the wrong side of the post after Wilfried Zaha had turned Andreas Christensen inside out.

The Blues had to pull something from nowhere, and Loftus-Cheek’s thunderous strike certainly appeared from precious little.

Tyrick Mitchell was robbed deep in his own half and Chelsea refused to waste that gift of possession.

Havertz’s deflected cross fell kindly for Loftus-Cheek, and he lashed home.

His exuberant celebrations in punching the air and launching himself off the ground exhibited as much relief as elation.

Mount quickly doubled Chelsea’s lead with a fine angled finish into the corner of the net to kill the tie and cement the Blues’ path to yet another FA Cup final.

Substitute striker Romelu Lukaku struck a post from point-blank range after Werner’s pass, but by that point the miss did not matter.

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ROMAN ABRAMOVICH HAS RECEIVED OFFERS OVER €3 BILLION FOR CHELSEA

Roman Abramovich has already received several serious bids in the region of £3 billion (€3.6 billion) to buy Chelsea, the PA news agency understands.

Stamford Bridge chiefs are understood to still be at the stage of accepting bids for the west London club.

Further offers for the Champions League holders are expected amid high interest in one of the world’s most attractive and high-profile football assets.

Chelsea’s bosses and the team around the sale are expected to review the credible bids once all offers are submitted.

Russian-Israeli billionaire Abramovich pledged to follow due process in his sale when announcing his intention to end his 19-year ownership of Chelsea in a statement on Wednesday night.

Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss has already publicly announced his intention to bid for Chelsea, and has USA business magnate Todd Boehly as the first major partner of a consortium that continues to take shape.

Blues owner Abramovich hopes to have a figure in the region of £2 billion to donate to a new charitable foundation that will be set up specifically to aid victims of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The sheer scale of such giving means Abramovich must set up a new body with the personnel and infrastructure capable of distributing funds to maximise the impact of aid for victims.

Abramovich vowed not to take any money out of the sale of Chelsea in his Wednesday statement. And it is understood that means all proceeds barring transaction costs will be ploughed into the new charitable foundation.

Abramovich took the decision to sell Chelsea on Wednesday after almost two decades at the helm and having led the Blues to 21 trophies during his tenure.

The Blues owner has made the decision in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A number of high-profile British politicians have called in their parliament for Abramovich to come under UK government sanctions, amid claims of links to Russia’s political situation.

But the PA news agency understands UK government organisations have been unable to prove reasonable grounds for sanctions against further Russian oligarchs.

Abramovich has always maintained he has acted wholly appropriately, and it is understood he has even been attempting to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

After 19 years at Stamford Bridge and transforming the face of English football forever however, Abramovich’s time as Chelsea owner is close to an end.

Abramovich is understood to consider now the right time to sell Chelsea, in small part after completing the set of major global trophies when the Blues lifted the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi last month.

“Please know that this has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and it pains me to part with the club in this manner. However, I do believe this is in the best interest of the club,” said Abramovich in his Wednesday night statement.

“It has been a privilege of a lifetime to be part of Chelsea FC and I am proud of all our joint achievements.”

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters welcomed Abramovich’s decision to put Chelsea up for sale.

Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit, Masters said: “I think the situation has escalated incredibly quickly over the last seven days and he’s come to the right conclusion.

“It’s unsustainable in the current environment. It’s a welcome decision and obviously, for the sake of everybody, including the fans, as soon as the sale process concludes everyone has certainty.”

Asked what would happen regarding the sale if Abramovich were sanctioned by the UK, Masters told the audience in London: “I don’t think that will work.

“I think the quickest (sale) we have ever done is 10 days, that’s not to say that record can’t be beaten but normally it takes a number of weeks.”

Earlier on Thursday, British culture secretary Nadine Dorries suggested sanctions against further Russian individuals could be on the cards.

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EX-CHELSEA MANAGER, AVRAM GRANT FACES FIFA INQUIRY OVER SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS

Avram Grant, the former manager of Chelsea and one of the most powerful men in Israeli sport, will be investigated by Fifa after being accused of sexually harassing multiple women in an investigative report.

Exposure, a programme on Israel’s Channel 12 TV, broadcast a series of interviews on Sunday with women alleging Grant made unwanted advances while offering to help promote their careers.

The women’s voices were altered and their faces silhouetted to protect their identities.

Grant’s enduring status in the game was recognised in December by world soccer’s governing body, which asked him to coach a Fifa World Legends team featuring retired stars and Fifa president Gianni Infantino for a match in Qatar against an Arab Legends side.

“Given the nature of the allegations being made, Fifa’s ethics committee will look into the matter,” Fifa said in a statement to the Associated Press.

“When it comes to misconduct and abuse in football, we wish to reiterate that Fifa takes any allegations reported to it very seriously.”

The broadcast alleged that Grant, 66, attempted to touch and kiss the women against their will, tried to coerce them into sex and hinted he could harm their careers if they did not co-operate.

The women included a recently released soldier, a fashion model and a female sports broadcaster who alleged he sent her numerous harassing text messages. She said his behaviour was well known in the industry.

The former soldier said she met Grant shortly after her release from the army in the summer of 2020. She said he invited her to his Tel Aviv apartment with an offer to help her find a job.

Shortly after entering, she said Grant told her to take off her clothes. She said she thought he was joking, but he approached her and tried to hug her. She said he did not stop.

“He put his hand on my thigh, I remember I immediately moved it,” she said. “After chatting for a few seconds, he grabbed me by the neck, like he was choking me, turned my head to him and tried to forcefully kiss me.”

Grant served as manager of Chelsea from 2007 to 2008, leading the club into the Champions League final before losing in a penalty shoot-out to Manchester United.

He has also coached Portsmouth and West Ham, and coached the national teams of Israel and Ghana.

Grant was not immediately reachable for comment but in a statement to Channel 12 he said he has always tried to treat anyone he meets with respect.

“I never meant to act unfairly or to hurt any woman in any way,” he said.

“Anyone who felt uncomfortable or was hurt by me, I’m sorry for that and apologise from the bottom of my heart.”

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Chelsea scrape into semi-finals with late double

Chelsea scraped past Brentford 2-0 in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after Pontus Jansson scored an own goal and Jorginho converted a penalty in the final 10 minutes. 

Just as they did in the Premier League meeting between these sides back in October, Chelsea dominated possession but struggled to create any decent openings. 

Kepa Arrizabalaga did well to keep out Yoane Wissa and Mathias Jensen in the first half, with Thomas Tuchel forced to call upon senior players as he chased the game in the second period. 

The contest looked destined for penalties until Jansson put through his own net in the 80th minute and Jorginho put the result beyond doubt when he slotted home a spot-kick. 

Kepa produced a fantastic save to stop Wissa finding the back of the net with a free header from six yards out inside 12 minutes, though he may well have been deemed offside had VAR got involved. 

Jensen warmed the gloves of Kepa and Xavier Simons – one of three debutants for the Blues alongside Harvey Vale and Jude Soonsup-Bell – had Chelsea’s first shot on target in the 39th minute, but he allowed Rico Henry to surge in behind him seconds later and needed his keeper to bail him out. 

Vale failed to make the most of a glorious delivery from Cesar Azpilicueta before the break and Tuchel introduced Christian Pulisic and Jorginho for the second half. 

Henry almost scoring an own goal in the 53rd minute was as close as Chelsea went to breaking the deadlock, so Mason Mount and Reece James were sent on after the hour mark. 

It proved key as N’Golo Kante – who made his return from a knee injury as the final sub – released James, whose low delivery to the near post was sent into the top-right corner by Jansson. 

The game was put to bed after Alvaro Fernandez felled Pulisic in the box and Jorginho confidently dispatched the 85th-minute spot-kick to put Chelsea in the semi-final draw. 

The Blues had required a shoot-out to advance in their previous two Carabao Cup matches this season – and six of their past seven in total – and looked set to be heading for penalties once more. 

However, their late double saw them edge another fortunate result against Brentford, who missed out on making the final four for the second season running having failed to do so once in their first 60 campaigns in the competition. 

He may not have been able to replicate left wing-back Ben Chilwell’s winner at this ground back in October, but Marcos Alonso was a real bright spark for Chelsea. 

His driving runs were a consistent source of danger as he drew three fouls and supplied two key passes. 

As the only senior player in the three-man attack named by Tuchel, the onus was on Barkley to lead by example. 

However, he struggled to really make a mark on the game and none of his five attempts on goal were very convincing. 

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Tottenham, Chelsea to play world’s first net zero match

According to a release, Tottenham Hotspur will work to minimise emissions from matchday activity such as travel to and from the stadium for both fans and clubs, and dietary choices at the stadium.

On September 19, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are all set to renew their city rivalry in the Premier League but this time there will be a sense of uniqueness permeating through the proceedings. According to a release issued by Spurs’ official website, the match aims to become the world’s first elite-level football game which aims to be a net zero carbon fixture. With that in mind, they have branded the match as #GameZero.
What does net zero mean

Net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.

In the context of the match, this can be achieved when direct emissions associated with it (for example, fan and employee travel, energy use of the stadium, production of food and drink) are reduced as much as possible and the remainder is ‘offset’ through natural projects, says BBC.

These can include investing in organisations that plant trees or charities that help clean oceans, or by contributing to projects exploring more ways to produce renewable energy.

Spurs and Chelsea vow to adhere to the plan

According to the release issued by the Tottenham website, for the match to be net zero, the club will work to minimise emissions from matchday activity such as energy used to power the game, travel to and from the stadium for both fans and clubs, and dietary choices at the stadium.

They will be encouraging fans attending the Chelsea match to take sustainable actions on the day, including, using public transport, cycling to the match, choosing a plant-based food option with all food served inside the stadium locally and sustainably sourced, with plant-based options available across all outlets and in Premium areas. They will also keep an eye on recycling waste with clear recycling instructions for fans on its bins, as well as a reusable beer cup scheme.

Furthermore, the Spurs squad will travel to the match by coach to reduce the number of car movements, and as the away team, Chelsea will also be asking all their staff to travel across London sustainably.

Both sets of players will head to the stadium on a coach that is running on biofuel, which is a form of renewable diesel produced from food waste products and reduces carbon emissions significantly and the players from both teams will also be drinking water on the day from cartons provided by Spurs, as opposed to plastic bottles, the release further stated.

Spurs chairman hails historic occasion

Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, said: “We are delighted to be the chosen partner of Sky on this ground-breaking initiative that will demonstrate the role our game can play in addressing the urgent issue of climate change.

“As the Premier League’s greenest club, Tottenham Hotspur is passionate about our planet – we look forward to showcasing our wide range of sustainable measures that are already in place and encouraging our fans to take simple actions that can make a huge difference.”

In January, Spurs were named the Premier League’s greenest club, after a study was conducted by the Sport Positive Summit, who are supported by the UN.

This match is supported by COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference and Jonathan Licht, managing director at Sky Sports, explained that even small changes can help.

“We hope that by using the power of sport, we can inspire and support football fans to make simple changes to reduce their carbon footprint and make more climate-friendly choices,” he said.

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Chelsea agree loan deal for Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez

Chelsea have reportedly agreed a season-long loan deal for Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez.

The Blues have been strongly linked with the Spain international in recent days and have been in talks with Atletico over a potential move for the versatile midfielder.

According to 90min, Thomas Tuchel’s side have now agreed terms on a season-long loan for the 26-year-old, who has also been linked with Manchester United during the current window.

The report claims that the deal is not yet complete, though, as the two clubs are still holding discussions over whether there will be an obligation to buy next summer.

Atletico are allegedly keen to include a clause that will see the move become permanent next year for a fee in the region of £40m.

Saul, who still has five years left to run on his contract at Wanda Metropolitano, has made 339 appearances for Diego Simeone’s side in all competitions.

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Romelu Lukaku could play in Chelsea’s season opener

Romelu Lukaku could be unveiled as a Chelsea player in time for Saturday’s Premier League opener with Crystal Palace, according to a report.

The 28-year-old previously spent three years on the books at Stamford Bridge between 2011 and 2014 but left without a goal to his name from 15 appearances at the club.

However, Chelsea are now understood to have agreed a £97.5m deal to bring Lukaku back to the English capital from Inter Milan, and he reportedly underwent the first part of his Blues medical in Italy on Monday.

According to the Daily Star, Lukaku will fly to London on Tuesday in order to complete his medical and sign a contract until 2026, meaning that he could play in front of the Stamford Bridge faithful this weekend against Patrick Vieira’s Palace.

The Belgium international would be available to play in Wednesday’s Super Cup against Villarreal if he is registered by 11pm on Tuesday, but the report adds that he will not join his new teammates until after their midweek battle in Belfast.

Lukaku scored 24 goals in 36 Serie A games en route to the Scudetto last term, and he previously scored 113 Premier League goals during spells with West Bromwich Albion, Everton and Manchester United.