BBC Sport<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201c… They need to get things right on the pitch but when they have brought in a manager who did win something with them, Ange Postecoglou, they have sacked him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ange Postecoglou. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS \/ AFP)Source: AFP<\/p>\n
DOUBLE STANDARDS CALLED OUT AS CHELSEA \u2018SEND A MESSAGE\u2019<\/p>\n
After trading blows with Arsenal for 94 pulsating minutes at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea were left bruised but unbowed.<\/p>\n
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca had insisted that his young team were not title contenders ahead of their crucial clash with the Gunners.<\/p>\n
But Chelsea showed that they are capable of going toe-to-toe with Mikel Arteta\u2019s men, despite the 38th minute dismissal of Blues midfielder Moises Caicedo for an ugly lunge on Mikel Merino.<\/p>\n
In total, there were six yellow cards for Arsenal and one for Chelsea, who refused to be intimidated by the leaders.<\/p>\n
They even took the lead through Trevoh Chalobah\u2019s second half header — from a corner routine that mimicked Arsenal\u2019s own set-piece prowess.<\/p>\n
Although Merino headed Arsenal\u2019s 59th minute equaliser to leave third-placed Chelsea six points behind the north Londoners, Maresca could take heart from a spirited display that suggested they could emerge as title challengers sooner than he expected.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we showed we are heading in the right direction,\u201d the Italian said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are closer. We\u2019ll see where we are in February and March and then we\u2019ll assess our target.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chelsea captain Reece James, meanwhile, told BBC Match of the Day that the performance would \u201csend a message to the other teams in the league\u201d.<\/p>\n
It was a solid showing from Chelsea. (AP Photo\/Ian Walton)Source: AP<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team is so young and we went toe to toe with the Premier League leaders at the moment,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t show fear. We tried to come out to win the game and unfortunately we didn\u2019t do that but lots of positive to take.\u201d<\/p>\n
While an incredibly promising result regardless, Maresca did call out what he perceived as double standards in officiating after Piero Hincapi\u00e9 was not sent off for an elbow on Trevor Chalobah.<\/p>\n
\u201cMoises\u2019 red card \u2013 it\u2019s a red card, but why was Bentancur\u2019s against Reece not a red card when we were at Spurs away?\u201d the Chelsea boss said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a manager, I struggle to understand why they judge in different ways. Moises\u2019 is a red card, yes. Bentancur\u2019s is a red card, yes, so why they don\u2019t give him a red card?<\/p>\n
\u201cI struggle to understand. The reality is that it\u2019s a red card but why do they judge it in different ways? The Trevoh one, I asked the referee, he said to me that it was not an elbow. This is what he said. (Chalobah had a) black eye, ice at half time, but they judge in different way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chelsea and Gunners fight out tense draw | 01:05<\/p>\n
HUGE CALL TO BENCH STAR UNLOCKS $253M LIVERPOOL RECRUIT<\/p>\n
Alexander Isak slid to his knees as Liverpool\u2019s players rushed to embrace the Sweden striker, whose celebration of his first league goal for his new club was tinged with relief as much as euphoria.<\/p>\n
On a freezing afternoon in east London, Isak finally showed the predatory instincts that convinced Liverpool to pay a British record \u00a3125 million ($A253 million) to sign him from Newcastle in the transfer saga of the summer.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old calmly converted Cody Gakpo\u2019s pass with a low first-time finish from just inside the area.<\/p>\n
After five league games without a goal, it was Isak\u2019s second strike for Liverpool and his first in 10 matches since netting against second tier Southampton in the League Cup in September.<\/p>\n
Isak\u2019s gain was Mohamed Salah\u2019s loss after Slot took dramatic action in a bid to stop Liverpool\u2019s alarming slump by dropping Liverpool\u2019s superstar striker for the West Ham game.<\/p>\n
It was the first time the Egypt striker had been left out of a Premier League starting line-up since April 2024, also at West Ham in a 2-2 draw.<\/p>\n
That day Salah came on as a late substitute but on Monday he did not take the field at all, with Hugo Ekitike replacing shortly after his goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cMo has had an unbelievable career here at this club and will have a very good future at this club because he\u2019s such a special player,\u201d Slot said, explaining the decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have four games in 10 days with only 14 to 15 outfield players available for us. Then you have to decide once in a while to make a certain line-up and you try to pick the best line-up for every single game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Salah had not scored or assisted in his last four games while even before that he had left plenty to be desired on defence, prompting former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney to call on Slot to make a major change ahead of the West Ham fixture.<\/p>\n
Alexander Isak celebrates scoring his team’s first goal. (Photo by Alex Pantling\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I was Slot, I\u2019d try and make a big decision just so it has an impact on the rest of the team,\u201d said Rooney on his podcast last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cSalah is not helping them defensively.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re one of the players who they\u2019ve signed and you\u2019re on the bench and you\u2019ve seen him not running – and again he\u2019s a club legend and everything he\u2019s done for the club – but if you\u2019re on the bench, then what message does that send to you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Isak and Slot had been under fire during a woeful run of nine defeats in 12 matches in all competitions prior to their trip to West Ham.<\/p>\n
While the doubts will linger for a while longer given the extent of Liverpool\u2019s stunning decline after last season\u2019s title triumph, this was a step in the right direction while the decision to drop Salah sent the right message too. <\/p>\n
It has, however, also cast doubt over his future at the club.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a big call by Slot, but I guess it is made easier by Liverpool\u2019s results,\u201d Alan Shearer told BBC Sport <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen things aren\u2019t going for you, you have to make big decisions – and that was a big one because of what he\u2019s done for Liverpool in the past. But Salah can\u2019t complain because he hasn\u2019t been playing well, and when that\u2019s the case, then you have to accept the decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mohamed Salah was benched. (Photo by Carl Recine\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
SPORTMANSHIP ROW AS CITY STAR ACCUSED OF FAKING INJURY<\/p>\n
Pep Guardiola defended Gianluigi Donnarumma after Leeds boss Daniel Farke sparked a sportsmanship row by suggesting that the goalkeeper had faked an injury during Manchester City\u2019s dramatic 3-2 win.<\/p>\n
City dominated the first half at the Etihad Stadium, going ahead through Phil Foden\u2019s goal just 59 seconds into the match before Josko Gvardiol doubled their advantage.<\/p>\n
But Leeds hit back in the second half of this Premier League encounter, with substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin pulling a goal back for the visitors.<\/p>\n
The score was still 2-1 to City when home keeper Donnarumma called for medical attention with manager Guardiola quickly gathering his players around him as he attempted to adjust to a change of formation from Leeds.<\/p>\n
City manager Guardiola\u2019s team talk could not stop Leeds equalising after Gvardiol conceded a penalty from which Lukas Nmecha scored on the rebound following a Donnarumma save.<\/p>\n
Guardiola insisted he had believed Donnarumma\u2019s injury was genuine, instructing James Trafford to warm up in case he was required.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t speak with Gigio,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it happened, I looked back to the dugout and said \u2018James, warm up\u2019. I don\u2019t know. Next press conference you can ask me and I will ask Gigio.\u201d<\/p>\n
Farke was adamant that there had been a significant change in the game after Donnarumma received attention, even though Leeds drew level.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is within the rules,\u201d said the German. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is smart. (Whether) I like it, (whether) it is in the sense of fair play… I keep it to myself and I leave it to the authorities to find solutions for it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked the fourth official at this point if you want to do something and he said: \u2018No, our hands are tied, we can\u2019t do anything\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we don\u2019t educate our players in football, what to do in terms of fair play? Sportsmanship? If you just try to bend the rules to your advantage and you can do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is nothing I personally like but if it is within the rules, I can\u2019t complain about it.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tottenham\u2019s struggles have continued, while Liverpool benched a big name to ignite another and Chelsea\u2019s coach called out…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":320884,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,85,41,39,42,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-320883","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-top-news","12":"tag-top-stories","13":"tag-topnews","14":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320883\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/320884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=320883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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