Chelsea will hope to progress to the last four while keeping key players fresh for the Premier League schedule.
Sports
Tottenham Fight Back Twice To Rescue 2-2 Draw Against Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United played out a 2-2 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday, in a match defined by late drama and set-piece brilliance.
Manchester United drew first blood in the 32nd minute when Bryan Mbeumo’s towering header, set up by Amad Diallo, put the visitors ahead.
The lead seemed comfortable at halftime, but Tottenham came alive after the break. Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha tested United’s goalkeeper Lammens with back-to-back efforts in the 54th and 56th minutes, signaling Spurs’ intent.
Destiny Udogie’s clever delivery found Mathys Tel in the 84th minute to level the score, before Wilson Odobert set up Richarlison for a 90+1 header following a late corner.
The heat continued when United snatched a point deep in stoppage time. Matthijs de Ligt rose highest to convert Bruno Fernandes’ corner at 90+6. Notably, three of the four goals came from headers, and both sides capitalized on set pieces in the dying minutes.
Discipline will be a talking point, as Spurs picked up five yellow cards compared to United’s single booking. On the other hand, United have conceded far more after halftime, while Spurs have increasingly found goals in the second half.
The draw keeps Tottenham in sixth place with 18 points, just ahead of United in eighth, both chasing European qualification.
Sports
Palmer Out For Chelsea’s Carabao Cup Quarter-Final, Says Maresca
Chelsea attacker Cole Palmer will not feature in the Blues’ Carabao Cup quarter-final against Cardiff City, head coach Enzo Maresca has confirmed.
The match is set for Tuesday at 8 pm in the Welsh capital, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.
Palmer recently returned to action after a spell out with groin and toe injuries and scored in Chelsea’s weekend victory over Everton at Stamford Bridge.
However, Maresca, in his press conference on Monday, explained that the young forward is being carefully managed to avoid overexertion.
“I’ve already said many times in press conferences that we have many players who need to be protected. Cole is one of the players who deserves to be protected right now. In this moment, he’s not available to play two games in three days. So, he won’t be available for tomorrow’s game, but should be fine for the weekend,” Maresca said.
The Chelsea coach also praised Cardiff City and their manager, Brian Murphy, highlighting the challenge the Blues will face:
“They are top of the league, playing nice football and winning games. I know Brian and know he is doing a good job. This will be a dangerous game for us, and we need to pay attention and be careful tomorrow. We have the opportunity to achieve something important, which is to reach the semi-final of this competition.”
Sports
Osimhen Named Sportsman Of The Year In Turkey
Victor Osimhen has been crowned Sportsman of the Year at the 2025 GQ Türkiye Men of the Year Awards, DAILY POST reports.
Osimhen received the prestigious award at an elaborate ceremony on Wednesday night.
The Nigeria international was recognised for his contribution to Galatasaray’s domestic double last season.
The 26-year-old registered 37 goals and seven assists across all competitions for the Yellow and Reds.
Osimhen has already netted 11 goals in 14 matches for Okan Buruk’s side this season.
He is the first Nigerian to win the award.
Sports
Don’t Rely Too Much On Osimhen, Babangida Tells Chelle
Former Nigeria international Tijani Babangida has warned Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle against building the team solely around forward Victor Osimhen ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Babangida expressed concern over Nigeria’s over-dependence on the Galatasaray striker, particularly after the team’s struggles when Osimhen was substituted at half-time during the 2026 World Cup play-off defeat to DRCongo.
“It is dangerous that it appears that the Super Eagles are built around Victor Osimhen. It was when Osimhen was removed at the beginning of the second half against Congo that the team started to struggle. That is very bad,” Babangida told Tribal Football.
The former winger emphasised that the Super Eagles of his era were not dependent on a single player and urged Chelle to address the issue before the tournament.
“Chelle must impart this mentality to all the players, the attackers especially, that the team is not built around Osimhen. Any player given the nod to feature in any game must perform very well and play as a team.”
Babangida stressed that while a fully fit Osimhen is valuable, the team must maintain high morale regardless of his availability.
“We need a fully fit Osimhen, but we also need fully mentally prepared players who know that with or without Osimhen, Super Eagles can win. Morale should be high in the team whether Osimhen is there or not,” he added.
“Super Eagles should not be in a mess if Osimhen is injured. Chelle must address this issue because injury is part of the game. Osimhen’s absence in any game should not be the end of the world for Super Eagles.”
Nigeria have been drawn in Group C alongside Tanzania, Uganda, and Tunisia as they chase a fourth AFCON title.
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