SPORTS
Rampant Leeds Stun Chelsea 3-0 in Commanding Win
Leeds United produced a relentless display to earn a 3-0 Premier League victory over Chelsea on Sunday as they continued to impress under American coach Jesse Marsch.
In a raucous Elland Road atmosphere, two goals in five first-half minutes saw the hosts race into a 2-0 lead with Chelsea, who finished with 10 men, unable to cope with the intensity.
The result meant Leeds have now picked up seven points from their opening three games.
The hosts started well when Edouard Mendy made a mess of a routine clearance, allowing Brenden Aaronson to capitalise just after the half-hour mark.
The U.S. forward took the ball from the Chelsea goalkeeper’s feet and dribbled into an empty net.
Chelsea were unfortunate to be one goal down after missing some early chances, but soon after the opener, they found themselves two goals behind.
This was when Rodrigo emphatically headed in Jack Harrison’s delicate free-kick to earn the Spaniard his fourth Premier League goal of the season.
In a commanding performance, Leeds added a third in the 69th minute — Daniel James’ cross was nodded down by Rodrigo into the path of Harrison, who fired past Mendy to make the lead comfortable.
“It was the best performance since I have been here,” Marsch said. “You are starting to see a bunch of players who understand their role, some in the form of their lives.
“Our way of playing dictated the match. We made them make mistakes.
“These quality players can pass the ball all day if we give them time. We wanted to make them uncomfortable, and today we did.”
Thomas Tuchel was on the touchline as his ban for last week’s confrontation with Tottenham boss Antonio Conte was suspended.
Marsch, who had said that Tuchel shouldn’t be allowed on the bench, told reporters before the game:
“I don’t think it’s right that he should be able to appeal [his red card], but whatever, he’s on the bench — let’s play the game.”
But the Chelsea manager’s involvement didn’t spur Chelsea to a comeback, as summer signing Kalidou Koulibaly was sent off five minutes from time and Tuchel’s side plummeted to their first defeat of the season.
“We scored an own goal and conceded from a set piece,” Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel said.
“The defeat is nothing to do with pressing, nothing to do with running less kilometres and nothing to do with the style of Leeds.
“We were able to be the better team. But then it was 2-0 and our body language was not like it was in the last match.
“I don’t see the connection that we lost to the style of Leeds. We knew it was coming.” (NAN)
Following are the results of Match Day 1 fixtures in the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), played on Sunday and dates of the remaining fixtures:
Akwa United FC 1-1 Abia Warriors FC
Bayelsa United FC 1-1 Kano Pillars FC
Katsina United FC 1-1 Bendel Insurance FC
Niger Tornadoes FC 0-0 Nasarawa United FC
Shooting Stars FC 1-1 Plateau United FC
El Kanemi Warriors Vs Kwara United FC (postponed )
The following Match Day two fixtures
Would be played on Sept.
25:Ikorodu City FC Vs Enugu Rangers international FC
Enyimba international FC Vs Lobi stars FC .
(NAN)
Following are the results of remaining Match Day one fixtures played on Sunday in the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL)Heartland FC 1-3 Enyimba international FCKwara United FC 1-2 Niger Tornadoes FCBendel Insurance FC 0-0 Rivers United FCPlateau United FC 1-0 Katsina United FCKano Pillars FC 3-0 Ikorodu City FCSunshine Stars FC 3-0 Bayelsa United FCAbia Warriors FC 0-2 Remo Stars FCNasarawa United FC 1-1 Shooting Stars FC.
(NAN)
The interim coach of the Super Eagles, Augustine Eguavoen, said his team can beat any team with the quality of players in the team.
Eguavoen stated this after his team spanked the Cheetahs of Benin Republic 4-0 in the 2025 African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) at the Godswill Akpabio stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom on Saturday.
“We have quality players to beat any team but we respect team anyway.
Any coach can come in and do the same job with the Super Eagles.“It is a mindset, we have the potential and how you perceived your opponent, given the information about them and then go out and do the job,“he said.
Equavoen attributed the victory to the formation adopted by the technical crew, adding that any formation could be used to ensure that the team was successful.
“We can decide to use any system. It is something we discussed and I slept over it. I know with the caliber of players that we have, we can decide to play any formation.
“Football is about you win, lose and draw, I don’t believe we have a poor result,” he said.
He, however, said that the former Super Eagles coach didn’t do a good job but it has to do with believe, what is at stake and what you want to achieve.
“Psychologically as a group, we are agreed, where we are and where we are going to be. We will definitely achieve it,” Equavoen said.
He commended the performance of the defence , describing it as superb, adding that the team had been training together for one week.
The coach said that asking six players to warm up for the second half was to buy time, adding that there was no need to rush to change.
He said the Cheetahs of Benin Republic were a good team, adding that they came with a good game plan.
Report says that Eguavoen was appointed interim coach after the deal between the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) and coach Bruno Labbadia failed.
NFF explained in a statement that it failed due to the stringent regulations of German tax authorities.(NAN)
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