DANIEL FARKE FIGHTS: CAN LEEDS COACH SURVIVE BRUTAL CHELSEA, LIVERPOOL TESTS?
Daniel Farke's job is on the line after complaining about Man City's 'unsportsmanlike' tactics. The 49ers reportedly seek a new coach (Gary O'Neil is favoured) if Leeds lose to Chelsea and Liverpool.
Daniel Farke's job as Leeds coach might be in trouble. Word is that 49ers Enterprises will sack him if Leeds loses their next two games against Chelsea and Liverpool.
The team was disappointed after Manchester City's Phil Foden scored a late goal last Saturday. A tie seemed likely until that point.
After the game, Farke complained about Man City's tactics. He thought that City's goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, pretended to be injured so that Pep Guardiola could give his team a pep talk.
Farke said, "It's allowed and smart." But he also said that he doesn't think it's very sportsmanlike and that it's up to the people in charge to fix the issue.
He added that when he asked the fourth official to do something, the official said that there was nothing he could do.
Farke is concerned that if players aren't taught about fair play and sportsmanship, they'll try to bend the rules. He doesn't like the idea of faking an injury for a team talk, but he said he can't complain if it's within the rules.
With Leeds in the bottom three, Farke is feeling the heat as they prepare for two big games: Chelsea at Elland Road on Wednesday and Liverpool in Yorkshire on Saturday.
According to The Guardian, sources at Leeds have said privately that Farke's job is at risk.
The report also mentions that the 49ers want a new coach in place before the January transfer window so they can bring in players that fit the new coach's plans.
It's not clear who that might be, but Give Me Sport reports that Gary O'Neil is the favourite for the job.
O'Neil, who used to coach Wolves, has been out of work since being fired in December 2024. He was well-regarded during his time there.
Shay Given said on BBC Match of the Day last year that O'Neill did a great job despite having to sell key players to balance the books.
AWONIYI DOUBLE LEAVES NOTTINGHAM FOREST ON THE VERGE OF PREMIER LEAGUE SAFETY
Nottingham Forest moved closer to safety with a 3-1 win over Chelsea, while West Ham fell into the relegation zone after Spurs won.
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Nottingham Forest came out of the weekend looking pretty safe after pulling off an impressive 3-1 win at Chelsea. They’re almost clear of the relegation mess. Tottenham’s big away win at Aston Villa shook things up too, and now West Ham are back in the bottom three, running out of time faster than ever.
Forest have stepped up just when they needed to, leaving West Ham and Tottenham behind with a string of solid performances. Honestly, no one saw this coming, especially since Vitor Pereira shuffled his lineup with eight changes, fresh off a Europa League win against Aston Villa.
Even so, Forest were ahead within 90 seconds, thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi’s quick strike. By the 15th minute, Igor Jesus calmly buried a penalty after Malo Gusto’s reckless foul in the box. Chelsea had a chance to get back in it, but Cole Palmer wasted a penalty right before the break after a scary head collision involving Jesse Derry.
Awoniyi doubled down and scored again early in the second half, pushing Forest six points ahead of West Ham with just three games left.
West Ham’s weekend started badly; they looked flat and lost to Brentford. Things got worse Sunday night when Tottenham pulled off their first back-to-back Premier League wins since August 2025, beating a heavily rotated Aston Villa side 2-1.
Forest is now out of West Ham’s reach, or almost. Tottenham’s still close enough for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team to worry, but with three tough games coming up, Spurs could stay up even without another win, unless West Ham digs deep and pulls off something unexpected before their home finale against Leeds.
Right now, Forest can practically taste safety. Spurs finally see a way out after weeks of struggle. As for West Ham, they’re left hoping for a miracle, a last-minute twist to dodge the drop.
CESC FABREGAS CONFIRMS INTEREST IN PREMIER LEAGUE RETURN AMID CHELSEA'S MANAGER SEARCH
As Chelsea searches for a new manager, Cesc Fabregas breaks his silence on his future at Como and his Premier League ambitions.
Cesc Fabregas recalls exactly how a conversation with Jose Mourinho prompted him to join Chelsea, despite having the opportunity to return to Arsenal.
After winning six trophies in just three seasons, the Spanish World Cup winner left Barcelona for the second time in 2014. That summer, Fabregas made a move back to the Premier League, signing with Chelsea for about €33 million.
He already knew English football well. Fabregas had arrived at Arsenal as a 16-year-old from Barcelona in 2003 and made 212 Premier League appearances for them. When he decided to leave Barcelona, Manchester City also wanted him, but Chelsea convinced him, mostly thanks to Mourinho.
Talking with talkSPORT’s Rory Jennings on YouTube, Fabregas laid out how it all happened. “Honestly, when I made up my mind to leave Barcelona, my first thought was just to go back to Arsenal. They had this buyback clause; they had two weeks to use it after I told them I was leaving. They knew about it but didn’t take it. That surprised me a little, but in the end, I had to think about my career. I was 27, at the peak of my career, and I wanted to continue performing and winning trophies. City and Chelsea were both options.
“But when Mourinho spoke to me, that was it. He showed me his plans for the team and told me about Diego Costa, Courtois, and Filipe Luis and how, with those guys, we’d win the league. He was right, by the way. We won both the Premier League and the Carling Cup.”
Fabregas wasted no time winning over Chelsea fans. On his debut at Burnley, he set up two goals, including a stunning assist for Andre Schurrle. He finished his first season at Chelsea with five goals and 24 assists, along with Premier League and League Cup medals.
Things dipped the next season. Fabregas got just 15 goal contributions, and Chelsea slipped all the way to tenth. But when Antonio Conte took charge in 2016-17, they bounced back, and Fabregas picked up another league title.
He added an FA Cup win in 2018, his second, after his earlier one with Arsenal, and left for Monaco a few months later. His last Chelsea match came in the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest. When he got subbed off, he couldn’t hold back tears.
Chelsea supporters still sing about him; that “Oh, Fabregas is magic...” chant sticks around. And with his name in the conversation for a possible return, maybe they haven’t seen the last of him yet.
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