Sports
No Maresca, no problem? Chelsea’s late draw at Man City a blow for Guardiola & Co.
MANCHESTER, England — Chelsea snatched a dramatic late equalizer in potentially Calum McFarlane’s only game in charge as they held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw Sunday, just four days after parting company with Enzo Maresca.
McFarland, Chelsea’s under-21 coach, was on the touchline at the Etihad Stadium after the club announced Maresca’s departure on New Year’s Day. Chelsea are expected to unveil Strasbourg coach Liam Rosenior as the Italian’s replacement before the trip to Fulham on Wednesday. And in potentially his only game as boss, McFarlane watched Enzo Fernández grab a 94th-minute goal to dent City’s title hopes.
Tijjani Reijnders gave Pep Guardiola’s side the lead just before halftime with a fine close-range finish. City restricted Chelsea to relatively few clear-cut chances throughout, but they were made to pay in injury time when Fernandez got on the end of a cross from the right to stab the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma at the second attempt.
– Report: Chelsea snatch late draw at Man City
– Olley: Why Chelsea, Maresca parted ways
It’s a damaging result for City, who have now dropped points for the second game in a row to slip six behind Arsenal at the top of the table. — Dawson
Reijnders in form when City need it
The Dutchman has been in and out of the Man City first team since his summer move from Milan, but he showed again against Chelsea what a goalscoring threat he can be. He got 10 goals in Serie A last season — a good return for a central midfielder — and after netting his fifth in the Premier League against Chelsea, he’s on course to do it again.
Reijnders started the season with a goal at Wolves, but he hasn’t always been in Guardiola’s starting XI. Back as a regular since mid-December, he has found the net in three of his past four games.
The 27-year-old played off the left against Chelsea and looked dangerous from early on with runs from deep, which were hard to pick up. He has likened himself to Kevin De Bruyne in the past, but in that respect at least, he’s far more like Ilkay Gündogan.
If he can keep scoring crucial goals and reach double figures before the end of the season, it will help take some of the responsibility off Erling Haaland to be City’s sole source. — Dawson
McFarlane gets a result against Guardiola
On Sunday, Etihad Stadium arguably witnessed the greatest managerial mismatch in Premier League history. Pep Guardiola has won 12 league title in three different countries in addition to three Champions Leagues, 16 domestic cups and is widely credited as the finest football mind of his generation. Chelsea U21 boss Calum McFarlane, meanwhile, was on the way to a light show in Windsor with his family when he got the call to take charge of Chelsea for this match, following the sudden departure of head coach Enzo Maresca on Thursday.
McFarlane, 40, made the point beforehand that Chelsea’s model dictates the under-21s play a similar style to the first team, so there was no surprise Chelsea were not radically different in style or shape. However, they were notably conservative out of possession, falling into a back five shape deep on the edge of their own box for long periods.
Despite a shaky opening period, both McFarlane and Chelsea grew in confidence in the second half. Substitute Liam Delap’s 68th-minute burst forward, denied by an apparent handball, was the trigger for McFarlane to become more animated, and he had the last laugh when Fernandez equalized. Guardiola gave McFarlane a warm embrace at full time — he may not have known him before kickoff, but Guardiola is unlikely to forget him now after a hugely damaging result for City.
McFarlane even had the honor of his name being sung by the Chelsea fans as the team went to acknowledge their travelling support at full time. — Olley
1:50
Tighe impressed by McFarlane’s proactivity in Chelsea’s draw vs. Man City
Sam Tighe explains why he was ‘impressed’ by Calum McFarlane’s tactical decisions that led Chelsea to get a last minute draw vs. Man City.
Rodri passes his test
At this point — nearly 18 months after his knee ligament injury — the biggest thing for Rodri is coming through a game unscathed.
There were a couple of nervous moments as he made his first City start for three months. He briefly went down after a challenge from Reece James midway through the first half and was on the end of an even heavier one in the second half. The midfielder looked in some pain after yet another challenge from James and for a while, there was some concern on the City bench.
It has been nearly 18 months since his knee ligament injury and he has already had so many setbacks. Understandably he’s not yet at his best after so long on the sideline. Against Chelsea, there were moments when he looked rusty, but also the usual clever positioning and sharp passing.
His understudy, Nico González, has made a step up this season, but Guardiola will know that he needs Rodri fully fit if City are going to chase down Arsenal at the top of the table. After playing 90 minutes, it will be a big positive if he’s able to be in the squad which faces Brighton on Wednesday. — Dawson
Gvardiol injury a blow for City
As much as Rodri was a positive for City, losing Josko Gvardiol for any length of time would be a massive blow.
The Croatian defender was forced off after a challenge with Malo Gusto in the second half. He was limping heavily as he came off and ultimately needed help from James and a member of City’s medical team.
Gvardiol was described as “a warrior” by Guardiola last season because he kept making himself available when the squad were going through an injury crisis. Now he needs the 23-year-old back as quickly as possible because if he’s sidelined for a while, it will leave Guardiola with problems in the center of his defense.
John Stones is injured and hasn’t started a league game since October, while Nathan Aké had had issues staying fit, picking up a knock of his own in the goalless draw with Sunderland last time out. Abdukodir Khusanov replaced Gvardiol on Sunday, but there are question marks about whether he’s ready for a prolonged run in the team, particularly at center back.
Problems in defense could be mounting for Guardiola after Rúben Dias was substituted late on and Nico O’Reilly ended the game holding his hamstring. It’s a bad sign for the City boss that his team looked in relative control before his makeshift defense conceded late on. — Dawson
Chelsea’s substitutions pay off — whoever was dictating them
Sources have told ESPN that one of Maresca’s major gripes was what he felt became undue influence from Chelsea’s medical staff in team selection and the use of players. Sources added that there was a feeling Maresca sometimes disregarded that advice and ignored those instructions, particularly relating to player load where he would be told specific individuals could only play for 45 minutes, an hour or 75 minutes in a game.
It therefore felt worthy of note that McFarlane’s only three changes took place at halftime — Estevao Willian replaced by Andrey Santos — and then on 62 minutes, as Delap and Jorrel Hato were introduced for João Pedro and Josh Acheampong. Had Cole Palmer come off on 75 minutes, that would have surely indicated a hat trick for the medical team, but in fairness to Chelsea and McFarlane, they improved notably after the break. Delap, in particular, proved much more of a handful for City than Pedro, while Santos helped even up the midfield battle.
McFarlane switched fullbacks Acheampong and Malo Gusto at the interval to nullify City’s threat in wide areas, and he also moved Fernandez into a No. 10 position. It all paid off at the other end, too. Gusto, operating on the right, crossed and Fernandez equalized in the fourth minute of added time. It was a goal that would not have happened had those changes not been made. — Olley
Coventry City will return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years after securing their promotion from the Championship with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers on Friday.
A founding member of Premier League in 1992-93, Coventry have not been back since relegation in 2000-01.
– How does manager Lampard compare to others from England’s ‘Golden Generation’?
The West Midlands side will now rejoin the elite after a stunning campaign in the second tier under manager Frank Lampard.
Lampard’s side only needed a point from Friday’s match at Ewood Park to seal promotion but looked like being denied after Ryoya Morishita gave Blackburn the lead, before Bobby Thomas rose highest to head in from a free kick in the 84th minute.
The goal and the final whistle minutes later prompted wild celebrations from the more than 7,000 travelling Coventry supporters packed in to the away end in Lancashire.
The Sky Blues’ lowest ebb came when they dropped into the fourth-tier League Two in 2017 but they have fought their way back and, after losing to Luton in the playoff final in 2023, have stormed the Championship under Lampard this season to secure their Premier League return with three matches to spare.
They will have to wait to secure the title, with second-placed Ipswich now 11 points behind with five matches to play.
Friday’s result also means a return to the Premier League for Lampard. The former England international, who won three Premier League titles as a player with Chelsea, spent 18 months as manager at Stamford Bridge followed by a year in charge of Everton.
He last coached in the top flight during nine games as Chelsea interim manager at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Coventry spent 34 straight years in England’s top division and garnered a reputation for a series of dramatic escapes from Premier League relegation before finally succumbing to the drop in 2001. The club won their only major trophy with the FA Cup in 1987.
PA contributed to this report.
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LAS VEGAS – WWE star Danhausen has been an eccentric delight since he joined the company and made his debut at the Elimination Chamber back in February.
Danhausen has the knack for “cursing” his WWE opponents. Stars like Dominik Mysterio, Kit Wilson and The Miz have all felt the effects of Danhausen’s abilities, and it seems like the New York Mets are also suffering.
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Danhausen enters the arena before his match against Kit Wilson during SmackDown at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on April 10, 2026. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz, a long-suffering Mets fan, told Danhausen earlier this week on social media that if he could lift the “curse” on the Mets, he would “do everything in my power to get his face on the side of a (WWE production) truck.”
Danhausen said that Gewirtz had a deal and wanted to have his face on the truck immediately. However, it appears that deal has not come to fruition.
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza stands for the Star-Spangled Banner before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago on April 17, 2026. (Erin Hooley/AP Photo)
“I did un-curse the Mets. But it didn’t work because, I believe it was Brian Gewirtz who did not pay Danhausen. He did not send me my money so it did not take full effect,” Danhausen told Fox News Digital on Friday morning. “Once I have the money, perhaps it will actually work because right now it’s probably about a half of an un-cursing. It’s like a layaway situation.”
Hours later, the Mets lost their ninth straight game to the Chicago Cubs 12-4.
Danhausen enters the ring during Monday Night RAW at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, on April 13, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE)
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The Cubs dealt with the “Curse of the Billy Goat” for years before winning the World Series in 2016. It appears the Mets have to deal with the Danhausen curse, at least for now.
Meanwhile, for Danhausen, he’s set for his first WrestleMania appearance in some capacity. Reports have indicated that he will have at least one segment with John Cena at WrestleMania 42.
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The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a week away, and prospects from all over are hoping to hear their names called, especially on Thursday night in the first round.
Having the “first-round pick” tag next to your name in the NFL is a rite of passage – teams believed you were worthy enough for their top slot, hoping you can be an immediate impact player for the franchise.
But that pick also comes with high expectations – the player is expected to perform right away and do so with Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods along the way. It can be hard for those rookies, as they’re trying to get acclimated to the speed and physicality the NFL has compared to college football.
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Broadcaster Greg Olsen looks on before the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, on Sept. 7, 2025. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Greg Olsen, the three-time Pro Bowl tight end and FOX Sports NFL analyst, was once in that position being the 31st overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. And while he knows that each situation is different depending on the franchise the prospect lands with, the expectations are the same – fans want to see you perform.
So, how does one deal with that?
“Handle your business, be a great teammate,” Olsen told Fox News Digital, while also discussing how he’s taking his analyst duties to the next level with NFL IQ. “Earn the trust of your teammates, earn the trust of your coaches first and foremost. Because, at the end of the day, if you play well and the guys in that locker room believe in you and you continue to get opportunities, the fan support will come. As the team wins and you play well, all of that takes care of itself.”
For Olsen, he recalled thinking perhaps the New York Jets or Carolina Panthers would take him in the first round after a successful career at Miami. But, when the Jets traded up to nab first-ballot Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis, and the Panthers later selected his Hurricanes teammate, linebacker Jon Beason, he didn’t know what was happening.
That’s the beauty of the NFL Draft, though, as the Bears took him despite Olsen not really interacting with their staff during the pre-draft process.
Greg Olsen speaks on radio row prior to Super Bowl LIX at the Ernest Morial Convention Center on February 06, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
In today’s NFL Draft world, Olsen understands the information these prospects have is much more vast. In turn, fans have the same knowledge given the world of social media, and how reports, mock drafts and expert analysis shapes their understanding of how front offices think during this exciting time of the football season.
With that, comes a challenge Olsen knows he didn’t have to deal with as a rookie, but these first-round picks next week will have to weather that storm.
“In today’s day and age where everyone is so worried about outside opinion, they’re so worried about articles being written and social media and what’s being posted, you could lose track of, ‘Well, while you’re worried about that, you’re not taking care of home base.’ I think it’s more challenging today than 20 years ago when I came into the league, but I think that’s something guys have to hunker down and understand it’s not easy, but you control you and typically things fall into place,” Olsen said.
Olsen added it will be a “very complex, stressful day” for all those involved next week, but first-round pick or not, it’s the fulfillment of a life-long dream. That’s all that matters.
“You hear your name get called and a life-long dream, something you’re excited to embark on, became real. I got drafted by one of the premier franchises in all of football, coming off a Super Bowl appearance a couple months earlier. It was a really great place to start my NFL career,” he said.
Greg Olsen, the Chicago Bears’ first-round draft pick, talks to reporters after a summer training camp practice on July 30, 2007, at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
INSIDE THE FRONT OFFICE MIND
While Olsen enjoyed 14 years in the NFL, his next chapter of the game is providing keen analysis for FOX Sports broadcasts during the year.
To help him do that in the offseason while looking at the NFL Draft and free agency pickups by each franchise, Olsen has been using NFL IQ, the new interactive hub created by the league and AWS (Amazon Web Services), powered by Amazon Quick.
Ahead of the draft, NFL IQ transformed raw data from the NFL Combine, as well as team needs, free agency moves made and more, for this hub that provides fans access to key insights and puts them in the shoes of front office decision makers. Whether it’s the casual fan or a top analyst like Olsen, NFL IQ is an easy-to-use way to deepen football knowledge, especially at a crucial roster-building time like the draft is.
General shot of NFL IQ, the new interactive hub from the league and Amazon Web Services, powered by Amazon Quick. (NFL IQ)
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“This is the most educated fan base in NFL history, and I think that’s a good thing,” Olsen said.
“Fans actually have a way to access the exact same data, the exact same information that the teams and everyone are using for their own interest, whether it’s something casual or for people who really want to dive into the nitty gritty. I think it’s a really fun set of tools for the wide array of people who touch the NFL space. I know firsthand as a fan, and now a professional in the industry, it’s a huge part of my interaction of the game.”
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