Football

Chelsea's five-match winning streak came to an end on Sunday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. Noni Madueke's equalizer rescued a point for the Blues after Chris Wood had given Forest an early second-half lead.Despite fielding a changed starting lineup, Chelsea struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half. Forest, on the other hand, looked dangerous on the counterattack and took the lead through Wood's close-range finish.Chelsea responded well to the setback and equalized through Madueke's fine strike in the 57th minute. The hosts pushed for a winner but were unable to break down a resolute Forest defense.Forest's task became even more difficult when James Ward-Prowse was sent off for a second bookable offense in the 78th minute. However, Chelsea failed to capitalize on their numerical advantage and were frustrated by a series of missed chances.The draw leaves Chelsea in fourth place in the Premier League, but it is a setback in their hopes of challenging for the title. Forest, meanwhile, remain in the relegation zone but will take heart from their performance against one of the league's top teams.

Kylian Mbappé's premature return to action has sparked controversy within the French national team, with head coach Didier Deschamps and his staff expressing outrage. Mbappé, who was expected to be sidelined for three weeks after sustaining an injury against Real Madrid, made a surprise appearance against Lille in the UEFA Champions League just nine days later. He subsequently played 70 minutes against Villarreal on Saturday.Deschamps and his coaching staff are reportedly unhappy with Mbappé's decision to rush back into action, as they believe it was solely motivated by his desire to play for Paris Saint-Germain. They feel that the French captain has "erased himself from the national team" by prioritizing his club commitments over his international responsibilities.France's recent loss to Italy in the UEFA Nations League has further fueled the controversy. The team currently sits in second place in Group 2 and faces crucial matches against Hungary and Belgium in the coming weeks. Mbappé's absence from the squad has raised questions about his commitment to the national team and his ability to lead the team to success.The situation has also drawn criticism from former France and Manchester United captain Patrice Evra. Evra questioned the decision to hand Mbappé the captaincy, arguing that he is not yet on the same level as Karim Benzema. He also criticized the team's decision to give Mbappé preferential treatment, suggesting that it could undermine the team's motivation.Mbappé's actions have sparked a wave of backlash, with many fans and pundits expressing their disappointment. The controversy has cast a shadow over the French national team and raised concerns about Mbappé's future with the team.

Indian Women's Football Suffers Humiliating Defeat in AFC Champions League DebutIndian women's football club Odisha FC endured a crushing 0-17 defeat in their AFC Women's Champions League debut against Japan's Urawa Reds Diamonds on Sunday. The Japanese side dominated the match from start to finish, showcasing their superior skill and experience.Yu Endo opened the scoring for Urawa Reds within five minutes, setting the tone for a relentless onslaught. The Japanese side went on to score eight more goals in the first half, leaving Odisha FC reeling. The second half proved no respite, as Urawa Reds continued to pile on the pressure, ending the match with a staggering 55 shots compared to Odisha FC's solitary attempt.The defeat marks a disappointing start to Odisha FC's AFC Champions League campaign. The Indian club will now face Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City FC on Wednesday, hoping to salvage some pride.Meanwhile, the Indian senior men's football team will play a one-off friendly match against Vietnam on October 12. The match was originally scheduled as part of a tri-nation tournament, but Lebanon's withdrawal forced a rescheduling. The match will be an official friendly, with points counting towards the FIFA Rankings.India will assemble in Kolkata on October 5 and travel to Vietnam on October 7. Coach Manolo Marquez has announced a list of 26 probables, with the final squad of 23 players to be announced before the team's departure.After the Vietnam match, India will face Malaysia in a friendly during the FIFA Window on November 19. Malaysia is currently ranked 132nd in the FIFA rankings, while India is ranked 126th. The two teams last met in the Merdeka Cup semi-final in October 2023, with Malaysia emerging victorious 2-4.

Monaco ascended to the summit of the Ligue 1 standings on Saturday, securing a 2-1 triumph over Rennes away from home. This victory propelled them three points ahead of defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.Thilo Kehrer and Folarin Balogun found the back of the net for the principality side, propelling them to 19 points. PSG, currently on 16 points with a superior goal difference, will have the opportunity to reclaim the top spot when they face Nice on Sunday."After seven games, we have 19 points. That's the reality and the truth, and we're really happy about that," remarked Monaco coach Adi Huetter.However, he cautioned, "The championship is not a 100-meter sprint, it's a 400-meter race, and we've started very well."Monaco's match in Brittany, played under rainy conditions, was decided early in the first half. Kehrer opened the scoring before Ludovic Blas equalized, and Balogun then netted the winner, all within the first 22 minutes.Monaco youngster Eliesse Ben Seghir, continuing his impressive start to the season, played a pivotal role in both of his side's goals. His corner in the sixth minute found Kehrer's head, who nodded it past the goalkeeper despite a defender's attempt to clear it off the line.Blas restored parity for Rennes five minutes later with a thunderous left-footed strike from over 35 yards that flew past Philipp Koehn.However, Balogun sealed the points for Huetter's side when he chipped the ball over an advancing Steve Mandanda in the 22nd minute after a defense-splitting pass from Ben Seghir.Earlier on Saturday, Lille moved up to fourth place, coming from behind to secure a home victory against lowly Toulouse. Zakaria Aboukhlal gave the 16th-placed side a surprise lead six minutes before halftime, but former Manchester United playmaker Angel Gomes equalized for Lille on 57 minutes. Mitchel Bakker secured the win for Lille in the 72nd minute, rounding off a swift counter-attack.A hat-trick from Zuriko Davitashvili propelled Saint-Etienne out of the relegation zone as they defeated Auxerre 3-1 at home. The Georgian opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a powerful finish after carrying the ball 40 yards into the visitors' penalty area. He added his second on 54 minutes after cutting in from the left flank and firing with his right foot. Theo Bair halved the deficit with 15 minutes remaining, but Davitashvili completed his triple with a dinked finish on 87 minutes.On Sunday, Lyon will host Nantes, while Reims and Lens will also be in action, before PSG travel to ninth-placed Nice.

Real Madrid regained their winning ways in La Liga with a 2-0 victory over Villarreal on Saturday, bouncing back from their midweek Champions League defeat at Lille. Fede Valverde and Vinicius Junior scored the goals for Los Blancos, who moved level on points with leaders Barcelona ahead of their match on Sunday.Valverde's deflected effort gave Madrid the lead in the 14th minute, while Vinicius sealed the win with a stunning strike from outside the area in the second half. The victory was marred by an injury to defender Dani Carvajal, who was stretchered off in stoppage time.Madrid's victory was hard-fought, as Villarreal put up a strong challenge. The visitors came close to equalizing on several occasions, but Madrid's defense held firm. The win extends Madrid's unbeaten run in La Liga to 10 matches, and they remain the only team in the division yet to lose a game.Villarreal, meanwhile, remain in third place, four points behind Madrid. They have now lost two of their last three matches, but they will be encouraged by their performance against the league leaders.

Marcus Thuram's hat-trick propelled Inter Milan to a 3-2 victory over 10-man Torino on Saturday, propelling the reigning Serie A champions to within two points of league leaders Napoli.Thuram's first-half headers from Alessandro Bastoni and Francesco Acerbi gave Inter a commanding lead. However, Duvan Zapata pulled one back for Torino after poor defending by Yann Bisseck. Thuram restored Inter's two-goal advantage with a bundled finish on the hour mark.Hakan Calhanoglu's late penalty gave Torino hope, but Inter held on for a crucial win. The victory keeps Inter in the title race and extends their winning streak to three matches in all competitions.Meanwhile, Mateo Retegui's hat-trick condemned his former club Genoa to a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Atalanta. Ederson and Marten de Roon also scored spectacular goals for Atalanta, who moved up to ninth in the standings.Retegui opened the scoring in the 24th minute and doubled Atalanta's lead five minutes after half-time. He completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 74th minute.Atalanta's convincing win comes after another strong display in the Champions League, where they beat Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0.

Bayer Leverkusen's Bundesliga title defense has hit another roadblock after they squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Holstein Kiel on Saturday. The result leaves Xabi Alonso's side with 11 points from six matches, allowing Bayern Munich to extend their lead at the summit when they face Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.Leverkusen made a blistering start at the BayArena, with Victor Boniface opening the scoring after just four minutes. Exequiel Palacios' incisive run created the opportunity, and the Argentinian was also involved in the second goal four minutes later, setting up Jonas Hofmann for a composed finish.However, Kiel refused to be overawed and pulled a goal back in first-half stoppage time. Max Geschwill forced the ball into the net with his shoulder, and the goal was allowed to stand after a VAR check.Leverkusen's defensive frailties were exposed again in the second half as Jann-Fiete Arp equalized from the penalty spot in the 69th minute. The hosts pushed for a winner but were unable to find a breakthrough.In the capital, Union Berlin stunned Borussia Dortmund with a 2-0 halftime lead. Kevin Vogt converted a penalty, and Yorbe Vertessen added a second. Dortmund rallied in the second half, with Julian Ryerson pulling one back in the 62nd minute. However, it was not enough to prevent a 2-1 defeat.Elsewhere, Wolfsburg earned a crucial 3-1 victory away to Bochum to climb out of the relegation zone. Werder Bremen suffered a 1-0 home loss to Freiburg, while Augsburg defeated Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 in a mid-table clash on Friday.

Liverpool's title hopes have been dealt a blow with the news that goalkeeper Alisson Becker will be sidelined for "a few weeks" due to a hamstring injury. The Brazilian international suffered the injury while making a clearance in Liverpool's 1-0 win against Crystal Palace on Saturday.Alisson was forced to limp off in the second half of the Premier League clash at Selhurst Park, with Czech international Vitezslav Jaros, 23, coming on to replace him. Liverpool boss Arne Slot admitted after the game that he does not expect to have his first-choice goalkeeper available for a while."What I do know is that when a player walks off like he did, it normally means he's not in the Brazil squad and I don't expect him to be in the team for the first match we play after the break," Slot said."We have to wait and see but it will be a few weeks for him to be back. I think it is, yes (his hamstring)."Alisson has been hampered by hamstring injuries in the past, and his latest setback will come as a major blow to Liverpool. The Reds are currently top of the Premier League table, but they will now have to cope without their first-choice goalkeeper for a significant period of time.Slot also confirmed that Alexis Mac Allister was replaced by Dominik Szoboszlai at half-time due to a groin injury. The extent of Mac Allister's injury is not yet known, but Slot said that he is unlikely to be fit for Argentina's upcoming international fixtures."How bad that is, it's not for me to judge at this moment," Slot said. "He felt it and said 'it's not good to keep on playing because it could be made worse'.""It's difficult for me to say if he can play for Argentina. It was in the groin area."Liverpool's next game is against Chelsea on October 1, following the international break. It remains to be seen whether Alisson will be fit enough to return for that match, but his absence would be a major blow to Liverpool's hopes of winning the Premier League title.

Romelu Lukaku's impressive form continued as he led Napoli to a 3-1 victory over Como, solidifying their position at the top of Serie A. The Belgian striker assisted Scott McTominay's opening goal within 25 seconds and converted a penalty in the second half. He also set up David Neres for Napoli's third goal, extending their league lead to four points.Lukaku has quickly become a key player for Napoli under Antonio Conte, scoring three goals and providing four assists in just five league appearances. His impact has been significant, helping Napoli emerge as a serious contender for the league title."We're getting there. It's going to take time because I got here late. It's all thanks to my teammates, the coaching staff, and fans that we're doing so well," Lukaku said after the match.Despite Napoli's dominance, Como proved to be a challenging opponent. Cesc Fabregas' team equalized in the first half with a stunning strike from Gabriel Strefezza. However, Napoli regained control in the second half, with Neres scoring the decisive goal in the 86th minute.McTominay has also been impressive since joining Napoli from Manchester United, adding a new dimension to the midfield. He scored his second goal for the club, following his strike against Palermo in the Italian Cup."It was great to get off to a good start. It was a great ball. Obviously for me it's nice to get a goal and then we lost a little bit of control in the first half and then we tweaked a through things at half-time and it made a difference," McTominay said.Napoli's unbeaten run continues, with their only defeat coming on the opening day of the season against Verona. Under Conte, they have rediscovered the form that led them to the Scudetto in 2023."We just want to take it game by game. We want to play football and hopefully win as many games as we can," McTominay added. "The boys have been great with helping me bed in. Game by game, no-one's looking any further past the next game."