GM football fans. It’s Wednesday, Jan. 7 - Police have been questioned over their decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a Europa League match at Aston Villa, Chelsea have hired 41-year-old Liam Rosenior from Strasbourg, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURES
Premier League MD21 (Jan 7): Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa, 19:30 GMT / 14:30 ET. Villa have lost three of their last four league games against Palace, conceding 14 goals in that time. However, Palace have lost four of their last five league games, more than their previous 21 beforehand. Manchester City vs. Brighton, 19:30 GMT / 14:30 ET. Brighton are unbeaten in their last three Premier League games against Man City. Pep Guardiola will take confidence in his side winning 31 of their 33 league matches on a Wednesday. Burnley vs. Manchester United, 20:15 GMT / 15:15 ET. Man United have lost just two of their last 36 Premier League matches against sides starting the day in the relegation zone. Meanwhile, Burnley are winless in their 11 league games. See every Premier League fixture here.
Results…
TOP TALKING POINTS
Away Fan Ban Scrutiny
Police chiefs appeared before MPs on Tuesday to explain the decision to ban supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending their Europa League match against Aston Villa in November. The match, which ended 2–0 to Villa, was played without away fans after police concluded there was a heightened risk to visiting supporters.
Based on newly revealed evidence, senior officers defended the decision, arguing that they had received intelligence that some members of the local community were hostile to Maccabi fans because of their nationality, and that individuals planned to “arm” themselves if away supporters were allowed. Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara insisted that the move to ban away fans was “based on safety” and that “there was no conspiracy”.
However, documents published this week show that an internal expert police review, completed around 16 days before the match, concluded that Israeli supporters could have been allowed to attend in limited numbers. The review said there was no risk-free option, but judged a reduced away allocation to be the “least worst” outcome. Police also acknowledged shortcomings in the information used during the planning process, including reliance on fake news on Google relating to a separate match in 2023.
The home secretary has now ordered an independent review of the ban, and the handling of the decision remains under parliamentary scrutiny.
Chelsea Hire Rosenior
Chelsea have appointed Liam Rosenior (Ro-zen-ee-or) as their new head coach on a five-and-a-half-year deal running through 2032. Having managed Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, Rosenior already works within Chelsea’s multi-club structure. The 41-year-old, who has managed 153 senior matches, will become Chelsea’s first black British head coach.
At Strasbourg, Rosenior led Europe’s youngest squad (average age around 21.5), aligning with Chelsea’s strategy of developing young players to improve performance and asset value. The Blues have not fielded a single player aged 30 or older this season. Dive deeper into Rosenior’s tactical profile as a manager here.
Rosenior is expected to observe Chelsea’s league match against Fulham from the stands and will be in charge of their FA Cup third-round tie against Charlton on Saturday (Jan 10).
The Strasbourg Supporters’ Federation, which opposes multi-club ownership, issued a strongly worded statement. “The transfer of Liam Rosenior marks another humiliating step in Racing’s subservience to Chelsea,” it said. “The problem goes far beyond the mid-season sporting impact and the ambitions of a young coach. It is structural, the future of French club football is at stake.”
Premier League Title Race
As Matchday 21 kicks off, Arsenal have an 84.8% chance of winning the Premier League, according to Opta’s prediction model. Mikel Arteta’s side are six points clear, having turned a fragile two-point lead into a commanding cushion. See the Premier League table here.
Historically, there have been nine previous instances where a team led by six points or more after 20 games. Six of those nine teams went on to win the title (a 66.6% conversion rate), meaning the lead is significant but not decisive. The only team to hold exactly a six-point lead and not win the title was Manchester United in 1997-98, who were overtaken by Arsenal.
In Arsenal’s favour, they have already played away to six of the teams currently ranked second to ninth. However, the Gunners also held five — and later six — point lead after 20 games in 2022-23, only to be caught by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
POLL
Will Liam Rosenior be a success at Chelsea?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Barcelona will meet Athletic Club in the Spanish Supercopa semi-final on Wednesday (Jan 7), while Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will play the corresponding fixture on Thursday (Jan 8) (More) | Defender Joao Cancelo will reportedly join Barcelona on loan until June from Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal (More)
> Serie A leaders Inter will face Parma on Wednesday (Jan 7) as one point separates them from AC Milan and two points from Napoli (Table)
> Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo is set to have a medical at Manchester City, and his £65m move is expected to be completed before Saturday (More)
> Ruben Amorim's compensation package took the total cost for Man United to hire and fire him to nearly £27m (More) | Pep Guardiola says Manchester City defender Ruben Dias is expected to miss four to six weeks with a hamstring injury (More)
> Championship side West Brom have parted ways with head coach Ryan Mason after 27 games, as they sit seven points clear of the relegation zone (More)
Americas
> Canada Soccer’s men’s national team has named a 20-player roster for their upcoming January preparatory camp from January 8-18 (More)
> D.C. United acquired Romanian striker Louis Munteanu for a club-record fee of a reported $10m (More); MLS transfer tracker (More)
Rest of the World
> Algeria and the Cote d'Ivoire have qualified for the quarter-finals of Afcon; see the upcoming fixtures (More)
> Tunisia has parted with coach Sami Trabelsi ahead of the World Cup and his coaching staff following their last 16 exit at Afcon (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Should managers stick to their tactical philosophy even if it puts their job at risk?
🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ 👍 Yes (44%)
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅♂️ Nope (51%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (5%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 J.L: “A manager’s tactical philosophy is who they are and what they want the team to be. Managers have to be given time for the team to first understand their philosophy, then implement the tactics, then get comfortable playing that way, and finally...hopefully..find success. This takes months and months. Firing a manager based on the boardroom guys' analysis of his tactics is ridiculous. Managers have to stick to their guns and play the way they think will best help the club win.”
🙅♂️ S.R: “A manager's tactical philosophy is fine, but must either be adapted to the personnel or new players must be added to fit the approach that’s desired. I think winning is always more important than ‘being right.’”
🙅♂️ M.B: “The great managers adapt their formations to the starting eleven. Managers who only stick to one tactic quickly find themselves out of a job. Player availability and ability help determine what formation should be started with, but may change throughout the game. Adaptation is the key!”
✍️ L.J: “United knew Amorim's formation and tactics when they hired him, so that's on them for appointing a manager whose style didn't suit the squad. However, Slot is currently holding fast to his formation and tactics despite having been seemingly found out by the opposition in his second season, so his lack of a plan B is concerning...”
EXTRA TIME
Is the new manager bounce real or a myth?
Bournemouth unveil glow-in-the-dark kit.
Don’t miss this 118th-minute Afcon winner.
AFCON fan goes viral for standing still for 120 minutes.
Thiago Silva’s first interview with FC Porto. (English subtitles)
The Premier League players free to negotiate with foreign clubs.
Is AI taking the fun out of fantasy football?
GAME FACE ON
Question: Can you name every permanent Manchester United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club in 2013?
Scroll below for the answer.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
Antonella doesn’t allow me to play with the ball with my boys inside the house. Life’s ironies, right? I make a living from football, yet you can’t play with the ball indoors.
Answer
David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag, and Ruben Amorim.
