Stamford Bridge plays host to a heavyweight showdown on Sunday as Chelsea look to dent league leaders Arsenal, who currently sit top with a four-point.
The London rivals arrive in outstanding form after midweek European triumphs, setting the stage for the most compelling edition of this fixture in years.
Both sides arrive carrying major momentum after midweek Champions League statement wins. Chelsea delivered their most polished display since Enzo Maresca took charge, sweeping aside Barcelona 3–0, while Arsenal dismantled previously unbeaten Bayern Munich 3–1 in another emphatic performance.
Many observers now consider Mikel Arteta’s team the strongest in Europe, but the Spaniard will be well aware that championships are not decided in late November. Victory in west London, however, would stretch their cushion to seven points.
Chelsea, meanwhile, climbed above Manchester City last weekend after Pep Guardiola’s side slipped to a 2–1 defeat at Newcastle. That came on the heels of the Blues’ routine 2–0 win away at Burnley.
Still, beating Arsenal has become a rarity for the hosts. Their most recent success in this fixture was back in August 2021, when Romelu Lukaku struck during Thomas Tuchel’s tenure.
Most recent: Arsenal 1–0 Chelsea (March 16, 2025 — Premier League)
Chelsea Team News
Chelsea’s superb midweek outing makes sweeping changes unlikely, but Maresca has shown he is willing to tweak his setup depending on the opponent. João Pedro is expected to return to the XI after starting on the bench against Barça, though his role is up for debate—either operating as a No. 10 or playing slightly deeper as a roaming striker. Liam Delap’s physical presence could be useful against Arsenal’s back line.
Estêvão appears almost certain to keep his place on the right, though Cole Palmer is back in full training and ready to feature from the start if required.
Levi Colwill, Roméo Lavia and Dário Essugo remain unavailable.
Arsenal have slowly regained their attacking firepower since the international break, with Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli both returning and both finding the net against Bayern.
Leandro Trossard, however, picked up a knock in midweek and may miss out. Viktor Gyökeres is expected to remain sidelined, and Kai Havertz is projected to return next month. Gabriel Jesus is edging closer to full fitness after his long knee layoff.
At the back, Piero Hincapié and Riccardo Calafiori should reoccupy the left side of the defence. Captain Martin Ødegaard is likely to resume his role in midfield, with Eberechi Eze drifting out wide.
Super Eagles and Hull City defender Semi Ajayi scored his first goal for the club in their narrow 2-1 win over Stoke City on Saturday.
The 32-year-old made the headlines for the wrong reasons just less than two weeks ago after his missed penalty cost Nigeria a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
However, it appears all that is water off the duck’s feather for the former Arsenal centre-back as he celebrated his goal with vim this afternoon.
Starting two games in a row at the bet365 Stadium, the lanky defender opened his goalscoring account just three minutes into the second half, although Welsh winger Sorba Thomas already broke the deadlock in the 17th minute.
The Nigerian headed the Tigers’ level after substitute Mohamed Belloumi had diverted Joe Gelhardt’s wayward volley into his path.
Ajayi struggled with hamstring problems after joining Hull, and Sergej Jakirovic’s men had lost their previous two Championship games against Queens Park Rangers and Ipswich Town before their game this afternoon.
However, it was Leeds United loanee Joe Gelhardt who scored the goal that ended Hull’s winless streak.
Mohamed Belloumi turned provider again, feeding the 23-year-old Englishman inside the left channel to finish beyond Viktor Johansson and give City another win over the Potters.
After battling to stay afloat in the Championship last season, Hull City are currently 7th, two points off Stoke City, who are in second place.
Inneh Queens’ star player in Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL), Ifeoma Marvellous Onwuegbuchulam, has appealed for assistance to raise N3.5m for surgery, after a motor accident left her bedridden for several months.
Onwuegbuchulam, who played for Inneh Queens of Benin City and FCT Queens of Abuja before moving to Osun Queens of Osogbo, where the career-wrecking accident took place on the 5th of July this year, said the operation will enable her to walk again.
The product of Community Action Through Sports (CATS) youth development project, during their days of sponsorship by the British Council, disclosed that she suffered several fractures when a car ran into a commercial motorcycle she was on in the Olonkoro area of Osogbo.
Four months after the ghastly accident, Ifeoma is stuck in a wheelchair and needs N3.5m to undergo a final stage of corrective surgery at Asala Bone Centre in Osogbo.
Onwuegbuchulam recounted, “This accident was very, very serious, but I am happy that I am still alive. It happened when I was on a bike, and it got into a head-on collision with a car.
“The first hospital where I was rushed to and then admitted was LAUTECH in Ogbomosho. I was later transferred to Asala Specialist Bone Centre, a private hospital in Osogbo, where I had the first stage of surgery.
“I need another stage of surgery to get back fully on my feet, but I can’t afford it. That’s why I am using this medium to appeal to football lovers, players, officials, companies, and Nigerians in general to kindly assist me.”
Donations in support of the footballer can be sent to the following bank account: 0435157958 GTB, IFEOMA MARVELLOUS ONWUEGBUCHULAM
The Chinwe Bode-Akinwande (CBA) Foundation, a leading non-governmental organisation and advocate for vulnerable groups, successfully held the Walk4Hope2025, a sensitization walk aimed at creating awareness about the challenges faced by underprivileged widows and their children in Nigeria.
The symbolic five-kilometer walk, which was held on Saturday, 15 November 2025, took off at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. It brought together individuals, organisations, and business leaders united in solidarity and compassion to collectively create awareness around the challenges that widows face and the essential support they require from the community.
Speaking on the importance of the initiative, Mrs. Chinwe Bode-Akinwande, the founder of CBA Foundation, said, “Walk4Hope is a call to society to recognise and respond to the struggles of the less privileged in our society, particularly widows and their children. For a decade now, our foundation has been on this journey to give widows the support they need to raise their children in spite of the many cultural and society challenges. Today, we walked not just for awareness, but to give widows the chance to dream again.”
The Rotary Club of Minimah Estate District 9112, in collaboration with Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group, has taken humanitarian work to Military Primary School Ikeja Army Cantonment.
They sponsored the school’s Year 2025 inter house sports competition, held at the Cantonment.
Speaking at the event, the President of the Club, Gen. Anthony Onibasa (Rtd), said the gesture was part of the Club’s humanitarian work and a corporate social responsibility for TGI Group.
Gen. Onibasa (Rtd), buttressed the importance of sports in helping to boost coordination, academic dexterity, good health and vitality.
“Traditionally, Rotary has seven areas of focus: one of them is basic education and literacy. We also adopt a community where we demonstrate Rotary values. This school is one of the communities we have adopted for Rotary work.
“For good health and vitality, sport is a key factor. So we decided to sponsor their inter-house sports. And in their words, this is the best inter-house sports they ever had. And we are going to do more for the community,” he noted.
Manchester City scored a late winner after Leeds United equalized two goals on Saturday afternoon to move to second place-four points behind league leader Arsenal.
Although they started the match very well, leading 2-0 after 25 minutes thanks to goals from Phil Foden and Joško Gvardiol, Pep Guardiola’s men had a real scare in the second half.
Leeds came back to equalize in just twenty minutes, throwing Man City into doubt after their two consecutive defeats, at Newcastle last weekend and against Bayer Leverkusen this week.
Fortunately, Foden avoided disaster and secured victory for his team in the 91st minute! A goal that meant a brace for the Englishman… and three points for the Skyblues!
Manchester City is second, four points behind Arsenal, who face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this Sunday.
Nigeria Super Eagles’ preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations have been dealt an early setback, with Paris FC forward Moses Simon expected to miss next month’s high-profile friendly against Egypt in Cairo, Soccernet.ng reports.
The winger, one of the Super Eagles’ most experienced attackers, is widely expected to make the final AFCON squad, but club-country scheduling has placed his availability in serious doubt.
A report from RMC Sport indicates that Paris FC will not release any of their African players before 14 December, the exact date of the friendly.
With Simon required to remain in France until matchday, his participation is effectively ruled out unless the fixture is shifted, a scenario that appears increasingly unlikely.
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, has described premier social institutions, including the Lagos Country Club, as indispensable allies in the State’s development drive, pledging that the government will increasingly harness their influence and professional expertise.
Dr. Hamzat made the remarks during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the Lagos Country Club, led by its President, Mr. Seyi Adewunmi, at the State Secretariat in Alausa.
Highlighting the role of recreational organisations in governance, the Deputy Governor noted that institutions such as the Lagos Country Club have evolved beyond leisure, serving as intellectual hubs powered by seasoned professionals, industry leaders, and strategic thinkers whose contributions can accelerate the progress of Lagos state.
“We view institutions like the Lagos Country Club as strategic partners to the State,” Dr. Hamzat said.
Dr Hamzat added that the state government intends to better utilise insights from the Club’s membership to strengthen its development framework and support the Greater Lagos Agenda while also improving engagement and feedback from a vital segment of the populace.
Responding, Mr. Adewunmi expressed appreciation to the Lagos State Government for its consistent support toward the Club’s modernization, outlining the institution’s expanding role as a non-state actor committed to social stability and national development.
“We are fully conscious of our responsibility as a non-state actor in the arduous task of nation-building,” Mr. Adewunmi stated.
The Club’s President underscored that through structured community outreach, promotion of inter-tribal harmony, and preservation of enduring values, the Lagos Country Club continues to complement government efforts in fostering a secure, orderly, and prosperous society.
Mr. Adewunmi reaffirmed the Club’s readiness to deepen cooperation with the State in areas of shared interest, emphasising its dedication to civic engagement, social cohesion, policy support, and community impact.
The visit concluded with mutual assurances of expanded collaboration between the Lagos Country Club and Lagos State Government.
Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen, in a new UEFA Champions League documentary, has offered unprecedented insight into his move to Galatasaray, his difficult childhood, the loss of his mother, and his rise to global football stardom. TAIWO ALIMI captures his words.
Victor Osimhen is clear about his ambitions in life, even as a boy, in spite of his difficult upbringing. Though he lost his mother at a tender age and his father also passed on in 2020, and his early is depended on struggling siblings, and hustle for food, he has risen to becoming one of the most prolific scorers in the world. He is on top of the cadre laden with honours, fame and cash.
He has also become the most talked-about player in the UEFA Champions League after netting six goals so far to top Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Kylian Mbappe
For Victor, a boy who grew up in downtown Olusosun, better known for its popular dumpsite in the populated Lagos, you don’t need to search too far to know where he learnt a life of ruggedness and resilience.
The boy from Olusosun
He said: “I came from a very poor background. I’m the last born of seven. I lost my mum at a very young age, and my father passed on in 2020. I lost my mother at a very young age. My brother called and said, ‘Mom fell asleep and never woke up again.’ When she left, it was really hard. Then my dad had to make sure he worked to feed us. I am grateful to God that I am where I am today. Before I rose to fame, my childhood was very tough.
“I came from a very poor background. Where I grew up is where the dream started to materialize. There was a dumpsite where I grew up. My friends and I would go there to look for shoes. If you found a right shoe of one brand and a left shoe of another, you put them together and used them the next day to play.”
“Before I rose to fame, before I became someone important in life, my childhood was really tough because, as a young lad, I had to try to live for myself, to try to help my siblings also in raising money at that time and to make sure that we all came together to help our father after his wife passed away.
“Olusosun shaped me to become the kind of person I am today, and, as much as I wouldn’t say it gave me so much, it actually taught me life lessons that have helped me through life’s journey. So, for me, it’s really an amazing place; that’s the reason why any time I’m in Nigeria, I always go there to show gratitude, to show to the young kids that if I could make it out of this place, I believe that you can.”
Osimhen said football became the lifeline for him and his family. He credited his childhood coach, Mr. Eric Kewe, for nurturing the raw talent that would later take him to Europe.
“We needed to do something. Football was the only escape for me and my family to get out of poverty.
“I was really young. We had this great man called Mr Eric Kewe, he assembled everyone. We called it Olusosun United. he is one of the people that used to encourage the boys. We were promoted from the youths to train with the big boys, and that shaped me.” Osimhen said that even during the darkest days of his childhood, he never doubted his ability or the destiny he felt ahead of him.
“Growing up, I didn’t have the privilege of a good life, but I believed so much in my talent, knowing that I was going to make it in one way or the other.”
A brother’s love
Osimhen also learnt hard work and hustling from his brother, who used to hawk sports papers on Lagos’ busy roads for a living.
“I saw the way my brother used to work because he sells sports newspapers. And if you sell sports newspapers in Nigeria, you can stay on the roadside, or you have your newspaper in your hand and you walk through the cars and hold up. He was the person who actually inspired me to hustle so hard.
“In the footballing aspect, it was Drogba because I saw him and I tried to model my game to his, and I tried to see how he plays, and how he’s living life outside of football. So, I have to be grateful for that man because for all I am now, I think I attribute some of my successes to him.
“He was the one that I actually picked to see the way he plays, to try to add some of his qualities, some of the things that he does that make him one of the most sought-after strikers in world football during his playing time. So, for me, it’s my brother in life, also, and then, in football, it’s Didier Drogba.
From Olusosun to Istanbul
From this humble background, Osimhen (26) has taken his talent to Europe and flourishing. His most recent transfer has landed him a permanent offer in Istanbul with Galatasaray, a move that is showing the best of the player.”
“I arrived in Istanbul and I have never seen anything like this in my life before. It was unbelievable that there were so many of them at the airport. Many of them were tracking flights, and everything. I think it was two or three o’clock in the morning. Many of them are fathers, many of them are husbands, and many of them are wives. They were supposed to be sleeping with their family, just relaxing at home, but they are outside for one person.
“After that, you will just have that fire in you to make sure that for every sweat you give, every run you make, you make it for the badge. I absolutely love this club and I’m ready to go through everything with them: the good, the bad and the ugly – but I hope more good than bad!
Champions League pledge
As Osimhen returns to the UEFA Champions League with Galatasaray next week, he said of his ambitions: “Now it’s time to make a statement in the most prestigious games.”
After making his competition debut with Lille in 2019 and enjoying two further campaigns as he enhanced his reputation at Napoli, the Nigerian forward is now pouring in the goals for Galatasaray, whom he joined on a permanent basis in the summer after a successful season-long loan in 2024/25.
The Turkish champions are back at Europe’s top table after a season’s absence and flying high. With a 3-0 thrashing of Ajax on the Matchday 4 trip to Amsterdam, a pair of home victories has helped them bounce back from Matchday 1 disappointment, and Osimhen is front and centre with six goals in four matches.
“I spoke with the president when I arrived here, and we want to really make a statement in the Champions League. We want to show that, in Türkiye, we are the team that the whole world will know this year because we actually did something amazing in Europe.
“We’ve dominated the league for years. We will keep on dominating it, but now it’s time to make a statement in the most prestigious games, Champions League games, because it’s beautiful when you play in the Champions League. So, for us, we want to make a statement.”
Napoli lessons
One would expect Osimhen not to speak kindly about Napoli, he acknowledged the good lesson learnt under the tutelage of coach Luciano Spalletti.
“Spalletti pushed the team toward greatness and ultimately to the Serie A title. It was amazing because in Napoli they breathe football. Spalletti used to remind us that if you try to bring glory to the city again, you don’t know what you have done. Bringing the trophy back to where it all started gave me a sense of fulfillment.”
With a Champions League golden boot race currently being led by the Nigerian forward, the striker insists he is far from finished.
“Where I see myself in the future is greatness, but I have to keep on working so hard, improving day by day, and I think for sure I will get there.”
He ended the documentary with one of the most heartfelt statements — a tribute to the woman who never got to witness the heights he would reach.
“The death of my mom still hurts me today. For everything she sacrificed, she wasn’t able to be alive to enjoy it.”
