KOLKATA: Win at Everton on Sunday and Chelsea could be leading the standings if only till Liverpool finish against Tottenham Hotspur.
So, no matter how much the head coach tries to deflect talk of being contenders, Chelsea cannot avoid it being part of Christmas conversation. That they are the first team to win five successive league matches, and, after their 5-1 win against Shamrock Rovers on Thursday, have comfortably qualified for the Conference League Round of 16 do nothing to reduce talk of a first title since 2016-17.
After the win against Brentford, Maresca was making the point about Chelsea's inability to close out the game as proof of why he thinks they are not ready to be contenders yet. But in a season where no team bar Liverpool have got on a run, Chelsea are doing their bit to make the title race interesting.
This story is from the December 22, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times Bengaluru.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 22, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times Bengaluru.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
NOT IN GERMANY; IT'S CHRISTMAS IN MUMBAI FOR SREEJITA AND MICHAEL
The actor and her husband are marking a shift from their usual Germany celebrations, as they embrace new traditions in India
Virat ne block kar diya hai mujhe Insta pe: Rahul Vaidya
Cricketer Virat Kohli has allegedly blocked singer Rahul Vaidya on Instagram.
Kohli, Smith and the Old Touch
Their place among the all-time batting greats is settled, but both will be keen to live up to their own lofty standards
'OTT has offered me the genres I wasn't getting previously'
This festive season, actor Tahir Raj Bhasin has more reasons to celebrate – his OTT series Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein (YKKA) Season 2 has been well-received, and the show is all set for a third outing.
Konstas to debut; Head, Rohit ready to go
Much of the intrigue on Tuesday centred around the fitness of two key figures on either side—Australia's Travid Head and India's Rohit Sharma.
Rohit's mantra: A personalised approach is key
Captaincy demands a mindset as varied as the individuals in the squad. You need to know when to be sympathetic and when to have a stern word or two. And can your attitude be the same with youngsters as it is with seniors?
INDIA GEAR UP FOR WOMEN'S T20 U-19 WORLD CUP TITLE DEFENCE
The chances of India defending the women's T20 U-19 World Cup, to be held in Malaysia from Jan 18 to Feb 2, though is quite high.
Harleen Deol, Pratika Rawal shine as India women clinch ODI series
It was a thoroughly dominant all-round performance from India yet again in this series as they defeated West Indies by 115 runs in the second women's ODI and took a 2-0 lead in the three-match series at the Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara on Tuesday.
India face Bangladesh in their CT opener, Pakistan on Feb 23
India will play Bangladesh on February 20 in their opening Group A game of the ICC Champions Trophy, to be played in Dubai as part of the hybrid model agreed for the tournament.
Paris heartache over, Chanu focuses on regaining fitness
Having overcome the agony of a 4th-place finish at Paris Games, the lifter has resumed training in Modinagar under national coach Vijay Sharma
