Sport
Maresca Praises 16-Year-Old Reggie Walsh After Chelsea’s Europa Win
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was full of praise for teenage midfielder Reggie Walsh after the Blues sealed a 1-0 win over Djurgarden in the Europa Conference League semi-final second leg on Thursday.
The 16-year-old made his first senior start for Chelsea, slotting into Maresca’s system seamlessly. A first-half goal from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall proved enough to secure the victory at Stamford Bridge, sending Chelsea to the final with a 5-1 aggregate win.
They will now face Real Betis in the final later this month. Betis edged Fiorentina 4-3 across both legs in their own semi-final clash. Speaking after the game, Maresca shared his thoughts on Walsh’s standout performance.
“He was smiling, relaxed, and just enjoying himself,” Maresca said. “I told him to play like he does in training. You could see he wasn’t scared, just confident.” The Chelsea boss added, “Reggie fits perfectly into the way I want my team to play. At just 16, the way he demanded the ball and handled possession was impressive.”
Maresca also gave a lighthearted reminder of Walsh’s age: “Tomorrow, he still has to go to school—but there’s no doubt he’s a very talented player.” Chelsea return to Premier League action this weekend as they prepare to take on Newcastle United.
Former England forward Gary Lineker believes Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes this season rest heavily on new signing Viktor Gyokeres making an instant impact. The Gunners brought in the 27-year-old striker from Sporting CP in a deal worth up to £63 million after his stunning tally of 54 goals in 52 matches last season.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker said Gyokeres needs to deliver similar numbers if Arsenal are to push for the title again. “A lot will depend on how Gyokeres performs,” he noted.
“He scored a great goal in pre-season, but we all know pre-season doesn’t count for much, except for strikers, where it helps build confidence. He’ll get plenty of service, so if he settles quickly, they could go very close again.”
Super Eagles B coach, Eric Chelle, has opened up on why his side suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Sudan in their 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) clash on Tuesday.
The loss, which followed a 1-0 defeat to Senegal in their opening match, ended Nigeria’s hopes in the tournament. Sudan’s goals came through an own goal by Leonard Ngenge, a strike from Walieldin Khedr, and a brace from Abdel Raouf.
Reflecting on the game, Chelle admitted that his players made too many costly errors, especially after the break. “We made too many mistakes and let the game slip away in the second half,” he said. “Four goals, four mistakes. It’s been the same story in both games against Senegal and Sudan.”
Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak appears to have reached the end of the road with the club.
According to reports from The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Swedish forward has made it clear he will not play for Newcastle again, even if the transfer window closes without a move.
While the Magpies are reluctant to let the 25-year-old go, they are keeping an eye on the market as Liverpool show strong interest in securing his signature.
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