On this day in 2012, Andre Villas-Boas left Chelsea as former midfielder Roberto Di Matteo was appointed interim manager until the end of the season.
Villas-Boas, 34, lost the job he had held for just eight months less than 24 hours after a 1-0 defeat at West Brom which left the Blues sitting in fifth place in the Premier League table and having won just five of their previous 15 games in all competitions.
The Portuguese had been recruited at great expense – around £13.3million – as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement by then Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in June 2011 and handed the task of overhauling an ageing squad after winning a remarkable quadruple with Porto.
However, he quickly found himself under pressure and reports of dressing room unrest coupled with faltering form prompted the club to act ahead of an FA Cup trip to Birmingham and an impending Champions League showdown with Napoli.
In a statement, they said: “Unfortunately the results and performances of the team have not been good enough and were showing no signs of improving at a key time in the season.
“The club is still competing in the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup, as well as challenging for a top-four spot in the Premier League, and we aim to remain as competitive as possible on all fronts.
“With that in mind, we felt our only option was to make a change at this time.”
Assistant Di Matteo was placed in temporary charge and made rather a good fist of it, at least initially.
The Italian guided Chelsea to FA Cup final victory over Liverpool and then famously at the Allianz Arena, a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final as Didier Drogba, whose late header had taken the game to extra time, converted the decisive spot-kick to complete Abramovich’s quest for European glory.
Di Matteo’s reward was a permanent two-year contract, although his reign too proved short-lived when he was sacked after just five months at the helm.
Boehly says Chelsea masterplan is 'coming together'
Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly believes the Blues' plan is finally starting to come together, hailing the "beautiful football" played by Mauricio Pochettino's men in recent weeks.
Chelsea have spent over £1billion on players in less than two years under the Boehly regime, but they have had to wait to see any kind of return on that sizeable investment.
Following a dismal 12th-placed Premier League finish in 2022-23, Chelsea endured a difficult start to their first campaign under Pochettino, but a recent upturn has them eyeing European qualification.
Chelsea have only lost one of their last 12 Premier League games (six wins, five draws), beating Tottenham 2-0 and West Ham 5-0 in their last two to move into the top seven.
With games against Nottingham Forest, Brighton and Hove Albion and Bournemouth to come, the Blues have put themselves in with a chance of securing Europa League football for next season, and Boehly is delighted with their progress.
Speaking at a Sportico conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Boehly said: "We've seen the last two and a half games... in the second half at Aston Villa and against Tottenham and West Ham, we played beautiful football.
"It was so fluid, it was exactly the way we drew it up, when we came out of the back, built up and moved up the pitch, it was very organised, then the number of shots we had…
"In those two and a half games, you could really start to see what we were working on coming together."
Chelsea's 5-0 rout of West Ham last Sunday made it nine wins in their last 11 Premier League games at Stamford Bridge (one draw, one defeat).
Since the start of December, they have earned the joint-most home wins (nine, alongside Arsenal) and home points (28, level with Manchester City) in the Premier League.
Kompany says Burnley have nothing to lose in do-or-die Tottenham clash
Vincent Kompany says Burnley have no choice but to go "all out" in their final two games of the Premier League season, needing to win both to have any chance of avoiding relegation.
The Clarets approach Saturday's trip to Tottenham in 19th, five points adrift of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, who they face at the City Ground on the final day.
To tee up a winner-take-all clash with Nuno Espirito Santo's team, Burnley must win at Spurs and hope Forest lose to Chelsea later on Saturday, given the Clarets possess a vastly inferior goal difference.
With Burnley facing up to the prospect of a fourth relegation from the Premier League, Kompany says they have nothing to lose.
"Let's just go all out. Let's have a good go and do ourselves proud," he said.
"That's the goal we have. I would love the fans to come out of this place with a special experience.
"In the end, I wouldn't describe this as a high-pressure game. We don't have anything to lose. If we go into the game protecting a two-point lead, then it's a different mindset."
Tottenham, meanwhile, appear destined to miss out on Champions League qualification after losing four straight Premier League games, leaving them needing a perfect set of results to overhaul fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Spurs' defensive frailties were ruthlessly exploited in a 4-2 defeat to Liverpool last time out, leading to criticism of Ange Postecoglou from some sections of the fanbase.
However, the former Celtic boss says he needs time to complete Tottenham's turnaround, telling Optus Sport: "It was never going to happen in two transfer windows.
"What you've got to remember is, when I came in last year, the team had finished eighth last season, but it wasn't a team on the climb.
"It was eighth for a team going in the other direction. So you've got eighth, in decline, you lose your best player and we want you to totally change the way we play."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tottenham – Richarlison
Richarlison recorded a goal and an assist off the bench against Liverpool last week. He is the only player to achieve that feat as a substitute twice this season, also doing so in Spurs' 2-1 win over Sheffield United back in September.
The Brazilian could be reintroduced into Postecoglou's lineup on Saturday, and he will be desperate to make an impact amid rumours concerning his Tottenham future.
Burnley – Arijanet Muric
While Muric has been criticised for making some high-profile errors, he has the highest save percentage of any goalkeeper in the Premier League this season (81.3 per cent).
Despite playing just eight games, he has also prevented the second most goals (seven) in the league, according to Opta's expected goals on target (xGoT) model (18 xGoT faced, 11 goals conceded excluding own goals). He could be busy again on Saturday.
MATCH PREDICTION – TOTTENHAM WIN
Tottenham have won seven of their eight previous Premier League home games against Burnley (one draw), winning the last four without conceding. Only against Crystal Palace between 2015 and 2019 have they won five in a row at home while keeping a clean sheet each time in the competition.
Spurs have, however, gone 13 home league games without a clean sheet – their longest run since enduring a 15-match streak between December 2002 and September 2003.
Last week's loss at Anfield represented the fourth time they have conceded four or more goals in a Premier League game this season, their most in a single campaign since 2013-14 (five).
As Tottenham look to avoid losing five straight Premier League games for the first time since 2004 (a run of six under Jacques Santini and Martin Jol), they may just be thankful for this fixture against the Clarets, who have been found wanting at the top level this season.
Burnley have lost all seven of their league games against teams starting the day in the top five this term by an aggregate score of 24-7 – including a 5-2 defeat in the reverse fixture at Turf Moor.
While Kompany's team will give it a go, their campaign looks destined to end in relegation.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Tottenham – 64%
Burnley – 13.8%
Draw – 22.2%
Tchouameni an injury doubt for Champions League final
Aurelien Tchouameni is an injury doubt for Real Madrid’s Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund next month.
Madrid came from behind to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in their semi-final second leg on Wednesday, but the Frenchman was forced off in the 70th minute.
Tchouameni has sustained a stress injury to his left foot, which will reportedly rule him out for three to four weeks.
He will miss Madrid’s final three games of the LaLiga season against Alaves, Villarreal and Real Betis, and is now a major doubt to play in the Champions League final on June 1.
Madrid have lost just two games in all competitions this campaign, and Tchouameni did not start either of them.
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