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• Maresca warns Chelsea against complacency ahead of Tottenham clash

  Enzo Maresca has warned high-flying Chelsea that "things can change quickly in football" ahead of their London derby against Tottenham in the Premier League. 

  Maresca's side are second in the standings with 28 points from 14 matches and are unbeaten in their last six, trailing leaders Liverpool by seven points. 

  Arsenal also have 28 points, but sit third on goal difference, while champions Manchester City are two points behind the Blues in fourth place. 

  But Chelsea's Italian head coach once again refused to count his side as one of the contenders for the Premier League title this season.  

  "I don't think we are there and ready to compete with Arsenal, Liverpool and City. We have to do many more things well, not just score goals," Maresca said. 

  "Defensively, we are doing well, but we are just focused on Sunday and then the next one.

  "We are not thinking about April, May or June. It's too early. Things can change quickly in football. The focus is Sunday."

  The Blues have scored 31 goals this season - the most by a team in the league this season, with Cole Palmer their top scorer with nine goals, followed by Nicolas Jackson, who has struck eight times. 

  They head into the derby on the back of a 5-1 win against Southampton on Wednesday, which was the second time they scored five goals or more in away games this season.

  The last time they did the same, they emerged champions under Jose Mourinho during the 2014-15 season. 

  Meanwhile, their next opponents, Tottenham, were beaten 1-0 by Bournemouth last time out and dropped to 10th place, but Maresca labelled Spurs "a fantastic team." 

  "Spurs have very good players and a very good manager. What kind of problems they have, I don't know. But they are a fantastic team," he said. 

  "You see the results, two weeks ago they beat City, so they are a very good team."

  The 44-year-old also hailed Noni Madueke, who scored his fifth goal of the season against the Saints and has been involved in three goals in two matches, but reiterated that the winger still has scope to improve. 

  "Overall he's working well since we started. Sometimes he drops a little bit. He's not allowed to drop. In terms of numbers, he's doing fantastic with goals and assists," Maresca said.

  "Off the ball, when we ask him to defend and press, he's doing very well. The only reason I said this the other day is that I want the best from Noni and to get the best you have to push him. If he relaxes a little bit, it's wrong."

• 'Determined' Postecoglou aiming to turn Tottenham's fortunes around

  Ange Postecoglou said he was not "hurting" but "determined" to turn Tottenham's fortunes around after their inconsistent season continued at Bournemouth on Thursday. 

  Postecoglou watched on as his side slipped to a 1-0 defeat to the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium, with Dean Huijsen's first-half header sealing the victory for the hosts. 

  The result saw Tottenham slip to 10th in the Premier League, having won just one of their last six games in all competitions, with that victory coming against Manchester City. 

  Following the full-time whistle, several Tottenham fans confronted Postecoglou as he made his way over to the away end, with the Australian engaging in conversation. 

  This Sunday, London rivals Chelsea are the visitors to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Postecoglou is aiming to put things right on home soil. 

  "I'm not hurting, I'm determined, that's all. I don't want to say it's unacceptable (the fans' abuse) because it is what it is," Postecoglou told reporters.

  "I've lived in this world for long enough to know that when people aren't happy they'll express their opinions, and I'm never going to hide, I'm never going to shirk that responsibility. I'll take (it) on board.

  "Is it nice? No, because like I said last night, I'm not just a manager, I'm a human being like everyone else. None of us like to hear those sorts of things, but it is what it is.

  "It doesn't disappoint me, it doesn't frustrate me, it doesn't make me angry; I'm just as determined as ever to get it right. Not because of that, but because of my resolve to bring success to the football club."

  Postecoglou said he was still searching for answers to Spurs’ inconsistency, and is also hoping to improve his own record in London derbies. 

  After winning his first four games in charge of Tottenham against teams across the capital (W2 D2), Postecoglou has now lost seven of his last 13 such matches (W4 D2).

  Adding to his woes was an injury to Ben Davies, who was playing as centre back in the absence of injured duo Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

  “Ben will go for a scan today so we’ll find out more," Postecoglou said. “Cuti’s (Romero) due to training, but we’ll see how he goes on Saturday."

  “Chelsea are going really well, they are in a good space at the moment with a fairly healthy squad and in good form.

  "Always a tough game against them but we are at home, and we need to make sure we produce a performance like we have in the other games," he added.

• Al-Ittihad 2-1 Al-Nassr: Bergwijn nets last-gasp winner for leaders

  Steven Bergwijn's last-gasp winner earned Al-Ittihad a huge victory in their quest for the Saudi Pro League title, beating Al-Nassr 2-1 at King Abdullah Sports City on Friday. 

  Karim Benzema had given the hosts a 55th-minute lead before Cristiano Ronaldo levelled two minutes later, but Bergwijn struck the decisive blow in second half stoppage time. 

  In a tepid opening 45 minutes, clear-cut chances were hard to come by, with Bergwijn and Benzema going closest for the hosts, but unable to trouble Bento. 

  However, Al-Ittihad got themselves in front shortly after the break when Muhannad Al Shanqiti picked out Benzema, with the Frenchman on hand to tuck the ball home.

  But the hosts' joy was short-lived after Angelo saw his effort cleared off the line by Danilo Pereira, before the Brazilian laid the ball back to Ronaldo to level the scoring. 

  With the game looking to end all square, Al-Ittihad stole the three points at the death as Bergwijn cut inside before curling a right-footed effort into the far-left corner. 

  The result moved Al-Ittihad three points clear at the summit, though Al-Hilal can go level with them with a win over Al-Raed on Saturday. Al-Nassr, meanwhile, stayed in fourth. 

  Data Debrief: Bergwijn bursts Ronaldo's bubble

  Al-Ittihad have often been second best in their encounters with Al-Nassr, but they earned an impressive victory against Ronaldo's side, though it may not have been deserved. 

  They managed an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.66 from their 11 shots compared to Al-Nassr's 1.2 from the same number of attempts. 

  Benzema also ended his goal drought against Al-Nassr, having failed to score against them in his previous game against them. The former Madrid striker ended the game with a team-high xG of 0.36, while also having more shots (seven) and touches in the opposition box (four) than any of his team-mates. 

  Al-Ittihad have now won their last nine league matches, their second-longest streak in the competition after 10 wins between October 2021 and February 2022, while also triumphing in their eighth-straight home match in the Pro League.