Frank Lampard signed off as Chelsea manager with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge that meant he failed to register a home win during his interim tenure.
It took a Kieran Trippier own goal, the defender deflecting the ball into the net midway through the first half, to cancel out Anthony Gordon’s early strike and spare the outgoing coach the ignominy of a ninth defeat in his 11 games in charge.
Newcastle had already sealed their objective and qualified for the Champions League, but they had not come to west London to hand Lampard the consolation of a victory to cap his brief reign, and so played with purpose and style.
For Chelsea at the end of an awful season, there were at last flashes of a brighter future with Noni Madueke, Lewis Hall and substitute Carey Chukwuemeka – none of them older than 21 – the outstanding trio.
Newcastle started the brighter. Allan Saint-Maximin ran at Trevoh Chalobah and, as the Chelsea defender backed off, slipped it through to Aleksander Isak, whose low shot was well blocked by the legs of Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Their opening goal was simple, but Chelsea made it so. A long ball out from the back was taken deftly on his left foot by Saint-Maximin who looked up and found Matt Targett overlapping on the left.
Cesar Azpilicueta and Chalobah seemed to leave the threat to one another to handle, and Targett had time to pick out Gordon, roaming free inside the six yard box, to tap home unmarked.
Newcastle were playing with the confidence of a side about to record their best finish in 20 years, and Isak nearly bent in a second minutes later, his arcing shot dropping just wide of Arrizabalaga’s left-hand post as Chelsea tottered.
Chelsea’s equaliser was a mix of brilliance from Raheem Sterling and misfortune for Trippier. Sterling collected the ball from a quick free-kick on the right of the penalty area and showed fine feet to slip inside and shoot left-footed low to the back post.
The effort looked to be going wide until a critical deflection off Trippier who, with help from Fabian Schar on the goalline, bundled the ball awkwardly with his arm past Martin Dubravka.
Newcastle should have restored their lead late in the half when Gordon’s header deflected off Hall into the path of Miguel Almiron. The forward has enjoyed his best season in black and white but could not cap it here with a goal, his effort instead ballooning high into the Matthew Harding Stand.
Chelsea, still unable to find the killer ball in the final third, looked rudderless in the first half.
Madueke tried to take matters into his own hands with a decent run and shot coming on off the right, but the strike dropped straight into Dubravka’s arms, before Almiron found himself in space again inside the box and produced a good, stretching save from Arrizabalaga.
The hosts were finishing the half the stronger. Hall’s deflected cross was met by Sterling, forcing Dubravka into a spectacular leaping save to his right, before Targett booted off the line from the England forward’s follow-up.
The final weeks of Chelsea’s campaign have largely been about looking for signs of promise among a squad whose confidence has been rocked, and Madueke gave a glimpsing reason for optimism when he cut from the right touchline and went close with a rocket shot early in the second half.
The January signing from PSV Eindhoven has started to find form after struggling for a place early in his Chelsea career.
Hall too at left-back has enjoyed a breakthrough year, and he went close with a shot that flew narrowly over the top after clever footwork to find space. It was his cutback 20 minutes from time that found Sterling free inside the box to shoot off target, that after fine work from the substitute Chukwuemeka who drove at Newcastle with purpose.
Sterling shot wide late on after the excellent Madueke had run the ball to the byline and crossed. Chelsea wanted a penalty for handball against Dan Burn but VAR ruled no infringement.
At the other end 17-year-old debutant Lewis Miley, on as a substitute, clipped the crossbar with a crisp drive from outside the box.
Joao Felix headed over with virtually the final action, perhaps a final touch in blue for the loan signing from Atletico Madrid.
But Chelsea could not find a home victory to send their outgoing manager off with. The rebuilding job starts here.
‘We will give him an honorary card’ - Sartini hoping for heavenly presence in playoff decider
Vanni Sartini opened his arms to an unlikely addition to the Vancouver Whitecaps’ fanbase in their deciding fixture against Los Angeles FC in the MLS playoffs.
In the Whitecaps’ wild card match against the Portland Timbers, a game they won 5-0, opposition manager Phil Neville believed that God was on his side after the game was played at Providence Park, despite Vancouver finishing higher in the Western Conference.
Sartini explained after the result that he did not believe in God but said he would be a welcome Whitecaps supporter in their must-win encounter at the BMO Stadium.
“I don’t know. After last time when I said that I don’t think he exists, I don’t know if he wants to become part of the Whitecaps, but if he does, we will give him an honorary card,” Sartini said.
The Whitecaps forced a deciding game in their best-of-three series after beating LAFC 3-0 at BC Place, the only tie to go the distance in the West.
Vancouvers’ postseason form has seen them play some of their best football this term, and Sartini is hoping for that to continue.
“We had a run in the late summer, and we were playing really well, and we have achieved that same level, and it’s the level of a top four team to be honest,” Sartini added.
“The three games, we knew that the conditions were going to be back, and we knew we were gearing towards the playoffs with all the players arriving and ready to go.
“I know that we will play a good game in Los Angeles, we will. If we win, I don’t know. We will honour this playoff run.”
LAFC, meanwhile, will be aiming to avenge their defeat in Game 2, hoping not to become the second high-profile casualty in the playoffs after the Columbus Crew were eliminated by the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference bracket.
Ryan Gauld opened the scoring in the 10th minute before two own-goals either side of half-time from Ryan Hollingshead and Eddie Segura sealed the win for Vancouver.
LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo bemoaned his side’s slow start to proceedings after finding themselves two goals down inside 13 minutes and is looking to rectify that on home turf this time around.
“If you go back to the 11 games that we lost this season, it has always been the crucial moments at the beginning of the half where we make mental lapses and errors,” Cherundolo said.
“It was a little sloppy mentally and tactically in those moments and that is just not good enough to win games. Against Vancouver, it is difficult because they are a team full of energy.
“They almost always capitalise on opponents’ mistakes, and they did against us. We have nothing to blame but ourselves and we will look to correct those errors in training.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LAFC – Denis Bouanga
Despite not finding the back of the net in Game 2, Bouanga will be hoping to get himself back among the goals against one of his favoured opponents in the MLS.
He has recorded at least one goal contribution in all five home matches he’s played against Vancouver in all competitions, totalling four goals and four assists over the five matches.
Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld
Gauld has scored in four straight matches for the Whitecaps going back to the end of the regular season, including a goal during his side’s victory in Game 2.
The only Whitecaps player to score in five straight MLS matches (regular season and playoffs) is Camilo Sanvezzo between June and July 2013.
MATCH PREDICTION: LAFC WIN
While the series is level heading into the decider, it is LAFC who are predicted to emerge victorious according to Opta’s data-led simulations.
However, their seven-match winning streak in all competitions ended with the loss to Vancouver in Game 2. LAFC have not lost consecutive matches in over a year, since a three-match losing run between August and September 2023.
Vancouver’s 3-0 win last time out ended an eight-match winless run in the best-of-three series. (D2 L6). They have managed only one win in 12 all-time away matches against LAFC (D4 L7) but did beat the Black and Gold in a penalty shootout at BMO Stadium in the Leagues Cup this year.
The Whitecaps’ triumph in Game 2 was their third all-time playoff victory (D2 L8). In those three wins, the Whitecaps have outscored opponents, 13-0, while being outscored 19-6, in their other 10 postseason contests.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
LAFC – 63.1%
Draw – 19.6%
Vancouver Whitecaps – 17.3%
'Disappointed' Parker laments disallowed goal in West Brom stalemate
Burnley head coach Scott Parker was left "disappointed" with officials after Jaidon Anthony saw his goal ruled out in their goalless draw with West Brom on Thursday.
The Clarets are now without a win in their last four Championship games, while also failing to score in their last three fixtures in the division.
Anthony, however, thought he had put Burnley ahead in the 59th minute when he headed Lucas Pires' delivery to the back post beyond Alex Palmer.
But referee Tom Nield felt the Burnley winger had pushed Callum Styles in an attempt to reach the ball, thus disallowing the goal, much to the frustration of Parker.
"I've watched it back again - it's a goal. It's a valid goal and disappointing the ref has decided to give that decision," Parker told Sky Sports.
"There's a little hand but nothing to influence the player too much.
"Overall we looked very good, good value. At this present moment the chances are not going in (but) overall today the attacking threat was more positive.
"I am really encouraged by that. It's a young team, in a process."
Anthony also gave his version of events at full-time, echoing the comments made my his manager.
"Yeah frustrating, at the time I didn’t think it was a foul. The defender didn’t seem to complain either," Anthony added.
"I want to score more, I don’t really get too many headers, it felt good going in, I turned around and it was a heartbreaking moment to see it ruled out.
"We haven’t created enough in the past games, but today I felt like we had chances."
Carlos Corberan, unsurprisingly, shared a different view of the incident.
"From my point of view from the bench it was a foul," the West Brom boss said. "In general as a team we were good in the first half and we created some opportunities.
"In the second half they were better than us until the last third of it. They were more compact than us and we struggled to create chances."
West Brom have now drawn their last six games in the Championship, with Thursday's stalemate their third straight draw without a goal at the Hawthorns.
And the Baggies struggled again to find that clinical edge in the final third, registering just one shot on target from the 11 efforts they managed against Burnley.
Despite the result, West Brom moved up to fifth in the table, while Burnley remained in fourth, but the Clarets are now four points behind the automatic promotion places.
Maresca thrilled with 'serious' Chelsea after Conference League romp
Enzo Maresca was thrilled with the "serious" performance Chelsea put in during their 8-0 drubbing of Armenian minnows Noah in the Europa Conference League.
Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku scored twice at Stamford Bridge, while Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Axel Disasi and Mykhailo Mudryk also got themselves on the scoresheet.
The Blues were six goals to the good by half-time, the biggest advantage by an English side at the break of a major European game since Derby County were winning 9-0 against Finn Harps in the 1976-77 UEFA Cup.
Chelsea are also top of the 36-team league table on goal difference, having scored 16 times in their three matches in the competition so far.
Maresca was impressed by the way his side ensured there was no slacking against evidently inferior opposition.
"I think the players showed how professional and serious they are. It is very easy to sleep in these kind of games," Maresca said after the game.
"Football is full of surprises. It was to show how serious we are, how professional. They showed that and it's an important message for all of us.
"In the first five minutes, we conceded a chance. You have to be focused. The way to show respect to them, don't underestimate them.
"Football is full of these kind of surprises. We don't need that."
Speaking to TNT Sports, Maresca was especially pleased considering he once again made wholesale changes from the side ordinarily seen in the Premier League.
"Very impressed, especially because we are trying to change players every game. It works well," he added.
"We have good players, and we want them to get minutes. Some of them play in the conference, some in the Premier League, but all of them want to play every game."
The Stamford Bridge faithful could be heard chanting 'we want 10' during the game, but centre-back Adarabioyo was equally delighted with the clean sheet.
"I didn't [know fans were chanting 'we want 10']. Didn't manage 10 but a great result," he told TNT Sports.
"Concentration is key to make sure we have the clean sheet at the end of the game and we managed to do so. I've been thinking I needed a goal soon, so very happy to get one.
"Never take your foot off the gas. We just kept going. Set out for the clean sheet and we managed to get that. We haven't had one for a while."
Up next for Chelsea is a return to Premier League action, hoping to carry the momentum for their convincing triumph against an out of sorts Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
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