Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca believes the make-up of the Blues' squad gives them an opportunity to dominate English football for the next five to 10 years.
Maresca's Stamford Bridge tenure has got off to an excellent start, with Chelsea sitting third in the Premier League – albeit nine points behind leaders Liverpool – ahead of Wednesday's trip to Southampton.
The Italian has won 38 of his last 59 league games in charge of Chelsea and former club Leicester City overall (eight draws, 13 losses).
Since the beginning of last season, no manager has won more such matches across England's top two tiers (level with Leeds United's Daniel Farke – excluding play-offs).
The likes of Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson have starred for a young Chelsea side this campaign. Indeed, the 13 youngest starting XI's to be selected in the Premier League through 13 matchdays this term have all been by Chelsea.
Having spent heavily on the recruitment of young talent in just over two years under the Todd Boehly regime, Maresca feels Chelsea are destined for big things.
"What I said to the owners and the sporting directors the first time I met them, because of the age, and because of how good the squad is, for me Chelsea in the next five to 10 years will be one of the teams, or the team, that is going to dominate English football," he said.
"This is what I said to the club the first time I met them.
"No matter who will be the manager, for the next five or 10 years, because of the age, the squad, you can dominate English football. I still think exactly the same.
"In terms of a target, they didn't ask me for any target, only to try to build something important for the next years. I think we are [heading] in the right direction."
The Opta supercomputer gave Chelsea just a 0.2% chance of winning the title before a ball was kicked this term, but their hopes are now marginally up at 0.6%.
Maresca still feels this season is too early for his team to mount a title tilt, adding: "In terms of a personal target, I know you struggle to believe it but I'm not focused on [the] end of the season, next season, because it's not real."
Amorim: Arsenal are the best team I will have faced since Man Utd move
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has said that Arsenal will be the biggest challenge he has faced since joining the club ahead of their trip to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
"It's the best team that we have faced by far. But a test is every game. If you saw the last game [against Everton], it was really tough," Amorim told reporters on Monday.
Despite the size of the task facing Amorim and his new club, he suggested that his players should not be scared of what awaits them.
"It's important to be brave [on Wednesday], when I say it's brave it's not pressing all the time higher. It's not the same. You have to understand the game, the moments of the game. We need to have the ball, that is a key point.
"We want to have the ball, we want to dominate some moments of the game, because you know these matches it's hard to control all the game. We have to be brave and play the game."
Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, was complimentary about his opposite number ahead of Wednesday's match, which will be Amorim's third in the Premier League.
"You can see his fingerprints [on the club], you know what he wants to do straight away, I think he’s been very clear," he told his pre-match press conference.
"He’s been very successful with Sporting, it’s remarkable after so many years what he achieved there, especially in the way he did it and the way his teams have been playing.
"He brings energy to the club, to the players, new ideas and that’s always something that’s positive but we have to focus on what we have to do."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arsenal – Bukayo Saka
Saka ranks second to Mohamed Salah for goal contributions in the Premier League this season, having scored five times and registered 10 assists.
Having registered 10 assists in 13 league matches for Arsenal, Saka is the fourth-quickest to reach double figures in assists in Premier League history.
Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes has scored four goals and provided four assists in the seven matches in all competitions since Erik ten Hag's departure from Manchester United.
The 30-year-old has created 12 chances in his last four league appearances, which is a Premier League high for that period.
MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN
Arsenal have beaten Manchester United in each of the last three league meetings between the pair, while they have also won five of their last six home games against United.
Mikel Arteta's side come into this match having won each of their last three matches in all competitions by an aggregate score of 13-3.
They are second in the Premier League table behind Liverpool, having accrued 25 points in 13 matches and scored 26 goals – the equal second-most.
Manchester United have won just one away game this season in all competitions, coming against bottom club Southampton in September.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Arsenal – 62.9%
Draw – 19.8%
Manchester United – 17.3%
Jamaica's Cavalier FC make History with Concacaf Caribbean Cup triumph
Cavalier FC etched their name in Caribbean football history on Tuesday, becoming the first Jamaican club to claim the Concacaf Caribbean Cup since 2019 and only the third overall, following in the footsteps of Harbour View and Portmore United.
Despite a 2-1 defeat in the decisive second leg against the Dominican Republic’s Cibao FC at the Estadio Cibao FC, Cavalier secured the championship on the away goals rule after a 2-2 aggregate tie.
The Jamaican side entered the second leg with a slim 1-0 advantage, courtesy of Shaquille Stein’s goal in the first match in Kingston. However, Cibao FC, unbeaten through the semifinals, made an explosive start to the second leg in front of their fervent home crowd.
The hosts leveled the aggregate score in the 27th minute when Juan Díaz calmly converted a penalty, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Seconds later, Cibao seized the lead on aggregate as their leading scorer, Rivaldo Correa, nodded home a pinpoint cross from Ernesto Trinidad to make it 2-0 on the night.
Cavalier, however, refused to be rattled. In the 54th minute, Dwayne Atkinson, named Player of the Tournament, responded with a crucial strike, rifling the ball into the net to make it 2-2 on aggregate.
With that goal, Cavalier regained control of the series via the away goals rule, but from there, the contest became a test of their defensive mettle.
Cibao mounted relentless pressure, with José Barreto attempting a speculative long-range effort in the 70th minute, only for Cavalier’s goalkeeper Vino Barclett—later awarded Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament—to acrobatically tip the ball over the crossbar.
Orlando Russell came close to sealing the series for Cavalier in the 84th minute but narrowly missed the target.
Moments later, Cibao’s Eddipo Rodríguez unleashed a powerful shot from distance, forcing another crucial save from Barclett.
The drama intensified in the dying moments as Cavalier’s Jalmaro Calvin found himself unmarked inside the penalty area but was denied by the right post.
Cibao’s final flurry in stoppage time was neutralized by Barclett, who made his third save of the night, clutching the ball to signal the end of the contest and spark jubilant celebrations for Cavalier.
Cavalier’s triumph marked the culmination of a remarkable campaign in which they showcased resilience, tactical acumen, and individual brilliance. In fact, it was no surprise that the Rudolph Speid-coached team swept the tournament’s individual awards.
This, as Jalmaro Calvin won the Youth Revelation Award; Vino Barclett copped the Best Goalkeeper Award; Shaquille Stein won the Golden Boot; and Dwayne Atkinson was named Player of the Tournament. The Cavalier also took home the Fair Play Award.
Having finished runners-up in 2023, Atkinson pointed out that Cavalier’s journey to the 2024 title was a story of redemption as the team demonstrated their growth and maturity by handling the pressure of playing in hostile territory and prevailing on the grand stage.
“We kept our composure. They were leading us two-love, but we knew we needed only one (goal), and we came back and got the job done, and we kept a clean sheet in the second half,” Atkinson said.
“The most difficult moment was when they led us 2-0; our heads were down, but we came back in the second half and regrouped and kept fighting, and we give God thanks. The goal gave us the momentum to keep fighting, and we came out victorious. This is one of my biggest dreams in my career. It’s a very proud moment for me, my coach, and all the fans from Jamaica. So we will give God thanks and celebrate,” he added.
With this victory, Cavalier secured a coveted spot in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, entering the tournament in the Round of 16. Their achievement also signals a resurgence of Jamaican football at the regional level after Harbour View’s triumphs in 2004 and 2007, and Portmore United’s 2005 and 2019 wins.
Haiti's Real Hope FA secure third place in Carib Cup and historic Champions Cup berth
Haitian club Real Hope FA clinched a 3-2 victory over Dominican Republic’s Moca FC in the second leg of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup third-place series at Estadio Moca 85 on Tuesday.
The win secured a 4-2 aggregate triumph and confirmed Real Hope’s place in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, marking their first-ever appearance in the prestigious tournament.
Entering the second leg with a 1-0 lead from the first encounter, thanks to Stanley Joseph’s lone goal, Real Hope FA capitalized on their advantage. While Moca FC pushed for an early breakthrough, it was the visitors who looked more composed in the first half.
Huguens Michel nearly doubled Real Hope’s aggregate lead in the 38th minute with a curling free kick that rattled the right post, leaving the home crowd relieved but wary of the threat posed by the Haitian team.
However, the breakthrough for Real Hope came in the 66th minute, when Angelo Exilus finished off a swift counterattack with a precise right-footed strike inside the box.
That goal not only extended their aggregate lead to 2-0 but also placed significant pressure on the hosts. However, they responded just five minutes later, when Guillermo de Peña unleashed a powerful left-footed strike from the edge of the box in the 71st minute to equalize on the night and breathe life into the Dominican side’s comeback hopes.
De Peña struck again in the 79th minute, this time he converted from close range after a well-placed header by Gustavo Ascona. His second goal of the night tied the aggregate score at 2-2 but left Moca still needing another goal to overturn Real Hope’s crucial away-goal advantage.
Real Hope FA, undeterred by Moca’s resurgence, reclaimed control in the closing stages as Daniel Saint-Fleur delivered a stunning strike from outside the box in the 90th minute.
Rapha Intervil then added the finishing touch in stoppage time, calmly slotting home from close range after being set up by Rikanel Chery in the 90+5 minute to cap a memorable night for Real Hope.
With the 4-2 aggregate win, Real Hope FA not only claimed third place in the tournament but also earned their debut qualification for the Concacaf Champions Cup.
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