Nigeria Premier League

Brentford shock Chelsea to make Premier League history

Chelsea’s revival came to a grinding halt in a 2-0 West London derby defeat to Brentford, who have become the first-ever visiting team to win each of their opening three Premier League games at Stamford Bridge.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team dominated the possession and shot counters, but Thomas Frank’s side defended admirably and drew first blood through Ethan Pinnock’s powerful header, before Bryan Mbeumo doubled the Bees’ tally with seconds remaining, making the Blues pay for their worrying profligacy.

With neither Enzo Fernandez nor Mykhaylo Mudryk making the hosts’ squad due to fresh knocks, the door swung open for Noni Madueke to make his first Premier League start, and the ex-PSV Eindhoven man almost justified Pochettino’s decision with just 10 minutes gone.

While both sides enjoyed forays forward in the earliest exchanges, Chelsea countered with pace after every Brentford set piece, one of which ended with Madueke cutting in from the right and curling a sumptuous strike onto the bar with 10 minutes gone.

Pochettino’s side continued to make inroads at will, as Mark Flekken got down to his right to beat away a Conor Gallagher drive in the 12th minute, before Cole Palmer picked out the run of Marc Cucurella with a delightful inswinging delivery in the 19th minute, but the Spaniard’s tame volley landed straight into the arms of the Bees goalkeeper.

Brentford’s besieged defence continued to hold out, although Mads Roerslev was arguably fortunate not to give away a penalty for a shove on Raheem Sterling in the 24th minute, which neither Simon Hooper nor VAR official Craig Pawson deemed spot-kick worthy.

For all of Chelsea’s first-half dominance, Robert Sanchez was forced into the first meaningful action of the second half, as Mathias Jensen’s cutback into the penalty area landed at the feet of Vitaly Janelt in the 50th minute, but the German could only shoot straight at the Blues goalkeeper.

However, the hosts’ early profligacy would eventually come back to haunt them, as with 58 minutes gone, Mbeumo lifted an inviting delivery to the back post, where Pinnock surged beyond a jumbled Chelsea defence and directed a bullet header past a stranded Sanchez.

The same old story befell Chelsea as the Blues searched for an equaliser, with Pochettino’s men stringing together several slick passing sequences in and around the Brentford box before a mishit final ball killed the attack, although the visitors’ defensive masterclass more than played its part too.

Chelsea frustrations soon boiled over on the sidelines, as Pochettino’s assistant Jesus Perez was given a red card – seemingly for something he said towards the Brentford dugout – and his dismissal would only mark the beginning of a chaotic 90th minute.

As Chelsea failed to make the most of a set-piece again, Brentford launched a four-on-one counter-attack, which ended with Sanchez bravely thwarting substitute Yegor Yarmolyuk before Mbeumo fired just wide of the post a few seconds later.

Sanchez then came up for a last-minute corner as Chelsea rolled the dice one last time, but the goalkeeper’s risky endeavour backfired and then some, as Neal Maupay broke away on the counter-attack, shook off the backtracking Sanchez and slid in Mbeumo to tap home into an empty net.

Brentford and their ecstatic fans celebrated with a few Jurgen Klopp-esque fist pumps, as the Bees snapped their six-game winless run in all tournaments to rise to 10th in the table, leapfrogging Chelsea – who have only won one of their last 13 league home games – in the process.

The Bees have a week to recuperate before they tackle another London counterpart in West Ham United next Saturday, while Chelsea seek a spot in the EFL Cup fourth-round when they battle Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday.

Nigeria Premier League

Eunisell Gears Up For 2025 Boot Awards Amid Tight Scoring Race

As the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League season nears its thrilling conclusion, on Sunday, May 25, Eunisell Limited, Africa’s leading specialty chemicals and oil production solutions company, is proud to announce its readiness for the prestigious Eunisell Boot Awards.

This year’s event, scheduled for June in Lagos, marks a major milestone—a decade of Eunisell’s steadfast commitment to celebrating excellence and supporting domestic football development in Nigerian football.

The Eunisell Boot Award, is an annual ceremony honouring the NPFL’s highest goal scorer, spotlighting individual brilliance and inspiring the next generation of football
talent.

Since inception, the initiative has become one of the most respected individual
accolades in Nigerian football.

With one match day to go this season, the race for the 2025 Eunisell Boot is intensifying.

Nasarawa United’s currently leads the race to grab the Eunisell Boots with 18 goals.

Yusuf took his tally to 18 goals in Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Enyimba.

The trio of Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars) Anthony De Souza Ijoma (Abia Warriors) and Shola Adelani (Ikorodu City) have 12 goals each.

Beyond the Boot Awards, Eunisell currently sponsors Abia Warriors, a prominent club in the NPFL, further demonstrating its active support for domestic football development and grassroots talent.

Ken Okeiyi, CEO of Eunisell, emphasized the company’s dedication to the sport and its role in uplifting communities.

Over the years, Eunisell Boot Award has stood as a symbol of recognition, reward, and belief in the power of local talent.

As the NPFL season wraps up, we are once again reminded of the skill, determination, and passion that define Nigerian football.

Eunisell is proud to continue investing in the future of the sport by celebrating those who inspire on and off the pitch.

Eunisell’s involvement in Nigerian football—through both its individual player recognition and club sponsorship—reflects its broader vision to foster excellence, empower youth and promote national pride.

Details of the 2025 Eunisell Boot Awards ceremony, including final date and venue, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Sports247.ng

Nigeria Premier League

Abiodun Celebrates The NPFL’s New Era As Remo Stars Clinch The 2024/25 Trophy

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has expressed delight at the steady transformation of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), commending the league’s organizers for aligning its calendar with international standards.

Governor Abiodun made the remarks in Abeokuta while receiving a delegation from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), led by its President, Ibrahim Gusau, and the Chairman of the NPFL, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye.

The officials visited to congratulate the Governor following the official presentation of the 2024/25 NPFL trophy to Remo Stars—champions of this season.

Speaking on the sidelines of the visit, the Governor praised the NPFL’s decision to synchronize its season with global leagues, many of which conclude by May or early June.

“While the champions, our own Remo Stars from Ogun State, were crowned on Sunday, there is just one more game to conclude the season—meaning the NPFL will wrap up in May, just like most European leagues. This is commendable,” he said.

Abiodun, who attended the trophy presentation in Ikenne, also applauded the NPFL board for conducting a smooth and rancor-free season.

“It is to the credit of the NPFL Board, led by my brother, Elegbeleye, that we had this beautiful celebration today. All stakeholders agree that Remo Stars are worthy champions,” the Governor stated.

Present at the reception were several NFF Board members, including Ganiyu, Aisha Falode, and Silas Agara.

Sports247.ng

Nigeria Premier League

NPFL Drama: Late Spot-kick Seals Shooting Stars’ Win Over Sunshine Stars

Sunshine Stars narrowly lost 0-1 to Shooting Stars in a tightly contested Matchday 36 fixture of the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.

The decisive goal came in the 84th minute after the referee awarded a late penalty to the home side, following a scramble in the box.

Just two minutes earlier, Sunshine Stars were reduced to ten men when defender Yusuf Olowoshile received a red card.

Shooting Stars capitalized on the advantage, converting the penalty with composure to secure all three points.

Despite the defeat, Sunshine Stars displayed grit and determination, going toe-to-toe with their hosts and creating several scoring opportunities.

Goalkeeper Emma Offori was a standout performer, making several key saves to keep the Owena Whales in the contest.

Speaking after the match, Shooting Stars head coach Gbenga Ogunbote praised Sunshine Stars for their resilience, labeling their current league standing as “unfortunate.”

On his part, Sunshine Stars coach Bobola Akinfolarin expressed frustration with the result, particularly the timing of the penalty. Nevertheless, he stressed that the team must now shift focus to their final two games of the season.

Sports247.ng