Chelsea
Why Chelsea’s Late Handball Appeal Against Hull Was Not Given
Chelsea were denied a stoppage-time penalty against Hull after a late handball appeal was waved away at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea finished their meeting with Hull City frustrated after a stoppage-time appeal for handball was turned away at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The incident came when Semi Ajayi moved across to meet the ball as it travelled toward Hull’s penalty area. He made contact, but it was with his right fist rather than an open hand, and the officials saw no reason to award a penalty.
Estêvão reacted immediately, turning away and gesturing for the decision. Xabi Alonso showed the same reaction from the Stamford Bridge dugout, but neither on-pitch referee Farai Hallam nor VAR official Michael Oliver accepted the claim. Play continued without delay.
The decision sits within one of football’s most debated areas, the handball law. Under Law 12 in the FA Handbook, a handball offense is defined as when a player “deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger.”
Ajayi’s movement away from the ball rules out the deliberate element. That leaves the second part of the law, the question of whether his body was made unnaturally bigger. Law 12 states: “A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalize.”
As a result, the appeal was dismissed and Chelsea were left to accept an ending that felt even more frustrating than the rest of the afternoon.
Chelsea
Alonso Faces Goalkeeping Call After Martínez Returns To Training
Martínez is back in training early, leaving Alonso to decide between experience and Penders.
Chelsea have received an early boost with Emiliano Martínez back in training sooner than expected after managing a broken jaw with specialist protective gear.
The Argentina international was seen on Thursday wearing a strap around his jaw as well as a hat, a sign that his recovery may be moving quickly. Martínez has looked for equipment that could help speed up his return, and after only three weeks there is now a chance he could be available again. Whether he has been cleared for competitive action is still unclear.
That leaves a decision for Xabi Alonso. If Martínez is ready, he must choose between restoring the experienced goalkeeper to the starting side or keeping faith with Mike Penders, who has recently been handed a chance in the team.
Penders has already experienced the highs and lows of senior football. He made a costly mistake in the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, but responded with a clean sheet against Manchester United. In that match, he produced a brilliant save to deny Bryan Mbeumo, a moment that earned him a nomination for the Premier League Save of the Month award for October.
The question now is whether that form is enough to justify an extended run in the side. Martínez was brought in this summer to add experience to the squad, while Penders is still learning at 21 and needs matches to develop. Yet if he remains on the bench, that experience will not come easily.
Chelsea are no strangers to goalkeepers using protection. Petr Čech wore a padded headguard after fracturing his skull in October 2006, and continued with it for the rest of his career. Martínez will hope his own recovery does not lead to anything similar.
Arsenal
Gameweek 10 Premier League predictions as Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea headline
Arsenal, United and Chelsea lead a tight Gameweek 10 set of Premier League predictions.
Gameweek 10 arrives with another international break looming, and Sunday’s late meeting between Manchester United and Aston Villa stands out as the pick of the round. Arsenal are back at Emirates Stadium after a fortnight away, while Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur all face testing trips on the road.
Everton vs Coventry may not light up the weekend, but it still carries weight for both sides. Everton are aiming to move above Liverpool, even if only briefly, while Coventry arrive in decent form and have won three of their last five Premier League matches. A first meeting between the clubs in nearly 26 years adds an extra layer.
Tottenham’s recent surge is harder to ignore. Three straight wins, including their result at Stamford Bridge, have changed the mood around them, and their attacking play is beginning to settle. Leeds, though, are unbeaten in four home matches and may be well placed to frustrate them.
Arsenal look well equipped to handle Hull, who have already caused problems for Man Utd and Chelsea on their return to the division. The champions are again top of the table and appear to have steadied themselves after their Carabao Cup disappointment and recent Europa and league successes.
Fulham and Newcastle both come into their meeting under new managers and both have obvious issues to solve, particularly in attack and in recent form. Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, face a difficult evening against a City side seeking a response after back-to-back defeats.
Brighton’s consistency continues to impress after their win at Man City, and Brentford’s draw-heavy record makes them awkward opposition. Liverpool also need a lift after successive defeats, but Crystal Palace’s struggles suggest the visitors should edge it.
Elsewhere, Bournemouth’s strong run points towards another victory at Ipswich, while Chelsea should have enough to beat Sunderland despite the hosts’ historical success in this fixture. The round closes with Manchester United and Aston Villa, where a draw would do little to ease the pressure on the Red Devils.
Arsenal
October Premier League award nominees announced
Premier League October award nominees include standout performers and managers across the division.
The Premier League has named the contenders for its October 2026 Player and Manager of the Month awards, with eight players and six managers included on the respective shortlists.
Bournemouth forward Evanilson enjoyed a productive month, finishing October with four goals and one assist from four appearances as his team beat Sunderland, Manchester United and Leeds United after a slow opening to the season.
Aston Villa striker Nicolas Jackson also reached four goals in the month. The former Chelsea player scored twice in the 2-1 win over Manchester City and also found the net in draws against Brentford and Fulham.
Arsenal are represented by Ezri Konsa and Declan Rice after a perfect month. Konsa impressed in defence while William Saliba was absent, keeping two clean sheets in three outings and scoring his first goal for the club. Rice contributed two important assists at the other end.
Jack Rudoni’s form has helped Coventry City. The newly promoted side took two wins from four matches in October, with Rudoni scoring three times as they moved further away from the relegation zone.
Tottenham Hotspur also had an unbeaten month, and Jan Paul van Hecke played a key role in wins over Coventry, Chelsea and Crystal Palace. No player attempted or completed more passes than the Dutch defender last month.
Brighton have two nominees in Luka Vušković and Bart Verbruggen. Three clean sheets in four matches brought recognition for the Seagulls’ defence.
On the managerial shortlist, Chelsea scored more goals than any other team in October with nine, while Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta guided his side to the top of the table. Roberto De Zerbi, Unai Emery, Fabian Hürzeler and Marco Rose complete the list after strong runs during the month.
Month
Player
Club
August
João Pedro
Chelsea
September
Pascal Groß
Brighton
Month
Manager
Club
August
Sergej Jakirović
Hull
September
