Premier League: Postecoglou Sacked After Forest Defeat; Arsenal Stays Top with Win at Fulham
Ange Postecoglou’s brief tenure as Nottingham Forest manager came to an abrupt end following a disheartening 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday. The loss marked Postecoglou’s sacking after just eight games and 40 days in charge, making it the shortest managerial stint in Premier League history.
Forest struggled under Postecoglou, managing to secure only one point from five league matches, while also facing elimination from the League Cup at the hands of second-tier Swansea. The club’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, watched in dismay as Chelsea took control in the second half, and Postecoglou’s fate was confirmed shortly after the final whistle.
With this defeat, Forest has found itself in the relegation zone and is already searching for its third manager of the season, having previously dismissed Nuno Espirito Santo last month.
Chelsea, meanwhile, weathered an early storm before two quick goals early in the second half turned the tide. Teenager Josh Acheampong opened the scoring with a header from a Pedro Neto corner, followed by Neto curling in a free-kick to double the lead. Reece James capped off a dominant performance with a late goal, lifting Chelsea to sixth in the table.
In contrast, Arsenal held onto their Premier League top spot thanks to Leandro Trossard’s winning goal in a tightly contested match against Fulham. Trossard flicked in a corner just before the hour mark, and the Gunners’ solid defense ensured their eighth clean sheet across all competitions this season.
“It was a tough game for us, especially in the first half when our quality wasn’t there,” Trossard admitted. “We picked it up in the second half.”
Arsenal’s victory keeps them three points ahead of Manchester City, who moved up to second place following a 2-0 win against Everton. Erling Haaland was once again the standout performer, scoring both goals in a match where City has now gone unbeaten in eight games across all competitions.
Haaland’s first goal came from a powerful header, while his second benefitted from a mistake by England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. “I’m really pleased, but we cannot rely on just him; we need other players,” said City manager Pep Guardiola, acknowledging Haaland’s crucial role in their title challenge.
In other notable matches, Bournemouth missed the chance to go top temporarily as Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta scored a last-minute penalty to complete his hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Newcastle continued to struggle on the road, suffering a 2-1 defeat at Brighton, while Burnley climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 victory over Leeds.
