LONDON: Chelsea recorded their worst record in 33 years after losing 1-3 at home to Nottingham Forest last night.

The defeat saw the London club lose six consecutive league games for the first time since 1993.

In fact, things almost got even more embarrassing when Chelsea almost recorded six consecutive league defeats without a goal for the first time in the club’s 121-year history before Joao Pedro scored with a scissor kick in the 93rd minute.

With their form continuing to decline, the only relief for Chelsea fans at the moment may be the fact that there are only three games left in the season and they are not facing the threat of relegation.

The Blues’ poor performance has also been worse than Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers since mid-March.

Chelsea looked sluggish in every position with a blunt attack, a midfield that failed to dominate the game and a defense that was too fragile when they lost to Vitor Pereira’s Forest.

Chelsea were also dealt a blow when young winger Jesse Derry was rushed to hospital as a precaution after suffering a head injury on his league debut, while goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was also taken off after a head-on collision.

Cole Palmer also failed to convert a penalty when Chelsea were trailing 0-2.

When Taiwo Awoniyi scored Forest’s third goal in the 52nd minute, angry cheers erupted at Stamford Bridge with supporters targeting criticism of the American consortium that owns the club.

Since taking over four years ago, Chelsea’s owners have spent more than £1 billion on new players.

Hopes were rekindled after Chelsea won the Club World Cup last summer and the UEFA Conference League, but that confidence was shattered following a decline in performance since being beaten 2-5 by Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 on March 11.

The decline also caused Liam Rosenior to lose his position just three months after replacing Enzo Maresca.

Despite reaching the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 16, Chelsea are at risk of finishing the league season in the bottom group.

They are now just five points above Leeds United in 14th place, the club’s worst ever position in the 1993-94 season, before they are scheduled to travel to Liverpool next.

Failure to qualify for any European competition could also have a major impact on the finances of the club, which has just reported the largest annual pre-tax loss in English football of £262.4 million.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher says the connection between Chelsea fans, players and management now seems to have disappeared.

“In one sense, it’s a good thing because it proves that football is not just about money, buying players and endless player exchanges,” he told Sky Sports.

“It’s about team spirit and Chelsea don’t have that at the moment. They look like a broken club.”

MADRID: Mikel Arteta has defended Arsenal from criticism, describing his team as “exceptional” ahead of their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

The Premier League leaders beat Newcastle 1-0 last Saturday after going three games without a win.

Arsenal have been criticised for their lack of attacking flair, but Arteta insists that reaching the semi-finals has proven his team’s true quality.

“We need to be better and want to continue to improve in every aspect,” Arteta told reporters.

“But at the same time, to be here tonight, we have to be an exceptional team and among the top four in Europe. So imagine how difficult it is.”

Arteta said the win over Newcastle had boosted his players’ confidence ahead of the trip to the Spanish capital.

“After the victory over Newcastle, you can feel the energy and confidence of the team to face this match.

“It’s a great honour to be in the semi-finals of the Champions League two seasons in a row and to represent this club.

“We will seize this opportunity to the fullest. You will see a team that wants to dominate the game, wants to win and wants to start determining the direction of tomorrow’s match,” he said.

Arsenal have never won the Champions League, with their best finish being a runners-up finish in 2006.

“This is the stage we want to be on and we deserve to be here thanks to our hard work, passion and quality over the past nine months.

“Now is the time to prove our worth and show how much we really want it,” he said.

Arteta also confirmed that Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber are not yet fit to play, but Eberechi Eze and Riccardo Calafiori are ready.

Although a strong storm is forecast to hit Madrid today, Arteta does not see it as a major problem.

“We have played in various situations and different conditions.

“We will adapt to the situation and try to be ourselves to win,” he said.

LONDON: Chelsea interim manager Calum McFarlane praised the “character” of his players after they bounced back from the sacking of Liam Rosenior to beat Leeds 1-0 in the FA Cup semi-final last night.

McFarlane took over at a time when Chelsea were in turmoil after Rosenior left the club last Wednesday, after just three months in charge.

The Blues have lost their last five Premier League games without scoring a goal in their worst run since 1912.

That poor run cost Rosenior his job and ended Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Rosenior’s difficult relationship with the Chelsea star was a major factor in his downfall.

However, McFarlane, who was previously part of Rosenior’s coaching staff, managed to spark a more positive action from the players at Wembley.

“We had to endure the pressure and show character and resilience when they attacked with all their might. That character was probably the most gratifying thing,” said McFarlane.

“I think these players showed how much they want to win and what they are willing to do to win important games for the club.”

Chelsea are back in the FA Cup final for the first time since 2022 and are chasing their first trophy since 2018.

They will face Manchester City in the final on May 16 and McFarlane is aware that a victory over Pep Guardiola’s men could salvage part of Chelsea’s difficult season.

“Relief is the right word. We were confident before the game. We had a good three days but you never know. We wanted to change the momentum; our performance was not that good,” he said.

“We knew Leeds would see us as a vulnerable team. We ourselves knew we were in a bit of a fragile state.

“Then we started to control the game. Robert Sanchez’s performance was very important for us. We haven’t kept enough clean sheets lately.”

Enzo Fernandez scored Chelsea’s winning goal in the 23rd minute with a header in an ironic situation given his strained relationship with Rosenior, who dropped the Argentine midfielder for two games after he hinted at a possible departure from the club at the end of the season.

Fernandez returned to his best form against Leeds and McFarlane said: “The most impressive thing about him is he’s a fighter.”

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool reportedly remain supportive of Arne Slot to continue leading the team next season despite inconsistent performance.

Slot’s position is said to be still strong, especially after the dramatic victory over Everton in the Merseyside derby, with Virgil van Dijk scoring the winning goal in the 100th minute.

Liverpool are now on track to secure a place in the Champions League, sitting seven points ahead of Chelsea in sixth place.

Former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher said Slot is expected to remain if the club successfully qualifies for the European competition.

“Based on the information I have received, Slot will remain as manager next season if they qualify for the Champions League,” said Carragher.

In his first season, Slot led Liverpool to the Premier League title, but the current campaign has not gone well despite the club spending big, including signing Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike.

Liverpool also brought in players such as Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Giovanni Leoni.

However, the loss of key players including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez affected the team’s performance.

Liverpool were also eliminated from domestic competition after losing to Crystal Palace in the League Cup and Manchester City in the FA Cup.

On the European stage, they were also eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing to Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite facing a challenging season, the club’s management is expected to continue to trust Slot to rebuild the team for the coming season.