Enzo Maresca says he is "convinced" Chelsea cannot compete for "big things" with Manchester City and Arsenal this season. The Italian manager has had an good start at Stamford Bridge, winning seven of his 10 matches, overseeing a run of 27 goals and seeing Chelsea rise into fourth place, just two points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool. Meanwhil e , Maresca has urged caution about his team's ability to win major trophies during his first season. “I really don’t think we can compete with City or Arsenal," Maresca said after beating Gent 4-2 in the Europa Conference League. "I really don’t think that because we are not ready. The reason is that City has worked with the same manager for nine years and Arsenal for five years. If you want to compete for big things you need that time. “After Arsenal beat PSG they asked Luis Enrique and he said the same thing that Arsenal have had the same manager for five years and them only a year and a half."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a fresh warning to Iran Monday, saying there was no place in the Middle East beyond Israel’s reach amid a flurry of strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. In a video statement made in English, Netanyahu addressed the people of Iran and warned that their government was bringing them “closer to the abyss”. “With every passing moment, the regime is bringing you — the noble Persian people — closer to the abyss,” said Netanyahu. “There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach,” the prime minister added, warning the people of Iran that their “regime plunges our region deeper into darkness and deeper into war”. “Don’t let a small group of theocrats crush your hopes and your dreams,” Netanyahu said. Israel has in recent days been mounting heavy air strikes in Lebanon against the “Axis of Resistance”, a network of Iran-aligned militant groups in the region, including in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. An Israeli strike on Beirut Friday killed Hassan Nasra

  Organisers of the October 1 protest against hardship in the country have insisted they would proceed with the ‘showdown’ despite kicks by the Federal Government and warning by the Nigerian Police Force. A former presidential candidate and activist who is one of the leaders of the planned Oct 1 protest, Omoyele Sowore, gave an update on his social media platform X on Monday, insisting on the action, and saying it would be held across the country. “NO GOING BACK! #FearlessInOctober ”, he wrote on Monday. The nationwide protest will hold at the Eagles Square Abuja, according to the Sowore. While giving the nature of the protest, Sowore said protests will be peaceful. “The protests will hold across all parts of Nigeria because the scale of the devastation, hunger, insecurity, and hardship that this government has unleashed on Nigerians is national. I will emphasise again that these will be peaceful protests, as they’ve always been. “The last protests were peaceful, yet the government me

  Police authorities in Lagos have summoned three officers for allegedly extorting N1m from corps members. Footage of the encounter between the corps members and officers had made the rounds on social media late Friday. The incident is said to have happened in the Surulere area of Lagos. A social media user who shared the videos, claimed the officers took N1m from the corps members. In one of the videos, police officers were seen searching the car occupants’ documents. The situation later became heated, leading to more officers coming to the scene. An officer was later spotted entering the car while asking them to stop filming the incident. He also barred them from calling their loved ones. But the spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command Benjamin Hundeyin said the men involved in the incident have been summoned. “The men have been summoned and their trial has commenced,” he wrote on X while responding to Fasipe’s post. “We urge the complainants to visit the Complaint Response Unit

  Bobrisky Activist and social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, released an audio recording in which Bobrisky allegedly offered N15 million to operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This money was purportedly intended to persuade the agency to drop money laundering charges against him and prevent a potential jail sentence at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos State. Bobrisky, however, has denied the authenticity of the audio, calling it fake. In a Facebook post, he shared his distress over ongoing efforts to undermine him, stating he is now contemplating suicide. He wrote: “I have never thought about suicide in my life, but now it’s crossing my mind as I witness what people are doing to one another in an effort to tear them down simply because of dislike.” He added, “I don’t seek sympathy from anyone. The only people from whom I might have needed sympathy are my late parents. But who will stand up for you? Friends? Hat

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe faces a spell on the sidelines because of a thigh injury. The France international, who joined the Spanish club in the summer after his contract with Paris St-Germain expired, scored in a 3-2 win against Deportivo Alaves on Tuesday before being substituted after 80 minutes. Speaking after the game, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said: "He's fine - a little overloaded. He asked me for the change to avoid problems." In an update on Wednesday, Madrid said that "following tests" the 25-year-old "has been diagnosed with an injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg" and "his progress will be monitored". Real Madrid are away in a league match at Atletico Madrid on Sunday and then play Lille in the Champions League and Villarreal in the Spanish top flight prior to the October international break. Mbappe had scored six goals in seven games for the Bernabeu club before sustaining his injury.

  Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says his side's tactics in Sunday's 2-2 draw against Manchester City were "normal". The Gunners conceded a 98th-minute equaliser at Etihad Stadium, having been reduced to 10 men following Leandro Trossard's sending off in first-half stoppage time. Arsenal were accused of time-wasting against City, with John Stones and Kyle Walker saying the Gunners used the "dark arts" while protecting their 2-1 lead. But Arteta says his team had little option but to defend deeply, given City's numerical advantage, referencing a moment in the first half when Guardiola's side were down to 10 following Rodri's injury. "Well, we had to play the game that we had to play. The first 15 minutes, we couldn't. They [City] played 30 seconds with 10 men. Look what they did. It's normal what they did," said Arteta. "Unfortunately we've been in the same situation. We were in that same situation with Granit [Xhaka] whe