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Cesc Fabregas' managerial stock continues to rise, and he moved even closer to his dream managerial job after Como equalled the record for the biggest Champions League winning margin.

On an unforgettable night for the Spaniard, Como continued to defy the odds as seven second-half goals helped them thump RC Lens 9-1 away from home to continue their excellent start in Europe's elite competition.

The Serie A side have now beaten RB Leipzig, Manchester United and Lens to collect nine points from a possible 12, as they sit proudly in fourth on their Champions League debut.

Como's rise from the lower echelons of Serie B to equaling records in the Champions League is one of the most remarkable success stories in the modern era.

Fabregas has played a huge role in their incredible journey, joining the Italian team as a player in 2022 after leaving Monaco before being named the permanent head coach in July 2024 following their promotion to Serie A for the first time in 21 years.

The 39-year-old had previously held the caretaker role between November and December 2023, but has since established himself as one of the best managers in the world after reaching similar heights as a player.

After guiding them to a 10th-place finish in his first campaign, Fabregas then masterminded a fourth-place finish in Serie A and a ticket to the Champions League for the first time in the club's history.

Combining the positional play he learned under Pep Guardiola with the fast-paced transitions of Arsene Wenger, Como have destroyed many teams under the Spanish tactician and this latest exceptional performance on the big stage only puts him closer to his dream job.

Fabregas has always harboured ambitions of coaching his boyhood club Barcelona, outlining this aspiration four years ago when he was coming to the end of his playing career.

“I can’t deny that it would be a dream to coach Barca one day. Time will tell. Right now all I want to do is prepare myself well to become a coach,” Fabregas said in an interview with RAC1.

When asked about his preparations for becoming a manager, he added: "I have notebooks with notes about the things I liked and didn’t like about the different coaches I’ve had. To keep it in mind for the future.”

Fabregas came through the ranks at La Masia but ended up leaving the Camp Nou for Arsenal in 2003. He famously spent eight years in North London before returning to his boyhood club in 2011, where he produced 42 goals and 50 assists in 151 appearances before joining Chelsea in 2014.

The former midfield maestro has gone from pulling the strings on the pitch to doing so in the dugout, and it feels only a matter of time before he's moving to one of Europe's biggest clubs.

Barcelona offering him a role as manager is a self-proclaimed dream, but he's open to the idea of joining another footballing giant and hasn't ruled out the possibility of managing Real Madrid.

“I don’t have a red line. One red line, and I’ve been very clear about this from the beginning, is that I wouldn’t want to be an assistant… for example. I’m clear that I want to be a head coach," Fabregas said in May.

"The other thing (the possibility of Real Madrid)? I haven’t even thought about it or considered it. I haven’t had time for anything.”

It would go down like a lead balloon at Barcelona if Fabregas ever joins Real Madrid, but if his stock continues to skyrocket, he could be in the running to eventually replace Jose Mourinho.

Manchester City fans have urged Enzo Maresca to drop one of his players from the starting lineup after a subpar performance against RB Leipzig.

City entered this clash with 10 wins in their previous 10 matches against German opposition in the Champions League, and when Castello Lukeba scored an own goal in the 37th minute, they were nailed on to make it an 11th.

But the hosts fought back shortly after half-time and drew level when Ridle Baku beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with his strike from a tight angle. Maresca's men then restored their lead through Enzo Fernandez on the hour before Antonio Nusa equalised minutes later. The visitors pushed bodies forward in search of a winning goal and it was unsurprisingly Erling Haaland who provided it, tapping into an empty net after brilliant work from Elliot Anderson.

Maresca would have been delighted that his Norwegian goal machine came to his rescue once more, but several of his players – notably Donnarumma – didn't cover themselves in glory on the night.

The Italian goalkeeper has endured an error-filled campaign so far and that continued against Leipzig when he was beaten at his near post from a seemingly impossible angle by Baku.

Reacting to his performance on X, one fan wrote: "Donnarumma, one week he will win you game, the next week, he will lose you the game. Terrible patches of form and inconsistency is not what you want in goalkeeper.

"Donnarumma is going to Ruin this club if we’re not careful," another agreed while a third brutally said: "Donnarumma is worst goalkeeper we have had."

"Just sell Donnarumma in January; we lose nothing," someone else demanded.

"Donnarumma. They should really have stuck with Trafford," a fifth posted, suggesting the club should never have sold James Trafford to Leeds United this summer.

City signed Donnarumma for a reported £26million from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day last year and the 27-year-old was mostly faultless in his debut campaign.

But at the start of the 2026/27 season, the Italy international has become error-prone. In their 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League, he let Nicolas Jackson's low shot squirm under him and was at fault for Maghnes Akliouche's goal in the 4-2 defeat to PSG.

In normal circumstances, managers will take their goalkeeper out of the limelight and give someone else a shot between the sticks.

Geronimo Rulli is currently pushing Donnarumma for a regular opportunity and did his chance no harm after his penalty shootout heroics in the Carabao Cup victory against Brighton.

Some have even urged Maresca to start the Argentine in the Premier League or Champions League, but the Italian has already said he won't drop the former AC Milan goalkeeper.

Speaking before their 1-0 defeat to Brighton in the Premier League, Maresca said: "I think it is one thing to say that in this moment it is Gigio plus 10, and another thing to say undroppable. They are two different things.

"There is no player that is undroppable but in this moment it is Gigio plus 10. In this moment I see it like this."

Whether his opinion on Donnarumma changes after his latest howler against Leipzig remains to be seen, but if he is going to drop him, he will have to go against his word.