West Ham have appointed Eve Vorley, a director of X-rated films such as ‘Lesbian Student Nurses’ and ‘Horny Housewives on the Job’, to their board.
Vorley, whose real name is Emma Benton-Hughes, is the partner of West Ham’s co-chairman David Sullivan and has been pictured at the London Stadium watching the Hammers in action on numerous occasions.
Now, she has been named as a director at the club who are 10th in the Premier League standings.
Manchester City reserve goalkeeper Scott Carson, midfielder Cole Palmer and a member of staff have tested positive for COVID-19, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.
The result came in hours before their League Cup semi-final at Manchester United.
The trio join a growing list of individuals who have contracted the disease at the club.
Manchester City missed six players due to positive tests in their 3-1 league victory against Chelsea last weekend.
The club said in a statement that they would observe a period of self-isolation in accordance with league and UK Government protocols on quarantine.
Manchester City’s game at Everton last week was also postponed due to several positive cases in their camp.
The Manchester club have joined Newcastle United, Sheffield United and Fulham among those who have suffered virus outbreaks.
The Premier League returned 40 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the highest in a week this season, after two rounds of testing last week.
Liverpool’s Premier League title defence suffered a setback as they fell to their second loss of the season at Southampton.
Danny Ings’ superb second-minute lob over Reds goalkeeper Alisson, from a James Ward-Prowse free-kick, settled the contest against his former club.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side remain top of the table on goal difference but have taken only two points from the past nine available.
Both Manchester United and Manchester City will leapfrog the reigning champions if they win their games in hand.
Southampton’s first win in five Premier League games sees them rise to sixth.
Manchester United moved level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool as a Bruno Fernandes penalty saw off stubborn Aston Villa.
Fernandes drilled his 11th league goal this season – and his fifth from the spot – into the bottom corner to punish Douglas Luiz’s clip on Paul Pogba and hand United an eighth win in 10 games.
Bertrand Traore’s calm finish underneath David de Gea had deservedly drawn Villa level, cancelling out Anthony Martial’s stooping first-half header for the hosts.
But Fernandes’ penalty extended United’s hold over Villa – they have now won 32 and lost just one of the past 44 league meetings between the sides – and leaves Liverpool top only by virtue of goal difference.
Villa might consider themselves unfortunate not to have left Old Trafford with at least a point from a thoroughly entertaining game but they also needed several fine saves from Emiliano Martinez to keep them in it.
After Fernandes’ spot-kick put United back in front, Martinez superbly tipped a stinging 25-yarder from the Portuguese on to the crossbar as well as denying Martial a second.
Martinez’s counterpart David de Gea was just as busy, with a late save from Matty Cash’s long-range strike preserving the points, not long after Tyrone Mings had headed wide a glorious chance to level.
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Departing Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira admits he’s eager to move to England.
Khedira has been linked with Everton ahead of the winter market.
He still feels he has plenty to offer having won five Serie A titles since joining Juventus from Real Madrid in 2015.
He told the Athletic: “The Premier League is still missing in my collection, to play there would be the icing on the cake. I’ve done extra sessions with fitness coaches to get myself ready for the pace and intensity.”
On Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, who he worked with at Real Madrid Khedira added: “We’ve kept in contact over the years. Him and Jose (Mourinho) are both amazing personalities from whom I’ve learned so much, about the game and about myself.
“They’re both at clubs that play an important role in the league. So let’s see what happens.”
Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham scored a late opportunistic double to secure a 3-0 home win for Chelsea over West Ham United in the English Premier League (EPL) on Monday.
This was after Brazilian defender Thiago Silva had fired them in front with an early header.
The result lifted Chelsea to fifth on 25 points from 14 games, a point behind fourth-placed Everton, while West Ham stayed 10th on 21 points after failing to rack up a third successive away win.
It was a welcome victory for Chelsea, after two successive defeats, and Abraham acknowledged there was a rallying cry in the dressing room before the kick off.
“The boys said we needed a performance and that’s what we did today,” the 23-year-old told Sky Sports.
“As a striker, scoring goals gives you confidence, my team mates created a lot of chances and we defended well as a team.
“It’s something you do in the park, get in the right areas and be ready when the ball lands. It’s still early days to be looking at the table, we have to just keep picking up three points.”
West Ham’s Declan Rice had a goal disallowed for offside before 36-year-old centre back Thiago Silva planted a thumping header past visiting goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski in the 10th minute as he met a Mason Mount corner.
The Hammers twice came close as Aaron Cresswell shot across the face of goal and Chelsea centre back Kurt Zouma cleared a dangerous raid before Fabianski denied Timo Werner at the other end in the closing stages of the first half.
But Abraham settled Chelsea’s nerves when he made it 2-0 in the 78th minute after Werner’s scuffed shot from the edge of the penalty area fell kindly for the England forward, who diverted it into the net with the slightest of touches.
With West Ham reeling, Abraham added the third two minutes later when he side-footed in a rebound from a tight angle after Christian Pulisic’s close-range header was parried by Fabianski.
Misfiring Germany international Werner missed a chance to make it 4-0 in the dying minutes when he rattled the crossbar from close range after a fine run and assist by N’Golo Kante.
Leicester City climbed to second in the Premier League as they overcame top-four rivals Tottenham to move four points behind leaders Liverpool.
In a hard-fought battle between the sides starting the day third and fourth in the table – Spurs one point above the visitors – it was the latter who established themselves as champions Liverpool’s closest challengers courtesy of Jamie Vardy’s penalty and a Toby Alderweireld own goal.
Vardy confidently dispatched his spot-kick in the fourth minute of first-half injury time, after referee Craig Pawson was advised to review Serge Aurier’s needless shove on Wesley Fofana via the pitchside monitor.
A VAR review for offside disallowed James Maddison’s well-taken finish three minutes after the restart, but Vardy’s header from Marc Albrighton’s excellent cross deflected in off Alderweireld to double Leicester’s advantage after 59 minutes.
Vardy’s opener arrived at the end of a closely contested opening 45 minutes, during which Spurs captain Harry Kane’s saved free-kick in the 34th minute and Foxes midfielder Maddison’s deflected shot from distance were the only other attempts on target.
Son Heung-min was denied at close range by Kasper Schmeichel as Jose Mourinho’s disappointing hosts were left frustrated in search of a response, while Leicester went close to a late third through Youri Tielemans.
Beaten 2-1 by Liverpool in their top-of-the-table meeting on Wednesday, former pacesetters Tottenham find themselves six points adrift of the lead.
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Arsenal failed to halt their dismal Premier League form as Everton claimed a 2-1 victory to keep the pressure on Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners fell to their eighth league defeat of the season and Everton move up to second in the table.
Rob Holding diverted the ball into his own net after a flick-on from Dominic Calvert-Lewin to put Everton 1-0 up.
Nicolas Pepe then scored from the spot for Arsenal after Tom Davies had kicked Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the box.
But Everton defender Yerry Mina restored the Toffees’ lead on the stroke of half-time with a header.
Manchester City returned to winning ways in the Premier League and closed the gap to the top four with a hard-fought victory over in-form Southampton at St Mary’s.
Raheem Sterling swept in from Kevin de Bruyne’s cutback after 16 minutes as Pep Guardiola’s side stamped their authority following the hosts’ energetic start.
Southampton, who began the day third in the table, responded well but their efforts to draw level were hampered by the loss of striker Danny Ings through injury before half-time.
In a tightly contested second half, Bernardo Silva miscued his shot after being played in by De Bruyne, while the hosts had appeals for a penalty for handball against Sterling dismissed by VAR.
Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy kept his side’s hopes of salvaging a result alive with a good save from Ilkay Gundogan’s curled shot, but Sterling’s finish proved decisive for a City side which had drawn their past two games.
City are one point behind fourth-placed Southampton and eight adrift of leaders Liverpool, having played one game fewer than both.
Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah both scored twice as Liverpool hit seven past Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park to go six points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Firmino, Salah, Takumi Minamino, Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson were all on the scoresheet as the champions overwhelmed Roy Hodgson’s side with a stunning away performance.
And the Senegal international then doubled the advantage in the 35th minute after a superb turn, before Firmino tapped home to round off a brilliant counter-attack on the stroke of half-time.
Captain Henderson curled in a fourth just after the restart before Firmino added his second after good work from Salah.
Salah headed home a sixth with nine minutes remaining, before doubling his personal tally with a brilliant individual effort moments later.
The Egyptian forward rounded off a brilliant team performance, as a scintillating Liverpool ensured they would be top at Christmas for the third consecutive season.