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Tag: Premier League

  • Brighton shock Man Utd with late penalty kick

    Brighton shock Man Utd with late penalty kick

    Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis MacAllister scored from the penalty kick spot deep into stoppage time to snatch a 1-0 win for his side over Manchester United on Thursday.

    The defeat leaves Erik ten Hag’s side in fourth place on 63 points, four ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool but with a game in hand over their Merseyside rivals.

    Brighton meanwhile move up to sixth on 55 points.

    The victory was some measure of revenge for Brighton, who lost to Manchester United on penalty kicks in their 2022/2023 English FA Cup semi-final meeting 11 days ago.

    The home side dominated possession and could have gone ahead as early as the fourth minute.

    This was after Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma snapped up a loose pass from Victor Lindelof, but he fired his shot straight into the face of David De Gea.

    Mitoma was a threat throughout, creating several chances for himself.

    He teed up Danny Welbeck to fire high and wide from the edge of the penalty box early in the second half as Manchester United struggled to pass the ball out of defence.

    After a first half booking, Manchester United midfielder Casemiro was lucky not to pick up another booking after hacking down MacAllister on the edge of the box in the second half.

    Tempers flared in the 68th minute as Manchester United winger Antony, angry at not being awarded a free-kick, was penalised for a tackle on MacAllister.

    He got into a confrontation with Lewis Dunk which earned both players a yellow card.

    Brighton continued to press forward looking for a winner, with substitute Solly March and MacAllister both forcing superb saves from De Gea as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes.

    Manchester United looked set to secure a draw, but there was late drama when defender Luke Shaw was found to have handled the ball in the penalty box.

    This was after a VAR review, and MacAllister blasted home the penalty kick nine minutes into stoppage time to secure the win.

    “Really happy and delighted for the performance and result,” Brighton coach Roberto de Zerbi told reporters.

    “There is a God of football —- we deserved to win the (FA Cup) semi-final but lost on penalty kicks, but today we won with a penalty kick.”

    Shaw took responsilibity for his mistake, calling it a “silly error that cost us a point”.

    But he said his side were still on course to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

    “Teams around us are picking up points, (but) we still have a game in hand and it is in our hands,” he told reporters.

  • Stellini sacked as Tottenham’s acting head coach, Mason takes over

    Stellini sacked as Tottenham’s acting head coach, Mason takes over

    Tottenham have sacked acting head coach Cristian Stellini after less than a month in charge as club chairman Daniel Levy labelled Sunday’s thrashing at Newcastle United “wholly unacceptable”.

    The 48-year-old was part of Antonio Conte’s backroom staff at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

    He stepped into the top job on a temporary basis when his fellow Italian was sacked last month.

    Stellini lasted just four games, however, with Ryan Mason once again appointed his successor on a temporary basis after a 1-6 loss at Newcastle United ended Stellini’s short reign.

    Spurs are now outsiders in the race for a UEFA Champions League place.

    They sit six points adrift of Manchester United, who they host on Thursday night, having played two more games.

    Stellini, in his first managerial role, had overseen just one win in his four games in charge — a 2-1 victory over Brighton.

    Spurs could only manage a draw away to relegation-threatened Everton and were beaten by a late Bournemouth goal last weekend before Sunday’s humiliation at St James’ Park.

    The Magpies ran riot, racing into a five-goal lead inside 21 minutes, with Levy acting on Monday evening to remove Stellini from his post.

    “Sunday’s performance against Newcastle United was wholly unacceptable. It was devastating to see,” he said in a statement.

    “We can look at many reasons why it happened and whilst myself, the board, the coaches and players must all take collective responsibility, ultimately the responsibility is mine.

    “Cristian will leave his current role along with his coaching staff.

    “Cristian stepped in at a difficult point in our season and I want to thank him for the professional manner in which he and his coaching staff have conducted themselves during such a challenging time.

    “We wish him and his staff well.

    “Ryan Mason will take over head coach duties with immediate effect. Ryan knows the club and the players well. We shall update further on his coaching staff in due course.

    “I met with the Players Committee today —– the squad is determined to pull together to ensure the strongest possible finish to the season.

    “We are all clear we need to deliver performances which earn your amazing support.”

    Mason, 31, previously took over when Jose Mourinho was sacked in 2021, winning four of his seven games at the helm.

    This included a 1-0 Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City.

    He became the youngest manager in Premier League history and has once again been tasked with steadying the ship as Spurs try to salvage something from their season.

  • EPL: Leed’s survival hopes dealt blow by Fulham

    EPL: Leed’s survival hopes dealt blow by Fulham

    Leeds United’s hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premier League were dealt another blow as Fulham condemned Javi Gracia’s side to a third successive defeat at Craven Cottage.

    Second-half goals from Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira proved enough to earn victory for the hosts, who reinforced their bid to seal a top-half finish and climbed one place to ninth.

    But the loss means Leeds remain just two points above the relegation places, in 16th, before Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City directly below them play later on Saturday.

    A quality first-time finish by Wilson, after Illan Meslier had got an unconvincing hand to Willian’s cross, broke the deadlock after 58 minutes.

    Pereira then slotted in after Meslier again failed to effectively deal with a cross on a difficult afternoon for the Leeds goalkeeper.

    Somewhat belatedly, the two goals eventually sparked Leeds into action, and Joao Palhinha’s own goal, after Patrick Bamford had redirected the ball with an outstretched leg, offered Leeds hope with 11 minutes remaining.

    But despite eight minutes of stoppage time they were unable to force an equaliser.

    BBC

  • Chelsea’s U.S. owners suffer debut season flop despite huge outlay

    Chelsea’s U.S. owners suffer debut season flop despite huge outlay

    Chelsea’s American owners saw their last hope of any glory in their first season crumble on Tuesday.

    This was when the club they bought in a deal worth 4.25 billion pounds (5.28 billion dollars) last year was knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid.

    Marooned in the unfamiliar bottom half of the Premier League, Chelsea are at risk of their worst domestic league finish in nearly 30 years.

    They also fell at the first hurdle in the FA Cup and League Cup.

    Their only chance of qualifying for next season’s lucrative Champions League by winning the competition has also now evaporated.

    This was after Real Madrid’s 4-0 aggregate quarter-final win following a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.

    The prospect of a drop in income is raising fears among Chelsea fans that some of the club’s best young players will be sold to meet financial rules.

    The spectacular slump in the 2022/23 season – during which Chelsea have had three different coaches – stands in contrast with the string of heady campaigns under previous owner, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

    He was forced to sell the club by Britain’s government last year following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

    Chelsea were the most successful team in England in the period between Abramovich buying the club in 2003 and its sale in 2022.

    It was a run that included two Champions League triumphs in 2012 and 2021 and five English league titles.

    That track record – and the surge in global support for the west London club along the way – explained Chelsea’s appeal to a consortium led by LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and backed by Clearlake Capital, a private equity firm.

    On top of the deal to buy the club last May, they have invested a further 550 million pounds on players, spending in the January transfer window more than all the clubs in the top divisions of Spain, Italy, Germany and France combined.

    But somehow they failed to buy someone capable of scoring goals on a regular basis with a gamble on former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failing at almost the first test.

    Chelsea have scored 30 goals in 31 league games so far. By contrast, table-topping Arsenal have scored 74 and second-placed Manchester City have found the net 78 times.

    Tuesday’s blank was the fifth in six games in all competitions.

    With no spearhead for their attack, Chelsea’s managers this season – Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and now caretaker boss Frank Lampard – have all struggled to turn a collection of expensive stars and home-grown talent into a cohesive team.

    Chelsea fans have turned their frustrations on the owners of the club and some were photographed remonstrating with Boehly in his executive box after last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion.

    British media said an upset Boehly talked to players in the dressing room after that result.

    Now he and his fellow owners – none of whom had experience of running a major soccer club before they bought Chelsea – face the huge decision of who to hire as the club’s next coach.

    Candidates include former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique, who coached Spain at the World Cup in Qatar.

    Such a high-profile manager would represent a big change in approach after the hiring of Potter from modest Brighton last September.

    Regardless of who takes over, a return to Europe’s biggest stage seemed a distant prospect for the disappointed Chelsea fans streaming out of Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

  • Arsenal, Chelsea EPL clash postponed

    Arsenal, Chelsea EPL clash postponed

    Arsenal’s home game against Chelsea has been postponed to May 2 due to policing issues, the Premier League in England said on Tuesday.

    The game was earlier scheduled to be played on April 29 at the Emirates Stadium.

    “The initial scheduling of this match was approved at a Safety Advisory Group (SAG) meeting in February,” the Premier League said in a statement.

    “However, the Metropolitan Police has now revised its position regarding the kick-off time and requested a further SAG meeting which determined the match had to be re-scheduled.”

    Arsenal, who play second-placed Manchester City on April 26, will have a five-day break after the top-of-the-table clash before they face London rivals Chelsea.

    “After working to try to find a solution with the Met Police, we are very disappointed with the impact and disruption this fixture change will cause to our supporters,” Arsenal said in a statement.

  • EPL: How Liverpool drew Arsenal 2-2 at Anfield in a thrilling encounter

    EPL: How Liverpool drew Arsenal 2-2 at Anfield in a thrilling encounter

    Liverpool rallied back from two goals down to share the spoils with Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday evening.

    Gabriel Martineli rattled through  two Liverpool defenders Van Dijk and Ibrahim Konate to put the gunners ahead in the 20th minute of the encounter.

    The Brazillian Gabriel Jesus added the second in the 37th minute to put Arsenal two goals up.

    However, Liverpool got one back in the dying minutes of the  first half through Mohammed Salah from the left flank.

    Upon resumption in the second half Liverpool continued to mount pressure but met stiff resistance from Arsenal defenders. But succour came in the dying minutes of the game when Trent Arnold sent a cross in the 6 yard box and Roberto Firminio headed in to make it 2-2.

    The result meant Arsenal  lead Manchester City by 6 points with the Citizens having a game in hand.

    Both teams will clash next weekend in what has been described as the title decider.

  • I did warn Chelsea about Mudryk – Shakhtar Donetsk chief

    I did warn Chelsea about Mudryk – Shakhtar Donetsk chief

    Shakhtar Donetsk chief exec Serhiy Palkin insists Mykhaylo Mudryk will prove himself at Chelsea.

    The Ukrainian has struggled since his €100m arrival from Shakhtar.

    But Palkin says: “I said to them ‘you’ve got a real diamond, but you should be very, very patient [with him].’

    “Give this guy a little bit of time and he will show what kind of football he will bring to your club.

    “I know 100 per cent that he will participate in many, many trophies for Chelsea in the future.

    “Because this is a very unique boy. A unique boy with unbelievable technical characteristics.”

    Tribalfootball

  • Glazers to resume Man Utd sale talks

    Glazers to resume Man Utd sale talks

    The Glazer family’s plans to sell Manchester United remain on track.

    Bidders will be invited for a new round of talks next week.

    Both Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos have had no contact from United since submitting new offers of around £5bn a fortnight ago.

    The Sun says the Glazers, however, now want to discover how serious the main bidders actually are about coming close to their £6bn valuation by inviting them for a further conversation.

    It is said the Americans are still demanding £6bn to sell United.

    If an offer at the right level is not made, the sale could be called off, with the family said to be “open minded” about their options.

  • Martial important at Man Utd but fragile – Ten Hag

    Martial important at Man Utd but fragile – Ten Hag

    Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag concedes he remains wary of starting Anthony Martial after victory over Brentford.

    Martial, a 70th minute substitute, has missed much of the season with hip, back, Achilles and hamstring injuries – playing just 11 Premier League games this term.

    Asked why Martial didn’t start, Ten Hag replied: “He was an option but I don’t think he was fit enough.

    “Also it’s prevention. Obviously, when you see his record over the last years you have to be really careful to plan it.

    “Even then still he can be fragile physically.

    “So I don’t want to take that risk because I know when he is on the pitch he has a great impact on our performance.”

    But Ten Hag claimed he is “happy” Martial is back and, once he’s back to full fitness, is excited at his attacking options.

    The Dutchman claimed: “We have a very good frontline… a lot of creativity, a lot of intelligence, a lot of pace, a lot of togetherness…

    “I think we can create more and then we will have more of a threat.

    “And the balance of that frontline will be good.

    “But obviously you have to play more together. So happy it looks like (Martial)’s back and hopefully he stays fit until the end of the season and we can play him.

    “But we have seen with other players we have got results, we proved that… Martial is often not available but still we are there.”

  • EPL: Ten Hag ready to see ‘big six’ leave Man Utd

    EPL: Ten Hag ready to see ‘big six’ leave Man Utd

    Premier League side Manchester United could be set for a major overhaul at the end of this season.

    Manager Erik ten Hag is determined to reshape the squad in his image, as he started to do last summer.

    The Dutchman was furious with his team for their meek capitulation against Newcastle United in a 2-0 Premier League loss at the weekend.

    Per the Manchester Evening News, Jadon Sancho is among those who could be moved on in the summer.

    Ten Hag is growing impatient with Sancho, who has not produced despite getting ample chances this season.

    The source adds that fringe players such as Phil Jones, Harry Maguire, Axel Tuanzebe, Erik Bailly, and Scott McTominay may all leave as well.