Football (Soccer) News
Archie Gray scored his first senior goal as Spurs toughed out a much-needed London derby win
It’s a cold day in London, and Selhurst awaits the teams, who are both in the tunnel and will enter the pitch from the corner.
Richard Hirst gets in touch: “Watching the video of John Robertson in the piece you linked to I was reminded not only of his ability but also of the state of the pitches. It really was a different game then: maybe football did begin in 1992!”
Continue reading...Eighteen months can be a very long time in football – especially if you are still a teenager. After a mixed start to life in north London, Archie Gray could not have picked a better occasion to score his first Tottenham goal since joining from Leeds in the summer of 2024 than his 60th appearance. With Thomas Frank already showing signs of not being the first Spurs manager to have been overwhelmed by expectations after a run of just one win in their previous eight Premier League matches, Gray’s scrappy header in the first half ensured that a topsy-turvy year ended with a victory that lifts his side to within one point of Crystal Palace in the table.
Of the 20 goals that Oliver Glasner’s side have conceded this season in the league, 12 have come from set-pieces and Palace have now failed to win any of their last five matches as a packed schedule has finally caught up with them. But this was all about Gray as the 19-year-old midfielder who left the pitch to a standing ovation and big hug from Frank after becoming the youngest Englishman to score for Tottenham in the Premier League since a certain Dele Alli in January 2016.
Continue reading...Forward scores only goal of the game in 65th minute
Milan had gone top earlier in day by beating Verona 3-0
Lautaro Martínez scored to give Inter an important 1-0 win at Atalanta on Sunday, sending his side into the new year at the top of Serie A. Inter lead a tightly contested league table on 36 points, one clear of Milan and two ahead of Napoli.
Marcus Thuram appeared to have put Inter into the lead just before the interval, but the goal was ruled out after an offside by Martínez in the build-up. Atalanta felt a similar sense of frustration soon after the restart when Nicola Zalewski broke through one-on-one with Yann Sommer, only for the Inter goalkeeper to produce a spectacular leg save.
Continue reading...Dominic Calvert-Lewin continued his purple patch for Leeds, who had the better of an entertaining draw
1 min Leeds, in their blue change strip, kick off from left to right as we watch.
There’s a minute’s silence for Patrick Treuer, a non-executive director of the club who has died aged just 52.
Continue reading...Raúl Jiménez deepened West Ham’s relegation worries as Fulham snatched victory with five minutes remaining, his second goal in two matches giving Fulham a third straight win. The West Ham youngster Ollie Scarles was in tears after his mistake handed Fulham the victory and deepened his side’s relegation fears.
Manchester City’s lunchtime win at Nottingham Forest gave the Hammers the chance to cut the gap to 17th place to just two points. But instead they remain five points adrift of the last safe spot after the first of a run of supposedly winnable games, with Brighton and Forest still to come to east London, either side of a trip to rock-bottom Wolves.
Continue reading...An exciting day north and south of the border as title-chasing Arsenal, Manchester City and Celtic all won … but Hearts came a cropper in the Edinburgh derby
In Scotland, Hearts are making a go of things in the derby at Easter Road. Lawrence Shankland pulled one back on 75 minutes. That seemed no more than a consolation, but Cammy Devlin has made it 3-2 on 89 minutes, and there will be six additional minutes. Is an absurd comeback on?
Senegal: Edouard Mendy, Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Jakobs, Idrissa Gueye, Pape Gueye, Ismaila Sarr, Iliman Ndiaye, Mane, Jackson.
Subs: Diaw, Lamine Camara, Ciss, Dia, Diallo, Diarra, El Hadji Diouf, Yehvann Diouf, Mbaye, Antoine Mendy, Cherif Ndiaye, Sabaly, Pape Sarr, Mamadou Sarr, Seck.
On an afternoon when John Robertson was remembered at the City Ground, City were forced to dig extremely deep in order to make off with all three points
Manchester City: Although nothing has officially been agree between the two clubs, Manchester City are in pole position to sign Antoine Semenyo in January after Chelsea cooled their interest in the Bournemouth winger. Jacob Steinberg reports …
Referee: Rob Jones
Assistants: Neil Davies and Nick Greenhalgh
Fourth official: Gavin Ward
VAR: Andy Madley
Assistant VAR: Dan Robathan
Continue reading...Patrick Dorgu scored a screamer as Manchester United rose to fifth in the Premier League table
The teams are out! It’s a heartwarming festive scene, because whenever these storied old clubs meet, both get to keep on their famous kits. Manchester United in red and black, Newcastle United in black and white. A classic look as everyone trots out to the strains of This Is The One. A poignant chime to the track tonight, Manchester having said farewell to one of United’s biggest fans earlier this week. Go well, Mani.
Our pre-match postbag is positively brimming with festive cheer. “A goal-glut for the ages, eh? Why do I feel like I’m in for the biggest Christmas let-down since I asked my da for the Barcelona Subbuteo team and opened up the box under the tree to find… Burnley? Yours, Scrooge and the Grinch” – Justin Kavanagh
Continue reading...Boxing Day’s sole Premier League fixture tingled the senses and was graced by Patrick Dorgu’s finish that moved Manchester United up to a season-high fifth.
They could – and maybe should – have been limited to a draw because Newcastle United dominated the second period. The visitor’s problem was a lack of teeth. Towards the end Joelinton pulled the trigger with the goal begging but drilled only into Senne Lammens’ gloves. Joe Willock did the same with a cross. Then, Anthony Gordon spurned one more clear chance.
Continue reading...Wrexham roar back to win 5-3; Coventry stretch lead
Ipswich and Millwall draw; Bristol City beat Albion
Kieffer Moore struck twice against his old club as Wrexham recovered from 3-1 down to beat Sheffield United 5-3 in a late afternoon Boxing Day thriller at STōK Cae Ras. Patrick Bamford had looked like stealing the headlines with a well-taken early double for the visitors but Wrexham powered back to claim their first win in six league outings.
With his short-term contract due to expire on New Year’s Day, Bamford put himself in the shop window as he scored either side of a Tyler Bindon own goal. Callum O’Hare added a third for Chris Wilder’s side but Wrexham responded through Moore and levelled through Ryan Longman. Moore put them ahead for the first time and a Josh Windass penalty completed the fightback.
Continue reading...⚽ Coventry win as Ipswich, Middlesbrough and Hull are held
⚽ Mo Salah strikes from the spot as Egypt beat South Africa
Championship: Despite failing to properly get his head to a free-kick aimed towards the far post, Jack Robinson somehow manages to take advantage of some slapstick defending to bundle the ball over the line anyway and equalise for Birmingham City against 10-man Derby County. It’s as scruffy a goal as you’ll ever see but the home fans at St Andrew’s won’t care.
Millwall 0-0 Ipswich Town: It’s half-time at the Den, where the deadlock between Millwall and Ipswich remains resolutely unbroken.
Continue reading...Rowett leaves after a year with club two points from safety
Oxford have one win from their past 10 matches
Oxford have sacked Gary Rowett with the club 22nd in the Championship, two points from safety. The former Birmingham, Derby, Stoke and Millwall manager was appointed on 20 December 2024 and kept the club in the second tier last season.
Oxford’s chairman, Grant Ferguson, told the club’s website: “Gary joined during a challenging period and deserves immense credit for the hard work and leadership that saw us retain our Championship status last season. However, following a disappointing run of results, we have had to take this difficult decision in the best interests of the club.”
Continue reading...Raúl Jiménez calmly slotted the decisive penalty as Fulham pulled clear of danger and into mid-table comfort
2 min: Hudson-Odoi makes his presence felt up the other end, pulling a cross back for Jesus, whose shot is instantly blocked. Both teams already showing signs of being well up for this!
1 min: The first minute of the game still isn’t up, and Anderson’s clearing header hits Hudson-Odoi on the chest, the ball then rearing up and brushing the arm. A huge shout for a penalty kick. It’s never going to be given.
Continue reading...Milan-Como was intended for Perth on 8 February
Asian Football Confederation wanted to impose conditions
The proposal to play a Serie A match between Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, has been cancelled due to football sanctions and conditions imposed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The game was set to become the first major European domestic league fixture to be played outside its home country but will now not go ahead because of the financial risks and last-minute complications.
Continue reading...A side that once looked resilient has collapsed into historic futility, with Wolves now facing the grim task of avoiding the worst season English league football has ever seen
Saturday’s defeat at home to Brentford means Wolves have taken just two points for 17 games. No side in the entire history of English league football, in any division, has ever made a worse start than that. To reach 11 points, the record low for a Premier League season set by Derby County in 2007-08, would require a significant improvement.
How can this have happened? Wolves finished 16th last season, recovering after a dismal start. When Vitor Pereira took over on 19 December last year, they were second bottom on nine points from 16 games. They picked up 23 points from the final 22 games of the season and effectively ended any prospect of relegation with a run of six successive victories in the spring. How can a team go from averaging near enough a point a game to a 10th of that? The drop-off is extraordinary.
This is an extract from Soccer with Jonathan Wilson, a weekly look from the Guardian US at the game in Europe and beyond. Subscribe for free here. Have a question for Jonathan? Email soccerwithjw@theguardian.com, and he’ll answer the best in a future edition.
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