Football (Soccer) News
Second-half goals from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden boosted Pep Guardiola after an early mistake by City debutant Abdukodir Khusanov
Chelsea get the ball rolling. Then an early touch for the new boy Khusanov.
Before kick-off, a moment to remember three former Manchester City players who have recently passed on: Tony Book, Denis Law and Bobby Kennedy. The warmest of applause and an a cappella version of Blue Moon.
Continue reading...Sunderland missed out on the chance to close to within a point of the automatic promotion places in the Championship as Nathanael Ogbeta’s 90th-minute strike gave bottom club Plymouth a surprise 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats looked set for another home win as second-half goals from Wilson Isidor and Trai Hume overturned a Plymouth lead that had come through an own goal from home goalkeeper Anthony Patterson. However, Ogbeta struck in the final minute to secure Plymouth only a fourth away point of the season. “In the end, I think we were a bit lucky to win a single point,” said the Sunderland manager, Regis Le Bris.
Continue reading...Dango Ouattara scored a hat-trick as Bournemouth hammered Forest, while Riccardo Calafiori gave ten-man Arsenal a crucial win
Arsenal are without Martin Odegaard, who is unwell, but William Saliba and Myles Lewis-Skelly return.
Wolverhampton (3-4-2-1) Jose Sa; Doherty, Bueno, Agbadou; Nelson Semedo, Andre Trindade, Joao Gomes, Ait Nouri; Sarabia, Cunha; Larsen.
Subs: Johnstone, Hwang, Dawson, Rodrigo Gomes, Doyle, Toti Gomes, Bellegarde, Goncalo Guedes, Pedro Lima.
Everton are hoping to send Armando Broja back to Chelsea in exchange for another loan from Stamford Bridge, with the midfielders Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka on David Moyes’s wishlist.
Everton had wanted to terminate Broja’s season-long loan after the Albania international was ruled out for 10-12 weeks with ankle ligament damage, only for Chelsea to demand compensation for the remainder of the deal. Moyes is desperate to improve his attacking options in this window but Everton, who still have to be mindful of profitability and sustainability restrictions, have used their full allocation of four loan signings this season. One potential solution that has arisen in talks between the two clubs is for Broja to return to Chelsea and Everton to take another of their players on loan.
Continue reading...Chelsea travel to the Etihad to take on Manchester City while Fulham host Manchester United at Craven Cottage
Saturday 3pm Venue Vitality Stadium
Continue reading...Harvey Elliott deserves a Liverpool start, Chelsea should go for the jugular at City and Mikey Moore would help Spurs
In a surprise to pre-season predictors, this match is as important as a fixture in January can be in the battle for Champions League football. Nottingham Forest head into the weekend level with second-placed Arsenal, while Bournemouth are three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and seven back from Forest. The scrutiny on both teams is growing but they keep answering the questions thrown at them. Despite having no out-and-out striker last weekend, Bournemouth put four past Newcastle, giving Nuno Espírito Santo a warning. Justin Kluivert scored a hat-trick, his second of the season, at St James’ Park as Andoni Iraola’s flexible front four excelled. Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo might feel more confident against a natural No 9 but Forest’s centre-back pairing will relish the challenge. Will Unwin
Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm (all times GMT)
Brighton v Everton, Saturday 3pm
Liverpool v Ipswich, Saturday 3pm
Southampton v Newcastle, Saturday 3pm
Continue reading...Ruben Amorim admitted Manchester United’s stoppage-time 2-1 Europa League win over Rangers was “truly needed in this moment”.
It followed Sunday’s dismal 3-1 defeat by Brighton and was only a second victory at Old Trafford since mid-December. It also came after the head coach describing his team as possibly the poorest of the club’s history, though he subsequently said he regretted the comment.
Continue reading...Winning is the only cast-iron way to control the message in football. So after Ruben Amorim’s various recent rhetorical wrong turns this added-time, sixth victory of a chequered 16-game Manchester United reign was needed.
On 88 minutes it seemed very far from on as Harry Maguire missed a header to enable Cyriel Dessers to steal in and equalise with aplomb. But, then, Bruno Fernandes’s late strike grabbed the points, his winner following Jack Butland’s odd, back-fisted punch for an own-goal opener that will haunt the No 1 for many a day.
Continue reading...Bruno Fernandes scored a dramatic added-time winner, just when it looked as though Cyriel Dessers had rescued a point for the visitors
3 min: Garnacho dribbles in from the left, in the old-fashioned jinking Scottish style, and has a whack. Straight at Butland. Meanwhile up in the stand, the one-time Rangers starlet Alex Ferguson watches on.
2 min: United are immediately on the front foot. Garnacho and Dalot probe down the left. Then a look for the one-time Rangers starlet Diallo on the right. Rangers yet to have a significant touch.
Continue reading...Tottenham clung on as Hoffenheim fought back in the second half to claim three beautiful points away from home
1 min: Peeeep! Spurs get the game going.
Right then, all the preambles have been ambled and there’s nothing but a quick team huddle between us and kick-off.
Continue reading...A New Jersey native, Jozy Altidore grew up a New York Giants fan. But nowadays the former United States national team soccer player sports a different shade of red and blue. Altidore recently joined the Buffalo Bills ownership group as a limited partner—part of a consortium of minority owners that includes former NBA stars Tracy …
We look at the state of play before Wednesday’s games with places in the last 16 and playoffs up for grabs
IN THE AUTOMATIC SPOTS
Continue reading...Barcelona and Benfica produced a classic that swung from the sublime to the ridiculous. We hand out honours and dishonours from the latest round of action
Barcelona
Continue reading...Burnley scored five goals in a stunning first-half performance as they hammered relegation-threatened Plymouth 5-0 at Home Park to continue their promotion charge in the Championship.
Zian Flemming and Josh Laurent bagged braces while Josh Cullen also struck in a remarkable opening 45 minutes to leave the Clarets, unbeaten in 15 games, two points behind second-placed Sheffield United.
Continue reading...Santiago Giménez scored twice in the first half as Feyenoord stunned Bayern Munich 3-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday to boost their chances of a top-eight finish.
Giménez fired them into the lead in the 21st minute with a deft shot before the Mexico international added a second with a penalty in the ninth minute of first-half stoppage time. Ayase Ueda, on as a substitute, killed off the game in the 89th minute after the Feyenoord keeper Justin Bijlow had denied Bayern with a string of strong saves.
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