Category: Football (Soccer)

Newcastle chase a perfect 10, Chelsea seek a reliable No 9 and Southampton just want to get beyond six

If Arsenal’s books for the January window look closed, a meeting with Aston Villa casts forward thoughts to summer business. During Wednesday’s north London derby it was not difficult to wonder how much greater the margin of victory might have been with either Ollie Watkins or Jhon Durán leading the Gunners frontline. If Martin Zubimendi is an expected summer arrival, adding to an already packed midfield, where does a forward come in? Gabriel Jesus’s knee injury delays his possible sale while increasing the need for reinforcements. Villa have been busy, with Donyell Malen coming in from Dortmund and Jaden Philogene sold to Ipswich. Monchi, Villa’s president of football operations, has never been shy of selling players to bring in further talent. Watkins, who is 29, was on the mark at Everton for his first goal of 2025. Duran, 21, unused at Goodison after suspension, may be Arsenal’s next-best option to the imperious, and probably far too expensive, Alexander Isak. John Brewin

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Panicky, amateurish and dicing with defeat against Southampton, who are bottom and had failed to win away in the Premier League: Manchester United flirted with the crimson embarrassment of a reverse they would long be reminded of.

But, enter the game-winner, Amad Diallo, with a stunning 12-minute hat-trick. His third strike came in added time – into an open goal – his second on the stroke of the 90 – a fine finish of Christian Eriksen’s chip – and followed the winger’s mazy run and equalising stab just minutes before. All from a refusal to lose.

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United flirted with embarrassment against the Premier League’s bottom side before Amad Diallo stepped up late on to fire a glorious 12-minute hat-trick

2 min: Diallo embarks on the first positive run of the evening, down the inside-right channel. The crowd get excited … then Diallo slaps a wayward pass meant for Bruno Fernandes on the touchline out for a throw. Onwards and upwards.

United get the ball rolling. Saints are kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half.

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Arsenal moved to within four points of leaders Liverpool with victory in the north London derby

Spurs kick off. They’re immediately on the front foot, accompanied by pantomime boos. But Arsenal snaffle the ball and Sterling wins a free kick out on the right touchline, bundled over by Spence. An early chance for one of those set-pieces!

The teams are out! Arsenal in red with white sleeves, Spurs in second-choice blue. Everyone looking real dandy. The atmosphere is ratcheted up to derby settings, and we’ll be off in a couple of minutes. “Glanced at the 2010 MBM to find a gratuitous reference to Roy Hodgson,” begins Richard Hirst, who is onto me and no mistake. “Perhaps you could remind your readers (he said pompously) what he achieved in 2010? Never to be forgotten in SW6.”

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Newcastle’s sixth successive Premier League win – and ninth in all competitions – lifted Eddie Howe’s renascent team to fourth place as Alexander Isak demonstrated precisely why his manager believes he is a good as any striker in the world right now.

Isak’s 16th and 17th goals of an extraordinary season pushed Wolves into the relegation zone, nudging them below fourth bottom Ipswich on goal difference but Vitor ­Pereira’s side offered sufficient attacking threat to suggest survival should be within their grasp.

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The second coming of David Moyes confirmed Everton’s new manager is no miracle worker. They could do with one. Everton failed to score for the ninth time in 11 Premier League games as Aston Villa, gradually working their way back to form, punctured hopes of a new manager bounce at Goodison Park.

Ollie Watkins struck the only goal of a tight contest, but one Unai Emery’s side deserved to win given their assured defensive performance and quality in the final third. It is a quality Everton sorely lack. Dominic Calvert-Lewin encapsulated the home side’s deficiencies when squandering a glorious chance to equalise in the 93rd minute.

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• Current owners discovered irregularities during takeover
• Sources confident Chelsea will avoid points deduction

Chelsea are negotiating with the Premier League over a financial settlement related to secret payments for transfers made during Roman Abramovich’s ownership.

A financial settlement is seen as the likeliest outcome as the club’s current owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, discovered the irregularities during the takeover process in May 2022 and reported them to the Premier League and Uefa.

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The points were shared at the City Ground, where Diogo Jota scored seconds after his introduction from the bench to cancel out Chris Wood’s opener

• Read Ben Fisher’s match report from the City Ground

“To lose on that day was hard to take,” said Liverpool’s head coach of his side’s surprise defeat at the hands of Forest at Anfield. “Now, looking back and seeing where they are in the league, it is not such a shock result as it felt then. They had a good game plan and made us play a poor game. We have to do better. We have to look into the details.”

“We are here to compete against all of the teams and I think we are doing well, but nothing changes in our approach, which stays the same,” said the Forest boss of tonight’s opponents. “We know what we can do and how we want to do things. We know each other, our strengths and weaknesses. So let’s play the game.”

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Christian Norgaard and Reece James scored injury-time equalisers on a pulsating night of Premier League action

“I wonder if readers, like me, struggle to remember much about Tony Book, the name as understated as his demeanour, playing and managing,” begins Gary Naylor. “In that sense, he was the perfect choice to lead City on and off the field, operating with purpose and achieving a still surprisingly excellent set of outcomes, content in the shadow of The Behemoth’s cabaret across town. Footballers often looked old to teenagers, but he really did look old, unlikely to feature in Insta screen grabs. It’s how full-backs once were.”

It’s how all men once were, no? They had tough paper rounds in those days. Says Clooney over here!

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Mohamed Salah stormed to his fourth Golden Boot with 29 goals for Liverpool during their title winning campaign

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