Category: Football (Soccer)

A terrific finish from Jarrod Bowen gave West Ham the lead, but Georginio Rutter’s late equaliser rescued a point for a disappointing Brighton

“Celebrating the resurgence of West Ham is a bit premature, chides Eric Peterson. “They’re on a three-game winless streak, with those games against: a sinking Bournemouth, a floundering Manchester United, and an imploding Liverpool. Facing Brighton, which hadn’t lost since October before running into an irresistible Aston Villa, will provide a sterner, and truer, test.”

They’re much better than they were; United battered Brighton; and Villa were not irresistible in midweek. I don’t think West Ham will go down, do you?

Unusually devoid of creativity, Brighton had found themselves imprisoned within Nuno Espírito Santo’s tactical cage, falling right into his hands. Jarrod Bowen, so often West Ham’s talisman, scored the goal, executing the masterplan from the narrowest of angles, perfectly executing the counterattacking strategy. Slowly but surely, still staring demotion in the face, Nuno’s team look capable of fighting their way to safety. His plan had come together so well that Bowen’s goal was supplied by a substitute in Callum Wilson, on the field for just 51 seconds. His masterplan fell short when the Amex, the home of late goals, staged yet another comeback, Georginio Rutter roofing the equaliser amid the type of madcap scramble that is commonplace at Brighton.

Before a late surge that had seemed wholly beyond them, Brighton could not muster a shot on target. Their ambitions of returning to the European stage they graced in the 2023-24 season are being hindered by inconsistency. West Ham were in Europe that season, too, though horizons are lowered. Leeds’ form has deepened relegation worries and they were denied the three points they needed to close the gap by Rutter’s equaliser.

Leeds came from behind twice to deny Liverpool, whose defence imploded once again

1 min: Bradley shields the ball on the right touchline, only to be skittled by Gruev. Szoboszlai swings in the free kick … but it’s not very good. It’s half-cleared by the first man, then Ekitike is caught offside.

A quick blast of the piccolo-fest Marching On Together … then Liverpool get the ball rolling. A fantastic atmosphere.

So long as the Premier League invests in its players and Fifa pays it lip service, the continent’s flagship tournament will always struggle to fit in

Perhaps attitudes are not quite as parochial as they once were, but it remains true that, in England at least, the Africa Cup of Nations is discussed less as a tournament in its own right than in terms of what it means for the Premier League.

There will be the usual harrumphing about why the tournament is played in the middle of our season, but the Confederation of African Football has tried to satisfy European clubs only to be thwarted by Fifa and the increasing demands of the calendar.

City closed the gap after Arsenal’s slip as Thomas Frank enjoyed victory over his old club

Everton: Pickford, O’Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Garner, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Alcaraz, Grealish, Barry. Subs: Travers, King, Patterson, McNeil, Beto, Dibling, Aznou, Campbell.

Nottm Forest: Sels, Savona, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Sangare, Anderson, Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hutchinson, Igor Jesus. Subs: John Victor, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo, Dominguez, Yates, Jair Cunha, McAtee, Boly, Abbott.

Long before the end Burnley were down to 10 men, en route towards a sixth straight Premier League defeat and concerned, largely, with damage limitation. But then, as is becoming a habit here, Newcastle lost concentration and Burnley very nearly pickpocketed a last-minute point when Josh Laurent miscued a glorious headed chance to equalise in the dying seconds.

“We have to improve,” said the home manager, Eddie Howe. “It was a bizarre ending, and a sluggish start, but we got the job done. It was a tough game and the vibrant second half I was hoping for didn’t happen, but we’ve taken 10 points from the last possible 12. That’s no mean feat so let’s be positive rather than negative; we’re moving in the right direction.”

In the 65th minute Rayan Cherki burst along the right, cut back, then delivered a scintillating rabona plum on to the head of Phil Foden, who nodded home off the bar. Manchester City had cruised to a 3-0 lead and were heading for second, two points off the top, after Arsenal’s defeat at Aston Villa, and the Etihad Stadium doffed the proverbial at the magical Cherki.

Of his 22-year-old star man, Pep Guardiola said: “Rayan is an exceptional player, so young, has huge personality. In the final third he has something special. What I admire the most about Rayan is not the skills. I never saw these kind of crosses from Messi – I like simplicity because I learned from Messi never to make a mistake with the simple things.