The New York Red Bulls won only 11 of their 34 MLS regular season games. They beat Orlando in the Eastern Conference final Saturday, and will play for a title next weekend.
European football: Las Palmas leave Barça reeling to spoil 125th anniversary
- Leaders slip to surprise 2-1 defeat at home in La Liga
- Griezmann clapped by Valladolid fans after stunning goal
Barcelona suffered their first home defeat of the season as Las Palmas stunned the Spanish league leaders 2-1 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Barcelona have played superbly in the first three months under Hansi Flick. Coming into the visit of Las Palmas, Barça were flying high after convincing victories over Real Madrid in La Liga and Bayern Munich in the Champions League, winning all eight home games to start the campaign. But Flick’s side have now gone three La Liga rounds without a win. Before the loss to Las Palmas, Barça fell 1-0 at Real Sociedad and drew 2-2 at Celta Vigo.
Continue reading...Justin Kluivert’s penalty hat-trick for Bournemouth halts Wolves resurgence
Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert became the first player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick of penalties as he inspired a win at Wolves. The home goalkeeper José Sá, who gave away two of the spot-kicks, confronted angry supporters at half-time as the home side’s recent revival was brought to an abrupt halt.
It was a manic afternoon at Molineux which featured four goals in the opening 18 minutes, with Kluivert scoring twice from the spot either side of Milos Kerkez’s goal. Jørgen Strand Larsen had made it 1-1 and then 3-2 but the Dutchman’s third penalty of the game secured the win for the Cherries.
Continue reading...Muñoz’s late header rescues draw for Crystal Palace against Newcastle
It was the moment Oliver Glasner had been praying for on an afternoon when nothing had seemed to go his way. With Crystal Palace staring down the barrel of another costly defeat courtesy of Marc Guéhi’s own goal against the club that had tried so hard to sign him in the summer, a late equaliser from Daniel Muñoz changed everything. Suddenly Glasner was off down the touchline, pumping his fists to the home supporters in pure delight and no doubt relief.
With seconds of injury time to play, Newcastle must have thought they had done enough to see off Palace despite not even mustering a shot on target. But it was Muñoz, who had earlier somehow contrived to miss a sitter when Palace were in total control during the first half, who came to Glasner’s rescue when he headed home Guéhi’s cross and lifted Palace out of the bottom three.
Continue reading...Championship roundup: Leeds beaten while pressure mounts on Rooney
- Todd Cantwell’s penalty denies Leeds top spot
- Plymouth fans show anger as side thrashed 4-0
Todd Cantwell’s first-half penalty secured Blackburn a 1-0 victory over Leeds at Ewood Park as Daniel Farke’s side missed out on the chance to return to the top of the Championship. Sheffield United’s defeat of Sunderland a day earlier meant Leeds came into the game in second spot, but they fell short in their efforts to leapfrog the Blades after Cantwell’s 22nd-minute spot-kick secured Rovers’ third successive win and boosted their play-off challenge.
Burnley moved into second by beating Stoke 2-0 to make it four straight wins and five consecutive clean sheets. Jay Rodriguez’s opener shortly after the break was added to by substitute Josh Brownhill’s late penalty as Scott Parker’s side took full advantage of Leeds’ defeat earlier in the day. The Clarets, who trail leaders Sheffield United by two points, have now kept a total of 12 clean sheets this season and have still only conceded six goals - the fewest at this stage of any previous Championship season.
Continue reading...Davies’ late winner sinks Sunderland and puts Sheffield United top
Tom Davies’ late winner proved to be the difference as Sheffield United edged a compelling and often chaotic tussle with promotion rivals Sunderland to send the Blades to the top of the Championship on a night when both sides had a man sent off.
Both sides have made a magnificent start to the new season and are firmly in the promotion mix as December approaches. They each knew victory here would move them above Leeds ahead of their game against Blackburn on Saturday and despite the game looking as though it would be heading for a stalemate for large periods, Davies’ strike was six minutes to go ultimately was decisive.
Continue reading...Brighton 1-1 Southampton: Premier League – as it happened
Brighton climb to second, for one night at least, after a controversial draw with rock-bottom Saints
Russell Martin’s turn to talk to Sky. “It’s exciting for Joe Lumley … Alex McCarthy played through the pain barrier for us on Sunday, he’d had an injection … I love and admire that about him, because he didn’t have to do that, but he did … the reaction to the game has not been very good, he’s had a very stiff knee this week … so we have to make big decisions … we really trust Joe … it’s an amazing opportunity for him … we have certain principles we want to live by … energy and momentum is really important … when and where we flex and adapt … the feeling and temperature of the game.”
Fabian Hürzeler speaks to Sky Sports. “When you watch our games you see we play in some phases very good, but in some we struggle … the next step is to play consistently for 90 minutes in all phases of the game … today we have another opportunity to prove it … we are in the right direction … the place in the table is confirmation … but the League is so unpredictable … every day is special.”
Continue reading...Premier League team news: predicted lineups for the weekend action
Liverpool bid to go 11 points clear of Manchester City by inflicting a fourth successive league defeat on champions
Friday 8pm Sky Sports Premier League Venue Amex Stadium
Continue reading...‘I have to prove myself now’: Pep Guardiola vows to reverse Manchester City’s slump – video
Pep Guardiola says Manchester City will take it one game at a time before Sunday's Premier League encounter with Liverpool. The champions have not won a match since beating Southampton 1-0 on 26 October, and have lost three straight Premier League games.
Guardiola said: 'We will be back, I know that ... I know the people say: "Why is Pep not in trouble, why is he not sacked?" I have this margin because of what we have done over the last eight years.' Despite his track record – City have won the past four Premier League titles – he said: 'I have to prove myself now.'
‘I have this margin’: Pep Guardiola feels protected from sack by past success
Continue reading...Galaxy GM Will Kuntz, who honed championship traits with the Yankees, eyes an MLS Cup
Former Yankees scouting director Will Kuntz has molded the Galaxy into an MLS Cup contender since becoming the club's general manager 18 months ago.
Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Fraser Forster steps up for Spurs, while the threat level is at its highest for Manchester City at Anfield
Fabian Hürzeler singled out Joël Veltman as one of the Premier League’s most underrated players as Brighton prepare to face the bottom side, Southampton, on Friday. “He knows what to do to win games,” Hürzeler said of the Netherlands defender, who has started all but one of Brighton’s league games so far. Veltman – who spent eight years at Ajax before moving to the Amex in 2020 for £900,000 – is 11 months older than his manager and his experience has proved invaluable to his side in the absence of the captain, Lewis Dunk, through injury. He is expected to return against Russell Martin’s side as Brighton attempt to record a fourth clean sheet of the league season, not to mention take the opportunity to move into second place in the table before the rest of the weekend’s fixtures. Ed Aarons
Brighton v Southampton, Friday 8pm (all times GMT)
Brentford v Leicester, Saturday 3pm
Crystal Palace v Newcastle, Saturday 3pm
Nottingham Forest v Ipswich, Saturday 3pm
Continue reading...Europa League roundup: Igamane fires Rangers to stunning win in Nice
- Moroccan striker scores twice in emphatic 4-1 victory
- Athletic Bilbao and Eintracht Frankfurt win; Lazio draw
Philippe Clement again found sanctuary in Europe as Rangers romped to a remarkable 4-1 win over Nice in France.
Amid domestic struggles which have piled pressure on the Belgian boss, his side again came up with the goods this season in the Europa League.
Continue reading...Højlund sinks Bodø/Glimt to give Amorim first Manchester United win
Ruben Amorim received a rapturous welcome from the Old Trafford faithful, then oversaw a helter-skelter victory in his first home game as Manchester United’s sixth No 1 of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Like his five predecessors across 11 years, Amorim suffered. Under Europa League lights that shone down on the 6,714 partying Bodø/Glimt supporters, this was a standard welcome to the Theatre of Thrills and Spills as his new team just about made it through to the win.
Continue reading...Tottenham 2-2 Roma: Europa League – as it happened
Mats Hummels scored an injury-time equaliser for the visitors on a pulsating night in north London
Thank you to Mats Hummels for reminding me: this is a crucial game for Roma’s European hopes:
“This game is incredibly important for us,” he said. “It’s possibly our last chance if we want to finish in the top eight but we need points anyway to reach the next round and turn things around for our team and our club. It’s a very difficult game but it’s also a big chance. We’re playing a very strong team but we can show we’re able to play at a much higher level.”
Continue reading...Manchester United 3-2 Bodø/Glimt: Europa League – as it happened
Two goals from Rasmus Hojlund helped Ruben Amorim secure his first win as Manchester United head coach
Kevin Wilson emails: “If Amorim can get Mount anywhere near his Chelsea prime, then that will be a huge bonus. He’s still young and despite a rough few years, he’s still very talented. Whether he works better as one of the deeper midfielders or in the front three remains to be seen, but if he can stay fit, he’ll give the manager options.”
Amorim: “I am really calm, I expect a good game, a good environment, I am feeling that belonging with the fans. I am expecting the team to show different things, we need to improve.”
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