Month: February 2021

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LEE MASON WIHTHDRAWN FROM SHEFFIELD UTD V LIVERPOOL GAME AFTER LEWIS DUNK CONTROVERSY

Referee Lee Mason has been replaced as the fourth official for Liverpool’s clash with Sheffield United, a day after being involved in a hugely controversial incident in West Brom’s win over Brighton.

Mason was down to be a support official for referee Jonathan Moss for the game at Bramall Lane, but the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) confirmed to Sky Sports News that he would sit out the game on account of injury.

Just on Saturday, Mason controversially ruled out a goal from Lewis Dunk direct from a free-kick.

Mason blew his whistle, and Dunk immediately curled the ball into the net at a time when Baggies goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was lining up his wall.

Prior to the ball crossing the line, Mason blew his whistle a second time. Mason initially ruled the goal out, only to give it after protests from Brighton.

Mason was subsequently spoken to by VAR and the game continued with Brighton retaking the free-kick.

Dunk was furious after the game, telling Sky Sports: “It’s embarrassing, it’s a horrendous decision.

“I said to the ref ‘can I take it?’, he blew his whistle, and I took it.

“Just because there was so much pressure from the bench. Why doesn’t he come and speak to the press like me? Never, they hide behind their bubble.

‘One of our greatest achievements’ – Pep Guardiola on Manchester City winning 20 straight matches

“I don’t think he knew what he was doing. He gave the goal, why did he give it? I don’t know why VAR was getting involved, he said ‘goal’… you can look on the video if you want.

“Had he lost control of the game? Yeah, he did. Fact.”

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GARETH BALE’S BRACE HELPS SPURS SECURE CONVINCING VICTORY AGAINST BURNLEY

Gareth Bale scored in either half as Tottenham Hotspur comfortably returned to winning ways with a 4-0 victory over Burnley.

Bale opened the scoring after only 68 seconds when he converted Son Heung-min’s cross.

Jay Rodriguez had a header saved at the other end before Spurs asserted their dominance.

Bale’s sumptuous long pass picked out Harry Kane, who doubled the home side’s lead on 14 minutes.

Lucas Moura added a third just past the half-hour with a low shot from Sergio Reguilon’s cross.

And Bale sealed the win with his second strike in the 55th minute, curling in after another assist from Son.

Burnley’s Nick Pope prevented Spurs grabbing more goals with smart saves from Kane and Son.

Spurs move up to eighth with 39 points while a first defeat in five keeps Burnley in 15th on 28 points, five points above the bottom three.

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DUBRAVKA RETURN BACKFIRES AS GOALEE ERROR SECURE A POINT FOR WOLVES AT NEWCASTLE

Steve Bruce saw his decision to recall Martin Dubravka backfire as the Newcastle goalkeeper’s error denied his side a vital win in their bid to pull away from the Premier League relegation zone.

Dubravka allowed Ruben Neves’ 72nd-minute header to squirm past him as Wolves fought back to earn a point in what was a fifth consecutive 1-1 draw between the sides.

Slovakian international Dubravka looked rusty in his first Premier League start since July coming in for Karl Darlow. His weak attempt to keep out Neves’ first headed goal for the Molineux club left Newcastle boss Bruce facing questions over the selection, although the 32-year-old’s fine stoppage-time save from substitute Fabio Silva went a long way to atoning for his earlier mistake.

The hosts failed to take a succession of chances until a thumping second-half header from skipper Jamaal Lascelles put them in front. Neves ensured they had to settle for a draw and a victory for Fulham at Crystal Palace on Sunday would leave Newcastle just a point above the drop zone.

Their share of the spoils came at a cost as they lost influential forward duo Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron to injury. With top scorer Callum Wilson sidelined for another month, they are further potential absences Bruce can ill-afford.

Newcastle made most of the running before the break, and came close to breaking the deadlock when Almiron sprang an unconvincing Wolves offside trap from Jonjo Shelvey’s pass, only to see his shot hit the outside of the post after sliding the ball past Rui Patricio from a diminishing angle.

They also had the ball in the net, but Saint-Maximin’s close-range follow-up after the busy Patricio had saved from Joe Willock was correctly ruled offside.

The hosts were thankful for the intervention of the frame of the goal as Wolves belatedly showed signs of life towards the end of the first half when Dubravka was forced to unconvincingly shovel Adama Traore’s near-post header to safety with the help of a post.

Traore then left Emil Krafth trailing to provide the perfect cut-back for Pedro Neto to send a low shot tamely wide from a dozen yards when the unmarked midfielder ought to have done much better.

That improvement continued into the second period, but their habit of conceding first in games has become almost an addiction, and they fell behind for the 17th time this season.

After good work on the left by Saint-Maximin, Almiron’s replacement Ryan Fraser sent in an inviting centre from the right which Lascelles headed past Patricio at the keeper’s near post for the defender’s first Premier League goal for 16 months, his previous one coming against these same opponents.

Neves levelled with a 72nd-minute header low to Dubravka’s right which should have been saved, and as chances became more scarce, Joelinton should have won it in the final 10 minutes, only for the Brazilian’s shot to be cleared off the line by Romain Saiss.

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SCHALKE FIRE MANAGER CHRISTIAN GROSS AFTER TWO MONTHS IN CHARGE

Schalke have fired manager Christian Gross on Sunday after just two months in charge along with four senior staff, in a desperate bid to avoid Bundesliga relegation.

The Gelsenkirchen-based club is bottom of the league and nine points from safety with 11 games remaining.

Gross was fired a day after a 5-1 loss at Stuttgart, leaving Schalke looking for their fifth coach of a turbulent season.

The 66-year-old Swiss coach arrived in December with more than 30 years of coaching experience around the world, including a spell with Tottenham from November 1997 to September 1998, but hadn’t coached in Europe since 2012.

He led the team to its only win of the season to end a 30-game winless run in the Bundesliga, but couldn’t build on that, with Schalke earning just five points from his ten league games in charge.

David Wagner was fired as manager in September before his successor Manuel Baum followed in December. The team played two games under stand-in Huub Stevens before appointing Gross.

Sporting director Jochen Schneider, who was due to leave at the end of the season, was also fired, as was the team coordinator Sascha Riether, lead fitness coach Werner Leuthard and assistant coach Rainer Widmayer.

Schneider on Saturday denied reports of mutiny within the squad amid reports that several players had asked for Gross to be replaced.

Schalke didn’t name a new coach and said Monday’s training session would be conducted by fitness coaches.

The club said Peter Knabel, who heads the youth department, would take over Schneider’s sporting director role until further notice, with “a view to planning for the new season”, a sign the club is preparing for its first season in the second tier since 1991.

Former Germany striker Gerald Asamoah moves up from overseeing the under-23 team into Riether’s coordinator role.

‘The sporting situation is clear. That’s why we have to think beyond the season for every decision regarding personnel,’ said Jens Buchta, chairman of the supervisory board.

He added: ‘At the same time the team is obliged to play the last third of the season as successfully as possible. The players owe it to the club and the fans.’

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EPL: ARSENAL SECURE NINTH SPOT AFTER COME BACK WIN AT LEICESTER

David Luiz, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe were on target as Arsenal came from a goal down to beat Leicester City 3-1 at King Power Stadium.

Youri Tielemans put Leicester ahead on six minutes when he surged forward and fired past Bernd Leno into the far corner.

Arsenal levelled on 39 minutes when David Luiz headed in Willian’s well-worked free-kick.

The visitors took the lead on the stroke of half-time through Lacazette’s penalty, awarded after Wilfred Ndidi’s handball.

Leicester lost Harvey Barnes to injury six minutes into the second half and later lost Jonny Evans too.

The Gunners sealed their win on 52 minutes when Pepe tapped into an empty net from Willan’s cutback.

Arsenal rise to ninth with 37 points, one ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who host Burnley on Sunday.

Leicester miss the chance to move up to second place. They are on 49 points, behind Manchester United on goal difference.

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EPL: EL GHAZI EARLY GOAL FIRES ASTON VILLA TO VICTORY AT LEEDS

Anwar El Ghazi’s early goal clinched Aston Villa a 1-0 win at Leeds and lifted his side to within a point of the Premier League’s top six.

El Ghazi was left unmarked to turn home the only goal from close range in the fifth minute and dogged defending saw Villa avenge their 3-0 home defeat to Leeds in October.

Villa secured just their second win in seven league games on the road, while Leeds’ see-saw first season back in the top flight continued.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were denied back-to-back home wins after Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat of Southampton and were rarely allowed to hit the same heights.

When Raphinha went close to scoring inside the opening 30 seconds – he just failed to connect with Patrick Bamford’s cross – it appeared this would be another game at Elland Road this season that you could not take your eyes off.

But while it ebbed and flowed in the first half, Villa shut down their opponents after the interval and for Leeds the game ended in a whimper.

Villa had a penalty appeal turned down when a corner struck Luke Ayling on his arm and then capitalised on sloppy Leeds defending to take a fifth-minute lead.

Ollie Watkins slipped as he fired at goal, but the ball found its way to the unmarked El Ghazi on the six-yard box and although he too lost his footing, he steered home his sixth league goal of the season.

Leeds responded through Tyler Roberts, but his thumping effort was well saved by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and then El Ghazi twice went close to extending Villa’s lead.

The Dutchman’s first shot was tipped over the crossbar by Illan Meslier and he pulled his second, a low effort, just wide.

Stuart Dallas fired in a low shot and home skipper Liam Cooper headed straight at Martinez as Leeds chased an equaliser.

El Ghazi maintained his shoot-on-sight policy, but was wayward with another effort and at the other end Helder Costa’s low shot was blocked and Roberts fired over, with Leeds restricted to half-chances as half-time beckoned.

Leeds continued to force the issue at the start of the second period, but the killer pass eluded them.

Cooper did just enough to divert Villa captain Tyrone Mings’ header wide from a corner, but the free-flowing action before the break made way for a more scrappy affair.

Villa doggedly defended their slender lead and both sides were guilty of halting play with niggling fouls.

Leeds struggled to break down a resilient defence and when substitute Jack Harrison’s late cross offered them their best chance of rescuing a point, Raphinha fluffed his header.

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CHELSEA MANAGER THOMAS TUCHEL ADMITS HE TRIED TO SIGN BRUNO FERNANDES

Thomas Tuchel has confessed he tried to sign Bruno Fernandes when he was head coach of Paris Saint-Germain.

The Chelsea manager takes on the Portuguese playmaker and Manchester United on Sunday but things could have been very different.

PSG’s sporting director made Tuchel aware of Fernandes and his qualities at Sporting Lisbon and the club fought hard to get him.

However, Fernandes sealed a move to United where he’s gone on to have an incredible impact – scoring 22 goals and assisting 13 in 38 appearances this season.

“My first sporting director in Paris was Antero Henrique, who is Portuguese,” said Tuchel.

“He knew Bruno very, very well. He fought hard to have a connection to him and to bring him to our team because he was a big personality for Sporting.

“An effective goalscorer, and an effective guy to make the other players around him dangerous.

“It was during my first year in Paris. We watched more and more games about him. We followed him and tried to be in touch with him to make it happen.

“He went another way. It’s bad for us, eh, that we have to play against him?”

Speaking about the impact Fernandes has made since joining a year ago, Tuchel added: “The impact he has since he arrived in Man United is indescribable. Unbelievable.

“Coming from Portugal — stepping in here, one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League, the strongest league in Europe, and to have this kind of impact, I have nothing but the biggest respect for this guy.

“He’s outstanding. He’s one of the best attacking midfielders in the world.

“He has a huge impact. He has such a big influence on their game, on their attacking game.

“It is key to defend against him, to be around him, to be close to him.”

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BUNDESLIGA: BORRUSIA DORTMUND GETS SECOND WIN A ROW, RETURNS TO TOP 5

Borussia Dortmund scored three second-half goals to ease past struggling Arminia Bielefeld 3-0 on Saturday, claiming their second straight win in the Bundesliga and climbing back into fifth place.

Mo Dahoud broke the deadlock two minutes after the restart with a low shot, after the hosts had dominated the first 45 minutes with more than 70% possession in some stretches of play.

Wolfsburg remained in third place with a 2-0 victory over Hertha Berlin.

Jadon Sancho made it 2-0 with a well-taken 58th minute penalty, confirming his fine form with his sixth league goal.

Brazilian teenager Reinier notched his first ever Bundesliga goal to help lift Dortmund to fifth place on 39 points, three behind Frankfurt. The top four teams qualify for the Champions League next season.

The Ruhr valley club have now won their last three games in all competitions, including a 3-2 win at Sevilla in their Champions League round of 16 first leg.

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LEWANDOWSKI, GNABRY ON TARGET AS BAYERN CRUSH COLOGNE

Bundesliga top scorer Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry both struck twice as Bayern Munich crushed Cologne 5-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday to earn their first win in three league games and go five points clear at the top.

The champions, who next week face Borussia Dortmund, are on 52 points, with Leipzig, second on 47, taking on Borussia Monchengladbach later on Saturday.

VfL Wolfsburg remained in third place with a 2-0 victory over Hertha Berlin.

Apart from Lewandowski and Gnabry, Bayern were also indebted to Leon Goretzka who delivered another silky performance with three assists.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting opened the champions’ account with his first league goal this season, heading in Leon Goretzka’s cross at the far post in the 18th minute.

Lewandowski struck 15 minutes later, combining with Goretzka after a bad pass back from Cologne and the Pole made it 28 league goals from an assist by Thomas Mueller, seconds after the midfielder came on in the 65th minute following a coronavirus infection.

Mueller is the league’s top provider with 11 assists while Lewandowski is looking to break Gerd Mueller’s record of 40 league goals in one season dating back to the 1971-72 campaign.

Substitute Gnabry completed the rout with two late goals in four minutes.

‘For our way forward we have to stop having these shaky periods during the match,’ Gnabry said. ‘We have to reduce them and then we will be stronger.’

Such phases during their recent games have proved costly for Bayern, including a 3-3 against strugglers Arminia Bielefeld two weeks ago and their 2-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt last week.

Cologne had briefly cut the deficit four minutes after the restart with Ellyes Skhiri making the most of blunders by three Bayern defenders.

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JOHN STONES WINNER SEES OFF STUBBORN WESTHAM TO HAND CITY 14TH STRAIGHT LEAGUE WIN

Manchester City centre-backs Ruben Dias and John Stones each scored as Pep Guardiola’s team beat West Ham United 2-1 to extend their run of league wins to 14.

The hosts enjoyed the early possession at the Etihad Stadium and took the lead on the half-hour with their first shot on target, Dias heading in Kevin De Bruyne’s pinpoint cross for his first City goal.

Having hit a post three minutes earlier, Michail Antonio drew West Ham level with two first-half minutes remaining. The forward turned in Jesse Lingard’s shot from close range to end 587 minutes of City not conceding a home league goal.

Stones restored City’s lead midway through the second half, finishing well after skilful work from Riyad Mahrez on the right.

Issa Diop headed a chance for West Ham wide in stoppage time as City’s 20th straight win in all competitions sent the leaders 13 points clear of Manchester United, who visit Chelsea tomorrow.

West Ham’s four-match unbeaten run ends as they stay fourth, two points ahead of Chelsea.