Month: May 2023

Arsenal stormed back to the top of the Premier League with a fine return to form against beleaguered London rivals Chelsea.

Having not won any of their past four games, the Gunners eased to a 3-1 victory to leapfrog Manchester City for at least the next 24 hours.

Captain Martin Odegaard hit a brace as Gabriel Jesus wrapped up the points before the interval, with Chelsea slipping to a sixth successive defeat under interim boss Frank Lampard.

Recalled Noni Madueke at least hit a rare consolation goal for the Blues, who have now lost six of their past seven meetings with Arsenal.

While it was a night to remember for skipper Odegaard, it was one his predecessor will want to forgot in a hurry, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starting for Chelsea for the first time since facing Arsenal on November 6 but lasting just 45 minutes before being substituted.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had refused to rule his side out of the title race despite a four-game winless run which culminated in a galling defeat to rivals City last week.

This result takes them back to the summit, two points clear of City but having played two games more and with Pep Guardiola’s men in fine form ahead of their visit of West Ham on Wednesday.

Granit Xhaka had an early chance but his close-range strike was saved by the legs of Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was in for a busy night.

It was a lively start for the hosts, with Bukayo Saka next to test Kepa, the England forward’s header palmed away by the Chelsea goalkeeper.

There was nothing the stopper could do shortly afterwards, however, only getting a glove to a fine Odegaard finish from a Xhaka cross with both players afforded the time and space to put Arsenal into a deserved lead.

The same pair combined again for the second, again with little to no pressure on either player as Odegaard drifted away from Raheem Sterling to net a 14th goal of the season.

Chelsea almost hit back through Ben Chilwell but his England colleague Aaron Ramsdale pushed his shot behind at full stretch.

Lampard reacted to an abject first half by replacing the ineffectual Aubameyang, who had just nine touches on his Emirates return – four of which were kick-offs.

It was Arsenal, though, who continued where they left off, Gabriel Magalhaes heading a corner towards goal where his fellow Brazilian Thiago Silva controlled on the line before coolly clearing under pressure.

Xhaka nearly went from provider to scorer but Kepa pushed his strike away before Jesus could not keep an effort down with Arsenal rampant.

Chelsea would pull a goal back, just their second in eight games, as Madueke bundled home his first Premier League goal after skipping inside Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Mykhailo Mudryk, strongly linked with Arsenal before his January move to Chelsea, was introduced by the visitors six minutes later. He had a laser pen shone at him on several occasions but saw plenty of the ball as he sought to make the closing stages nervy for the Gunners.

However, unlike in recent weeks when Arteta’s defence has creaked under pressure, they stood firm to see out the game and secure a vital win.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney joined the party as thousands of fans lined the streets to celebrate Wrexham’s return to the Football League with a trophy parade on Tuesday evening.

Phil Parkinson’s side, who needed a league record haul of 111 points to beat Notts County in a gripping National League title race, showed off their trophy, along with the women’s team, who have earned promotion to the Genero Adran Premier.

Three open-top buses slowly navigated their way around the city on a loop that started and finished outside the Racecourse Ground, cutting through a fog of red smoke from the ubiquitous flares.

Hollywood stars Reynolds and McElhenney, whose takeover and £10million investment in the Red Dragons has helped transform the club’s fortunes, joined the women’s team on the second of three buses, with Parkinson alongside his staff on the third.

The men’s team soaked up the adulation from the top of the first. Fans chanted ‘One more year’ at former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster, who came out of retirement to sign a one-year deal in September, and several of his team-mates joined in.

Such is the global nature of this north Wales club these days that there were Canadian maple leafs and the American Stars and Stripes among the hundreds of Welsh dragons along the route, while Skid the Dachshund sported a custom-made hat.

An American couple joined the hundreds of fans who set up camp in the car park of The Turf pub alongside the Racecourse Ground, having taken time out from a holiday in Ireland to experience the party laid on by a club they discovered during lockdown.

“With Covid happening all around the world we heard this story and we watched them on the streaming services,” said Robin Beattie. “We fell in love with it.

“We happened to be on vacation in Dublin and said, ‘Let’s hop on over’. We’re very happy to see the excitement in the town. It’s a Cindarella story. We love it.”

But, while there was inevitably an international presence on the day, this was a party primarily enjoyed by the locals, those fans that Parkinson had talked about when he said earning promotion was about ending 15 years of hurt in the town.

Supporters could have been forgiven for wondering what would become of their club when two Hollywood stars decided to buy it in 2021.

But Reynolds and McElhenney have won them over by embracing its traditions and ensuring its identity has not fundamentally changed, even with the influx of new fans from around the world.

“This is world class, fantastic,” said Wrexham native Darren Jackson. “They’ve done it the right way. It’s still the same club, but all this is brilliant.”

Gareth Bale may have turned down what was a tongue-in-cheek attempt to lure him off the golf course, but Reynolds and McElhenney are serious about their plans to keep pushing this club higher and higher.

Promotion to League One is the target now.

If they reach their goal, there will be another parade in Wrexham this time next year.

Paris St Germain forward Lionel Messi has been suspended for two weeks after an unauthorised trip for two days to Saudi Arabia, French sports daily L’Equipe reported on Tuesday.

The Argentina World Cup winner is banned from playing or training with the team, and his pay will be docked during his suspension, the report added. The 35-year-old, who has a role as a tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia.

Messi reportedly made the trip to Saudi Arabia after PSG’s 3-1 defeat to Lorient, leaving them five points clear ahead of Marseille. He has 15 goals and 15 assists in Ligue 1 so far this season.

Messi will miss the upcoming Ligue 1 matches against Troyes and Ajaccio but might return for the match against Auxerre on May 21.

PSG are top of the standings with 75 points from 33 matches.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s insistence he did not intentionally call referee Paul Tierney’s integrity into question has not prevented the Football Association charging him with improper conduct.

While blaming the emotion of a last-gasp 4-3 win over Tottenham, having been 3-0 up, can in no way excuse the Reds boss for charging down the touchline to celebrate wildly in front of fourth official John Brooks or his suggestions Tierney “had history” with the club, Klopp said he never meant to cast aspersions.

Tierney actually appears to have done Klopp a favour by not sending him off as the German claimed the referee had told him his actions on the touchline were worthy of a red card, but he chose to issue a yellow on the advice of Brooks.

It was that red card suggestion which led Klopp to say what Tierney said to him was “not OK”, with the 55-year-old German insisting he has not lied about the interaction after the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) rejected Tierney’s actions were “improper” and insisted a review of the recording proves Tierney behaved in a “professional manner”.

But it was Klopp’s comments that the referee was acting against Liverpool based on past experiences which has landed him with a misconduct charge and facing an extended touchline ban.

The FA’s statement said “they imply bias, and/or question the integrity of the referee, and/or are personal/offensive, and/or bring the game into disrepute”.

“I probably have to expect the punishment,” said Klopp, speaking before he learned of the charge, who has until Friday to respond.

“I think the refs think I questioned the integrity (of their colleague), which when I am calm and sitting here I don’t do, but in that moment I just describe my feelings.

“I am very sure he is not doing it intentionally but we have a history and I cannot deny that.

“Of course they didn’t happen intentionally but they are still there and it’s a feeling and nothing else.

“I know the refs were really angry about what I said and now go for it. I heard I was lying.

“I did a lot of things that day but I didn’t lie. I shouldn’t have said a couple of things but lying was not one of them.”

Klopp served a one-game suspension in November after the FA successfully appealed against an independent regulatory commission decision to only fine him £30,000 in regards to his behaviour in confronting assistant referee Gary Beswick and subsequently being sent of by referee Anthony Taylor.

He said he regretted allowing his emotions to get the better of him again.

“We won a football game 4-3 in a very spectacular manner and the only headlines are the ones I created and I really regret that,” he said. “It is absolutely not necessary and not how it should be.

“The whole situation shouldn’t have happened at all. It was out of emotion, it was out of anger in that moment. That’s why I celebrated the way I celebrated.

“Paul Tierney came over to me and I didn’t expect at all a red card. I know I had a red card not too long ago but I didn’t expect for a second a red card because I didn’t feel it was right.

“He (Tierney) said to me ‘For me it’s a red card but because of him’ – that’s what I understood because it was loud in the stadium – ‘but because of him (Brooks) it’s yellow’. Showed me a yellow and smiled to my face. That’s it.

“The final whistle we go inside and I try to calm down and it didn’t work out properly and I said what I said.

“I said ‘What he said to me was not OK’ and I thought it was not OK because it was not a red card in my view.

“I understand I opened the box. It was not intentional but I opened it.”

Liverpool face Fulham on Wednesday looking for a fourth successive victory to maintain their unlikely pursuit of Champions League football.

There will inevitably be increased scrutiny on the manager but he said: “If there is one good thing, I prefer I am in that situation than any player.

“We will see but I can’t see it will have an influence on the team.”

Kevin De Bruyne faces a fitness test ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League clash with West Ham on Wednesday.

The influential Belgium playmaker missed the champions’ victory at Fulham on Sunday with an unspecified knock and is again a doubt as the Hammers visit the Etihad Stadium.

Defender Nathan Ake could be in contention after missing City’s last three games with a hamstring injury.

Manager Pep Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday: “Nathan trained with us and feels good.

“Kevin has started to move but hasn’t trained with the team (yet). Now we have training in a few hours and we will know exactly how he feels.”

Wednesday’s game could see the prolific Erling Haaland set a new record for the most goals by a player in a Premier League season.

The Norwegian netted his 34th of the league campaign at Fulham, drawing him level with joint record-holders Andy Cole and Alan Shearer.

His strike at Craven Cottage was his 50th of the season in all competitions and, with a potential 10 games remaining, it is not inconceivable that he could pass Dixie Dean’s 1927-28 record of 63.

It has been an astonishing first year in English football but Guardiola is confident there could be plenty more to come from the 22-year-old.

Guardiola said: “It is a surprise for all of us – maybe not for him – to do what he’s doing in this difficult league but the way he behaves and has done it is for the success of the team.

“Of course it’s good for him and the team if he breaks the records. It’s a good sign.

“The magnitude of a record is because for a long time it was not broken. All records will be broken one day.

“He himself or another one will break the record Erling is going to set, because I’m pretty sure he is going to score more goals in the Premier League until the end of the season.”

In-form City put themselves in firm control of the title race with their victory over Arsenal last week but, after being pushed hard by Fulham, Guardiola is not taking anything for granted against the Hammers.

He said: “West Ham maybe didn’t do the season they expected but that doesn’t mean the quality is not there.

“In the last two seasons with David Moyes they have been exceptional.

“The weapons are there, they are a good team. I don’t have doubts about them. In one game anything can happen. We have to be absolutely ready.”

Leeds United has sacked manager Javi Gracia and appointed Sam Allardyce to take charge for the rest of the season as it bids to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Having already removed director of football Victor Orta, the Yorkshire club announced the departure of Spaniard Gracia on Wednesday morning along with his backroom staff.

A poor season at Elland Road sees the club languishing in 17th, with only goal difference keeping them out of the relegation zone.

Leeds have lost four in a winless run of five matches and have four games left to save themselves.

A club statement read: “Leeds can confirm Javi Gracia will leave the club after 12 games in charge.

“Zigor Aranalde, Mikel Antia and Juan Solla, who joined alongside Gracia, will also leave the club.

“We thank Javi and his team for their efforts under difficult circumstances.

“The remaining four games of the season will be overseen by experienced head coach Sam Allardyce.”

Former MK Dons, Charlton and Oxford boss Karl Robinson will be Allardyce’s assistant.

Leeds travel to leaders Manchester City on Saturday, before hosting third-placed Newcastle.

A trip to West Ham and an Elland Road encounter with European hopefuls Tottenham round out the season.

Allardyce takes charge after suffering his first Premier League relegation with West Brom, when he left six months into an 18-month contract.

The 68-year-old former Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and England boss becomes Leeds’ third permanent manager of the season after Jesse Marsch and Gracia.

Allardyce is reported to have agreed a basic salary of £500,000 ($751,000) for his four games in charge, with a £2.5million ($3.7 million) bonus if he can keep Leeds up.

“Obviously there’s a tingle that runs through your veins when you take over a football club,” Allardyce said in an interview with British radio station talkSPORT, which was given before his appointment was officially announced.

“I know it’s in a lot of trouble. I’ve seen a lot of trouble before and hopefully – I could have done with a little bit more time, but four games – hopefully we can make a difference and keep this fabulous club in the Premier League.”

Allardyce said he was “shocked” to get the opportunity.

“I never thought at this stage of the season, there would be jobs offered,” he said.

“When the phone popped up with a name that I knew pretty well, I knew who it was straightaway. So it took me about two seconds to say yes.”

Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia saw him become the world’s highest-paid athlete, according to Forbes, with Paris Saint-Germain duo Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe rounding off the top three.

Portuguese striker Ronaldo signed a lucrative two-and-a-half year deal with Saudi powerhouse Al Hilal late last year after having his contract at Manchester United terminated by mutual consent following his criticism of club officials and manager Erik ten Hag.

Forbes reported that the 38-year-old earned $136 million, with his annual playing salary going up to an estimated $75 million.

Ronaldo signed with Al Hilal until 2025 on a reported $200 million per year contract.

PSG forward Messi, 35, was next on the list after bringing home a combined $130 million while club teammate and France captain Mbappe – the youngest on the list at 24 – earned $120 million to sit third.

Los Angeles Lakers player and NBA great LeBron James ($119.5 million) and Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez ($110 million) rounded out the top five.

Last year also saw the advent of LIV Golf, the breakaway tour that has lured away some of the PGA Tour’s top players with huge sums of money, and two of its golfers make the top 10.

Former world No 1 Dustin Johnson (sixth with $107 million) made the biggest gain after making the controversial switch to LIV Golf having not even made the cut for the top 50 in 2022 while he was joined by fellow LIV golfer Phil Mickelson (seventh with $106 million).

Four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry ($100.4 million) and Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant ($89.1 million) are the other two basketball players on the list.

Twenty-time tennis Grand Slam champion Roger Federer ($95.1 million) is the only retired player in the top 10.

Forbes said its on-field earnings figures include all prize money, salaries and bonuses earned in the past 12 months while off-field earnings are an estimate of sponsorship deals, appearance fees, licensing income and cash returns from businesses they operate.

Forbes’ top 10 highest-paid athletes

1. Cristiano Ronaldo ($136 million)
2. Lionel Messi ($130 million)
3. Kylian Mbappe ($120 million)
4. LeBron James ($119.5 million)
5. Canelo Alvarez ($110 million)
6. Dustin Johnson ($107 million)
7. Phil Mickelson ($106 million)
8. Stephen Curry ($100.4 million)
9. Kevin Durant ($89.1 million)
10. Roger Federer ($95.1 million)

Mohamed Salah maintained his record of scoring at least 20 a season every year at Liverpool as his goal helped secure a 2-0 win over Wolves which edged them closer to the Premier League’s top four.

The Egypt international turned home Kostas Tsimikas’s 77th-minute cross to double the lead given to them by Virgil van Dijk’s close-range header moments earlier for his 127th league goal for the club.

It put him one behind Robbie Fowler, who is sixth on the Reds’ all-time league scorers list, and secured a hard-fought victory that took their tally to 10 points from the last 12 and moved them within two wins of fourth-placed Tottenham with a match in hand.

Goals from Liverpool’s two most experienced players on the pitch maintained their momentum which had been in danger of stalling after Saturday’s disappointing goalless draw at Crystal Palace.

Having fielded the club’s oldest starting XI (29 years 218 days) for nearly 70 years at Selhurst Park on Saturday manager Jurgen Klopp freshened things up with six changes, including his whole midfield where he picked 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic and 19-year-old Harvey Elliott either side of Fabinho.

The two teenagers plus Darwin Nunez caught the eye in the first half with Elliott squandering the best two chances, which did not materialise until five minutes before the break.

Firstly he headed wide from a cross by Nunez, returning after a shoulder problem, when he should have scored and then mis-hit a volley into the turf when the Uruguay international chested down Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross and the bounce gave Jose Sa just enough time to react and turn the shot around the post.

Wolves’ only attempt came after just three minutes when Joao Moutinho, back in the side due to injury to Matheus Cunha, forced a save out of Alisson.

Ten minutes into the second half the Nunez-Elliott link-up came to the fore again when the forward teed up his team-mate but his weak shot was comfortably claimed by Sa.

Nunez has endeared himself to Anfield as much for the unpredictability he brings as the goal threat he poses and a blistering run down the left, skipping past a couple of challenges, was spoiled by a cross too close to Sa.

He thought he had broken the deadlock in the 66th minute when Diogo Jota’s drive from deep appeared to have run into trouble in the penalty area only for the ball to drop to Nunez who shifted it on to his right foot and lashed a shot past Sa.

However, VAR advised referee Paul Tierney to view the pitchside monitor and he ruled out the goal for a foul on Max Kilman by Jota.

But the pressure was building against a relatively toothless Wolves – who had beaten their opponents 3-0 at Molineux earlier this month in arguably Liverpool’s worst display of the season, and it finally told.

Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick was headed goalwards by Van Dijk and Sa could only parry to Jota, who returned the ball into the six-yard where the Netherlands captain was there to nod in.

Six minutes later Salah made the game safe when he turned home Tsimikas’ cross after the left-back had charged down the flank.

In his programme notes Klopp had stressed he thought in recent weeks – the 5-2 Champions League mauling by Real Madrid apart – they have been heading in the right direction and a fourth successive clean sheet for the first time since April was something else to celebrate.

Former Paris St Germain forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting helped knock his old side out of the Champions League as Bayern Munich sealed a dominant 3-0 aggregate victory.

Leading 1-0 from the first leg in Paris, the 33-year-old scored the opener in a 2-0 second-leg victory to send the Bundesliga giants through to the quarter-finals.

The Cameroon international benefited from a defensive mistake from 17-year-old substitute El Chadaille Bitshiabu to score just past the hour mark before Serge Gnabry put the seal on another European failure for the big-spending French club.

Bitshiabu, who had only come on at half-time to replace Nordi Mukiele – who lasted just nine minutes himself after replacing the injured Marquinhos – tried to play out from the left-back position but put Marco Verratti under pressure and he was robbed by Thomas Muller.

Muller moved it on to Leon Goretzka, who drew Gianluigi Donnarumma before rolling a pass to his left for Choupo-Moting to score his 17th of the season.

The former Stoke striker thought he had opened the scoring in the 52nd minute when he glanced Jamal Musiala’s inviting curling ball into the bottom right corner, only for VAR to rule it out due to an offside against Muller, who was interfering as he attempted to play the ball.

While Choupo-Moting may have delivered the decisive blow, the hosts – and certainly goalkeeper Yann Sommer – were indebted to Matthijs de Ligt after he cleared a Ferreira Vitinha shot off the line just before the break.

Sommer attempted to dribble out of his box and Achraf Hakimi pressured him into presenting the ball to Vitinha who rolled a shot past the goalkeeper towards an empty net only for the Holland international to slide in and hook clear.

Just prior to that PSG had lost captain Marquinhos to injury, allowing the club’s record goalscorer Kylian Mbappe to take the armband but the additional responsibility could not inspire any heroics from the France striker.

The closest he came all night was as early as the 14th minute when he had the ball in the net but the whistle had already gone for a foul as he had clattered into Sommer on the edge of the penalty area.

Bayern’s defensive resilience in Europe this season – this was their seventh clean sheet in eight matches – meant even a side featuring Mbappe and Lionel Messi faltered as PSG failed to get past the last 16 stage for the fifth time in seven years.

Manchester United survived Casemiro’s early red card and an impressive display by rock-bottom Southampton as a pulsating Old Trafford encounter ended goalless.

Erik ten Hag stressed the need for his side to be at their best as the Red Devils returned to Premier League duty for the first time since last weekend’s historic 7-0 shellacking at rivals Liverpool.

United showed impressive character to bounce back and beat Real Betis on Thursday and again produced a display of strength to draw 0-0 with Southampton after Casemiro’s second sending-off of the season.

The Brazil international looked gutted when referee Anthony Taylor brandished a straight red in the 34th minute after the VAR advised him to review the challenge on Carlos Alcaraz on the pitchside monitor.

United felt aggrieved by that decision, just as they did when penalty appeals were rejected before the break.

Saints’ performance belied their wretched season to date and Aaron Wan-Bissaka cleared off the line shortly after the break, with James Ward-Prowse seeing a free-kick graze the bar.

David De Gea and Gavin Bazunu produced outstanding saves across this scoreless encounter, including the latter tipping a Bruno Fernandes shot onto the post before Kyle Walker-Peters hit the woodwork at the other end.

United’s final Premier League match of the month ended in a hard-fought point, which represented a positive start to a key week as Ruben Selles’ Saints battle for survival.

Saints pressed well from the outset and looked solid until Fernandes unlocked the backline in the 16th minute, putting through Marcus Rashford to get away a low shot that Bazunu saved well low to his left.

The Saints goalkeeper darted off his line to frustrate the forward again soon after, before De Gea produced a key save at the other end after Theo Walcott met a floated Romain Perraud cross with a six-yard header.

Kamaldeen Sulemana was denied by a Raphael Varane block as United were made uncomfortable before being hit by a 34th-minute blow.

Casemiro was initially booked for a challenge on Alcaraz that ended with his right foot on the midfielder’s shin, only for VAR Andre Marriner to advise Taylor to watch the monitor.

Upon review, the referee handed out a straight red card, to the emotional-looking United midfielder’s disbelief.

Free-kick specialist Ward-Prowse saw the resulting set piece ricochet off the wall and just wide – a moment that seemed to light a fire under United.

Bazunu brilliantly prevented Varane turning in a Fernandes free-kick before the United skipper led angry appeals for a penalty having claimed Walker-Peters had fouled him in the box.

Both referee and VAR were having none of that, so too the claims for handball against Armel Bella-Kotchap.

Boos greeted the half-time whistle as De Gea chuntered in referee Taylor’s ear.

The break took the sting out of the Old Trafford fury and Saints went close to a 49th-minute opener. Walker-Peters darted past Rashford and sent a driven cross that substitute Scott McTominay deflected towards his own goal, with Wan-Bissaka getting back to hack off the line.

Southampton again went close in the 54th minute. Fernandes was adjudged to have fouled the impressive Romeo Lavia and Ward-Prowse’s free-kick grazed the top of the bar.

The visitors continued to threaten from dead balls and open play, with De Gea pulling of a second big save of the day in the 64th minute.

Wan-Bissaka’s poor pass was cut out and Walcott was racing through. Lisandro Martinez was on his tail and the veteran slowed before getting away a shot that De Gea acrobatically pushed wide.

Not to be outdone, soon Bazunu pulled off an even better stop.

Fernandes was allowed to get away a rasping effort from the edge of the box and half the ground thought it was in, only for a brilliant fingertip save to take it onto the post and across the face of goal.

The woodwork was rattled at the other end moments later as Walker-Peters took aim with a thumping drive off the far post.

Southampton had further chances that they failed to take while Rashford saw penalty appeals rejected and Alejandro Garnacho writhed in pain after a Walker-Peters challenge on him in the box as the match wound down.