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UNITED RAIN LATE GOALS TO EASE PAST NEWCASTLE AT ST. JAMES’S PARK.

A flurry of late goals helped Manchester United to a 4-1 victory over Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.

The visitors were behind through a Luke Shaw own goal after two minutes before captain Harry Maguire restored parity 21 minutes later, heading in Juan Mata’s corner.

Referee Craig Pawson awarded Man Utd a penalty in the second half after reviewing Jamal Lewis’s challenge on Marcus Rashford on the pitchside monitor, but Bruno Fernandes was denied by Karl Darlow.

The Portuguese redeemed himself with a curled finish high into the net with four minutes of normal time remaining, before Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s powerful strike made it 3-1 on 90 minutes.

Rashford raced through to complete the scoring in the sixth minute of stoppage time, giving the Red Devils their second win of the season.

They now sit 14th in the table, one point and three places behind Newcastle.

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KLOPP FURIOUS OVER HENDERSON STOPPAGE TIME GOAL CALLED OFF FOR OFFSIDE.

AN ANGRY JURGEN Klopp had two reasons to leave Goodison Park fuming after VAR cost his side the chance of victory in a Merseyside derby in which two key players sustained potentially serious injuries.

The Liverpool manager was furious Jordan Henderson’s added-time goal to make it 3-2 was ruled out for the tightest of offside decisions on review, while he was at a loss to explain how Jordan Pickford had not been dismissed and conceded an early penalty for a knee-high challenge on Virgil Van Dijk.

That tackle ended the Holland captain’s afternoon and Klopp admits the injury is “not good”, while the challenge which did result in a red card being shown to Richarlison also appears to have put Thiago Alcantara on the sidelines.

It is not good. Virgil played I don’t know how many games in a row, he plays with pain, but he couldn’t play on and that’s not good,” said Klopp.

“When I leave the pitch Thiago tells me in the Richarlison red card situation he thinks he got injured.

“Then coming into the dressing room people are standing around with a laptop and I say ‘What’s wrong?’ and they say ‘We have watched it back and we don’t understand why it (Henderson’s goal) is offside’.

“I am a real supporter of VAR – the picture I saw there is no offside, since then I have had 10 interviews and everyone tells me it was not offside and that doesn’t lift my mood.

“We lost one player in a situation where VAR was not involved with Virgil and maybe another one in the red card situation and scored a legitimate goal which didn’t count – so obviously not our day but the performance was the performance I wanted to see.”

Klopp alluded to the fact he thought Pickford may have tried to purposefully hurt Van Dijk, who had not missed a minute of Premier League football since January 2018.

It was a clear penalty I saw and then we saw the flag went up. I thought they would still look at the foul but that didn’t happen,” he added.
“I don’t want to say Jordan Pickford wanted to do it but it is not a challenge how a goalie can do in the box.”

The Pickford incident came with Everton already trailing to Sadio Mane’s third-minute goal, which was subsequently cancelled out by Michael Keane’s first-half header.

Mohamed Salah thought he had won the game with his 100th Liverpool goal in 159 matches, a brilliantly instinctive volley, but a trademark Dominic Calvert-Lewin header levelled things up again.

In the 90th minute Richarlison went in high on Thiago to become the 22nd dismissal in 57 Premier League Merseyside derbies before Henderson’s goal was ruled out after Mane was adjudged to have been offside by a barely-perceptible margin.

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti, who saw his Premier League leaders’ 100 per cent start to the season ended as a 10-year, 23-match winless run against their neighbours was extended, was happy with the performance.

“We could win, draw or lose. I am not talking about the result, the performance was good,” he said.

“We wanted to compete against Liverpool and we competed really well with good spirit.

“We never lost confidence, we were able to equalise two times, we had opportunities to go up with Richarlison hitting the post.

“The performance was satisfying, I am really satisfied.”

Despite another error of judgement by Pickford, Ancelotti refused to criticise his goalkeeper, who did redeem himself with three decent saves in the game.

“I think he played a good game, like the others. Good saves, he was focused in the goal, a good performance. I am not worried,” he added

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CHELSEA 3-3 SOTON: VESTERGAARD STUN BLUES WITH LATE EQUALISER.

Jannik Vestergaard’s stoppage-time header rescued a point for Southampton as they came from two goals down to draw 3-3 at Chelsea.

Timo Werner put Chelsea ahead on 15 minutes after a clever turn and run for his first Premier League goal.

The German got his second 13 minutes later, racing on to Jorginho’s lofted pass and coolly lifting the ball over Alex McCarthy before heading in.

Against the run of play, Danny Ings halved the deficit as he rounded Kepa Arrizabalaga to tap in just before half-time.

A defensive mix-up on 57 minutes allowed Southampton to equalise through Che Adams.

Two minutes later Werner found Kai Havertz, who restored Chelsea’s lead.

But in the second minute of added time, Theo Walcott’s shot was glanced in by Vestergaard to lift Saints to 10th on seven points.

Chelsea rise to sixth on eight points.

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MOHAMED SALAH BECOMES THIRD FASTEST RED TO SCORE 100 GOALS.

Mohamed Salah has become the 17th player in Liverpool FC history to score 100 goals for the club.

The Egypt international brought up the milestone when he struck in a clinical finish during Saturday’s Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

He is the first man to reach a century of strikes for the Reds since Steven Gerrard in 2008 and has done so in the third-fewest amount of games.

Only Roger Hunt (144 appearances) and Jack Parkinson (153) have ever netted 100 Liverpool goals faster than Salah, whose landmark came on his 159th outing.

Seventy-nine of the No.11’s goals for the Reds have been registered in the Premier League, a tally that earned him the Golden Boot in each of his first two campaigns at Anfield.

Salah has netted 20 times in the Champions League, with only Gerrard and Michael Owen having scored more in European competitions for the club.

That tally included a penalty in the 2019 final against Tottenham Hotspur, of course, one of 11 spot-kicks the forward has converted since he joined.

The other goal of his century so far came in an FA Cup tie against West Bromwich Albion in January 2018.

As you might expect, a greater proportion of his 100 efforts have been netted on home turf, with 63 scored at Anfield.

His most prolific opposition venue has been the Vitality Stadium, with five goals registered at the home of Bournemouth, including a Premier League hat-trick in 2018-19.

Salah is now level with Kevin Keegan (100) on Liverpool’s all-time scorers list and will begin chasing down John Barnes (108) and Jack Balmer (110) as he continues to rise up that ranking.

Liverpool’s top 20 goalscorers

Ian Rush – 346
Roger Hunt – 285
Gordon Hodgson – 241
Billy Liddell – 228
Steven Gerrard – 186
Robbie Fowler – 183
Kenny Dalglish – 172
Michael Owen – 158
Harry Chambers – 151
Sam Raybould – 130
Jack Parkinson – 128
Dick Forshaw – 123
Ian St John – 118
Jack Balmer – 110
John Barnes – 108
Kevin Keegan – 100
Mohamed Salah – 100
John Toshack – 96
Sadio Mane – 85
Albert Stubbins – 83

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EDUCATION KEY TO FIGHTING RACISM IN FOOTBALL – SHOLA AMEOBI.

Former Newcastle United forward Shola Ameobi believes education is key in fighting discrimination as the Premier League launches the latest phase of its ‘No Room for Racism’ campaign.

The initiative is urging fans to challenge and report racism in football and wider society with a number of Premier League stars featuring in a video calling on supporters to ‘Challenge it, report it, change it.’

This latest ‘No Room for Racism’ message will be visible at all Premier League matches played between 17 and 26 October.

There will also be a series of free educational resources on the Premier League’s Primary Stars website featuring players such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Neal Maupay, Divock Origi, Hamza Choudhury and Demi Stokes.

Ameobi believes the latter is vital in the overall fight against racism and discrimination as the campaign, launched in March 2019, looks to build on the momentum built by players since the end of last season following the Black Lives Matter movement.

The past few months have started to see initiatives take place and things starting to happen,” Ameobi told newsmen

“Action is the biggest thing here though – how we go about talking about it to actually putting stuff out there that can really help people understand and change mindsets.

“Education has to be a major part of this and what we teach in schools now is important so kids grow up understanding it is not acceptable.

“The more we talk around these issues with children from an early age the better chance we have to create a society where racism is challenged as it isn’t socially acceptable.

“That’s the only way we will be able to change the narrative and there is a real opportunity to be part of the change.”

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EVERTON 2-2 LIVERPOOL: CALVERT LEWIN RESCUES DERBY DRAW FOR EVERTON.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin struck late on as 10-man Everton twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Liverpool.

Sadio Mane gave Liverpool a third-minute lead, converting a cross from the rampaging Andrew Robertson.

But after Virgil van Dijk had limped off, Michael Keane headed in James Rodriguez’s corner on 19 minutes for Everton’s first Goodison derby goal in five seasons.

After half-time, Richarlison hit a post, before Mohamed Salah’s spectacular shot on 72 minutes made it 2-1 for his 100th goal for Liverpool.

With nine minutes remaining, Calvert-Lewin headed in Lucas Digne’s cross but then Richarlison was sent off for a foul on Thiago.

Jordan Henderson thought he had won it for the champions in stoppage time, but his effort was overturned by the VAR for offside.

Everton drop points for the first time this season but are top with 13 points. Liverpool rise to second on 10 points.

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UNDER-FIRE HARRY MAGUIRE DOUBTFUL FOR UNITED’S TRIP TO NEWCASTLE.

Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire is keen to play on and overcome his poor recent displays for club and country but could miss Saturday’s Premier League clash at Newcastle United with a knock, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Friday.

Maguire endured a torrid time in United’s 6-1 thrashing by Tottenham Hotspur before the international break and sustained an injury before being sent off in England’s 1-0 Nations League defeat by Denmark on Wednesday.

But Solskjaer backed the 27-year-old, who also featured in England’s 2-1 win over Belgium, to give his critics a fitting response if he is fit enough to play this weekend.

“When Harry is part of the England team that beats number one-ranked Belgium it’s a normal day. Then you get the headlines when you get a sending off, that’s football. You have to deal with it,” Solskjaer told reporters.

“Harry has got great resilience. He knows he will bounce back. He wants to play and work his way out of the last couple of games he’s been criticised for.

“But he picked up a knock just before he came off the other night so we’ll have a look at him today.”

United’s defeat by Spurs left them in 16th place with three points from as many matches and Solskjaer said his players were ready to turn their fortunes around.

“We know we’ve started the season badly and that game ended really badly… we know we have to perform better but we’ve now had two weeks to think about it, work on it,” Solskjaer said.

Solskjaer brushed off comments made by midfielder Paul Pogba who is out of contract next June and said on France duty that he would love to play for Real Madrid one day.

“Paul’s our player, he’s going to be here for another two years and sure he’s focused on doing his best for us and we want to see the best for Paul,” Solskjaer added.

“In the next couple of years I’m sure we’ll get the best out of him.”

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“NO ROOM FOR RACISM”: PREMIER LEAGUE URGES FANS AND PLAYERS TO REPORT ALL RACISM CASES.

The Premier League today launches the next phase of its No Room For Racism initiative, sending a strong message that the League and its clubs will not tolerate racist behaviour anywhere.

Fans are being urged to challenge and report racism wherever it takes place, encouraging behavioural change in football and wider society.

Premier League players Tyrone Mings, Michail Antonio, Cesar Azpilicueta, Conor Coady, Ben Mee and Kalvin Phillips feature in a video, which calls on supporters to ‘Challenge it, report it, change it.’

As part of its long-term commitment to address racism in football and wider society, the League is also launching a series of new educational resources featuring Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Neal Maupay, Divock Origi, Hamza Choudhury, Manchester City Women’s Demi Stokes and more.

They discuss their own experiences of discrimination, the impact it has had on them and their team-mates and how we all have a responsibility to tackle racism.

These free teaching materials are designed to help stimulate discussion in classrooms and will be available to more than 18,000 primary schools in England and Wales through Premier League Primary Stars. The resources will also be made available via the Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires programmes.

The No Room For Racism message will be visible at all Premier League matches between 17-26 October, when activity will highlight the League and clubs’ year-round commitment to combatting discrimination and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion across all areas of football.

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“PROJECT BIG PICTURE” REJECTED BY THE PREMIER LEAGUE.

The radical overhaul of English football proposed by Liverpool and Manchester United labelled “Project Big Picture” was unanimously rejected at a Premier League shareholders’ meeting on Wednesday.

Representatives of the 20 clubs met to discuss the future of the game after details of a bailout package to help the English Football League (EFL) offered in return for supporting a series of changes to rules and competitions were leaked to a Sunday newspaper.

While the overarching “Project Big Picture” was dismissed, the Premier League did take a notable step forward in helping EFL clubs avoid bankruptcy resulting from COVID-19 by agreeing an extra £50 million in grants and interest-free loans to League One and League Two. Talks with Championship clubs are ongoing, as are wider discussions about restructuring the game at the highest level.

“All 20 Premier League clubs today unanimously agreed that Project Big Picture will not be endorsed or pursued by the Premier League, or The FA,” read a statement from the Premier League.

“Further, Premier League Shareholders agreed to work together as a 20-club collective on a strategic plan for the future structures and financing of English football, consulting with all stakeholders to ensure a vibrant, competitive and sustainable football pyramid. Clubs will work collaboratively, in an open and transparent process, focusing on competition structure, calendar, governance and financial sustainability. This project has the full support of The FA and will include engagement with all relevant stakeholders including fans, Government and, of course, the EFL.”

The backlash has been widespread, with EFL chairman Rick Parry facing calls to resign, and today the Premier League clubs outside the traditional Big Six voiced their concerns amid accusations of a power grab by the top sides.

There were several elements of the proposal that encountered significant opposition, chief among them the plan to give 25% of all future Premier League revenue to the EFL and the abolition of the top flight’s “one club, one vote” system.

This voting system is viewed as integral to maintaining the competitiveness of the Premier League as regulations cannot currently be changed without a two-thirds majority among the 20 clubs.

However, Liverpool and United are among the top sides to argue they generate greater interest in the league and attract a larger share of the global audience than many of their rivals, believing their influence should be proportionate to their popularity.

The government have repeatedly refused to intervene to help EFL clubs. Culture secretary Oliver Dowden, speaking at a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee hearing this morning, labeled the proposal as a “distraction” from urgent funding issues lower down the ladder.

Amid concerns that around six EFL clubs could face bankruptcy in the next few weeks, Dowden insisted, “I have had assurance from the EFL that they have the resources” to avoid that outcome, presumably reflecting the advancement in talks with the Premier League.

The Premier League had originally offered a £250m bailout in return for supporting key reform measures, initially including things such as relaxing visa rules for foreign players post-Brexit but since escalating to “Project Big Picture.”

A private investment fund TPG Capital had offered the EFL funds in return for a 25% equity stake in the lower leagues, secured against future television income.

That offer has been rejected with talks set to continue between the Premier League and the EFL to find a solution.

FA chairman Greg Clarke claimed he walked away from finance and restructuring talks in the spring when “a breakaway league was mooted as a threat.”

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool and United will attempt to pursue a breakaway league more aggressively, but Wednesday’s meeting suggests they currently face an uphill battle to garner enough support.

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MARCUS RASHFORD LAUNCHES PETITION TO END CHILD HUNGER.

Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford has launched a petition to encourage the United Kingdom’s government to end child food poverty.

The petition asks the government to implement three points from the National Food Strategy including expanding free school meals, providing meals and activities during the holidays and expanding other schemes in place to prevent child hunger.

“Remember when I said I was going to need your help,” Rashford tweeted with a link to the petition. “For the millions who do not have the platform to be heard. Let’s stand as a ‘United’ Kingdom to #endchildfoodpoverty.”

In June Rashford convinced the UK government to reverse a decision to end a national voucher scheme to feed children from low-income families.

He wrote an open letter to politicians asking them to extend the free school meals programme and earned an eventual U-turn.

He has also raised over £20 million for food distribution charity FareShare during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 22-year-old, who relied on meal vouchers during his school days in Manchester, was praised by Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his “contribution to the debate around poverty.”

Rashford was awarded an MBE for his work on child food poverty.

“It’s a nice moment for me personally but I feel like I’m still at the beginning of the journey that I set out to try to achieve,” Rashford told the BBC after receiving the award.

“I think what I would like to do now that I’m in this position is just speak directly to the prime minister and really ask for the vouchers to be extended until at least October half-term because I think that’s what the families need.