Tag: English Premier League

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ANOTHER VAR CONTROVERSY AT VILLA PARK AS MANCHESTER UNITED MAKE SPOT KICK RECORD

VAR took centre stage once more on Thursday night when a controversial first-half penalty was awarded to Manchester United during their encounter at Aston Villa.

Bruno Fernandes was involved in the major talking point at Villa Park, with the Portuguese winning a soft spot-kick which he then converted after treading on Ezri Konsa’s foot on the edge of the area before hitting the deck.

In winning the penalty United made it 13 spot-kicks for the 2019/20 Premier League season, equaling the record held by Leicester in 2015-16 and Crystal Palace in 2004-05.

It was a decision which left many bewildered, especially as it looked as though Fernandes had committed a foul on Konsa, as opposed to the other way round.

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel expressed his disbelief at the decision on Twitter writing: “I am sorry, but that was not a penalty. VAR continues to be a joke..

“What is the point of VAR when it doesn’t correct a clear and obvious refereeing mistake like that?”

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LAMPARD NOT WORRIED OVER TAMMY ABRAHAM’S CONTRACT SITUATION

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard believes Tammy Abraham’s prolonged contract negotiations are not affecting his performances.

The 22-year-old reportedly came close to agreeing new terms earlier in the season following a fine start under Lampard.

Abraham has hit 13 Premier League goals but has failed to find the back of the net since a 3-0 win over Burnley on January 11.

His only start since the campaign resumed was in the defeat at West Ham last week – otherwise he has played second fiddle to the more experienced Olivier Giroud.

Lampard has put a lot of faith in his talented batch of youngsters and they have been largely successful, with Chelsea sitting fourth in the table.

The likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Reece James, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori have all signed new contracts over the past year.

Abraham has yet to follow suit and he has just under two years remaining on his deal at Stamford Bridge.

“I think Tammy’s contract, we are not at a critical level with it,” Lampard said on the eve of the Premier League trip to Crystal Palace.

“I will leave it with him and the club to discuss that side of it. I don’t think it is something that is clearly in his mind now, at least it shouldn’t be.

“What needs to be in his mind now is these games we have coming up and how much he can give us on the pitch, whether coming on as a sub or starting the game.”

Lampard has also told Abraham to keep working hard in training to force his way back into the Blues side.

“He has had a really good season, he hasn’t scored as much in the second half of the season,” added Lampard.

“But as a young player it is always clear when you have these periods there is only one way out of it and that is work and repetition in training.

“I think that is where Tammy is at. I think the contract will hopefully look after itself between him and the club and he just needs to focus on giving us that Tammy that we had earlier in the season.

”He was giving defenders so much of a problem in games and scoring regularly and it all came from how he was training and working in the week.

“That is just what he has to sustain all the time.”

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Liverpool maintain 100 percent home record with win over Aston Villa

Following their 4-0 mauling at the hands of Manchester City on Thursday, Juergen Klopp’s side struggled to break down a determined Villa.

Liverpool made it 17 wins out of 17 at Anfield after goals by Sadio Mane and Curtis Jones handed the champions a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday which pushed Dean Smith’s side deeper into trouble.

Following their 4-0 mauling at the hands of Manchester City on Thursday, Juergen Klopp’s side struggled to break down a determined Villa.

Klopp fielded another strong side but with the ground empty and the title already in the bag, there was a lack of edge to Liverpool’s play.

The visitors’ were solid and organised and could even have gone ahead in the 52nd minute when Anwar El Ghazi forced a fine save out of Alisson.

But Mane broke the deadlock in the 71st minute, meeting a low ball from Naby Keita with a firm shot that rattled in off the underside of the cross-bar.

Following their 4-0 mauling at the hands of Manchester City on Thursday, Juergen Klopp’s side struggled to break down a determined Villa.

Klopp fielded another strong side but with the ground empty and the title already in the bag, there was a lack of edge to Liverpool’s play.

The visitors’ were solid and organised and could even have gone ahead in the 52nd minute when Anwar El Ghazi forced a fine save out of Alisson.

But Mane broke the deadlock in the 71st minute, meeting a low ball from Naby Keita with a firm shot that rattled in off the underside of the cross-bar.

Substitute Jones scored the second, a minute from the end, with the 19 year old hooking home after Mohamed Salah headed an Andy Robertson cross into his path.

The goal was Jones’ first in the Premier League and came a day after he signed a new five-year contract with the club.

“That’s Curtis in a nutshell. He signed a new contract yesterday which is good for him and good for us. We’ll have a lot of fun with him,” said Klopp.

Liverpool are now unbeaten in their last 57 Premier League home games with 47 wins and 10 draws and they have won 24 home games in a row.

Klopp said the blustery conditions at Anfield had impacted the game.

Liverpool not focused on records, says Juergen Klopp

Liverpool are on course to beat Manchester City’s mark of 100 points in a Premier League campaign but the champions are not focused on breaking records, manager Juergen Klopp has said.

Liverpool, who won 2-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday thanks to goals by Sadio Mane and Curtis Jones, need 12 points from their final five games to beat City’s tally from the 2017-18 season.

“We didn’t come here and have the numbers we have because we thought about breaking records. We were always focused 100% on the game and that will not change,” said Klopp, whose side made it 17 wins out of 17 games at Anfield this season.

“If we want to have record points pretty much we have to win all the games, it’s not complicated. The boys know it and it’s not necessary to mention it to this group.”

Liverpool next visit 15th-placed Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday.

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WE ARE NOT AFTER THE RECORD – KLOPP

Liverpool are on course to beat Manchester City’s mark of 100 points in a Premier League campaign but the champions are not focused on breaking records, manager Juergen Klopp has said.

Liverpool, who won 2-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday thanks to goals by Sadio Mane and Curtis Jones, need 12 points from their final five games to beat City’s tally from the 2017-18 season.

“We didn’t come here and have the numbers we have because we thought about breaking records. We were always focused 100% on the game and that will not change,” said Klopp, whose side made it 17 wins out of 17 games at Anfield this season.

“If we want to have record points pretty much we have to win all the games, it’s not complicated. The boys know it and it’s not necessary to mention it to this group.”

Liverpool next visit 15th-placed Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday.

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Chelsea waiting on N’Golo Kante injury after Watford win

N’Golo Kante has picked up a hamstring problem and could miss Chelsea‘s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace.

The France midfielder trudged out of Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Watford, and could now sit out Tuesday’s trip to Selhurst Park.

Olivier Giroud, Willian and Ross Barkley all found the net as the Blues eased past the Hornets, to jump back into the league’s top four and shake off Wednesday’s frustrating 3-2 loss at West Ham.

Kante’s injury proved perhaps the sole blow in Chelsea’s comfortable Saturday night victory at Stamford Bridge, leaving Lampard sweating on the 29-year-old’s fitness.

“N’Golo Kante he has a small hamstring injury, we hope it is small, that’s what I’ve been told so far,” said Lampard.

“But I’m guessing it will be a problem for Palace on Tuesday.”

Italy midfielder Jorginho has yet to feature for Chelsea since the league’s restart, but Lampard insisted the former Napoli man remains in his thoughts.

Jorginho could step in should Kante miss the trip to Palace, though Billy Gilmour would be another option with the Scot having stepped off the bench against Watford.

When asked for the latest on Jorginho, Lampard said only “Jorginho is in my plans”, before offering his assessment of Kante’s injury.

Chelsea temporarily – for a little less than five hours – dropped out of the league’s top four for the first time since October on Saturday.

Manchester United’s 5-2 thrashing of Bournemouth saw the Blues slip to fifth.

Lampard’s men hit back in style to leapfrog back above United however, with the race for Champions League qualification continuing to offer regular drama.

The Chelsea boss admitted the run to the end of the season will only be increasingly littered with pressure, admitting his players must steel themselves for the fight.

“I think every game is going to be pressure now,” said Lampard.

“West Ham was pressure because we knew we could go third. It’s a different kind of pressure but it’s still the same in how you focus on the game and job at hand.

“You cannot get too caught up in what everyone does at the moment. We did that tonight, there was no nonsense, the mentality was right.

“We started brightly and we carried on and got the small details of the game right at both ends of the pitch, which I was happy with.”

Watford remain just above the relegation zone, leaving manager Nigel Pearson well aware of the Vicarage Road men’s precarious position.

“Of course, we are concerned with the situation we are in, we’re not naive,” said Pearson.

“But the most important thing is to recognise what we are and make sure our performances reflect that type of collective spirit. If we do that, we will find ways of winning games.

“It’s a situation we’ve got now to stay in control of our destiny, and to do that we’ve got to work as hard as tonight, if not harder.”

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Bukayo Saka celebrates new deal with first league goal as Arsenal see off Wolves

Bukayo Saka celebrated his new Arsenal deal by inspiring a crucial 2-0 win at Wolves.

The 18-year-old, who penned a new long-term contract at the Emirates this week, struck his first Premier League goal to give the Gunners’ European hopes a huge boost.

Alexandre Lacazette scored a late second as impressive Arsenal closed the gap on sixth-placed Wolves to three points.

Boss Mikel Arteta continued to justify his hard-line stance on any player yet to buy into his beliefs, with Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi again missing.

Adama Traore chipped Wolves’ best chance over as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side’s Champions League hopes took a hit.

They are three points behind Manchester United after losing their 100 per cent record since returning from lockdown.

They remain in the hunt for a shock top four spot and, while a return to Europe’s top table remains fanciful for Arsenal, they bagged a deserved fourth straight win in all competitions despite a slow start.

Emiliano Martinez, who had a 15-game loan spell at Molineux five years ago, was immediately called into action to block Traore’s poked effort in the first few seconds.

The forward, partnering Raul Jimenez instead of Diogo Jota, also fired wildly over but there was no real sign of an early breakthrough.

Saka initially struggled on the right as the Gunners took time to find a rhythm but Rui Patricio grabbed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s prodded half-volley in the 26th minute as they flickered into life.

Wolves lacked the tempo needed to stretch the visitors, with Leander Dendoncker glancing well wide and Jonny dragging across goal.

Arsenal, without Nicolas Pepe after his wife went into labour, grew in confidence and Eddie Nketiah went close when he pounced on a kind ricochet and Patricio turned his low drive onto the base of the post.

It was a warning Wolves failed to heed and the Gunners struck the opener two minutes before the break.

A sweeping move saw Aubameyang find Kieran Tierney on the left and his cross deflected off Matt Doherty for Saka to swivel and beat Patricio from 12 yards.

It was the first goal Wolves had conceded in 448 minutes and they started the second half with added urgency, Nuno introducing Jota 10 minutes in.

Jota had a shot blocked and Raul Jimenez saw a dubious penalty claim rejected before the pair combined for Traore to waste a glorious chance.

The forward’s end product had drastically improved this season but in the 64th minute he fluffed his lines when, having been put clear by Jota, he chipped over with just Martinez to beat.

Arsenal maintained their concentration, although posed a limited threat for much of the second half and Nketiah headed a rare chance over with 13 minutes left.

But, as Wolves began to chase the game, space opened up and Lacazette pounced with five minutes left, collecting Joe Willock’s cross to ghost past Conor Coady and find the corner.

Willock almost added a third a minute later but Ruben Neves hacked his scuffed effort off the line.

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Jamie Vardy reaches 100 PL goals,Mason Greenwood matches Wayne Rooney’s 2004 record

Mason Greenwood became the first teenager to score 15 goals in a single season for Manchester United since Wayne Rooney (17) in 2004/05.

Mason Greenwood, 18, put away two emphatic finishes in Manchester United’s demolition of Bournemouth on Saturday, becoming the first teenager to score 15 goals in a single season for United since Wayne Rooney (17) in 2004/05.

Greenwood’s goals, one scored with the right foot and the other with the left, were scored in the 29th and 54th minutes. Marcus Rashford scored from a penalty in the first half, while Anthony Martial added to the lead at the half-time mark. Bruno Fernandes scored from a free kick in the second half to put United 5-2 up.

Greenwood is the only teenager in Europe’s top five leagues to have contributed to 15 goals this season.

This was the first time United scored five goals in a home match since December 2011.

United now have three players with 15+ goals in all competitions (Greenwood, Martial, Rashford) for the first time since the 2012/13 season.

With their win, they extended their unbeaten run to 16 matches. They provisionally enter the top four in the Premier League points table, though Chelsea have a game in hand.

In the earlier match on Saturday, Brighton moved to the brink of safety in the Premier League and left last-place Norwich closer to relegation after winning 1-0 at Carrow Road.

In the third match, Jamie Vardy passed 100 career goals in the Premier League by scoring twice as Leicester beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday to ignite its ambitions to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

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Manchester City, Manchester United and Wolves facing no summer break

Manchester City, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly all facing the possibility of missing the start of next season and having no summer break due to their delayed European campaigns.

Premier League clubs will meet next week via a video conference to discuss when the 2020-21 season will begin and confirm dates for the new campaign.

The Sun reports that there are three realistic options that the Premier League are considering, with the weekends of August 22 and 29 as well as September 12 being discussed.

Several Premier League clubs are understood to prefer the September date, which would give them more time to prepare for the new campaign after a congested post-lockdown fixture list, and it would also make it more likely that fans will be allowed back into stadiums, giving clubs a greater income boost.

However, Premier League referees have been alerted to the likelihood that the new season would begin on the first provisional date in August, which could lead to City, United and Wolves not being able to restart their domestic campaigns along with every other club, if their respective Champions League and Europa League runs go all the way.

UEFA plan to host the Europa League final in Cologne on August 21 and the Champions League final in Lisbon two days later.

This would mean the Premier League trio having to play catch-up from the very beginning of next season, with no possibility of their players having any rest period between seasons, which could lead to significant injury repercussions as the new campaign progresses.

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Chelsea move back into top four with comfortable win over Watford

Olivier Giroud, Willian and Ross Barkley struck to sink Watford 3-0 at Stamford Bridge and limit Chelsea’s fall from the Premier League’s top four to less than five hours.

France’s World Cup-winning striker Giroud angled a fine effort for his third goal in five Premier League games, with the 33-year-old showing renewed sharpness.

Brazil forward Willian tucked away another nerveless penalty: his third in as many league matches, after his spot-kicks in the 2-1 win over Manchester City and Wednesday’s 3-2 loss at West Ham.

Former Everton midfielder Barkley then capped another industrious performance with a smart strike in stoppage time.

Chelsea’s demoralising midweek defeat by the Hammers, coupled with Manchester United thrashing Bournemouth 5-2 on Saturday afternoon had seen the Blues drop out of the league’s top four for the first time since October.

But Frank Lampard’s men jumped straight back above United to reclaim fourth spot, with a commanding Saturday night victory in west London.

Lampard had demanded atonement for Wednesday’s shock loss at West Ham, and his focused Chelsea charges delivered against an admittedly-limited Watford outfit.

Stamford Bridge has been awash for weeks with talk of a summer signings revolution, but here it was the old guard who came good for Lampard.

Giroud recently signed a one-year contract extension, but he will face extra competition next term in the shape of £53million RB Leipzig recruit and prolific Germany hitman Timo Werner.

The 31-year-old Willian continues to hold out for three years on a new deal, whereas Chelsea only want to offer him two.

But the 70-cap Brazil star now boasts 11 goals in all competitions this term, and three in two matches after his brace amid that galling loss at West Ham.

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Paul Pogba to sign new contract at Manchester United

Midfielder Paul Pogba is reportedly happy to extend his contract at Manchester United.

Since revealing in June 2019 that he wanted to take on a new challenge, the World Cup winner has been continually linked with an exit from Old Trafford.

Although United are in a position where they can extend the 27-year-old’s contract until 2022, it has been suggested that club officials are yet to decide whether there is value in keeping the France international at the club.

However, according to ESPN, Pogba is increasingly content with life in the North-West after recently returning from a long-term absence.

In his most recent outings in the Premier League, the playmaker has linked up well with January arrival Bruno Fernandes, adding a different dimension to United’s play.

That appears to have swayed Pogba into looking to commit his future to United, rather than pursuing a switch to either Real Madrid or Juventus.