Tag: Football News

Categories
football Sports News

RICHARLISON HEADER EARNS EVERTON THIRD STRAIGHT WIN AT WESTBROM

Richarlison continued Everton’s Champions League charge in a 1-0 win at West Brom.

The striker’s second-half header lifted the Toffees into the Premier League’s top four following a third straight win.

Victory ended the plucky Baggies’ mini-revival to keep them nine points from safety as theThe Toffees continued to improve after the break but did allow Diagne to nod over after Kyle Bartley glanced on Darnell Furlong’s long throw.

Everton’s extra quality had started to tell though and Gylfi Sigurdsson made an instant impact after coming off the bench to set up the winner after 65 minutes.

The midfielder’s first touch was a corner which was cleared back to him and he produced an excellent delivery with his second for Richarlison to steal ahead of Bartley and head in from four yards.

Albion now had to chase the game, but Everton, marshalled by the outstanding Ben Godfrey, held firm after a late scare in stoppage time.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ cross found Diagne and he turned to fire in, only to be ruled marginally offside.

Mbaye Diagne’s stoppage-time goal was ruled out for offside as Sam Allardyce’s side remained second bottom.

Everton moved into the Champions League spots, at least until Liverpool and Chelsea faced off later on Thursday night, after Richarlison’s fourth goal in four games.

They rode their luck at times against the energetic hosts, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side secured another win and third successive clean sheet.

Yet, buoyed by a three-game unbeaten run, it was the Baggies who started brightly and Jordan Pickford clawed away Diagne’s hanging header after three minutes

Purposeful and aggressive, Albion ensured Everton remained on the back foot and Conor Townsend seized on Andre Gomes’ misplaced pass only for Diagne to eventually shoot over.

While the Toffees were sloppy the Baggies forced them into mistakes, but when Pickford collided with Michael Keane they could not take advantage.

After just three wins in their previous 26 games, Allardyce had long admitted the Baggies were in must-win territory and his team had responded, yet the longer they failed to make their dominance count the stronger Everton became.

While their final ball had been awful, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin starved of any service, they did come to life in the final seven minutes of the half.

That it took the Toffees 38 minutes to carve out their first chance was a tribute to Albion’s efforts, but the hosts survived a scare when Calvert-Lewin slipped in Richarlison and his strike deflected narrowly over.

It was a warning and Calvert-Lewin let the Baggies off the hook three minutes later.

Pockets of space had begun to open up, but when the ball deflected into the striker’s path he hesitated and shot straight at Sam Johnstone from 15 yards.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

LEMINA STRIKE EARNS FULHAM 1-0 VICTORY AT ANFIELD

Fulham went level on points with Brighton & Hove Albion as Mario Lemina’s strike earned a 1-0 win that extended Liverpool’s losing run at Anfield.

Josh Maja twice went close for the visitors early on, first shooting wide from Kenny Tete’s cross before being denied by Alisson at point-blank range.

Ademola Lookman also had a close-range strike deflected over by Neco Williams.

An impressive first-half display was rewarded in stoppage time, when Lemina drilled in a low shot following a corner.

Liverpool improved in the second half, with the returning Diogo Jota having a volley brilliantly saved by Alphonse Areola.

Substitute Sadio Mane’s looping header struck a post and Xherdan Shaqiri also shot narrowly wide but Fulham held on for their second Premier League win at Anfield.

A sixth consecutive home league defeat for Liverpool drops them to eighth on 43 points.

Fulham, unbeaten in eight away league matches, stay 18th but are now level with Brighton on 26 points, having played one match more.

Categories
football Sports News

SERIE A ROUND UP: MILAN BEAT VERONA TO CLOSE GAP ON INTER, NAPOLI WIN

Rade Krunic and Diogo Dalot scored in either half as AC Milan beat Hellas Verona 2-0 to close the gap on Serie A leaders Inter before next week’s Europa League trip to Manchester United.

Krunic curled in a free-kick after 27 minutes with Manchester United loanee Dalot doubling the visitors’ account five minutes after the break to pull Milan three points behind Inter, who host in-form Atalanta on Monday.

Champions Juventus are four points behind Milan in third, with a game in hand, after claiming their seventh straight win at home, 3-1 against Lazio on Saturday.

Despite the absence of key players including star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and defender Theo Hernandez, Milan kept the pressure on their city rivals two weeks after their 3-0 derby defeat.

Rafael Leao started up front in Ibrahimovic’s absence, and the Portuguese forward threatened after quarter of an hour with a header which went over the bar.

The breakthrough came when Krunic was brought down just outside the box. The Bosnian midfielder dusted himself down and whipped a 27th-minute free-kick past a stunned Marco Silvestri from a tricky angle for his first league goal in Milan colours.

Defender Dalot also got off the mark in Serie A five minutes after the break, blasting in an Alexis Saelemaekers cross.

Milan took a valuable three points before they travel to Manchester for the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie with United before hosting Napoli in the league next weekend.

Verona, in eighth, fell to their first home defeat since losing to Inter before Christmas.

Earlier Roma moved up to fourth, one point ahead of Atalanta thanks to a Gianluca Mancini goal, ahead of their Europa League tie against Shakhtar Donetsk in Rome.

Mancini jumped highest to turn in a Lorenzo Pellegrini corner after 24 minutes at the Stadio Olimpico, beating second choice ‘keeper Federico Marchetti who replaced Mattia Perrin.

Roma sit nine points behind Inter after the win.

“One more step is missing to beat the big teams, we need to improve because something more is needed to reach the Champions League,” said Mancini.

Bottom side Crotone ended their seven-match losing streak with a 4-2 win over coronavirus-hit Torino.

The Turin club’s last two games, against Sassuolo and Lazio, were unplayed because of a Covid-19 outbreak.

Earlier, Alvaro Morata scored twice and set up another as Juventus warmed up for next week’s Champions League game against Porto with a 3-1 comeback win over Lazio on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo started on the bench before next week’s key last 16, second leg game against the Portuguese in Turin with Juventus trailing 2-1.

Champions Juventus fell behind to an early Joaquin Correa goal following a Dejan Kulusevski passing error midfield.

But Morata set up Adrien Rabiot to pull the hosts level before the break with the Spaniard scoring twice in a three-minute spell before the hour mark.

Andrea Pirlo’s side are third, seven points behind leaders Inter who host Atalanta on Monday, and one point adrift of AC Milan who play Hellas Verona on Sunday.

“Today we started the game 20 minutes late but it was normal because many were out of position and many returned (from injury),” said Pirlo.

“But there was a great reaction, we didn’t get down and despite the many absences we played an excellent match.

“For us it was a final, an important match for the standings and we’re happy.” Paulo Dybala remains out injured along with defender Giorgio Chiellini and midfielder Matthijs de Ligt, while Rodrigo Bentancur positive for coronavirus.

But Juan Cuadrado started after missing three league games with Arthur and Leonardo Bonucci also returning off the bench in the second half.

Morata started up front alongside Kulusevski, with Ciro Immobile leading the Lazio attack alongside Correa.

And the Argentine pounced after quarter of an hour after Kulusevski gave the ball away, shaking off Merih Demiral to beat Wojciech Szczesny in the Juventus goal.

Szczesny denied Luis Alberto a second eight minutes later.

Rabiot pulled a goal back six minutes before the break, picking up a Morata through ball to fire in a powerful left footed angled drive over Pepe Reina.

Both sides had chances after the break with Reina denying Federico Chiesa, Szczesny clearing from Correa and a Sergej Milinkovic-Savic header rattling the bar.

Chiesa set up Morata for the second after 57 minutes with the Spaniard completing a brace from the penalty spot three minutes later after Milinkovic-Savic brought down Aaron Ramsey in the box.

Morata made way for Ronaldo for the last 20 minutes with Arthur and Weston McKennie also coming off the bench in place of Ramsey and Cuadrado with Bonucci coming on for the final eight minutes.

Lazio’s top striker Immobile threatened but was unable to add to his 14 goals this campaign, drawing a blank for a fourth straight game as the Romans fell to their third defeat in four matches.

“It’s a defeat that hurts,” said Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi whose side’s hopes of Champions League football next season took a knock as they sit seventh, six points adrift of Atalanta in fourth place.

“We compromised the game alone, giving away an avoidable penalty. We made some mistakes and at Juventus, with some mistakes you don’t win.” Sassuolo’s Europa League hopes further dwindled with a 2-0 loss at midtable rivals Udinese stretching their winless run to three games.

Spanish forward Fernando Llorente scored his first goal for Udinese just before the break with Argentine Roberto Pereyra firing in a second deep into injury time.

Sassuolo, in ninth, have won just two of 11 league games played since after Christmas. Udinese are four points behind in 10th place.

Spezia snatched a 1-1 draw at home against Benevento, in a match between promoted sides vying to stay in the top flight next season.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

KANE, BALE BOTH HIT BRACE TO HELP SPURS SECURE 4-0 VICTORY AGAINST PALACE.

Gareth Bale and Harry Kane starred with braces to help Tottenham make it three Premier League wins in a row and boost their top four hopes after a 4-1 home success over Crystal Palace.

The duo combined twice with Kane the architect for both goals by the Real Madrid loanee before the England captain hit a wonder strike and then created history with another in the 76th minute.

Son Heung-min assisted Kane’s second and it was their 14th goal combination in the Premier League this season to beat the previous record of 13 set by Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton for Blackburn back in the 1994-95 season.

Christian Benteke had threatened to spoil proceedings for Jose Mourinho’s side when he equalised just before half-time, but two quickfire goals after the break ensured Spurs were able to secure a fifth straight victory.

Dele Alli was back on the bench after his second league start of the season at Fulham in midweek while the visitors listed the returning Wilfried Zaha as a substitute.

Bale showed no early ill-effects on his third consecutive start and should have had an assist in the sixth minute but Son headed straight at Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.

The Welsh attacker had slalomed between two opponents to create the chance and it was a sign of things to come.

After a brace in Tottenham’s win over Burnley last weekend, Bale added to his tally again with 25 minutes on the clock.

Palace captain Luka Milivojevic was dispossessed by Lucas Moura deep inside his own half and Kane dropped a shoulder to beat the midfielder and race into the area where he squared for Bale to tap in.

It was a poor way for the visitors to concede and not long after the hosts almost produced a superb team move but Sergio Reguilon sliced wide on the volley.

A flurry of corners in quick succession saw Palace build some momentum and in the first minute of stoppage time they levelled against the run of play.

Ebere Eze found Milivojevic in space and the captain atoned for his earlier error with a fine delivery into the area where Benteke headed home for his fifth goal of the season.

Zaha was introduced at the break, but he was largely a spectator during a lightning-quick start to the second period where Tottenham scored twice in the space of three minutes.

First Bale doubled his tally for the night when he nodded home from Kane’s header across the face of goal after another excellent Reguilon cross in the 49th minute.

It made it 10 goals for the season for the Spurs number nine and back-to-back braces at home, but soon the focus was on the creator.

A slick move was concluded in style when Matt Doherty cut back for Kane in space and he produced a 25-yard curler into the top corner to leave Guaita with no chance.

The Bale and Kane show was ended in the 70th minute when the Real Madrid loanee was replaced but it had been another impressive showing to continue his return to form.

A minute before the substitution Zaha had almost reduced the deficit but his shot from outside the area hit the post.

There was still time for one more Spurs goal and it proved a record-breaking effort when Son squared for Kane to head in from close range for their 14th goal combination in the Premier League this season.

It bettered Shearer and Sutton’s efforts of 13 for Blackburn 26 years ago and ensured the 4-1 win for Tottenham moved them up to sixth in the table while Palace remain in 13th.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

FERNANDES, SHAW ON TARGET AS UNITED END CITY WINNING RUN IN MANCHESTER DERBY

Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw struck early in each half as Manchester United ended Manchester City’s 21-match winning run with a stunning 2-0 derby victory.

Fernandes scored a penalty after just two minutes at the Etihad Stadium and Shaw added the second on 50 minutes as United inflicted a first defeat on their rivals since November.

The result cut City’s lead over United at the top of the Premier League to 11 points and, while it may be a stretch to suggest the title race has been reignited, it has slowed what was looking like a procession.

It may certainly rejuvenate United, who might have feared being dragged into a battle for a top-four place after an indifferent series of performances.

The only downside for the visitors was the loss of the inspirational Marcus Rashford through injury in the second half.

City had gone into the game undefeated in their previous 28 in all competitions and with their previous 21 opponents all beaten.

That had raised the prospect of reaching the world record for a top-flight side of 27 successive wins but that was under threat within moments of kick-off.

United raced out of the blocks and Anthony Martial was clumsily clipped by Gabriel Jesus with just 34 seconds gone.

Referee Anthony Taylor pointed straight to the spot for what was the 92nd penalty of this Premier League season, equalling the number awarded in the entirety of the 2019-20 campaign.

Fernandes, no stranger to penalties himself, thumped home his 10th spot-kick of the season despite Ederson getting a hand to his shot.

City were unusually rocky in the opening minutes and they were almost punished again moments later when Joao Cancelo failed to dribble out of his own area. Shaw seized possession but shot straight at Ederson.

Rashford tried his luck from long range but Ederson grabbed his effort at the second attempt.

With Kevin De Bruyne uncharacteristically sluggish, City took time to settle but they felt they should have had a penalty themselves after Raheem Sterling was challenged late by Fred in the area.

Nothing was given but Oleksandr Zinchenko drew a good save from Dean Henderson, who was continuing in place of the absent David De Gea, from distance.

Riyad Mahrez went close with a shot across the face of goal in the final moments of the first half and Rodri hit the woodwork from a Jesus lay-off after the restart.

Those near-misses were to prove costly for City as Shaw doubled United’s lead on 50 minutes.

Henderson launched a United attack with a quick throw and Rashford burst into the area to find Shaw in support. The left-back had three defenders in front of him but he caught them and the unsighted Ederson by surprise with an angled low shot which crept inside the far post.

City tried to respond but Jesus found nobody with a ball across the box when well placed, and they were fortunate not to go 3-0 down after a ricochet saw the ball break to Martial in their area. The Frenchman looked certain to score when presented with the one-on-one opportunity but Ederson saved low to his left.

Pep Guardiola sent on Phil Foden with 20 minutes remaining and the youngster went close with a shot on the turn that flew wide.

Rashford limped off but United had already done the damage.

City were unable to force their way back into the game allowing United, for now at least, the local bragging rights.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

MESSI GRABS TWO ASSISTS AS BARCELONA MARCH ON WITH VICTORY AT OSASUNA

Barcelona continued their rampant run of domestic form to beat Osasuna 2-0 away from home on Saturday and move to within two points of La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, with Lionel Messi setting up goals scored by Jordi Alba and teenager Ilaix Moriba.

Messi helped Barca take the lead on the half-hour mark when he carved open Osasuna’s defence with a superb cross-field ball to Alba, who controlled before blasting into the roof of the net.

He then laid the ball off when 18-year-old midfielder Ilaix struck in the 83rd minute, producing a confident finish inside the post from outside the area to score his first goal for the club in only his third league appearance.

The victory followed Barca’s heroic second leg comeback win over Sevilla to reach the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday and notched a 13th league win in 16 games, while they are unbeaten since losing at Cadiz on Dec. 5.

The Catalans stay second but moved on to 56 points after 26 games, two points behind Atletico Madrid who have played 24 matches and host third-placed Real Madrid on Sunday. Osasuna are 13th on 28.

“We just needed to keep on winning. It wasn’t our best performance but we played well and we deserved the win,” said Barca coach Ronald Koeman.

“We played with a lot of energy. We were tired, but we put in a professional performance and scored two great goals. I’m very happy, this is a very important run and I hope we stay on this path.”

Perhaps still feeling the effects of the 3-0 win over Sevilla after extra time, Barca took a while to settle and nearly went behind in the second minute. They were spared thanks to the first of three impressive saves from Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The German had to scurry back to stop an audacious attempt from Osasuna’s Jonathan Calleri, who went for goal from his own half. He also made a truly outstanding save to deny Kike Barja later in the first period, flying to his top right hand corner and throwing up his left hand to swat the ball away.

With Barca then leading through Alba’s vicious strike, Ter Stegen rescued the visitors for a third time, denying midfielder Ruben Garcia from close range.

Having gone through a tumultuous campaign on and off the pitch this season, things are looking up for Barca, who will elect a new president in Sunday’s election.

They then head to France looking for another miraculous Champions League comeback against Paris St Germain for Wednesday’s last-16 second leg, looking to overturn a 4-1 deficit.

“We have to rest now and then we’ll prepare the game. I don’t want to say it’s impossible, and we’ll go there and try to get a good result,” Koeman added.

Categories
football Sports News

SAINTS GET FIRST WIN IN TEN MATCHES AT ROCK BOTTOM SHEFFIELD

Goals from James Ward-Prowse and Che Adams gave Southampton a long-awaited and much-needed victory and plunged Sheffield United nearer to relegation from the Premier League.

A first win in 10 matches stopped Saints’ alarming slide and moved them 10 points clear of the bottom three, but the rock-bottom Blades look more unlikely by the week to pull off the greatest of escapes.

The 2-0 defeat leaves Chris Wilder’s side 12 points adrift of safety with just 10 matches remaining to save themselves.

It was an all so familiar story for the Blades – playing well, making chances, but shooting themselves in the foot at the other end with poor defending and individual mistakes.

They were given a boost after 12 minutes when Danny Ings went down injured off the ball and had to be replaced by former Blade Adams.

It was a blow for Southampton but they would have taken the lead shortly afterwards had Nathan Tella showed a little more composure in front of goal, slicing his first-time shot well wide when goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was out of position.

Tella was involved again when the visitors went ahead after 32 minutes. Referee Paul Tierney awarded the spot-kick after Ethan Ampadu brought down the 21-year-old with a challenge from behind. Ward-Prowse tucked away the resulting penalty.

The Blades should have equalised right at the end of the first half but David McGoldrick chose to try and chip Fraser Forster from the edge of the penalty area, making it an easy save for the giant goalkeeper when really he should have been given no chance.

Wilder made an attacking change for the start of the second half, introducing striker Oli McBurnie and taking off midfielder Oliver Norwood. But four minutes after the break his side were 2-0 down.

John Lundstram’s poor clearance was flicked into Adams’ path by Stuart Armstrong and the substitute hit the ball superbly on the half-volley, sending it into the top corner.

Enda Stevens put a header wide at the far post on the hour as another chance was missed by the Blades.

The hosts’ approach play continued to be sharp, neat and incisive, but, as has been the case all season, it broke down in and around the penalty area.

Wilder’s team continued to make life difficult for themselves. Lys Mousset gave the ball away this time and Ramsdale had to make a fine save to turn Tella’s effort away for a corner.

Takumi Minamino should have done better than shoot wide when unmarked inside the penalty area midway through the second half, before Ramsdale got a strong hand behind a low strike from Adams.

Ramsdale was keeping his team in the game and Nathan Redmond was next to be denied by another fine save from the Blades goalkeeper.

Frustration appeared to get the better of John Fleck in stoppage time when his robust challenge on Adams on the halfway line was late and, arguably, out of control. Tierney gave the Blades midfielder a yellow card but Saints players were incensed by the tackle and surrounded the referee looking for a red card.

There was pushing and shoving between the two sets of players and McBurnie and Jannick Vestegaard were also booked for their part in the tussle.

Categories
football Sports News

WOLVES RUE MISSED CHANCES TO SETTLE FOR DRAW AT VILLA PARK

Romain Saiss’ extraordinary miss forced Wolves to settle for a goalless derby draw at Aston Villa.

The defender fired over an open goal from a yard out after Conor Coady hit the post.

Emi Martinez also denied Coady in the second half at Villa Park as the hosts drew just their fourth game of the Premier League season.

Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa hit the woodwork for Villa during a dominant first half but they lost their way after the break and relied on Saiss’ howler to claim a point.

It kept Villa ninth in the Premier League, while Wolves remain 12th with both sides now in danger of seeing their seasons fade away in the final 10 games.

Defeat at Sheffield United in midweek dented Villa’s surprise European hopes and they tried to recover quickly.

Watkins had already hit the woodwork more times than any player in the top flight this season and he struck it for a seventh time when his 25-yard rocket rattled the crossbar after four minutes.

It was a sign of things to come as, 11 minutes later, Konsa also smacked the crossbar from five yards when Tyrone Mings missed Bertrand Traore’s low cross.

Inconsistent Wolves – with three wins in their previous 14 top-flight outings – struggled to match Villa’s tempo as they pressed for an opener.

Pedro Neto tried to be proactive on the rare occasion he saw the ball but was quickly shut down by a home defence who had clearly marked him down for special treatment.

Despite Villa’s momentum, though, they never tested Rui Patricio during a first half which, the brief flashpoints aside, often lacked spark.

Watkins’ shot deflected wide three minutes into the second half but from the resulting corner, Neto fashioned the visitors’ first chance.

Coady headed clear and Neto was left racing towards goal with just Matt Targett covering.

He forced the forward wide, but Martinez still had to parry his shot behind.

It was the cue for Wolves to up their game and Saiss somehow missed his golden chance after 57 minutes.

A neat short corner saw Neto cross for an unmarked Coady at the far post and the defender – who scored his first Premier League goal against Manchester City on Tuesday – planted a diving header against the post.

The ball bounced across goal but a stretching Saiss managed to lift the ball over from almost under the bar.

It was a huge let off for Villa who had dropped from their first-half levels to allow Wolves to wrestle back control.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were chasing a winner and Martinez bailed Villa out with 14 minutes remaining.

Ross Barkley inexplicably played the ball back into the box after Joao Moutinho’s free-kick and Willian Jose’s shot deflected to Coady five yards out.

He had just Martinez to beat, but the goalkeeper raced out to turn his shot wide from point-blank range.

But Villa almost stole it in injury time when Patricio’s low save denied Watkins and Konsa lashed the rebound wide.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI HATRICK STUNS DORTMUND IN KLASSIKER THRILLER

Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick to leave him on 31 Bundesliga goals this season and seal Bayern Munich’s 4-2 comeback win over Borussia Dortmund in Germany’s ‘Klassiker’.

Dortmund raced into a 2-0 lead as Erling Haaland netted twice in the first nine minutes behind closed doors at the Allianz Arena.

However, Lewandowksi then struck twice, the second from the penalty spot, to haul Bayern level before the break.

Leon Goretzka put Bayern ahead for the first time with two minutes left before Lewandowski completed his hat-trick on 90 minutes.

“The quality is certainly there, that’s our DNA,” said Thomas Muller of Bayern’s fightback.

The win leaves Bayern two points clear of RB Leipzig at the top of the table.

“We shook ourselves up at 2-0 down and deserved to win because we were the dominant team for (the last) 60 minutes,” said Bayern coach Hansi Flick.

Bayern have won the last five meetings between the clubs.

“We weren’t good enough. We started well, but didn’t play good enough football. We should have been more brave,” said Dortmund midfielder Emre Can.

The match delivered on its billing as the battle of the Bundesliga’s star strikers.

Haaland scored with just two minutes gone when his shot clipped the heel of Jerome Boateng.

Bayern were reeling after nine minutes when Thorgan Hazard flicked the ball back inside for Haaland to again smash the ball home.

Dortmund could have been 3-0 up on 25 minutes but Thomas Meunier squandered the chance to shoot.

A minute later, Bayern pulled a goal back when Leroy Sane squared the ball for Lewandowski to score.

Bayern went into the break level when Mahmoud Dahoud brought down Kingsley Coman in the area and Lewandowski converted the penalty.

After a frantic first-half, the tempo dropped in the second as both teams suffered key injuries.

“We started great and ended very badly,” admitted Dortmund coach Edin Terzic.

Haaland came off after an hour gone with a cut on the back of his ankle.

With ten minutes left, Boateng had to be helped off in clear discomfort after twisting his knee.

Dortmund were left fuming for what captain Marco Reus claimed was a foul on Can late on.

“It was a clear foul – if that had been against Bayern, it would have been given,” fumed Marco Reus.

Bayern settled the matter when Goretzka pinged his shot in off the post before Lewandowski completed his hat-trick with an outstanding low drive.

With ten games left, Lewandowski threatens to break Gerd Mueller’s all-time record of 40 Bundesliga goals in the 1971/72 season.

Earlier, RB Leipzig briefly climbed top of the table with a 3-0 romp at Freiburg thanks to goals by Christopher Nkunku, Alexander Sorloth and Emil Forsberg.

Categories
football Sports News

TOTTENHAM EDGE FULHAM 1-0 WITH A CONTROVERSIAL HANDBALL RULING

Tottenham were the beneficiaries of the controversial handball law as they held on to a 1-0 win at Fulham that boosts their top-four hopes.

The International Football Association Board’s meeting on Friday could not be more timely after the Cottagers were denied an equaliser by a harsh handball rule in the second half.

After Spurs led in the first half through Tosin Adarabioyo’s own goal, Scott Parker’s men had the ball in the back of the net when Josh Maja fired home, but replays showed the ball cannoned into the hand of Mario Lemina from a Davinson Sanchez clearance when he was a matter of yards away.

VAR applied the laws and ruled the goal out, robbing Fulham of what would have been a worthy leveller and potentially having a huge impact on their quest for Premier League survival.

They did more than enough to take at least a point out of the game, completely dominating the second half but they could not find another way through.

It was far from convincing from Jose Mourinho’s side, but they held on to register an important win, staying in eighth position but moving four points off the top four.

After a sluggish start Spurs came to life after 15 minutes and began to look dangerous

Gareth Bale fired a free-kick over the crossbar while Harry Kane uncharacteristically put a free header straight at Alphonse Areola following Son Heung-min’s pinpoint cross.

Having fired their warning shots, they took the lead in the 20th minute.

Bale, fresh from his devastating performance against Burnley on Sunday, was again involved as he set Dele Alli free down the middle. The midfielder. making his first Premier League start since the opening day of the season, found Son on the left and then made his way into the box to get on the end of the return pass, with the final touch awarded to Fulham defender Adarabioyo.

That gave Spurs control of the game and they went on to dominate possession and territory.

Kane had a reasonable appeal for a penalty turned down after VAR backed referee David Coote’s decision before Son put a header wide at the far post when picked out by Alli.

Despite being in control, Spurs almost went in at half-time level as Fulham created their best opening in first-half stoppage time.

Antonee Robinson did well to get in down the left and the ball was pulled back to First the Frenchman expertly tipped over Joachim Andersen’s header from a free-kick and then from the resulting corner he kept out Adarabioyo’s effort.

The Cottagers thought they had a deserved leveller just after the hour as Maja fired into the bottom corner after Lemina’s first effort had been saved by Lloris.

But Sanchez’s clearance had hit Lemina’s arm from close range before falling to Maja and VAR ruled the goal out.

This was an all-too familiar sight for Spurs, taking a lead and then reverting into their shells as Fulham threw bodies forward. Lemina, who blazed over.

Fulham started the second half brightly and forced Hugo Lloris into two smart stops from set-pieces.

First the Frenchman expertly tipped over Joachim Andersen’s header from a free-kick and then from the resulting corner he kept out Adarabioyo’s effort.

The Cottagers thought they had a deserved leveller just after the hour as Maja fired into the bottom corner after Lemina’s first effort had been saved by Lloris.

But Sanchez’s clearance had hit Lemina’s arm from close range before falling to Maja and VAR ruled the goal out.

This was an all-too familiar sight for Spurs, taking a lead and then reverting into their shells as Fulham threw bodies forward.

It took until the 83rd minute for the visitors to have a shot in the second half and it should have killed the game.

Erik Lamela played in Kane, but the England captain had a rare off night in front of goal and allowed Areola to block the shot.

It was frantic at the end but Spurs held on with Fulham left feeling a sense of injustice