Sports update

[Edoman]

Manchester United beat Southampton 9-0







 Manchester United football club of England on Tuesday, February 2, won against Southampton with a heavy 9-0 scoreline, the first time the club will win another club with over 4 goals in the league since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
 
The match was a contest for less than two minutes as visiting midfielder Alexandre Jankewitz was shown a straight red card early on for a lunging challenge on Scott McTominay.
 
United went on to score four goals in the first half, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani finding the net. Jan Bednarek also scored an own-goal.
 
Five strikes followed in the second as Anthony Martial netted after coming on at the break before goals from Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes, and another Martial strike. Daniel James rounded off the scoring.
 
Southampton were reduced to 9 men after the referee, Mike Dean had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot after Man United's Martial took a tumble in the box, in close proximity to Saint defender, Jan Bednarek.  Dean then consulted the pitchside monitor to review his decision, and compounded Bednarek's misery by brandishing his second red card of the evening.
 
Southampton player, Adams scored later in the game but the goal was ruled out for the tightest of offsides after a VAR review.
 

 
With the win, Manchester United have now set the joint highest win in Premier league history .
 

 
The Reds are now level on points with Manchester City ahead of their game against Burnley on Wednesday night, although Pep Guardiola's side do have two games in hand on the Old Trafford club.

See some reactions from fans below.

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[Edoman]

Inter Milan vs Juventus: Cristiano Ronaldo makes football history after Coppa Italia win


on
 February 3, 2021





Juventus forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, on Tuesday night, made football history in his side’s Coppa Italia semi-final first leg 2-1 victory over Inter Milan.


Ronaldo’s brace against Inter Milan gave Andrea Pirlo’s men an edge ahead of the second leg semi-final tie next Tuesday in Turin.


Lautaro Martinez did score a goal for Antonio Conte’s men at San Siro.
Ronaldo’s two goals against Inter Milan means the Portugal captain now stands alone as football’s most prolific goalscorer, Marca reports.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star now have 763 career goals, a figure that beats the 762 of Josef Bican and Pele.


Bican and Pele’s records have been disputed, but there’s no confusion over Ronaldo’s goals.


Ronaldo netted 5 goals for Sporting, 118 for Manchester United, 451 for Real Madrid, 87 for Juventus and 102 for Portugal.


However, various sources give Bican up to 805 goals, but Marca has only counted goals in the professional or similar category.

Romario has 740 goals, while Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has scored 720 goals to make the top five list.
Ronaldo’s position in the history books is secured according to their records, for now at least.


The Juve number 7 will now hope to continue his impressive display for the Old Lady when they take on Roma this weekend in a Serie A fixture.

[Edoman]

Coppa Italia: Pirlo explains why he substituted Cristiano Ronaldo in Juventus win against Inter Milan

 
on
 February 3, 2021





Juventus manager, Andrea Pirlo, has defended his decision to substitute forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, during his side’s Coppa Italia semi-final first leg 2-1 victory against Inter Milan on Tuesday night.


Pirlo explained that there is no contract clause that says Ronaldo can’t be substituted during a match.


Ronaldo was visibly unhappy to be replaced by Alvaro Morata with 14 minutes remaining, but Pirlo is now saying that he wanted to keep the 35-year-old fresh for Sunday’s Serie A match against Roma.

Two goals from Ronaldo gave Pirlo’s men the victory against Inter Milan at San Siro.


Lautaro Martinez did score a goal for Antonio Conte’s side.


Juventus will face Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-final second leg tie next week Tuesday in Turin.


“It’s normal that when you go out in a match like this, you want to play to help the team,” Pirlo told Rai Sport.


“There is no contract clause that says he [Cristiano Ronaldo] can’t be subbed off. He knows he is a fundamental player for us but to get his breath back, he must always be at the top.

“He proved it with his performances after some criticism. He couldn’t have done better than that.


“I said [to him] that he had to rest, we have an important match on Saturday. He has played many consecutive games, every now and then a little rest is good for him.”

[Edoman]

Tyson Fury reveals his wife Paris is pregnant with their sixth child







World heavyweight boxing champion, Tyson Fury has revealed that his wife Paris is pregnant with the couple’s sixth child.

The pair already have five children, three sons and two daughters, and are now set to welcome another addition.

The boys are named Prince John James, Prince Tyson Fury II and Prince Adonis Amaziah with the two daughters named Valencia and Venezuela.
 


Fury, who has always said he loves big families and would like his wife to give birth to 11, revealed: ”Paris is pregnant again and the Lord has blessed us definitely with another child and I'm very thankful.
 
"Got a beautiful wife, beautiful kids, they're all healthy. That's the most important thing, you know, your health and your family.

"Nothing else really matters. Your job, your money, your wealth, your career, none of that really matters because you can get another job, you can start snooker or you can go make more money.
 
"It doesn't really matter but the one thing you can't get back is your family. You can't get back time lost and that's the crazy thing about it all."

He said: "For me it's very important to stay close to my grassroots as I've got a lot of kids coming up, I've got five kids, very important for them to know the value of money.

"It's very important for them to know how to earn money.
"So, if they see me splashing out all the time and living a move stars' lifestyle they grow up thinking that's the only way they can live.
"To earn from a normal job, £200-300-a-week, however much they're going to get, they might think that's no good if they've been spoiled rotten by multimillionaire parents.
"So I don't do that. My kids don't go to private school, I don't have any private education, they just go to normal school, everyone does normal stuff."

 
Fury, 32, and his team are currently in talks over an undisputed heavyweight bout with Anthony Joshua.

[Edoman]

I’d rather die in the battle than try to hide and survive" - Anthony Joshua fires warning to Tyson Fury as their world title fight edges closer







Anthony Joshua has fired a stern warning to Tyson Fury as their world title fight edges closer. 
 
The British-Nigerian boxer is expected to face Fury in an undisputed world title fight this year, with the pair still in talks to finalize terms for a blockbuster battle that will decide the sport's No 1 heavyweight.
 
Speaking in an interview on his YouTube channel ahead of the fight, the two-time unified world heavyweight champion, said: ”I’d rather die in battle, so I can go to the heavens where the warriors lie than go to battle and try to hide and survive.” 
 
”No matter what the tactics are, no matter how much you study, no matter how much you think you can beat me, I’m just there to win. That’s the fighter’s mentality – some people may not understand it,” he said.
 
He also reiterated his love for boxing despite it being an uncivilized sport.
 
”This is a sport of combat and war. We’re not civilized people, we’re warriors, and I love it.”
 
Joshua, who won his rematch against the Bulgarian, Kubrat Pulev, back in December to retain his heavyweight titles also stated that is willing to avoid making the same errors that cost him the crown in the first place.
 
”I wear my scars like an honour. I think I’m someone who has to get burnt to learn not to touch the stove. When I got burnt, I said I never want to make that mistake again. Anyone that stands in front of me will feel the force,” he mentioned.
 
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has been finalizing a deal with Fury's American promoter Bob Arum with a number of countries being considered to stage the fight.
 
”We’ve had big discussions with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Singapore,” he told Sportsmail.
 
”No decision has yet been made on the location of the fight, though the ongoing coronavirus restrictions in the UK mean the chances of the first clash between Joshua and Fury taking place on home soil are extremely slim.”

[Edoman]

Sell him now or lose him for free' - Paul Pogba’s Brother warns Manchester United







Manchester United must ‘sell Paul Pogba now’ or they will lose him for free, the France star's brother Mathias, has warned.

Reports keep linking Pogba with the Old Trafford exit door despite his scintillating form which has helped his side to second in the Premier League table.

In December 2020, Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola revealed the 27-year-old wants to leave Old Trafford admitting the World Cup winner was more likely to leave in the summer with one year left in his contract.

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has always said he doesn't want to sell Pogba and has avoided attacking Pogba over his agent's comments.

But Pogba’s older brother Mathias, 30, who plays for Spanish side Racing Murcia appeared on Spanish TV show El Chiringuito on Tuesday morning to give his warning to the club.

He said: “He has a year left on his contract. I don’t know [if he will stay until then]. I can’t help you right now.
“The only thing I can say is if United want money, they have to sell him now. That’s the only thing I can say. If not, he’ll go for free.
“I haven’t heard anything about him renewing his contract.”
 
 Pogba recently said: “I am on contract, I am here, I am enjoying myself.

“Everybody knows that I have one year left, I’m going to speak with the club and see what’s going on.

“For now, my objective, my goal is to win something. That’s all I’m thinking about is to win.”

[Edoman]

EPL: Why I’m struggling at Chelsea – Hakim Ziyech


on
 February 3, 2021





Chelsea winger, Hakim Ziyech has revealed why he is struggling at Stamford Bridge this season.


Ziyech has scored just two goals in 18 appearances for Chelsea so far this season.


The 27-year-old joined Chelsea last summer transfer window from Ajax but has yet to recapture his previous stunning form at the Dutch giants.
The Morocco international is now saying that an untimely injury and homesickness exacerbated his “difficult” start at Chelsea.

“I am now six or seven months here and I have started to adapt to things more and more,” Ziyech told Chelsea’s official website ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s clash on Thursday night.


“At the beginning everything is new, and it is nice but I really also love to be around my family and my mother and my brothers and friends, but at this time it is not possible.


“So after a while, it was a little bit difficult, but you start to get used to it.

“I have not met the fans properly yet. The fans had a game when they could come to watch and then I got injured after 25 minutes against Leeds!
“Hopefully, better times will come, and everybody will be able to come to the stadium.”


Ziyech added: “Of course, the last six months did not go exactly how I wanted to think it would, but it is what it is and you still need to keep improving.



“I had that bad luck with my injury when I came in, but still there is time. I know for sure I believe in myself that I can do it and I can reach the same level as I used to have at Ajax here at Chelsea.”

[Edoman]

Messi names five suspects who leaked his €555m Barcelona contract


on
 February 3, 2021





Barcelona captain, Lionel Messi is set to sue as many as five persons, who he believes leaked details of his €555m deal with the club, RAC1 reports.


Messi suspects former president Josep Maria Bartomeu; former vice-president, Jordi Mestre; CEO Òscar Grau; interim president, Carles Tusquets; and the head of the club’s legal services, Romàn Gómez Ponti.


Last week, Spanish newspaper El Mundo published the full details of Messi’s mega-money contract with the LaLiga giants.

It revealed that the fixed salary, image rights, variables and tax Barcelona will have to pay on the contract, amounts to €555,237,619 over its duration.
Messi and his camp have been left furious and are now considering legal action.


They believe only those five people at the club had access to his contractual information.

[Edoman]

Super Eagles players do not play with purpose anymore - Former Nigerian striker, Julius Aghahowa says








Former Nigerian striker, Julius Aghahowa has said the current Super Eagles players do not play with a purpose like before. 
 
Aghahowa stated this during a recent interview on ‘No Holds Barred’ on Brila FM with his former Super Eagles teammate, Ifeanyi Udeze.
 
The former Nigerian international and Shakhtar Donetsk striker urged the current players to emulate ex-Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh, who always gave passes and created chances that resulted in goals.
 
“We don’t play with purpose anymore,” he said. “We don’t have players who will give long pass to strikers just like the way Sunday Oliseh use to do.
 
“All we do now is just keep possession in our half, making side ways passes with no purpose. So we need players who will give good passes to strikers to score goals.”
 
On why Paul Onuachu, 27, has not been able to replicate his club form in the Eagles, Aghahowa explained:”I think the pattern of the Super Eagles doesn’t favour him and the question we need to ask is do we want to score goals or just play football? If we want to score goals then we need to start feeding him with the ball.”
 
Aghahowa featured at four Africa Cup of Nations (2000, 2002, 2004, 2006) and was at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He also represented Nigeria at the 1999 U-20 World Cup and the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
 
And at club level, he played for Bendel Insurance, Espérance, Shakhtar Donetsk, Wigan Athletic, Kayserispor, Shakhtar Donetsk and Sevastopo.
 
 

[Edoman]

Newcastle striker, Joelinton fined for breaking coronavirus lockdown restrictions to get a haircut







Newcastle United striker, Joelinton has been hit with a fine for breaching Covid-19 lockdown rules by getting a haircut. 

The Brazilian, 24, who signed for the Premier League club for £40million in 2019, was investigated by Northumbria Police following the post he shared on Instagram last week.
 

 
In a statement on Thursday February 4, a Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “On Friday (January 29) we were made aware of a social media post involving a 24-year-old man and a 35-year-old man who may be in breach of Coronavirus restrictions.

“We have since spoken to the 24-year-old man, who will be issued with a £200 fixed penalty notice under the coronavirus legislation.
 


“The local authority, who are responsible for enforcement in relation to businesses, have served a 35-year-old man with a prohibition notice.”

The Newcastle-based barber was using his garage in North Tyneside to carry out the cut, it was understood.

North Tyneside Council confirmed it had issued a prohibition notice to the barber.
 

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[Edoman]

Tuchel praise for Mount: I see how much he cares about Chelsea


By Dom Farrell
3 February 2021, 16:16



Thomas Tuchel insists his admiration for Mason Mount has grown since becoming Chelsea head coach.


The futures of Mount and other academy products who made the first-team breakthrough under Frank Lampard have been the source of much conjecture since Tuchel replaced Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer in the Stamford Bridge dugout.


England midfielder Mount being dropped to the bench for the former Paris Saint-Germain boss' first game in charge against Wolves last week was viewed in some quarters, perhaps prematurely, as a pivotal early moment in his reign.


However, Mount returned to play 80 minutes in the 2-0 win over Burnley at the weekend and, ahead of Thursday's London derby against Tottenham, Tuchel told reporters that he was a keen admirer of the 22-year-old.


"I absolutely agree with the potential that I see, which you mention, with Mason," he said, with injury doubts over Kai Havertz meaning Mount is likely to retain his starting place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.


"What I see from outside and what I know now from the inside is that the guy is 100 per cent all the time, even more that he cares a lot about Chelsea. He cares about his team-mates and leaves his heart out there on the pitch.


"If you train with Mason or play with Mason, the one thing you can be sure of is that absolutely he gives 100 per cent. This is the best level to grow from, the best situation to become a top, top, top player.


"He has everything that is needed to reach higher and higher levels. I don't know where his limits are but right now we will push him and support him.
"The most important thing is that it comes from inside of him. What makes me very happy is he's a nice guy, a totally open guy and has a very positive aura and energy in the dressing room and out on the pitch."


Tuchel's admiration for English talent is not confined to the training fields of Cobham and he acknowledged Spurs being without Harry Kane through injury will be a boost to Chelsea's hopes.
"I would say it's always easier if Harry Kane is not playing, that's absolutely no secret," he said.


"Harry Kane is one of the best number nines in the world. When he is in shape he is maybe the role model of the number nine that every coach and every team wishes for, in terms of work rate, ambition, mentality, attitude and goalscoring. For sure, he is outstanding."


Tuchel has his own highly rated striker, although Timo Werner's only goal since early November came in the FA Cup against League Two Morecambe.


"It's our responsibility to create situations and moments when he can bring out his best," he added.


"That means to attack the space behind the back of the last line of defence of opponents, to use his feet.


"This is what we try to do with every player and, from there on, the last 15 or 20 per cent will come back when he scores.


"This is my opinion with every striker in the world. You can talk, they can score in training, you can do whatever. Nothing helps as much as them scoring in important games.


"He has good memories of the stadium at Spurs, he scored a decisive goal against them for RB Leipzig [in the Champions League last season]. Sometimes things like this help also."

[Edoman]

Real Madrid lose Hazard to yet another muscle injury



3 February 2021


Real Madrid have confirmed Eden Hazard has sustained yet another muscle injury.
The Belgium star has damaged a rectus femoris muscle in his left leg, having reportedly failed to complete training on Wednesday.


It was hoped the problem was simply muscle fatigue, but tests have shown the former Chelsea forward has a more serious injury.


According to reports in Spain, Hazard could be out for up to six weeks, which would rule him out of the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie with Atalanta on February 24 and perhaps make him a doubt for the return fixture on March 16.
It is the latest in a succession of injuries that have blighted Hazard's time in Madrid since his €100million move from Chelsea in 2019.


The 30-year-old was out for nearly a month at the end of September and again from late November due to muscle issues. He was also unavailable for two weeks between the injuries due to a positive coronavirus test.


Hazard has only started 20 times in LaLiga, six of those coming this season, and scored just three goals. He has failed to complete a full 90 minutes in any match this season across all competitions.
Madrid, who are third in LaLiga and 10 points behind leaders Atletico Madrid after playing a game more, face Huesca away on Saturday.

[Edoman]

Burnley 0-2 Manchester City: Jesus and Sterling on target as leaders march on


3 February 2021,






First-half goals from Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling saw Manchester City ease to a 2-0 win at Burnley.


The Premier League leaders extended their club-record winning run to 13 matches across all competitions, with the result rarely appearing in doubt from the moment Jesus capitalised upon a third-minute error by Nick Pope.


Sterling claimed his 10th of the season seven minutes before the interval, after which point City's football continued to flow but the goals dried up.
Pep Guardiola's side are three points clear at the summit with a game in hand on Manchester United, with champions Liverpool next on their agenda this weekend.


Sterling darted inside from the left to play in Bernardo Silva, whose shot was poorly dealt with by Pope to leave Jesus with a simple leaded finish.
Pope looked to be in trouble again when he charged out of his area to confront Sterling in the 20th minute but the England goalkeeper managed to get a timely foot in.


City had to bide their time as Burnley grew into the contest but a wonderful link-up between Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan allowed the latter to drill across goal for Sterling to convert from close range.


Joao Cancelo fired too close to Pope just before half-time and Burnley's number one sharply thwarted Sterling early in the second period as the visitors looked to conclusively end the argument.
Mahrez thought he had but was fractionally offside when he steered in Jesus' cross.


Burnley finally registered a shot in the 64th minute when Matej Vydra acrobatically volleyed over, but waves of slick City attacks continued to arrive.
Ederson decided to involve himself in the action by clattering through Erik Pieters and provide the strange spectacle of a goalkeeper getting booked for a foul on a left-back.


It was the closest City came to a scare.
What does it mean? City tuned up for Anfield examination


Guardiola's men are now unbeaten in 20 matches on all fronts in a season where hitting such a consistent vein of form has been beyond their main rivals.


If they can extent that run over the course of their next five Premier League games - Tottenham, Arsenal and West Ham follow the Liverpool encounter and precede a Manchester derby on March 6 - then a tight title race might turn into a procession.


Sterling slays Turf Moor demons
When City drew 1-1 at Burnley in one of the few blots on their 100-point campaign of 2017-18, Guardiola was so irritated by a howling Sterling miss from point-blank range that he substituted the England forward.


Sterling has not quite eradicated such moments from his game, so there will have been relief when he finished from inside the six-yard box. All three of his attempts were on target, he created two other chances for team-mates and contested a game-high 15 duels.


Cork unable to stem City's flow
Playing in central midfield against Manchester City in this mood can be a thankless task and it proved a tough slog for Jack Cork. The playmaker completed just 11 of his 17 passes and lost possession seven times.


Cork was substituted in the 71st minute having touched the ball 23 times. By comparison, Ederson - who did not have a single shot on target to deal with - made 39 touches.


Key Opta Facts:
- Burnley have failed to register a single shot on target in their last two Premier League games, the first side to do so in consecutive matches in the competition since Everton in January 2018.


- Gundogan has scored (7) or assisted (1) eight goals in his last 10 Premier League games for Man City, as many as in his previous 61 appearances combined.


- Sterling has been directly involved in 154 goals in all competitions under Guardiola (99 goals and 55 assists) - eight more than any other player for Manchester City in this time.


- Jesus has scored 68 goals in the 107 games he has started for Manchester City in all competitions, netting in each of his last three starts.


- City have kept a clean sheet in each of their last six Premier League games, their joint-longest run without conceding in the competition (also September 2015 and October 2018).


What's next?
City face a potentially season-defining trip to Anfield on Sunday, where they have not won since 2003. Burnley are back at Turf Moor a day earlier to welcome Brighton.

[Edoman]

Hudson-Odoi gamble paying off for Tuchel at Chelsea



3 February 2021




Thomas Tuchel might not have been bold enough to ask Callum Hudson-Odoi to play at wing-back for Chelsea had it not been his first day on the job.
England international Hudson-Odoi, often a marginal figure during Frank Lampard's tenure, has been the biggest success story of Tuchel's first week in charge at Stamford Bridge.


An energetic and creative presence operating across the full length of the right flank, he was a surprise selection for the 0-0 draw against Wolves last week and retained his place for the 2-0 win over Burnley.


Ahead of Thursday's London derby against Tottenham, Tuchel conceded he did not know he was asking Hudson-Odoi to take a plunge into the unknown.


"No, maybe it was good I didn't ask [if he had played at wing-back before] because I would have doubted my decision," he said.


"As you know, we only had one training session before the Wolves game. We were flying in on the same day with all the staff and wondering what kind of structure we can implement and give the team a good feeling to be solid defensively and also attack freely.


"To defend with four you have to be very, very disciplined and synchronised. So, we opted to defend with five but we didn't want to be too defensive, so tried Reece [James] and Callum on the right side in training and he did very good.


"All the qualities he has, the high speed and quick recoveries. He can give us a huge amount of high-speed runs and dribbles and one-on-ones.
"He took his chance in the first game, there was no need to change for the second game. Maybe in some defensive duels in the air there is some space to improve, but I'm happy."


Asking players to be flexible and change positions is one of Tuchel's calling cards, with Marquinhos' conversion from a centre-back into a dominant central midfielder at Paris Saint-Germain one of his standout innovations.


The ex-Borussia Dortmund boss says the team must always benefit overall in order to justify these switches, although he joked Hudson-Odoi or any other Chelsea players were unlikely to object to suggestions from a freshly installed head coach.


"Only will I do it if I see something in a player that can benefit the team. With Callum there was a big advantage - I was new, there was one day, so which player would say 'no'?" he asked.


"If we see something that can move players from a position to another, we try to convince them, but not against their will.


"We show them pictures and explain to them and, of course, we listen to their opinion on if they feel comfortable."


As Tuchel noted, Hudson-Odoi won neither of the aerial duels he contested in the Wolves and Burnley games, but he has been far more prominent in other respects.


In each game he made 10 passes into the penalty area, creating six chances overall. The assist for Cesar Azpilicueta's opener against Burnley was one of four openings crafted over the course of the 90 minutes.


Against Wolves, the 20-year-old attempted five dribbles - more than he has in any other appearance this season - and made as many recoveries in an all-action performance.

This capacity to combine moments of creative ingenuity with hard work for the cause looks like a perfect recipe to endear Hudson-Odoi to his new coach.


"I believe in a disciplined structure on the field and the respect from everybody on the pitch for his position," Tuchel added.


"It gives us the chance to play quicker, everybody knows where the other guy is in this moment. And in the moment of losing the ball, we know where we are and can start effective counter-pressing.
"There are a lot of choices to make in the blink of an eye and this has to stay with the players and stay with their qualities. Maybe Mason Mount goes with a different solution to Hakim Ziyech or Kai Havertz. This has to be the choice and the creativity of the players.


"For me it’s to have to mix of respecting your zone and your structure and the creativity of the players. We challenge them in training to give them the tools that they have to use in the games."

[Edoman]

Granada 3-5 Barcelona aet: Alba completes extraordinary Copa del Rey comeback



3 February 2021, 




Barcelona fought back from the brink of defeat to beat Granada 5-3 after extra time in an extraordinary Copa del Rey quarter-final at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes.


Ronald Koeman's side won at this ground 4-0 in LaLiga last month but were facing a battle when Kenedy scored against the run of play after an error by Samuel Umtiti, making just his fifth start of the season.


Roberto Soldado struck a second on the break early in the second half and Barca struggled to get back into the contest against an exemplary Granada defence and inspired goalkeeper Aaron Escandell.


However, Griezmann turned in Lionel Messi's cross from deep with two minutes of normal time left and the same combination set up Jordi Alba to head in an injury-time equaliser.


Griezmann's fine header put Barca ahead in extra time but Fede Vico struck back straight away from the penalty spot, only for Frenkie de Jong and Alba again to settle the encounter at last.


Aaron was forced into six saves in the first half as Barca dominated proceedings, with a double stop to deny Messi and Francisco Trincao the pick of them.


It was Barca's own slack play that gifted Granada the lead, as some loose passing in defence ended in Umtiti being dispossessed by Alberto Soro, who teed up Kenedy for a tap-in.


Granada delivered a sucker-punch in the first two minutes of the second half. Angel Montoro intercepted a Griezmann pass and launched a long ball forward to Soldado, who raced away from Umtiti and slotted past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.


Trincao, Ousmane Dembele and Messi all hit the woodwork and Griezmann was denied from an overhead kick by a brilliant Aaron save, but the France forward turned a Messi cross in off post and keeper to give his side a lifeline.


The same Messi pass and Griezmann run teed up Alba to net an unlikely header, but Luis Suarez almost snatched a win for Granada with seconds left, the substitute dragging a shot wide after racing through on goal.


Aaron could do nothing to deny Griezmann's emphatic second in extra time as he rose highest to head in Alba's cross, but Vico restored parity three minutes later from the spot after Carlos Neva won a soft penalty from Sergino Dest.


But De Jong denied Granada a second semi-final in succession, side-footing into the net after Aaron had parried Messi's shot in the 109th minute, and Alba blasted home a stunning volley from Griezmann's clever pass to make certain the contest was over.

[Edoman]

Klopp: Brighton defeat down to Liverpool mental fatigue



4 February 2021, 





Jurgen Klopp believes his Liverpool side are mentally fatigued after a 1-0 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion dealt another blow to their Premier League title hopes.


The champions had only one shot on target as they suffered back-to-back losses at Anfield, where they have not scored in three consecutive league matches for the first time since 1984.


Manchester City will travel to Merseyside for a huge clash on Sunday leading the Reds by seven points and they also have a game in hand.
Klopp said well-drilled Brighton deserved a surprise victory that further eased their relegation fears and feels the injury-hit Reds, who were also without goalkeeper Alisson due to illness, are feeling the strain of a demanding schedule.


"We played against really good opposition, that's clear," the Liverpool boss told BT Sport.

"We looked mentally not fresh. They deserved to win. We wanted to play better and more convincing. We lost too many balls in promising situations. I know the boys can play pass A to B but today B did not seem reachable.


"We had a really tough week. Brighton is a football-playing team. We were not fresh tonight and that's when you have to find a way. Each player can play better than they did tonight. I know them, it's not because they didn't want to. Something else must be the reason."


The German added: "You saw what went wrong, it's more about why? The only explanation now is that we are a fatigued team, mentally more or less.
"That leads to not the maximum freshness in your legs. Brighton deserved to win, they played well, they did well.


"We had our moments but they deserved to win. They are a good football side. We had to defend with a lot of running, there is no formation in the world where you are always in the right place.


"The best way to defend against a team like that is to keep the ball yourself but we couldn't do it tonight.


"The only thing we can do is use the things that happen and learn from them. The solution is always the players. It has been a tough week and tonight it was not enough. City are flying and we have to find solutions."

[Edoman]

Arsenal have appealed against David Luiz red card, Arteta confirms



4 February 2021,

Arsenal have lodged an appeal against the red card shown to David Luiz in Tuesday's loss to Wolves, Mikel Arteta has confirmed.


The defender was shown a straight red card after making minimal contact with Willian Jose's heel on the stroke of half-time and VAR upheld the decision made by refereee Craig Pawson.


Ruben Neves converted the resulting penalty to cancel out Nicolas Pepe's opener and Joao Moutinho secured the three points for Wolves, as Arsenal finished with nine men after Bernd Leno was dismissed for inexplicably handling outside his area.


Arteta did not feel David Luiz could be solely blamed for leaving his team-mates a player short and hoped to hear back on an appeal against the sending off on Thursday.


"I am very hopeful and that's why we put the appeal on, we went through the images and we think that the red card should be overruled, that's why we put in the appeal," Arteta said ahead of Saturday's meeting with Aston Villa.


"I don't know how long it will take but hopefully today we will have more information.


"We know the law. For me, it's more about the decision, and what happens in that instance. There was a very similar incident, even though David is behind him and against Manchester United he was on the side of the player, it completely changes the angle and how much it affects the players ability to finish the action, but still a similar situation. I think they will look at it.


"You look at the two images we can have a long, long debate here. Just to put the finger on David, in my opinion, is not fair."


Arsenal have received a Premier League-high of five red cards this season but Arteta is not concerned by a potential lack of discipline in his squad.


The only dismissals that truly bothered him were the avoidable ones dished out to Pepe at Leeds United and Granit Xhaka against Burnley, where incidents away from the ball ended their outings early.


"When I was worried about the discipline it was on two occasions, with Nico and with Granit. We should avoid that," said Arteta.


"There are other ones where in a split second you have to make a decision, the referee has to make a decision as well, and there is much less to control from our side.


"What is clear is when you have five red cards in this period you will lose a lot of points. If we had some of those points we would be in a completely different position on the table.


"No team with five red cards is on top of the table, it doesn't happen."

[Edoman]

Tottenham vs Chelsea: Abramovich gives Tuchel condition to get new deal


on
 February 4, 2021





Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, will only approve a new deal for Thomas Tuchel if he hits a series of performance targets, SportMail reports.


Tuchel has signed an initial 18-month contract to replace Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge.


However, it is heavily incentivised and contains clauses triggering an option for him to continue, if the German keeps Chelsea in the Champions League for the next two seasons.


Tuchel admitted before Sunday’s 2-0 win over Burnley that he was initially unhappy at only being offered an 18-month deal but a chance to extend the deal.

During exploratory talks with Chelsea last month, the 47-year-old was initially lukewarm about joining Chelsea mid-season.


But changed his mind after being told that they could not guarantee the job would be available at the end of the campaign.


Chelsea is currently eighth on the table with 33 points, ahead of Thursday night’s trip to Tottenham.

[Edoman]

Aston Villa vs Arsenal: Arteta hints on dropping Pepe for Aubameyang


on
 February 4, 2021





Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has praised Nicolas Pepe for his current patch of form but has warned him that consistency will ensure he keeps his place in the team.


Pepe has blown hot and cold since his £72million from Lille 18 months ago.
The Ivorian has played mostly on the right-wing, but the 25-year-old scored for the third successive away Premier League game during Tuesday’s defeat against Wolves playing from the left.

It is a position that captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has made his own during Arteta’s time at the club.
With Aubameyang back in the squad after his mother’s illness, Arteta now has a big decision to make ahead of the Aston Villa game on Saturday.


On whether Aubameyang would replace Pepe at the weekend, Arteta told a media conference: “At the end of the day, we have to play the players who are in the best form and everybody has to earn the right to play and participate in the games.

“That’s what everybody’s doing, pushing each other to raise the level. You can see that the level has been raised because everybody is playing at their best. There’s still room for improvement so everybody has to keep pushing.”

[Edoman]

Tottenham feeling absence of Kane and key attackers as Spurs boss Mourinho suffers career first



5 February 2021,


Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho said his struggling and fatigued Spurs are feeling the absence of Harry Kane and their key attackers after he suffered a career first on Thursday.
Spurs crashed to a 1-0 defeat to London rivals Chelsea in Premier League action at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Jorginho's first-half penalty settled the contest.


It was another toothless display from Tottenham, who were without Kane, Giovani Lo Celso and Sergio Reguilon, while Dele Alli remains out of favour following a failed attempt to join Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain on loan prior to the transfer window closing.


Mourinho – in his 327th home league match – suffered back-to-back league defeats on home soil for the first time in his career, while Spurs were condemned to three successive Premier League losses for the first time since November 2012.
As Spurs languish in eighth position and seven points adrift of the top four, Mourinho bemoaned his absentees and a hectic fixture list.


"Well, [Sergio] Reguilon means something for our attacking football," Mourinho told reporters. "Harry Kane means something for our attacking football. Giovani Lo Celso again means something for our attacking football.


"A good Dele Alli that we don’t have yet but hope that we can have in the future means something for us. It's not just what they mean, they mean that we don't have many options to rotate players and we finish with people with some signs of fatigue because of the accumulation of matches because we don't have so many players to rest.


"The second thing is confidence. The confidence levels are very, very important to play football. When a team doesn't have good results, a period when results are not good, you need that click back to go back to normality. So, for me it's a little bit like that."


On rebuilding confidence after losses to Liverpool (3-1), Brighton and Hove Albion (1-0) and Chelsea, Mourinho added: "Look, I think we did that after Brighton because for me the Brighton defeat is a defeat like this one, 1-0, the same way.


"We managed in the group to change some things and I believe the reflection of the second half means something for me and I believe for the group. I don't like to speak about Harry Kane and company but they mean something also for the confidence of the players. The reality is that since Liverpool half-time, that is very difficult for us to connect certain dynamics. We tried without [Carlos] Vinicius against Brighton.


"We tried today with Vinicius and two up. We tried in the second half with him as a target man and two wingers and a No.10. We're trying to go on the search but I saw togetherness.


"It's not easy to see togetherness with bad results, defeats, difficulties, injuries. Togetherness is very easy to show when you're on a high and winning matches, when everything is amazing. But in difficult moments it's more difficult to see that togetherness but I saw that in the second half. No doubts for me."


Despite Tottenham's desperate and unsuccessful search for an equaliser against Chelsea, star loanee Gareth Bale was snubbed again by Mourinho.


Bale was left among the substitutes – the Wales international has only featured in 230 minutes of Premier League action this season, with just two of his six appearances coming as starts under Mourinho.


Asked about Bale – on a season-long loan from Madrid, Mourinho replied: "I'm doing my best; he's doing his best. Everybody is doing their best."