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Showing posts with the label Premier League

West Ham announce manager departure

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It has been an interesting few days at the London Stadium West Ham have parted ways with manager Julen Lopetegui after just six months at the helm, with reports suggesting Graham Potter is in discussions to replace him. Author - William G   The former West Ham boss after a defeat to Villa earlier in the season The 58-year-old former Wolves boss was appointed in May after David Moyes’ departure but only officially began his tenure on 1 July. During Lopetegui’s time in charge, the Hammers managed just six Premier League wins. Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City marked their ninth loss in 20 league games this season, leaving the club 14th in the table, just seven points above the relegation zone. Talks have reportedly taken place with Graham Potter, the ex-Chelsea and Brighton manager, over taking the job on a short-term basis. How did we reach this point? West Ham's next match is an FA Cup third-round clash against Aston Villa on Friday. The pressure on Lopetegui began to mou...

Could Nottingham Forest win the Premier League?

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Wolves 0 - 3 Nottingham Forest Morgan Gibbs-White played a starring role as Nottingham Forest secured a clinical victory over Wolves, with new England manager Thomas Tuchel watching from the stands. Author -  Kieran M   The midfielder silenced the boos from the home crowd early on, scoring the opener just seven minutes in. Gibbs-White, who left Wolves for Forest in 2022, had the perfect response to his former club's jeers. Chris Wood doubled the lead just before half-time, notching his 12th goal of the season, while Taiwo Awoniyi sealed the win in stoppage time, finishing off a swift counter-attack. Wolves, however, had their opportunities. Joao Gomes and Jorgen Strand Larsen forced saves from Forest keeper Matz Sels, and Larsen was denied by a remarkable goal-line clearance from Murillo. This marked Forest’s 12th league victory of the season—three more than their total for the entire previous campaign. The win showcased the team’s key strengths, with opposition sides cont...

Amad secures deserved point for United at Anfield

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Liverpool 2 - 2 Manchester United  Manchester United showcased a newfound fighting spirit under manager Ruben Amorim, earning a hard-fought point against Premier League leaders Liverpool. Author - Olivia T Desperate to avoid a fourth consecutive league defeat for the first time since 1979, United stunned Anfield by taking the lead on 52 minutes. Lisandro Martinez smashed the ball past Alisson with a thunderous finish, silencing the home crowd. Liverpool responded swiftly, levelling seven minutes later through Cody Gakpo’s brilliantly executed angled strike. The game then appeared to turn against United when Mohamed Salah converted a penalty with 20 minutes remaining, equalling Thierry Henry's Premier League tally of 175 goals. The spot-kick was awarded after a VAR review deemed Matthijs de Ligt guilty of handball. After all that, United refused to surrender. Amad Diallo, fresh from his heroics against Manchester City, popped up with another crucial goal, calmly slotting in Ale...

Brighton dent Arsenal's title hopes

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Brighton & Hove Albion 1 - 1 Arsenal João Pedro’s second-half penalty dealt a blow to Arsenal’s title ambitions as Brighton held them to a frustrating draw. Author - Ajay  Arsenal started brightly, taking the lead in the 16th minute through Ethan Nwaneri, making just his second Premier League start. The 17-year-old combined cleverly with Mikel Merino and Declan Rice before unleashing a shot that slipped past Bart Verbruggen and nestled in the far corner. The Gunners dominated the first half and looked poised to extend their advantage. However, missed opportunities came back to haunt them when Pedro equalised from the spot just after the hour mark. Click here for more Premier League news and stories The penalty stemmed from an unusual incident as Pedro flicked the ball up, and William Saliba, attempting to clear with his head, made contact with Pedro, who went down. After a VAR review, the referee confirmed the decision, and Pedro confidently sent David Raya the wrong way to...

Crystal Palace hold Chelsea at freezing Selhurst Park

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Crystal Palace 1 - 1 Chelsea Crystal Palace snatched a late point with a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Selhurst Park, extending the Blues’ winless run into 2025. Author - Lauren W Jean-Philippe Mateta struck in the 82nd minute to cancel out Cole Palmer’s early opener, just as Chelsea seemed on course for a much-needed victory. The result deepened Chelsea’s festive woes, stretching their winless streak to four games and further derailing their fading title ambitions. A closer look at what happemed Palmer’s goal, slotted past Dean Henderson in the 14th minute, was a moment of class. The finish was clinical, but it was Jadon Sancho’s assist that truly stole the spotlight. Sancho skilfully outmanoeuvred Chris Richards before delivering a precise cross into the box for Palmer to convert. Chelsea dominated the early stages, with their wingers enjoying plenty of joy against Tyrick Mitchell and Daniel Muñoz. The visitors almost struck within three minutes when Pedro Neto’s inviting cross fou...

Bailey seals late winner for Aston Villa

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Aston Villa 2 - 1 Leicester City  Leon Bailey struck a dramatic late winner as Aston Villa handed Leicester their fifth consecutive Premier League defeat. Author - JP The Jamaican forward timed his run perfectly to slot home Ian Maatsen’s low cross in the 78th minute, securing his first goal of the season. It seemed as though Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester might finally halt their losing streak when Stephy Mavididi equalised in the 64th minute. Mavididi capitalised on a rebound after Emiliano Martínez had produced a fine save to deny Jamie Vardy from close range. Unai Emery’s side had earlier taken the lead with a stunning strike from Ross Barkley , who curled a beauty from the edge of the box in the 58th minute – his third league goal of the campaign. At 2-1, Bailey nearly put the game to bed with a powerful effort that crashed off the underside of the crossbar. Ollie Watkins had a chance to convert the rebound but blazed his effort over. Villa did suffer a setback when cap...

Brentford thrash Southampton in awful day for new Saints boss

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Southampton 0 - 5 Brentford Bryan Mbeumo’s double helped Brentford secure their first Premier League away win of the season with a dominant victory over struggling Southampton. Author - Jamie P The visitors took the lead just six minutes in, as Kevin Schade finished off Mikkel Damsgaard's sublime defence-splitting pass. Mbeumo doubled the advantage just after the hour mark, smashing the ball into the roof of the net. The Cameroon international added his second from the penalty spot after Chelsea loanee Lesley Ugochukwu fouled Sepp van den Berg. Mbeumo then turned provider, setting up Keane Lewis-Potter for Brentford's first stoppage-time goal. Moments later, Yoane Wissa pounced on a poor header from substitute Yukinari Sugawara to complete the rout. The victory lifts Brentford to 10th in the table, while Southampton remain rooted to the bottom with just six points. Before this game, Thomas Frank’s side had only managed two points away from home – the joint-lowest in the...

Manchester City looking to boost Champions League hopes

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Manchester City v West Ham United preview Manchester City kick off their 2025 Premier League campaign with a home fixture against a struggling West Ham United side. Author - Macca The reigning champions have endured a tough spell, winning just one of their previous 13 games across all competitions before last weekend’s trip to the King Power Stadium. However, they managed a much-needed, albeit scrappy, win in the East Midlands, with Savinho playing a starring role.  On paper, a visit from West Ham might seem like a straightforward task for Pep Guardiola’s side, but City’s recent form at the Etihad has been anything but convincing. They’ve managed just one win in their last five home matches and were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Everton in their most recent outing on home soil. As for West Ham, their form had been on the up before a humbling 5-0 defeat to league leaders Liverpool halted their progress. Head coach Julen Lopetegui had been under less pressure in recent weeks,...

Can Arsenal close the gap on Liverpool this weekend?

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Brighton & Hove Albion v Arsenal preview Brighton host Arsenal at the Amex in Saturday’s late kick-off, eager to end a winless run of eight matches that has seen them slip to 10th in the Premier League table. Author - DJ When Arsenal beat Brighton last season The Seagulls have drawn five of their last seven games, including their most recent three against West Ham, Brentford, and Aston Villa. However, they’ll be wary of matching an unwanted record—Brighton haven’t drawn four league games in a row since October 2014, back when they were in the Championship under the management of former Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia. Currently, Brighton find themselves 12 points adrift of Saturday’s visitors. Arsenal head into the match on a high after closing the gap to league leaders Liverpool to six points with a 3-1 win over Brentford on Wednesday, The Gunners are in impressive form, having won six and drawn three of their league matches since their last defeat—a narrow 1-0 loss at Newc...

Can Manchester United cause a shock at Anfield?

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Liverpool v Manchester United preview Northern rivals are set to clash in a Premier League showpiece at Anfield, where title favourites Liverpool host a struggling Manchester United in a highly anticipated showdown. Author -  Liam C Arne Slot’s high-flying Reds hold a commanding 23-point lead over their long-time adversaries in the league table. While Liverpool chase Premier League glory, Ruben Amorim’s beleaguered United side find themselves nervously glancing over their shoulders at the relegation battle. As Arsenal, Chelsea, and Nottingham Forest scrap for the “best of the rest” tag, Liverpool have defied predictions of a mid-season slump. Slot’s team ended 2024 in emphatic style, thrashing West Ham United 5-0. They are poised to start 2025 with the same ruthless momentum. The goals at the London Stadium came courtesy of Luis Díaz, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah, and Cody Gakpo, sealing Liverpool’s fourth consecutive victory across all competitions and ext...

Salah to leave Liverpool at the end of the season

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It's going to be the end of another era at Anfield Mohamed Salah has declared that he expects to leave Liverpool at the end of the season.  Author - William G Salah's first 200 goals for Liverpool. Mohamed Salah has ended speculation about his future, confirming that this will be his final season as a Liverpool player. The 32-year-old Egyptian forward announced his decision to leave the club at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, closing what has been an historic chapter at Anfield. This announcement cements the clues Salah hinted at earlier. Back in September, following a match against Manchester United , Salah implied that this season would likely be his last with the Reds. Today’s statement brings an end to the speculation. Despite the prospect of his departure, Salah continues to demonstrate why he’s regarded as one of the Premier League’s finest. He’s currently the league’s top scorer with 17 goals and has also contributed 13 assists, remaining an indispensable player f...

Arsenal fight back to beat Brentford

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Brentford 1 - 3 Arsenal Arsenal staged an impressive comeback to beat Brentford in the first Premier League match of 2025, bolstering their title ambitions. Author - DJ Bryan Mbeumo gave the hosts an early lead, but Gabriel Jesus levelled the score with his sixth goal in four matches. Arsenal then took control with quickfire goals from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli, sealing a valuable three points in west London. Manager Mikel Arteta’s team selection paid off, despite leaving Kai Havertz out due to illness and handing 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri his first Premier League start. The win lifts Arsenal back to second, six points behind leaders Liverpool, while Brentford remain 12th. Brentford struck first in the 12th minute after Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard’s misplaced pass in midfield. Mikkel Damsgaard pounced on the error, threading a ball to Mbeumo, who cut inside and beat former Brentford goalkeeper David Raya at his near post. Arsenal struggled to find their rhythm in the...

Ipswich Town stun Chelsea

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Ipswich Town 2 - 0 Chelsea Liam Delap's standout performance inspired Ipswich Town to their first home victory of the season, dealing a blow to Chelsea’s dwindling Premier League title ambitions. Author - Marcus Ipswich Town v Chelsea European Super Football has all the reaction- eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com/p/premier-le... [image or embed] — European Super Football ( @superfootball.bsky.social ) 31 December 2024 at 15:10 The 21-year-old striker opened the scoring in the 12th minute, confidently converting a penalty he earned after VAR determined goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen had made sufficient contact as Delap weaved past him. Just eight minutes into the second half, Delap turned provider, seizing on Axel Disasi's wayward back pass to set up ex-Chelsea winger Omari Hutchinson for Ipswich's second goal. Despite dominating possession, Chelsea were wasteful in front of goal, with Joao Felix’s would-be first-half equaliser ruled out by VAR after a lengthy offside check. I...

Manchester United's year ends with another defeat

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Manchester United 0 - 2 Newcastle United Newcastle United secured a rare league victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, only their second since 1972, as they handed the hosts a third consecutive home defeat – a feat not seen in 45 years. Author - Olivia T This result also marked another unwanted milestone for United, who have now suffered five league losses in a single calendar month for the first time since Sir Matt Busby’s reign in September 1962. Eddie Howe’s side were deserved winners, with early strikes from Alexander Isak and Joelinton sealing the points and lifting Newcastle to fifth in the table to cap off a strong finish to 2024. The in-form Isak continued his hot streak, notching his 12th goal of the season and eighth in his last six matches, scoring in each of those games. In stark contrast, Manchester United were woeful. The last time they lost three consecutive home league games was in 1979, and this performance provided little cause for optimism. Head coach Ru...

Crystal Palace come from behind to beat Southampton

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Crystal Palace 2 - 1 Southampton Eberechi Eze delivered the decisive blow as Crystal Palace overturned an early deficit to beat Southampton, moving six points clear of the relegation zone. Author - Craig H The Saints struck first in the 14th minute when Kyle Walker-Peters outpaced Daniel Munoz to whip in a cross, which Adam Armstrong flicked on for Tyler Dibling to slot home from close range. Palace, however, hit back 16 minutes later as Trevoh Chalobah rose to nod in a Will Hughes corner. Southampton players protested, claiming Jean-Philippe Mateta had fouled goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale as the ball came in, but VAR confirmed the goal. Eze then produced a moment of magic early in the second half, rifling Munoz’s deflected cross into the bottom corner to secure all three points for the Eagles. Munoz had missed a golden chance earlier, failing to convert Tyrick Mitchell’s inviting cross when the game was level in the first half, his effort rebounding off Walker-Peters with the goal at ...

Are Nottingham Forest heading to the Champions League?

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Everton 0 - 2 Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest capped off the year in style with a convincing win over a lacklustre Everton, climbing to second in the Premier League table. Author - Sarah W  Nuno Espirito Santo’s side continues to capture the imagination with their impressive performances, emerging as one of the season’s biggest surprises and threatening to shake up the established order at the top of the league. With Arsenal not playing until Wednesday, Forest’s victory at Goodison Park ensured they ended the day in second place, behind league leaders Liverpool, who stormed to a 5-0 win over West Ham to extend their lead to eight points. Chris Wood played a pivotal role in both of Forest’s goals, scoring his 11th league goal of the season with a sublime finish before setting up Morgan Gibbs-White for a composed second-half strike. Wood had already given Everton’s defence a couple of warnings—first with a long-range volley that went wide and then with a header over the ba...

Lopetegui's struggles at West Ham continue

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West Ham United 0 - 5 Liverpool  Liverpool stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points as they thrashed an abject West Ham United at the London Stadium Author - William G Liverpool could have been out of sight early on, squandering several chances before Luis Díaz finally broke the deadlock with a powerful strike on the half-hour mark. Cody Gakpo doubled the lead 10 minutes later, capitalising on Mohamed Salah’s mesmerising footwork, and the Egyptian himself got in on the act with a precise low drive just before half-time – his 20th goal in a remarkable season. West Ham, under Julen Lopetegui, failed to even contain the damage. Trent Alexander-Arnold made it 4-0 nine minutes after the restart, his long-range shot deflecting off Max Kilman to leave Alphonse Areola helpless. For the hosts, only Mohammed Kudus showed any sign of resistance, striking the woodwork in both halves, while Luis Guilherme also hit the frame of the goal late on. However, these f...

Wolves continue revival under new boss

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Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 2 Wolves Jorgen Strand Larsen’s late equaliser salvaged a point for Wolves in a chaotic Premier League draw with Tottenham, continuing Vítor Pereira’s strong start as Wolves manager. Author - Greg S Wolves took an early lead when an unmarked Hwang Hee-chan calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, capitalising on a lapse in the Spurs defence at a free-kick. Spurs responded swiftly, with Rodrigo Bentancur nodding in a powerful close-range header from Pedro Porro’s pinpoint corner. Moments later, they were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead when Brennan Johnson was brought down by Andre in the box. However, Wolves keeper José Sá guessed correctly, denying Son Heung-min from the spot. The missed penalty didn’t deter Totten ham’s attacking momentum. A slick exchange between Dejan Kulusevski and Johnson in a crowded box ended with Johnson firing a precise low shot into the net to give Spurs the lead. Wolves appoint ex-Porto...

Crystal Palace hold Bournemouth

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Bournemouth 0 - 0 Crystal Palace Bournemouth extended their unbeaten Premier League run to six games but were left frustrated with a goalless draw at home to Crystal Palace. Author - Peter Grainger Buoyed by a stunning 3-0 victory over Manchester United in their previous outing , the Cherries looked to build on their push for European football. They created the better chances but struggled to find a clinical edge in front of goal. Andoni Iraola's side came close to breaking the deadlock in the first half when Antoine Semenyo hooked a shot towards goal from a corner, only for Ismaila Sarr to clear off the line. Moments later, Sarr thought he had put Palace ahead after a solo run and finish, but the offside flag denied the visitors. The game was open and fast-paced, with both teams pressing high and attacking in numbers. Bournemouth had the lion’s share of opportunities and looked more likely to score, but their efforts couldn’t prevent a Boxing Day stalemate. Despite 18 atte...