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Showing posts with the label Premier League

Liverpool reportedly interested in Rafael Leao

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Liverpool are considering an approach for AC Milan’s Rafael Leao It has been reported that AC Milan set an enticing price tag for him. Author - William G Leao at Milan. Source | AC Milan YouTube  Back in December, AC Milan received one official approach from a major European side, believed to be Barcelona, that communicated a desore to open negotiations with Leao for the summer. With AC Milan’s hopes of Champions League football fading, the club are looking at offloading key players to fund their summer transfer business. As previously reported, Theo Hernández is expected to move on, with Manchester City , Real Madrid, and several Premier League clubs showing interest. But he might not be the only big name heading for the exit. Milan’s need to generate funds could also see them consider selling Rafael Leão. Despite a €175m release clause coming into effect this summer, the Rossoneri are reportedly willing to listen to offers in the region of €100m for the Portuguese forward. B...

Could Newcastle turn to Trafford?

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Do Newcastle United need a new goalkeeper? It has been reported that Newcastle United are pursuing a deal to sign Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, amid concerns about the long-term future of current first choice keepn Nick Pope. Author - Peter Grainger Trafford's best moments for Burnley? Some media outlets have reported that a deal will be a simple one for Newcastle to pull off if Scott Parker’s Burnley side fail to earn promotion back to the Premier League.  Trafford has been identified as the Magpies’ top target to replace their current goalkeeper. This is despite a few apparent concerns about his command of the penalty area.  It is believed that Newcastle scouts have been impressed with what they have seen this season and believe he has developed well since leaving Manchester City for his current side. Premier League Match Report | Newcastle 4 - Forest Find more Newcastle news and stories here Amid speculation about the future of Pope at St James’ Park, he could be o...

Man United battle to win over Ipswich

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Manchester United 3 - 2 Ipswich Town Ten-man Manchester United recovered from gifting Ipswich a fourth-minute opener at Old Trafford to come out on top in a five-goal thriller thanks to Harry Maguire's header. Author - Josh T Stadium - Old Trafford It was a rainy night ai Old Trafford This win for United was achieved despite having Patrick Dorgu sent off before the break following the intervention of VAR Craig Pawson after his awful tackle on Ipswich winger Omari Hutchinson.  Within a few moments, Ipswich capitalised on the extra man to level when Jaden Philogene's touchline cross curled in at the far corner as Andre Onana failed to react once Liam Delap had missed it. Maguire gave United the lead again when he powered home Bruno Fernandes' corner two minutes into the second half. This gave Ruben Amorin only his third home Premier League win. He would have been relieved with the win but could have probably done with a more relaxed evening at Old Trafford, So much more...

Palace sweep Villa aside

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Crystal Palace 4 - 1 Aston Villa Ismaila Sarr’s brace inspired a ruthless Crystal Palace to sweep aside Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, keeping their push for a top-half Premier League finish on track. Author - Jamie P Stadium - Selhurst Park A closer look at what happened at South London Home form has been a concern for manager Oliver Glasner, with the Eagles securing just two league wins at Selhurst Park before this fixture. However, any concerns pre match vanished very quickly.  Marking his 27th birthday in style, Sarr gave Palace a strong start in the first half. Villa briefly levelled through Morgan Rogers early in the second half, but that only spurred the hosts on to take complete control on a memorable night in SE25. Jean-Philippe Mateta restored Palace’s lead moments later with a superb finish, moving him up to second in the club’s all-time Premier League goalscoring chart with 36 goals. Sarr then grabbed his second of the night before Eddie Nketiah, coming off the benc...

Chelsea boost top four hopes

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Chelsea 4 - 0 Southampton  Chelsea boosted their top four hopes and ended their three-match losing run with an emphatic win over Southampton at Stamford Bridge. Author - Lauren W Christopher Nkunku put Chelsea ahead in the 24th minute, nodding home after Tosin Adarabioyo flicked on a corner. Twelve minutes later, Nkunku turned provider, slipping in Pedro Neto, who slotted past Aaron Ramsdale with a composed low finish. They extended their lead just before half-time, with Levi Colwill outjumping the defence to guide in Neto’s wide free-kick. The victory was sealed in the 78th minute when substitute Tyrique George teed up Marc Cucurella, who capped off a swift counter-attack with a precise drilled finish. Click here for more Premier League news and stories Chelsea were desperate for this win After a strong start to the season—winning 18 of their first 26 games in all competitions—the Blues had managed just three wins in their previous 12 matches before facing Southampton. However...

City interested in Theo Hernandez

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Rumours regarding Manchester City's rebuild are starting to increase  It has been reported that Theo Hernandez’s contract talks with AC Milan are at a standstill and Manchester City are considering a summer move for the left-back.  Author - Macca Experts believe that left-back is a position Pep Guardiola is keen to strengthen and Hernandez is one of the players that has been shortlisted His contract with Milan expires in 2026 and an extension is unlikely. This allegedly means that the Italian giants are looking to sell him this summer and get a decent transfer fee whilst they can.  City's position is now believed to be one of concrete interest. This is expected to be the start of a busy summer with five or six players expected to arrive as Guardiola looks to get his club back to to the top of English and European football?  Would this be a good signing for Manchester City? It has been a poor season by their standards Hernandez is one of the most attacking ful...

Crystal Palace and Aston Villa eye back-to-back Premier League wins

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Crystal Palace v Aston Villa preview Crystal Palace and Aston Villa will both be looking to make it successive Premier League victories when they meet at Selhurst Park on Tuesday evening. Author - Peter Grainger Palace, currently 13th in the table, head into the game on the back of a 2-0 win over Fulham on Saturday, while Villa, sitting in eighth, edged past Chelsea 2-1 later that day. The Eagles are six points adrift of 10th-placed Fulham, having finished in that position last season. A lack of goals has hampered their progress this term, but there is still plenty of time to turn things around. Oliver Glasner’s side claimed victory at Craven Cottage thanks to a first-half own goal from Joachim Andersen, before Daniel Muñoz secured the points in the 66th minute. That result means Palace have won three of their last four games in all competitions, although all of those victories have come away from home. At Selhurst Park, they have struggled, losing their last two league matches aga...

Chelsea need to get back to winning ways

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Chelsea v Southampton preview Two struggling teams in dire need of a turnaround meet on Tuesday night, as Chelsea host relegation-bound Southampton at Stamford Bridge. Author - Lauren W Chelsea players celebrate scoring at Southampton Enzo Maresca’s side come into the game off the back of three consecutive defeats in all competitions, the latest being a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa . Meanwhile, Southampton offered little resistance in a heavy 4-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. There were at least some positives for Chelsea in their response to a 3-0 hammering by Brighton earlier this month .  Maresca reportedly admitted that this loss was the "toughest" of his tenure so far. Their troubles away from home continue, with the Blues now winless in seven on the road and suffering four straight defeats. However, Stamford Bridge has been far more forgiving. Chelsea have won three of their last four home games, scoring at least twice in each, with their only defeat in their las...

Two teams look to boost European hopes

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Brighton v Bournemouth preview With the race for European football intensifying in the Premier League, Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Bournemouth to the Amex Stadium on Tuesday night. Author - Josh T   The Seagulls head into the match full of confidence after a resounding 4-0 victory over Southampton at the weekend, a result that leaves them ninth in the table with 40 points—just three behind sixth-placed Bournemouth, who suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Wolves. Fabian Hürzeler’s side were dominant against Southampton, creating 10 big chances and registering 15 shots inside the box. The performance was the perfect response to t heir humiliating 7-0 thrashing at Nottingham Forest on February 1st, with Brighton now having conceded just once in three games since while netting nine goals themselves. Last season’s surprise package in Europe, Brighton secured a historic first-ever Europa League qualification in 2023 and with only four points separating them from fourth-placed Manch...

Game of the season at St. James' Park?

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Newcastle United 4 - 3 Nottingham Forest Alexander Isak netted his 50th Premier League goal as Newcastle United produced a blistering first-half display to overcome Nottingham Forest at St James’ Park. Author - Peter Grainger Stadium - St. James' Park Forest took an early lead when Callum Hudson-Odoi capitalised on a defensive slip, but Newcastle responded in devastating fashion, scoring four times in an electrifying 11-minute spell to take a commanding 4-1 lead into the break. Teenager Lewis Miley and Jacob Murphy struck in quick succession to turn the game on its head, before Isak bagged a rapid-fire brace to pile more misery on the visitors. His second – his 19th of the season – saw him reach the 50-goal milestone in just 76 Premier League appearances, a feat achieved quicker by only six players in the competition’s history. Forest did show some fight after the break, with Nikola Milenkovic pouncing on a defensive lapse to pull one back. Then, in the 90th minute, substitute...

Toothless Arsenal dealt major blow

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Arsenal 0 - 2 West Ham United Arsenal missed a golden opportunity to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool, as West Ham ended their four-game winless streak with a superb win at the Emirates. Author - DJ Stadium - Emirates Stadium Jarrod Bowen struck the decisive goal against a lacklustre Gunners side, who later saw youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly sent off. A win would have put Arsenal within five points of Arne Slot’s Liverpool, ahead of their trip to Manchester City on Sunday. But Mikel Arteta’s side never found their rhythm, struggling to break down a resilient West Ham defence while also conceding the better chances over the 90 minutes. Bowen’s goal, his 50th in the Premier League, came late in the first half as he started and finished the move himself. After picking up a loose ball on the edge of his own area, he fed Aaron Wan-Bissaka and then continued his run, stooping low to head home the full-back’s cross. It was the first time this season that Arsenal had gone be...

New signings combine for Aston Villa

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Aston Villa 2 - 1 Chelsea New signings Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford combined twice as Aston Villa came from behind to beat Chelsea, grabbing three valuable points in their push for European qualification. Author - Lauren W Stadium - Villa Park An excellent piece of play out wide from Pedro Neto fashioned a ninth-minute opener for Chelsea, with the winger skipping past Ian Maatsen before drilling a low delivery across the face of the goal which only required a slight prod from Enzo Fernandez to turn it past Emiliano Martinez. Although Chelsea appeared to have the upper hand, they failed to maintain control of the match. The introduction of Rashford at halftime proved crucial; he was initially ruled offside, but the video assistant referee overturned that decision. Rashford then assisted Asensio by tapping a Matty Cash cross across the six-yard box, allowing Asensio to score for Aston Villa and level the game. After again being fed by fellow mid-season recruit Rashford, Asensio ...

United fight back to earn a draw at Everton

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Everton 2 - 2 Manchester United Manchester United mounted a late fightback before being rescued by VAR, avoiding a deeper crisis with a dramatic draw against Everton at Goodison Park. Author - Olivia T  Stadium - Goodison Park Everton, revitalised under returning manager David Moyes, looked set to continue their resurgence as they dominated the first half, deservedly taking a two-goal lead. United were exposed time and again in those opening 45 minutes. Beto capitalised on a goalmouth scramble to score his fifth goal under Moyes in the 19th minute, before Abdoulaye Doucoure doubled the lead with a towering header. The second goal was one to forget for Harry Maguire. The United defender reacted sluggishly after André Onana had parried Jack Harrison’s shot, allowing Doucoure to rise above him and nod the ball into the net. Premier League: 2024/2025 season Click here for more Manchester United news Everton remained in control until the 72nd minute when Bruno Fernandes curled in a ...

Liverpool held to gripping draw at Aston Villa

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Aston Villa 2 - 2 Liverpool Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points after a thrilling draw against Aston Villa. Author - William G Stadium - Villa Park The Reds, unbeaten in the league since their 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield in September, were made to pay for defensive lapses and a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal. Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead in the 29th minute, but Villa responded through Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins. Trent Alexander-Arnold then equalised 16 minutes into the second half to ensure the points were shared. With their lead over second-placed Arsenal now extended, Arne Slot’s side face Manchester City on Sunday in what could prove to be a pivotal week in the title race. Meanwhile, Arsenal host West Ham on Saturday, knowing that a win – coupled with a Liverpool defeat at the Etihad – would put them within touching distance of the leaders with a game in hand. For Villa, Marcus Rashford was handed his ...

Everton fans experience new ground for the first time

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It was an historic night for Everton fans. Nearly 10,000 Evertonians got their first taste of life at their new stadium as they watched the club’s academy side fall to defeat against Wigan’s youngsters. Author - Sarah W Wigan’s Harrison Rimmer – a lifelong Liverpool fan, no less – etched his name into the history books by scoring the first-ever goal at the new ground. And he didn’t miss the chance to wind up the home crowd, celebrating by holding up six fingers in reference to Liverpool’s six Champions League titles. Cole Simms doubled Wigan’s lead shortly after, before Everton pulled one back late on through a penalty from 16-year-old Ray Robert. Regardless of the defeat for their side, this was an incredible opportunity for those young Everton players. It will be interesting to see how many of them end up playing for the first team at the stadium. Read more | The last Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park The ground in an earlier stage of construction . What do Everton fans think o...

Maddison marks return with winner for Spurs

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Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 0 Manchester United James Maddison made an immediate impact on his return from injury, scoring the decisive goal as Tottenham edged out fellow Premier League strugglers Manchester United. Author - Greg S Stadium - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium The midfielder, back after nearly four weeks sidelined with a calf problem, reacted quickest when United goalkeeper André Onana could only parry Lucas Bergvall’s shot, tapping home from close range after just 13 minutes. United had opportunities to respond, with Alejandro Garnacho wasting a clear-cut chance in the first half when he lifted his effort over the bar. But in keeping with their recent struggles, it was another uninspiring performance from Ruben Amorim’s side. For Spurs, this was a much-needed win—breaking a run of three straight defeats, including cup exits to Liverpool and Aston Villa. It also offers some respite for Ange Postecoglou, whose side climbs to 12th in the table, leapfrogging United in the process. Th...

Liverpool hold on for vital three points

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Liverpool 2 - 1 Wolves Mohamed Salah extended his red-hot scoring form as a nervy Liverpool saw off Wolves to stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points. Author - William G Stadium - Anfield   The Egyptian forward calmly converted from the penalty spot, making it five goals in four league matches, with manager Arne Slot watching from the sidelines. Slot was shown a red card following Liverpool’s Merseyside derby draw with Everton , but the Dutchman has until Wednesday to respond to the FA’s charge. Determined to put Everton’s dramatic 98th-minute equaliser behind them, Liverpool started brightly at Anfield and took the lead after 15 minutes, thanks to Luis Díaz’s persistence. The Colombian ended a 10-game goal drought by bundling the ball over the line after Salah’s pass was deflected in the box by Wolves defender Toti Gomes. Liverpool doubled their advantage 22 minutes later when referee Simon Hooper awarded a penalty after Wolves keeper José Sá brought ...

Ipswich Town battle to hard-fought draw at Aston Villa

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Aston Villa 1 - 1 Ipswich Town Ipswich Town produced a gutsy performance to claim a valuable Premier League point at Villa Park, despite playing almost an hour with 10 men. Author - Marcus Stadium - Villa Park The match had been uneventful until Axel Tuanzebe, facing his former club, brought down Jacob Ramsey on the edge of the area, picking up a second yellow card and leaving Ipswich with an uphill task. Up to that point, the visitors had defended resolutely, and they continued to frustrate Villa even with a numerical disadvantage. Against the run of play, Ipswich took a shock lead when Liam Delap beat Axel Disasi to Omari Hutchinson’s low cross, steering the ball into the far corner to silence the home crowd. As frustration grew among the Villa supporters, Ollie Watkins eventually levelled, reacting quickest after Marcus Rashford’s thunderous free-kick crashed against the crossbar. Villa pushed hard for a winner, with Marco Asensio missing a golden chance before forcing Alex Palm...

Everton edge past Palace to continue momentum

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Crystal Palace 1 - 2 Everton After snatching a dramatic late draw against Liverpool thanks to James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute equaliser on Wednesday, Everton arrived in south London full of confidence. Author - Sarah W Stadium - Selhurst Park Despite being under pressure for much of the first half, they took the lead against the run of play when Beto struck just before the break, punishing Crystal Palace for a series of missed chances—including a disallowed Jefferson Lerma header. Palace hit back early in the second half through Jean-Philippe Mateta, who netted his 11th Premier League goal of the season. But with 10 minutes to go, Carlos Alcaraz, on loan from Flamengo, fired home the winner to secure a vital three points for the Toffees. The result lifts David Moyes’ side up to 13th in the table on 30 points, 13 clear of the relegation zone. They are now level with 12th-placed Palace, who sit just ahead on goal difference. A closer look at what happened The home side started brightl...

Arsenal show title credentials again

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Leicester City 0 - 2 Arsenal Arsenal moved to within four points of Premier League leaders Liverpool after substitute Mikel Merino struck twice late on to secure victory over a battling Leicester City. Author - DJ Stadium - King Power Stadium With the Gunners struggling for cutting edge up front, it looked as though their lack of firepower—exacerbated by Kai Havertz’s hamstring injury during their Dubai training camp—might cost them. Raheem Sterling, enduring a torrid evening, was withdrawn, and Merino made an immediate impact, arriving at the far post in the 81st minute to finally break Leicester’s resistance. The goal was crafted by 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, Arsenal’s standout performer, who had twice been denied by the woodwork in the second half and was their most dangerous outlet throughout. Merino struck again three minutes from time, once more ghosting in at the far post to seal a crucial win and keep Arsenal firmly in the title race. Leicester, to their credit, had matched...