European Super Football

Matchday three in the Champions League is here... For those teams with 100% records, a win this week puts them on them well and truly on the path to automatic qualification to the last 16. Author |  Peter Grainger This preview will focus on the five English sides competing in this season's competition and their opposition. Mourinho and Benfica head to Newcastle Newcastle United host Benfica at St James’ Park, aiming to follow up their win over Union SG with another step toward the Champions League knockout stage.  Eddie Howe’s team lost their opener to Barcelona but responded strongly in Belgium, and a second win would move them closer to qualification. Benfica travel to Tyneside still searching for their first points of their Champions League campaign after back-to-back defeats, including a 3-2 home loss to Qarabag that cost Bruno Lage his job. Can Benfica utilise Mourinho's experience at this level? City hope to end unwanted Champions League  run against Villar...

We're all set for an interesting last few days of the Premier League season The race for Champions League qualification is heading for a dramatic conclusion, with five Premier League sides vying for three remaining spots on the final day of the season.  Author - Jack L Still work to do for Newcastle but Arsenal have qualified despite a difficult run Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe admitted, "I had the feeling it would go right to the end," after his side’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. That result guaranteed Arsenal's place in next season’s Champions League alongside title-winners Liverpool. Arteta's side would have been hoping for more at the start of the season but qualifying again is still a reasonable achievement. The loss left Newcastle locked in a tense battle, level on 66 points with Chelsea and Aston Villa. READ MORE: Arsenal 1 - 1 Newcastle United   Who else is involved? Just behind them are Manchester City and Nottingham Forest, both on 65 po...

Newcastle United 3 - 0 Benfica Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon inspired Newcastle United to a convincing Champions League win over José Mourinho’s Benfica. Author |  Anthony Gates Stadium |  St James' Park Pre match atmosphere Gordon, left unmarked at the far post, gave Newcastle the lead in the first half, calmly steering Jacob Murphy’s cross beyond goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin. It was his fourth goal in just three Champions League outings and provided the platform for Eddie Howe’s side to press on after the interval. Barnes extended the advantage with a superb breakaway goal after Nick Pope launched a remarkable 65-yard throw down the right. Antonio Silva misjudged the bounce, allowing Barnes to sprint through and finish off the inside of the post. The winger added his second late on, linking neatly with Gordon before slotting through Trubin’s legs to complete the victory. Gordon celebrates Benfica had their chances earlier in the contest, with Dodi Lukebakio twice going ...

The first sliding doors moment we are going to explore involves Manchester United and Alan Shearer. Author - Liam C In the summer of 1996, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson made a huge effort to sign England striker Alan Shearer from Blackburn Rovers.  Shearer was the most prolific goal scorer in English football at the time, having just won the Premier League Golden Boot in both 1995 and 1996.  Ultimately, Shearer chose to join his boyhood club, Newcastle United, for a then-record fee of £15 million. However, an alternative scenario in which Shearer decided to sign for Manchester United could have dramatically affected both the club and the footballing landscape in the Premier League. The Old Trafford club decided to sign a certain unheard-of Norwegian at the time. He didn't do too badly... So, what if Shearer moved to Manchester United in 1996? In this alternate reality, Manchester United sign Shearer and he joins a team fresh off winning the Premier League and...

Union Saint-Gilloise 0 - 4 Newcastle United  Newcastle United recovered from their weekend against Arsenal with a comfortable win at Union Saint-Gilloise. Author | Anthony Gates Stadium | Lotto Park Eddie Howe’s side had been left reeling after that dramatic loss to Arsenal at the weekend, yet they showed no sign of a setback in Brussels, producing a confident display to secure their first away win in the competition since 2003. A closer look at a brilliant European away day for Newcastle The breakthrough came on 17 minutes when Anthony Elanga’s cross was only half-cleared and Sandro Tonali met the ball on the edge of the area. The midfielder’s volley deflected off Nick Woltemade, leaving Kjell Scherpen stranded. Union, making their debut in the Champions League, refused to buckle and Nick Pope was required to save well from Adem Zorgane. But just before the interval, Newcastle doubled their advantage from the penalty spot after Elanga was felled by Fedde Leysen. Gordon dispatc...

Newcastle United 4 - 1 Manchester United  It was another dreadful Sunday afternoon for Ruben Amorim's side as mistakes and another injury cost them against Newcastle. Author - Olivia T Stadium - St James' Park The Manchester United boss dropped first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana after his two mistakes against Lyon in Thursday's 2-2 Europa League quarter-final first-leg draw. His replacement Altay Bayındır was guilty of a serious error to seal an easy home win. The Turkey international clipped a ball straight to Joelinton who headed into the path of Bruno Guimaraes to make it 4-1 in the 77th minute. The game was, ultimately, probably over before that Bayindir mistake as Newcastle looked comfortable once Harvey Barnes had made it 3-1.  The visitors also lost Joshua Zirkzee to a suspected hamstring injury, dropped below Everton on goal difference to 14th in the table. They are now three points off fourth-bottom West Ham United. This was their 10th defeat in 21 Premier Le...

Newcastle United 0 - 1 Everton Newcastle United booked their place in next season’s Champions League despite slipping to defeat against an impressive Everton  Author | Sarah W Stadium | St James’ Park Eddie Howe’s side began the final day of the Premier League campaign in fourth, within reach of a return to Europe’s top table. But a nervy, disjointed display left them vulnerable, and Everton took full advantage. Revitalised under David Moyes, the visitors were the more organised side throughout and took a deserved lead when Carlos Alcaraz headed home midway through the second half. Tension gripped the home crowd as their side laboured, but relief swept around the ground when word spread that Manchester United were leading Aston Villa at Old Trafford . Confirmation of that result was met with jubilation, with Newcastle ultimately securing fifth place on goal difference, enough to clinch a Champions League berth thanks to the Premier League’s expanded allocation. It marks a fitti...

Aston Villa 4 - 1 Newcastle United Aston Villa delivered a scintillating display at Villa Park to sweep aside Newcastle United and underline their intent in the race for a top-five finish and Champions League football. Author - Peter Grainger Stadium - Villa Park Ollie Watkins gave Villa the perfect start, drawing level with Gabriel Agbonlahor as the club’s joint-highest Premier League goalscorer. His strike after just 33 seconds took a cruel deflection off Fabian Schär and left Nick Pope stranded. Newcastle responded in the 18th minute, with Schär making amends by heading home Harvey Barnes’ deep, curling cross. The ball crept through the legs of Emiliano Martínez to restore parity. But Villa refused to relent. Just after the hour mark, Watkins turned provider, sliding in Ian Maatsen who showed composure beyond his years to lift the ball delicately over the keeper and restore the lead. The hosts found another gear. Jacob Ramsey’s low ball across the box ricocheted in off Dan Burn ...

Chelsea 5 - 1 Ajax Chelsea made history in the Champions League by becoming the first team to have three teenage scorers as they thrashed a woeful Ajax. Author | Lauren W Stadium | Stamford Bridge Marc Guiu, 19, opened the scoring and briefly became Chelsea’s youngest Champions League goalscorer, striking just over a minute into the match following the sending off of Ajax captain Kenneth Taylor. His record, however, lasted only 33 minutes before Estevao Willian, 18, netted Chelsea’s third goal from a penalty, adding to spot-kicks converted earlier by Enzo Fernandez and Wout Weghorst, as well as a long-range strike from Moises Caicedo in a frenetic first half. Chelsea made three changes at half-time, including forward Tyrique George, who scored within three minutes of coming on to become the third teenager on the scoresheet. Substitute midfielder Reggie Walsh, 17, also made history by becoming the youngest player to appear for the club in the Champions League and the second younges...

We all love a dramatic end to the season Let's explore some of the best and most iconic title races in the history of English football. Will the 2024 race for the title match any of those listed below? Leicester City, Tottenham and Arsenal in 2016 An odd one to choose perhaps, but this was a fascinating title race. It was a two-horse race for a period, but Spurs finished third. Leicester won the title that season thanks to the form of former Non-League player Jamie Vardy. Many described it as the greatest-ever sporting achievement.  Following this title win, Leicester players struggled to match what they achieved during that season. They were even relegated in 2023. They quickly recovered to win the Championship in 2024, once again being inspired by Vardy. Liverpool and Arsenal 1989 Throwback to 1989 when Arsenal managed to clinch their 9th league title at Anfield in the most dramatic night in club history pic.twitter.com/YSqyids0H9 — Throwback Arsenal (@ThrowbackAFC) August 22,...

Manchester United 2 - 1 PSG United extended their winning run in the Women’s Champions League with a hard-fought victory over Paris St-Germain on Mary Earps’ return to Manchester. Author | Olivia T Stadium | Old Trafford There was surprise before kick-off as Ella Toone was left out of the starting XI alongside striker Elisabeth Terland. With Phallon Tullis-Joyce unavailable, 20-year-old Safia Middleton-Patel made just her second senior appearance for United, her first at Old Trafford and in European competition, leaving some fans understandably nervous. The young goalkeeper was immediately tested when Jennifer Echegini’s fierce drive struck the inside of the post inside two minutes. On the left, United’s Sandberg endured a difficult evening as Rasheedat Ajibade repeatedly stretched the defence, with PSG enjoying the majority of possession. But in Melvine Malard, United always had a threat.  The French forward seized her moment midway through the first half, outmusclin...

Let's explore Manchester United's 2023/2024 season. It was a campaign full of drama. There was a lot of controversy throughout, but it finished with glory as they beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley.  After being eliminated from the EFL Cup in the fourth round by the previous season's finalists, Newcastle United, they also experienced their worst performance in the Champions League group stage. They then finished in 8th position, their lowest ever place in the Premier League era.  We will now experience some of those key reports and stories from the season. The season started with a 1-0 win over Wolves. In this match, Raphael Varane secured the decisive goal with just 14 minutes remaining, propelling Manchester United to a somewhat lucky victory. It wasn't a great performance though and perhaps a sign of things to come. A few weeks later, they lost 3 - 1 at home to Brighton. After this match, we spoke to Liam, a United Season Ticket holder. He said: ...

 Chelsea 1 - 1 Newcastle United (Chelsea win 4-2 on penalties) Kieran Trippier had a nightmarish experience at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea secured a spot in the Carabao Cup semi-finals through a penalty shootout. Despite Callum Wilson's 16th-minute goal appearing to propel Newcastle into the last four, substitute Mykhailo Mudryk seized on the veteran defender's mistake deep into stoppage time, leading to the match heading to penalties. Trippier, who has recently struggled with a dip in form, widened Newcastle's second penalty, and with keeper Djordje Petrovic saving Matt Ritchie's spot-kick, Chelsea transitioned from the brink of defeat to the joy of reaching the semi-finals. It was a harsh outcome for Trippier, a key figure under manager Eddie Howe, whose moment of indecision on a header provided Chelsea with the lifeline Mudryk capitalized on. Chelsea's Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, Christopher Nkunku, and Mudryk all scored in the shootout, while only Callum Wils...

Southampton 0 - 3 Aston Villa Aston Villa took a significant step towards securing back-to-back seasons in the Champions League with a 3-0 victory over already-relegated Southampton, despite Marco Asensio missing two second-half penalties. Author - Peter Grainger Stadium - St. Mary's Stadium Unai Emery’s side were made to work for their win at St Mary’s, with all three goals coming after the break and all three scored by substitutes. It marked a piece of Premier League history, as Villa became the first team to have three different substitutes score in a single match. Ollie Watkins, introduced midway through the second half for Marcus Rashford, broke the deadlock when he latched onto a sublime pass from Youri Tielemans and fired in a first-time finish that struck the underside of the crossbar on its way in. Just minutes earlier, Watkins had won Villa’s first penalty after being brought down by Jan Bednarek’s clumsy challenge, only for Aaron Ramsdale to deny Asensio from the spo...

Brighton & Hove Albion 3 - 1 Newcastle United Evan Ferguson scored a hat-trick against Newcastle to show off his extraordinary potential and has potentially set the stage for another memorable Premier League season for Brighton. After overachieving last season, both teams discovered their European groups this week, and Albion appears to be much better positioned than the Magpies to contend for a Champions League spot this time around. More Premier League news and stories can be found here:  Premier League news and stories: 2023/2024  What happened in the match? Solly March, Kaoru Mitoma and Lewis Dunk all had a chance to score before Ferguson's hat-trick made him the first non-English player to score 10 Premier League goals before his 19th birthday.  After Nick Pope mishandled Billy Gilmour's long-range attempt, the Republic of Ireland striker Ferguson pounced from close range. The 18-year-old scored a stunning strike from 25 yards out to make it 2-0 before add...

Newcastle United 1 - 2 Barcelona Marcus Rashford made a spectacular Champions League bow for Barcelona as Newcastle United's campaign got off to a losing start at St James' Park. Author | Anthony Gates Stadium | St James' Park The forward, on loan from Manchester United, broke open a tense contest with two decisive second-half strikes that left Eddie Howe’s side chasing shadows. A closer analysis of what happened Howe had raised eyebrows with his team selection, opting to leave £69m summer signing Nick Woltemade on the bench and deploying Anthony Gordon through the middle. The experiment faltered as Newcastle found themselves increasingly overwhelmed by Barcelona’s control, with Rashford the clinical difference. It was an emphatic statement from Rashford, who featured in the tournament while on loan at Aston Villa last season, and who slotted seamlessly into Barcelona’s attack despite the absence of injured teenager Lamine Yamal . The 26-year-old received a standing ...

 There were 20 goals on a dramatic Sunday of Premier League football.  Let's explore what happened and examine what the impact might be come the end of the season. AFC Bournemouth 4 - 1 Leeds United Bournemouth earned a superb 4-1 win to deepen Leeds' relegation worries. A quick-fire Jefferson Lerma played a key part in lifting his side further away from relegation danger and leaving the visitors a point clear of the drop zone. Fulham 1 - 2 Manchester City Manchester City beat Fulham to return to the top of the Premier League for the first time since February as Erling Haaland scored his 50th goal of the season in all competitions. Fulham did themselves proud on the day but didn't offer enough in an attacking sense to worry the title favourites too much. Can City go and win The Treble? Click here to see all the news and stories from East Manchester.  Manchester United 1 - 0 Aston Villa Bruno Fernandes scored his 100th career league goal to boost Manchester United's ...

 Newcastle United 1 - 1 Everton How important could this point prove to be for Everton? How costly could these two dropped points be in Newcastle's quest for European qualification?  Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored a late penalty to secure a crucial point for Everton in their battle to avoid relegation and draw against Newcastle, who are still vying for a spot in Europe. Alexander Isak scored in the 15th minute for the hosts after receiving a pass from Harvey Barnes, cutting inside Jarrad Branthwaite, and calmly finishing past Jordan Pickford. Dan Burn thought he had scored a goal, but it was disallowed for offside. Isak also had a shot cleared off the line.  Later in the game, Paul Dummett was penalised for wrestling Ashley Young to the ground by having his arm around Young's neck. This gave the visitors a chance to score a late goal. Can Newcastle United qualify for Europe? More news from the Geordie Nation on European Super Football. Referee Tony Harrington had not gi...

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...