Premier League
WATFORD IN SHOCK WIN OVER MANCHESTER UNITED
A terrible blunder from Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea helped Premier League basement side Watford to a 2-0 victory on Sunday for their first home win of the season and maiden victory under coach Nigel Pearson.
The Spain keeper, who had conceded a soft goal in last week’s 1-1 draw with Everton, allowed the weakest of shots from Ismaila Sarr through his hands in the 50th minute, putting Watford in front for the first time in a home game this season.
Senegalese winger Sarr was then tripped by United’s usually reliable Aaron Wan-Bissaka and earned the penalty from which Troy Deeney doubled Watford’s lead in the 54th minute, sending De Gea the wrong way and blasting into the net.
United, who have failed to build on the momentum from back-to-back wins over Tottenham Hotspur and champions Manchester City earlier this month, produced yet another limp display and failed to hit the target in the first half.
United’s fifth Premier League defeat of the season leaves them eighth on 25 points after 18 games, while Watford are still bottom but level on 12 points with 19th-placed Norwich City.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wrote off De Gea’s costly error as a rare error but was scathing about his side’s performance.
“It was a mistake, it happens in football and it is what we train for every day to make sure they don’t happen again. David has been very good lately. It is just one of those things that happen,” he told reporters.
“We started the game slow. The first half was very, very poor from both sides, it was too slow, like a testimonial. You have to earn every point on the pitch and today we didn’t deserve that.”
Jesse Lingard missed United’s best chance when he attempted to lob Watford keeper Ben Foster when through on goal and hit the roof of the net.
Club record signing Paul Pogba made his first appearance since facing Arsenal on Sept. 30 by coming on in the second half but failed to lift his side, who barely managed to trouble Foster until a late siege which also proved ineffective.
“We have to be better against these so called lower opposition sides who have a deep block,” said United captain Harry Maguire.
“We were sloppy and gave the ball away numerous times. We were not good enough and we have to improve. It is something we cannot put our finger
-Reuters
Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.
Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.
Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
-Reuters
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Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.
Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.
Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.
United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.
“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”
Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.
Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.
-Reuters
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.
“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”
Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.
“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.
“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”
The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.
However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
-Reuters
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