Premier League
ANOTHER AXE FALLS ON PREMIERSHIP COACH AS PELLEGRINI IS SACKED
Manuel Pellegrini was sacked as West Ham United manager on Saturday after a 2-1 home defeat by Leicester City that put the Foxes’ distant pursuit of Premier League leaders Liverpool back on track.
Yet, Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes of moving into the top four stalled in a 2-2 draw at bottom club Norwich City.
Carlo Ancelotti and Nigel Pearson continued to revive their respective new clubs with Everton and Watford claiming their second Christmas wins, but once again the use of VAR dominated the airwaves and social media with further controversies.
The day’s major drama came at the London Stadium where West Ham’s defeat proved the final straw for the club’s owners, who after the Leicester defeat announced Pellegrini’s dismissal.
After the loss had left the Hammers just one place above the relegation zone in 17th place, joint chairman David Sullivan announced in a statement: “It is with great disappointment that we’ve had to make this decision.
“We felt it was necessary to act now in order to give the new manager as much time as possible to try and achieve that goal.”
After heavy defeats by Manchester City and Liverpool, Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers had made nine changes to his side for the trip to West Ham – the most by a Premier League manager so early in the season since 2010.
But Leicester had too much for flimsy West Ham as goals by Kelechi Iheanacho and Demarai Gray, who also missed a penalty, helped close the gap at the top to 10 points, albeit with Leicester having played two more games than Liverpool.
The win, less than 48 hours after a 4-0 home drubbing by Liverpool, lifted Leicester four points above third-placed Manchester City and revealed the depth in the squad.
“It was such a quick turnaround it was a game I felt we had to be fresh,” Rodgers, who was also without the league leading scorer Jamie Vardy who was excused duty after becoming a father again on Saturday, said.
Not for the first time in the league, several VAR interventions overshadowed the action, none more so than at Norwich where the hosts thought they had gone 2-0 up against Tottenham, only for Teemu Pukki’s effort to be ruled out for an offside decision not detectable by the naked eye.
Not surprisingly, VAR once again came in for a roasting.
“Here we go again. More nonsense from VAR. Pukki goal ruled out when level,” Match of the Day pundit Gary Lineker said on Twitter.
Earlier in the day Brighton & Hove Albion’s Dan Burn had a goal wiped out by VAR, although it was not costly as his side beat Bournemouth 2-0 to ease away from trouble.
Crystal Palace’s Max Meyer also had his goal ruled out for offside after a VAR check as Palace drew 1-1 at Southampton.
Tottenham twice trailed at bottom club Norwich but Harry Kane’s late penalty earned them a point.
Norwich, for whom Mario Vrancic scored early, could feel hard done by though as Pukki’s goal was ruled out.
“I thought we wanted to support the attacking players and if there was any doubt it should go to the offensive players,” Norwich manager Daniel Farke said.
Christian Eriksen levelled for Spurs only for a Serge Aurier own goal to hand the Canaries the lead before Kane fired in a spot kick on his 200th Premier League appearance.
Victory would have taken Tottenham above Chelsea into fourth but they remained fifth, two points behind.
Everton continued in an upward direction under Ancelotti who has won both of his matches in charge.
Two goals by Dominic Calvert-Lewin sealed a 2-1 victory at Newcastle United that lifted Everton into the top half.
Watford beat Aston Villa 3-0 and, despite remaining second from bottom, fans are dreaming of a great escape of the sort Pearson engineered at Leicester City in 2014-15.
Pearson’s side played for more than half an hour with 10 men after defender Adrian Mariappa was sent off but they already led through Troy Deeney’s opener in the 42nd minute. Deeney then slotted home a penalty and Ismaila Sarr added a third.
Iranian winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh scored his first Brighton goal with Aaron Mooy also on target against Bournemouth.
Danny Ings earned Southampton a point in a 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace who had taken the lead through James Tomkins.
-Reuters
England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been handed a 15-month suspended prison sentence by a Greek court over a 2020 incident in Mykonos, Sky Sports reported on Wednesday.
In 2020, Maguire was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery and violence against public employees after his arrest in a brawl in which two police officers were assaulted.
Maguire, who was detained for two days following the incident and denied any wrongdoing, was handed a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days but was granted a full retrial after appealing against Greek court convictions on multiple charges.
In accordance with the Greek judicial process, the filing nullified Maguire’s conviction before a full retrial in a more senior court. His retrial was postponed many times.
Maguire faced allegations of non-serious assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery. The 32-year-old was convicted on all three counts but will face no prison time. His legal team will appeal against the guilty verdict, Sky Sports reported.
Maguire’s brother Joe and friend Christopher Sharman were also found guilty of offences related to the incident and received suspended prison sentences in 2020. They also denied any wrongdoing.
-Reuters
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Arsenal maintained control of the Premier League title race as they chiselled out a nervy 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table on Sunday.
Jurrien Timber’s 66th-minute header from a Declan Rice corner ensured Arsenal took three precious points, but it was a nervy afternoon in north London.
Mikel Arteta’s side moved to 64 points from 29 games, with Manchester City, who have played a game fewer, on 59.
Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber celebrates scoring their second goal with Gabriel Magalhaes REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Defender William Saliba had given Arsenal the lead in the 21st minute from a trademark corner routine.
But it had looked as though an own goal by Piero Hincapie just before halftime would prove costly for the hosts until Timber came to their rescue.
Chelsea, whose six-match unbeaten league sequence under new manager Liam Rosenior was halted, ended the match with 10 men after Pedro Neto was sent off for a second yellow card.
-Reuters
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Premier League
Manchester United climb to third in Premier League table with come-from-behind win over Palace
Manchester United produced a stirring second-half comeback to defeat Crystal Palace 2–1 at Old Trafford on Sunday, with captain Bruno Fernandes inspiring the turnaround that lifted the hosts into third place in the Premier League standings.
Trailing inside four minutes after a dominant start by Palace, United responded through a Fernandes penalty before his pinpoint free-kick was headed home by Benjamin Sesko to seal victory against the 10-man visitors.
The win extended interim manager Michael Carrick’s unbeaten run to seven matches since taking charge in mid-January. United now have 51 points from 28 games and are unbeaten since the January 5 dismissal of Ruben Amorim, climbing into third for the first time since May 2023. Palace remain 14th on 35 points.
“It feels like a big result, we were behind and had to show some character,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “There are a lot of games to go still, and it is important that we don’t feel that we are in the position that we need to be. We need to make as many points as we can.”
Palace, under Oliver Glasner, were electric in the opening half hour, capitalising on sluggish United play. Defender Maxence Lacroix powered home a header from a corner after muscling past Leny Yoro, scoring the earliest goal United have conceded this season.
The visitors nearly doubled their advantage when Daniel Munoz latched onto an Ismaila Sarr through ball, but goalkeeper Senne Lammens produced a crucial save.
United gradually found their rhythm before the break. Sesko forced Dean Henderson into action with a header from a Fernandes cross, and the Palace keeper also tipped a Fernandes free kick over the bar.
The turning point arrived in the 57th minute when Fernandes converted from the penalty spot after Matheus Cunha was dragged down by Lacroix. Following a lengthy VAR review, Lacroix was shown a red card, reducing Palace to 10 men.
Eight minutes later, Fernandes’ delivery again proved decisive as Sesko rose highest to nod home the winning goal.
United pushed for a third, with Casemiro’s volley drawing a diving save from Henderson and substitute Amad Diallo testing the keeper from distance in stoppage time. Joshua Zirkzee saw efforts blocked, while Kobbie Mainoo’s fierce strike drifted narrowly wide.
Carrick praised his team’s resilience. “The biggest thing for us to take from the game is really the first time that we have been in that situation going in at halftime,” he said. “Being in that position and how we react and showing that personality and belief… to then come back as we did in the second half is the biggest thing for me today.”
Palace pressed late but could not find an equaliser. Glasner admitted his side had let the game slip. “It feels like there was more possible today. A great first 30 minutes, but the red card changed it completely. The second goal just happened too quickly.”
For United, the victory reinforces growing belief under Carrick that a top-four finish—and a return to Europe’s elite competition—is firmly within reach.
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