Premier League
PLAYING EVERY MINUTE IN THE SEASON, VIRGIL VAN DIJK EQUALS PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD
Virgil van Dijk has emulated the likes of John Terry and Cesar Azpilicueta after helping Liverpool win the Premier League title as they rounded off their season with a win at Newcastle
Virgil van Dijk became just the fifth player to play every minute of a Premier League season for a title winning side.
The Dutchman has been a rock at the back for Liverpool as they returned to the summit of English football for the first time in 30 years.
Jurgen Klopp’s side ended the season with the best defensive record in the league for a second straight year.
Cesar Azpilicueta and Wes Morgan also completed the feat in successive years for Chelsea and Leicester respectively.
John Terry did so in Jose Mourinho’s first title winning season at Stamford Bridge in 2004/05.
Manchester United’s Gary Pallister did so when they won the first ever Premier League title in 1992/93. And Van Dijk has now made it a five person club following his efforts this season.
The 29-year-old has had several partners in central defence with Klopp chopping and changing between the likes of Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.
But Van Dijk, who has more than justified his hefty fee, has been the rock at the heart of Liverpool’s back four.
The ambition for the entire Merseyside outfit will be to retain their crown next term.
And despite their dominance over the past 12 months the Dutchman doesn’t foresee a lack of motivation being a problem.
He said: “It was not too difficult [to motivate ourselves]. We all wanted to show why we’re the champions. We knew it would be tough.
“We made it even more difficult for ourselves but we played well in the second half. It’s good to finish the season on a high and now for a little break.
“It was an outstanding game in the second half. We played amazing football, and created chances. A well deserved win.
“Hopefully we’ll be fresh and ready to go for next season in a couple of weeks.
“For this beautiful club it’s [their season] outstanding and should spur us to retain the title. It will be tough. Teams will improve and they’ll want to beat us more.
“We’ll focus on each game at a time as we did this season. It will be a new challenge.”
Premier League
Former Arsenal soccer player Partey charged with five counts of rape

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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Premier League
Rashford, Garnacho among five players seeking Man Utd exit

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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Premier League
Fernandes rejects Al-Hilal offer to stay at Manchester United

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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