Premier League
CHELSEA PILE MORE MISERY ON MOURINHO’S TOTTENHAM
Chelsea climbed into the Premier League top six as Thomas Tuchel earned the first major victory of his short time in charge of the Blues with a 1-0 win at Tottenham on Thursday (Feb 4).
Jorginho’s penalty midway through the first half was scant reward for Chelsea’s dominance on another damaging night for Spurs boss Jose Mourinho against his former club.
“We are super happy about the result. It was a tough game against a strong opponent, but we did very well and controlled the game well,” said Tuchel, who has taken seven points from three games in his first eight days in charge.
“It’s not about my methods. I’m happy with the attitude, the squad, the potential.
“It’s a nice group and they are open. It’s a pleasure to be around them. We have a lot of support in the whole club. It was a quick start, but an easy one because I feel very welcome.”
Since a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in early December took Tottenham top of the table, they have won just twice in their last 10 league games to not only see hopes of a first league title in 60 years disappear, but their chances of even making the top four rapidly recede.
Spurs now sit eighth, seven points off the Champions League places, and behind Chelsea, who saw fit to make a managerial change last week after a drastic dip in form under Frank Lampard.
Tottenham were again without the injured Harry Kane, but that still did not excuse a complete lack of attacking threat from Mourinho’s men as they failed to score for the second consecutive game.
Timo Werner’s poor form played a major part in Lampard’s dismissal, but the German international is slowly finding his feet under his compatriot and could have scored inside a minute with a looping header that sailed just wide.
Chelsea did not concede a single shot on target to Burnley or Wolves and quickly established complete control of the ball once more with Tottenham happy to sit deep and wait for their chance to counter-attack.
However, Spurs’ defensive resolve was undone on 24 minutes when Eric Dier unnecessarily swept away Werner’s legs from under him inside the box.
Jorginho had missed three penalties already this season, but cut out his usual stutter-step run-up and smashed the ball low past Hugo Lloris.
Tottenham could have gone in level at the break against the run of play when Serge Aurier headed wide from Son Heung-min’s free-kick.
Spurs started the second-half with far better intent to press Chelsea high up the field, but in doing so opened themselves up to some slick passing from Tuchel’s men.
Callum Hudson-Odoi fired a low shot just side before Aurier’s last-ditch tackle denied Werner his first Premier League goal since November.
Mateo Kovacic and Marcos Alonso then fired good chances off target, while Toby Alderweireld nearly scored a spectacular own goal as Lloris stretched to head away his wild attempted backpass.
Despite the absence of Kane, Gareth Bale was again left on the bench for the entire match after failing to make an impact in defeat at Brighton on Sunday in his first league start for nearly three months.
Mourinho introduced Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela instead in a bid to make a breakthrough.
Lamela produced his side’s only shot on target of the game with a long range effort that Edouard Mendy comfortably parried to safety.
Tottenham’s big chance to level came four minutes from time when Carlo Vinicius headed wide Aurier’s cross from point-blank range.
Tuchel cut an animated figure on the touchline as his side failed to make the game safe with a second goal, but let out a satisfied scream of “yes” at full-time after passing his first big test as Chelsea boss with flying colours.
-AFP
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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