Premier League
MAN CITY ARE 10 POINTS CLEAR ON PREMIERSHIP TABLE
Manchester City opened up a 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win at Everton on Wednesday (Feb 17) to extend their English top-flight record winning run to 17 games.
Riyad Mahrez scored the pick of the goals in between Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva’s strikes as Pep Guardiola’s men took another huge step towards a third title in four years.
Richarlison’s first-half equaliser was little consolation for seventh-placed Everton, who have now won just one of their last six league games to fall five points behind in the battle for a top-four finish.
This fixture was rearranged from late December due to a coronavirus outbreak affecting multiple payers at City that threatened to derail their title challenge.
Guardiola’s side were eighth in the table at the time, but have not dropped a point in their 10 league games since to streak clear of the chasing pack.
The visitors were without the in-form Ilkay Gundogan due to a groin injury picked up in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Tottenham, while Kevin De Bruyne was fit to return from a hamstring problem but only from the bench.
Sergio Aguero was also among the substitutes, but Gabriel Jesus has failed to make the most of his chance to shine in the absence of the Argentine for most of the season and the Brazilian had another off night in front of goal.
Jesus blazed over City’s best chance as the hemmed Everton into their own half.
When the deadlock was broken there was a hint of fortune to it as Foden’s shot deflected off Seamus Coleman to leave the helpless Jordan Pickford wrong-footed.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men had shown no attacking intent until conceding, but were immediately rewarded for pushing forward after falling behind as Lucas Digne’s shot came back off the post and ricocheted in off Richarlison.
That was just the second goal City have conceded in nine league games, but there still seemed little doubt they would find a way to extend their winning run.
Pickford saved well from Silva at his near post and Jesus fired another inviting opening over from a narrow angle before a moment of the highest quality saw City restore their lead.
Silva’s cushioned pass teed up Mahrez on the edge of the box and his sumptuous curling effort clipped the inside of the far post on its way into the net.
The roles were reversed for the visitors’ third 13 minutes from time as Mahrez and Jesus picked out Silva on the edge of the box and his shot had too much power for Pickford.
Guardiola could then afford the luxury of giving De Bruyne the final 15 minutes after a month on the sidelines to try and get the Belgian up to full match fitness before City return to Champions League action in the last 16 at Borussia Monchengladbach next Wednesday.
At the other end of the table, Fulham missed the opportunity to close to within four points of survival as Burnley came back from a goal down to salvage a 1-1 draw.
Both sides struck early in the second-half of a largely uneventful game as Ashley Barnes cancelled out Ola Aina’s opener for Fulham.
A point for Fulham arrows Newcastle’s advantage over the bottom three to six points, while Burnley remain eight points clear of the drop zone and edge up to 15th.
-AFP
Premier League
Rashford ends goal drought in Man United’s 3-0 win over Southampton
New signing Matthijs de Ligt grabbed his first goal for Manchester United while Marcus Rashford scored for the first time since March in a 3-0 Premier
League victory at Southampton on Saturday after a shaky start to the season.
Alejandro Garnacho added a late goal for Erik ten Hag’s side who started the day 14th in the standings after back-to-back losses. They now have six points from four matches while newly promoted Southampton remain without a point.
Southampton dominated early on but squandered a chance to take the lead in the 34th minute after United goalkeeper Onana saved Cameron Archer’s poor penalty, sparking an immediate shift in momentum at St Mary’s Stadium.
A minute later, De Ligt headed in a sumptuous ball from Bruno Fernandes after Christian Eriksen’s short corner.
“I think if you get three points from three games it’s not enough so there was some pressure, but I think today we played very well,” said De Ligt, a summer signing from Bayern Munich.
Rashford, who had gone 13 games without a goal, then ended his drought when he was left unmarked on the edge of the box to bend a diagonal shot in the far corner in the 41st.
Ten Hag had been criticised for starting Rashford but he has stuck by the much-maligned 26-year-old — who had not found the back of the net since United’s 2-0 win over Everton on March 9 — saying pre-game that Rashford needed only a goal or an assist and “then he will fly”.
“It’s very important,” the Dutchman said after the win. “It is so huge for him, for every striker, when the season starts you want to be on the scoring list. Now he has his first, I’m sure more will come.”
Archer’s penalty miss spoiled a stellar first league start for Southampton’s Tyler Dibling. The 18-year-old, who had scored for England’s Under-19 side in a loss to Germany four days earlier, drew the penalty when he dribbled at Diogo Dalot only to be taken down by the defender in the box.
That was the turning point, as the hosts were almost immediately punished for the miss but goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale tipped a low shot from Joshua Zirkzee just wide of the net.
“It was a turning point for us,” Onana said. “I’m happy for the guys, we had a great game, now we move on.”
What started as a solid afternoon for Southampton had a wretched ending as Russell Martin’s side failed to register a shot after the missed penalty and were reduced to 10 men in the 79th minute when defender Jack Stephens was sent off for a high tackle on Garnacho.
The Argentine forward smashed the ball in with almost the last kick of the game to seal the win for the visitors.
United finished with 20 shots to the home side’s six.
-Reuters
Premier League
Depleted Arsenal head to Spurs hoping to keep pace with title rivals
Arsenal face a daunting set of fixtures starting with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, with influential midfielders sidelined this weekend, but Mikel Arteta’s side can take heart from their recent record in north London derbies.
Having been held to a draw by Brighton & Hove Albion in their last outing, Arsenal are two points off the pace after champions Manchester City and Liverpool had perfect starts.
Letting points slip in the past two campaigns has punished Arsenal in the title race. With City and Liverpool playing on Saturday, Arsenal could potentially be staring at a five-point gap ahead of Sunday’s short trip to face their neighbours.
Arsenal will wear their away kit in the derby for the first time in 38 years due to a colour clash but two men who will not be wearing their black strip are skipper Martin Odegaard and midfield partner Declan Rice.
While Odegaard is out for several weeks nursing an ankle injury sustained in Norway’s Nations League victory against Austria in midweek, Rice is suspended following a controversial red card against Brighton for kicking the ball away.
Form usually goes out of the window in north London derbies, which often produce spicy encounters, but Arsenal have had the upper hand in the last two seasons, winning three and drawing one of the last four league matches against Spurs.
The hosts also have injury worries with forwards Richarlison and Dominic Solanke plus defender Micky van de Ven missing their 2-1 loss at Newcastle United, though the latter two are expected to return.
FORCED ROTATION
With Arsenal’s midweek Champions League game at Atalanta and a trip to City the following weekend, Arteta will be forced to rotate his squad or even change his formation.
Since new signing Mikel Merino is also injured, he may have to play the versatile Kai Havertz in a deeper role. Brazil forward Gabriel Jesus has also been sidelined, while striker Eddie Nketiah moved to Crystal Palace on deadline day.
“He could play Leandro Trossard or even Raheem Sterling, but that’s a big ask for a winger to play up front at a new club,” Sky Sports pundit and former Arsenal forward Paul Merson said, adding the club should have signed another striker.
“You might get away with it for two or three games playing a false nine, but you wouldn’t want to go seven, eight, nine games with one,” he added.
The weekend kicks off with 14th-placed Manchester United looking to put their early season troubles behind them as they travel to promoted Southampton, who are without a point so far.
Erik ten Hag is in his third season as United boss but a 3-0 humbling by Liverpool — whose manager Arne Slot was taking charge of just his third game — rang alarm bells among the Old Trafford faithful although the Dutchman has the club’s backing.
Leaders City host sixth-placed Brentford, while second-placed Liverpool, the only Premier League team yet to concede a goal this season, welcome Nottingham Forest.
Ipswich Town travel to third-placed Brighton seeking a first win following their return to the top flight, while bottom side Everton, with three straight losses, travel to Aston Villa.
-Reuters
Premier League
Mikel Arteta agrees new Arsenal deal
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has signed a new long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium, the Premier League title chasers announced on Sept 12.
The Gunners said in a statement that the 42-year-old Spaniard, who has reportedly agreed a three-year deal, “has been a key figure in re-establishing us as a force back at the top of English and European football”.
Arteta, who became Arsenal boss in late 2019, said he felt “extremely proud”.
“I feel extremely lucky to work every single day with good people and the ambition we have here,” he said.
“I feel very inspired, I feel challenged, I feel supported and I want to do much more than what we’ve already done together.”
Arsenal co-chairman Josh Kroenke said he was delighted with the new deal.
“Mikel is a dynamic and passionate manager, who is relentless in the pursuit of excellence,” he said.
“He has a deep understanding of Arsenal’s values, and since joining us as head coach, he has taken the team to another level in an Arsenal way.”
Arteta, who had been working as an assistant coach under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, replaced compatriot Unai Emery as Arsenal boss in December 2019.
He won the FA Cup in his first season in charge – his first silverware as a manager.
Arsenal have finished as runners-up to City in the Premier League for the past two seasons.
Last term, they went agonisingly close to lifting the trophy for the first time since 2004 before being pipped by City on the last day of the season.
Arteta’s men, who face north London rivals Tottenham on Sept 15, are currently fourth in the table after two wins and a draw.
They begin their Champions League campaign next week against Atalanta.
‘Wonderful values’
Arteta, who played 150 times for Arsenal and captained the side, called for calm in August regarding his contract situation, insisting his focus had been on the transfer window.
“We are on it and we will take care of that in the right moment,” said Arteta, who had previously been linked with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.
“I don’t think anybody has to panic. I am in the place where I want to be and am really happy.
“Hopefully, the club thinks the same thing and the players I work with, who in my opinion are the most important ones.”
Arsenal strengthened in the summer transfer window, bringing in a clutch of players including Raheem Sterling, Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori.
There are still questions over whether they have enough firepower to overhaul champions City after their failure to sign a striker to compete with inconsistent Germany forward Kai Havertz.
But Arsenal sporting director Edu has no doubts about Arteta’s ability to keep the club on course for sustained success.
“It’s a very positive and proud moment for everyone at the club and an important part of what we’re all working towards,” Edu said.
“Mikel has shown his qualities since the very first day he joined us, not only as a football manager, but as a person with wonderful values.
“We have a strong belief in what we are doing and what we want to achieve together. Mikel’s new contract gives us stability and clear direction as we aim for new heights.”
–AFP
-
AFCON1 week ago
Austin Eguavoen remains the ‘Big Boss’, says NFF
-
AFCON1 week ago
Rwanda newspaper gives 5 lessons gleaned from Rwanda-Nigeria clash
-
AFCON1 week ago
Present and Past as CAF Coaches Symposium unites Rohr, Peseiro and Eguavoen
-
CAF Confederation Cup1 week ago
Enyimba continues unbeaten run against Burkina Faso clubs
-
AFCON4 days ago
Libya sacks coach ahead of AFCON qualifying back-to-back matches with Nigeria
-
CAF Champions League1 week ago
Enugu Rangers in slim CAF Champions League win over Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca
-
WOMEN'S FOOTBALL1 week ago
Falconets crash out from U-20 Women’s World Cup
-
Governing Bodies6 days ago
Storm in CAF over proposed statutes amendments