Premier League
Jorginho redemption as Chelsea rescue Man Utd draw
Chelsea midfielder Jorginho rescued a 1-1 draw against Manchester United as the Italian’s penalty atoned for the blunder that allowed Jadon Sancho to put the visitors in front on Sunday (Nov 28).
Thomas Tuchel’s side dominated for long periods at Stamford Bridge but fell behind when Jorginho’s poor control presented Sancho with the chance to score early in the second half.
Jorginho made amends for that mistake as he stroked home a penalty after Aaron Wan-Bissaka fouled Thiago Silva. It was the least Chelsea deserved after they laid seige to United’s goal and saw David de Gea make a series of fine saves.
Chelsea, unbeaten in their last 11 games in all competitions, remain top of the Premier League but are now just one point ahead of second-placed Manchester City, who defeated West Ham earlier on Sunday.
United, in eighth place, are 12 points adrift of the leaders but this gritty display was something to build on after a traumatic period.
Michael Carrick was in charge of United for a second successive game after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking, with the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager until the end of this season expected to be confirmed shortly.
United are in discussions with Rangnick, who is working as director of sports and development at Lokomotiv Moscow. But in the meantime Carrick had overseen a vital win at Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday and he used the same defensive blueprint to frustrate Chelsea.
Given Rangnick’s preference for a intense pressing game-plan that may not suit Cristiano Ronaldo, it was intriguing to see the sometimes diffident Portugal striker left on the bench by Carrick until the 63rd minute.
With Bruno Fernandes as the false nine and Marcus Rashford and Sancho on the flanks, United set up for a point and got exactly that. Hakim Ziyech found space in the United area early on but his low shot was saved by De Gea, setting the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
Frenetic finale
Moments later, Marcos Alonso’s header from Silva’s long pass caught Victor Lindelof and Wan-Bissaka out of position. Callum Hudson-Odoi seemed certain to score when he pounced on the loose ball, only for De Gea to repel the forward’s close-range effort with a superb save.
Manchester United technical director Darren Fletcher was on the bench wearing an ear-piece, sparking suggestions he was in contact with Rangnick.
Rangnick is regarded as the godfather of ‘gegenpressing’, the tactics copied so successfully by Tuchel and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, and United had spells when they closed down Chelsea with more authority than they showed in the final weeks of Solskjaer’s reign.
But if Rangnick was offering advice to the United bench ahead of his impending appointment, he might have been concerned at how deep they were sitting.
Antonio Rudiger was left in acres of space when his 25-yard drive was tipped onto the crossbar by De Gea. United had ventured into the Chelsea area only twice in the first half, but they broke out to snatch the lead five minutes after the interval with their first shot on target.
Fernandes’ hoofed clearance should have been easy for Jorginho, but Chelsea’s captain made a hash of dealing with the high ball and Sancho was rewarded for pressing hard as he stole possession, sprinted clear on goal and slotted past Edouard Mendy.
After going 14 games without a goal following his close-season move from Borussia Dortmund, Sancho has two in his last two matches.
Chelsea’s response was emphatic and their pressure was finally rewarded in the 69th minute after Wan-Bissaka’s flailing challenge on Silva conceded a needless penalty.
Jorginho had missed a high-profile penalty for Italy against Switzerland recently, but the midfielder coolly sent De Gea the wrong way from the spot.
In a frenetic finale, Rudiger could have won it in the final seconds when he volleyed over from Christian Pulisic’s cross.
-AFP
Premier League
Manchester United tighten hold on third in the Premier League with win over Aston Villa
Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha buried a second‑half strike off a pinpoint through ball from Bruno Fernandes for a club-record 16th Premier League assist in a season to lift the hosts to a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Casemiro and substitute Benjamin Sesko scored United’s other goals in a result that tightened United’s grip on third place in the standings on 54 points after 30 games, while fourth-placed Villa have 51 points.
United, who were playing their first game in 11 days, were keen for a victory after interim boss Michael Carrick’s seven-game unbeaten run ended in a 2-1 loss to 10-man Newcastle United on March 4.
With 22 points from a possible 27 under Carrick’s leadership, Sunday’s win will invariably lead to more questions about his chances of becoming United’s permanent manager.
“It was a slightly different game today going into it being so close in the league and making the small jump we could if we won, off the back of a defeat,” Carrick said. “It was a small test and we haven’t really had that.
“The boys dealt with it really well, had a really good week and applied themselves well. Everything is so so encouraging. We’ve got a lot to play for.”
The game looked headed for a draw before Cunha scored from the left side of the box in the 71st minute, with Fernandes recording his 100th assist for the club across all competitions.
With eight games left, Fernandes is also four shy of matching the Premier League record for assists in one season of 20 held by Thierry Henry (2002-03) and Kevin de Bruyne (2019-20).
“He’s had so many big moments, to score a goal, to make a pass,” Carrick said of Fernandes. “Training or games, he’s always there. Really good with the corner. The pass to Matheus was fantastic to cap off a good performance all around.”
Sesko put the game out of reach 10 minutes later with a blistering shot from the centre of the box.
Casemiro put United ahead in the 53rd minute with a glancing header from a Fernandes corner.
Ross Barkley levelled in the 64th with a shot from the middle of the area. After a lengthy VAR check to determine whether the ball glanced off an offside Amadou Onana, the goal stood.
A better second half salvaged a decent game after a dreary first 45 minutes plagued by errant passes and slipping players.
United did have some decent first-half chances including a header from Amad Diallo that goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez stretched backwards to keep out of the net. Diogo Dalot had a terrific chance inside the box that he launched over the bar.
Leny Yoro’s block spoiled one of Villa’s best chances and led to a long-range shot from Fernandes at the other end that he sent just wide of the post.
Villa have not won a league game since February 11, and an animated manager Unai Emery spent much of the afternoon stomping his feet and waving his arms in frustration.
“How we are progressing after we did fantastic months in October, November, December, the last two months we are struggling,” Emery said. “It’s Manchester United here at home, and they are now in good moment. And of course, they played a very intelligent match.
“I think we can get better. The result at the end was a bad result for us. We must accept it and try to analyse now to get better for the next challenge.”
-Reuters
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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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