Premier League
Pogba returns to Juventus after leaving Manchester United
Ten years after Paul Pogba left Manchester United to sign with Italian side Juventus on a free transfer, history repeated itself on Monday as the France midfielder bid farewell to the Premier League and returned to the Serie A club.
Pogba, who left United when his contract expired last month, has signed a four-year contract with Juventus that will tie the 29-year-old down with the Turin club until June 2026.
“Juventus Football Club announces that it has signed a contract of employment with the player Paul Pogba… Juventus and the player have signed a contract of employment until 30 June 2026,” Juventus said in a statement.
Pogba was signed by United in 2016 for a then-world record fee of 89 million pounds ($106.32 million) but the four-times Serie A champion won only two trophies with the Premier league club — the League Cup and the Europa League in his first season.
Having come through the United youth system, Pogba made a handful of senior appearances before opting not to extend his contract, joining Juventus in 2012 — a move that had irked then manager Alex Ferguson.
Pogba became a regular in the Juventus side during his four-year spell with the Serie A club and even earned a call-up to the France national team before United decided to spend a record sum to bring their former player back to Old Trafford.
His arrival was meant to signal a new era at United — a club that was struggling to qualify for the Champions League, let alone be considered title contenders. But he was unable to replicate his consistency in Serie A when he arrived in England.
A fallout with Jose Mourinho led to Pogba being stripped of the vice-captaincy and although the Frenchman had a brief resurgence under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, his overall contributions were limited by injuries or a lack of support on the pitch.
Pogba had rarely grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and the fans’ patience eventually wore thin as many wondered how Pogba was able to play a leading role in France’s World Cup victory in 2018 but struggle at United.
Despite a promising start last season, when he had five assists in his first two games, he made only 16 league starts as the club failed to qualify for the Champions League once again.
With his contract winding down, his refusal to sign an extension also made him a lightning rod for much of the criticism United’s squad endured in their worst campaign in Premier League history with respect to points scored.
His soured relationship with the fans came to a head when they booed him off the pitch after his withdrawal in a game against Norwich City in April, with the Frenchman appearing to cup his ears in the direction of the United supporters.
Three days later, Pogba’s career at United ended in a whimper at Anfield when he lasted only nine minutes before an injury forced Ralf Rangnick to hook him off as Liverpool went on to win 4-0.
Pogba was meant to find redemption in that game having been sent off in a humiliating 5-0 defeat in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford and Rangnick admitted at the time that he may not play again in the season. He never did.
-Reuters
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said his side’s defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday was “an accident waiting to happen” after William Saliba was sent off in the first half.
Bournemouth won 2-0 thanks to goals from Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert after Saliba was shown a red card for a challenge on Evanilson after 30 minutes as Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the campaign.
It is the third time this season Arsenal have been forced to finish a match with 10 players, leaving Arteta frustrated that his side’s lack of discipline cost them points.
“We are obviously very disappointed with the result and gutted because we have to play again in that context,” he said. “This time was even more difficult than the previous two we faced this season.
“Playing for 65 or 68 minutes with 10 men at this level is just an impossible task. It’s an accident waiting to happen, not to get the points.
“I cannot fault the team for their effort, their commitment, how intelligent they are to play in the way that we have to do it.”
Declan Rice was sent off in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at home to Brighton earlier in the season, while Leandro Trossard was also shown red in the 2-2 draw against title rivals Manchester City.
Arsenal host Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday.
-ESPN
Joe Aribo scored a goal for Southampton on Saturday,but it was not enough to curb the club’s miserable run as they succumbed to a last-minute defeat by Leicester who snatched victory by 3-2.
Leicester scored three second-half goals to come from behind and stun 10-player Southampton, denying them a first Premier League win of the season.
The result means Saints have set a club record for the longest winless run in their entire top-flight history, having failed to emerge victorious from any of their last 21 Premier League encounters.
Inside five minutes, Joe Aribo had crashed a header onto the crossbar and inside seven minutes, the hosts had taken the lead. Kyle Walker-Peters led the charge after a quick free-kick and dropped the ball off to Ryan Manning, who squared for Cameron Archer to coolly slot in and send a wave of both relief and belief around St Mary’s.
Jordan Ayew scored in the 98th minute as Leicester staged a second-half comeback to earn a 3-2 win at Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, with the 10-man hosts setting a club record of 21 matches without victory in the English top-flight.
Leicester moved up to 13th in the standings with nine points from eight matches, while Southampton fell to 20th – level on points with Wolverhampton Wanderers, who face champions Manchester City on Sunday
“It’s just unbelievable, that’s why we play football. We didn’t have a good first half,” Ayew told Sky Sports.
“Second half we got ourselves back together and attacked the game properly. It’s just an unbelievable feeling.
“It’s a good step forward to move up the table. We’re going to continue fighting and it’s not going to be easy so well done the lads and everyone.”
Having failed to win in their last 13 matches in the 2022-23 season when they were relegated, Southampton are without a win in the Premier League since they beat Leicester in the same fixture in March 2023.
Southampton shot out of the blocks and took the lead in the eighth minute when Ryan Manning squared for Cameron Archer to finish a sweeping counter-attack, before midfielder Joe Aribo added to their tally with a side-footed effort.
Leicester defender Wout Faes nearly scored a spectacular own-goal five minutes into the second half by sending a diving header straight at his own keeper Mads Hermansen, who spared the Belgian’s blushes with a deft save.
The visitors grew into the contest in the second half and created some half-chances before pulling one back in the 64th minute.
Buonanotte turned in a cross after a driving run from substitute Abdul Fatawu and the goal signalled the beginning of Southampton’s unravelling.
Minutes later, Vardy was denied on the line by an excellent Aaron Ramsdale save, but Leicester were awarded a penalty after a VAR review found that the forward was held back by Ryan Fraser.
Fraser was sent off and Vardy stepped up, blasting his effort past Ramsdale to equalise.
Leicester smelled blood and pushed forward in their quest for a winner, which came deep into stoppage time when Ayew’s low shot went through a sea of bodies and crept into the bottom corner, breaking the hearts of home fans at St Mary’s Stadium.
-Reuters
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