Premier League
Nigerian descent Dutch player, Zirkzee in scoring debut goal for Man United
A late goal by new signing Joshua Zirkzee earned Manchester United a nervy 1-0 victory over Fulham in their Premier League season opener at Old Trafford on Friday. Zirkzee, has a Nigerian mother and Dutch father and joined Manchester United last month after the Euro 2024.
Manchester United’s home supporters were in buoyant mood ahead of the first game of the English top-flight campaign, with four players unveiled on the pitch and new faces in the United boardroom also in attendance.
Just as they did at home for much of last season, however, United struggled to break down their opponents in the first half, with captain Bruno Fernandes going closest to scoring the opener.
Frustrations grew after the break, only for Dutch substitute Zirkzee to arrive right on cue three minutes from time to earn United victory.
“To win here in my first home game and to grab a goal, it couldn’t be better,” Zirkzee told Sky Sports.
“I’ve been told (scoring at the Stretford End) is one of the best feelings at Man United. I’m so thankful and blessed I could experience it in my first game. It’s an amazing feeling.
“Manchester United is a huge club. You should always strive for the best. It’s all good vibes.”
Without a Premier League title since 2013 and having addressed key problem areas in the transfer market, United supporters are expecting better than their eighth-placed finish last term.
FINE EVENING
When the action started on a fine evening, however, the mood around the stadium was less enthusiastic as United again looked short of ideas in attack.
A smart save from goalkeeper Andre Onana kept an early curling Kenny Tete effort out while Fernandes was presented with two golden opportunities but was denied by Fulham keeper Bernd Leno.
Midfielder Mason Mount, handed a starting spot after an injury-ravaged first season in Manchester, went close early in the second half.
More wayward passing led to groans from supporters, however, before despair turned to jubilation at the death when substitutes Alejandro Garnacho and Zirkzee combined to create the winner.
United have more wins and more points from their opening games of Premier League campaigns than any other team, but this performance suggested there is still much to be done for manager Erik ten Hag.
“Subs are always important and it was good to see in the first game that you bring a sub on and he scores the winner,” Ten Hag said.
“Against Fulham it is always a difficult game, but we defended and pressed very well. After 10 minutes we found our spell in the game and we kept them under pressure. We created a lot of chances and we should have scored earlier and that is the only criticism of the team – kill in the box.”
Fulham manager Marco Silva was disappointed to take nothing from the match.
“It is really tough for us to lose this game the way we lost,” he said.
“We started really well, after 20 minutes good reaction from Man United. We adjusted at halftime and the second half was much better. When you play against Manchester United…there were moments and we had to punish them.”
-Reuters
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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