Premier League
UNITED’S SOLSKJAER HAILS ‘BEST PERFORMANCE’ DESPITE DULL STALEMATE WITH CITY
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said his side produced their best performance of his time in charge against Manchester City even though an uninspiring 0-0 draw at Old Trafford did little for their chances of winning the Premier League.
After crashing out of the Champions League at the group stage in midweek, the draw at least saved Solskjaer from another defeat that would have brought more scrutiny of his position as manager.
A share of the spoils also keeps United one point better off than their local rivals. United are seventh, five points off Tottenham and Liverpool at the top, while City slip to ninth.
But there was little to suggest either side will fight their way into the title race.
United beat City three times last season, but Solskjaer pointed to the smash and grab nature of those victories as Pep Guardiola’s men were easily undone on the counter-attack.
“In my time against City, that’s the best performance we’ve had. Not the best result, but the best performance,” said Solskjaer.
“We beat them last season but those were different games, we counter-attacked. Today was the most we’ve been in the game, we kept them away from our box more.
“With the ball we didn’t create as much as we wanted to. They probably had the bigger moments in open play, we had a few moments in corners. Overall, a draw, everyone should be happy with that.”
City keep up clean sheet streak
The Red Devils have won just one of their opening six home league games and look set for another campaign where a top-four finish rather than a title tilt will be the target.
City matched a club record with a sixth straight clean sheet as Guardiola has set about improving their defensive record.
That has come at the cost of the thrilling football that they showed in their two title-winning campaigns under the Catalan in 2017/18 and 2018/19 as the visitors were careful not to be caught on the break.
“Take a look last season how they beat us,” said Guardiola. “The quality of this team is they can play when you let them run. The important thing is we were so solid, we didn’t concede and on average had more chances. The game was tight, respect from both sides, and a good point for us.”
United only seriously threatened from corners as Scott McTominay, who scored the last goal at Old Trafford in front of fans when the sides last met in March, was inches away from connecting with Victor Lindelof’s near post flick-on.
City created the better chances on the few occasions they moved the ball at pace.
Gabriel Jesus fired over from Riyad Mahrez’s ball over the top, but it was Mahrez who was guilty of passing up the best opening in the first half when he fired too close to David de Gea with just the goalkeeper to beat.
The visitors were handed a reprieve early in the second-half when Kyle Walker was penalised for clipping Marcus Rashford inside the area.
A VAR review showed Rashford was offside as he received the ball and United were denied a 32nd penalty in the last two seasons.
City pushed the hosts back in the second-half, but continued to lack the precision and penetration to cause the United defence problems.
-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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