Premier League
Manchester United held by Southampton as frustrating season continues
Manchester United’s frustrating season continued when they were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.
United started brightly, creating several early openings before Jadon Sancho got on the end of Marcus Rashford’s low cross to fire the hosts in front in the 21st minute — the England forward’s first goal at Old Trafford.
However, United, just as they did against Burnley in midweek, dropped off after scoring and again conceded early in the second half, when Scotland international Che Adams slotted home in the 48th minute to equalise.
Saints wasted two great chances to complete the turnaround as the Old Trafford fans grew more and more frustrated about another game that was slipping out of their team’s hands.
Cristiano Ronaldo thought he had scored a late winner for United, only for his close-range strike to be ruled out for offside.
Veteran forward Ronaldo has now failed to score in any of his last six appearances in all competitions. The last time he had a longer run without a goal at club level was a run of seven games in December 2008 and January 2009.
The draw means United remain fifth in the standings on 40 points from 24 matches played, 20 points adrift of leaders Manchester City, while Saints stretched their unbeaten run to four in all competitions to stay 10th.
“We are conceding fewer goals than before but it doesn’t help when you don’t score more than one,” coach Ralf Rangnick said. “We should have been two or three goals up after 20 minutes again.
“Then after two minutes (of the second half) exactly what happened at Burnley happened again, we conceded early in second half after being in possession. It is very frustrating for me and the players. It is a major problem, along with our goals.”
United have suffered from severe profligacy in front of goal of late. Before the visit of Southampton they had wasted 70 shots at goal in their previous three games in all competitions, scoring just three times.
Ronaldo, back in the starting XI after being benched at Burnley, should have scored after rounding Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster, but Romain Perraud got back to block.
Sancho then had Ronaldo and Rashford to his right as United broke clear in numbers, but the 21-year-old elected to go alone, forcing a fine save out of Forster.
The chances kept coming, with Sancho making one count at the far post after Bruno Fernandes had set Rashford free down the right. The England forward picked out Sancho at the back post, and he could not miss.
From there on, until the interval, it was all Saints, with Stuart Armstrong twice going close before Perraud was denied by a fine save by United goalkeeper David de Gea.
After conceding two minutes after halftime at Burnley, it was déjà vu for United fans as Adams slotted home his sixth league goal of the season to level.
Against a team they beat 9-0 last season in this fixture -– equalling the Premier League’s biggest win record –- United could not find a way through, and in fact spent most of the second half defending.
The pick of De Gea’s saves kept out a goalbound effort from the impressive Armando Broja, with United forced to hang on at times as they failed to make any inroads down the other end.
“Every minute we were getting better and played like we want,” Saint boss Ralph Hasenhuettl said.
“We dominated in the second half and created super chances to score. We take a point -– not losing against Man City, Tottenham and Man United in our last three league games. We are not so bad.”
The final whistle was greeted by boos from all around as interim coach Rangnick struggles to turn things around.
United have averaged fewer goals per game under the German than they have under any other manager in Premier League history.
-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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