Premier League
United continue winning form under ten Hag, announce Eriksen signing
Manchester United’s bright pre-season form under new manager Erik ten Hag continued with a 4-1 win over Australian side Melbourne Victory in a friendly on Friday (July 15).
Having thrashed a flat Liverpool 4-0 in Bangkok on Tuesday, United shrugged off an early Victory goal with a two-goal burst late in the first half.
Substitute Marcus Rashford grabbed a third late on at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before a Victory own goal saw the hosts slump to a heavy defeat.
For all the goals, it was a largely workmanlike display from United, who made heavy weather of the four-time A-League champions for parts of the contest in front of a heaving crowd of more than 70,000.
Victory had the best of the early exchanges and went ahead after five minutes when Chris Ikonomidis latched onto a Ben Folami cross and fired past Tom Heaton, replacement goalkeeper for the injured David de Gea.
United soon steadied, however, and began peppering the Victory goal.
Bruno Fernandes was denied by a fine save by new Victory goalkeeper Paul Izzo 25 minutes in but Scott McTominay put United on the board a few minutes from the break, benefiting from a deflection that looped over Izzo.
Anthony Martial slotted United’s second in injury time from close range after a neat flick from Anthony Elanga.
“We’re still learning, we’re still adapting to the ways that he wants us to do things,” McTominay said of ten Hag.
“Obviously the boys are really happy and they’re training really hard and obviously that comes with it, the joy of playing for United and a new coach as well.
Centre-back Harry Maguire was back in United’s starting line-up and played for a half after being rested for the Liverpool match with an unspecified injury.
He was one of three changes to the starting XI from Bangkok, along with Heaton and Elanga.
Ten Hag made a raft of substitutions for the second half and the match meandered until Eric Bailly laced a neat through ball to Rashford, who snuck a low shot under a lunging Izzo in the 78th minute.
A roar went out from the Victory crowd as new recruit Nani, the former United winger and Champions League winner, was substituted on with a few minutes left.
United also on Friday announced the arrival of Christian Eriksen on a free transfer with the Danish playmaker signing a three-year deal.
Eriksen, who needed life-saving treatment on the pitch last year when he suffered a near-fatal cardiac arrest in a European Championship match against Finland in June, returned to action with Brentford after signing a short-term deal in January.
Eriksen is United’s second recruit in the close season after Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia.
“Manchester United is a special club and I cannot wait to get started. I have had the privilege of playing at Old Trafford many times but to do it in the red shirt of United will be an amazing feeling,” Eriksen said in a statement.
“I have seen Erik’s work at Ajax and know the level of detail and preparation that he and his staff put into every day.
“It is clear that he is a fantastic coach.
“Having spoken with him and learned more about his vision and the way he wants the team to play, I am even more excited for the future.”
Eriksen was an Inter Milan player when he collapsed and underwent surgery to be fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) device – which is not permitted in the Italian Serie A – leading to the termination of his contract.
After signing for Brentford, he made 11 league appearances under Danish coach Thomas Frank, scoring a goal and providing four assists as Brentford finished 13th in their first season in the Premier League.
He is no stranger to the Premier League, however, having spent nearly seven seasons with Tottenham Hotspur, making more than 300 appearances in all competitions for the London side.
He also resumed his Denmark career, scoring against Serbia on his return to the Parken Stadium where he had collapsed.
“I still have major ambitions in the game, there is a huge amount that I know I can achieve, and this is the perfect place to continue my journey,” Eriksen added.
United, who finished sixth last season and failed to qualify for the Champions League, kick off the new Premier League season with a home game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Aug 7.
-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
- AFCON5 days ago
Libya’s AFCON dreams go up in flames!
- AFCON3 days ago
CAF probes Libya over Nigeria match
- AFCON6 days ago
BREAKING! CAF wades into the Libya-Nigeria Airport episode
- AFCON6 days ago
Libya FA explains their inhumane treatment of Super Eagles delegation
- AFCON1 week ago
VIDEO: Hostile Libyan Authorities leave Super Eagles stranded at Airport
- AFCON1 week ago
NFF condoles with SuperSport and families of slain media men heading for AFCON match
- AFCON3 days ago
BREAKING! Libya Football Federation secretary doubts the integrity of CAF
- AFCON5 days ago
Rwanda breaks 12-year jinx in victory over Benin Republic