Tag: EPL

  • EPL: Chelsea Beats Tottenham 3-0, Move Top Of League Table

    EPL: Chelsea Beats Tottenham 3-0, Move Top Of League Table

    Chelsea produced a masterclass on Sunday, beating London rivals Tottenham 0-3 in a Premier League showdown. The victory catapulted the European champions to the top of the table with 13 points after five games.

    Both clubs also paid an emotional tribute to their former striker Jimmy Greaves on Sunday.

    Thiago Silva put Chelsea ahead early in the second half before N’Golo Kante bagged his first club goal since December 2019.

    Antonio Rudiger rounded off Chelsea’s dominant display with a stoppage-time strike as Thomas Tuchel’s latest tactical masterclass paid rich dividends.

    Tuchel’s unbeaten side sit top of the Premier League after winning four of their first five games.

    Chelsea have only conceded one league goal so far this season despite a tricky fixture list that featured trips to Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal.

    They face another test of their title credentials next weekend when champions Manchester City visit Stamford Bridge.

    It was fitting that two of Greaves’ old clubs met on the day he passed away aged 81.

    Hailed as “the finest marksman this country has ever seen” by Tottenham, Greaves is the club’s record scorer with 266 goals in 379 appearances between 1961 and 1970.

    The charismatic Londoner started his career with a prolific spell at Chelsea and netted 44 times in 57 appearances for England, featuring in their 1966 World Cup-winning squad.

    An image of Greaves wearing Tottenham’s famous white shirt was displayed on screens inside and outside the club’s north London stadium before kick-off.

    In a moving tribute, several former Tottenham greats, including Greaves’ old team-mate Martin Chivers, lined up on the touchline to join both teams and the 62,000 crowd in a minute’s applause.

    “Jimmy was an incredible player, a legend for club and country. It’s frightening really how good he was,” said Tottenham striker Harry Kane, who is second behind Greaves with 223 goals for the club.

    Kane had urged Tottenham to “put in a great performance” in Greaves’ honour.

    But the England captain was unable to land his first league goal this season as Chelsea showed the kind of ruthless instincts Greaves would have approved of.

    In a tight first half, Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen shot just over from the edge of the area before Kai Havertz poked narrowly wide after Marcos Alonso’s cross caused chaos in the Tottenham defence.

    With Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy absent after complaining of a hip injury in midweek Champions League win over Zenit St Petersburg, Kepa Arrizabalaga made his first start this season.

    Tottenham’s frenetic tempo meant Kepa had to stay alert and he rushed off his line to save bravely at Son Heung-min’s feet after the South Korean sprinted onto Giovani Lo Celso’s pass.

    In a game-changing move, Tuchel sent on France midfielder Kante for Mason Mount at half-time, neutralising Tottenham’s high press in the process.

    Where Chelsea had found it hard to take control before Kante’s introduction, now they were in the groove and Silva struck in the 49th minute.

    Alonso’s corner found the Brazilian eight yards out and he rose above Dele Alli to thump a superb header past Hugo Lloris.

    It took Eric Dier’s agile goal-line clearance to deny Chelsea a second when the defender blocked Alonso’s close-range strike from Cesar Azpilicueta’s pass.

    But Chelsea were rampant and they struck again in the 57th minute when Kante’s 25-yard drive took a wicked deflection off Dier and trickled past the wrong-footed Lloris.

    Tottenham lost heart as their second successive league defeat loomed and Rudiger rubbed salt into the wounds with a fine finish from Timo Werner’s cross in the final moments.

  • BREAKING: 2021/2022 EPL fixtures released

    BREAKING: 2021/2022 EPL fixtures released

    The fixtures for the 2021/2022 Premier League season have been released.

    Here is the opening weekend of Premier League fixtures, including a mouth-watering clash between Tottenham and champions Manchester City:

    Brentford vs Arsenal

    Burnley vs Brighton

    Chelsea vs Crystal Palace

    Everton v Southampton

    Leicester City vs Wolverhampton

    Manchester United v Leeds United

    Newcastle United vs West Ham United

    Norwich City vs Liverpool

    Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City

    Watford vs Aston Villa

  • EPL: Harry Kane wins Golden boot

    EPL: Harry Kane wins Golden boot

    Harry Kane scored what could be his last ever Tottenham goal to win the Premier League Golden Boot race on the final day of the 2020/21 season.

    Kane and Mohamed Salah led the way with 22 goals apiece going into game week 38, with the Tottenham and Liverpool stars enjoying prolific campaigns on a personal level even with their teams have struggled to challenge for silverware.

    Neither could find the net during the penultimate round of games, so it was a case of winner-takes-all on the final day.

    Kane – who wants to leave Tottenham this summer – struck in a 3-2 win at Leicester to end the season on 23 goals, while he made another to notch 14 assists for the campaign.

    Salah couldn’t find the net as Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 2-0, so he finished second. Manchester United talisman Bruno Fernandes built on his impressive start to lift at Old Trafford with 18 goals and 12 assists in his first full season with the Red Devils to finish third.

    Kane’s team-mate Heung-min Son was not far behind in joint fourth place with Leeds’ Patrick Bamford, while Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin ended up sixth with 16 goals.

  • Liverpool renew push for EPL top-4 with victory at Manchester United

    Liverpool renew push for EPL top-4 with victory at Manchester United

    Trafford for the first time as Liverpool breathed new life into their top-four push with a thrilling 4-2 win against Manchester United.

    After anti-Glazer protestors got into the ground and onto the pitch 11 days ago, further demonstrations could not stop Thursday’s Premier League fixture from going ahead.

    In this rearranged fixture and Old Trafford’s final match behind closed doors, Manchester United missed this chance to all but end Liverpool’s Champions League qualification hopes.

    It was their fourth match in eight days and they could not stop it from ending in a first home loss to their bitter rivals since 2014.

    Stand-in skipper Bruno Fernandes’ deflected effort had got Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side off to a dream start.

    But Diogo Jota drew Liverpool level with a smart flick after a penalty kick decision was overturned.

    The equaliser came from a corner-kick and Manchester United’s soft underbelly from set-pieces was again exposed in first-half stoppage time.

    Roberto Firmino headed  home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s excellent free-kick.

    Liverpool pulled further ahead 72 seconds after half-time as a comedy of errors at the back ended with Firmino turning home his second of the evening.

    Manchester United looked punch-drunk by now.

    But they eventually rallied as Marcus Rashford reduced the deficit, before Nat Phillips – who had deflected home Fernandes’ opener – cleared a Mason Greenwood attempt off the line.

    Mohamed Salah ensured Manchester United would lose their sixth home league game of the season, racing through at the death as Liverpool moved into fifth and four points behind Chelsea with a game in hand.

    Also on Thursday, Everton’s European hopes suffered a blow after a limp 0-0 draw at Aston Villa.

    The Toffees failed to find the win which would have kept the pressure on the top six in the English Premier League (EPL).

    They climbed to eighth, above Arsenal, to move two points behind sixth-placed West Ham.

    But Everton’s inconsistencies look like costing them a European spot.

    Ben Godfrey and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were denied by Emi Martinez, while Tyrone Mings wasted a rare opening for Aston Villa.

    The game at least represented a return for Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish, who ended his three-month injury lay-off as a second-half substitute.

    The skipper was unable to conjure a winner, though, as the hosts remain 11th with three games to go.

  • EPL: Liverpool Suffers Sixth Consecutive Home Defeat

    EPL: Liverpool Suffers Sixth Consecutive Home Defeat

    Mario Lemina condemned troubled Liverpool to a sixth successive home defeat as Fulham earned a shock 1-0 win that left the champions’ top four bid in turmoil on Sunday.

    Jurgen Klopp’s side are four points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea, who can extend that lead to seven if they beat Everton on Monday.

    That would leave Liverpool with a tough task to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top four finish.

    They could still make it by winning the Champions League, but glory in Europe’s elite club competition is hard to envisage given Liverpool’s steep decline.

    In a sign of how far they have fallen, even third-bottom Fulham easily out-played Liverpool to secure three points at Anfield for the first time in nine years.

    Without an Anfield victory since before Christmas, Liverpool are a pale shadow of the team that romped to their first English title for 30 years last season.

    They have been destabilised by horrific injury problems in defence, but it was still jarring to see the toothless Reds surrender so tamely once again.

    Klopp insists his stars will remain loyal even if Liverpool miss out on a Champions League place, but on the evidence of their latest embarrassment, the Reds boss might need to make significant changes to catch champions-elect Manchester City next term.

    With one eye on defending their 2-0 lead in Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 second leg against Leipzig, Klopp made seven changes and fielded a youthful defence featuring Neco Williams, Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips.

    The selection of Rhys Williams alongside Phillips meant injury-hit Liverpool were fielding their 19th different starting centre-back partnership in 28 league matches.

    Unsurprisingly, Liverpool showed a lack of organisation and cohesion at the back, with Josh Maja sneaking behind the two inexperienced central defenders to scoop his volley over the bar.

    Ademola Lookman got behind Neco Williams moments later, cutting into the Liverpool area before dragging his shot wide.

    Fulham were causing Liverpool’s makeshift defence all manner of problems and Maja was narrowly off-target from Lookman’s pass.

    Ivan Cavaleiro raced onto a long ball and beats Phillips, only to shoot over from a good position.

    Diogo Jota made his first start since December after injury and Xherdan Shaqiri was up front as they replaced Sadio Mane and the injured Roberto Firmino.

    Shaqiri curled a free-kick just over, but Liverpool were impotent in attack and Fulham’s impressive display was rewarded in first half stoppage-time.

    Bereft of confidence and growing more timid by the minute, Liverpool conceded in woeful fashion.

    When Andrew Robertson could only head clear to the edge of the area, Mohamed Salah was easily brushed off the ball by Lemina, who drilled a fine finish into the far corner of Alisson Becker’s goal.

    It was sweet moment for the Gabon international after his accidental handball saw Maja’s equaliser against Tottenham harshly ruled out in midweek.

    Salah’s half-hearted effort was hardly the response Klopp was looking for after the Egyptian showed his frustration when he was substituted against Chelsea on Thursday.

    Jota’s stinging volley from Neco Williams’ cross forced a fine Alphonse Areola save early in the second half.

    Just after that chance, a plane flew over Anfield bearing the slogan “Unity is strength. Let’s go Reds. YNWA”.

    Although Mane came off the bench to loop a header onto the woodwork and Shaqiri went with a curler, Liverpool rarely looked like response to that call to arms.

    AFP

  • EPL: Man City Beats Liverpool 4-1 To End 18-Year Anfield Hoodoo

    EPL: Man City Beats Liverpool 4-1 To End 18-Year Anfield Hoodoo

    Manchester City ended an 18-year wait to beat Liverpool at Anfield in style with a 4-1 win on Sunday to take a firm grip on the Premier League title race.

    Ilkay Gundogan scored twice and missed a penalty as Pep Guardiola’s men moved five points clear of Manchester United, with a game in hand to come, at the top of the table.

    A third consecutive home defeat leaves Liverpool 10 points off the top in fourth, having also played a game more than City.

    Raheem Sterling and the outstanding Phil Foden were also on target for the visitors on a day to forget for Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who was at fault for three of City’s goals.

    After a club record-breaking run of 68 league games unbeaten at Anfield, Liverpool have now lost three consecutive home league games for the first time since 1963.

    The margin of defeat was also the Reds’ biggest in the Premier League era as City landed a knockout blow to their title defence.

    City’s club record run of 14 consecutive wins, 10 of which have come in the league, has seen them pull away from the pack at the top of the table from what seemed a wide-open title race just a few weeks ago.

    That run is reminiscent of the City and Liverpool sides at their best over the past three seasons as they have ran up record points tallies in combining to win the last three league titles.

    However, Liverpool appear to have run out of gas in an injury-hit campaign after ending a 30-year wait to win a league title by taking City’s crown as champions last season.

    Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp again paired midfielders Fabinho and Jordan Henderson together at centre-back, despite new loan signing Ozan Kabak being available on the bench.

    The Liverpool backline had been rarely tested until Sterling ran at them eight minutes before the break and the former Reds winger was upended by Fabinho.

    Kevin De Bruyne missed a penalty for City when the sides met earlier in the season, while Riyad Mahrez blazed over from the spot in a 0-0 draw at Anfield in 2018 – the only time Guardiola had previously avoided defeat away to Liverpool as City manager.

    The Catalan threw his arms up in disgust as Gundogan also failed to hit the target as his spot-kick flew well over the bar.

    Not for the first time in City’s fine run, Guardiola started without a recognised striker, but a half-time tinkering of his formation to push Bernardo Silva closer to Foden in attack paid immediate dividends.

    Another purposeful burst from Sterling fed Foden and after his low shot was saved by Alisson, Gundogan this time made no mistake on the rebound to score his seventh goal in 11 league games.

    City had conceded just twice in their 13 league games, thanks in large part to the formidable partnership of Ruben Dias and John Stones in central defence.

    In contrast, Liverpool had not scored at Anfield in over six hours until a rare error from Dias handed the champions a lifeline just after the hour mark.

    The Portuguese’s attempted clearance was blocked by Mohamed Salah, who was then pulled down by Dias.

    Salah has not missed a penalty for Liverpool since 2017 and made no mistake when he fired straight down the middle.

    But Liverpool could not build on that reprieve as the normally dependable Alisson gifted away two goals in comical fashion.

    The Brazilian cleared the ball straight to Foden, who wriggled clear inside the area before squaring for Gundogan to tap home his second off the underside of the bar.

    Seconds later, Alisson’s confidence seemed to have gone as another wayward attempted clearance picked out a City player as this time Silva crossed for Sterling to score his first goal at Anfield since leaving Liverpool six years ago.

    Foden then completed the rout and an outstanding personal performance with a blistering shot seven minutes from time that also escaped Alisson’s grasp.

    AFP

  • EPL: Sheffield dent Man United title hopes with first win at Old Trafford since 1973

    EPL: Sheffield dent Man United title hopes with first win at Old Trafford since 1973

    Sheffield United put a huge dent in Manchester United’s Premier League title ambitions on Wednesday, beating Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s off-key side 2-1 at Old Trafford.

    United knew they had to respond after Manchester City leapfrogged them at the summit with a 5-0 hammering of West Brom on Tuesday but they were well short of their best on a frustrating night.

    Sheffield United stun Manchester United with their first win at Old Trafford since 1973

    The result leaves them on 40 points — one point behind City — but Pep Guardiola’s side now have a game in hand and are looking relentless.

    United were sloppy in possession from the start at Old Trafford against the bottom-placed visitors, who had won just one league match in the entire campaign.

    The home side dominated possession in the initial stages and Marcus Rashford had an early shot but they were short of ideas against the battling away team.

    The Blades broke the deadlock midway through the first half when Kean Bryan rose to glance home John Fleck’s corner after David de Gea failed to punch clear.

    Billy Sharp appeared to nudge the Spanish goalkeeper from behind but the goal was allowed to stand.

    Manchester United had the ball in the net after half an hour’s play but Anthony Martial’s effort did not count because referee Peter Bankes had already blown his whistle for a foul by Harry Maguire on goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

    United lacked urgency as the first period wore on, struggling to get behind Chris Wilder’s organised back line.

    Bruno Fernandes fashioned half a chance for United when he ran beyond the last line of defence and hooked the ball back but Martial could not get enough purchase on the header.

    The home side tried to step up a gear at the start of the second half but still lacked sharpness in their passing, with Rashford off the pace.

    Mason Greenwood, who scored in United’s FA Cup win against Liverpool on Sunday, snatched at a chance after a fine through ball from Fernandes.

    United were now showing more urgency but David McGoldrick went close to doubling Sheffield United’s lead with a clever effort with the outside of his right foot.

    Solskjaer’s men were level in the 64th minute when an outswinging corner from Alex Telles was met with a thumping header by Maguire past the diving Ramsdale.

    Edinson Cavani replaced Greenwood moments later as United looked to turn the screw.

    But Sheffield United were back in front again in the 74th minute when Manchester United failed to clear and Oliver Burke’s strike took a wicked deflection off Axel Tuanzebe and went in off the underside of the bar.

    Solskjaer threw on Luke Shaw and Donny van de Beek as United desperately sought an equaliser but they had to face the intense frustration of three dropped points.

    AFP

  • EPL: Liverpool play out 0-0 draw with Manchester United

    EPL: Liverpool play out 0-0 draw with Manchester United

    Liverpool are still playing catch up with table topping Manchester United as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Anfield on Sunday night, January 17.


    Even with the high expectations before the game, fans were left disappointed as a lack of finishing quality was on show during the match.

    The following line up was used by both teams.

    Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Henderson, Fabinho, Robertson; Thiago, Wijnaldum (Milner 89′), Shaqiri (Jones 76′); Salah, Mane, Firmino (Origi 85′)

    Subs not used: Kelleher, R.Williams, Phillips, N.Williams, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino

    Man United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Pogba, Fred, McTominay; Fernandes (Greenwood 89′), Rashford, Martial (Cavani 61′)

    Subs not used: Henderson, Bailly, Telles, Tuanzebe, Matic, Van de Beek, Mata.

    Jurgen Klopp was deprived of Joel Matip in the buildup, with the Cameroonian not fit enough to feature, Xherdan Shaqiri, started while Jordan Henderson played as a left-sided centre-back.


    The Reds were dominant throughout the majority of the first half but, most of their chances were saved by an alert David de Gea.


    It was clear at half-time that both Firmino and Andy Robertson would need to improve after the break, and in the second half only Harry Maguire’s interception kept Liverpool’s No. 9 from scoring.

    English Premier League: Liverpool play out 0-0 draw with Manchester United  (As it happened)

    Edinson Cavani then came in for Martial who looked out of sorts, as Ole Gunnar Solkajaer felt he could smell blood.


    As the game progressed, it threatened to open up as an end-to-end battle.

    English Premier League: Liverpool play out 0-0 draw with Manchester United  (As it happened)

    Firmino and Mohamed Salah tooled but often saw themselves overrun while Shaquiri was replaced at the 76th minute by Curtis before Thiago drew a bright save from De Gea .


    Both sides pushed for a winner late on, but ultimately it did not come, with United staying top as Liverpool fell behind 

  • COVID-19: EPL records fresh 36 positive cases

    COVID-19: EPL records fresh 36 positive cases

    The Premier League has confirmed 36 positive coronavirus cases were recorded in the latest week of testing.

    It marks a slight drop from the season-high of 40 positive cases which were revealed in last week’s results – the first in which players and staff at all 20 clubs were being tested twice a week.

    “The Premier League can today [January 11] confirm that between Monday 4 January and Sunday 10 January, across two rounds of testing, 2,593 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19. Of these, there were 36 new positive tests,” read a Premier League statement.

    “Players or club staff who have tested positive will self-isolate for a period of 10 days.

    “The Premier League is providing this aggregated information for the purposes of competition integrity and transparency. No specific details as to clubs or individuals will be provided by the League and results will be made public on a weekly basis.”

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    Five matches have been called off because of coronavirus cases this season after Tottenham’s scheduled trip to face Aston Villa was postponed yesterday after an outbreak in the Villa squad.

    Newcastle’s game away at Aston Villa on December 4 was the first to be postponed due to multiple Covid-19 positives among Steve Bruce’s squad and backroom staff.

    Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho’s men will now face Fulham in a rearranged fixture to be played tomorrow.

  • EPL: Chelsea Suffers 3-1 Home Lose to Man City

    EPL: Chelsea Suffers 3-1 Home Lose to Man City

    Chelsea have been beaten 3-1 at Stamford Bridge by Manchester City in the English Premier League on Sunday.

    Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring for City in the 18th minute from a Phil Foden assist.

    Three minutes later, Kevin De Bruyne set up Foden to double the lead for the visitors who went into the game on the back of a 2-0 win against Newcastle.

    City continued to dominate the game and pressed with counter-attacks whenever Chelsea found their way in their half.

    One of the counter-attacks paid off with Raheem Sterling making a brilliant run, hitting a shot against the bar and leaving De Bruyne to score from the rebound in the 34th minute.

    The second half of the game saw the same momentum but ended with a consolation goal for Chelsea and scored by Callum Hudson-Odoi in the 92nd minute.