International Football Thread

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Arsenal back to winning ways, Chelsea up to third​

AFP
November 24, 2024

LEICESTER: Chelsea’s Cole Palmer (second L) has his goal-bound shot blocked by team-mate Noni Madueke (second R) during the English Premier League match against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.—AFP


LONDON: Arsenal got their Premier League title challenge back on track with a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday as Chelsea moved up to third by beating Leicester City 2-1.

The Gunners had failed to win in their previous four league games to start the weekend nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool, who travel to bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Sunday.

Martin Odegaard’s return from injury is a major boost to Arsenal’s hopes of a first title in over 20 years and his pass teed up Bukayo Saka to blast home the opener on 15 minutes.

Saka turned provider for another special strike, this time by Thomas Partey, to double the home side’s advantage early in the second period.

Ethan Nwaneri then came off the bench to score his first Premier League goal as the highly-rated 17-year-old slotted in Raheem Sterling’s cross.

Chelsea remain ahead of Arsenal on goals scored despite failing to make their dominance show in manager Enzo Maresca’s return to Leicester.

Nicolas Jackson prodded the visitors into a first-half lead with his seventh goal of the season.

Cole Palmer’s goalbound effort was deflected behind by his team-mate Noni Madueke as Chelsea wasted a series of chances for the second goal.

It eventually arrived 15 minutes from time when Enzo Fernandez headed in after Jackson’s header was saved.

Leicester pulled a goal back in stoppage time through Jordan Ayew’s penalty but defeat leaves the Foxes just two points above the relegation zone.

Aston Villa are now winless in six and had to twice come from behind just to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace.

Ismaila Sarr and Justin Devenny twice put the Eagles in front either side of Ollie Watkins’ leveller before half-time.

Villa also had Youri Tielemans’ first-half penalty saved by Dean Henderson but the Belgian midfielder made amends with the delivery for Ross Barkley’s header to secure a point.

Brighton & Hove Albion’s incredible start under 31-year-old boss Fabian Hurzeler continued with a 2-1 win at Bournemouth to climb up to fifth.

Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma were on target for the Seagulls, who survived playing the final half hour down to 10 men after Carlos Baleba saw red.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are out of the bottom three thanks to a stunning 4-1 at Fulham.

Matheus Cunha strike twice for the visitors at Craven Cottage, while Joao Gomes and Goncalo Guedes were also on target in a second consecutive win for Gary O’Neil’s men.

Everton failed to take advantage of an early red card for Brentford’s Christian Norgaard in a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2024

 

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Record-breaker Kane hits back after England criticism with hat-trick for Bayern​

Agencies
November 24, 2024

MUNICH: Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane scores from a penalty during the Bundesliga match against Augsburg at the Allianz Arena.—Reuters

MUNICH: Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane hit back at criticism levelled at him, saying he would do his “talking on the pitch” after becoming the fastest to 50 goals in Bundesliga history on Friday.

Kane scored a second-half hat-trick in a 3-0 home win over Augsburg which sent Bayern Munich eight points clear on Friday, bringing up his Bundesliga half-century in 43 games.

The England captain beat the previous record set by Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in 2021, then at Borussia Dortmund, who reached his half century in 50 games.

Kane’s hat-trick was his seventh in the league since arriving in the summer of 2023.

Two of Kane’s three goals on Friday came from the spot and he has now scored 25 consecutive penalties for club and country in all competitions since missing against France in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals.

The milestone comes after the 31-year-old was criticised during the international break, with some saying he should step aside for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.

Kane, who was also criticised for some lethargic performances at Euro 2024, told reporters he was “used to that now”, adding he was “experienced enough to know that comes with being one of the top players, one of the top strikers.”

Saying he felt “in the best form of his career”, Kane said “all I can do is do my talking on the pitch, like I did tonight.”

Bayern, who take on Paris St Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, are undefeated in the Bundesliga and on 29 points following their fifth consecutive league game without conceding a goal.

But they have struggled in the Champions League format, sitting 17th after four games — six behind leaders Liverpool.

Tuesday’s home match with PSG, who are even further down the Champions League table, could be crucial for the German side in their top-eight bid to avoid the extra playoff round.

Kane backed his team to get through a tough phase, which includes a trip to Borussia Dortmund and a home German Cup clash with holders Bayer Leverkusen.

“Big week ahead of us but the team is feeling good, we just have to keep going with this momentum,” added Kane.

Bayern were dominant throughout but kept at bay by some dogged defending from their Bavarian neighbours.

With 61 minutes gone, the ball connected with Augsburg’s Mads Pedersen’s outstretched arm in the box, bringing Kane to the spot after a VAR review. The England captain cooly converted to give Bayern the lead.

In stoppage time, Kane went down in the box after contact from Keven Schlotterbeck and Bayern were again awarded a penalty after a VAR review, which the 31-year-old converted. Schlotterbeck was sent from the field after picking up a second yellow for his challenge.

Kane then added a third, this time controlling a cross and heading in, his seventh hat-trick since joining Bayern.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2024

 

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Liverpool extend lead after comeback win at Southampton​

Agencies
November 25, 2024

SOUTHAMPTON: Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah shoots to score during the Premier League match against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium on Sunday.—AFP

SOUTHAMPTON: Premier League leaders Liverpool beat bottom side Southampton 3-2 on Sunday to build a sizeable eight-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City after Mohamed Salah led a second-half comeback for the visitors.

Liverpool were trailing 2-1 when Salah scored twice in the second half to take his season’s tally to 10 goals in the league.

After City lost their third straight league game on Saturday, Liverpool took full advantage and Arne Slot’s side now have 31 points from 12 games to City’s 23.

“They are a good team, good with the ball. They scored two quick goals but the most important thing was the reaction. We showed it very well and happy with the three points,” Liverpool goalscorer Dominik Szoboszlai told Sky Sports.

Southampton shot themselves in the foot when they tried playing out from the back and under Liverpool pressure, Flynn Downes’s pass fell to Szoboszlai at the edge of the box and the unmarked midfielder fired home to make it 1-0.

However, Southampton received a lifeline soon when Andy Robertson tripped Tyler Dibling on the edge of the box and the referee pointed to the spot, with VAR upholding the decision.

Although Adam Armstrong had his spot kick saved by Caoimhin Kelleher, the forward pounced on the rebound to equalise with his third goal in four games for Southampton.

Saints turned things around 11 minutes into the second half from a sublime counter-attack when Mateus Fernandes made a smart run and gave his team the lead.

After that Salah took matters into his own hands. The equaliser came when Salah ran through on goal on to a lob from Ryan Gravenberch and as he saw Alex McCarthy come off his line, Salah took one touch to let the ball roll past the goalkeeper.

Southampton then conceded a penalty in the 83rd minute from a Yukinari Sugawara handball and Salah made no mistake.

GUARDIOLA SEEKS RESPONSE TO CITY’S SLUMP

On Saturday, things kept turning worse for the champions City as they lost 4-0 to Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium which is a shocking result even for manager Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola said he expected a slip in City’s standards sooner or later but their implosion in a five-game losing streak is a new low for the team.

James Maddison struck twice in seven first-half minutes before Pedro Porro rubbed salt in the wounds of his former club and Brennan Johnson completed the rout.

After losing four consecutive matches for the first time in his decorated managerial career, Guardiola backed himself to turn the situation around by signing a two-year extension.

Just 48 hours later, the positivity that deal created was punctured as City were humbled by Tottenham to lose at home for the first time in 52 matches.

Guardiola conceded his star-studded squad are “fragile” and low on confidence after a run that also included defeats to Bournemouth and Brighton and Hove Albion, either side of a 4-1 Champions League thrashing by Sporting Lisbon.

“Being here for eight years, I knew that sooner or later we would drop,” saidGuardiola. “Of course we never expect to lose three Premier League games in a row. In that time we always expected a drop, but we were incredibly consistent.

“However, we cannot deny the reality that sometimes in football and sometimes in life it’s here.”

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2024

 

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Guardiola seeks response to Man City slump​

He is shocked at his team's implosion in five-game losing streak

AFP
November 25, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur’s Brennan Johnson scores their fourth goal during the Premier League match against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium, Manchester. PHOTO: REUTERS

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MANCHESTER: Pep Guardiola said he expected a slip in Manchester City's standards sooner or later but even he has been shocked by the English champions' implosion in a five-game losing streak.

After losing four consecutive matches for the first time in his decorated managerial career, Guardiola backed himself to turn the situation around by signing a two-year extension to his contract on Thursday.

Just 48 hours later, the positivity that deal created was punctured as City were humbled 4-0 by Tottenham to lose at home for the first time in 52 matches.

A side that has created history by winning an unprecedented four Premier League titles is now caught in a negative spiral.

Guardiola conceded his star-studded squad are "fragile" and low on confidence after a run that also included defeats to Bournemouth and Brighton, either side of a 4-1 Champions League thrashing by Sporting Lisbon.

"Being here for eight years, I knew that sooner or later we would drop," said the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss.

 

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Lukaku keeps Napoli on top with Roma winner​

Agencies
November 26, 2024

Napoli’s Romelu Lukaku scores their first goal. — Reuters


NAPLES: Romelu Lukaku ensured Napoli maintained their one-point lead at the top of Serie A with the only goal in Sunday’s 1-0 win over his old club AS Roma.

It took 54 minutes for Napoli to break the deadlock, with Lukaku sliding in to meet Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s low cross from close range and score against the team he played for last season.

Napoli have 29 points after 13 matches, one point ahead of Atalanta, Inter Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio who occupy second to fifth respectively — with Juventus four points off the pace in sixth — in a crowded title race which is yet to offer up a clear favourite for the Scudetto.

It was a disappointing day for Roma manager Claudio Ranieri, who began his third stint in charge at the club, with his side 12th in the table with 13 points.

“When we arrive at the stadium, we can feel the way the fans push us on. We won today and we are happy,” Lukaku told Sky Sport Italia. “I just want to do well for the team. We have a process that we need to go through, we knew it would be tough because the other sides won, but we got the result we wanted.”

Napoli had an early chance to take the lead, but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia failed to convert, sending a free header wide after being left unmarked at the back post.

 

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Man City blow 3-0 lead to extend winless run in Feyenoord thriller​

MANCHESTER: Manchester City blew a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 against Feyenoord in a Champions League thriller on Tuesday

 

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Rashford, Zirkzee star as Man United thrash Everton 4-0​

REUTERS





Rashford and Zirkzee score twice each as Manchester United crush Everton in Amorim's first Premier League match.

 

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FIFA to confirm 2030 World Cup hosts and hand Saudi 2034 tournament​

AFP

LAUSANNE: FIFA will confirm the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 World Cups on Wednesday, with a joint bid led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal set to be awarded the former, and the latter being handed to Saudi Arabia.

The awarding of hosting rights for both tournaments will go to a vote during a FIFA Congress to be held virtually, but there is no doubt about the outcomes with neither bid having a rival.

The 2030 tournament will mark a century since the first World Cup was held in Uruguay, and as a result the bid will also see the South American nation handed a game along with Argentina and Paraguay.

That makes it a remarkable and completely unprecedented bid, involving three different continental confederations.

FIFA already confirmed over a year ago that the joint proposal led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal was the sole contender for 2030, with all other potential candidacies having fallen by the wayside.

A joint British and Irish bid was abandoned when they decided to focus on hosting Euro 2028, while there were suggestions of a bid from South Korea, China, Japan and North Korea.

 

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FIFA confirms Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup host​

AFP
December 11, 2024

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa (L) and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Sports and Youth Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal al-Saud celebrate after Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host of the 2034 World Cup during a ceremony in the capital Riyadh on December 11, 2024. Photo: AFP

 

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LAUSANNE: FIFA on Wednesday confirmed that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup, underlining the Gulf kingdom’s growing influence in world sport despite criticism of the country’s human rights record.

At the same time, a virtual Congress of world football’s governing body confirmed that Morocco, Spain and Portugal will be joint hosts of the 2030 World Cup, in which three games will also be played in South America.

The Saudi bid was waved through by acclamation during the meeting of FIFA’s 211 national member associations, with no rivals standing in its way.

“It is a proud day, a day of celebration, a day that we invite the entire world to Saudi Arabia,” said Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal al Saud, the Saudi Minister of Sports.

“We intend to have an extraordinary version of the World Cup in our kingdom.”

However, there was immediate condemnation from rights groups who insisted that handing the organisation of the tournament to the country puts the lives of construction workers at risk and “marks a moment of great danger”.

FIFA had invoked its principle of rotating the World Cup between continents, which meant only bids from Asia or Oceania were welcome for 2034.

 

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The unprecedented organisation of the 2030 tournament will involve three continental confederations in Europe, Africa and South America, while the next World Cup in 2026 – the first involving 48 teams – will take place across North America.

Controversially, the body gave potential bidders barely a month last year to submit candidacies, and Australia and Indonesia quickly abandoned their interest.

That left Saudi Arabia as the sole candidate, clearing the way for the World Cup to return to the Gulf region so soon after Qatar hosted in 2022.

The kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been using sport for some time to amass influence and improve its global image – critics, though, say he is effectively “sportswashing” by diverting attention from Saudi Arabia’s rights record.

‘Moment of great danger’

The awarding of the World Cup to Saudi will make the issue of human rights a major talking point again, just as it was two years ago.

“We are inclusive and we are non-discriminatory, and we want to obtain positive social impact,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in closing remarks.

“We are of course aware of critics and fears, and I fully trust our hosts to address all open points from this process and deliver a FIFA World Cup which meets expectations.”

He added that “social improvements and positive human rights impacts” are “responsibilities of hosting a World Cup.”

 

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‘Centenary celebration’

The 2030 tournament will mark a century since the first World Cup was held in Uruguay, and as a result the unrivalled joint bid by Morocco, Spain and Portugal will also see the South American nation handed one game along with Argentina and Paraguay.

FIFA confirmed over a year ago that the joint proposal led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal was the sole contender for 2030, with all other potential candidacies having fallen by the wayside.

Four South American countries launched a joint bid in 2019, convinced that the centenary World Cup should entirely take place on the same continent where it all began.

Meanwhile, Morocco replaced Ukraine as a partner for Spain and Portugal, while South America agreed to step aside in exchange for hosting three games.

Following these “centenary celebrations” in the southern hemisphere winter, the six teams involved will cross the Atlantic to play the rest of the tournament.

Spain, which hosted the 1982 World Cup, should be the centrepiece as it boasts 11 of the 20 proposed stadiums.

Morocco – after failing on five previous occasions to be awarded the staging of the tournament – will become the second African nation to host the competition after South Africa in 2010.

Potential venues for the July 21 final include the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid and Barcelona’s renovated Camp Nou as well as the planned Hassan II stadium between Casablanca and Rabat, set to boast a capacity of 115,000.

 

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City host United in crisis derby, Newcastle need victory​

AFP
December 14, 2024

LONDON: Manchester’s crisis-hit clubs face off in the Premier League when City host United on Sunday while Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe badly needs a win against Leicester at St James’ Park.

Leaders Liverpool, playing Fulham at Anfield, will expect to stretch their lead at the top of the table a day before second-placed Chelsea take on Brentford.

City’s run of one win in 10 games in all competitions is an unprecedented slump for the English champions during Pep Guardiola’s reign.

Guardiola admitted he was questioning himself after the club’s latest defeat — a 2-0 loss at Juventus — left them in danger of missing out on the Champions League knockout stages.

Among a series of eye-catching statistics, City have conceded more goals across all competitions than any other team from Europe’s big five leagues (21 in nine games) since the start of November.

However, despite their horrific run, the blue side of Manchester are still eight points clear of a United team who have tumbled to 13th in the table.

New United boss Ruben Amorim has won just one of his four Premier League games since taking charge at Old Trafford, though he does have recent experience of beating Guardiola’s men, leading Sporting Lisbon to a 4-1 Champions League victory in his final home match with the Portuguese champions.

 

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Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez makes ‘the best save ever’ in Premier League match against Nottingham Forest​

By Issy Ronald, CNN
December 15, 2024

Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez made a brilliant save against Nottingham Forest.
Andrew Boyers/Action Images/Reuters


On Saturday, in the 59th minute of his team’s Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest, time seemed to stand still for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.

As a header from Forest’s Nicolás Domínguez whizzed past him, Martínez leapt backwards, reached out one hand and somehow pushed the ball to the ground to stopped it spinning into the net when it was just centimetres in front of the goal line.

It was, as former Wales defender Ashley Williams said on BBC’s Match of the Day, simply “the best save I have ever seen.”

“He is so clever, he understands where he is and what he needs to do. He is facing the wrong way,” Williams added.

Other pundits and players also hailed Martínez. England goalkeeper Mary Earps called the save “beyond outrageous” on Instagram while the Premier League said it was “world-class.”

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports that he couldn’t “think of a better Premier League save in my life.”

 

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Emiliano Martinez looks on during the match against Nottingham Forest.
Michael Regan/Getty Images

It’s almost like a magician, sleight of hand. That is truly sensational,” Redknapp added.

Ultimately, however, Martínez’s heroics were in vain as Aston Villa succumbed to a 2-1 loss, undone by a late Forest fightback.

Villa had taken the lead three minutes after the Argentinian’s brilliant save through a Jhon Durán header. Unai Emery’s men defended that lead for almost the rest of the game until Nikola Milenković headed the ball into the net in the 87th minute and Martínez fumbled that save.

Forest secured the victory five minutes later in injury time when Anthony Elanga prodded the ball in from close range. With that win, Forest climbed to fourth in the Premier League table while Villa remained in sixth place.