Brighton secure comeback win over Bournemouth thanks to substitute Kaoru Mitoma
Roberto De Zerbi’s inspired double substitution helped Brighton come from behind to sink Bournemouth 3-1. The Seagulls trailed to Dominic Solanke’s opportunist strike but went in level at half-time thanks to a Milos Kerkez own goal. Boss De Zerbi, who had made nine changes to his starting line-up from Thursday’s Europe League defeat by AEK Athens, sent on Ansu Fati and Kaoru Mitoma at half-time. And the pair had an instant impact, combining for an exquisite goal just 15 seconds into the second half, with Mitoma applying the finishing touch. Japan winger Mitoma then wrapped up the victory with a late header to leave the Cherries still winless from their first six league matches. De Zerbi also opted to rotate his goalkeepers, replacing Jason Steele with Bart Verbruggen, but that was a move which backfired after 25 minutes. The Dutchman hesitated on the edge of the area as he attempted to play the ball out. Ryan Christie charged down the clearance and the ball rolled to Solanke, who chipped the stranded keeper into an empty net from 20 yards. Brighton offered precious little for the majority of an uncharacteristically lacklustre first half until three minutes of stoppage time. A goalmouth scramble saw Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster have efforts cleared off the line before Billy Gilmour swung the ball back into the box. Kerkez climbed at the near post in a bid to clear the danger, only to glance the ball past goalkeeper Neto and into his own net. De Zerbi made his double change at the break, but not even the shrewd Italian could have foreseen quite the impact the pair would have. Bournemouth lost possession from the kick-off and Mitoma played the ball out to Barcelona loanee Fati on the left before continuing his run into the area. Fati’s ball back in was helped on by Mahmoud Dahoud into the path of Mitoma, who sidefooted it past Neto to cap a glorious Albion move. With Brighton now in firmly the ascendancy, Dunk headed narrowly wide from a corner before Fati failed to convert a cross from Simon Adingra. Bournemouth went in search of an equaliser and Antoine Semenyo had a low shot well kept out by Verbruggen. But Mitoma put Brighton further ahead when he nodded in Pervis Estupinan’s cross with 13 minutes left. Solanke almost scrambled one back for the Cherries from close range late on but his effort was cleared off the line by Albion skipper Dunk.
2023-09-24 23:24
Zlatan Ibrahimovic in tears as he announces retirement from football after stellar career
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was in tears as he retired from football after a stellar 24-year career. Sweden’s legendary forward announced his decision to step away from the game at 41, taking in the San Siro crowd after AC Milan’s final match of the season on Sunday. He scored 511 goals for clubs including Paris St-Germain, Barcelona, Manchester United and both AC and Inter Milan, winning league titles in four different countries. “There are too many emotions for me right now. Forza Milan and goodbye,” Ibrahimovic said to the crowd, holding back tears.
2023-06-05 15:52
U-20 World Cup prospects could be bargains for the next transfer window
Many young players caught the eyes of scouts from big clubs during the Under-20 World Cup, which ended on Sunday with Uruguay's first title in the tournament’s history
2023-06-12 08:26
NBA rumors: Warriors sign 17-year NBA vet to compete for final roster spot
The Warriors have made a signing to build competition for the last spot on their roster. Is there a chance that this vet will make it out of training camp?
2023-09-28 00:50
Detroit's Olson pitching no-hitter through six innings against White Sox
Detroit Tigers rookie Reese Olson has pitched six no-hit innings against the Chicago White Sox
2023-09-09 08:18
No arm around the shoulder – Pep Guardiola counts the cost of Rodri red card
On Tuesday, Pep Guardiola had been happy to eulogise about Rodri, quick to agree when it was suggested his fellow Spaniard was the best midfielder in Europe at the moment. Yet as the man who earned Manchester City their first Champions League trudged past him, Guardiola stood and stared. There were no consoling words, no arm around the shoulder, no superlatives and no celebration. The City manager may have already been counting the cost of a red card. Not against Nottingham Forest, who were beaten anyway, but for the three occasions when he will be without a talisman. Rodri will be banned against Newcastle, in the Carabao Cup, plus Wolves and Arsenal in the Premier League. The loss of a big-game player for the biggest match of City’s season so far could be telling. A couple of seasons ago, Rodri was City’s match-winner against Arsenal. There will be no repeat in October and the chances are that Mikel Arteta will welcome his suspension. Certainly, if anything halts City, who equalled their longest winning start to a Premier League campaign, it could be a loss of key players. Suddenly Guardiola, the manager who collects midfielders, looks short of them. Ilkay Gundogan is gone, Kevin de Bruyne is injured for the long term, Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva for the short term. City will study the fitness bulletins for the Croatian and the Portuguese, particularly ahead of the trip to the Emirates Stadium. A rare sighting of Kalvin Phillips on the pitch, and not merely for the last couple of minutes in a token cameo, counted as a desperate measure, by Guardiola’s standards. If Rodri has acquired a ubiquity of late at City, this was an illustration it is not always a benefit. He has been a scorer more than before and turned creator, with a wonderful pass that led to Phil Foden’s opener. But when there was a flashpoint immediately after half-time, it involved him. After they had bumped chests, he grabbed Morgan Gibbs-White by the throat; the hysterical reaction of the Englishman scarcely helped his cause, but the Spaniard’s reaction was needless. It seemed out of character, too: Rodri is no stranger to yellow cards but this was the first red of his City career. As VAR upheld referee Anthony Taylor’s decision, it is hard to imagine it will be overturned should City appeal. It came in the context of a match that felt unnecessarily fractious. Guardiola got a first-half yellow card for dissent and Ederson a caution for going head-to-head with Taiwo Awoniyi, while Forest amassed seven bookings. Yet Rodri’s exit also meant that from the most comfortable of starts – City had two goals within a quarter of an hour, 90 percent of possession after 27 minutes – they had to offer an illustration of their grit. Plan B for Guardiola was to withdraw two of his attack-minded players, Jeremy Doku and Julian Alvarez, and overload on defenders, with substitute Nathan Ake making it five at the back. Amid a role reversal – Forest, initially defensive, sent on Anthony Elanga, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Chris Wood and Divock Origi - a clean sheet was secured with the aid of a 5-3-1 formation that Guardiola rarely deploys. It was a testament to their defending that there were few alarms. But it made a break from the norm whereas, until Rodri’s sending off, there was a familiar feel. The bare facts are that City have played 20 games at the Etihad Stadium in 2023 and won all 20; it is still the case that the last team to emerge with a draw here were Frank Lampard’s Everton. There was another recurring theme. After scoring once, but mustering several glaring misses, from 15 shots across the games to West Ham and Crvena Zvezda, Erling Haaland converted his first chance. The 6.66 percent conversion rate from those two games was consigned to the past, aided by poor marking by Forest, when Matheus Nunes stood up a cross and the Norwegian supplied an emphatic header. It was a first assist in City colours for Nunes, the summer signing from Wolves, and a second City goal. Haaland should have had a second of the day, volleying over from Ake’s late cross, but by then he was isolated in attack. Forest had begun by dropping captain Joe Worrall, despite fielding a back five. They still conceded inside seven minutes, twice within 14. The opener at least offered Rodri something to savour. He provided the kind of pass more associated with the injured De Bruyne, a diagonal ball behind the Forest defence for the on-rushing Kyle Walker to cushion a cut-back. Foden hooked in a half-volley. It seemed to set the tone for a stroll, but the side-effect of victory – with Rodri’s dismissal – means it may yet prove an afternoon City rue. Read More Pep Guardiola provides positive Jack Grealish update ahead of Man City return Kyle Walker to continue as Manchester City skipper ‘until the time is right’ Julian Alvarez relishing Erling Haaland link-up as Man City launch CL defence
2023-09-24 00:57
TCU spoils Houston's Big 12 debut with 36-13 victory
TCU quarterback Chandler Morris threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns as the Horned Frogs spoiled Houston’s Big 12 Conference debut with a 36-13 victory
2023-09-17 13:16
Orioles hang on to beat Red Sox 13-12 for 7th straight win as McCann homers twice
Yenier Cano retired Enmanuel Valdéz on a game-ending flyout that stranded the tying run on third as Boston’s ninth-inning rally fell short, and the Baltimore Orioles hung on to beat the Red Sox 13-12 behind a pair of James McCann home runs for their seventh straight win
2023-09-10 10:19
Chelsea fixtures released for Premier League 2023/24 season
Chelsea will begin the new Premier League season with the visit of Liverpool. It was a bruising first year in charge for new owner Todd Boehly and he will hope the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino brings stability and much-improved results. Chelsea are expected to embark on a clearout of fringe players to thin down a bloated squad. Fixtures for the 2023/24 campaign were released on Thursday, less than three weeks after the conclusion last season and only five days on from Manchester City securing that historic treble. Following two seasons disrupted by the Covid pandemic, the most recent campaign was longer than ever to make space for the first Fifa men’s World Cup and also saw fixtures shuffled around following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The 2023/24 season is therefore expected to see a return to a relatively ‘normal’ schedule. However, City’s involvement in December’s Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia will force at least two of their games to be rescheduled. Chelsea’s 2023/24 fixtures 13/08/202316:30Chelsea v Liverpool 19/08/202315:00West Ham United v Chelsea 26/08/202315:00Chelsea v Luton Town 02/09/202315:00Chelsea v Nottingham Forest 16/09/202315:00A.F.C. Bournemouth v Chelsea 23/09/202315:00Chelsea v Aston Villa 30/09/202315:00Fulham v Chelsea 07/10/202315:00Burnley v Chelsea 21/10/202315:00Chelsea v Arsenal 28/10/202315:00Chelsea v Brentford 04/11/202315:00Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea 11/11/202315:00Chelsea v Manchester City 25/11/202315:00Newcastle United v Chelsea 02/12/202315:00Chelsea v Brighton 06/12/202320:00Manchester United v Chelsea 09/12/202315:00Everton v Chelsea 16/12/202315:00Chelsea v Sheffield United 23/12/202315:00Wolverhampton v Chelsea 26/12/202315:00Chelsea v Crystal Palace 30/12/202315:00Luton Town v Chelsea 13/01/202415:00Chelsea v Fulham 31/01/202420:00Liverpool v Chelsea 03/02/202415:00Chelsea v Wolverhampton 10/02/202415:00Crystal Palace v Chelsea 17/02/202415:00Manchester City v Chelsea 24/02/202415:00Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur 02/03/202415:00Brentford v Chelsea 09/03/202415:00Chelsea v Newcastle United 16/03/202415:00Arsenal v Chelsea 30/03/202415:00Chelsea v Burnley 03/04/202419:45Chelsea v Manchester United 06/04/202415:00Sheffield United v Chelsea 13/04/202415:00Chelsea v Everton 20/04/202415:00Brighton v Chelsea 27/04/202415:00Aston Villa v Chelsea 04/05/202415:00Chelsea v West Ham United 11/05/202415:00Nottingham Forest v Chelsea 19/05/202416:00Chelsea v A.F.C. Bournemouth Read More Premier League fixtures LIVE: Opening weekend, Christmas matches and full schedules for every club Burnley fixtures released for Premier League 2023/24 season Man City to begin Premier League title defence at Vincent Kompany’s Burnley 10 of the most memorable opening-round games in Premier League history
2023-06-15 16:59
New Zealand bowl Bangladesh out for 171 in series decider
Stand-in skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto scored 76 runs but New Zealand restricted Bangladesh to 171 in the series-deciding third and final one-day...
2023-09-26 20:15
Cummins eyes 'legacy-defining' Ashes after Australia's WTC glory
Australia captain Pat Cummins is aiming for a "legacy-defining" Ashes series in England after leading his side to victory against India in...
2023-06-11 23:45
3 teams that need to trade for Jrue Holiday as soon as possible
As the NBA prepares for a post-Damian Lillard trade world, it seems like teams will be lining up to trade for Jrue Holiday. What teams need him the most?
2023-09-28 22:18
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