List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan continued his scoring streak with another two goals as Manchester City edged closer to a fifth Premier League title in six seasons following a 3-0 win over Everton. Pep Guardiola’s side now only need a maximum of six points from their final three matches to extend their stranglehold on the championship trophy after a straightforward afternoon at Goodison Park Gundogan took his tally to four in two matches with a brilliant double, one a superbly-executed over-the-shoulder volley and the other an exquisite curling free-kick up and over the wall. In between Erling Haaland scored his almost mandatory goal to make it 52 for the season, with former Everton centre-forward Dixie Dean’s record of 63 still realistically within his reach. His 36 league goals is the most in the English top flight since Southampton’s Ron Davies got 37 in 1966-67 and to further underline his quality – were that even required – in 100 league matches for former club Borussia Dortmund and City the Norway international has scored 98 times. Even a City side registering four changes – Kevin De Bruyne was one of those left out with Wednesday’s delicately-poised Champions League semi-final at home to Real Madrid in mind – was barely tested in registering an 11th successive league victory in an 21-game unbeaten run. The sight of injury-prone striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin being replaced at half-time would have been of some concern to 17th-placed Everton, who are now relying on neighbours Liverpool to do them a favour and prevent them falling into the bottom three by denying 19th-placed Leicester victory on Monday. The change could have been precautionary or even a case of damage limitation as there are vital matches coming up against Wolves before a final-day finish at home to Bournemouth. The worst-case scenario would be facing those two matches without the England international, who, despite only one goal in five games since returning from two-and-half months out with a hamstring injury, has provided a much-needed focal point. City have no such worries as this game served merely as a semi-competitive training session ahead of the visit of Real, with whom they drew 1-1 in the Bernabeu. Everton’s deep-lying 4-5-1 formation often left Calvert-Lewin a long way adrift of his midfield, but the hosts came flying out of the blocks, roared on by a Goodison crowd present more in hope than expectation. However, despite the impressive work-rate of the likes of Dwight McNeil, it was mostly all bluff and bluster as their only real opportunity came in the 34th minute when Mason Holgate blazed over a difficult chance from four yards from James Tarkowski’s knockdown. Less than three minutes later City were ahead and within seven they had doubled their advantage, with Gundogan at the heart of both goals. When Riyad Mahrez flicked over a right-wing cross the Germany international took a delicate touch on his thigh before instantly hooking a shot over his shoulder with the outside of his right foot which took marker Nathan Patterson and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford by surprise. Haaland’s goal was more rudimentary as Gundogan pounced on Patterson’s weak header to cross for the Norwegian to leap higher than makeshift left-back Holgate, in for the injured Vitalii Mykolenko, to head home. It was only his third touch of the game. Neal Maupay’s replacement of Calvert-Lewin at half-time reduced Everton’s already slim chances of staging an unlikely recovery and when Gundogan curled home a free-kick after James Garner brought down Phil Foden in the 51st minute the emphasis for the hosts turned to damage limitation. Toffees boss Sean Dyche decided discretion was the better part of valour and, to protect their slender goal difference advantage over 18th-placed Leeds, he switched to three at the back, with out-of-favour centre-back Conor Coady replacing Holgate and Amadou Onana coming on for Idrissa Gana Gueye in midfield. Everton’s only genuine goal threat came in the 66th minute when Ederson tipped over a Tarkowski header at a corner. They will have to do much better against Wolves and Bournemouth if their 69-year stay in the top flight is to be extended. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Emotional Kevin Sinfield carries Rob Burrow over finish line at Leeds Marathon Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa on target as Brentford beat makeshift West Ham Joe Root out for 10 in maiden IPL innings

Follow live coverage as Arsenal face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League today. Manchester City are reigning champions after beating Liverpool to the finish line in a neck-and-neck 2021/22 title race where a comeback win on the final day of the season against Aston Villa secured a fourth title in five years for Pep Guardiola's side. Jurgen Klopp's Reds were on course for a quadruple last season but were forced to settle for just an FA Cup and Carabao Cup win and will return trying to win the title again just as they did in 2020. It was a dramatic season for Chelsea a year ago with Roman Abramovich now replaced by Todd Boehly as owner in west London. He will want an instant return on his hefty investment at Stamford Bridge while Tottenham, back in the Champions League, will want to kick on once more too. It's not all about the action at the top though with Fulham, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest promoted to the top tier for 2021/22 and hoping to hold their own against the best English football has to offer and avoid the drop. We will bring you all the action and updates from today's game in the live blog below:

Ryan Mason refused to defend Tottenham’s wretched away record after slipping to defeat at Aston Villa. Jacob Ramsey and Douglas Luiz scored for the home side as a 2-1 win moved them level on points with sixth-placed Spurs. Harry Kane’s last-minute penalty added a flattering look to the scoreline, with Tottenham second best. They have not won away since January or outside of London since October and are now clinging to a European spot with two games left. “Many different things contribute to that. Ultimately it is not good enough for a club this size. You cannot expect to compete where we want to compete with that sort of record,” said Mason. “It needs to improve. It needs to be a collective, it needs to be driven from all of us. It isn’t good enough. It is nowhere near the level we should be at and it needs to change. “We’ve had a disappointing season in terms of where we are in the table but many other things as well. There probably hasn’t been that consistency, that alignment and that togetherness throughout the whole club. “That is probably the most important thing going forward that we are going to change and I am absolutely confident that that will change. I believe that will happen.” Villa have guaranteed a top half finish for the first time in 12 years and remain in the hunt for Europe. “The victory is so important because the dream is alive,” Luiz told the club’s official site. “My dream, and our dream, is to play in Europe, and we continue. “We have one more game at home, we’re so strong at home, in six games we haven’t lost, and we need to continue. “The process is difficult; it’s training every day. It’s so hard, but I’m so happy to score in the game, with the free-kick.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Follow live coverage as Brentford face West Ham United in the Premier League today. Ivan Toney was missing from the Brentford squad for the clash. The striker was ruled out by what the club described as “a minor hamstring injury”. West Ham made nine changes with one eye on Thursday’s Europa League Conference semi-final with AZ Alkmaar. Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen were among those dropped to the bench with Michail Antonio missing out completely. We will bring you all the action and updates from today's game in the live blog below:

Follow live coverage as Everton face Manchester City in the Premier League today. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, with one eye on next week's Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid, made four changes for the trip to Everton. Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva all dropped to the bench after the 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu, with Aymeric Laporte, Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden coming in. Everton made one enforced change from Monday's surprise 5-1 win at Brighton with Mason Holgate coming in for absent left-back Vitalii Mykolenko. We will bring you all the action and updates from today's game in the live blog below:

Follow live coverage as Everton face Manchester City in the Premier League today. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, with one eye on next week's Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid, made four changes for the trip to Everton. Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva all dropped to the bench after the 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu, with Aymeric Laporte, Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden coming in. Everton made one enforced change from Monday's surprise 5-1 win at Brighton with Mason Holgate coming in for absent left-back Vitalii Mykolenko. We will bring you all the action and updates from today's game in the live blog below:

Atlantic Cape coach leaves amid unusual controversy.

Follow live coverage as Stuttgart take on Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga today. Bayern Munich remain the team to beat in the German top flight with Julian Nagelsmann's juggernaut side 31-time winners of the competition. Boasting some of the best players in the world such as Sadio Mane, Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer they are always favourites to retain their league crown. Rivals Borussia Dortmund traditionally push them the closest and have won the title five times, most recently back in 2012 under Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. Borussia Mönchengladbach were a force in the Seventies winning the league five times but are without a champion team since while Werder Bremen, Hamburg and Stuttgart are all multi-time winners too. RB Leipzig are the newest kids on the block and backed by energy drinks manufacturer Red Bull are now threatening to challenge for a first title of their own. We will bring you all the action and updates from today's game in the live blog below:

Follow live coverage as Montpellier take on Lorient in Ligue 1 today. Paris Saint-Germain are the box-office draw of the French top flight with some of the world's very best players including Lionel Messi and Neymar plying their trade in the capital. After Lille produced one of the shocks of recent seasons in the European game by pipping them to the post in 2020/21, PSG returned to the summit of the French game in 2022. Saint-Etienne are the record winners with 10 league titles in their illustrious history, but none since 1981. Marseille have won it nine times while Monaco, who are actually based in a foreign country making it a cross-border competition, eight-time champions. Nantes hold the record for the most consecutive matches without defeat (32) and also boast the least number of defeats in a single season (1) in 1994/95. We will bring you all the action and updates from today's game in the live blog below:

Sam Allardyce refused to criticise Patrick Bamford after the Leeds striker’s saved penalty proved costly in Saturday’s 2-2 Premier League draw against Newcastle. Bamford had the chance to atone for his glaring miss in last month’s home draw against Leicester and put relegation battlers Leeds 2-0 up at Elland Road. Luke Ayling had given Allardyce’s side an early lead, but after Joelinton had hauled down Junior Firpo, Bamford’s weak spot-kick was comfortably saved by Nick Pope. Allardyce said: “I thought he was good today. He held the ball up, he caused a few problems. He got the cross in for the (opening) goal. We were doing OK with him. “Hopefully, like everybody needs to do when it gets a little bit better next week and better again, he scores goals when he gets a chance. “We need goal-scorers on the pitch and also, we’ve not got that many.” Four minutes after Bamford’s effort, Callum Wilson converted the first of his two penalties following Max Wober’s reckless challenge on Alexander Isak. Wilson then struck his 17th league goal of the season from the spot early in the second half after VAR had referred referee Simon Hooper to the pitch-side monitor to check Firpo’s handball. Rasmus Kristensen’s 79th-minute equaliser rescued a point for Leeds, but some fans were left angry that Bamford, low on confidence, had taken the penalty instead of leading goalscorer Rodrigo. Allardyce added: “Well, I left it how it used to be like before I got here. I mean, I haven’t seen them take many penalties. “It is what it is. I would have thought if Rodrigo really wanted it he’d have gone and snatched it off Patrick and said ‘I’m taking this’. “So you miss it, it can happen to anybody. It happened to us today, but at the worst possible time. And that’s very unfortunate for us.” Newcastle’s point ensured them a top-six finish and they remain on course for Champions League football next season with back-to-back home games against Brighton and Leicester to come before a last-day visit to Chelsea. Magpies boss Eddie Howe said: “We can wait a few more days if we achieve it. It is the toughest league in the world and we knew how difficult it would be today.” Nerves frayed on and off the pitch in a highly-charged clash at Elland Road. Firpo was sent off in the closing stages after his lunge on Anthony Gordon earned him a second yellow card. And before the subsequent free-kick was taken a Leeds fan leapt from the crowd to confront Howe before being dragged clear by match stewards. “I’m struggling to make sense of it all,” Howe added. “We hadn’t created clear-cut chances. I thought we played well at times without hitting our best form and we were rushed around the box.” Leeds issued a statement shortly after the match to confirm the fan who confronted Howe had been arrested and issued with a lifetime ban. West Yorkshire Police added in a statement on Sunday: “Police have charged a man with assault and entering the field of play following an incident at Elland Road football stadium during the Leeds United versus Newcastle United football match yesterday. The man has been bailed to appear before magistrates on July 21.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Chelsea closing in on Mauricio Pochettino as new manager Christian Eriksen pleased to see Man Utd deal with extra pressure against Wolves Police charge Leeds fan with assault over Eddie Howe confrontation

Follow live coverage as Brest take on Auxerre in Ligue 1 today. Paris Saint-Germain are the box-office draw of the French top flight with some of the world's very best players including Lionel Messi and Neymar plying their trade in the capital. After Lille produced one of the shocks of recent seasons in the European game by pipping them to the post in 2020/21, PSG returned to the summit of the French game in 2022. Saint-Etienne are the record winners with 10 league titles in their illustrious history, but none since 1981. Marseille have won it nine times while Monaco, who are actually based in a foreign country making it a cross-border competition, eight-time champions. Nantes hold the record for the most consecutive matches without defeat (32) and also boast the least number of defeats in a single season (1) in 1994/95. We will bring you all the action and updates from today's game in the live blog below:

Chelsea are in talks with Mauricio Pochettino to take over as manager at the end of the season, the PA news agency understands. A deal has yet to be signed but Pochettino is closing in on his first role since leaving Paris St Germain in July, succeeding interim head coach Frank Lampard. Chelsea have three Premier League fixtures remaining – against Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle – and want their new boss in place once the campaign is over. The Blues have endured a disappointing season and sit in 11th place having managed just 11 wins in 35 league games. Graham Potter was sacked in April and while Julian Nagelsmann was the initial favourite to replace him, Chelsea turned to Lampard to see out the rest of the season in his second spell as manager. Potter was jettisoned just seven months into a five-year contract but the club has also struggled under Lampard, who at one stage oversaw a six-game losing run in all competitions. Former Argentina international Pochettino enjoyed a popular five-year spell as Tottenham manager, guiding Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019. If – as expected – he is appointed by Chelsea, the 51-year-old will inherit an expensively assembled but under-performing squad who will not be competing in Europe next season. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live