List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City gatecrashing the established elite is “uncomfortable” for their Premier League rivals. Famously labelled Manchester United’s ‘noisy neighbours’ by Sir Alex Ferguson, City’s takeover by their Abu Dhabi owners in 2008 and then the appointment of Guardiola as manager in 2016 have led to gradual progress from insignificant upstarts to the dominant force in English football. City have lifted the Premier League trophy in five of the last six campaigns, including three in a row, while their crowning moment came last season as they emulated Ferguson’s 1998-99 treble-winning side. Guardiola marvelled at how the fortunes of the clubs have switched ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford, where City could extend their lead between the teams to nine points with a victory. “Sir Alex was right (at the time), City were not challenging, they were in the middle to bottom,” Guardiola said. “United and Arsenal at the time were the richest ones, that’s why City were there. “But after that, Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon (Al Mubarak), who took over and made an investment. After that Sir Alex could not expect to know that and not even myself who was in Barcelona. “We were not in the elite and now we are in the elite, maybe it’s uncomfortable for many things. That is a reality and we want to stay as long as possible.” United have not won the league since Ferguson’s departure at the end of the 2012-13 season, coming closest under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, both of whom presided over runners-up finishes. Liverpool have been our biggest rivals - they made us challenge higher and higher and helped make us a better team in all departments. They challenged us like no other team has done before Pep Guardiola While Guardiola was adamant United will always be regarded as one of the top English clubs, the Spaniard suspects any chance of bringing back the glory days the red half of Manchester enjoyed under Ferguson is gone because of the number of sides now challenging for honours. Such has been the trajectories of both clubs over the last decade, Guardiola admitted he does not consider United their biggest rivals – insisting that honour belongs to Liverpool. Asked if United can dominate again, Guardiola responded: “Maybe not in the way that Sir Alex Ferguson did because back then there were just two or three teams, now there are more with a lot of incredible managers. “Maybe not in that way but if they take good decisions, with the hierarchy, with the sports director, with the managers, with the players and the same ideas, Manchester United when something happens is in the highlights all day. “The reputation and the prestige they have is always there. It just needs to click. “There was one year with Ole that was close. But Liverpool have been our biggest rivals – they made us challenge higher and higher and helped make us a better team in all departments. They challenged us like no other team has done before.” Erik ten Hag led United to third place last season, as well as winning the Carabao Cup and finishing runners-up to City in the FA Cup final, but they have fluctuated in this campaign with four losses in nine games. Guardiola pointed out it took him a while before finding sustained success with City, having finished third in his first season in charge in 2016-17. “It takes time,” Guardiola added. “United is able to win four, five six games in a row. If they do that they will be on top. “Leave the manager to do the job that here they allowed me to do in my first season when we didn’t win. Give time to the managers and they will do it.” Read More South Africa edge New Zealand to win Rugby World Cup for record fourth time Jamie George demands ‘clarity’ over hybrid contracts for England players Gary O’Neil labels Newcastle penalty ‘scandalous decision’ Jude Bellingham delighted after doing ‘something special’ to win El Clasico Wolves dig deep to earn dramatic draw with Newcastle Vincent Kompany incensed by decision not to review handball in Bournemouth loss

Erik ten Hag knows Manchester United “have a way to go” in their development but dismissed former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher’s claim that the team have gone backwards this season. All eyes will be on Old Trafford this Sunday afternoon as the Red Devils look for a statement victory in the derby against treble winners Manchester City. United head into the match after toiling to a third straight victory in all competitions, with Andre Onana’s last-gasp spot-kick save sealing a 1-0 win against Copenhagen in the Champions League. It was another narrow escape for Ten Hag’s so far underwhelming side, who need to be far better if they are to stand any chance of winning the 191st Manchester derby. “We are in the right direction, and we have a way to go,” the United manager said. “I see positives, I see also negatives. We are not consistently, in possession, on the level where we can be, where we show in games we can be. “Like for instance, Arsenal away. Also, the first 30 minutes in Bayern Munich away. But we should do this on a consistent basis. “But pressing, we are quite good. We have the most ball regains from the whole Premier League, we have the most middle regains from the whole Premier League. “So, there you see, our defensive organisation, our pressing organisation. I said before the season how we wanted to play, that is us. “But then, we don’t take the benefit in the attacking transition moments, and we should be because we have the abilities in our team, the players there who can take benefit from it. “We paid some attention to it, and this has to grow, this has to progress. Then games will become easier.” United have had a few factors to contend with this term, from injuries and off-field issues to tough fixtures and underperforming stars. The afterglow of a promising first season under Ten Hag has certainly dimmed, with the side dropping off markedly after February’s Carabao Cup final triumph against Newcastle. Liverpool favourite Carragher this week said United “resemble a team reaching the end of a cycle, not one still rebuilding under a relatively new manager”. The former defender also said in his Telegraph column that “the football is stale and the symptoms of regression are visible” – comments that were put to Ten Hag ahead of the derby. “I said in possession we have to do better,” the Dutchman said. “But there are reasons I don’t go into, but I think everyone is seeing why. “But there are also facts, so I disagree. We are much better. “And even we are top Premier League in high ball regains, we are top Premier League in middle ball regains. “Our pressing is always very good, so that is not the truth what he is telling.” United are certainly far from their best right now, with the stuttering performances coming under the continued cloud of questions over the ownership. Sheikh Jassim recently withdrew from the interminable potential takeover process due to the Glazer family’s demands, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos now looking set to take a stake and sporting control. Asked if United’s players are thinking about the impact on them of potential changes above, Ten Hag said: “I don’t think so. “Of course, they are committed to the club but especially they are committed to this team. “They want to be successful and are aware you need the team, your team-mates, you need cooperation. “You want to play with the best players you have in this team and when the cooperation is growing, we will play better and that is in their benefit. “I think that is how the players are thinking and they are not thinking about strategic reviews or structures or whatever.” Read More Jude Bellingham brace helps Real Madrid to comeback El Clasico win at Barcelona Pep Guardiola accepts Man City gatecrashing party was ‘uncomfortable’ for elite South Africa edge New Zealand to win Rugby World Cup for record fourth time Jamie George demands ‘clarity’ over hybrid contracts for England players Gary O’Neil labels Newcastle penalty ‘scandalous decision’ Jude Bellingham delighted after doing ‘something special’ to win El Clasico

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Wolves boss Gary O’Neil called the decision to award Newcastle a first-half penalty in their 2-2 draw at Molineux “scandalous”. O’Neil was delighted by the way his players battled back, twice coming from a goal down to earn an impressive point through Hwang Hee-chan’s equaliser, but Wolves were once again left fuming at the officials on a busy afternoon for referee Anthony Taylor and VAR Jarred Gillett. The game was at 1-1, with Mario Lemina’s first Wolves goal cancelling out Callum Wilson’s opener, when Taylor pointed to the spot on the stroke of half-time. Hwang had been guilty of a heavy touch inside his own box, inviting Fabian Schar to challenge for the ball, but the Newcastle man appeared to kick the turf and looked to already be on his way down before any contact. There was a lengthy VAR check but the on-field decision stood, and Wilson kept his cool to put Newcastle back in front. “It was a scandalous decision,” O’Neil said. “It was a terrible on-field decision, and terrible that VAR didn’t intervene so I thought they got it badly wrong. “(Hwang) has a big touch…and then goes to clear the ball. He makes such minimal contact with Schar, hardly any, a glance of the boot. “Schar’s is already on the way down and the ball actually hits ‘Channy’ on the other foot before he even makes contact with Schar so technically he gets the ball before he makes contact with Schar, so that’s why it’s a terrible decision.” Wolves seemed to use their sense of injustice as fuel in the second half, and it was fitting that Hwang got the equaliser with his seventh goal of the season. “There’s never any question marks from me on his mentality, his willingness to work, his ability to refocus and get going again,” O’Neil said of the Korean. “Obviously he’s a threat, obviously his goalscoring this season for us has been a big plus and he gets another important one today.” The draw extends Wolves’ unbeaten run to five games, and O’Neil said: “I’m really pleased with the group. We suffered some setbacks and I think everyone could be proud of their work-rate, the quality and the resilience.” Eddie Howe was frustrated that Newcastle, playing for the first time since Sandro Tonali started a 10-month ban for betting offences, could not hold on for a win having twice led, but was happy with how they finished the match despite fatigue creeping in after Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund. “It was probably a fair result,” he said. “Two good teams. It was a really good spectacle. It’s frustrating having led not to get over the line and win the game but it was a really impressive end when the home crowd is up. “We’ve had a tough week with the Sandro situation and injuries to key players but it was a really good response.” Wilson’s brace, including an acrobatic opener to tidy up his own rebound, took him to seven goals from nine appearances, encouraging news for Howe with Alexander Isak facing a spell on the sidelines. “It was a massive contribution from Callum,” Howe said. “His first goal was hugely impressive, the first chance was the easier than the second but that’s typical Callum. “He took the penalty well and was probably frustrated he didn’t get the match ball with a chance at the end, but they were priceless goals for us.” Read More Jude Bellingham delighted after doing ‘something special’ to win El Clasico Wolves dig deep to earn dramatic draw with Newcastle Vincent Kompany incensed by decision not to review handball in Bournemouth loss Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: What Eddie Nketiah has done is remarkable England were ‘desperate to win’ after Tonga provocation – Shaun Wane Exeter run riot against sloppy Sale

Jude Bellingham admitted he had done something great after almost single-handedly winning his first El Clasico for Real Madrid. The England midfielder scored a stunning equaliser and dramatic stoppage-time clincher as Real came from behind to beat arch-rivals Barcelona 2-1 at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium on Saturday. It continued Bellingham’s extraordinary start as a Real Madrid player, with the 20-year-old having now scored 13 goals in as many appearances for Los Blancos. Bellingham told the club’s website: “I had watched many Clasicos from the sofa with my family and I told them that today it was my turn to live it first-hand and do something great. I’ve done that and I’m very happy.” Real trailed at half-time to an early Ilkay Gundogan strike and Bellingham conceded he had not been at his best. Such is his confidence, however, that he only had one thing on his mind when a shooting opportunity opened up 25 yards out with 68 minutes gone. He duly lashed home a fine equaliser and he was not done there, volleying in from close range in the dying moments. He said: “I wasn’t at my best. Sometimes it’s not about trying to do something special every time you have the ball, but to combine with those up top. “I fulfilled that task well but as soon as I got the ball there I knew I was going to score. “I got the ball on the edge of the box. I’ve been saying for a few weeks that I need to try from outside. “Maybe the opponents expect me to try to get into the box or combine with a team-mate and I wanted to surprise them by hitting it from outside the box. “I know I have the technique and it went into the top corner.” Real coach Carlo Ancelotti, whose side moved back to the top of LaLiga with the win, has been stunned by the impact Bellingham has had. He said: “We’re all surprised at the level he’s at, especially in terms of how effective he’s been. He could easily score 20 or 25 goals. “He looks like a veteran. His attitude is very good. He’s the player who has made the biggest difference.” Read More Wolves dig deep to earn dramatic draw with Newcastle Vincent Kompany incensed by decision not to review handball in Bournemouth loss Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: What Eddie Nketiah has done is remarkable England were ‘desperate to win’ after Tonga provocation – Shaun Wane Exeter run riot against sloppy Sale Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola claims maiden Premier League win over Burnley

Kirk Herbstreit snubbed the Georgia Bulldogs big time in his prediction for how the first College Football Playoff rankings will look like when revealed on Tuesday. What did he get so horribly wrong with UGA?!

Mikel Arteta hailed “top-level” Eddie Nketiah after the England striker hit a first Premier League hat-trick in a convincing 5-0 win over bottom club Sheffield United. Nketiah scored the first three goals as the Gunners ran out comfortable victors, with Fabio Vieira’s penalty and Takehiro Tomiyasu’s first goal for the club completing the rout. The victory took Arsenal up to second place, two points behind leaders and north London rivals Tottenham as Arteta’s men remain unbeaten after 10 league games. With Gabriel Jesus facing a few weeks out with a hamstring issue, Nketiah has once again been tasked with filling his boots at centre-forward. His touch and finish for the opening goal proved he can do the job as the England international set the Gunners on their way to a victory over the rock bottom Blades. He doubled the lead after half-time and rifled home a memorable third – before ending the game with the captain’s armband. “For me, he’s top-level,” Arteta said after the win. “He has started eight out of the 10 Premier League games. So that tells you how much we trust him, how much I trust him and and the importance that he has in the team. “I’m really happy for him, an academy player to experience in the Premier League a hat-trick. He needs to enjoy the moment. He fully deserves it and hopefully there are many more to come. “He’s got an eye for goal. You look at the stats from his last 10 years. What he’s done is remarkable and he needs minutes, opportunities and service and if he gets that, Eddie is going to score goals, that’s for sure.” Arsenal are yet to suffer a league defeat this season but Arteta revealed he gave his players an “alert” in training this week after some tough fixtures either side of the October international break. “They took the game in a really serious way because I gave them on Thursday a big alert because of the context and the difference in the game that we have to play today with the previous Man City,Chelsea and Sevilla games and I’m really happy how they approached it. “Obviously they come from the national team, so we beat City, we come from national team, we have to go to Stamford Bridge and we did what we did in Stamford Bridge. “Then you have to go to Seville and that’s a really really stressful week with what they were experiencing in the last few weeks as well.” Sheffield United remain bottom and with just one point from their opening nine games. Paul Heckingbottom’s side are also struggling with injuries – but he was not ready to use that as an excuse for a bad day at the office. “Arsenal had a lot of the ball first half but Wes (Foderingham) had one save to make,” he said. “Second half, the goals were really poor that we conceded and probably a reflection of how I thought the game was – they outfought us as well as outplayed us in the first half and that is what good teams can do. “We are down to the bare bones and missing some big personalities and physicality.” Read More England were ‘desperate to win’ after Tonga provocation – Shaun Wane Exeter run riot against sloppy Sale Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola claims maiden Premier League win over Burnley Matty Ashton at the double as England seal series win over Tonga Everton financial reports just another thing to deal with – Sean Dyche Steve Borthwick’s plans for England’s Six Nations campaign well under way

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany had no qualms about the lengthy delay to check an offside call late on in their 2-1 Premier League loss at Bournemouth, but was incensed by the decision not to review a handball in the final moments of the match. The Clarets suffered an eighth defeat of the campaign after goals by Antoine Semenyo and Philip Billing cancelled out Charlie Taylor’s sweet strike in the 11th minute. A controversial moment occurred after 89 minutes when Jay Rodriguez fired into the bottom corner and – although it was immediately ruled out for offside – video assistant referee David Coote at Stockley Park took six minutes to review the incident. Initially a green line was drawn to signal it was onside before a new line was drawn, which showed red and it was eventually ruled out, but Kompany was left stunned that a supposed handball by Chris Mepham was not checked in the eighth minute of added time. Mepham and Burnley substitute Sander Berge tangled from a Taylor cross which resulted in Bournemouth goalkeeper Andrei Radu making a close-range save that appeared to be from Berge’s head, but Kompany stated it was actually via Mepham’s hand. “It’s obvious at this moment in time, I will not have anything other than disappointment,” Kompany said. “I want to address the first thing for me now which is the last thing that happened in the game. The handball situation in the box. “Games get played on a knife edge but I am trying still to wrap my head around what happened in that moment of time. “We take five to seven minutes to review the offside or not offside. The line goes green which means goal, the line goes red which means it is not a goal. “OK, I am a person who always believes in the fact they have taken their time because they want to make the right decision. And a decision gets given against us. “Tough one to take but then when the situation happens in the last moment of the game and we don’t take time to review the handball? “There is no call to the referee to delay play when the players have called for it and the staff on the bench, we could see with a wide angle that there was a handball. “It is the hand that brings the ball down. And there is no check, no delay for the restart and the ball goes and we lose the game. I am trying to understand what is happening in that moment.” Kompany revealed he did speak with referee Sam Barrott after the match. He added: “Yeah, I think for the first time in my career since I have been a manager I have actually politely and calmly gone to ask for a word of explanation from the officials. “They were very open with me and they seemed surprise by the fact we would have liked this (handball) to go to VAR, so it means no one from VAR has told them it was worth reviewing. When you look at it, it is as blatant as it can be. “I’m fairly confident this one would have taken them 15 seconds (to review).” While Kompany was flabbergasted, Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola was able to toast a first Premier League win at the 10th time of asking thanks to Semenyo’s fine solo goal and Billing’s 76th-minute lob from 40 yards. “Obviously happy, relieved because I think it was a needed victory for us,” Iraola said. “Probably when you are in this situation everything costs a lot more. It happened today. We really deserved to win today but with the last VAR decision of the offside, we had to suffer until the end. “For sure we all were remembering the Brentford game in stoppage-time and thinking it cannot happen again, because we didn’t deserve – we deserved to win clearly the game.” On the handball, Iraola admitted: “I haven’t seen it.” Read More Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: What Eddie Nketiah has done is remarkable England were ‘desperate to win’ after Tonga provocation – Shaun Wane Exeter run riot against sloppy Sale Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola claims maiden Premier League win over Burnley Matty Ashton at the double as England seal series win over Tonga Everton financial reports just another thing to deal with – Sean Dyche

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Jude Bellingham scored twice – including a dramatic injury-time winner – as Real Madrid came from behind to beat arch-rivals Barcelona 2-1 on Saturday. The England midfielder struck a stunning equaliser after 68 minutes at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium and then settled his first El Clasico with a close-range volley in the dying moments. Barcelona had led at the interval through former Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan. Real’s Bellingham-inspired fightback took them back above Girona to the top of LaLiga and left Barca third, four points behind. Bellingham has now scored 13 goals in as many appearances in what has been a remarkable start to his Real Madrid career. Barca took the lead on six minutes when Gundogan combined with fellow former City player Ferran Torres and calmly fired past Kepa Arrizabalaga. Vinicius Junior spurned a chance to level and Barca almost doubled their advantage when Fermin Lopez struck the post. Real also hit the woodwork when Dani Carvajal drove against the post before the break. Lopez hit the post again early in the second half and Kepa reacted quickly to deny Ronald Araujo on the rebound. Real began to rally in the latter stages with Aurelien Tchouameni having a powerful drive touched onto the frame of the goal. Bellingham then took charge of proceedings when he brilliantly curled home a shot from 25 yards. The game could still have gone either way and Robert Lewandowski had a chance to put Barca back ahead when he fired over 10 minutes from time. It was Bellingham who was to have the final say, however. The 20-year-old was once again in the right place at the right time as he pounced to clip home after a Cavajal cross was flicked on by Luka Modric. Read More England were ‘desperate to win’ after Tonga provocation – Shaun Wane Exeter run riot against sloppy Sale Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola claims maiden Premier League win over Burnley Matty Ashton at the double as England seal series win over Tonga Everton financial reports just another thing to deal with – Sean Dyche Steve Borthwick’s plans for England’s Six Nations campaign well under way

Harry Kane scored his second hat-trick of the Bundesliga season – including one from his own half – as 10-man Bayern Munich bounced back from a goalless first 45 minutes to beat nine-man Darmstadt 8-0 on a wild afternoon at the Allianz Arena. Joshua Kimmich was sent off after just four minutes, but red cards for Klaus Gjasula and Matej Maglica ensured the hosts had the man advantage at the break, the first time three men have ever been sent off in the first half of a German top-flight encounter. Kane broke the deadlock six minutes after the restart but it was his second goal, a magnificent effort from inside his own half, that was the highlight of a contest that also saw him pick up an assist on the first of two goals for Jamal Musiala before striking in his 12th goal from nine matches of this still-new Bundesliga season. Leroy Sane, who set up Kane’s third, scored two of his own while Thomas Muller also contributed to the heaviest defeat in the visitors’ history.Things got off to a dramatic start when Kimmich brought down Marvin Mehlem at the edge of the area and was shown a straight red, deemed to have prevented the visitors from a clear goal-scoring opportunity after just four minutes. Bayern were initially awarded a penalty after Gjasula was judged to have tripped Konrad Laimer, but on review referee Martin Petersen overturned his decision, determining Gjasula was the last man and the incident occurred outside the penalty area – resulting in the Albanian’s 21st-minute dismissal and a free-kick for the hosts. Darmstadt were holding their own against the Bundesliga title-holders in the 10-v-10, even holding the shot advantage through the first 37 minutes, but became the architects of their own undoing when Maglica caught up with Kane in nearly the exact same spot as the previous red-card incident. The outcome was also the same though the visitors, down to nine men, were able to sustain the deadlock to half-time despite threats from Kane and Sane, who had a goal chalked off for offside. It was a different story after the restart when Kane broke the deadlock with a diving header to open the scoring six minutes into the second half, five minutes before Sane tapped home Laimer’s cross from six yards. Then it was Musiala’s turn, extending to the advantage to 3-0 with an assist from Kane and throwing open the floodgates in the process as Sane bagged his brace with an 18-yard strike past Schuhen four minutes later. Then came Kane’s piece de resistance, a world-class strike from just beyond the halfway line, sending Marcel Schuhen on a futile scramble as he watched the ball touch down in the back of his net. https://x.com/FCBayernEN/status/1718281482190438463?s=20 Muller made it six with his first goal of the season before Musiala slotted past Schuhen for Bayern’s seventh, and while the Darmstadt keeper made a few good saves, desperate not to see his side lose by double-digits, he could not keep out Kane. The England captain, hungry for more, latched into a perfect pass from Sane to complete his hat-trick and relentless Bayern’s second-half rout. Read More Matty Ashton at the double as England seal series win over Tonga Chelsea need to find nasty streak and goals will come – Mauricio Pochettino Everton financial reports just another thing to deal with – Sean Dyche Steve Borthwick’s plans for England’s Six Nations campaign well under way England ‘feeling the heat’ of World Cup implosion – Marcus Trescothick Erik ten Hag admits Man Utd ‘have a way to go’ as they prepare for derby day