Newcastle lacked the cutting edge of wantaway striker Alexander Isak as they were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw against 10-man Aston Villa.Isak was left out by Eddie Howe as he continues to push for a move away from St James’ Park, but his absence was keenly felt as the Magpies failed to make their dominance count, even after Villa’s Ezri Konsa was sent off in the 66th minute.Newcastle created three clear chances inside the opening quarter of an hour, with big-money summer signing Anthony Elanga denied by Marco Bizot before Anthony Gordon twice went close. But Villa, restricted by…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim praised his side for showing bravery and attacking intent despite a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, while Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane criticised what he called the “low expectations” at Old Trafford. Amorim’s new-look frontline of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and substitute Benjamin Sesko created several chances, with United firing 22 shots in total. However, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya produced seven crucial saves, and Riccardo Calafiori capitalised on an Altay Bayindir error to seal victory for Mikel Arteta’s side. Reflecting on the performance, Amorim highlighted his team’s progress in comparison to last season: “The most important…
Chelsea fielded six attacking signings worth a combined £250m in their Premier League opener, yet failed to break down Crystal Palace in a frustrating goalless draw at Stamford Bridge. Record summer arrival João Pedro (£55m from Brighton) led the line, supported by debutants Jamie Gittens (£52m from Dortmund) and Pedro Neto (£45m) on the flanks, with Cole Palmer (£40m) in the No.10 role. Despite their firepower, it was Palace who nearly struck first when Eberechi Eze’s free-kick found the net, only to be ruled out by VAR for encroachment. In search of a breakthrough, Chelsea introduced more fresh faces after…
Arsenal opened their Premier League campaign with a hard-fought victory at Old Trafford, but their performance raised questions about how quickly Mikel Arteta’s new-look side will settle this season. While the Gunners left Manchester with all three points, Arteta admitted his team were far from their best, stressing that new arrivals still need time to adapt. He pointed to the importance of grinding out results even when not playing fluently – a quality that could prove decisive in their push for silverware. Manchester United dominated large spells of the game with 61% possession and 22 shots, yet Arsenal’s resilience at…
Son Heung-min made an immediate impression in his first MLS start, registering an assist and starring in LAFC’s 2-0 win over the New England Revolution. The South Korean forward, making just his second appearance for the Black & Gold, played a decisive role in both goals. His relentless pressing created the opening for Mark Delgado’s stunning strike early in the second half, before he unselfishly set up fellow summer signing Mathieu Choinière deep into stoppage time to seal the victory. Son, who had come off the bench in last week’s debut at Chicago Fire to win a crucial penalty, expressed…
Manchester City’s new signing Tijjani Reijnders marked his Premier League debut with a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win at Wolves, but the Dutch midfielder insisted he “can do better.” Handed a starting spot by Pep Guardiola, Reijnders set up Erling Haaland’s opener before finishing off a blistering counterattack to double City’s lead. His performance earned him the Premier League’s Player of the Match award. “It’s a really nice start, of course, to begin with a goal and an assist in the Premier League—it’s something you always dream about,” Reijnders told City’s website. “But it can be better.…
Sunderland marked their long-awaited Premier League return in stunning fashion with a commanding 3-0 victory over West Ham United, who set an unwanted record by losing the opening match of a top-flight season for the 17th time.Back in the Premier League for the first time in over eight years, the Stadium of Light was buzzing with anticipation. Early nerves showed as Jarrod Bowen forced Robin Roefs into a save at the near post, but the Black Cats quickly found their rhythm. Habib Diarra combined smartly with Eliezer Mayenda for Sunderland’s first real chance inside 10 minutes, while Daniel Ballard blocked…
Ruben Amorim has underlined the need to restore Old Trafford as both a fortress and “an enjoyable place” for Manchester United supporters, as he looks to rebuild confidence after last season’s struggles. United endured their worst top-flight campaign since 1974, suffering nine Premier League home defeats – their joint-highest in a single season. But with several new signings bolstering the squad, Amorim believes there is fresh optimism heading into the new campaign. The Portuguese coach, who succeeded Erik ten Hag in November, will lead United into their opener against Arsenal on Sunday and wants to begin shifting the mood at…
Erling Haaland struck twice and debutant Tijjani Reijnders scored on a sparkling first outing as Manchester City began their Premier League campaign with a commanding 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.Reijnders played a key role in Haaland’s opener, teeing up the striker for a simple tap-in at the back post, before finishing off a rapid counterattack to send City into the break two goals ahead.Haaland doubled his tally in the 61st minute, finishing off a flowing move started by goalkeeper James Trafford and once again set up by Reijnders, effectively sealing the contest.Trafford enjoyed a quiet debut, with Wolves’ only real…
Luis Díaz enjoyed a dream Bayern Munich debut, scoring alongside Harry Kane as the Bundesliga champions defeated Stuttgart to lift the German Super Cup.The Colombian winger, a £65.5m summer signing from Liverpool on a four-year deal, headed in from Serge Gnabry’s cross in the 77th minute to put Bayern 2-0 up. Kane had earlier opened the scoring in the first half, pouncing on a poor clearance to steer a low finish into the corner.Stuttgart, last season’s German Cup winners, pulled one back deep into stoppage time through Jamie Leweling, but it was no more than a consolation as Vincent Kompany’s…