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Leicester City overcomes stubborn Sunderland

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1 year ago

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Leicester City overcomes stubborn Sunderland

LEICESTER City overcame a stubborn Sunderland side to move eight points clear at the top of the Championship table with their eighth consecutive league win.

James Justin leapt highest at the near post to meet a corner with a towering header to put the hosts ahead early on.

Twice goalkeeper Anthony Patterson pushed Leicester efforts on to the post as they searched for a second before half-time, first foiling Stephy Mavididi before getting a touch on a Kelechi Iheanacho shot.

Sunderland were then controversially denied a penalty kick just before the break, with Wout Faes appearing to bring down Daniel Neil with a sliding tackle.

Patterson continued to frustrate the hosts after the break, with crucial saves from Cesare Casadei, but the Black Cats failed to find an equaliser as they suffered a third consecutive defeat to drop to ninth in the table.

Leicester’s fourth successive home win without conceding a goal – the first time they have achieved the feat since 1973 – is enough to edge them further ahead of second-placed Ipswich Town, who travel to Bristol City on Wednesday.

Another night of celebrations for the Foxes started with a minute’s applause and moment of poignant reflection for the five people, including chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in a helicopter crash outside the stadium five years ago.

Enzo Maresca’s table-topping Foxes are looking to replicate the first major success the club enjoyed under the stewardship of the late Thai businessman – and his son Aiyawatt, who remains in control of City – which was winning promotion back to the Premier League as Championship title winners in 2014.

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As the fastest side to amass 36 points since the second tier was rebranded as the Championship two decades ago, the Foxes are seven points better off after 13 games than that title-winning side were at the same stage.

Sunderland started strongly, playing with an intense press and daring attacking approach against a side that has quickly become accustomed to dominating possession on their return to the Championship.

Luke O’Nien teed Jack Clarke up for the game’s first chance after seven minutes, but goalkeeper Mads Hermansen did well to block the attempt at the back post.

A Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall corner kick soon after found one-time England international Justin unchallenged to thump his header past Patterson, who went on to deny the Foxes a second goal when he directed a low Mavididi shot on to the post with his foot.

Faes’ attempted block on a Clarke shot called Hermansen into action again at the other end, but it was a header from Jobe Bellingham from the resulting corner kick that should have had the visitors level.

The 18-year-old midfielder – and younger brother of England and Real Madrid star Jude, who is reportedly being scouted by the Spanish giants and his sibling’s former employer Borussia Dortmund – could only balloon his wayward header from six yards over the crossbar and on to the roof of the net.

A fingertip save from Patterson after Iheanacho attempted to angle a shot across the goalkeeper again proved crucial, with the effort coming off the post.

And while the woodwork twice saved the Foxes, the lack of action from referee Keith Stroud when Neil was bundled over spared the hosts from facing a penalty kick in the last minute of the first half.

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Patterson kept Casadei out twice in two minutes after the break to ensure the atmosphere remained tense at a packed King Power Stadium.

Iheanacho went on to curl another Foxes’ chance wastefully wide before he was replaced by former England striker Jamie Vardy.

Sunderland created a number of chances in an attempt to rescue a point, but substitute Abdoullah Ba’s wild effort over the crossbar when aiming at an unguarded net late on summed up their miserable night in front of goal.

“It was a very difficult game. It was the game we expected because we knew that they are a very aggressive team.

“In almost all of the games they have played, they have been man-to-man off the ball, and on the ball they have weapons like Bellingham, [Pierre] Ekwah, Clarke, [Patrick] Roberts on the other side and the goalkeeper is unbelievable.

“I’m very happy and it’s the game I’m most happy with in terms of the way we handled a different kind of game.”

“We believed that we could come here and win this game. Unfortunately, we missed some really good chances, as they did.

“Patterson made two good saves that hit the post, I get that. We are playing against top-quality players with probably a Premier League budget and we have a team that is really young.

“I asked them to go challenge themselves really, and if they want to play in the Premier League some day, to go and see how they got on against these lads – who a lot of them have got lots of Premier League appearances.

“And I thought we competed really well, but probably lacked the composure required at the top end of the pitch to give us maybe what we deserved in the game.”

Leicester City overcomes stubborn Sunderland

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Gabriel Jesus shines as Arsenal thrash Palace 5-1 in London derby

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3 hours ago

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December 22, 2024

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Gabriel Jesus shines as Arsenal thrash Palace 5-1 in London derby

Gabriel Jesus struck twice as Arsenal became the first side since Chelsea in 2005 to go a full calendar year unbeaten in Premier League  London derbies, defeating Crystal Palace 5-1 to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool to three points for the time being.

A hat-trick against Palace in a 3-2 EFL Cup victory on Wednesday earned Jesus a starting berth here, and it took just six minutes for him to reward Mikel Arteta’s selection.

A first Premier League goal since January arrived when Bukayo Saka’s cross bounced off Gabriel Magalhães, allowing Jesus to stride towards the ball and side-foot home. A nervy moment for David Raya went unpunished moments later, but just five minutes after going ahead, the Gunners were pegged back as the red-hot Ismaïla Sarr bent an effort around William Saliba and inside the far post.

A breathless start to the contest continued with a third goal in the opening 15 minutes, and perhaps predictably, it came from an Arsenal corner. This time, Gabriel Martinelli’s delivery was partially cleared, but only as far as Jesus, whose controlled finish flew into the corner.

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Another defensive lapse from the visitors almost saw the scores levelled once more, only for Raya to bail out Saliba with a one-on-one stop to deny Jean-Philippe Mateta. At the other end, Gabriel went close from yet another Arsenal corner before the away side extended their advantage through Kai Havertz, who reacted first after Jesus had nodded onto the far post.

Needing a response, the hosts were inches from reducing the deficit straight after the restart when Raya was equal to Sarr’s diving header. The Arsenal shot-stopper was then called into action again, getting behind Mateta’s rifled long-range shot and catching Sarr’s follow-up header.

Those saves kept the Eagles at bay, and with an hour played, the points were all but wrapped up. A well-worked move should have ended with Jesus’ second hat-trick of the week, yet Henderson saved well with his foot only to see Martinelli turn in substitute Declan Rice’s resultant low strike.

Determined to get on the scoresheet, Rice guided in Arsenal’s fifth goal late on, sealing three vital points in an evening where the only major blemish was Saka’s first-half injury.

Despite conceding in a seventh consecutive away league match – their longest travelling run without a PL clean sheet in over five years – Arsenal now find themselves within touching distance of the league summit, albeit having played more games than the sides above them.

Meanwhile, Palace had lost just one of their last eight PL fixtures (W3, D4), but defeat here means they’re yet to add to their solitary home league victory (D4, L4), leaving the Eagles 15th in the table.

 

Gabriel Jesus shines as Arsenal thrash Palace 5-1 in London derby

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Atletico grab late winner at Barcelona to go top of La Liga

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December 22, 2024

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Atletico grab late winner at Barcelona to go top of La Liga

Substitute Alexander Sorloth scored an injury-time winner as Atletico Madrid fought back against Barcelona to replace them at the top of La Liga.

Pedri opened the scoring for Barcelona in the 30th minute, linking up with fellow Spain midfielder Gavi before slotting a low strike past Jan Oblak.

Despite their dominance, the hosts couldn’t hold on and Rodrigo De Paul hammered home the equaliser on the hour mark after leaping on a mistake from Marc Casado.

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Barcelona were left to rue more missed chances when Sorloth slammed in Nahuel Molina’s cross in the sixth minute of injury time to give Atletico their 12th straight win in all competitions.

The victory means Atletico will end 2024 as the top team in Spain, three points above Barcelona, who have played a game more.

Hansi Flick’s Barca side could slip to third if Real Madrid beat Sevilla on Sunday.

 

Atletico grab late winner at Barcelona to go top of La Liga

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Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury to retain heavyweight titles

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3 hours ago

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December 22, 2024

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Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury to retain heavyweight titles

Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury to retain his unified heavyweight world titles and prove his status as a generational great with another close points win in their rematch in Saudi Arabia.

Having inflicted a first career defeat on Briton Fury by split decision in May, Usyk’s astuteness and will to win once again prevailed at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena – and he retained his WBA (Super), WBC and WBO titles.

Fury, 36, found success in the first half of the fight. Some of the more eye-catching shots came from the Morecambe fighter, but the volume of punches and cleaner work were from Ukrainian Usyk.

All three judges scored it 116-112 to the 37-year-old champion.

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Usyk, an Olympic gold medallist and former undisputed cruiserweight champion, extended his undefeated record to 23 pro wins.

“He [Tyson Fury] is a great fighter, he is a great opponent. An unbelievable 24 rounds for my career. Thank you so much,” Usyk said.

Two-time world champion Fury has only ever lost to Usyk, his two defeats the major blemishes on a record also consisting of 34 wins and one draw.

Fury left the ring without conducting an interview, before IBF world champion Daniel Dubois climbed in and called for a rematch with Usyk.

A visibly frustrated figure in the moments after the scorecards were read out, Fury said backstage he was convinced he won the fight by “at least three rounds”.

 

Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury to retain heavyweight titles

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