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Leicester City overcomes stubborn Sunderland

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7 months 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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Arsenal beat Man Utd to keep title race alive

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6 hours ago

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May 13, 2024

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Arsenal beat Man Utd to keep title race alive

Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League as Leandro Trossard’s goal proved enough to inflict further misery on Manchester United.

Manchester City temporarily usurped the Gunners with their win at Fulham on Saturday lunchtime, meaning Mikel Arteta’s men could ill afford any kind of slip-up at Old Trafford.

United made Arsenal sweat more than most predicted on Sunday, when Trossard’s tap-in after Casemiro’s latest defensive error secured a 1-0 win in their penultimate match of the season.

City will go back to the to the top of the pile if they win their game in hand at Tottenham on Tuesday, but this result ensures the Premier League title race will go down to the final day.

Arsenal were far from their best at Old Trafford, where makeshift centre-back Casemiro’s slowness to push out and then react to having played Kai Havertz onside led to Trossard’s first-half winner.

Andre Onana prevented Arsenal from adding anymore as absentee-ravaged United pushed for an equaliser that was beyond under-fire Erik ten Hag’s side.

It was their 14th loss of a poor Premier League campaign and a ninth home defeat in all competitions—the joint most in the club’s history—further denting their hopes of European qualification with two to play before the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 25.

Arsenal, unchanged for a fourth straight game, had an early shot through Bukayo Saka, but it was far from one-way traffic as United’s hodgepodge team threatened a shock.

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Rasmus Hojlund slipped and blasted over after Thomas Partey was dispossessed, before quick feet from Amad Diallo, making his first Premier League start since May 2021, led to Alejandro Garnacho striking over.

There were a few unsteady early moments from Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, and Trossard sent the ball whistling narrowly wide of his own goal as he cut out a Diogo Dalot ball.

United made it harder for Arsenal than many expected. That lasted until the 20th minute.

Onana’s long ball forward was nodded wide by William Saliba to Ben White, who played a clipped ball down the right flank to Havertz.

The cumbersome Casemiro, too slow to push up and then poorly positioned, played the Germany international onside as Trossard steered home a cutback from close range.

The tempo slowed after the opener as Arsenal kept control without moving out of third gear and United were unable to kick on, with direct, skilled Diallo their biggest threat.

Following a challenge from Partey, the winger had a penalty appeal rejected as half-time approached.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka blocked a Declan Rice stinger, and Saliba headed over when play resumed, with United fans chanting defiantly as they tried to inspire their side to an equaliser.

Garnacho wasted a good chance when bending wide from the edge of the box, then at the other end, quick Arsenal play ended with Onana getting down to deny captain Martin Odegaard.

Substitute Antony saw a bobbling shot saved, and Garnacho struck the side-netting before Onana brilliantly denied Gabriel Martinelli as play continued to swing from end-to-end.

United’s goalkeeper was impressing between the sticks, preventing Aaron Wan-Bissaka from scoring an own goal and then reacting to save from Rice.

As the clock wound down at Old Trafford, thunder echoed around the ground and the heavens opened, sparing the nervous visiting fans from a late bolt from the blue.

Arsenal beat Man Utd to keep title race alive

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Man Utd thrash Tottenham to win first ever Women’s FA Cup

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6 hours ago

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May 13, 2024

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Man Utd thrash Tottenham

Man Utd thrash Tottenham to win first ever Women’s FA Cup

Manchester United won the Women’s FA Cup for the first time on Sunday, defeating Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 in the final as midfielder Ella Toone scored a fantastic goal.

Marc Skinner’s side, who lost to Chelsea in last year’s Women’s FA Cup final, dominated the game and took the lead on the stroke of halftime thanks to Toone’s screamer from outside the penalty box.

A header from Rachel Williams and two goals from Spanish forward Lucia Garcia after the break sealed the first major trophy for United since the team reformed in 2018.

“Wembley is always special. Last year we spoke as a group and said ‘one day that will be ours’ and today’s the day so I’m buzzing,” goalkeeper Mary Earps, who had little to do all afternoon, told the BBC after her team won the Women’s FA Cup.

The Women’s FA Cup atmosphere was buzzing on a sunny day at Wembley Stadium with 76,082 fans in attendance along with United’s co-owner Avram Glazer and Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.

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However, the first half produced few chances of note until the second minute of stoppage time when England’s Toone drove the ball forward and unleashed a powerful strike from outside the area into the top corner.

Spurs, playing in their first Women’s FA Cup final in what is Swedish coach Robert Vilahamn’s debut campaign, drew 2-2 with United in the Women’s Super League last month but struggled to create any attacking threat, not registering a single shot on target, and capitulated after the break.

United’s Williams, who previously played for Spurs and won the FA Cup with Birmingham City 12 years ago, climbed high to head in a free kick before Garcia pounced on a poor pass in the box from goalkeeper Becky Spencer to make it 3-0 in the 57th minute.

Garcia added another via a deflection in the 74th as United salvaged a season in which they have struggled, sitting fifth in the league standings after being title challengers last year.

“We don’t like to admit it but it does mask over the issues we’ve had,” goalscorer Williams, 36, told the BBC. “We have had some ups and downs this year. That’s for Marc (Skinner) and the backroom staff to be like ‘right, this is what we have to do in the summer’.

“We are going to have change things next year. We have had some injuries, three or four ACLs, at the start of the season.

“That’s football, teams go through transition. You have a good year, you have a dip. Next year we might just come back bigger, better and stronger and, who knows, we might just be lifting the league.”

Man Utd thrash Tottenham to win first ever Women’s FA Cup

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Amusan sets new world record in 100m hurdles

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19 hours ago

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May 12, 2024

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Tobi Amusan

Amusan sets new world record in 100m hurdles

World record holder, Tobi Amusan is now the fastest woman in the women’s 100m hurdles this year after running a blistering 12.40s to win the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational in Kingston, winning the race ahead of Jamaican and world champion, Danielle Williams.

For most of the race, Amusan was behind reigning world champion Danielle Williams and America’s Nia Ali but surged ahead in the closing stages, beating the previous world-leading time of 12.42s set by Tonea Marshall of the USA on April 20.

The world record holder claimed the victory ahead of Williams, the world champion, who ran a season’s best 12.46 seconds, and American Christina Clemons, who was third with 12.54 seconds.

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The Nigerian has now taken over the world lead from American Tonea Marshall, who had run 12.42 seconds in late April.

Another Jamaican athlete, Yanique Thompson, secured fourth in 12.59s, while Ali slipped to fifth with a time of 12.65s.

Amusan and other prominent athletes snubbed the Doha Diamond League to attend the Jamaica Invitational.

The Nigerian ended last season on a high by winning the Diamond League in Eugene, Oregon, for a third consecutive time, silencing critics about her disappointing performance at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where she placed fifth and lost the title to Williams.

Amusan’s latest win comes two months before the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Amusan sets new world record in 100m hurdles

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