Sports

Despite early Gomes red card, Wolves draw at Brentford

Published

4 months ago

January 6, 2024

Despite early Gomes red card, Wolves draw at Brentford

WOLVES earned an FA Cup third-round replay with Premier League rivals Brentford despite having Joao Gomes sent off after just nine minutes.

Midfielder Gomes was given a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Brentford captain Christian Norgaard.

The hosts dominated possession at Brentford Community Stadium and led on 41 minutes when Neal Maupay fired home.

But Wolves grabbed a draw in fine style as Tommy Doyle drove in from 25 yards for his first goal for the club.

“I’m really pleased, it’s an incredible effort from the players,” said Wolves manager Gary O’Neil.

“There was not much between the teams even with 10 versus 11. We coped with their extra man, tactically we dealt with it very well. To put in the second half they did was really impressive.”

Frenchman Maupay claimed his third goal since re-joining Brentford on loan from Everton in the summer to put his side ahead.

A loose ball rebounded out from the crowded six-yard area after a Mathias Jensen free-kick and Maupay placed his shot inside the left-hand post with power and precision.

It gave Brentford hope of their first FA Cup win over Premier League opposition since they beat Sunderland in 2005-06 as a League One side.

But Doyle, who was part of the Sheffield United side which reached the semi-finals last season, had other ideas.

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On 64 minutes, the Manchester City loanee received the ball 25 yards out following a short corner and lashed a stunning shot past home keeper Thomas Strakosha.

While there was controversy on Thursday night when Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin was dismissed in his side’s goalless draw at Crystal Palace, Gomes’ red card for a studs-up tackle was less debatable.

Brentford skipper Norgaard had to be taken off as a result of the tackle, although early reports suggest his ankle injury is not as bad as first feared.

Brazilian Gomes had just two touches of the ball before lunging in on the Dane, and forcing Wolves firmly on the back foot.

What was more controversial was the incident on 27 minutes, when Mikkel Damsgaard caught Doyle above the ankle but was only shown a yellow card from referee Tony Harrington.

Wolves boss O’Neil was unhappy Damsgaard did not go the same way as Gomes and ended up in an animated row with Brentford counterpart Thomas Frank on the touchline – although it did end in a handshake, with Frank saying it was “nothing personal.”

There were also angry scenes in second-half stoppage time when Brentford forward Keane Lewis-Potter grabbed Wolves full-back Nelson Semedo by the throat as the pair clashed.

Both were booked before a tempestuous game came to a bizarre end with Wolves keeper Jose Sa taunting the home fans before the floodlights were briefly switched off, plunging the stadium into darkness.

O’Neil admitted afterwards Gomes deserved to be sent off – but argued the two Brentford men should have gone too.

“I can see it. I know Joao, he would never do this on purpose, but it doesn’t look great,” he said.

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“The tackle on Tommy Doyle [by Damsgaard] is a straight leg with studs, just as bad as Joao.

“Then [Lewis-Potter] grabbing Nelson Semedo by the throat is a red. We were saying on the bench, it will be a red, VAR will give a red, so I was really surprised, but it’s not really my problem, I will deal with my group.”

But Bees boss Frank said of the Damsgaard tackle: “I don’t think it’s a red, just like I don’t think Calvert-Lewin is a red.

“There are several incidents where you pause the footage and it looks like a red. If you give these, it is not a contact sport, which is a problem.”

An inability to see out a win against a side reduced to 10 men for more than 81 minutes will pile more pressure on Brentford, who are on a run of five successive Premier League defeats that has left them in danger of a relegation scrap.

“Lack of quality,” said Frank, when asked why his team had not been able to see the win out.

“If you play 11 against 10 after 80 minutes and don’t win, that’s lack of quality. We were not moving the ball, not creating chances, then we got punished.”

Frank made four changes to the side beaten by Crystal Palace last time out, including giving Maupay an opportunity to lead the line.

The striker, who has a strong record in the FA Cup with Brentford, repaid the faith. In his last campaign with the Bees in 2018-19, Maupay was involved in a goal in all four of his cup appearances, scoring three and assisting one.

Frank will hope Maupay can now bring that scoring touch to the league, as Brentford continue to fret over the future of Ivan Toney once he returns from his ban for breaching betting rules.

Despite early Gomes red card, Wolves draw at Brentford

Sports

Finidi names International duo, Amokachi, Baruwa as Super Eagles assistant coaches

Published

6 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Super Eagles head coach, Finidi George

Finidi names International duo, Amokachi, Baruwa as Super Eagles assistant coaches

Super Eagles head coach, Finidi George, has appointed two foreigners and his former teammate, Daniel Amokachi, to be his assistants.

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The names of the two foreign assistants will be announced before the Super Eagles play their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures against Bafana Bafana of South Africa and Squirrels of Benin.

He also retained Olatunji Baruwa, the goalkeeper’s trainer under the previous head coach, Jose Peseiro.

In order to focus on his new role, the former Ajax player formally resigned from his position as head coach of Enyimba on Sunday, May 12.

Finidi names International duo, Amokachi, Baruwa as Super Eagles assistant coaches

Sports

Arsenal beat Man Utd to keep title race alive

Published

13 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Trends Admin

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

Sports

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

Published

13 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Trends Admin

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.”