Wasteful Arsenal crash out of FA Cup after 2:0 defeat to Liverpool

Published

4 months ago

January 8, 2024

Wasteful Arsenal crash out of FA Cup after 2:0 defeat to Liverpool

Liverpool compounded Arsenal’s woes with a 2-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium to send the Gunners out of the FA Cup in the third round.

Mikel Arteta’s men have now failed to win their last four matches in all competitions, which has put their title hopes in jeopardy.

The Gunners missed numerous goalscoring chances against a Liverpool side without the services of Mohammed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk.

The hosts dominated the first half with Martin Odegaard hitting the crossbar before Kai Havertz and Reiss Nelson missed good opportunities to break the deadlock.

Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota also hit the cross bar for Liverpool in the first half as both sides failed to cancel out each other to end it goalless.

Liverpool scored two late goals to book their place in the fourth round of the competition.

Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick bounced in off Jakub Kiwior’s head for an own goal to put the Reds in the lead.

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Luis Diaz put the icing on the cake with an emphatic finish to condemn Arsenal to another defeat.

Arsenal manager, admitted that his side are not finishing off their chances.

He said, “Well, the performance was there and the amount of chances too,”

“We just have to win the game, but we lost it, and we are not capitalising. To win games, we need to capitalise.

“When you are better than the best team in Europe and you generate that amount of chances. I have not seen a team do it against them like we have done it.

“It is not enough. The reality is that it is not enough.”

The Spaniard has urged his team to be more efficient ahead of a busy schedule.

“Listen [do I say] play worse than Liverpool, be worse and we will win the game? When my team plays with this confidence what can I do? I am still behind them 100 per cent.

“It is what it is and we have to continue to play the same way and be more efficient,” he added.

Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp hailed his side fighting spirit after a tough clash at the Emirates.

He said, “In the end, we came through. I’m really happy we could win this game. Arsenal could have won it without a doubt. We finished it off, and it spoke for the character of the boys,”

“I’m super proud. It was a super difficult draw. Maybe the most difficult we could have got.
“It wasn’t an easy game to enjoy in the first half. We changed a bit at half-time.

“We were really in the game in the second half. We scored the goals and fought for 95 minutes.”

Up next for Arsenal is a Premier League clash against Crystal Palace on January 20, while Liverpool have a date with Fulham in the EFL Cup semi final first leg on Wednesday.

Wasteful Arsenal crash out of FA Cup after 2:0 defeat to Liverpool

UCL: Real Madrid beat Bayern to book final ticket …to face Dortmund in London

Published

11 hours ago

May 9, 2024

Trends Admin

Real Madrid beat Bayern

UCL: Real Madrid beat Bayern to book final ticket …to face Dortmund in London

Real Madrid snatched an incredible semi-final victory as two late goals defeated Bayern Munich and set up a Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern looked to be heading to the final when Alphonso Davies cut in and blasted past Andriy Lunin after England captain Harry Kane had found him with a superb pass.

But Joselu grabbed an 88th-minute equaliser when he reacted quickest after Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who had been excellent up until then, fumbled Vinicius Jr’s effort.

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There was even more drama to come two minutes later when Joselu, a former Stoke City striker, swept home from six yards out from Antonio Rudiger’s square pass.

The goal had originally been given as offside only for a video assistant referee decision to show that Joselu was onside, sparking incredible scenes of celebration in the Bernabeu, with Real hanging on to win 4-3 on aggregate.

Real, 14-time European champions, will face Dortmund on Saturday, 1 June at Wembley.

UCL: Real Madrid beat Bayern to book final ticket …to face Dortmund in London

Sports

Diego Maradona’s golden ball trophy for auction in Paris

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2024

Trends Admin

Diego Maradona’s golden ball trophy for auction in Paris

Diego Maradona’s Golden Ball trophy, which he earned as the best player in the 1986 World Cup, will be auctioned in France in June, according to the Aguttes auction house.

This is the first Golden Ball to be auctioned, and while the value has yet to be determined, the auction house anticipates it to earn millions on June 6.

Maradona, who died in 2020, won the award after leading Argentina to World Cup victory in Mexico, scoring five goals at the finals where he captained his country and played every minute of the tournament.

That tournament is probably best remembered for Maradona’s two goals against England in the quarter-finals.

Maradona out jumped England keeper Peter Shilton as he thumped in the first goal with a raised fist, which he later dubbed as being scored by the “Hand of God”.

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The second was an incredible mazy slalom run from his own half, when he dribbled past five English outfield players, and was voted as the “Goal of the Century”.

The jersey he wore that day, along with the ball from the match, have both previously been sold at auction.

After his display against England, Maradona went on to score the two goals which defeated Belgium in the semi-final and Argentina won a thrilling final 3-2 against West Germany.

The Golden Ball award was introduced at the 1982 World Cup, and its list of winners include Italy’s Paolo Rossi, Romario and Ronaldo of Brazil, Zinedine Zidane of France, while Argentine great Lionel Messi is the only player to have won the accolade twice.

Maradona’s award had disappeared before resurfacing among several trophy lots in an auction room.

Recently it was entrusted to Aguttes, which carried out an investigation into its provenance and managed to authenticate it as Maradona’s Adidas Golden Ball trophy.

Diego Maradona’s golden ball trophy for auction in Paris

Sports

Dortmund whip PSG 2-0 aggregate to reach Champions League final

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2024

Trends Admin

Dortmund whip PSG 2-0 aggregate to reach Champions League final

Borussia Dortmund produced a fine away performance to beat Paris St-Germain and reach their first Champions League final since 2013.

Dortmund held a 1-0 advantage following the first leg and doubled their lead when Mats Hummels was left unmarked five yards out to head in from Julian Brandt’s left-wing corner.

That goal came just after PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery wasted a glorious chance as he volleyed against the post from close range early in the second half.

PSG hit the upright twice in the opening match in Germany and, after falling 2-0 behind on aggregate, again struck the post through Nuno Mendes.

The hosts thought they had been given a penalty and a potential lifeline when Italian referee Daniele Orsato pointed to the spot, only to instantly change his mind and rule that Hummels’ foul on Ousmane Dembele had been just outside the area.

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PSG have never been European champions, losing in the 2020 final, and Dortmund produced an excellent defensive display to frustrate the French title winners.

Kylian Mbappe, in his last European match for PSG before joining Real Madrid in the summer, had an effort deflected on to the crossbar, before Vitinha fired against the bar too – the sixth time overall his side had hit the frame of the goal in the tie.

The final will be at Wembley on Saturday, 1 June (20:00 BST) and could be an all-German affair, just as it was in May 2013 when Bayern Munich beat Dortmund 2-1 in London.

Bayern and Real are in the second 2024 semi-final and the first leg ended 2-2 in Germany, with the second leg in Spain on Wednesday (20:00 BST).

Dortmund are aiming to become European champions for the second time in their history after they defeated Juventus 3-1 in the 1997 final.