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Chelsea beat Forest to retain hope of European football

Published

2 months ago

May 12, 2024

Chelsea beat Forest to retain hope of European football

Two quickfire goals saw Chelsea come from behind to beat Nottingham Forest 3-2, earning their first win from the four head-to-heads since the Reds were promoted to the Premier League.

There was a party atmosphere at the City Ground with defeats for Luton Town and Burnley during the three o’clock kick-offs leaving Forest all but safe. Chris Wood almost added to that when he was released behind early on, but Đorđe Petrović stood tall enough to stop the striker’s lofted effort.

Chelsea weren’t in the mood to enjoy that party as they chase European football, and having been so important to the Blues’ ambitions, Cole Palmer slid through a perfectly-weighted pass for Mykhailo Mudryk to run onto and calmly finish to end his 10-game goalless run across all competitions.

It took just eight minutes for the hosts to respond, as Murillo made a lung bursting run and was fouled for a free-kick that Morgan Gibbs-White clipped towards Willy Boly, whose header went in off Conor Gallagher.

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The game’s pace eventually slowed following that blistering start but there were still opportunities, with Wood heading off-target after Petrović failed to convincingly deal with Danilo’s corner before Palmer played Nicolas Jackson through, only for the striker to be denied by Matz Sels.

Both sides pushed to go ahead and Palmer was uncharacteristically wasteful when Moisés Caicedo found him shortly after. Even so, Forest were on top and Gibbs-White was left furious after heading onto the post, especially with Wood sending his follow-up off-target, and Thiago Silva suffered a similar fate with his flicked header also hitting the woodwork.

Callum Hudson-Odoi was equally unfortunate when his curling effort cannoned off the crossbar. Undeterred on his 100th PL appearance against his former club, the winger picked out the bottom corner with a similar finish shortly after.

However, Raheem Sterling swiftly responded in a similar fashion for his fourth goal in as many appearances against Forest.

A special moment followed as Reece James marked his first appearance since December by picking out Jackson for the striker to head in the winner for a breathtaking turnaround as Chelsea earned their third consecutive victory to go level on points with sixth-placed Newcastle United in the PL table.

While Forest are tantalisingly close to safety, they must wait for survival to be mathematically confirmed.

Chelsea beat Forest to retain hope of European football

Related Topics:Chelsea European football Forest

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Updated: Amuneke set to be announced new Heartland head coach

Published

14 hours ago

July 2, 2024

Trends Admin

Super Eagles’ former forward, Emmanuel Amuneke

Updated: Amuneke set to be announced new Heartland head coach

Super Eagles’ former forward, Emmanuel Amuneke, is set to return to coaching after a year away from the sidelines.

The former Tanzania coach has previously assisted Samson Siasia as well as Augustine Equavoen in the national team.

Amunike’s last role was with Zambia’s Zanaco FC, where he served as both coach and consultant before leaving in 2023.

He recently applied for the Super Eagles head coach position, but the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) opted for Finidi George instead

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According to reports from Owerri, Amunike is close to joining Heartland, which plans to return to the elite NPFL next season.

The report added that Amuneke, who has been quietly working with his hometown club, has started recruiting players for the upcoming season.

Heartland FC was relegated to the NPFL after finishing in the 19th position on the 20-team table last season.

The club is reportedly planning to buy the NPFL slot of Beyond Limits, who earned promotion from the Nigeria National League (NNL), but face participation issues due to their affiliation with Remo Stars.

Amuneke, 53, has extensive coaching experience in domestic and international football.

Updated: Amuneke set to be announced new Heartland head coach

Sports

Asisat Oshoala scores first-ever penalty for Bay FC in NWSL

Published

15 hours ago

July 2, 2024

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Asisat Oshoala Scores First-Ever Penalty for Bay FC In NWSL

Super Falcons forward Asisat Oshoala has etched her name in the history books by becoming the first Bay FC player to score a penalty in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

Oshoala scored the winning goal in Bay FC’s 1-0 victory over Racing Louisville.

She calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the penalty spot, 14 minutes before the end of the match.

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This record-setting goal adds to the former Barcelona star impressive start at Bay FC, where she previously scored the club’s first-ever goal on her debut in the USA.

Since joining the club, Asisat Oshoala has now scored three goals.

Meanwhile, her international teammate, Uchenna Kanu, did not feature in Racing Louisville’s matchday squad for the game.

Asisat Oshoala Scores First-Ever Penalty for Bay FC In NWSL

Sports

Super Eagles Ademola Lookman wins Africa’s Best footballer award

Published

16 hours ago

July 2, 2024

Trends Admin

Super Eagles Ademola Lookman wins Africa’s Best footballer award

Nigeria attacker Ademola Lookman has been named the Best African International Footballer at the Ghana Football Awards in Accra.

The Atalanta star got the award after a remarkable season with Nigeria’s Super Eagles and his Italian club. Lookman scored a hat-trick to help Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen and win the UEFA Europa League last season.

He outperformed Victor Boniface and Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmund Tapsoba to clinch the title. Lookman succeeds his compatriot and Napoli forward Victor Osimhen, who won last year after leading his team to the Serie A title and later secured the CAF Africa’s Best Player award.

Lookman is now a strong contender for Africa’s top individual football award this year.

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The former Fulham and Leicester City player had a standout year, guiding Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations final and scoring a hat-trick in the Europa League final.

He also played a key role in Atalanta’s fourth-place finish in Serie A, with 17 goals and 10 assists across all competitions.

In a video message, he expressed his gratitude: “Thank you for the consideration, the recognition, and the votes. This means a lot to me and my family. I wish I was in Ghana, but my heart is with you all. Thank you and God bless.”

Also celebrated at the Ghana Football Awards was West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus. He won two awards, including Ghana Player of the Year, for his excellent season in England and his contributions at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Kudus’ solo goal against Freiburg in the UEFA Europa League was named the best goal of the night.