Premier League
Man United edge out Norwich 3-2, thanks to Ronaldo’s 50th club hat-trick
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 50th club career hat-trick and second Premier League treble of the season earned below-par Manchester United a 3-2 victory over Norwich City on Saturday amid scenes of fan protest at Old Trafford.
With Tottenham Hotspur losing 1-0 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion earlier on Saturday, the door was open for United to close on the Champions League qualification places with victory over bottom side Norwich and they just about took advantage.
A first-half double from veteran striker Ronaldo seemingly put the hosts on course for a comfortable win in the sunshine, with Norwich struggling to keep pace.
However, Kieran Dowell’s goal out of nowhere in first-half stoppage time got the visitors back in the contest, before Finnish forward Teemu Pukki completed the Norwich comeback to stun Old Trafford into silence seven minutes after the break.
Fans who protested against the club’s owners ahead of the match were singing “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” in the second half as their team were second best to a team seven points adrift of the Premier League safety zone. read more
United’s France midfielder Paul Pogba was booed by his own fans as he was substituted before Ronaldo stole the show once again with a sensational winner 14 minutes from time to drag United out of the mire once more.
The win, United’s first in four games in all competitions, moved them above Arsenal, who lost 1-0 at Southampton, into fifth on 54 points from 32 matches, with Spurs now just three points in front. Norwich stay bottom on 21 points.
“I don’t think we need to speak anymore about Cristiano,” United coach Ralf Rangnick said. “He made the difference once again, at least two goals were not easy to score.
“He showed against Tottenham and today he can be the difference maker. It is no coincidence he has scored the amount of goals he has.
“But I am not happy with that performance. If you want to defend properly in this league, you just have to be physical and not allow players to get past you so easily. This is what this team do not do well enough.”
Thousands of fans protested outside the stadium before the match against the Glazer family ownership, chanting “get out of our club”, among other things, with many not inside to see Ronaldo break the deadlock seven minutes in.
Young winger Anthony Elanga did the leg work, winning the ball off Norwich defender Ben Gibson before squaring for Ronaldo to net his first goal in five games for club and country.
A trademark Ronaldo leap from an Alex Telles corner in the 32nd minute doubled the home side’s lead, as all was well inside Old Trafford.
Dowell’s first-ever Premier League goal on the cusp of halftime on the end of a Pukki pass did not seem like it was going to derail United, but their second-half showings this term have often been their undoing, and sure enough, Pukki was then left all alone to level.
Home goalkeeper David de Gea was then forced into a fine save to deny Milot Rashica as Norwich pressed to really cause uproar at Old Trafford, with fans turning on the players.
One player has been immune to fan criticism, and for good reason, as against the run of play, Ronaldo arrowed his 21st goal of the season past Tim Krul to win it for United to revive their hopes of securing a top-four finish.
“We handed it on a platter to Ronaldo today,” Norwich coach Dean Smith said. “I am pleased with the performance but not the result.
“At halftime I thought if we could be better with the ball, we could be a problem on the transition. You just cannot give a team like that a two-goal head start here.
“I cannot question the fight of the players. We know we have an uphill task to survive. We are disappointed not to get anything today.”
-Reuters
Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.
Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.
Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
-Reuters
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Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.
Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.
Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.
United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.
“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”
Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.
Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.
-Reuters
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.
“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”
Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.
“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.
“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”
The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.
However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
-Reuters
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