Premier League
Best night of my life says Evans after helping Man Utd end slump
Jonny Evans thought his Manchester United days were long gone but on Saturday the 35-year-old Northern Irishman played a huge role in helping them emerge from a worrying slump.
Central defender Evans, who was released by Leicester City at the end of last season after their top flight relegation, marked his first start for United since 2015 by setting up Bruno Fernandes for the only goal in a 1-0 victory at Burnley.
His 200th appearance for the Old Trafford club, with whom he won three Premier League titles, could have been even better had his first-half headed goal not been ruled out for offside.
Evans added some calmness to United’s defence as they kept their first clean sheet since the opening day of the season.
And he showed superb vision with a peach of a pass for Fernandes to volley United’s winner.
No wonder he looked a happy man afterwards.
“I loved every minute of it. Before the game you get a feeling, I couldn’t wait, just pure excitement,” Evans, who joined West Bromwich Albion in 2015 and then moved to Leicester City in 2018, told TNT Sports.
“Coming up here on the bus I was buzzing. That was my 200th game for Man Utd, I never thought I would ever reach that figure — the best night of my life.”
UNLIKELY STARTER
Evans came on as a substitute in United’s 3-1 defeat at Arsenal and played an inadvertent role in the Gunners’ second goal scored by Declan Rice, deflecting the shot in.
He admitted that returning to Old Trafford had not really been in his thoughts and that the prospect of being in the starting lineup had seemed unlikely.
“I got the call and didn’t have another option, so I just took it and tried to do my best in training and take my chance. You then just hope your body sees you through,” he said.
After Saturday’s display he may have given manager Erik ten Hag something to consider, especially with injuries impacting United’s squad and a busy fixture schedule ahead.
“He (Evans) showed personality. He was calm, composed, did everything right. Very good performance,” Ten Hag said.
While United moved up to eighth place, Burnley dropped to the bottom with one point from five games, although their football offered encouragement.
“The start is difficult in terms of results but I’m hopeful. I don’t see any reason to think this team lacks character or margin to grow,” manager Vincent Kompany said.
“We’ve seen improvements today, hopefully more in the weeks to come. Every game we’ve been dangerous.”
-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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