Premier League
Man City suffer fourth successive loss, Wolves finally win
Manchester City slumped to a fourth successive defeat as Brighton & Hove Albion hit back from a goal down to beat the struggling Premier League champions 2-1 at home on Saturday.
Matt O’Riley’s goal condemned City manager Pep Guardiola to the worst run of his illustrious coaching career and left his side in danger of falling adrift in the title race.
Leaders Liverpool can open a five-point lead over City if they beat Aston Villa in the day’s late kickoff.
Brighton, who lost to Liverpool having been in front a week ago, moved into fourth place on 19 points from 11 games with City on 23 points and Liverpool on 25.
Fulham climbed to seventh after a 2-0 win away at London rivals Crystal Palace while Brentford came from behind to beat Bournemouth 3-2 and move into the top half.
Wolverhampton Wanderers finally tasted victory after a wretched start to the season as they beat fellow strugglers Southampton 2-0 to climb off the foot of the table.
Pablo Sarabia scored after two minutes — Wolves’ fastest goal in a Premier League match — and Matheus Cunha wrapped up the points to the relief of manager Gary O’Neil.
West Ham United and Everton played out a dull 0-0 draw at the London Stadium.
City, thrashed 4-1 in Lisbon by Sporting in the Champions League in midweek having seen a 32-match unbeaten Premier League run ended by Bournemouth last weekend, seemed to be back on track when Erling Haaland scored his 12th league goal of the season after 23 minutes on the south coast.
Guardiola’s side gradually lost their grip, though, and Joao Pedro equalised for the hosts in the 78th minute before O’Riley combined with Pedro to fire in the winner.
City have lost four successive games in all competitions for the first time in 18 years while for Guardiola it is the first time he has ever lost four in a row as a manager.
Goals by Emile Smith Rowe and Harry Wilson gave Fulham maximum points at Selhurst Park where the hosts were reduced to 10 men after Daichi Kamada was shown red for a dangerous tackle.
Brentford twice trailed at home to Bournemouth but striker Yoane Wissa’s double sealed a comeback win.
-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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