Premier League
Man City climb four points clear of Arsenal in title race
Manchester City continued their seemingly unstoppable charge towards a third consecutive Premier League title with a 2-1 victory over Leeds United on Saturday that put them four points clear of Arsenal.
Ilkay Gundogan scored a brace for Man City, but missed a late penalty that left manager Pep Guardiola enraged after the Spaniard had called for Erling Haaland to take it, with Leeds grabbing a goal back a minute later.
Liverpool’s faint hopes of a top-four finish continued as they beat Brentford 1-0 at Anfield thanks to Mohamed Salah’s first-half strike.
Harry Kane scored to lift Tottenham Hotspur to a much-needed 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, their first victory in five games, while Chelsea claimed their first win under interim manager Frank Lampard with a 3-1 victory at Bournemouth.
Man City had appeared to be cruising after Gundogan’s double strike put them in the box seat at the Etihad Stadium but the German’s missed penalty in the 84th minute set up a nervy finish as Rodrigo Moreno pulled a goal back for Leeds moments later.
While Gundogan was on a hat-trick, Guardiola was adamant there should be no room for sentiment and Haaland was the designated taker.
“The performance was excellent. We played really, really good,” Guardiola said. “Who knows if Erling takes the penalty and misses it? What happens if Gundo takes the penalty and scores? So the question is 2-0, who is the taker? The taker is Erling.”
City’s victory, coupled with an Arsenal loss on Sunday to Newcastle United, would all but clinch the Premier League title for the treble-chasers who stretched their winning league run to 10 games.
Liverpool notched up a sixth straight Premier League win to maintain their pursuit of a top-four spot.
Salah bagged the only goal of the game in the 13th minute, starting the move before Fabinho crossed to Virgil van Dijk at the back post, and the big Dutchman headed the ball back for the Egyptian to bundle home his 100th goal at Anfield.
The win left the Merseysiders in fifth spot on 62 points, one behind fourth-placed United, but the Red Devils have two games in hand.
KANE HEADER
Kane headed Tottenham in front in first-half injury time to move up to second place in the all-time Premier League goalscorers list.
The win vaulted Spurs to sixth in the table with 57 points from 35 games, six points behind fourth-placed United, who have played two games fewer. Palace are 12th.
Chelsea snapped a nine-match winless run in all competitions.
Late goals from Chelsea’s Benoit Badiashile and Joao Felix, after Conor Gallagher’s opener was cancelled out by Bournemouth’s Matias Vina, helped the London club move up to 11th with 42 points.
Bournemouth slipped to 14th, three points behind Chelsea having played a game more.
“It feels great, we just wanted to put in a performance today,” Lampard said. “We haven’t been good enough recently so this was an important game for us.”
Wolverhampton Wanderers got an early goal from defender Toti and then held on for a gritty 1-0 win over Aston Villa to all but cement a spot in the Premier League next season.
It was a welcome win for Julen Lopetegui’s side after a 6-0 thumping by Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
“Massive result for us,” said Ruben Neves, whose corner kick led to the goal. “After the Brighton game, it’s all we have talked about.”
Wolves climbed 10 points clear of the relegation zone with 40 points, while Villa remained in eighth after their second consecutive loss.
-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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