Premier League
MAN CITY BACK TO WINNING WAYS WITH 1-0 VICTORY AT SOUTHAMPTON
Manchester City closed the gap on the Premier League top four after Raheem Sterling’s first-half goal proved enough to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Southampton at St Mary’s on Saturday (Dec 19).
After a spell of constant pressure, City broke the deadlock in the 16th minute when playmaker Kevin De Bruyne’s cross from the right wing found Sterling, who slotted the ball past Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.
Southampton threatened to equalise through James Ward-Prowse’s set-piece deliveries but the hosts lacked a focal point in attack after striker Danny Ings was forced off with an injury just five minutes before halftime.
Bernardo Silva missed an opportunity to double City’s lead early in the second half, while Southampton had an appeal for a penalty for handball against Sterling waved away by VAR.
De Bruyne and substitute Riyad Mahrez also saw opportunities go begging as City failed to add to the scoreline in the second half but the visitors were composed at the back to seal victory and move up to fifth in the league table.
It was more about the result than performance for Pep Guardiola’s City as they now find themselves one point behind fourth-placed Southampton and eight adrift of leaders Liverpool, having played one game fewer than both.
“We had the momentum in the second half, but we couldn’t score and we nearly suffered,” Guardiola said.
“Defensively we were excellent. Last season we struggled a lot. Ruben (Dias) has helped us a lot. John (Stones) in the last few games has been exceptional.”
Sterling was delighted with his team’s reaction after they played out back-to-back draws against West Bromwich Albion and Manchester United over the last seven days.
“Trying to win games and score goals has been difficult for us,” Sterling, who scored his fourth league goal of the season, said.
“We had a word with ourselves, dug deep and found something from within. We’re a top football club and we weren’t where we needed to be at.
“We knew how important it was to win today, and we’re happy to get the three points.”
-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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