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Ronaldo delivers scathing criticism of United in interview
Read full article: Ronaldo delivers scathing criticism of United in interviewCristiano Ronaldo’s highly anticipated tell-all interview with Piers Morgan has finally been broadcast and few at Manchester United have been spared in his scathing condemnation of the club.
Solskjaer's United loses again; Chelsea consolidates lead
Read full article: Solskjaer's United loses again; Chelsea consolidates leadThe pressure on Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reached new levels after the team’s latest Premier League setback, a dispiriting 4-1 loss to struggling Watford.
More Old Trafford misery for United with 2-0 loss to City
Read full article: More Old Trafford misery for United with 2-0 loss to CityEric Bailly scored an own-goal in the seventh minute and Bernardo Silva beat David de Gea at his near post in first-half stoppage time as Manchester City won 2-0 at Manchester United.
Frustration for Ronaldo as United drops more points in EPL
Read full article: Frustration for Ronaldo as United drops more points in EPLCristiano Ronaldo was grumbling to himself and shaking his head as he went straight toward the tunnel at the final whistle of Manchester United’s latest slip-up at Old Trafford.
Man U wins after penalty call backfires; Chelsea beats Spurs
Read full article: Man U wins after penalty call backfires; Chelsea beats SpursCristiano Ronaldo began the comeback as Manchester United won 2-1 at West Ham thanks to Mark Noble having a penalty saved in stoppage time straight after being brought off the bench.
FA Cup: Leicester ousts Man United to join Chelsea in semis
Read full article: FA Cup: Leicester ousts Man United to join Chelsea in semisLosing 3-1 at Leicester in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Sunday realistically leaves Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with only the Europa League to produce his first trophy as United manager. The other semifinal will pit Man City against Chelsea, which beat Sheffield United 2-0 in Sunday's other quarterfinal. “But the ambition is there to win titles and be competitive.”The FA Cup semifinals next month take place a week before the League Cup final between City and Tottenham. “But in the second half we played some of the best I have seen us play. Tottenham doubled its lead midway through the second half when Kane clinically scored from the penalty spot, having been fouled by Matty Cash.
'We can rest when we retire': Rashford rejects burnout fears
Read full article: 'We can rest when we retire': Rashford rejects burnout fearsManchester United's Marcus Rashford rests during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Sunday, March. “It’s the life of a footballer — we can rest when we retire,” Rashford said Wednesday, a day before appearance No. Indeed, his priority is winning trophies with United, which hasn’t happened for nearly four years now — since capturing the Europa League under Jose Mourinho in 2017. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the semifinals have been the ceiling for United in cup competitions and Rashford said it’s time to put that right. “We unfortunately got kicked out of the Champions League and our focus was to win the Europa League," he said, "and we are not going to be happy with anything less than that.
Winning run ended by Man U but City running away with title
Read full article: Winning run ended by Man U but City running away with titleManchester United won 2-0. Manchester United's 2-0 victory on Sunday halted City's winning run at 21 matches in all competitions. The most important number to Guardiola is 11 — the points advantage City holds over second-place United. City running away with the title seemed unimaginable in November when it lost to then-leader Tottenham. After a one-two with Marcus Rashford, the left back scored his first league goal since 2018, putting the ball through Rodri’s legs.
United ends City winning run at 21 with Manchester derby joy
Read full article: United ends City winning run at 21 with Manchester derby joyManchester United's Bruno Fernandes, center right, scores the opening goal from the penalty spot past Manchester City's goalkeeper Ederson during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, March 7, 2021. (Peter Powell/Pool via AP)MANCHESTER – Success for Manchester United these days is being the spoiler as Manchester City goes on to eventually claim the league titles. City manager Pep Guardiola's pursuit of a world-record winning streak ended after United won the derby 2-0 on Sunday. Just like three years ago when Jose Mourinho's derby win prevented City sealing the title that April day. United goalkeeper Dean Henderson threw the ball out to Shaw, who was gifted time and space to run into the penalty area.
Man City making case for defense in latest EPL title charge
Read full article: Man City making case for defense in latest EPL title chargeSheffield United's Oliver Burke, right, is challenged by Manchester City's Ruben Dias during the English Premier League match between Manchester City and Sheffield United at the the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. (Laurence Griffiths/Pool via AP)A last-minute consolation and a bundled effort from a long throw-in are the only goals Manchester City has conceded in nine games across all competitions in 2021. City's lead grew to three points on Saturday after its battling 1-0 win over last-place Sheffield United was followed by second-place Manchester United's latest slip-up, a 0-0 draw at Arsenal. Arsenal managed to keep Man United scoreless at Emirates Stadium, meaning Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team has dropped five points in three days after losing 2-1 to Sheffield United on Wednesday. City has a game in hand over United and is now the strong favorite for a third league title under Guardiola.
Man United gaining respect from rivals ahead of crucial week
Read full article: Man United gaining respect from rivals ahead of crucial weekManchester United's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer waves towards the directors box as he walks to the technical area ahead of the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. (Lindsey Parnaby/ Pool via AP)Over the next seven days, Manchester United can reach a cup final and climb to the top of the Premier League — all at the expense of its two biggest rivals, Manchester City and Liverpool. First up is a meeting with Man City in the League Cup semifinals, a repeat of last season but this time being played over only one leg because of the condensed, coronavirus-impacted season. “I hear now,” Klopp said, “that Manchester United had more penalties in two years than I had in five-and-a-half years (at Liverpool). The Norwegian coach said there have been no lingering effects of the losses in the semifinals last season — in the League Cup, FA Cup and Europa League.
Chelsea beaten by Everton; Manchester derby stalemate
Read full article: Chelsea beaten by Everton; Manchester derby stalemate(Tim Keeton/Pool via AP)MANCHESTER – The People's Club welcomed back its fans and Chelsea felt the full force. It means third-place Chelsea can be overtaken — if Leicester beats Brighton on Sunday — and front-runners Tottenham and Liverpool can pull further away at the top of the Premier League. “The impact was really strong — we were really pleased," Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti said. There was no atmosphere, no intensity and no goals as Manchester United and Manchester City drew 0-0 in the 183rd derby. The rivals are both unusually low in the Premier League, too.
No fans, no goals: United, City draw Manchester derby 0-0
Read full article: No fans, no goals: United, City draw Manchester derby 0-0Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne takes a shot at goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford in Manchester, England. There have been 150 top-flight Man U v Man City derbies with United having won 58 and City 45, with 47 draws. (AP Photo/Paul Ellis/ Pool via AP)MANCHESTER – Being shut out of the Manchester derby might not have seemed so bad for fans after all. United and City drew 0-0 in a drab Premier League encounter that saw the rivals manage only two shots each on target between them on Saturday. So the 183rd Manchester derby was the first one in an empty stadium.
Players walk off in protest against alleged racism in CL
Read full article: Players walk off in protest against alleged racism in CL(AP Photo/Francois Mori)In a powerful protest against alleged racism, players from Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir walked off the field during a Champions League game on Tuesday and didn’t return after a match official was accused of using insulting language about a Black coach. It sparked a commotion in the technical area that led to Webo being sent off by the referee. UEFA said it would “thoroughly investigate” the incident, while stating the match would restart with a different fourth official inside an empty Parc des Princes stadium. PSG’s players will return to their stadium knowing they have already qualified for the knockout stage. Ronaldo converted spot kicks for Juventus in either half, after briefly embracing with Messi before kickoff when the pair also exchanged a few words.
Fans return to the EPL as Chelsea, Man U enjoy comeback wins
Read full article: Fans return to the EPL as Chelsea, Man U enjoy comeback winsThe fans — 2,000 from West Ham, 2,000 from Chelsea — had contrasting experiences on opposite sides of London. Chelsea’s players treated their select group of attending fans to a comeback of their own at Stamford Bridge. The match saw respective managers Frank Lampard, of Chelsea, and Marcelo Bielsa, of Leeds, meet for the first time in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Guardiola didn’t make a single substitution, at a time when he is pushing the Premier League to increase the number of replacements from three to five for player-welfare reasons. It’s now 11 goals in 11 games for the Everton striker after scoring the equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Burnley.
Crisis averted as Man United and Solskjaer come out fighting
Read full article: Crisis averted as Man United and Solskjaer come out fightingAfter his team’s stirring comeback in a 3-1 win at Everton in the Premier League, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer didn’t hold back, either. Edinson Cavani capped the fightback with his first goal for United deep in stoppage time. ZIYECH STARSLike United, Chelsea also fought back from conceding an early goal and ultimately swept aside Sheffield United in a 4-1 win. And like United, Chelsea had a creative playmaker pulling the strings as the catalyst for the recovery. “We played against him in the Champions League last year,” Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said of Ziyech.
Relief, happiness as Bale is Tottenham's match-winner again
Read full article: Relief, happiness as Bale is Tottenham's match-winner againTottenham's Gareth Bale, right, celebrates with teammate Eric Dier following the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. (John Walton/Pool via AP)LONDON – Gareth Bale soared into the air, connected with the ball and powered it into the net. It's taken more than seven years but Bale was Tottenham's match-winner again. And it had only required three minutes on the field for the substitute to clinch a 2-1 victory over Brighton on Sunday. “A bit of relief and a lot of happiness,” Bale said after being set up by Sergio Reguilon, who also switched from Real Madrid in September.
Disjointed and overrun, Man Utd slumps to loss on EPL return
Read full article: Disjointed and overrun, Man Utd slumps to loss on EPL return(Richard Heathcote/Pool via AP)Manchester United began its Premier League campaign with a performance as disjointed as its offseason. Maybe the 3-1 home loss to Crystal Palace on Saturday shouldn’t really have come as a surprise. After all, United only ended a pandemic-prolonged 2019-20 season 33 days ago with a demoralizing loss to Sevilla in the Europa League semifinals. “We knew Manchester United didn’t play last week and that we had the mental advantage,” Palace winger Andros Townsend said. On a day when 21 goals were scored in four games, there were also wins for Everton, Leeds and Arsenal.
PREMIER LEAGUE 2020-21: Rodriguez, Havertz among signings
Read full article: PREMIER LEAGUE 2020-21: Rodriguez, Havertz among signingsJames Rodriguez joined Premier League club Everton on Monday, Sept. 7, 2020 in an attempt to revive a career that faltered at Real Madrid. Now, they are both at Everton, a team without a trophy since 1995 and living in the shadow of neighbour Liverpool, the recently crowned Premier League champion. KAI HAVERTZ (Chelsea)The most expensive signing of the offseason at a fee rising to $92 million, Havertz might also be the most interesting. Havertz is the youngest player to reach 100 Bundesliga appearances and scored 36 goals in four seasons with Bayer Leverkusen in the German league. With Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech making up Chelsea's likely attack, Havertz won't be short of quality around him.
Where next, Messi ? Few clubs can meet his financial demands
Read full article: Where next, Messi ? Few clubs can meet his financial demandsThe money in that contract is daunting: a reported 100 million euros ($118 million) annual salary package and release clause demanding a 700 million euros ($827 million) transfer fee. What coach says no to Messi? said Tuchel, whose side lost the Champions League final to Bayern Munich on Sunday. GERMANYBayern Munich appears in little need of reinforcement after winning a Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup treble. The Bavarian powerhouse has grown on and off the pitch thanks to smart financial management, with revenue of 750 million euros ($886 million) in the most recent annual accounts and profit after tax of 52 million euros ($61.5 million). When World Cup-winning France defender Lucas Hernndez arrived last year for a club-record 80 million euros ($95 million) from Atltico Madrid, it was an exception.
Man United's Solskjaer faces old teammate in Europa League
Read full article: Man United's Solskjaer faces old teammate in Europa LeagueManchester United's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gestures during the Europa League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Manchester United and LASK at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)DSSELDORF DThe Europa League will set up a reunion for Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he takes on an old friend in the quarterfinals. When Solskjaer's team faces Copenhagen in Cologne on Monday, the opposing coach will be his old Norway teammate Stale Solbakken. Wolves take on five-time Europa League winner Sevilla on Tuesday in their biggest European game since losing the 1972 UEFA Cup final to Tottenham. It's been a long road for Wolves, who started the Europa League in the second qualifying round in July 2019 against Northern Irish club Crusaders.
United, Chelsea into CL; Bournemouth, Watford down from EPL
Read full article: United, Chelsea into CL; Bournemouth, Watford down from EPL(Oli Scarff/Pool via AP)Manchester United and Chelsea qualified for the Champions League at the expense of Leicester on a frantic final day of the Premier League season on Sunday, while Bournemouth and Watford were relegated to end five-year stays in the top flight. United won 2-0 at Leicester through goals by Bruno Fernandes and Jesse Lingard to give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team a third-place finish. Captain Jack Grealish scored Villa's goal in what could be his last game for his boyhood club. Bournemouth did what it had to do and beat Everton, 3-1, but ended up one point behind Villa. Also, Southampton beat Sheffield United 3-1, with Danny Ings scoring his 22nd goal of the season.
Man United qualifies for Champions League, denies Leicester
Read full article: Man United qualifies for Champions League, denies LeicesterManchester United's Bruno Fernandes, left, scores his side's opening goal from the penalty spot during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Manchester United at the King Power Stadium, in Leicester, England, Sunday, July 26, 2020. (Oli Scarff/Pool via AP)LEICESTER Manchester United will return to the Champions League at the expense of Leicester after winning 2-0 at the King Power Stadium on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday. Having been 14 points behind Leicester in January, United finished four points above the 2016 champions. While most coronavirus restrictions have been lifted across England, Leicester is still in a local lockdown in an effort to contain infections. When the pandemic forced the Premier League into a 100-day shutdown in March, Leicester was third with an eight-point lead over then fifth-place United.
Man United back in Champions League spots, West Ham stays up
Read full article: Man United back in Champions League spots, West Ham stays upManchester United's Mason Greenwood scores his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and West Ham at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Wednesday, July 22, 2020. (Clive Brunskill/Pool via AP)MANCHESTER Manchester United nudged into the Champions League places for the first time since September after Mason Greenwood sealed a 1-1 draw against West Ham in the penultimate match of the Premier League season on Wednesday. West Ham moved four points clear of the relegation zone to secure its Premier League survival. Paul Pogbas needless handball allowed Michail Antonio to give West Ham a surprise lead from the spot. United only needs to avoid defeat to fifth-placed Leicester in its last game of the season to secure a return to the Champions League.
2 Champions League places settled on final day of PL season
Read full article: 2 Champions League places settled on final day of PL seasonLiverpool's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrates scoring his side's fifth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Before collecting the the Premier League trophy, Liverpool won 5-3 on Wednesday to prevent Chelsea from sealing a Champions League spot. It leaves two of the four spots in Europe's elite competition still up for grabs in the Sunday's final round of games. And there will be a Champions League qualification showdown between Manchester United and Leicester. Liverpool as champions and second-place Manchester City have already qualified for the Champions League.
De Gea mistakes see Chelsea beat Man U to reach FA Cup final
Read full article: De Gea mistakes see Chelsea beat Man U to reach FA Cup final(Andy Rain, Pool via AP)LONDON At least David De Gea was spared having a crowd inside Wembley to witness his latest mistakes in the Manchester United goal. Gifted goals to beat United 3-1 on Sunday, Chelsea will be returning to the national stadium on Aug. 1 to face Arsenal in an all-London FA Cup final. Olivier Giroud's close-range deft touch from Cesar Azpilicueta's cross was pushed into his own goal by De Gea. De Gea hadnt played in the competition since the 2018 final when Chelsea beat United. It means Frank Lampard's first season as Chelsea manager will end with a cup final.
Youngsters justifying the faith of top Premier League teams
Read full article: Youngsters justifying the faith of top Premier League teamsManchester United's Mason Greenwood celebrates after scoring a goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Bournemouth at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, July 4, 2020. (Peter Powell/Pool via AP)Some of the top Premier League teams are putting their faith in youth in the high-stakes finale to the longest-ever soccer season in England. Jamie Vardy passed the 100-goal mark in Premier League goals by netting twice as Leicester beat Crystal Palace 3-0 for its first win since the restart. With five more rounds left, Leicester stayed a point clear of Chelsea and three points ahead of fifth-place Manchester United. Finishing in sixth will earn the team a berth in the Europa League next season, as may seventh.
Rashford back to the day job after activism during pandemic
Read full article: Rashford back to the day job after activism during pandemicFILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019 file photo, Manchester United's Marcus Rashford celebrates during an English Premier League soccer match against Manchester City at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England. Manchester United and England player Marcus Rashford is urging the government to provide free meals for needy students over the summer holidays. My day job, the Manchester United striker tweeted this week alongside a picture of him at practice at the teams training facility. They are qualities the United manager sees in Rashford the soccer player, too, having already made him his No. He has changed the lives of so many kids this summer, Solskjaer said, which is more important than any game of football he will probably play.
PL teams prepare for restart with practice games at stadiums
Read full article: PL teams prepare for restart with practice games at stadiumsLONDON Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal were among the clubs who stepped up their preparations for the Premier Leagues return by holding practice matches on Saturday. The league also announced Saturday that the sixth round of COVID-19 testing of 1,195 players and staff across the 20 clubs on Thursday and Friday produced no positives. Arsenal, which will be in action on the first night back away to Manchester City, hosted second-tier side Charlton at the Emirates Stadium. Eddie Nketiah scored a hat trick in a 6-0 win for the Gunners, with forwards Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette also netting. Players drove to the stadium in their match kit and the match was refereed by fitness coach Charlie Owen.