The English champions did snap a five-game losing streak but did little to boost confidence ahead of Sunday’s trip to Premier League leaders Liverpool by conceding three times in the final 15 minutes.
Pep Guardiola admitted his star-studded squad were “fragile” and lacking in confidence after the worst run of his managerial career, while a shock stat was exposed.
We lost a lot of games lately, we are fragile and of course, we need a victory,” he said to Prime Video.
“The game was good for the confidence, we were playing at a good level and then for the first time something happened, we have problems.”
Manchester City became the first team in the history of the Champions League to be leading by three goals as late as the 75th minute, before failing to win.
Two goals from Erling Haaland, either side of Ilkay Gundogan’s deflected effort, looked set to restore some order for City.
But the defensive frailties that have been the root cause for a staggering collapse in recent weeks was exposed in the closing stages.
Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Gimenez and David Hancko hit back to salvage a vital point for the Dutch giants.
A draw leaves City with plenty of work to do to reach the knockout stages with trips to Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain to come in their next two Champions League games.
Only the top eight progress directly to the last 16 with a place in the top 24 of the 36-team table enough to reach the playoff round.
City drop to 15th on eight points from five matches, just one point ahead of Feyenoord in 20th.
Guardiola reacted to a first home defeat for two years in a 4-0 humbling by Tottenham on Saturday by making three changes.
Jack Grealish, Matheus Nunes and Nathan Ake came into the starting line-up but it still took City time to find their rhythm.
Nerves around a far from full Etihad Stadium were frayed when Igor Paixao wasted a big chance to give the Dutch giants the lead.
Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Manchester City and Feyenoord at City of Manchester Stadium on November 26, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Instead, City got the break they needed when Haaland was fouled inside the box from a corner.
The Norwegian missed from the penalty spot in City’s 4-1 thrashing by Sporting Lisbon last time out in the Champions League.
This time Haaland was clinical and smashed the ball into the net in relieving his frustrations of recent weeks.
Gundogan’s volley from the edge of the box that deflected in off Hancko gave City breathing space early in the second half.
Haaland then slid in to meet Nunes’ cross for his 46th Champions League goal in 44 appearances in the competition to seemingly put City on easy street.
But there was a sting in the tail for the home side after Josko Gvardiol’s slack backpass allowed Moussa in to round Ederson and fire in from a narrow angle.
Guardiola held his head in his hands in response and worse was to come when Ederson failed to deal with Jordan Lotomba’s near-post effort and the ball fell kindly for Gimenez to make it 3-2.
More kamikaze defending gifted Feyenoord an equaliser as Rico Lewis played Paixao onside. He eased around the onrushing Ederson and crossed for Hancko to head into an unguarded net.
City have now conceded two or more goals in six consecutive games for the first time since 1963.
There was still time for more drama as Grealish’s shot came back off the crossbar in City’s search for a late winner.
Instead they had to settle for a point that will feel just as damaging as the previous five defeats for a side so used to winning.
ARSENAL’S RUTHLESS ROUT
Arsenal extended their revival with a ruthless 5-1 rout of Sporting Lisbon to bolster their bid to reach the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta’s side ended a three-match winless run in all competitions by beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League last weekend.
And the Gunners built on that success with an even more dynamic display at the Jose Alvalade stadium.
Gabriel Martinelli gave Arsenal an early lead and Kai Havertz increased their advantage before Gabriel Magalhaes struck just before halftime.
Goncalo Inacio got one back for Sporting, but Bukayo Saka’s penalty underlined the gulf in class between the teams.
Leandro Trossard netted late on to give Arsenal five away goals in a Champions League game for the first time since 2008.
Arsenal’s third win in five Champions League matches this season lifted them into seventh place, with the top eight teams in the revamped tournament earning automatic qualification for the last 16.
Sporting’s first defeat in Europe’s elite club competition this season leaves them below Arsenal on goal difference.
Arsenal are nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after their dip, but this swaggering effort suggested they are finally back in the groove.
Arteta had challenged Arsenal to make a statement against Sporting and they responded in emphatic fashion.
The north Londoners’ first away win in the Champions League in six attempts was a welcome tonic after a 1-0 loss at Inter Milan in their last European fixture.
Arsenal’s impressive performance was all the more notable as Sporting had crushed Manchester City 4-1 in their final Champions League game under Ruben Amorim, who has since taken charge of Manchester United.
Joao Pereira has replaced Amorim as Sporting boss but he was unable to maintain their unbeaten start to the season as the Portuguese champions were defeated for the first time in 19 games in all competitions.
Thomas Partey of Arsenal celebrates victory with teammate Bukayo Saka after the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Sporting Clube de Portugal and Arsenal FC at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 26, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
It took just seven minutes for Martinelli to put Arsenal ahead. Jurrien Timber’s low cross was perfectly weighted and the Brazilian slid in to apply the finish inside the six-yard box.
In stark contrast to City’s capitulation at Sporting earlier in November, Arteta’s men were in complete command.
They picked the Sporting defence apart again in the 22nd minute as Thomas Partey’s incisive pass picked out Saka’s run beyond the hosts’ creaky off-side trap.
Saka guided a pinpoint pass into the Sporting area and Havertz timed his run immaculately to slot home from close range.
Sporting finally forced a save from David Raya when 17-year-old Geovany Quenda unleashed a fierce strike that the Arsenal keeper tipped over.
But Gabriel bagged his first Champions League goal on the stroke of halftime. Arsenal’s set-piece prowess was on show as the Brazilian defender rose highest to power his header past Franco Israel from Declan Rice’s inswinging corner.
Gabriel marked the goal with a cheeky celebration as he mimicked the eye-covering gesture used by Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres when he scores.
That inflammatory gesture briefly woke Sporting from their slumber and Inacio reduced the deficit two minutes after halftime.
Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori went to sleep at a corner and Inacio took advantage to volley past Raya from close range.
Sporting needed another goal quickly to put Arsenal under genuine pressure, but instead it was the visitors who struck again in the 65th minute.
Ousmane Diomande’s lunge tripped Martin Odegaard in the area and Saka drilled his penalty into the corner of the net.
Trossard put the seal on Arsenal’s demolition job in the 82nd minute, nodding home after Israel spilt Mikel Merino’s shot.
BAYERN BEST 10-MAN PSG
A first-half header from Kim Min-jae guided Bayern Munich to a 1-0 home win over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, damaging the French side’s hopes of progressing in the Champions League.
The centre-back scored after an error from PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov, starting ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma, who spilt the ball into Kim’s path.
The South Korean’s effort was enough to decide the rematch of the 2020 Champions League final — won by Bayern by the same scoreline — and all but extinguishes PSG’s hopes of a top-eight finish and avoiding the playoff round.
Ousmane Dembele picked up a second yellow for an unnecessary challenge with half an hour remaining, with Bayern successfully shutting up shop as a result.
“It was an extremely intense game,” Leon Goretzka said to Amazon Prime. “You could see in the starting XI they were going to try and hold onto the ball and to test us with their pressing — and we pushed to the end and it’s nice we could be rewarded.” With just three games remaining, even making the knockouts is not a given for the French champions, who are in 26th spot — two outside the playoff placings.
PSG host Manchester City in January along with facing tricky away trips to Red Bull Salzburg and Stuttgart.
Bayern’s top-eight hopes look rosier after the win, which extended their run of clean sheets to seven straight games in all competitions.
Bayern now sit 11th and take on relative European minnows Shakhtar Donetsk, Feyenoord and Slovan Bratislava in their remaining games.
Both sides came into the game unbeaten and six points clear in their domestic leagues but in dire need of points in Europe.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian defender #05 Marquinhos (L) and Paris Saint-Germain’s Portuguese midfielder #87 Joao Neves react after losing the UEFA Champions League, League phase – Matchday 5, football match between FC Bayern Munich Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Munich, southern Germany, on November 26, 2024. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)Source: AFP
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany opted for the speed of Leroy Sane over the creativity of France winger Michael Olise up front.
PSG boss Luis Enrique made five changes to his side but most notable was his decision to stick with goalkeeper Safonov, rather than Donnarumma, who had played all but one Champions League game this season.
Luis Enrique defended his call before the game, telling reporters: “I make my choices based on what I see on the pitch and what’s best for the team.” The decision appeared to pay off early, with Safonov responsible for good saves from Jamal Musiala and Sane inside the opening 12 minutes.
Kingsley Coman, the PSG academy product who scored the only goal in the 2020 final, almost broke the deadlock shortly afterwards, dribbling through five defenders and blasting just wide.
After PSG had a few opportunities of their own, including Joao Neves’ long-range effort whistling past the goalpost on 33 minutes, the Russian goalkeeper made a mistake which led directly to the opener.
Joshua Kimmich swung in a corner on the 38-minute mark which Safonov spilt. And Kim took advantage to power a header into the net for the first Champions League goal of his career.
Bayern were happy to let the game come to them in the second half but Dembele’s second yellow — his first had come for dissent — took the steam out of PSG’s hopes of a comeback.
Tillies already eyeing Asian Cup | 00:54
BARCELONA HIT BREST FOR THREE
Robert Lewandowski scored his 100th Champions League goal as Barcelona beat Brest 3-0 to climb provisionally second in the Champions League group standings on Tuesday.
The veteran striker slotted home from the spot in the 10th minute to fire the Catalans ahead and reach his milestone, adding a second late on after Dani Olmo’s goal to inflict the French side’s first defeat.
After dropping points in their last two outings in La Liga, coach Hansi Flick had urged his players to “eliminate” mistakes in their game and Barca produced a solid display.
They got off the mark quickly when Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot clumsily clattered into the back of Lewandowski after the forward controlled Pedri’s cross on his chest.
The striker dusted himself down and dispatched the penalty clinically to open the scoring after 10 minutes and bring up his century.
It made Lewandowski only the third player to reach that milestone in the competition, behind former Barcelona great Lionel Messi, on 129, and former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, with 140.
Under Flick, the forward’s form has improved significantly this season, reaching 22 goals in 19 appearances between La Liga and the Champions League.
The 36-year-old has made 125 Champions League appearances with Barcelona and before that German sides Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
“I am very happy, many years ago I did not think I could score more than 100 goals in the Champions League,” Lewandowski told Movistar.
“For me the most important thing is that we try to win every game, if I can score, then that’s the perfect solution.
“I don’t know how many games we have left before the end of the year but we have to win them all and rest over Christmas.” Barcelona were still without teenage star Lamine Yamal, recovering from an ankle problem, but Raphinha was busy on the right and the Catalans dominated proceedings.
They did not create many clear chances though until Fermin Lopez forced a fine save from Bizot with a diving header.
The Dutch goalkeeper made amends for his earlier mistake by denying the Spaniard with his leg.
Pedri and Gavi of FC Barcelona smile following the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between FC Barcelona and Stade Brestois 29 at Estadi Olympic Lluis Companys on November 26, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Lopez again came close early in the second half when Lewandowski put him in with a neat flick but Bizot was alert to save his low effort.
Playmaker Olmo had an effort scrambled off the line by Brendan Chardonnet as Barcelona sought to put the game to bed.
The former RB Leipzig midfielder eventually grabbed the second in the 66th minute when he received Gerard Martin’s pass in the box, showing some nifty footwork to dodge Chardonnet and beat Bizot at the near post.
Brest thumped RB Salzburg 4-0 and had dropped just two points from their first four matches despite sitting in mid-table in Ligue 1, but were brought down to earth at the Olympic Stadium.
Mathias Pereira Lage drilled home to momentarily delight nearly 3,000 travelling supporters but their joy was curtailed when the linesman raised his flag for off-side.
Barca substitute Pablo Torre should have netted Barcelona’s third when he intercepted a pass with just the goalkeeper to beat, but fired wide.
Instead the job fell to Lewandowski and he rolled home his 101st Champions League goal with aplomb, beyond Bizot’s outstretched arm.
Brest fall a few places down the table but their strong start to the campaign means they are well placed to secure at least a playoff spot, while Barcelona are aiming to reach the last 16 directly.
Flick’s side travel to last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund next, before visiting Benfica and hosting Atalanta.
Chelsea eased the scrutiny on manager Mauricio Pochettino as a 3-2 win over Newcastle on Monday propelled the Blues back into contention for European football next season.
Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk were on target for the home side at Stamford Bridge, with Palmer putting in another stunning man of the match performance.
Chelsea remain in 11th but close to within four points of West Ham in seventh, which should at least secure a place in the Europa Conference League.
Newcastle’s 12th defeat of the season leaves the Magpies just one point better off than Chelsea in 10th.
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The pressure is also rising on Eddie Howe as Saudi-backed Newcastle have failed to build on finishing fourth last season to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.
Pochettino, though, was facing more open revolt from among his own support. Chelsea fans called for the Argentine’s dismissal during a 2-2 draw at Brentford last weekend.
The former Tottenham boss has suffered a difficult first season in charge, which included losing the League Cup final to a severely depleted Liverpool last month.
But there were promising signs for Pochettino as some of his much-criticised expensive young recruits showed glimpses of their potential.
Cole Palmer (L) and Enzo Fernandez celebrate.Source: Getty Images
Jackson is now up to 12 goals in his debut season as he cleverly flicked in Palmer’s shot after less than six minutes.
However, it was the story of Chelsea’s season that they failed to build on that flying start and allowed Newcastle to go onto control the rest of the first half.
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Cole Palmer added another man of the match performance to his incredible campaign.Source: Getty Images
The visitors were dealt an injury blow midway through the first period when Anthony Gordon was forced off.
But Alexander Isak produced a quality finish, fired low into the far corner, to bring Newcastle level two minutes before halftime.
The one new signing Chelsea have been able to rely on all season is Palmer and the England international restored his side’s lead in emphatic fashion just before the hour mark.
Palmer collected Enzo Fernandez’s pass, cut inside and unleashed a powerful effort for his 11th Premier League goal of the season.
Mudryk, by contrast, has been a constant frustration for a number of Chelsea managers since joining for £88 million ($113 million) just over a year ago.
City & Liverpool play out thrilling draw | 01:21
The Ukrainian had been on the pitch only five minutes when showed his blistering pace to burst through the heart of the Newcastle defence and turn in just his sixth goal in 46 Chelsea appearances.
Jacob Murphy’s rocket of a shot into the top corner set up a nervy finish for the hosts.
But it was too little, too late for the visitors in the latest disappointment of an underwhelming campaign.
The Dallas Mavericks held off a pesky Brooklyn Nets outfit 119-107 on Wednesday as the Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving tandem delivered in a 71-point statement.
Doncic and Irving were playing their 24th game of the season together in the Mavericks line-up, with the latter returning to Barclays Center for his first game since being traded to Dallas.
Irving put on a show for the Brooklyn fans as he scored a game-high 36 points to go with five assists and two steals while Doncic had 35 points, 18 rebounds, nine assists and two steals.
Elsewhere, Australian Josh Green continued his strong start to the month with 12 points and three assists, now averaging 17.5 points in February while shooting 53.5 per cent from downtown.
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On the other side of the floor Ben Simmons was solid for Brooklyn as he threatened a triple-double, finishing with nine points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Simmons was also able to get to the free throw line for just the third time this season, with six attempts in 243 minutes which averages out to around one every 40 minutes.
“That has to change,” former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy said in commentary.
It was a decent performance all-round from Simmons though given Brooklyn struggled to get its transition game going where the Australian thrives most.
The Nets entered Wednesday’s game attempting the sixth-most 3-pointers in the league and were quick to set up a deep look as Spencer Dinwiddie missed on the first shot of the night.
It took five shots from both teams for Irving to bring up the opening points of the game after active defence from Green helped force a steal for Doncic, who found his running mate for the score.
Simmons, playing on Wednesday after missing the first game of Brooklyn’s back-to-back due to injury maintenance, had an immediate impact as he recorded two quick assists.
The first came as he worked towards the paint and kicked it out to an open Mikal Bridges for the 3-pointer before later finding a cutting Nic Claxton inside, with the Nets big man drawing the foul.
Simmons had a few other nice moments, first earning an extra possession for Brooklyn as he hurled a ball that seemed destined to go out of bounds at Maxi Kleber.
Ben Simmons was solid for Brooklyn. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
The Australian then found Bridges for an easy bucket with a pinpoint inbounds pass before being substituted out of the game with 6:56 left in the first quarter.
Dallas led 14-9 at that point, with Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn calling a timeout after Cam Thomas was blocked on a tough shot by Doncic before Irving finished it off with a 3-pointer on the other end.
It capped off a slow start to Wednesday’s game for Thomas, who was 0-for-4 from the floor at that point having attempted a few too many low percentage shots.
Brooklyn, as a whole, meanwhile was 1-for-7 from deep when that timeout was called.
The Mavericks were coming off a 118-102 win over the 76ers which was particularly impressive given Luka Doncic only scored 19 points and had three assists.
Only, of course, saying more about just how good Doncic has been this season and just how reliant the Mavericks have often been on his production for wins (see his 73 points against Atlanta).
The Slovenian superstar was double-teamed quite regularly in that game against the Hawks and the Nets put two defenders on him early but were still punished as Doncic rose above for a 3-pointer.
LeBron stars as Lakers down Knicks | 01:18
Doncic finished the first quarter with nine points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and a block as his mere presence alone opened up looks for teammates.
The Mavericks had a 31-24 lead with Irving also on nine points and the former Nets guard kept that rolling into the second, scoring seven of Dallas’ first nine points to open the period.
By the time Doncic had re-entered the game the Mavericks were in total control and had pushed their lead out to 52-36.
The Nets answered back with their best sequence of the game at that point as a Simmons rebound quickly led to a dunk for Claxton after an outlet pass from the Australian to Bridges.
However, another play just before reinforced just how stagnant Brooklyn’s offence can get with Simmons and Claxton on the court together when the pair aren’t spaced out by shooters.
The Nets never really threatened to close the gap in the second quarter as the Mavericks took a 65-47 buffer into halftime, with Irving and Doncic combining for 36 of their points.
Dallas, who came into Wednesday’s game making and attempting the second-most 3-pointers in the league, shot 55 per cent from deep in the opening half (11-for-20).
The Nets, on the other hand, only made five of 16 and found themselves in an even bigger hole just 45 seconds into the third quarter as the Mavs pushed their lead out to 70-47.
It came after a defensive breakdown saw Green make an easy layup before Irving drained a 3-pointer, prompting a quick timeout from Vaughn.
The Nets were able to reduce the deficit to 16 on a few occasions, with Simmons scoring four quick points in the space of 30 seconds as he connected with Claxton in transition after a putback on the earlier possession.
Simmons then drew a foul soon after to bring up a pair of free throws, making one as Brooklyn trailed 76-59 with 6:42 left in the third quarter at that point.
Brooklyn was able to chip away at Dallas’ lead and eventually got within single figures before Irving and Doncic took over late to finish the third in emphatic fashion, extending the buffer to 95-77.
Luka Doncic was hard to stop. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
Doncic alone had three rebounds and six points in the final 75 seconds of the quarter, putting an exclamation mark on the period with a ridiculous 35-foot pullup jumper.
The Nets opened the fourth with two quick 3-pointers before Simmons answered an Irving jump shot with an alley oop dunk to keep it at a 12-point difference early.
Just as Dallas looked set to pull away Brooklyn hit right back, getting within nine points once more as rookie Jalen Wilson hit a 3-pointer with eight minutes left to force a Mavs timeout.
That proved a common theme for the remainder of the fourth quarter as the Nets kept in touch but were unable to get it to a one-possession game, with Doncic and Irving coming up clutch to ice the win for Dallas.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson was given plenty of food for thought after his side’s 1-0 victory over France in Australia’s final tune-up clash ahead of the Women’s World Cup.
Mary Fowler’s second-half strike was all that separated the two sides in an end-to-end contest played in front of a record crowd of 50,629 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.
Crucially, Fowler’s goal came at a time when neither of the Matildas’ star strike duo of Caitlin Foord and Sam Kerr was on the park.
A clean sheet from a defensive pairing playing alongside one another for the first time has also given Gustavsson a good problem to have, as he faces leaving a veteran out of the line-up.
Fans also got a glimpse as to how Gustavsson’s “in your face” brand of football will look throughout the World Cup and it certainly had its moments of success.
Foxsports.com.au analyses the key takeaways from the Matildas’ victory over France in Talking Points!
HOW DEFENSIVE DUO HAVE GIVEN GUSTAVSSON MAJOR HEADACHE
Prior to the match, Clare Hunt had just five caps to her name and Alanna Kennedy was making her Matildas return after a 314-day absence due to injury.
But Gustavsson elected to name the two as his starting centre backs for the France clash, as record-cap holder Clare Polkinghorne was left on the bench as she continues to recover from a lower leg injury.
Hunt got off to a shaky start when she coughed up possession in a dangerous position thanks to a heavy touch.
Yet that was the very few, if only lowlight from the 24-year-old.
She displayed plenty of poise when passing the ball out from the back or knocking it along the defensive line.
But, more importantly, she came up big with a number of goal-saving blocks and crucial clearances to keep France at bay en route to a morale-boosting clean sheet.
Speaking after the match to Channel 10, Kennedy was in awe of Hunt’s performance especially for how few international caps she has to her name.
“The confidence she has on the ball is unbelievable,” Kennedy said.
“She’s such a force off the ball as well.
“I said to her when she first came in, ‘Where have you been? We could have used you a long time ago!’
Hunt has proven herself at international level despite holding just six caps to her name. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP)Source: AFP
“But I’m glad she’s here now.”
As for Kennedy, her physical presence remained a trademark element of her game yet she was as cool as a cucumber on the ball.
Although she was forced off just shy of the 80th minute with what appeared to be cramp, it was an impressive showing from the towering defender considering how little football she had played in the 2022/23 season.
Polkinghorne came on in the dying minutes of the game to help see out the contest but given how comfortable Hunt and Kennedy looked together, could the 156-cap veteran find herself out of the team for the World Cup?
Granted, Polkinghorne is carrying an injury and may not be fully fit, so keeping her minutes regulated and not forcing her to play more than she needs could be Gustavsson’s main plan of action.
But defensive partnerships are so crucial and should Hunt and Kennedy be named as the starting duo against Ireland, disrupting their rhythm by reintroducing Polkinghorne could be detrimental.
Kennedy was as dominant as ever in the air. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP)Source: AFP
BURNING KERR QUESTION ANSWERED IN EMPHATIC FASHION
Once Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord were substituted off, many fans likely would have felt the Matildas’ goalscoring chances had gone with them.
The formidable duo combined well in the first half and had their chances, but couldn’t quite find the killer final pass.
Kerr and Foord’s departure resulted in a reshuffle as Hayley Raso, who had spent the game on the right wing, moved up top.
Mary Fowler, who came on at halftime in place of left winger Cortnee Vine, moved into a more central role while Tameka Yallop went out to the left.
Kyra Cooney-Cross was shuffled out of central midfield onto the right wing while Emily van Egmond came on and slotted straight into the gap left by Cooney-Cross.
Yet three of those involved in the in-game changes combined perfectly for the opener.
Fowler celebrates after scoring. Photo by Michael Klein.Source: News Corp Australia
Cooney-Cross found space on the right and played in Raso, who had found space further ahead.
She beat her marker before cutting the ball back for Fowler who made a perfectly-timed run into the box and coolly slotted home for the only goal of the game.
It was a beautifully-executed move and proved to everyone that although Kerr is where most of our hopes lie, we can still score without her on the park.
Former Matilda Elise Kellond-Knight remarked how the unusual deployment of Raso up front highlighted just how versatile this team can be and the danger it now poses for our World Cup rivals.
“I think the most promising thing was we saw this goal in the 66th minute, it came after changes,” Kellond-Knight said.
“We found a way to be a threat without Sam Kerr. I think that has always been something we’ve questioned and we’ve shown that the team is able to do that.
“Having Hayley as a No. 9 was unusual for us all, we haven’t seen it before but it’s obviously paid off.”
Raso was equally adept as a striker as she was on the right wing. (Photo by Mackenzie Sweetnam/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
RAPID TRANSITIONS ARE THE WAY FORWARD
With speedsters like Hayley Raso and Cortnee Vine on the wing, Gustavsson knows the threat his team possesses on the counter attack.
That tactic was on display for all to see as the rapid Vine was often used as an outlet with her teammates knocking the ball into the left corner of the field for her to chase and stretch the game.
Raso tended to link up with the play a little more but still provided that counterattacking threat that had French defenders alert to the danger and happy to stay at home.
Although Vine was industrious, her final touch in the box did let her down at times and had she been more ruthless could have even had a goal.
Aside from the wingers, Foord and Kerr also were lethal in transition.
Foord would often drop back into almost an attacking midfield role to pick up the ball, turn and then drive at the heart of the French backline.
While Foord had the ball at her feet, Kerr would look to peel off on the left and make a run in behind.
Kerr was perhaps a little guilty of straying too far wide and ended up playing in more crosses from the left edge when she would have preferred to be the fox in the box looking to bury the ball into the back of the net.
Regardless, it showed that the chances will come in transition play for the Matildas and their Group B rivals must be on red alert if they turn the ball over.
The Denver Nuggets are one game away from their first NBA championship after taking Game 4 of the NBA Finals, defeating the Heat 108-95 in Miami on Saturday [AEST].
So much of Denver’s success has been a product of the Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray two-man game, with the pair making history in the Nuggets’ 109-94 win in Game 4.
On Saturday though, while Jokic and Murray certainly had their share of shining moments, it wasn’t just Denver’s superstar duo who helped put the Nuggets on the brink of glory.
Rather, Aaron Gordon — the team’s unsung hero all season long — stood tall after a dominant Game 1 showing to lift on both ends of the floor.
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Aaron Gordon stepped up. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
Gordon (27 points, six rebounds, six assists) was at his aggressive best on Saturday, with strong finishes over defenders and even a masterful pass to set up a Murray layup.
“Aaron did it all for us tonight,” coach Michael Malone said post-game.
“We’ve seen that now in four games in the NBA Finals where Aaron has had moments where he has carried us offensively. I couldn’t be more proud of Aaron and his impact across the board tonight.
“… He brought his hard hat. He was a warrior.”
Murray was coming off a 34-point triple-double against the Heat in Game 3 but wasn’t able to get into his usual shooting rhythm, forced into tough shots as he went 5-for-17 from the field.
Murray was at his playmaking best though, becoming the first player in history to record 10-plus assists in his first four NBA Finals games as he finished with 12 in Game 4.
His shooting struggles though made Gordon’s contributions on the offensive end particularly important in further proof of just how much of a success that aggressive trade with Orlando back in 2021 has been.
Malone was especially complimentary of Gordon after Denver’s Game 1 win, describing him as “truly selfless” in taking on whatever role is best for the team.
“We always talk about Nikola embodying Nuggets culture, and I think Aaron Gordon is a prime example of somebody who’s truly selfless,” Malone said.
“He understood with Jamal and Michael coming back this year being healthy that his role was going to change. He never once fought it.
“He’s embraced it from day one of the season and gone out there, whether it’s guarding Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and now obviously guarding a guy like Jimmy Butler.
“He does a lot of the dirty work for us, and a lot of times he doesn’t get the credit that he deserves.”
Gordon was at his aggressive best. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Gordon though will certainly get plenty of credit for his role in Denver’s title run should it close out the series with a win in Game 5 as the Nuggets travel back home.
Bruce Brown also came up clutch for Denver in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 points and finishing the game with 21 to silence the Miami crowd.
“He has absolutely delivered when they needed him most,” Jeff Van Gundy said in commentary.
“He’s just given them great production.”
Miami though can take some confidence from its Game 2 victory against Denver, where it inflicted a first home defeat of the playoffs on the Nuggets to level the NBA Finals.
The Heat will need better production from starters Gabe Vincent and Max Strus for that to happen, with the pair combining for just two points in Saturday’s loss.
Jimmy Butler, meanwhile, has not had a vintage Finals performance yet even though he was solid on Saturday with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Bam Adebayo was also a force on both ends (20 points, 11 rebounds) while Kevin Love (12 points), Duncan Robinson (12 points) and Kyle Lowry (13 points) had some crucial shots.
In the end though it wasn’t enough as the Nuggets held on to win their third game of the series.
It was a particularly impressive win for Denver considering Jokic appeared to twist his ankle on an offensive rebound in the first quarter in an early injury scare.
While the Nuggets superstar stayed in the game, he didn’t seem to be moving as confidently at times.
It didn’t seem to matter much though as Denver jumped out to a 18-11 lead on the back of a strong defensive showing early in Saturday’s game as Miami struggled from deep.
The Heat’s 3-point shooting has often been a barometer for their success and early on Miami just couldn’t find its rhythm, going 1-for-7 in the opening 11 minutes.
That was before Lowry and Butler each drained a clutch 3-pointer in the final moments of the quarter to see Miami take a 21-20 lead.
Elsewhere, Michael Porter Jr. continued his offensive struggles after going 0-for-4 from the field in the first quarter and visibly looking down on confidence.
Michael Porter Jr. has been down on confidence. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
But what would have pleased coach Michael Malone was how Porter Jr. was aggressively attacking the rim and fighting for rebounds, finding other ways to make an impact.
Jokic went to the locker room and was out of the game to open the second quarter as he tested out his ankle, later returning to the court after loosening up.
By that point the game was tied up at 30-all, with Gordon scoring Denver’s first eight points of the quarter to help the Nuggets keep up with a Miami team that was starting to catch fire.
Jokic certainly didn’t look fazed by the ankle issue though, quickly draining a rainbow 3-pointer.
A few sloppy turnovers from Miami near the end of the second quarter got Denver’s transition offence going as the Nuggets pushed out to a 54-45 lead.
The Heat though closed out the half on a 6-1 run, with Adebayo hammering it home before Butler missed two late free throw attempts.
The Nuggets had struggled to finish off the first and second quarters but were locked in at the end of the third, pushing out to a 86-73 buffer to put the Heat on the ropes.
A controversial call early in the fourth though saw Jokic pick up his fifth personal foul, although coach Malone opted against challenging it as the two-time MVP went to the bench.
Things could have easily fallen apart for Denver at that point but instead the Nuggets stepped up on defence, answering Malone’s call before the game.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope came up with a critical strip on Butler that then ended with a Brown dunk on the other end as the Nuggets had a nine-point lead once Jokic re-entered the game.
That proved to be enough, with Brown heating up late too to make sure the Nuggets finished comfortable winners.
Manchester City won the title (again), two of the traditional ‘Big Six’ crashed and burned in emphatic fashion as three teams secured European football for the first time in at least 13 years.
We also had to wave goodbye to a former Premier League champion as a sleeping giant also slept-walked their way to the Championship.
There was a lot to love about the season at all ends of the table, but who stood out for all the right and wrong reasons?
Foxsports.com.au analysed EVERY team’s season in the annual Premier League Report Card!
Five league crowns in six seasons: Pep Guardiola’s City side are well and truly a Premier League dynasty. And they’re not done yet, with an FA Cup final and Champions League final still to play and a historic treble up for grabs.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Pep’s men, giving the Gunners a huge lead in the Premier League race before hunting them down at the death. But when the pressure was on, City delivered the kind of faultless winning streak that has characterised their dominance of the English game in recent years.
Erling Haaland scored goals for fun in the greatest debut season in Premier League history – scoring a record 36 league goals at the tender age of just 22.
His price tag of £51.2m seems farcically good value, especially given the expenditure of some of City’s rivals this season. But he’s not the only bargain City snared – with centre-back Manuel Akanji’s £15m fee a bargain-basement price.
Indeed, City even made an estimated £50m transfer profit this year, thanks to big sales like Raheem Sterling to Chelsea, and Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal.
City remain a class above their opposition.
Manchester City defended their Premier League crown. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
2. Arsenal
Grade: A
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has overseen gradual improvements from his team ever since he returned to the club, but no-one could have seen the Gunners mount a serious title challenge this season.
The Gunners were top of the table for all but eight rounds this season but couldn’t quite hold on to their position as the inevitable Manchester City leapfrogged them in the closing weeks.
Although the end of the campaign is tinged with sadness given what could have been, it’s been a tremendous season.
Arteta’s side blew every pre-season expectation of the water with their final ladder position as the plaudits never stopped rolling in for one of the youngest teams in the Premier League.
Most pleasing was the emergence of 21-year-old winger Bukayo Saka.
The Englishman, operating on the right flank, tore opposition back lines apart time and time again and finished with 14 goals as well as 11 assists.
Another star who matured rapidly was Martin Odegaard.
The Norwegian was handed the skipper’s armband at the start of the season and finished joint-top scorer for the Gunners with 15 and provided seven assists.
Although the Gunners wobbled with three wins in their last nine, it should not be how their season is remembered.
With a return to the Champions League secured, there’s no ceiling in sight for this fresh-faced Gunners squad in the near future.
Arteta has got Arsenal back in the Champions League. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
3. Manchester Utd
Grade: A-
Talk about a change in mood.
Manchester United’s season began in a dark, gloomy corner of a room as they lost 2-1 at home to Brighton on the opening day, only to follow that up with an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Brentford six days later.
After two games, the Red Devils were rock bottom of the ladder as the excitement surrounding Erik ten Hag’s appointment rapidly dissipated.
But the hard-nosed Dutchman quickly turned their fortunes around, as some big wins over the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal got their season back on track.
Despite the surge up the ladder, a Cristiano Ronaldo-sized storm was brewing in the background and exploded during the mid-season World Cup break.
The Portuguese superstar left no stone unturned in a revealing interview with Piers Morgan which forced the club to part ways with their former prodigal son.
Perhaps United have Morgan to thank for that interview because once Ronaldo waved goodbye to Old Trafford and said hello to Saudi Arabia, the Red Devils’ fortunes changed dramatically.
Marcus Rashford went on a run of 10 league goals in as many games, with one of those proving to be the winner in a heated Manchester derby victory.
Ten Hag also helped United end their wait for a trophy as he oversaw a victory over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final.
Eight wins in their last 11 games ensured a third-place finish for the Red Devils and a return to the Champions League
Summer signings Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez proved to be absolute masterstrokes as they were vital to United’s season, but it was the resurgence of Rashford that was most impressive.
The forward looked like a man reborn under Ten Hag and, if he can continue such form next season, United could be a serious title contender.
Marcus Rashford was a player transformed under Erik ten Hag. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
4. Newcastle
Grade: A
In the space of two seasons, Newcastle United fans have gone from fearing Championship away days to dreaming of Champions League trips to Madrid and Paris.
Toon boss Eddie Howe has overseen a stunning turnaround at the club in which they finished in the top four and made it to a cup final.
The club recruited wisely in the summer with the arrivals of Sven Botman, Nick Pope and Alexander Isak to name three.
But Howe’s remarkable ability to take some of Newcastle’s existing players to new levels that made them almost feel like new signings.
Joelinton, a £40m laughing stock of a striker, has transformed into a barnstorming midfielder while Callum Wilson smashed in 18 league goals and earned an England recall.
The Magpies’ backline proved to be the equal-best in the competition alongside Manchester City, conceding a measly 33 goals all season.
Yet Howe’s side were all-action in attack with 68 goals scored to give them the third-best goal differential.
Perhaps the best example of Newcastle’s ruthlessness going forward arrived during their 6-1 victory over Tottenham in which Howe’s side scored five in the first 21 minutes.
With Champions League football secured, there’s expectation Newcastle will once again make bigger waves in the transfer market.
But this season has proven Howe’s side will be a force to be reckoned with going forward in a major warning sign to the Premier League’s elite.
Newcastle have returned to the Champions League after two decades away. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
5. Liverpool
Grade: D
In a parallel universe, Liverpool sign Darwin Nunez and address their pressing need for a midfield refresh as they mount yet another title challenge.
Instead, the Reds did snap up Nunez from Benfica, but failed to sign a new midfielder in what has since proven to be one of the biggest mistakes during Jurgen Klopp’s time in Liverpool.
Even then, Nunez was sent off in just his second Premier League game after Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen goaded him to the point where the Reds star felt compelled to headbutt his rival.
It was rather symbolic for Liverpool’s season, as they failed to find much of a rhythm, if at all, until it was far too late.
Granted, crippling injury issues hampered the Reds’ campaign as talismanic winger Mohamed Salah came to grips with life without Sadio Mane on the left flank.
But the critics who pointed to Klopp’s infamous seventh season syndrome were vindicated as Liverpool slumped to their lowest points total in seven years amid embarrassing defeats to the likes of Nottingham Forest, Leeds and Bournemouth.
Although the Reds were unbeaten in their last 11 games and won seven of those, it papered over a significant amount of cracks that surfaced in a season to forget but was somehow good enough to seal a Europa League spot.
A highlight of Liverpool’s season has certainly been the positional change of Trent Alexander-Arnold in the latter stages of the campaign, as his hybrid midfield and defensive role worked wonders.
Whether we see more of that next season remains to be seen, but if Liverpool fail to enact the midfield refresh it so desperately needs in the off-season, treacherous waters lie ahead in Merseyside.
It was a season to forget for Liverpool. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
6. Brighton
Grade: A+
The Seagulls soared this campaign, with sixth place guaranteeing them European football for the first time in the club’s history! But it’s how they achieved such a lofty finish that makes this season so impressive – racking up a huge net profit on transfers around £80m.
In the off-season, they sold Marc Cucurella to Chelsea for £56m and Yves Bissouma to Spurs for £25m among a raft of big-name departures, while Leandro Trossard left for Arsenal in January for £21m.
And yet, Brighton’s incredible scouting team did it again, landing affordable signings who soon established themselves in the Premier League. The biggest outlay was £15m for left-back Pervis Estupinan, for example!
Brighton faced all sorts of problems this season, from midfielder Enock Mwepu being forced to retire with a heart condition, to losing manager Graham Potter to Chelsea in September.
But in true Brighton fashion, they overcame the obstacles and somehow looked even stronger – new manager Roberto de Zerbi implemented a thrilling attacking style of play that delivered in spades: their 72 goals was more than Manchester United (58) and Newcastle (68), for example.
They’ll lose more big players this off-season, of course. But it’s been a season for the ages – bring on Europe next time around.
Kaoru Mitoma has emerged as one of the breakout stars this season. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
7. Aston Villa
Grade: A-
Aston Villa were hurtling towards a relegation fight at the speed of light, but in the corridors of Craven Cottage after an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Fulham, a call was made which put the club on the path to Europe.
Steven Gerrard was sacked immediately after the Fulham defeat on October 20 with Villa out of the relegation zone only on goal difference having lost six of their opening 12 games.
Villa’s top brass went out and replaced the Liverpool legend with Villarreal boss and serial Europa League winner Unai Emery.
What a masterstroke of a decision that turned out to be.
Emery won his first game in charge as Villa boss with a 3-1 victory over Manchester United and they never looked back.
Although the club had a brief wobble in February with losses to Leicester, Arsenal and Manchester City in which they leaked 11 goals, Emery got the team back on track.
Villa would go on to win 10 of their final 15 games of the season as they slowly climbed up the ladder to eventually finish in seventh and secure a spot in the Europa Conference League play-off round.
Emery’s remarkable attention to detail brought the best out of his troops as Ollie Watkins recorded a 15-goal haul while Tyrone Mings was a colossus at the back.
With more investment promised for the summer, it’s only upwards from here for the Midlands side.
“Hello, is that the Europa Conference League?” (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
8. Tottenham
Grade: C-
If you end the season on your third manager, it’s evident something has not gone right.
That’s exactly how Tottenham Hotspur’s season transpired as Antonio Conte departed in acrimonious circumstances and his assistant Cristian Stellini wasn’t far behind after an ill-fated four-game spell as interim boss.
It was a disaster of a season for Spurs, especially considering the pre-season expectations coming off a strong finish to the end of last-season boosted by the £50 million signing of Richarlison.
Instead, Heung-Min Son failed to recreate his magical form of last season, the defence was carved open time and time again while Spurs struggled to find any sort of attacking fluidity.
The burden fell squarely on the broad shoulders of talismanic striker Harry Kane who, to his credit, managed to end the season with a stunning tally of 30 goals.
Under Conte, Spurs battled to get into games and often found themselves behind on the scoresheet first.
The fiery Italian eventually blew his gasket when his side threw away a 3-1 lead against Southampton to draw 3-3 and delivered an explosive press conference where he gave some home truths.
His right-hand man Stellini tried and failed to galvanise the squad as the damage quickly became irreparable following a loss to Bournemouth and a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Newcastle.
Ryan Mason held down the fort as caretaker but there was precious little he could do as Spurs won just two of their final eight games to ultimately finish eighth and miss out on European football for the first time in 13 years.
It was certainly a season that Spurs fans will be desperate to forget.
Harry Kane was the only bright spot in an otherwise dull season for Tottenham. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
9. Brentford
Grade: A
What a season for the Bees. They avoided the typical ‘sophomore slump’ that afflicts teams in their second season after promotion, and indeed moved up from 13th to ninth. Behind that rise was an improved ability to scrape points from tough positions, turning losses into draws – after seven draws and 18 losses last year, this season they picked up 14 draws and just nine defeats. Their impressive year was capped off by doing the double over champions Man City.
The Bees were very well-drilled in defence and surprisingly prolific in attack thanks in large part to the rise of Ivan Toney (20 goals in 33) – before his eight month ban due to betting breaches.
Centre-back Ben Mee, signed on a free transfer from Burnley, played like a man transformed, while David Raya was one of the Premier League’s standout keepers.
Moving forward, the big hope for Aussie fans is that young winger Lachlan Brook, who spent this year on loan to League Two side Crewe Alexandra, can earn a shot at a Premier League debut next year.
Brentford avoided the famous second-season slump. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
10. Fulham
Grade: B
After several years of bouncing between the Premier League and the Championship to earn the unfortunate tag of being a ‘yoyo club’, Fulham finally enjoyed a season of consolidation.
Given their history of successive promotions and relegations, pundits could be forgiven for tipping Fulham to go straight back down.
However, the Cottagers looked anything but relegation fodder under the tutelage of Marco Silva.
Star forward Aleksandar Mitrovic picked up right where he left off from the Championship, scoring six goals in Fulham’s opening eight games to have the London side as high as sixth.
Fulham also returned from the World Cup break in scintillating fashion, winning four on the bounce including a 2-1 triumph over local rivals Chelsea.
In fact, Silva’s side went into March sitting pretty in sixth spot on the table.
But from that moment onwards, the Cottagers slid further and further down.
Seven losses from their next nine games dropped Fulham down to 10th as their rivals passed them by, a position they would ultimately finish the season in.
Mitrovic, a notoriously feisty figure, was also handed an eight-game suspension for pushing the referee during Fulham’s FA Cup loss against Manchester United on March 19.
He ended the season with 14 goals while Fulham’s next top scorer was shared between 34-year-old winger Willian and back-up striker Carlos Vinicius with five.
Although Fulham’s season ended in disappointing fashion, they stayed up with plenty of breathing room.
That in itself should be considered a cracking season.
Mitrovic scored 14 goals for Fulham. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
11. Crystal Palace
Grade: C+
Crystal Palace proved that sometimes going back to your ex can actually be a good thing.
Expectations for the Eagles were high given how impressive they looked under Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira last season.
With a young core of Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Cheick Doucoure coupled with the presence of talismanic winger Wilfried Zaha, Palace looked set to light up the league.
However, it never quite clicked for Palace.
After beating Aston Villa 3-1 in August, Vieira’s side failed to score more than two goals up until the Frenchman’s sacking in March.
The decision was made after Palace had gone on a 12-game winless run in which they scored a measly five goals and were at serious risk of being dragged into the relegation dogfight.
So, who better than to steer you to safety than your old flame, Roy Hodgson?
The former England boss (remember that?) came in on March 21 and immediately lifted the mood at the club both on and off the pitch.
Palace’s first game under Hodgson in his brief spell was a 2-1 win over Leicester City, before they smashed five past Leeds in the next game.
From Hodgson’s 10 games in charge, Palace went on to win five of those and lose only two as they secured an 11th place finish.
Eze took his game to a new level under Hodgson and finished as the club’s top scorer with 10 which ultimately earned him an England call-up.
At 75 years of age, it remains to be seen if Hodgson is Palace’s long term option in the Selhurst Park dugout.
But if this is his final act at his boyhood club, what a way to bow out.
Eberechi Eze was Palace’s top scorer. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
12. Chelsea
Grade: F
It’s hard to express just how woeful the Blues have been this year.
Expectations were high after a multibillion-dollar takeover in pre-season from a consortium led by American Todd Boehly. And when he splashed the cash in both transfer windows, a record-breaking 600 million pounds in total, those expectations only rose.
But money can’t buy happiness, and their scattergun approach to transfers resulted in a hodgepodge, bloated squad where some players were unable to even be registered for the Champions League or Premier League.
Many of the big-money signings have failed to live up to expectations – and it’s been a similarly ugly season for managers.
Thomas Tuchel was bundled out in short order after clashing with the new ownership. Graham Potter didn’t fare any better, being dumped out in the early rounds of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup before being axed in early April. Frank Lampard, brought back as an interim boss, couldn’t prevent them from their worst-ever points haul. New manager Mauricio Pochettino has an extremely tough task on his hands.
Despite spending the big bucks, Chelsea finished in the lower half of the table. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
13. Wolves
Grade: C-
Death, taxes and Wolves struggling to score goals.
It’s been an issue that plagued the club last season and it reared its ugly head again, with the Black Country club scoring the fewest goals of anyone this season with 31.
The honour for the club’s top scorer was shared between star midfielder Ruben Neves and Daniel Podence, who both scored six league goals.
Bruno Lage began the season as Wolves coach but lasted just eight league games as the atmosphere turned poisonous, with the club scoring three goals in that space.
The club attempted to bring in Michael Beale, who was managing Queens Park Rangers at the time, but he elected to stay in London as Wolves were left flailing under the caretaker management of Steve Davis.
At the World Cup break, Wolves were in last place with only eight goals scored all season long.
Enter Julen Lopetegui.
The former Spain boss immediately turned the ship around at Molineux, winning four of his first seven league games as the club slowly pulled away from the relegation zone and into the comfort of the mid-table peloton.
Although there was some inconsistency towards the end, Premier League safety was secured which means a job well done by Lopetegui.
Wolves fans will hope he teaches his players how to find the back of the net with more regularity in the summer.
Julen Lopetegui guided Wolves to safety. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
14. West Ham
Grade: D+
If you look at the Premier League in isolation, it’s been a thoroughly disappointing season for the Hammers. Having finished sixth and seventh in the two seasons prior (respectively), this year’s 14th represented a significant drop-off. They won five fewer games, with the biggest issue a misfiring attack that managed just 42 goals. That came despite splashing £35.5m on striker Gianluca Scamacca from Serie A, who managed just three goals in 16 league appearances in a disappointing and injury-hit debut campaign. The towering 24-year-old now seems likely to depart. In fact, West Ham had the fourth-highest net transfer spend in the Premier League (per Transfermarkt) with €172.45m.
There were promising signs from a number of the signings, and most are still coming into the best years of their career. Meanwhile, the Hammers again enjoyed a strong season in Europe, reaching the final of the third-level Europa Conference League. They’ll face Fiorentina on June 8 AEST in the club’s first European final since 1976.
Win, and their difficult league campaign will largely be forgotten – and they’ll earn qualification to the Europa League next year, to boot.
Lose, and there’s no more excuses for a very underwhelming campaign. And that’s without even mentioning the seemingly inevitable sale of superstar midfielder Declan Rice.
Declan Rice could have played his last season for the Hammers. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
15. Bournemouth
Grade: B+
Before the season started, expectations were low for the promoted club. Manager Scott Parker publicly raged at the ownership and board in the opening weeks, labelling his squad “ill-equipped at this level” – and to be fair, he was right.
And when the Cherries copped bruising defeats to Man City (4-0), Arsenal (3-0) and Liverpool (9-0), Parker was the first manager out the door.
That was just the start of a rollercoaster season. They immediately went on a six-game unbeaten run – then by January, they were back in the relegation zone.
From being dead last after 25 games (early March) – they then went on a stunning run, winning six of their next nine games. It secured their survival comfortably, despite losing their final four games of the campaign. Gary O’Neil’s turnaround of a struggling side – and crucially, the ownership change in December that ensured cash was available for January signings – delivered one of the stories of the season.
Dominic Solanke was pivotal to keeping the Cherries up. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
16. Nottingham Forest
Grade: B
Nottingham Forest were back in the English top flight and boy, did they have some new faces in the squad.
The Reds signed over 30 players over the course of the season, but it was made out of necessity given the bare bones nature of the team before the season.
It was an approach fraught with risk but with Steve Cooper at the helm, Forest fans had every reason to dream.
Yet those dreams soon became nightmares as Cooper quickly shot to the front of the sack race with Forest losing seven of their first 10 games to sit rock bottom of the ladder.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis, a figure who usually pulls the trigger, made the brave decision to stick with Cooper rather than twist.
It was a call that paid dividends.
Forest went on to record a famous win over Liverpool and enjoyed strong form at the start of the year, winning three and drawing two to move as high as 13th on the ladder.
But the dark clouds from the start of the season would quickly return as the Reds went 11 games without a win, losing eight in that same stretch.
Surely Marinakis would run out of patience with Cooper, especially given the carefree nature of managerial sackings this season?
Wrong.
The Greek boss came out in support of the embattled Cooper and it proved to be a masterstroke.
Forest won three of their last six, including wins over high-flying Brighton and Arsenal, to secure safety with a handful of games to spare.
Although some teams have been vindicated in their decisions to sack managers, Forest are a prime example of what can happen when you back the man in charge.
Considering how many new players he had to bed into the squad and his style of play, Cooper deserves to be in the conversation for manager of the year.
However, the Reds must address their worrying away form throughout the season as they won just once and scored 11 goals on their Premier League travels.
Forest signed over 30 players but somehow managed to survive. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
17. Everton
Grade: D
After escaping relegation last season with one game to spare, Everton simply had to improve this year. They didn’t. If anything, they managed to get worse. They won three fewer games and ended up on a measly 36 points, three fewer than last year! The only reason they survived the drop – besides a stunning Abdoulaye Doucoure goal on the final day – was because as bad as the Toffees were, their rivals were somehow even worse.
For all their on-field struggles – and there were many – Everton’s problems largely stem from what’s happening off the field.
The club has been running at a significant loss under owner Farhad Moshiri: a £44.7m deficit in their most recent financial accounts (2021-22 season). The focus of the board, meanwhile, has been the building of a £500m new stadium on the banks of the River Mersey.
And this season, the Toffees were hit with charges from the Premier League over financial sustainability. The club denies the allegations.
Moshiri has been seeking investment in the club in the form of a minor shareholder – but his search has now stretched on for months. In the meantime, the Toffees have turned into a ‘selling club’. They sold last season’s top-scorer Richarlison to Tottenham for £60m, and doubled down in January by offloading talented youngster Anthony Gordon to Newcastle for £45m. They were one of just four Premier League teams to end the season with a positive net transfer spend – i.e. making more money from transfers than they spent.
Given their financial situation, survival might seem like enough. Given their history, the fans deserve much better.
Everton’s final-day win sparked a pitch invasion from joyous supporters. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
18. Leicester
Grade: F
Seven years after their Cinderella-like fairytale title, the Foxes are going down.
Given the squad at their disposal, they are too good to be in this sad position. Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, Kelechi Iheanacho – the attacking riches at their disposal were enviable. And goals flowed freely – their 51 scored was more than any team in the bottom half, and indeed level with seventh-placed Aston Villa’s tally! But without a capable defence, things fell apart.
The squad was gutted by departures before the season, and the funds just weren’t there to replace the outgoing stars – especially with the club’s bloated wage bill combined with the money already spent on plans for stadium development.
Harry Souttar’s Premier League dream has taken a momentary pause. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
19. Leeds
Grade: E
Three games into the season and things were looking rosy for Leeds.
Two wins from three games, including a 3-0 victory over Chelsea, had Elland Road bouncing once more after a summer in which they lost superstar duo Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips.
But that giddiness quickly gave way to anger and frustration.
Leeds went on to lose six of their next eight games to slide all the way down from third to 17th on the ladder.
Wins over Liverpool and Bournemouth bought the under-fire Jesse Marsch a brief respite going into the World Cup break, but it was business as usual upon the resumption of the season.
The wins dried up and Marsch (and Leeds fans, if we’re honest) was put out of his misery the day after a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on February 5.
Former Watford boss Javi Gracia was parachuted in to stop the rot and, to his credit, led the team to three wins.
Or, for the percentage enthusiasts, 43 per cent of Leeds’ total wins.
After a 2-1 win over Forest, Leeds shipped 11 goals in two games against Crystal Palace and Liverpool while only scoring twice.
Gracia’s caretaker position became untenable after an embarrassing 4-1 loss away to Bournemouth.
So, who better to call in to save your season with four games to go?
None other than big Sam Allardyce.
With a £2.5 million carrot awaiting him should he guide Leeds to safety, why wouldn’t the perennial Premier League firefighter take on a task most would have ran a mile from?
Well, that seven-figure payday will remain wishful thinking as Allardyce led the team to just a point from his four-game stint as Leeds were relegated after three seasons in the top flight.
Allardyce can’t be completely absolved of any blame, but many fingers must be pointed at Victor Orta, the club’s former sporting director who oversaw a summer spend on several unproven and young stars among other things.
It was nice having you back while it lasted, Leeds.
Leeds were relegated after three seasons back in the Premier League. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
20. Southampton
Grade: F
The less we write about the Saints, the better.
Three different managers tried to turn around the Titanic, but like that famous cautionary tale, the Saints are going down.
They were trounced 4-0 by Spurs on the opening day, which left them dead last. It’s a position they would became all too familiar with this season. From December 26 onwards, the Saints spent 22 of the final 23 rounds rooted to the bottom of the ladder. In the end, they finished with as many losses – 25 – as points.
That truly dismal record came despite managing to ward off strong interest in superstar midfielder James Ward-Prowse in pre-season. In fact, they went on a signing spree that saw them tally a net transfer spend of €138.2m – the eighth-highest spend in the division. Compare that to their relegated rivals: Leeds had a €31.1m net spend, while Leicester had a €33.4m net profit.
But the majority of Southampton’s signings were unproven youngsters – a high-risk gamble that flopped in cataclysmic fashion.
The Saints’ 11th-straight season in the league will be their last, and the looming exit of Ward-Prowse will be just the start of the painful days ahead.
If your pre-season Premier League predictions are still intact, you’re either a time-traveller, have ridiculous foresight or, well, you’re extremely lucky.
To date, this season has thrown up thrills and spills we could scarcely predict.
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An unexpected contender remains in pole position in the title race while another has crashed and burned in emphatic fashion.
There’s also a number of surprise packages jostling for the European spots against the heavyweights of the league.
Oh, and nine teams are scrapping it out in what’s proving to be a thrilling fight for survival.
The best part, though?
We’re not even finished with the season.
There’s as many as 13 to 10 games left for the teams between now and the end of the campaign, with plenty more twists and turns left to play out.
Foxsports.com.au breaks down the key scenarios in the Premier League State of Play!
Having finished in the top two in every season since 2017/18, it’s no surprise Manchester City are once again firmly in contention for a third-straight Premier League title, a feat not achieved since Manchester United’s three-peat in 2008/09.
A key element of City’s dominance is down to the mind-boggling form of Erling Haaland, who has scored 28 goals in 26 games.
The Norwegian has feasted on inch-perfect deliveries from his teammates, especially Kevin de Bruyne, who has provided a league-leading 12 assists and will want to break his own record of 20 assists in a season.
Despite Haaland’s freakish ability in front of goal and the overall prowess of the team, City are not in first place.
In fact they are eight points behind the league leaders, albeit they have a game in hand.
Sitting pretty at the summit of the Premier League is Arsenal, who are on track to win their first title since 2003/04.
In just his third full season as a manager, Mikel Arteta has got his side humming and have obliterated all pre-season expectations.
The brilliance of Gabriel Jesus up top has been complimented by the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli on the wings as well as skipper Martin Odegaard pulling the strings in the midfield.
A steely backline has also been pivotal to the Gunners’ remarkable season, conceding just 26 goals; the third-lowest figure in the league.
Mikel Arteta has Arsenal within touching distance of a first Premier League title since 2004. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
Crucially for the Gunners, they no longer have to divert any focus to a European or domestic cup competition, allowing them to solely concentrate on giving everything to win the league.
As for City, they are still in the hunt for the FA Cup and the Champions League, with the latter a trophy that remains a key objective.
When it comes to analysing both team’s final fixtures for the season, they are remarkably similar.
Arsenal and City face six of the same opponents in that very run: Southampton, West Ham United, Brighton, Liverpool, Chelsea and Leeds United.
Yet all eyes will be on April 26 when the Gunners travel to the Etihad to take on City in a game which holds monumental implications.
Should the Gunners win, it would just about clinch the title providing the points gap remains the same going into the fixture.
But if City secure the three points, it could swing momentum firmly in favour of Guardiola’s side with five fixtures to play.
Arsenal and Manchester City are the leading contenders in the title race. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
THE SIX-WAY TUSSLE TO JOIN EUROPE’S ELITE
With Arsenal and Manchester City unofficially assured of a Champions League spot next season, the hunt is firmly on for teams to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition.
At present, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are in the driver’s seat to compete in the Champions League, with the Red Devils in third on 50 points and Spurs in fourth on 49.
One aspect in United’s favour is their two-game buffer over Spurs, meaning they could be seven points clear of the London outfit should they take maximum points from their games in hand.
Spurs are also nervously looking over their shoulder at Newcastle United, who lie one spot behind and are on 47 points.
However, like United, Eddie Howe’s side have two games in hand and could leapfrog Spurs.
Tottenham have also rolled the dice on its season as they fired Antonio Conte, an inevitable decision in the wake of his explosive press conference, and installed Cristian Stellini as the interim head coach in the hopes of steering the side into the final four yet again.
The move could ultimately prove to be a masterstroke, or it could unravel in ugly fashion.
Could Newcastle make it to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years? (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)Source: AFP
Also sniffing around the Champions League spots are Liverpool and the unlikely presence of Brighton.
Liverpool are in sixth with 42 points but have two games in hand, a disappointing return given many tipped the Reds to be competing for the title having come agonisingly close last year.
As for the Seagulls, they are equal on points and lie one spot behind but have the added bonus of three games in hand on Spurs.
Brentford have enjoyed a tremendous season but are unlikely to have enough juice to barge into the European spots as they are also on 42 points but only have one game in hand.
So, time for the all-important question: who’s going to finish in the final four outside of Arsenal and City?
The Red Devils have a 74 per cent chance of qualifying for the Champions League while Eddie Howe’s side have a 44 per cent chance.
As for their rivals, Liverpool sit at 29 per cent, Brighton at 26 per cent and Spurs — who already sit in fourth — are an alarming 25 per cent chance of qualifying.
Whether FiveThirtyEight’s predictions come true remains to be seen, but whichever way you want to look at it, it’s grim reading for Spurs fans.
Harry Kane will hope he can help cement Spurs in a top four spot come the season’s end. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
NINE TEAMS, FOUR POINTS: THE FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL
At last, at long last, we have a proper relegation race on our hands.
Four points is all that separates 20th-placed Southampton from 12th-placed Crystal Palace, with seven clubs sandwiched in between.
A whopping six of the bottom nine have all made a managerial change at some stage this season, with Southampton remarkably making two.
Only West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City elected to stick rather than twist when it came to their man in the dugout, but that isn’t to say David Moyes, Steve Cooper and Brendan Rodgers have been under immense pressure to keep their respective roles.
Over the course of the season, the bottom-half teams have constantly traded positions.
For instance, Wolves were rooted to the bottom of the table at Christmas with just two wins from 15 games, including nine defeats.
13 games later, the Midlands outfit has won five, drawn twice and lost six in a remarkable turnaround overseen by Julen Lopetegui that has the team sitting 13th.
Leeds United occupy 14th but already look a more assured and compact outfit under former Watford boss Javi Gracia since sacking Jesse Marsch.
Leeds have looked dead and buried at times this season but they now look likely to stay up. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Below Leeds is Everton, who have slowly climbed up the ladder after Sean Dyche took up the Goodison Park hot seat.
Going against the Toffees is their remaining games, with six of their final ten coming against teams in the top half.
In 16th is Forest, who have not won since February 6 and face an equally-daunting fixture list.
Of the 11 games Steve Cooper’s side have to play, six of those games are against teams in the top 10.
Such is the difficulty of games on the horizon, FiveThirtyEight has pegged Forest at a 56 per cent chance of being relegated despite being out of the bottom three.
Leicester, who won the FA Cup only two seasons ago, are one place above the relegation zone on 25 points but have lost four of their last five games.
Australians are certainly keeping a keen eye on the Foxes’ situation given the presence of a certain Harry Souttar at the back, with the towering defender expected to play a pivotal role in the run-in.
Harry Souttar will be doing all he can to help Leicester avoid the drop. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
On to the bottom three and it’s West Ham who sit 18th.
The Hammers would very much fit the bill of ‘too good to go down’, but, as history has shown, the drain into the Championship does not care how much money you spent or how deep you went in Europe.
In West Ham’s favour is their record of goals conceded, which is better than the likes of United and Spurs.
However, their inability to find the back of the net has proven fatal on several occasions, although Hammers fans hope the January signing of renowned Premier League marksman Danny Ings will solve that issue.
Bournemouth are next in 19th and hope to avoid a straight return to the Championship.
The Cherries have proven capable of pulling off shock results, beating Liverpool 1-0 on March 11 and were seconds away from a draw against Arsenal in the game prior.
However, FiveThirtyEight doesn’t believe Gary O’Neil’s side will have enough juice in the tank and have a 54 per cent chance of going down.
That leaves us with Southampton in last place.
In an attempt to survive, the Saints have churned through Ralph Hassenhuttl and Nathan Jones in the dugout, with rookie manager Ruben Selles tasked with doing his best to achieve safety.
However, the Spaniard — like his managerial counterparts at Everton and Forest — must lead his side into battle against six of the top ten, including games against title contenders City and Arsenal.
That’s why they have the greatest chance of going down, with FiveThirtyEight predicting a 68 per cent chance of relegation.
Southampton are rooted to the bottom of the ladder and look likely to go down. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
There’s plenty more chapters to be written for teams at all ends of the table.
One win and Southampton could be dreaming about survival instead of life in the Championship.
One loss and Manchester City loosen its grip on the Premier League title.
Who knows how it will all shake out, but if this season has told us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected.
As Jay-Z once said, the city is under new management.
The Knicks got better at the trade deadline and the Nets got significantly worse. That was obvious Monday night (Tuesday AEDT), the best players now residing on Broadway rather than in Brooklyn.
Without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the Nets are no longer title contenders. They may not even be good enough to avoid the play-in round of the playoffs. The Knicks showcased their new-found superiority over their city rivals, coasting to a 124-106 victory at the Garden to move within two games of the fifth-place Nets.
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They are also now just a half-game behind the Heat for sixth with one game left, in Atlanta against the Hawks on Wednesday, before the nine-day All-Star break.
Ben Simmons played just 13 minutes with two points and delivered an almost eerie repeat of his infamous refusal to shoot in a game 7 against Atlanta a few seasons ago.
On this occasion in the first quarter Simmons was questioned after having what looked like a lane to the basket, but instead passing to a flat-footed Nic Claxton.
The Knicks snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Nets in emphatic fashion, as Jalen Brunson was by far the best player on the floor, exploding for 40 points on 15 of 21 shooting along with five assists and no turnovers. New addition Josh Hart continued to impress as a Knick, adding 27 points along with five rebounds, and Julius Randle chipped in 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
The Nets, meanwhile, fell to 1-2 since the stunning Durant trade to the Suns, and were run off the court in the final 17 minutes. They held a two-point lead with 5:07 left in the third quarter, and were promptly outscored, 41-20, over the next 13 minutes.
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With 4:15 left, Nets coach Jacque Vaughn threw up the flag, emptying his bench. His team managed just 45 second-half points and shot 40 per cent from the field over the final 24 minutes. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 28 for the Nets (33-24), but was held to eight after halftime.
The Knicks (32-27) made Dinwiddie look like a star in the first half, allowing the Nets guard to go off for 20 points on 12 shots in a disjointed opening 24 minutes. He poured in 13 points in the second quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers.
The Knicks finished the first quarter and started the second well, putting together an 18-5 run that included seven points from Hart. But they couldn’t sustain it in a second quarter that saw them out-rebounded by six and allow four offensive rebounds.
It was an isolation-heavy half for the Knicks, who managed just six assists and were frequently stagnant, taking too long to get into their first action. They only attempted five free throws, 10 fewer than the visiting and far more aggressive Nets.
Brunson and Randle combined for 33 points on 13 of 23 shooting, while everyone else was held to 25 points. Barrett was one of the main culprits, not only shooting 0-for-5, but failing to record a rebound, assist or steal.
The ball moved much better to start the third quarter for the Knicks — they had three assists over the first 3:06 — and it translated into a 12-2 run. They also finished the period strong, as the Villanova boys — Brunson and Hart — scored 11 of the team’s last 14 points. Brunson, in the middle of a heater, hit a step-back 3-pointer in the final seconds, sending the Knicks to the final quarter with a 10-point lead. At that point, he had 36 points on 14 of 19 shooting and six made 3s in eight attempts.
Nikola Jokic narrowly missed out on his 21st triple double of the season as the Denver Nuggets battled to a 112-108 road victory over the Miami Heat.
Two-time NBA MVP Jokic finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists as Denver stretched their lead at the top of the Western Conference to five games.
Denver, who improved to 40-18, trailed by nine points after a shaky first quarter but roared back in the second to outscore Miami 38-26 for a slender 65-62 lead at the break.
The Nuggets held on to advantage lead for most of the second half and although Miami got within three points in the final minute, Denver held on for victory.
While Jokic led the scoring, Denver’s balanced offence spread the points around with seven players finishing in double figures and sharing 34 assists between them.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 17 points while Bruce Brown had 16. “I think we like to play for each other,” Jokic said afterwards. “We try to find open guys and we’re just going to work for the best shot possible.
“The team buys into that and that’s why I think we have so many assists,” the Serbian star said.
Jimmy Butler led Miami’s scorers with 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists while Max Strus had 23 points and Bam Adebayo 19.
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The Lakers fell 127-115 to Portland with coach Darwin Ham mocked post-game for a strange claim.
Asked about the Trail Blazers getting plenty of open looks, Ham said: “We checked the analytical data at halftime. And, according to that data, our defensive shot quality we would have been #1 in the league.”
However a video compiled by Twitter user WorldWideWob showed all 17 threes the Blazers made in the first half and it’s unclear how that would be possible, unless the Lakers had sorted the category wrong and they were actually last.
Elsewhere on Monday, Donovan Mitchell erupted for 41 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers bagged their seventh straight win with a gritty 117-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Mitchell’s sixth 40-point game of the season helped the Cavs tighten their grip on fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland are now 38-22 for the season, leading fifth-placed Brooklyn, who were thumped 124-106 by the New York Knicks earlier Monday.
Jarrett Allen (17 points) and Darius Garland (16) were Cleveland’s other principal scorers while Keldon Johnson led the scoring for San Antonio with 25 points.
“The biggest thing is just continuing to fight,” Mitchell said afterwards. “We didn’t play our best basketball, regardless of how San Antonio’s been playing, they made it tough on us.
“You’ve got to give the credit for their performance but at the end of the day we found a way to execute and that’s big time.”
Cleveland will now look ahead to their final game before this weekend’s All-Star break, with a road clash against Eastern Conference rivals Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Mitchell believes the 76ers will have added motivation after the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl defeat to Kansas City on Sunday.
“That’s going to be a playoff game in a hostile environment,” Mitchell said. “They just lost the Super Bowl so they’ll probably be a little bit fired up over there.
“We’ve got to go out there and hold our own and play the basketball we’ve been playing.” The Sixers meanwhile warmed up for their date with the Cavs with a 123-104 blowout over the Houston Rockets earlier Monday.
James Harden led the Sixers scoring against his former club with 28 points and 10 assists while Tyrese Maxey impressed with 26 points off the bench after making 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Sixers talisman Joel Embiid added 23 points while Jalen Green led the Rockets with 29 points.
The Sixers are just one game ahead of the in-form Cavaliers heading into Wednesday’s game.
