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Tag: EPL debutPremier League

  • Kiwi’s last-gasp goal as minnows’ gun continues freak scoring run: PL Wrap

    Kiwi’s last-gasp goal as minnows’ gun continues freak scoring run: PL Wrap

    Chris Wood clinched Nottingham Forest’s first Premier League win this season as the New Zealand striker’s last-gasp header sealed a 2-1 win against Sheffield United on Friday.

    Wood netted in the 89th minute at the City Ground to ensure Forest bounced back from their 2-1 defeat at Arsenal in their season opener last weekend.

    Steve Cooper’s side had taken the lead early in the first half thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi’s header.

    Gustavo Hamer equalised before the break on his Blades debut. The midfielder arrived last week from second tier Coventry.

    Wood’s dramatic late contribution made it successive defeats for United on their return to the top-flight after last season’s promotion as Championship runners-up.

    The Blades lost 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace last weekend.

    Dating back to last season, Forest have won four in a row at the City Ground as a top-flight side for the first time since 1996.

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    Chris Wood nailed his last-ditch header to win the game.Source: AFP

    Awoniyi, Forest’s top scorer from last season, repaid Cooper’s faith after being restored to the starting line-up.

    He is just the second Forest player to score in six successive games in the Premier League after Stan Collymore in 1995.

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    In the first top-flight meeting between these sides since the maiden Premier League season in 1992-93, Forest took just three minutes to seize the initiative.

    Serge Aurier’s cross was perfectly placed for Awoniyi to muscle between two defenders and power a bullet header past United keeper Wes Foderingham.

    In the last 15 years, only two players other than Awoniyi have scored six of their club’s goals in a row — Christian Benteke for Aston Villa in 2015 and Erling Haaland for Manchester City last season.

    Taiwo Awoniyi of Nottingham Forest celebrates with teammate Neco Williams after the first goal.Source: Getty Images

    Morgan Gibbs-White’s low drive from the edge of the area was Forest by Foderingham as Forest poured forward in search of a second goal.

    Awoniyi and Aurier threatened again, with the Nigeria forward only denied another goal by Anel Ahmedhodzic’s last-ditch clearance.

    After a wretched start, United finally mustered a shot when Vini Souza’s 25-yard curler drew a good save from Matt Turner.

    Turner had to save again when John Egan scuffed a close-range effort goalwards from Hamer’s corner.

    The Blades’ pressure was rewarded in the 48th minute as Hamer curled a sublime finish into the far corner from the edge of the area.

    Awoniyi thought he had restored Forest’s lead but his dinked finish was disallowed for off-side.

    Willy Boly’s close-range strike from a corner was repelled by Foderingham before Turner came to Forest’s rescue with a good save from Beni Traore.

    Both sides pushed hard for the winner but it was Forest who hit the jackpot in the 89th minute.

    Once again it was Aurier who provided the assist with a telling cross that Wood flicked past Foderingham to the delight of the raucous City Ground crowd.

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  • Chelsea beat Reds to $115m teen star but Klopp hits back with Japan gun: PL Done Deals

    Chelsea beat Reds to $115m teen star but Klopp hits back with Japan gun: PL Done Deals

    It’s been a busy couple of days for Premier League transfers, with Liverpool responding to sign a much-needed midfielder following Chelsea pipping them to yet another star signing, while Aston Villa have secured a major coup.

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    REDS LAND ‘LATE BLOOMER’

    Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said on Friday he was happy to sign “late bloomer” Wataru Endo, with the Japan midfielder arriving at Anfield after Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia opted to join Chelsea instead.

    No fee has been disclosed for the 30-year-old Endo’s “long-term contract” but reports valued his move from Bundesliga club Stuttgart at £19 million ($24 million, 22 million euros).

    Liverpool have been on the hunt for a defensive midfielder since both captain Jordan Henderson and Fabinho made the move to Saudi Arabia during the ongoing transfer window.

    The Reds’ attempts to sign Brighton’s Caicedo and Southampton’s Lavia failed, with both players heading to big-spending Chelsea.

    Liverpool have finally got a new number six.Source: AFP

    But Klopp, speaking ahead of Saturday’s match against Bournemouth — the Reds’ first home game this season following last week’s draw at Chelsea — told a press conference he had long been an admirer of Endo.

    “First of all, I’m really happy that we can have an agreement with a club and a player which is really cool,” Klopp said.

    “I am from Germany, I watch a lot of Bundesliga, I’ve known him since he is at Stuttgart, I liked him pretty much from the start when he started playing there.

    “He’s a little bit of a late bloomer and usually for us for the way our owners see it, he was already too old when he joined Stuttgart but I obviously have a different view on that and I always liked him.”

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    On Liverpool’s transfer market issues, Klopp added: “The last week was obviously a tricky one, no doubt about that. But when you have a problem you can stick to the problem or find a solution, I’m more than happy to have the solution.

    “The transfer business is like that — you talk to people, the players and clubs and sometimes it works out and sometimes not.

    “There’s nothing else to say about that. All things that were said in these conversations, they stay between me and the specific other party, nothing to say about that, really.”

    BLUES SIGN ANOTHER MIDFIELD SUPERSTAR

    Chelsea have signed Romeo Lavia on a seven-year contract from Southampton it was announced Friday in the latest addition to their squad after the teenage midfielder rejected a move to Premier League rivals Liverpool.

    No fee has been disclosed but British media reports stated the deal was £53 million rising to £58 million ($A115m).

    Lavia, 19, is the eighth player to join Chelsea in the current transfer window, with the London club, now owned by a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly, having spent more than £350 million — although they have sold several high-value footballers as well.

    Belgium international Lavia has made 29 Premier League appearances and has arrived at Stamford Bridge following south coast side Southampton’s relegation from English football’s top-flight last season.

    Lavia scored against Chelsea last season.Source: Getty Images

    “I can’t wait to meet all my new teammates and build a chemistry together to achieve great things together,” Lavia told Chelsea’s website.

    He is now set to compete for a place in Chelsea’s midfield with Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo — the two most expensive players in English football transfer history.

    Caicedo arrived from Brighton earlier this month for a reported fee of up to £115 million, surpassing the £107 million the Blues paid Portuguese giants Benfica for Fernandez back in January

    Aston Villa have signed former Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo.Source: AFP

    VILLA LAND ITALIAN GUN

    Aston Villa signed Italy midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo on loan from Galatasaray on Friday.

    Zaniolo, 24, is the Premier League club’s fourth signing since the end of last season.

    The deal reportedly involves an option for Villa to make the move permanent. “Aston Villa is delighted to announce the loan signing of Italian international Nicolo Zaniolo,” a statement on the club’s website said.

    Zaniolo spent five years with Roma and scored the winning goal in their Europa Conference League final success in 2022.

    He left for Galatasaray in February and helped the club win the Turkish league title.

    Zaniolo, who has 13 caps for Italy, joins Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Moussa Diaby as new faces in Unai Emery’s squad.

    Villa were thrashed 5-1 at Newcastle in their Premier League opener last weekend and host Everton in their second game on Sunday.

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  • ‘Everyone could see’: Rival boss’ telling Ange admission but ‘difficult’ issue remains — UK View

    ‘Everyone could see’: Rival boss’ telling Ange admission but ‘difficult’ issue remains — UK View

    It was entertaining, it was full of attacking verve and, quite often, it was a little chaotic.

    The Ange Postecoglou era at Tottenham Hotspur officially got underway with a 2-2 draw away to Brentford in a thrilling contest.

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    Postecoglou handed out four Tottenham debuts amongst his starting team, something the club has not witnessed in 19 years.

    But there was also a glaring Harry Kane-sized absence — something Brentford’s fans took great joy in reminding Tottenham supporters about — in their attack.

    Surprisingly enough, it was two defenders who scored the first goals of the Postecoglou era as Cristian Romero and Emerson Royal both found the back of the net in the first half.

    The duo featured in a new-look backline, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario earning his first start between the sticks as Destiny Udogie and Micky van der Ven started at left back and left centre-back respectively.

    It was the 20-year-old Udogie who earned plenty of praise for his performance, with The Telegraph’s Thom Gibbs claiming the youngster “looked unruffled.”

    But for Gibbs, Udogie’s impressive display was just one of “several positives” on show from Tottenham in Postecoglou’s first Premier League game.

    “Empires rose and fell in the time it took Antonio Conte’s team to find a way through opposition lines,” Gibbs wrote.

    ‘Soft’ penalty call burns Ange’s Spurs? | 00:59

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    “Postecoglou’s incarnation did not pick the lock successfully many times but the ball was worked forward at speed and the press to recover it was committed.”

    Brentford manager Thomas Frank concurred.

    “More offensive-minded, definitely,” Frank said via The Athletic.

    “I think everyone could see that, and no surprise compared to what we saw in the four friendlies that we watched back and Ange’s Celtic team.”

    The change from Conte’s laborious brand of football to Postecoglou’s rapid and fluid style was also something Football.London’s Rob Guest heralded as a positive sign for the future.

    “Already making his mark at the club with his Tottenham team playing some rather eye-catching football in pre-season, the new head coach was always going to need a good amount of time to get his team fully playing his way and doing everything he wants on the pitch,” Guest wrote.

    “Given the change in approach compared to last season, there is going to be some very good football on offer but also some scares along the way in the opening weeks of his Spurs tenure.

    “Although the result wasn’t there for Postecoglou in his first game in charge of the club, Tottenham fans have been left very impressed by the football on offer and can see what he is trying to do at the club.”

    Ange experiences rollercoaster EPL debut | 02:32

    Despite the glimpses of what’s to come under Postecoglou, questions still remain about what to do in the striking department.

    Richarlison started up front for Tottenham in place of Kane, but didn’t exactly impress in his audition.

    With significant funds in the piggy bank from the sale of Kane, Postecoglou could look to sign a replacement in this window or hold fire and stick with the options he has.

    But Premier League legend Roy Keane believes it should be an easy decision.

    “I think it’s great for Kane and Spurs have got good money for him” Keane told Sky Sports.

    “It’s not going to drag out, now the manager can get focused, and get another striker in. They certainly need to get someone else in.”

    Former Manchester City star Micah Richards agreed.

    “It’s difficult going into the season with Richarlison,” Richards said.

    Richarlison had the tough task of filling the void left by Harry Kane against Brentford. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    Of course, there’s a chance Richarlison is, like the rest of his teammates, still getting acclimated to Postecoglou’s way of playing and could still flourish.

    But with or without the Brazilian, it’s clear the club is a completely different entity on the pitch under the watchful eye of the Australian compared to Conte.

    As The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare pointed out, there’s a fair way to go for Postecoglou and Spurs before they click, but it’s already looking promising.

    “Clearly, it’ll take a bit of time for Postecoglou’s attacking patterns to fully kick into gear,” Eccleshare wrote.

    “No one, least of all Postecoglou, is suggesting Spurs aren’t a team with lots of flaws and issues to resolve.

    “But this game was a lot of fun and a big departure from last season. And that’s a start.”

    A bigger test for Postecoglou’s side awaits on Sunday as they take welcome Premier League heavyweights Manchester United to London for their home opener.

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