Alexander Isak fired Newcastle into the Premier League’s top four on Wednesday, scoring twice in a 3-0 cruise against Wolves as David Moyes endured a miserable return to the Everton dugout.
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
Red-hot Isak found the net for the eighth league match in a row as the Magpies leapfrogged faltering Chelsea into fourth spot in the table.
The Swedish international put the home side ahead in the 34th minute when his shot took a huge deflection off Wolves defender Rayan Ait-Nouri, leaving Jose Sa wrong-footed.
The striker is just the fourth different player to score in eight successive Premier League appearances, after Jamie Vardy (twice for Leicester), Ruud van Nistelrooy (twice for Manchester United), and Daniel Sturridge (for Liverpool).
Isak doubled Newcastle’s lead shortly before the hour mark, controlling Bruno Guimaraes’ pass before firing home for his 15th league goal of the season and Anthony Gordon added a third.
Eddie Howe’s men, who have now won six straight league games, have recovered strongly from a lengthy poor spell to make a powerful case for a Champions League spot next season.
Taking advantage of the faltering form of Manchester City and Chelsea, they are just three points behind third-placed Nottingham Forest.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – JANUARY 15: Alexander Isak of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC at St James’ Park on January 15, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
– Villa ruin Moyes’ return –
Moyes, in the first game of his second spell in charge of Everton, watched his toothless side lose 1-0 to Aston Villa at Goodison Park.
Ollie Watkins broke the deadlock in the 51st minute, slotting past England teammate Jordan Pickford after he was sent clear by Morgan Rogers.
Everton huffed and puffed but showed a lack of creativity — unsurprising for a team who have scored just 15 league goals in their 20 matches this season.
The result lifts Unai Emery’s Villa to seventh in the table but Everton remain in deep trouble, just one point above the relegation zone in 16th spot.
David Moyes’ return as Everton manager failed to muster a response from the toothless Toffees in a 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa.Source: Getty Images
The Liverpool club’s new owners, the American-based Friedkin Group, sacked Sean Dyche last week and brought back 61-year-old Moyes, who enjoyed success during an 11-year stint at Goodison Park from 2002 to 2013.
But the Toffees, ever-present in the top flight since 1954, have battled relegation for the past three seasons and are once again in deep trouble.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester suffered their sixth straight league defeat, losing 2-0 to Crystal Palace to leave the Foxes second from bottom of the table.
Jean-Philippe Mateta put the visitors ahead early in the second half and Marc Guehi made the points safe with a late second.
Arsenal, winless in three matches in all competitions, are hosting injury-hit Tottenham in the late kick-off on Wednesday.
A shock win, a drab draw, a five-goal thriller and more attacking artistry.
Saturday’s Premier League action yet again failed to disappoint with 12 goals scored across six fixtures.
8
Manchester City lost at Brighton to see them lose further ground on LiverpoolCredit: AFP
The biggest surprise of the day was at the Amex Stadium where Brighton came from behind to beat Manchester City 2-1.
In doing so, they have ensured that the Citizens have lost four games in a row for the first time since 2006.
City’s slip-up saw Liverpool have the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table to five points, which they did by beating Aston Villa 2-0.
Meanwhile Wolves recorded their first top-flight win this term after coming out on top against fellow strugglers Southampton in a 2-0 win at Molineux.
Elsewhere, Fulham beat Crystal Palace 2-0 in a fiery London derby at Selhurst park, with Brentford fighting back against Bournemouth to claim all three points in a 3-2 win.
Though it was another poor performance from West Ham under Julen Lopetegui, as they were held to a 0-0 draw with Everton at the London Stadium.
Here talkSPORT duo Jamie O’Hara and Jason Cundy reveal their winners and losers from Saturday’s action on the Game-Day Phone-In…
Winners
Matheus Cunha
The Brazilian chipped in with a goal and an assist for Wolves as he proved to be his side’s main man yet again.
His goal in the second half – his fifth of the campaign – was a goal of the season contender after finding the top left corner from range to leave ex-Chelsea defender Cundy waxing lyrical over him.
He said: “He set up [Pablo] Sarabia for the first goal, but his goal, what a strike, this boy has got so much quality.
8
Cunha doubled Wolves’ lead in the second half in exquisite fashionCredit: Getty
“Ball at his feet, he travels at pace, there ain’t many players that can travel with the same pace with the ball at their feet than they can in a sprint.
“He will end up leaving Wolves, he’s going to end up being too good for them, he’s a top, top player.”
Yoane Wissa
The Brentford striker scored twice to help Brentford move into the top half of the table.
Only Erling Haaland [20] has now scored more non-penalty goals than Wissa [15] in the Premier League in 2024.
Praising the DR Congo international, Cundy stated: “He has now scored seven goals in his last five games at the Gtech Community Stadium.
“He is on fire, him and [Bryan] Mbuemo, they are good players. And Brentford are side, underestimate them at your peril, because they can turn you over.
“But Wissa and Mbuemo, they are two brilliant attacking players.”
8
Wissa has been one of the standout players in the top-flight so far this term
Jordan Pickford
The Everton goalkeeper helped his save take a point back to Merseyside thanks to a wonder save in injury time to deny Danny Ings.
Ings’ deflected strike seemed destined to nestle into the roof of the net, only for Pickford to heroically tip it over the bar.
Cundy said of the stop: “What a save he makes, he made a couple of really good saves, but the one at the end, it’s at point-blank range.
“The thing that suits him, it’s above his head, it’s straight at him, but his reactions, he’s like a ninja.”
8
Pickford celebrated after the full-time whistle in what was a game lacking qualityCredit: Getty
Losers
Rob Edwards
Dropping into the Championship, and Luton boss Edwards continues to find himself in deep water with the Hatters in serious trouble.
Luton are in danger of back-to-back relegations, with Saturday’s 5-1 defeat at Middlesbrough leaving them in 21st spot.
From their 15 matches in England’s second-tier this season, they have won just four times – losing on eight occasions.
Fearing Luton could now relieve Edwards of his duties, O’Hara remarked: “It feels like he’s in here every week at the moment.
“But a 5-1 drubbing away from home, sitting 21st in the table, he’s having a nightmare.”
He added: “He’s waiting for the call [to inform him of sacking].”
8
Edwards is under pressure at Kenilworth Road with Luton sitting in the relegation zoneCredit: Getty
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Bournemouth could have escaped with a point at the Gtech Community Stadium had Kepa not allowed Mikkel Damsgaard to equalise at his near post.
The Spaniard – on loan from Chelsea – failed to stop the Danish midfielder’s low effort from trickling in, before Wissa scored the winner moments later.
Criticising the former Real Madrid man, Cundy said: “It’s at the near post, and if he covers that near post, it doesn’t go in.
“The gap is tiny, it’s a good finish, but you shouldn’t get beat, the angle is so tight.
“If you cover the near post, the worse-case scenario is the attacker has got to drill the ball across the face of goal, if Kepa gets anything on it, it then goes back in.
“But Kepa has already gambled, and in doing so, he has left the space, [Damsgaard] finished it and they end up winning.”
8
Kepa failed to cover himself in glory for Brentford’s second goal of their 3-2 winCredit: Getty
Anyone at West Ham
West Ham were guilty of another lethargic display – much to the dismay of the Hammers fanbase who have been left bored by new boss Lopetegui’s style of play.
Languishing 14th in the table, West Ham have failed to impress this season having been tipped for a potential European spot due their summer transfer business.
Ripping into the east Londoners, Cundy said: “So here’s the deal, the fans, I feel for you guys, you paid money to be there, but there’s people there today, the stewards, the St John’s Ambulance, the referee, he had to run around amongst that turgid poop, he was amongst it all.
“He was there thinking, ‘Get me out of here,’ the manager, the camera crew, anyone, people that work up in the boxes, you have my sympathy.
“Luckily the chefs didn’t see it! No bubbles come out today.
“The ball boys, I feel for you ball boys, that was one of the worst games we’ve seen in a long time.”
O’Hara then simply stated: “It was an absolute nightmare of a game.”
8
Thins haven’t went to plan for Lopetegui at West Ham as of yetCredit: AFP
8
This is how the Premier League table looks heading into Sunday’s fixtures
Shocking mistakes, late drama and another Premier League hat-trick for a certain striker.
It was yet another action-packed Saturday of top-flight football which saw 20 goals scored across seven matches.
6
Haaland scored a hat-trick for Manchester City in a 4-1 win over IpswichCredit: Getty
In the early kick-off, Brighton striker Joao Pedro popped up in the fifth minute of stoppage time to break Manchester United hearts in a 2-1 victory.
Elsewhere, Arsenal won 2-0 away at Aston Villa, West Ham overcame London rivals Crystal Palace, Nottingham Ham beat Southampton at St Mary’s and Fulham emerged victorious over Leicester.
Meanwhile Erling Haaland popped up with his seventh Premier League hat-trick to inspire Manchester City to a 4-1 comeback win over Ipswich.
And unfortunately for Everton, they were once again hammered, this time against Tottenham in a 4-0 loss in north London.
Here talkSPORT duo Jamie O’Hara and Jason Cundy reveal their winners and losers from Saturday’s action on the Game-Day Phone-In…
Winners
Joao Pedro
The Brazilian forward headed home against the Red Devils to see new Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler win his first game at the Amex Stadium.
And the south coast side will now go into next week’s clash away at Arsenal full of confidence as they look to make it three league wins on the bounce.
Speaking of Brighton’s win, Cundy said: “Joao Pedro, the winning goal for Brighton at the far-stick, he’s got to be there.
“To win the game for Brighton and take it away from Man United, he’s in there.
“And Hurzeler, what a start he’s had, congratulations to him.”
6
Pedro scored an injury time winner against United at the Amex StadiumCredit: Getty
Erling Haaland
The Norwegian striker created more Premier League history on Saturday with the 24-year-old now scoring at least one goal against all 23 top-flight sides he has faced.
It was Ipswich who took a shock lead at the Etihad through Sammie Szmodics, only for Haaland to equalise five minutes later, before adding a further two strikes.
He now has four Premier League goals already this term, and is just six strikes shy of 100 in all competitions for the Citizens.
Pep Guardiola explains how Ilkay Gundogan’s ‘no-brainer’ Manchester City return happened
Speaking of the player, O’Hara stated: “Haaland has got to go in there, a hat-trick.”
Cundy agreed, simply saying: “Put him in.”
Julen Lopetegui
West Ham got their first points under new boss Julen Lopetegui thanks to a classy performance at Selhurst Park – just a week after their heartbreaking home defeat to Villa.
While O’Hara wanted Regis Le Bris as a winner having guided Sunderland to three consecutive Championship wins, which saw the Black Cats beat promotion-chasing Burnley at the Stadium of Light, Cundy disagreed.
And he stressed that Spanish boss Lopetegui had to be classified as one of the winners.
He remarked: “He picked up his first win, it was a disappointing result against Villa last week.
“It was a good win [vs Palace], and Palace by the way, it’s not a great start from [Oliver] Glasner.”
6
Lopetegui saw his West Ham side beat West Ham 2-0 thanks to goals from Tomas Soucek and Jarrod BowenCredit: Getty
Losers
Arijanet Muric/Jordan Pickford
While Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya may have starred between the sticks at Villa Park, Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric and Everton shot-stopper Jordan Pickford were guilty of horror gaffes.
Muric gifted City two goals as a result of his poor decision making, leading to Kevin De Bruyne and Haaland to tap into empty nets.
Meanwhile Pickford was pickpocketed by Tottenham skipper Heung-min Son, who capitalised on the England international’s poor touch to double Spurs’ lead.
Their errors led Cundy to say: “I’m putting in both Muric and Pickford in their as a lump sum.
“Both of them got robbed in their own box of the ball, that can’t happen! If there’s nothing on, don’t have another touch.
“For anyone that has not seen this, Pickford has had a touch with his feet, and Son, we know he’s rapid, but once he got motoring, Pickford couldn’t move. It was terrible.”
O’Hara then stated: “It’s a shocker, an absolute shocker.”
6
Son robbed Pickford of possession in what was a moment to forget for the Everton goalkeeperCredit: Getty
Erik ten Hag
After being given another chance by United chiefs having won the FA Cup last season, Ten Hag would have known all eyes would be on him this campaign.
A gritty victory over Fulham last week failed to convince his haters, with Brighton now putting the pressure back on the Dutchman.
O’Hara said: “I’m going to put Ten Hag in there. Ten Hag is a big loser today.”
Cundy then remarked: “That’s a stinker of a result, they weren’t great United, they might have nicked it if not for the offside [Joshua Zirkzee disallowed goal], but it was offside.”
6
United had a goal ruled out before losing to Brighton in dramatic fashionCredit: Getty
Everton
Things continue to get worse for Everton, who are now rooted to the bottom of the table having shipped in seven goals in two matches.
After surviving the drop in each of the last three seasons, this could be the campaign that they finally depart the Premier League.
O’Hara said of the Merseyside outfit: “Dyche is having a tough time. The whole of Everton Football Club has got to go in I think.”
Cundy added: “Can we lump them in? Shall we just put Goodison in there, Dyche, everyone.
“If you’re a Toffee, you’re in there. They’ve had a terrible start.”
6
Everton sit bottom of the table having conceded seven goals and scored none in two gamesCredit: Getty
JOIN THE DUGOUT
Have your say on all things talkSPORT by joining ‘The DUGOUT’ – our new listener panel.
We’re all about diving deep into your perspectives, and making sure talkSPORT is the absolute best it can be. Your voice matters, and we want to hear it!
Pitch your game-changing ideas, and join in with fun surveys, polls, and locker-room discussions.
Just by joining, you’ll enter a prize draw to win one of four £50 Amazon vouchers, with another prize draw entry for every survey you complete after that
To join the ‘The DUGOUT’ panel, please click here.
Elijah Adebayo kept Luton in the hunt to avoid relegation from the Premier League as his equaliser rescued a 1-1 draw against Everton on Friday.
Rob Edwards’ side trailed to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s penalty but Adebayo scored the crucial leveller before half-time at Kenilworth Road.
Despite earning just one win in their past 15 league games, third-bottom Luton are still in contention to beat the drop.
They are behind fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest on goal difference, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s team facing already-relegated Sheffield United on Saturday.
A Forest win at Bramall Lane would move them three points ahead of Luton, who have two games left against West Ham and Fulham to avoid an immediate return to the Championship after last season’s fairytale promotion.
“We are still in this fight as we speak. I’m proud of the performance but it would have been huge to win tonight. Almost but we’ve had a lot of them this year,” Edwards said.
Luton’s survival bid is further complicated by the wait for a verdict on Forest’s appeal against their four-point deduction for financial breaches, with a Premier League announcement expected before the end of the season.
“There’s a long way to go and it’s over to them (Forest) tomorrow. There’s a situation that’s going on that’s out of our control that isn’t ideal,” Edwards said in reference to Forest’s appeal.
“I don’t really understand it. Everyone would just like to know where they stand. I think we’d all like that.”
Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!
Luton Town’s English striker Elijah Adebayo. Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFPSource: AFP
Despite losing eight points as punishment for financial breaches of their own, Everton had already secured their Premier League status with three games to spare.
Winners of their previous three matches, Sean Dyche’s side had nothing to play for on their first visit to Kenilworth Road for 17 years but they did enough to frustrate the superstitious Edwards.
Edwards revealed this week that he drives the same route to the stadium, uses the same toothpaste and walks his dog at a certain time of day if Luton are on a winning streak.
Beaten in their last three matches, Edwards needed a change of fortune so he said he would switch his underwear for the Everton clash.
Unfortunately for Edwards, Luton’s luck was out initially as Tahith Chong appealed in vain for an early penalty after stumbling when Everton ‘keeper Jordan Pickford rushed out to challenge the Luton forward.
Teden Mengi gifted Everton a 23rd-minute penalty when he needlessly wrestled Jarrad Branthwaite to the ground as the pair jostled at a corner.
Calvert-Lewin stepped up to drill the spot-kick down the middle for his fourth goal in his last five games.
But Luton had no intention of surrendering and they were level seven minutes later.
Targeting Everton’s Ashley Young time and again, Luton’s persistence paid off as Adebayo controlled Albert Sambi Lokonga’s high pass on his chest, muscled his way past the veteran defender and slammed a fine finish past Pickford from 10 yards.
In his first start since February after a hamstring injury, Adebayo had taken his goal tally for the season to 10.
Luton striker Carlton Morris had a towering header cleared off the line by Ben Godfrey just before half-time.
Jack Harrison almost put Everton in front against the run of play with a deflected effort that was clawed away from under the bar by Thomas Kaminski.
Calvert-Lewin’s powerful header forced a brilliant tip over from Kaminski, while Pickford made a fine stop from Luke Berry’s header in stoppage-time.
English Premier League table
* played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points
Jordan Pickford could not hide his reaction after making a wonder save against Manchester United on Saturday.
The Everton goalkeeper kept out a Bruno Fernandes that was heading for the back of the net.
1
Pickford made the wonder save from Fernandes free-kickCredit: TNT Sports
Pickford initially went for the shot with his right hand, but then made a last second call to switch hands and save it with his left.
The England goalkeeper kept the ball out and the television cameras cut straight to him and he was laughing.
talkSPORT co-commentator Alan Pardew said: “That was your world-class moment right there, and that’s what the Premier League is all about.
“It’s a fantastic free-kick and it’s an ever better save. I know it wasn’t right in the corner but that was some leap, and he’s had to change his hands mid-flight to save it too.
“That’s going in Pickford’s YouTube top ten, that one. He’ll be TikToking that later, that’s for sure!”
Tottenham moved up to fourth place, three points behind Arsenal, after a 2-1 win against Everton although a controversial VAR moment left Sean Dyche frustrated.
Richarlison put Tottenham ahead against his former club in the ninth minute, slotting home from Brennan Johnson’s low cross to make it three goals in his last four games.
Son Heung-min doubled the lead in the 18th minute with a powerful finish after Everton keeper Jordan Pickford could only parry Johnson’s shot into the South Korean’s path.
Andre Gomes blasted into the far corner to reduce the deficit in the 82nd minute, but it was too late to stop Everton’s first defeat in five league games.
Everton did have a Dominic Calvert-Lewin goal ruled out earlier in the game though following a VAR review in the 51st minute, with Gomes ruled to have made contact with Emerson Royal’s ankle shortly before when he won possession from him for the Toffees.
Speaking on Soccer Saturday, former Premier League referee Mike Dean described it as “small contact” but argued it was “not enough” to overturn the original call of a goal.
“It’s minimal contact. It’s very, very soft,” he added.
Even former Tottenham defender Michael Dawson agreed, declaring: “I didn’t think it was a foul.”
Everton boss Dyche, meanwhile, had plenty to say about the VAR and the decision after Sunday’s loss.
“I’m a big fan of VAR but I don’t know where that one lives today because I think VAR has over-reffed the moment,” Dyche said.
“The referee and the linesperson has an amazing view, they’ve made the decision with all their experience of doing it. It goes out of the window because they can find contact.
“They find contact with virtually everything. The amount of contact in the game we all know is alarming. They favour a penalty when someone has stepped on a toe. When you are stood on when you’re in the queue to get onto the tube, you don’t fall over. Apparently, that’s a penalty nowadays.
“My question is where is the line between trusting the on-field decision and the referee’s instinct in what they’re doing. Many people will disagree as they will say there is contact, but if I’m the person in the VAR room I am looking at the referee’s position as well, the linesperson’s position and thinking what view have they got.
“Their views were perfect. It was the perfect moment for them to be allowed to referee the game. VAR cannot be refereeing every moment. Nearly every touch is a foul. In that moment, there’s not enough contact for me for a mature professional footballer to go down. The game has got to be really careful, and I’ve said it for years.
“You’ve got to think it would’ve had an effect because of the way we were playing. The feeling in the stadium would have got nervous, but you never know. I’ve not got a crystal ball, but goals do change games and I’d have had a strong feeling of us getting something from the game.”
Forest sign Nuno as new head coach | 00:35
Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou said Everton made it “difficult” for Tottenham to hold on for the win but was glad his players showed the resilience to get the job done.
“I think we started the game well and got ourselves in front,” Postecoglou told Premier League Productions.
“We got a little wasteful with the ball and some of that was because of Everon’s pressure. They work hard and make it difficult. We had to show resilience in the second half to get a result.
“We went through that difficult spell where we got ourselves in front but didn’t end up putting the game to bed. In the context of everything we’re going through with the squad, it’s a big three points.”
Mauricio Pochettino urged Chelsea to “believe in the process” after Michail Antonio’s superb strike and Enzo Fernandez’s penalty miss condemned the Blues to a 3-1 loss against West Ham.
After last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Liverpool, Pochettino’s side wasted a lively performance as they paid the price for sloppy defending and wasteful finishing at the London Stadium.
Antonio blasted West Ham’s decisive second goal after half-time and Lucas Paqueta added a late penalty to leave Pochettino still waiting for his first Premier League win since taking charge in the close-season.
Chelsea teenager Carney Chukwuemeka had scored an eye-catching first half equaliser to cancel Nayef Aguerd’s early opener for West Ham.
But the turning point came when Fernandez’s penalty was saved by Alphonse Areola just before the break.
Antonio netted soon after the interval and Chelsea couldn’t respond despite Aguerd’s dismissal for a second booking midway through the half.
Paqueta, reportedly the subject of an FA probe into betting breaches, applied the knockout blow in the final seconds.
“Teams like us, we need to get the right balance. I think there were a few actions we didn’t manage well and we conceded,” Pochettino said.
“We create many chances and should have won the game with our first half. It was the frustration when we miss the penalty. We were playing well and we didn’t get the reward.
“Disappointed but this is only the beginning. We need to believe in the process.”
Dating back to last season, Chelsea have won just five times in 31 league matches, while their only victory in their last 14 top-flight games came at Bournemouth in May.
They have also lost four successive top-flight London derbies for the first time since 1990.
Much of the blame for those dismal statistics lies with Pochettino’s predecessors Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, who struggled through a turbulent campaign that ended with Chelsea’s lowest finish since 1996.
West Ham United’s players celebrate their third goal. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
Pochettino has been tasked with cleaning up the mess, but despite recent signings of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia taking Chelsea’s total spending under owner Todd Boehly to more than £850 million ($A1.69 billion), the squad remains a work in progress.
Putting his faith in a largely youthful team is a gamble from Pochettino, whose side’s lack of experience was exposed in the seventh minute.
James Ward-Prowse’s corner was whipped to the far post, where Morocco defender Aguerd easily evaded Conor Gallagher and Chukwuemeka to nod home from six yards.
Dominating possession after that setback, Chelsea deservedly drew level in the 28th minute.
Kurt Zouma miscued a weak clearance and Chukwuemeka cleverly shifted the ball away from Tomas Soucek before smashing a fine finish into the far corner from 12 yards.
Chelsea were in command and Raheem Sterling’s driving run won them a 42nd minute penalty after the winger was sent tumbling by Soucek’s clumsy tackle.
But Areola plunged to his right to make a superb save from Fernandez’s tentative spot-kick, denying the Argentine midfielder his first goal for Chelsea.
Ange claims first EPL win against United | 02:46
Antonio had just five touches in the first half but the West Ham striker made the most of a rare involvement in the 53rd minute.
Chelsea defender Levi Colwill and Axel Disasi were bullied by Antonio, who took Ward-Prowse’s pass and used his strength to manouevre into position for a ferocious strike that flashed past Sanchez from the edge of the area.
With an hour gone, Ecuador midfielder Caicedo came on for his Chelsea debut after joining from Brighton for a British record fee of £115 million ($A228 million).
Caicedo blazed over from distance with one of his first touches in a Chelsea shirt.
Aguerd’s 67th minute red card, earned for a clumsy second booking when he chopped down Nicolas Jackson, handed Chelsea a potential lifeline.
But the visitors laboured to mount a response and Caicedo’s debut to forget was complete when he fouled Emerson in stoppage-time, conceding a penalty that Paqueta fired past Sanchez.
“Caicedo has had a nightmare since coming on. It’s a poor, lazy challenge,” Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports of the incident.
While it was an underwhelming showing from Chelsea’s new signing, Jamie Redknapp gave Blues fans a reason to believe the best was yet to come from Caicedo.
“Caicedo hasn’t had any minutes for 60 days and you can see that rustiness,” Redknapp said on Sky Sports.
“Only the manager knows whether he was ready and he isn’t quite there yet. He will get better. As it can only get better after giving a penalty on your debut.”
Moises Caicedo of Chelsea. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
INJURIES STRIKE AS EVERTON SLUMP TO NEW LOW
Meanwhile, Aston Villa won for the first time this season as they routed Everton 4-0 to erase the bitter taste of last weekend’s thrashing at Newcastle.
Tipped to improve on last season’s strong finish, Villa were hammered 5-1 on Tyneside in a shockingly bad start to their Premier League campaign.
But Unai Emery’s side got back on track in the Villa Park sunshine as goals from John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Leon Bailey and Jhon Duran brushed aside woeful Everton.
Emery will hope Villa’s biggest victory of his reign kick-starts a season in which they will compete in Europe for the first time in 13 years after qualifying for the Europa Conference League.
“Today we were very, very angry to get our performance at home and to forget last week’s match,” Emery said.
“We needed to react like we did. We did a lot of things good but there are some moments we can do better.”
Everton have less lofty ambitions after narrowly avoiding relegation last season and Sean Dyche’s men already look destined for another grim fight for survival.
Beaten 1-0 at home by Fulham last weekend, Everton have lost their opening two games in tame fashion.
It is only the third time Everton have been beaten in their first two league matches without scoring a goal and the first since 1956.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Dyche also had to contend with the sight of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Alex Iwobi both coming off injured.
Aston Villa crush dreadful Everton | 00:30
“I won’t make any excuses. Really soft goals changed the feel of the stadium and the feel of our performance,” Dyche said.
“Villa had more edge. They were far better than us. That was not good enough. It was way off where we want to be.”
Hampered by fitness and form issues, Calvert-Lewin had managed only four goals since August 2021 and scored just two last season.
Incredibly, the striker’s injury woes resurfaced when he needed lengthy treatment on a facial cut following a collision with Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez early in the first half.
Calvert-Lewin was able to continue but Everton fell behind in the 18th minute. Bailey sprinted onto Moussa Diaby’s pass and cut the ball back to Scotland midfielder McGinn, who emphatically volleyed home from close-range.
Philippe Coutinho (C) walks off the pitch after getting injured. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP)Source: AFPDominic Calvert-Lewin receives medical attention. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP)Source: AFP
Villa doubled their lead six minutes later from the penalty spot after Everton keeper Jordan Pickford caught Ollie Watkins with his out-stretched arm as he tried to punch clear.
Luiz stepped up to slot the spot-kick past Pickford, who was booked for trying to delay the penalty in an unsuccessful bid to distract the Brazilian.
Looking tentative whenever the ball came near him, Calvert-Lewin finally came off before half-time with blood still scarring his cheek wound.
Iwobi limped off to add to Everton’s problems and Villa added insult to injury with a third goal in the 51st minute.
Mac Allister shown RED on Anfield debut | 00:37
Dismal defending by Michael Keane allowed Bailey space to plant a powerful drive past Pickford from 12 yards.
Many of Everton’s travelling fans had seen enough as they streamed towards the exits from Bailey’s goal.
It proved a wise move as Duran scored 47 seconds after coming on to complete the demolition in the 75th minute.
Keane was guilty of more sloppy defending, missing his kick to allow Duran to slot home.
On an otherwise perfect day, the only frustration for Villa was a late injury to Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho.
Manchester United are ready to move for England no.1 Jordan Pickford – whether David de Gea leaves or not.
Manager Erik ten Hag wants a high calibre goalkeeper signed this summer to either rival De Gea or replace him if he does not agree a new contract.
3
Pickford is top of Ten Hag’s listCredit: GETTY
3
A deal would be independent of De Gea’s futureCredit: Getty
talkSPORT understands that Pickford is the man at the top of United’s list and Everton may sell at around £30million.
The 29-year-old keeper was excellent as the Toffees avoided Premier League relegation but the Merseyside club needs money and manager Sean Dyche may be open to replacing him.
Pickford would jump at the chance of going to Old Trafford and playing in the Champions League, which is missing from his CV.
United have been doing deep dive checks on Pickford over the last few days as he emerges as the leading option.
De Gea, meanwhile, has an optional year on his contract which is set to expire this summer.
The Spaniard has won United’s Player of the Year award on four occasions since his 2011 signing from Atletico Madrid, but has endured a difficult campaign.
High profile mistakes in United’s first two games of the season against Brighton and Brentford saw Ten Hag abandon his philosophy of playing the ball out from the back, but he stuck with the lng serving no.1 through the January transfer window.
3
De Gea won the Premier League Golden Glove this season but Ten Hag is on the lookout for a new goalkeeperCredit: Getty
However, more errors dogged De Gea’s season, and he came under particular scrutiny from Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher for his performance in the FA Cup final.
Despite that, the 32-year-old won the Premier League’s Golden Glove for the 2022/23 season, and will likely go down as a club legend even if he does leave this summer.
Everton escaped Premier League relegation on the final day of the season for a second year in a row, with Abdoulaye Doucoure’s stunning long-range strike preserving the Toffees’ top-flight status for a 70th season in a row.
But a bizarre incident during the match saw a possible bite go unpunished – and it could have changed everything.
After Doucoure’s rocket in the 57th minute, the hosts desperately attempted to hold onto their lead as tensions between the teams reached fever pitch in the final half-hour.
In the 70th minute, Everton keeper Jordan Pickford and Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke – a former Liverpool player – got tangled up in Everton’s goalmouth.
The pair began to scrap as they tried to get up from the collision, with Solanke dragging the goalkeeper back to the ground so his teammates could take a shot.
The duo butted heads as the tension threatened to boil over, while the referee halted proceedings as players ran in from both sides to engage in some push-and-shove.
As the players were separated, Everton’s Colombian defender Yerry Mina took hold of Solanke, and appeared to come close to biting the neck or chest of his opponent.
Solanke immediately turned around and approached the referee, pulling his shirt down to show an apparent mark on his chest. But neither the referee nor VAR ruled that the Colombia international had bitten the attacker.
Solanke and Pickford, as well as another player who ran in, Bournemouth’s Adam Smith, were all booked for the fracas.
Ecstasy for Toffees… agony for Foxes | 01:03
But Mina could easily have been sent off had the officials deemed he bit Solanke, which would have proven a massive factor in Everton’s hopes of surviving relegation.
And while a superb performance from Mina helped his team ensure they’ll play in the Premier League again next season, the defender announced this week that he will be leaving the club.
Erik ten Hag has no intention of triggering the 12-month extension clause in David de Gea’s contract at the end of the season, it has been revealed.
The Spanish goalkeeper is Manchester United’s highest earner on a reported £375,000 per week wage and the Dutch manager is already eyeing replacements for the 2023/24 campaign.
While De Gea is keen to stay at Old Trafford, the 32-year-old’s days in Salford seem to be numbered, despite being United’s go-to man for the past decade.
Reputed journalist Florian Plettenburg was the one to break the news on Twitter this morning.
He said: “News De Gea: We‘ve been told that #MUFC – at this stage – is not considering to pull his clause to extend for one more year.
“Ten Hag is open to get a new No. 1 but the player would like to stay beyond 2023. Current salary between €18-20m/year confirmed.”
During his United career, De Gea has won one Premier League title, an FA Cup, a League Cup and a Europa League.
The United number one has also been the Red Devil’s Player of the Year on four occasions, showing how important he has been to the team.
Although, he did hit a low point after missing a deciding penalty in the 2020/21 Europa League Final.
Overall though, the Spaniard has had an excellent career with United.
This season, De Gea began the campaign with a couple of errors, but has since played consistently, making several outstanding saves in the last few games.
Despite his good form and popularity with the fans, Ten Hag seems to have made the decision that he needs a new number one, meaning De Gea will be allowed to leave on a free transfer next summer.
United target experienced Bundesliga GK
Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Yann Sommer is reportedly top of the list of replacement candidates, according to TEAMtalk.
One of the big reasons for Ten Hag’s decision for a change between the sticks could be the quality of De Gea’s distribution, something which Sommer is far superior at.
The Spaniard has registered an average of 18 successful passes per game in the Premier League this season, while Sommer has averaged 45 for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
Another obvious advantage of swapping out De Gea for the Swiss international is the huge difference in wages.
Sommer is not the only goalkeeper target for United, though.
England number one Jordan Pickford is another potential option, as it is rumoured he is reluctant to sign a contract extension at Everton.
His current deal runs out in June 2024, so the 28-year-old may be moved on by the Toffees sooner rather than later in order to return a decent transfer fee.
Whichever keeper United bring in next season, to some, Ten Hag’s decision to not extend De Gea’s stay at Old Trafford for another year is puzzling after being such a consistent performer for the Red Devils.
