Liverpool powered seven points clear at the top of the Premier League as the title favourites survived a scare in their 3-1 win against Leicester, while Bruno Fernandes was sent off in Manchester United’s dismal 2-0 defeat at lowly Wolves.
Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs copped another loss, 1-0 to Nottingham Forest.
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Erling Haaland missed a penalty as crisis-torn Manchester City failed to end their dismal run with a 1-1 draw against Everton, but it was United’s travails and Liverpool’s remarkable run that took centre-stage on Thursday.
Arne Slot’s side were shocked by Jordan Ayew’s early strike at Anfield, but the leaders recovered their composure to equalise just before the interval through Cody Gakpo.
England midfielder Jones marked his 100th top-flight appearance with the second goal soon after half-time.
Mohamed Salah’s 19th goal this term wrapped up Liverpool’s 11th win in their last 13 games in all competitions.
“We created enough, but because we went 1-0 down it was a game,” Liverpool manager Slot said.
Liverpool’s comeback lifted them well clear of second-placed Chelsea, who were defeated 2-1 by Fulham earlier in the day.
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool scores his team’s third goal.Source: Getty Images
United suffered a third successive loss in all competitions to leave new boss Ruben Amorim with five defeats in his first 10 games.
Fernandes was dismissed two minutes into the second half at Molineux for a second bookable offence.
United’s 10 men cracked in the 58th minute when Matheus Cunha’s corner went straight in as goalkeeper Andre Onana flapped under pressure.
Hwang Hee-chan compounded Amorim’s misery when he tapped in with just seconds left.
Losing to fourth-bottom Wolves was another bitter blow for United, who endured a humiliating 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Old Trafford last weekend after losing 4-3 in the League Cup at Tottenham.
With his team marooned in 14th place — just eight points above the relegation zone — Amorim’s woes might not be over, with United facing in-form Newcastle on Monday before travelling to Liverpool in their first game of 2025.
“It’s so tough to win games in this league with 11 men. With 10 men, it’s more difficult,” Amorim said.
Ruben Amorim has had a rough start at Manchester United.Source: Getty Images
Champions Manchester City have just one victory in their last 13 games in all competitions as their Christmas schedule started in disappointing fashion.
Bernardo Silva put City in front early on before Iliman Ndiaye salvaged a point for Everton.
Seven minutes into the second half, Haaland had the chance to end his longest goal drought at the Etihad but Jordan Pickford denied him.
City are languishing in seventh place and sit five points adrift of the top four, with their astonishing decline showing no sign of ending.
“Of course we need results and we didn’t get it. The team played really good again in all departments and unfortunately could not win,” said City boss Pep Guardiola.
Erling Haaland is challenged by Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton.Source: Getty Images
At Stamford Bridge, second-placed Chelsea were stunned by Fulham’s late fightback for a 2-1 win in a dramatic west London derby.
It was Chelsea’s first home defeat against Fulham since 1979. Cole Palmer put Chelsea ahead after 16 minutes, the England forward drilling home from the edge of the area after weaving through the Fulham defence in dazzling style.
But Fulham levelled with eight minutes left when Antonee Robinson’s cross was headed down by Timothy Castagne and Harry Wilson nodded in from close range.
Chelsea were furious, claiming Alex Iwobi had fouled Pedro Neto in the build-up to the goal.
But there was worse to come for the Blues in stoppage-time when Rodrigo Muniz converted Sasa Lukic’s pass with a clinical strike.
Chelsea are four points behind leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand and host Leicester later on Thursday.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is under mounting pressure.Source: AFP
Nottingham Forest climbed to third place after a 1-0 win against sputtering Tottenham at the City Ground.
Forest went ahead in the 28th minute when Anthony Elanga raced onto Morgan Gibbs-White’s pass and stroke a composed finish past Fraser Forster.
Forest’s fourth successive win was sweet revenge for boss Nuno Espirito Santo, whose former club Tottenham had Djed Spence sent off in the closing moments for a second booking.
Tottenham are stuck in 11th as the pressure mounts on boss Ange Postecoglou. Newcastle swatted aside 10-man Aston Villa 3-0, moving up to fifth place after winning three consecutive league games for the first time since 2023.
Jarrod Bowen’s 59th-minute goal gave West Ham a 1-0 win at bottom of the table Southampton after the visitors saw Guido Rodriguez’s red card overturned by VAR.
It was a frustrating start for new Saints boss Ivan Juric, who has replaced the sacked Russell Martin.
Bournemouth and Crystal Palace shared a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium.
Spurs have been hit by injuries and suspensions during the past month, with Postecoglou refusing to rein in his attacking approach as the London club have dropped down the Premier League table during a run of inconsistent results.
A thrilling 4-3 win over Manchester United in the League Cup quarter-finals last week was followed by an embarrassing 6-3 loss at home to Liverpool in the league on Sunday.
But ahead of Thursday’s Boxing Day match at Nottingham Forest, Spurs manager Postecoglou said he was aiming to bring in new recruits next month.
“Like I said a while ago, we’ve been planning,” he told a pre-match press conference.
“A lot of it was going to be around where we’re at around this time. Fair to say we’re still a little bit short in a couple of areas and we need to reinforce.”
The 59-year-old Australian added: “I think the fact that, obviously, we’re still in the Carabao (League) Cup semi-final, still got Europe, FA Cup, we’re in all the competitions, it’s not like our schedule’s going to ease up at any stage.
Ange Postecoglou manager / head coach of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Liverpool FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 22, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“So, I think it makes sense. We will try and reinforce. Where and what number we’ll have to wait and see.
“You don’t just want to panic and bring in anybody that you don’t think will help our cause in the back half of the year, but I think we’ve already shown we are pretty methodical and prudent about our work.” Tottenham have lost three of their last five Premier League matches and lie 11th in the table heading into Christmas.
However, they have also been coping with cup commitments and a lengthy injury list that includes Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.
Postecoglou had sympathy for the players picking up the slack in their absence as they try to implement his aggressive style.
Man U fan frustration felt by Amorim | 00:41
“I can’t be critical of this group of players at the moment in any sense,” he said.
“I think it would be unfair for anyone to because what they’re doing is they’re giving absolute maximum effort.
“That’s backed up by the physical parameters you put against what they’re doing. They’re trying to do it in the way that I’m asking them to.
“So how can I be critical of that? I think that would be hypocritical of me. The players are doing their part.
“They’re doing it to the maximum of their ability and it’s a credit to them.” Postecoglou, meanwhile, was preparing for another solitary Christmas Day, something the former Celtic boss has become used to during his football career.
“It’s a family tradition mate that I’m on my own,” he said. “The family is in a warmer climate in Australia.
“We have a couple of young boys, so it’s important they are around family at this time. I will give them a call in the morning and then get on about my day.”
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has questioned the “choices” of those close to forward Marcus Rashford, whose time at Old Trafford could be coming to an end.
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The 27-year-old England international sat out a third straight game on Sunday as United slumped to a 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth.
Rashford was also omitted from the squad for the derby win at Manchester City earlier this month and Thursday’s League Cup quarter-final defeat by Tottenham.
Two days before the Spurs loss, Rashford said in an interview that he was “ready for a new challenge and the next steps” of a career that began in the United academy.
“It is a hard situation but I understand that this kind of player have a lot of people around them, and making some choices that sometimes is not the first idea from the player,” Amorim told Sky Sports on Monday.
“They chose to do that interview because it’s not just Marcus. I understand that so for me as a coach I’m just focused on the performance, the way he trains.
“The rest, I think, is better for me and the club to deal with that when the times comes.”
Amorim also expressed his support for Rashford, who is under contract until 2028, and is keen for the player to stay at United.
The Portuguese said he can “separate” his relationship with Rashford, who has scored 87 goals in 287 appearances for the club, from the decisions of the people advising him.
“At the moment I’m just focused on improving Marcus,” added Amorim. “We need a lot in this moment, (from a) talented guy like Marcus, and I forget for now the interview. I just see what I see on the pitch.”
A Manchester United fan holds up a sign in support of Marcus Rashford during the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester. Picture date: Sunday December 22, 2024. (Photo by Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Former Liverpool and England defender Stephen Warnock believes the situation is far more complicated than Amorim’s justification of performance and training standards.
The 27-year-old is United’s joint top-scorer in the Premier League this season alongside Bruno Fernandes with four goals, while he has netted three more goals across the Europa League and Carabao Cup, but has been ridiculed for his lack of intensity without the ball.
That is not the real issue, according to Warnock however, with Rashford, who scored three goals for England at the 2022 World Cup, is being “made a scapegoat” for other issues at United.
“What we’ve seen behind the scenes is there’s been a lot of cost cutting,” Warnock said on Sky Sports. “But what we also know is, he’s potentially their biggest earner.
“Now, is that the ownership coming in going ‘absolutely not, we’re going to set wage structure and make sure we bring that down. He’s the first one that’s got to go or we’re going to have to do something about it’.
“How do you do that? You frustrate a player. You make life difficult for him.
“I’ve been in that situation where someone’s come in and gone ‘you’re not a player for me, so what I’m going to do is, I’m going to make life hell for you. I’m going to make it really embarrassing for you. I’m going to change the way we do everything. You’re training and I’m going to leave you out of the squads, and I’m going to make it so that you train all the week but you get no reward at the end of it’.
“I get that sense at the moment that he’s in that, sort of, place at the moment where he’s being made the scapegoat.”
EPL Wrap: Cherries spark Man United | 01:15
Meanwhile former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has all but given up hope that the issues between Rashford and the club can be resolved.
For Neville, who spent his entire career at Old Trafford and made 400 appearances for the club, the Rashford problem tugs on his heart strings as he too was an Academy player at United and was part of a generation of remarkable success under Sir Alex Ferguson during the 1990s and 2000s alongside fellow academy graduates like his brother Phil, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.
Rashford is Manchester and born-raised and has been a much-loved figure in the city in England’s north for his charity work helping feed children in poverty who were no longer receiving their free school meals during Covid-19 lockdowns, as well as donating essential items to homeless people.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2020 for his ongoing efforts, and Neville is saddened by the rift that has emerged between the club and a player who has been an outstanding part of the community in which it is based.
“I don’t think academy players, who have great talent like Marcus, should ever leave the club,” Neville said on Sky Sports.
“You want to see players at the club who have been there since they were eight stay there forever.
“But I think now in the past few days, it’s got to the point where it may be better for both parties for it to end quite quickly.
“Who knows, it might resolve itself. Ruben Amorim is saying that right things but I suspect behind the scenes it’s difficult.”
United’s defeat by Bournemouth left them 13th in the Premier League, their lowest position in the top flight at Christmas since 1986.
Amorim’s side return to action at Wolves on Boxing Day before hosting Newcastle next Monday.
Mohamed Salah dropped another hint that his future could lie away from Liverpool as the Egypt star said he would be happy “wherever I am going to end my career” after starring in Sunday’s 6-3 demolition of Tottenham.
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Salah scored twice and provided two assists in the goal-spree in north London as Liverpool moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The 32-year-old is the first Premier League player to bag at least 10 goals and 10 assists before Christmas, while his brace also took him into fourth place on Liverpool’s all-time list of scorers with 229 in all competitions.
“He is, quite frankly, a phenomenon,” The UK Telegraph’s chief football correspondent Jason Burt wrote.
“There is time for another statistic. In terms of overall goal contributions, in all competitions, Salah has an astonishing 33 in this campaign already. The next highest? Bukayo Saka with 22. The Egyptian really is in a league of his own.”
Salah’s immense value to Arne Slot’s team is clear, but Liverpool have been unable to persuade the forward to sign a new contract as speculation mounts about his future.
With Salah’s current deal expiring at the end of this season, he will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club from January.
Salah has been linked with French giants Paris Saint-Germain as well as Saudi Arabian teams, and he has already made several comments earlier this season about this potentially being his last campaign with Liverpool.
Post-match on Sunday, Salah once again made a cryptic reference to his future.
“It’s great to achieve that at such a big club, but the most important thing is that we won the game. Wherever I am going to end my career I am happy about it,” he told Sky Sports.
Salah added that there was “no update” on his contract situation, but Slot will surely be desperate to extend his talisman’s seven-year stay on Merseyside after he took his goal tally to 18 in all competitions this term.
“Salah’s contract situation, with his current deal running out next June, has been well-discussed but the 32-year-old could do well to take a leaf out of Kevin De Bruyne’s playbook when it comes to negotiations,” Burt wrote in the UK Telegraph.
“With his last deal at Manchester City, which also expires at the end of this campaign, De Bruyne brought up the data to reinforce his worth. Salah can simply say to Liverpool: “look at my numbers. Look at the facts”.
With Salah to the fore, Liverpool have won 21 of their 25 games in all competitions since Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp as manager.
Slot defends Postecoglou despite loss | 00:59
“I didn’t think about it before the game but I’m glad I have done it, something that makes me proud, I’ll keep working hard,” Salah said of reaching double figures in goals and assists this season.
Salah was less happy with Liverpool’s defending against Tottenham, adding: “We were quite good in front but I think we need to improve defensively as a team.
“Conceding three goals is quite hard. It’s quite good the result and hopefully we just keep going.”
Salah’s teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold has also been linked with a move away from Anfield, with the right back rumoured to be on Real Madrid’s radar.
Several Liverpool people are becoming more resigned to the losing the star duo, as well as a possible exit for star defender Virgil van Dijk whose contract also expires in June.
‘Painful one for us’: Ange dejected | 01:06
Former Reds defender Neil Ruddock believes “you can’t blame them” for looking elsewhere despite sitting top of the Premier League.
“Players come to the end of their contracts but I’m sure they’ve been talking, you don’t leave it until after Christmas, I’m sure there’s a lot going on,” Ruddock told FourFourTwo.
“I’m sure Liverpool are trying their hardest to keep the three of them there, but as a footballer, you can’t blame them if they want to taste playing abroad, playing for Real Madrid – for a young player like Trent, you can’t really blame him.
“For the older lads like Salah, I can also understand. Why would you stay a couple more years if you don’t think you’re going to be the player you were and you lose that hero status?
“There will be a lot of conversations going on between the players, the people who look after them and the club, there’s a lot to weigh up. For all three of them, I hope they stay, but you can also understand it if they go.”
Ange Postecoglou has threatened to stop answering a certain type of question from reporters after Tottenham were battered 6-3 at home by Premier League leaders Liverpool.
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The Australian manager never shies away from this attack-first philosophy, a cornerstone of which is his side’s high defensive line, despite recent criticism and an injury-hit, fatigued defence.
Postecoglou made no changes to the starting XI that overcame Manchester United 4-3 in a thrilling Carabao Cup quarter-final with first-choice goal keeper Guglielmo Vicario as well as centre back pairing Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven still on the sidelines.
Arne Slot’s side meanwhile was full strength, and there was a sense of the inevitable before kick-off when Postecoglou joked on Sky Sports that “it’s got all the hallmarks of a 0-0, mate”.
Liverpool came out ruthless as they routinely capitalised on Tottenham’s defensive frailties as they produced 24 shots on goals with Luis Diaz and Mohammed Salah scoring braces, while Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai also got on the score sheet.
“Spurs stayed high, caution to the chill wind. Liverpool simply ran through them,” The Guardian’s David Hytner wrote at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It was such a dominant display that Reds’ legend Jamie Carragher declared on Sky Sports that they “could’ve got ten” into the back of the net on Sunday.
‘Painful one for us’: Ange dejected | 01:06
The insistence from Postecoglou to stick to his guns despite being regularly exposed, as they also conceded four goals in a home loss to second-placed Chelsea earlier this month, has copped widespread criticism.
When he was asked yet again by the BBC whether Spurs’ injury woes were to blame for their issues at the back, Postecoglou responded in fiery fashion, showing that he is fed up with condemnation.
“I’m just going to stop answering these questions,“ he said.
“If people can’t see the obvious I‘m not going to point it out. Make of it what you want, yes we’re conceding goals.
“If you want to discount the fact we’re missing a goalkeeper, two centre-backs and left-back and that hasn’t coincided with what we’re doing… I don’t know what to say anymore.
“I think people make up their mind in their own way. They either think what I’m doing is good or bad, and that’s fine.
“It’s fairly significant [losing injured players]. If you took out Liverpool’s goalkeeper, two centre-backs and a left-back – or any team other than Liverpool – they’d find it tough going as well.”
Slot defends Postecoglou despite loss | 00:59
Not everyone agrees with the injury struggles being the root cause of the fact Tottenham will sit 11th on the Premier League at Christmas Day despite scoring more goals than anyone else in the league.
Carragher said post-game that “nobody has ever won anything playing like that”.
“Not that I expect Tottenham to win the Premier League but nobody has ever won anything playing like that,” the Sky Sports pundit said after the game.
“It was almost Kevin Keegan-like. The other team I could associate with that was almost Brendan Rodgers with Liverpool, where it was just end-to-end, 6-3, 5-4, and at the end of it they just come a little bit short.
“You’ve got to respect the opposition, you’ve got to respect the defensive side of the game.
“I get the idea. It’s not about a style of play. If everyone’s fully fit and he wants to do things slightly different – every manager who comes in has got a little different way of doing things.
“You’ve got to have something that’s a little bit different, that makes you special, that makes you start off in Australia and get yourself to the Premier League. It’s a brilliant journey he’s been on, and he’s got a way about that.
“But when you’ve got your best team, not when you’re down to the bare bones.”
EPL Wrap: Cherries spark Man United | 01:15
One of the key points of conjecture in Tottenham’s defensive set-up has been goal keeper Fraser Forster.
The 36-year-old has never been particularly comfortable playing out from the back, as Postecoglou, likes to do and it led to Forster making two absolute howlers to concede goals against Manchester United mid-week when the Spurs’ defenders passed the ball back to him.
Forster’s confidence was clearly rattled as in the third minute of the game, he passed the ball straight to Salah but that was one of the chances that went unpunished, and supports Carragher’s “could’ve got ten” view.
The former England shot stopper found himself an ally in legendary Manchester United goal keeper Peter Schmeichel, who slammed Postecoglou post-match.
“It’s on [Ange Postecoglou]. He’s playing to his principles. Today it was crazy, the high-line, the space they left behind, they’re not playing with a ‘keeper who’s comfortable cleaning up behind. You can’t play a system the players can’t play because of principle. For that they’ve conceded three on Thursday [in the League Cup] and six today,” Schmeichel said.
“When you look at the table, they’re not on the front page, they’re on the second page. Tottenham are not supposed to be on the second page, it’s because of the way they play.
“The stubbornness of wanting to play that way, they got what they deserved and it could have been a lot worse.”
Man City’s top 4 dreams take ANOTHER hit | 03:29
The Guardian’s Jonathan Liew was similarly scathing of Postecoglou, and Tottenham as a club more broadly.
He labelled them “unserious” on a day when Spurs’ fans protested against club chair Daniel Levy.
“Tottenham are not serious about this. They win spectacularly, and then they lose spectacularly, and it doesn’t really matter because over the past couple of years they have engendered a culture in which progress is basically divorced from outcomes,” Liew wrote.
“League positions are of no consequence. Champions League qualification is not a target, because the entire success of this multi-billion-pound operation is geared around whether a middle-aged Australian man feels his ideas have taken root this week or not.
“There are clear and tangible advantages to this approach. Most importantly, it’s a lot of fun. This is expressive football with no compromises, a young and essential energy, and occasionally the ultimate rush. When it destroys the quadruple champions or puts seven past Manchester United in two games, it feels like total vindication, and who doesn’t love one of those? This is the entertainment business, there are Tunnel Club packages to be sold, and being the Premier League’s top scorers is a pretty persuasive pitch if you’re not really fussed about who wins.
“But there are also disadvantages to being an unserious team, and perhaps you glimpse them most sharply when you come up against a serious team. A team that don’t take a weird solace in denying their rivals the league, or entertain bizarre superstitions about maybe winning the FA Cup when the year ends in a one. A coach who believes his job is to make his players look good, rather than the other way around.”
Not all in the British press have been as brutal.
The UK Telegraph’s chief football correspondent Jason Burt wrote from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that it would cruel to judge Postecoglou too harshly given the fact he has a second-choice goal keeper in Forster, 18-year-old right-back Archie Gray and 22-year-old back-up Radu Dragusin as his centre back pairing, as well as the forgotten Djed Spence at left back.
While Spurs supporters might be tearing their hair out, neutral observers are getting value for money, as evidenced by Postecoglou jokingly asking “are you not entertained?” in a post-match interview after their Carabao Cup win against Manchester United.
“There must be sympathy for Ange Postecoglou, especially given how bravely he continues to demand his team play, but it does lead to criticism of its own. They give up simple goals at times and so it proved,” Burt said.
“The fact Gray, at 18, is playing at centre-half highlights how stretched Spurs are, of course, but no-one can deny their spirit – they never take a backward step – and desire to score and they claimed two goals as firstly Kulusevski volleyed in after a fine link-up with Dominic Solanke and then Solanke also guided the ball home from a header by substitute Brennan Johnson.
“But it only served to annoy Liverpool as they swiftly bewildered Spurs again for Salah to slip a pass through to Diaz who finished with a powerful angled shot. And with that there was a thumbs-up from Slot who took the pair off. It showed just how ruthless they can be and their work was done. And, yes, we were entertained.”
The rollercoaster will roll on for Spurs with more crunch fixtures to come either side of New Year’s.
A Boxing Day trip to the feel-good story of the season, fourth-placed Nottingham Forest will be difficult.
They then face relegation-threatened Wolves and seventh-placed Newcastle at home, before hosting Liverpool once again in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on January 6.
That will be a fascinating test of how they can change in a short-space of time, but Postecoglou will not shy away from his attacking philosophy.
He never has, and he has always been up front about the fact that he is not going to.
“I’ve been really patient the last 18 months, answering the same questions over and over again,” he said post-match.
“If people want me to change my approach, it’s not going to change.
“We’re doing it for a reason, we’re doing it because we think it’ll help us be successful.”
Injury-hit Spurs took a big step towards a first trophy since 2008 on Friday with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
Tottenham led 3-0 before two howlers from goalkeeper Fraser Forster let United into the game, but the home side held on for a precious win.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool defender, said Spurs should be more flexible in their approach rather than sticking to all-out attack.
Ahead of Monday’s visit of Liverpool, Postecoglou found an ally on Friday in opposite number Arne Slot, who said he was a big fan of the Spurs manager’s style.
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 19: Ange Postecoglou, manager of Tottenham Hotspur, embraces James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 19, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
Postecoglou discussed in detail the analysis of Carragher and others when asked at his pre-match press conference on Saturday if he would listen more to someone like Slot than the ex-Reds defender.
“Jamie Carragher, mate. You can name him. He’ll enjoy that,” Postecoglou laughed.
He added: “I love the fact people are talking about our games and analysing our games. I think that is important as well for this football club and I’d rather that than us be anonymous and no one talk about us, or we’re just grinding out an existence.
“As I’ve always said, you have to be prepared for scrutiny, you have to be prepared for criticism and it’s how you react to that that is more important.
“What I am saying is I don’t need validity and it won’t change what I believe because what I believe (comes from) a lifetime of experiences and values that I won’t let anyone tamper with from the outside.”
But the Australian said he did not understand “some of the other stuff”, believing it was about getting headlines.
Asked to expand, Postecoglou replied: “There is some stuff out there and I find — and at the appropriate time I’ll call it out — just offensive towards me.
“I just think you know what, I don’t know. I’m up here with a silly accent and maybe I don’t take things as seriously as people want me to and I’m fairly dismissive of them, but that’s all right. I love my life and I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.”
Arne Slot insisted Darwin Nunez is still an important part of Liverpool’s plans despite the struggling striker falling below the “standard” in the Champions League win against Girona.
Mired in a lengthy slump, Nunez has scored only one goal in his last 10 appearances and three in total all season.
In Liverpool’s victory in Girona on Tuesday, the Uruguay international cut an increasingly frustrated figure after missing several chances.
Slot admitted he kept Nunez on for an extended period, before eventually replacing him in the 71st minute, in the hope he would score a confidence-boosting goal.
After receiving criticism in midweek, Nunez posted on Instagram: “They are not all, they are some. Thank you Reds for your support, we are all still together.”
Slot believes the 25-year-old needs the support of fans and his team-mates to help him rediscover the form that made him such a sensation at Benfica prior to his move to Anfield in 2022.
“All our players feel the support of our fans but he is definitely one of them. Mo (Salah) is scoring so many goals he likes the support of the fans but doesn’t really need it at the moment,” Slot told reporters on Friday.
“We all saw they did something with him when he missed a few chances on Tuesday and everyone needs an arm around you, either from a team-mate, the fans or your manager.
“But I also made it clear to him that he is not only judged on the goals he scores, he is also judged on the team performance and he adds something to the team performance as well with his work-rate and how much he does winning the ball back high up the pitch.”
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez shoots during the UEFA Champions League match against Girona.Source: Getty Images
Slot’s only issue with Nunez was a dip in his work-rate against Girona that drew a rebuke from the Reds boss.
“Ideally he would have scored a few goals more. But what should always be there is work-rate and I think that is what he has, apart from two games,” Slot said.
“I said that to him yesterday and the last half-hour against Girona wasn’t of the standard he should have.
“That had a lot to do with him being disappointed at missing a few chances.”
Nunez’s position will come under increasing pressure with Diogo Jota and long-term absentee Federico Chiesa set to return to the squad for the visit of Fulham on Saturday.
Chiesa has played for just 18 minutes in the Premier League since joining Liverpool from Juventus in the close-season.
The Italy forward has only three appearances in all competitions for the Reds, who sit four points clear at the top of the Premier League as they chase a first title since 2020.
“Federico missed quite a lot for a long time, was ill last week, so we have to wait and see how he is exactly doing,” Slot said.
“But maybe Diogo is in the squad and maybe Federico as well, but that depends a bit on the numbers we have and also how he recovered from his illness.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot.Source: AFP
MANCHESTER UNITED
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim insists he did not speak to Manchester City about replacing Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium before making his move to Old Trafford.
As Amorim prepares for his first Manchester derby on Sunday, the 39-year-old’s link to City prior to his arrival at United has become a hot topic.
United hired the highly-regarded Amorim from Sporting Lisbon in November after sacking Erik ten Hag.
Amorim had been mentioned as a contender to take over from Guardiola after City announced Sporting’s director of football Hugo Viana would replace Txiki Begiristain at the end of this season.
Guardiola eventually ended speculation over his future by signing a new two-year contract shortly after Amorim’s arrival in Manchester.
Asked if he ever had a conversation about the prospect of joining City, Amorim told reporters: “Never. Never had and this was my only option.
“When Manchester United talked to me, I had no doubts because I had already something in my mind that it could be a possibility.
“With Manchester City or Hugo Viana? Nothing about that.”
Amorim’s side ended a run of two successive defeats with a 2-1 victory at Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday.
But United have won just three of Amorim’s six games in charge and are languishing in 13th place after recent losses to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest underlined the extent of the rebuilding job he faces.
Yet, for the first time in years, City go into the derby mired in more turmoil than United after a dismal run of one win in 10 games in all competitions.
Rival EPL boss defends “under-fire” Ange | 02:30
Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at Juventus was City’s seventh loss in their last 10 matches, an astonishing decline for a club that has won the last four Premier League titles.
One of those losses was masterminded by Amorim, whose Sporting side enjoyed a 4-1 Champions League triumph over City.
“I never think about these things,” Amorim said of City’s woes. “We will face a great opponent and I’m more focused on our problems, so we have a lot of issues here.
“I’m more focused on what we should do on Sunday to win the game, so I’m really focused on my team.”
Asked if United are facing a different, weaker City, he said: “No, no, no, no. “The great teams can respond in any moment, and I think they are in a better place than us in the type of understanding the game, the way they play, the confidence they have. Even in these kind of moments.”
City may be struggling but they still enter the weekend fourth in the Premier League, eight points better off than their neighbours.
“I just want to improve the team, so I cannot live it like a normal derby like it should be, like two great teams fighting for the title. It is not that in this moment,” Amorim said.
“Both teams are struggling in the moment, so I hope in future I can feel that real feeling of a derby, but I know it’s really important for our fans.
“But my goal now is to improve the team, win games and I will try to win this game.”
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim.Source: Getty Images
MANCHESTER CITY
Pep Guardiola admits troubled Manchester City will not recapture their peak form until his injury-plagued side are finally whole again.
Guardiola’s fourth-placed side head into Sunday’s derby against Manchester United reeling after a dismal run of one win in 10 games in all competitions.
A 2-0 defeat at Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday left City in danger of failing to make the last 16, while they are languishing eight points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
After winning an unprecedented four successive Premier League titles and six in the last seven seasons, City have looked more vulnerable than ever before in the Guardiola era.
The City boss attributes their stunning decline on injuries to key players, mostly notably Spain midfielder Rodri, who won the prestigious Ballon d’Or award earlier this year.
Rodri, who helped Spain win Euro 2024, is not expected back from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for several months, although he has hinted he could feature at some point this season.
“What I want is my players back. The complete squad we had at the beginning of the season. My regret is that we don’t have these and not needing new ones,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.
“We have known it from the beginning but Rodri is a Ballon d’Or player. We are playing without the best player in England last season. That is the problem.
“Not one other team plays with a central midfielder who has a Ballon d’Or. It is difficult. The moment he comes back, we will be strong again. We will be a good team.
“Of course, we still have to try and play the same way and to win. Sooner or later we are going to be back.”
With City mired in such a woeful period, the champions have been linked with new signings in the January transfer window.
On the day City announced record Premier League revenues of £715 million. Guardiola didn’t rule out the possibility when it was put to him that reinforcements were needed to save their season.
“If we need players then we go to the transfer market but I don’t know who is around,” he said.
“Massive congratulations on the accounts because the club must be sustainable. That doesn’t mean we have big resources to buy whatever we want, especially with how expensive the transfer market is.”
Beating United at the Etihad Stadium this weekend would be a significant boost to Guardiola’s hopes of ending City’s spiral.
The Spaniard, who recently signed a new two-year contract, vowed to solve City’s crisis eventually and claimed he was not feeling under pressure.
“In our jobs we will always do our best and when the best doesn’t happen you are more uncomfortable than when the situation is going well. As a manager you are in scrutiny for every step of the team,” he said.
“But I am fine. I have more thoughts at this moment but what I feel right now is the same as what I’ve said for the last few weeks or month.
“We have to shoot more and cut out the mistakes. But we have been in the games.
“We have not been consistent for the 90 minutes but I know the reason why. We just have to keep working and moving forward.”
Adding to Guardiola’s mounting problems, Swiss defender Manuel Akanji has been ruled out of the Manchester derby with a pelvic injury.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.Source: Getty Images
ARSENAL
Mikel Arteta is adamant Arsenal’s search for a new sporting director to replace Edu will not affect their ability to sign players in the January transfer window.
Edu’s sudden resignation last month has left Arteta without one of his trusted inner circle at a key point in the season.
The Gunners are third in the Premier League and sit six points behind leaders Liverpool after an inconsistent first half of the campaign.
Arteta could look to the transfer market to bolster his squad in the new year, but Edu’s exit has raised questions about Arsenal’s ability to land the Spaniard’s top targets.
Jason Ayto, who has been at Arsenal for a decade as a scout and then Edu’s assistant, has assumed the post on an interim basis.
But Dan Ashworth’s shock exit from Manchester United has seen him linked with a move to north London ahead of the transfer window opening on January 1.
Ahead of Saturday’s home game with Everton, Arteta was asked if not having a permanent sporting director in place could pose an issue.
“We have one. Jason Ayto is our interim sporting director. He has got the full capacity and support of the football club right now,” Arteta told reporters on Friday.
“He is doing really well with his team. The process is open, as you know. And the club, with the support of all of us, will decide who is the best person to move us forward.
“I never expect January to be super busy, but we have to wait and see where we are. There might be some opportunities, too.
“Hopefully the availability of the squad will be better in a few weeks. We have to wait and see.”
While Arteta is calm about the situation, he would like it to be resolved before the end of the season.
“Yes, but when we are convinced that we have the right person who can work the right team who are doing a great job at the moment,” he said.
“Someone who is going to take us to the next level. We might have him internally. Timing wise it’s hard to understand. I’m not running the process so it’s more for the club to respond.”
Arteta could be forced into the transfer market, with defenders Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu all sidelined by injuries.
Jurrien Timber was only fit enough for the bench in Arsenal’s 3-0 win against Monaco in the Champions League in midweek.
Gabriel Magalhaes has also been absent for the past three matches, but he has returned to training and is expected to be available against Everton.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, 18, was handed a full Champions League debut against Monaco and is in line to secure his first Premier League start this weekend.
“He certainly deserves to be in contention to be selected because he performed and competed really well,” Arteta said.
“At his age to show that maturity and personality is strange.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.Source: Getty Images
CHELSEA
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said Friday he felt privileged to work with Cole Palmer after labelling him as “different” to the Premier League’s other star forwards.
Palmer has been Chelsea’s outstanding player in their unexpected rise to second place in the Premier League.
With 11 goals in 15 games, the England international is Chelsea’s top scorer and has also provided six assists.
Palmer’s confidence and quality were on display once again with the cheeky chipped penalty in last weekend’s win at Tottenham.
It was the kind of eye-catching moment that Maresca claimed as evidence that the 22-year-old is a truly unique talent.
“I feel very proud and privileged to work with Cole. Cole is a different one to the rest,” the Italian said.
Chelsea host west London neighbours Brentford on Sunday looking to keep up the pressure on Liverpool in the title race.
The Blues are four points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand, and are also looking to qualify for the Champions League.
Palmer will be key to Chelsea’s hopes of keeping pace with Liverpool and returning to Europe’s elite club competition.
Maresca, who worked with Palmer during his time in charge of Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad, praised his forward’s ability to handle the pressure and expectations of being Chelsea’s main man, “Many top players have that way,” he said. “They look like they almost don’t care but it’s just their way and being in that way gives them more freedom.
“They can relax and you can see Cole is the same way. Cole was this way five years ago and he’s still the same.”
Asked whether he believed Palmer is the best player currently playing in England, Maresca said: “At this moment, he could be, but England are lucky because there are so many good players and Cole is one of them. There are so many good players in the Premier League.
“Absolutely he can be world class but as you said, he is only 22 and there are many things he can improve, including that at the moment, everyone is marking him man-to-man, but there are many things he can still improve.”
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.Source: Getty Images
NEWCASTLE
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe admits he is battling to lift the mood at his struggling club as they come to terms with reduced expectations.
The Magpies are languishing in 12th place in the Premier League ahead of Saturday’s clash with Leicester.
That is a far cry from the top four place they had targeted after competing in the Champions League last season.
When the Saudi takeover at St James’ Park was completed to much fanfare in 2021, Newcastle had hoped to establish themselves as one of the world’s top clubs.
But Premier League profit and sustainability rules have hampered the Saudis’ efforts to build on the fourth-place finish Newcastle achieved two season ago.
And with little sign of significant spending on new signings in January, Howe knows it could be harder to keep his players happy and attract fresh talent.
“Players are very astute human beings. I always say players feel everything at a football club,” he told reporters on Friday.
“They are the most perceptive people because they are on the front line. They are the ones delivering for us, so whatever is going on at a football match, they’re the ones absorbing it.
“Naturally, PSR has had an effect on the club and we haven’t been able to strive and reach as quickly as we wanted to initially. That has been halted somewhat in various ways.
“Of course they have felt that and been aware of that. The challenge for me is for that not to affect performances and mood and belonging to the club.”
Newcastle spent £400 million on new signings during the first four transfer windows under their new owners but have not made a major signing since.
Howe, who replaced Steve Bruce at Newcastle in 2021, finds himself under pressure after last weekend’s 4-2 defeat at Brentford, with his side having won just two of their last 11 league games.
“The best players we have, they’re like gold dust, and I’ve said that many times. They’re difficult to find, you’re not going to pick them up off the street,” Howe said.
“When you have them, you’ve got to cherish them and really care for them, and try to make the environment as strong as you can so they want to stay as part of that.”
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe.Source: Getty Images
WEST HAM
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui and his players will visit Michail Antonio in hospital as the Jamaica forward recovers after his “miracle” escape from a car crash.
West Ham star Antonio was rushed to hospital after being cut out of his Ferrari following the accident in Epping last weekend.
The 34-year-old needed surgery on a lower limb fracture and is reported to be facing weeks in hospital recovering from multiple injuries.
Antonio was able to speak to his team-mates via a video call from his hospital bed before they beat relegation rivals Wolves 2-1 on Monday.
West Ham players wore ‘Antonio 9’ shirts while warming up at the London Stadium, with Jarrod Bowen holding up his team-mate’s shirt after scoring the crucial winner.
“We are going to visit him today or tomorrow,” Lopetegui told reporters on Friday ahead of Monday’s Premier League trip to Bournemouth.
“But the main thing is we are very happy because he is recovering very well. We are very close to him and his family and we wish him the best for the next days.
“The best news about Michail Antonio was that he was able to talk with us before the Wolves match, because looking at the car crash, it was one miracle he was ok, so we are happy for him.
“Now for sure he is strong, he is recovering himself in the next months to be a man first and then a player.”
Dejan Kulusevski equaliser and a stunning stop from Fraser Forster saved Tottenham’s blushes as Ange Postecoglou’s side drew 1-1 with Rangers in their Europa League clash in Glasgow.
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The result takes Spurs to 11 points from six games, and they sit ninth, only on goal difference out of the top eight, who automatically progress to the knockout rounds, with two league phases matches to come in the new year.
A draw means Tottenham remain winless in their last three Europa League contests, and they have only won once in their last eight matches in all competitions, but for much of the night, things looked like they would play out much worse.
“It’s fair to say we’re in a bit of a struggle,” Postecoglou said post-match.
The Australian manager has been under intense scrutiny this week after back-to-back Premier League losses, and the former Celtic boss’ heart must have been in his mouth when Rangers were through on goal in the 86th minute.
Cyriel Dessers barged his way past several defenders to get a shot away, but Forster stayed big and pulled off a brilliant piece of goal keeping, not for the first time in the match, to tip the ball wide and deny the home side.
Only a minute later, the Ibrox descended into raptures as Dessers found the back of the net this time, but the celebrations were short-lived as the linesperson’s flag was up, and replays showed he was well offside.
Those chances for Rangers were brewing all night, whereas Kulusevski’s equaliser seemingly came from nowhere.
Spurs were patiently playing the ball around at the back for more than a minute before attacking down the right and Kulusevski took matters into his own hands to score in the 75th minute.
The Swede cut back, found fellow substitute Dominic Solanke in the box, continued his run, received the ball back from Solanke and slotted it home with a left foot, first-time shot from near the edge of the penalty area.
Things were looking dire for Tottenham before Kulusevski’s brilliant run as they went unpunished for their sloppiness in the first half, but it took less than two minutes after the break for Rangers to finally capitalise on yet another Spurs error.
They coughed up the ball in midfield, and right back James Tavernier broke down the right-hand side, whipped a beautiful, curling ball in the box to pick out front man Hamza Igamane in the box, and the Moroccan slammed the half-volley into the bottom corner.
The third-placed side in the Scottish Premiership looked more threatening for most of the evening, and the home supporters relished watching their team take it up to an English side.
It was the first time Spurs has travelled north to face Rangers in a competitive fixture since the 1960s, and the last time the blue half of Glasgow hosted a Premier League outfit, they were humiliated 7-1 by Liverpool.
That was in a Champions League contest in 2022 when Mohamed Salah came off the bench to score a stunning six minute hat trick, and it was arguably the most disastrous night of decades of heartbreak against English opposition in European competition, having not beaten a team from south of the border since getting the better of Leeds United in 1992.
For most of the freezing cold evening, it appeared as if that streak might be broken but Rangers ultimately did not make the most of the 15 shots they took, six of which were on target.
Both sides looked like they would be made to pay for their sloppiness with the ball throughout the first half as they each had threatening opportunities on the counter attack, but lacked the poise to finish.
It was a back-and-forth, end-to-end contest with Tottenham having more of the ball but their makeshift defence looked incredibly vulnerable at times.
Teenager Archie Gray, who typically plays right back, started alongside Ragu Dragusin as a central defender due to Spurs’ injury woes but it was goal keeper Forster who repelled Rangers’ attacks best with two excellent first half saves.
The former Celtic shot stopper was booed and jeered extensively by the home fans, but kept his cool to tip a bullet from Nedim Bajrami over the bar in the 10th minute before ensuring they headed to the sheds deadlocked with an excellent save with his feet from a Vaclav Cerny shot in the final minute of the half.
Rangers came out hard and finished the opening stanza the better of the two sides, while Tottenham controlled the middle period of the opening half.
The home side lost centre back John Souttar, who is the brother of Socceroo Harry, in the 34th minute to a groin injury and it appeared as if a change at the back might open things up for Spurs.
They had their chances but only one of their six first half shots was on target, and that was a tame shot from Son Heung-min, who started up front with Timo Werner, James Maddison and Brennan Johnson sitting behind him, in a change of formation from Postecoglou.
The much-maligned Werner was benched at half time for goal scorer Dejan Kulusevski, while Johnson last an hour before making for Dominic Solanke, and Postecoglou took the unusual step of publicly expressing his frustrations with Werner post-match.
“He wasn’t playing anywhere near the levels he can. It’s not acceptable to me. I told him that. He’s a senior international, a German international,” he said.
“In the moment we’re in now, I need everyone to be at least going out there and giving the best they can. What he produced wasn’t acceptable. I expect more from the senior players like him.”
Spurs seem to be in a funk in attack, and with a trip to Southampton, a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United and a visit from Premier League leaders Liverpool before Christmas, they will need to break it fast to get back to winning ways.
Chelsea down Astana in Conference League | 00:42
SUPER SUBSTITUTE INSPIRES MAN UTD COMEBACK
Second-half substitute Rasmus Hojlund scored twice as Manchester United fought back to earn a 2-1 win at Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday.
The hosts took the lead shortly after half-time, but Hojlund levelled on 62 minutes, six minutes after replacing Marcus Rashford, when the Danish striker tapped in Amad Diallo’s deflected shot.
Two minutes from time, he beat Plzen goalkeeper Martin Jedlicka again with a clinical finish, turning around his marker after United captain Bruno Fernandes had found him inside the box with a clever free-kick.
Matej Vydra, a former Watford, West Brom, Reading, Derby and Burnley forward, opened the scoring for the hosts with a close-range finish three minutes after half-time.
Pavel Sulc found Vydra facing an empty net after he had intercepted United goalkeeper Andre Onana’s pass inside the box.
Hojlund double guides United to victory | 00:58
The goal was a wake-up call for United manager Ruben Amorim, who made three replacements in its wake, including Hojlund.
“It was not a great game,” said Amorim, before praising the substitutes. “They changed the game. They are there to do that so I’m pleased with that.”
He added he was happy with the outcome: “It was important not to give up so that is a great message.”
The former Sporting Lisbon boss replaced the sacked Eric ten Hag in November, but the chilly evening in Plzen showed United still have some way to go.
Both teams came into the match with nine points from five Europa League games, and they took time to find their pace.
Fernandes had the first shot on target half an hour into the game, but Jedlicka parried his low right-footed effort from the edge of the box.Onana watched Cheick Souare’s shot curl just past the top corner of his goal two minutes before the break.
United substitutes Mason Mount and Antony were denied by Jedlicka in the second half, with Mount failing to beat the ‘keeper twice from close range.
But Hojlund turned the match on its head to put United in a strong position for direct qualification to the last 16.
“We didn’t have so much time to work on this type of game. We were controlling the game but didn’t have the pace (in the first half),” said Amorim.
“We want to improve and we want to improve really fast,” he added. United next face Rangers at Old Trafford on January 23.
Results from the two games against the South American champions and the pair of fixtures against Chinese Taipei were both everything and, at the same time, completely irrelevant compared to other objectives.
Impressive crowds followed the team from Brisbane to the Gold Coast and on to Victoria and winning for those who paid their hard-earned money will always be the goal. However, with continental and global silverware up for grabs over the next two and a half years, those games will be the last where player selections, formations and form won’t be scrutinised heavily for some time.
Stylish Tillies crush Chinese Taipei | 03:08
THE SELL OUT CROWD STREAK
The Matildas streak of selling out stadiums on home soil stopped at 16.
47,501 packed into Suncorp Stadium and 25,297 rocked up on the Gold Coast for the games against Brazil.
The 26,795 in attendance at AAMI Park in Melbourne for the first match against Chinese Taipei fell just shy of ensuring the house full sign went up.
The teams who featured on the sellout list make the length of the streak even more impressive.
It started with 50,629 packing into Marvel Stadium for the last fixture the side played before the Women’s World Cup, against France, in 2023.
By the time the full-time whistle went in their third-placed play-off defeat to Sweden in Brisbane the streak sat at eight.
The wave of enthusiasm didn’t wane after the World Cup.
59,155 were at Optus Stadium in Perth for an Olympic qualifier against the Philippines. That fixture was wedged either side of sellouts at HBF Park against Iran and Chinese Taipei.
54,120 against Uzbekistan at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne saw them seal qualification for the games in Paris while 76,798 were in attendance at Accor Stadium in Sydney for a clash with China. It doubled as a farewell match for the side prior to the ill-fated Olympic campaign and veteran goalkeeper Lydia Williams’ final game on home soil before retirement.
That figure is almost unheard of for a Monday night in Sydney and it came off the back of 52,912 at Adelaide Oval for the first game against China.
Those are remarkable numbers.
THE COACH SEARCH
When will Football Australia settle on Tony Gustavsson’s replacement as Matildas coach?
All the governing body will confirm is that the search is ongoing.
It’s been ongoing since August and is likely to continue into 2025.
There are six international windows next year as the side prepares for the Asian Cup on home soil in March of 2026. The side will head to America in the first of those windows in February for the SheBelieves Cup. They’ll take on Japan, the USA and Colombia and it’s unclear, at this stage, if the search for a coach would’ve concluded by then.
Players, former players and pundits have all aired their opinions over the last few weeks on the qualities the new coach should possess.
The man currently filling the void, Tom Sermanni, also had some thoughts.
“Somebody young,” the 70-year-old quipped when asked.
“Ideally its someone that has to be here; that has to be invested in the game here, that has to take greater responsibility than just a one singular national team.
“That would be the ideal role.”
That would require any foreign candidate to relocate and immerse themselves in pathways programs.
In the meantime, Sermanni has turned his attention to the SheBelieves Cup.
“I’m in here as a coach. I haven’t thought about it as if I’m just here in the interim. What I’ve tried to do is do what I would’ve done had I come in here under a two, three or a four-year contract.”
Incredible story behind Tillies new star | 01:12
THE YOUNG AND THE RETURNING
The experience of Sermanni – this is his third stint as coach of the Matildas – perhaps explains why Football Australia feel like they’ve got time to settle on the right coaching candidate.
He’s already set about building depth in the squad. Sermanni created headlines – something the affable Scot is not prone to doing – by saying depth building was something the program hadn’t done well enough. It was seen as a shot at Gustavsson and was widely reported as such. He was at pains to clarify on Friday that he meant it was a decade old problem that Football Australia needs to address.
Either way, it’s a valid point on the road to the Asian Cup and World Cup.
His solution, so far, has been to not just name generation next in the squad, but actually give them game time.
Bryleeh Henry, Daniela Galic, Winonah Heatley, Sharn Freier, Natasha Prior and Leah Davidson all got minutes at stages, and none looked out of place at international level.
Freier is the most established of those players and looks increasingly dangerous with every appearance.
“I think the first thing that we learned is that some players have come in and really stepped up to the level that we’re playing at,” Sermanni said.
“We actually have some talent around that we need to try to utilise a little bit better.”
More established players like Emily Gielnik, Chloe Logarzo and Remy Siemsen, who missed the profile boom of World Cup induced Matildas-mania, have also returned to the fold.
A mix of the young and the returning will be required for the side to get its hands on silverware.
CLARITY ON SAM KERR
Sam Kerr has been sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury since suffering the setback at a Chelsea training camp in January.
Hard details around her recovery have been difficult to come by since.
Now, new Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor has provided a ballpark timeframe for Kerr’s return.
“We are looking to have her back with us in February, March, not before that,” Bompastor said.
“She didn’t start yet to train, even being modified with the group, so she’s still on her individual process rehab and I think it will take at least two or three more months for her to be fit enough to be with the squad.”
That means the SheBelieves Cup will, most likely, come too soon and Chelsea would surely hold reservations about Kerr departing for international duty if she was only just back on the park.
Having Kerr fit and firing for the Asian Cup in 2026 and the World Cup in 2027 must be the goal after an injury interrupted run at the last edition before missing the Olympics in Paris completely.
Tillies snap losing streak with 3-1 win | 01:34
THE HARDEST MOMENT TO WATCH
Chloe Logarzo made her first appearance for the Matildas since October 2022 in the game at AAMI Park against Chinese Taipei.
After a lively first half-hour spent cleverly linking up with the strike pairing of Emily Gielnik and Michelle Heyman, a head clash while competing for a ball saw her night come to an end.
The next day she was ruled out of the second match in Geelong.
“She has got the old egg on the side of her head at the moment,” Sermanni said after the AAMI Park game.
“She is devastated at having to go off. She waited quite a long time to get back in the team.”
It’s not hard to understand why Logarzo was pleading for the medical staff to let her continue.
The 29-year-old has had a horror run with injuries.
The midfielder tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee during a friendly against Ireland in September of 2021.
Issues with her foot followed the completion of rehabilitation on her knee.
Logarzo wasn’t fit enough for the World Cup and turned television pundit for the tournament instead.
The Western United star will be desperate to be on the pitch instead of in a TV studio when the Asian Cup rolls around.
The tears that followed her substitution in Melbourne were a raw and honest expression of how cruel professional sport can be.
THE BEST MOMENT OF THE FOUR MATCHES
Clare Polkinghorne take a bow.
You know you’ve made it when you enter the Australian consciousness just by your nickname.
“Polks” got a celebration game against Brazil in-front of family and friends in her home state in Queensland and then a farewell game against Chinese Taipei in Geelong.
The defender made her international debut in 2006 against China in Shanghai as a 16-year-old and went on to be picked for five World Cups, five Asian Cups and three Olympic Games.
The 35-year-old exits the game with 169 appearances for the Matildas to her name that saw her go from playing in-front of small crowds to selling out stadiums.
Arsenal missed the chance to close to within four points of Premier League leaders Liverpool after being held to a 1-1 draw at Fulham on Sunday.
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Bukayo Saka had a late winner ruled out by a VAR review for off-side as the Gunners’ four-match winning streak was halted in west London.
Raul Jimenez had fired Fulham into an early lead before William Saliba levelled thanks to another Arsenal goal from a corner.
Mikel Arteta’s side sit third, six points adrift of Liverpool, who have a game in hand after their clash at Everton on Saturday was postponed due to high winds.
Chelsea moved back into second, four points behind Liverpool, with their 4-3 victory at Tottenham later on Sunday.
Arteta was not dwelling on the Gunners’ set back in the title race and the fact they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six away games however.
The Spaniard instead chose to focus on the positives after his side had 67% possession and allowed the hosts to take only two shots, both of which were on target.
“I am gutted that we didn’t win it because we deserved to win from the beginning to the end,” Arteta said.
“We did almost everything that we had to do to win it, and, but for millimetres we could have been sitting here with three points after a really strong and dominant performance against a really good team.
“You cannot cry about it, and that’s the beauty of this league, too.
“We cannot feel sorry for ourselves. We have to stand up for ourselves, and now we have to continue to improve and look at what we can do better so that the opposition have zero chances to win the game. That’s the objective.”
Arsenal were still without influential defensive duo Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori through injury and Fulham exposed a makeshift left side of the Gunners’ backline to take the lead.
Kenny Tete’s ball in behind was pounced on by Jimenez, who drove forward and fired brilliantly across David Raya into the far corner on 11 minutes.
The opening goal came against the run of play and thereafter Fulham were forced back by an Arsenal side desperate to kickstart their bid for a first title in over 20 years.
Saka’s shot was comfortably saved by Bernd Leno in the visitors’ best effort of the first half.
Arsenal’s threat from set pieces was already well publicised before they scored twice from corners to beat Manchester United 2-0 in midweek.
Yet, for all their preparations, Fulham were still powerless to prevent the corner kings.
Saliba stabbed home Kai Havertz’s header from close range for Arsenal’s 23rd goal from corners since the beginning of last season.
Another corner should have led to the winner but Thomas Partey nodded wide when unmarked from another pinpoint Declan Rice delivery.
Saka did head in at the back post as stoppage time approached, but Gabriel Martinelli had strayed off-side before supplying the cross.
“It’s a great thing that we can again score from a set-piece,” Arteta said. “It’s never enough if you don’t score three, four or five.
“If we want to improve we have to be better in every action that we do. If they play 11 direct balls, I want to win 11. If they play the high-press six times, I want to play six times. We want to manage the game 100 per cent.”
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester struck twice late on to deny Brighton in a 2-2 draw at the King Power.
Tariq Lamptey opened the scoring in spectacular fashion with a looping effort into the top corner from outside the box on 37 minutes.
Yankuba Minteh looked to have sealed the three points for the Seagulls 11 minutes from time.
But Jamie Vardy started the comeback on 86 minutes before teeing up Bobby De Cordova-Reid to snatch a point in stoppage time.
Bournemouth also scored twice in the dying minutes to deny Ipswich a first home win in the top flight for 22 years in a 2-1 win at Portman Road.
Conor Chaplin put Ipswich in front, but the Cherries move up to eighth after substitutes Enes Unal and Dango Ouattara turned the game around in the final three minutes plus stoppage time.
Ipswich remain four points adrift of safety in the bottom three.
