Real Madrid survived a controversial penalty shootout against bitter rivals Atletico Madrid, while Premier League outfits Arsenal and Aston Villa comfortably progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals.
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– SHOOTOUT CONTROVERSY –
Real Madrid produced a gritty display to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-2 win on penalties against rivals Atletico Madrid, following a 1-0 defeat after extra time on Wednesday.
Diego Simeone’s side outplayed the record 15-time champions at the Metropolitano stadium for much of the game, but Madrid have never been eliminated by Atletico in the competition and they battled hard after Conor Gallagher’s first-minute opener to secure a 2-2 aggregate draw.
Thibaut Courtois made several saves to thwart Julian Alvarez and Vinicius Junior blazed a penalty high and wide for Madrid.
Atletico seemed likely to end a history of being dominated by Madrid in Europe but Los Blancos have the knack of survival down to a fine art and took the game to penalties.
In the shoot-out Julian Alvarez scored for Atletico but his effort was ruled out as he touched the ball twice because of a slip as he shot.
Marcos Llorente also missed for Atletico and Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger struck the winner for the reigning champions.
Atletico played with caution in the first leg despite trailing, willing to take a single goal deficit back to the fiery Metropolitano stadium, where they believed they could really turn the heat up on their arch-rivals.
Real Madrid knocked Atletico out in the 2017 semi-finals in the final European game at the Vicente Calderon, with this the first time the derby has been played at Atletico’s new home in the Champions League.
After defeats by Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 finals, the latter on penalties, and elimination on every other occasion the teams have met in the competition, Atletico were desperate to change the narrative.
MADRID, SPAIN – MARCH 12: Julian Alvarez of Atletico de Madrid scores the team’s second penalty in the penalty shoot out, which is later ruled out following a VAR Review due to an improper kick, during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 second leg match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid C.F. at Estadio Metropolitano on March 12, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
They came flying out of the blocks and took the lead after just 27 seconds through Gallagher, levelling the tie on aggregate.
Rodrigo De Paul’s low ball in from the right was not cut out by Raul Asencio and former Chelsea midfielder Gallagher lunged in to beat Courtois from close range.
Atletico were content to sit deep and soak up pressure as Real Madrid pushed the ball around in their territory but were also ready to spring forward on the counter.
With a strong hand Courtois batted away a powerful Alvarez effort as Atletico sought a second, then denied the Argentine again at his near post before half-time.
The Belgian goalkeeper made another save to deny Alvarez soon after the break too, as Atletico continued to threaten and Jan Oblak was still untested.
– High tension –
With Atletico controlling the game, Ancelotti brought on Eduardo Camavinga and Lucas Vazquez in search of fresh energy.
Madrid soon produced their best attack of the game, with superstar trio Vinicius, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe combining on a rapid counter.
Mbappe skipped away from Jose Gimenez and then was dragged down by the desperate Clement Lenglet for a penalty before he could shoot.
After the French forward missed spot-kicks against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao earlier in the season, Ancelotti said Vinicius was his team’s primary taker.
So it was the Brazilian forward who stepped up, facing down a red wall of whistling Atletico fans behind the goal, and buckled under the pressure, firing high and wide of the target.
Correa almost snatched Atletico victory in the last minute but hammered a vicious half-volley over the crossbar, and the match went to extra time.
Madrid shaded the additional period as both teams looked tired but pushed themselves to their limits with the match on a knife-edge.
Mbappe stepped up first from the spot and sent Oblak the wrong way, with Bellingham following suit after Alexander Sorloth netted for Atletico.
Alvarez slipped as he smashed home the hosts’ second penalty and after a VAR review it was ruled out as he had touched the ball twice as he struck it.
Oblak saved from Vazquez’s weak penalty to put Atletico back on track but it was short-lived as Llorente crashed his penalty off the bar.
Oblak dived the right way for Rudiger’s decisive penalty but could not keep it out as Madrid marched into the last eight, where they will take on Arsenal.
– GUNNERS PILE ON NINE –
Arsenal drew 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday to complete an emphatic 9-3 aggregate win and set up a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.
The Gunners demolished the Dutch champions 7-1 in the Netherlands last week, making the second leg at the Emirates a formality.
Arsenal, with seven changes from Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United, were quickly out of the blocks, scoring in the sixth minute through Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Croatian veteran Ivan Perisic pulled PSV level on the night with a thunderous finish past the sprawling David Raya but midfielder Declan Rice headed Arsenal back in front.
PSV, seeking to salvage pride after last week’s humiliation, equalised with 20 minutes to go with a fine goal from Couhaib Driouech.
Arsenal were waiting to find out their opponents after the final whistle because Real Madrid and Atletico were locked at 2-2 on aggregate at the end of normal time.
The Gunners have never won the Champions League and have not won a European trophy since the now-defunct 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup.
Mike Arteta’s men, whose Premier League challenge has fizzled out in recent weeks, were quickly in the driving seat in the second leg against PSV.
Raheem Sterling received the ball on the right of the Arsenal attack and found his former Manchester City teammate Zinchenko, who glided along the 18-yard box before unleashing a superb left-footed shot past Walter Benitez.
Former Tottenham player Perisic levelled in the 18th minute and Raya had to be alert to produce a fingertip save from the lively Driouech moments later.
But the home side were back in front in the 37th minute Sterling, who has been out of favour under Arteta despite his lack of forward options, charged down the right and produced a teasing cross that Rice headed home.
Raya produced another fine save 10 minutes into the second half, diving full length to his left to keep out an effort from Isaac Babadi.
But PSV were level with 20 minutes to go after Moroccan youth international Driouech, making his first Champions League start, dinked the ball over the onrushing Arsenal goalkeeper.
The Dutch champions were now on top but neither side could find a winner.
Barcelona storm into Champions League QF | 00:38
– VILLA BOOK PSG SHOWDOWN –
Marco Asensio starred as Aston Villa beat 10-man Club Brugge 3-0 on Wednesday to book a Champions League quarter-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
Asensio came off the bench to strike twice in the second half of the last-16 second leg at Villa Park.
The in-form Spanish forward has netted seven times since joining on loan from PSG in the January transfer window and is set for a reunion with his parent club in the last eight.
Brugge had Kyriani Sabbe sent off for a professional foul on Marcus Rashford early in the first half and Asensio ensured Villa eventually took advantage.
Ian Maatsen scored in between Asensio’s brace as Unai Emery’s side romped to a 6-1 aggregate victory.
With Prince William, a noted Villa fan, celebrating in the stands, the Premier League outfit are through to the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in 42 years.
Their exit against Juventus at that stage in 1982-83 was Villa’s last appearance in the European Cup — the forerunner to the Champions League — until this season.
Emery’s men are the first team to reach the Champions League quarter-finals in their debut season in the competition since Atalanta in 2019-20.
Wins against Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Celtic are among the Champions League highlights for Emery’s men this term.
PSG are next in their sights after the Ligue 1 leaders’ penalty shootout win at Liverpool on Tuesday.
Facing PSG in April will have extra meaning for Emery, who spent two turbulent seasons in charge at PSG, winning the French title in 2018 but struggling in the Champions League.
It is only the second time Emery has made it past the Champions League last 16 after he took Villarreal to the semi-finals in 2022.
A repeat of their famous European Cup-winning campaign in 1982 might prove beyond Villa, but they have created memories of lifetime in their fairytale run this season.
– Songs of praise –
As fireworks crackled over Villa Park before kick-off, fans in the Holte End unfurled a huge flag emblazoned with the motto “Prepared”.
It was a message their team initially seemed to ignore.
Brugge captain Hans Vanaken glanced a header just wide of the far post in a confident start from the visitors.
Raphael Onyedika’s goal-bound was blocked by Villa defender Ezri Konsa, a chance that provoked anxious groans from fretting fans.
Villa lost 1-0 at Brugge in the league phase and needed two goals in the final eight minutes to take control in the last-16 first leg.
But Brugge had never won in England in 14 trips and those nervous Villa supporters need not have worried as the tension was lifted in an instant by Rashford’s blistering pace.
Accelerating onto Emiliano Martinez’s long punt in the 17th minute, Rashford was hauled down by Sabbe on the edge of the area, with the Brugge defender dismissed for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
From the free-kick, Youri Tielemans’ drive forced Simon Mignolet to make a sprawling save low to his right.
Emery made an inspired double substitution at the interval, sending on Asensio and Leon Bailey in a move that paid immediate dividends.
The pair combined to break the deadlock in the 50th minute as Bailey’s pass reached Asensio inside the Brugge area and he swivelled to finish with aplomb.
Asensio should have scored again moments later, but the 29-year-old’s shot cannoned back off the post.
With Villa fans singing songs of praise to Emery, Maatsen doubled the lead in the 57th minute.
Morgan Rogers’ nimble footwork worked space for a cross to Maatsen, whose close-range effort deflected past Mignolet.
Asensio wrapped up another memorable European night for Villa four minutes later, meeting Rashford’s low cross with a clinical finish from six yards.
Utd eyes historic move from Old Trafford | 01:24
– DORTMUND FIGHT BACK –
Borussia Dortmund recovered from losing an early goal to fight back and beat Lille 2-1 in France in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory and a place in the quarter-finals.
Jonathan David gave Lille an early lead on the night, putting the French club ahead in the tie after last week’s 1-1 first-leg draw.
However, Emre Can squared things by converting a penalty for Dortmund on 54 minutes, and Maximilian Beier then fired in a fine winner for last season’s runners-up.
Dortmund will now face Barcelona in the quarter-finals next month, having already lost 3-2 at home to the Catalans during the league phase in December.
The result is a huge boost for Dortmund and their recently-appointed coach Niko Kovac, coming as the club languishes in 10th place in the Bundesliga.
“For the whole 90 minutes we controlled the game. It was a fantastic performance,” Kovac told UEFA.com.
He will now come up against a Barcelona side coached by Hansi Flick, his former assistant at Bayern Munich.
The result is a massive disappointment for Lille, who were hoping to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history after an outstanding performance during the league phase.
They finished seventh out of 36 teams, beating both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on the way, while also holding Juventus and putting six past Feyenoord.
– ‘Frustration’ for Lille –
Their coach Bruno Genesio insisted it had been a “satisfying” campaign despite the exit, but club president Olivier Letang was unhappy about the decision to award the penalty from which Dortmund equalised.
“I want to emphasise how good a run we had, even if we are frustrated,” before questioning the decision to appoint as referee Sandro Schaerer, a German-speaking Swiss.
“I don’t think it was a penalty and it changed the game,” he said. “When I saw who was appointed referee, and that he was a German-speaking Swiss, I thought it was a bit strange. And at half-time he was speaking to the Dortmund players exclusively in German.” Lille appeared to be in a strong position after coming from behind to draw in Dortmund last week, and they went in front in the tie when Canada forward David scored in the fifth minute.
Ismaily’s low ball in from the left was swept towards goal by David, somehow going in through the legs of Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
It was David’s seventh goal in this season’s Champions League, but it seemed to galvanise the visitors.
They were denied an equaliser by a remarkable double save from Lille ‘keeper Lucas Chevalier in the midst of a goalmouth scramble on 20 minutes.
Dortmund applied pressure and were rewarded when they won the penalty shortly after half-time as Serhou Guirassy went down under contact from Thomas Meunier.
It appeared a soft decision, but Can fired in the spot-kick, and Karim Adeyemi then hit the bar for Dortmund before they found what proved to be the winner on 65 minutes.
Guirassy, who has 10 goals in the Champions League this season, was the provider but Beier still had work to do as he controlled the ball in the box before firing a lethal shot high into the net.
Lille could not recover from that blow as they went out in the last 16, just like in their two previous appearances at this stage of the competition, in 2007 and 2022.
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.”
“It was the number I wore as a young player, and I’ve always requested to wear 17 when playing for my country.
“With 17 being free since Cedric left, I asked if I could change, and thanks to everyone at the club for supporting me.
“It’s also very important to say that if anyone has bought this season’s new shirt directly from the club with my name and 35 on it, they can get an exchange to my new number.”
His change in number has also seemingly put an end to rumours he could depart north London having been linked with a move away.
Since making the move to north London, Zinchenko has made 68 appearances for Arsenal, scoring two goals.
Zinchenko started off his Arsenal career in fine fashion, where he quikcly established himself as the club’s first choice left-back.
His performances led to Kieran Tierney being shipped out on loan to Real Sociedad last season, but he faces a battle to start this campaign.
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Zinchenko will no longer wear the number 35 shirtCredit: Getty
He fell out of favour under Mikel Arteta at the end of last term, with Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jaku Kiwior being preferred instead.
And he now has to battle Jurrien Timber, who is fully fit having missed almost the entirety of last campaign with a knee injury.
Meanwhile summer signing Riccardo Calafiori, who joined from Bologna in a deal worth up to £42million, is also a strong candidate to start.
Ray Parlour is thrilled with Arsenal targeting Euro 2024 Winner Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad
Following his starring performances for Italy at Euro 2024, the expectation is that he will start the season on the left side of defence.
For Arteta, he will be hoping that the increased competition for places can help his side beat Manchester City to the Premier League title – an achievement that has narrowly evaded them in the last two years.
Arsenal start the new season with a home clash against Wolves on Saturday, August 17.
Liverpool remain on course to send Jurgen Klopp off as a Premier League winner after Chelsea were thrashed 4-1 at Anfield.
Conor Bradley was the star of the show as the 20-year-old right-back scored and teed up Dominik Szoboszlai for Liverpool’s third after Diogo Jota had opened the scoring.
Christopher Nkunku reduced Chelsea’s arrears, but Luis Diaz rounded off the scoring and an outstanding Liverpool performance.
Indeed, the scoreline flattered the visitors as Darwin Nunez hit the woodwork four times, including from the penalty spot in the first half.
Victory restores a five-point lead at the top of the table for Klopp’s men over Manchester City, who have a game in hand, and Arsenal.
Klopp had called for the news of his impending departure at the end of the season not to be a distraction and on this evidence it may only provide more inspiration for his side to deliver just a second league title in 34 years.
Once again the injured Mohamed Salah was not missed as Jota and Nunez provided a constant threat, while Bradley’s emergence is blocking Trent Alexander-Arnold’s return to the starting line-up.
Nunez had five shots inside the first 18 minutes as a combination of Djordje Petrovic and the woodwork on two occasions kept the Uruguayan at bay.
Jota was not so forgiving when he carved through the heart of the Chelsea defence to slam home his 13th goal of the season.
Bradley has been a revelation since a knee injury to Alexander-Arnold opened his path to the first team.
The Northern Irishman produced a finish that Alexander-Arnold would have been proud of as he burst down the right and fired low and hard into the far corner to double Liverpool’s lead.
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo was booed after he turned down the chance to join Liverpool in favour of a move to Stamford Bridge for a British record £115 million ($A222 million) transfer fee in August.
The Ecuador international may now rue that decision as Mauricio Pochettino’s men were outclassed and sit 20 points adrift of Liverpool down in 10th.
Chelsea were handed a brief reprieve when Nunez hit the post from the spot after Jota had been stood on by Benoit Badiashile.
But Liverpool’s third did not take long to arrive after the break as another purposeful run and pinpoint cross from Bradley picked out Szoboszlai to head home.
Klopp could then afford the luxury of making a quadruple substitution as Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson stepped up their comeback from injuries.
Klopp on VVD and Mo Salah future | 00:53
The changes briefly knocked the hosts out of their stride as Chelsea grabbed a consolation.
Nkunku’s debut season in England has been ravaged by injury but the Frenchman now has two Premier League goals in less than 180 minutes on the pitch as he finished smartly into the far corner.
Nunez’s frustrating night in front of goal went on as he then headed against the crossbar to become the first Premier League player to hit the woodwork four times in a match.
But he still had a major role to play in Liverpool’s fourth as Diaz burst onto his driven cross to erase any possibility of a Chelsea revival.
ALVAREZ CELEBRATES B’DAY IN STYLE WITH BIG CITY WIN
Elsewhere, Julian Alvarez celebrated his 24th birthday in style as the Manchester City striker scored twice to inspire a 3-1 win against Burnley.
Alvarez bagged his brace in the first half to ensure City had no problems brushing aside out-classed Burnley at the Etihad Stadium.
The Argentine’s double took his goal tally for the season to 15 in all competitions, including seven in his last seven appearances.
Rodri netted City’s third goal after the interval as the Premier League champions made it eight successive wins in all competitions.
Ameen Al Dakhil’s stoppage-time goal was no consolation for Burnley, who sit second bottom of the table.
Second-placed City remain hot on the heels of leaders Liverpool as the title race gathers pace.
There was more good news for Guardiola as Erling Haaland came off the bench for the last 20 minutes, marking the City striker’s return from a foot injury that had sidelined him since December 6.
Alvarez stars as City skip past Burnley | 00:56
Alvarez’s goals have covered more than adequately during Haaland’s absence, but the Norwegian will add another level of menace to the treble winners as they try to overhaul Liverpool and win a fourth successive title.
After a worrying wobble before Christmas, City are rounding into form and fitness at just the right time.
Slowly worked back in the mix with three substitute appearances, Kevin De Bruyne captained City in his first start since suffering a hamstring injury in the opening game of the season at Burnley.
The Belgian midfielder almost made an instant impact with a free-kick that clipped the Burnley wall and looped just over.
City had won their previous 12 games against the Clarets, who had not taken three points from a league visit to the blue half of Manchester since 1963.
Alvarez made sure there was never any chance of City losing that dominant record.
City’s opening goal was a typically smooth move in the 16th minute, starting with Phil Foden unfurling a pin-point lofted pass towards Matheus Nunes.
Faced with a tricky angle as Burnley defender Dara O’Shea blocked his path, Nunes cleverly shifted his body to flick a perfectly-placed cross to Alvarez, who applied the finishing touch with a close-range header.
Spurs beat Bees in fiery 5-goal thriller | 01:18
Alvarez’s birthday party was just getting started and the Argentine was on target again six minutes later.
This one was a goal straight off the training ground as De Bruyne’s quick free-kick caught Burnley napping and Alvarez scampered clear of the flat-footed defence to slot a clinical finish past James Trafford from 12 yards.
Guardiola immediately made a point of getting out of his seat to hug his set-piece coach Carlos Vicens, suggesting it was his idea that led to the intelligently crafted goal.
Nunes nearly finished off Burnley with a stinging strike that forced a good save from Trafford.
Guardiola’s men were in complete control and even Josko Gvardiol felt emboldened to try his luck from distance, but the City defender could not keep his shot on target.
Rodri put the result beyond doubt just 24 seconds after the interval. Foden was the catalyst with a vibrant break down the left flank, the England forward pulling his cross back to the edge of the area, where Rodri smashed a superb first-time strike past Trafford.
Haaland was immediately in the action on his return, rising for a header that was scrambled away at the far post.
Al Dakhil prodded home after City failed to deal with David Datro Fofana’s cross, but the damage had long since been done by the rampant champions.
The Premier League’s January transfer window is almost complete, with clubs racing to finish their dealings before the window slams shut at 11pm local time (GMT) on February 1.
That’s 10am on Saturday morning AEDT.
Ange Postecoglou’s has landed two big targets at Tottenham this window, signing former Chelsea flop Timo Werner from RB Leipzig on a loan move with an option to buy at the end of the season as well as 21-year-old centre-back Radu Dragusin.
Meanwhile, Manchester City offloaded Kalvin Phillips to West Ham on loan, while Donny van de Beek left Manchester United for Eintracht Frankfurt on loan and teammate Jadon Sancho returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan.
While they are the biggest deals so far, here’s the list of every move from each club this window!
This story will continue to be updated until the window closes 10am Saturday AEDT.
It’s been a quiet January transfer window in the Premier League so far, with most teams restricted from splashing too much cash due to a major crackdown on teams breaching financial rules.
Under the PL’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), clubs post a maximum loss of £105 million ($134m) over three seasons – on a rolling basis but only if they have secure funding from their owners. Otherwise the three-year limit on losses is just £15m.
The Premier League hit Everton with a 10-point deduction last November due to breaching the rules, and both Everton and Nottingham Forest are facing further punishments after the Premier League released a statement this month saying both clubs admitted going over the limit.
The two sides will argue they had mitigating factors and should be excused.
But all Premier League clubs are now more wary than ever of breaching the rules, knowing that there is a very real threat of significant punishment.
It’s had a major dampening effect on the transfer window, with far fewer big-money deals than 12 months ago, when a staggering £700m-plus was spent – one third of it by Chelsea.
So far this window, only £50m has been spent by Premier League.
Ange Postecoglou has landed two big signings at Spurs in January – but he’s been linked to late moves for a number of other stars.Source: Getty Images
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Newcastle United have each made no signings this window.
Manchester City signed teenage Argentinian midfielder Claudio Echeverri from River Plate, but he won’t move clubs until the end of the season, while they also added another teen to their academy in Alex Alcala from LA Galaxy’s reserves.
Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham has been the most active top club so far, signing former Chelsea flop Timo Werner from RB Leipzig on a loan move with an option to buy at the end of the season.
They also landed their top defensive target in 21-year-old centre-back Radu Dragusin.
But the transfer window often ends with a flurry of activity, and this year will surely be no different.
The Premier League transfer window slams shut at 11pm local time (GMT) on February 1. That’s 10am on Saturday morning AEDT.
The transfer window shuts that same day in Germany (5pm GMT), Italy (7pm), France (10pm), and Spain (11pm). And the Saudi Arabia window closed on Wednesday, meaning no players can be offloaded to that country.
But here’s what major deals could still be done before the window shuts in England.
Teenage winger Antonio Nusa was on the brink of signing for Brentford for 25 million pounds, with the Bees to loan him back to Club Brugge for the remainder of the season.
But multiple reports claim complications have potentially stalled the deal, and could open the door to rial clubs.
Tottenham were interested in the player back in the off-season, according to Sky Sports, and were then in talks with Brugge over a deal earlier this month, which also would have seen him stay with his current club until the end of the season.
Chelsea have also been linked to the Norway international, who has already played 28 times this season with four goals and three assists.
Brentford have already signed three players this window, and are one of many clubs like Brighton, Arsenal and Fulham, interested in Leicester’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – but the Foxes don’t want to sell their 25-year-old midfield star.
A £30m valuation has been placed on the key player, but Leicester manager Enzo Maresca says he doesn’t want to lose a player who scored the opener in Leicester’s 3-1 win yesterday.
“I don’t want Kiernan to go – ask the club if we need to sell or not,” said Maresca.
“The only way we can do something is to sell players. I don’t think that Kiernan’s future was about this game. Kiernan is a Leicester player, hopefully he can play in the next game.
“Here, he showed once again he is in love with the club, if something will happen now, I don’t know.
“He cares about the club and he has 10 goals this season, probably for the first time in his life, these kind of things, people don’t give the right importance to and it’s not a good thing.”
Speaking of Chelsea, their sky-high spending in the last year has put them something of in a financial bind, requiring the sale of players if they are to sign any fresh faces.
The Blues want a new striker – Callum Wilson (Newcastle)and Jhon Duran (Aston Villa) have been the strongest rumours – but can’t do so unless they can find a buyer for some unneeded players.
Striker Armando Broja is up for sale, and there’s plenty of interest – but not at Chelsea’s asking price of a reported £40m to £50m.
Wolves had a loan bid rejected, with Chelsea likely looking for any loan deal to include a purchase option.
Fulham are also interested, but would probably need to sell a player of their own (like Carlos Vinicius) and even then would probably struggle to afford a lofty fee for the 22-year-old striker who has one goal this season.
But they could be more desperate for a deal after Raul Jimenez went off with a hamstring issue against Everton.
Fulham coach Marco Silva said today: “To be honest with you, if I expect many things before the end of the market – no – I was honest with you at the start of the window.
“If it was possible to do something we should have done it at the beginning of the market with the semi-finals and the FA Cup. The board is trying their best.”
Specifically asked about Broja, he replied: “I won’t talk about rumours and players who aren’t our players.”
Armando Broja is on the Chelsea chopping block.Source: Getty Images
Conor Gallagher, the 23-year-old midfielder who has been a key figure for the Blues this season and has at times even captained the side, is also reportedly up for sale.
The key reason behind the surprise move to offload such a valuable member of the team is that, alongside Broja, he is an academy product – and therefore any sale fee is viewed as pure profit in terms of PSR regulations.
He is also out of contract in less than 18 months, and the Blues are keen to avoid players running down their contracts and leaving for free.
But Gallagher reportedly does not want to leave his boyhood club, especially with the chance to play in the league cup final against Liverpool looming next month.
Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs, in need of midfield reinforcements, have long been interested in the player.
They offered £35m in the off-season, while West Ham reportedly had an offer of £42m including bonuses rejected, both falling short of Chelsea’s £50m valuation.
Conor Gallagher is a Chelsea fan favourite, but the Blues are willing to sell for the right price.Source: AFP
Tottenham are also on a tightrope when it comes to PSR, and would probably need to sell a player – likely Denmark international Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – to afford Gallagher.
Gallagher would be an upgrade on Hojbjerg when it comes to fitting in Postecoglou’s style, but the latter reportedly does not want to leave mid-season and has already turned down a move to Lyon.
His lawyer said recently: “The player never asked to leave now.
“He’s very ambitious for Tottenham and Denmark, [and] continuing to keep improving himself, like he did all his career. His only focus is Tottenham to finish the season well and to help as much as possible.”
The Times claims Spurs are preparing to launch an official bid for Gallagher, but it might be too hard to get a deal done in time.
As Ange Postecoglou said of Spurs making any more signings this window: “Unlikely, I’d say. I don’t see any incomings.”
And there is another Chelsea academy graduate up for sale – defender Trevoh Chalobah.
TeamTalk reported recently that, once again, it’s Chelsea’s price that is scaring off approaches from rivals.
Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace are all reportedly interested in the 24-year-old, but a deal remains unlikely unless Chelsea lower their £25m demands.
Klopp on VVD and Mo Salah future | 00:53
BENZEMA DEAL OFF BUT OTHER SAUDI STAR COULD LEAVE
Former Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema has been in Saudi Arabia for just half a year and captains Al-Ittihad, but was already reportedly looking to exit the club.
Chelsea and Arsenal were both interested in the former Real Madrid striker, who deleted his Instagram profile recently after copping plenty of criticism over his performances this season – despite 12 goals in 20 appearances for Al-Ittihad.
And another of his former clubs, Lyon, also strongly pursued a deal this month.
But multiple reports have said the 36-year-old will remain at his Saudi Pro League club, where he still has two and a half years remaining on a big-money contract.
Karim Benzema hasn’t enjoyed his six months in Saudi Arabia.Source: AFP
Another star stranded in Saudi Arabia is Jota, who starred at Celtic under Ange Postecoglou.
The 27-year-old Portuguese attacker kept for Al-Ittihad for about £25 million in July, but has endured a torrid time – and has since been cut from the squad since the SPL has a cap on the number of foreign players in a team (eight max).
West Ham are keen to sign him on loan, but there’s a major tax issue complicating the move, centring around Jota’s earnings on his £200k per week deal in Saudi Arabia.
Spurs were interested earlier in the window but a move looks unlikely, while the Hammers are still hopeful that the tax issue can be resolved and a deal can be sealed.
There has been one big player heading to Saudi Arabia – 35-year-old former Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic has done a deal to leave Sevilla for Al Shabab.
But Newcastle’s Miguel Almiron will not be joining him in Al Shabab, after personal terms could not be agreed.
Coach Eddie Howe said today: “Yes, I’m confident that he will stay now. And I’m delighted because he’s such an important player.”
Ivory Coast ERUPT with epic celebration | 01:35
WHAT OTHER BIG DEALS COULD GET DONE?
Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey is in hot demand – but is likely to remain despite plenty of interest. Newcastle United, Tottenham and Bayern Munich are all reported suitors.
Borussia Dortmund and USMNT star Giovanni Reyna is struggling for minutes in Germany, and The Athletic reported that Nottingham Forest are pushing for a loan move for the 21-year-old star.
Arsenal ended a barren run on the road as goals from Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 to close to within two points of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
But there was some late drama for the Gunners after Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ben White had to be separated following a full-time altercation.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta was seen trying to calm down Zinchenko and later explained to TNT Sports that the pair were arguing over the late goal the Gunners conceded.
“That’s pushing each other and being not happy conceding and I have to encourage that and promote it in the right way and a respectful way,” Arteta said.
“Sometimes after the game it’s emotional and heated but I love that the players are pushing each other and demanding excellence.”
“I love it. They are demanding more,” Arteta added in the post-game press conference.
“They are just trying to resolve it. Playing the way we played the result has to be bigger.”
Arteta tried to calm down Zinchenko. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Goals from Jesus and Saka maintained the Gunners’ title push at the City Ground ahead of their clash at home to leaders Liverpool on Monday [AEDT].
The visitors struggled to make their dominance of possession count until 25 minutes from time when Jesus’ effort from a narrow angle sneaked between the legs of former Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner.
Saka then fired home his 10th goal of the season from Jesus’ cross. Substitute Taiwo Awoniyi set up a grandstand finish when he outmuscled William Saliba to slot home on 89 minutes.
But it was too little, too late for Forest who slip to within two points of the relegation zone and with the threat of a points deduction hanging over the club for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules.
‘So we can’t win the league…?’ | 01:32
NEWCASTLE END LOSING SKID WITH WIN OVER VILLA
Villa failed to join Arsenal on 46 points after losing at home in the league for the first time since February last year.
Unai Emery’s men had won 16 of their 17 Premier League games at Villa Park since, but gave themselves a mountain to climb as Newcastle centre-back Fabian Schar scored twice from corners in the first half.
Newcastle had the second worst away record in the league before kick-off, but were cruising towards their first victory on the road since September when Alex Moreno turned into his own net under pressure from Jacob Murphy.
Bruno Guimaraes celebrates victory at full-time. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Ollie Watkins reduced the arrears with his first goal for seven games and then had a second ruled out for offside.
But Villa are now looking over their shoulders in the race for a place in next season’s Champions League as Tottenham can leapfrog them into fourth with victory over Brentford on Wednesday.
‘OH MY WORD’: STUNNING MISS FOR EVERTON
Elsewhere, Everton dropped into the relegation zone after failing to take their chances in a 0-0 draw at Fulham.
That included a few blunders from Beto late in the game, first sending a header over the bar before then missing a kick off a corner, only to then get in the way of Ben Godfrey as he tried to send the ball into the nets.
“Oh my word. What a miss from Beto. I can’t believe what I’ve just seen,” Sky Sports’ Ben Grounds said at Craven Cottage of the header.
Beto could not believe it.Source: FOX SPORTS
Luton climbed out of the bottom three thanks to a stunning 4-0 win over Brighton as Elijah Adebayo scored a hat-trick.
Adebayo nodded in the opener after just 18 seconds and the Hatters were 2-0 up inside three minutes when Chiedozie Ogbene beat Jason Steele to a long pass over the top to walk the ball into an empty net.
Klopp on VVD and Mo Salah future | 00:53
Adebayo calmly slotted in at Steele’s near post to make it 3-0 before the break and completed his hat-trick 11 minutes into the second half.
Crystal Palace eased fears they could be dragged into a battle for survival by twice coming from behind to beat bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United 3-2.
Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise were unsurprisingly the star men as the Eagles secured just a second win in 13 games.
Twice Olise teed up Eze for stunning finishes in the first half before Olise scored the winner after the break to life Palace up to 14th.
Ben Brereton Diaz and James McAtee were on target for the Blades, but they are now nine points adrift of safety.
Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko was left shocked by one youngster in the academy’s strength in training.
Mikel Arteta has promoted 18-year-old Reuell Walters to the first-team from the academy and he has already made an impact on some of the Arsenal stars.
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Zinchenko was speaking to Rio Ferdinand about his Arsenal teammatesCredit: YouTube/Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE
That has included Zinchenko, who could not believe how strong Walters looked despite his tender age.
“I like so much centre-back Reuell,” the Ukraine international said.
“I think the qualities he has, he is aggressive. I swear to God, one time he pushed Gabriel Jesus in a shoulder-to-shoulder.
“It is not easy to push Gabriel because he is very strong, and he was confident on the ball afterwards, he kept the ball well and passed.
“Wow. He impresses me I think the most.”
Walters joined Arsenal in 2020 after leaving Tottenham the previous year.
He has been commended for his defensive attributes and plays as a centre-back.
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Walters has been praised for his physical strengthCredit: Getty
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The 18-year-old has made an impression on ZinchenkoCredit: Getty
He is now a regular for the Arsenal Under-21s despite his age, though he is still awaiting his senior debut.
However, last season, Arteta called him up to the first team and he was an unused substitute on nine occasions.
The teenager also played for the Gunners during their pre-season tour of Germany and it might only be a matter of time before he gets his professional debut.
And if he keeps impressing his teammates, Walters might end up going on to become a star in his own right.
Zinchenko was also asked by Manchester United legend Ferdinand how Thomas Partey compared to Red Devils star Casemiro.
The 26-year-old said: “Listen, I don’t want to say something bad, he’s absolutely a world-class player as well, Casemiro, five Champions Leagues. But for me, if you wanted me to choose one, it would be Partey.
“I had the debate in my head, who is the best holding midfielder I have ever played with. It was between Fernandinho, Rodri and Partey.
“It’s a tough one. I watched Fernandinho when he was at Shakhtar and he helped me so much. I love him like an older brother, but Thomas Partey… I don’t know.”
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Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko says Russian and Belarusian athletes should be banned from high-level sport amid the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s invasion in February 2022 sparked worldwide outrage with the national football team being banned from official UEFA competition, while athletes across other sports were also sanctioned.
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However, Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete at Wimbledon this yearCredit: Getty
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And this doesn’t sit well with ZinchenkoCredit: Talk TV
Belarusian athletes were also punished due to president Aleksandr Lukashenko’s backing of Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade.
However, at the Wimbledon tennis championship Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete at SW19 providing they sign neutral declarations.
This doesn’t sit well with Zinchenko, who spoke passionately about why he believes the blanket ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus should remain.
“I don’t agree [with the decision], Zinchenko said on Piers Morgan: Uncensored. “I’m one of the Ukrainians who doesn’t like to see them at the highest level in any sport.
“They shouldn’t be allowed to compete. Why? Because how many bombs and rockets are being sent from Belarus, how many?
“I’m not political. I don’t understand anything about it and I would never understand it because this is not my area.
“But this is not political, this is war. They talk about not putting politics in sport, this is not political. This is war.
“Guys you don’t do anything to be on our side, on the justice side.”
TONIGHT: Arsenal and Ukraine star Oleksandr Zinchenko calls for all Russian and Belarusian athletes to be banned from top level sport, including Wimbledon.
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) June 14, 2023
Asked if he would shake hands with a Russian or Belarusian athlete, Zinchenko said: “No chance, no chance. Because I would never accept their reaction. I have to be honest.
“You can say, ‘well, but they didn’t do anything against us’, but yes they did, they did. How and what? They didn’t react.
“But if no one is going to speak out and they’ll get scared I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, don’t ever call us brothers or whatever like they did in the past, never again.”
Manchester City won the title (again), two of the traditional ‘Big Six’ crashed and burned in emphatic fashion as three teams secured European football for the first time in at least 13 years.
We also had to wave goodbye to a former Premier League champion as a sleeping giant also slept-walked their way to the Championship.
There was a lot to love about the season at all ends of the table, but who stood out for all the right and wrong reasons?
Foxsports.com.au analysed EVERY team’s season in the annual Premier League Report Card!
Five league crowns in six seasons: Pep Guardiola’s City side are well and truly a Premier League dynasty. And they’re not done yet, with an FA Cup final and Champions League final still to play and a historic treble up for grabs.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Pep’s men, giving the Gunners a huge lead in the Premier League race before hunting them down at the death. But when the pressure was on, City delivered the kind of faultless winning streak that has characterised their dominance of the English game in recent years.
Erling Haaland scored goals for fun in the greatest debut season in Premier League history – scoring a record 36 league goals at the tender age of just 22.
His price tag of £51.2m seems farcically good value, especially given the expenditure of some of City’s rivals this season. But he’s not the only bargain City snared – with centre-back Manuel Akanji’s £15m fee a bargain-basement price.
Indeed, City even made an estimated £50m transfer profit this year, thanks to big sales like Raheem Sterling to Chelsea, and Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal.
City remain a class above their opposition.
Manchester City defended their Premier League crown. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
2. Arsenal
Grade: A
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has overseen gradual improvements from his team ever since he returned to the club, but no-one could have seen the Gunners mount a serious title challenge this season.
The Gunners were top of the table for all but eight rounds this season but couldn’t quite hold on to their position as the inevitable Manchester City leapfrogged them in the closing weeks.
Although the end of the campaign is tinged with sadness given what could have been, it’s been a tremendous season.
Arteta’s side blew every pre-season expectation of the water with their final ladder position as the plaudits never stopped rolling in for one of the youngest teams in the Premier League.
Most pleasing was the emergence of 21-year-old winger Bukayo Saka.
The Englishman, operating on the right flank, tore opposition back lines apart time and time again and finished with 14 goals as well as 11 assists.
Another star who matured rapidly was Martin Odegaard.
The Norwegian was handed the skipper’s armband at the start of the season and finished joint-top scorer for the Gunners with 15 and provided seven assists.
Although the Gunners wobbled with three wins in their last nine, it should not be how their season is remembered.
With a return to the Champions League secured, there’s no ceiling in sight for this fresh-faced Gunners squad in the near future.
Arteta has got Arsenal back in the Champions League. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
3. Manchester Utd
Grade: A-
Talk about a change in mood.
Manchester United’s season began in a dark, gloomy corner of a room as they lost 2-1 at home to Brighton on the opening day, only to follow that up with an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Brentford six days later.
After two games, the Red Devils were rock bottom of the ladder as the excitement surrounding Erik ten Hag’s appointment rapidly dissipated.
But the hard-nosed Dutchman quickly turned their fortunes around, as some big wins over the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal got their season back on track.
Despite the surge up the ladder, a Cristiano Ronaldo-sized storm was brewing in the background and exploded during the mid-season World Cup break.
The Portuguese superstar left no stone unturned in a revealing interview with Piers Morgan which forced the club to part ways with their former prodigal son.
Perhaps United have Morgan to thank for that interview because once Ronaldo waved goodbye to Old Trafford and said hello to Saudi Arabia, the Red Devils’ fortunes changed dramatically.
Marcus Rashford went on a run of 10 league goals in as many games, with one of those proving to be the winner in a heated Manchester derby victory.
Ten Hag also helped United end their wait for a trophy as he oversaw a victory over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final.
Eight wins in their last 11 games ensured a third-place finish for the Red Devils and a return to the Champions League
Summer signings Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez proved to be absolute masterstrokes as they were vital to United’s season, but it was the resurgence of Rashford that was most impressive.
The forward looked like a man reborn under Ten Hag and, if he can continue such form next season, United could be a serious title contender.
Marcus Rashford was a player transformed under Erik ten Hag. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
4. Newcastle
Grade: A
In the space of two seasons, Newcastle United fans have gone from fearing Championship away days to dreaming of Champions League trips to Madrid and Paris.
Toon boss Eddie Howe has overseen a stunning turnaround at the club in which they finished in the top four and made it to a cup final.
The club recruited wisely in the summer with the arrivals of Sven Botman, Nick Pope and Alexander Isak to name three.
But Howe’s remarkable ability to take some of Newcastle’s existing players to new levels that made them almost feel like new signings.
Joelinton, a £40m laughing stock of a striker, has transformed into a barnstorming midfielder while Callum Wilson smashed in 18 league goals and earned an England recall.
The Magpies’ backline proved to be the equal-best in the competition alongside Manchester City, conceding a measly 33 goals all season.
Yet Howe’s side were all-action in attack with 68 goals scored to give them the third-best goal differential.
Perhaps the best example of Newcastle’s ruthlessness going forward arrived during their 6-1 victory over Tottenham in which Howe’s side scored five in the first 21 minutes.
With Champions League football secured, there’s expectation Newcastle will once again make bigger waves in the transfer market.
But this season has proven Howe’s side will be a force to be reckoned with going forward in a major warning sign to the Premier League’s elite.
Newcastle have returned to the Champions League after two decades away. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
5. Liverpool
Grade: D
In a parallel universe, Liverpool sign Darwin Nunez and address their pressing need for a midfield refresh as they mount yet another title challenge.
Instead, the Reds did snap up Nunez from Benfica, but failed to sign a new midfielder in what has since proven to be one of the biggest mistakes during Jurgen Klopp’s time in Liverpool.
Even then, Nunez was sent off in just his second Premier League game after Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen goaded him to the point where the Reds star felt compelled to headbutt his rival.
It was rather symbolic for Liverpool’s season, as they failed to find much of a rhythm, if at all, until it was far too late.
Granted, crippling injury issues hampered the Reds’ campaign as talismanic winger Mohamed Salah came to grips with life without Sadio Mane on the left flank.
But the critics who pointed to Klopp’s infamous seventh season syndrome were vindicated as Liverpool slumped to their lowest points total in seven years amid embarrassing defeats to the likes of Nottingham Forest, Leeds and Bournemouth.
Although the Reds were unbeaten in their last 11 games and won seven of those, it papered over a significant amount of cracks that surfaced in a season to forget but was somehow good enough to seal a Europa League spot.
A highlight of Liverpool’s season has certainly been the positional change of Trent Alexander-Arnold in the latter stages of the campaign, as his hybrid midfield and defensive role worked wonders.
Whether we see more of that next season remains to be seen, but if Liverpool fail to enact the midfield refresh it so desperately needs in the off-season, treacherous waters lie ahead in Merseyside.
It was a season to forget for Liverpool. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
6. Brighton
Grade: A+
The Seagulls soared this campaign, with sixth place guaranteeing them European football for the first time in the club’s history! But it’s how they achieved such a lofty finish that makes this season so impressive – racking up a huge net profit on transfers around £80m.
In the off-season, they sold Marc Cucurella to Chelsea for £56m and Yves Bissouma to Spurs for £25m among a raft of big-name departures, while Leandro Trossard left for Arsenal in January for £21m.
And yet, Brighton’s incredible scouting team did it again, landing affordable signings who soon established themselves in the Premier League. The biggest outlay was £15m for left-back Pervis Estupinan, for example!
Brighton faced all sorts of problems this season, from midfielder Enock Mwepu being forced to retire with a heart condition, to losing manager Graham Potter to Chelsea in September.
But in true Brighton fashion, they overcame the obstacles and somehow looked even stronger – new manager Roberto de Zerbi implemented a thrilling attacking style of play that delivered in spades: their 72 goals was more than Manchester United (58) and Newcastle (68), for example.
They’ll lose more big players this off-season, of course. But it’s been a season for the ages – bring on Europe next time around.
Kaoru Mitoma has emerged as one of the breakout stars this season. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
7. Aston Villa
Grade: A-
Aston Villa were hurtling towards a relegation fight at the speed of light, but in the corridors of Craven Cottage after an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Fulham, a call was made which put the club on the path to Europe.
Steven Gerrard was sacked immediately after the Fulham defeat on October 20 with Villa out of the relegation zone only on goal difference having lost six of their opening 12 games.
Villa’s top brass went out and replaced the Liverpool legend with Villarreal boss and serial Europa League winner Unai Emery.
What a masterstroke of a decision that turned out to be.
Emery won his first game in charge as Villa boss with a 3-1 victory over Manchester United and they never looked back.
Although the club had a brief wobble in February with losses to Leicester, Arsenal and Manchester City in which they leaked 11 goals, Emery got the team back on track.
Villa would go on to win 10 of their final 15 games of the season as they slowly climbed up the ladder to eventually finish in seventh and secure a spot in the Europa Conference League play-off round.
Emery’s remarkable attention to detail brought the best out of his troops as Ollie Watkins recorded a 15-goal haul while Tyrone Mings was a colossus at the back.
With more investment promised for the summer, it’s only upwards from here for the Midlands side.
“Hello, is that the Europa Conference League?” (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
8. Tottenham
Grade: C-
If you end the season on your third manager, it’s evident something has not gone right.
That’s exactly how Tottenham Hotspur’s season transpired as Antonio Conte departed in acrimonious circumstances and his assistant Cristian Stellini wasn’t far behind after an ill-fated four-game spell as interim boss.
It was a disaster of a season for Spurs, especially considering the pre-season expectations coming off a strong finish to the end of last-season boosted by the £50 million signing of Richarlison.
Instead, Heung-Min Son failed to recreate his magical form of last season, the defence was carved open time and time again while Spurs struggled to find any sort of attacking fluidity.
The burden fell squarely on the broad shoulders of talismanic striker Harry Kane who, to his credit, managed to end the season with a stunning tally of 30 goals.
Under Conte, Spurs battled to get into games and often found themselves behind on the scoresheet first.
The fiery Italian eventually blew his gasket when his side threw away a 3-1 lead against Southampton to draw 3-3 and delivered an explosive press conference where he gave some home truths.
His right-hand man Stellini tried and failed to galvanise the squad as the damage quickly became irreparable following a loss to Bournemouth and a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Newcastle.
Ryan Mason held down the fort as caretaker but there was precious little he could do as Spurs won just two of their final eight games to ultimately finish eighth and miss out on European football for the first time in 13 years.
It was certainly a season that Spurs fans will be desperate to forget.
Harry Kane was the only bright spot in an otherwise dull season for Tottenham. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
9. Brentford
Grade: A
What a season for the Bees. They avoided the typical ‘sophomore slump’ that afflicts teams in their second season after promotion, and indeed moved up from 13th to ninth. Behind that rise was an improved ability to scrape points from tough positions, turning losses into draws – after seven draws and 18 losses last year, this season they picked up 14 draws and just nine defeats. Their impressive year was capped off by doing the double over champions Man City.
The Bees were very well-drilled in defence and surprisingly prolific in attack thanks in large part to the rise of Ivan Toney (20 goals in 33) – before his eight month ban due to betting breaches.
Centre-back Ben Mee, signed on a free transfer from Burnley, played like a man transformed, while David Raya was one of the Premier League’s standout keepers.
Moving forward, the big hope for Aussie fans is that young winger Lachlan Brook, who spent this year on loan to League Two side Crewe Alexandra, can earn a shot at a Premier League debut next year.
Brentford avoided the famous second-season slump. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
10. Fulham
Grade: B
After several years of bouncing between the Premier League and the Championship to earn the unfortunate tag of being a ‘yoyo club’, Fulham finally enjoyed a season of consolidation.
Given their history of successive promotions and relegations, pundits could be forgiven for tipping Fulham to go straight back down.
However, the Cottagers looked anything but relegation fodder under the tutelage of Marco Silva.
Star forward Aleksandar Mitrovic picked up right where he left off from the Championship, scoring six goals in Fulham’s opening eight games to have the London side as high as sixth.
Fulham also returned from the World Cup break in scintillating fashion, winning four on the bounce including a 2-1 triumph over local rivals Chelsea.
In fact, Silva’s side went into March sitting pretty in sixth spot on the table.
But from that moment onwards, the Cottagers slid further and further down.
Seven losses from their next nine games dropped Fulham down to 10th as their rivals passed them by, a position they would ultimately finish the season in.
Mitrovic, a notoriously feisty figure, was also handed an eight-game suspension for pushing the referee during Fulham’s FA Cup loss against Manchester United on March 19.
He ended the season with 14 goals while Fulham’s next top scorer was shared between 34-year-old winger Willian and back-up striker Carlos Vinicius with five.
Although Fulham’s season ended in disappointing fashion, they stayed up with plenty of breathing room.
That in itself should be considered a cracking season.
Mitrovic scored 14 goals for Fulham. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
11. Crystal Palace
Grade: C+
Crystal Palace proved that sometimes going back to your ex can actually be a good thing.
Expectations for the Eagles were high given how impressive they looked under Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira last season.
With a young core of Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Cheick Doucoure coupled with the presence of talismanic winger Wilfried Zaha, Palace looked set to light up the league.
However, it never quite clicked for Palace.
After beating Aston Villa 3-1 in August, Vieira’s side failed to score more than two goals up until the Frenchman’s sacking in March.
The decision was made after Palace had gone on a 12-game winless run in which they scored a measly five goals and were at serious risk of being dragged into the relegation dogfight.
So, who better than to steer you to safety than your old flame, Roy Hodgson?
The former England boss (remember that?) came in on March 21 and immediately lifted the mood at the club both on and off the pitch.
Palace’s first game under Hodgson in his brief spell was a 2-1 win over Leicester City, before they smashed five past Leeds in the next game.
From Hodgson’s 10 games in charge, Palace went on to win five of those and lose only two as they secured an 11th place finish.
Eze took his game to a new level under Hodgson and finished as the club’s top scorer with 10 which ultimately earned him an England call-up.
At 75 years of age, it remains to be seen if Hodgson is Palace’s long term option in the Selhurst Park dugout.
But if this is his final act at his boyhood club, what a way to bow out.
Eberechi Eze was Palace’s top scorer. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
12. Chelsea
Grade: F
It’s hard to express just how woeful the Blues have been this year.
Expectations were high after a multibillion-dollar takeover in pre-season from a consortium led by American Todd Boehly. And when he splashed the cash in both transfer windows, a record-breaking 600 million pounds in total, those expectations only rose.
But money can’t buy happiness, and their scattergun approach to transfers resulted in a hodgepodge, bloated squad where some players were unable to even be registered for the Champions League or Premier League.
Many of the big-money signings have failed to live up to expectations – and it’s been a similarly ugly season for managers.
Thomas Tuchel was bundled out in short order after clashing with the new ownership. Graham Potter didn’t fare any better, being dumped out in the early rounds of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup before being axed in early April. Frank Lampard, brought back as an interim boss, couldn’t prevent them from their worst-ever points haul. New manager Mauricio Pochettino has an extremely tough task on his hands.
Despite spending the big bucks, Chelsea finished in the lower half of the table. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
13. Wolves
Grade: C-
Death, taxes and Wolves struggling to score goals.
It’s been an issue that plagued the club last season and it reared its ugly head again, with the Black Country club scoring the fewest goals of anyone this season with 31.
The honour for the club’s top scorer was shared between star midfielder Ruben Neves and Daniel Podence, who both scored six league goals.
Bruno Lage began the season as Wolves coach but lasted just eight league games as the atmosphere turned poisonous, with the club scoring three goals in that space.
The club attempted to bring in Michael Beale, who was managing Queens Park Rangers at the time, but he elected to stay in London as Wolves were left flailing under the caretaker management of Steve Davis.
At the World Cup break, Wolves were in last place with only eight goals scored all season long.
Enter Julen Lopetegui.
The former Spain boss immediately turned the ship around at Molineux, winning four of his first seven league games as the club slowly pulled away from the relegation zone and into the comfort of the mid-table peloton.
Although there was some inconsistency towards the end, Premier League safety was secured which means a job well done by Lopetegui.
Wolves fans will hope he teaches his players how to find the back of the net with more regularity in the summer.
Julen Lopetegui guided Wolves to safety. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
14. West Ham
Grade: D+
If you look at the Premier League in isolation, it’s been a thoroughly disappointing season for the Hammers. Having finished sixth and seventh in the two seasons prior (respectively), this year’s 14th represented a significant drop-off. They won five fewer games, with the biggest issue a misfiring attack that managed just 42 goals. That came despite splashing £35.5m on striker Gianluca Scamacca from Serie A, who managed just three goals in 16 league appearances in a disappointing and injury-hit debut campaign. The towering 24-year-old now seems likely to depart. In fact, West Ham had the fourth-highest net transfer spend in the Premier League (per Transfermarkt) with €172.45m.
There were promising signs from a number of the signings, and most are still coming into the best years of their career. Meanwhile, the Hammers again enjoyed a strong season in Europe, reaching the final of the third-level Europa Conference League. They’ll face Fiorentina on June 8 AEST in the club’s first European final since 1976.
Win, and their difficult league campaign will largely be forgotten – and they’ll earn qualification to the Europa League next year, to boot.
Lose, and there’s no more excuses for a very underwhelming campaign. And that’s without even mentioning the seemingly inevitable sale of superstar midfielder Declan Rice.
Declan Rice could have played his last season for the Hammers. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
15. Bournemouth
Grade: B+
Before the season started, expectations were low for the promoted club. Manager Scott Parker publicly raged at the ownership and board in the opening weeks, labelling his squad “ill-equipped at this level” – and to be fair, he was right.
And when the Cherries copped bruising defeats to Man City (4-0), Arsenal (3-0) and Liverpool (9-0), Parker was the first manager out the door.
That was just the start of a rollercoaster season. They immediately went on a six-game unbeaten run – then by January, they were back in the relegation zone.
From being dead last after 25 games (early March) – they then went on a stunning run, winning six of their next nine games. It secured their survival comfortably, despite losing their final four games of the campaign. Gary O’Neil’s turnaround of a struggling side – and crucially, the ownership change in December that ensured cash was available for January signings – delivered one of the stories of the season.
Dominic Solanke was pivotal to keeping the Cherries up. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
16. Nottingham Forest
Grade: B
Nottingham Forest were back in the English top flight and boy, did they have some new faces in the squad.
The Reds signed over 30 players over the course of the season, but it was made out of necessity given the bare bones nature of the team before the season.
It was an approach fraught with risk but with Steve Cooper at the helm, Forest fans had every reason to dream.
Yet those dreams soon became nightmares as Cooper quickly shot to the front of the sack race with Forest losing seven of their first 10 games to sit rock bottom of the ladder.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis, a figure who usually pulls the trigger, made the brave decision to stick with Cooper rather than twist.
It was a call that paid dividends.
Forest went on to record a famous win over Liverpool and enjoyed strong form at the start of the year, winning three and drawing two to move as high as 13th on the ladder.
But the dark clouds from the start of the season would quickly return as the Reds went 11 games without a win, losing eight in that same stretch.
Surely Marinakis would run out of patience with Cooper, especially given the carefree nature of managerial sackings this season?
Wrong.
The Greek boss came out in support of the embattled Cooper and it proved to be a masterstroke.
Forest won three of their last six, including wins over high-flying Brighton and Arsenal, to secure safety with a handful of games to spare.
Although some teams have been vindicated in their decisions to sack managers, Forest are a prime example of what can happen when you back the man in charge.
Considering how many new players he had to bed into the squad and his style of play, Cooper deserves to be in the conversation for manager of the year.
However, the Reds must address their worrying away form throughout the season as they won just once and scored 11 goals on their Premier League travels.
Forest signed over 30 players but somehow managed to survive. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
17. Everton
Grade: D
After escaping relegation last season with one game to spare, Everton simply had to improve this year. They didn’t. If anything, they managed to get worse. They won three fewer games and ended up on a measly 36 points, three fewer than last year! The only reason they survived the drop – besides a stunning Abdoulaye Doucoure goal on the final day – was because as bad as the Toffees were, their rivals were somehow even worse.
For all their on-field struggles – and there were many – Everton’s problems largely stem from what’s happening off the field.
The club has been running at a significant loss under owner Farhad Moshiri: a £44.7m deficit in their most recent financial accounts (2021-22 season). The focus of the board, meanwhile, has been the building of a £500m new stadium on the banks of the River Mersey.
And this season, the Toffees were hit with charges from the Premier League over financial sustainability. The club denies the allegations.
Moshiri has been seeking investment in the club in the form of a minor shareholder – but his search has now stretched on for months. In the meantime, the Toffees have turned into a ‘selling club’. They sold last season’s top-scorer Richarlison to Tottenham for £60m, and doubled down in January by offloading talented youngster Anthony Gordon to Newcastle for £45m. They were one of just four Premier League teams to end the season with a positive net transfer spend – i.e. making more money from transfers than they spent.
Given their financial situation, survival might seem like enough. Given their history, the fans deserve much better.
Everton’s final-day win sparked a pitch invasion from joyous supporters. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
18. Leicester
Grade: F
Seven years after their Cinderella-like fairytale title, the Foxes are going down.
Given the squad at their disposal, they are too good to be in this sad position. Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, Kelechi Iheanacho – the attacking riches at their disposal were enviable. And goals flowed freely – their 51 scored was more than any team in the bottom half, and indeed level with seventh-placed Aston Villa’s tally! But without a capable defence, things fell apart.
The squad was gutted by departures before the season, and the funds just weren’t there to replace the outgoing stars – especially with the club’s bloated wage bill combined with the money already spent on plans for stadium development.
Harry Souttar’s Premier League dream has taken a momentary pause. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
19. Leeds
Grade: E
Three games into the season and things were looking rosy for Leeds.
Two wins from three games, including a 3-0 victory over Chelsea, had Elland Road bouncing once more after a summer in which they lost superstar duo Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips.
But that giddiness quickly gave way to anger and frustration.
Leeds went on to lose six of their next eight games to slide all the way down from third to 17th on the ladder.
Wins over Liverpool and Bournemouth bought the under-fire Jesse Marsch a brief respite going into the World Cup break, but it was business as usual upon the resumption of the season.
The wins dried up and Marsch (and Leeds fans, if we’re honest) was put out of his misery the day after a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on February 5.
Former Watford boss Javi Gracia was parachuted in to stop the rot and, to his credit, led the team to three wins.
Or, for the percentage enthusiasts, 43 per cent of Leeds’ total wins.
After a 2-1 win over Forest, Leeds shipped 11 goals in two games against Crystal Palace and Liverpool while only scoring twice.
Gracia’s caretaker position became untenable after an embarrassing 4-1 loss away to Bournemouth.
So, who better to call in to save your season with four games to go?
None other than big Sam Allardyce.
With a £2.5 million carrot awaiting him should he guide Leeds to safety, why wouldn’t the perennial Premier League firefighter take on a task most would have ran a mile from?
Well, that seven-figure payday will remain wishful thinking as Allardyce led the team to just a point from his four-game stint as Leeds were relegated after three seasons in the top flight.
Allardyce can’t be completely absolved of any blame, but many fingers must be pointed at Victor Orta, the club’s former sporting director who oversaw a summer spend on several unproven and young stars among other things.
It was nice having you back while it lasted, Leeds.
Leeds were relegated after three seasons back in the Premier League. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
20. Southampton
Grade: F
The less we write about the Saints, the better.
Three different managers tried to turn around the Titanic, but like that famous cautionary tale, the Saints are going down.
They were trounced 4-0 by Spurs on the opening day, which left them dead last. It’s a position they would became all too familiar with this season. From December 26 onwards, the Saints spent 22 of the final 23 rounds rooted to the bottom of the ladder. In the end, they finished with as many losses – 25 – as points.
That truly dismal record came despite managing to ward off strong interest in superstar midfielder James Ward-Prowse in pre-season. In fact, they went on a signing spree that saw them tally a net transfer spend of €138.2m – the eighth-highest spend in the division. Compare that to their relegated rivals: Leeds had a €31.1m net spend, while Leicester had a €33.4m net profit.
But the majority of Southampton’s signings were unproven youngsters – a high-risk gamble that flopped in cataclysmic fashion.
The Saints’ 11th-straight season in the league will be their last, and the looming exit of Ward-Prowse will be just the start of the painful days ahead.
