Brazilian superstar Neymar has left sections of the football world in meltdown with an announcement about his return to boyhood club Santos expected to be made within days.
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Saudi giant Al Hilal on Monday night released a statement to confirm the club had reached a mutual agreement to release the former Barcelona star from his mega-contract.
The Champions League winner shared a message on Tuesday night, saying goodbye to his Saudi Pro League fans.
“To everyone at Al Hilal, to the fans, Thank you,” he posted on X.
“I gave everything to play and I wish we enjoyed better times on the pitch together.
“To Saudi, thank you for giving me and my family a new home and new experiences I now know the real Saudi and have friends for life. I always felt your love and passion for the game. I will be following your journey ahead as a club and a country towards 2034.
“Your future will be incredible, special things are happening and I will always support you.”
Al Hilal’s Brazilian forward Neymar warms up. Photo by AFP.Source: AFP
Neymar’s deal was reported to have been worth a staggering $215 million (£129m) per-year, The Sun reports.
And after leaving following 18 months at the club, it meant he earned £193.8m in total.
That breaks down to an outrageous $4.1 million (£2.5m) per-week.
Combined with his transfer fee, Al-Hilal effectively paid $452 million (£271m) for Neymar’s single goal and three assists in seven matches.
Al Hilal’s nightmare isn’t even over yet.
Neymar will still pocket $87 million (£51.9m) of the wages he was owed for the remainder of the season, agreeing to give up just 15 per cent – which works out to $13 million (£8m).
That means by the end of the season, his single goal will have cost over $554 million (£322m), while each appearance will have been worth £46m.
If all that wasn’t enough, Neymar also raked in a cool £136m from commercial income, separate to his wage from Al-Hilal.
The former Paris Saint-Germain winger played just seven times since joining the club in August 2023.
Neymar was the subject of what is still the biggest transfer in football history when he joined Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona in 2017 for a fee of 220 million euros.
He followed fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the lucrative Saudi league.
But two months after his arrival in Riyadh, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a World Cup qualifier in October 2023, which kept him on the sidelines for a year.
He returned for Al Hilal with two brief appearances in October and November but injured a hamstring and has not played since.
Club’s blunt Neymar statement as boyhood fairy tale nears
Al-Hilal’s statement confirming Neymar’s exit was short and sweet.
“The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career with Al-Hilal, and wish the player success in his career,” said a club statement posted on social media.
The decision to release Neymar came after boss Jorge Jesus admitted the player was no longer capable of the required physical demands.
He said: “Neymar can no longer perform at the level we are used to.
“Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”
While Neymar had been courted by MLS teams in the United States, reports in Brazil said Santos, the club where Neymar made his name, was in talks for him to return to his homeland.
A return to Brazil would likely be the last chance for a player who is his country’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 127 matches.
Neymar scores for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images.Source: Getty Images
Club president Marcelo Teixeira took to Instagram to deliver the message to Neymar on Tuesday night but did not officially confirm the 32-year-old’s return to the club where he first broke through in 2009.
“The time has come, Neymar. The time has come for you to return to your people. To your home, to our beloved club,” said Teixeira.
“Welcome back, Ney boy!… Come and be happy again in the sacred jersey. The Santos nation awaits you with open arms.”
Earlier in January, Neymar said he was aiming to play the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted in the US, Canada and Mexico.
“I know this will be my last World Cup, my last shot, my last chance and I will do everything I can to play in it,” he told CNN.
At the start of his career he was cast as the heir to Pele.
After scoring 107 goals in 177 appearances for Santos, he joined Barcelona in 2013, becoming the young star of a team that also featured Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, which swept to the Champions League title in 2015 by beating Juventus 3-1 in the final in Berlin.
A year later he scored the winning penalty in a shootout as Brazil won the men’s football gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In 2017, Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain prised him away from Barcelona with what is still a world-record transfer fee of 220 million euros ($230 million).
He won five Ligue 1 titles and he and prolific French forward Kylian Mbappe led PSG to the final of the Champions League in the Covid-blighted 2019-2020, but they lost to Bayern Munich.
PSG reunited Neymar with Messi in the French capital, but the trio with Mbappe failed to gel as personal rivalries got in the way and he was pushed to the exit, and to Saudi Arabia, by the Parisian management in 2023.
Luis Diaz starred as Liverpool routed arch rivals Manchester United 3-0 to extend their perfect start under new boss Arne Slot, while Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs tasted defeated against Newcastle.
Hired from Feyenoord to succeed Jurgen Klopp in the close-season, Slot has overseen three successive wins in a flying start to the new era at Liverpool.
The Reds sit second in the Premier League, behind champions Manchester City on goals scored, after handing United an embarrassing loss that finished with thousands of empty seats at Old Trafford.
Diaz and Mohamed Salah were United’s chief tormentors as the Liverpool forwards tore Erik ten Hag’s side to pieces with their pace and predatory finishing.
Diaz put Liverpool ahead with a 35th-minute header from Salah’s cross after United midfielder Casemiro carelessly conceded possession.
Casemiro was guilty of surrendering the ball too easily again when Diaz converted another Salah assist with a cool finish seven minutes later.
EPL Wrap: Another Haaland hat-trick! | 01:58
Salah put the result beyond doubt in the 52nd minute, netting for the third time this season with a fierce strike from Dominik Szoboszlai’s pass.
Slot is the first permanent Liverpool manager to win his first league game against United since Bob Paisley in 1975.
The Dutchman is also the first manager to win each of his first three Premier League games without conceding a single goal since Sven-Goran Eriksson at Manchester City in 2007.
“If you go to Old Trafford we know there will be tough moments. After scoring a great goal which was disallowed we kept on playing as we were before. A deserved win I think,” Slot said.
The only potential issue for Slot was Salah’s post-match revelation that this could be his last season at Anfield.
“I had a good summer, I had a long time just to stay with myself and try to think positive because as you know it’s my last year in the club,” he said.
“I don’t want to think about it but I just feel I’m free to play football and we’ll see what can happen next year.”
United boss Ten Hag is under pressure after a woeful display that came hot on the heels of their 2-1 defeat at Brighton last weekend.
Gary Neville said after the defeat that it was a “sobering” day for Manchester United who was “absolutely mauled”, while Jamie Carragher said ten Hag wouldn’t be in charge at the end of the season.
“Yeah, it’s early days after three games. But I’d be surprised if he was still in charge at the end of the season,” he said.
Meanwhile, Roy Keane said of United: “They were absolutely shocking.
Manchester Untied was destroyed by Liverpool.Source: Getty Images
“Every time Liverpool went forward, they looked like they were going to score.
“There’s been a lot of PR the last few months about plans for the stadium. But in a big game today against Liverpool, United didn’t turn up.
“For a game like this to be over after an hour, it’s hard to accept.”
Ten Hag survived a close-season review into his job, which including United speaking to former Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel about potentially replacing him.
But while last season’s surprise FA Cup final win over Manchester City saved his job, he cannot afford another poor league campaign after finishing eighth in 2023/24.
“It’s quite simple. It was equal after half an hour then we made two big mistakes and Liverpool took them really well,” Ten Hag said.
“We will be fine. We have to improve, we know that. Today we have to take this but we will bounce back.”
– MARESCA FUMES –
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea have won only once in the first three league games of the Italian’s reign after a chaotic close-season.
Beaten by Manchester City on the opening weekend, Chelsea powered to a 6-2 win at Wolves last weekend before scraping into the Conference League group stage after a 2-1 loss at Servette on Thursday.
Chelsea failed to kill off Palace after Noni Madueke picked out Cole Palmer and his pass was slotted home by Nicolas Jackson in the 25th minute.
Maresca was furious after Palace midfielder Will Hughes avoided a second yellow card for a foul on Palmer.
Palace made the most of that escape to drew level in the 53rd minute when England midfielder Eberechi Eze unfurled a superb curling finish from 20 yards.
“If they had been with 10 I think the game would have completely changed,” Maresca said of the Hughes incident.
“It was clear for all of us it was a second yellow card. The only one that thinks in a different way is the referee.”
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea have won only once in the first three league games of the Italian’s reign after a chaotic close-season.Source: AFP
ANGE’S SPURS LOSE LATE
At St James’ Park, Newcastle punished profligate Tottenham with a 2-1 victory.
Harvey Barnes put Newcastle ahead and Dan Burn’s own goal drew Tottenham level before Alexander Isak’s 78th-minute winner.
Unbeaten Newcastle’s second win in three league games condemned Tottenham to a first defeat this term.
“It’s massive, isn’t it?” Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said. “You need to win at any stage but I think when there’s difficult moments — and this transfer window has been tough for us — then it’s even more important.”
Liverpool shrugged off the absence of Mohamed Salah to move five points clear at the top of the Premier League as Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez struck twice in a 4-0 win at Bournemouth.
The Reds’ title credentials will be tested while their star man is away with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.
But Jota and Nunez stood up to be counted to secure a vital win at one of the form sides in the Premier League.
Bournemouth had lost just once in their previous nine games to climb comfortably clear of the relegation zone.
However, the Cherries were held at arm’s length in the first half before Jurgen Klopp’s men turned on the style after the break.
The visitors were restricted to pot shots in a first period devoid of clear chances.
Alexis Mac Allister and Nunez tested Neto from long range.
But the game turned on one moment of quality from Liverpool to break the deadlock on 49 minutes.
Jota’s first time pass put Nunez in the clear and the Uruguayan showed the poise he has often lacked in his Liverpool career to date to slot into the far corner.
Substitute Cody Gakpo then teed up Jota to fire in at the near post 20 minutes from time to end the game as a contest.
Jota was more fortunate for his second as the Portuguese fluffed his initial effort from Conor Bradley’s cross only for the ball to sit up for a second attempt which he drilled low and hard across Neto.
Nunez had scored just once in his previous 16 Liverpool appearances since scoring the winner against Bournemouth in the League Cup in early November.
The confidence he gained from finding the net earlier in the half showed as he slid in perfectly to meet Joe Gomez’s cross and round off a fine afternoon for Liverpool in stoppage time.
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Darwin Nunez of Liverpool celebrates. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Manchester City have a game in hand on their title rivals to be able to shave Liverpool’s advantage at the top down to two points.
But after a season in the doldrums saw Klopp’s men slip to fifth last year, there is little doubt that they are once again the biggest threat to City’s crown as champions.
DEBATE OVER ‘RUGBY TACKLE’ AFTER NO-CALL IN CHAOTIC DRAW
Oli McBurnie scored a penalty 12 minutes into stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw for Sheffield United against West Ham in chaotic climax at Bramall Lane.
Both sides were also shown red cards in injury time as West Ham threw away the chance to close to within six points of the top four.
Twice David Moyes’ men led through Maxwel Cornet and James Ward-Prowse’s penalty.
But Ben Brereton Diaz’s strike on his Premier League debut for the Blades and McBurnie’s late spot-kick edged them to within seven points of safety.
The visitors were without the injured Lucas Paqueta and Michail Antonio, suspended Said Benrahma and Mohammed Kudus, who is representing Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Their absence was felt as West Ham failed to gain control of the game in blustery conditions.
But they went in front when Cornet smashed home his first goal for the club after Danny Ings’ deflected shot looped up at the back post.
Sheffield United scored a late goal. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Diaz failed to score a single goal during his six-month spell at Villarreal, but has made an quick impact on his return to English football.
The Chile international reacted quickest to fire home the rebound after Alphonse Areola denied William Osula.
Diaz missed a great chance at the start of the second period to turn the game around.
But Sheffield United looked destined for a 16th defeat in 21 Premier League games this season when Gustavo Hamer’s ill-timed challenge on Ings conceded a penalty 12 minutes from time and Ward-Prowse coolly slotted home the spot-kick.
The home side’s hopes appeared to have gone when Rhian Brewster was shown a straight red card for a wild challenge on Emerson Palmieri after a VAR review.
However, Vladmir Coufal was booked due to West Ham’s protests that the referee only initially showed a yellow card for that challenge and the Czech was then sent-off for a second booking moments later.
Chris Wilder (L) and David Moyes (R) react to a late penalty decision. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP)Source: AFP
From the resulting free-kick, Areola was penalised for colliding with McBurnie as he rushed off his line to try and punch the ball to safety.
The French goalkeeper then had to be replaced by Lukasz Fabianski leading to a lengthy delay.
McBurnie, though, kept his nerve to drill the penalty low and hard into the corner.
The drama was not over as West Ham appeals for another penalty were controversially waived away when Jarrod Bowen was hauled over in the box by Anel Ahmedhodzic.
“The West Ham bench are fuming,” Sky Sports reporter Peter Smith said.
Former West Ham players Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, both agreed a penalty should have been awarded while giving their take on the drama for TNT Sports.
“Absolutely [a] penalty,” Cole said.
“In the last minute of a game, [defenders] have got to keep [their] composure.
“Robinson realises at that moment, and then the panic kicks in. He puts his arms on arm; he’s not looking at the ball. I can’t see how they’ve not looked at that. That’s a rugby tackle.
“The referee has made three massive decisions that have lit this place up. The atmosphere was white hot. He probably just lost his nerve at that time. You need to be a brave referee in situations like that and just referee the game.”
Anel Ahmedhodzic wasn’t penalised for this move on Jarrod Bowen. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“[Robinson] is not looking at the ball — he’s not even looking at Bowen,” Ferdinand added.
“He’s got his hands on him. His back is to play, and we can see his number with the ball coming from the opposite side. I don’t know how they haven’t looked at that and gone, ‘that’s a stonewall penalty’. If they called that [a penalty], this place would have erupted.”
West Ham manager Moyes was clearly frustrated post-game but avoided getting himself in trouble by saying too much about the decision.
“I’m certainly not going to talk about any referees. I don’t want to get myself in trouble,” he said.
“You should ask the referee [about these decisions]. We’ve got to a stage now where we are settling for a level of officiating where we are all shrugging our shoulders and saying: ‘OK.’ I’m shrugging my shoulders again, we don’t know what they are going to do.”
The frustrated Hammers had to settle for a point that edges them three points clear of Manchester United in sixth.
The Socceroos weren’t at their best but it mattered little as they secured a 2-0 win over India to kick off their Asian Cup campaign.
Second half goals from Jackson Irvine and Jordan Bos did the business for the Aussies as a resolute India side were left to rue a costly defensive error.
Foxsports.com.au analyses the win in Socceroos Talking Points!
Australia is off to a winning start at the Asian Cup. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
AUSSIES’ ACHILLES HEEL REARS UGLY HEAD AGAIN
Death, taxes and the Socceroos struggling to unlock teams who sit deep and happily cede possession.
It was a familiar old tale against India, with Graham Arnold’s side needing 50 minutes — and an error from Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Sandhu — to open the scoring via Jackson Irvine.
Once the deadlock was broken, high quality chances were easier to come by for the Socceroos.
But the fact remains the Socceroos simply couldn’t find inventive ways to get through the sea of blue shirts that, to their credit, defended incredibly well and flung themselves in the way of every shot.
By half time, the Socceroos had 72 per cent possession and had taken 14 shots but did not have anything to show for their dominance.
Craig Goodwin and Martin Boyle crossed balls in like they depended on it, with 31 crosses being whipped in before Irvine finally scored.
In fact, Australia crossed the ball a staggering 42 times across the 90 minutes.
Against teams who sit deep and pack numbers into the box, is this bombardment of crosses going to be the best way forward, especially if the Socceroos are likely to be outnumbered in the area?
Time will tell on that front but for now, the lack of inventiveness against weaker opposition who sit deep needs to change.
On the flip side, it did mean India provided very little attacking threat.
But on one of the rare occasions they did decide to throw numbers forward, India very nearly took the lead but skipper Sunil Chhetri directed his header wide of the post.
Such lapses in concentration will be severely punished by better teams.
The Socceroos once again struggled to break down a deep-lying defence. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
THE ARNIE MOVE THAT PROVIDED ‘BIG IMPACT’ SOCCEROOS CRAVED
Speaking of how the Socceroos might be able to unlock those packed defences, the introductions of Riley McGree, Jordan Bos and Bruno Fornaroli off the bench did just that.
All three played a key role in the Socceroos’ second goal: McGree provided the assist, Fornaroli made an intelligent run to drag defenders away and Bos slotted home into an empty net with his first touch of the game.
In fact, Bos’ goal came just 40 seconds after coming on in place of Craig Goodwin.
Granted, the trio had the added benefit of entering the contest when India’s entire team had been run ragged and were physically and mentally knackered.
However, it does not take away from their willingness to get on the ball and run directly at India’s players, something the Socceroos did not do often in the first half.
So much so that six of the Socceroos’ nine completed dribbles for the entire game came via Bos, Fornaroli and McGree and it was no coincidence the Aussies looked more of an attacking threat once those three were on the field.
“I think what Graham Arnold did with the substitutes was really good tonight,” former Socceroo Alex Brosque said on Channel 10’s coverage.
Luke Wilkshire added: “I think they made a big impact.”
Of course, the three substitutes offer different qualities to the ones they replaced in Mitchell Duke (Fornaroli), Connor Metcalfe (McGree) and Craig Goodwin (Bos).
Sometimes it might be a horses-for-courses approach when Arnold decides who will start.
But if anything, the trio showed they must be in the conversation to start against teams who will sit deep.
Fornaroli made an immediate impact. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
SOCCEROOS’ GAME-CHANGING WEAPON STIFLED … BY THEMSELVES
Prior to the Asian Cup opener against India, Arnold stressed the importance of set pieces.
“It is very important … we get our set pieces right, because set pieces can change the game as well,” Arnold said.
Set pieces have constantly been an avenue for Australia to bully their Asian rivals in, especially with a 200cm centre back in the form of Harry Souttar in the line-up.
There’s several iconic pictures of rival defenders doubling and in rare cases tripling up on Souttar, such is his aerial threat in the box.
Further, the Socceroos also boasted Kye Rowles (185cm), Jackson Irvine (189cm) and Mitchell Duke (187cm) in the starting team against India.
But the Socceroos failed to score a single goal from set pieces as India somehow repelled their larger rivals every single time.
It’s not like the Aussies didn’t have several chances from set pieces, either.
The Socceroos had 14 corners and earned multiple free kicks in dangerous positions but ultimately had nothing to show for it.
Craig Goodwin, who is normally one of the Socceroos’ most reliable in dead ball situations, was out-of-sorts when whipping in corners as he failed to beat the first man multiple times.
The left winger was even briefly taken off corner duties in place of Martin Boyle, although once Goodwin returned to whip in set pieces he seemed to find his range a little better.
Should the Aussies enjoy as many corners as they did against India when they take on other opponents at the Asian Cup, they cannot afford to let the opportunities slip.
Australia could not capitalise on the large number of set pieces they enjoyed. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Arsenal squandered a 2-0 lead for the second consecutive week, making Manchester City firm favourites to win their fifth Premier League title in six years.
Injury-hit Manchester United took a potentially decisive step towards finishing in the top four as Tottenham and Newcastle both slipped up while the bottom three sides all lost.
Here are the biggest points from this weekend’s action in the English top flight.
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City heap pressure on as Spurs rattled | 02:09
ARSENAL’S ‘HUGE MISTAKE’ COULD PROVE A TITLE TURNING POINT
Bukayo Saka held his head in his hands and Mikel Arteta trudged dejectedly down the tunnel after Arsenal’s damaging 2-2 draw at West Ham.
The Gunners, who had raced into a 2-0 lead at the London Stadium, dropped points they could ill afford to lose in their title duel with a Manchester City team firing on all cylinders.
They also suffered the pain of a Saka penalty miss.
It is the second consecutive week they have dropped points from two goals up as questions over their mental fortitude grow by the day.
“We made a huge mistake to stop playing with the same purpose to score the third and fourth one and just thinking we could play around them and just looked too easy,” Arteta said.
“We didn’t understand what the game required in the moment. We need that ruthless mindset in those moments to go and kill a team. When the game is there for the killing you have to do it. Today we haven’t.
“Very disappointing. The way we started was superb again, we were in total control, then we lost purpose.”
Former England defender Matt Upson said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “The key for them now is don’t let the doubt creep in.
“The job for Mikel Arteta and his staff is to not allow the players to feel down or negative about themselves.
“But the manner of how Arsenal lost that two-goal lead will be a concern for Arteta, who looked a bit of a dejected figure, understandably.
“You have to keep winning and this fixture was a massive opportunity – they started brilliantly but they’ve just let it slip away again. What that means for them psychologically moving forward is going to be interesting to see.”
Arsenal are still four points clear of second-placed City, who have a game in hand, but there is a growing feeling that the Gunners’ young squad are feeling the strain of the title race.
Pep Guardiola’s team have won 10 matches in a row in all competitions and have title-winning nous after dominating the Premier League in recent seasons.
Sunday’s result sets up a massive potential title-decider between the top two teams at the Etihad on April 27 AEDT.
City play Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final this week, before facing Championship club Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final on the weekend. That means they’ll have another game in hand on Arsenal by the time they return to league action in the blockbuster battle.
City manager Pep Guardiola said this weekend “[it is] a final against them in the next Premier League game … If we lose this game it will be almost over.”
But if Arsenal do fail to win this season despite leading the league for the vast majority of the campaign, how bad would it be for the young Gunners?
Manchester United great Gary Neville said on Sky Sports: “They would have snapped your hand off to be in this position at the start of the season. Arsenal finishing second would still be an unbelievable season.”
But Roy Keane replied: “Everyone will get stronger next year. They might not be in this position. It would be a disaster.”
Keane added: ‘It would be a terrible season. They’re out of every cup competition. 2-0 up this week, 2-0 up today. It’s a huge disappointment.”
Ex-Chelsea forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink added: “You are not allowed to lose points today. This will hurt more than losing to Man City. The beginning of the season doesn’t matter. To lose it now would be a disaster.”
For now, however, the focus is clear.
“We have to remember we are still top of the league with everything in our own hands,” captain Martin Odegaard said.
Life isn’t all sunshine and bubbles for the Gunners.Source: Getty Images
UNITED PULL CLEAR IN TOP-FOUR RACE AS STAR ANSWERS CRITICS
Third-placed Manchester United are now firmly on course to finish in the top four and qualify for next season’s Champions League. After three straight league wins they are six points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham.
United travelled to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on Sunday (local time) without their injured first-choice centre-backs Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as well as topscorer Marcus Rashford.
But Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen (in his first appearance since January) pulled the strings in an impressive display, while the much-maligned Antony had a goal and an assist.
The 23-year-old winger arrived from Ten Hag’s old side Ajax for £81m in August, the fourth most expensive transfer in Premier League history. After a bright start saw him score in all three of his first league games, he failed to score a single goal since October – a woeful 15-game goalless drought that saw him take 38 shots without finding the net.
He has now picked up eight goals and two assists in 35 appearances, but improving his end product remains crucial.
“We said we wanted more goals and assists out of Antony and he produced,” former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison told BBC Radio 5 Live after the game.
“I think he was the difference between the two teams.”
Antony is finally back firing.Source: Getty Images
Ten Hag said: “Antony knows and I know that when you are a striker, you need an end product.
“But already he has a lot of end product — he has scored in all the competitions now.
“Eight or nine goals in his first year at United is not bad and he still has games to go.”
The big concern for United is their injury toll, with four injury-forced changes for the match. Besides Martinez and Varane, Tyrell Malacia was ruled out while Marcel Sabitzer was injured in the warm-up. Goalkeeper David de Gea seemed to be struggling with a limp in the first half, with reserve Jack Butland warming up and ready to replace him.
Nevertheless, the promising return of Eriksen was a huge boost, while Antony finding form could make a serious difference to their top-four hopes.
Kerr goal clinches Chelsea final spot! | 00:52
ON FIRE VILLA GET LAST LAUGH OVER MAGPIES STAR
Although Aston Villa came into their clash against Newcastle United on the back of red hot form – namely six wins from their last seven – eagle-eyed observers will have pointed out the difficulty of their opponents.
The victories all came against teams in the bottom half of the league with the notable exception of Chelsea; a loss that ultimately spelled the end for Graham Potter’s tenure at Stamford Bridge.
With a game against Newcastle, a team who were on a five-game winning streak themselves, it would be the ultimate test to see just how far Unai Emery’s Villa Park revolution had come.
What transpired over the following 90 minutes left Toon fans scratching their heads in disbelief as the Villa Park faithful were in dreamland.
Ollie Watkins hit the post inside the opening 40 seconds, a warning sign Newcastle never heeded. Watkins laid on the assist for Jacob Ramsey’s opener in the 11th minute and ran the Toon backline ragged.
Even Newcastle legend Alan Shearer could scarcely believe how limp his former employers were.
“Should be 3-0 down,” Shearer wrote on Twitter. “Newcastle can’t get near Villa at the minute. Terrible start for the Toon.”
Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa can’t stop scoring.Source: Getty Images
Despite the first-half dominance, Emery’s side led only through Ramsey’s goal and there was a hint of fear among Villa fans Newcastle could make the hosts pay for failing to capitalise on the plethora of opportunities they had.
Those fears quickly subsided as Villa kept their foot on the gas pedal as Watkins got the goals his performance deserved in the 64th and 83rd minute, making it 11 goals in his last 12 games.
Once the full-time whistle blew, Shearer was left in disbelief at what he’d seen.
“Well done Villa. Brilliant today,” Shearer wrote. “Not many teams have done this to Newcastle. They have battered them from start to finish and been better in every position.”
Speaking before the game, Newcastle striker Callum Wilson laughed at his opponents on The Footballer’s Football Podcast, joking: “Aston Villa are on fire? Let them know the fire brigade are in town … it looks like we will have to put the fire out.”
After the match, Villa captain John McGinn hit back, saying: “Actually, I didn’t notice that but like a lot of emergency services at the minute, the fire brigade must have been on strike …”
The 3-0 win was as emphatic an answer Emery could have dished up to the critics as Villa moved to within six points of the Champions League places.
Spurs, who conceded a last-gasp goal in losing 3-2 to Bournemouth, and fourth-placed Newcastle, hammered 3-0 by Aston Villa, will now be looking nervously over their shoulders.
Champions League qualification may seem a far-fetched dream, but with five wins on the trot and Watkins in unstoppable form, perhaps it’s closer to reality than some may care to admit.
O’Neill keeps Jets alive with golazzo | 00:55
LAMPARD’S BIG PROBLEM
Chelsea slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, their third defeat in seven days under new interim manager Frank Lampard.
It leaves them winless in six games (all competitions) and down in 11th, with their slim hopes of qualifying for the European places fading by the minute.
Lampard became the club’s third manager of the season when he replaced Graham Potter – but is clearly struggling for answers to the crucial problem that laid his predecessor low.
In his three games in a week, Lampard has fielded 19 starters and used a different formation each time.
He started with a 4-3-3 against Wolves, swapped to a 3-5-2 against Real Madrid in a midweek Champions League clash, then went for a 4-2-3-1 against the Seagulls.
But changes in personnel and formation had little impact against Brighton, who took 26 shots to Chelsea’s eight in a dominant performance despite the Blues taking an early lead.
So desperate has Lampard seemed to find a successful combination of players and formation that he delivered a rare quadruple substitution against Brighton.
On came Reece James, Mateo Kovacic, Joao Felix and Hakim Ziyech for Wesley Fofana, Enzo Fernandez, Christian Pulisic and Raheem Sterling.
Then, after going down 2-1, Lampard made ANOTHER tactical switch, moving to 4-4-2.
If he can’t find an effective formation and starting XI soon, the Blues could endure a torrid finish to the year.
Mariners spoil City’s potential party | 00:50
HODGSON DELIVERS IN STYLE
The decision to bring former manager Roy Hodgson back to Crystal Palace last month looks inspired.
The team have scored nine goals in three Premier League matches since the ex-England boss returned to Selhurst Park — as many as they had netted in their previous 16 league games between November 2022 and March 2023.
Chairman Steve Parish spoke of the “immediate requirement of keeping us in the league”, when he appointed the 75-year-old to replace the sacked Patrick Vieira.
Three games and three wins later, Palace are nine points clear of the relegation zone and are close to safety.
Eberechi Eze, who scored both goals in Saturday’s 2-0 win against bottom side Southampton, said Hodgson had taken the shackles off.
“We’re playing with a lot more freedom, more energy, and we’re so much more positive, which is a huge credit to the gaffer coming in and helping us with that,” he said.
