FOOTBALL

Carabao Cup: Arenal hold Liverpool

Published

2 years ago

January 15, 2022

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Arsenal salvaged a goalless draw at Anfield despite having to play with a man down for more than an hour against Jurgen Klopp’s men in their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg tie.

The teams were supposed to meet last week, but the tie was called off after Liverpool requested the EFL to reschedule for not having enough players available.

Both teams still had a number of notable absentees because of covid, AFCON, and injuries.

FT!@LFC can't find a way past 10-man @Arsenal, meaning it's all to play for in next week's second leg!#EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/a78AlHQSO0
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) January 13, 2022

No Salah or Mane

Liverpool fielded their first-choice back four but did not have Thiago in the middle as he is out with a long-term injury and lacked the flair of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane up-front who are away on national team duties.

Arsenal, on the other hand, lost Martin Odegaard before the match as the Norwegian’s covid test result returned positive.

The game came too soon for Takehiro Tomiyasu and Emile-Smith Rowe who are nursing injuries.

Thomas Partey was also a miss as he is playing for Ghana in the African Cup of Nations.

Lots of missed chances

Anfield has not been a happy place for Arsenal to visit in recent years and they seemed set for another hammering when Granit Xhaka got sent off for a high foot challenge on Diogo Jota.

Bukayo Saka charged through the right and sent the ball towards an onrushing Eddie Nketiah inside the Liverpool box.

The 22-year-old could not get to it, neither did Alexandre Lacazette behind him.

Andy Robertson picked up the ball and launched a diagonal to find Jota isolated in the Arsenal half.

The Portuguese only had Aaron Ramsdale to beat, so Xhaka felt he had to take one for the team to save the goal.

The Switzerland international’s tackle caught Jota in his chest, and referee Michael Oliver did not have to think much before bringing out the red.

RED CARD!@Arsenal's Granit Xhaka is dismissed for denying a goalscoring opportunity!#EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/lbhpMVwaLi
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) January 13, 2022

Liverpool were already in the driving seat before Xhaka’s dismissal.

Jordan Henderson closed down Ramsdale as he was clearing the ball, but the Liverpool captain could not control the ball properly to send it to an empty net.

Ben White almost sent the ball into his net as he stretched to deny Roberto Firmino a whiff at Takumi Minamino’s low cross.

Sambi Lokonga had to get in the way to prevent Andy Robertson’s shot from hitting the target.

Lost opportunity for Liverpool

Surprisingly, Liverpool could not retain their momentum against a depleted Arsenal team.

.@Arsenal continuing to stay strong despite @LFC's man advantage! 🧱#EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/P6hWA8dmOo
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) January 13, 2022

Mikel Arteta introduced Rob Holding in expense of NKetiah and moved to a five-man defence. Chances came few and far between for the home side beyond that point.

None of the teams had a shot on target till the 70th minute, and it was Arsenal, who registered the first on-target attempt of the match.

Kieran Tierney burst forward and sent a cross towards Saka.

The England international did not have the best of first touches and gave Alisson Becker time to close him down and neutralise his second attempt.

Liverpool had to wait till stoppage time for their first on-target shot when Curtis Jones forced a shot out of Ramsdale.

Minamino missed a glaring chance to score in the final seconds, but the winger could not keep his shot on target.

The teams will meet in the second-leg of the tie at the Emirates on January 20^th.

FOOTBALL

WATCH: Georgina Rodriguez makes huge claim on Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement in Football

Published

1 month ago

March 3, 2024

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Georgina Rodriguez made a huge claim on the future of her husband and star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, in Football. In a brief interaction with a host recently, Rodriguez was asked about the time left for Cristiano to make an impact at the highest level. Georgina looked honest in her approach to the question of the host and claimed something the fans would not love to hear.

Georgina claimed that the Portugal star has maybe one year more from him at the highest level. She felt that Ronaldo might play two more years before retiring and not more than that. She was however not sure if he would play for just one or two years and added that the Al Nassr star could also play more than that.

Watch the video of Georgina Rodriguez here –

🚨🎙️| Georgina Rodriguez on Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Paris Fashion Week yesterday:

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know.”

(via @ArobaseGiovanny)pic.twitter.com/4dxw2j5DuC

— Pubity Sport (@pubitysport) March 3, 2024

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know,” said Rodriguez in the little chat she had with the host. The video has gone viral on X and the fans have started sharing it on different platforms. Some of the fans feel that Georgina might be right, while others feel that she could be wrong, given the fitness and longevity of the star player.

Legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo

On the 5th of February, Ronaldo celebrated his 39th birthday. He is currently one of the oldest players in the world. In the past, players at this age would have retired way back. But the fitness and consistency of Ronaldo make him play the sport as long as he wishes. In his career so far, Ronaldo has won many major leagues for Portugal and league teams like Real Madrid, Al Nassr, and Manchester United.

With United, Portugal won some major leagues like the FA Cup and the Champions League. With Real Madrid, the 39-year-old won the leagues like the UCL, Copa Del Rey and La Liga. He won it three consecutive times for Real Madrid. For Portugal, Cristiano had a huge contribution to Portugal. He has the most number of appearances and goals for an international team and won the Euro 2016 with Portugal.

FOOTBALL

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham slapped with Red Card as he argued with referee

Published

1 month ago

March 3, 2024

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Jude Bellingham shown Red Card (Image Credit: Twitter)

England and Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham was slapped with a Red Card during the La Liga game against Valencia. In the game, the home team, Valencia was leading by 2-0 after 30 minutes before Madrid scored in the injury time of the first half. Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for Madrid while Hugo Duro (27′) and Roman Yaremchuk (30′) scored a goal each.

In the 76th minute, Junior scored an equalizer to keep the team in the game. However, in the injury time of the second half, Bellingham was given a red card as he argued with the referee against calling it a full-time before he could score. In reply, the match official decided to slap the England international with a Red Card. The team coach Carlo Ancelotti wasn’t happy with the verdict as the Three Lions player was making a pass at the time.

Jude Bellingham verbally abusing officials and other footballers at the slightest provocation needs to be talked about more. It’s embarrassing he gets applauded by Real Madrid Fans.

Mason Greenwood should’ve allowed La Liga to deal with this simp. pic.twitter.com/ixYSw6YxaC

— Herman Facundo© (@hermanfacundo_7) March 3, 2024

“I think what’s just happened is unprecedented. It’s never happened to me,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“We had possession of the ball and the match should have been finished when Valencia had the ball.

“What bothers us is the red card for Bellingham because he didn’t say anything insulting. He was frustrated of course,” said Ancelotti, adding that Bellingham had used a common English swearword when telling the referee it was a goal.

We are annoyed with Jude Bellingham’s Red Card: Carlo Ancelotti

“We were annoyed with Bellingham’s red card. He didn’t say any insults. He said in English ‘it’s a f—ing goal,’ but he was just saying what we were all thinking … [The referee] allowed play to continue. I think he made a mistake.”

“[Bellingham] was clear in what he said,” Ancelotti added. “He was quite vehement [in his reaction] but that’s normal, after what happened. It wasn’t an insult, not at all.”

FOOTBALL

PL 2023-24: MCFC vs MUFC Dream11 Prediction, Playing XI, Fantasy League Today’s Captain, Vice-Captain, and more for Manchester derby

Published

1 month ago

March 2, 2024

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Super Sunday is set to witness the Manchester Derby in the Premier League 2023-24. The match between Manchester City (MCFC) and Manchester United (MUFC) is set to take place in Etihad Stadium, the home ground of Manchester City. The two teams have had a contrasting journey in the league till now. The fortunes of City changed ever since Pep Guardiola took over the club as the manager.

While the home side are placed in the second position in the points table currently, United are in the sixth place in the points table. In their previous encounter, City hammered Luton Town by 6-2 in the FA Cup. United have shown massive improvements in the last few weeks after not having a good start to their campaign. United were involved in a thrilling game where they beat Nottingham Forrest by 1-0 in their last game.

Both teams feature some of the best players in the world. The likes of Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Marcus Rashford, Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and others would be taking part in the match. Manchester City will start the match as the favourites, given their record in the ongoing league so far and the match taking place in their home. United with their improved record can challenge the home side.

MCFC vs MUFC – Match Details

Match – Manchester City (MCFC) vs Manchester United (MUFC), Premier League 2023-24

Venue – Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Date and Time – 3^rd March 2024, 21:00 IST

Live Coverage – Star Sports Network and Disney plus Hot Star

MCFC vs MUFC – Head-to-Head

Both the teams from Manchester have a rich history in the sport. they have been up against each other in 191 instances. In as many games, Manchester United have been historically the better side with 78 wins to their name. City have managed to win 60 wins, as 53 games ended in a draw. In the last five games between the two sides in the Premier League, City have won four of the five games.