Manchester City’s Phil Foden celebrates scoring their first objective in opposition to Bournemouth on the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth on February 24, 2024
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The week began at Manchester United with Jim Ratcliffe finishing his buy of a minority stake and setting out a three-year plan to return the membership to the highest of English soccer, knocking native rivals Manchester City and Liverpool “off their perch” within the course of.
It ended with the crew getting largely outplayed in its personal stadium by Fulham — an opponent within the backside half of the Premier League — and crushed 2-1 to lose floor within the race for Champions League qualification.
Manchester United supervisor Erik ten Hag, substitutes and training workers have fun after Harry Maguire scored a objective
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
Not solely did sixth-place Manchester United’s four-game profitable run within the league come to an finish on February 24, fourth-place Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest 4-2. That left an eight-point hole between Villa and United after 26 of 38 video games. It stays to be seen if the Premier League may have 4 or 5 locations in subsequent season’s Champions League. Fifth-place Tottenham is three factors forward of United and has a sport in hand.
Failing to qualify for the profitable competitors might be an enormous blow to United’s standing, to not point out its funds. It may additionally spell the top for United supervisor Erik ten Hag as Ratcliffe seems to lift the requirements on the fallen big.
Dave Brailsford, the sporting director of Ratcliffe-owned INEOS and now on United’s board, was within the administrators’ field at Old Trafford to see the crew concede the deciding objective on a counterattack within the seventh minute of stoppage time. Alex Iwobi tucked dwelling the end, sealing Fulham’s first win at Old Trafford since 2003, with United’s gamers having poured ahead looking for a winner after Harry Maguire’s equalizer within the 89th.
“After one defeat, you have to see the bigger picture,” Ten Hag stated, “and the bigger picture looks very good.”
Douglas Luiz scored two of Villa’s objectives, with Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey additionally netting in its first dwelling win of 2024. One of the three defeats at Villa Park this yr got here by the hands of United.
“If we arrive to game 33 in the same position, we maybe look to Champions League,” Villa supervisor Unai Emery stated. “For now it’s about being within the prime seven positions.
Manchester City, Arsenal win
With first-place Liverpool not taking part in within the Premier League this spherical due to its involvement within the English League Cup remaining on Sunday, title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal had an opportunity to trim the hole to the leaders. They each took it — and now the highest three are separated by simply two factors.
Manchester City’s Nathan Ake heads the ball throughout the English Premier League match between Bournemouth and Manchester City on the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, England, on Feb. 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
AP
Second-place Man City moved one level behind Liverpool by beating Bournemouth 1-0 away, with Phil Foden grabbing the Twenty fourth-minute winner from a rebound after Erling Haaland had a shot parried out. It was Foden’s sixteenth objective of the season in all competitions, already tying the England ahead’s most in a single season.
“Phil Foden is playing the best football I have seen from him,” stated City supervisor Pep Guardiola, who described his gamers as “supermen” for dealing with a demanding schedule. “We demand an excessive amount of of our gamers however they reply. I do know individuals say, ‘They earn a lot of money,’ however it’s an excessive amount of, actually. But business should go on and it surprises me each time how we’re nonetheless there.”
Newcastle United’s Sven Botman scores an personal objective in opposition to Arsenal
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
Arsenal responded to City’s consequence by dominating Newcastle a number of hours later, profitable 4-1 at Emirates Stadium to remain some extent behind City.
An own-goal by Sven Botman was adopted by strikes by Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, earlier than Jakub Kiwior glanced in a header for the fourth. Joe Willock, a former Arsenal participant, scored an Eighty fifth-minute comfort for Newcastle.
Everton denined win
Relegation-threatened Everton conceded an equalizer within the fifth minute of stoppage time to attract 1-1 at Brighton. A victory would have pushed Everton three factors away from the underside three and ended an eight-match winless run within the league.
Instead, Lewis Dunk headed in Pascal Gross’ cross to cancel out Jarrad Branthwaite’s opener for Everton at Amex Stadium.
Newly employed Crystal Palace supervisor Oliver Glasner ’s tenure acquired off to robust begin as his crew beat next-to-last Burnley 3-0.
Source: www.thehindu.com
