Month: December 2022

LaLiga president Javier Tebas labelled Vinicius Junior’s criticism of the league’s anti-racism work “unfair” after the Real Madrid winger vented his frustration on social media.

Madrid beat Real Valladolid 2-0 at the Jose Zorrilla on Friday, but the match was marred for Vinicius.

The Brazil international wrote on Instagram the following day that “racists continue to go to the stadiums and see the best club in the world up close, and LaLiga continues to do nothing”.

Vinicius was substituted during the match and almost hit by several objects thrown from the stands as he walked behind one of the goals, with fans appearing to direct racist chants at him.

Tebas rejected Vinicius’ claim that LaLiga is doing nothing to drive racists out of the sport, however.

“At LaLiga we have been fighting racism for years,” Tebas tweeted. “Vinicius Junior, it is unfair and not true to publish that ‘LaLiga does nothing against racism’.

“Find out more. We are at your disposal so that all together we can go in the same direction.”

Also included in the tweet from Tebas was the link to a LaLiga statement that insisted the incidents in Valladolid will be reported to the hate crimes prosecutors’ office; additionally, it documented previous instances of complaints being filed with legal authorities, in an attempt to disprove Vinicius’ criticism.

“Before the publication of Vinicius Jr, a Real Madrid player, on his social networks making a comment in which he alludes to the lack of action measures by LaLiga in the fight against racism, LaLiga has detected racist insults from someone from the stands of the Zorrilla stadium, [which were] published on social networks,” the statement began.

“These events will be reported to the anti-violence commission and the hate crimes prosecutor’s office, as has been done on other occasions in which LaLiga, after investigating racist behaviour inside and outside the stadiums, has led the fight against this type of act.”

Pep Guardiola remains optimistic about Manchester City’s performances despite Demarai Gray’s stunning equaliser denting the champions’ title hopes on New Year’s Eve.

Gray picked out the top-right corner with Everton’s first shot of the game after 64 minutes at the Etihad Stadium, cancelling out Erling Haaland’s opener in a stop-start 1-1 draw.

Having lost to Brentford before the World Cup, City have now failed to win in back-to-back home league games for the first time since May 2021 and remain without a Premier League victory on December 31 (D4 L1).

While City’s dropped points handed Arsenal the initiative in an intriguing battle at the top of the table, Guardiola saw no reason to criticise his team’s performance.

“Great game. We’ve played really well in the last three games and it makes me feel optimistic,” he told BBC Sport.

“Dropping points at home is always tough, but I’m always trying to make our game good, and we have continued to do it.

“I would say they had eight at the back. In that situation, it’s about movement and attacking at the right moment. In general we did it. We didn’t allow them transitions. 

“They made a fantastic goal and when that happens you say congratulations, but in general we did really well.”

However, defender John Stones was less positive, bemoaning City’s failure to find a second goal against a resilient Everton side.

“I don’t really know what to say. I feel like we’ve lost two points,” the former Toffees centre-back said. “That’s football. 

“We controlled the game for the majority of the time and had a lot of chances, but we couldn’t seem to get that goal.

“It’s difficult to take after the game. We showed great character to keep fighting and pushing. It was a bit of a scrappy game.

“We conceded two shots all game, but it’s overlooked because of that incredible goal. On reflection, we’ll be more positive when we look back, I’m sure.”

Jordi Alba and referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz had both “forgotten” about the Barcelona defender’s first yellow card prior to his dismissal against Espanyol on Saturday.

Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw by their Catalan rivals on what was a bittersweet day for Alba, who became only the 12th different player to make 300 LaLiga appearances for the club.

Alba’s landmark outing was marred as the left-back received two yellow cards in the space of five minutes after Espanyol’s leveller, with Lahoz losing control of the latter stages.

Lahoz, who was in charge of Argentina’s fiery World Cup quarter-final clash with the Netherlands earlier this month, also sent off Vinicius Souza, while only a VAR review saved Leandro Cabrera after he was initially shown a red card for a stamp on Robert Lewandowski.

Alba will now serve a one-match suspension, meaning he will miss Barca’s clash with Atletico Madrid at Civitas Metropolitano on January 8.

The Spain international revealed he received his second yellow card after voicing his frustration at a challenge involving Andreas Christensen and Joselu, whose penalty cancelled out Marcos Alonso’s earlier header at Camp Nou. 

“I did not understand the expulsion and I told him so,” Alba said, in quotes carried by Mundo Deportivo. “I went to Mateu to tell him that Joselu had made [Christensen’s] bed, nothing more.

“He thought it was the first yellow, and he showed me the second. For me, it is not even a card.

“I am aware that sometimes I make mistakes and protest too much because I am very impulsive, and I have to correct this aspect, but this time, it was not the case.”

Sergi Roberto, who wore the captain’s armband during Saturday’s derby, concurred, telling Movistar: “Alba had forgotten his first card. We were all a little surprised.”

Although Barca returned to the top of LaLiga on goal difference, they were punished for not converting their superiority into maximum points, having enjoyed over three quarters of the possession and registered 21 shots on goal.

“In the second half, we wanted to go for the second goal and to have the game more controlled,” Sergi Roberto added. 

“The game stopped a lot with the expulsions, the cards, and then we were not able to play our way anymore.”

Premier League leaders Arsenal moved seven points clear at the top going into the new year after a glorious Gabriel Martinelli goal capped a thrilling 4-2 victory at Brighton.

Goals from Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Eddie Nketiah set the Gunners on course for a fifth consecutive top-flight success to cement their status as serious title contenders.

Kaoru Mitoma reduced Albion’s deficit 25 minutes from time before Martinelli, aided by a wonderful Odegaard assist, raced half the length of the pitch to stylishly restore the three-goal advantage.

Seagulls substitute Evan Ferguson increased the tension going into the final stages by claiming his first Premier League goal, while Mitoma thought he had set up a grandstand finish, only for his 89th-minute strike to be disallowed for offside.

Despite the unwanted anxiety of the late drama, the in-form visitors held on to celebrate an impressive victory and take a healthy advantage into 2023.

Mikel Arteta’s men began the evening kick-off at the Amex Stadium buoyed by nearest rivals Manchester City and Newcastle having both been held to home draws earlier in the day.

And the north London visitors wasted little time in capitalising on the dropped points as Saka fired them ahead inside 66 seconds.

Thomas Partey stopped Tariq Lamptey launching a counter-attack with a superb tackle and, after Martinelli’s initial effort was partially blocked by Lewis Dunk, the ball broke kindly off Levi Colwill for unmarked England forward Saka to take a touch and slot home.

Brighton, who had paid tribute to their own World Cup stars in the matchday programme, including absent tournament winner Alexis Mac Allister, were stunned by the rapid start.

Without the talent of Mac Allister and the suspended Moises Caicedo in midfield, they could easily have fallen further behind as recalled Gunners left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, tormentor-in-chief Martinelli and midfielder Partey all threatened.

Leandro Trossard had the best openings of the first half for the Seagulls, who were subsequently left counting the cost of an expensive nine-minute spell either side of the interval.

Arsenal captain Odegaard ensured his side would go into the break with a cushion after he bobbled home a powerful shot in the 39th minute after Brighton failed to clear a Saka corner.

And the deficit swiftly increased as Nketiah, once again impressing while deputising for the injured Gabriel Jesus, finished from close range in the 47th minute to join Saka in scoring for the second successive game after Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez could not keep hold of Martinelli’s low attempt.

Arsenal’s third goal initially sucked enthusiasm from the stands, but Brighton were given hope of a comeback in the 65th minute when Japan winger Mitoma found space to calmly finish beyond Aaron Ramsdale.

The helter-skelter nature of the pulsating contest continued and, as Albion pushed a second with the backing of a boisterous crowd, the Gunners broke in devastating fashion.

Odegaard released Martinelli with a sumptuous first-time pass and the Brazilian did the rest, outpacing Lamptey from halfway before finishing low under Sanchez.

Arteta exuberantly celebrated the goal on the touchline, but there was still plenty of drama for him to endure.

Poor defending from William Saliba allowed 18-year-old striker Ferguson to sneak in and poke a milestone goal through the legs of Ramsdale.

The Gunners then looked to be in real danger of contriving to throw away two points when Mitoma diverted his second of the game into the bottom right corner.

But the jubilant atmosphere was swiftly quelled by VAR intervention before the visitors survived six minutes of added time to tighten their stranglehold on first place.

– Chelsea have picked up just three clean sheets on the road
– Nottingham Forest have scored in all but one home fixture 
– Recommended bet: Chelsea to win and both teams to score

Chelsea are looking to build momentum in the Premier League when they head to struggling Nottingham Forest on New Year’s Day.

Forest were building momentum themselves prior to the break for the World Cup, picking up four points from games against Brentford and Crystal Palace, but they returned to Premier League action with a 3-0 loss at Manchester United on December 27.

Chelsea were on a five-game winless run in the Premier League prior to the interruption to the top flight, which including a three-game losing streak, however, they came back with a bang as they eased to a 2-0 triumph over Bournemouth.

Team news

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper could be without summer arrival Jesse Lingard after he limped off early in the second half during the defeat to his former club United.

Goalkeeper Dean Henderson was ineligible to feature against his parent club last time out but he should return to the starting XI.

Cooper has revealed they are monitoring the fitness of Morgan Gibbs-White but he looks unlikely to be involved, while Giulian Biancone, Cheikhou Kouyate, Moussa Niakhate and Omar Richards are all unavailable.

Chelsea defender Reece James is set for a four-week spell on the sidelines, having only just returned from a two-month absence, after suffering a knee injury against Bournemouth.

He joins N’Golo Kante, Wesley Fofana and Armando Broja in the treatment room, while Ben Chilwell and Ruben Loftus-Cheek will need to come through fitness tests.

World Cup stars Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech are set to boost Graham Potter’s options after being handed time to recover from their exploits in Qatar.

The stats

This will be the first meeting between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea at the City Ground since 1999, when a brace from Bjarne Goldbaek and a strike from Mikael Forssell secured the points for Chelsea, with Pierre van Hooijdonk’s effort reduced to a consolation.

Chelsea have won their last seven engagements with Forest across all competitions, with their most recent clash coming in 2020 when the west Londoners ran out 2-0 victors in the FA Cup.

Forest have picked up just three Premier League wins this season with each of those coming at home and ending 1-0.

Cooper’s side have netted 11 goals this campaign with 10 of those coming on home soil.

Chelsea are looking to avoid losing four consecutive away games across all competitions for the first time since 2019 when Maurizio Sarri was in charge.

Raheem Sterling could be one to watch for the visitors after scoring eight goals and laying on two assists in his last 11 games against newly promoted sides in the Premier League.

Prediction

Chelsea lacked consistency under Potter prior to the World Cup and he is clearly eager to address that problem as they look to mount a challenge for a top-four spot.

Beating clubs embroiled in a relegation battle, such as Forest, is a must if they are to achieve that ambition and they can start to build some momentum.

Backing a Chelsea win with both teams to score, which is available at 12/5 via LiveScore Bet, looks an attractive prospect here.

Forest certainly look a better outfit on their own patch with the overwhelming majority of their goals coming at the City Ground.

It is also worth noting that Chelsea have conceded 11 goals on the road, matching the figure they shipped in 2021-22, while they have only kept three clean sheets.

Former Fulham and Bournemouth boss Scott Parker has replaced Carl Hoefkens as Club Brugge’s new head coach.

Hoefkens, who was only appointed in May, defied the odds by helping Brugge finish above Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid to reach the knockout stage of the Champions League for the first time, where Benfica await over two legs.

However, they have struggled domestically as they sit fourth in the league and were knocked out of the cup by Sint-Truidense last week, leading to Hoefkens’ dismissal on Tuesday.

Parker managed Fulham between February 2019 and June 2021, before taking over the reins at Bournemouth ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

He guided them to promotion to the Premier League, but was sacked after a run of three league defeats in a row, culminating in an embarrassing 9-0 thumping by Liverpool in August.

Brugge are back in action on January 8 with a trip to Belgian First Division leaders Genk.

Dumbarton maintained pole position in cinch League Two after edging a 1-0 win at Albion Rovers thanks to Ally Love’s second-half strike.

The Sons bounced back from drawing their last two league matches when Love scored the only goal of the game, drilling home a low cross from David Wilson with 20 minutes left on the clock to seal three points.

Defeat sees Albion handed their third successive league defeat and they go into 2023 remaining rock bottom of the league.

Stirling stay second in the table after beating Stenhousemuir 3-1.

Ross Davidson scored his first goal for the Binos 12 minutes into the game with a goal from 20 yards out before Will Sewell levelled for the Warriors.

Stirling regained their lead through Robert Thomson and added another in the second-half with a close-range goal from Dale Carrick.

Crystal Palace picked up three crucial points in their final game of 2022 with a 2-0 win at Bournemouth.

Both goals for Palace, who had failed to register any shots on target in their Boxing Day loss to Fulham, came from first-half set pieces.

Jordan Ayew opened the scoring when he nodded in a corner from Michael Olise, who also set up Eberechi Eze for the Eagles’ second.

New Bournemouth owners Bill Foley and actor Michael B. Jordan were introduced on the pitch before kick-off, but the sprinkle of Hollywood stardust did little to lift Gary O’Neil’s side.

There was just one change for Bournemouth, who started Jaidon Anthony in place of Jack Stacey, while Patrick Vieira was forced to make two as a result of both James Tomkins and Tyrick Mitchell picking up red cards last time out.

Marc Guehi, returning from his own suspension, replaced Tomkins while Joel Ward came in for Mitchell.

Both sides paid tribute to Pele with a minute’s applause before action was under way under a considerable downpour.

Palace had an opportunity when the ball fell to Jeffrey Schlupp inside the area but his effort was directed well wide of the left-hand upright.

The visitors were unable to make anything of a handful of early set pieces but took the lead after 19 minutes when Ayew rose highest to meet Olise’s corner and cushioned a header into the bottom right corner from the edge of the six-yard box.

Olise looked to set up another as he sent the ball across the face of goal from the right but he was ultimately unable to find a team-mate to tuck it past Mark Travers.

Palace then conceded a free-kick of their own, taken by Anthony who floated it across the pitch to Kieffer Moore on the left. The Cherries striker directed a threatening header into the box, forcing Vincente Guaita into a leaping catch to avoid any danger of an equaliser.

The Eagles extended their lead after 36 minutes after Olise once again set up a team-mate from a perfectly-placed corner.

This time it was Eze, who wasted no time in curling a right-footed effort into the bottom left corner from close to the penalty spot.

It was the just the second time this season Palace had gone into the second half with a two-goal cushion, and the first time both came from Palace players, with Manchester City’s John Stones’ own goal assisting the Eagles in August.

The rain eased after the restart, as did the home support, whose side looked more composed. Guaita somehow survived several Bournemouth attempts in a scramble before Travers blocked Eze’s sharp effort directly from a free-kick at the other end.

The hosts could ultimately only take consolation in the fact that the deficit was not wider after Schlupp picked out Jean-Philippe Mateta but the substitute directed his effort wide.

Guaita stopped Siriki Dembele’s strike before Wilfried Zaha skied a late effort and the visitors fended off four minutes of added time to seal the clean-sheet victory.

Fabian Schar wasted a hat-trick of chances as Newcastle’s hopes of a seventh successive Premier League win were dashed by Leeds.

The Magpies’ best opportunities on an ultimately barren afternoon fell to the Switzerland international and fellow defender Dan Burn, but neither was able to break the deadlock and the Yorkshiremen emerged with a hard-fought 0-0 draw at St James’ Park.

Eddie Howe’s men dominated, particularly after the break, but were unable to find a way past goalkeeper Illan Meslier, and it took a fine save from opposite number Nick Pope to prevent Rodrigo from snatching three points in front of a crowd of 52,211.

As a result, Newcastle ended 2022 disappointed, but still sitting in third place in the table ahead of Tuesday’s trip to leaders Arsenal.

Magpies midfielder Bruno Guimaraes emerged from the tunnel wearing Pele’s number 10 shirt as both clubs paid tribute to his compatriot before kick-off, but the home side found themselves on the back foot when the game got under way.

Wilfried Gnonto fired high over after cutting in front the left with just three minutes gone as Leeds attempted to take the early initiative away from the high-flying Magpies, although Meslier needed two attempts to claim Joelinton’s scuffed attempt at the other end as the hosts responded.

Newcastle eventually established themselves in the game with the link-up between Kieran Trippier and Miguel Almiron down the right starting to pay dividends, and it was the full-back who handed Schar the chance to open the scoring from a 21st-minute corner, although the Switzerland international’s downward header flew agonisingly wide.

Brenden Aaronson saw a dangerous shot blocked seconds later, but the Magpies might have gone ahead when Joelinton headed Trippier’s 24th-minute corner back across goal only for Burn to miss his kick.

Fellow defender Sven Botman did make Meslier work three minutes later when he slid in to meet Trippier’s free-kick, but the keeper saved easily and did so once again after Joe Willock shot from distance.

Jack Harrison, back in the Leeds team after injury, failed to match the quality of his 36th-minute run with a finish which did not trouble Pope, but Tyler Adams had to cover back well to deny Schar a shot at goal after a Newcastle break – with the defender’s ambitious pleas for a penalty going unrewarded.

The home side’s frustration continued immediately after the break when Schar recycled another Trippier corner beyond the far post, only to blast his shot over, before Wood was denied by Meslier after running on to Burn’s knockdown.

Pope was forced into his first genuine save 12 minutes after the restart, diving to his right to turn away Rodrigo’s well-struck effort and Newcastle stepped up a gear to pin Leeds back deep inside their own half.

Meslier repelled Schar’s 62nd-minute header and Sean Longstaff fired over after Joelinton’s enterprising run seconds later, prompting Howe to introduce Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin to popular acclaim.

Longstaff cleared the crossbar once again after good work by Almiron as an increasingly fractious contest entered its final quarter, but the visitors held firm to claim a creditable draw.

Southampton will begin 2023 at the foot of the Premier League after a last-gasp Joao Palhinha goal condemned them to a 2-1 defeat at Fulham.

James Ward-Prowse thought he had secured a first point under new Saints boss Nathan Jones after scoring a free-kick to cancel out his own own-goal.

But Palhinha struck two minutes from time with a far-post header to leave Southampton rock bottom.

Fulham, meanwhile, will end the year as top dogs in west London after climbing above Chelsea and Brentford, despite top-scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic missing a stoppage-time penalty.

Fittingly it was their first home match since the death of their 1966 World Cup-winning full-back George Cohen, and a moving tribute was paid, with former boss Roy Hodgson and Cohen’s son Anthony laying wreaths.

Pele was also remembered before kick-off, and Saints striker Che Adams immediately tried to emulate the Brazil great with a shot from near the halfway line as Cottagers goalkeeper Bernd Leno was out of his goal.

He succeeded too as, just like Pele’s famous effort against Czechoslovakia, the ball drifted wide.

Fulham’s Brazilian, Willian, was then teed up by Andreas Pereira and fizzed a first-time shot into the side-netting.

Adams threatened closer to the Fulham goal when he got in behind, but he was quickly closed down by Leno who made a fine save.

Fulham were exerting more pressure, though, and took the lead in the 33rd minute.

Willian lifted a corner to the edge of the penalty area from where the lurking Pereira hit a volley which deflected off Ward-Prowse’s shin and looped into the net.

Pereira almost doubled the lead after the break when he met Bobby Decordova-Reid’s cross at the near post, but he could not steer it on target.

Instead Southampton equalised after Decordova-Reid committed the cardinal sin, fouling Adams in the perfect range for Ward-Prowse.

The England international duly obliged, curling a superb effort from 22 yards over the wall and past the diving Leno.

Kenny Tete could have put Fulham back in front after a spill by Saints keeper Gavin Bazunu, but the full-back shanked his shot wide.

Both teams pressed for a winner, and it was Fulham who snatched it at the death.

After the VAR had checked and ruled out a Fulham penalty claim, Tete headed on Pereira’s corner and Palhinha nodded it home.

Then, in stoppage time, a combination of Bazunu and Lyanco wiped out Dan James, but the Saints keeper kept out Mitrovic’s spot-kick.