Month: April 2024

LONDON: The supercomputer predicted the final position of the English Premier League this season after Arsenal’s victory at Spurs.

The Gunners remain at the top of the table with a one-point advantage over Manchester City after a 3-2 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, Mikel Arteta’s squad is expected to once again miss the chance to win the first league title after 20 years because the defending champions, Manchester City, who have played one game less, are the champions.

The super computer, BETSiE, makes rival formulas based on data and match statistics throughout the season and Arsenal are once again predicted to be runners-up.

In third place, Liverpool while Aston Villa fill the fourth and final position for qualification for the European Champions League.

Tottenham were forced to be satisfied in fifth place, followed by Newcastle United in sixth place who managed to ask Manchester United for a slot in the Europa League.

If it comes true, Erik ten Hag’s United – or his successor – will play in the European Conference League.

It’s also unfortunate for Chelsea who are in eighth place without any European action next season.

In the relegation zone, Nottingham Forest is predicted to be safe with Luton and Burnley accompanying Sheffield United to the Championship League next season.

LONDON: Manchester United’s victory over Coventry City via penalty shoot-out in the FA Cup semi-final broke a 139-year-old record.

The Red Devils led 3-0 before the Champions League club came back to equalize and drag the match into extra time and penalties.

Erik ten Hag’s side made it to the final but football observers believe the United manager’s future is fading at Old Trafford.

Man United also broke the old record with the win.

It is shared with Manchester City, who will be United’s opponents after they beat Chelsea in the other semi-final.

For the first time in 139 years, two teams played in the FA Cup final for two consecutive years.

The Manchester derby will take place on May 25, a repeat of last season’s Wembley clash, which Pep Guardiola’s side won for the treble.

This is the second time this situation has happened in the history of the tournament.

The first time it happened was in 1884 and 1885 – a clash between Blackburn and Queen’s Park Rangers at Kennington Oval, London.

Blackburn won the first final 2–1, with goals from Joe Sowerbutts and Jimmy Forrest giving them their first FA Cup title.

Blackburn retained the championship with a 2–0 win over QPR the following year thanks to goals from Forrest and James Brown.

United, 12-time champions of the world’s oldest competition, have not lifted the FA Cup trophy since 2016 – when Louis van Gaal managed it.

Twice they reached the final after that – with Jose Mourinho in 2018 and losing to Chelsea 1-0, and with Ten Hag last year.

Man City won it seven times, three of them since 2011.

MANCHESTER: Alejandro Garnacho was reprimanded after upsetting Erik ten Hag and his teammates by belittling the manager on social media.

Garnacho simply pressed a thumbs-up sign on a pass that claimed the player was to blame for being sent off during the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.

The United manager is said to have been angry with Garnacho’s actions, and other players were also disappointed with the Argentine winger.

Garnacho was called up by Ten Hag during Sunday’s training session, and United considers the issue resolved.

The club understands Garnacho’s actions were due to his disappointment at starting the game at the Vitality Stadium despite having only trained once due to health problems, and he was then replaced by Amad Diallo during the break.

Garnacho, however, quickly put a damper on the post, and United felt the situation was different from Jadon Sancho’s post on social media in September – which labeled Ten Hag a cheater.

Sancho, who was reluctant to apologize for his actions, was directed to train alone for four months and was then loaned to Borussia Dortmund in January.

Ten Hag is now increasingly under pressure after going four games without a win ahead of the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City at Wembley, this Sunday.

LONDON: Former Liverpool star Paul Ince claims Mohamed Salah is not a world-class player.

Ince admits Salah, who has scored 23 goals in all competitions this season, is a world-class goalscorer.

However Ince insists Salah cannot be considered world class due to his overall game.

Speaking to talkSPORT , Ince, who played for Liverpool between 1997 and 1999, said: “Is he a world-class goalscorer? Yes.

“I think his record proves everything. Is he a world-class player, technically? I disagree.

“But as far as world-class players scoring goals and making things happen, I think yes.”

Since joining Liverpool in 2017, Salah has scored 209 goals in 340 appearances.

Only Ian Rush, Roger Hunt, Gordon Hodgson and Billy Liddell have scored more goals for the Reds than Salah in the club’s history.

With Liverpool so far, Salah has won the Champions League, the English Premier League, the FA Cup and two League Cups.

The 31-year-old’s current contract at Anfield will expire in the summer of 2025.

ABHA: Cristiano Ronaldo continued his scoring streak in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr by scoring his first hat-trick against Abha, including two goals from free kicks.

The Portuguese icon is already leading the league scoring charts, and last night gifted his team back-to-back hat-tricks – his 65th career hat-trick.

Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a low free kick and doubled the score 10 minutes later with another free kick.

This time the 39 year old player took a swerving kick which killed Abha’s goalkeeper, Ciprian Tatarusanu.

Ronaldo completed his hat-trick by once again beating Tatarusanu, this time in a one-on-one situation with a stunning finishing move.

Al-Nassr finished the first half with a score of 5-0 after Sadio Mane and Abdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem also contributed goals.

Ronaldo has now scored 29 times in the league this season and leads the scoring list with the closest competitor being Aleksandar Mitrovic from Al-Hilal.

Overall he has scored 42 goals in 41 appearances in all matches for the Saudi Arabian club this season.

Last Saturday, Ronaldo also completed a hat-trick in the 5-1 win over Al-Tai.

Ronaldo might have been able to feast on goals against Abha, but he was substituted before the break in the second half which saw Al-Nassr add three more goals for an 8-0 win.

Al-Nassr is still 12 points behind leaders, Al-Hilal who are still unbeaten this season.