Chelsea survived a late Brentford fightback to win the west London derby and take their successive wins to seven, closing the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to just two points. The Blues had not beaten Brentford at Stamford Bridge in the league since 1946, but goals from Marc Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson were enough, despite Bryan Mbeumo’s 90th minute strike, which scared the hosts.
Chelsea came from two goals behind to beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 and move second in the Premier League table. Cole Palmer was on target twice from the penalty spot, as Jadon Sancho and Enzo Fernandez scored in another blockbuster between the London rivals.
Manchester United’s sporting director, Dan Ashworth, has departed Manchester United after just five months in his role at the club, the club have confirmed. Ashworth joined Manchester United from Newcastle in the summer as Manchester United were determined to start a major shakeup after their new owners took over. There were negotiations between the clubs, with Newcastle demanding up to £20 million for his services, before a widely reported fee of around £3m was agreed. However, it is understood that the move has not worked out as planned, with Ashworth and United deciding to part ways.
Inter Milan’s Serie A encounter with Fiorentina on Sunday evening was cut short after a tragic, unforeseen circumstances as Roma loanee, Edoardo Bove, collapsed on the pitch. The Italian, who has been in good form and vital for Fiorentina, fell to the turf suddenly on 16 minutes.
Justin Kluivert made Premier League history on Saturday afternoon by netting a hat trick of penalties, becoming the first player to ever do so in the English top flight. His treble, which helped Bournemouth win 4-2 against Wolves at Molineux on Saturday, was more or less like a masterclass in how to take a spot kick. Not only was it the first hat- trick of penalties in the Premier League era, but also the first in the English top flight since Ken Barnes scored three for Manchester City in a 6-2 victory against Everton at Maine Road on 7 December, 1957, roughly 67 years back.
Manchester City’s misery got piled upon on Saturday evening at the Etihad, as Spurs put four past them at their yard to take their winless run to five in a row. Rodri, who has been ruled out till the end of the season after tearing his ACL, presented his Ballon d’Or on the evening as it was City’s first home game since his victory, but he could only watch as Ange Postecoglou’s side ran riot in the area of the pitch he usually dominates, an area which has become a vacuum in his absence. The vulnerability was clear, even before City’s results began to deteriorate. Not until now, though, had it been exposed like this.
Leicester City have decided to fire head coach Steve Cooper after just five months in charge. Having lost four of their last five matches in all competitions, including a 2-1 home loss to Chelsea on Saturday, the club currently sits in 16th place in the Premier League table after 12 games, leaving them just two points above the relegation zone.
Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo hinted on Friday night after the game against Poland that he could retire in the next one or two years, but has insisted that he will not move into management when he hangs his boots up. The Portuguese forward, who still represents Al Nassr at club level in the Saudi Pro League, will turn 40 in February, however, despite his age, the veteran is still scoring goals on the international stage, with a brace in his country’s 5-1 win over Poland including a spectacular overhead kick taking his career tally to 910 goals.
Paul Pogba has officially become a free agent, as Juventus have agreed to terminate his current contract at the end of November. The former Manchester United midfielder was initially handed a four year ban in September 2023 for testing positive for using a performance boosting substance, but the ban was then shortened to 18 months following a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The verdict meant that Paul Pogba could return to training in January, with a return to club football possible in March 2025.
Real Sociedad handed Barcelona their second La Liga defeat of the season on Sunday night, thoroughly outplaying the leaders in San Sebastian. Sheraldo Becker’s first half goal was the difference between the two sides, though Real Sociedad had plenty of chances to add to the lead. The visitors on the other hand, despite being in good form, didn’t manage to register a single shot on target.
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