Harry Kane netted yet another hat-trick as Bayern Munich thrashed Mainz 8-1 at the Allianz Arena to move seven points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen. The England captain and striker became the first player to net four hat-tricks in a debut Bundesliga season, while his 30 league goals so far this term equaled Uwe Seeler’s record for most goals in a debut Bundesliga campaign.
It was a late…LATE drama as Kai Havertz’s header secured Arsenal a vital 2-1 win over Brentford and spared Aaron Ramsdale’s embarrassment as the Gunners moved top of the Premier League.
It was a typically pulsating Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Phil Foden grabbed a brilliant brace and Erling Haaland was also on target as Manchester City closed the gap to leaders Liverpool with a 3-1 comeback victory over neighbours Manchester United at Etihad Stadium.
Jurgen Klopp revealed his desire to write another chapter in Liverpool’s “wonderful book” before taking his leave at the end of the season, but this Carabao Cup final victory over Chelsea provided an unlikely story even by his own remarkable standards.
Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund has suffered a muscle injury which is expected to rule him out for two to three weeks. This means Hojlund is likely to miss the Manchester derby on March 3 in the Premier League.
Liverpool will play Sparta Prague in the last 16 of the Europa League, while Brighton have been drawn against Roma. West Ham have been paired with Freiburg and Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers will face Benfica. In the Europa Conference League, Aston Villa – the last remaining British team in that competition – must overcome former European champions Ajax.
Veteran England striker, Harry Kane, joined Bayern Munich on a mega deal from Tottenham Hotspur last summer. The striker’s aim coming into a super Bayern team was to “win big titles” as “this club is defined by its winning mentality” according to him in his first interview upon his arrival, however, things have not really clicked for Bayern Munich since then, as they lost the Super Cup to Leipzig, got eliminated from the DFB-Pokal by a third-tier opposition, surprisingly lost to Lazio in the UEFA Champions League, and are now eight points adrift of Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, which used to be their surest trophy for the previous 11 seasons prior to this.
Rodri’s late leveler earned Manchester City a 1-1 draw against Chelsea, but the reigning champions lost ground in the Premier League title race as their maximum points with their outstanding game will still fall one short of Liverpool.
Kylian Mbappe, who will run out his contract in Paris this summer, has communicated his decision to the French champions and Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the PSG president, on Tuesday that he’ll not be staying beyond this summer. The terms of the France captain’s exit are yet to be finalised, as he will either be sold for a fee or sacrifice some of his earnings to the club before leaving.
It’s a rare wonder to see a team qualify from their group as the fourth of four best third placed sides, sack their head coach and end up with their name on a continental trophy, however, the 24th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, a competition that had a lot of drama, made the improbable possible. It was a triumph born from adversity as the Ivorians scraped out of their group following two defeats before finding their form in the knockout rounds with a ‘Never Give Up’ attitude that led them to the title. They completed one of Africa Cup of Nations’ most memorable comebacks to be crowned champions of Africa for their third time as Nigeria were beaten 2-1 in Abidjan.