Amorim earns 1st Premier League win, Chelsea climb to 3rd place

The club’s boss warned the team would ‘suffer for a long period’ before they can challenge for the title. (Reuters)
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Updated 01 December 2024
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Amorim earns 1st Premier League win, Chelsea climb to 3rd place

  • This was the most encouraging result of Amorim’s brief time at United as they recovered from a slow start to dispatch lowly Everton

LONDON: Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim earned his first Premier League win with a 4-0 rout of Everton.

Chelsea climbed to third place with a 3-0 win against spluttering Aston Villa.

United were held to a 1-1 draw at Ipswich in his first Premier League game last Sunday, before the Portuguese boss earned his maiden win with United in a 3-2 success against Bodo/Glimt at Old Trafford in the Europa League on Thursday.

The 39-year-old, who arrived from Sporting Lisbon to replace the sacked Erik ten Hag in November, has warned United would “suffer for a long period” before they can expect to challenge for the title.

This was the most encouraging result of Amorim’s brief time at United as they recovered from a slow start to dispatch lowly Everton.

United fans had gathered on the Old Trafford forecourt before kick-off to protest the clubs’ decision to increase ticket prices, displaying a banner with the slogan “Stop Exploiting Loyalty.”

If ninth-placed United are to justify those increases, they need a winning team and Amorim is taking steps in the right direction.

Marcus Rashford had scored the first goal of Amorim’s reign after just two minutes at Ipswich and he was on target again in the 34th minute against Everton.

Rashford’s drive from the edge of the area took a deflection off Jarrad Branthwaite before flashing into the net.

United struck again seven minutes later as Amorim’s decision to select Zirkzee to lead the attack instead of Rasmus Hojlund.

Branthwaite lost possession to Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes teed up Joshua Zirkzee to convert with ease.

The much-maligned Netherlands striker’s second goal since his close-season move from Bologna ended a 17-game drought dating back to August.

Rashford underlined United’s superiority just 20 seconds after the interval as he applied a cool finish to Diallo’s incisive pass for his seventh goal this season.

Zirkee struck again in the 64th minute with a composed strike from the influential Diallo’s assist after shambolic Everton defending.

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to six games as Villa’s dismal winless streak reached eight matches.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca insisted this week that his young team are not title contenders in the first season of his rebuilding job.

But they look capable of at least securing Champions League qualification after a third successive win in the space of eight days moved them level on points with second-placed Arsenal.

The famous Champions League victory over Bayern Munich in October feels like a distant memory for 12th placed Villa, who have won only once in the Premier League since then.

Nicolas Jackson put Chelsea in front after just seven minutes with his eighth goal this season.

The Senegal striker met Marc Cucurella’s cross with a volley from eight yards that beat Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez via the near post.

Villa appealed in vain for a foul by Cucurella on Jaden Philogene in the build-up to the goal.

Enzo Fernandez added to Villa’s frustration in the 36th minute as the midfielder took a clever touch before firing home from 12 yards.

Cole Palmer grabbed his eighth goal this season with a superb finish from the edge of the area in the 83rd minute.

Seventh-placed Tottenham’s top four hopes were dented by a 1-1 draw against 10-man Fulham.

Brennan Johnson slotted Tottenham into the lead from Timo Werner’s 54th minute pass, but Tom Cairney curled Fulham’s equalizer into the far corner after 67 minutes.

Cairney was sent off with seven minutes left after his foul on Dejan Kulusevski was upgraded from referee Darren Bond’s initial yellow card to a red after VAR intervened.


Man City hope for Rodri return this season by listing Ballon d’Or winner in Champions League squad

Updated 07 February 2025
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Man City hope for Rodri return this season by listing Ballon d’Or winner in Champions League squad

  • Rodri has set a target of about April to return to play
  • The Champions League quarterfinals start April 8

MANCHESTER: Manchester City showed faith in Rodri potentially returning to action this season by registering the injured Ballon d’Or winner on Friday in their Champions League squad for the knockout phase.
UEFA set a midnight Thursday deadline to submit updated squad lists for European competitions. With a limit of three new signings in the midseason transfer window allowed, City left out teenage defender Vitor Reis who joined from Palmeiras last month.


Rodri has set a target of about April – “six to seven months” after tearing the ACL in his right knee against Arsenal on Sept. 22 – to return to play. The Champions League quarterfinals start April 8.
The English champion have a daunting task to stay in the competition until then without star midfielder Rodri, who scored the winning goal in the 2023 final against Inter Milan.
Man City face Real Madrid in a two-leg knockout playoff, next Tuesday and on Feb. 19. The winner will play either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16.
New signings who are included in coach Pep Guardiola’s squad for the Champions League are midfielder Nico Gonzalez — who can stand in for Rodri — forward Omar Marmoush, and defender Abdukodir Khusanov.


Saudi Arabia makes debut at Asian Winter Games as 9th edition begins

Updated 07 February 2025
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Saudi Arabia makes debut at Asian Winter Games as 9th edition begins

  • The event marks a milestone for Saudi Arabia, which is making its debut at the multi-sport competition as it gears up to host the 2029 Games

HARBIN, China: The 9th Asian Winter Games opened on Friday in Harbin, China, with a ceremony led by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The event marks a milestone for Saudi Arabia, which is making its debut at the multi-sport competition as it gears up to host the 2029 Games. The Saudi Winter Sports Federation, originally established in 2019, was restructured in 2022 into two separate governing bodies: the Saudi Ice Sports Federation and the Saudi Snow Sports Federation.

The Kingdom’s delegation at the games is headed by Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, vice president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Member of the Executive Office of the Olympic Council of Asia.

The event runs until Feb. 18 and will feature around 1,500 athletes from 34 Asian countries. Among the Saudi participants, the Kingdom’s curling team is set to compete in five matches from Feb. 9 to 12 — facing off against teams from Qatar, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Thailand — while three Saudi alpine skiers will compete in the slalom events: Fayik Abdi in the men’s, and Sharifa Al-Sudairi and Farhoud Joud in the women’s.

As the Kingdom continues to expand its sporting ambitions, its participation in the Asian Winter Games “represents another step in its broader vision to develop a competitive winter sports ecosystem on the international stage,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.


Celtic avoid fan ban for Bayern Champions League tie

Updated 07 February 2025
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Celtic avoid fan ban for Bayern Champions League tie

  • Celtic had received a suspended one-match ban on selling tickets for traveling fans
  • “We are pleased that UEFA has considered our detailed submission,” Celtic said

GLASGOW: Celtic fans will be able to attend the second leg of their Champions League play-off round tie away to Bayern Munich after being handed a UEFA reprieve.
The Scottish champions feared supporters would be banned after a green smoke bomb was thrown onto the pitch from visiting fans during Celtic’s 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa last month.
Celtic had received a suspended one-match ban on selling tickets for traveling fans after a pyrotechnic display in their 7-1 Champions League thrashing by Borussia Dortmund in September.
However, they have escaped with a fine of 10,000 euros ($10,400, £8,340) for the lighting of fireworks and throwing of objects.
“As we had said previously, Celtic made every effort to ensure that our fans could attend this match, and we are pleased that UEFA has considered our detailed submission,” Celtic said in a statement.
“We can also confirm that the original suspended sentence remains in place, as a result of the previous use of pyrotechnics, most recently at the match against Borussia Dortmund, by a small minority of supporters.
“Again we must make it very clear that pyrotechnics have absolutely no place at our matches and should further incidents occur, then clearly, once again, there is an extremely high risk of our supporters not being permitted access to future matches.”


Amorim reveals the reasons why things didn't work out with Rashford at Man United

Updated 07 February 2025
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Amorim reveals the reasons why things didn't work out with Rashford at Man United

MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim let Marcus Rashford leave the club because he couldn't convince the forward to follow his methods.
“I couldn’t put Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it,” Amorim said in quotes published late Thursday.
The 27-year-old Rashford joined Aston Villa on loan the day before Europe's winter transfer window closed, having not played for United since mid-December. He could make his debut for Villa on Sunday on an FA Cup match against Tottenham.
“Sometimes you have one player that is really good with one coach, and the same player with another coach is different,” Amorim said.
“I just wish the best to Rashford and to (Villa manager) Unai Emery, and they can connect because he’s a very good player.”
Asked whether Rashford said that he did not agree with Amorim’s ideas about soccer, Amorim said: “You know, like me, that it’s not the way that occurs.
“It’s something that you feel as a coach and as a player. It’s quite normal. It happened with a lot of coaches. The important thing is that I’m here saying that was my decision."
Amorim brushed aside talk of a potential return for Rashford at the end of the season.
Rashford's deal with Villa includes an option to make the move permanent for a reported 40 million pounds ($50 million).
"Like we said before, we are fighting for our jobs until the summer,” Amorim said.
“So, I am just focused on these games. Thankfully about Marcus, he is in Birmingham now with Unai, so you can take these questions to another coach. We are just focused on our players at the moment.”


Iraq’s Hussein Salem to take on Italy’s Walter Cogliandro at ONE Championship in Qatar

Updated 07 February 2025
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Iraq’s Hussein Salem to take on Italy’s Walter Cogliandro at ONE Championship in Qatar

  • Other Arab fighters at ONE 171 include UAE’s Zayed Al-Katheeri, Kuwait’s Jarrah Al-Hazza, and Morocco’s Ilias Ennahachi

DOHA: Iraq’s Hussein Salem will face Italian fighter Walter Cogliandro in a featherweight MMA bout at ONE 171: Qatar on Feb. 20.

Salem joins the UAE’s Zayed Al-Katheeri, Kuwait’s Jarrah Al-Hazza, and Morocco’s Ilias Ennahachi as representatives of Arab countries on the upcoming card of the ONE Championship event.

Salem, who is known in the UAE after participating in seven bouts at UAE Warriors, is one of Iraq’s top martial artists. The 32-year-old holds an 11-5 overall professional record.

Italy’s Cogliandro enters the bout after recent wins against UFC veterans Mark Striegl and Jordan’s Ali Al-Qaisi.

The event features two world title fights as Jonathan Haggerty defends the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing world title against Chinese veteran and No. 1 ranked Wei Rui while champion Joshua Pacio and interim champion Jarred Brooks meet for the third time in a ONE strawweight MMA world title unification bout.

ONE 171: Qatar kicks off at 5 p.m. Makkah time live from the Lusail Sports Arena.