Riyad Mahrez hat trick powers Man City past Sheff United into FA Cup final

Riyad Mahrez hat trick powers Man City past Sheff United into FA Cup final
Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez scores their third goal past Sheffield United's Wes Foderingham to complete his hat trick during the FA Cup semifinal against Sheffield United. (Reuters)
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Updated 23 April 2023

Riyad Mahrez hat trick powers Man City past Sheff United into FA Cup final

Riyad Mahrez hat trick powers Man City past Sheff United into FA Cup final
  • Nothing has been won yet, but City’s near-irresistible form is driving them toward the history books
  • City also face the significant test of trying to navigate a way past 14-time winners Real Madrid in the last four of the Champions League

LONDON: In this kind of mood, it will take something special to halt Manchester City’s pursuit of the treble.

Just days after Pep Guardiola’s team advanced to the Champions League semifinals, a place in the FA Cup final was secured by beating Sheffield United 3-0 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, with Riyad Mahrez scoring a hat trick.

City can also seize control of the English Premier League title race on Wednesday in a showdown with leader Arsenal.

Nothing has been won yet, but City’s near-irresistible form is driving them toward the history books as their three-pronged trophy challenge shows no sign of stopping.

Manchester United are the only English team to have won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup in one season, in 1999. It’s a point of pride for United and their fans, a fact not lost on Guardiola.

“They don’t have to be scared (we will emulate them),” he joked. “We are neighbors, neighbors are always nice to each other. I said yesterday we are far away.”

United could yet have a say in City’s potential trophy haul. Erik ten Hag’s team plays Brighton in the second FA Cup semifinal on Sunday, with the chance to set up an all-Manchester final in June.

City also face the significant test of trying to navigate a way past 14-time winners Real Madrid in the last four of the Champions League.

But the defending Premier League champion are in ominous form having extended their unbeaten run to 16 games with a routine win against Sheffield.

Any chance of a historic FA Cup shock was effectively ended in the 43rd minute when Mahrez struck from the penalty spot after Daniel Jebbison fouled Bernardo Silva in the box.

Mahrez doubled City’s lead in the 61st when running straight through the heart of Sheffield’s defense and firing past Wes Foderingham.

The third came five minutes later when turning home Jack Grealish’s pass.

City didn’t need to be at its devastating best, with leading scorer Erling Haaland failing to add to his 48 goals this season in a subdued performance.

It was down to Mahrez, who didn’t play in either leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Bayern Munich, to do the damage.

“He is always grumpy with me when he doesn’t play. He makes me notice how grumpy he feels,” Guardiola said. “He is an exceptional player on the big stage.”

City’s result in a sixth FA Cup semifinal in seven seasons ended a sequence of three straight losses at this stage.

LEICESTER FINALLY WIN

A first win in 11 games lifted Leicester out of the relegation zone. Despite going behind to a Matheus Cunha goal, Kelechi Iheanacho and Timothy Castagne struck as the Foxes beat Wolverhampton 2-1 at King Power Stadium to move them out of the bottom three on goal difference.

It was a good start for new manager Dean Smith in his first home game in charge since replacing the fired Brendan Rodgers.

That meant Everton dropped to 18th, despite a creditable 0-0 draw at in-form Crystal Palace that highlighted the Merseyside club’s struggles in front of goal.

The Toffees have scored only 24 times, lowest in the league.

LEEDS LOSE AGAIN

While Leeds avoided a third straight rout, losing to Fulham 2-1 was another blow to the Yorkshire club’s battle to avoid the drop.

Having conceded 11 goals in it last two games — losing 5-1 to Palace and 6-1 to Liverpool — this was certainly an improvement for Javi Gracia’s team, but wins are increasingly hard to come by.

Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira put Fulham two up before an own goal from Joao Palhinha.

Tuesday’s home game against Leicester could be absolutely crucial to both teams’ hopes of survival.

LIVERPOOL FINDING FORM

Jurgen Klopp recorded his 100th league win at Anfield after Liverpool beat Nottingham Forest 3-2.

But perhaps more importantly, Liverpool’s second win in succession pointed to a long-awaited upturn in form in an inconsistent campaign.

Relegation-threatened Forest twice came back before Mohamed Salah’s winner in the 70th.

Diogo Jota put Liverpool in front twice in the second half, and Forest responded through Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White.

“We gave away two goals too easy and in a game like this you have to control possession,” Klopp said. “You don’t have to force it and sometimes we forced it.”

Defeat increased the pressure on Forest manager Steve Cooper in an 11-game winless run.

“Nobody will be happy coming out of here because we have lost a football match and it adds to the run,” he said. “It doesn’t look favorable at all, we know that. But we must take some heart from the spirit and mentality in one of the hardest away games in Europe, never mind the Premier League.”

BRENTFORD HOLD VILLA

Aston Villa’s five-game winning streak was halted in a 1-1 draw at Brentford.

The Midlands club sparked hopes of an unlikely push for the top four after winning seven of its last eight games before Saturday. But Ivan Toney’s goal put Brentford on the brink victory before Douglas Luiz struck in the 87th to earn a draw for Villa.

“We can play better and we have to demand to play better for the next matches,” Villa manager Unai Emery said.


Al-Ittihad champions as Al-Nassr and Ronaldo stumble

Al-Ittihad champions as Al-Nassr and Ronaldo stumble
Updated 28 May 2023

Al-Ittihad champions as Al-Nassr and Ronaldo stumble

Al-Ittihad champions as Al-Nassr and Ronaldo stumble

Al-Ittihad are Saudi Arabian champions for the first time since 2009 after defeating Al-Fayha 3- 0 on Saturday in the penultimate round of fixtures in the Roshn Saudi League. Second-placed Al-Nassr came back to draw 1-1 at Ettifaq but it was not enough as Ittihad’s win ended an exciting title race. It is a well-deserved triumph for coach Nuno Santo and his players who saw off the challenge of Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr to lift a hard-fought and deserved prize.

At kick-off, Al-Ittihad knew that a win would be enough for title number nine but they also knew that they had been in good positions before and failed to finish the job such as last season when a 16-point advantage over Al-Hilal did not prove to be enough. Any nerves were, however,  reduced after three minutes as Ahmed Sharahili sent the Jeddah giants on their way. Igor Coronado floated over a deep free-kick and Sharahili reacted to stab the ball home from close range and the celebrations in Jeddah started to bubble under the surface.

That early strike was a blow for Al-Nassr who hit the post in the first half thanks to a shot from Luiz Gustavo from close range.but three minutes before the break, the Yellows fell behind.Saeed Al-Mowalad crossed from the right and Youssouf Niakate swept home from close range to finish a perfect move. It was harsh on Al-Nassr who had dominated possession and had the better of the chances but they could feel that their chances of league title number ten were slipping away.

Ronaldo and his team continued to work hard but received another body blow just before the break as Al-Ittihad extended their lead thanks to another set piece. Coronado floated over a free-kick once again and this time Romarinho – the Brazilian has been one of the players of the season – headed home. It prompted wild celebrations among the travelling fans who knew that their 14-year wait was almost over.

Al-Nassr were not about to give up without a fight however. After 56 minutes Abdulrahman Ghareeb passed back to the onrushing Gustavo who unleashed a rocket of a shot into the top corner of the Ettifaq goal from outside the area. It was a spectacular effort. With ten minutes remaining, it looked as if the game was won as Ghareeb pulled the ball back for Gustavo to fire an unstoppable shot into the Ettifaq net. It was ruled out by VAR, which spotted an offside in the build up. In the end, it didn’t really matter as Al-Ittihad rarely looked like losing their two-goal lead and their grip on the league trophy. Soon after, the Tigers made it 3-0 as Romarinho broke free to slot the ball home from just inside the area.

It meant that the celebrations could start in earnest as Al-Ittihad took the points before the end of the Al-Nassr game. It has been a deserved triumph.

Elsewhere, defending champions Al-Hilal moved into third place with a 3-0 win at Abha. Mohammed Al-Qahtani opened the scoring after 11 minutes and Odion Ighalo extended that lead a minute before the break. Abdullah Al-Hamdan added a third.

The relegation battle is hotting up. In the battle of the two teams at the bottom of the table, Al-Batin, who are already relegated, drew 2-2 with next to bottom Al-Adalah who are a point behind safety and Al-Khaleej who drew 0-0 with  Al-Raed. Al-Wedha are now safe after defeating Al-Tai 2-1.

The headlines however belong, for once, not to Criistiano Ronaldo, but to the new champions of Al-Ittihad.


Luton gains promotion to Premier League after beating Coventry in penalty shootout

Luton gains promotion to Premier League after beating Coventry in penalty shootout
Updated 27 May 2023

Luton gains promotion to Premier League after beating Coventry in penalty shootout

Luton gains promotion to Premier League after beating Coventry in penalty shootout
  • Coventry's Fankaty Dabo sent his spot kick high and wide to give Luton a 6-5 win in the shootout following a 1-1 draw
  • It marks Luton's first return to England's top division since 1991-92 — the year before it was rebranded as the Premier League

LONDON: Luton will play in the Premier League for the first time next season after beating Coventry following a penalty shootout in the Championship playoff final at Wembley on Saturday.
Coventry’s Fankaty Dabo sent his spot kick high and wide to give Luton a 6-5 win in the shootout following a 1-1 draw after extra time in what is usually dubbed the most lucrative match in world soccer. The winner is expected to get in excess of $200 million in future earnings for gaining promotion to the Premier League, the richest league in world soccer.
It marks Luton’s first return to England’s top division since 1991-92 — the year before it was rebranded as the Premier League.
Coventry were trying to return for the first time since being relegated in 2001 following a 34-year stint in the first division.
Luton had a scary start to the game as captain Tom Lockyer fell to the ground untouched and then remained down for several minutes while he received medical attention. Lockyear was carried off on a stretcher and taken to a hospital for further medical checks, with Luton saying he was conscious and responsive.
Despite that setback, Luton largely dominated the first half and took the lead in the 23rd minute through Jordan Clark, who received a cutback from Elijah Adebayo and took one touch to go past a defender and rifle home a left-foot shot high into the net.
Luton also had two goals disallowed before the break, but Coventry were much improved in the second half and got back into the game in the 66th.
Viktor Gyokeres ran down the left flank and teed up Gustavo Hamer, who slotted in a low shot from the edge of the area to send the sky-blue half of Wembley into a frenzy.
Luton substitute Joe Taylor thought he had scored the winner 25 minutes into extra time but it was ruled out by VAR as he handled the ball after robbing defender Jonathan Panzo of possession.
In the shootout, the first 11 penalty takers all scored their spot kicks before Dabo sent his off target.


Musiala takes Bayern to 11th straight title after Dortmund held

Musiala takes Bayern to 11th straight title after Dortmund held
Updated 27 May 2023

Musiala takes Bayern to 11th straight title after Dortmund held

Musiala takes Bayern to 11th straight title after Dortmund held
  • Dortmund scored two second half goals to draw the game but the point was not enough, Bayern winning the title on goal difference
  • Minutes after Bayern Munich clinched their Bundesliga league title, the club said they had decided to fire chairman Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic

DORTMUND, Germany: Bayern Munich have won their 11th straight Bundesliga title, a 90th minute goal from Jamal Musiala sealing a late 2-1 win at Cologne after Borussia Dortmund were held 2-2 at home to Mainz.
With Bayern needing a win to overtake Dortmund, the England-raised Germany forward hammered home with the clock winding down, ensuring the Bavarians keep their grip on the title for another season.
Dortmund knew a win would guarantee a title, but were 2-0 down after just 25 minutes, with striker Sebastien Haller also having missed a penalty.
Dortmund scored two second half goals to draw the game but the point was not enough, Bayern winning the title on goal difference.
Heading into the final matchday, with Dortmund two clear atop the table, Bayern knew only a win would give them hope of a title, while hoping for a Dortmund collapse.
France forward Kingsley Coman struck after eight minutes to set down the gauntlet to Dortmund, playing one hour to the north.
Despite a bright start, Dortmund soon found themselves behind 1-0 after 15 minutes, Andreas Hanche-Olsen tapping in from a corner.
Dortmund were handed a lifeline when Raphael Guerreiro was brought down in the box, but Sebastien Haller failed to convert the penalty.
Mainz doubled their lead shortly after, Karim Onisiwo heading in from close range as the visitors began tearing up the home fans’ script.
The home side, who had scored 15 goals in their past three home games, grew nervous and lacked potency in front of goal, while Mainz grew bullish and had several chances on the counter.
With time winding down, Guerreiro gave the home side hope, scoring with 20 minutes remaining.
Word filtered around the ground that Cologne had equalized with ten minutes remaining, Dejan Ljubicic converting from the spot, but Musiala’s strike again took Bayern atop the table.
Niklas Suele added another in the sixth minute of injury time, but Dortmund were unable to conjure the comeback which would have broken Bayern’s hold on the German title.
Meanwhile, minutes after Bayern Munich clinched their Bundesliga league title, the club said they had decided to fire chairman Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.
“You have probably heard what we have decided with the supervisory board,” club president Herbert Hainer told media in the mixed zone in Cologne where, the club salvaged their 33rd German league title when Jamal Musiala hit an 89th-minute winner.
One bright spot for the disappointed home side was that arch rivals Schalke were relegated, after a 4-2 loss at RB Leipzig.
Schalke had fought back to equalize from two goals down, but Leipzig scored twice in the final ten minutes to secure Schalke’s fate.
Elsewhere, Union Berlin secured Champions League football for the first time with a 1-0 home win over Werder Bremen.
Union captain Rani Khedira scored a goal with nine minutes remaining, ensuring victory for the home side and keeping alive a remarkable fourth season in the top division.
Also on track for a first ever Champions League berth but needing Union to slip up, Freiburg lost 2-1 away at Frankfurt. Leading 1-0 after a Vincenzo Grifo strike, Freiburg conceded two goals in the last 10 minutes and will instead play Europa League next season.
Stuttgart’s 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim means they finish third last, ensuring a shot at staying in the second division through the relegation playoff.
Bochum’s 3-0 win at Leverkusen also ensures they will play top division football for another season, taking them from second last to the safety of 14th.
A ten-man Augsburg lost 2-0 at Borussia Moenchengladbach but will also stay up, having finished 15th.
Relegated Hertha Berlin won 2-1 away at Wolfsburg, denying the hosts a chance at leapfrogging Leverkusen into Europe.


Eddie Howe calls on PIF to dig deep to fulfil Newcastle United’s Champions League ambitions

Eddie Howe calls on PIF to dig deep to fulfil Newcastle United’s Champions League ambitions
Updated 27 May 2023

Eddie Howe calls on PIF to dig deep to fulfil Newcastle United’s Champions League ambitions

Eddie Howe calls on PIF to dig deep to fulfil Newcastle United’s Champions League ambitions
  • Challenges ahead as Newcastle navigate the transfer market and look to threaten Europe’s elite, manager says
  • ‘Unfortunately players don’t come cheap, especially good players,’ head coach warns as budget talks loom

NEWCASTLE: It has been less than a week since Newcastle United’s two-decade wait to qualify for the Champions League was rubber-stamped, but Eddie Howe’s eyes are already turning to next season.
The head coach, renowned for his incredible work ethic and drive, is not about to rest on his laurels just because Newcastle have muscled their way into Europe’s elite, way ahead of the ownership group’s schedule.
Instead, he is urging those at the top — primarily majority shareholders, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia — that while getting to the top might have been relatively inexpensive, the next step definitely won’t be.
He said: “Unfortunately players don’t come cheap, especially good players.
“Yes, we are going to have to spend a certain amount of money. How much that is I don’t know. I still don’t know what my budget is at this moment in time, but there will have to be some expenditure. It will have to be controlled. It will have to be under FFP restrictions, which we have worked under and will continue to work under. They are definitely impacting us and what we will be able to do.
“We’re planning to sit down in the next couple of days and go through things now it’s been finalized. We’ll see how that goes.
“Going into last summer, I had a vision and the reality was different at the end, but I was really pleased at the end when the window shut. I was like, ‘We have done some really good work here.’ That’s going to need to be repeated. This will be our hardest window to date. In my mind, there is no doubt about that because the pool of players we have to select from is very small.”
Given the level much of the current Newcastle squad has operated at in the past, there is a distinct lack of Champions League experience in the pack. Howe does not necessarily think that is something that needs to be addressed.
“Ideally, you would like experience of everything, but there is no player that ticks every box,” he said.
“I’m always a little bit torn on experience. You don’t have to have played in a competition to be able to play in a competition. We will look at the strength of the player first. If they have the experience of certain things, even better.
“We have challenges ahead; it’s not as easy as everyone thinks it is to navigate the transfer market. There is always a bump in the road you’ve got to navigate yourself around, so it’s not going to be a slam dunk.”
Since PIF bought an 80 percent stake in Newcastle, talk has always been of “marquee” signings. Evidence in the past three transfer windows proves the Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi approach is not one they are keen to take, not least on Tyneside, anyway.
Sunday’s opponents Chelsea could easily be accused of going down that road, having spent a remarkable $750 million since US investor Todd Boehly walked through the door.
On superstar signing speculation, Howe said: “There would be players we’d love to bring in that would be classified in that bracket, I’m sure.
“For me, it’s more about the role they can fulfil in the team, whether that’s viewed positively or as a marquee signing, then great. I’m not in my mind thinking: ‘We have to have one of those players that ticks that box for the supporters.’ As much as I’d love to do that, it’s about finding the right player in the right position who I think makes us better.”


Everton’s fight to avoid relegation gets prominent place in NBC’s Premier League coverage

Everton’s fight to avoid relegation gets prominent place in NBC’s Premier League coverage
Updated 27 May 2023

Everton’s fight to avoid relegation gets prominent place in NBC’s Premier League coverage

Everton’s fight to avoid relegation gets prominent place in NBC’s Premier League coverage
  • NBC's studio crew and top announcer team will be at Goodison Park for Everton's match against Bournemouth
  • This is first time in NBC's 10 years of carrying the Premier League that it will be on site for a match with relegation implications

LONDON: NBC’s Premier League team is used to covering the pomp and circumstance of the champions lifting the trophy on Championship Sunday.
With Manchester City having their title ceremonies last week after winning their third straight Premier League title and fifth in the last six seasons, it’s all about the fight to avoid relegation going into the final match day.
NBC’s studio crew and top announcer team will be at Goodison Park for Everton’s match against Bournemouth. Everton have 33 points, two points clear of the relegation zone, but could find themselves out of England’s top division for the first time in nearly 70 years with a loss and a victory by either Leicester City or Leeds United. Everton could be relegated with a draw and a win by Leicester City, which won the 2016 title.
This is first time in NBC’s 10 years of carrying the Premier League that it will be on site for a match with relegation implications.
“I think this is as good as it gets. It would be great to have a title race as well, but this actually allows us to focus on relegation, which we so often can’t do,” said NBC Premier League host Rebecca Lowe. “It paints a whole different picture of an end of a season.
“It’s so rare to have three clubs this size threatened with relegation, which makes the gravitas, the jeopardy, everything even bigger.”
Everton’s large following of fans in the United States is another reason why NBC decided to anchor coverage from Goodison Park. Three teams will vie to avoid the last two relegation spots and join Southampton in heading to the second-tier Championship next season.
NBC studio analyst and former US men’s national team goalkeeper Tim Howard, who made 414 appearances for Everton from 2006-16, will be on hand.
With the Indianapolis 500 on NBC, all 10 matches will be streamed on Peacock for the first time. The Everton match also will be on USA Network, while Leicester City hosting West Ham is on SYFY and Leeds United vs. Tottenham on CNBC. Bravo will carry Manchester United’s match against Fulham, which have no bearing on the standings. All of the matches will start at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Coverage will begin at 9:30 a.m. ET on Peacock and one hour later on USA Network.
Pierre Moossa, NBC’s Coordinating Producer for the Premier League, said Sunday’s coverage could be among the most dramatic since they started covering the league in 2013.
“I know that we all get excited about trophies and medals and everything else, but the imagery after Sunday’s results will be as emotional as you’ll see in any sport,” he said. “What it means to the club or what it means to the players is ultimately their essence.”
While there will be sadness for Leicester City and Leeds United if they are relegated, Lowe said he thinks the scenes from Everton could be different.
“If Everton go down, it’s going to be a lot of anger mixed into the sadness, which will make for quite some scenario,” she said.
The season average for matches on NBC and USA Network is 500,000 viewers, which is even with last season, and the second-most watched Premier League season in the US
Four of the exclusive Premier League matches on Peacock averaged at least 750,000 viewers, according to NBC.
Moossa said he’s been pleased with Peter Drury, who became NBC’s top announcer following the departure of Arlo White. Drury, Lee Dixon and Graeme Le Saux will call the Everton-Bournemouth match.
The Premier League and NBC will have a short offseason before the new campaign begins in August. NBC will be broadcasting the Premier League Summer Series, the first time the league is hosting a preseason tournament in the US There will be nine matches from July 22-31 carried on Peacock, with select matches on NBC and USA Network.