Sports

Tottenham Fight Back To Hold Man City In Six-goal Thriller

Published

2 years ago

December 3, 2023

Manchester City were stunned by a depleted Tottenham as Dejan Kulusevski’s 90th minute equaliser earned Spurs a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Etihad on Sunday.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou insisted he would not relent from his philosophy of relentless attacking football despite facing the might of City with a mounting injury crisis and earned his reward.

Spurs captain Son Heung-min scored at both ends inside the opening 10 minutes.

Phil Foden put City in front before half-time, but Giovani Lo Celso levelled 20 minutes from time.

Jack Grealish restored the home side’s lead once more, only for Kulusevski’s header to ensure City have now dropped points in five of their last eight league games.

The English and European champions drop to third in the table, three points behind leaders Arsenal.

A point lifts Tottenham into fifth and snaps a run of three consecutive defeats.

The visitors’ daring approach was met with an early reward.

Son raced onto Kulusevski’s ball over the top and Ederson failed to prevent the South Korean scoring his eighth goal against City.

The lead only lasted three minutes as Son cancelled out his opener at the wrong end.

Julian Alvarez’s free-kick was flicked on by Erling Haaland and deflected off the unfortunate Son into his own net.

Spurs started for the second consecutive game without a recognised centre-back and they never looked capable of restricting City going forward.

Haaland missed what should have been a simple tap when he skewed wide after Tottenham coughed up possession inside their own box.

City should have had the game out of sight before half-time.

Jeremy Doku smashed off the inside of the post before Alvarez also hit the woodwork from outside the box.

Haaland’s off day in front of goal went on as he blazed well over with another clear opening.

Yet, City did produce a move of clinical precision to go in front on 31 minutes.

Doku fed Alvarez inside the box and the Argentine squared for Foden to slot home.

Guglielmo Vicario was forced to make a stunning save from Bernardo Silva seconds into the second period to keep Tottenham in the game.

But City were then guilty of resting on their laurels and allowing Spurs’ makeshift defence some respite.

Lo Celso has been handed a rare run in the starting line-up by an injury to James Maddison and fired in off the post for his second goal in as many games.

Tottenham’s determination to play out from the back looked to have cost them 10 minutes from time.

Rodri robbed Yves Bissouma and played in Haaland, who crossed for Grealish to tap home.

But the drama was far from over.

Kulusevski timed his run perfectly to head in Brennan Johnson’s cross.

And City were incensed in stoppage time when referee Simon Hooper inexplicably stopped the game to award the home side a free-kick when Grealish was clean through on goal.

City’s punishment did not end there as yellow cards for Rodri and Grealish mean they will be suspended on Wednesday for a trip to an Aston Villa side that have won 13 consecutive home Premier League games.

Sports

Manchester United Confirm Carrick As Permanent Head Coach

Published

3 days ago

May 15, 2026

Editor

Manchester United on Friday confirmed the appointment of Michael Carrick as the club’s permanent head coach, ending months of speculation over the managerial position at Old Trafford.

The 44-year-old former midfielder, who had been serving in an interim capacity since January, signed a multi-year contract reportedly running for two years with an option for a further 12 months.

Carrick took charge following the departure of Ruben Amorim earlier this year and has overseen a strong revival in the club’s fortunes.

Under his leadership, United have won 10 of their last 15 matches in all competitions, secured qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League and climbed to third place in the Premier League.

The club’s chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox reportedly recommended Carrick for the role, with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe approving the appointment after talks progressed this week.

Carrick enjoyed a successful playing career at United, making 463 appearances and winning several major honours, including the Champions League and multiple Premier League titles.

Fernandes enters history book after Man Utd’s 1-0 win against Chelsea

After retiring from football, he managed Middlesbrough before returning to United’s coaching staff.

Club captain Bruno Fernandes is among senior players understood to have backed Carrick’s appointment, while assistants including Jonathan Woodgate are expected to remain part of the coaching setup.

The decision marks another managerial change for Manchester United since the retirement of legendary former manager Alex Ferguson in 2013.

Carrick said he was “honoured and excited” to take charge permanently.

“This club means everything to me. We have momentum now, and I can’t wait to build on it with the players and staff,” he said.

United face Nottingham Forest on Sunday as preparations continue for next season.

Sports

CAF Introduces New Laws After Chaotic AFCON Final In Morocco

Published

4 days ago

May 14, 2026

Editor

President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, has revealed that the continental football body introduced new laws and regulations following the controversial conclusion of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco.

The final, played on January 18, descended into chaos after Senegal’s national team walked off the pitch in protest when Morocco were awarded a penalty following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review in stoppage time with the match still goalless.

Senegal were initially crowned champions before the result was later overturned, with the match declared forfeited in favour of hosts Morocco. The delayed ruling sparked widespread criticism, with many questioning why the decision was not taken immediately during the game.

Speaking to BBC Sport Africa on Wednesday, Motsepe admitted that shortcomings in officiating and match management contributed to the controversy.

“We’ve done good work in terms of building the confidence and the trust amongst the football community of our referees and of our VAR,” Motsepe said.

“But there are still these challenges and we’ve recognized what the deficiencies were that led to the unfortunate incidents we had in Morocco.”

According to the CAF president, new regulations have now been implemented to prevent a repeat of such incidents in future continental competitions.

Motsepe stated that the measures introduced “will ensure that doesn’t happen again.”

He further disclosed that visits to both Senegal and Morocco formed part of CAF’s efforts to rebuild trust and confidence following the disputed final.

“We are waiting for the judgement of the Court of Arbitration for Sport and African football is continuing to grow and develop,” he said.

“Whatever decision comes, we will respect and implement.”

Motsepe also defended CAF’s decision to appoint Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala to officiate a major continental club final despite the controversy surrounding his handling of the AFCON final.

“After the final in Morocco, the chairman of the referees committee came to the executive committee, and they gave a thorough report of his performance and assessed how he refereed the match in accordance with global best refereeing practices,” Motsepe added.

Sports

FULL LIST: Top 10 Goalkeepers With The Most Clean Sheets In Europe’s Top Five Leagues

Published

4 days ago

May 14, 2026

Editor

A new statistical ranking across Europe’s top five leagues has revealed the goalkeepers with the most clean sheets in the 2025-26 season, with David Raya leading the standings.

This article covers performances across the Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A and Bundesliga. Goalkeepers tied on the same number of clean sheets are ranked by goals conceded.

Here are top 10 goalkeepers with the most clean sheets in Europe’s top five leagues

1. David Raya – 18 clean sheets

The Arsenal shot-stopper has played a crucial role in the club’s defensive solidity this season, producing several important saves as he edges closer to the Premier League Golden Glove award.

2. Jean Butez – 18 clean sheets

The Como goalkeeper has matched Raya’s tally and has been central to the Italian side’s impressive defensive organisation under Cesc Fàbregas.

3. Mile Svilar – 16 clean sheets

Roma’s goalkeeper has continued his rise with a string of consistent performances as the club battles for European qualification.

4. Yann Sommer – 15 clean sheets

The experienced Swiss international has delivered key performances for Inter during their successful Serie A title campaign.

5. Joan García – 15 clean sheets

Barcelona’s new first-choice goalkeeper has impressed since taking over from Marc-André ter Stegen between the sticks.

6. Gianluigi Donnarumma – 15 clean sheets

The Italian international has continued to show his quality with several commanding performances throughout the campaign.

7. Mike Maignan – 14 clean sheets

AC Milan’s French goalkeeper remains one of Europe’s most dependable shot-stoppers, maintaining his strong form in Serie A.

8. Michele Di Gregorio – 14 clean sheets

The Juventus goalkeeper has been a reliable figure for the Turin side, helping maintain defensive consistency throughout the season.

9. Gregor Kobel – 14 clean sheets

The Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper leads Bundesliga representation on the list and continues to strengthen his reputation as one of Europe’s elite keepers.

10. Berke Özer – 13 clean sheets

The Lille goalkeeper rounds off the top 10 after an impressive campaign in Ligue 1, contributing significantly to the club’s defensive record.

With the season still ongoing, the race for the highest number of clean sheets remains open, although Raya currently leads the standings.