Latest news with #PremierLeague
The Sun
28 minutes ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Anwar trolls beloved Man United after ASEAN All-Stars stunner
PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim couldn't resist poking fun at his favourite football team after Manchester United's 1-0 defeat to the Asean All-Stars. The friendly at Bukit Jalil National Stadium saw the regional side claim a surprise victory, with Lamphun Warriors' Burmese winger Maung Maung Lwin scoring the decisive goal in the 71st minute. ALSO READ: Amorim admits guilt after United's shock defeat by ASEAN All-Stars Exploiting the offside trap, Lwin slotted a powerful shot into the top corner past Tom Heaton, stunning the Premier League giants and their supporters. Anwar, a longtime fan of the Red Devils, shared his candid reaction in a Facebook post. 'Oh dear! Manchester United have failed to win a trophy again. 'You're going to have a headache next season too. Hopefully you don't get relegated to the Championship. 'Congratulations to the ASEAN All Stars, you guys were absolutely AWESOME!' he wrote. His remarks, while humorous, echo the growing frustration among Manchester United fans globally as the club faces mounting pressure to rebuild before the new season.
The Sun
33 minutes ago
- Sport
- The Sun
‘Hope you don't get relegated' – Anwar trolls beloved Man United after ASEAN All-Stars stunner
PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim couldn't resist poking fun at his favourite football team after Manchester United's 1-0 defeat to the Asean All-Stars. The friendly at Bukit Jalil National Stadium saw the regional side claim a surprise victory, with Lamphun Warriors' Burmese winger Maung Maung Lwin scoring the decisive goal in the 71st minute. ALSO READ: Amorim admits guilt after United's shock defeat by ASEAN All-Stars Exploiting the offside trap, Lwin slotted a powerful shot into the top corner past Tom Heaton, stunning the Premier League giants and their supporters. Anwar, a longtime fan of the Red Devils, shared his candid reaction in a Facebook post. 'Oh dear! Manchester United have failed to win a trophy again. 'You're going to have a headache next season too. Hopefully you don't get relegated to the Championship. 'Congratulations to the ASEAN All Stars, you guys were absolutely AWESOME!' he wrote. His remarks, while humorous, echo the growing frustration among Manchester United fans globally as the club faces mounting pressure to rebuild before the new season.
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First Post
34 minutes ago
- Sport
- First Post
Cole Palmer fires Chelsea to Conference League trophy as London club makes unique UEFA competition record
English midfielder Cole Palmer became the source of inspiration for Chelsea as they clinched the Conference League trophy read more Chelsea are the first club to win all four major UEFA trophies. Image: Reuters Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer's quiet second half of the season produced one goal in 22 games and a handful of assists but when they needed his creativity and guile the playmaker delivered a masterful performance to help them win the Conference League. Chelsea trailed Real Betis 1-0 at halftime in the final on Wednesday having been subdued in the opening 45 minutes by the energy and pressing game of their opponents. Chelsea needed a way back and Palmer provided two perfect assists in five minutes to swing the momentum in their favour. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It was a quick-fire double blow from which Betis could not recover as Chelsea romped to a 4-1 win, becoming the first club to win all four major UEFA trophies. More from Football Palmer shines, Chelsea win Conference League The England midfielder fashioned a superb cross from the right that was perfectly placed for Enzo Fernandez to head home, before his quick feet and movement shook off a defender and created the space to cross for Nicolas Jackson to make it 2-1. 'We picked up the intensity and put in a good performance in the second half,' Palmer said. 'I was sick of getting the ball and just going backwards and sideways. 'The first one (goal) there was a bit of space and I saw Enzo running. Second one, same again. I feel like we showed good character again to make the comeback.' His contribution is certainly appreciated by teammates. 'If you saw what he did today it was crazy. Two (assists for) goals that completely changed the game. That's what he does,' Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo said. Palmer's only goal since mid-January was a late spot-kick against Liverpool, but his ability to find the right pass, or pick a moment to up the tempo, makes him a man for the big occasion. The 23-year-old is famously short on words in interviews, but certainly not on talent and influence within this young Chelsea squad. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD If they are to progress and challenge for the Premier League title, he is the player manager Enzo Maresca will build the team around. On a frenzied night in Wroclaw, when cool heads and quality were needed, Palmer showed just why. 'The bad run he had this season is going to make him a better player, no doubt. In the last third, he can decide games with a goal or an assist. And the two assists were very nice,' Maresca said.
Daily Mirror
44 minutes ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Arsenal's first summer transfer close as Sporting address Viktor Gyokeres exit
Arsenal are making strides ahead of the summer transfer window opening for business, with a deal for Martin Zubimendi close and another for Viktor Gyokeres in the pipeline Arsenal are braced for a busy time in the summer transfer window, with the Gunners determined to learn from their past mistakes. Mikel Arteta's side have finished second in the Premier League for the third straight campaign and want to reinforce their squad this summer. "Josh [Kroenke] has been very clear in the direction and ambition we have," Arteta said recently. "We're going to try and see what we can do, make very subtle decisions, and respect what has taken us this far. "There's not much improvement. We've finished second three times, reached the Champions League semi-finals. There's that little percentage we need to nail." Those tweaks will involve the signing of a top-class striker this summer, with Viktor Gyokeres the top target, while a central midfielder is also on the way, in the form of Martin Zubimendi. Read on to see the latest on these deals. Sporting issue Gyokeres statement Sporting Lisbon say they are yet to receive any official offers for Viktor Gyokeres - and insist he could still stay with them this summer. Gyokeres is one of Arsenal's top targets this summer and Mirror Football understands they are confident he will join if they fork out £60million. However, Sporting vice-president Francisco Salgado Zenha said: 'He has three more years on his contract. At the moment there are no offers, he has three more years on his contract. I think the answer has been given. [Sporting's transfer plans] won't be any different from last year. We want to keep the best players and retain talent. "We want to continue to be champions, have competitive teams and fight on all fronts. I have been in this role for seven years. In the years when Sporting were champions, we even made fewer sales than in other years... the fact that we are champions gives us a greater ability to retain players and talent. 'Coincidence or not, we have not had to sell any players in those times. Not that we have not received offers, but the market is not under our control, we are always dependent.' Zubimendi set for medical Martin Zubimendi will soon be an Arsenal player after the club reached a full agreement with Real Sociedad over his transfer. The Gunners will pay his full release clause of £51m to sign the Spain international midfielder as soon as the window opens. The 26-year-old, who snubbed Liverpool in the summer, will become Arsenal's first signing of the summer once he has completed a medical. All the relevant documents have now been completed, meaning his announcement is close. Zubimendi will bolster the midfield after Jorginho confirmed he was leaving on a free transfer for Flamengo. Henry criticises Arteta Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has criticised the club's inability to sign a striker over the past few seasons. The Gunners have finished second for the third straight Premier League season, with injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus impacting their campaign heavily. Henry said on the Overlap Stick to Football podcast: 'When you look at the injuries and you look at the players that came, OK, he brought players – he got [Raheem] Sterling when everyone wanted a nine. He had time to get a nine, he had time. 'I'm not the coach, I don't know how the discussion… everyone has been screaming for a nine – apart from when we win, by the way. When we beat Real Madrid, we didn't need a nine. No, you do need a nine.' Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The Sun
an hour ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Chelsea Win Conference League, Eye Bigger Titles Ahead
THE UEFA CONFERENCE League was not where Chelsea wanted to be, but their triumph in Wroclaw could prove to be a turning point for a club that had lost their trophy-winning habit. The Premier League team beat Real Betis 4-1 on Wednesday, recovering strongly from being outplayed in the first half by their Spanish opponents. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca's second-half substitutions lifted his team but an inspired Cole Palmer was the catalyst for victory, producing two pinpoint crosses for Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson. Jadon Sancho's fine finish made it 3-1 and Moises Caicedo added a fourth in stoppage time to give Chelsea their first silverware since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital acquired the club in May 2022 from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. During the past three years the owners have spent more than £1 billion ($1.3 billion) on promising young talent, but until now have had little to show for it. Chelsea had been clear favourites to win Europe's third-tier club competition from the start, enabling Maresca to field youth and fringe players. They rampaged through the group phase, outclassing teams with a fraction of their resources such as Noah, Astana and Shamrock Rovers. Maresca spoke on the eve of the final in Poland about how he had stressed the importance of the Conference League to his players. He will not need to persuade them next season as they are back where they feel they belong, the Champions League, following a fourth-place finish in the Premier League. 'Winning mentality' Maresca, in his first season at Stamford Bridge, said he hoped winning the Conference League would be a launchpad for bigger and better. 'Hopefully, it can be a starting point to build a winning mentality,' he said. 'You need to win games. You need to win competitions. 'And for sure, the trophy we won tonight is going to make us better. But also, I'm very proud about the path or the journey we have done in the Premier League. 'For me, it's the most difficult competition in the world. You have to be consistent in 38 games. And these players, they showed it.' Maresca had a rollercoaster first season after replacing Mauricio Pochettino. His team were within touching distance of eventual Premier League champions Liverpool in mid-December before stumbling badly. But they found an extra gear towards the end of the campaign, negotiating a tricky run-in to finish in the Champions League spots. 'For sure, we have improved a lot since we started,' said former Leicester boss Maresca. 'We also start to win games in an ugly way. 'That is something with a young squad that you struggle to do that.' The Italian has been keen to highlight the extreme youth of his expensively assembled squad. The average age of his starting side was the youngest in a single Premier League campaign. Under Abramovich, Chelsea became serial trophy winners, claiming five Premier League titles and winning the Champions League twice. It is too early to predict whether they will return to those heady heights but the Conference League is a start. Next on the agenda is a trip to the Club World Cup in the United States, for which Chelsea qualified by winning the 2021 Champions League. 'Now we have 10 days off, 10 days where we need to recover energy, and then we're going to start the Club World Cup,' said Maresca. 'The target is to go game by game, try to go step by step, but at this moment we don't have any target for the Club World Cup. 'Now the only target is to recover energy, because the season has been very long.'
