“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don’t like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.” – Bill Shankly
Chelsea have now gone on a 3-game winning streak after a decisive win at the Kings Power Stadium.
The Blues were firing from all cylinders from the first kick of the game. A brilliant strike from Ben Chilwell gave Chelsea the lead. Daka equalised but Havertz put the Blues back in the lead on the stroke of halftime. Captain Kovacic guaranteed all 3 points with a wonderful strike in the 77th minute.
🔴 Live Blog
Goal! Leicester 1-3 Chelsea
Mateo Kovacic extends the lead for the blues via an assist by Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Second half
We are back for the second 45 minutes for what is a closely contested game between Leicester City and Chelsea.
A brilliant scoop pass from Enzo Fernandez to Kai Havertz who cooly dinks Danny Ward
Goal! Leicester 1-1 Chelsea
Patson Daka scores a stunner from outside the box to equalise for the Foxes
Goal! Leicester 0-1 Chelsea
Kalidou Koulibaly crosses the ball to Ben Chilwell who volleys it past Danny Ward
Starting XI
No James as expected for Chelsea, so it’s Loftus-Cheek getting the nod at right wing-back. Otherwise largely as expected, though Mudryk’s inclusion is a slight surprise in the absence of Sterling.
The big-money January signing starts over Ziyech and Pulisic.
Leicester match up Chelsea’s back-three system, with Amartey alongside Faes and Souttar. Daka comes into the side, while Iheanacho keeps his place despite his poor form.
Manchester United took a giant step into reaching the quarter-finals of the 2022/2023 UEFA Europa League, following a commanding 4-1 victory over Spanish La Liga outfit Real Betis in their round-of-16 first-leg tie at Old Trafford.
Wout Weghorst had the ball in the net early in the fifth minute which was chalked off but the Red Devils didn’t have to wait for long to get the opener as Marcus Rashford beat his marker to fire home in the sixth minute.
Former Newcastle United and Leicester City forward Ayoze Perez levelled proceedings in what was his first goal against Manchester United in 14 fixtures against them. It was also his first goal since joining the Spanish outfit. The first half went into the break with the scores level.
The Red Devils took the second half by storm as Brazilian attacker Antony and Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes both struck within six minutes (52nd and 58th) to give the hosts some breathing space, before Dutchman Wout Weghorst grabbed the fourth to put the icing on the cake for Erik ten Hag’s side.
On paper, the return leg at the Estadio Benito Vilamarin in Spain next week appears to be all but a formality, though it will take a mammoth effort from Betis to claw their way into the tie and possibly the last-eight.
🔴 Live Blog:
FULL-TIME AT OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United 4-1 Real Betis
GOOOAAALLL!!! Manchester United 4-1 Real Betis (W. Weghorst)
58′ MIN: Luke Shaw launched the corner kick and superbly found the head of Bruno Fernandes, whose accurate effort from near the penalty spot went straight into the left side of the goal.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Manchester United 3-1 Real Betis (B. Fernandes)
52′ MIN: Antony scores an absolute screamer from outside the penalty area, with the ball flying into the top left corner!
GOOOAAALLL!!! Manchester United 2-1 Real Betis (Antony)
SECOND HALF UNDERWAY AT OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United 1-1 Real Betis
HALF-TIME AT OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United 1-1 Real Betis
33′ MIN: Here comes the VAR decision. The goal is given and Betis players have a reason to celebrate!
33′ MIN: The Betis players halt their celebrations as referee Daniel Siebert makes the VAR signal to review the goal, most likely to ascertain if there was a handball in the build-up play.
32′ MIN: Juanmi tees up Ayoze Perez (Betis) on the edge of the box and he fires the ball into the bottom left corner.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Manchester United 1-1 Real Betis (A. Perez)
6′ MIN: Marcus Rashford was in the right place at the right time to get to the rebound inside the box and gleefully rifles the ball into the top right corner.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Manchester United 1-0 Real Betis (M. Rashford)
KICK-OFF AT OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United 0-0 Real Betis
Sporting Lisbon put up a spirited effort to hold Arsenal to a 2-2 draw in this UEFA Europa League (UEL) Round of 16 first-leg encounter at the Estádio José Alvalade, with the visitors still unbeaten in five H2Hs against the Portuguese giants, thanks to Hidemasa Morita’s unfortunate own goal in the second half.
Perhaps inspired by their nail-biting stoppage time victory against Bournemouth, Premier League leaders Arsenal exerted early pressure in a bid to extend their four-match win streak. The Lisbon natives carefully assessed the visitors’ moves in the opening minutes, but eventually gave way to the opener midway through the half, after William Saliba out jumped the home defense following a corner in the six-yard box to bury the ball in the left corner.
Mikel Arteta’s side seemed complacent after drawing first blood, as the Leões roared back with successive chances, before thrilling their nervous fans with a carbon copy of Arsenal’s opener. Gonçalo Inácio spotted a pinpoint corner delivery, and he rose high to swiftly guide the ball past a helpless Matt Turner to level terms. The USMNT keeper was then forced into a fantastic save from a long-range effort, but Arsenal finished the first half looking the stronger side.
Having scored nine of their 13 most recent goals in the second half. Arsenal were expected to continue in that same vein, but some intricate Sporting teamplay in the opposition box left Paulinho with an easy tap-in to give his side the lead. Sporting’s Hidemasa Morita was then thrown into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, receiving a caution for a foul that will see him miss the return leg in London next Thursday.
But the Japanese midfielder’s evening was to get even worse just a handful of minutes later, when an unlucky deflection saw him net an own goal. At 2-2, the game was now either side’s to snatch, but neither proved capable of taking the initiative or completing the necessary runs. That said, there were penalty appeals from Arsenal on the cusp of 90 minutes after Fabio Vieira went down inside the box under pressure from a green and white shirt, but Tobias Stieler waved play on.
Being the only English side to have beaten Sporting in Lisbon since 2018, Arsenal will rue not having taken their earlier chances, despite extending their unbeaten record against Portuguese opposition in the UEL to seven games. And having progressed from each of their previous six ties against English sides in the UEFA Cup or UEL knockout stages, Rúben Amorim’s outfit will hope to carry this evening’s momentum into the return leg next week.
🔴 Live Blog:
FULL-TIME AT THE ESTADIO JOSE ALVALADE: Sporting CP 2-2 Arsenal
64′ MIN: Here comes the VAR decision. The goal is given and Arsenal players have a reason to celebrate!
63′ MIN: The Arsenal players halt their celebrations as referee Tobias Stieler makes the VAR signal to review the goal, most likely to ascertain if there was a foul in the build-up play.
62′ MIN: Hidemasa Morita scores an unlucky own goal! He deflects a shot into his own net.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Sporting CP 2-1 Arsenal
SECOND HALF UNDERWAY AT THE ESTADIO JOSE ALVALADE: Sporting CP 1-1 Arsenal
HALF-TIME AT THE ESTADIO JOSE ALVALADE: Sporting CP 1-1 Arsenal
34′ MIN: Marcus Edwards takes over corner duties. Goncalo Inacio gets his head on the ball from the corner and puts it into the bottom left corner.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Sporting CP 1-1 Arsenal (G. Inacio)
22′ MIN: William Saliba outjumps the defence inside the six-yard box to meet the corner and scores with a great header into the left side of the goal. The keeper had no chance to react.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Sporting CP 0-1 Arsenal (W. Saliba)
KICK-OFF AT THE ESTADIO JOSE ALVALADE: Sporting CP 0-0 Arsenal
The hosts are in fine form, with their recent 1-0 win at Portimonense stretching their unbeaten competitive run to five matches (W4, D1), though they remain 15 points behind the title pace in Portugal. However, they have already beaten a North London PL side in the shape of Tottenham Hotspurs this season (2-0) on Matchday Two of the UEFA Champions League, and they have only tasted defeat in one of their three home UEL games against English opposition (W2).
Ironically, that sole defeat came against the Gunners back in 2018 (1-0). The Gunners look like a much tougher opponent this time round too, with Sporting manager Rúben Amorim even labelling them “out of this world” in the build-up. He did, however, claim his side still have a chance, but they’ll need to improve on five defeats from their last nine European home games (W3, D1) in order to give themselves the best chance of progression.
As for Arsenal, they left it until stoppage time on Saturday to seal a remarkable comeback from 2-0 down to beat Bournemouth 3-2 to keep their five-point lead at the top of the PL. That victory extended their winning run to four, with nine of their 12 goals during that period coming in the second half. That highlights that the London club have been struggling to get going from the outset in recent matches, something manager Mikel Arteta hinted could be down to physical issues as he revealed he intends to “pick the players (for this game) that are in the best possible condition”.
This fixture will see full-back Héctor Bellerín face his former club. The Spaniard previously made 239 senior appearances for Arsenal and will be looking to help his new team get one over his old employers.
Bayern Munich secured their spot in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League after a hard-fought victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie. The Bavarians came into the match with a narrow 1-0 lead from the first leg in Paris, and they knew that they had to be at their best to see off the threat of the star-studded PSG side.
As the game wore on, Bayern began to take control, and they eventually broke the deadlock in the 61st minute. Marco Verratti made a costly mistake, losing the ball on the edge of his own box, and Bayern pounced on the opportunity. Leon Goretzka showed great composure to square the ball to Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who had a simple tap-in to give the Bavarians a crucial 2-0 aggregate lead.
Bayern made it 2-0 in the 89th minute via a counter attack that ended with Gnabry putting the ball at the back of the net. The final whistle blew, and Bayern celebrated a hard-fought victory that saw them eliminate two of the world’s best players, Mbappe and Messi.
It was a disappointing night for PSG, who failed to live up to their billing as one of the favourites to win the competition. For Bayern, however, it was a job well done, as they advanced to the quarterfinals .
🔴 Live Blog
Goal! Bayern Munich 2-0 PSG
Verratti loses it deep in the Bayern half, and the hosts are straight on the counter. Cancelo drives forward, too quick for Zaire-Emery, slides the pass through to Gnabry and he seals the victory.
Goal! Bayern Munich 1-0 PSG
Verratti has had an absolute nightmare. Edge of his own box, caught on the ball and Bayern are in. Goretzka so calm, squares it for Choupo-Moting and he has a tap-in.
Second half
We are back for a decisive second 45!
Half-time
Goalless after 45 minutes of the second leg. That suits Bayern. PSG have been the better side and had the better chances, but nothing to show for it. Mbappe and Messi not quite as involved as the visitors would like.
It’s still right in the balance though.
Kick Off!
And s it begins!
Starting XI
Joao Cancelo has to settle for a place on the bench tonight, even with Benjamin Pavard being out suspended.
The full-back joined Bayern in January on loan from Manchester City having struggled for minutes under Pep Guardiola since the World Cup, so swapping one bench for another certainly wasn’t the plan.
West London giants Chelsea progressed into the quarter-finals of the 2022/2023 UEFA Champions League, following a 2-0 win (2-1 on aggregate) over German Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund in their round-of-16 second-leg clash at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
The visitors dominated the tie by way of enjoying the large share of the possession, but it was Chelsea who got the all-important goal through Raheem Sterling, as the game was levelled on aggregate heading into the interval.
The second half began with a bit of drama as Marius Wolf handled the ball in the box. The center referee Danny Makkelie had initially waved off protests by the Chelsea players but he eventually halted play and subsequently went to consult with the side-pitch monitor.
The penalty was awarded and German international Kai Havertz missed from twelve yards. Fortunately for the under-fire forward, the referee signalled for the spot-kick to be retaken after encroachment in the area and this time, Havertz tucked the ball away to put the Blues in front of the tie on aggregate for the first time.
The scoreline stayed the same despite the Blues fluffing a few decent opportunities, with the Blues advancing to the last-eight of the competition.
🔴 Live Blog:
FULL-TIME AT STAMFORD BRIDGE: Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (Agg. 2-1)
53′ MIN: Kai Havertz sends the keeper the wrong way and scores into the bottom right corner.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (Agg. 2-1, K. Havertz)
52′ MIN: Chelsea will get another bite of the cherry, as the referee indicates the penalty must be taken again!
51′ MIN: Kai Havertz fails to score from the penalty as his shot hits the right post.
PENALTY MISSED!!!
49′ MIN: Referee Danny Makkelie awards a PENALTY after the VAR review!
PENALTY!!! To Chelsea
47′ MIN: There’s a break in play and referee Danny Makkelie must have got a signal in his ear as he indicates he will check that earlier penalty claim by Chelsea using VAR. This could be interesting!
46′ MIN: Marius Wolf appears to handle the ball in the box, but the referee wasn’t in the best position. Let’s see what he decides.
SECOND HALF UNDERWAY AT STAMFORD BRIDGE: Chelsea 1-0 Borussia Dortmund (Agg. 1-1)
HALF-TIME AT STAMFORD BRIDGE: Chelsea 1-0 Borussia Dortmund (Agg. 1-1)
43′ MIN: After receiving a sweet pass, Raheem Sterling unleashes a shot straight into the roof of the net. Good team effort!
GOOOAAALLL!!! Chelsea 1-0 Borussia Dortmund (Agg. 1-1, R. Sterling)
KICK-OFF AT STAMFORD BRIDGE: Chelsea 0-0 Borussia Dortmund (Agg. 0-1)
It seems that the Brazilian forward’s season is over, as he could be out of action for up to four months due to an ankle injury. Neymar was carried off during a match against Lille on February 19, and although the club initially reported no fracture, it was announced on Tuesday that he requires surgery to repair ligament damage.
This setback marks the fourth time in four years that Neymar has suffered an ankle injury, and he has only managed to make over 20 league appearances in a single season once since 2017. With 18 goals and 14 assists in all competitions this campaign, Neymar was enjoying one of his best seasons at PSG, but the injury could mean that he has played his final game for the club.
PSG released a statement announcing the injury and confirming that surgery will be performed in Doha, with a 3-4 month recovery period expected. With Neymar’s contract set to expire in 2025, a summer transfer may be on the cards if PSG wish to cash in on the player.
Merseyside outfit Liverpool showed the entire opposition in the top-flight on why they remain a force to be reckoned with, after they annihilated visiting Manchester United 7-0 in their Premier League Matchday 26 encounter at Anfield on Sunday night.
The first half saw the Red Devils spurn a few goalscoring opportunities particularly from Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes but the tie turned on its head as January signing Cody Gakpo poked home to open the scoring for the Reds.
If the first half was anything to go by, the second period turned out to be something out of the ordinary. Darwin Nunez found the back of the net twice, same as Mo Salah while Cody Gakpo completed his brace to put the scoreline beyond doubt.
There was even space for one more additional goal as Roberto Firmino struck in the 89th minute in what proved to be a record victory for Liverpool over Manchester United in the English top-flight.
Victory sees Liverpool close the gap between themselves and the Champions League places to three points, while Egyptian forward Mo Salah is the club’s all-time Premier League goalscorer and fourth in the club’s history.
🔴 Live Blog:
FULL-TIME AT ANFIELD: Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United
89′ MIN: It gets even better for Liverpool! Roberto Firmino slides a finish in from close range for the Reds’ seventh.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United (R. Firmino)
83′ MIN: Mo Salah pounces from close range to make it six, and becomes Liverpool’s all-time leading PL goalscorer in the process.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Liverpool 6-0 Manchester United (M. Salah)
75′ MIN: Liverpool are in dream land! Darwin Nunez doubles his tally by leaping high and glancing a header into the far corner.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Liverpool 5-0 Manchester United (D. Nunez)
66′ MIN: Mohamed Salah, take a bow! The ball drops to the Egyptian on the edge of the penalty area, and Salah lashes it in off the crossbar.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Liverpool 4-0 Manchester United (M. Salah)
51′ MIN: A stunning third for Liverpool! Mohamed Salah turns Lisandro Martinez inside out, plays in Cody Gakpo, and the Dutchman dinks over David De Gea.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Liverpool 3-0 Manchester United (C. Gakpo)
47′ MIN: Liverpool double their lead minutes after the restart! It’s Darwin Nunez this time, heading home Harvey Elliott’s cross.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United (D. Nunez)
SECOND HALF UNDERWAY AT ANFIELD: Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United
HALF-TIME AT ANFIELD: Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United
43′ MIN: Cody Gakpo cuts inside from the left and whips a fine finish into the far corner to leave David De Gea rooted to the spot.
GOOOAAALLL!!! Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United (C. Gakpo)
KICK-OFF AT ANFIELD: Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
Liverpool’s recent upturn in fortunes have revived their hopes of finishing in the Champions League places. The Reds are on a four-game unbeaten streak in the top-flight (W3, D1), keeping a clean sheet in all four of those outings are coming into this tie having seen off Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 at Anfield last time out to move up to sixth position on the log.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have been resolute in defence of late, restricting their rivals to only a single goal and going unbeaten in the last seven home H2Hs (W4, D3).
As for United, they have scored in 28 consecutive matches, including each of their last 15 in the PL which serves as the longest current scoring run in the league. With that type of offensive output, it’s little surprise that no PL side has earned more points than the Red Devils’ 23 (W7, D2, L1) since the World Cup, and they’ve not only taken a stranglehold on third-place, but also secured the Carabao Cup crown last weekend.
Already in possession of the most PL doubles over Liverpool, a win here for Erik ten Hag’s troops would see United extend that record to nine after their 2-1 victory in August. Their defensive discipline could be the ultimate decider of that though, and that’s not something United have showcased too often given 20 of their 28 PL goals conceded this campaign have come on the road.
Mohamed Salah’s ten goals vs United is the most by any Liverpool player, largely thanks to scoring a mammoth nine goals across his last five H2H outings.
Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford has been in the form of his life lately, scoring ten goals in his last ten league matches, and another here would see him join club elites Ruud van Nistelrooy, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only United players to score in six successive PL matches.
Also, there has been goals scored in both halves in nine of the last eleven head-to-head matches.
It was a dramatic and thrilling encounter at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal came from two goals down to secure a 3-2 victory over Bournemouth.
The visitors stunned the Gunners right from the kickoff, as Philip Billing scored a sensational goal just 13 seconds into the game. Bournemouth continued to press and were rewarded in the 57th minute, as Marcos Senesi doubled their lead.
Arsenal were in desperate need of a response, and it came through Thomas Partey, who scored a stunning goal in the 62nd minute. The goal gave Arsenal a lifeline, and they continued to push forward in search of an equalizer.
Their efforts were finally rewarded in the 70th minute when Ben White slotted in. The Emirates Stadium erupted as Arsenal completed their comeback, and the game was now evenly poised with both teams looking for a winner.
As the clock ticked down, Arsenal pushed forward with renewed vigour, and in the seventh minute of added time, Reiss Nelson scored a dramatic late winner to secure the victory for the Gunners.
Overall, it was a thrilling game of football, with both teams giving their all. In the end, it was Arsenal who emerged victorious, thanks to a late winner from Reiss Nelson.
Chelsea secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Leeds United in a closely contested Premier League encounter at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Wesley Fofana proved to be the match-winner for the Blues, scoring his first Premier League goal for the club since his transfer from Leicester City.
After a goalless first half, Chelsea broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute through Fofana’s fine header. The defender connected brilliantly with a Ben Chilwell cross to beat Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier and send the home fans into raptures.
Leeds fought hard for an equalizer, but Chelsea’s defense stood firm to keep them at bay. The victory will come as a huge relief to Chelsea manager Graham Potter, who had seen his side go winless in their previous five Premier League games. The last time they won in the league was back on 15th January, against Crystal Palace.
Chelsea will now shift their focus to the UEFA Champions League, where they face a crucial second leg tie against Borussia Dortmund. The Germans currently hold a one-goal advantage over the Blues, and Chelsea will need to be at their best if they are to overturn the deficit and progress to the next round.
Overall, it was a hard-fought and well-deserved victory for Chelsea, who will look to build on this performance in the coming weeks.
🔴 Live Blog
Goal! Chelsea 1-0 Leeds
Wesley Fofana scores his first Premier League goal for Chelsea
Second half!
A make or mar second 45 for the Blues. Time is really running out for the Graham Potter led management and a win just before their game against Dortmund would boost the team morale.
Half-time
Another disappointing half of football for the Blues.
In a dominant display at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City secured a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday evening. The home side were in control for the majority of the game, and it was Phil Foden who opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a delightful goal.
City started brightly and were rewarded for their early dominance when Foden put them ahead. The 20-year-old received a stunning diagonal pass from Rodri and showed off his impressive footwork by beating four Newcastle players in the box before scoring. Sven Botman’s attempted block only deflected the ball into the net, leaving goalkeeper Nick Pope stranded at the near post.
The goal only seemed to strengthen City’s grip on the game as they continued to dominate possession and create chances.
City finally sealed the victory in the 67th minute when Bernardo Silva, who had just come on as a substitute for Kevin De Bruyne, fired home from close range after a clever pass from Haaland.
The win means City have now cut Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League table to just two points, Guardiola will be pleased with his side’s performance and will hope they can maintain their momentum as they look to mount a serious title challenge in the coming weeks.
As for Newcastle, they will need to regroup quickly ahead of their next game as they continue to battle for survival at the bottom of the table.
🔴 Live Blog
Goal! Manchester City 2-0 Newcastle
Off the bench and on the scoresheet, Bernardo Silva doubles the lead for Manchester City!
Foden’s superb 13th goal of the season has City ahead at the break and on track to cut Arsenal’s title lead back down to two points – if only for a few hours.
Goal! Manchester City 1-0 Newcastle United
Lovely goal from the in-form England midfielder to break the deadlock! He maintains his width as Rodri plays a raking diagonal pass, before turning on the jets and leaving Burn in his wake.
It’s wonderful feet and balance from Foden, who beats about four players inside the box before his finish deflects off Sven Botman and beyond Pope at the near post. City ahead after just 15 minutes at the Etihad. Four goals in three games for Foden now and 13 for the season. A man in fine form.
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