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Tag: EPL

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A kick-off to history: English Premier League gets its first Indian-origin referee

When Sunny Singh Gill blows the whistle at London’s Selhurst Park Stadium on Saturday, he will become the first person of South Asian origin to referee a match in the English Premier League. And in doing so, the 39-year-old will be carrying forward the family legacy.Sunny’s appointment to officiate the match between Crystal Palace and Luton Town was announced Tuesday by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), which appoints referees for Premier League games. While the game itself might not be a marquee clash for a majority of football followers beyond those of the two clubs, for the Gills, from Iver near London, it’ll be a moment for generations. Sunny is the elder of the two sons of Jarnail Singh Gill, 62, who remains the only referee to have worn a turban in the English...
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Explained: Why it was a dry January transfer window in the Premier League as spending fell by nearly 90%

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was distraught at not being able to sign a striker in the January transfer window this year. “I wanted a striker, and because of the injury to (Anthony) Martial, we don’t really have the back-up. It was not possible because we have to meet the FFP rules,” he said.It’s been a while since the Premier League managers have had to worry about Financial Fair Play rules as witnessed by their spending in the last three record-breaking winter windows. Even last year, the EPL clubs had spent £815m. This year, it has seen a mighty fall with the 20 top-flight clubs spending just £100m, which is £715m less than last year according to a report by Deloitte, with Tottenham’s signing of Radu Dragusin from Genoa for £25m the highest spent this time around. So, was t...
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Jim Ratcliffe acquires 25% stake, becomes minority shareholder of Manchester United

Ineos Chief Executive Jim Ratcliffe on Sunday became a minority shareholder in Manchester United, buying a 25% stake at a price of $33 per share, the club said. “Manchester United plc (NYSE: MANU) announced today that it has entered into an agreement under which Chairman of INEOS, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, will acquire 25 per cent of Manchester United’s Class B shares and up to 25 per cent of Manchester United’s Class A shares and provide an additional $300 million intended to enable future investment into Old Trafford. As part of the transaction, INEOS has accepted a request by the Board to be delegated responsibility for the management of the Club’s football operations. This will include all aspects of the men’s and women’s football operations and Academies, alongside two seats on the Manch...
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Why Erik Ten Hag went for Andre Onana by discarding David De Gea

Carles Busquets, father of Sergio, spent most of his Barcelona days as an understudy to the imposing Andoni Zubizarreta. But one day, in 1993, Johan Cruyff, the visionary-manager, would put Busquets in the team-sheet ahead of Zubizarreta. To the shocked assistants, the Dutchman would patiently explain: “Andoni is an exceptional goalkeeper, but not good with his feet, Carles might not be as good as him with his hands, but with the feet he clearly is. And that’s the future of goalkeeping.” Busquets, who spent his early days at the La Masia academy dreaming to be a striker, would use his feet so much that he was mocked as the “goalkeeper without hands.” But Cruyff, a deep thinker of the game, was envisioning the future, how the role of the goalkeeper would evolve after the back-pass rule w...
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Arsenal vs Manchester City: A season-defining game awaits

The last time Arsenal secured full three points against Manchester City, in the Premier League, the days before the Christmas of 2015, Arsene Wenger was in charge. His side were in hunt for the title, but eventually finished 10 points behind fairytale artistes Leicester City. Pep Guardiola had not yet made up his mind to descend next season at the Etihad. The game extended City’s abysmal record at the Emirates to one win in 19 bouts. Wenger, in a profusion of optimism, said this “victory could fuel the title charge.” Seven years and 15 meetings later, Arsenal are yet to taste a victory in the league against a club that is vaulting into the hall-of-famer territory, if they already have not. Until last year, when Arsenal demonstrated their title-contending prowess until crash-burning towa...
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Manchester Utd’s injured Aaron Wan-Bissaka out for ‘several weeks’

Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka is set to be out for some time after sustaining an injury during their 3-1 loss at home to Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend, the Premier League club said on Monday. The issue is still being assessed but the right back has been ruled out for “several weeks”, United added.Most Read 1 Ridhi Dogra says it’s ‘unfortunate to play’ Shah Rukh Khan’s mother in Jawan: ‘He told me many times…’ 2 ‘Selling a false dream’: Indian students abroad open up about mental health issues See More According to a report in The Athletic, the England international, who came on in the 85th minute on Saturday, will be out of action for two months due to a hamstring injury. Wan-Bissaka...
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Premier League: Leandro Trossard goal seals Arsenal win at Everton, Chelsea held to goalless draw against Bournemouth

Arsenal claimed their first Premier League win at Everton for six years as Leandro Trossard’s second-half strike proved enough to secure the points at Goodison Park on Sunday. Everton, still without a win this season, had managed to frustrate the visitors who had a Gabriel Martinelli goal ruled out for offside via VAR in the first period. But the Londoners were eventually rewarded for their domination as Trossard’s shot cannoned in off the post after a clever build-up in the 69th minute. Unbeaten Arsenal joined Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool on 13 points from five games, two points behind leaders Manchester City who have a 100% record. A third successive 1-0 home defeat left Everton third from bottom with one point. Chelsea held to scoreless draw by battling Bournemouth Chelsea’s much...
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Richarlison to seek psychological help on return to England

Tottenham Hotspur’s misfiring forward Richarlison said he will seek psychological help on his return to England after shedding tears when he was substituted during Brazil’s 5-1 thrashing of Bolivia last Friday. The 26-year-old Brazilian was photographed crying on the bench after being taken off 71 minutes into the 2026 World Cup qualifier in Belem. The striker, who has scored only four goals in 40 games for his Premier League side, told Brazilian newspaper O Globo that he had been through a “turbulent time off the pitch” over the last five months but the storm had passed. “Now things are right at home. People who only had an eye on my money have walked away from me,” he explained. “Now things will start to flow and I’m sure I’ll have a good run at Tottenham and make things happen again...
Sports

Liverpool’s Konate, Thiago out for Villa match – Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate and Thiago will miss this weekend’s Premier League game at home to Aston Villa due to injuries, manager Juergen Klopp said, while giving little away on the club’s possible transfer activity on Friday’s deadline day. France centre back Konate is battling a muscle issue and missed last weekend’s comeback win over Newcastle United, while Brazil midfielder Thiago underwent hip surgery before the start of the season and has suffered a setback in his recovery. Liverpool will also be without captain Virgil Van Dijk for Villa’s visit to Anfield on Sunday after the centre back was sent off for a foul on Newcastle’s Alexander Isak. “Ibou (Konate) will not be ready for the game,” Klopp said. “Curtis (Jones) is back in training fully. Thiago started training with the tea...
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James Ward-Prowse has 2 assists as 10-man West Ham beat Chelsea 3-1 in Premier League

James Ward-Prowse had two assists on his West Ham debut to help his new team beat Chelsea 3-1 in the Premier League on Sunday despite playing with 10 men for 30 minutes, leaving Mauricio Pochettino still looking for a first win as Blues manager. Ward-Prowse set up the first two West Ham goals to upstage Moises Caicedo, who gave away a clumsy penalty for the third goal in injury time after coming on as a second-half substitute for his first Chelsea appearance since his record-breaking $146 million move from Brighton. Ward-Prowse, who joined from relegated Southampton this week, delivered a perfect corner that was headed in by Nayef Aguerd to give West Ham the lead in the seventh minute. Carney Chukwuemeka equalized for Chelsea in the 28th and Enzo Fernandez — who cost Chelsea about $130...
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Tottenham beat Manchester United 2-0 to give Ange Postecoglou a winning home debut

Perhaps Tottenham will be just fine without Harry Kane. Pape Matar Sarr scored early in the second half and Lisandro Martinez added an own goal to give Tottenham a 2-0 win over Manchester United in the English Premier League on Saturday. It was just the kind of result manager Ange Postecoglou needed in his first home game to build a sense of belief as the club — and the fan base — move on from the departure of Kane to Bayern Munich. After a lively first half, Sarr put Spurs ahead in the 49th minute after Dejan Kulusevski made a good run down the right and broke into the area. The Swede’s low cross was deflected into the path of Sarr, who slotted it into the roof of the net from close range. The game had been wide open in the first half and the goal turned up the tempo even more, with ch...
Sports

Manchester United must improve away form against big clubs, says Ten Hag

Manchester United must show more personality to improve their away record against top sides in the Premier League, manager Erik ten Hag said ahead of Saturday’s game at Tottenham Hotspur. Last season United lost on their travels to Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion and suffered a 7-0 thrashing at Liverpool. “This is one of the aims we have for this season, that we have to step up in away games to get more points. So, it’s often to do with personality,” Ten Hag, whose side began the season with a 1-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, told reporters on Friday. “So yeah, that’s the demand from me on the players and that we have to show more personality on the pitch to win such games.” Ten Hag insists they have not been distracted by off-field e...
Sports

Far from the madding crowd, a humble club living on a fairytale

Far from the hustle and bustle of the typical big city crowd, lies the quaint neighbourhood of Luton, whose football team’s fairytale journey from non-league football to the bright lights of the Premier League has become the stuff of modern-day legend. At the centre of it lies their iconic Kenilworth Road Stadium, a structure that has piqued the interests of the EPL supporters from all around the globe. The stadium, which is situated bang in the middle of a residential area, is sandwiched between rows of houses with the staircase leading to its away end, the Oak Road Stand, literally hanging over the back gardens of some of its residential complexes. Some residents near the stadium told Sky Sports news that while they were fans of the electric atmosphere on match-days, they sometimes ha...
Sports

Impossible for Man City to recreate ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ treble win, says Guardiola

Manchester City will not be able to scale the dizzying heights of last season’s treble-winning campaign, manager Pep Guardiola said on Thursday ahead of their Premier League opener against Burnley. Guardiola’s side have won five of the last six Premier League titles and last season also won the FA Cup and expanded their domestic dominance to the continent as they lifted the Champions League for the first time. Despite City undoubtedly being favourites in every competition they will feature in this season, Guardiola was rather guarded about the team’s prospects. “It will not be possible to do what we did last season, it is once in a lifetime,” Guardiola told reporters ahead of Friday’s trip to Turf Moor. “We climbed the highest mountain last season, but in the last two days we came down ...
Sports

Man United renews Adidas partnership by 10 years

Manchester United announced a 10-year extension to its partnership with Adidas that the English club said Monday will be worth more than $1 billion. United’s deal with the German sportswear brand as its official uniform supplier runs to 2035 and “has aminimum cash guarantee of 900 million pounds (USD 1.15 billion), subject to certain adjustments,” the team said, making it the most lucrative in Premier League history. “It is very natural for us to continue our cooperation,” Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said. “We will combine tradition and innovation to please both the players and the fans.” “We look forward to continuing our partnership with one of the most iconic clubs in football.” The deal for the club’s single biggest source of revenue provides stability at a time when it is up for sale, ...
Sports

Rashford extends Manchester United deal until 2028

England forward Marcus Rashford has extended his contract with Manchester United until June 2028, the Premier League club said on Tuesday. Rashford, whose previous deal was set to expire in 2024, has made nearly 360 appearances for United since making his debut in 2016. He has scored 123 goals in all competitions, 30 of them in the 2022-23 campaign, helping the club to a third-placed finish. “I joined Manchester United as a seven-year-old boy with a dream. That same passion, pride, and determination to succeed still drives me every time I have the honour of wearing the shirt,” the 25-year-old told the club website. “I’ve already had some amazing experiences at this incredible club, but there is still a lot more to achieve and I remain relentlessly determined to win more trophies in the ...
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Harry Maguire stripped of Manchester United captaincy by Erik ten Hag | Football News – Times of India

LONDON: Harry Maguire on Sunday made an announcement stating that he will no longer serve as the captain of Manchester United. This decision came after discussions between Maguire and manager Erik ten Hag. Previous reports had indicated that Ten Hag intended to strip Maguire of the captaincy due to his limited appearances under the Dutch boss in the previous season. With only eight Premier League starts, there were speculations about Maguire's future with the club. "He outlined his reasons to me and whilst I'm personally extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt."The 30-year-old added: "So I wanted to say a massive thank you to the Manchester United fans for all their brilliant support whilst I've been wearing the armband."Since the day I took on...
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Harry Maguire stripped of Manchester United captaincy

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been stripped of the team captaincy by manager Erik ten Hag, the 30-year-old said on Sunday. Maguire was named captain by former coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer six months after his arrival at United in 2019, but made only 16 league appearances last season with midfielder Bruno Fernandes wearing the armband in his absence. “After discussions with the manager today he has informed me he is changing captain,” the England international wrote on Twitter. After discussions with the manager today he has informed me he is changing captain. He outlined his reasons to me and whilst I’m personally extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt. So I wanted to say a massive thank you to the… pic.twitter.com/TAOS0eisF1 — ...
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Arsenal sign midfielder Declan Rice from West Ham | Football News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Premier League club Arsenal have signed Declan Rice on a long-term contract from West Ham United, the Gunners said on Saturday.Financial details of the transfer were not disclosed but British media reported that the fee for the midfielder was 105 million pounds ($137.45 million), making it a record transfer between two British clubs."He is a player with tremendous ability, who has been performing at a high level in the Premier League and for England for a number of seasons now," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said in a statement."Declan is bringing undoubted quality to the club and he is an exceptional talent who has the potential to be very successful here."The 24-year-old's transfer fee surpasses the 100 million pounds Manchester City paid Aston Villa for England midfielder J...
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Dominik Szoboszlai joins Liverpool in 70-million-euro deal – Times of India

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool confirmed the signing of Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig on Sunday after paying the Hungarian's 70-million-euro (£60 million, $76 million) release clause.The 22-year-old will further bolster the Reds midfield options after the arrival of Argentine World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister last month."The last three or four days went really long; it was not that easy. But at the end I'm here, I'm happy and I can't wait to get started," Szoboszlai told Liverpool's website."A really historic club, really good players, good coach, everything is good. For me it was perfect to make the next step in a club like this. The fans, the stadium, everything is really good."Liverpool were in the market to refresh their midfield after a fifth-place finish in the Premier League last s...