Sheffield Wednesday manager Xisco Munoz came under increased pressure after a 1-0 defeat against West Brom at The Hawthorns.
An eighth loss left the Owls with their worst ever start to a season from the first 10 games of the Sky Bet Championship season, and they are already seven points adrift of the safety line.
John Swift’s 13th-minute goal settled the match with the Owls having now gone 312 minutes without a goal, with their only points so far coming from draws against Middlesbrough and at Leeds.
But it could have been different if Juan Delgado and Tyreeq Bakinson had converted early chances for the visitors.
Not surprisingly, Munoz rang the changes – seven – from Friday night’s 3-0 home defeat to Sunderland, with a return to a 4-4-2 formation.
It mattered little as West Brom dominated the game of few opportunities as their fifth game unbeaten saw them climb to fifth.
Carlos Corberan’s side started by forcing numerous corners and crosses from which the recalled Brandon Thomas-Asante and Kyle Bartley missed the target with headed half-chances.
West Brom took the lead in the 13th minute with a goal of classic simplicity. Darnell Furlong played the ball down the right, Akin Famewo missed the chance to cut it out and Jed Wallace crossed low for Swift to sweep it high into the net from six yards.
Swift’s fifth goal of the season soon had the near 2,000 Wednesday fans calling for Munoz’s head but just after the goal, the Owls created two excellent chances.
The sliding Delgado missed Ashley Fletcher’s cross from point-blank range, then Bakinson’s curling shot heading for the top corner was clawed away by goalkeeper Alex Palmer.
Matt Phillips should have done better from Furlong’s cut-back but got caught in two minds and the opportunity was gone.
Okay Yokuslu’s low shot following a scramble then Swift’s free-kick from out wide were both tipped away by goalkeeper Devis Vasquez as West Brom pressed for a second goal.
Wednesday remained in the game and Fletcher’s angled shot was blocked by the chest of Palmer.
The second half took a while to produce a goalmouth incident, with Wednesday mopping up various Albion attacks.
Dangerman Swift went closest when his curling shot dipped just over the bar from 25 yards after he cut inside.
The Baggies dominated but were their own worst enemies as they overplayed in front of goal rather than opting to shoot.
Atalanta 2-3 Fiorentina: Scalvini injured as La Dea miss chance to finish third
Italy defender Giorgio Scalvini was forced off injured as Atalanta failed to secure a third-place finish in Serie A on Sunday, being substituted late on in a 3-2 loss to Fiorentina.
The Europa League winners faced the Europa Conference League runners-up in Bergamo one week after the rest of the league played their final games of 2023-24, with the teams unable to meet before now due to their European commitments.
A victory would have taken Gian Piero Gasperini's team – who were guaranteed a top-four finish – above Juventus into third, but Andrea Belotti put them behind within six minutes.
Ademola Lookman raced clear to equalise with a dinked finish within six further minutes, but Nicolas Gonzalez's fine volley soon re-established the Viola's lead.
Scalvini drilled in a terrific shot to pull Atalanta level again shortly after the hour mark, but his game would later end in tears as he was helped from the field with an apparent knee issue – a major concern for Italy less than two weeks out from their Euro 2024 opener.
Belotti had put Fiorentina back in the lead following a goalmouth scramble on the stroke of half-time, and Atalanta were unable to force a leveller in the second period as their fine season ended on a flat note.
Data Debrief: Thrilling end to Serie A season
Sunday's game – the final Serie A contest of 2023-24 – saw more first-half goals scored than any other match in the competition this term. Belotti got two of the five, and he now has seven goal involvements (six goals, one assist) in his last six league games against Atalanta.
The result is just a minor inconvenience for La Dea, though. They have finished in Serie A's top four for just the fifth time in their history, previously doing so in 2016-17 (fourth), 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 (all third).
Courtois not getting late Euro 2024 call-up, Belgium's technical director reveals
Thibaut Courtois will not be receiving a late call-up for Euro 2024, but it is down to the Belgian FA to address any off-field issues with the goalkeeper, technical director Franck Vercauteren has revealed.
The Real Madrid stopper was omitted from the Red Devils' 25-man squad for the forthcoming European Championship, despite returning from an anterior cruciate ligament injury and helping Los Blancos to a 15th Champions League title.
Courtois, who kept a clean sheet as Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley, became embroiled in a public spat with Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco last June, walking out on the squad when he was not named captain in the wake of Eden Hazard's retirement.
Koen Casteels, Thomas Kaminski and Matz Sels were named as Tedesco's three goalkeepers for the tournament in Germany, where the Red Devils will play in Group E alongside Romania, Ukraine and Slovakia.
And technical director Vercauteren confirmed there would be no U-turn on Courtois' omission, but admitted he may still have a future with the national team.
"Unfortunately, we’ll play the European Championship without him," he said. "So, now we no longer have to focus on that. It is the job of the federation to smooth out the wrinkles. That is absolutely a must.
"We never doubted his qualities or that he would not be fit. So, we must stop the matter now. Signals have been given that we must respect.
"At some point, you have to invest to solve it. That is certainly the intention. It's partly my job to make that happen. We know what we have to do."
Courtois' father Thierry, who was at Wembley to watch his son claim a second Champions League winner's medal, added: "Hopefully, the problem can be sorted out."
Chiellini backing Spalletti to deliver 'magical' Italy moments ahead of Euro 2024
Giorgio Chiellini believes head coach Luciano Spalletti can deliver "magical Italian nights", ahead of the Azzurri's title defence at Euro 2024.
Spalletti's Italy will head to Germany as the reigning champions, after beating England on penalties at Wembley in the delayed Euro 2020 final three years ago.
Chiellini captained the Azzurri to their second European crown - adding to their 1968 triumph - with Roberto Mancini's side also defeating the likes of Belgium and Spain on the way to glory.
Three years on, the former defender believes the four-time World Cup winners will be "outsiders" at the tournament, where they will play Spain, Croatia and Albania in Group B.
However, he thinks that may play into Italy's hands should they progress into the latter stages.
"I'm very happy with Spalletti and for Spalletti," Chiellini told Corriere dello Sport. "I have the utmost respect for him, and I'm convinced that if there is someone who can make us relive the magical Italian nights, it's him.
"The favourites are others. The pressure is on France, England, Portugal, Germany, Spain, not on us.
"This group only has to gain from this European Championship. Italy are outsiders. Facing us in knockout matches is never easy."
A nine-time Scudetto winner with Juventus, Chiellini also had his say on former Bianconeri boss Antonio Conte, who is heavily linked with a return to management at Napoli - 15 months after his last spell in the dugout at Tottenham.
"I can see him doing well," the 39-year-old said. "I believe he rested and needed it after some personal issues that affected him. I haven't seen him recently, but I felt he was ready. Napoli is a club that gives you a lot, that energises you a lot."
Inter retained the Scudetto in 2023-24 - finishing a whopping 19 points clear of second-place Milan - and Chiellini believes the Nerazzurri will be the team to beat once more next term.
Asked if he was surprised by the dominance of Simone Inzaghi's side, he replied: "No way. I already said it last July, then also in December.
"They told me I was being superstitious, that I didn’t want to mention Juventus, but for me, the difference was obvious, and so it was. The only doubt is the new ownership, but from what I read, it seems to me that everything is under control.
"If they maintain the structure, with controlled management and targeted investments, Inter are too far ahead of the others. If all the players remain, as it seems, Inzaghi’s team will start as favourites next year, too."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
