EPL

Debutant George Earthy taken to hospital after West Ham’s loss to Fulham

By Sports Desk April 14, 2024

West Ham teenager George Earthy was taken to hospital after suffering a horror head injury just two minutes into his Premier League debut.

The 19-year-old had just come on as a substitute when he collided with team-mate Edson Alvarez in the middle of the field.

Earthy fell to the ground awkwardly and appeared to have been knocked out cold, sparking worrying scenes as medics and team-mates rushed to help the stricken youngster.

After receiving treatment for eight minutes, Earthy was carried off on a stretcher. He was conscious when he was taken out of the London Stadium in an ambulance around 20 minutes after full-time.

The Hammers said: “West Ham United can confirm George Earthy will undergo an assessment in a London hospital this evening following the incident which saw him stretchered off during today’s Premier League fixture against Fulham.

“The midfielder – who entered the field as a second half substitute to make his Premier League debut against the Cottagers – was taken off in stoppage time.”

Manager David Moyes said: “I am really disappointed for George. He has been doing really well in training, done really well for the Under-21s.

“He started well with the ball, had some really nice touches. He is fine. It is a head knock. He is awake and has gone to hospital, we think he is OK at the moment. We all thought he had been knocked out but I don’t know any more.”

The incident overshadowed a 2-0 victory for Fulham courtesy of two goals from Andreas Pereira.

It was a second blow to West Ham’s European hopes in the space of four days, following Thursday night’s 2-0 Europa League first-leg defeat at Bayer Leverkusen, as a win would have lifted them to sixth.

“I thought we started well and should have been one or two goals up before they scored,” added Moyes.

“We were caught out by a long ball, we didn’t deal with it well. And we missed some opportunities to score as well. I think we dominated possession, kept the ball and passed it quite well. But we got done on the counter-attack.

“I’m gutted, today was a great chance to go sixth with five games to go, what a great position to be in.”

For Fulham it was a first win in four matches, and a first at West Ham since 2001.

Boss Marco Silva said: “Great win for us, well played from ourselves and to be honest we deserved the three points.

“West Ham had a good chance to score but after that, we scored the first goal and started to control the game. Overall we scored twice but created more chances to score as well.

“I think we were solid, compact and kept our concentration. We should have scored more goals to be even more comfortable.”

Related items

  • Mount Pleasant consolidate JPL lead with 4-1 win over Humble Lion Mount Pleasant consolidate JPL lead with 4-1 win over Humble Lion

    Mount Pleasant Football Academy maintained their lead atop the Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) standings with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Humble Lion FC at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Monday night.

    A dominant performance saw late substitute Nicholas Nelson bag a quickfire brace in the 84th and 86th minutes to put the game beyond reach, following first-half goals from Daniel Green (36th) and league-leading scorer Kimoni Bailey (44th).

    Afiba Chambers (50th) netted a consolation for Humble Lion.

    With the win, Mount Pleasant moved to 28 points as they continued their strong push for the title. Humble Lion (10 points), meanwhile, will need to regroup as they look to climb from 12th position.

    Mount Pleasant’s Head coach, Theodore Whitmore, praised his team’s overall display but also highlighted the need for continued focus.

    “I am very pleased with the performance. I think the only disappointing factor was how we conceded the goal because we warned the players about complacency and conceding early, but overall it was a good performance,” Whitmore said.

    Mount Pleasant began the game with attacking intent and quickly asserted control as Raheem Edwards went close with a thunderous volley from the edge of the box that signalled Mount Pleasant's ambitions.

    Captain Daniel Green had multiple opportunities to put his team ahead but squandered two headers and also fired over the crossbar from close range. However, the persistent attacker finally found the breakthrough when he expertly redirected Gadial Irving’s cross into the net.

    Bailey doubled the advantage just before halftime, as he headed home a well-delivered free kick at the back post to notch his eighth goal of the season.

    Humble Lion showed resilience on the resumption and pulled one back five minutes in through Chambers, who rose above defenders to head home from a corner.

    That goal injected energy into the Clarendon-based team, and they pressed for an equalizer with renewed urgency but found Mount Pleasant giving very little away.

    With the game seemingly in the balance, Nelson delivered a masterclass in finishing. In the 84th minute, he broke away from the defence and fired a precise left-footed shot past Peter Harrison in goal for Humble Lion.

    He struck again a mere two minutes later, as he drifted inside from the right to slot home Mount Pleasant’s fourth and put the result beyond doubt.

    Humble Lion’s assistant coach Rudolph Stennett acknowledged the superiority of Mount Pleasant but found positives in his team's fight.

    “The first half for 29 minutes was back and forth tactically, but things fell apart after we conceded the first goal. In the second half, we showed more fight and tenacity, and this is how we want to play for full games. If we maintain that intensity, I think we will see more success,” he stated.

  • Gravenberch credits Slot for 'confidence' after Liverpool renaissance Gravenberch credits Slot for 'confidence' after Liverpool renaissance

    Ryan Gravenberch has credited his stellar start to the campaign to new Liverpool manager Arne Slot giving him the confidence that he needed. 

    Gravenberch has become a first-team regular under Slot, making 19 appearances in all competitions as the Reds sit top of the Premier League and Champions League tables. 

    Under former boss Jurgen Klopp, the Dutchman was often deployed in several positions, but he has since flourished in the defensive midfield role under Slot. 

    In the Premier League this term, Gravenberch has won more duels (77) than any of his team-mates, while also making the joint-most interceptions (28 - level with Virgil van Dijk). 

    Additionally, his 15 tackles made in the top-flight is a total only bettered by Alexis Mac Allister (27) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (28) for Liverpool. 

    The Dutchman said that his newfound confidence in the role is thanks to his compatriot and new coach, telling TNT Sports: "Now I play a lot of games as a starter, so it’s a little bit different.

    "The coach gave me confidence when I needed it, and I'm happy that I can show myself again. Just the run of games, you really need it to be honest. 

    "Sometimes it's really hard. For example, if you're on the bench and the next game you play good, the next game you're on the bench, then you come in for 10 minutes, then the 10 minutes are not really going how you want it.

    "Then the next game you’re on the bench again, so that’s difficult. So yeah, just the run of games - that gives you the confidence if you’re doing good on the pitch.

    "I'm happy that I'm playing. To be on the pitch again for 90 minutes and I can show off myself."

    Up next for Liverpool is LaLiga outfit Girona, who find themselves 30th in the 36-team table after winning just one of their five games in their first season in the competition. 

    The Reds, however, are the only team with a 100% record in the Champions League this term, winning all five of their games so far. 

    Slot’s run is already the longest by a manager from the start of a spell with an English club in the competition (five), but Gravenberch is wary of the threat Michel's side pose.

    "Of course, you want to win every game, so for us our aim is to win every group game and then we will see further. If we win every game, that would mean a lot to us," he said. 

    "They have a good team, they really like to play out from the back, and they have really good players, so we have to be prepared for that," Gravenberch said. 

    "I think we are, and we have to show tomorrow that we can fight them. 

    "We know what we ask from each other, all the energy in pressing and in the build-up, deep runs and everything. We want to show that we can work harder than the opponent.

    "We are in a good position, but it's still really early, so we have to [approach it] game-by-game, and we will see at the end of the season."

    Gravenberch's impressive rise has also seen him compared to former Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos. 

    Kroos won 22 major honours during his time in the Spanish capital, including five Champions League triumphs, two of which came against Liverpool. 

    "Yeah! It’s nice to hear that, of course, because Toni Kroos is a legend of the game. He did a lot of good things, so it’s nice to hear," Gravenberch concluded. 

  • Romero urges Spurs chief Levy to realise 'something is going wrong' Romero urges Spurs chief Levy to realise 'something is going wrong'

    Cristian Romero has warned Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy that the club are slipping behind their Premier League rivals due to a lack of investment.

    Ange Postecoglou's side find themselves 11th in the Premier League after losing 4-3 to London rivals Chelsea on Sunday, despite leading by two goals. 

    It was the 11th time that Spurs have lost a top-flight game after having been 2+ goals ahead – at least four more such defeats than any other side in the competition’s history.

    But matters were made worse when Romero, who was playing for the first time after missing four games with a toe injury, limped off after 15 minutes with another issue. 

    It has been reported that the Argentine could miss up to six weeks of action, only adding to Spurs' recent injury woes. 

    Micky van de Ven and Brennan Johnson were also withdrawn against Chelsea with similar problems, leaving Romero citing a lack of investment when asked about Spurs' squad depth.

    In an interview with Telemundo Deportes, Romero said: "The truth is, I would say no comment, but...

    "Manchester City competes every year, you see how Liverpool strengthens its squad, Chelsea strengthens their squad, doesn't do well, strengthens again, and now they're seeing results. 

    "Those are the things to imitate. You have to realise that something is going wrong. Hopefully, they realise it."

    Spurs are also without Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Ben Davies, Mikey Moore and Guglielmo Vicario through injury, while Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended. 

    Postecoglou delved into the transfer market ahead of the season, however, welcoming four new faces to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

    Lucas Bergvall, Odobert, Archie Gray and Dominic Solanke all joined the club ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, but have yet to hit the ground running in north London. 

    Since Postecoglou's arrival in July 2023, Spurs have spent around £350million but have failed to push for trophies, winning the League Cup in 2008 since Levy became a member of the board in 2000. 

    Romero backed his manager to succeed at the club, with the Australian the fifth boss, including caretakers, that the defender has played under since his move from Atalanta in 2021.

    "The last few years, it’s always the same: first, the players, then the coaching staff changes, and it's always the same people responsible," Romero continued. 

    "Hopefully, they realise who the true responsible ones are, and we will move forward because it’s a beautiful club that, with the structure it has, could easily be competing for the title every year."

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.