Yannick Carrasco scored twice, including a stoppage-time penalty, as Atletico Madrid boosted their hopes of Champions League qualification with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Espanyol on Sunday.
Diego Simeone's side succumbed 1-0 to Real Mallorca last weekend and were eliminated in Europe by Manchester City on Wednesday, before struggling again at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Atletico had to wait until the 52nd minute for substitute Carrasco to strike with their first shot on target, before Raul de Tomas levelled with a free-kick following Geoffrey Kondogbia's dismissal.
However, a late handball decision against De Tomas offered Atletico a penalty, which Carrasco converted in the 10th added minute to send Simeone's side level on points, at least briefly, with Sevilla and Barcelona, and three clear of fifth-placed Real Betis.
Atletico had defeated Espanyol in seven of their last nine home league games, but it was Vicente Moreno's visitors who started the brighter.
Leandro Cabrera's header from Darder's corner forced a sharp Jan Oblak stop just seven minutes in, while Joao Felix skewed over on the counter-attack at the other end.
Simeone responded by sending on Antoine Griezmann, Matheus Cunha and Carrasco at half-time and Atletico's fortunes soon changed.
Oblak reacted quickly to deny Darder and that save proved vital a minute later when Cunha and Carrasco combined on a clinical break.
Cunha raced towards the Espanyol goal before laying an inch-perfect pass for Carrasco to cut in and squeeze a right-footed strike under Diego Lopez to open the scoring.
Oblak then thwarted a low De Tomas volley but, after Kondogbia was shown a second yellow for handball, the Espanyol striker's resulting free-kick squirmed under the Atletico goalkeeper.
Carrasco snatched victory after De Tomas was adjudged to have handled an Atleti corner, allowing the home forward to fire into the bottom-left corner from 12 yards.
Bayern Munich offer positive Kane injury update
Bayern Munich offered a positive update on Harry Kane's status after the striker sustained an ankle injury against Bayer Leverkusen.
The England captain, who did not register a single shot during Saturday's 1-1 draw despite Bayern dominating, was injured in a collision late on at the Allianz Arena, where Aleksandar Pavlovic cancelled out Robert Andrich's earlier effort.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany was hopeful Kane would be fit to feature against Aston Villa in the Champions League on Wednesday.
On Sunday, Bayern released a statement confirming tests run on Kane had revealed no significant damage, and that the 31-year-old would "continue to receive appropriate treatment", though they did not confirm whether the forward will be fit to face Villa.
Kane suffered the knock due to a robust challenge from Amine Adli.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Kane said: "Sometimes there have been red cards for something like that.
"I'm OK, but it's a bit sore. I think it's OK. It doesn't feel too bad at the moment. We'll assess that in the next few days, but I don't think I'll be out for long."
Villa will certainly be hoping Kane is absent as they prepare to host a European giant.
Kane has been directly involved in seven goals in six career appearances against them at Villa Park, scoring five goals and providing two assists.
Indeed, he has also scored the game-winning goal at Villa Park on two previous occasions, netting a 90th-minute winner in November 2014 (2-1) and both goals in a 2-0 victory there in March 2016 – both during his time at Tottenham.
Arteta shows Guardiola the love as Arsenal-Man City rivalry sparks
Mikel Arteta is "so grateful" to Pep Guardiola, though the Arsenal manager claimed it is out of his hands if somebody else wishes to damage his relationship with Manchester City's boss.
Tempers flared in the 2-2 draw between the Premier League title rivals at the Etihad Stadium last week.
Ahead of this weekend's fixtures, Guardiola said City would go to "war" with Arsenal, who joined the reigning champions on 14 points after Saturday's games.
While City drew 1-1 at Newcastle United, Arsenal clinched a 4-2 victory over Leicester City thanks to two stoppage-time goals.
After that match, though, Arteta was still asked about Guardiola.
"I've admired him since I was 10 years old," Arteta said on Saturday.
"I respect him profoundly. I'm so grateful for everything he did for me and continues to do for me.
"If someone wants to damage the relationship, that's not in my hands.
"The feeling [of affection] is profound. [Guardiola] knows it, the staff know it because I still [speak] with them today, and with the board, the ownership – with everyone."
Arteta was a coach at City between 2016 and 2019, until he left to replace Unai Emery in charge of the Gunners.
Jamaican referees set to resume duties following weekend strike in DaCosta and Manning Cup competitions
Jamaican referees are set to return to duty on Monday, September 30, following a weekend strike that caused the cancellation of all matches in the DaCosta Cup and Manning Cup competitions. The referees had taken strike action in response to concerns over safety and security after a series of troubling incidents involving match officials.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) expressed disappointment that an agreement could not be reached in time to allow the weekend’s games to proceed. However, the organization is optimistic about a swift resolution and resumption of matches.
“We are disappointed that a conciliatory position could not have been arrived at, that would allow today’s games to be played, but look forward to a quick and smooth resumption on Monday, September 30, 2024,” ISSA said.
The strike was prompted by two recent incidents in the DaCosta Cup. In one incident, during a match between Dinthill Technical and McGrath High last Saturday, referee officials were confronted by Dinthill players Maalick Whyte, Shamair Hutchinson, and Tyrese Gowe after the match. This confrontation escalated, with one of the players allegedly physically assaulting the referee.
As a result, ISSA’s disciplinary committee took swift action. On Thursday, it announced that Whyte and Hutchinson would be banned from participating in any ISSA-run competitions for one year, effective September 26, 2024, while Gowe was handed a three-match suspension. Additionally, Dinthill Technical was placed on a three-year probation and faces the threat of suspension if its players violate the disciplinary code during the probationary period.
The second incident occurred during a Zone A DaCosta Cup game between Maldon High and Cornwall College on September 14, when assistant referee Richard Ball was allegedly struck in the chest by a missile thrown from a group of spectators.
The Jamaica Football Referees Association (JFRA) raised concerns over the general safety and security of match officials and called for stricter penalties for those who verbally or physically assault referees. ISSA has since committed to reviewing its operations and addressing these concerns.
“The concerns raised by the JFRA are related to the general safety and security of match officials at our games as well as the stipulated penalties for persons who verbally or physically abuse match officials,” ISSA noted. “ISSA has committed to reviewing its general operations, and in particular, the specific areas of concerns raised, with the intention of ensuring that we continue to provide a safe and wholesome environment for all persons participating in our various competitions.”
With referees set to return, ISSA will continue working to ensure that referees, players, and spectators are all protected moving forward, as the competitions resume.
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