Aston Villa have announced that Christian Purslow is to step down from his role as chief executive after five years at the club.
Purslow joined Villa in September 2018, shortly after owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris took over at Villa Park with the club in the Championship.
Villa are now established back in the Premier League and qualified for the Europa Conference League next season.
In a statement on the club’s website, Purslow said: “It has been a total privilege to lead Villa for the last five years.
“I am proud that I leave the club in a much better position on and off the pitch than when I arrived.
“We are re-established in the Premier League, we now have a very competitive professional women’s team, we have outstanding academies for boys and girls, we have created a world-class training ground and secured planning permission for an expansion and modernisation of our wonderful stadium.
“Thank you to everyone at Villa and our supporters who have made my time here so enjoyable.”
Edens and Sawiris added: “We would like to thank Christian for his outstanding leadership of the club over the last five seasons.
“He has overseen a transformation of the club both on and off the pitch and delivered the ambitious turnaround plan he presented to us when he arrived in 2018. We are grateful for all he has done.”
Manchester City reached the pinnacle of the European game with victory in the Champions League final on Saturday, which also saw them complete the treble.
Here, the PA news agency looks at what could come next for the club.
Could this be the first of many European triumphs for City?
The club will certainly hope so. While winning the Champions League may have been a long-held ambition and the culmination of everything hitherto done in a now 15-year project under Abu Dhabi ownership, it was not a one-off target. The club have advanced considerably on and off the field and they intend to establish themselves firmly among the continent’s heavyweights. Winning every season is obviously not realistic but they want reaching the latter stages each time to become the norm.
Will Pep Guardiola carry on at the helm?
The inspirational Catalan has been the central factor in City’s success. The club identified Guardiola as the man to bring them European glory long before they even appointed him and their set-up is tailored to him. Their trust in him has paid off handsomely and they will naturally want him to stay as long as possible. There is uncertainty as Guardiola has never favoured long-term commitments. All his contract renewals at City have been relatively short. After winning the Champions League there is a feeling he could see his business as done when his current deal expires in 2025. On the other hand, he does seem firmly wedded to the City project and spoke on Saturday of not wanting the club to win one Champions League “and disappear”. City fans can expect at least a couple more campaigns from him.
Will he need to reshape the team?
With the way City have charged through the closing stages of the season to sweep up three trophies, there would seem little reason to make major changes. A specialist left-back would be desirable after Joao Cancelo left on loan in January and seems likely to move on, but that position has been a recurring problem throughout Guardiola’s tenure and has hardly hindered them. Some new signings may be necessary if the influential pair of Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva leave. Gundogan is out of contract this summer and yet to commit while Silva is apparently open to a new challenge and could go if a suitable offer arrived. City are hopeful both will stay, however. Other than that, there seem no pressing issues.
Can they maintain their standards?
It would surely be impossible for City to remain at the same level they have been this season. Last year Liverpool produced a very high standard and came within a whisker of winning the quadruple but, after their exertions took their toll, fell away this term. City will be anxious to ensure any downturn is not as dramatic. Five Premier League titles in six years, however, suggests Guardiola has a good idea how to prevent this.
There is an elephant in the room though isn’t there?
Yes. The Premier League’s Financial Fair Play investigation into City may be out of sight at times but it has not gone away. City are facing more than 100 charges for alleged rule breaches. This could loom over them for some considerable time but, with little clarity over the process or the nature of the charges, it will be business as usual in the meantime.
What the papers say
Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha could move to French giants Paris St Germain on a free transfer this summer, the Sun reports. The 30-year-old scored seven goals in 27 games for Crystal Palace in all competitions last season and is reportedly attracting interest from the Ligue 1 champions.
After securing the signature of Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool are looking to add more strength to their midfield with the club linked with Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, the Mirror said. The 28-year-old is in high-demand across the Premier League after Southampton’s relegation to the Championship.
Chelsea are weighing up a deal with Champions League runners up Inter Milan, according to the Sun. The Blues are reportedly offering the Italian club Romelu Lukaku, who is currently there on loan, and Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly as they look to sign Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
James Maddison: Newcastle United are said to be narrowly in front of Tottenham in the battle to secure the 26-year-old Leicester midfielder, valued at £40million, Sky Sports report.
David Raya: Brentford’s Spanish goalkeeper is weighing up offers from Tottenham and Manchester United, with Spurs reportedly close to agreeing personal terms with the 27-year-old, according to Goal.com.
Gareth Southgate believes England can benefit from Manchester City’s Champions League success after they beat Inter Milan in Saturday’s final.
Southgate has included five members of Pep Guardiola’s side in his squad for this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia, with John Stones, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips all due to join up with the squad after enjoying their celebrations.
With City’s success coming after Declan Rice lifted the Europa Conference League with West Ham earlier in the week, Southgate said it can be good for the national team.
“It’s absolutely brilliant for all our guys who have been involved,” Southgate said in a video on England’s social media.
“To start with Declan, his first experience of lifting a trophy so… fabulous for him. You can see the emotion having been at the club for so long and what it meant to him.
“Then the boys at Manchester City have had a phenomenal season, an absolutely incredible season, and of course that’s been the Holy Grail for them to get this final trophy that they hadn’t won up until now.
“I’m delighted for all of them. It’s great to see them enjoying themselves and also it’s brilliant for us as a group.
“We’ve got so many experiences now of individual players winning big trophies, and that’s so important for our development as a team. It’s fantastic on all counts.”
Frank Lampard announced that he would leave Chelsea after 13 years at the club on this day in 2014.
Speculation had been rife over the England international’s future, with his contract running down in west London, and the former West Ham midfielder confirmed in a statement that he had played his last game for the Blues.
Lampard joined Chelsea in 2001 after six seasons at Upton Park and went on to make 648 appearances and become the club’s all-time top goalscorer with 211 in all competitions.
During his time at Stamford Bridge, Lampard won the Champions League, the Europa League, three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups.
“When I arrived at this fantastic club 13 years ago I would never have believed that I would be fortunate enough to play so many games and enjoy sharing in so much success,” Lampard said.
“This club has become part of my life and I have so many people to thank for the opportunity. Firstly, Ken Bates, who put his neck on the line to sign me as a young player and without him I would not have even begun this experience.
“Roman Abramovich, the man who saved our club and took us all to new levels. His desire to push the club to the top of the football world has rubbed off on everyone.
“All the managers and coaches who have helped me develop my game during the time I have been here. I have learnt from every one of them.
“All the brilliant team-mates who I have been lucky enough to train and play alongside for so long. Not just their football qualities but also the friendships I have gained along the way.
“The club will move forward, and as a Chelsea man I have no doubt that with the quality of the players that are there, they will continue with the success that we have all enjoyed over the past seasons.”
Lampard spent the following season with Manchester City and then one campaign with New York City before announcing his retirement as a player.
He subsequently managed Derby, Chelsea and Everton before a second spell at Stamford Bridge on a caretaker basis in 2023.
Youri Tielemans has announced that he is leaving Leicester.
The 26-year-old joined the Foxes from Monaco on loan in 2019 before signing a permanent deal on a four-year contract.
Tielemans is out of contract this summer and his departure comes after Leicester were relegated from the Premier League on the final day of the season on Sunday.
Their relegation came just seven years after being crowned Premier League champions and two seasons since winning the FA Cup against Chelsea, where Tielemans scored a stunning goal to seal victory.
View this post on Instagram
“Dear Leicester fans, after four and a half special years and with a lot of gratitude I’m bidding farewell to this incredible club,” the Belgium international said in a video on Instagram.
“From the first day I set foot on this ground, your warmth and passion embraced me.
“Victory and triumph, love, hope and even defeat, we’ve shared many special moments together.
“I am forever grateful for your unwavering support, thank you to Khun Top, the board, the staff, the players and fans for having given me and my family a home.
“This is not a goodbye, but a heartfelt farewell. With pride, love and eternal gratitude, Youri Tielemans.”
What the papers say
Leicester’s James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, who have both been valued at around £40million, could stay in the Premier League while Leicester move down to the Championship.
Tottenham and Newcastle are both reportedly interested in the pair with a bidding battle to ensue over their signatures, The Sun says.
Tottenham’s have another competitor in the fight to sign former Barcelona and Spain manager Luis Enrique as Serie A Champions Napoli are interested in the 53-year-old, according to the Guardian.
The Daily Mail said Juventus were looking the most likely to sign Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic for a reported estimated transfer fee of around £20m.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Manu Kone: Liverpool are interested in the 22-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder – who is valued at around £34m – German media outlet BILD said.
Wilfried Gnonto: Italian media outlet Calciomercato said the 19-year-old Italy forward is being looked at by Premier League rivals Manchester City and Arsenal after Leeds’ relegation was confirmed.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank values goalkeeper David Raya at £40million.
Tottenham and Manchester United have been heavily linked with Spaniard Raya, who has a year left on his Bees contract having turned down a new one.
The 27-year-old kept his 12th clean sheet of the season in the 1-0 win against Manchester City on Sunday but Frank admits his future probably lies elsewhere.
“I think we only have one player for sale,” said Frank. “That’s the one that’s been talked about a lot, David. He costs £40million, I think I said.”
Frank himself is on the radar of bigger clubs having guided Brentford to a ninth-placed finish in their second season in the Premier League.
Other players, such as full-backs Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey, will also attract interest this summer.
But Frank added: “We are a selling club. I don’t think that’s a secret. But they need to be crazy high amounts for the players for anyone to leave.
“I’m pretty sure that everyone, including myself, is very happy here at Brentford.”
Ethan Pinnock’s 85th-minute goal saw the Bees became the only club to do the double over City this season.
The champions have bigger fish to fry, however, as they chase an historic treble with the FA Cup final against Manchester United to come next weekend, followed by the Champions League showpiece with Inter Milan on June 10.
Pep Guardiola left the likes of Erling Haaland, John Stones and Ilkay Gundogan on the bench and used the occasion to give 19-year-old Shea Charles his debut as a substitute.
“Shea Charles, against this team with top, top strikers, fast and strong, it’s not the easiest debut,” said the City boss.
“At the same time we didn’t play for points. We know him, he trains quite regularly with us. He’s so good, so composed.
“When you can make your debut, after joining the club aged nine, is the biggest compliment for all the managers he had and the trainers and those that take care of him. I’m pretty sure it was a big moment for him.”
Jeff Stelling revealed singer Sir Elton John was among his well-wishers this week as the presenter signed off from the “best job that anybody could possibly have wished for” at Soccer Saturday.
Stelling announced last month his intention to stand down as anchor of the Sky Sports programme after almost 30 years and earmarked the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday as his last show.
In the days leading up to his swansong, Stelling divulged he had messages of support from the likes of Gordon Strachan and Neil Warnock, plus a phone call from John, former chairman and director of Watford.
Stelling, an unapologetic Hartlepool fan who frequently celebrated their goals on Soccer Saturday, said: “Somebody asked me the other day if I’d ever been starstruck and yeah, I was starstruck when Elton John rang me at home to say ‘Thank you very much for all you’ve done’.
“He said ‘Every week I watch the show and every week you tell me Watford are losing and every week you tell me Hartlepool are losing so I feel like we’re kindred spirits’. There’s something in that, isn’t there?”
After touching tributes from colleagues past and present in a video montage, Stelling was given a standing ovation by the punditry panel of Paul Merson, Clinton Morrison, Kris Boyd and Michael Dawson.
Stelling, who had planned to quit last year before reversing that decision, briefly hid his emotions with a mask of himself and quipped: “This is tricky because I’ve changed my mind – just kidding.
“I haven’t changed my mind this time.”
Stelling was clearly moved by the highlights package Sky televised in the final minutes of the show after Everton retained their top-flight status and confirmed the relegations of Leeds and Leicester.
Merson, Alan Mullery, Frank McLintock, Clive Allen, Charlie Nicholas, Phil Thompson and Matt Le Tissier passed on their congratulations, as did Chris Kamara, who in a nod to the catchphrase that has become synonymous with the pair and the show, said: “You are unbelievable, Jeff!”
Stelling looked back fondly on his 30-plus years with Sky, in which he not only covered football but live snooker, darts, greyhound racing, pool and thanked everyone with whom he had worked.
In his farewell monologue, he added: “It’s been the best job that anybody could possibly have wished for. My wife takes great pleasure in saying ‘You are the luckiest man ever to take a breath’ and you know what? I don’t tell her this often but she’s right.
“The principle success of Soccer Saturday is you lot at home, who have given us unswerving support – both for the programme and for me personally.
“So that’s it. Soccer Saturday will be back next season. I’ll be watching – when Hartlepool are not playing. From me, goodbye.”
Jeff Stelling signed off from the “best job that anybody could possibly have wished for” as the presenter bade farewell after almost 30 years of fronting Soccer Saturday.
The 68-year-old announced last month his intention to stand down as anchor of the Sky Sports programme and earmarked the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday afternoon as his last show.
After touching tributes from colleagues past and present, Stelling was given a lengthy standing ovation by the punditry panel of Paul Merson, Clinton Morrison, Kris Boyd and Michael Dawson.
Stelling, who had planned to quit last year before reversing that decision, briefly hid his emotions with a mask of himself and quipped: “This is tricky because I’ve changed my mind – just kidding.
“I haven’t changed my mind this time.”
Stelling was clearly moved by the highlights package Sky televised in the final minutes of the show after Everton retained their top-flight status and confirmed the relegations of Leeds and Leicester.
Merson, Alan Mullery, Frank McLintock, Clive Allen, Charlie Nicholas, Phil Thompson and Matt Le Tissier passed on their well wishes and congratulations, as did Chris Kamara, who in a nod to the catchphrase that has become synonymous with the pair and the show, said: “You are unbelievable, Jeff!”
Stelling revealed he had been contacted by the likes of former Scotland player and manager Gordon Strachan as well as singer Sir Elton John, a noted supporter and former chairman and director of Watford.
Stelling, an unapologetic Hartlepool fan who frequently celebrated their goals on Soccer Saturday, said: “Somebody asked me the other day if I’d ever been starstruck and yeah, I was starstruck when Elton John rang me at home to say ‘Thank you very much for all you’ve done’.
“He said ‘Every week I watch the show and every week you tell me Watford are losing and every week you tell me Hartlepool are losing so I feel like we’re kindred spirits’. There’s something in that, isn’t there?”
Stelling looked back fondly on his 30-plus years with Sky, in which he not only covered football but live snooker, darts, greyhound racing, pool, and thanked everyone with whom he had worked.
In his final monologue, he added: “It’s been the best job that anybody could possibly have wished for. My wife takes great pleasure in saying ‘You are the luckiest man ever to take a breath’ and you know what? I don’t tell her this often but she’s right.
“The principle success of Soccer Saturday is you lot at home, who have given us unswerving support – both for the programme and for me personally.
“So that’s it. Soccer Saturday will be back next season. I’ll be watching – when Hartlepool are not playing. From me, goodbye.”
Abdoulaye Doucoure’s goal saw Everton stave off the threat of relegation on the final day of the Premier League season as Leicester and Leeds suffered the drop.
With the title and top four already sewn up, all eyes had been on the battle at the bottom and the fight for European places.
Here, the PA news agency looks at five things from the final day of the season.
Dyche delivers for Everton
Sean Dyche was perhaps not a fashionable appointment when Everton turned to him after Frank Lampard’s exit, but he has done enough – just enough – to keep the Toffees in the top flight after Sunday’s 1-0 win over Bournemouth. One of Dyche’s biggest decisions was to restore Abdoulaye Doucoure to his starting line-up, and it was the Mali midfielder who got the all-important goal at Goodison Park. Dyche’s experience in battling at the bottom helped the club keep their heads amid the pressure. Given their financial issues off the pitch, survival seems seismic for Everton. A big summer awaits as fans continue to call for change at board level, and a Premier League investigation into potential breaches of profit and sustainability rules looms. But solving those issues should at least be a little easier as a Premier League club.
Reality bites for Leicester and Leeds
As Everton breathed a sigh of relief, Leicester and Leeds had the bitter taste of relegation on the final day. For Leicester, the drop into the Championship comes only seven years after their magical title-winning season, the scale of the decline in the last 12 months startling. Their failure to replace Kasper Schmeichel and Wesley Fofana already seemed a major oversight even before injuries hit, and the board must take responsibility for their failure to invest in the squad. With several players out of contract this summer, a major rebuild is in prospect. Leeds also need a reset. They only narrowly avoided the drop last season, but have never found an identity since the exit of Marcelo Bielsa more than a year ago.
Passports out for Villa
In a season when there has been a record number of managerial sackings with 10 clubs making a change, three of them more than one, the most dramatic impact has been the one made by Unai Emery at Aston Villa. The Villans took only nine points from 11 games under Steven Gerrard, but Sunday’s 2-1 win over Brighton secures seventh place and European football for the first time in 13 years. They have gone from a side that were facing a relegation battle to one who have finished 17 points better off than their previous campaign. Given the Spaniard’s proud record in Europe – he is a four-time winner of the Europa League – perhaps they should plan for a long run in the Europa Conference League.
Over and out from Xhaka?
Granit Xhaka has had his troubles at Arsenal, having once been booed off the pitch amid a sometimes fractious relationship with the club and the fans, but he was serenaded on Sunday. The 30-year-old has a year left on his contract and has been strongly linked with a move to Germany as Arsenal plan midfield upgrades. Xhaka scored twice in Sunday’s 5-0 rout of Wolves, taking him to 10 goals in a season in which Arsenal gave fans real belief they could challenge for the title. If this was the end, Arsenal will feel very different about seeing him go than they once might have.
Big questions for Spurs
Tottenham enjoyed a 4-1 win over Leeds on the final day but it was not enough to get them into Europe as they missed out on qualification for the first time since 2008-09. In a summer in which Daniel Levy must again find a new permanent manager, that is a major blow. Harry Kane scored twice at Elland Road, but they could prove his final goals for the club as he enters the final year of his contract, surely considering his options given his desire to be challenging for silverware. Kane has once again reached 30 goals but he has done it in a malfunctioning side, and the England captain will know he is worthy of better. Whether or not Tottenham can again convince him they are capable of offering it to him remains to be seen.
Arsenal spent 248 days at the top of the Premier League this season, yet there was never really a time when it felt like Manchester City were not the favourites to lift the trophy.
Pep Guardiola’s side claimed the crown for a third year in a row and the fifth in the last six years, once again putting together one of those relentless winning runs that gives an air of inevitability to their eventual success.
City have been in plenty of tight title races over the years. Twice they have pipped Liverpool by a single point, one of those occasions coming last year when Ilkay Gundogan’s late goals to come from behind against Aston Villa brought back memories of Sergio Aguero, QPR, and all that in 2012.
There was nothing like that feeling of drama this time. City have finished the season with an five-point cushion over Arsenal, having won the title without kicking a ball with three games to spare when the Gunners lost 1-0 to relegation-battling Nottingham Forest.
Even when City were eight points behind at the end of March, most observers outside of north London foresaw Pep Guardiola’s men grinding down their rivals mentally and physically, and so it proved.
An unbeaten run that stretched to 25 games in all competitions before the final day defeat to Brentford had City fans believing the league title is just the first part of a treble which can be completed over the next two weeks.
It seems bizarre to think now that right up until the World Cup questions were being asked as to whether Erling Haaland, who finished the Premier League season with 36 goals from 35 league appearances, actually made Guardiola’s side worse as they sacrificed a midfielder to accommodate him.
Instead, the Norwegian has added a ruthlessness to City, a killer instinct to a side that can still pass you to death if they so wish, but who can now also shift the ball from their own box to the back of the opposition’s net in the space of a few seconds.
View this post on Instagram
And so City have become the first side to make it back-to-back-to-back titles since Manchester United between between 2006/07 and 2008/09. Can anybody stop them making it four in a row?
Arsenal were not expected to be City’s primary challengers this season, but Mikel Arteta is well ahead of schedule in his project to make them contenders again. A lack of squad depth told in the end, but Arsenal built their challenge on a number of young talented players, and will surely come again.
Behind that, Manchester United have shown improvement under Erik ten Hag and Newcastle have forced their way into the top four for the first time in 20 years.
If Jurgen Klopp can get Liverpool’s midfield rebuild right this summer and Mauricio Pochettino can make sense of Chelsea’s undoubtedly talented but hugely unwieldy squad, next season promises an intense scrap for top four places.
Yet it is hard to pick one of those sides and say with any real certainty they are on City’s level or all that close to it. The only cloud on City’s horizon is that of the 115 Premier League charges against them.
Arsenal put together a superb first half of the season, on pace to match City’s Premier League record of 100 points at the midway point, but that only highlights the extent of their dip towards the end.
Third-placed United have a trophy in the cabinet and the opportunity still to scupper City’s treble hopes in the FA Cup final, but Ten Hag’s men are 14 points adrift in the table, a gap that still feels like a chasm.
Something radical needs to change this summer. Otherwise that old feeling of inevitability will quickly return.
Leicester and Leeds have been relegated from the Premier League after a tense final day of the season in which Everton avoided the drop.
Here, the PA news agency looks at how the battle for survival played out.
4.30pm: Final games kick off. Everton began the day in the crucial 17th position on 33 points (-24 goal difference) with Leicester 18th on 31 (-18) and Leeds 19th, also on 31 (-27).
4.32: Harry Kane gives Tottenham the lead at Leeds (live standings: 17: Everton 34, 18: Leicester 32, 19: Leeds 31).
5.03: Harvey Barnes puts Leicester 1-0 ahead against West Ham (17: Leicester 34, 18: Everton 34, 19: Leeds 31)
5.37: Leeds fall 2-0 behind to Spurs as Pedro Porro scores (17: Leicester 34, 18: Everton 34, 19: Leeds 31).
5.46: Abdoulaye Doucoure scores to give Everton a 1-0 lead against Bournemouth (17: Everton 36, 18: Leicester 34, 19: Leeds 31).
5.51: Wout Faes doubles Leicester’s lead (17: Everton 36, 18: Leicester 34, 19: Leeds 31).
5.57: Leeds pull it back to 2-1 against Spurs with a Jack Harrison goal (17: Everton 36, 18: Leicester 34, 19: Leeds 31).
5.59: Kane’s second goal gives Spurs a 3-1 lead over Leeds (17: Everton 36, 18: Leicester 34, 19: Leeds 31).
6.08: Pablo Fornals strikes for West Ham to cut Leicester’s lead to 2-1 (17: Everton 36, 18: Leicester 34, 19: Leeds 31).
6.25: Lucas Moura puts Spurs 4-1 in front at Leeds (17: Everton 36, 18: Leicester 34, 19: Leeds 31).
6.26: The final whistle blows at the King Power Stadium and Leicester beat West Ham 2-1 (17: Everton 36, 18: Leicester 34, 19: Leeds 31).
6.27: Leeds are relegated as their game ends in a 4-1 defeat (17: Everton 36, 18: Leicester 34, 19: Leeds 31).
6.30: Everton survive 10 minutes of injury time to beat Bournemouth 1-0, ensuring their survival and relegating Leicester (17: Everton 36, 18: Leicester 34, 19: Leeds 31).
Reggae Boy Amari’i Bell will be playing English Premier League football next season after he helped Luton Town F.C defeat Coventry City 6-5 on penalties in the Championship Playoff Final at Wembley on Saturday.
The 29-year-old left back played all 120 minutes as the Hatters, as they are called, secured Premier League football for the first time since 1992.
Luton Town took the lead in the 23rd minute through Jordan Clark before Coventry equalized in the 66th minute through Gustavo Hamer.
Then, with the teams locked at 5-5 in the penalty shootout, Coventry’s Fankaty Dabo missed in sudden death to give Luton the win.
It has been another Premier League season full of drama and entertainment.
While Manchester City have wrapped up another title, the relegation battle will go to the wire and European places remain up for grabs.
Here, the PA news agency looks at 10 of the most memorable moments of the 2022-23 campaign.
Fireworks at the Bridge
When Tottenham made the trip to rivals Chelsea on the second weekend of the season, the early talk was of both being able to challenge City but what transpired on a hot day in August was tempers boiling over between Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel. The pair were involved in two heated exchanges and the now memorable handshake at the end of a 2-2 draw. It has largely been downhill for both clubs since.
Ronaldo’s early exit
Cristiano Ronaldo stormed down the Old Trafford tunnel during the latter stages of United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham. Ronaldo was left on the bench and had enough. Erik ten Hag reintegrated him back into the team but soon after Ronaldo conducted a controversial TV interview that brought his time at the club to an unsavoury end and set the wheels in motion for his Saudi Arabia move.
History-maker Haaland
View this post on Instagram
Erling Haaland had already made history by the time of Ronaldo’s tantrum after his hat-trick in the Manchester derby made it three consecutive trebles at home in the Premier League. More records have tumbled for the Norwegian since with his 20th top-flight goal coming before January and in only 14 matches, both new records, while he recently went past Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s previous joint-feat of scoring the most goals (34) in a Premier League season.
Young Lions soaring
Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka were two of the stars of the World Cup in a brilliant redemption story after the disgusting racist abuse they received after Euro 2020. The duo had shone for United and Arsenal respectively ahead of the mid-season break for the tournament in Qatar and picked up where they left off following England’s quarter-final exit. Rashford scored 10 goals in 10 matches during December and January while Saka netted in key wins over West Ham, Brighton and United. The young English pair have excelled throughout.
King Kane
Harry Kane put his World Cup penalty pain behind him to make Tottenham history with the winner against City to become the club’s record goalscorer on February 5. A scuffed effort by Kane in the 15th minute was enough for him to move on to 267 Spurs goals and above Jimmy Greaves, whose tally had stood alone for more than 50 years.
Liverpool batter United
View this post on Instagram
A second-half blitz from Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool led to one of the most extraordinary results in Premier League history with rivals Manchester United hit for seven. United only trailed by one goal at the break but went on to suffer a painful 7-0 defeat with Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all hitting braces. Roberto Firmino added a seventh two minutes from time much to the delight of the baying Anfield crowd.
Conte explodes
While Conte’s Tottenham failed to produce many memorable moments on the pitch, his explosive post-match rant at Southampton remains one of the most remarkable incidents off the pitch. After he watched Spurs let a two-goal lead slip to draw 3-3 at the bottom-of-the-table side, Conte let rip into his own “selfish players” who he insisted cannot play under pressure before bringing up the club’s trophy drought. He left Tottenham a week later.
Brooks returns
A heart-warming moment occurred when Bournemouth introduced David Brooks late on in their 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa on March 18. It marked Brooks’ first-team return for the first time in 536 days after he was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma in 2021. He received the all-clear last May but still faced a long road to recovery. Brooks received a warm ovation from both sets of supporters.
Royal events
Premier League football has been disrupted by two Royal events this season. The death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 9 saw all matches that coming weekend postponed before tributes were paid to the late Queen in a variety of ways the following matchday, including with a minute’s silence. The coronation of the King was the next major event involving the Royal Family, which occurred on May 6 and had several fixtures moved while clubs showed the service inside stadiums before matches. The national anthem was played before every fixture, but was booed at Anfield.
Stoppage-time drama
View this post on Instagram
One constant this season has been the division’s ability to keep producing crazy finales. From Kane’s equaliser at the death at Stamford Bridge in August to Reiss Nelson’s heroics in Arsenal’s thrilling 3-2 win over Bournemouth two months ago, you can always bet on stoppage-time drama. Some other notable late, late goals have seen Fabio Carvalho help Liverpool down Newcastle, Brentford’s Ivan Toney stun City at the Etihad and Diogo Jota leave Tottenham heart-broken at Anfield.
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
