Category: Premier League

Armas not on Gracia’s Leeds staff, still reportedly at Leeds

It’s been a strange few weeks for Armas

It’s already over for Chris Armas at Leeds…sort of.

Leeds manager Javi Gracia said that the former U.S. men’s national team midfielder, who hasn’t been seen on the bench since the Spaniard took over, is not on his first-team coaching staff.

“He’s not part of my staff. He’s not here,” Gracia told reporters ahead of his side’s Saturday home match against Brighton. “It’s something the club can maybe explain better.”

When Jesse Marsch was sacked on February 6, Leeds said his assistant Rene Maric would also be leaving the club, but Armas stayed on alongside Michael Skubala and Paco Gallardo.

However, when Gracia named his assistants, Armas’ status was not addressed. Skubala was kept on, while Gracia added assistants Mikel Antia, Zigor Aranalde, and Juan Jose Solla. Gallardo is now the club’s Under-21 head coach.

The Athletic is reporting that Armas is still employed by Leeds, but what he’s actually doing at this point remains unclear.

Armas’ very short time with Leeds

Armas couldn’t have picked a worse time to sign on with Leeds. He was officially announced as a new assistant for Jesse Marsch on January 25. That was on a Wednesday, and on the weekend Leeds defeated Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup.

Leeds then lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest on February 5, and Marsch was dismissed the next day. Armas worked as part of Marsch’s staff for a total of 12 days before things fell into disarray.

Gracia’s clarification on Friday came just 44 days after the club announced that Armas was joining the staff. Since then, he’s been an assistant, one of three members of an interim co-coaching committee set-up, and his current status on the books but not actually given any duties.

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Haaland and West Ham honor International Women’s Day in cringeworthy fashion

“This is for all my female fans on this special day!”

It’s International Women’s Day, and Erling Haaland and West Ham are marking the occasion with some well intentioned but very awkward content.

Haaland (or most likely his social media team) posted a special edition IWD word search on Instagram, which was for some reason called a crossword puzzle.

“This is for all my female fans on this special day!” Haaland (or someone paid by Haaland) said. “Here’s my message to each one of you. Can you find it in this crossword puzzle?”

In case you don’t want to actually do the work yourself, we have taken the liberty: “You all make the world a much better place.”

Aw.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CphitVbOkyZ/?hl=en

Joining Haaland in the “good intentions but weird execution” category is West Ham, whose players took to the pitch in training tops with the names of important women in their lives on the back.

Most players opted for their mothers, wives or grandmothers. Great! Who can argue with that? But while “Mum” or “Nan” looks perfectly reasonable, even adorable, on the back of a jersey, this one hits a little different.

Surely she has a name??

Michail Antonio went in a different direction too, though we have absolutely no quibbles with the idea or execution.

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Chelsea saves season, and possibly Potter’s job, with Champions League success over Dortmund

At least for now, the pressure on Potter is reduced

Graham Potter looks set to last at least a little bit longer as Chelsea’s head coach.

The under-fire manager got the result he desperately needed, with Chelsea advancing in the Champions League by coming back from a one-goal deficit with a 2-0 second leg victory over Borussia Dortmund.

Despite their recent struggles, a largely confident Blues side left goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga with little to do at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz — the former indisputable, the second the source of significant controversy — paved the way to a critical win.

Early on, it looked like Chelsea might continue to torment their fans, controlling much of the match but failing to turn that into the needed goal. Most notably, Havertz hit the post midway through the first half, and then had his 38th minute goal chalked off after Sterling was caught offside earlier in the sequence.

Sterling would at last provide the crucial breakthrough, as the England attacker made up for whiffing on Ben Chilwell’s initial cross to collect himself and power a shot past Dortmund goalkeeper Alexander Meyer in the 44th minute.

Chelsea’s relief was palpable, but this year at least, the Blues never seem to take the easy way. Marius Wolf was caught handling a cross early in the second half, with Havertz eventually stepping up to the spot.

His stutter-step got Meyer to give away his intentions, leaving Havertz with an open half of the shoot into. Fans were already celebrating, but Havertz’ casual shot hit the foot of the post before bouncing away to safety.

However, Chelsea would be saved by another VAR intervention: replays showed that four Dortmund players (and three more from Chelsea) were all clearly guilty of encroachment as Havertz struck the ball.

Referee Danny Makkelie — much to the chagrin of Dortmund players, who offered a solid minute of remonstrations — gave a re-take (as is required by the Laws of the Game when both teams encroach). Havertz and Meyer re-enacted the exact same sequence, but this time the forward’s aim was slightly better.

Fortunate? Certainly, but maybe Chelsea has been overdue a bit of luck. The goal marked the first time in 2023 that they’d scored more than one goal in a given game.

They couldn’t manage a third, something they still haven’t done under Potter. Conor Gallagher came in off the bench to finish off a 75th minute break against a stretched Dortmund defense, but once again Sterling was caught offside in the build-up. Yet again, Potter and the crowd at Stamford Bridge were denied a chance to exhale.

Dortmund finally mounted some late pressure on Arrizabalaga’s goal, but a handful of shots went straight at the Chelsea goalkeeper, and the Blues held on for a deserved win.

Pressure on Potter reduced…for now

Chelsea’s place in the Champions League’s final eight may have been something of an obligation no matter the circumstances, but for Potter, overcoming a 1-0 first leg deficit to advance may have been a requirement to keep his job.

“There was a fantastic feeling in the dressing room. We have been through a tough period and this competition means a lot for us,” Potter told BT Sport after the match. “We wanted to progress and get into the last eight and it sets us up for the next few weeks… It is great for the boys, two clean sheets after a tough period. You get that in life and it is about how you respond and the players have been fantastic.”

Chelsea’s struggles over the past four months have seen them tumble down to 10th place in the Premier League, and they’ve been eliminated from both domestic cup competitions to boot.

Potter’s tenure began on a positive note: he debuted with a 1-1 Champions League group stage against RB Salzburg, but Chelsea then fired off five straight wins, and at one point held opponents scoreless across 622 consecutive minutes.

However, a 4-1 loss to Potter’s previous club Brighton on October 29 seemed to throw them off course. That game started a rotten run that has seen them lose 12 times out of 20 games, and includes a 4-0 loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup (Pep Guardiola’s side also knocked Chelsea out of the Carabao Cup in this span), as well as home losses to Arsenal and relegation strugglers Southampton.

That run would have put Potter under quite a bit of pressure anyway. Coming after Todd Boehly’s new ownership group spent $392 million transfer outlay this winter (and just shy of another $300 million over the summer), Chelsea wasn’t expecting to be mid-table strugglers who rarely score. They’re supposed to win, and win right now, in style.

Getting into March 17’s quarterfinal draw will relieve some of that pressure, but only briefly. Four of Chelsea’s next five matches in the league are against teams from the bottom half of the table. Further slip-ups would mitigate their success against Dortmund to such an extent that those quarterfinal fixtures could see Potter battling for his job all over again.

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Weghorst responds amid backlash to heinous sign touching

The on-loan forward committed an unforgivable sin in the eyes of some Red Devils fans

Wout Weghorst has crossed a line with some Manchester United fans.

The Dutch striker is in hot water for touching the famous “This is Anfield” sign prior to Manchester United’s disastrous 7-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday. Weghorst’s decision was notable as, unlike almost everyone else who touches the sign before games, he does not play for Liverpool.

United fans have been quick to point out a 2018 interview with De Telegraaf, in which the striker said he’d “dreamt” of playing for Liverpool “since childhood.”

Weghorst, who is on loan at United from Burnley, has caught so much flack that he felt compelled to release a statement on Instagram explaining why he committed such an unforgivable sin.

Weghorst’s reasoning? He was only trolling his Netherlands teammate Virgil van Dijk.

“Normally I never react on media topics, but for this one it’s worth it because you amazing United fans are important to me. So I just want to clarify the video that is doing the rounds,” he said.

“From the national team, I know that Virgil always touches that sign and I went to stop him touching it to try and wind him up before the game.

“As a child I always supported FC Twente, and as a player now for Manchester United, my dedication to this incredible club can never be questioned.

“Sunday was a terrible day for all of us, we are putting everything into making it right in the next weeks. We will bounce back together and achieve our aims this season.”

Let’s go to the footage!

It does appear that Weghorst only went for the sign after seeing Van Dijk reach up first, but the defender hardly seemed to notice or care. He then went out and kept a clean sheet while Weghorst and his team gave up a touchdown and extra point.

Maybe, just maybe, that result has set off fans just a bit more than an on-loan striker touching a sign.

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Tottenham choose Beyonce over pesky local stadium rules

Beyonce added an extra London date at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and local councilors say that violates Tottenham’s agreement with Haringey.

Sometimes in life, you have a choice where breaking the rules is the only good option.

Tottenham was just faced with such a decision, and they made the right call by opting for more Beyoncé concerts even as they left local government figures “disappointed” by doing so.

The issue is simple: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is in Haringey, one of London’s many boroughs, and the license agreement allowing the team to play there also allows for them to host up to six concerts in a calendar year.

Meanwhile, Tottenham had booked Beyoncé’s massive Renaissance tour, which was set to come to Spurs’ home stadium on May 29-30, June 1, and June 3. But London is a massive global city, and Beyoncé is Beyoncé; four nights is not enough. Everyone can agree on that as fact and not simply an example of editorializing from a staff writer.

So the logical move was to just book one more night, and that’s exactly what happened: back in February, it was announced that Beyoncé will play a June 4 show. If you want to go, you better hurry, and you better be ready to spend: general admission tickets are already sold out, and the BBC is reporting that the remaining premium tickets left start at £349.

There’s just one problem: Tottenham had also booked the Red Hot Chili Peppers for July 21, and Wizkid for July 29. The extra Beyoncé show would be a seventh concert, in violation of Tottenham’s pact with the Haringey council.

Tottenham burdened by paperwork

Announcing the show and selling thousands of tickets is a classic example of being more willing to ask for forgiveness than permission, and that appears to be Tottenham’s strategy.

Dana Carlin, the cabinet member for planning at Haringey Council, said that the council has told the team that the extra show will require some work on their end.

“Tottenham Hotspur have been advised that they must engage with the community, ward councillors and submit a planning application,” Carlin told the BBC. “We are disappointed that we have got to this stage.”

Still, no matter the frustration from the council, the power of Beyoncé is such that it appears all parties want this to end with a fifth show for the pop icon. The Haringey Council is reportedly going to work with Tottenham through the process to reach a resolution.

“Welcoming global superstars, like Beyoncé, will attract thousands of music fans and benefits our local businesses,” said Carlin.

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Liverpool sent Manchester United back to the Dark Ages

It was utter humiliation for the Red Devils at Anfield

Liverpool handed Manchester United its worst ever Premier League defeat on Sunday, humiliating the Red Devils 7-0 at Anfield.

Jürgen Klopp’s side only led 1-0 at halftime but blew United away with a scintillating six-goal performance in the second half to re-establish their top-four credentials in style.

It has been a bounce-back season for United under Erik ten Hag, who led the club to its first trophy in six years last weekend with victory over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final.

But Sunday’s match was reminiscent of some of United’s darkest days in recent years — and perhaps its entire history — as the Red Devils suffered their worst defeat in more than 91 years.

Amazingly for a game that ended 7-0, it very nearly went into halftime scoreless. Cody Gakpo gave Liverpool the lead in the 43rd minute with a fine finish into the far corner after a great assist from Andy Robertson.

From there, the collapse began. Darwin Núñez and Gakpo gave the home side a 3-0 lead by the 50th minute, before Núñez completed his brace and Mohamed Salah grabbed a brace of his own — his second making him Liverpool’s all-time top Premier League scorer.

There was still time for one more memorable moment. Roberto Firmino, whose agent revealed this week that he will leave the club at season’s end, scored Liverpool’s seventh in front of the Kop.

For Liverpool, it was the highlight of a trying season and evidence that Klopp’s side may be the favorite to sneak into the fourth and final Champions League spot. The Reds are now just three points back of fourth-place Tottenham, with a game in hand.

United will have to pick the pieces up after a confidence-shattering result. Heavy defeats to Liverpool have become something of the norm for United of late, having lost its two games against the Reds last season by a combined 9-0 scoreline.

But this season was supposed to be different for Manchester United. On Sunday, though, United didn’t just reach the depths of recent seasons — it went much lower.

“It was unprofessional,” Ten Hag told Match of the Day. “Yes [I am angry]. Definitely.

“This is definitely a strong setback and is unacceptable. I’m really disappointed and angry about it.”

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Arsenal just did what Title-Winning Teams™ do

This was about as dramatic as it gets

Arsenal went down nine seconds into Saturday’s game against Bournemouth, and it took them 96 more minutes until they finally took the lead.

In an unbelievable match in which the Gunners showed, dare we say, the stuff of champions, Bournemouth went up 2-0 in the 57th minute, only for Arsenal to fight back and win with a dramatic Reiss Nelson winner in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Amid wild celebrations at the Emirates Stadium, it would’ve been hard for fans and players alike to avoid the conclusion that Arsenal might just be headed for its first Premier League title in 20 years.

The victory pushed the Gunners back to a five-point lead ahead of Manchester City, who beat Newcastle 2-0 on Saturday in the early match of the day.

It all started about as poorly as it could for Arsenal, which went a goal behind when Phillip Billing scored after 9.11 seconds — the second-fastest goal in Premier League history.

When Marcos Senesi added a second for the Cherries, it looked like it was going to be a terrible afternoon for the Gunners and a great one for Man City.

But gravity would start to reassert itself, with Thomas Partey and Ben White scoring within an eight-minute span to level the match at 2-2.

As good as the comeback was, a home draw against the relegation-threatened Cherries would have been a hugely damaging result for the Gunners.

Enter Nelson, who came off the bench and made the difference on the day. His winner was the stuff of legend, not only for its timing and importance but for the sheer quality of the strike.

If this is Arsenal’s year, Saturday may be when the Gunners can say the title went from a dream to something more closely resembling reality.

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Adams: Leeds more under control after Gracia replaced Marsch

The USMNT midfielder says his club isn’t looking to get forward at every opportunity anymore

Tyler Adams has said Leeds is playing a bit more under control now that Javi Gracia has taken over from Jesse Marsch as head coach.

Marsch, who is renowned for his full-throttle style, was sacked as manager last month amid a run of form that saw Leeds near the relegation zone.

The club’s efforts to land a new manager were unsuccessful at first, but Gracia was ultimately brought in last week ahead of a massive relegation clash against Southampton.

Leeds made Gracia’s debut a successful one with a 1-0 win, before falling to Fulham midweek in the FA Cup in the Spaniard’s second match in charge.

Adams has noticed a difference right away with Gracia in charge, contrasting the new boss to Marsch’s style of looking to go forward at every opportunity.

“[Gracia has] impressed me a lot. When he first came in, we didn’t have a lot of time to execute a perfect game plan for Southampton but what he did is focus on key bullet points, or key details that we need to improve,” Adams told BBC West Yorkshire Sports Daily.

“One of those things was with the ball: how can we break teams down more efficiently in possession whether from goal kicks or when we get into the attacking third, not just going to the goal straight away.

“Leeds are notorious for winning the ball back quickly and going straight to the goal. But not every time we win the ball, do we need to play the first pass forward that we see.

“Maybe we can keep the ball for two, three passes, switch the ball from side to side and start to tire the opponent. You saw that a little bit more against Southampton.

“He offers more of a balanced approach to the way that we’re going to play. It’s not just all out pressing, or all out possession, but of a balance.”

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It turns out the Saudi government may indeed control Newcastle

The Premier League said in 2021 it “received legally binding assurances” the Saudi government wasn’t in control

When Newcastle was taken over by a Saudi Arabia-led group in 2021, the Premier League made it crystal clear: This was not a Saudi government takeover.

In fact, the league said in a statement at the time that it had “received legally binding assurances that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not control Newcastle United Football Club.”

At the time, that seemed somewhat dubious. After all, the takeover was led by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, chaired by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman.

Now, new court filings have led to even more doubts over how much separation, if any, there is between Newcastle and the government of Saudi Arabia.

The case actually involves LIV Golf, the breakaway competitor to the PGA Tour that is also funded by the PIF. In court filings this week, Newcastle chairman and PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan is described as a “sitting minister of the government,” and described the PIF as “a sovereign instrumentality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

In the LIV Golf case, lawyers for the PIF were trying to shield Al-Rumayyan from having to face questions. But in looking to protect the Newcastle chairman, they may have exposed the Premier League club to further scrutiny.

“The Premier League will surely need to re-examine the assurances made about the non-involvement of the Saudi authorities in the Newcastle deal,” said Peter Frankental, Amnesty International’s UK economic affairs director in a statement.

“It was always stretching credulity to breaking point to imagine that the Saudi state wasn’t directing the buyout of Newcastle with the ultimate aim of using the club as a component in its wider sportswashing efforts.”

The Premier League and Newcastle have both yet to comment on the latest revelations.

They will both need to do so at some point, because there are lots of receipts.

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Graham Potter: I haven’t done enough to earn any good faith

It’s now one win in 11 games for Chelsea

Graham Potter appears to see the writing on the wall.

The Chelsea boss oversaw a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday, as the Blues were yet again uninspired in a game they made way too easy for their opponents.

Chelsea has now won just one of its last 11 matches in all competitions. That’s a record that’s typically enough to get any Premier League manager sacked — let alone one who saw his club back him in January to the tune of £323 million spent on new signings.

Potter took over from Thomas Tuchel in September and has now won just nine of 26 matches as Chelsea manager. The club’s board has appeared reluctant to pull the trigger on Potter, but Chelsea’s horrific form could leave them with little choice in the matter.

Speaking after Sunday’s defeat, Potter admitted that he’s not exactly giving his board much reason to keep him around.

“The results are not good enough for Chelsea. I take full responsibility for those results,” he told Sky Sports.

“I thought the players gave everything, it’s just that the goal changes the complexion of the game and that made it difficult for us. If results aren’t good enough, which they aren’t at the moment, you can’t rely on support forever.”

Asked in his post-match press conference if he is aware that the board’s support could end, Potter responded: “There’s always that question, absolutely, and you can’t stop the questions, and whilst the results are like they are then I accept it – it’s part of the job.

“That’s just the nature of football and obviously I haven’t done enough at this club to have too much good faith and I also accept that as well. My job is to not worry too much about that.”

Chelsea will host relegation battlers Leeds next weekend. Failure to win that game would surely spell the end of Potter’s time at Chelsea — that is, if he’s even still around by then.

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