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Bournemouth came from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 and climb out of the relegation zone. Andreas Pereira had given the visitors a first-half lead, but two second-half goals from Marcus Tavernier and Dominic Solanke saw the Cherries secure a crucial victory.
The win was a second consecutive home victory for Bournemouth and takes them to 27 points for the season, while Fulham remain on 39 points despite a recent loss of form. The two teams have had different fortunes this season, with Fulham aiming for European qualifications and Bournemouth fighting to stay in the top-flight.
Key to Bournemouth's turnaround were substitutes Tavernier and Solanke, who both had a significant impact on the game. Pereira stood out for Fulham with his goal and constant pressing in attack, while Solanke's hard work up front paid off with the winning goal.
Bournemouth host Brighton in their next fixture, while Fulham will face West Ham. Both teams will be looking for a win to boost their league positions and get back on track for their respective season objectives.
Arsenal defeated Leeds United 4-1 at home to maintain their eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League table. Goals from Gabriel Jesus, Ben White, and Granit Xhaka gave them a 3-0 lead, with Leeds' Rasmus Kristensen pulling one back before Jesus completed his brace with a penalty. Arsenal now have a match in hand over second-placed Manchester City.
Leeds will be looking to turn their fortunes around after back-to-back defeats. The team will face Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace this week, with the latter match looking particularly challenging.
Arsenal's attacking trio of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Odegaard was on full display during the match, with Jesus putting in an impressive performance alongside them. Leeds' defense was no match for Arsenal's attacking prowess.
Arsenal are in the running for the Premier League title this season with nine games left to play. They remain eight points clear at the top of the table and have several paths to victory. If they win eight of their remaining nine games, they will be crowned champions with 95 points. They face a key match against Manchester City on April 26th; if they win, they would only need to win six of their remaining seven games to secure the title.
Arsenal fans are hopeful for their team's chances at their first Premier League title in 19 years. The team's solid defensive unit and talented midfielders give them a strong base, while striker Gabriel Martinelli and midfielders Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard are in top form. The upcoming fixture against Manchester City will be critical in deciding the title winner.
Crystal Palace and Leicester City are struggling in the Premier League this season. Palace are currently in 12th place with 27 points, while Leicester are in 17th place with 25 points. Both teams are facing the possibility of relegation, with Palace needing a win to stay closer to mid-table and Leicester in danger of falling to the bottom three.
A recent change in managers has brought new hope for both Crystal Palace and Leicester City. Palace's Roy Hodgson has taken over until the end of the season, while a permanent replacement for former Leicester manager Patrick Vieira has yet to be announced. Both teams will be looking for wins in their upcoming fixtures to turn around their fortunes and avoid relegation.
Credit: https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2023/04/01/bournemouth-vs-fulham-video-highlights-analysis-reaction/
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Manchester City managed to keep the Premier League title race alive by coming from behind and beating Liverpool 4-1 without their injured striker Erling Haaland. The goal scorers were Julian Alvarez, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and Jack Grealish. With this victory, the defending champions moved back to within five points of Arsenal at the top of the table. Pep Guardiola's men have scored 17 goals in their last three games which could indicate that they are coming to the boil at just the right time.
Manchester City and Liverpool have been the top two teams in four of the past five Premier League seasons. However, Liverpool is struggling just to qualify for the Champions League after a dreadful campaign. This recent loss leaves Jurgen Klopp's men still seven points adrift of the top four, currently in sixth.
Groin injury left Haaland watching from the stands with his father, former City midfielder Alfie Haaland. Despite his absence, Pep Guardiola's men made a positive start with Alisson Becker being forced into saves from Gundogan and Rodri before Riyad Mahrez fired a free-kick inches wide. Liverpool went in front on 17 minutes as Diogo Jota broke in behind the City defence and teed up Mohamed Salah to slot home his 23rd goal of the season. A VAR review showed Manuel Akanji had played the Portuguese forward onside.
De Bruyne, Mahrez and Grealish combined to open up the Liverpool defence, and Alvarez was left with the simple task of slotting in his 13th goal of the season despite spending most of the campaign as Haaland's deputy. It took just 53 seconds of the second half for City to edge in front thanks to another scintillating team move. City was too good off the ball compared to a cumbersome Liverpool defence as Grealish and De Bruyne exchanged a one-two before Grealish scored the fourth goal. City displayed dominance and could be coming to the boil at just the right time with Arsenal still to visit the Etihad later this month.
Credit: https://www.news24.com/sport/soccer/englishpremiership/liverpool-humbled-by-haaland-less-man-city-20230401
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The contest between Chelsea Women and reigning European champions Lyon proved to be every bit as close and tense as many had predicted before kick-off, but few had seen coming the incredible drama that Graham Potter and the rest of those in attendance at Stamford Bridge were witness to on Thursday evening.
The visitors cancelled out our lead from the first leg, secured with Guro Reiten’s early goal in France, taking the tie to extra time, where Lyon scored again to go ahead for the first time. However, the Blues found an equaliser right at the death through a Maren Mjelde penalty, allowing goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger to emerge as the hero with two saves as a shoot-out decided our victory and a place in the Women’s Champions League semi-finals for Emma Hayes and her players.
‘It was amazing,’ said Potter, who was part of a record crowd for a Chelsea Women’s Champions League home game to see all the drama first hand at the Bridge. ‘Obviously huge congratulations to Emma and everybody involved.
It certainly wasn’t an evening that Potter or anyone else inside Stamford Bridge is likely to forget any time soon, such were the incredible scenes which unfolded. As Chelsea continued to push for a goal in added time at the end of the additional 30 minutes, Lauren James went down in the box, but the referee waved the penalty claims away.
However, VAR intervened, and after a second look at the incident on the pitchside monitor, the officials awarded the Blues a penalty. Such was the delay, that Mjelde’s resulting goal from the spot was officially timed as being scored in the 128th minute and proved to be the very last kick in open play.
Asked if he had every seen a conclusion to a match quite like that before, Potter’s response was emphatic.
He will no doubt be excited about the chance to see more in Chelsea Women’s next Champions League tie, when they take on Barcelona in the semi-finals. The second leg will be played at Stamford Bridge again, on 22/23 April, and tickets for that game are on sale now with prices starting £15 for adults and £8 for juniors and seniors.
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England's Chelsea and Germany's Wolfsburg secured spots in the 2022-23 UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals along with Arsenal and Barcelona after dramatic quarterfinal matches. Chelsea Women emerged victorious against their French opponents Olympique Lyon Feminin after a penalty shootout at Stamford Bridge. Vanessa Gilles scored a second-half goal for Lyon in regular time to level on aggregate while Sara Dabritz scored to double the gap for Lyon in the 110th minute. Near the end of the extra time, Chelsea were awarded a penalty after a VAR review, and Maren Mjelde successfully converted it to take the match to a penalty shootout.
Germany's Wolfsburg managed to qualify for the semifinals even though they drew with Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 at Volkswagen Arena. Earlier on Thursday, the club won the tie 2-1 to secure their place in the tournament's next round.
The semifinals of the Women's Champions League will have Chelsea playing against Spanish side Barcelona, and Wolfsburg will take on London's Arsenal. The matches will be held on April 22-23 and April 29-30. This season's final match will be held on June 3 at Eindhoven's Philips Stadium, the home of Dutch team, PSV.
Credit: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/sports/chelsea-wolfsburg-join-arsenal-barcelona-in-uefa-women-s-champions-league-semifinals/2859938
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Chelsea has made it to the semi-finals of the Women's Champions League after a nail-biting win over defending champions Lyon at Stamford Bridge. The match ended in a dramatic penalty shootout, with goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger making two excellent saves. Chelsea was awarded a penalty in the final seconds of extra time, which Maren Mjelde converted to set up the climax of the shootout, which Chelsea went on to win.
Berger became the hero of the match after making two important penalty saves in the shootout, denying Lindsey Horan and Wendie Renard. It was a remarkable finish to a thrilling two-legged tie, sending Emma Hayes' team through to the semifinals. At the same time, Lyon's players and staff were outraged by the VAR decision that awarded Chelsea the penalty in the extra minutes.
Eight-time champions Lyon came to London trailing 1-0 after the first leg victory in their stadium forced by Chelsea. Vanessa Gilles’ header took the game into extra time, and a goal by Sara Daebritz made Lyon believe they were in control. The Norwegian, however, stepped up and landed the penalty that forced the shootout, and Chelsea would end up coming on top. This triumph is a significant one for Chelsea as it joins English rivals Arsenal in the last four of the UEFA Women's Champions League.
The result goes down as one of Chelsea's greatest victories as it joins English rivals Arsenal in the Women's Champions League semi-finals. Chelsea played the second leg at Stamford Bridge after winning the first leg away, with the hope of making history. They suffered in the match to stay up with Lyon, who made some attempts to score, but both teams recorded a goal each in extra time. Throughout the match, Chelsea had to fight hard to keep up with the defending champions. In the end, a never-say-die attitude saw Emma Hayes' side make it through to the semi-finals.
Chelsea will face Barcelona in the Semi Finals, and the memory of last year's defeat in the final will long be in the mind of the Blues. The match is sure to be a difficult one for Chelsea, but Emma Hayes and her players will believe that they can pull off another giant-killing performance. Meanwhile, Arsenal takes on two-time champions Wolfsburg, with the possibility of an all-English final.
Credit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65098349
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Switzerland have started the Euro 2024 qualifiers confidently, following up their 5-0 victory against Belarus with a 3-0 triumph over Israel. They secured six points from their first two games in Group I.
Ruben Vargas found the net to put Switzerland in front at halftime. Zeki Amdouni and Silvan Widmer scored two more goals soon after the break, taking their total to three. The match took place at the Geneva Stadium.
Vargas scored the opening goal in the 39th minute after the Israeli defence hesitated, allowing him to volley the ball past the goalkeeper.
Up-and-coming player Amdouni, making his full debut, added another goal to Switzerland's tally in the 48th minute. Widmer then headed in a precision pass from Denis Zakaria four minutes later to extend the Swiss lead.
Cedric Itten was fouled in the box by Neta Lavi, resulting in Switzerland being awarded a penalty in the 28th minute. However, the decision was overturned by referee Nikola Dabanovic of Montenegro after a lengthy VAR check.
Credit: https://www.espn.com/soccer/report/_/gameId/655288
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Matias Vecino scored from close range in the second half as Uruguay earned a 2-1 win over South Korea in Seoul on Tuesday, handing Jurgen Klinsmann his first defeat in his second game at the helm of the Taeguk Warriors.
The former Germany and United States coach was appointed last month to replace Paulo Bento and has not won in either of his first two games in charge having seen his side draw 2-2 with Colombia on Friday.
Defender Sebastian Coates gave the Uruguayans the lead in the 10th minute when he rose above the Korean defence to head in Federico Valverde's corner.
But Hwang In-beom levelled six minutes after the interval when, with the Uruguayan defence in disarray, Lee Ki-je cut the ball back for the midfielder to slot in.
Vecino restored his side's lead in the 63rd minute when he pounced on a loose ball in the six-yard box after Jo Hyeon-woo had parried Joaquin Piquerez's free kick from outside the area.
The Koreans thought they had equalised again when Kim Young-gwon rose above goalkeeper Santiago Mele to head in with 15 minutes remaining, only for referee Yusuke Araki to judge the defender had handled the ball after a lengthy VAR check.
Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu then fell victim of a marginal offside call when he thought he had levelled seven minutes from time as the Uruguayans clung on.
Credit: https://www.espn.co.uk/football/report/_/gameId/665807
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In an interview with Viaplay Sport, Chiedozie Ogbene spoke about Ireland's performance against France in the World Cup Qualifier, stating that there were many positives to take away from the game. Although France dominated the match, Ireland had several chances to score and came close to equalizing in the final minutes of the game. Overall, Ogbene believes that Ireland gave a good account of themselves and showed that they can compete with the best teams in the world.
Meanwhile, in the other game in Group B, the Netherlands defeated Gibraltar 3-0, with Nathan Ake scoring two of the goals. This leaves France at the top of the group, followed closely by the Netherlands and Ireland.
Although France was clearly the better side and deserved their win, Ireland can take heart from their display against one of the top teams in the world. Benjamin Pavard's goal from a mistake by Josh Cullen was the only difference between the two sides. Despite the loss, Ireland showed resilience and competitiveness, with Chiedozie Ogbene causing problems for France all evening. With plenty of positives to build on, Stephen Kenny can be optimistic about the future of the team.
France held on for the win against a relentless Irish attack in the final minutes of the game. Kolo Muani was substituted for Marcus Thuram in stoppage time as France held out for the win.
With just three minutes of added time, Hernandez makes a scrambling save to deny Ireland a late equalizer. Egan also went into the book for skittling Tchouameni as he tried to get to a rebound.
Ireland gave a spirited performance but were beaten by Pavard's fantastic strike from distance. Cullen was culpable for the goal but was otherwise impressive throughout the game. Ireland will be looking to build on this performance in the next game.
Credit: https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2023/mar/27/republic-of-ireland-v-france-euro-2024-qualifying-live
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Michael O'Neill's homecoming was bittersweet as Northern Ireland suffered a 1-0 defeat to Finland on Sunday night. The crucial Euro qualifier match saw Benjamin Kallman score the only goal of the game in the 28th minute, after Robin Lod's cross was flicked on by Teemu Pukki, leaving Kallman free to finish from close range. Northern Ireland had opportunities to equalize, but Dion Charles' goal was ruled out for handball, which VAR confirmed to be the right decision. Despite the support of just under 18,000 fans at Windsor, Northern Ireland failed to convert their chances. As Finland's supporters sang and cheered after the final whistle, O'Neill was left to reflect on what could have been. Northern Ireland pressed on, but the Finnish defence held firm. A couple of substitutes were made in the 79th minute, with George Saville coming on for Jordan Thompson and Isaac Price replacing Shea Charles. Minutes later, Northern Ireland had a chance from a free-kick, but the shot went wide. As the game entered into extra time, Gavin Whyte was sent clear down the right, sending a low cross into the box that Hradecky failed to control, resulting in a corner. But Northern Ireland couldn't take advantage of the opportunity. In the end, after seven minutes of additional time, the match ended with Finland taking home the three points. Unfortunately, the loss meant disappointment for Northern Ireland, and a tough homecoming for Michael O'Neill. Credit: https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/northern-ireland-vs-finland-live-26562908 ENND
Bukayo Saka scored a stunner after Harry Kane extended his goalscoring record as England continued their winning start to Euro 2024 qualification against Ukraine. Gareth Southgate told his players that Thursday’s impressive 2-1 victory at Euro 2020 conquerors Italy could only be considered a fantastic result if they followed it up with another win at Wembley. England did not disappoint in their first home match since reaching the World Cup quarter-finals as Kane and Saka struck late in the first half to seal a 2-0 triumph against Ukraine.
It was the perfect return from their toughest-looking Euro 2024 double-header, meaning Southgate’s side are already well placed to progress from a group completed by North Macedonia and Malta. England are expected to get maximum points against those nations in June, when Kane could add a flurry to his national team scoring record that stands at 55 after his first-half opener.
The skipper, who was presented with a commemorative golden boot for his historic strike in Naples, fired in after meeting a fine cross by Saka, who went onto score a superb effort three minutes later. The 21-year-old’s fantastic 20-yard curler was his eighth international goal and all but ended this Group C clash a contest.
Given England’s struggles after half-time in Italy and an already-depleted squad being further diminished by Phil Foden needing appendix surgery on Sunday morning, Southgate will not mind the largely forgettable second half here.
Ahead of the game both sets of players posed with a Ukrainian flag that read ‘peace’ in a show of solidarity as the country continues to fight invading Russia. More than 1,000 displaced Ukrainians and their host families were invited to the match as special guests of the Football Association.
The 4,200-strong away contingent were in fine voice from the outset but there was a collective early gasp when Kane rose to his feet claiming for a penalty following a clumsy Oleksandr Svatok challenge. The defender got away with that and somehow avoided a card for a poor challenge on Jude Bellingham midway through the first half – a tackle checked by the VAR for a possible red card.
The visitors looked shaky and Kane unsurprisingly looked England’s biggest threat, with his movement proving problematic before opening the scoring in the 37th minute. Kane spread the ball to Saka on the right and ran into the box, with winger swinging a left-footed cross that the England captain finished smartly at the far post under pressure from Oleksandr Karavaev. Wembley was celebrating again three minutes later thanks to a moment of magic from Saka.
England returned from the break in cruise control, taking the sting out of proceedings three days on from a ragged second-half display nearly allowing Italy back into the match.
Brentford striker Ivan Toney made his debut in place of Kane with nine minutes remaining at Wembley, where paper planes and Mexican waves seemed to provide fans with more entertainment than the football. Fellow substitute Conor Gallagher was thwarted by Trubin before stoppage time provided two further chances for England, with Harry Maguire heading over before Jack Grealish was denied.
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