Chelsea Women have reached an agreement with the San Diego Wave to sign U.S. defender Naomi Girma...

<p>Chelsea Women have reached an agreement with the San Diego Wave to sign U.S. defender <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///olymsw/players/199752" href="https://thescore.com/olymsw/players/199752">Naomi Girma</a> for a record-breaking fee of $1.1 million, sources told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6066148/2025/01/21/naomi-girma-chelsea-transfer-record-san-diego-wave/">Meg Linehan of The Athletic</a>.</p><p>When the deal is finalized, Girma will become the first women's soccer player to command a transfer fee in excess of $1 million.</p><p>The current record belongs to Zambian forward <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///olymsw/players/199793" href="https://thescore.com/olymsw/players/199793">Racheal Kundananji</a>, who joined Bay FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) from Madrid CFF for a reported $785,000 last year.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Girma, 24, is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the world. She played every minute during the United States' run to the gold medal at last year's Paris Olympics, earning high praise from head coach Emma Hayes along the way.</p><p>"She's the best defender I've ever seen," Hayes told reporters after the USWNT's semifinal victory over Germany. "Ever."</p><p>Girma made her international debut in 2022 and has since gone on to earn 44 international caps, anchoring the U.S. backline and providing a calming and commanding presence for Hayes' side.</p><p>She was the first overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft after playing collegiately at Stanford. Girma has twice been named the league's top defender, helping San Diego win the NWSL Shield in 2023.</p><p>She requested a move from the club last season, sources told Linehan, sparking widespread interest. European heavyweights Lyon were also interested in signing Girma this month and were prepared to offer $1 million to San Diego, according to Linehan.</p>

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - OCTOBER 30: Naomi Girma #4 of the United States celebrates scoring during the second half against Argentina at Lynn Family Stadium on October 30, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky.

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Toronto FC and Lorenzo Insigne are working toward parting ways, sources told Tom Bogert of GiveMe...

<p>Toronto FC and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/7611" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/7611">Lorenzo Insigne</a> are working toward parting ways, sources told <a href="https://www.givemesport.com/toronto-fc-working-towards-lorenzo-insigne-departure-sources/">Tom Bogert of GiveMeSport</a>.</p><p>The Italian's departure isn't imminent, but both the club and player are "motivated" to find a solution this winter before the new Major League Soccer campaign kicks off in February, Bogert adds.</p><p>A return to Europe, where the January transfer window is open, or a move to the Middle East could materialize for the 33-year-old. If a transfer doesn't come to fruition, TFC could opt for a contract buyout, according to Bogert.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Insigne, the second-highest paid player in MLS behind only <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/1126" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/1126">Lionel Messi</a>, earns $15.4 million per season. His contract runs until the summer of 2026.</p><p>Insigne joined the Canadian club as a free agent in 2022, leaving hometown team Napoli shortly after playing a key role in Italy's Euro 2020 triumph. </p><p>He was expected to be a transformative signing who, together with compatriot <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/21263" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/21263">Federico Bernardeschi</a>, would help TFC return to prominence in MLS. But his spell in Toronto has been blighted by injuries, a lack of on-field production, and off-field drama. TFC haven't reached the playoffs since Insigne's arrival, with the diminutive attacker registering just 14 league goals.</p><p>He <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4555769/2023/05/26/toronto-fc-insigne-bernardeschi-bradley-mls/">reportedly</a> had disagreements with former head coach Bob Bradley and interim replacement Terry Dunfield. His fit with bench boss John Herdman, meanwhile, never appeared natural during the 2024 campaign. Herdman, who stepped down as TFC coach in November, appeared to <a href="https://x.com/touchlinetfc/status/1842739223939453009?s=46&amp;t=PPLBY4whcN8FFsVZYLCSVg">question</a> Insigne's motivation after a late-season match against Inter Miami.</p><p>Toronto FC are still looking for a new head coach to replace Herdman.</p><p>Insigne, who started only 17 games in 2024, finished the season with four goals and five assists, taking a back seat to Bernardeschi in the process.</p><p> </p>

TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 9: Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto FC) looks on during the MLS match between Charlotte FC and Toronto FC at BMO Field on March 9, 2024 in Toronto, Canada.

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Liverpool rebuffed an approach from Real Madrid to sign right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in Janu...

<p>Liverpool rebuffed an approach from Real Madrid to sign right-back <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/69665" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/69665">Trent Alexander-Arnold</a> in January, sources told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6029950/2024/12/31/real-madrid-alexander-arnold-transfer-liverpool/">James Pearce and David Ornstein of The Athletic</a>.</p><p>The England international's contract at Anfield expires at the end of the season. He's allowed to discuss a potential summer move with foreign clubs beginning Jan. 1 and has been heavily linked with a free transfer to Madrid, who've identified the pinpoint passer as their top target.</p><p>Real Madrid reportedly contacted Liverpool to learn if the Reds would be willing to sanction a January transfer and receive a fee instead of potentially losing the 26-year-old for nothing in six months.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>But the clubs didn't even discuss financial terms because Liverpool immediately rejected the idea, according to Pearce and Ornstein.</p><p>Liverpool hold an eight-point lead atop the Premier League table and have a perfect record in the Champions League going into 2025. They reportedly don't want to lose one of their best players in the middle of the campaign as they look to claim multiple pieces of silverware in Arne Slot's first season.</p><p>The Premier League leaders remain hopeful that Alexander-Arnold will sign a contract extension and remain with his boyhood club. Conversations about a new deal have been ongoing for several months, sources told <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/43237066/liverpool-rebuff-real-madrid-trent-alexander-arnold-approach-sources">Beth Lindop of ESPN</a>. Alexander-Arnold hasn't yet indicated if he prefers to stay or leave.</p><p>He's one of three Liverpool superstars entering the final months of their existing deals alongside <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/17673" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/17673">Mohamed Salah</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/22556" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/22556">Virgil van Dijk</a>.</p><p>Real Madrid, meanwhile, have been looking to bolster their backline since <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///liga/players/15906" href="https://thescore.com/liga/players/15906">Dani Carvajal</a> suffered a season-ending ACL injury in October.</p>

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 29: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool during the Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Liverpool FC at London Stadium on December 29, 2024 in London, England.

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theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points from the Premier Lea...

<p><em>theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points from the Premier League's Boxing Day bonanza, which featured 16 teams in action and a flurry of notable results.</em></p><h3>Anticipating the Man United blame game</h3><p>What best emphasized how broken Manchester United are in the 2-0 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers wasn't Bruno Fernandes' third red card of the season, the team's startling lack of mettle after that dismissal, or the concession of a second Olimpico in seven days.</p><p>It was how Ruben Amorim responded to going one goal down: Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, and Manuel Ugarte withdrawn in favor of Antony, Casemiro, and Christian Eriksen.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Three apparent bright spots left over from the Erik ten Hag regime supplanted; three substitutes that - let's be clear - better reflect the Dutchman's legacy taking their place. The trio introduced from the bench, like plenty of other Ten Hag recruits in the squad, are expensive and tired impediments to any manager's attempts to return United to the top, and they were asked to change the match.</p><p>They didn't.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bruno Fernandes is the first Manchester United player to be sent off three times in a single season across all competitions since Nemanja Vidic in 2008/09.🛁 <a href="https://t.co/fwgKKmFpD9">pic.twitter.com/fwgKKmFpD9</a></p>— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) <a href="https://twitter.com/Squawka_Live/status/1872351248479068254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>In some ways, the early part of Amorim's job is easy. While supporters digest the fact that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the man who's supposed to save the club from the Glazer family, seems to miser exactly like a Glazer, any positivity from elsewhere will be seized. They need something - <em>anything</em> - right now. The bar's been so low in recent years. Diallo winning the strikingly low-quality Manchester derby on Dec. 15 has seemed to singlehandedly obscure Amorim's poor record to start his reign.</p><p><strong>United's last 14 Premier League matches</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Manager</th>
<th>Matches</th>
<th>GD</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Ten Hag</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Amorim</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>-3</td>
<td>7</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>Amorim must continue to stay ahead of the blame game. More embarrassments and lapses lie ahead - it's inevitable with these players and following years of mismanagement in the boardroom - but will the Portuguese tactician do enough to ensure Ratcliffe's hoard of executives face the fans' ire before him?</p><p>The early signs aren't great for Amorim. Instead of finding an approach the best suits the team he's inherited, he's forcing players into a 3-4-2-1 with limited success. The team is confused, both with the formation and when defending set-pieces. More consistency needs to be found soon, or the goodwill toward the new boss will erode.</p><p>Relief for Amorim could be found in the performances of the looming figures in the boardroom, like Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox, who have the extremely difficult task of discarding Ten Hag offal while finding players who can immediately enhance the first team and improve within it. After Ratcliffe's unpopular moves to cut costs around the club, patience with selling and buying may be in short supply. The fans' anger meter is currently teetering toward the executives.</p><p>Ten Hag's management could've set United back at least five years. Right now, it seems unlikely that both the first-team coaching staff and the suits upstairs will be afforded the level of patience it requires to clean it up.</p><h3>Quick free-kicks 📝</h3><p><strong>How will Chelsea respond?</strong></p><p>Enzo Maresca's continued insistence that his young team isn't a title contender is easy enough to see through. It's a classic deflection tactic from a manager trying to keep external pressure off his players. But the table doesn't lie: Chelsea <em>are</em> in<em> </em>the race, whether they admit it or not. That will make Thursday's late collapse against London rivals Fulham more difficult to digest. The Blues, up 1-0 after Cole Palmer broke a club record with his 26th Premier League goal of the calendar year, couldn't put the game away and conceded twice in the closing minutes, including a 95th-minute decider.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/762265/cropped_GettyImages-2191487081.jpg?ts=1735234471" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/762265/w220xh124_GettyImages-2191487081.jpg?ts=1735234471 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/762265/w320xh180_GettyImages-2191487081.jpg?ts=1735234471 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/762265/w640xh360_GettyImages-2191487081.jpg?ts=1735234471 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/762265/w768xh432_GettyImages-2191487081.jpg?ts=1735234471 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/762265/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2191487081.jpg?ts=1735234471 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Ryan Pierse / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>It's the first time Chelsea have lost a league match after leading at halftime since 2021. How they respond will be telling. Recovering quickly from setbacks and not allowing one bad result to snowball and ruin your season is a trait shared by all title-winning teams. Are Chelsea in that category, or has Maresca been right all along? Let's find out.</p><p><strong>Contrasting starts for new coaches</strong></p><p>Is the vaunted "new manager bounce" slightly overrated? Probably. Good luck trying to convince reinvigorated Wolves fans of that right now, though. Vitor Pereira has won his first two matches since replacing Gary O'Neil, keeping clean sheets in both outings and lifting Wolves out of the relegation zone. He's already matched O'Neil's Premier League win total this season, which probably says more about the former coach than the current one.</p><p>Wolves are led by Matheus Cunha, who has seven goals and four assists in his last 10 league games, and boast a more talented squad than the teams directly around them in the relegation battle. That includes Southampton, who, despite an obvious tactical shift since the arrival of defensive-minded coach Ivan Juric, are still awaiting their first victory since firing Russell Martin. There have been small signs of defensive improvement for the Saints over the past week, but finding a consistent source of goals will continue to be a problem, and Juric doesn't profile as the kind of coach who will help rectify that issue.</p><p><strong>Sweet revenge for Nuno</strong></p><p>He won't admit as much publicly, but Nottingham Forest's 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur had to be sweet for Nuno Espirito Santo, who was unceremoniously fired after just 17 games in charge of Spurs back in 2021. His conservative style of play, as much as the results, was deemed inadequate during his brief spell in north London. With the benefit of hindsight, it's an interesting conversation to have now. Nuno, sticking to his tactical principles, has Forest sitting third in the Premier League; the club has four consecutive top-flight wins for the first time since 1995.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/762292/cropped_GettyImages-2190374622.jpg?ts=1735250646" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/762292/w220xh124_GettyImages-2190374622.jpg?ts=1735250646 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/762292/w320xh180_GettyImages-2190374622.jpg?ts=1735250646 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/762292/w640xh360_GettyImages-2190374622.jpg?ts=1735250646 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/762292/w768xh432_GettyImages-2190374622.jpg?ts=1735250646 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/762292/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2190374622.jpg?ts=1735250646 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">NurPhoto / NurPhoto / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Tottenham, meanwhile, are objectively more entertaining to watch, but they're languishing in the bottom half of the table under Ange Postecoglou after a rotten run of four losses in five league games. While Spurs concede goals for fun, Forest have the third-best defensive record in the league behind only Liverpool and Arsenal. Would the Tottenham brass like a mulligan right now?</p><p><strong>Time to talk about Robbo?</strong></p><p>It obviously hasn't hampered Liverpool this season - the Reds are six points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand after Thursday's win over Leicester City - but stalwart Andy Robertson is enduring a blip in form that, if sustained, could become an issue. The Scot, for so long a model of consistent excellence at left-back, got badly twisted out of shape by Jordan Ayew, of all people, on the Foxes' early goal at Anfield.</p><p>Earlier this month, his mishap and subsequent red card against Fulham put Arne Slot's team in a hole before his teammates fought back and earned a draw. That incident at least came with a caveat: Robertson seemed to pick up an injury earlier in the match and was likely going to be replaced before his sending-off. There was no such alibi this time. He's still among the team leaders in minutes played this season - he remains a vital part of Slot's side - but with Kostas Tsimikas now fit again and providing competition after recovering from an ankle injury, Robertson needs to tighten up his game.</p><h3>Best XI 😎</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=215168:Leno,760320:Wan-Bissaka,1367619:Huijsen,1458711:Murillo,877401:Bassey,831489:Mac%20Allister,179410:Gueye,535936:Joelinton,1096353:Palmer,806552:Gakpo,863098:Cunha&amp;formation=4-3-2-1&amp;lineupTitle=Boxing%20Day" srcset="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=215168:Leno,760320:Wan-Bissaka,1367619:Huijsen,1458711:Murillo,877401:Bassey,831489:Mac%20Allister,179410:Gueye,535936:Joelinton,1096353:Palmer,806552:Gakpo,863098:Cunha&amp;formation=4-3-2-1&amp;lineupTitle=Boxing%20Day 220w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=215168:Leno,760320:Wan-Bissaka,1367619:Huijsen,1458711:Murillo,877401:Bassey,831489:Mac%20Allister,179410:Gueye,535936:Joelinton,1096353:Palmer,806552:Gakpo,863098:Cunha&amp;formation=4-3-2-1&amp;lineupTitle=Boxing%20Day 320w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=215168:Leno,760320:Wan-Bissaka,1367619:Huijsen,1458711:Murillo,877401:Bassey,831489:Mac%20Allister,179410:Gueye,535936:Joelinton,1096353:Palmer,806552:Gakpo,863098:Cunha&amp;formation=4-3-2-1&amp;lineupTitle=Boxing%20Day 640w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=215168:Leno,760320:Wan-Bissaka,1367619:Huijsen,1458711:Murillo,877401:Bassey,831489:Mac%20Allister,179410:Gueye,535936:Joelinton,1096353:Palmer,806552:Gakpo,863098:Cunha&amp;formation=4-3-2-1&amp;lineupTitle=Boxing%20Day 768w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=215168:Leno,760320:Wan-Bissaka,1367619:Huijsen,1458711:Murillo,877401:Bassey,831489:Mac%20Allister,179410:Gueye,535936:Joelinton,1096353:Palmer,806552:Gakpo,863098:Cunha&amp;formation=4-3-2-1&amp;lineupTitle=Boxing%20Day 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><p>(Source: <a href="https://www.fotmob.com/">FotMob</a>)</p><h3>Highlight of the day 🎥</h3><p>Don't look now, but Newcastle United have surged up to fifth in the Premier League following an impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa. Everything Alexander Isak touches is turning to gold right now, while Anthony Gordon is providing secondary scoring with stunning efforts like this, which came 80 seconds into Thursday's tilt at St. James' Park.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Incredible from Anthony Gordon.<br><br>His curling effort set <a href="https://twitter.com/NUFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NUFC</a> on their way to a 3-0 win against Aston Villa! <a href="https://t.co/gHIdCqFgH2">pic.twitter.com/gHIdCqFgH2</a></p>— Premier League (@premierleague) <a href="https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1872418660859678742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Stat of the day 🔢</h3><p>Manchester City, who have just one win in their last 13 games across all competitions following Thursday's 1-1 home draw with Everton, are keeping some unusual company right now.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Since the start of November, Manchester City have conceded 26 goals in all competitions.<br><br>In that time, the only side from Europe's top 5 leagues to concede more is Heidenheim (28). <a href="https://t.co/p4tGCz7Whn">pic.twitter.com/p4tGCz7Whn</a></p>— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/eurofootcom/status/1872271739683738050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Social media moment 📱</h3><p>Regardless of what happens in their next match, Tottenham will record their lowest points tally at the midway mark of a Premier League season since 2008-09. Against that backdrop, unearthing some unknown players to help turn things around isn't such a bad idea. Announce "Ons" in the January window, Spurs.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/SpursOfficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpursOfficial</a> Christmas is ruined <a href="https://t.co/8PMAeZEI5C">pic.twitter.com/8PMAeZEI5C</a></p>— 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨 (@NotChaos) <a href="https://twitter.com/NotChaos/status/1871934143355027939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Where we stand 👀</h3><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Club</th>
<th>Played</th>
<th>GD</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1.</td>
<td>Liverpool</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>+23</td>
<td>42</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2.</td>
<td>Arsenal</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>+19</td>
<td>36</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3.</td>
<td>Chelsea</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>+17</td>
<td>35</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4.</td>
<td>Nottingham Forest</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>+5</td>
<td>34</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5.</td>
<td>Newcastle</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>+9</td>
<td>29</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6.</td>
<td>Bournemouth</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>+6</td>
<td>29</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7.</td>
<td>Manchester City</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>+4</td>
<td>28</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8.</td>
<td>Fulham</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>+3</td>
<td>28</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9.</td>
<td>Aston Villa</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>-3</td>
<td>28</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10.</td>
<td>Brighton</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>+1</td>
<td>26</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11.</td>
<td>Brentford</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>24</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12.</td>
<td>Tottenham</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>+13</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13.</td>
<td>West Ham</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14.</td>
<td>Manchester United</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>-3</td>
<td>22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15.</td>
<td>Everton</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16.</td>
<td>Crystal Palace</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>-8</td>
<td>17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17.</td>
<td>Wolves</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>-11</td>
<td>15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>18.</td>
<td>Leicester</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>-18</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>19.</td>
<td>Ipswich Town</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>-17</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>20.</td>
<td>Southampton</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>-26</td>
<td>6</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><em>View more stats <a href="thescore:///epl/leaders">here</a>.</em></p>

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EPL Review: Key takeaways and analysis from Boxing Day action

Manchester United's vulnerability from set pieces was on full display once again on Boxing Day.  ...

<p>Manchester United's vulnerability from set pieces was on full display once again on Boxing Day.</p><p>Exactly one week after <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/12696" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/12696">Son Heung-min</a> scored directly from a corner kick in Tottenham Hotspur's League Cup victory over the Red Devils, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/100524" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/100524">Matheus Cunha</a> replicated the feat in Premier League action Thursday.</p><p>The Brazilian forward found the net with an Olimpico of his own in Wolverhampton Wanderers' eventual 2-0 win at Molineux, helping to lift his team to a second successive win under new coach Vitor Pereira while piling more misery on Ruben Amorim.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p><em>(Available to view in U.S. only)</em></p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A MATHEUS CUNHA OLIMPICO GIVES WOLVES THE LEAD OVER MAN UNITED. 😲<br><br>📺 USA Network | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WOLMUN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WOLMUN</a> <a href="https://t.co/qAH9yMv7PT">pic.twitter.com/qAH9yMv7PT</a></p>— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1872353821499748803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p><em>(Available to view in Canada only)</em></p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Matheus Cunha SCORES!!<br><br>⚽ 1-0 Wolverhampton vs Manchester United<br><br>WATCH EVERY GOAL 👉 <a href="https://t.co/2w98QqADfX">https://t.co/2w98QqADfX</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PremierLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PremierLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/ywBKNyhA68">pic.twitter.com/ywBKNyhA68</a></p>— FuboCanada 🇨🇦 (@fuboTVCanada) <a href="https://twitter.com/fuboTVCanada/status/1872356218196365530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Manchester United are 14th in the Premier League, just seven points ahead of relegation-threatened Wolves.</p>

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 26: Matheus Cunha of Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammates during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Manchester United FC at Molineux on December 26, 2024 in Wolverhampton, England.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29579098/related

Watch: Cunha's Olimpico helps Wolves beat toothless Man United

Following every weekend of Premier League action, theScore examines the most important developmen...

<p><em>Following every weekend of Premier League action, theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points to emerge from the slate of matches. Below, we dissect Matchweek 17 of the 2024-25 season.</em></p><h3>Liverpool teach Ange harsh lesson</h3><p>Stubbornness can, at times, be a positive trait for a manager. But <em>total</em> rigidity and blind faith can also hold a team back. Ange Postecoglou is veering too far into the latter category - and it's costing Tottenham Hotspur.</p><p>Postecoglou, not for the first time, was in a combative mood with the media after Spurs' chaotic 6-3 home loss to league leaders Liverpool on Sunday. Especially with so many defensive absentees, why didn't he take a more conservative approach to the match against such an explosive opponent? It's a valid question. He wasn't having any of it.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>"You know what? I'm just going to stop answering these questions," he <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/43112683/tottenham-ange-postecoglou-stop-taking-style-questions">said</a> when pressed about his team's high defensive line and his uncompromising commitment to a tactic that Liverpool ruthlessly exploited. "If people can't see the obvious, I'm not going to point it out. Look, make of it what you want, yes we're conceding goals."</p><p>He added: "If you want to discount the fact we're missing a goalkeeper, two center-backs and a left-back as well and that hasn't coincided with what we're doing ... I don't know what to say anymore."</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">3.6 - Tottenham’s Premier League matches under Ange Postecoglou have seen an average of 3.6 goals scored per game. Among those to take charge of 50+ games in the competition, this is the highest goals per game rate for any manager. Frenzy. <a href="https://t.co/VX1VZInKQ6">pic.twitter.com/VX1VZInKQ6</a></p>— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) <a href="https://twitter.com/OptaJoe/status/1870901936003911863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>This is becoming an almost weekly occurrence, and it feels like we're about to reach a breaking point. Postecoglou won't last much longer if he isn't going to learn any lessons from Sunday's shellacking, or, even worse, open his mind to the possibility that Tottenham could benefit from some variety to their play. That's the harsh reality of the sport, especially at the highest level. Just ask Russell Martin, who was also wedded to one very specific style right up until the moment he was sacked by Southampton. </p><p>Variety can help make teams more unpredictable and thus harder to defend. Adding it to your team's identity isn't a sign of weakness or failure. On the contrary, it's a sign of growth.</p><p>Contrast Postecoglou's aforementioned retort to that of Enzo Maresca who was asked about Chelsea's performance after their goalless draw with Everton on Sunday. The difference is stark.</p><p>"It was not an easy game and you have to learn how to play different games," Maresca explained. "Football is not only just how good you play on the ball. It is how you defend and how you deal with that."</p><p>Amen, Enzo. Try getting that message through to Ange, mate.</p><h3>Quick free-kicks 📝</h3><p><strong>Will Saka's absence sink Arsenal?</strong></p><p>Arsenal can't afford to lose Bukayo Saka. Especially now. The star winger is essential to everything the title-chasing Gunners do, so it's no wonder Mikel Arteta admitted he was "pretty worried" after Saka was forced to leave Saturday's 5-1 win over Crystal Palace with a hamstring injury. The 23-year-old will miss "many weeks," according to Arteta.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/761762/cropped_GettyImages-2190968111.jpg?ts=1734830372" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/761762/w220xh124_GettyImages-2190968111.jpg?ts=1734830372 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/761762/w320xh180_GettyImages-2190968111.jpg?ts=1734830372 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/761762/w640xh360_GettyImages-2190968111.jpg?ts=1734830372 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/761762/w768xh432_GettyImages-2190968111.jpg?ts=1734830372 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/761762/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2190968111.jpg?ts=1734830372 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">David Price / Arsenal FC / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>We've previously discussed the need for Arsenal to get more secondary scoring, and Gabriel Jesus appears to have heeded those words by feasting on Palace twice this week. Can he keep this sudden hot streak going? Arsenal now need him to do exactly that. Arteta's team has nine games - across three competitions - on the schedule before they hit February. There's never a <em>good</em> time to be without your best player, but this is among the worst.</p><p><strong>Case of mistaken identity</strong></p><p>We don't have to spend too much time discussing why VAR's implementation in the Premier League has been a nightmare. That's already a popular enough opinion. Knowing that it's not going anywhere, though, we <em>can</em> spend time figuring out ways that it can make a positive impact, even if it's for edge cases. For instance: Brighton's Jan Paul van Hecke was bloodied after taking a boot to the face from teammate Carlos Baleba on Saturday. West Ham defender Dinos Mavropanos, in the vicinity and challenging for the ball inside a crowded penalty area on the play, was mistakenly shown a yellow card. </p><p>Why isn't such an obvious error reviewable? Were he shown a red, it would have been. The VAR is always watching every incident, surely it would have been easy enough to inform the on-pitch official of the mistake and quickly correct it? Mavropanos, on an undeserved yellow, was substituted at half-time in a move that perhaps wouldn't have happened if he wasn't booked.</p><p><strong>'Immature' Brighton</strong></p><p>It's gone under the radar recently thanks to Manchester City's tailspin dominating the discourse, but Brighton are mired in a slump of their own after a fantastic start to life under Fabian Hurzeler. The Seagulls are winless in their last five Premier League games after Saturday's 1-1 draw with West Ham, and they have just two victories in 10 outings across all competitions.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744962/cropped_GettyImages-2168255477.jpg?ts=1726248798" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744962/w220xh124_GettyImages-2168255477.jpg?ts=1726248798 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744962/w320xh180_GettyImages-2168255477.jpg?ts=1726248798 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744962/w640xh360_GettyImages-2168255477.jpg?ts=1726248798 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744962/w768xh432_GettyImages-2168255477.jpg?ts=1726248798 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744962/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2168255477.jpg?ts=1726248798 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Eddie Keogh / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Seeing out wins has been a problem. Brighton have dropped 16 points from winning positions this season, often settling for draws after jumping out to the lead. Hurzeler <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5874597/2024/10/26/brighton-wolves-result-fabian-hurzeler/">called out his team</a> for lacking maturity after its infamous collapse against Wolves, but it doesn't appear that message has fully gotten through to his squad.</p><p><strong>Patience pays off for Bournemouth</strong></p><p>Many were calling for Andoni Iraola to be fired last season when his Bournemouth tenure got off to a rocky start. But the club kept the faith, confident that the poor results were tied to Bournemouth's wildly difficult schedule and not a deeper underlying issue with the Basque manager's approach. They're being rewarded for it now.</p><p>The surging Cherries climbed to fifth place in the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Manchester United, their second consecutive victory at Old Trafford by that same scoreline. Iraola has cultivated a nice mix of young players with attacking flair and veteran contributors who do the dirty work. Some of the "bigger" clubs in the league, and throughout Europe, could take a lesson from Iraola's success story.</p><h3>Star performer 🌟</h3><p><strong>Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)</strong></p><p>We'll repeat: Pay the man.</p><p>With two goals and two assists in Liverpool's hectic win over Tottenham, Mohamed Salah made history and climbed multiple ladders all at once. He became the first player in Premier League history to reach double figures in both goals and assists in a single season before Christmas. He also overtook Erling Haaland for the lead in the Golden Boot race, and now stands alone in fourth on Liverpool's all-time scoring list with 229 goals in 373 appearances.</p><p>His mere presence on the pitch creates room for teammates, allowing midfielders to surge forward into dangerous open areas, and any time he finds an inch of space he makes the opposition pay dearly. Frankly, the thought of Liverpool <em>without</em> him is inconceivable. The Egyptian is going to be asked continuously about his expiring contract until he signs a new one. Liverpool shouldn't risk that storyline becoming a distraction and potentially derailing what could be a title-winning campaign.</p><h3>Best XI 😎</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=789571:S%C3%A1nchez,760712:Alexander-Arnold,490868:Bednarek,1367619:Huijsen,874025:Mykolenko,970243:Wieffer,292462:Salah,789502:Gibbs-White,883080:Rogers,690107:Isak,576165:Jesus&amp;formation=4-1-3-2&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2017" srcset="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=789571:S%C3%A1nchez,760712:Alexander-Arnold,490868:Bednarek,1367619:Huijsen,874025:Mykolenko,970243:Wieffer,292462:Salah,789502:Gibbs-White,883080:Rogers,690107:Isak,576165:Jesus&amp;formation=4-1-3-2&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2017 220w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=789571:S%C3%A1nchez,760712:Alexander-Arnold,490868:Bednarek,1367619:Huijsen,874025:Mykolenko,970243:Wieffer,292462:Salah,789502:Gibbs-White,883080:Rogers,690107:Isak,576165:Jesus&amp;formation=4-1-3-2&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2017 320w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=789571:S%C3%A1nchez,760712:Alexander-Arnold,490868:Bednarek,1367619:Huijsen,874025:Mykolenko,970243:Wieffer,292462:Salah,789502:Gibbs-White,883080:Rogers,690107:Isak,576165:Jesus&amp;formation=4-1-3-2&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2017 640w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=789571:S%C3%A1nchez,760712:Alexander-Arnold,490868:Bednarek,1367619:Huijsen,874025:Mykolenko,970243:Wieffer,292462:Salah,789502:Gibbs-White,883080:Rogers,690107:Isak,576165:Jesus&amp;formation=4-1-3-2&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2017 768w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=789571:S%C3%A1nchez,760712:Alexander-Arnold,490868:Bednarek,1367619:Huijsen,874025:Mykolenko,970243:Wieffer,292462:Salah,789502:Gibbs-White,883080:Rogers,690107:Isak,576165:Jesus&amp;formation=4-1-3-2&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2017 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><p>(Source: <a href="https://www.fotmob.com/">FotMob</a>)</p><h3>Highlight of the weekend 🎥</h3><p>Alexander Isak is on a heater right now: His hat-trick in Saturday's dominant win over Ipswich Town, the first of his Newcastle career, gives the Swedish striker six goals in his last four Premier League matches. The ingenuity of his last finish, in particular, stood out.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alex Isak hits a hat-trick! 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/0OuWvlvW63">pic.twitter.com/0OuWvlvW63</a></p>— Newcastle United (@NUFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/NUFC/status/1870590072967299087?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Stat of the weekend 🔢</h3><p>It didn't take long for the goodwill that Manchester United generated with their dramatic derby win to totally evaporate.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">For the first time in Premier League history, Manchester United will be in the bottom half of the table on Christmas Day. <br><br>Bah humbug! 😤 <a href="https://t.co/BuIyL1Ajt3">pic.twitter.com/BuIyL1Ajt3</a></p>— Squawka (@Squawka) <a href="https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1870860361580302561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Social media moment 📱</h3><p>Former Aston Villa star Jack Grealish had a message for his one-time adoring fans who were goading him as Manchester City's spiral continued with a 2-1 loss at Villa Park on Saturday.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jack Grealish held up three fingers to the Aston Villa fans at full-time. <br><br>He's won a treble and three Premier League titles since leaving the club. 👀 <a href="https://t.co/ITBlchVGL1">pic.twitter.com/ITBlchVGL1</a></p>— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) <a href="https://twitter.com/footballontnt/status/1870494033807577214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Where we stand 👀</h3><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Club</th>
<th>Played</th>
<th>GD</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1.</strong></td>
<td>Liverpool</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>+21</td>
<td>39</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2.</strong></td>
<td>Chelsea</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>+18</td>
<td>35</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3.</strong></td>
<td>Arsenal</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>+18</td>
<td>33</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4.</strong></td>
<td>Nottingham Forest</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>+4</td>
<td>31</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5.</td>
<td>Bournemouth</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>+6</td>
<td>28</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6.</td>
<td>Aston Villa</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>28</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7.</td>
<td>Manchester City</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>+4</td>
<td>27</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8.</td>
<td>Newcastle</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>+6</td>
<td>26</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9.</td>
<td>Fulham</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10.</td>
<td>Brighton</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>+1</td>
<td>25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11.</td>
<td>Tottenham</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>+14</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12.</td>
<td>Brentford</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13.</td>
<td>Manchester United</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>-1</td>
<td>22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14.</td>
<td>West Ham</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>-8</td>
<td>20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15.</td>
<td>Everton</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16.</td>
<td>Crystal Palace</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>-8</td>
<td>16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17.</td>
<td>Leicester</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>-16</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>18.</strong></td>
<td>Wolves</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>-13</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>19.</strong></td>
<td>Ipswich Town</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>-16</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>20.</strong></td>
<td>Southampton</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>-25</td>
<td>6</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><em>View more stats <a href="thescore:///epl/leaders">here</a>.</em></p>

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EPL Review: Reds school Ange, Man United get lump of coal at Christmas

<p><em>Following every weekend of Premier League action, theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points to emerge from the slate of matches. Below, we dissect Matchweek 16 of the 2024-25 season.</em></p><h3>Man United let City beat themselves</h3><p>Manchester United could've sensed blood in the water and tried their hardest to embarrass their already wounded rivals. Manchester City entered Sunday's derby with just one win in 10 matches across all competitions and seemed there for the taking.</p><p>Instead of trying hard to make City look bad, United waited for them to do something stupid enough to lose the game. City have lost their heads so many times over the last few weeks. Self-sabotage has become their thing.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Perhaps that's why United boss Ruben Amorim seemed happy enough to leave Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho at home. Maybe he knew he didn't need a lot of firepower. It was worth sending a message here to keep standards high.</p><p>United weren't spectacular Sunday. It felt at times like they were playing with the hand brake on. Rasmus Hojlund made a number of penetrating runs that could've floored City's defenders. His teammates just didn't seem comfortable enough to release him into space. United preferred to keep things under control. They played more high-percentage passes and broke up the game when City began to gain a foothold. Amad Diallo, the 22-year-old winger who has benefited the most from Amorim's arrival, was dangerous enough on his own to keep City on their toes.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760738/cropped_GettyImages-2186664069.jpg?ts=1734296878" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760738/w220xh124_GettyImages-2186664069.jpg?ts=1734296878 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760738/w320xh180_GettyImages-2186664069.jpg?ts=1734296878 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760738/w640xh360_GettyImages-2186664069.jpg?ts=1734296878 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760738/w768xh432_GettyImages-2186664069.jpg?ts=1734296878 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760738/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2186664069.jpg?ts=1734296878 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Richard Pelham / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>City didn't look confident either. How could they be? They had kept only two clean sheets in their previous 14 Premier League matches. City retreated as the contest wore on and defended with as many as six men at the back. They didn't record a single shot on target in the second half. Erling Haaland had just two touches in the penalty area all game.</p><p>Pep Guardiola's side was trying to nurse the 1-0 lead. When does it nurse anything?</p><p>Diallo caught City just as they were doubting themselves, drawing a penalty off of Matheus Nunes' feeble back-pass and hopeless tackle before splitting the defense for the winner. Diallo profited off the nervousness at the Etihad with the kind of incisive play Amorim has unlocked in his short time there.</p><p>United played the percentages perfectly. Individual errors have cost City dearly over the last few weeks and were always likely to rear their ugly head again Sunday. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is let your opponent beat itself.</p><p>"It's not about luck," City midfielder Bernardo Silva told <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/live-blog/11661/13272048/man-city-vs-man-utd-live?postid=8791600#liveblog-body">Sky Sports</a>. "It's the decisions you make. Today, in the last minutes, we played like Under-15s, and we paid the price."</p><h3>Quick free-kicks 📝</h3><p><strong>Jota's return boosts Liverpool</strong></p><p>Under normal circumstances, a 2-2 draw against Fulham at Anfield would be viewed as two points dropped by Liverpool. But context is important. The Reds played Saturday's frenetic match with 10 men for over 70 minutes after Andy Robertson's early red card, and they fought back twice to earn a point. Diogo Jota, back from injury for his first match in nearly two months, came off the bench to score a lovely late equalizer. The Portuguese forward's return is huge for Arne Slot. Mohamed Salah has 22 Premier League goal involvements this season, but no other Liverpool player has reached double figures. At some point, the Egyptian will need some help. Jota, who has more goals off the bench than any player in the league since he joined the Merseyside outfit in 2020, gives Slot a true secondary scoring threat, especially as Darwin Nunez continues to misfire in front of goal. Whether Jota can stay fit enough to help sustain Liverpool's title push is another matter.</p><p><strong>Gunners need more firepower</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760739/cropped_GettyImages-2189251734.jpg?ts=1734296921" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760739/w220xh124_GettyImages-2189251734.jpg?ts=1734296921 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760739/w320xh180_GettyImages-2189251734.jpg?ts=1734296921 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760739/w640xh360_GettyImages-2189251734.jpg?ts=1734296921 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760739/w768xh432_GettyImages-2189251734.jpg?ts=1734296921 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760739/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2189251734.jpg?ts=1734296921 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">John Walton - PA Images / PA Images / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Despite Mikel Arteta's suggestions to the contrary, Arsenal should invest during the January transfer window to ensure their title bid doesn't fizzle out. The north London side hasn't scored a goal from open play in three Premier League matches, and Arteta's lack of attacking solutions off the bench was laid bare in Saturday's dull goalless draw with Everton. His "tactical" decision to substitute captain and chief playmaker Martin Odegaard backfired, in part because his options are limited. Ethan Nwaneri is immensely talented and looks like a future star, but he's still only 17. Gabriel Jesus, who also came on, hasn't scored a league goal since January, while Leandro Trossard hasn't been the same impact substitute as he was in previous years. Odegaard and Bukayo Saka can carry the attack, but some help would be welcome for days like Saturday when things aren't quite clicking.</p><p><strong>Newcastle's set-piece prowess</strong></p><p>Who needs Nicolas Jover? Arsenal remain the Premier League's set-piece kings, but Newcastle have clearly been working on dead-ball situations on the training ground. It paid dividends in Saturday's 4-0 hammering of Leicester City, as the Magpies scored a pair of goals through set-piece routines that were clearly rehearsed. Leicester didn't exactly make it difficult for them - there's a reason why the Foxes have conceded the second-most goals in the league - but the tallies were a clear sign of progress for a Newcastle side that went into the match with just three goals from set pieces, one of the worst returns in the division. Saturday's goals, together with a similarly well-worked marker in last month's draw against Crystal Palace, are signs of progress and worth monitoring. The coaching staff will be delighted.</p><p><strong>O'Neil loses control of Wolves</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760741/cropped_GettyImages-2190031367.jpg?ts=1734296964" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760741/w220xh124_GettyImages-2190031367.jpg?ts=1734296964 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760741/w320xh180_GettyImages-2190031367.jpg?ts=1734296964 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760741/w640xh360_GettyImages-2190031367.jpg?ts=1734296964 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760741/w768xh432_GettyImages-2190031367.jpg?ts=1734296964 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760741/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2190031367.jpg?ts=1734296964 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Carl Recine / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Things change quickly in the Premier League. Gary O'Neil and his staff signed four-year contract extensions in August, with the Wolves brass seemingly confident he could build on last season's 14th-place finish. Instead, things devolved rapidly in the other direction. Wolves have won just two league matches this campaign, and Saturday's crushing late loss to fellow relegation battlers Ipswich Town was the last straw, resulting in the 41-year-old bench boss being fired. Results were only part of the issue. O'Neil had clearly lost the ability to handle the spiraling situation, as each of the team's last two defeats were followed by on-pitch meltdowns from players. In predictable fashion, Wolves are <a href="https://x.com/David_Ornstein/status/1868291308818972859">reportedly</a> eyeing a Portuguese tactician, Vitor Pereira, to step in and lift the team out of the relegation zone. Restoring discipline will be the first task for whoever comes in for this rescue mission.</p><h3>Star performer 🌟</h3><p><strong>Amad Diallo (Manchester United)</strong></p><p>Why has it taken so long for someone to trust Diallo? United boss Ruben Amorim immediately identified the right-winger as one of the club's most interesting players, trying him out at the wing-back position before restoring him to his natural attacking role this week.</p><p>Diallo's incredible run of form culminated in a match-winning effort against Manchester City on Sunday. He was the most dangerous player in a match low on individual quality. He routinely made runs behind City's defense, forced the penalty that leveled the match, and scored the winner in the 90th minute.</p><p>There's no way Diallo would've evolved under Erik ten Hag. He rarely completed a full 90 minutes and never had a significant run of matches under the Dutch coach. Ruud van Nistelrooy seemed to notice something in Diallo once he took over as interim manager, and Amorim built on Van Nistelrooy's discovery, finding utility in his breathless work rate. Diallo is willing to play anywhere, and perhaps that's because he appreciates how difficult it is to get playing time at a club like United. Being sent on loan to Rangers and Sunderland can certainly humble a player.</p><h3>Best XI 😎</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=303919:Pickford,23354:Young,793907:Chalobah,683402:Adarabioyo,662428:Robinson,1089691:Anderson,956683:Gravenberch,1070052:Amad,493165:Maddison,771294:Sarr,690107:Isak&amp;formation=4-2-3-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2016" srcset="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=303919:Pickford,23354:Young,793907:Chalobah,683402:Adarabioyo,662428:Robinson,1089691:Anderson,956683:Gravenberch,1070052:Amad,493165:Maddison,771294:Sarr,690107:Isak&amp;formation=4-2-3-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2016 220w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=303919:Pickford,23354:Young,793907:Chalobah,683402:Adarabioyo,662428:Robinson,1089691:Anderson,956683:Gravenberch,1070052:Amad,493165:Maddison,771294:Sarr,690107:Isak&amp;formation=4-2-3-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2016 320w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=303919:Pickford,23354:Young,793907:Chalobah,683402:Adarabioyo,662428:Robinson,1089691:Anderson,956683:Gravenberch,1070052:Amad,493165:Maddison,771294:Sarr,690107:Isak&amp;formation=4-2-3-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2016 640w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=303919:Pickford,23354:Young,793907:Chalobah,683402:Adarabioyo,662428:Robinson,1089691:Anderson,956683:Gravenberch,1070052:Amad,493165:Maddison,771294:Sarr,690107:Isak&amp;formation=4-2-3-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2016 768w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=303919:Pickford,23354:Young,793907:Chalobah,683402:Adarabioyo,662428:Robinson,1089691:Anderson,956683:Gravenberch,1070052:Amad,493165:Maddison,771294:Sarr,690107:Isak&amp;formation=4-2-3-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2016 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><p>(Source: <a href="https://www.fotmob.com/">FotMob</a>)</p><h3>Highlight of the weekend 🎥</h3><p>We're not going to let Aston Villa's loss against Nottingham Forest distract us from this otherworldly one-handed save by Emiliano Martinez.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WATCH THIS EMI MARTINEZ SAVE 🙌 <a href="https://t.co/IDIbildHLP">pic.twitter.com/IDIbildHLP</a></p>— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/MenInBlazers/status/1868007499284328535?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Stat of the weekend 🔢</h3><p>Extend the man's contract already, Liverpool.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mohamed Salah now has 100 assists for Liverpool in all competitions. <br><br>Since his debut for the club in August 2017, only three players have made more in Europe's Top Five Leagues (all comps):<br><br>Kevin De Bruyne 132<br>Thomas Müller 118<br>Lionel Messi 108 <a href="https://t.co/3yOl2PWNtm">pic.twitter.com/3yOl2PWNtm</a></p>— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) <a href="https://twitter.com/OptaAnalyst/status/1867967680331816970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Social media moment 📱</h3><p>Sean Dyche walked so Mikel Arteta could run.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">“Ah you think corners are your ally? You merely adopted the set-piece. I was born in it, moulded by it. I didn't see the open play xG until I was an experienced Premier League manager, by then it was nothing to me but blinding" <a href="https://t.co/GrbCdb1uQH">pic.twitter.com/GrbCdb1uQH</a></p>— James Pendleton (@jpends_) <a href="https://twitter.com/jpends_/status/1868057038192058758?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Where we stand 👀</h3><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Club</th>
<th>Played</th>
<th>GD</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1.</strong></td>
<td>Liverpool</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>+18</td>
<td>36</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2.</strong></td>
<td>Chelsea</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>+18</td>
<td>34</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3.</strong></td>
<td>Arsenal</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>+14</td>
<td>30</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4.</strong></td>
<td>Nottingham Forest</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>28</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5.</td>
<td>Manchester City</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>+5</td>
<td>27</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6.</td>
<td>Aston Villa</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>-1</td>
<td>25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7.</td>
<td>Bournemouth</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>+3</td>
<td>24</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8.</td>
<td>Fulham</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>24</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9.</td>
<td>Brighton</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>+1</td>
<td>24</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10.</td>
<td>Tottenham</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>+17</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11.</td>
<td>Brentford</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12.</td>
<td>Newcastle</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13.</td>
<td>Manchester United</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14.</td>
<td>West Ham</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>-8</td>
<td>18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15.</td>
<td>Crystal Palace</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16.</td>
<td>Everton</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17.</td>
<td>Leicester</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>-13</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>18.</strong></td>
<td>Ipswich Town</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>-12</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>19.</strong></td>
<td>Wolves</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>-16</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>20.</strong></td>
<td>Southampton</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>-25</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><em>View more stats <a href="thescore:///epl/leaders">here</a>.</em></p>

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EPL Review: Man United's patience rewarded in crisis derby

Even when he scores for Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappe still can't catch a break.  The French superst...

<p>Even when he scores for Real Madrid, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///chlg/players/66967" href="https://thescore.com/chlg/players/66967">Kylian Mbappe</a> still can't catch a break.</p><p>The French superstar left Tuesday's Champions League match against Atalanta with a leg injury, going down late in the first half and asking to be substituted. <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///chlg/players/160984" href="https://thescore.com/chlg/players/160984">Rodrygo</a> replaced him in the 36th minute.</p><p>"(Mbappe) has a strain, some discomfort in his thigh," Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/42897461/kylian-mbappe-injury-real-madrid-star-exits-50th-ucl-goal">said</a> after the match. "We'll have to see. It doesn't look serious, but I don't know, we'll see tomorrow. He couldn't sprint. It was bothering him, so we had to substitute him."</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Before the injury, Mbappe recorded the 50th Champions League goal of his career, opening the scoring in Italy with a fine tally that showcased just how devastating he can be when at his best.</p><p>In finding the net, Mbappe became the second-youngest player to reach the half-century mark in the competition, behind only <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/1126" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/1126">Lionel Messi</a>. Mbappe, 25, needed only 79 games to hit the milestone.</p><p>Despite his well-documented struggles adapting to his new club since joining in the summer, Mbappe now has 12 goals across all competitions this season.</p><p>Real Madrid went on to win Tuesday's match 3-2, picking up three points the Champions League holders desperately needed as they look to qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament.</p>

Real Madrid's French forward #09 Kylian Mbappe reacts after an injury during the UEFA Champions League football match between Atalanta and Real Madrid at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, on December 10, 2024.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29385087/related

Mbappe injures thigh after scoring 50th Champions League goal

<p><em>Following every weekend of Premier League action, theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points to emerge from the slate of matches. Below, we dissect Matchweek 15 of the 2024-25 season.</em></p><h3>Are Chelsea true title contenders?</h3><p>The results say they are. Chelsea are second in the Premier League, just four points behind leaders Liverpool, and are well ahead of expectations. Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez are turning in match-winning performances, and the likes of Jadon Sancho and Nicolas Jackson are starting to nail down regular roles in the team. The trajectory of the club has crossed a key threshold, and it would be silly to deny it.</p><p>But Sunday's 4-2 comeback win over Tottenham Hotspur doesn't suddenly make them title contenders. Liverpool have a game in hand, and Chelsea have a number of shortcomings to overcome.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Marc Cucurella slipped on the plays that led to Tottenham's first two goals, and giveaways by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and defender Benoit Badiashile could've heaped misery on Chelsea when the tide was turning in Sunday's London derby. The Blues also needed two penalties - which Spurs gift-wrapped in the most careless possible way - to ignite the comeback effort.</p><p>"Arsenal, (Manchester) City, and Liverpool probably don't slide - like Cucurella did," head coach Enzo Maresca <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/c4g2pd77dert?post=asset%3Ad88ac3d2-507f-40c7-a2ff-aeed3f4636e9#post">said</a> afterward. "To be serious, we are not ready. We are far from these teams, but we focus on (it) day by day and (are) trying to improve the team."</p><p>Chelsea play an open and risky transition game, and as rewarding as it can be, it has its defects. Sometimes you see Moises Caicedo scrambling, and sometimes he lunges, and sometimes he gets away with a studs-up challenge, as he did Sunday. Chelsea's game is built around moments, and they can go both ways. Chelsea have already committed five errors leading to goals - higher than any other top-five team and a clear sign that they still struggle to control matches. The majority of Chelsea's wins have also come against teams in the bottom half of the table.</p><p>None of that is to say Chelsea can't win the title. But there's a lot to do before they can truly consider themselves a complete package.</p><h3>Quick free-kicks 📝</h3><p><strong>Unsung coaching heroes</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759590/cropped_GettyImages-2188885195.jpg?ts=1733687626" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759590/w220xh124_GettyImages-2188885195.jpg?ts=1733687626 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759590/w320xh180_GettyImages-2188885195.jpg?ts=1733687626 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759590/w640xh360_GettyImages-2188885195.jpg?ts=1733687626 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759590/w768xh432_GettyImages-2188885195.jpg?ts=1733687626 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759590/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2188885195.jpg?ts=1733687626 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth / AFC Bournemouth / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Besides players underperforming, there's another big reason why teams like Newcastle, Manchester United, and Tottenham are struggling outside the top 10. The trio should be competing for places in Europe. Instead, they can barely string two wins together. While they've toiled, teams like Bournemouth, Brentford, and Fulham have stepped up, overachieving with squads that aren't nearly as expensive. The difference comes down to coaching. Unlike the three high spenders, stability on the touchline has benefited Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, Brentford's Thomas Frank, and Fulham's Marco Silva. Their innovations and impact aren't talked about nearly enough. But after a weekend in which Brentford battered Newcastle, Bournemouth came from behind to beat Ipswich Town, and Fulham held title contenders Arsenal, it's time to give credit where it's due to the Premier League's most underrated coaches.</p><p><strong>Man United their own worst enemy</strong></p><p>Ruben Amorim has a massive task on his hands to turn Manchester United around. He knows that. It's going to take time and a lot of work. One thing he can't legislate for, though, is basic errors from his players. A brutal giveaway inside his own half from Bruno Fernandes, together with some truly confounding goalkeeping by Andre Onana, gifted Nottingham Forest one goal Saturday. Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez simply watched on, as if frozen in time, as a looping Chris Wood header, moving almost in slow motion, nestled into the net for another. The latter stood up as the winner at Old Trafford, consigning Amorim to his second consecutive defeat. Getting the fallen club back to the top is going to be difficult enough for the Portuguese tactician. It'll be downright impossible if his players keep torpedoing their own progress with the types of mistakes commonly seen in semi-pro leagues.</p><p><strong>'Season to suffer'</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759591/cropped_GettyImages-2188715340.jpg?ts=1733687707" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759591/w220xh124_GettyImages-2188715340.jpg?ts=1733687707 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759591/w320xh180_GettyImages-2188715340.jpg?ts=1733687707 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759591/w640xh360_GettyImages-2188715340.jpg?ts=1733687707 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759591/w768xh432_GettyImages-2188715340.jpg?ts=1733687707 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759591/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2188715340.jpg?ts=1733687707 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Ryan Pierse / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Manchester City didn't lose this weekend. Considering how things have gone for much of the last month, that's actually an improvement. It's also a sad statement that reflects the reality at the club right now. Pep Guardiola <a href="https://www.premierleague.com/news/4190268?sf275709994=1">admitted</a> after Saturday's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace that this is Man City's "season to suffer." Whether this team is built for that remains to be seen. Most of these players have won everything already. Sure, they've had to battle extremely hard in previous seasons, fending off fierce title challengers and winning huge matches. But they've never had to deal with a soul-sapping rut like this. Even Guardiola himself isn't sure if he and his squad are capable of digging themselves out of this hole. One thing that would help right off the bat: stop conceding early. Man City have given up a league-high seven goals in the first 15 minutes of matches this season. Always playing from behind isn't a recipe for success.</p><p><strong>Good luck, schedule-makers</strong></p><p>By the Premier League's <a href="https://www.premierleague.com/news/261976">own admission</a>, compiling the annual fixture list is a "meticulous and painstaking process that lasts almost half a year." One of the unintended byproducts of the current schedule, already loaded to the gills with matches, is the difficulty of rescheduling postponed games. With the top clubs seemingly in action every three days, finding a decent window to squeeze in an extra contest is no simple task. The Merseyside derby, called off Saturday due to Storm Darragh, will likely have to be shoehorned into a rare midweek opening somewhere after the jam-packed holiday slate. An already tricky test for Liverpool will be that little bit more challenging.</p><h3>Star performer 🌟</h3><p><strong>Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)</strong></p><p>Vardy is the definition of a talisman.</p><p>Leicester City's season hasn't gone to plan. However, Sunday's come-from-behind draw with Brighton &amp; Hove Albion, which followed an impressive win over West Ham, suggests momentum may finally be shifting in the Foxes' favor. And it was all thanks to their trusted striker.</p><p>With the Foxes teetering toward a defeat, the 37-year-old turned back the clock with a vintage display in the closing stages that was reminiscent of the performances that helped Leicester City win a shock Premier League title almost a decade ago.</p><p>As he's done so often over the years, Vardy brought the King Power Stadium to its feet after cutting Leicester's deficit in half in the 86th minute. The confidence-booster led to bigger celebrations five minutes later after Vardy set up the equalizer to become the second-oldest player to score and assist in a Premier League match.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jamie Vardy's last 7 games for Leicester... <br><br>• ⚽️ vs Southampton<br>• ⚽️ vs Nottingham Forest<br>• 🅰️ vs Ipswich<br>• ❌ vs Chelsea <br>• 🅰️ vs Brentford <br>• ⚽️ vs West Ham<br>• 🅰️⚽️ vs Brighton<br><br>37-years-old. Incredible. 👏 <a href="https://t.co/tAjtDh0AdN">pic.twitter.com/tAjtDh0AdN</a></p>— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/eurofootcom/status/1865789410551148704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Ten years after Ruud van Nistelrooy watched Vardy break his revered Premier League scoring record, Leicester's new coach is now relying on the revived veteran, who has six goals and three assists this season, to keep Leicester from dropping right back down to the Championship.</p><h3>Best XI 😎</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=317564:Arrizabalaga,955139:Lamptey,766611:Milenkovic,950485:Lacroix,966026:Maatsen,816325:Kamara,923312:Mbeumo,789502:Gibbs-White,1096353:Palmer,846381:Sancho,286119:Vardy&amp;formation=4-1-4-1" srcset="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=317564:Arrizabalaga,955139:Lamptey,766611:Milenkovic,950485:Lacroix,966026:Maatsen,816325:Kamara,923312:Mbeumo,789502:Gibbs-White,1096353:Palmer,846381:Sancho,286119:Vardy&amp;formation=4-1-4-1 220w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=317564:Arrizabalaga,955139:Lamptey,766611:Milenkovic,950485:Lacroix,966026:Maatsen,816325:Kamara,923312:Mbeumo,789502:Gibbs-White,1096353:Palmer,846381:Sancho,286119:Vardy&amp;formation=4-1-4-1 320w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=317564:Arrizabalaga,955139:Lamptey,766611:Milenkovic,950485:Lacroix,966026:Maatsen,816325:Kamara,923312:Mbeumo,789502:Gibbs-White,1096353:Palmer,846381:Sancho,286119:Vardy&amp;formation=4-1-4-1 640w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=317564:Arrizabalaga,955139:Lamptey,766611:Milenkovic,950485:Lacroix,966026:Maatsen,816325:Kamara,923312:Mbeumo,789502:Gibbs-White,1096353:Palmer,846381:Sancho,286119:Vardy&amp;formation=4-1-4-1 768w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=317564:Arrizabalaga,955139:Lamptey,766611:Milenkovic,950485:Lacroix,966026:Maatsen,816325:Kamara,923312:Mbeumo,789502:Gibbs-White,1096353:Palmer,846381:Sancho,286119:Vardy&amp;formation=4-1-4-1 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><p>(Source: <a href="https://www.fotmob.com/">FotMob</a>)</p><h3>Highlight of the weekend 🎥</h3><p>Bryan Mbeumo is having the season of his life. Through just 15 matches, the Brentford talisman has already matched his career high for goals in a Premier League campaign, registering his ninth tally in Saturday's win over Newcastle. He did it in style, too, helping the Bees maintain their status as the best home team in the country.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🧑‍🎨 Bryan Mbeumo, a master of his art <a href="https://t.co/YBuWzOaL6v">pic.twitter.com/YBuWzOaL6v</a></p>— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentfordFC/status/1865516642073194893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Stat of the weekend 🔢</h3><p>We're still trying to figure out how, exactly, Andre Onana <em>didn't</em> save this. Even the commentators, absolutely perplexed, thought there must have been a deflection to wrong-foot the goalkeeper. There was no deflection.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A goalkeeper would be expected to save this shot 97% of the time, according to xGOT. <a href="https://t.co/9CVTvpXrMt">pic.twitter.com/9CVTvpXrMt</a></p>— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) <a href="https://twitter.com/xGPhilosophy/status/1865467570540642607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Social media moment 📱</h3><p>If you swapped doppelgangers Jota Silva and Jack Grealish, would anybody at their respective clubs even notice?</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">31' 🟨 Jota Silva is booked for elbowing Garnacho. <br><br>🔴 1-1 🌳 | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUFC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUNNFO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUNNFO</a> <a href="https://t.co/wyM7qw5dFT">pic.twitter.com/wyM7qw5dFT</a></p>— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) <a href="https://twitter.com/StretfordPaddck/status/1865457376788189461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Where we stand 👀</h3><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Club</th>
<th>Played</th>
<th>GD</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1.</td>
<td>Liverpool</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>+18</td>
<td>35</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2.</td>
<td>Chelsea</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>+17</td>
<td>31</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3.</td>
<td>Arsenal</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>+14</td>
<td>29</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4.</td>
<td>Manchester City</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>+6</td>
<td>27</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5.</td>
<td>Nottingham Forest</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>+1</td>
<td>25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6.</td>
<td>Aston Villa</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7.</td>
<td>Brighton</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>+3</td>
<td>24</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8.</td>
<td>Bournemouth</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>+3</td>
<td>24</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9.</td>
<td>Brentford</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10.</td>
<td>Fulham</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11.</td>
<td>Tottenham</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>+12</td>
<td>20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12.</td>
<td>Newcastle</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>-2</td>
<td>20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13.</td>
<td>Manchester United</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>+1</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14.</td>
<td>West Ham</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>-9</td>
<td>15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15.</td>
<td>Everton</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16.</td>
<td>Leicester</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>-9</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17.</td>
<td>Crystal Palace</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>-6</td>
<td>13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>18.</td>
<td>Ipswich Town</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>-13</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>19.</td>
<td>Wolves</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>-14</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>20.</td>
<td>Southampton</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>-20</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><em>View more stats <a href="thescore:///epl/leaders">here</a>.</em></p>

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EPL Review: Chelsea move into title conversation, Vardy's still got it

Lionel Messi was named the 2024 Major League Soccer MVP on Friday.  The Argentine superstar led t...

<p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/1126" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/1126">Lionel Messi</a> was named the 2024 Major League Soccer MVP on Friday.</p><p>The Argentine superstar led the league with 36 goal contributions during Inter Miami's record-breaking regular season, scoring 20 times and providing 16 primary and secondary assists despite playing only 19 matches. The 37-year-old averaged an MLS-record 2.18 goal contributions per 90 minutes.</p><p>Led by Messi, Miami established a new MLS record for points in a single campaign and claimed the Supporters' Shield for the first time in club history.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>"Truly, it is an honor for me to receive this award from all of you," Messi, addressing Inter Miami's academy players who helped present him with the honor, <a href="https://x.com/InterMiamiCF/status/1865048589228994625">said</a> in an acceptance video. "It's a source of pride to watch you all train. I'm very happy to be here every day. I'm very happy to be in this city, in this club that is growing. It's a pleasure to see you grow day by day. I invite you to keep fighting and striving for your dreams."</p><p>Messi beat out teammate <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/4433" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/4433">Luis Suarez</a>, Golden Boot winner <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/15086" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/15086">Christian Benteke</a>, and All-Star forwards <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/167806" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/167806">Evander</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/96354" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/96354">Cucho Hernandez</a> to win the award and add new silverware to his overflowing trophy cabinet.</p><p><strong>Voting Results</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Player</th>
<th>Votes</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Lionel Messi</td>
<td>38.43%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cucho Hernandez</td>
<td>33.70%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Evander</td>
<td>9.24%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Christian Benteke</td>
<td>7.10%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Luis Suarez</td>
<td>2.17%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>Messi is the second consecutive Argentine to take home the accolade after FC Cincinnati's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/68013" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/68013">Luciano Acosta</a> received the honor in 2023.</p><p>Overwhelming favorites to win the MLS Cup, Inter Miami were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, falling to Atlanta United. </p><p>The stunning upset resulted in manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino's departure. Javier Mascherano, Messi's compatriot and former teammate, has since succeeded Martino.</p><p>Messi's contract with Inter Miami expires at the end of 2025, though the deal reportedly includes an option to extend his stay through 2026.</p><p>Other MLS award winners this season include Columbus' Wilfried Nancy (coach of the year), LA Galaxy winger <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/205843" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/205843">Gabriel Pec</a> (top newcomer), and Cincinnati's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/206341" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/206341">Luca Orellano</a> (best goal).</p>

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 14: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami celebrates after scoring a goal against the Philadelphia Union during the first half of the game at Chase Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29329845/related

Messi named MLS MVP after Inter Miami's historic season

On the first Tuesday of every month during the 2024-25 season, we'll debate which clubs are among...

<p><em>On the first Tuesday of every month during the 2024-25 season, we'll debate which clubs are among Europe's elite in our Soccer Power Rankings. In our December edition, we're picking out one summer signing that must step up his game for each team on our list.</em></p><p><strong>Jump to:</strong><br><a href="#Arsenal">ARS</a> | <a href="#Atalanta">ATA</a> | <a href="#Atletico%20Madrid">ATM</a> | <a href="#Barcelona">BAR</a> | <a href="#BVB">BVB</a> | <a href="#Chelsea">CHE</a> | <a href="#Bayern">FCB</a> | <a href="#Fiorentina">FIO</a> | <a href="#Inter">INT</a> | <a href="#Juventus">JUV</a> | <a href="#Lille">LIL</a> | <a href="#Leverkusen">LEV</a> | <a href="#Liverpool">LIV</a> | <a href="#Man%20City">MCI</a> | <a href="#AC%20Milan">MIL </a>| <a href="#Napoli">NAP</a> | <a href="#PSG">PSG</a> | <a href="#Real%20Madrid">RMA</a> | <a href="#Sporting">SCP</a> | <a href="#Frankfurt">SGE</a></p><h3>1. <a id="Liverpool" name="Liverpool">Liverpool</a> 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747979/cropped_GettyImages-2174518261.jpg?ts=1727818503" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747979/w220xh124_GettyImages-2174518261.jpg?ts=1727818503 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747979/w320xh180_GettyImages-2174518261.jpg?ts=1727818503 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747979/w640xh360_GettyImages-2174518261.jpg?ts=1727818503 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747979/w768xh432_GettyImages-2174518261.jpg?ts=1727818503 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747979/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2174518261.jpg?ts=1727818503 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Nikki Dyer - LFC / Liverpool FC / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 2 📈</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Considering Liverpool's sensational start to life under Arne Slot, this is little more than a nitpick. It obviously hasn't hindered them in any way, but <strong>Federico Chiesa</strong> has been virtually nonexistent since joining the club from Juventus in the summer. The Italian, struggling to achieve full fitness, has made just three appearances in all competitions, playing a grand total of 78 minutes. Imagine if they actually get <em>anything</em> out of him this season.</p><h3>2. <a id="Atalanta" name="Atalanta">Atalanta</a> 🇮🇹</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 7 📈</p><p>Atalanta are flying right now, with Mateo Retegui, Charles De Ketelaere, and Ademola Lookman all in scintillating form for a side that's scored 26 times during an eight-game winning streak. <strong>Nicolo Zaniolo</strong> is the only player yet to flourish under Gian Piero Gasperini. The Italian, on loan from Galatasaray, has more yellow cards than goals this season. At some point, Atalanta's scoring spree will slow down. Having Zaniolo at his best will help in those moments.</p><h3>3. <a id="Inter" name="Inter">Inter Milan</a> 🇮🇹</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 11 📈</p><p>Captain Lautaro Martinez and strike partner Marcus Thuram continue to carry the attacking load, combining for nearly half of Inter's goals in Serie A this season. With the Nerazzurri competing on several fronts, <strong>Mehdi Taremi</strong>, who's still goalless in league play, will need to step up and offer a credible secondary scoring threat who can give Simone Inzaghi's first-choice pair a break as the fixture list keeps piling up.</p><h3>4. <a id="Bayern" name="Bayern">Bayern Munich</a> 🇩🇪</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 5 📈</p><p>Having finally landed the defensive midfield specialist they long coveted, Bayern Munich probably expected a little more out of <strong>Joao Palhinha</strong>. The ball-winning machine saw limited playing time early in the season before getting injured, raising questions about his suitability for Vincent Kompany's system. Nearing a return from an adductor tear, the Portuguese international will be looking to supplant a resurgent Leon Goretzka in the starting lineup.</p><h3>5. <a id="Arsenal" name="Arsenal">Arsenal</a> 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758599/cropped_GettyImages-2186396848.jpg?ts=1733229987" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758599/w220xh124_GettyImages-2186396848.jpg?ts=1733229987 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758599/w320xh180_GettyImages-2186396848.jpg?ts=1733229987 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758599/w640xh360_GettyImages-2186396848.jpg?ts=1733229987 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758599/w768xh432_GettyImages-2186396848.jpg?ts=1733229987 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758599/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2186396848.jpg?ts=1733229987 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Soccrates Images / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 9 📈</p><p>Raheem Sterling has been a non-factor this season, but his loan deal was a low-risk, last-minute summer signing. <strong>Mikel Merino</strong>, on the other hand, cost nearly €40 million and has yet to look comfortable in north London, starting just four Premier League matches since moving from Real Sociedad. Injuries have delayed his acclimation. Getting more out of the Spanish midfielder in the second half of the season would be a big boost to Arsenal's title push.</p><h3>6. <a id="Chelsea" name="Chelsea">Chelsea</a> 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 16 📈</p><p>Chelsea are making excellent progress under Enzo Maresca. Despite the justified criticism of the club's scattergun transfer policy, the ceiling for this team is very high after multiple windows spent doling out huge sums of cash. But one area that could yet derail the Blues' ascent is between the sticks, where Robert Sanchez remains an unconvincing No. 1. <strong>Filip Jorgensen</strong> can wrest that job away and provide Chelsea with a better backbone in goal.</p><h3>7. <a id="Barcelona" name="Barcelona">Barcelona</a> 🇪🇸</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 1 📉</p><p><strong>Dani Olmo</strong> has looked great when he's been on the pitch - five La Liga goals in just seven appearances - but that's just it: He's not been available consistently enough to justify Barcelona's €60-million outlay. Fitness issues have been the one real knock on the Spaniard throughout his career. He gives Barca a unique set of versatility and creativity and needs to stay healthy for a team dealing with its first bit of adversity under Hansi Flick.</p><h3>8. <a id="Napoli" name="Napoli">Napoli</a> 🇮🇹</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 8 ⚖️</p><p>Napoli, unlike so many other teams on this list, aren't burdened by sapping midweek European fixtures. Antonio Conte doesn't have to worry about squad rotation nearly as much as his peers. That's helped Matteo Politano retain his starting place on the right wing despite limited production this season. <strong>David Neres</strong>, often a late-game substitute in that position, has a chance to make the starting spot his own if he can fully win Conte's trust.</p><h3>9. <a id="Real Madrid" name="Real%20Madrid">Real Madrid</a> 🇪🇸</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 3 📉</p><p>Who else? <strong>Kylian Mbappe</strong> hasn't exactly hit the ground running in the Spanish capital. His raw numbers aren't <em>that</em> bad - eight league goals in 13 games - but he's been an awkward fit on the pitch while Carlo Ancelotti tinkers and figures out how to make the best use of his skills. Mbappe was always going to be judged more harshly than any other summer signing. He's set the bar sky-high, and he hasn't come close to reaching it yet in Madrid.</p><h3>10. <a id="Atletico Madrid" name="Atletico%20Madrid">Atletico Madrid</a> 🇪🇸</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758600/cropped_GettyImages-2186851455.jpg?ts=1733230057" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758600/w220xh124_GettyImages-2186851455.jpg?ts=1733230057 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758600/w320xh180_GettyImages-2186851455.jpg?ts=1733230057 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758600/w640xh360_GettyImages-2186851455.jpg?ts=1733230057 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758600/w768xh432_GettyImages-2186851455.jpg?ts=1733230057 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758600/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2186851455.jpg?ts=1733230057 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Flor Tan Jun / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 17 📈</p><p>Atletico are still unsure when Robin Le Normand will be available to return from the traumatic head injury he suffered in September. The club won't take any chances with the defender, who only recently resumed light training while wearing protective headgear. In his continued absence, <strong>Clement Lenglet</strong> has stepped in. He was signed on loan from Barcelona to provide defensive depth but has suddenly been thrust into a key role for Diego Simeone.</p><h3>11. <a id="Man City" name="Man%20City">Manchester City</a> 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 4 📉</p><p>Manchester City need better play from virtually <em>everyone</em> right now to get out of their stunning tailspin. <strong>Savinho</strong>, who looked so promising early in the season, has hit a wall of late, just like so many of his struggling teammates. The Brazilian, without a goal on the campaign, hasn't recorded a league assist since September. That's simply not good enough for a winger tasked with being one of the key creative forces and suppliers for Erling Haaland.</p><h3>12. <a id="PSG" name="PSG">Paris Saint-Germain</a> 🇫🇷</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 6 📉</p><p><strong>Desire Doue</strong> was a signing for the future, but Paris Saint-Germain need him right now. Luis Enrique's men are cruising in Ligue 1, as usual, but they've been pitiful in the Champions League, sitting 25th after five matches. Filling the void left by the game's best forward is a huge undertaking, and it can't be done by one player alone. Doue, 19, can help soften the blow of Mbappe's absence by showing why PSG splashed €50 million to sign him from Rennes.</p><h3>13. <a id="Fiorentina" name="Fiorentina">Fiorentina</a> 🇮🇹</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 10 📉</p><p>Red-hot striker Moise Kean has been one of the best signings in Italy this season. His resurgence after a goalless 2023-24 has been vital to lifting Fiorentina near the top of the Serie A table. Fellow summer arrival <strong>Albert Gudmundsson</strong> hasn't been able to have the same impact yet, though. The Icelandic playmaker was coveted by some of Europe's top clubs before landing in Florence and has the talent to help Fiorentina climb even higher.</p><h3>14. <a id="Sporting" name="Sporting">Sporting CP</a> 🇵🇹</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 12 📉</p><p>With Ruben Amorim getting poached by Manchester United, all eyes are now on prolific star Viktor Gyokeres. It's only a matter of when, not if, he leaves for an enormous fee. Sporting, one of the shrewdest operators in the transfer market, preplanned for that by spending more than €20 million on Danish teenager <strong>Conrad Harder</strong> in September. The young striker could be tasked with leading the line as early as January if Gyokeres departs this winter.</p><h3>15. <a id="Frankfurt" name="Frankfurt">Eintracht Frankfurt</a> 🇩🇪</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758601/cropped_GettyImages-2182903966.jpg?ts=1733230149" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758601/w220xh124_GettyImages-2182903966.jpg?ts=1733230149 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758601/w320xh180_GettyImages-2182903966.jpg?ts=1733230149 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758601/w640xh360_GettyImages-2182903966.jpg?ts=1733230149 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758601/w768xh432_GettyImages-2182903966.jpg?ts=1733230149 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758601/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2182903966.jpg?ts=1733230149 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">NurPhoto / NurPhoto / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 15 ⚖️</p><p>Frankfurt, who won all six of their games in November, nailed several of their summer signings. Robin Koch has played more minutes than anybody on the team, Arthur Theate and Rasmus Kristensen are defensive pillars, and Hugo Ekitike has nine goal involvements in 11 league games. The only new face not fully settled is <strong>Mahmoud Dahoud</strong>. The midfielder, aiming to get his career back on track after a tough 2023-24, has just one Bundesliga start so far. </p><h3>16. <a id="Leverkusen" name="Leverkusen">Bayer Leverkusen</a> 🇩🇪</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 18 📈</p><p>Leverkusen's greatest accomplishment in the summer window was keeping hold of all the key contributors from their undefeated title-winning season. They didn't rest on their laurels, though, and committed more deeply to Xabi Alonso's possession-based style by recruiting deep-lying midfield quarterback <strong>Aleix Garcia</strong> from Girona. The diminutive Spaniard is starting to show in recent games why he was viewed as a perfect fit for Alonso's squad.</p><h3>17. <a id="AC Milan" name="AC%20Milan">AC Milan</a> 🇮🇹</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> N/A 📈</p><p>A bevy of credible attacking options means Alvaro Morata's modest scoring output isn't Paulo Fonseca's biggest worry. Inconsistency in defense has been more baffling - Milan are capable of shutting down Real Madrid one day and conceding three goals to Cagliari the next. Fonseca's used four different center-back pairings in the past five outings in search of a solution. <strong>Strahinja Pavlovic</strong> can lock down one of those spots by simply refining his game.</p><h3>18. <a id="Juventus" name="Juventus">Juventus</a> 🇮🇹</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 14 📉</p><p><strong>Teun Koopmeiners</strong>. Juventus made the Dutchman the centerpiece of their summer rebuild, signing him for nearly €60 million. They expected he'd provide goals from midfield, something the club has long lacked. It hasn't worked out yet, with Koopmeiners still seeking his first tally for the Bianconeri. Ravaged by injuries of late, Thiago Motta's Juve desperately needs him to recapture last season's form and uplift a squad struggling badly to score.</p><h3>19. <a id="Lille" name="Lille">Lille</a> 🇫🇷</h3><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> 20 📈</p><p>Tiago Santos' impressive play last year was one of the reasons why Lille reached the Champions League. But an early-season ACL tear ruled the Portuguese right-back out for the remainder of this campaign, leaving <strong>Aissa Mandi</strong> to patrol that position. A natural center-back, the veteran Algerian international has slotted in well on the right side, and his defense-first mindset allows winger Edon Zhegrova to play with more freedom in front of him.</p><h3>20. <a id="BVB" name="BVB">Borussia Dortmund</a> 🇩🇪</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758602/cropped_GettyImages-2187699207.jpg?ts=1733230227" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758602/w220xh124_GettyImages-2187699207.jpg?ts=1733230227 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758602/w320xh180_GettyImages-2187699207.jpg?ts=1733230227 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758602/w640xh360_GettyImages-2187699207.jpg?ts=1733230227 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758602/w768xh432_GettyImages-2187699207.jpg?ts=1733230227 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758602/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2187699207.jpg?ts=1733230227 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Stuart Franklin / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Previous rank:</strong> N/A 📈</p><p>Borussia Dortmund games might look like track meets over the next month. Among teams in the top half of the Bundesliga, only Stuttgart have conceded more goals than Dortmund this season. With key defender Waldemar Anton likely out until January due to injury, BVB might have to simply outscore their defensive issues for a bit. Getting more out of <strong>Maximilian Beier</strong>, who has just two goals this season, would go a long way toward making that possible.</p><p><strong>Dropped out</strong>: RB Leipzig, Nottingham Forest<br><strong>On the cusp:</strong> Benfica, PSV Eindhoven, AS Monaco, Galatasaray</p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29287471/related

Soccer Power Rankings: Summer signings who must step up for each team

<p><em>Following every weekend of Premier League action, theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points to emerge from the slate of matches. Below, we dissect Matchweek 13 of the 2024-25 season.</em></p><h3>Does Guardiola have any answers?</h3><p>Midway through Liverpool's otherwise dominant 2-0 win over Manchester City, the champions finally emerged from the rubble of an utterly one-sided opening half-hour with the ball. A lifeline was suddenly up for grabs. Liverpool had missed several chances to make it a blowout and began to retreat into their own end. But the opportunity came and went without much ado. City couldn't summon anything. They had 63% of possession between their first attempt on goal in the 38th minute and Mohamed Salah's game-clinching 78th-minute penalty but couldn't get a shot on target in that time. They couldn't disturb Liverpool, even as the hosts challenged them to do so.</p><p>Guardiola tried to inspire change beforehand, dropping Ederson for backup 'keeper Stefan Ortega and defender Josko Gvardiol for Nathan Ake. Removing Ederson and Gvardiol from the firing line seemed like a responsible choice; their errors precipitated at least a couple of City's recent losses.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Neither Ortega nor Ake could reset the side. Ortega conceded a penalty when he was left all alone with two Liverpool players, while Ake did his best to resist the press on his own. They just couldn't prevent the mistakes that have cost City over the past five weeks from repeating themselves here. They gave away the ball cheaply, attempted low-percentage passes at the wrong time, and committed silly challenges early on. The self-belief that made City seem unstoppable in previous years deserted them yet again.</p><p>Guardiola <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3146465" href="https://thescore.com/news/3146465">said</a> afterward that City will have to hit the reset button and start from scratch. But he's rarely had to do that with any team he's coached. He's not used to doing something so drastic midseason. And he's never had to rethink his entire approach amid such a startling downturn. City haven't won in seven games, and it's not unreasonable to think they could lose many more before the end of the season. They face sixth-placed Nottingham Forest on Wednesday and then have a tough run of fixtures against Juventus, Manchester United, and Aston Villa. That leads them like a pig to slaughter into the meat grinder that is the festive period, which is uncompromising at the best of times.</p><p>Now is probably the worst time to have an existential crisis.</p><h3>Quick free-kicks 📝</h3><p><strong>Statement win for Amorim's United</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758279/cropped_GettyImages-2187190636.jpg?ts=1733068357" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758279/w220xh124_GettyImages-2187190636.jpg?ts=1733068357 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758279/w320xh180_GettyImages-2187190636.jpg?ts=1733068357 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758279/w640xh360_GettyImages-2187190636.jpg?ts=1733068357 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758279/w768xh432_GettyImages-2187190636.jpg?ts=1733068357 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758279/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2187190636.jpg?ts=1733068357 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Ruben Amorim's angry reactions were telling at the start of Manchester United's clash against Everton. With the visitors regularly venturing into United's half, Amorim went ballistic on a few of his players for underperforming in one of the most winnable games of the season. His patience was clearly running out just three matches into his United career. But after playing like Erik ten Hag's timid side to start the match, United started to show signs that Amorim's philosophies were taking hold. Amad Diallo was outstanding, while Joshua Zirkzee - a target of one of Amorim's early outbursts - ended his 17-game drought with a brace in United's biggest league win since 2021. The next test for Amorim's United is performing just as well against better opponents than relegation-threatened teams like Everton.</p><p><strong>If at first you don't succeed ...</strong></p><p>Daniel Munoz showed the power of persistence Saturday. The Colombian missed two glorious chances in the first half against Newcastle, one an open-net sitter with his left foot on the counterattack, the other a close-range tap-in denied on the goal line by a diving Dan Burn. But the Crystal Palace wing-back wasn't deterred. He kept taking opportunities to creep in at the back post, and it paid dividends when he finally scored his first Premier League goal, a 94th-minute equalizer that got Palace out of the drop zone. "He scored the most difficult chance," manager Oliver Glasner said after the 1-1 draw, according to <a href="https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/crystal-palace-boss-oliver-glasner-195125686.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9jbXNhZG1pbi50aGVzY29yZS5jb20v&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABoxZvG_2o67V9IR1MhEd9CKldpDF316JC0rT94Lm_MqyV9kq_m0etTz0jVIwSVEayoqsAIuqfYMR89llBFm-Bl2P3f0sbjt6M_VGgWyQSc5VcF7ut1LF3VGdKk_BDdMUuXMayBa4bj0KTxuHEe3Nu0adoww-2pKtFhgy3bJB6rC">Yahoo Sports' Bobby Manzi</a>. "This shows his character, the character of the team, and the character of all of us."</p><p><strong>Kluivert holds his nerve</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758100/cropped_GettyImages-2187589859.jpg?ts=1732985902" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758100/w220xh124_GettyImages-2187589859.jpg?ts=1732985902 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758100/w320xh180_GettyImages-2187589859.jpg?ts=1732985902 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758100/w640xh360_GettyImages-2187589859.jpg?ts=1732985902 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758100/w768xh432_GettyImages-2187589859.jpg?ts=1732985902 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758100/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2187589859.jpg?ts=1732985902 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth / AFC Bournemouth / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Penalties often get dismissed when looking at a player's body of work. They're the easiest chances in the game to convert - you really <em>shouldn't</em> be squandering a free attempt from 12 yards out. And yet, so many do. Justin Kluivert had no such trouble Saturday, though, becoming the first player in the Premier League era to convert three spot-kicks in the same game. That hasn't happened in England's top flight since 1957. This was a showcase of mental fortitude from the Bournemouth forward as much as anything. Mind games are a key part of penalties, which is why many teams use different takers if they get multiple opportunities from the spot within a match. But Kluivert didn't get in his own head trying to outwit Wolves' Jose Sa - and made history.</p><p><strong>Brentford love home cooking</strong></p><p>The Gtech Community Stadium is a fortress. Brentford have been the best home team in the league so far this season, racking up more points on their own turf than any club. Thomas Frank's men are pouring it on against everyone who visits west London. They're unbeaten in seven home matches, winning six of those games. The Bees' 4-1 win over Leicester City on Saturday, powered by a hat-trick from Kevin Schade, gave them 16 goals in their last four home games in the Premier League (all wins). The tests get tougher in the new year - Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool make the trip in January. But Brentford's explosive attack, backed by boisterous support, can cause problems for anyone.</p><p><strong>RvN has huge task on his hands</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758105/cropped_GettyImages-2186992089.jpg?ts=1732988090" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758105/w220xh124_GettyImages-2186992089.jpg?ts=1732988090 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758105/w320xh180_GettyImages-2186992089.jpg?ts=1732988090 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758105/w640xh360_GettyImages-2186992089.jpg?ts=1732988090 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758105/w768xh432_GettyImages-2186992089.jpg?ts=1732988090 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/758105/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2186992089.jpg?ts=1732988090 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Steven Paston - PA Images / PA Images / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>One person in attendance at the Gtech on Saturday who likely didn't enjoy what he saw was Ruud van Nistelrooy. Watching from the stands just one day after being named Leicester manager, the Dutchman looked on as his new team fell apart after scoring the opening goal. Jamie Vardy, now 37, continues to provide production up front, and Facundo Buonanotte, on loan from Brighton, is making the leap, but there's little else to be excited about right now. The defense, which hasn't kept a clean sheet since Oct. 5, is slow and susceptible, while a lack of playmakers in central midfield puts all the burden on the aforementioned attack-minded players. There's plenty for the former Manchester United interim boss to fix.</p><h3>Star performer 🌟</h3><p><strong>Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)</strong></p><p>The Premier League record for assists in a single season is jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne, who each recorded 20 helpers in 2002-03 and 2019-20, respectively. That mark is in serious jeopardy of being eclipsed.</p><p>Saka is already up to 10 assists in the league this season after another terrific display in Arsenal's 5-2 dismissal of a woeful West Ham United side. He's played just 12 matches. Saka set up two goals against the Hammers, won his team a penalty with crafty footwork inside the area, and converted another spot-kick that he himself helped earn.</p><p>Some may scoff and claim the English winger inflates his numbers because he takes set pieces, an area where Arsenal are more lethal than any team in the league; indeed, one of his assists Saturday was a corner kick that Gabriel Magalhaes headed home. But that would be doing him a disservice. One of the reasons Arsenal have scored 20 goals from the corners since the start of last season - more than any team - is <em>because</em> of Saka's wicked swinging delivery, which causes instant havoc. With Martin Odegaard back and looking to feed Saka at every chance, Arsenal are humming again after a recent blip.</p><p>If Saka does eclipse the assist record shared by Henry and De Bruyne, he'll be hoping for a slightly different outcome to Arsenal's season; neither Henry nor De Bruyne won the Premier League title in their record-setting campaigns.</p><h3>Best XI 😎</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=789571:S%C3%A1nchez,859282:Munoz,188058:Burn,1458711:Murillo,1070052:Amad,956683:Gravenberch,1137705:Fern%C3%A1ndez,873289:Cucurella,961995:Saka,1083796:Schade,794253:Kluivert&amp;formation=3-4-3&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2013" srcset="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=789571:S%C3%A1nchez,859282:Munoz,188058:Burn,1458711:Murillo,1070052:Amad,956683:Gravenberch,1137705:Fern%C3%A1ndez,873289:Cucurella,961995:Saka,1083796:Schade,794253:Kluivert&amp;formation=3-4-3&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2013 220w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=789571:S%C3%A1nchez,859282:Munoz,188058:Burn,1458711:Murillo,1070052:Amad,956683:Gravenberch,1137705:Fern%C3%A1ndez,873289:Cucurella,961995:Saka,1083796:Schade,794253:Kluivert&amp;formation=3-4-3&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2013 320w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=789571:S%C3%A1nchez,859282:Munoz,188058:Burn,1458711:Murillo,1070052:Amad,956683:Gravenberch,1137705:Fern%C3%A1ndez,873289:Cucurella,961995:Saka,1083796:Schade,794253:Kluivert&amp;formation=3-4-3&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2013 640w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=789571:S%C3%A1nchez,859282:Munoz,188058:Burn,1458711:Murillo,1070052:Amad,956683:Gravenberch,1137705:Fern%C3%A1ndez,873289:Cucurella,961995:Saka,1083796:Schade,794253:Kluivert&amp;formation=3-4-3&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2013 768w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=789571:S%C3%A1nchez,859282:Munoz,188058:Burn,1458711:Murillo,1070052:Amad,956683:Gravenberch,1137705:Fern%C3%A1ndez,873289:Cucurella,961995:Saka,1083796:Schade,794253:Kluivert&amp;formation=3-4-3&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2013 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><p>(Courtesy: <a href="https://www.fotmob.com/">FotMob</a>)</p><h3>Highlight of the weekend 🎥</h3><p>Justin Kluivert's historic hat-trick of penalties hogged all the headlines, but teammate Milos Kerkez scored the goal of the weekend with a left-footed rocket off a sweeping team move.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A brilliant team move ✅<br>A rocket of a finish ✅<br>First ever <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/afcb?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#afcb</a> goal ✅<br><br>This goal has a bit of everything ️‍🔥 <a href="https://t.co/lujRmEBdB1">pic.twitter.com/lujRmEBdB1</a></p>— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) <a href="https://twitter.com/afcbournemouth/status/1863161870435373352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Stat of the weekend 🔢</h3><p>Arsenal have given traveling fans plenty to cheer about in 2024.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">5 - Arsenal have scored 5+ goals in five away games in all competitions in 2024, a joint-record by an English top-flight team in a single calendar year, along with Sunderland in 1892 and Manchester City in 1937. Relentless. <a href="https://t.co/1uWL5qexUr">pic.twitter.com/1uWL5qexUr</a></p>— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) <a href="https://twitter.com/OptaJoe/status/1862941743437508999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Social media moment 📱</h3><p>Pep Guardiola channeled his inner Jose Mourinho with the pettiest of replies to chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning" during Manchester City's loss to Liverpool. "All of the stadiums want to sack me, starting with Brighton," he <a href="https://x.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1863309433264046553">said</a>. "Maybe they're right. Maybe I must be sacked for the result that we have, but I didn't expect (that) at Anfield. ... I didn't expect (it) from the people from Liverpool. But it's fine."</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Liverpool fans chant "you're getting sacked in the morning" to Pep Guardiola 🎶<br><br>Pep responds with six fingers, one for each Premier League title 😏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LIVMCI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LIVMCI</a> <a href="https://t.co/T4UUmuaNax">pic.twitter.com/T4UUmuaNax</a></p>— Premier League (@premierleague) <a href="https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1863279288159522891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Where we stand 👀</h3><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Club</th>
<th>Played</th>
<th>GD</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1.</td>
<td>Liverpool</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>+18</td>
<td>34</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2.</td>
<td>Arsenal</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>+12</td>
<td>25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3.</td>
<td>Chelsea</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>+12</td>
<td>25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4.</td>
<td>Brighton</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>+5</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5.</td>
<td>Manchester City</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>+3</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6.</td>
<td>Nottingham Forest</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>+3</td>
<td>22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7.</td>
<td>Tottenham</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>+14</td>
<td>20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8.</td>
<td>Brentford</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9.</td>
<td>Manchester United</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10.</td>
<td>Fulham</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>+0</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11.</td>
<td>Newcastle</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12.</td>
<td>Aston Villa</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13.</td>
<td>Bournemouth</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14.</td>
<td>West Ham</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15.</td>
<td>Everton</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>-11</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16.</td>
<td>Leicester</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>-11</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17.</td>
<td>Crystal Palace</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>18.</td>
<td>Wolves</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>-10</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>19.</td>
<td>Ipswich Town</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>-11</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>20.</td>
<td>Southampton</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>-15</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><em>View more stats <a href="thescore:///epl/leaders">here</a>.</em></p>

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EPL Review: Liverpool plunge Man City into existential crisis

The supersized Champions League resumed this week, with all 36 teams back in action over 48 frene...

<p><em>The supersized Champions League resumed this week, with all 36 teams back in action over 48 frenetic hours. Below, theScore's soccer editors reflect on Matchday 5 in Europe's premier club competition.</em></p><h3>Key takeaway from Matchday 5 📝</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753990/cropped_GettyImages-2183147874.jpg?ts=1730986225" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753990/w220xh124_GettyImages-2183147874.jpg?ts=1730986225 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753990/w320xh180_GettyImages-2183147874.jpg?ts=1730986225 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753990/w640xh360_GettyImages-2183147874.jpg?ts=1730986225 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753990/w768xh432_GettyImages-2183147874.jpg?ts=1730986225 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753990/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2183147874.jpg?ts=1730986225 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Quality Sport Images / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Anthony Lopopolo</strong>: Kylian Mbappe is in a tailspin. He's scored two goals in his last nine matches and missed a penalty in Real Madrid's damaging 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Wednesday. His lukewarm display at Anfield comes as investigators in Sweden investigate rape allegations and while his team fights former club Paris Saint-Germain over unpaid bonuses. Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley was the latest opponent to get the best of Mbappe, keeping the Frenchman from turning on the afterburners and running into space Wednesday. While Mbappe is struggling to adapt to Madrid's system and finding it uncomfortable to flip between the left-wing and center-forward positions, even his pace and dribbling ability, widely considered his greatest strengths, have deserted him at times.</p><p><strong>Daniel Rouse</strong>: Let's give Angel Di Maria the respect he deserves. The winger, who turns 37 in February, produced two beautiful crosses to set up goals in Benfica's 3-2 comeback win over Monaco on Wednesday and now has the second-most assists in Champions League history with 41, one above Lionel Messi and one below Cristiano Ronaldo. His overall performance at Monaco was excellent - and this is far from a rare throwback performance in the autumn of his career. He hit a hat-trick, including a stunning bicycle kick, in a domestic cup game Saturday and scored twice in a 4-1 Primeira Liga dismissal of FC Porto before the international break.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p><strong>Gianluca Nesci</strong>: Robert Lewandowski isn't slowing down any time soon. His two goals in Tuesday's win over Brest weren't particularly special - a penalty and a simple stoppage-time tally - but what they signified certainly was. The veteran striker, 36, became only the third player in Champions League history to crack the 100-goal barrier; he now sits at 101. Only Ronaldo (141) and Messi (129) have more. Company doesn't get more elite. One of the most lethal, consistent scorers of his generation, Lewandowski is soaring under Hansi Flick, and barring injury, there's no reason to think he can't mount a serious challenge to Messi's tally, which in itself is a huge achievement.</p><h3>This week's crisis club 😬</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757454/cropped_GettyImages-2187031294.jpg?ts=1732658251" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757454/w220xh124_GettyImages-2187031294.jpg?ts=1732658251 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757454/w320xh180_GettyImages-2187031294.jpg?ts=1732658251 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757454/w640xh360_GettyImages-2187031294.jpg?ts=1732658251 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757454/w768xh432_GettyImages-2187031294.jpg?ts=1732658251 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757454/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2187031294.jpg?ts=1732658251 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">James Gill - Danehouse / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Lopopolo</strong>: RB Leipzig. Apart from their second Champions League fixture, a seesaw 3-2 loss to Juventus, Leipzig have sleepwalked through each matchday. They lost all five games without much of a fight and were similarly absent-minded during Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Inter, which the Nerazzurri should've won by more. Leipzig have certainly had one of the most difficult run of fixtures in the Champions League - they've faced Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, and Celtic - but the whole point of their operation is to disturb the football establishment. Losing five straight games to direct rivals is a horrific blow to their development. They're lucky they still have a chance to earn a playoff spot. But that would require an unlikely turnaround and a perfect three wins out of three against Aston Villa, Sporting CP, and Sturm Graz.</p><p><strong>Rouse</strong>: Manchester City. Pep Guardiola had already suffered the worst run of his managerial career with five straight defeats before Feyenoord's visit, but how Manchester City folded after merely having a three-goal lead trimmed to two in Tuesday's 3-3 draw makes it the most troubling performance of their recent skid. This slump is down to more than the absence of Rodri or Ruben Dias or anybody else - it's due to a myriad of reasons, including a lack of resilience, lethargy spreading through the squad, and, perhaps most surprisingly for a Guardiola side, flawed tactics. And there's little time available on the training ground to fix City's alarming issues.</p><p><strong>Nesci</strong>: Paris Saint-Germain. The wheels are off. Tuesday's 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich and Wednesday's subsequent results left PSG in 25th place in the table, outside the qualification places for the knockout stage. On paper, the remaining schedule is forgiving. Red Bull Salzburg are even worse off right now, Manchester City are in full-blown crisis, and Stuttgart, their final opponent on Matchday 8, just got smoked by Crvena Zvezda. But there's no reason to think PSG can beat any of them right now. A team that was seeking more harmony by allowing its high-profile stars to depart instead looks more disjointed and fragile than ever. <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3141404" href="https://thescore.com/news/3141404">Internal belief</a> remains, but PSG are in real danger of being the biggest flop of the opening round.</p><h3>Player of the week 🌟</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754604/cropped_GettyImages-2184021404.jpg?ts=1731260619" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754604/w220xh124_GettyImages-2184021404.jpg?ts=1731260619 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754604/w320xh180_GettyImages-2184021404.jpg?ts=1731260619 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754604/w640xh360_GettyImages-2184021404.jpg?ts=1731260619 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754604/w768xh432_GettyImages-2184021404.jpg?ts=1731260619 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754604/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2184021404.jpg?ts=1731260619 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Quality Sport Images / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Lopopolo</strong>: Charles De Ketelaere. With two goals and three assists in Atalanta's 5-1 destruction of Swiss club Young Boys, De Ketelaere continued his transformation from bust to protagonist. AC Milan famously gave up on the Belgian midfielder after one season, sending him to Atalanta on a cut-rate loan deal that the club eventually made permanent last year. De Ketelaere has repaid them for their faith with 18 goals and 20 assists in one-and-a-half seasons. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is unlocking De Ketelaere's potential, and it's resulting in a steady supply of defense-splitting passes and goal-creating actions in and around the penalty area.</p><p><strong>Rouse</strong>: Julian Alvarez. The Argentine forward has overcome a slow start following his summer move from Manchester City, firing in seven goals in his past 10 outings for Atletico Madrid. His free-kick and narrow-angle finish (after a powerful run and one-two with the manager's in-form son, Giuliano Simeone) were excellent against Sparta Prague on Tuesday. And aside from his two goals, he was a creative force with a game-high four key passes and two completed dribbles. He also kept possession well for a player who takes risks with the ball in attacking positions.</p><p><strong>Nesci</strong>: Florian Wirtz. Bayer Leverkusen teammate Alejandro Grimaldo also made a strong case, but Wirtz gets the nod after collecting his fourth Man of the Match award in five Champions League outings. The mesmerizing German, 21, scored twice and set up another in Leverkusen's 5-0 thumping of Red Bull Salzburg on Tuesday, helping his side get back on track after a humbling loss to Liverpool last time out. "We know how different he is for us," manager Xabi Alonso <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/leverkusen-boss-alonso-wants-help-wirtz-shine-more-after-huge-salzburg-win-2024-11-27/">said</a> of his prized player. Few other young stars possess the same type of game-breaking ability.</p><h3>Team that's back from the dead <a href="https://emojipedia.org/zombie">🧟</a>
</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757446/cropped_GettyImages-2186358293.jpg?ts=1732655009" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757446/w220xh124_GettyImages-2186358293.jpg?ts=1732655009 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757446/w320xh180_GettyImages-2186358293.jpg?ts=1732655009 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757446/w640xh360_GettyImages-2186358293.jpg?ts=1732655009 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757446/w768xh432_GettyImages-2186358293.jpg?ts=1732655009 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757446/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2186358293.jpg?ts=1732655009 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">-STR / AFP / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Lopopolo</strong>: AC Milan. The Rossoneri have rattled off three consecutive Champions League wins for the first time in 18 years and scored three goals in three straight European Cup matches for the first time since 1989. These are serious records for the seven-time European champions to break, especially given the current state of this team. Milan lost their opening two matches of the league phase and currently sit in seventh place in Serie A. But something has clicked in Europe. While Tuesday's 3-2 result at Slovan Bratislava was far sweatier than their previous victories over Real Madrid and Club Brugge, Paulo Fonseca's men have created more chances in the Champions League than they have in recent Serie A fixtures and are now in a position to clinch a playoff spot for the knockout phase.</p><p><strong>Rouse</strong>: PSV Eindhoven. The Dutch champions' hopes of securing an automatic knockout berth were on life support. Twice. Two points from their opening three matches put them in serious trouble. Then, after a morale-boosting win over Girona earlier this month, PSV were two goals down at halftime of a Champions League home game for the first time since 2008. But three goals from the 87th minute onward - two from Malik Tillman and one from fellow U.S. international Ricardo Pepi - sensationally clinched a 3-2 win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. The result lifted Peter Bosz's side two points behind the automatic spots with winnable games ahead.</p><p><strong>Nesci</strong>: Celtic. A 7-1 annihilation at the hands of Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 2 threatened to derail The Bhoys' Champions League adventure. Getting back on track after such a demoralizing defeat is no small feat, particularly for a club that's struggled to make headway in the competition for so long. But that's precisely what Brendan Rodgers' team has done. Celtic are right in the mix for a knockout place, four points above the elimination zone. They've "<a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/cy0ge8nzrxko">grown and matured</a>" from past failures, as evidenced by Wednesday's draw with Club Brugge, in which the Scottish side recovered after a brutal own goal to earn what could end up being a critical point.</p><h3>Where we stand 👀</h3><p><em>Here's the complete league phase table after Matchday 5. Remember: The top eight teams advance directly to the last 16, and the sides that finish ninth to 24th head to the new knockout phase playoffs, two-legged ties that determine who joins the eight automatic qualifiers in the round of 16. The bottom 12 clubs are eliminated from the Champions League.</em></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Rank</th>
<th>Club</th>
<th>GD</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>Liverpool</td>
<td>+11</td>
<td>15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>Inter</td>
<td>+7</td>
<td>13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>Barcelona</td>
<td>+13</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>Borussia Dortmund</td>
<td>+10</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>Atalanta</td>
<td>+10</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>Leverkusen</td>
<td>+6</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>Arsenal</td>
<td>+6</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>Monaco</td>
<td>+5</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>9</em></td>
<td>Aston Villa</td>
<td>+5</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>10</em></td>
<td>Sporting CP</td>
<td>+3</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>11</em></td>
<td>Brest</td>
<td>+3</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>12</em></td>
<td>Lille</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>13</em></td>
<td>Bayern Munich</td>
<td>+5</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>14</em></td>
<td>Benfica</td>
<td>+3</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>15</em></td>
<td>Atletico</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>16</em></td>
<td>AC Milan</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>17</em></td>
<td>Man City</td>
<td>+6</td>
<td>8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>18</em></td>
<td>PSV</td>
<td>+3</td>
<td>8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>19</em></td>
<td>Juventus</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>20</em></td>
<td>Celtic</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>21</em></td>
<td>Feyenoord</td>
<td>-3</td>
<td>7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>22</em></td>
<td>Club Brugge</td>
<td>-3</td>
<td>7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>23</em></td>
<td>Dinamo Zagreb</td>
<td>-5</td>
<td>7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><em>24</em></td>
<td>Real Madrid</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>25</td>
<td>PSG</td>
<td>-3</td>
<td>4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>26</td>
<td>Shakhtar</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>27</td>
<td>Stuttgart</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>28</td>
<td>Sparta Prague</td>
<td>-9</td>
<td>4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>29</td>
<td>Sturm Graz</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>30</td>
<td>Girona</td>
<td>-5</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>31</td>
<td>Crvena Zvezda</td>
<td>-8</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>32</td>
<td>Salzburg</td>
<td>-12</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>33</td>
<td>Bologna</td>
<td>-6</td>
<td>1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>34</td>
<td>RB Leipzig</td>
<td>-6</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>35</td>
<td>S. Bratislava</td>
<td>-14</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>36</td>
<td>Young Boys</td>
<td>-15</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29199819/related

Champions League, Matchday 5: Mbappe outshone, big clubs spiral

Robert Lewandowski joined an exclusive club Tuesday, becoming just the third player to reach 100 ...

<p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///chlg/players/9563" href="https://thescore.com/chlg/players/9563">Robert Lewandowski</a> joined an exclusive club Tuesday, becoming just the third player to reach 100 career Champions League goals.</p><p>The veteran striker hit the century mark when he slotted home an early penalty kick to open the scoring in Barcelona's league phase match against Brest. He added another goal in the closing seconds, bringing his tally to 101 and capping Barca's comfortable 3-0 victory over the French club.</p><p>All-time top scorer <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///natleaguea/players/1310" href="https://thescore.com/natleaguea/players/1310">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> (141) and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/1126" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/1126">Lionel Messi</a> (129) are the only other players to reach the 100-goal plateau in Europe's premier club competition. One of Ronaldo's goals came in qualifying, leaving him with 140 in the tournament proper.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Only three players have scored 100 or more goals in Champions League history:<br><br>◎ Cristiano Ronaldo (140)<br>◎ Lionel Messi (129)<br>◉ Robert Lewandowski 🆕<br><br>It's taken him just 125 games to reach the milestone, two more than Messi (123) and 12 fewer than Ronaldo (137). 💯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UCL</a> <a href="https://t.co/eFO3akA9vs">pic.twitter.com/eFO3akA9vs</a></p>— Squawka (@Squawka) <a href="https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1861504075436613914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Lewandowski leads this season's Champions League with seven goals in five matches.</p><p>"I am very happy. Many years ago, I did not think I could score more than 100 goals in the Champions League," the Polish star <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3141307" href="https://thescore.com/news/3141307">said</a> afterward. "For me, the most important thing is that we try to win every game. If I can score, then that's the perfect solution."</p><p>The 36-year-old shows no signs of slowing down. He's also the top scorer in La Liga, having found the net 15 times on the campaign. Nobody else in Spain's top flight has more than eight goals this season.</p><p>Lewandowski did the bulk of his scoring damage in the Champions League with Bayern Munich after joining the German giants from rivals Borussia Dortmund. Now at Barca and prospering under Hansi Flick, he'll look to continue closing in on club icon Messi on the tournament scoring chart.</p><p>Lewandowski has won the Champions League once in his career, with Bayern in 2020, and was a runner-up with Dortmund in 2013.</p>

BARCELONA, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 26: Robert Lewandowski of FC Barcelona celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between FC Barcelona and Stade Brestois 29 at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on November 26, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.

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Lewandowski joins Ronaldo, Messi as only players to score 100 UCL goals

<p><em>Following every weekend of Premier League action, theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points to emerge from the slate of matches. Below, we dissect Matchweek 12 of the 2024-25 season.</em></p><h3>First impressions of Amorim 🤔</h3><p>Ruben Amorim doesn't have any illusions. This is going to take some time.</p><p>The Portuguese manager's first match in charge of Manchester United, a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town on Sunday, was a mixed bag. Amorim immediately put his stamp on the team by rolling with his preferred 3-4-3 formation, the first time the Red Devils have played with a back-three in the Premier League since 2022 when Ralf Rangnick was on the touchline.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Amad Diallo, starting in an unfamiliar right wing-back position, set up a goal for Marcus Rashford 80 seconds into the contest; the Englishman got the nod in the No. 9 role. Ipswich were the better team after that, though, and it became increasingly clear that Amorim was dealing with square pegs in round holes at various positions; Noussair Mazraoui, arguably the most versatile player in the side, lined up at right center-back.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757075/cropped_GettyImages-2186664290.jpg?ts=1732476987" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757075/w220xh124_GettyImages-2186664290.jpg?ts=1732476987 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757075/w320xh180_GettyImages-2186664290.jpg?ts=1732476987 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757075/w640xh360_GettyImages-2186664290.jpg?ts=1732476987 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757075/w768xh432_GettyImages-2186664290.jpg?ts=1732476987 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757075/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2186664290.jpg?ts=1732476987 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Richard Pelham / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Some of this is simply a matter of getting players back from injury - Lisandro Martinez missed the match - and becoming more comfortable and acquainted with his squad after working together each day. It's not the answer frustrated Manchester United fans want to hear, but there's no substitute for time spent on the training ground.</p><p>Amorim himself needs to be patient. He didn't drop a single point in the league this season with Sporting CP before departing for Manchester. There's no quick fix with his new team, and, judging by his <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3138626" href="https://thescore.com/news/3138626">reaction</a> after Sunday's draw, he knows it.</p><h3>Quick free-kicks 📝</h3><p><strong>Diagnosing Man City's tailspin</strong></p><p>It's not <em>just</em> Rodri. Manchester City's five-match losing streak, the worst of Pep Guardiola's managerial career, is the result of a perfect storm. The Ballon d'Or winner's absence is the most glaring issue, but Saturday's 4-0 shellacking at the hands of a mercurial Tottenham Hotspur side - City's heaviest home loss since 2003 - highlighted several other problems. The team suddenly looks old and slow, especially in midfield; the internal decline has been painful. By Guardiola's own admission, City are "fragile" defensively right now. They've conceded 14 goals during their skid, and are giving away huge chances from open play seemingly every time the opposition comes forward. Complacency can't be ruled out, either. Nearly all of these players have already won everything, and the squad hasn't been sufficiently refreshed - they've hit on their "main" summer signing for several years, but much of their business has been questionable at best. Fixing all this is no simple task.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Man City 2023-24 vs 2024-25 in defence (non-penalty shots faced). <a href="https://t.co/S7wF4K1rgS">pic.twitter.com/S7wF4K1rgS</a></p>— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) <a href="https://twitter.com/OptaAnalyst/status/1860410074067333222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p><strong>What's wrong with Aston Villa?</strong></p><p>Unai Emery is facing his first sustained period of difficulty since joining Aston Villa. The club is winless in its last six matches across all competitions following Saturday's 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace. Similar to Man City, there are multiple issues at play. Villa haven't kept a clean sheet in over a month and consistently give up high-quality chances. Douglas Luiz's absence after his summer transfer is looming larger of late - Villa is unable to control games in midfield in the same way without the Brazilian. Emery also needs to get more out of Leon Bailey, who only has two assists this season and is carrying more of the creative burden from wide areas with Moussa Diaby no longer at the club. Emery has more than earned the trust to get things back on track, but goodwill doesn't last forever in this sport, no matter who you are or what you've done.</p><p><strong>Authors of their own demise</strong></p><p>What Russell Martin is trying to do at Southampton is admirable. His distinct style includes playing the ball out from the back, and his team is dedicated to implementing it. But you also need to be smart and pick your spots. Southampton shot themselves in the foot Sunday against Liverpool, gifting the Reds an easy goal with some ill-advised passing inside their own penalty area. The Saints, last in the Premier League, have committed more errors leading to goals than any team this season. Liverpool, meanwhile, are one of the best sides at generating chances off high turnovers. You shouldn't abandon your identity, but subtle tweaks based on the opposition can make all the difference. Southampton paid for their reluctance to do that in their 3-2 defeat - and eventually came away with their 10th loss in 12 league games.</p><p><strong>Salah's contract situation</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757060/cropped_GettyImages-2185787278.jpg?ts=1732463727" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757060/w220xh124_GettyImages-2185787278.jpg?ts=1732463727 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757060/w320xh180_GettyImages-2185787278.jpg?ts=1732463727 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757060/w640xh360_GettyImages-2185787278.jpg?ts=1732463727 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757060/w768xh432_GettyImages-2185787278.jpg?ts=1732463727 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757060/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2185787278.jpg?ts=1732463727 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Adam Davy - PA Images / PA Images / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Liverpool have a seismic decision to make with Mohamed Salah's contract set to expire at the end of the season. Conventional wisdom would advise against giving a hefty long-term deal to a 32-year-old. But Salah, who scored twice in Sunday's win over Southampton and now has 16 goal involvements in just 12 league games, is obviously a unique case. The Egyptian superstar isn't slowing down - he's been involved in 67% of the Reds' tallies, powering them to an eight-point lead atop the table. That kind of production can't be easily replaced in the transfer market if Salah walks. He's earned the right to demand what will likely be the last massive contract of his career. Liverpool probably won't be able to get away with offering him any type of bridge deal. There are valid arguments to be made on both sides, but, ultimately, when given the option to sign one of the most consistently excellent players in league history or let him go, the former is the clear choice.</p><p><strong>Cooper doomed from the start</strong></p><p>Steve Cooper never had a chance at Leicester City. His history with Nottingham Forest made him an unpopular choice with the fans right from the jump, and they were never shy about voicing their displeasure with the move. Replacing Enzo Maresca, who guided the Foxes back to the Premier League in such impressive fashion, was always going to be a difficult task. The timing of Sunday's firing was admittedly odd - why wait until <em>after</em> the international break if a loss to Chelsea was going to be the nail in the coffin - but it became clear in just 12 Premier League matches that Cooper wasn't taking this team anywhere. Leicester need to get their next appointment right, otherwise they'll end up right back in the second tier.</p><h3>Star performer 🌟</h3><p><strong>James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur)</strong></p><p>Matheus Cunha, who scored two excellent goals in Wolves' win over Fulham, was a <em>very</em> strong contender after continuing his red-hot run, but we're going with the birthday boy.</p><p>James Maddison was the standout performer in the most notable result of the weekend, scoring twice in Tottenham's stunning obliteration of Manchester City. Maddison, who turned 28 on Saturday, celebrated his return to the starting lineup in style after beginning Tottenham's last two league matches on the bench. He also completed 100% of his take-ons, won nine duels, recovered five loose balls, and chipped in with a couple of clearances. He did everything as Tottenham's somewhat bewildering run of success against Pep Guardiola's City continued; Spurs have inflicted nine defeats on the reigning champions since the Spaniard took over, more than any other club.</p><p>Maddison is emblematic of his team. At his best, the attacking midfielder can be genuinely unstoppable, creating and scoring goals in equal measure. Like Spurs, though, he can be inconsistent, mixing performances like Saturday's masterpiece with anonymous displays.</p><p>Maddison needs to be a primary contributor for Tottenham to kick on from here and not revert back to their maddening inconsistencies.</p><h3>Best XI 😎</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=611491:Onana,941573:Porro,421786:Lemina,961306:Collins,874025:Mykolenko,534670:%C3%98degaard,1137705:Fern%C3%A1ndez,493165:Maddison,292462:Salah,1021382:Pedro,863098:Cunha&amp;formation=4-3-2-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2012" srcset="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=611491:Onana,941573:Porro,421786:Lemina,961306:Collins,874025:Mykolenko,534670:%C3%98degaard,1137705:Fern%C3%A1ndez,493165:Maddison,292462:Salah,1021382:Pedro,863098:Cunha&amp;formation=4-3-2-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2012 220w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=611491:Onana,941573:Porro,421786:Lemina,961306:Collins,874025:Mykolenko,534670:%C3%98degaard,1137705:Fern%C3%A1ndez,493165:Maddison,292462:Salah,1021382:Pedro,863098:Cunha&amp;formation=4-3-2-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2012 320w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=611491:Onana,941573:Porro,421786:Lemina,961306:Collins,874025:Mykolenko,534670:%C3%98degaard,1137705:Fern%C3%A1ndez,493165:Maddison,292462:Salah,1021382:Pedro,863098:Cunha&amp;formation=4-3-2-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2012 640w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=611491:Onana,941573:Porro,421786:Lemina,961306:Collins,874025:Mykolenko,534670:%C3%98degaard,1137705:Fern%C3%A1ndez,493165:Maddison,292462:Salah,1021382:Pedro,863098:Cunha&amp;formation=4-3-2-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2012 768w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=611491:Onana,941573:Porro,421786:Lemina,961306:Collins,874025:Mykolenko,534670:%C3%98degaard,1137705:Fern%C3%A1ndez,493165:Maddison,292462:Salah,1021382:Pedro,863098:Cunha&amp;formation=4-3-2-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2012 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><p>(Courtesy: <a href="https://www.fotmob.com/">FotMob</a>)</p><h3>Highlight of the weekend 🎥</h3><p>Don't count Arsenal out of the title race just yet. With Martin Odegaard back pulling the strings, Bukayo Saka has more room to operate. The winger's tight control, patience, and increasingly devastating finishing ability were on display for this goal in a reassuring win over Nottingham Forest. He kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting before creating a lane and ripping a shot home.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">📂 Arsenal Highlights<br> └📂 World-Class Goals<br> └💿 Saka.mp4 <a href="https://t.co/Z750MPn65Q">pic.twitter.com/Z750MPn65Q</a></p>— Arsenal (@Arsenal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1860624434500940156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Stat of the weekend 🔢</h3><p>Just how bad are things at Manchester City right now? We're dipping into the 1950s for a comparable.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">5 - Manchester City are the first reigning top-flight champions to lose five games in a row in all competitions since Chelsea in March 1956. Unbelievable. <a href="https://t.co/iwhPdDRoFC">pic.twitter.com/iwhPdDRoFC</a></p>— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) <a href="https://twitter.com/OptaJoe/status/1860406885922341103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Social media moment 📱</h3><p>Few things in the sport are more heartwarming than seeing young fans' reactions when they meet the game's big stars. Cole Palmer is already generating those moments.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Leicester's young mascots were starstruck after high-fiving Cole Palmer ahead of the Leicester vs. Chelsea match 🥹 <a href="https://t.co/zmpeUn3Oq0">pic.twitter.com/zmpeUn3Oq0</a></p>— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNUK/status/1860316141844836582?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Where we stand 👀</h3><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Club</th>
<th>Played</th>
<th>GD</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1.</strong></td>
<td>Liverpool</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>+16</td>
<td>31</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2.</strong></td>
<td>Manchester City</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>+5</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3.</strong></td>
<td>Chelsea</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>+9</td>
<td>22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4.</strong></td>
<td>Arsenal</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>+9</td>
<td>22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5.</td>
<td>Brighton</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>+5</td>
<td>22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6.</td>
<td>Tottenham</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>+14</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7.</td>
<td>Nottingham Forest</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8.</td>
<td>Aston Villa</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9.</td>
<td>Newcastle</td>
<td>11</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10.</td>
<td>Fulham</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>+0</td>
<td>18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11.</td>
<td>Brentford</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12.</td>
<td>Manchester United</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13.</td>
<td>Bournemouth</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>-1</td>
<td>15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14.</td>
<td>West Ham</td>
<td>11</td>
<td>-6</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15.</td>
<td>Everton</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16.</td>
<td>Leicester</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>-8</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17.</td>
<td>Wolves</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>-8</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>18.</strong></td>
<td>Ipswich Town</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>-10</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>19.</strong></td>
<td>Crystal Palace</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>20.</strong></td>
<td>Southampton</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>-15</td>
<td>4</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><em>View more stats <a href="thescore:///epl/leaders">here</a>.</em></p>

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EPL Review: Can Amorim, Guardiola fix ailing Manchester clubs?

Manchester United wasted no time getting the Ruben Amorim era up and running.  Marcus Rashford, s...

<p>Manchester United wasted no time getting the Ruben Amorim era up and running.</p><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/66886" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/66886">Marcus Rashford</a>, starting as a central striker in the new manager's first match in charge, opened the scoring after just 80 seconds against Ipswich Town on Sunday.</p><p><em>(Available to view in U.S. only)</em></p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">DREAM START FOR RUBEN AMORIM. 😲<br><br>Marcus Rashford scores just 80 seconds into the new manager's debut for Man United!<br><br>📺 USA Network | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPSMUN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPSMUN</a> <a href="https://t.co/AXC0qfEIh5">pic.twitter.com/AXC0qfEIh5</a></p>— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1860724471683777017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p><em>(Available to view in Canada only)</em></p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Marcus Rashford SCORES!!<br><br>⚽ 0-1 Ipswich Town vs Manchester United<br><br>WATCH EVERY GOAL 👉 <a href="https://t.co/2w98QqADfX">https://t.co/2w98QqADfX</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PremierLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PremierLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/NU9YFfTQW5">pic.twitter.com/NU9YFfTQW5</a></p>— FuboCanada 🇨🇦 (@fuboTVCanada) <a href="https://twitter.com/fuboTVCanada/status/1860724569545347131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Rashford entered the contest with just one league goal on the season.</p><p>Amorim was ultimately forced to settle for a 1-1 draw on his debut, as <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/183578" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/183578">Omari Hutchinson</a>'s long-range goal earned a point for Ipswich.</p>

IPSWICH, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 24: Marcus Rashford of Manchester United celebrates scoring a goal to make the score 0-1 wit Amad (L) during the Premier League match between Ipswich Town FC and Manchester United FC at Portman Road on November 24, 2024 in Ipswich, United Kingdom.

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Watch: Rashford scores 80 seconds into Amorim's 1st game as Man Utd boss

The Orlando Pride claimed their first National Women's Soccer League title with a 1-0 win over th...

<p>The Orlando Pride claimed their first National Women's Soccer League title with a 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit on Saturday, a victory that also saw Brazilian legend <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///wwcup/players/159314" href="https://thescore.com/wwcup/players/159314">Marta</a> lift the trophy for the first time.</p><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///olymsw/players/199797" href="https://thescore.com/olymsw/players/199797">Barbra Banda</a> scored the lone goal of the championship match, finishing off a solo run with a low shot from inside the penalty area in the 37th minute. </p><p>In the process, the Zambian star set a new NWSL record with four goals in a single postseason. She found the net in every playoff game en route to Orlando's title win.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Washington coach Jonatan Giraldez immediately appealed to the referee after Banda opened the scoring, asserting there was a foul in the buildup, but the goal was allowed to stand.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">PURE BANDA-MONIUM!!!<br><br>Barbra Banda scores the opening goal in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NWSLChampionship?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NWSLChampionship</a> <a href="https://t.co/5oK0B1h50m">pic.twitter.com/5oK0B1h50m</a></p>— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSL/status/1860502468209090945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>"This means so much," Marta, who joined Orlando in 2017, told <a href="https://x.com/AttackingThird/status/1860525132768252078">CBS Sports</a> after the match. "Playing with these players, it's something really special that I never had before in any other club, so I'm so happy."</p><p>The 38-year-old added: "I've asked myself why I still play for Orlando. After eight years, I'm the only player in this club since 2017, and I have so many questions about it. Now I have the answer: It's because it was time to be a champion."</p><p>Marta, a six-time recipient of FIFA's player of the year award, had her mother in attendance to watch her play live for the first time in the United States.</p><p>The Pride are the first team since 2019 to win both the NWSL Shield - given to the side with the best regular-season record - and the NWSL championship in the same campaign. They started the season by going unbeaten in the opening 23 games, setting a league record.</p><p>Despite having more possession and outshooting Orlando 26-9, Washington, led by American star <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///wwcup/players/199754" href="https://thescore.com/wwcup/players/199754">Trinity Rodman</a>, couldn't find an equalizer to extend Saturday's contest at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City.</p><p>The 2021 champions applied consistent pressure deep into stoppage time, but Orlando's backline held on to give the club its maiden title.</p>

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - NOVEMBER 23: Orlando Pride players celebrate after defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0 in the NWSL 2024 Championship Game at CPKC Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri.

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Marta, Orlando Pride win 1st NWSL title

Veteran forward Junior Hoilett came off the bench to score in the 82nd minute and give Canada a n...

<p>Veteran forward <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///intfr/players/2098" href="https://thescore.com/intfr/players/2098">Junior Hoilett</a> came off the bench to score in the 82nd minute and give Canada a narrow 1-0 win over Suriname in the first leg of their CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal clash Friday.</p><p>Just four minutes after being introduced, Hoilett snuck behind the Suriname defense and redirected a clever pass from <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///fran/players/159817" href="https://thescore.com/fran/players/159817">Jonathan David</a> into the net off the underside of the crossbar, giving Jesse Marsch's team the edge going into the return fixture at BMO Field in Toronto on Tuesday.</p><p>The winner of the two-legged affair qualifies for the Nations League finals, a four-team event being held in March at SoFi Stadium, along with next summer's Gold Cup.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">GOAL 🇨🇦<br><br>JUNIOR HOILETT, LET'S GO 😎<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CanMNT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CanMNT</a> go up 1-0 over Suriname in Leg 1 of this Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals series 💥<br><br>🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer <a href="https://t.co/SJgS9EVSQu">pic.twitter.com/SJgS9EVSQu</a></p>— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/onesoccer/status/1857592284390236251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Canada, No. 35 in the FIFA rankings, controlled the play in Paramaribo against the world's 136th-ranked side but struggled to find a consistent attacking rhythm on the artificial turf at the Frank Essed Stadion. A physical Suriname squad, led by Real Sociedad forward <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///espcr/players/54539" href="https://thescore.com/espcr/players/54539">Sheraldo Becker</a>, managed to disrupt the flow of the game and limit Canada to mostly sterile possession.</p><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mls/players/187409" href="https://thescore.com/mls/players/187409">Tani Oluwaseyi</a> came close to scoring his first international goal and breaking the deadlock in the opening half but was horribly unlucky to hit both posts with a shot after getting free inside the penalty area.</p><p>The home side was also denied by the frame of the goal when <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///wcqconca/players/182899" href="https://thescore.com/wcqconca/players/182899">Gleofilo Vlijter</a> clipped the crossbar with a header off a corner kick just before the hour mark.</p><p>Marsch responded to that scare by turning to his bench, showing off the improved squad depth that has served him well since taking over as Canada's coach.</p><p>The late introduction of Hoilett proved decisive, as he scored the only goal of the match with one of his first touches of the game after his streaking run into the box was perfectly spotted by David, the in-form Lille striker who turned provider as he's done so often for the national team.</p><p>"His savviness and understanding on how to break plays in the last third is why we brought him," Marsch said of Hoilett, according to <a href="https://www.tsn.ca/soccer/canada-scores-late-to-down-suriname-in-concacaf-nations-league-quarterfinal-1.2205888">The Canadian Press</a>.</p><p>Canada, which outshot Suriname 13-2, continues to have trouble converting chances. The Canadians have nine goals in 12 games under Marsch.</p><p>"It's a little bit the story of our team ... because we don't find a way to get that goal in the first half with some big chances, the game is in the balance. And then we have to put a lot of energy into it," Marsch explained.</p><p>Canada was without star left-back and captain <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///bund/players/69320" href="https://thescore.com/bund/players/69320">Alphonso Davies</a>, who withdrew from the squad ahead of the two-legged tie as a "precautionary measure due to physical fatigue."</p><p>Midfielder <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///uefa/players/134054" href="https://thescore.com/uefa/players/134054">Stephen Eustaquio</a> wore the armband in Davies' absence.</p><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///seri/players/148092" href="https://thescore.com/seri/players/148092">Tajon Buchanan</a> made his return for Canada in the match, coming off the bench for his first appearance since undergoing surgery to repair a fractured tibia suffered in training during this summer's Copa America.</p>

DOHA, QATAR - DECEMBER 01: Junior Hoilett of Canada gestures during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group F match between Canada and Morocco at Al Thumama Stadium on December 01, 2022 in Doha, Qatar.

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Late goal gives Canada slim win over Suriname in Nations League quarters

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