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Estevao outshone Lamine Yamal by scoring a stunning second-half goal in a dominant 3-0 win for Chelsea over 10-man Barcelona that takes them into the Champions League top eight.In the first meeting between the two best 18-year-olds in world football, it was Chelsea’s Brazilian sensation that stole the show, thundering an effort into the roof of the net for his side’s second after beating Pau Cubarsi, on a disappointing night for Yamal. Marc Cucurella, the player of the match, did a job on his Spain team-mate, locking down Barcelona’s biggest threat in perhaps his greatest performance in blue, as Chelsea…
Tonda Eckert made it four wins out of four as Southampton caretaker by masterminding a 3-0 victory over Leicester in the Championship.Finn Azaz scored for the third match in a row and Olabade Aluko was sent off on his first professional start, either side of Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ brace of headers in a horror first half for the Foxes. The four wins under Eckert match the number they had managed from the start of last season until Will Still’s sacking. Saints had been three points off the relegation zone when Eckert took charge and they are now two points shy of…
I have known Melanie Phillips for some time. In fact, she was at one point my home desk news editor at the Guardian. Strange though it may now seem, Phillips in that era epitomised the anguished North London liberal, existentially unsure about whether to obey the dictates of her heart or her head. Phillips is by no means the only former Guardian colleague to make the journey from soft liberal left to hard Islamophobic right, from an Ed Miliband figure to a Michael Gove. But unlike some I could mention, this rite of passage had little to do with money.…
Daniel Jebbison scored against his former club as Preston shared a 1-1 draw with Watford at Vicarage Road.Mamadou Doumbia cancelled out his opener shortly before half-time to continue Watford’s trend of coming back from behind this season. Watford could have been ahead in the sixth minute when a swift passing move saw Othmane Maamma turn and shoot in the box. The ball thumped the base of Preston goalkeeper Daniel Iversen’s right-hand post and rebounded straight to Luca Kjerrumgaard, who blazed over with all the goal to aim at.Maamma, an Under-20 World Cup winner with Morocco earlier in the season, shot…
Late goals from Liam Kitching and Ellis Simms helped Coventry extend their advantage at the top of the Sky Bet Championship with a 4-2 win over Middlesbrough.The Sky Blues landed two early blows in the opening 15 minutes, going ahead through Simms’ stunning top-corner strike and Kitching’s header. Boro responded through Morgan Whittaker before the break and levelled minutes after the restart with a Bobby Thomas own goal. With the game seemingly destined for a draw, Kitching and Simms both struck within one minute of each other in the final five minutes of normal time to send Coventry 10 points…
Derby ruined Vitor Matos’ first game in charge of Swansea with a 2-1 away victory.Joe Ward and Lars-Jorgen Salvesen struck either side of the interval as Derby climbed into seventh place in the Championship. There was late anxiety for the visitors after Ethan Galbraith’s sweet finish, but it was a deserved sixth win in seven games for the in-form Rams. Matos had only taken two training sessions after leaving Portuguese second-tier outfit Maritimo on Monday to succeed the sacked Alan Sheehan.But Matos’ challenge was laid out bare in front of him as Swansea subsided to a fourth successive league defeat,…
Norwich finally brought their dismal run of home defeats to an end at the ninth time of asking – but they were still left deflated as a goal five minutes into stoppage time saw them held to a 1-1 draw by Oxford.Having lost their opening seven Championship fixtures at Carrow Road, together with another reverse in the Carabao Cup, the Canaries looked to be heading towards a much-needed win in Phillippe Clement’s second game in charge. They led going into added time courtesy of Jovon Makama’s well-taken first-half effort only to let a couple of points slip through their grasp…
Former Hull forwards Jaden Philogene and Chuba Akpom returned to haunt their old side as Ipswich moved up to fourth in the Sky Bet Championship with a 2-0 win at the MKM Stadium.The pair and four others dropped to the bench as Ipswich made six changes from Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Wrexham, but their introduction after 66 minutes was the catalyst which enlivened a dour contest. With his first touch, Philogene’s dipping cross saw Marcelino Nunez head home in the 69th minute, while Akpom finished from close range moments later as Ipswich extended their unbeaten run to six matches. They…
Sorba Thomas netted a bizarre brace for Stoke as the Potters moved back into the automatic promotion places with a 3-0 win over Charlton.Thomas’ pair of first-half goals from what appeared to be crosses sandwiched Million Manhoef’s fifth goal of the season as Mark Robins’ side cruised to a first victory in three. The Potters had been handed back-to-back defeats by Coventry and Leicester in their previous two outings but returned to winning ways in style. It was a familiar story for Nathan Jones, who saw his side go 4-0 down inside 22 minutes against former club Southampton on Saturday.Facing…
Bosz was asked about what needs to improve from that display and said: “Everything, really. Especially how we played in the matches before.”When we’re in possession we have to keep hold of the ball more, stop losing silly balls and silly passes when we’re under pressure against the opponent. That’s going to be no different tomorrow – they’re going to try to create chances and put us under pressure.”We’re going to try to play football, dare to play football. So, when you’re better in possession then it’s easier than when you have to defend.”Really important game, also with the points…