Premier League Shocker: Fulham Triumphs Over Man United in Dramatic Fashion
Premier League Everton v Bournemouth Alex Iwobi 17 of Everton during the Premier League match Everton vs Bournemouth at Goodison Park, Liverpool, United Kingdom, 28th May 2023 Photo by Craig Thomas/News Images Liverpool Goodison Park Merseyside United Kingdom Copyright: xCraigxThomas/NewsxImagesx Source: IMAGO/EPL Index
In an enthralling display of footballing prowess, Fulham emerged victorious against Manchester United, clinching a stunning 2-1 win at the Theatre of Dreams. The clash, a testament to the unpredictable nature of the Premier League, saw Fulham outmaneuver their hosts in a late-game spectacle that left fans and pundits alike in awe, Alex Bates reports for EPL Index.
Fulham’s Tactical Mastery and United’s Missed Opportunities
Old Trafford bore witness to a game of two halves, with both teams failing to capitalize on their opportunities in the opening act. Despite a spirited start from Man United, Fulham drew first blood through Calvin Bassey’s second-half opener. The Red Devils, however, refused to go down without a fight, with Harry Maguire leveling the score in the dying minutes. But the real drama unfolded in stoppage time, as Alex Iwobi’s masterstroke sealed a memorable win for the visitors.
Breaking Down the Key Moments
Man United, eyeing their fifth consecutive league win, faced an assertive Fulham side, who dominated the early exchanges. Iwobi’s early attempts set the tone, with Fulham persistently knocking at United’s door. The Red Devils’ resilience was tested repeatedly, culminating in Garnacho’s close call, a moment that could have altered the game’s trajectory.
As the second half unfurled, Fulham’s persistence paid dividends. Bassey’s goal post-corner chaos was a testament to their set-piece proficiency. United, jolted into action, upped the ante, but Fulham’s resilience under pressure was commendable, culminating in Iwobi’s awe-inspiring winner.
Man United Player Ratings: A Mixed Bag of Performances
Erases Kerron Clement’s world indoor record of 44.57 set in Fayetteville in 2005
Canada’s Christopher Morales Williams clocked 44.49 to win the 400m at the SEC Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday (24), World Athletics.
If ratified, it means the 19-year-old would have broken the world indoor record of 44.57 set by USA’s Kerron Clement in Fayetteville in 2005, as well as the 44.52 run by Michael Norman in Texas in 2018, which could not be ratified as a world record.
Morales Williams took 0.9 off his previous best set at the Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational earlier this month and won the race by more than a second.
The University of Georgia sophomore had won his heat on Friday in 45.58, which was the second-fastest performance of his career so far.
His performance came just a week after Femke Bol improved her world indoor record over the same distance to 49.24 in Apeldoorn last Sunday.
Morales Williams formed part of Canada’s world U20 bronze medal-winning 4x400m team in Cali in 2022 and claimed Pan American U20 400m silver one year later.
He ran an indoor PB of 46.05 on his 400m season opener in Boston in January and improved to 45.39 in Clemson before his record-breaking run in Arkansas.
Vasiliy Lomachenko v Masayoshi Nakatani Masayoshi Nakatani towers over Vasiliy Lomachenko, another size danger. Photo credit: WBN
Pound-for-pound moves were made as Junto Nakatani, Takuma Inoue, and Kosei Tanaka scored significant victories in Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday, WBN reports.
Overseen by the Japan Boxing Commission and promoter Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions, Nakatani was impressive as he claimed the WBC bantamweight title. The card was televised on ESPN in the United States thanks to the ongoing links with Top Rank.
Junto Nakatani wins
Following his WBO title wins at flyweight and super-flyweight, Nakatani successfully moved up in weight to stop Alexandro Santiago. Nakatani got the job done in the fifth to move to 27-0.
The Land of the Rising Sun consensus is that Nakatani took the spotlight from the other two title triumphs. His star power increased significantly.
In the headliner, Takuma Inoue, brother of P4P king Naoya Inoue, retained the WBA bantamweight title by defeating former world champion Jerwin Ancajas.
Inoue had the edge in power despite Ancajas enjoying his moments. In the end, a body shot saw off the challenger in the ninth.
The third world title fight saw Kosei Tanaka become a four-weight WBO champion by beating Christian Bacasegua. The unanimous decision handed Tanaka a twentieth career victory.
Scores from Pat Russell of 117-110, Surat Soikrachang of 119-108, and Don Trella of 116-111 sealed the deal for the vacant strap.
Despite none of the trio breaking the WBN P4P Top 10, Nakatani is now twelfth, Tanaka is thirteenth, and Inoue breaks onto the list at 30.
Early action saw Jonas Sultan shocked by four-fight Riku Masuda due to an eighth-round knockout. Masuda improved to 4-1.
Meanwhile, Kensho Oyamada lost via fourth-round stoppage to Ren Kobayashi as both made their debuts.
WBN Pound for Pound Top 20 – February 2024
1 Naoya INOUE 2 Terence CRAWFORD 3 Oleksandr USYK 4 CANELO Alvarez 5 Devin HANEY 6 Dmitry BIVOL 7 Vasiliy LOMACHENKO 8 Shakur STEVENSON 9 Gervonta DAVIS 10 Artur BETERBIEV
11 Kazuto IOKA 12 Junto NAKATANI 13 Kosei TANAKA
14 Juan ESTRADA
15 Jesse Rodriguez
16 Emauel NAVARRETE
17 Jermell CHARLO
18 Teofimo LOPEZ
19 Kenshiro TERAJI
20 David BENAVIDEZ
Gordon smashed home from close range to give Newcastle the lead just after the hour Photo credit: Mailonline
Just three months ago, Arsenal and Newcastle played out one of the most controversial Premier League matches in recent years, James Cohen reports for Mailonline.
The Gunners were beaten by the Magpies in contentious circumstances on Tyneside when Anthony Gordon bundled home from close range despite three possible infringements in the build-up.
In addition, we’re sure neither set of players has forgotten about several dubious decisions regarding some heavy challenges.
With that in mind, ahead of their clash at the Emirates on Saturday night, Mail Sport looks at why we should expect fireworks from the Premier League clash.
Newcastle’s winning goal was allowed to stand after a VAR check that lasted over four minutes Photo credit: Mailonline
In November, Arsenal’s visit to St James’ Park was controversial as several incidents were later put under the spotlight after the final whistle.
The first moment that stirred debate was a dangerous challenge from Gunners star Kai Havertz on Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff.
The home players were left up in arms and surrounded the referee after the German midfielder’s reckless tackle. They were left stunned as Havertz escaped with a yellow card.
Commentator Gary Neville was also shocked by the first-half incident as he hammered Havertz for the tackle, claiming the player was ‘never getting there.’
‘It’s a stupid challenge,’ he said on commentary. ‘I think it was dangerous; he was never getting there. He lunges in.’
Given the incident, the Premier League’s Independent Key Match Incidents Panel said it was ‘a tricky challenge and the type of tackle that needs to be eradicated’.
Shortly after, there was more drama after Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes appeared to elbow Arsenal’s Jorginho on the back of his head – but received no punishment from the referee.
On that incident, Neville’s co-commentator, Jamie Carragher, admitted it was ‘not great’ but didn’t deem it worthy of a sending-off.
Arsenal’s Kai Havertz was lucky to avoid a red card after a tackle on Sean Longstaff. Photo credit: Mailonline
‘I think it was more of a forearm from Guimaraes,’ he said. ‘He just lost his head. It’s not great. For me, if the referee sees it, it’s a yellow card; I don’t think it’s a red card.’
However, the Premier League‘s Independent Key Match Incidents Panel thought otherwise, as they later claimed the Brazilian should have been sent off. No retrospective action was taken.
Then, after those two incidents, came the most controversial moment of the match as Anthony Gordon poked home despite the ball appearing to go out of play.
The 64th-minute goal went through three separate VAR checks — to confirm Joe Willock kept the ball in play before crossing, a potential foul on Gabriel by Joelinton, and whether goalscorer Gordon was offside.
The flurry of VAR decisions took four minutes to decide, with the first taking a look at whether the ball went out of play as Willock attempted to rescue it.
Tensions rose between the two sides as several heavy challenges went under the radar Photo credit: Mailonline
Arsenal’s players were left stunned after officials allowed Newcastle’s winner to stand Photo credit: Mailonline
Arteta said: ‘It’s so difficult to compete at this level. This is nowhere near the [refereeing] level to describe this as the best league in the world. I feel sick to be part of this.’
Arteta added in his post-match interviews: ‘The penalty on Eddie, there is a lot of things. The question is it’s not a goal, it’s simple. For a goal, there are certain things that are not allowed in football.
‘I have to stand here and explain; we lost three points. There’s too much at stake. It isn’t very comfortable. It’s not in their hands; I have to praise the players for how they play here.
‘It’s incredible how they competed against this team; it makes me sick. I feel sick to be part of this.’
At the 2024 Elimination Chamber P.L.E. in Perth, Western Australia, Drew McIntyre and Becky Lynch fought their way through the career-altering Elimination Chamber to claim victory and earn championship matches on The Grandest Stage of Them All, WWE reports.
https://youtu.be/zTCquNEKEU4
Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley returned home to conquer Nia Jax and much more.
Elimination Chamber Results: Full Details
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors def. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell Photo credit: WWE
Competing in her home country, Indi Hartwell needed to calm her nerves in an incredible Perth, Western Australia atmosphere.
Although Damage CTRL recently ejected Bayley from its ranks, Women’s Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors were primed to go it alone against Hartwell and Candice LeRae, former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Asuka and Kairi Sane stuck with their apparent game plan of isolating LeRae from Hartwell, drawing the ire of the Australian faithful.
Once LeRae finally tagged Hartwell, the Australian WWE Universe erupted, as Hartwell nearly won the titles after stacking her competitors on top of each other.
Despite an excellent performance from Hartwell and LeRae, The Kabuki Warriors retained after Sane hit an Assisted Insane Elbow to LeRae. However, after falling short, the challengers received another loud ovation from the WWE Universe. Becky Lynch emerged victorious in the Elimination Chamber to earn the right to battle the Women’s World Champion at WrestleMania.
Photo credit: WWE
Competing inside the gruesome Elimination Chamber for the first time, The Man came around and conquered Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Naomi, and Tiffany Stratton to earn a Women’s World Title Match at WrestleMania XL.
The Man had to go the distance as she started the match with fellow veteran Naomi.
After a fantastic split-legged leg drop from Naomi to Lynch, Tiffy Time began when Stratton entered the fray.
Stratton dominated once she joined the action, but Lynch and Naomi soon dealt with the troublesome Superstar.
Coming in hot in the fourth position was Morgan, who wanted to continue her “revenge tour” in her effort to get to Rhea Ripley. Morgan made an immediate impact, repeatedly hurling Stratton into the pod casings.
The Man also used the steel to unforgiving lengths, locking on a Dis-arm-her on Stratton through the chain.
After a considerable sunset flip powerbomb from Naomi to Morgan, Naomi became the first competitor eliminated when Stratton surprised her with a rollup.
In the fifth spot, Rodriguez exploded into the chamber, powering Stratton into a spinning power slam.
The field became complete when The E.S.T. sprang into action, knocking down Stratton before going toe-to-toe with Rodriguez.
The action reached a fever pitch when Stratton climbed atop one of the pods and soared through the air with an awe-inspiring Swanton bomb that took out the field.
Despite the stunning performance from Stratton, Morgan spelled the end of Tiffy Time, pinning her after a massive Oblivion from the top of the pod.
Rodriguez displayed her otherworldly strength by lifting Morgan and Lynch and dropping them with a double powerbomb. Still, The E.S.T. quickly hoisted Rodriguez overhead for an almighty K.O.D., ending Rodriguez’s night.
With the field down to Morgan, Lynch, and Belair, the three Superstars battled wildly for a chance to go to WrestleMania.
The unbelievable action came down to the wire. Morgan stunned Belair with a surprise rollup for a three-count, but Morgan was immediately caught by The Man, who punched her ticket to WrestleMania with the Man-handle Slam.
Look out, Philadelphia. Here comes The Man. Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Judgment Day def. New Catch Republic
With the sun setting in Perth, New Catch Republic attempted to set the sun on Judgment Day’s Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship reign.
Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate came out of the gates hot, shocking Finn Bálor and Damian Priest with a surprise attack as “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio was trying to introduce his team.
Theaboutt soon became a borderline Handicap Match, with Mysterio on the outside getting involved frequently.
Bate showcased his “Big Strong Boi” tendencies, lifting Priest onto his shoulders before delivering an airplane spin that sent Priest back to the United States. Dunne almost had the match won after a Bitter End, but Mysterio once again played the spoiler, moving Bálor’s foot under the ropes.
A double Tyler Driver to Bálor could have spelled the end of The Judgment Day, but Señor Money in the Bank swiftly saved his teammate.
The New Catch Republic threw everything at The Judgment Day, including a burning hammer, but Priest somehow kicked out.
With Dunne and Bate perhaps attempting a tandem maneuver on Priest from the middle turnbuckle, Bálor prevented them from taking flight by grabbing his teammate’s leg and discreetly tagging into the match. Seconds later, Priest hit a double South of Heaven before Bálor followed up with the Coup de Grace on Dunne to allow The Judgment Day to leave Perth with the gold.
Cody Rhodes and Seth “Freakin” Rollins challenged The Bloodline on “The Grayson Waller Effect” before taking out Austin Theor.y
Drew McIntyre emerged victorious in the Elimination Chamber to earn the right to challenge World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins at WrestleMania.a
At WrestleMania, Drew McIntyre will challenge Seth “Freakin” Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship. Still, The Scottish Warrior had to go through Randy Orton, LA Knight, Kevin Owens, Bobby Lashley, and United States Champion Logan Paul inside the Elimination Chamber.
The Megastar and The Scottish Warrior started the match with a bang, as Knight repeatedly battered McIntyre’s face into Owens’ pod, and K.O. assisted by banging his forearm on the glass.
K.O. entered third and came in like a cannonball, taking out McIntyre and Knight and taunting Orton and Paul.
The All-Mighty entered fourth, making a beeline for McIntyre, his WrestleMania 37 opponent.
The Viper then entered his record-breaking ninth Elimination Chamber Match in the penultimate spot, showcasing his experience by running roughshod.
Orton’s time in the chamber nearly ended quickly after he appeared to injure his back on the unforgiving floor of the structure.
Just as Paul was about to enter last, K.O. was there to meet him, and he unleashed a savage barrage of punches inside the pod.
He was living up to his “All Mighty” moniker; Lashley portrayed Paul and Owens through the pods. Unfortunately for Lashley, he became the first Superstar eliminated after two devastating Claymore Kicks from McIntyre.
As Lashley was being escorted out of the ring, AJ Styles suddenly entered and mercilessly brutalized Knight with a steel chair before delivering a Styles Clash onto the weapon. Seconds later, McIntyre pinned Knight.
Even with an injured back, Orton eliminated K.O. and Paul with R.K.O.s to leave The Scottish Warrior and The Viper as the last two standing.
After playing possum, Orton struck McIntyre with an R.K.O., but The Maverick reentered the ring and blasted Orton with the brass knuckles. McIntyre capitalized by immediately pinning Orton to win the match and claim a World Heavyweight Championship Match against Rollins at WrestleMania.
Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley def. Nia Jax
In Mami’s home country, Rhea Ripley was pumped to defend her Women’s World Title against the deadly Nia Jax.
Despite Ripley’s confidence, Jax dominated The Eradicator early in the title fight.
Mami eventually found her footing, but no matter what she did, she still couldn’t defeat Jax.
Ripley tried to put down her challenger with a powerbomb, but Jax countered with a huge Samoan drop onto the announce table. Jax followed up with an elbow through Ripley that broke the table.
After hitting the Annihilator, Jax nearly won the championship, but Ripley was somehow kicked out.
Soon after, Ripley hit Jax with a stunning superplex and stood tall with a massive Riptide to walk out of Perth still on top: the next stop was The Man at WrestleMania.
It is the second matchday in the second round of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season, and things are taking shape. Here are the match officials appointed for Matchweek 21. Once again, this game will have six LIVE matches on NPFL-Live and StarTimes. Catch the matches live this Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday, February 24, 2024
DOMA UNITED v RANGERS (Live on NPFL-Live)
Referee: Rasheedah Abdulganiyu
Assistant Referee 1: Ahmad Tijjani
Assistant Referee 2: Mohammed Sambo
Fourth official: Morrison Otuwho
Kick-off: 3 pm
Venue: Pantami Stadium, Gombe
BENDEL INSURANCE v ENYIMBA (Live on StarTimes & NPFL-Live)
Gervonta Davis caused a storm by leaking an eight-figure offer from Eddie Hearn to face Conor Benn in the United States, WBN reports.
‘Tank’ wasn’t happy over reports he’d turned down $25 million to face Benn, instead choosing to screenshot the email. The image showed Hearn was prepared to give Davis $10 million plus the pay-per-view upside.
Hearn’s DM read: “Gervonta asked me to contact you regarding our offer to fight Conor Benn. We want to talk further regarding this fight, and we plan to stage it in May in the USA.
“We would offer $10,000,000 plus an upside on the gate and PPV that I would like to discuss further with you. Do you have a good time to debate this week?
“Kind regards, Eddie.”
Davis then accused Hearn of lowballing him with the deal, when saying: “I will beat the dog s*** out of you. We all know this! I was trying to be good for the sport and beat your a** in your hometown, but the spoon-fed white boy keeps trying to cheat me out of my f***ing money, b****.”
Benn responded to Davis: “Clearly, grumpy-lump doesn’t know what upside means. Stick to fighting women.
“Calm down, you little angry stumpy man. Tell your daddy, Al, to make me a counteroffer if you feel lowballed. I’ll fight you in America and knock your head clean off. Then you’ll be two foot two.”
Upside or downside?
Former World Boxing News writer Dan Rafael then informed Benn that even with the upside to PPV and the gate, the offer would be nowhere near $25 million.
Therefore, there are porky pies, as they say in London, somewhere in this argument.
In his usual eventuality, Davis deleted all his posts about the offer, Hearn and Benn. But not before every man and his dog collected the evidence.
As WBN stated more than once, the fight was never in the mix. Davis had zero intention of ever facing Benn, whether in the US or England.
The WBA lightweight champion is merely having fun before he makes his comeback against an in-house Premier Boxing Champions fighter. After that, Davis will build another massive Premium Live Event.
Many hope Vasiliy Lomachenko will come through his fight with George Kambosos and have the IBF title in his possession. Loma could then unify in Las Vegas with Davis late in 2024.
If not Loma, Shakur Stevenson would be the obvious choice, but only if the dollar makes sense for Davis and Haymon.
Elegbeleye confident of Rivers Utd’s success in Confederation Cup
Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye, the Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), has expressed confidence in Rivers United clinching all three points in Luanda as they continue the push to qualify for the knockout stage of the CAF Confederation Cup, NPFL reports.
Rivers United is due to play one of the second-round fixtures of the competition against Angolan side Academica du Lobito Luanda. The Nigerian club in Uyo won the first meeting.
“Rivers United have recently established that they are a team to reckon with on the continent after reaching the competition’s group stage for two consecutive seasons.
“Going by their performance so far, I am confident they will subdue the Angolans to take all three points and consolidate their chances of reaching the knockout stage,” Elegbeleye told NPFL Media.
While assuring the club’s Players, Coaches, and Management of the league body’s support, the NPFL Boss charged them to approach the match with the irrepressible and can-do Spirit of the Nigerian.
“You must continue to ride the momentum that the Super Eagles set off in Abidjan to keep the nation’s flag among the best clubs on the continent.”
CONCACAF W Gold Cup 2024: Advances to quarterfinals
(Getty Images / Ronald Martinez) olympics.com/en
In the first half, teenage sensation Jaedyn Shaw scored a brace to lay the foundation for their second win on Saturday (24 February), Ockert de Villiers reports for olympics.com/en.
The U.S. Women’s National Team swept past Argentina with a commanding 4-0 win in Carson, California, on Saturday (24 February) to march into the quarterfinals of the inaugural 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup tournament.
Teen sensation Jaedyn Shaw was on song in only her second career start for the U.S. team, scoring a brace of goals in the contest’s first half. The 19-year-old got onto the scoresheet in the 10th minute before adding a second behind her name eight minutes later.
U.S. stalwart Alex Morgan gave the team a near unassailable lead in the 19th minute as she headed a cross from Casey Kreuger into the box for her 123rd career goal. With the goal, the U.S. went into the half-time break with a 3-0 advantage over the South Americans.
A Miriam Mayorga handball in the 75th minute and subsequent red card resulted in Lindsey Horan’s penalty to put the final nail in the coffin.
The USWNT remained unbeaten in 81 matches against CONCACAF opposition on home soil and cemented their place at the top of Group A following an equally impressive 5-0 rout of the Dominican Republic on Tuesday (20 February). They will next face Mexico in their final group-stage match on Tuesday (27 February).
Mondo Duplantis soared 6.02m and attempted a world record at the All-Star Perche in Clermont-Ferrand on Thursday (22), while Molly Caudery joined him in setting a world pole vault lead as she cleared a PB of 4.86m at the Perche Elite Tour Rouen on Saturday (24).
They will now look to replicate that strong form from the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meetings when they compete at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 next weekend.
After winning in Astana with a 5.80m clearance and in Uppsala with 5.92m, Sweden’s Olympic and world champion Duplantis opened his competition in Clermont-Ferrand at 5.72m, going clear on his first attempt. He passed at 5.82m and cleared 5.92m at the first time of asking.
He then achieved his first six-meter-plus clearance of the year, soaring over 6.02m on his first try before attempting 6.24m – a height that would have added a centimeter to the world record he set in Eugene in September.
At the meeting where he set a world record of 6.22m a year ago, Duplantis knocked off the bar on his three attempts at 6.24m, but his second attempt was close.
Thibaut Collet of France was finishing second on countback, who delighted the home crowd with his PB of 5.92m, a height also managed by USA’s two-time world champion Sam Kendricks.
Canada’s Alysha Newman won the women’s event with a national record clearance of 4.83m. With first-time clearances up to that height, she won on countback ahead of USA’s Bridget Williams, also with a PB performance.
Two days later, in Rouen, Caudery added a centimeter to the world lead she set to win the British title in Birmingham a week earlier, clearing 4.86m on her first attempt.
The Commonwealth Games silver medallist opened her campaign at 4.53m and managed that first time. She needed all three attempts to make it over 4.63m but found her rhythm again at 4.73m and only needed one try at that height. After a single failure at 4.80m, she moved straight to 4.86m and achieved that PB height on her first go.
She then had three attempts at a national record height of 4.91m.
Finland’s world bronze medallist Wilma Murto was second, and Williams was third as they both cleared 4.80m.
Kendricks claimed victory in the men’s competition, clearing 5.93m to triumph over his compatriot Chris Nilsen with 5.83m.
Photo credit: WWE
