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28 Dec 2024 7:45
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  •   Home > News > Sports > Soccer

    Premier League quick hits: More pressure on Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou

    There are no Boxing Day gifts for Ange Postecoglou as Spurs lose again, while Manchester United concedes a second "Olimpico" in a week, and Chelsea blows a late lead against Fulham to hand the advantage to Liverpool. Here are five quick hits from the Premier League.


    There are no Boxing Day gifts for Ange Postecoglou as Spurs lose again, while Matheus Cunha scores one of the rarest types of goals for Wolves, and Chelsea blows a late lead against Fulham to hand the advantage to Liverpool.

    Here are five quick hits from the Premier League.

    1. Loss to Forest means more headaches for Ange

    When the Premier League momentum is against you, it's really against you and for Ange Postecoglou and Spurs it all got worse overnight.

    A lone goal from Anthony Elanga, a send-off for Spurs' fullback Djed Spence, and a fourth loss in five league games just rounded out a less-than-optimal start to the post-Christmas period.  

    Tottenham is now 11 points behind Forest and pressure is sure to mount on Postecoglou, whose post-match press conference lasted barely two minutes.

    "I still thought we had a fair chunk of [the game] where we could have got something out of the game, but it was always going to be a tight game here," he said.

    The next three EPL games are against Wolves, Newcastle and the North London Derby against Arsenal. No easy ones there.

    2. United defence foiled again by an 'Olimpico'

    Some types of goals are rarities in football, but among the rarest are the ones straight from corners, otherwise known as the "Olimpico". 

    For Manchester United's defence, however, it's becoming an almost regular occurrence. Last week they conceded straight from a corner from Spurs' Son Heung-Min in their EFL Cup loss.

    Overnight, it was Wolves who pulled it off in their 2-0 win at a foggy Molineux.

    Down to 10 men after the send-off of Bruno Fernandes, United had that familiar sinking feeling as Matheus Cunha's 58th-minute corner left goalkeeper Andre Onana embarrassed as it curled over his head and into the net.

    United manager Ruben Amorim suggested his keeper had been impeded, and tried to focus on the positive.

    "I think the good thing is we were near the goal, even with 10 men. That is a good thing, but we lost."

    Wolves held the lead 1-0 until deep in added time, when a breakaway set up the sealer for Hwang Hee-chan.

    3. Nasty scare for Hammers as Fabianski stretchered off

    As if there was any need for a reminder that football is a contact sport, West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski had a scary incident against Southampton.

    The game was delayed about eight minutes as Fabianski received treatment on the field at St Mary's Stadium.

    The 39-year-old Polish goalkeeper was hurt in a collision from a corner and was replaced by Alphonse Areola in the 36th minute.

    It wasn't just West Ham fans and players who were concerned — Southampton 'keeper Aaron Ramsdale ran the length of the field to check on Fabianski during worrying scenes.

    Fabiaski wore an oxygen mask leaving the field, and was greeted by applause as he was taken off.

    West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui later said Fabianski was conscious in the rooms, however he had a concussion and would be out for 10 days under the league's concussion protocols.

    4. Fulham sinks Chelsea with 95th-minute winner

    At the other end of the table, Chelsea was hoping to put pressure back on leaders Liverpool, as they took on Fulham in a vital home game.

    But the Blues could not hold the advantage and were made to pay dearly.

    Things looked on track 16 minutes in when Cole Palmer produced another great goal, slicing open the defence and sliding the ball home.

    But Fulham equalised in the 82nd minute when Harry Wilson headed home from close range, and then Muniz clinched all three points when he swept home a pass from Sasa Lukic deep into stoppage time.

    As you can see, the Cottagers were a little happy about the outcome. It was Fulham's first win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since 1979.  

    5. Reds' gap grows to seven 

    Chelsea's failure opened the door once more for Liverpool to extend its lead at the top — and despite an early scare they did just that. 

    Struggling Leicester took a shock sixth-minute lead at Anfield through Jordan Ayew but lived a charmed life until Cody Gakpo equalised on the stroke of half-time.

    Liverpool then put Leicester under siege straight from the break and took just four minutes into the second half to go ahead through Curtis Jones before Mohamed Salah made sure of the points with a superb 82nd-minute finish.

    The victory extended their unbeaten league run to 13 games and advanced Liverpool to 42 points at the top of the standings.

    They also have a game in hand over second-placed Chelsea, which is on 35, as well as third-placed Nottingham Forest on 34.

    There's a long way to go, but it's advantage Reds right now. 

    [Premier League table]

    Reuters/AP/ABC

     


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    © 2024 ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved

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