Category: Sport News

LONDON: Arne Slot said the best-performing team, Nottingham Forest “deserves” to be treated as Premier League (EPL) title contenders as he prepared Liverpool for their visit to the City Ground early Wednesday morning.

Third-placed Forest have handed Liverpool their only defeat this season and they can move three points behind the favourites if they win their seventh consecutive game this midweek.

Forest were just outside the relegation zone last season and their current position comes as a huge surprise.

However, Slot, when speaking at the pre-match press conference today, said Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad must be treated like serious contenders.

“I always say the best way to see the league standings is in the middle of the season, and that’s now, so if Forest are with us, with Arsenal, Chelsea, (Manchester) City and all the others, they will definitely be competing with us and the other teams,” said the Dutchman.

“And they deserve to be treated like this if you see the way they play, if you see the results achieved. So it will be very challenging to get a good result tomorrow.”

Forest, who have not conceded a goal in the Premier League since mid-December, beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield in September.

Although Slot said it was due to their performance, the result was not a surprise at the time.

LIVERPOOL, England: Troubled English Premier League (EPL) club Everton sacked manager Sean Dyche early this morning, a few hours before the FA Cup third round match against Peterborough.

Speculation over Dyche’s future has intensified with reports suggesting Everton’s new owners, US-based Friedkin Group, have been talking about a potential successor since completing a £400 million takeover last month.

Everton said in a statement that Dyche “has been relieved of his duties as manager of the men’s senior first team with immediate effect” after two years in charge, as the process of appointing a new boss begins.

The Toffees are once again struggling to avoid relegation from the EPL after winning just once in their last 11 matches, with the sole victory coming against relegation candidates Wolves last December.

Everton Under-18 head coach Leighton Baines and captain Seamus Coleman took charge of the team on a temporary basis against third-tier Peterborough in the FA Cup as the Liverpool club search for a permanent replacement for Dyche.

Former Manchester United and Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who now manages Turkish club Fenerbahce, has been linked with Everton recently.

Mourinho has experience working under the Friedkin Group at AS Roma, although the Italian club fired him less than a year ago.

David Moyes, who managed Everton between 2002 and 2013, former England manager Gareth Southgate, Brentford boss Thomas Frank and Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola have also been tipped as possible replacements for Dyche.

Everton have won just three of their 19 league games this season and are stranded in 16th place, with just one point separating them from the relegation zone.

Dyche has been in charge of Everton since January 2023 and has kept them in the top flight despite a number of issues, including a points deduction last season for breaching the EPL’s profit and sustainability rules.

Dyche, who is in the final year of his contract at Everton, is the sixth manager to lose his job in the Premier League this season.

WOLVERHAMPTON: Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo refuses to be lulled by his team’s success in joining the English Premier League title race after recording a sixth consecutive victory.

Forest defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 at Molineux Stadium early this morning, leaving them just nine points behind leaders Liverpool, who will visit them next week.

Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels performed brilliantly in the first half and the sharpness of his attacking line, who completed every accurate attempt, ensured the victory for the visitors.

“It was great. We worked hard to achieve what we have. Today was a tough game. Wolves had chances and Matz Sels was brilliant to make sure we didn’t fall behind.

“I’m very proud of the players’ effort and their determination to be up front and score goals.

“It’s a tough competition. We will always face strong opponents. We have to stay humble. We haven’t achieved anything yet, we have to keep working until the end and it could end in a beautiful moment,” said Nuno.

The Portuguese manager said he would remain grounded despite his team’s performance which saw them collect 40 points from 20 matches, equalling Leicester City at the same level in the 2015-16 season when they won the English Premier League.

Chris Wood scored his 12th league goal of the season, with Morgan Gibbs-White and substitute Taiwo Awoniyi also on target as Forest won.

It is the first time Forest have won six consecutive league games since 1979, when they were under Brian Clough.

MANCHESTER: Manchester United, managed by Ruben Amorim, lost for the ninth time in the English Premier League this season last Monday.

The 2-0 defeat to Newcastle was the fifth in eight league games under the Portuguese coach.

United are now just seven points above the relegation zone. Their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League or other European competitions next season have now turned into a mission to avoid relegation to the Championship League.

The 39-year-old has now made his worst start at Old Trafford in 103 years.

United’s players were seen to have failed to adapt to the 3-4-3 formation implemented by the former Sporting manager.

United also collected their lowest points in a year since 1989 (51 points), and lost three consecutive home games for the first time since 1979.

Six defeats in December were United’s highest total in a month since September 1930 – and conceded 18 goals to equal the worst record set in March 1964.

“It’s also my fault. I don’t think this team has improved. The team has lost its direction at the moment.

“It’s a shame to be Manchester United manager and lose so many games. But we have to deal with this situation,” Amorim said after the defeat at Newcastle.

Not only that, United also recorded the worst statistics in the league this season in terms of goals, attempts completed, attempts on target, clean sheets, goals conceded and errors leading to goals conceded by the opposition.

If these statistics under Amorim had started at the start of the season, United would be 17th on seven points after eight games, only ahead of newly promoted Ipswich by goal difference.

LONDON: Enzo Maresca gave a warning to all Chelsea players to improve their performance after Noni Madueke was dismissed.

Madueke, and summer signing Renato Veiga, were dropped from the squad for the defeat at Fulham.

Maresca revealed both players were not injured but were not on the list due to technical decisions. The Blues manager has criticized Madueke’s training phase twice this season.

As the former Leicester manager prepares to re-list Madueke and Veiga for the clash against Ipswich on Monday, he warned the players to improve their performances.

“There are times when we just make decisions, nothing more than that. Is he available for the Ipswich game? Yes, of course.

“Competition needs to be fiercer but not only for Noni Madueka, also for Renato Veiga who is not in the squad for the same reason.

“There was no other reason, it was just a technical decision,” said Maresca.

Madueke featured in 16 of his previous 17 Premier League games, scoring five goals and providing three assists – but failed to find the target after the win over Southampton.

His place at Stamford Bridge looked bright after Mykhailo Mudryk was suspended for doping.