Cremonese striker Jamie Vardy has been named as the Serie A player of the month for November, becoming the first English player to win the award.
The former Leicester City captain played three matches in the Italian top flight last month, scoring one goal against Juventus.
Fellow nominees for the award, which combines fan votes with statistical data, included AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez, Napoli winger David Neres, Genoa’s Leo Ostigard and Nicolo Zaniolo of Udinese.
“Vardy is truly a player from another era,” Serie A chief executive Luigi de Siervo said.
“His arrival at Cremonese was greeted with great enthusiasm by all Serie A fans, and Vardy is repaying them with top-level performances, innate leadership and important goals, the result of the competitive spirit and shooting skills that have always distinguished him.”
In total, Vardy has scored four goals in 10 appearances for promoted Cremonese, who are ninth in Serie A.
He netted nine times in 35 Premier League games last season for Leicester as the Foxes were relegated to the Championship.
The Serie A player of the month award was introduced in 2019, with the winner decided using a rating system that uses data tracking software.
“This makes it possible to analyse crucial aspects such as movement without the ball and thus optimal movements, game choices, and the contribution to the technical and physical efficiency of the team,” a Serie A statement explained.
Other Englishmen to have played in the league since the award was introduced include AC Milan duo Fikayo Tomori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, former Manchester United captain Ashley Young and Tammy Abraham. (BBC)
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher labelled Mohamed Salah “a disgrace” on Monday after the Egypt star’s stunning outburst at Reds boss Arne Slot.
Salah said he had been “thrown under a bus” and had no relationship with Slot after he was left on the bench for last Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Leeds.
It was the third successive game that Salah had been kept out of the starting line-up by Slot amid the forward’s loss of form this season.
In response to Salah’s astonishing rant to reporters, Liverpool axed the 33-year-old from the squad for Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Inter Milan.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Carragher, a 2005 Champions League winner with Liverpool, said: “I thought it was a disgrace what he did after the game.
“Some people have painted it as an emotional outburst. I don’t think it was. I think whenever Mo Salah stops in a mixed zone, which he has done four times in eight years at Liverpool, it’s choreographed with his agent to cause maximum damage and strengthen his own position.
“He’s chosen this weekend to do this now, and he’s waited I think for a bad result… everyone involved with the club (feeling) like they’re in the gutter, and he’s chosen that time to go for the manager and maybe try to get him sacked.”
Salah is a two-time Premier League champion with Liverpool and has also won the Champions League during his iconic eight-year spell at Anfield.
But, although he only signed a new contract in April, Salah hinted he might have played his last game for Liverpool as he prepares to jet off to the African Cup of Nations after their Premier League clash with Brighton at Anfield on Saturday.
Salah has been linked with a lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League and and Carragher added: “What he’s done off the pitch, I think the club have made the right decision in terms of him not going abroad. Whether he will play for Liverpool again, I don’t know.
“I hope he does, because he’s one of the greatest players we’ve ever had, but if you continue like that, and statements like that, if he doesn’t play, who knows.” (Guardian)
Manchester United great Paul Scholes says Kobbie Mainoo is “being ruined” by his lack of chances under Ruben Amorim, suggesting his best option is to leave Old Trafford.
The 20-year-old had a breakthrough season in 2023/24, which ended with the academy graduate scoring in the FA Cup final and breaking into the England squad.
But the midfielder has gone from starting the Euro 2024 final to struggling for game time at United.
He requested a loan move in August but was turned down.
Mainoo, still waiting for his first Premier League start of the season, was not brought off the bench in Thursday’s 1-1 draw with lowly West Ham United.
That disappointing result left Man United eighth in the Premier League ahead of Monday’s trip to bottom club Wolves.
United boss Amorim said last week that he considered Mainoo “a starter”, but Scholes reacted angrily in a now-deleted Instagram story that reposted the manager’s quote.
“The kid is being ruined, not being played in a team that can’t control a game of football,” said the former United and England midfielder, who won 11 Premier League titles at Old Trafford.
“Hate seeing home-grown players leave but it’s probably best for him now, enough is enough.”
Mainoo’s only start for United this season came in August’s humiliating League Cup exit at Grimsby and Amorim’s reluctance to use him has been a major talking point.
“I understand what you are saying,” he told reporters on Thursday following the draw against West Ham.
“You love Kobbie. He was… he starts for England, but that doesn’t mean I need to put Kobbie (in) when I feel I shouldn’t put Kobbie (in), so it’s my decision.”
Mainoo won the last of his 10 England caps in September 2024 and appears unlikely to make Thomas Tuchel’s squad for next year’s World Cup.
Amorim said he understood that the lack of time on the pitch could be demoralising for the midfielder but said his target was to win matches.
“I just try to put the best players on the pitch,” he said.
Pushed on whether the upcoming departures of Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo for the Africa Cup of Nations could present an opportunity for Mainoo, Amorim said: “I don’t know what is going to happen. It depends.
“If I see in the training it is the best thing, I will put it. That is the only way I know how to respond to that.” (Guardian)
Enzo Maresca said he had no choice but to rotate his Chelsea squad when questioned Friday over his team’s damaging 3-1 defeat at Leeds in midweek.
The loss at Elland Road on Wednesday left the Blues in fourth place, nine points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.
“We did many things bad,” Chelsea boss Maresca said. “Probably we also paid the bill for playing one hour with 10 players against Arsenal.”
The Italian, who has previously been criticised over his rotation policy, made five changes for the game at Leeds.
Wesley Fofana was not included in the squad and Moises Caicedo was suspended while Malo Gusto, captain Reece James and winger Pedro Neto were named as substitutes.
But Maresca said his hand was forced.
“Most of the rotation we do is because the other one they cannot play,” he said. “So we have players in this moment not able to play every three days.
“And the reason why we have done most of the rotation in the past is for this reason.
“It’s always the same thing — when you pick 11 players and you win it’s fine. When you pick 11 players and you don’t win, it’s always the reason why.
“For sure, playing with 10 players for one hour (in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal) then going to Leeds is not the best situation for us.”
Maresca was asked ahead of Chelsea’s game at Bournemouth on Saturday whether his young side needed an injection of experience.
“We always talk about experience when we drop points but when we beat Barcelona and drew against Arsenal, no one was mentioning about experienced players,” he said.
He added: “I know that we are always looking for experience but it was a bad game (at Leeds) for all of us.” (Guardian)
Crystal Palace moved into fourth place in the Premier League as their remarkable rise hit a new high with a 2-1 win against Fulham, while Brighton stopped West Ham climbing out of the relegation zone with a last-gasp 1-1 draw on Sunday.
Marc Guehi headed the decisive goal for Palace in the closing minutes at Craven Cottage as Oliver Glasner’s side made it four victories from their last six league games.
The England defender’s late winner lifted the Eagles above Chelsea and Everton into the Champions League qualification places.
For so long one of English football’s also-rans, Palace are enjoying a golden period including last season’s shock FA Cup final victory over Manchester City and a Community Shield win against Liverpool at the start of this term.
The south Londoners are also on track to advance from the UEFA Conference League group phase, but they might have far more illustrious European opponents next season if they can keep their unexpected top four challenge on course.
Palace took the lead in the 20th minute when Adam Wharton’s pass picked out Eddie Nketiah and the forward drilled a predatory strike past Bernd Leno.
Harry Wilson equalised for Fulham in eye-catching style with a sublime strike using the outside of his foot to bend the ball past Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the 38th minute.
Emile Smith Rowe thought he had put Fulham ahead but his close-range finish was disallowed for a tight offside against Samuel Chukwueze after a VAR check.
Palace took advantage of that escape to snatch an 87th-minute winner as Guehi met a corner with a thumping header past Leno.
“It makes me proud because the team did not want to defend the draw, we wanted to win and that’s why we got it in the end,” Glasner said. “Small margins like in every single Premier League games but we are always able to score goals and defend well. It was a huge team effort but that makes me very proud. That’s why we are where we are.”
At the Amex Stadium, West Ham were moments away from escaping the bottom three thanks to Jarrod Bowen’s second-half strike.
But Georginio Rutter grabbed Brighton’s leveller in stoppage-time to leave West Ham stuck in 18th place.
The third-bottom Hammers are two points behind fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest in the fight for survival.
Conceding so late was a painful blow for West Ham but after holding Manchester United to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Thursday, West Ham’s battling display was further evidence of their improvement since Nuno Espirito Santo replaced the sacked Graham Potter in September.
West Ham have lost just one of their last six league matches to revive their survival hopes.
Brighton blew a two-goal lead in a 4-3 defeat against Aston Villa in midweek, surrendering their 10-match unbeaten run at home in the process.
Avoiding another loss in front of their own fans kept seventh-placed Brighton in the hunt for European qualification.
West Ham took the lead in the 73rd minute when Jan Paul van Hecke’s careless back header was intercepted by Callum Wilson.
Wilson slipped a pass towards Bowen, who stretched for a low shot that crept past Bart Verbruggen from an acute angle.
Brighton snatched their equaliser in stoppage-time.
West Ham ‘keeper Alphonse Areola made two saves in a penalty area scramble, but Rutter pounced on the loose ball and squeezed his low shot into the net from close range.
Nuno claimed VAR were wrong to rule that Rutter did not handle in the build-up.
“It’s not ‘appears’, it’s clear,” said Nuno. “I saw it, everybody saw it. We cannot understand how they gave the goal. It’s hard to take, man, it’s really hard to take especially after the hard work of the boys.” (JapanToday)
The Premier League title race was blown open after Aston Villa struck in stoppage time to beat Arsenal 2-1 on Saturday.
Emiliano Buendia scored at the death in a thrilling finish at Villa Park that stunned first-placed Arsenal.
The Gunners’ lead was cut to just two points after second-placed Manchester City beat Sunderland 3-0.
Villa was a point further back in third.
Liverpool’s troubled title defense stumbled again when it dropped more points at Leeds. Arne Slot’s team blew a two-goal lead and conceded in the sixth minute of added time at Elland Road in a 3-3 draw.
Chelsea dropped points for the third game in a row in a 0-0 draw at Bournemouth.
Buendia’s winner came in the fifth minute of added time. The substitute kept a cool head during a goalmouth scramble, lifting a shot through the crowded box.
“In the manner that happened at the end, (it is) really difficult to take,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports.
It was the third consecutive time Arsenal dropped points away from home after draws with Sunderland and Chelsea. Those results have opened the door to rivals such as City and Villa.
Villa’s ninth win from its last 10 games followed a dire start to the campaign when Unai Emery’s team was winless after its first five.
“At the minute we’re on a great run,” said Matty Cash, who put Villa ahead in the 36th. “We know it’s not even Christmas yet so we have to keep being demanding, keep being consistent, and then we’ll see where it takes us.”
Leandro Trossard was a halftime substitute for Arsenal and he made a quick impact by leveling the game seven minutes later.
Buendia went on in the 87th and proved an inspired substitution.
“We fight until the last minute, the last second, it was a really incredible win,” he said.
Arsenal’s second loss of the season was its first since August at Liverpool.
“We are 18 games unbeaten, and yet still the margin is so small,” Arteta said. “The effort was absolutely there and (we must) use that pain to go again.”
Deep into stoppage time at Leeds, Liverpool was set to move into the top five.
That was until Ao Tanaka arrived at the far post from a corner to deny Slot’s team a much-needed win.
“The only ones to blame is us because we do concede these chances,” Slot told Sky Sports.
Liverpool was poised for just a third league win in 10 games when Hugo Ekitike scored twice in two minutes shortly after halftime. But Leeds responded with its own quickfire double when Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted from the penalty spot and Anton Stach leveled two minutes later.
Dominik Szoboszlai put the visitors in front again in the 80th but when the fourth official indicated nine minutes of added time the home crowd sensed another comeback and Tanaka delivered.
Mohamed Salah was on the bench for a third straight game and the Liverpool icon was an unused substitute. “We have to accept the situation we are in and I make my choices based on that,” Slot said.
Man City will be a familiar sight in Arsenal’s rearview mirror.
In back-to-back campaigns in 2023 and 2024 Arteta watched City chase his team down to win the titles. And it is shaping up to be another fight between them.
Even after four losses in the league, City is just two points behind Arsenal after victory against Sunderland.
“We had the feeling that Arsenal are going to drop few points and if you want to be there you have to win games and that comes from the way you perform — not just a lucky day or lucky action,” City manager Pep Guardiola said.
Ruben Dias, with a brilliant long-range goal, and Josko Gvardiol gave City a 2-0 lead at the break at Etihad Stadium and Phil Foden headed in a third in the second half.
Fourth-placed Chelsea has seen its title challenge stall over the past week after a run of just two points from a possible nine.
Not even the return of Cole Palmer to the starting lineup for the first time since September could inspire the Club World Cup champion at Bournemouth.
To add to a frustrating day, Liam Delap went off in the first half with a shoulder injury.
Bruno Guimaraes scored directly from a corner in Newcastle’s 2-1 win against Burnley.
The midfielder’s wicked cross curled beyond Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka at St James’ Park. Anthony Gordon added a second from the penalty spot in first half stoppage time.
What should have been a comfortable win for Newcastle became nervy after Zian Flemming pulled a goal back with a stoppage time penalty and Burnley threatened an equalizer.
Tottenham got a long-awaited home win in the league after beating Brentford 2-0.
Spurs’ last win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the opening game of the season against newly promoted Burnley. That was followed by six straight winless games in front of its own fans. But that streak was broken by first half goals from Richarlison and Xavi Simons against coach Thomas Frank’s former team.
Everton moved up to fifth after downing Nottingham Forest 3-0. (JapanToday)
Manchester United blew the chance to move up to fifth in the Premier League on Thursday when West Ham salvaged a late 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
Soungoutou Magassa’s 83rd-minute equalizer canceled out Diogo Dalot’s opening goal that had put United on course to move level on points with fourth-place Chelsea.
Bruno Fernandes squandered two chances to score a winner in added time — blazing a shot wide from inside the box and then volleying another off target.
It was another setback for United, which has only won one of its last five games — drawing three.
Despite that run, Ruben Amorim’s team had the opportunity to move within reach of the Champions League places with a win. And that looked likely when in the 58th Casemiro’s long-range shot was controlled in the box by Dalot.
The United defender then spun and powered a shot past West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
It was a game of few chances, with West Ham rarely threatening to find an equalizer. But a late corner saw Jarrod Bowen’s flicked header cleared off the line by Noussair Mazraoui.
Magassa reacted quickest in the box and side-footed his shot low into the corner to spark celebrations from the visiting fans.
The result leaves United in eighth and West Ham 18th. (JapanToday)
Arsenal edged out Brentford 2-0 to restore their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Wednesday as in-form Aston Villa beat Brighton 4-3 to climb up to third in the table.
The Gunners failed to hit top form at the Emirates Stadium but did enough to take another step towards a first league title in 22 years thanks to goals from Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka.
Mikel Arteta took the chance to use his strength in depth as Saka, Eberechi Eze and Jurrien Timber were rested from the start as captain Martin Odegaard made his first start since early October.
Merino maintained his place up front despite Viktor Gyokeres’ return to fitness and rewarded Arteta with another vital goal.
The Spaniard was picked out perfectly by Ben White’s cross and powered in his 11th goal of the season for club and country.
Brentford boss Keith Andrews also heavily rotated, with top scorer Igor Thiago among those left on the bench.
But the Bees still posed the leaders problems and were only denied an equaliser through Kevin Schade’s header by a brilliant save from David Raya against his former club before half-time.
Saka was introduced on the hour mark and the England winger finally made the points safe in stoppage time as his strike had too much power for Caoimhin Kelleher.
Villa produced a stunning fightback against the Seagulls to continue their fine form with an eighth win in nine league games.
The visitors were their own worst enemies in a dreadful start. Jan Paul van Hecke bundled in from a corner after Villa goalkeeper Marco Bizot failed to collect. Pau Torres then turned past Bizot into his own net from Jack Hinshelwood’s cross.
Ollie Watkins had scored just once in 19 previous appearances this season but turned the game around with a quickfire double before the break.
The England striker forced in Ian Maatsen’s low cross before latching onto Morgan Rogers’ brilliant through ball to slam past Bart Verbruggen.
Amadou Onana completed the comeback with a back-post header from Matty Cash’s corner before Donyell Malen made it 4-2.
Centre-back Van Hecke curled in his second of the night to set up a tense finale, but Brighton succumbed to their first home defeat of the season.
Wolves suffered an eighth consecutive defeat as Igor Jesus’ header earned Nottingham Forest a 1-0 win at Molineux that moved Sean Dyche’s men four points clear of the relegation zone.
Burnley also remain rooted in the bottom three after Daniel Munoz scored the only goal in a 1-0 win that lifted Crystal Palace up to sixth. (JapanToday)
Phil Foden spared Manchester City’s blushes with the last-gasp winner after the Premier League title challengers blew a two-goal lead in a dramatic 3-2 win over lowly Leeds on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s side were in danger of losing more ground in the title race following a second half collapse at the Etihad Stadium.
Foden and Josko Gvardiol put City two up before the interval, but third-bottom Leeds hit back through Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha.
Foden clinched a nerve-jangling victory that lifted City into second place, four points behind leaders Arsenal, who travel to third-placed Chelsea on Sunday.
It was a much-needed win after consecutive defeats against Newcastle last weekend and Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Guardiola’s decision to make 10 changes against Leverkusen backfired in a 2-0 loss that prompted the furious Spaniard to claim his players “didn’t try”.
Foden, Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva, Gianluigi Donnarumma were among the stars back in City’s starting line-up for the Leeds clash.
City had made their worst start to a campaign for five years and their second-worst under Guardiola.
But they took just 59 seconds to move in front as Foden fired a close-range strike off the bar after Matheus Nunes’ burst unhinged the Leeds defence.
Leeds had no answer to City’s slick start and Gvardiol looked to have put the hosts in complete control with a tap-in from Nico O’Reilly’s header in the 25th minute. (Vanguard)
Mikel Merino salvaged a 1-1 draw for Arsenal at 10-man Chelsea as the race for the Premier League title tightened on Sunday.
Arsenal is five points clear of second-placed Manchester City, with Chelsea a point further back in third.
Mikel Arteta’s team was boosted late in the first half at Stamford Bridge when Moises Caicedo was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Merino. But despite being a man down Chelsea went ahead in the 48th minute through Trevoh Chalobah’s header.
Merino equalized in the 59th, but Arsenal couldn’t make its numerical advantage count and dropped points away from home for the second time in successive matches.
Arsenal beat Bayern Munich midweek in the Champions League and Arteta said it had been a positive week though accepted “we should’ve won the game (Sunday), and we haven’t. That’s a learning point for me.”
The result meant Man City was the big winner of the weekend, following Saturday’s late victory against Leeds, which saw Pep Guardiola’s team climb above Chelsea to second in the standings.
“I think that we showed that we are in the right direction,” Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca told Sky Sports. “We were a much, much better team than them when we were 11 v. 11. Then with 10 players it’s more difficult, but the way they dealt with that situation was outstanding.”
Liverpool got back to winning ways — beating West Ham 2-0 — and Manchester United rallied to a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.
Aston Villa is fourth after a 1-0 win against last-placed Wolverhampton, and fifth-placed Brighton won 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.
Alexander Isak scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool to set up a much-needed win for Arne Slot’s team.
On a day when Mohamed Salah was dropped to the bench, British record signing Isak opened the scoring at the London Stadium. Cody Gakpo got the second for Liverpool, which went into the match on a run of six losses in its last seven league games.
“I am aware that it has been a long time coming and I’ve been trying to get back to my best form,” Isak told Sky Sports. “I am still on the way but I am happy to have that goal.”
Isak, a $170 million signing from Newcastle in the summer, had not scored in his five league games for his new club and only had one goal in 10 games in all. But in the absence of Salah, the Sweden international converted with a first-time effort in the box after 60 minutes to open his Premier League account for the season.
Slot’s bold call to leave out the iconic Salah paid off after the Egypt international’s unconvincing form this season. Slot shook up his attack, with Florian Wirtz and Gakpo alongside Isak.
Isak’s clinical finish into the bottom corner put Liverpool in control and West Ham’s chances were dealt another blow when Lucas Paqueta was sent off in the 84th.
Gakpo converted in the second minute of added time to put the game beyond doubt.
“We have to use this win in a good way, but also be humble because we’ve had a tough time, so one win doesn’t necessarily mean we’re back,” said Isak.
Joshua Zirkzee ended a scoring drought of his own with his first league goal in almost a year.
The Dutch striker hadn’t scored in England’s top flight since a double against Everton on Dec. 1 last year, but ended that streak with a stunning strike at Selhurst Park.
A moment of individual brilliance fired United back into the game in the 54th after Jean-Philippe Mateta put Palace ahead from the penalty spot in the first half.
Collecting the ball in the box, Zirkzee spun and scored from a tight angle for only his eighth goal since joining United from Bologna last year and his first this season.
“Scoring is important but it’s not just the goals,” United coach Ruben Amorim said. “They give confidence but Joshua has also improved a lot in how he holds the ball. That should give him a lot of confidence.”
Mason Mount struck the winner from the edge of the box in the 63rd as United ended Palace’s 12-game unbeaten home run in the league.
Mateta had given Palace the lead with a twice-taken penalty in the 36th. The France international was adjudged to have double-kicked his original spot kick and was directed to retake as per the rule clarification that came in after Julian Alvarez’s accidental double touch in a shootout against Real Madrid last season helped to eliminate Atletico Madrid from the Champions League.
Villa’s Boubacar Kamara scored the only goal of the match to settle the Midlands derby against Wolves.
Wolves remains winless at the bottom of the table and nine points from safety.
Goals from Maxim De Cuyper and Stefanos Tzimas earned fifth-placed Brighton victory at Forest. (JapanToday)
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