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Jonathan Cook’s World Game Wrap-Up

Posted on | Posted by Jonathan Cook

Liverpool slide continues

Jurgen Klopp has conceded any hopes Liverpool had of winning the Premier League have vanished in a 3-2 defeat to Arsenal. The question now is whether the Reds could lose their grip on a top-four finish?

The thought of missing out on a Champions League place would’ve been unthinkable at the start of the season – and there is still a long way to go for Klopp to get it right.

But defeat to Arsenal has left Liverpool in 10th place, 14 points behind league leaders Arsenal and six behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

Bukayo Saka’s penalty – his second goal of the match – sealed victory for Arsenal after Gabriel Martinelli’s first-minute opener had set a positive tone for the home side.

Darwin Nunez’s second goal of the season was a positive sign for Liverpool, as was Roberto Firmino’s sixth goal of the campaign.

Liverpool face Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.

Ronaldo’s piece of history

Cristiano Ronaldo achieved a 700-goal milestone by scoring the winner for Manchester United against Everton.

The 37-year-old Portuguese star fired United to a 2-1 win after his teammate Antony had cancelled out Alex Iwobi’s opener for Everton.

Despite playing a less prominent role for United under manager Erik Ten Hag, Ronaldo showed his value to the team with a winning goal on the stroke of half-time.

Ronaldo has now scored 144 goals for United, while he was on target 450 times for Real Madrid and scored 101 Juventus and five for Sporting Lisbon.

De Bruyne sets City standard

While Erling Haaland continues to set new Premier League goalscoring standards, Kevin De Bruyne has secured a Manchester City record of his own.

Haaland scored for the seventh successive Premier League game as City crushed Southampton 4-0. But when Phil Foden scored City’s second, it was the 94th time De Bruyne had provided the supply line to put him ahead of David Silva, who had the previous record at City of 93 assists before he left the club in 2020.

Defender Joao Cancelo broke the deadlock against Southampton with just 20 minutes gone, before Foden made it 2-0. Riyad Mahrez and Haaland added second-half goals.

Flat Diego Costa gets applause

Chelsea fans stood to applaud Diego Costa at Stamford Bridge as he was replaced less than an hour into Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 3-0 defeat.

Blues fans fondly remember the 59 goals he scored for Chelsea before joining Atletico Madrid in 2017.

The fact that he never looked like scoring against his former club on Saturday made it easier for Chelsea fans to do the right thing.

Wolves will need the 34-year-old to pick up the pace if they are to climb out of the relegation places.

Goals from Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic and Armando Broja’s first for the club sealed a comfortable Chelsea win.

Spurs grind out victory

It wasn’t pretty but Tottenham Hotspur ground out a 1-0 victory that new Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi didn’t think they deserved.

Brighton had more of the ball (59% of possession), more shots and more shots on target. But they didn’t have Son Heung-min nor Harry Kane.

Son was the supplier and Kane’s deft header with 22 minutes gone decided the contest.

Under Antonio Conte, Spurs may not have the invention or creativity of the glory days, but they often find a way to win.

Napoli’s late show

Two stoppage-time goals put the gloss on a 4-1 Napoli victory that restored their place at the top of Italy’s Serie A.

A Matteo Politano penalty put Napoli in front, but Cyriel Dessers dampened the mood with an equaliser for Cremonese.

It took a 76th-minute goal from Giovanni Simeone to ease Napoli in front before Hirving Lozano and Mathias Olivera scored in time added on.

AC Milan are three points adrift of Napoli despite a 2-0 win over Juventus courtesy of goals from Fikayo Tomoro and Brahim Diaz.

Dortmund fightback

Borussia Dortmund left it as late as they could to end Bayern Munich’s eight-game winning streak against their rivals.

After trailing to goals from Leon Goretzka and Leroy Sane, Dortmund pulled a goal back through Youssoufa Moukoko with 16 minutes to play. But the drama wasn’t over there.

Five minutes into stoppage time Anthony Modeste headed home an equaliser to prevent Bayern continuing their dominance over Dortmund.

Dortmund had tasted defeat against Bayern on every occasion since a 2-0 Super Cup victory in August 2019.

Ramos gets 28th red card

Sergio Ramos was sent off as Paris St Germain were held to a goalless draw by tiny Stade Reims in France’s Ligue Un.

For all their wealth, and stars such as Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, PSG were unable to prevent goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf earning a clean sheet.

Having been sent off 27 times before, Ramos should have known better than to complain about the yellow card he received for a foul in the first half. Instead, his angry response was greeted with a second yellow and an early
night.

Reddy can’t rescue Glory

Goalkeeper Liam Reddy’s penalty save could not prevent Perth Glory from losing their first game of the new A-League season.

Glory trailed to Sulejman Krpic’s 78th minute goal before Reddy denied the Western Sydney Wanderers striker from the spot after Stefan Colakovski brought down Ramy Najjarine.

But, with seven new players in the starting line-up, a new-look Glory were unable to find their way back into the
game.

Victory claim bragging rights

Melbourne Victory claimed bragging rights in the first “Big Blue” of the season with a 3-2 win over Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium.

Sydney led the match early and then fell behind before James Donachie equalised with just 11 minutes to play.

But Josh Brillante made sure of the points for the visitors with a goal just seven minutes from the end.




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