سجل الكسندر ميتروفيتش، مهاجم الهلال، هدف التقدم لفريقه، أمام الأخدود، في المباراة التي تقام بين الفريقين، اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات الدوري السعودي.
الهلال يواجه الأخدود، في إطار منافسات الجولة الأولى من عمر مباريات دوري روشن السعودي في انطلاق الموسم الجديد 2024-2025.
طالع | مباشر بالفيديو.. مباراة الهلال والأخدود في الدوري السعودي
وأحرز ميتروفيتش هدف الهلال الأول في الدقيقة 4 من عمر الشوط الأول بعدما وصلته كرة عرضية على حدود منطقة الست ياردات لم يجد صعوبة في إسكانها الشباك، ليعلن التقدم مبكرًا للزعيم.
الهلال كان قد توج بالثلاثية المحلية، في الموسم الماضي الدوري السعودي وكأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين والسوبر. هدف الهلال الأول أمام الأخدود في الدوري السعودي
O atacante Gustavo Mosquito marcou dois dos três gols do Corinthians no empate em 3 a 3 contra o Athletico-PR, nesta quarta-feira (10), na Neo Química Arena, pela 35ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, mas salientou a participação dos seus companheiros na construção dos tentos anotados.
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O primeiro tento, anotado aos três minutos de partida, contou com a participação inicial do meia Cantillo, que inverteu um grande lançamento para o lateral-direito Fagner, que ajeitou de cabeça para Mosquito chapelar Pedro Henrique e bater no canto esquerdo do goleiro Santos. Já o terceiro gol corintiano, e segundo de Gustavo, foi construído pelo lado esquerdo em uma grande enfiada de bola por baixo do chileno Ángelo Araos.
-Muito feliz pelos dois gols, primeiro de esquerda, aquela jogado do Fagner com o Cantillo, que vira e ele (Fagner) dá de cabeça, vem dando certo, pude acertar um belo chute, No segundo gol também, um belo passe do Araos – disse o atacante a Corinthians TV.
> Veja a classificação do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos
Perda de gols e evolução
Em entrevista coletiva virtual ao fim da partida, o técnico Vagner Mancini elogiou a evolução de Mosquito, pontuou que ele tem sido um dos grandes jogadores corintianos atualmente, mas não deixou de mencionar dois gols perdidos pelo atleta que poderiam ter mudado a partida.
– Vive um momento interessante, cara que tem ajudado muito na parte ofensiva, tem algumas coisas que tem que ser ajustadas, por exemplo, no jogo de hoje, que ele fez dois gols e perdeu outros gols que poderiam ser o fiel da balança na partida, porque no momento já tínhamos vantagem no placar e já teríamos dois gols de diferença – afirmou o treinador corintiano.
– Mas é um atleta que tem se dedicado muito, que entendido a forma que a gente pede para que ele desempenhe em campo. Essa simplicidade, essa humildade dele tem feito que ele melhore de uma forma muito ápoda e hoje possa ser uma peça muito importante dentro do sistema ofensivo – acrescentou.
Duelo com Santos
Os dois gols perdidos por Gustavo Mosquito parou no goleiro Santos, do Furacão, que fez grande partida e acabou travando um duelo individual contra o camisa 19 do TImão. No final, assim como o 3 a 3 no marcador, o duelo entre arqueiro e atacante terminou empatado, mas este em 2 a 2.
– Hoje acabamos vendo um duelo entre o Santos o Mosquito, que fez dois gols e teve duas oportunidades defendias pelo Santos, que é um goleiro do alto nível e dificultou muito as nossas ações ofensivas. Houve, teoricamente, um empate entre eles na partida – comentou Mancini.
O Corinthians de Mancini e Mosquito volta a campo já neste domingo (14), às 16h, no estádio do Maracanã, contra o Flamengo, atual campeão nacional e vice-líder da atual edição, com um ponto a menos que o Internacional, primeiro colocado, pela 36ª rodada do Brasileirão.
Com um jogo a menos, válido pela 33ª rodada, contra o Santos, que será disputado na próxima quarta-feira (17), às 19h, na Vila Belmiro, o Timão tem três jogos como visitante e apenas um como mandante, na penúltima rodada, contra o Vasco da Gama, nesta reta final de competição.
Chris Gayle never was the retiring sort, really. And so much did he enjoy the run-soaked fourth ODI in Grenada that he confessed afterwards he just might be rethinking his decision to retire from the format at the end of the World Cup.Gayle struck 14 sixes in his innings of 162 – the second-highest score of his ODI career – on the way to leading West Indies to their highest total in this form of the game. It was his second century of a series in which he has now amassed 347 runs from three innings at an average of 115.66 and a strike rate of 120.06. During the innings, he became the 14th man, and second from the Caribbean after Brian Lara, to reach the milestone of 10,000 ODI runs.As a consequence, he has proved to himself he still has the ability to contribute at this level. So while it is only ten days since Gayle announced he intended to retire after the tournament, he has suggested that, if he were able to regain some fitness, he might decide to extend his career.”I think this is one of the most entertaining games I’ve ever played in,” Gayle said. “It was a fantastic game of cricket. I’ve been playing a lot of T20 cricket so it’s always going to be a difficult coming back into 50-over cricket. But eventually the body gets accustomed to the 50-over format.”I just have to work on the body and then maybe you can see a bit more Chris Gayle, maybe. Things change quickly. Hopefully the body can change in the next couple of months and we can see what happens.”To get the 10,000-run milestone is a great feeling. I’ve done it in T20 as well. It’s a fantastic achievement from my point of view. Doing it for West Indies as well, that makes it even more superb.”What’s the matter with the body? I’m nearly 40. But could I un-retire? We’ll see. We’ll take it slowly.”While Gayle enjoyed the game, he felt West Indies could have won if they had played “a bit smarter”. They allowed England to put on a century opening stand and then plunder 154 from the final ten overs, then fell away with the bat from a position of strength at 220 for two.”We didn’t utilise that new ball well,” Gayle said, referring to England’s opening stand of 100 within 14 overs. “If we had, we would have been chasing 380.”I’m sure the team are all disappointed. I can see the expression on their faces. It’s a learning process for the young players. If they do things differently they could have won. So it’s good to see that body language when you lose. When that situation comes again I’m sure it will be totally different.”
Glasgow Rangers may not have enjoyed the best of starts to the current season, yet they secured victory in the League Cup final on Sunday to secure Philippe Clement his first trophy in charge of the Ibrox side.
It marks a stunning turnaround from where the club were in late September and the onus is for the Belgian to further strengthen his squad when the January transfer window opens.
Not only will he hope to bring a few players to Glasgow, but the 49-year-old coach will also be looking to build a sustainable player trading model in the process.
Rangers titan was their "best player" alongside Balogun in League Cup final
Rangers won their 28th League Cup after defeating Aberdeen at Hampden
By
Ross Kilvington
Dec 18, 2023
Michael Beale may have sold a few players during the summer, yet they weren’t the fees that Giovanni van Bronckhorst managed to rake in during his spell in charge of the club.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s transfer record at Rangers
The Dutchman perhaps didn’t enjoy the best record with regards to incomings, as many of his signings failed to really make an impression in Glasgow.
The likes of Aaron Ramsey and Amad Diallo failed to really get going at Ibrox during their six-month loan spells – the former notably missing a decisive spot kick in the Europa League final – while money was spent on Ben Davies, Ridvan Yilmaz and Antonio Colak; the less said about those the better.
Former Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
The two defenders are still trying to make a name for themselves at the Light Blues, while Colak was sold after just a solitary season in Scotland.
With regard to player sales, however, the Dutchman managed to sell a few players for big profits.
Nathan Patterson was the first to leave, moving to Everton for a transfer fee in the region of £16m and it was the record fee received by the Scottish club at the time.
Van Bronckhorst's most expensive signings at Rangers
Player signed
Value of transfer
#1 Ben Davies
£4m
#2 Ridvan Yilmaz
£3.4m
#3 Rabbi Matondo
£2.5m
#4 Antonio Colak
£2.1m
#5 Aaron Ramsey
£675k loan fee
Data via Transfermarkt.
During the summer transfer window in 2022, Van Bronckhorst managed to sell another two players for big fees. Joe Aribo joined Southampton for £10m before defender Calvin Bassey moved abroad to sign for Ajax.
The Nigerian defender had enjoyed a breakthrough campaign and the Dutch side paid a fee of £23m, a price that obliterated the record Patterson had set just a few months prior.
It looks as though the Gers hit the jackpot with this sale, as the current Fulham gem has seen his market value decrease since leaving Scotland.
Calvin Bassey’s statistics at Rangers
Following another failure to secure the Premiership title during the 2019/20 season, Steven Gerrard spent that summer bolstering his squad and one young talent to arrive was Bassey.
Aged just 19, he arrived from Leicester City and was looked upon as a solid backup option to Borna Barisic. Throughout the title-winning campaign, the defender made 15 appearances across all competitions and the onus was for him to establish himself as part of the starting XI during 2021/22.
The “explosive” starlet – as so dubbed by his U23 coach at Leicester, Steve Beaglehole – may have required an injury crisis during his second season to forge his way into the starting XI, but he took full advantage.
Former Rangers centre-back Calvin Bassey.
He made fleeting appearances at left-back under Gerrard during the early stages of the season, but it wasn’t until Van Bronckhorst arrived combined with an injury crisis that saw him move to the centre of the defence.
Overall, he played in 50 matches during the whole campaign and he forged a solid partnership alongside Connor Goldson as the Light Blues came so close to securing Europa League glory.
These displays on the continental stage clearly attracted interest from afar, and it was Ajax who were the most attractive proposition for the player.
Having shone when given a consistent run in the team, Bassey had certainly earned his big move, yet he hasn’t quite enjoyed the same sort of success since leaving Rangers 18 months ago.
Calvin Bassey's performances since leaving Rangers
During his spell at Ajax, Bassey struggled to cope with the pressure as he made 39 appearances in all competitions yet failed to inspire the team to any sort of silverware.
Calvin Bassey
Criticism for his displays was led by former midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, who said: "How is someone who played for Glasgow Rangers like Calvin Bassey going to be able to lead the defence at Ajax?
"Where was the Ajax youth system? Was there no one there better than him? Because if there isn't then you have a major problem. Sometimes it's better if you don't have any money because then you don't do crazy things. Then you wait for the right moment and occasionally take a chance. Instead, they spent 23 million Euros on Bassey.”
Harsh words indeed, and he lasted just a single season before joining Fulham this summer.
Calvin Bassey's domestic statistics since leaving Rangers
Ajax
Fulham
Accurate passes per game
52.4
43.3
Tackles per game
1.6
1.4
Total duels won per game
4.4
3.3
Interceptions won per game
0.9
1.5
Possession lost per game
9.2
9.3
Stats via Sofascore
Bassey currently ranks just sixth in the Cottagers squad for tackles per game (1.4) in the Premier League, while also ranking in the same position for clearances (two) and interceptions (1.5) per game.
Not only that, but the defender loses possession on average 9.3 times per game along with keeping just two clean sheets during his 12 league appearances so far.
Calvin Bassey's market value in 2023
It appears as though Bassey is struggling to get to grips with Premier League football and this is evidenced by his market value decreasing.
Having cost Ajax £23m when they signed him from Rangers, the 23-year-old is now worth €16.2m (£14m) according to Football Transfers, which represents a 40% decrease from the fee the Dutch side splashed out on him.
Calvin Bassey at Rangers
In reality, the Gers would have loved to have kept a talent like Bassey at the club, especially as he could have continued his development in the centre-back position.
They couldn’t turn down an offer such as the one presented by the Eredivisie side and the club have clearly struck gold by selling the 6 foot 1 brute for such a lavish profit.
Clement will be hoping to do the same once he gets into his first transfer window as manager of the Gers and, by building an effective player trading model, he will be able to lure talented starlets to the club with the premise of developing them into future stars.
This in turn will allow the Belgian to sell them on for a profit which can then be reinvested back into the playing squad.
Nottingham Forest are thought to be in talks over a sensational move that would see Keylor Navas return to The City Ground, with one reporter sharing a big update.
Nottingham Forest transfer news
The Reds, now under the leadership of Nuno Espirito Santo, have been known to be active when it comes to the transfer market following their return to the Premier League in 2022.
This January window could be no different, with plenty of rumours already circling as to who could make the move to join Nuno’s side. Recent reports have claimed that due to the club losing Serge Aurier, Willy Boly, Ibrahim Sangare, Cheikhou Kouyate, Moussa Niakhate and Ola Aina to the Africa Cup of Nations, Forest are planning for a 'hectic' month in the market.
Two players who have been heavily linked with moves to the club are defender Nino from Fluminense and winger Gelson Martins, although the latter now looks set to join Olympiacos, also owned by Evangelos Marinakis.
Another who could be on the move this month is known to Forest fans already in Navas, and a development has now emerged.
Nottingham Forest open Keylor Navas talks
According to Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey, Forest have now opened talks with Paris Saint-Germain over a ‘sensational return’ to The City Ground for Navas.
It is believed that Nuno ‘wants a proven goalkeeper who is more adept with the ball at his feet than current number one Matt Turner’. He adds that ‘negotiations are now underway to take Navas back and Forest are hopeful a deal can be agreed with PSG once again’.
Navas starred for the club on loan during the previous campaign under Steve Cooper, helping the club stay in the top flight. The £180,000-a-week goalkeeper was dubbed a “massive” player by Neco Williams following his debut against Leeds United.
“What a debut (for Keylor Navas), massive, massive saves. He kept us in it and we’re thankful for him. What a career he’s had and what a career he’s having. It’s not easy making your Premier League debut against Leeds.”
Keylor Navas stats at Nottingham Forest
Games
17
Minutes played
1,530
Goals conceded
32
Clean sheets
2
Wins
4
Cooper was also a fan, saying:
"In the few days that he's been, we've seen a hardworking, humble guy who regardless of what I just said about what he's done in the game, he still would have wanted to do well today and show his worth because that's what a guy of that level does, and he did.
"Brilliant in the first half, game managed equally as good in the second half and in the end, it was individual moments in terms of Keylor's save, Brennan's finish that won us the game."
Forest have currently conceded 35 goals from 20 games in the top flight, more than any side outside of the bottom three, struggling for clean sheets, so bringing Navas back could once again be a shrewd move, and it looks as if it’ll be one to watch this month.
Focado no objetivo de utilizar mais as categorias de base em 2021, o Corinthians confirmou seu primeiro “reforço” para a nova temporada. Trata-se de João Victor, que está emprestado ao Atlético-GO, e voltará ao Timão para ser aproveitado pelo técnico Vagner Mancini. Essa “contratação” mostra que a filosofia do clube deve realmente mudar e mais peças assim devem chegar.
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TABELA > Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão clicando aqui
GALERIA >33 jogadores em 23 jogos: veja quem já atuou pelo Timão na Era Mancini
A revelação desse “reforço” foi feita pelo próprio presidente Duílio Monteiro Alves que, em entrevista para o programa “Seleção SporTV” na última sexta-feira, anunciou o retorno do zagueiro, que disputa a atual edição do Brasileirão emprestado ao time goiano. As atuações de João agradaram a diretoria, além de ser um velho conhecido de Mancini, que dirigia o Dragão antes do Timão.
-A gente tem aqui o Ruan Oliveira, que infelizmente se machucou, o (Gustavo) Mantuan também, uma infelicidade, vinha bem, tivemos o Carlos (Augusto), vendido no meio do ano passado, temos o (Lucas) Piton, o Xavier, o Roni, o Raul Gustavo, zagueiro, e o João Victor, que está no Atlético-GO e retorna agora pra fazer parte dos planos do professor Mancini – afirmou Duílio enquanto falava dos bons valores da base corintiana utilizados nos últimos tempos.
Aos 22 anos, o zagueiro fez 32 jogos oficiais pelo Atlético-GO na temporada, sendo que 25 deles foram no Campeonato Brasileiro, em que foi um dos destaques do time. Antes, no início de 2020, ele disputou o Paulistão pela Inter de Limeira, onde despertou o interesse do clube goiano para tê-lo por empréstimo. Agora, João terá oportunidade de atuar pelo Corinthians.
Atualmente, no elenco corintiano, Mancini conta com seis zagueiros: Gil, Bruno Méndez, Jemerson, Marllon e Raul Gustavo, além de Danilo Avelar, que se recupera de cirurgia no joelho. Alguns deles podem sair, como Marllon, que pode ser emprestado novamente, e Jemerson, que tem contrato apenas até o meio do ano. Dessa forma, o jovem deve ser integrado para essa rotação do elenco, com a promessa de que a base será bastante usada na temporada.
-Como temos qualidade, a gente pretende sim utilizar cada vez mais (a base), o professor Mancini é muito aberto a isso, a gente tem tido muitas conversas, muitos garotos já estão no profissional, outros que estouraram a idade no sub-20 vão treinar conosco neste início de temporada, outros jogadores do sub-20 mesmo, que ainda têm idade, estão subindo também para treinar, porque a gente identificou muita qualidade, principalmente nas posições que a gente tem muita carência, então por esses motivos a gente vai utilizar mais – disse Duílio, presidente do Timão, ao “Seleção SporTV”.
Desde 2017 no Corinthians, João Victor chegou emprestado ao sub-20 e, após se destacar, foi comprado em definitivo no ano seguinte, assinando contrato até o meio de 2022, ou seja, tem mais um ano e meio de vínculo com o clube. Segundo o balanço de 2019, o Alvinegro tem 55% de seus direitos econômicos.
Liverpool kick off 2024 this evening as they welcome Newcastle United to Anfield for their first Premier League match of the calendar year.
The Reds will be hoping to retain their place at the top of the table as they bid to secure their first top-flight title since the 2019/20 campaign.
Jurgen Klopp’s men head into this fixture off the back of a 2-0 win over Burnley last time out at Turf Moor, thanks to goals from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota either side of half-time.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
The German head coach will be without a number of players, including Andy Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas, Joel Matip, and Thiago, due to injury and could look to rotate his side to avoid further issues.
One player he must unleash from the start this evening is central midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, who should come in for Ryan Gravenberch in the middle of the park.
Gravenberch's performance against Burnley in numbers
The Dutch whiz played 66 minutes against the Clarets and did not do enough to make him a nailed-on starter against the Magpies today.
He lost six of his eight duels as Burnley players found it far too easy to get the better of him in physical duels, and the summer signing failed with both of his attempted dribbles.
Appearances
14
Sofascore rating
6.69
Goals
Zero
Assists
Zero
Duel success rate
40%
Gravenberch, who created one chance at Turf Moor, has not hit the ground running since his permanent move from Bayern Munich earlier this year.
As you can see in the table above, the central midfielder has not made a significant impact at the top end of the pitch and has been too much of a lightweight in physical battles throughout the Premier League season.
Why Szoboszlai should replace Gravenberch
Meanwhile, Szoboszlai has been an impressive performer for the Reds in midfield since his summer switch from German side RB Leipzig.
The Hungary international has not been at his very best as an attacker in recent weeks, with no goal contributions in his last four Premier League outings, but his work out of possession should put him ahead of Gravenberch.
He has made 6.4 ball recoveries per match in the top-flight for the Reds so far this season, compared to his Dutch teammate's 3.6 per game.
The £120k-per-week whiz, who was once dubbed a "Magician" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the engine and drive to win the ball back for his side at an impressive rate, which helps Liverpool to control games and cut out opposition attacks.
Szoboszlai also has the potential to chip in at the top end of the pitch. He has produced two goals, two assists, and five 'big chances' created in 19 Premier League matches so far this season.
This shows that the former Leipzig star has the quality to make an impact in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals, which is a trait that Gravenberch has yet to display.
Therefore, Klopp must ditch the Dutchman this evening and bring Szoboszlai back in from the start to line up in midfield at Anfield against the Magpies.
D’Arcy Short and Kane Richardson, the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker in this year’s Big Bash League, will be plying their trade in the Vitality Blast this summer after signing T20 deals with Durham and Derbyshire respectively.Short, 28, who made his ODI debut against England at Cardiff last year, has featured prominently in Australia’s recent white-ball campaigns, including an innings of 76 from 44 balls to help his side to the highest T20I run-chase of 244 against New Zealand last year.He was named Player of the Tournament in the BBL for the second year running, after amassing 637 runs for Hobart Hurricanes, including six half centuries and a top score of 96 not out. He also chipped in with 10 wickets with his legspin.Richardson, meanwhile, contributed 24 wickets at an average of 17.70 and a strike rate of 13.70, to help Melbourne Renegades to the BBL title, beating their city rivals, Stars, in the final.He has also seen success in the Indian Premier League, taking 18 wickets across three campaigns, at a combined average of 24.60.”I’ve been lucky to play in T20 tournaments around the world, but this will be my first experience of the Vitality Blast and I’m looking forward to getting going,” said Richardson.”It’s a competitive tournament and I know a few of the guys who we’ll be facing and they all say how great the crowds are under the lights on the T20 nights in England.”Derbyshire are an ambitious club who have been progressing well in the last few seasons, so hopefully I can contribute towards some wins and get Derbyshire towards the knockout stages.”Up at the Riverside, Short will link up with his fellow Australian Cameron Bancroft, who has agreed a deal to join Durham for the entire 2019 season after serving a nine-month ban for ball-tampering last year.”I can’t wait to get over to Durham and play some cricket; playing in England is something that I have wanted to do for a while and I’m very excited to get started,” Short said.”It’s very much a new experience for me and a challenge to play on some different grounds, wickets, pitches and against some new bowlers.”It’s nice to have Bangers [Cameron Bancroft] who I already know from the Australia set-up and Northy [Marcus North] at Durham, as it’s always a help to have some extra support when you arrive at a new place. Both of them were a big factor in me choosing to join up with Durham Cricket this summer.”It didn’t take too much persuasion for me to decide to spend my summer in the North East and I’m looking forward to meeting the lads.”North, Durham Cricket’s Director of Cricket, added: “It’s exciting for everyone here at Durham to announce the arrival of D’Arcy Short for Vitality Blast this season.”He’s a great player to have around the dressing room and it offers the younger players a great opportunity to observe one of the finest T20 batsmen in world cricket.”
Despite Manchester United's 14th league loss of the season, Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney hope that Erik ten Hag is not sacked this summer.
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Man Utd lose 1-0 to ArsenalTen Hag could be sacked this summerRooney and Keane back DutchmanGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Ten Hag's second season at Old Trafford has gone by stunningly badly and it was visible as Man Utd lost 1-0 to Arsenal. As such, it has been reported that the Dutch manager, who still has a year left on his contract, could be shown the door with new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe looking to make positive changes at the club. However, the Man Utd legends feel the club should afford the 54-year-old another season to showcase his abilities.
AdvertisementWHAT KEANE AND ROONEYSAID
Speaking with Sky Sports, Keane said [via The Daily Mail]: "I hope he's given more time and they get to the summer, they can regroup and restructure the club, or whatever that might be.
"There's huge problems at the club. But I hope he's given a chance to get things right. Because last year there was some positives, we have to be honest with that. And they have an FA Cup final coming up, and if they manage to beat Man City, it's going to be very, very difficult, but there's huge challenges he's facing, and he's under huge pressure."
Rooney was also of the same opinion, however, agreed there are chances of Ten Hag being shown the door: "I personally hope they do give them time. Because I think there's a lot of problems. Recruitment is massive, and it hasn't been good enough throughout the year.
"So I do think it takes time to do it right. But what we've seen before, I was part of [Man United's team] in the FA Cup final, when we won in 2016 and Louis van Gaal lost the job so you never know."
Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The loss to Arsenal was the Red Devils' ninth loss of the season at Old Trafford, equalling a club record as per OptaJoe, something that hasn't happened since the 1973-74 season. They now sit in eighth place in the league table, three points behind Newcastle United and Chelsea, which has all but ended their hopes of attaining European football next season.
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WHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG?
With two more Premier League matches to contend with before the FA Cup final on May 25, Ten Hag will be hoping for positive results in all three matches if he hopes to avoid the sack this summer.
Douglas Luiz has got his own back on Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand following Aston Villa's Champions League qualification.
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Ferdinand trolled Luiz after Man Utd beat Villa
Aston Villa qualify for Champions League
Luiz gets his own back on ex-Man Utd defender
WHAT HAPPENED?
Tottenham's 2-0 loss to Manchester City on Tuesday meant Unai Emery's men qualified for next year's elite European competition. Their chances of finishing in the Premier League's top four, however, took a blow in February when Villa lost 2-1 at home to United – prompting Ferdinand to mock Luiz after his shimmy goal celebration. Now, the Brazilian has turned the tables on the ex-England international.
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WHAT DOUGLAS LUIZ SAID
Three months ago, Ferdinand tweeted: "U ok Douglas Luiz?", alongside a series of laughing emojis and a picture of the midfielder doing his shimmy celebration.
On Tuesday night, Luiz responded on X (formerly Twitter): "I just came here to find out if @rioferdy5 is okay?"
Ferdinand was not done, however. While he congratulated the 25-year-old, he also posted a photo of himself lifting the Champions League trophy in 2008.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
City's result means Villa have qualified for the Champions League for the first time since the 1982/83 campaign – the season after they won the tournament. The fact that they have comfortably beaten United to that top four spot speaks volumes about the current trajectories of the two teams.
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WHAT NEXT?
Villa will round off their season away to in-form Crystal Palace whereas United host Newcastle United on Wednesday night and take on Brighton at the Amex on Sunday. After that, they lock horns with City in the FA Cup final on May 25.