European Leagues

Bayern hail Kane after prolific start: ‘He can do anything’

GOAL MONSTER! Unstoppable Kane Breaks Another Record In UCL

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane arrived in Germany on a record-breaking transfer and his sensational goal-scoring run this season has already exceeded expectations and turned him into an instant fan favourite.

Kane joined Bayern from Tottenham in August for a Bundesliga-record €100 million ($106m) fee, with the German champions desperate to bring in a tested scorer to fill the goal-scoring gap created by last year’s departure of Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona.

Kane, the England men’s all-time top scorer and the Premier League’s second all-time scorer, hit the ground running and has already bagged 21 goals in 15 matches in the Bundesliga and Champions League for Bayern.

“It is impressive,” beamed Bayern sports director Christoph Freund after Saturday’s double in their 4-2 victory over Heidenheim.

“He is playing away from the U.K. for the first time and then he scores like that. The team also plays him into position. He is a phenomenon.”

Kane’s two goals on Saturday took his league tally to 17 from 11 games, setting a league record for most goals at this stage, beating Lewandowski’s previous mark of 16.

Kane already has more goals after 11 Bundesliga matches than last season’s top scorers had in the entire campaign.

“I cannot tell you anything different,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said of Kane’s scoring run on Saturday. “The performances are telling a story. There is no need for any words.”

Kane has also scored four times in four Champions League group matches, with Bayern having already secured a spot in the knockout stage with two games to spare.

Among the highlights this season is his 60-metre looping shot from Bayern’s own half in their 8-0 demolition of Darmstadt 98, undoubtedly a candidate for goal of the season.

He also scored a hat trick in last week’s 4-0 victory at title rivals Borussia Dortmund, the first player to do so in their Klassiker debut.

“I believe he can do anything,” said Bayern teammate Thomas Müller. “We only need to bring him into position. If he gets to shoot anywhere near or inside the box then chances are the ball will go in.”

Club bosses are equally delighted with Kane’s goal bonanza, saying the move was the right one for both Bayern and the title-starved Kane.

“Absolutely fantastic,” Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said. “Obviously one is happy when things are working so well, having also been partly responsible for this transfer. I hope it continues like that.”

Kane’s scoring exploits have also forced some critics of the transfer to make a sharp U-turn. Among them is former Germany international Didi Hamann who had initially expressed doubts about how effective Kane would be in the Bundesliga.

“I never thought that he would score like that,” Hamann told Bild newspaper. “I mean he did not sign for three months but for four years and he gets great balls from team mates.”

“But still it is impressive because he is one of a few strikers who don’t have so much speed. But it shows you how clever he is as a player. Bayern did everything right. He is a phenomenon.”

European Leagues

Richard Keys Makes Pep Guardiola Sack Claim After Man City Draw v Everton

Richard Keys believes Pep Guardiola would have been sacked after the loss to Everton if he had not been the Manchester City manager.

Sean Dyche’s team held the Sky Blues to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad on Thursday [26 December], making it one win in nine Premier League matches for Pep Guardiola’s team.

Iliman Ndiaye equalised for the Blues to secure a point, and Keys believes the former Barcelona head coach would have been relieved of his duties had he been managing a team towards the bottom of the table.

Speaking on beIN SPORTS 1 [26 December, 17:11], the 67-year-old said: “It’s one win in 13 in all competitions for City now. Five points from 27 in the Premier League. If that’s a manager at the bottom, he gets the sack.”

Sean Dyche relieves Everton sack pressure after Manchester City draw

Guardiola has been arguably the finest manager anywhere in the world for more than a decade, and while calls for sacking him feel absurd, the Spaniard certainly needs to turn things around at the Sky Blues.

Dyche was under pressure at the Toffees not long ago after a poor start to the season, but the Englishman has turned things around in recent weeks.

The Blues were languishing close to the relation zone before a set of tricky fixtures in December, and many of the Goodison faithful were fearful.

However, Everton have gone up against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City in their last three games and have taken a point from each.

Dyche must be commended for the remarkable set of results, and his conservative approach to football has certainly been instrumental.

The 53-year-old head coach has quelled the noise around his future in the Goodison dugout, but it remains to be seen whether The Friedkin Group will pull the plug if things go sideways in the coming months.

With Nottingham Forest up next on Sunday [29 December], the Blues can’t rest on their laurels and must see off Nuno Espirito Santo’s unexpectedly successful team.

In other Everton news, an ESPN image shows what might have helped Jordan Pickford during the Erling Haaland penalty save.

European Leagues

Bruno Fernandes sees red as Manchester United slump to another Premier League defeat

Manchester United’s struggles continued in a bruising St Stephen’s Day defeat at Vitor Pereira’s resurgent Wolves as Matheus Cunha scored one and provided another shortly after Bruno Fernandes saw red.
Gary O’Neil’s successor followed up Sunday’s 3-0 victory at Leicester with another impressive win as the Portuguese’s first match at Molineux ended with a huge boost in their bid to stay up.

Wolves deserved their 2-0 win, exposing the set piece frailties of Ruben Amorim’s stumbling side as Cunha beat Andre Onana directly from a corner shortly after Fernandes’ third sending off the season.

Star man Cunha – whose availability had been in doubt with a Football Association misconduct charge hanging over him – teed up substitute Hwang Hee-chan to wrap things up at the death.

New boss Pereira punched the air after his perfect star continued, inflicting a fifth defeat in 10 matches in all competitions on Amorim.

This was an alarming United display four days on from a 3-0 home humbling by Bournemouth, leaving them languishing in 14th spot.

Cunha shone amid the Molineux fog from the outset, drawing fouls during the early exchanges that saw Leny Yoro and Fernandes booked. The latter decision would prove particularly costly.

European Leagues

Ola Aina And Taiwo Awoniyi Star As Nottingham Forest Execute Toothless Tottenham

Super Eagles stars Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi featured for Nottingham Forest as they defeated Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 at the City Ground, Soccernet.ng reports.

Nottingham Forest returned to Premier League action with a fixture against Tottenham at home. The Tricky Trees have been impressive this season, claiming the scalps of Manchester United and Aston Villa recently, and they were looking to continue their run.

Super Eagles defender Aina kept his place on rhe starting XI, while Awoniyi started from the bench. Tottenham started the game on the front foot, with Mats Selz making some important saves in the first 25 minutes.

However, Nottingham Forest had a big chance in the 28th minute, and they took it. Sweden star Anthony Elanga produced an effort from inside the box to open the scoring.

Tottenham probed hard for the equalizer, but they failed to get it. In the second half, Nottingham Forest were solid and stopped Tottenham for getting good looks at goal. Super Eagles star Aina put in a great shift at right back, registering three clearances and one tackle. Despite facing a lightning-fast Brennan Johnson, he was dribbled past just once.

Awoniyi was introduced into the game in the 87th minute, and he had an opportunity just a minute after his introduction, but he dragged his shot wide.

Nottingham Forest had an easy end to the game, as Djed Spence got sent off in stoppage time. It eventually ended 1-0 to the Tricky Trees, as they won their 10th game of the season.