European Leagues

Newcastle’s Wilson accuses Spurs keeper Vicario of ‘lack of respect’

Callum Wilson has accused Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario of a “lack of respect” after he was caught making faces at the Newcastle United striker towards the end of Spurs’ 4-1 win on Sunday.

A brace from Richarlison in between Destiny Udogie’s first Premier League goal and Son Heung-Min’s 85th-minute penalty gave Ange Postecoglou’s side their first win since Oct. 27 with Newcastle only mustering a stoppage-time strike from Joelinton in response.

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Wilson only played the final 26 minutes as a substitute, but became embroiled in a heated exchange with Vicario following an incident in which the Spurs’ keeper appeared to stick his tongue out in the England forward’s direction after saving a tame header.

Asked about the fracas afterwards, Wilson referenced Newcastle’s midweek defeat at Everton, where footage has emerged of Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford appearing to taunt the visiting supporters.

Wilson told Sky Sports: “There’s a way to win isn’t there? We’ve seen it in the week when Everton were winning and Pickford was messing around.

“The goalkeeper, I’ve had a header, he starts pulling faces and messing around. It’s a lack of respect I thought. But I said my piece, we’re grown men and we move on.”

Wilson, who is returning from a layoff due to injury, admitted his side had been up against it with so many of Eddie Howe’s squad out of action.

“The players that have been starting the last five or six games have had a lot asked of them. We are playing a top side; it felt like a game too many,” Wilson said.

At least the return of Wilson and Sean Longstaff, both of whom came off the bench on Sunday, offered some light at the end of the tunnel for Howe who has had little chance to rotate some of his key players with the squad so thinly-stretched.

“It’s a difficult moment for us. We probably expected it to come a little bit earlier than it has. I think the lads have been really good to sustain the results that we were having,” Howe told the BBC when asked about two heavy defeats this week.

“The last two have been tough games. Not us at our best. Physically we looked fatigued today and there was not much we could do about it.”

European Leagues

EPL: I should have waited before starting Khusanov against Chelsea – Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted he made a mistake by starting Abdukodir Khusanov in Saturday’s Premier League match against Chelsea.

The new signing from Lens was at fault for Chelsea’s opening goal but improved as the game progressed, with City eventually securing a 3-1 victory.

Speaking to the club’s website, Guardiola reflected on his decision:

“Khusanov should not have played; he should have taken more time. It’s not easy against Chelsea in the Premier League when you come from another country and can’t really communicate with the teammates.

“He arrived without training and still has to figure out what to do and the process around it… Imagine going through what Khusanov has experienced and what happened, ‘Oh God!’”

Meanwhile, new City striker Omar Marmoush praised his teammate’s efforts, saying:
“Khusanov is an exceptional player, and I would like to congratulate him for his debut.”

Premier League

Jamie Vardy matches Ronaldo’s record in Leicester 2-1 win over Spurs

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has equaled a Premier League record previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Vardy scored in Leicester’s surprising 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. After Richarlison gave Tottenham the lead in the 33rd minute, Vardy equalized just after halftime in the 46th minute.

Moroccan youngster Bilal El Khannouss then scored the winning goal in the 50th minute, securing the Foxes’ crucial three points and lifting them out of the relegation zone.

With this goal, Vardy became the fifth player aged 37 or older to be involved in 10 or more goals in a Premier League season, as noted by Squawka. The last player to achieve this feat was Ronaldo during his second stint at Manchester United, when he scored 18 goals and provided three assists in the 2021-22 season.

Ryan Giggs reached the milestone in the 2011-12 season, while Teddy Sheringham and Gary Speed were the first to accomplish it.

At 38 years old, Vardy continues to perform at the highest level, having contributed seven goals and three assists in 21 league appearances this season.

Premier League

‘He Can Never Play For Me Again’ – Man United’s Ruben Amorim slams Marcus Rashford

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said he would rather play his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital in his team than Marcus Rashford unless the out-of-favor forward starts to “give the maximum every day in training and in life.”

England international Rashford was left out of the team for the 11th successive game by Amorim during United’s 1-0 Premier League win at Fulham on Sunday.

The 27-year-old said last month that he was ready to seek a “new challenge” away from Old Trafford after being dropped for United’s 2-1 win against Manchester City at the Etihad on Dec. 15, but Rashford has so far been unable to find a new club during the January transfer window.

And despite strikers Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee scoring just one goal between them since the beginning of December, Amorim said he would not restore Rashford to the team unless he changes his attitude.

“It’s the same, it’s always the same reason,” Amorim said when asked why he continued to overlook Rashford. “The reason is the training, the way I see what footballers should do in training, in life, it’s every day, every detail.

“So if things don’t change, I will not change. It’s the same situation for every player. If you do the maximum, if you do the right things, we can use every player. And you can see it today on the bench, we miss a little bit of pace to go and change the game, move some pieces.

“But I prefer it like that. I will put Vital on before I put a player on that don’t give the maximum every day. So I will not change in that department.”

Amorim, who arrived from Portuguese champions Sporting CP in November, celebrates his 40th birthday on Monday. But after the Fulham win, he said he feels much older after his brief stint at United.

“It’s not 40 … I’m 50!” he said. “After two months at Manchester United, it’s 50. It’s a privilege to spend my 40th birthday here. That feeling of winning and three points is really important for us. You cannot see a great improvement in the team and that is a fact, but to win helps us to improve.

“We’ve had some lack of luck in some games. Today, was not the best match but we managed to win. The important thing is I have a clear idea of what I want to do. Sometimes I’m frustrated. We want to play a different style and we are going to play a different style in the future.”