European Leagues

Teenager Jayden Danns stars for Liverpool

Teenager Jayden Danns called it “the best day of my life” after scoring twice off the bench as Liverpool beat Southampton to set up an FA Cup quarter-final tie with Manchester United.

There was also a dream debut for Danns’ fellow 18-year-old Lewis Koumas, who opened the scoring at Anfield when he collected Bobby Clark’s pass and found the bottom corner with a shot that deflected off Saints captain Jack Stephens a minute before the break.

After replacing Koumas in the second half, Danns ran on to Harvey Elliott’s pass to score with a lovely dinked finish in front of the Kop.

He struck again two minutes from time, thumping the ball home after Southampton goalkeeper Joe Lumley had parried Conor Bradley’s shot into his path.

“I couldn’t be happier today. Today is the best day of my life,” Danns told BBC Sport.

“I’ve watched Liverpool since I was a young boy and to score at the Kop End is more than a dream. I couldn’t be happier.”

With injuries to a host of first-team players, Jurgen Klopp named six players aged 21 or younger in his starting XI and, just as in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, the youngsters did not let him down.

Southampton had a host of chances in the first half, but having failed to make them count they were punished by Koumas late in the half.

The visitors had further opportunities to level in the second period but remained profligate in front of goal.

Again they were made to pay, this time by Danns, who was making just his third Liverpool appearance after debuting against Luton last week.

“In the Carabao Cup final I had a couple of opportunities to score, so I came into today thinking ‘bury the next one’,” Danns added.

“I couldn’t describe it [what it feels like to celebrate in front of the Kop]. It is a dream come true. The first thing I thought was to slide on my knees. It was an unbelievable experience.”

While Liverpool remain in contention for a quadruple, and can look forward to a mouth-watering meeting at Old Trafford in the last eight, Russell Martin’s Saints can now give their full attention to trying to earn promotion back to the Premier League.

After their Wembley heroics at the weekend, for much of the first 45 minutes, this looked like a game too far for an injury-hit Liverpool as their younger players struggled to make an impact.

Southampton had also made eight changes from their home loss to Millwall at the weekend but remained committed to their usual approach, cutting through the hosts on a number of occasions with their attractive passing game.

However, the finishing let them down as Sekou Mara was twice denied by Caoimhin Kelleher when well placed, while Kamaldeen Sulemana hit the post.

Liverpool were hanging on but a moment of quality, plus some good fortune, gave them the lead on the stroke of half-time.

Clark found Koumas with an incisive pass and the latter – son of former Wales international Jason – moved across the edge of the box before seeing his shot deflected in.

The goal gave the hosts more confidence and they were much more imposing after the break, although the visitors still had chances. Shea Charles missed the best of them when he scuffed his shot wide after being left completely unmarked at the back post at a corner.

It was then over to Danns, who showed composure beyond his years to lift the ball over Lumley for his first after Will Smallbone had lost possession in his own half.

When he hammered in his second, at 18 years and 43 days, the striker became the youngest Liverpool player to score two or more in a game since Michael Owen scored a hat-trick against Grimsby in November 1997.

“It feels like I’m in a movie,” Danns told ITV. “The second one was just pure joy, it didn’t feel like it could come to me, I was happy with one. I lost all composure.

“My dad cried when I made my debut so I don’t know what he’s going to be doing now.”

Klopp will hope to have a few of his more experienced players back from injury before they travel to face United in a couple of weeks but, if not, his youngsters have risen to every challenge they have faced so far and would surely relish the opportunity to show their class once again.

Related Topics:FA Cup Liverpool Southampton

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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.