Premier League

Ruud van Nistelrooy Enjoys Winning Start With Leicester

Ruud van Nistelrooy enjoyed a dream start to his reign as Leicester manager after a 3-1 win over West Ham, whose boss Julen Lopetugui is under increasing pressure.

Van Nistelrooy has replaced Steve Cooper at the King Power Stadium and saw Jamie Vardy open the scoring after just 98 seconds.

Bilal El Khannouss and Patson Daka added goals after the break to ensure the Dutchman started with three points in style.

His task is to keep the Foxes in the Premier League this season and after ending a five-game winless run they moved up to 15th, four points clear of the relegation zone.

West Ham’s hierarchy will have seen what impact a managerial change can have as the jury remains out on Lopetegui, with away fans making their feelings clear by chanting “You’re getting sacked in the morning”.

Niclas Fullkrug scored a consolation goal at the death but it counted for nothing and forthcoming games against Wolves, Bournemouth, Brighton and Southampton could determine the Spaniard’s future.

When Van Nistelrooy went to bed last night, even he would not have dreamt of his side starting as well as they did as they went ahead with less than two minutes on the clock.

One of the Dutchman’s first conversations following his appointment was to take Vardy to task for breaking his record for scoring in the most consecutive Premier League games nine years ago.

And the veteran striker rolled back to the years as, living on the shoulder of the West Ham defence, he raced clear from El Khannouss’ through-ball and slotted into the corner.

The linesman’s flag immediately went up but a lengthy VAR review ruled Vardy had timed his run perfectly and the goal stood.

Vardy could have added a second from a similar move but this time Lukasz Fabianski denied him.

The Dutchman quickly learned about the frailties of his side as West Ham created a raft of chances in search of an equaliser.

Jarrod Bowen forced Mads Hermansen into a stretching save when he cut in from the right before Ings’ header crashed into the post and Max Kilman slipped at the crucial point from the rebound.

Bowen, a constant threat, sent a ball across face of goal which evaded everyone before the England international was denied by a reflex save from the busy Hermansen.

The Danish goalkeeper needed to be alert to tip over Mohammed Kudus’ deflected effort early in the second half before he was saved by the referee’s whistle after after his attempted punch went into his own goal, Tomas Soucek the man penalised.

Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen punches into his own goal while being challenged by Tomas Soucek, with the goal disallowed

Leicester remained a threat on the counter-attack and that is how they doubled their lead just after the hour.

Kasey McAteer was set clear down the left and his ball inside was perfect for El Khannouss to find the bottom corner from 15 yards.

It was almost three as Fabianski produced an acrobatic save from Wilfred Ndidi’s header before Leicester needed a heroic piece of defending to keep their 2-0 lead intact.

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Premier League

Chelsea Keeper Petrovic Joins Bournemouth

London (AFP) – Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic joined Bournemouth in a deal worth a reported £25 million ($33 million) on Wednesday.

Petrovic agreed a contract that will keep him at the Vitality Stadium until June 2030.

The 25-year-old had been at Chelsea since joining from MLS side New England Revolution in 2023.

Petrovic, who spent last season on loan at French team Strasbourg, made 31 appearances for the west London club.

“I’m really happy to be here. I came to Bournemouth because I want to grow and I want to play at the best level,” the Serbia international said.

“Together with this club, with these facilities, I think we can achieve it. I want to help the team get the results, improve every day and be a better player.”

Bournemouth had Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea last season.

The Spain keeper has since joined Arsenal on a permanent basis, while Cherries back-up Mark Travers signed for Everton on Tuesday.

France24.com

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Premier League

Ighalo: Money Was The Real Reason I Left Watford For China

Former Super Eagles and Manchester United striker, Jude Odion Ighalo, has revealed the reason he left Watford for Chinese Super League side, Changchun Yatai, according to Soccernet.ng.

The 36-year-old achieved his lifelong dream of playing in the English Premier League in 2014 when he joined Watford from Granada.

Ighalo helped the Hornets gain promotion to the English top-flight after scoring 20 goals and providing three assists in 35 EFL Championship games.

The following season, he scored 15 Premier League goals, which saw him earn a move to Changchun Yatai.

Speaking on the Echo Podcast, the 2019 AFCON Golden Boot winner revealed he went to China for the money since he had already accomplished his dream of playing in the English Premier League.

“I was 27 at the time. I’d fulfilled my personal dream of playing in the English Premier League. When I was growing up in Ajegunle, I didn’t even know I’d get to the level I got to.

“I just wanted to make a few bucks to change my family and make them proud, alongside a dream to play in the Premier League because I watched the league a lot. It’s the most viewed in the World.

“Back then, we used to pay to sit at the viewing centre, lapping each other to watch the television.”

“The dream already came true for me, so when the offer from China came, I said it was an opportunity to make money, and I decided to grab it.

“The club already accepted the offer without my consent because it was good money for them. They accepted £20m, because no team would pay that.

“I signed a four-year contract with Changchun Yatai, but I played two years there before moving to Shanghai Shenhua, with even more money because I did so well, scoring 36 goals in 53 or 54 games for the initial two years.

“I played one year at Shanghai before going on loan to Manchester United,” the Al-Wehda striker concluded.

Ighalo eventually returned to the English Premier League in 2020 when Manchester United came calling. The Red Devils were ravaged by injuries at the time and decided to make a loan move for the Nigerian forward.
Without hesitation, the former Udinese striker jumped at the chance to play for his dream club, even taking a wage cut.

In his time at Old Trafford, he scored five goals in nineteen outings for the Record English Premier League Champions.

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Premier League

Transfer Tension: Liverpool Ready £120M Record Bid for Newcastle’s Alexander Isak

Liverpool are making serious transfer waves this summer — and the name at the top of their list is none other than Alexander Isak.

According to multiple sources, Liverpool have reconfirmed their intention to make a club-record £120 million bid for the electric Swedish striker, pending any shift in Newcastle United’s firm stance. As of now, the Magpies continue to insist that Isak is “not for sale”, but Liverpool’s persistence suggests this transfer saga is far from over.

Klopp’s Dream Forward?

After a season of attacking inconsistencies, Liverpool are looking to inject fresh firepower into their frontline. Isak, with his blend of pace, technical quality, and lethal finishing, has emerged as one of the most complete young strikers in Europe.

Isak scored 21 Premier League goals last season, helping Newcastle secure a strong finish and remain competitive in a challenging domestic campaign. His ability to lead the line while linking up play makes him an ideal fit for Liverpool’s evolving attacking style.

£120 Million: A Statement of Intent

A £120 million package would not only be a club-record signing for Liverpool, surpassing the £85 million paid for Darwin Núñez, but it would also test Newcastle’s financial resolve, especially amid ongoing concerns around Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

With Saudi-backed Newcastle fighting to keep their top stars and Liverpool eager to rebuild under Arne Slot, this could be the transfer showdown of the summer.

Why It Matters

✅ Liverpool chasing a marquee striker
✅ Newcastle determined to keep their star
✅ Record-breaking bid in the making
✅ Isak’s future set to dominate headlines

⚽ Will Newcastle hold firm or will Isak become Liverpool’s new number 9?

Follow the latest updates and transfer twists only on Sports Market International.

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