MANCHESTER: Manchester United suffered another home humiliation as Manchester City cruised to a 2-0 win at Old Trafford on Saturday to raise further questions over the future of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Eric Bailly’s own goal and Bernardo Silva’s strike on the stroke of half-time was the difference between the sides on the scoreboard.
But that did little justice to the chasm between the teams as only a string of stunning saves from David De Gea prevented United from a thrashing similar to the 5-0 humbling they were handed by Liverpool less than two weeks ago.
Solskjaer bought himself some time with a 3-0 win at Tottenham last weekend.
But United have now won just one of their last six Premier League games and could finish the day 11 points off the top of the table should Chelsea beat Burnley at Stamford Bridge.
Solskjaer’s switch to a back five worked a treat at Spurs, but that owed much to the return of Raphael Varane from injury.
Without the French World Cup winner, who sustained a hamstring injury against Atalanta on Wednesday, the Norwegian’s decision to retain the same system quickly backfired.
Bailly was included for the first time in the Premier League this season and took only seven minutes to give City the perfect start when he sliced Joao Cancelo’s cross into his own goal.
United have won just five of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 13 appearances since the five-time Ballon d’Or winner returned to the club.
Had things gone differently in the final days of August, Ronaldo could have been lining up for City as they pursued the 36-year-old to fill the void left by Sergio Aguero.
Ronaldo’s goalscoring heroics have kept United alive in the Champions League, but he has netted just once in the last six Premier League games.
The Portuguese nearly bailed out a terrible first 45 minutes from the Red Devils when his volley was brilliantly saved by Ederson and Mason Greenwood failed to turn the rebound into an empty net.
But it was De Gea who was by far the busier ‘keeper.
The Spaniard spread himself to miraculously block from Gabriel Jesus before saving from Cancelo, Kevin De Bruyne and denying a second own goal off the boot of Victor Lindelof.
However, even De Gea was at fault for City’s second when Silva got an outstretched leg to Cancelo’s cross and the United stopper flapped the ball into his own net.
Boos greeted the half-time whistle as the traveling City support gleefully chanted “Ole’s at the wheel” to mock the United boss.
Solskjaer responded by introducing former City winger Jadon Sancho, who has failed to hold down a place in the United team in recent weeks despite costing £73 million ($98 million) to sign from Borussia Dortmund in July.
Sancho injected a little more pace into the United attack, but the home side were still barely able to sustain any pressure as City’s passing triangles left them chasing shadows in the Manchester rain.
Phil Foden hit the post and Jesus had strong appeals for a penalty waived away as City could easily have won by a far more comprehensive margin.
A shock 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend left Pep Guardiola’s men with little margin for error in the title race.
City, though, have often saved their best performances for the big occasion this season as they have now taken seven points from a possible nine in away games against Chelsea, Liverpool and United.
Chelsea’s lead at the top of the table is cut to two points as City move up to second, a point ahead of Liverpool, who travel to West Ham on Sunday.
Manchester City outclass crisis-hit Manchester United
https://arab.news/2k8t4
Manchester City outclass crisis-hit Manchester United
Real Madrid wilt in Miami heat as Al-Hilal spoil Alonso’s debut
- A much-needed 30th-minute cooling break gave Real a chance to regroup, with players draping towels over their shoulders and gulping down rehydrating drinks in the sweltering heat
MIAMI: Real Madrid labored to a 1-1 Club World Cup draw against a spirited Al-Hilal in searing heat on Wednesday as Xabi Alonso’s managerial debut for the 15-time European champions delivered flashes of promise but ultimately felt like an exhibition match.
Gonzalo Garcia, stepping in for the fever-stricken Kylian Mbappe, gave Real an early lead with a composed finish, but Ruben Neves levelled from the spot before halftime as Simone Inzaghi’s men showed defensive grit and enough attacking intent to rattle their illustrious opponents.
A last-gasp missed penalty from Federico Valverde summed up a day when Real’s legs, and ideas, wilted in the heat and humidity at a nearly sold-out Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
RB Salzburg and Pachuca meet in the other Group H fixture later on Wednesday. Real will next face the Mexican side on Sunday, while Al-Hilal will take on Salzburg in what could prove a decisive clash for qualification to the knockout stage.
With Mbappe ruled out, it was the 21-year-old Garcia who led the line for Real and he did not disappoint, while new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold was nowhere near the level that persuaded the Spanish club to lure him from Liverpool.
It was Al-Hilal, however, who burst out of the blocks, swarming around the Real penalty area with early intent — though their finishing let them down at crucial moments.
In the 29th minute, Salem Al-Dawsari nearly produced a moment of magic, weaving his way into the box before Aurelien Tchouameni slid in with a crucial interception to steer the ball behind.
The Saudi side thought they had taken the lead shortly after, only for their celebrations to be cut short by an offside flag.
Despite the heat — and with the cheapest tickets in the stadium selling for over $160 while premium seats soared beyond $950 — a vibrant crowd kept the energy high.
A much-needed 30th-minute cooling break gave Real a chance to regroup, with players draping towels over their shoulders and gulping down rehydrating drinks in the sweltering heat. The short pause worked wonders.
Four minutes later, Real struck. A slick team move carved open the Al-Hilal defense, and Garcia showed composure beyond his years, delicately lifting the ball over Yassine Bounou after being teed up by Rodrygo.
But Al-Hilal refused to wilt. They drew level four minutes before halftime when Ruben Neves calmly slotted home a penalty after Raul Asencio pulled back Marcos Leonardo in the area.
On the stroke of halftime, Al-Dawsari went close again, firing narrowly wide after latching onto a clever pass from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to cap another flowing Al-Hilal attack.
Real stepped up a gear after the restart with substitute Arda Guler’s shot crashing against the bar before Bounou made a stunning reaction save to deny Garcia.
A second cooling break in the 68th minute did not refresh Real and although they continued to dominate, the Al-Hilal defense held firm.
Real were awarded a penalty after a VAR review when Mohammed Al-Qahtani’s flailing arm caught Fran Garcia in the last minute, only for Valverde’s soft spot kick to be saved by Bounou.
Foden and Doku power second-string Man City past Wydad
- Manager Pep Guardiola opted to start with several key players on the bench
- Despite fielding a second-string side, City needed less than two minutes to break the deadlock
PHILADELPHIA: Manchester City began their Club World Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca in their Group G opener on Wednesday, courtesy of first-half goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku.
Manager Pep Guardiola opted to start with several key players on the bench, including Erling Haaland, Rodri, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones for what was a sweltering midday kickoff at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.
Despite fielding a second-string side, City needed less than two minutes to break the deadlock.
Phil Foden pounced after Savinho’s cross was parried by Wydad goalkeeper Mehdi Benabid, with the England midfielder striking a first-time effort into the net to hand City an early lead.
City doubled their advantage three minutes before halftime when Foden delivered a pinpoint corner and Jeremy Doku caught the Wydad defense napping to volley home at the far post.
City finished with 10 men after Rico Lewis was given a straight red card for a nasty studs-up sliding tackle on Samuel Obeng in the 88th minute.
Wydad, undeterred after conceding the early goal, showed resilience and threatened on the counter-attack and forward Cassius Mailula nearly equalized with an audacious lob from midfield in the 15th minute.
Moments later, Mohamed Moufid set up Thembinkosi Lorch with a low cross, but the South African forward just failed to get there in time with a sliding effort.
City also had chances to extend their lead before halftime. Omar Marmoush saw his strike from the edge of the box sail just wide, while Nathan Ake’s towering header from a corner went inches over the bar.
At the other end, Wydad squandered a golden opportunity in the 30th minute when Vitor Reis’s misplaced pass gifted the ball to Lorch, only for Mailula’s follow-up shot to be smothered by City keeper Ederson.
After City doubled their lead before the break, the second half saw a dramatic drop in tempo under the scorching midday sun, though City went close to adding a third through Rayan Cherki.
The 21-year-old, signed from Olympique Lyonnais for 40 million euros ($46.06 million) ahead
of the tournament, unleashed a shot from the edge of the area, only for Benabid to produce a fine save.
The Moroccan keeper later denied substitute Haaland with a reflex save in a one-on-one.
City will now turn their attention to Sunday’s clash with United Arab Emirates side Al Ain, while Wydad face Juventus in their next Group G encounter.
Back-to-back Cats: Panthers repeat as Stanley Cup champions by beating the Oilers in 6 games
SUNRISE, Florida: The Florida Panthers repeated as Stanley Cup champions by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 of the final on Tuesday night, becoming the NHL’s first back-to-back winners since Tampa Bay in 2020 and ‘21 and the third team to do it this century.
Sam Reinhart scored four goals, becoming just the fourth player in league history to get that many in a game in the final. His third to complete the hat trick sent rats, along with hats, flying onto the ice. Matthew Tkachuk, one of the faces of the franchise, fittingly scored the Cup clincher.
At the other end of the ice, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced, closing the door on a rematch with the same end result. The only goal came from fellow Russian Vasily Podkolzin in garbage time, long after the outcome was decided.
That was followed by chants of “We want the Cup!” as time ticked off the clock. The Panthers already had it. Now they get to keep it.
Not long after the Lightning made three trips to the final in a row, Florida has done the same and now has the makings of a modern-day dynasty. The Panthers have won 11 of 12 playoff series since Matthew Tkachuk arrived by trade and Paul Maurice took over as coach in the summer of 2022.
The only time they have been on the wrong side of a handshake line was the final in Vegas in 2023, only after several key players were dealing with banged up and gutting through significant injuries.
From the core of Tkachuk, Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett on down the roster, they were much healthier this time around and were boosted by key trade deadline additions Brad Marchand and Seth Jones. Bennett led all goal-scorers this postseason with 15, and Marchand had six in the final alone.
Getting depth contributions from throughout the lineup allowed them to overpower Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers, who struggled with Florida’s ferocious forecheck and switched goaltenders multiple times in the final. Stuart Skinner got the nod in Game 6 and was again done in by mistakes in front of him that ended with the puck in the net behind him and had his own blunder on Reinhart’s second goal.
McDavid tried to take over but was again stymied by Barkov, Jones and Bobrovsky. He finished with seven points in his second career trip to the final, again denied his first title.
Canada’s Stanley Cup drought reached 31 seasons and 32 years dating to Montreal in 1993. Teams in the US Sun Belt have won it five of the past six times, four of them in Florida.
This run through Tampa Bay in five, Toronto in seven, Carolina in five and Edmonton in six showed how clinical the Panthers have become under Maurice, who has coached more NHL games than everyone except Scotty Bowman and is now a two-time champion.
So is Marchand, who last hoisted the Cup in 2011 with the Boston Bruins. The 14-year gap is the third-longest in league history, just shy of 16 for Chris Chelios from 1986 to 2002 and 15 for Mark Recchi from ‘91 to ‘06.
Barcelona sign goalkeeper Joan García from crosstown rival Espanyol
- The 24-year-old García recently finished a stellar first season in La Liga
- Barcelona said they activated a release clause of $28.5m
BARCELONA: Barcelona are signing Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García, who was once linked to a move to Arsenal, to a six-year contract, the Spanish champion said Wednesday.
The 24-year-old García recently finished a stellar first season in La Liga when he led all goalies in saves with an average of almost four a game.
He will now join Espanyol’s main rival.
Barcelona said they activated a release clause of 25 million euros ($28.5 million) and that García is expected to sign the contract Friday in a “private ceremony” at the club offices.
The fee could help Espanyol reinforce a squad after they only avoided relegation on the final day of the season.
García had been close to a possible move to Arsenal last summer after he helped Spain win Olympic gold in Paris. He stayed put and was Espanyol’s best player.
García has yet to debut for Spain’s senior side, but it is considered only a matter of time before he does if he continues to play well.
His arrival to Barcelona puts in question the role of veteran Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who was injured most of the season. He is under contract through 2028.
Following Ter Stegen’s injury, Barcelona convinced Wojciech Szczęsny to come out of retirement and sign a contract for the remainder of last season. Barcelona’s other goalie is Iñaki Peña.
While several Barcelona players have joined Espanyol later in their careers, it is rare for an Espanyol player to move to Barcelona. Their derbies are heated affairs.
Last year’s Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini beaten by Ons Jabeur in first grass match of 2025
- Jabeur, a Wimbledon finalist in 2022 and 2023, beat the fourth-seeded Paolini 6-1, 6-3 in the second round of the Berlin Tennis Open
- Paolini was playing for the first time since winning the French Open doubles title with fellow Italian Sara Errani
BERLIN: Last year’s Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini got off to a losing start in her first grass-court match of 2025, a straight-sets loss to Ons Jabeur.
Jabeur, a Wimbledon finalist in 2022 and 2023, beat the fourth-seeded Paolini 6-1, 6-3 in the second round of the Berlin Tennis Open on Wednesday after the Italian had a first-round bye.
Jabeur could face 2023 Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova or Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Paolini was playing for the first time since winning the French Open doubles title with fellow Italian Sara Errani. Paolini lost to Elina Svitolina in the fourth round of the French Open singles.
