Page 87 - Soccer360 - Issue 103

DID YOU KNOW?
• Darwin Núñez’s 90th-minute winner was the 42nd that Liverpool have scored in the Premier League, the most by any team in the competition’s history.
• Man City earned their 200th win in 269 Premier League games under Pep Guardiola – the quickest any manager has reached 200 wins in English top-flight history.
• Matty Cash’s (right) 20th-minute brace is the earliest an Aston Villa player has scored twice in a Premier League away game since Darren Bent v Arsenal in May 2011 (15th min).
FORGET THE RULES ...... HE’S MY MATE
Former referee Mike Dean did not intervene on an important VAR call because he did not want to burden
‘a mate’, he has revealed. In the final minute of Chelsea’s clash against Tottenham last season at Stamford Bridge, Harry Kane scored an equaliser that should not have stood. That was because, at the preceding corner, Cristian Romero yanked
Marc Cucurella down by the hair - an incident that VAR should have cleared up. Dean was the VAR that day, which has since been remembered for its fiery conclusion between Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel. And he admitted to Simon Jordan on his podcast Up Front that he did not intervene as he did not want to give any more grief to his ‘mate’ Anthony Taylor, who was refereeing at the time.
SHIRT SIGNING MESSI
Lionel Messi consoled a Cincinnati player’s son after knocking them out of the US Open Cup before signing another’s shirt. Cincinnati star and fellow Argentine Luciano Acosta’s son was on the pitch looking fairly miserable after watching his dad lose in the semi-final. Messi came over and consoled the youngster, gave him a pat on the head and some reassuring words, though the boy was still down in the dumps. But that was not the only player he spoke to of the other team, with another making a beeline for the legendary star. This time, United States international Brandon Vazquez toddled over and asked Messi if he could sign his shirt. The 36-year-old happily obliged, grabbing a pen and writing his name on the kit as he had done countless times before.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Roberto De Zerbi’s 35 Premier League games in charge of Brighton have seen 123 goals scored (70 for, 53 against), an average of 3.51 per game. That’s the highest average goals-per-game ratio of any coach to manage 30+ games in the competition.
• At the age of 16 years and 45 days, Lamine Yamal (right) became the youngest player to assist a goal in a LaLiga game in the 21st century, surpassing teammate Ansu Fati (16 and 318) against Valencia in September 2019. Jewel.
• Kaiky has scored the latest UD Almería goal away from home in LaLiga ever (94 minutes and 36 seconds).
• Rayo Vallecano have won their two opening LaLiga games without conceding a goal for the first time in their history.
DON’T GET SHIRTY WITH ME !
Manchester United have
revealed Mary Earps’ shirt
is the second most popular
among their women’s
team amid the ongoing
Nike saga. The sportswear
brand was widely criticised
for opting not to make
the England goalkeeper’s
World Cup kit available to
purchase this summer.
But five days after the
tournament ended - and
after a petition that will be
heard in parliament was
launched and Earps herself
criticised them again - Nike
finally agreed to release a
‘limited’ number of shirts.
Earps’ shirt was also not
sold during or after the
European Championship
last summer even though
she was part of the team
that made history and won the competition for the first time, with Nike citing ‘manufacturing issues’. Her parents were the only fans able to wear her kits during the tournament, with the duo seen wearing her match-worn shirts from down under. But if Man United’s shirt sale figures are anything to go off, we should expect to see many more fans donning Earps’ name on their backs soon.
10
Florian Wirtz created 10 chances in open play for Bayer Leverkusen against Borussia Monchengladbach; the last player to exceed this total in any of Europe’s big five leagues was David Silva for Manchester City in March 2015 against West Brom (11).
BACK IN NYC
Novak Djokovic met Lionel Messi in New York City as
the Argentinian continues to acclimatize to life in the United States. Messi joined Inter Miami in July and has already begun to prove his soccer quality by leading his new club to the Leagues Cup trophy. The latest landmark moment was when he got to meet Novak Djokovic in NYC. Messi is said to be a big fan of tennis and the chance
to meet a 23-time Grand Slam winner is something he no doubt relished.
KARAOKE “CLASSIC” ?
Robbie Williams has sang Spurs’ version of his hit single ‘Angels’ - in tribute to new boss Ange Postecoglou. The experienced Australian has had a fantastic start to life at the North London club, with Spurs unbeaten and taking seven points from their first three Premier League games. Supporters have came up with a catchy song for their new boss, to the tune of one of the greatest karaoke classics. And former Take That member Williams, a staunch Port Vale, has given it his complete seal of approval. The lyrics are: “And through it all.. we’re playing the way we want to... big Ange Postecoglou... whether I’m right or wrong. You can keep your Pochettino, Conte and Mourinho, and even Christian Gross. Cos everywhere we go ... I’m loving Big Ange instead.” The video has gone viral and one can’t wait to hear what Postecoglou has to say about it when he’s asked in his next press conference.
SOCCER360 MAGAZINE 87