Huge boost to Man Utd’s fitness: the €45 million star plans to return before the FA Cup final – report
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Huge boost to Man Utd’s fitness: the €45 million star plans to return before the FA Cup final – report
Lisandro Martinez, a star for Manchester United, is optimistic that he will be healthy for the FA Cup final on May 25 against Manchester City.
Martinez is keen to gain experience in front of the FA Cup final and hopes to play there, according to the Daily Mail.
The defender, who is valued at €45 million, is eager to return to action and will try to do so on Sunday against Arsenal.
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He has endured an injury-plagued season, missing 37 of United’s 48 games due to multiple injuries.
His latest setback came from a knee injury against West Ham United in February.
Lisandro Martinez’s return would be a massive boost
Injuries have weighed on Man United this season. More than 60 separate cases of injuries have been recorded, the most in their history in one campaign.
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The biggest issue for Erik ten Hag has been the setbacks in the defence department.
For almost the whole of the campaign, United have played without a specialist left-back.
Diogo Dalot and Alejandro Garnacho are the only outfield players who have not missed a game due to injury this season.
Jonny Evans is the only centre-back currently available. He was rushed back into action against Crystal Palace and his poor performance showed he wasn’t ready.
United would be delighted to see if Martinez can return to action this weekend.
Ten Hag must not push the Argentinian but slowly integrate him into the starting XI over the next three league games.
The key is to have him fully fit and available by May 25th when United clash with Man City for the FA Cup title.
It is an understatement to say that United have missed Martinez. His imminent return would be a source of jubilation for the Red Devils supporters.
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Five things we discovered after Manchester United got battered 4-0 by Crystal Palace
Following an ugly loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League, here are five things we took away from the match.
Casemiro is unable to deliver
He’s obviously in a different job, but as Jamie Carragher said at halftime, it makes no difference.
Against the Eagles, the Brazilian gave a completely shocking performance that left him permanently responsible for at least two goals.
It seems inevitable that his time at Old Trafford is running out as the season’s games get closer. In the summer, he must be sold.
Has Michael Olise changed his mind?
United in Focus reported last week that Manchester United are now favourites to sign Michael Olise. After that performance, he certainly may have changed his mind.
But one things for certain, Manchester United’s stance on him won’t changed. Olise showed just the player he is in the 4-0 romping, and United would be seriously lucky to prise him away from Selhurst next season.
Whether he wants to come now, is a completely different story.
You have to feel for Kobbie Mainoo
Manchester United wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo was one of the worst players on the pitch on Monday, but it’s becoming apparent that it’s his teammates who are letting him down.
The midfield three of Christian Eriksen, Mason Mount and Mainoo was absolutely abysmal. Slow, inefficient and downright difficult to watch.
Mainoo has now stooped to the level of his teammates, which is a sad sight to see given his undeniable quality.
Erik ten Hag is on wafer-thin ice
‘Sacked in the morning’, was a chant that bellowed around Selhurst Park in the 80th minute, and they may not be too far off.
This hammering is reminiscent of the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer game against Watford which ultimately led to his demise. Completely and utterly turned over.
Whether they can afford to at this stage is potentially the only thing saving him, particularly with a scarcity of managers on the market.
Please just fast-forward to the FA Cup final…
Most Manchester United fans will just want the Premier League season to be over now. It doesn’t even look like the Red Devils will be featuring in any European competitions next season, so there’s essentially no point.
The one saving grace of the season looms at the end of May. The FA Cup final is the only thing that could save Erik ten Hag’s season.
Either that, or it could end with one final kick in the teeth. A loss to bitter rivals Manchester City once again at Wembley. Either way, United should go out with a bang.
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CRYSTAL PALACE VS MANCHESTER UNITED LIVE
LET’S GO
FT Crystal Palace 4-0 Man Utd
Michael Olise has scored three goals in four Premier League matches against Man Utd. He hasn’t scored more against any other team.
In his last 13 Premier League starts for Crystal Palace, Olise has been involved in 14 goals (nine goals, five assists).
90 mins: Six minutes of added time to play before the end of this game. Casemiro looks dead on his feet as Crystal Palace win another corner.
4 minutes ago
Crystal Palace 4-0 Man Utd
87 mins: Erik ten Hag looks thoughtful on the sidelines. He’ll have no words on how to explain such a terrible performance and it has been massively evident that the Red Devils miss Bruno Fernandes.
Ten Hag will be praying that the Portuguese is fit to start against Arsenal.
5 minutes ago
Crystal Palace 4-0 Man Utd
84 mins: Crystal Palace are just having fun now. The fans are singing and chanting, the players are content to control the ball, knock it around and try ot draw a mistake out of United’s
GOAL! Crystal Palace 4-0 Man Utd (Olise, 66’)
66 mins: Oh my word!
Crystal Palace are running rampant at Selhurst Park. A simple forward pass comes to Jean-Philippe Mateta who touches it around Casemiro
At first the Man Utd captain recovers possession but Daniel Munoz knocks him off the ball then threads a pass to Michael Olise. He checks to the left then smokes the ball past Andre Onana and into the back of the net.
Crystal Palace 3-0 Man Utd
63 mins: Crystal Palace haven’t been exceptional tonight they’ve just been determined in the final third and have taken their chances.
Man Utd have made things easy for them with their woeful defending but it’s been impressive stuff from Palace nonetheless. A corner for the visitors is swung in by Eriksen who finds Casemiro again.
This time the ball comes to the near post and Casemiro’s headed is dealt with by Dean Henderson.
Crystal Palace 2-0 Man Utd
60 mins: Sofyan Amrabat comes on for Manchester United and replaces Antony. It’s probably too little too late now for Manchester United to mount a comeback.
Crystal Palace 2-0 Man Utd
53 mins: Disallowed!
Man Utd win a free kick over by the Crystal Palace penalty area. Christian Eriksen swings it into the middle and picks out Casemiro. He heads the ball onto the near post then turns in the rebound only for the offside flag to go up and rule out the goal.
Crystal Palace 2-0 Man Utd
51 mins: Daniel Munoz sweeps in behind Aaron Wan-Bissaka and brings down a long ball. He skips past the defender and cuts the ball into the penalty area only for Eberechi Eze to turn his effort into the hands of Andre Onana.
Second half! Crystal Palace 2-0 Man Utd
Christian Eriksen gets the game back underway. Manchester United haven’t made any changes in personnel at the break but they need to figure out a way of getting themselves back into the match.
Half-time! Crystal Palace 2-0 Man Utd
45+3 mins: This is a big 15 minute break for Erik ten Hag. He needs to whip his players into shape, get them controlling the ball and shore up the massively leaking defence.
A quick goal after the restart and they’re back in the game. So far though they’ve been outplayed, outclassed and outworked by Crystal Palace.
Oliver Glasner will just say ‘more of the same lads’ and that’s his team talk done.
Crystal Palace 2-0 Man Utd
45 mins: Three minutes of added time to play in the first time. Man Utd just need to get to the break and then they can reset.
Crystal Palace 2-0 Man Utd
43 mins: Manchester United are playing in a daze. They’ve not put up much of a fight and their defensive capabilities are shockingly poor.
Only Sheffield United, who are bottom of the table, have allowed more shots at their goal this season than Man Utd. That’s a horrendous stat for Erik ten Hag’s men.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-0 Man Utd (Mateta, 40’)
40 mins: Wow!
Crystal Palace turn the ball over in midfield and quickly thread it through a gap to Jean-Philippe Mateta. He’s one-on-one with Jonney Evans and skips around him with no effort.
The striker then brings the ball into the box and blasts a rocket past Andre Onana. What a strike!
Crystal Palace 1-0 Man Utd
33 mins: Wan-Bissaka gets the ball forward quickly on the left side of the pitch with help from Garnacho. The youngster swings in a cross and finds Hojlund but the forward’s touch only turns the ball out of play.
Half-chance but a lot better from Man Utd.
Crystal Palace 1-0 Man Utd
30 mins: Olise is slipped the ball and sprints into the box on his own. Man Utd’s defence is all over the place once again and it takes Andre Onana, sprawling towards the ball, to keep Olise at bay.
All the best chances are going to Crystal Palace. United’s best moments have come from their set pieces.
12 minutes ago
Crystal Palace 1-0 Man Utd
24 mins: Michael Olise isn’t content with one goal. He’s fed the ball from Tyrick Mitchell and fizzes a first time effort at goal that Andre Onana keeps out without too much trouble.
Crystal Palace are still in the ascendancy though.
Crystal Palace 1-0 Man Utd
15 mins: That goal could turn out to be a killer blow for Manchester United. They don’t have their talisman Bruno Fernandes to rescue them from going behind.
Fernandes has been the main driver of the team this year but they’ll need to make do without him tonight. Can the other players step up and get the Red Devils back into this contest?
Mike Jones6 May 2024 20:17
4 minutes ago
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-0 Man Utd (Olise, 12’)
12 mins: Wonderful from Michael Olise!
The ball comes over to him from the right wing and he brings it under control before slipping by Christian Eriksen. He then sits Casemiro down and drives to the box.
None of the Manchester United defenders get close to him and he slips the ball into the far bottom corner!
6 minutes ago
Crystal Palace 0-0 Man Utd
11 mins: Manchester United look like a team short on confidence. They win a free kick in the middle third over on the right side. Christian Eriksen takes it quickly and knocks a cross field pass over towards Alejandro Garnacho who makes a run towards the box.
Dean Henderson sees it early and sprints to the edge of the penalty area to scoop up the ball.
Crystal Palace 0-0 Man Utd
9 mins: Rasmus Hojlund attempts to nip in behind Joachim Andersen as the ball is threaded up to him. The defender manages to get a toe to the ball and knock it away from the Manchester United striker.
The visitors haven’t found their rhythm yet and these opening stages all belong to
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Five talking points from Manchester City 5-1 Wolves (Premier League)
Manchester City 5-1 Wolves (Premier League): Five Things Learned
Manchester City defeated Wolves 5-1 on Saturday night thanks to four goals from Erling Haaland, giving them complete control over the Premier League title chase.
With a game remaining, the Norwegian striker secured a hat-trick just before halftime to keep the Sky Blues one point ahead of Arsenal at the top of the league.The opening goal came in just the 12th minute when Erling Haaland converted a penalty.
Wolves fought back after the early deficit. However, in the 35th minute, Haaland got on the end of a looping ball from Rodri to head in the second goal of the game. Wolves’ response saw them open up and attack more, abandoning defensive structure and City took full advantage.
Haaland was brought down from behind by Nelson Semedo, and was awarded his second penalty of the first-half. The 23-year-old put the ball in the exact same spot as the first, beating a diving José Sá.
The second penalty gave Haaland a first-half hat-trick, meanwhile City’s press prevented Wolves from attempting a shot or corner for the entire first-half. Hwang Hee-Chan reduced the deficit to two with a fortuitous goal in 53rd minute.
Despite grabbing a goal back, Phil Foden played a lovely ball just seconds after the reset to Erling Haaland behind the Wolves defence. The Norwegian cut in on his left, and launched a curling effort into the top right corner to score to extend his goal tally to four for the day.
With a 4-1 lead secured, the game effectively died. John Stones was brought on for Nathan Ake, and eventually Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland were all replaced by Jeremy Doku, Matheus Nunes, Jack Grealish and Julian Alvarez.
Despite only being on for a few minutes, it was the aforementioned Argentine forward Alvarez who scored the fifth and final goal of the game in the 85th minute with a lovely finish after Rodri played the Argentine through on goal.
Following another dominant display, Pep Guardiola’s side made it 20 matches unbeaten in the Premier League this season, and here are five things learned from Manchester City’s 5-1 win against Wolves.
Erling Haaland has found his 2022 form
Saturday’s performance was one of the few times this season where Erling Haaland looked like the machine we saw for the most part of the 2022/23 Treble winning campaign, and the Norwegian’s debut season for the club.
Just three games now sit between Manchester City and Premier League history, and a fully operational Erling Haaland could make these last few matches a breeze. Let’s just hope it stays!
Phil Foden was able to show off his playmaking
Phil Foden’s goal-scoring ability has always been one of his best attributes, and this is one of the key reasons why the 23-year-old has spent most of his time under Pep Guardiola as a winger or false-nine.
However, in his limited time in deeper roles, Foden has shown an elite level of distribution. The performances against Atalanta and Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League are two of the strongest examples.
Saturday’s performance against Wolves was another. Both the pass to Bernardo Silva to set-up the penalty on Josko Gvardiol, as well as the ball over the top to Erling Haaland for the fourth goal were truly world class. The sky is the limit for the 2023/24 FWA Footballer of the Year.
Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol is a must-see partnership
The two Croatian international signings from the summer transfer window have now come alive in the back half of their debut seasons, and are driving Manchester City towards yet more domestic silverware.
Both players ooze composure on the ball and brought some needed control during the first half. While it won’t be feasible to see them play alongside each other every week, it’s clearly a partnership that Pep Guardiola should go back to.
John Stones just might make it
After what was a career-defining year during the last season’s treble campaign, the last nine months have been incredibly cruel to John Stones, who developed himself to become a dependable option in defensive midfield.
His inability to stay fit has caused issues for City at various points, however fortunately both Manuel Akanji and Josko Gvardiol have taken their respective games to higher levels. But there isn’t enough depth at the back to accommodate for a defender to be out all season.
After a 20-minute cameo on Saturday evening, maybe John Stones is ready for the final three matches, and while he may not be the difference maker, it’s irrefutable that Manchester City are at their best with him in the line-up.
Goal difference is now likely irrelevant
After putting five past Wolves on Saturday evening, Manchester City reduced their deficit in goal difference to Arsenal by a whopping one goal. The Gunners hold a six-goal lead in goal difference with two matches to play.
Goal difference would only come in to play if Manchester City were to draw one of their final three matches. If Pep Guardiola’s side were to be held against either Fulham, Tottenham, or West Ham, an Arsenal win would increase the goal difference to seven at the very least.
In more simple terms, Manchester City would need to win, and win big in their two other games, while praying that Arsenal do not put four or five goals past either Manchester United or Everton.
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Pep Guardiola’s team must heed to Chelsea claim with pinch of salt ahead of the season’s defining match
Before the pivotal match of the season, Manchester City should heed Chelsea’s assertion with a grain of salt.
Few people will have been happier than Lauren Hemp on Wednesday night when the last whistle went at Prenton Park.
The forward for Manchester City was in the stands watching as Liverpool, who were pursuing the top four, overcame a late deficit to defeat Chelsea in a thrilling match that saw the title swing decisively in Gareth Taylor’s team’s favor. The outcome was so significant that Emma Hayes openly gave up the Women’s Super League (WSL) championship for her club, announcing that the race for the title was “definitely” ended.
“I’ve had amazing memories at this football club and we won a lot of things,” she told Sky Sports. “I’d love to bring titles again to Chelsea but that’s not going to be this year I’m afraid. We will never give up but the title is far from us, it’s not in our hands.”
It’s a sentiment that is reflected in the latest predictions from Opta’s Supercomputer, which now gives City a 90.7 percent chance of winning the league. But, while the stars seem to be aligning for Taylor’s side to secure their first title since 2016 this term, the Blues cannot afford to take their foot off the gas ahead of what is arguably the club’s biggest game in more than half a decade.
City will host third-place Arsenal at the Joie Stadium on Sunday afternoon where a victory would – providing their rivals win all of their remaining games – leave them requiring just a single point from their final match of the season against Aston Villa in order to wrestle the WSL trophy from Chelsea’s grasp. Though the Gunners have little left to play for, they are still one of the most formidable sides in the top flight and have already beaten Taylor’s side once this season – winning the reverse fixture 2-1 at Meadow Park back in November.
City, meanwhile, have only triumphed in one of the last four WSL meetings between the two teams and, with top scorer Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw ruled out for the season with a broken foot, they will have to be at their best if they are to improve that mediocre record this weekend.
“It’s changed nothing,” manager Taylor said when asked on Friday about the significance of Chelsea’s defeat on Merseyside. “There’s been a lot of talk around it but the objective is the same, win the next game.
“We kept that as our focus, it’s about not worrying too much about elsewhere, Chelsea are still the champions. We’re fighting for that title but with regards to the other night nothing’s changed to what we face at the weekend.”
It is the sort of measured response you would expect from a manager who has seen Chelsea sweep all aside on the domestic stage since he took charge of City in 2020. But while Taylor was never likely to deviate from the ‘one game at a time’ script in his latest meeting with the media, it is impossible to refute the seismic psychological shift Wednesday night’s result will have invoked amongst hi
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