03/09/2024

TUESDAY | SEP 3, 2024

30

SPORTS

Howe hails ‘massive’ win Isak hands Newcastle 2-1 victory over wasteful Tottenham E DDIE HOWE celebrated a “massive” win as Newcastle put their transfer window woes behind them to condemn Tottenham to a first Premier League it’s even more important because it just enables you to see things clearly and to move forward with positive momentum. “Hopefully we can do that. Today was a tough game, but as I said we found a way to grind out a win and hopefully those are good signs for the rest of the season.” Ű BY DAMIAN SPELLMAN

under repeated fire, but the visitors were hit with a 77th-minute sucker punch when substitute Jacob Murphy raced on to Joelinton’s through-ball and timed his pass to perfection to set Alexander Isak up for the winner. Asked if his team was playing how he wanted it to, Howe said: “No, I don’t think we’re playing as we would like, I think that’s obvious. “I don’t think we’re playing with enough control, I don’t think we’re playing with enough composure. But what we are showing is the defensive and aggressive qualities that you need. “I have to say we’re defending very well but on the ball, I think we’ve got a lot of work to do. Our attacking play has not kicked into rhythm yet.” Opposite number Ange Postecoglou

admitted Spurs had been made to pay for not killing the game off. He said: “We controlled it for the most part, nullified most of the threats that Newcastle have. “It’s obviously a difficult opponent here at home, the crowd creates a pretty strong atmosphere for the home side and little things go their way. “But I thought for the most part, we handled that really well and then gained the ascendancy in the game. We just needed to kill it off and it was a disappointing second half, where we switched off a little bit. “But the game should have been all over by then so it’s another sore one, unfortunately, where we haven’t got the rewards for our play.” – The Independent

Salah drops bombshell after win AFTER helping Liverpool administer an emphatic 3-0 victory over Manchester United, Mohamed Salah revealed that this would be his last season at Anfield. While other Liverpool players celebrated their resounding success, Salah stole the headlines with his post-match thoughts. “I had a good summer, a long time to stay with myself and think positively a bit, this is my last year with the club and I want to enjoy it,” the 32-year-old told Sky Sports. “I feel I am free to play football – we will see what happens next year. Nobody in the club has talked to me about contracts. It is not up to me, it is up to the club.” Record-breaker Muller on target BAYERN MUNICH veteran Thomas Muller scored on the day he became the German giants’ all-time record appearance maker in a 2-0 Bundesliga home win over Freiburg yesterday. Muller, in his 710th match for Bayern, came off the bench in the 59th minute with the hosts leading 1-0 thanks to a first half penalty from Harry Kane. With 12 minutes remaining, Muller collected a Serge Gnabry pass on the turn and blasted in, the ball skipping off the ground and past Freiburg goalkeeper Florian Mueller. Mueller, who played his first game for the club in 2008, moved past former goalkeeper Sepp Maier to outright first on the appearance list in all competitions. “Records don’t matter that much to me… more important is that today I could score a pretty nice goal – one which was technically outstanding,” the veteran said with a smile. Juve, Roma in drab draw JUVENTUS were held to a goalless draw by Roma yesteray, ending Thiago Motta’s perfect start as coach of the Serie A giants. A match short on action and goalmouth incident left Juve on seven points from their first three matches of the new campaign. Motta’s team are behind champions and league leaders Inter Milan on goals scored after a much less inspiring performance than the two three-goal wins which preceded it. “It was an even match and the right result,” said Motta to Sky Sports. “We’re only on our third game and today we played a team which is hard to play against, with a good coach and good players… There are lots of things we can improve. It’s very early in the season, let’s see where we are at the business end of the season.” PSG survive stiff Lille test PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN came through their biggest test of the season so far yesterday, winning 3-1 away to fellow Champions League contenders Lille to maintain their perfect record in Ligue 1 since Kylian Mbappe’s departure. Vitinha put them ahead on a stiflingly hot night in northern France with a penalty after Ousmane Dembele was brought down in the area. Bradley Barcola doubled their lead soon after, as Lille found the going tough four days after holding off Slavia Prague in a playoff tie to qualify for the league phase of the Champions League. The excellent Edon Zhegrova pulled one back for Lille in the second half, and they were only denied a late equaliser when a tight offside call ruled out a Tiago Santos goal. PSG then secured the points in stoppage time as Randal Kolo Muani headed in a cross by recent signing Desire Doue. defeat of the season at St James’ Park. Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan was among the crowd as the Magpies scrapped their way to a 2-1 victory with a squad hit by injuries and arguably weakened by departures sanctioned in order to comply with spending restrictions. Asked how important the win was against that backdrop, head coach Howe said: “It’s massive, isn’t it? “You need to win at any stage but I think when there’s difficult moments – and this transfer window has been tough for us – then SIDENETTING

Newcastle led at the end of an even first half, but endured almost incessant pressure after the break before somehow finding a way to win. Harvey Barnes’ smart finish gave the Magpies a 38th-minute advantage somewhat against the run of play, and Tottenham finally got their reward 11 minutes after the restart when Dan Burn turned substitute Brennan Johnson’s cross-shot into his own net. From that point on, there looked likely to be only one winner as Nick Pope’s goal came

‘Great moment’ for Mbappe

Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe (below) shoots at goal during his team’s La Liga match against Real Betis. – REUTERSPIX

KYLIAN MBAPPE answered his critics in style as he netted his first La Liga goals to give Real Madrid a 2-0 win over Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu yesterday which sends them second in the table. Since scoring in the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta, new signing Mbappe had failed to find the back of the net in Madrid’s opening three games in La Liga, prompting criticism in the Spanish press. Mbappe was made to wait for his goals as he squandered a series of chances, finally finding the back of the net in the 67th minute, sweeping the ball past the Betis goalkeeper with his left foot after a well-timed back heel from Fede Valverde.

Bernabeu, in this mythical stadium, the best in the world. But the most important thing was to win. “After the match against Las Palmas, we knew we had to win. And that’s what we did today, in a difficult match. But we’re Real, and in the end we win, and with style.” On Saturday, coach Carlo Ancelotti had hit back at the criticism, insisting that his star recruit was settling in well and he reasserted at the press conference after the match that “we never put Mbappe under pressure to score goals”. “He was very effective in the box, he had many opportunities. I think it is important for him to score, but we appreciate more the work for the team,” added Ancelotti, who confirmed that Vinicius let the French striker take the penalty. Ancelotti also spread his praise across the entire team which has taken a while to gel this season. “Anxiety, frustration, we don’t have them,” said Ancelotti. “We have desire, motivation to try to do better. Today we did better. “I think we deserved to win. It was a good game, much more supportive among all, and we arrive at the (international) break feeling good.” – AFP

Eight minutes later the France captain added a second from the penalty spot and was cheered off the field when he was replaced by Luka Modric in the 84th minute. “It’s a great moment,” Mbappe told Spanish television after the match. “I was really hoping to score at the

Chelsea boss wants VAR to intervene over bookings CHELSEA boss Enzo Maresca wants VAR to intervene over yellow cards after Crystal Palace’s Will Hughes controversially escaped being sent off during Sunday’s 1-1 draw. superb curler from 20 yards just minutes later.

yellow card. The only one that thinks in a different way is the referee.” Chelsea have won just one of their three League games under Maresca, who arrived from Leicester to replace Mauricio Pochettino to oversee an expensive rebuild in the close-season. “We completely deserved to win the game,” Maresca said. “We controlled the game, we didn’t concede chances in the first half. “Second half, their goal was fantastic but overall we deserved to win. The performance was very good on the ball and off the ball.” – AFP

Maresca was convinced Chelsea had been hard done by and said“I think so”when asked if VAR should have the power to overturn yellow card decisions missed by the referee. “If they had been with 10 I think the game would have completely changed,” Maresca said. “The reaction from their bench, to take Hughes off immediately, I think was quite clear. The referee saw it in a different way, so I have nothing to say. “It was clear for all of us it was a second

Maresca’s side were leading through Nicolas Jackson’s first-half goal at Stamford Bridge when Hughes fouled Cole Palmer on the edge of the area in the 47th minute. The Palace midfielder had already been booked in the first half and referee Jarred Gillett’s failure to dismiss him with a second yellow card sparked a furious response from Maresca. Rubbing salt into Chelsea’s wounds, Eberechi Eze equalised for Palace with a