02/09/2025

SPORTS TUESDAY | SEP 2, 2025

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Potter defiant as West Ham beat Forest

GRAHAM POTTER said West Ham’s 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Sunday proved he is the right man to lead the club out of their troubled start to the season. Potter’s side began the weekend at the bottom of the Premier League after heavy defeats against Sunderland and Chelsea in their first two matches. A League Cup second round loss at Wolves in midweek had heaped further pressure on Potter, who has struggled to make an impact since taking charge earlier this year. With six minutes left at the City Ground, West Ham’s winless run looked set to continue. But Hammers captain Jarrod Bowen fired

tumultuous fortnight after admitting to a strained relationship with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, who was in attendance on Sunday. The pair are set for crunch talks during the international break and, asked whether their meeting will take on a different feel following Forest’s first defeat of the season, Nuno said: “It doesn’t help.

our results have been damaging so in the end, there’s always noise and criticism,” Potter said. “That’s why I’m sat here: because I can do the job. I’ve done it for 15 years and I believe in myself. “I believe in the attributes and qualities I have and I can also deal with the downsides of the game. “You need the team to be with you and I think the boys have always been fighting and they showed it here. This was a big win for us.” Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has also had a

home from the edge of the area to break the deadlock before Lucas Paqueta’s penalty and Callum Wilson’s strike sealed the points. After his sterling work at Brighton, Potter’s reputation has taken a hit following his abrupt sacking by Chelsea and the dismal start to his West Ham reign. But he remains adamant he has the qualities required to become a success at the London Stadium. “This world is about outcomes and results and

“Everybody at Forest is very sad and upset but there’s no connection between (the result and meeting Marinakis). “We try to separate and move forward in the right direction.” – AFP We blew it: Pep Guardiola admits City ‘forgot to play’ after Brighton penalty

Pundits criticise Arsenal’s approach

Ű BY ED ELLIOT

tough opponent. “We conceded a goal and after that we were a little bit more unstable; not unstable because I know how good they are, how strong they are – it’s because we forget to continue playing. You never, never can stop playing.” Defeat for City was a second in succession following the previous weekend’s deflating 2-0 home loss to Tottenham. Haaland squandered a hattrick of chances before opening the scoring in the 37th minute. Brighton barely threatened until head coach Fabian Hurzeler made a quadruple substitution just after the hour mark, including introducing Milner and Gruda. City midfielder Rodri, who made his first League start in almost a year, told Sky Sports : “Some of the mistakes we are doing are kids’ mistakes, you are not concentrating and paying attention. “The reality is that we have to raise the level if we want to compete.” Milner paid tribute to late former Reds teammate Diogo Jota – whose No. 20 shirt he has adopted this season after Jota’s death in a car crash – with his celebration. “It was horrific (what happened to Jota),” he told BBC Sport after helping Brighton register a first top flight victory this term. “He was a great guy and a great teammate. I loved him as both. I’ve not scored for six years and I was wearing his number. Obviously I’ve got help from the great man. “It’s nice to get the goal in a victory. I’m delighted for the boys. In the first two games we didn’t feel we got what we deserved. This win was a real squad effort. “It was a great move by the manager (to make four changes at once). The least we can do is come on and try and lift the tempo.” – The Independent

P EP GUARDIOLA admitted Manchester City “forgot to play” after conceding a piv otal second-half penalty en route to suffering a last-gasp 2-1 Premier League loss at Brighton. Former City midfielder James Milner converted the 67th-minute spot-kick to become the second oldest scorer in the competition’s history before fellow Seagulls substitute Brajan Gruda sparked wild celebrations with an 89th minute winner. The visitors had been in complete control at the Amex Stadium and led thanks to Erling Haaland marking his 100th English top-flight appearance with an 88th goal when he stabbed home a first half opener. Asked what changed the contest, City manager Guardiola – who revealed absent summer signing Rayan Cherki faces up to two months on the sidelines – replied: “The penalty. We shoot (blew) the game. We forgot to play. “We decided to play

Ű BY CHRIS WILSON

GARY NEVILLE, Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher have criticised Arsenal’s approach after the Gunners sunk to a late defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League yesterday. Despite controlling large parts of the game, Arsenal went on to lose 1-0 thanks to a superb Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick, with the Hungarian’s effort cannoning in off the post from 32 yards. Arsenal once again failed to win a big game, with the Gunners now having failed to win any away matches against either Liverpool or Manchester City during Mikel Arteta’s tenure. And Gary Neville noted the Gunners’ approach to games is often to try and avoid losing rather than try to win. Speaking on Sky after the final whistle, Neville pointed out that “Liverpool have got what Arteta and Arsenal haven’t got right now – that edge, that something, that mentality to go and win big matches at big away grounds”. “Liverpool believe they should be winning these matches and I’m not sure Arsenal do. They’re happy not to lose and it’s costing them,” he added, explaining that the Gunners seem content with a draw in such matches. Once again, a lack of threat and creativity in the final third was partly to blame, with Carragher saying that Arsenal “don’t create enough” and Roy Keane calling the Gunners “robotic” in attack. “Arsenal’s problem is creating. That was the problem for them last season: they don’t create enough. It’s only three games, but in the two away games we’ve seen Arsenal in this season, nothing has changed. He went on to label Arsenal as “heavily reliant on set pieces”, adding that they “don’t create anything in open play”. “I feel like Arsenal, a bit like at Old Trafford, if you look at their attacking play, that day and today, just wasn’t good enough,” said Keane. “I think it’s great when they have the defensive record that they have and their good at set pieces, you’ve got to give them credit for that. “But if you’re dependent on that all the time then you come to Liverpool where they’re defending well, it’s hard to. “Do something a little bit different. You’re looking at Arsenal going - do something off the cuff, do something quickly. “Going forward, they are a bit robotic. With the set pieces, you give them a thumbs up, but they have to find something else. Keane contrasted that with Liverpool, explaining that while people can “be really critical” of the Reds this season, “they are winning. That’s what really good teams do”. – The Independent

long, more direct, it’s fine but it has to be ready for that. We were not ready to win the second (balls) when it happened. “Of course the momentum in the Premier League always changes after a goal, it can do that. “But in that

moment we forgot to start to play like we had done brilliantly the first hour against a

Brighton’s Lewis Dunk (left) vies with Manchester City’s Rodri during their

Premier League match. – AFPPIC

Palace need to keep Guehi, says Glasner

Ű BY ANDY HAMPSON

In terms of the game, Glasner felt the result – his side’s first Premier League win of the season – wrapped up a successful start to the campaign in which they also won the Community Shield and qualified for the Europa Conference League league stage. He said: “We’ve had a fantastic start, unbeaten in these six games, winning the Community Shield. “I told the players it was a good start but for a great start we needed to win here and this is what the players did.” Villa are still to score a goal this season and Emery said: “The result was clear and we are frustrated and disappointed, but we are getting closer. “I am confident we are going to start again after the (international) break with a new energy and focus completely.” – The Independent

If Guehi’s goal does prove his parting gift it was some way to sign off, but Glasner is determined to keep the England international and says he made this clear to club hierarchy over the summer. Glasner said: “We need to keep Marc if we want to play a successful season. “We have an agreement that if we’re selling Marc we have the right replacement in. We wanted to have this replacement at the beginning of the pre-season. “There’s no replacement in the building, it’s clear one part of the agreement is not fulfilled. That means we can’t sell Marc. “It’s not a wish or a gift to Oliver Glasner, it’s necessary for playing a successful season. “It’s a tempting situation but if we want to progress, we have to keep him. If we sell we accept a step back.”

CRYSTAL PALACE manager Oliver Glasner implored the club not to sell Marc Guehi after the Eagles captain scored a stunning goal to help sink Aston Villa. Opposite number Unai Emery, meanwhile, could offer no guarantees goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez would remain a Villa player after a match in which the transfer deadline loomed large. Guehi has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool but put aside the speculation to crown a commanding display with a fine goal in his side’s convincing 3-0 win at Villa Park. Martinez, by contrast, was not involved amid rumoured interest from Manchester United and his replacement Marco Bizot had a night to forget, also conceding a penalty from which Jean Philippe Mateta scored and an Ismaila Sarr header.