22/09/2025

SPORTS MONDAY | SEPT 22, 2025

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Ű BY ELEANOR CROOKS

Forest looking like my team: Ange

thinking, ‘OK, this is starting to look like my team now, the team I want us to be’. I think that’s the most important thing.” There were less than two minutes on the clock when Williams’ deflected effort flew into the top corner. Burnley boss Scott Parker was delighted with the way his players responded from the early setback, rating the performance the Clarets’ best of the season. He said: “I was hugely disappointed, obviously you come into the game, the last thing you want is an early goal. “I thought our reaction from that goal was unbelievable, really, and I think there were massive, massive positives from that.” – The Independent

ANGE POSTECOGLOU feels Nottingham Forest are beginning to look like the team he wants them to be, despite another winless afternoon at Burnley. Postecoglou’s third game in charge brought his first point, with Neco Williams’early strike cancelled out by Jaidon Anthony in a 1-1 draw at a rain drenched Turf Moor. It could certainly have been more for Forest but, after losses to Arsenal in the Premier League and Swansea in the Carabao Cup, Postecoglou was keen to emphasise the progress he thinks has been made. “I think it was important we didn’t lose today,” said the Australian. “If we had lost another one

“Already I can see the team is transformed in terms of the way we’re working with the ball, without the ball, the understanding of what we’re trying to do. “So that’s the biggest encouragement for me, because it means the players are listening and they’re responding. “Seven days doesn’t sound like a lot, but I’ve always felt you could make a pretty quick impact if your messages are clear and I just felt on the sideline today. “There were times in the game where I’m

today, then the narrative becomes even more sort of with that. “It doesn’t affect me, but the players are human beings, and even the staff, and you want to lift that gloom a little bit. “It was a difficult game because Burnley are a tough proposition here. I think they will be for every club. “There’s still things we can improve on. Disappointed we didn’t get the three points. “I think, on the balance of play, we certainly deserved it.

Reds ran out of energy: Slot Liverpool boss praises team’s strong mentality in nervy Merseyside derby win L IVERPOOL head coach Arne Slot accepts his side may have struggled physically towards the end of their Merseyside derby win over Everton, but their mentality remained strong. conceded a goal. He has done very well, maybe now he is in the spotlight because of goals and assists. “Both goals were a similar area that we attacked, first with Ryan and second time with Hugo with the pace these two have. “First half, it was a joy to watch Ű BY CARL MARKHAM

Grealish blasts officiating after bizarre Everton booking

Ű BY WILL CASTLE

JACK GREALISH has blasted the officiating on show in the Merseyside derby as Liverpool held off an Everton fightback to emerge 2-1 victors. Eyebrows were raised when only three minutes of stoppage time were added on after the clock had ticked over 90 minutes, with a numerous second half free-kicks and substitutions bringing about significant pauses in play. Everton were also left baffled by a yellow card shown to midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, with the Englishman cautioned by referee Darren England for taking a free-kick too quickly. Grealish, who himself was booked for remonstrating the referee after the full time whistle, has criticised the referee for this decision in particular. “I’ve never seen a player in my whole life get booked for taking a quick free kick,” he told TNT Sports . “I don’t know where that rule has come in. “Even the stoppage-time, three minutes and one minute – I’ve never seen that in the Premier League in the last two or three years. “There were frustrations with the referee. Sometimes you want to let the game go, I completely get that, but you can’t not give us something and then two seconds later one of their defenders goes down after getting touched in the back and he gives it. “You come to these stadiums and the crowd are on them, I feel that they feel they have to give it. Kiernan (Dewsbury Hall) is on four yellows now and he got one for taking a quick free-kick. We want to get the game going, we’re losing.” As the Toffees searched for a late equaliser, they were left frustrated by the lack of additional time indicated by the fourth official. “Three minutes was very strange,” manager David Moyes added. “Every quick free-kick had to be stopped and brought back for the whistle and then we get a booking for it. I find it quite unbelievable.” – The Independent

Having made a habit of scoring late goals to win games in their five previous fixtures, a different kind of character was needed at Anfield as the hosts held on at 2-1 having been ahead at half-time through goals from the excellent Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike. Idrissa Gueye’s 58th-minute effort changed the dynamic and it was Liverpool who were grateful for the full-time whistle. “There was tension late on. We needed mentality today in a different fashion maybe than a few times before,” said Slot. “We already knew it would be a difficult game, let alone if you don’t have proper preparation time. I “f you play your third game in less than seven days against your rivals you know the second half could be very tough. “You can see how well we can play if we are fresh – the first 45 minutes we played. The second half was more difficult because of Everton, of course. We ran out of energy a bit but we didn’t run out of mentality.” Gravenberch continued his rapid upward curve from the start of last season with another man of the match performance, scoring the first with a clever, hooked effort over Jordan Pickford before providing the assist for Ekitike. “I think for every player it is the same, you need a team around you to show how good you are,” added Slot of his fellow Dutchman, who has been a revelation since being moved to the number six role. “On the pitch he does like the spotlight. I was planning to take him off after 60 minutes but then we

although we got a bit of a warning just before half-time when they had their first shot on target. “I think you could see that is the difficult thing with conceding the 2-1 if you’re 2-0 up because then you’re a bit in doubt. “Normally we are not in doubt and keep attacking, but we had better chances to score the third than they did to score a second.” Everton boss David Moyes equalled Sir Bobby Robson’s record of not winning at Anfield in 23 visits and was frustrated his side did not give themselves a chance of ending that run. “I think we made it really difficult by our first-half performance. I think we didn’t do enough,” he said. “Liverpool’s finishing was clinical, technically the first goal was excellent. Our second-half performance was more like what I hoped it would be. “At the moment I am more disappointed by the start. It wasn’t the plan. This is Liverpool’s third game in seven days and we had an opportunity. “I will look at the start myself and if we should have done something better. It was a bit more like

Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (left) vies with Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch during the English Premier League football match. – AFPPIC

Everton in the second half. We just gave

ourselves a task too far.” – The Independent Farke says Leeds ‘belong’ in the Premier League

Ű BY SUNNY BADWAL

three games – their only goal before yesterday being from the penalty spot against Everton in August. Farke never had any doubt his team would start to put the ball in the back of the net though. He added: “It was never in doubt we would score. “It was crucial we didn’t dwell and lose confidence (from the Wolves opener) “We just kept believing in what we wanted to do. We scored three excellent goals.” – The Independent

seven points for a newly promoted side is really good. “But we also know seven points won’t be enough to earn the right to stay in this League, so it’s a long road and we have to add a few more wins and many more points. “It’s important to enjoy these moments and we know wins are important for the whole confidence and atmosphere. “The first five games have shown we belong in this League, we can play at this level and we can win these games.” Leeds had failed to score in each of their last

account for the club since joining from Everton to bring the game level. The visitors were not finished there either, a stunning free-kick from Anton Stach put Leeds in front before Noah Okafor’s finish on the stroke of half-time rounded off the scoring as Leeds won on the road for the first time this season. It was the West Yorkshire team’s second win of the campaign but Farke wants his side to also stay grounded. The German said: “We stay humble. We know two wins after five games is really good,

LEEDS boss Daniel Farke says his side have showed they “belong” in the Premier League following their 3-1 victory over Wolves at Molineux. Things started well for Wolves boss Vitor Pereira, who signed a new contract in midweek, when Ladislav Krejci put the hosts ahead after eight minutes. However, Leeds responded well and soon scored their first open-play goal of the season when Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened his