30/12/2025

SPORTS TUESDAY | DEC 30, 2025

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Farke’s mood ‘in-between’ after Leeds’ draw

“In the last two games we conceded from a set-piece but we were able to win and that hasn’t happened many times this season. That’s pro gress for me, but it’s obvious there are more things for us to improve and this is definitely one of them.” Despite a string of unconvincing perform ances, Liverpool are on a seven-match unbeaten run. Three consecutive league wins have lifted Slot’s men back into the top four but they remain 10 points adrift of leaders Arsenal. – AFP Villa are enjoying their best run since 1914 to force themselves into an unexpected chal lenge for a first league title in 45 years. Unai Emery’s men had put themselves in that position without much of a contribution from their top scorer for the past five seasons. Watkins had netted just three times this campaign before coming off the bench to turn the game at Stamford Bridge. Watkins is hoping for more to celebrate on his 30th birthday when Villa visit the Emirates, aiming to move level on points with title favourites Arsenal. If this does prove to be a turning point in his season then Villa truly can dream about end ing a 30-year wait to win any trophy. “I haven’t been where I wanted to be. But look I can use this as a marker now and and push on from here,” said Watkins. Pressure mounts on Maresca Just a month ago, Chelsea were Arsenal’s closest challengers before the two sides met at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have won just once in six League games since to tumble out of the title race and down to fifth and the Italian is beginning to exhaust the patience of many Chelsea fans. Maresca could only watch from the stands, serving a touchline ban, as his side failed to capitalise on a dominant first half before crumbling once Villa clicked into gear in the second half. Emery’s ability to change the game also did little favours for the former Leicester boss. West Ham woes continue The Hammers are in desperate trouble after a 1-0 home defeat to Fulham left them five points adrift of safety. Nuno Espirito Santo’s arrival in east London inspired a run of eight points from his first seven games, but West Ham have taken just two from the last 18 available. Meanwhile, Leeds and Forest have found far better form to pull away from the bottom three. “We can spend hours and hours talking about all the aspects, but basically when you don’t score, the situation that we are in, every thing bad happens to us,” said Nuno. AFP Three talking points from the Premier League weekend OLLIE WATKINS kept Aston Villa in the hunt for the Premier League title with an impres sive win at Chelsea to leave the top three separated by just three points heading into the final Premier League games of 2025. At the other end of the table, West Ham are looking increasingly likely to join fellow strugglers Burnley and Wolves in the Championship next season. Here’s a look at three talking points from the Premier League weekend: Watkins adds X factor to Villa charge

Ű BY REBECCA JOHNSON

beginning, just for the situations for a throw in, corner, freekick. “I think we forgot to show the second part of our DNA – football. To dominate the ball, be brave on the ball and to be proactive to take the game to the opponents’ half and to create chances to score goals. “This is more or less what we did from minute 30 on, the goal – an excellent team goal – was a consequence out of this. Have to give lots of credit for this away performance from minute 30 on. “The gut feeling was also we’ve dominated each statistic, we could have won this game if we would have been a bit more clinical in the opponent’s box. “We take the point, it’s a good point, especially coming back out of a losing position, but no dancing tonight because three was also possible.” – The Independent

“Then of course another point on the table. A difficult away game, no other team has come away with a better result so far in this Premier League season, so Sunderland are unbeaten here at home. “It’s definitely a good point. The performance from minute 30 on, because I think we dominated this game, mood-wise I’m a bit in-between. “All the positives I mentioned now, but the gut feeling was we could have started the game better. “I wasn’t really happy with the first 30 minutes. To be honest, even without the injury, I would have changed the base formation and perhaps even substituted during the first half. “We got so much praise for our win last weekend when we scored four goals out of set-pieces. We waited way too much at the

DANIEL FARKE admitted his mood was “in between” despite Leeds claiming a “good point” in a 1-1 draw against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats went ahead through Simon Adingra in the 28th minute before the visitors were handed a blow with Joe Rodon forced off through injury. Dominic Calvert-Lewin continued his fine form, scoring for the sixth game running straight after the restart and although Leeds put in a strong second half display, the spoils were shared to extend their unbeaten run to five games. Reflecting on the match, Farke said: “The unbeaten run continues. We showed again a great mentality to come back out of a losing position.

Much-needed reprieve Frank lauds Tottenham’s ‘huge mentality effort’ in win at Palace

Ű BY GEORGE SESSIONS

Wilson Odobert smashed against the post late on, but it finished 1-0. Palace boss Oliver Glasner acknowledged: “It’s again a performance where both teams, I think you shouldn’t lose. “Creating enough to score goals, but miss all

in the Nottingham game, played another good game against Liverpool, growing as a young man. “He was alert. I loved that goal, because he was alert, he was seeing where the ball will land and he was ready on it.” Gray’s effort occurred against the run of play with Palace dominant in the

T OTTENHAM boss Thomas Frank hailed his players for a “huge mentality effort” after a gritty 1-0 win at Crystal Palace. Spurs fans had started to turn on Frank after a run of five defeats in eight left them 14th in the Premier League on Christmas Day. While there had been no suggestions inter nally that Frank’s job was under immediate threat, Tottenham needed to return to winning ways and Gray’s 42nd-minute header settled the contest between the current FA Cup and Europa League holders. “I really liked the desire, details, mentality in the team and the character and resilience of the team is something I spoke about a lot,” Frank reflected. “That is so important that we have that resil ience in the team, because in a long Premier League season, you need to go to a very difficult away ground here and fight and show character. To get a clean sheet, win 1-0, that was a massive win in many ways. “Was it a top performance? No. Are there things we can improve? Yes. But to go here, with the season having been a little bit up and down, I think it’s a huge mentality effort from the play ers.” Gray was the unlikely match-winner after he opened his account for Spurs on his 60th appearance with a close-range header, which marked his first professional goal at the 112th time of asking. Frank has backed the 19-year-old in recent weeks – even after an error in a recent 3-0 loss at Nottingham Forest – and was delighted to see his faith rewarded. He added: “I think Archie is growing. He showed why he has a very good potential in many ways. I think it’s another fine perform ance overall. “Talking about resilience, he made a mistake LIVERPOOL captain Virgil van Dijk said the Premier League champions have to improve a woeful record defending set-pieces if they are to continue an upturn in form. The Reds only edged past bottom-of-the table Wolves 2-1 on Saturday after conceding a 12th League goal in 18 games from a set-piece. No team has conceded more and, at the other end, Liverpool have only scored three times from set-pieces, excluding penalties, themselves. That minus nine differential is their worst in any Premier League season.

our chances and get punished by a corner and a set-play. It shows exactly what we have to improve.

first half, but Jean-Philippe Mateta sent two efforts off target and Will Hughes failed to test Guglielmo Vicario from another opening. The pattern continued into the second half with Justin Devenny only able to fire over before Maxence Lacroix headed wide,

“I can’t remember – and you all watch longer than me – that a Crystal Palace side dominate a Tottenham side like we did, but then leaving the pitch with a defeat, it makes it frustrating for all our players.” – The Independent

but Palace ran out of steam and Tottenham f i n i s hed strong.

Spurs were

only denied another after VAR cut short

Richarlison’s celebrations for offside in the 75th m i n u t e and sub stitute

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank celebrates after the English Premier League match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, London yesterday. – AFPPIC

Liverpool’s set-piece problems a killer, says skipper Van Dijk

But the Dutchman sees signs of progress over all as Liverpool beat nine-man Tottenham and Wolves in their last two matches despite conced ing from a corner in each of them. “Unfortunately we’re maybe the only team that hardly ever scores from a set-piece and, even worse, we constantly concede,” said Slot. “But then, I think I said two, three or four weeks ago, we have to make sure that when things go against us – it could be a set-piece, it could be other things – we still need to find a way to win.

“The fact is we’ve conceded too many set piece goals and we don’t score enough,” said Van Dijk. “It’s something we have to improve. I would say at least 75 percent of the time or even more, it’s not even about the first contact. It’s the sec ond phase that is the killer. “Is it a mental thing? I hope not. If that’s in your head then it’s an issue. Personally, it’s not in my head.” Liverpool boss Arne Slot has bemoaned his side’s dead ball defending for much of the season.