27/02/2026

SPORTS FRIDAY | FEB 27, 2026

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Haaland thriving in new role Big Norwegian delivering all over the pitch for Guardiola N ICO O’REILLY had been presented with the prize by the side of the pitch before Pep Guardiola announced who he felt was a more deserving recipient. Ű BY RICHARD JOLLY

SHORTS

Chelsea, West Ham fined heavily for mass brawl CHELSEA and West Ham United have been fined £ 325,000 (RM1.7m) and £ 300,000 (RM1.57m) respectively for the mass confrontation at the end of their Premier League game last month, the Football Association said yesterday. Chelsea battled from two goals down to beat West Ham 3-2 in the London derby on Jan 31 but nearly 20 players were involved in a melee at the end of the game. West Ham winger Adama Traore threw Marc Cucurella to the ground before he clashed with Joao Pedro as other players arrived to break up the fight. West Ham’s Jean-Clair Todibo received a straight red card after a VAR review for clutching Pedro’s throat. “It was alleged that Chelsea FC failed to ensure its players didn’t behave in an improper and/or provocative way around the 95th minute,” the FA said in a statement. “It was also alleged that West Ham United FC failed to ensure its players didn’t behave in an improper and/or provocative and/or violent way at this time.” The FA said both clubs had admitted the charges against them. Ferguson inspiring Hearts’ bid for Scottish title history HEARTS manager Derek McInnes says Manchester United legend Alex Ferguson is giving him valuable advice in the club’s chase for an historic Scottish Premiership title. McInnes became friendly with Ferguson, who retired as United boss in 2013, when he played for Rangers under the Scot’s close pal Walter Smith in the 1990s. The pair have remained in contact ever since and the 84-year-old will be at Hearts for tomorrow’s clash with Aberdeen as the leaders look to move a step closer to their first title since 1960. McInnes is bidding to become the first non-Celtic or Rangers managers to win the title since Ferguson led Aberdeen to glory in 1985. “I spoke to him again today, actu ally. He’s coming to our game on Saturday, so I’m looking forward to catching up with him,” McInnes said yesterday. “He knows my players, he’s well aware of who’s who, and some of them still can’t get their head around that when I tell them.” Asked if Ferguson was rooting for Hearts to end the Old Firm duopoly by winning the title, McInnes said: “I’m pretty sure that is the case!”

Man City manager Pep Guardiola (right) and forward Erling Haaland. – REUTERSPIC

“Erling was for me the man of the match,” he said. Normally when Erling Haaland gets the indi vidual honours, it is a reflection of extraterrestrial goalscoring exploits. Not on this occasion. There are days when the numbers surrounding Haaland are low and high; his number of touches and goals respectively. As Newcastle were defeated at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, perhaps it was the other way around. For the eighth time in 11 games, he did not find the net. Yet he has never been more involved. He had 43 touches, his most ever in a Premier League match. Haaland’s height and look makes him conspicuous even when he is not on the ball, but he had a ubiquity. The eye was drawn to his battle with Dan Burn, the Etihad looking the land of the giants. Haaland made O’Reilly’s second goal with the kind of ball he would appreciate himself – “I want that some one crosses to him,” said Guardiola – and kept on repelling Newcastle attacks. Haaland made three clearances; only Rodri and Marc Guehi made more for City. Indeed, only twice in his Premier League career has the Norwegian had more in a match. It was one of those days when, not content with being City’s best attacker, he can look their finest defender. It prompted Guehi to remark that he doesn’t want Haaland to reinvent himself as a centreback. “I think he should stay up front, for sure,” said the January signing. “I don’t want him to take my place.” But Haaland is a magnetic presence in the pen alty box, heading balls away. Newcastle supporters may have had flashbacks: for years Alan Shearer, in between becoming their record scorer, assumed the duties on the near post at corners. “I’m not a big fan to put Erling to defend,” said Guardiola. “But he helped us, and I know after, how the people hug him and celebrate him and say they’re grateful for helping us. He’s an incredible, generous player, I’ll never forget what Erling has done for us.” Guardiola’s description of Haaland as generous was instructive. The theory is that strikers have to be selfish; the more goals they get, perhaps the more selfish they are. And 2026 has been an unusually barren spell for Haaland, but it has been a time when he has shown a sense of greater responsibility. He is part of City’s leadership group, one of those who organised the refund for supporters who paid for tickets for the dismal defeat to Bodo/Glimt. With his nine-and-a-half year contract, he has a greater commitment. In turn, that may be making him more of a team player. He is not just a scorer. Guardiola was surprised to be informed that Haaland ranks second in the Premier League for

more transitional style of football, forwards will have more touches and midfielders fewer; there was an old-style feel to the Newcastle game, more direct football, more swift breaks, more of a con stant contest between Haaland and Burn. Perhaps it helped Haaland that he was arguably fresher than at any stage of the campaign. Having sat out the FA Cup win over Salford, he had not played for 10 days. But it is notable, too, that Guardiola did not sub stitute him as he looked to hold on: Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush came off but Haaland’s height meant he was indispensable for defending set-pieces. “His work ethic is amazing. He was flying for every single ball against Dan (Burn),” said Guehi. “It’s not easy.” And Guardiola was thankful. He sin gled out Haaland for praise in a speech in the dressing room. “Sometimes I’m a critic of him,” the City man ager added. “But today I said, ‘guy, without you it would not be possible.’” – The Independent “It was a really important moment for him, (he was) a massive signing, and then want to give him time,” he added. Fellow pundit Jamie Redknapp agreed, adding that he “bullied”Tottenham’s defence. “(It was) a big day for him, he was excellent, the touches, I am very pleased for him because he has had a lot of stick,” added Redknapp. The goals mean Gyokeres has scored more in 2026 across all competitions than any other Premier League player, with eight of his 15 total goals for the Gunners coming this calendar year. He is the club’s top scorer in the League this term, with eight goals. And Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was also full of

assists, albeit some way behind the runaway leader, Bruno Fernandes. “So the numbers are unbelievable,” said Guardiola and, once again, he was not talking about Haaland’s goal return. He has seven assists for the top-flight season, only one behind his per sonal best, in 2022-23. He has got more creative of late. Three have come in his last five games, all in dif ferent fashion. There was a pass for Rayan Cherki’s solo goal against Tottenham, a header down for Bernardo Silva’s predatory finish at Liverpool, now the cross for O’Reilly. That may be a consequence of Guardiola’s shift ing tactics. As he has adopted a 4-2-2-2 formation, Haaland has been given a slightly wider brief, one of split strikers. He used to operate almost exclusively within the width of the penalty box. A glimpse at his touch map on Sunday showed 10 of them were to the right of the boxes. Perhaps, as City have less control and play a in the build-up to Arsenal’s third goal. And Gyokeres came in for plenty of praise from Sky Sports pundits, with Walcott calling the display “the best performance I’ve ever seen from him”. “Not just the goals, I felt today that he really commanded that position. He knew where the weakness was in that Tottenham team. It was from minute one, he showed everything that we expected him to bring to this league,” explained Walcott. “What I really like is this finish (for the second goal), which he’ll do every day in training, it’s fantastic. It was the link play (too), he brought the best out of the others around him.

Pundits hail Gyokeres’s ‘best performance’ for Arsenal

Ű BY CHRIS WILSON

praise for his striker, calling the display the best, the most complete” performance so far from the 27-year-old. “When we need him most and that is when big players and big clubs have to stand up when you are needed. “He was outstanding today, I thought. There have been glimmers of it every week but today, I thought he was fantastic,” added the Spaniard. The 4-1 win takes Arsenal five points clear at the top of the League, though Manchester City have a game in hand ahead of this week’s round of fixtures, with Pep Guardiola’s side facing Leeds and the Gunners taking on Chelsea. – The Independent

FORMER Arsenal forward Theo Walcott praised the “best performance” he’s seen from striker Viktor Gyokeres after the Sweden international’s brace in the 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur. Gyokeres swept in a superb first goal to re establish Arsenal’s lead shortly after half-time, before rounding off the win with a well-taken second – and Arsenal’s fourth – in stoppage time, shrugging off the challenge from Archie Gray before curling in an accomplished finish. While the goals will grab the headlines, it was a superb overall performance from Arsenal’s summer signing, who also provided a vital touch