China Developer Fantasia Enters Pact To Revive Assets
A unit of Chinese developer Fantasia Holdings Group Co. will work with a construction services provider, a move
2023-10-27 13:55
India Ramps Up Border Drone Defense After Hamas Attack on Israel
India is setting up a surveillance system with drones across its borders to wade off surprise attacks like
2023-10-27 11:52
Latest detail of Michigan scandal could get everyone in trouble
The Michigan sign-stealing scandal is looking more and more widespread as multiple Michigan coaches have reportedly been implicated.
2023-10-27 11:26
Josh Allen Had Some Athlete-Themed Audibles Thursday Night
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills were on their way to a fairly easy win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Thursday night, so people focused heavily on the quarterba
2023-10-27 11:24
Copycat Chinese Lithium Firms Back Nigerian Processing Plant
Nigeria’s first lithium-processing plant launched to great fanfare this month with the backing of three companies that, at
2023-10-27 08:50
How does China fix the Evergrande mess?
The heavily indebted company has become the poster child of the country's flailing property sector.
2023-10-27 06:57
Jurgen Klopp excited by Liverpool squad after big European win over Toulouse
Jurgen Klopp called his Liverpool team “easy to fall in love with” after watching them ease to a 5-1 win over Toulouse that puts them in complete control of their Europa League group. Ryan Gravenberch was outstanding in midfield, creating one and scoring another, Diogo Jota got his eighth goal in seven in Europe’s second-tier competition, Wataru Endo opened his Liverpool account and there were also goals for Darwin Nunez and substitute Mo Salah. But the night also demonstrated the depth in Liverpool’s squad as Klopp made eight changes from the 2-0 win over local rivals Everton, handing a full debut to teenager Luke Chambers while Calum Scanlon and James McConnell both made their bows off the bench. Klopp had to conduct a significant rebuild of his side this summer after last season’s disappointments and the unexpected exits of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, but the early signs are promising with Liverpool three points off the top of the Premier League and firing on all fronts. “I think it’s really easy to fall in love with this team,” Klopp said. “There is so much excitement in it. We have to make massive steps, we have to grow, we have to do a lot of things but a lot of the signs are really promising. “How the team interacts with each other is really nice because when you talk about a rebuild of the team it’s all about the things you see on the pitch, obviously, but to see that there has to be a rebuild off the pitch as well and that’s going really well.” Liverpool were not perfect on the night, allowing Thijs Dallinga to cancel out Jota’s early opener when their high line was exposed quarter of an hour in. They also needed Trent Alexander-Arnold to block a Gabriel Souza shot on the line after a Caoimhin Kelleher mistake, but Klopp was more than happy with what he saw from a team featuring so many changes as others were kept in reserve for Sunday’s visit of Nottingham Forest. “The result was good, the performance was good,” he said. “There were a lot of really good individual performances which is nice because it’s important for development. Besides the goal we conceded and the chance we gave them when Trent had his spectacular save around that it was everything we expected.” The 21-year-old Gravenberch, a summer signing from Bayern Munich, was making back-to-back starts at club level for the first time in 18 months, and delivered a stand-out performance, regularly driving forward from midfield and proving a constant menace to Toulouse. His goal may have come from what Klopp described as a “slapstick” moment – when Nunez rounded the goalkeeper only to hit his shot against the post with Gravenberch picking up the pieces – his performance certainly merited an appearance on the scoresheet. “I really like him, as a boy, as a player, it’s really nice to see how much he starts believing in himself again,” Klopp said. “That’s obviously very important for a young player especially. There’s lot to improve on still which is good news because everybody sees the potential he has.” Nunez left the pitch still kicking himself for his miss, but Klopp was delighted with the Uruguayan. “(Darwin) played incredible,” he said. “Honestly in this moment I couldn’t care less than he hits the post because everything before was super convincing, how he took the defender away, how he went past the goalie it was a perfect situation. “He played really good, the goal he scored, the situations he was in. He is in a good moment and for us that’s really important. I’m really pleased for him. Yes it’s a bit of slapstick when the ball doesn’t go in but Ryan puts it in and it’s cool.” Read More Roberto De Zerbi stressed the need for a winning mentality at Brighton Ange Postecoglou: Spurs a big club who should challenge for trophies every year West Ham suffer first European loss in 18 matches at hands of Olympiacos Sandro Tonali needs ’empathy and support’ after being banned for 10 months Jos Buttler: My future as captain out of my hands as England near World Cup exit Maro Itoje praises ‘courageous’ Tom Curry for reporting Mbongeni Mbonambi
2023-10-27 06:53
Roberto De Zerbi stressed the need for a winning mentality at Brighton
Roberto De Zerbi stressed the importance of changing the mood at Brighton after they beat Ajax 2-0 at the Amex Stadium to claim a first European victory. It ended a run of five games without a win as the club have struggled with injuries during their debut Europa League campaign, though their European hopes were firmly revived here with a comprehensive triumph over the four-time European champions. From the first minute Brighton outclassed a poor Ajax side, who just three days after sacking manager Maurice Steijn amidst the club’s worst-ever start to an Eredivisie season, barely mustered an attack. Joao Pedro tapped in on the rebound after Karou Mitoma’s shot had been parried, breaking the deadlock minutes before half-time and handing Brighton a deserved lead. The advantage was doubled eight minutes after the break when on-loan Barcelona forward Ansu Fati took a brilliant first touch to come inside his defender and rolled the ball into the corner after being set up by Simon Adingra. It was a first win in three attempts on the team’s debut European campaign, lifting them to third in Group B and to within a point of leaders Marseille with whom they drew in France three weeks ago. The focus today has been the first win in European competition for Brighton, for our fans, for our club, for our owner and for ourselves Roberto De Zerbi A win in the return against Ajax in Amsterdam in November will put them in a commanding position to qualify for the knockout rounds ahead of their final two group games. “The focus today has been the first win in European competition for Brighton, for our fans, for our club, for our owner and for ourselves,” said De Zerbi. “We didn’t deserve to lose against AEK (Athens), and today we wanted 150 per cent the victory. “We played a great game with high quality. We could score more goals, but the most important thing is we didn’t concede and we closed the game with a clean sheet. “For us in this moment, it’s important to change the mood, to start winning games, to start to play better because we (have not been) playing like last season.” The manager praised the contributions of his two goalscorers, with Pedro out in front as the team’s leading European scorer with four goals in three games, whilst Fati also continued his adaption to life in England after moving from La Liga. “Both are great players, (but) I think both can play better,” said De Zerbi. “We are helping a lot Ansu because he didn’t play so many games last year, for him he’s started a new football life. He’s an incredible player, Joao Pedro as well. “They’re very young, we have to help them to progress, but they have to help themselves first of all, working hard during the week, and during the game. But they are both incredible players.” De Zerbi also reflected on the difficulty of balancing a hectic schedule after Solly March and Danny Welbeck joined a lengthy injury list following Saturday’s loss to Manchester City. He added: “The level of difficulty is more or less the same (between the Premier League and Europa League), but it’s tougher this season because after 48, 72 hours we have another important game against Fulham. “This is the challenge that is most difficult for us. We have to accept the honour, because we made history for our club. “It’s unbelievable and it’s proud for us to be part of this history, but in the same way we have to fight and to adapt, be ready to fight and enjoy and make happy our fans. Playing in Europe for Brighton is a big, big thing.” Read More Ange Postecoglou: Spurs a big club who should challenge for trophies every year West Ham suffer first European loss in 18 matches at hands of Olympiacos Sandro Tonali needs ’empathy and support’ after being banned for 10 months Jos Buttler: My future as captain out of my hands as England near World Cup exit Maro Itoje praises ‘courageous’ Tom Curry for reporting Mbongeni Mbonambi There’s a long way to go – Ange Postecoglou staying grounded despite Spurs form
2023-10-27 06:20
David Moyes defends team selection as West Ham’s unbeaten European run ended
David Moyes defended his team selection after West Ham’s unbeaten European record was reduced to ruins in Athens. The Hammers came a cropper in the shadow of the Acropolis as they crashed 2-1 at Olympiacos, their first loss in continental competition in 18 matches. Moyes, who led his side to the Europa Conference League title last season, made seven changes for their Europa League Group A clash in the Greek capital with one eye on Sunday’s visit of Everton. But his tinkering backfired as a soft goal from Olympiacos captain Kostas Fortounis and an own goal from stand-in Hammers skipper Angelo Ogbonna brought their undefeated run to a halt despite Lucas Paqueta’s late volley. “Look, we changed a lot of players tonight, we’ve got the Premier League coming up and we’ve got a League Cup game next week and we’d won the first two games in the group, which gave us leeway to make changes tonight,” Moyes told whufc.com. “But maybe I have to recognise that while we didn’t win the Conference League games easily, as they were all tough games, coming to Olympiacos after winning away in Freiburg – which was a good result – this wasn’t a good result and wasn’t a good performance. “In our heads we certainly had a bigger picture in our heads and that was going into Sunday. “I don’t think anybody could say the team we started with wasn’t a good team and wasn’t a team capable of winning or performing. “Many of them have been very good players for us over the years and still are.” The local ‘ultras’ welcomed West Ham on to the pitch with a huge banner reading “tonight you dine in hell”, and the Hammers’ first-half display was certainly hard to stomach. The hosts took the lead in the 34th minute when Fortounis launched an old-fashioned toe poke from the edge of the box which flew past the flat-footed Alphonse Areola in the West Ham goal. On the stroke of half-time the Hammers found themselves two behind when Ogbonna suffered his own personal Greek tragedy. The Italian veteran stuck out a foot to block a cross from Brazilian full-back Rodinei, only to help it past Areola into his own net. Moyes sent on Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio before the hour mark but the Brazilian’s strike, albeit spectacular, was all West Ham had to show for a late flurry. Fortounis admitted his goal was a shade fortuitous. He told reporters: “To be honest, it all seems like a haze. “I turned and ran towards goal, the ball was right in front of me and I couldn’t do anything else. It was literally a strike with the tip of my toe.” Read More West Ham suffer first European loss in 18 matches at hands of Olympiacos Former Everton boss David Moyes pays tribute to ‘wonderful man’ Bill Kenwright David Moyes hopes West Ham and Olympiacos fans behave in Greece Man Utd expect to pay further tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton on Tuesday night We’re after seven teams – Unai Emery plays down Villa’s Champions League chances Such a good man – David Moyes hails Sir Bobby Charlton help as fans pay tribute
2023-10-27 05:54
Darwin Nunez displays full range of brilliance and buffoonery as Liverpool thrash Toulouse
If nothing else, Darwin Nunez found a novel way to create a goal. On a night where goals arrived in copious quantities at Anfield, there were two extraordinary misses. And if the Toulouse left-back Gabriel Suazo had seemed to perform an unexpected impression of Nunez, failing to score when confronted by a goal that lacked a goalkeeper, there was a certain, perverse inevitability in the Uruguayan upstaging him. It seemed another of the moments that are Nunez in a nutshell, his threat and his profligacy in the space of seconds. A lovely, deft touch to take him past a defender, the pace to burst past goalkeeper Guillaume Restes and then, with an open goal, the shot that hit the post. All was well that ended well, for Nunez and Liverpool: as he wreaked havoc, they struck anyway. Ryan Gravenberch latched on to the rebound, showed greater composure and beat Restes to score his side’s fourth goal of the night. Exit Nunez, substituted with Anfield chorusing his name. He was already on the scoresheet, with a rasping, rising shot, struck with both ferocity and an unerring accuracy some of his other efforts lack. He had been denied, too, by Restes, after a lovely, dainty piece of footwork. Full of forceful running and defence-stretching pace, it amounted to a curiosity of a performance, and yet an entirely typical one. It was a year to the day since he had missed a sitter and scored in a Champions League game against Ajax. The competition and the opposition changed but, 365 days on, some things stayed the same. But if Darwin was Darwin, the excellent and the erratic, the beneficiary of his wastefulness was the game’s outstanding performer. The Europa League can have fringe benefits for clubs such as Liverpool and, after Gravenberch’s arrival in the last couple of hours of the transfer window, it has offered him a chance to both integrate and impress. The Dutchman’s first assist for Liverpool came in Austria against Linz, his first goal in the home win over Union Saint-Gilloise. His second came against Toulouse. As Jurgen Klopp’s side completed a hat-trick of victories, his fourth summer signing made it three fine displays in continental competition. If, at times, this felt a bit too easy for Liverpool, it enabled Gravenberch to illustrate his ability. He is a rangy runner, his legs appearing telescopic as he seemed to extend them to keep the ball under control and confound opponents. One solo run, a meandering affair that took him past several defenders, culminated in a sharp turn and shot that Restes had to claw away. Another led, albeit indirectly, to Nunez’s goal. Factor in a willingness to get into the box and a habit of shooting from distance and the temptation was to suggest that Gravenberch may not be seen in the Europa League until spring. He could be starting in the Premier League instead. As Klopp made eight changes, Liverpool displayed a strength in depth that should equip them to progress deep into this competition. Mohamed Salah’s determination to play is such that he got a late outing anyway, capped with a glorious goal, hammered in off the underside of the bar to have Klopp clapping. But it is often a moot point if Diogo Jota ranks in the strongest side; at times he does and at others he does not. A fourth goal in six games was both a spectacular solo run and yet too easy. Jota ran through the heart of the Toulouse team, beating two defenders with a sharp turn, nutmegging a third and slotting a shot past Restes. There is no doubt, though, that Wataru Endo belongs in the ranks of the understudies. The Japanese has made a solitary league start, at Newcastle almost two months ago; in the glee of victory, Klopp admitted Endo did not have, in his words, “a clue” what they were doing and if he may have been referring to the reshuffle after they were reduced to 10 men, the Japanese has been confined to the midweek team since then. He had the reward of a first Liverpool goal, steering a header past a motionless Restes when he met Trent Alexander-Arnold’s chipped cross. Liverpool could, and perhaps should, have scored more goals but their clean sheets are rarities. They conceded one and their goalkeeper was fortunate it was not more. Toulouse had levelled when Thijs Dallinga, the top scorer in the Coupe de France last season, latched on to Aron Donnum’s pass, sprinted clear from the half-way line and drilled a shot past Caoimhin Kelleher. The goalkeeper was culpable, though, in a game of entertainment, some fashioned by excellence, a bit by ineptitude. After Kelleher presented Toulouse with the ball and was in no position to save, Suazo seemed certain to score. The Chilean left-back instead drilled the ball straight at Alexander-Arnold, who had retreated to the line to make a brilliant block. But Suazo did not have Nunez’s fortune: there was no teammate following up to score. And Liverpool’s superiority meant it was hard to frame it as the decisive moment: more goals were always on their agenda. Toulouse have scarcely been a case of nominative determinism, showing a greater propensity to draw thus far this season, and this was their first defeat of the campaign in Europe. But another loss in the rematch in two weeks’ time would mean Liverpool win the group with two games to go. Read More Liverpool set for boost as Cody Gakpo in line to make return against Toulouse Van Dijk holds key to trophy hopes - is he still the best centre-back around? Is Liverpool vs Toulouse on TV? 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2023-10-27 05:46
3 major changes Clemson needs to make to recapture former glory
The Clemson Tigers have gone from a national power to a forgettable team in the ACC in a matter of years. Here is what Dabo Swinney needs to do to get his program back on the right track before it is too late.
2023-10-27 05:23
Joao Pedro and Ansu Fati ease Brighton to Europa League victory over Ajax
Brighton enjoyed a comprehensive first victory in the Europa League as a goal in either half from Joao Pedro and Ansu Fati eased them to a 2-0 win against Ajax at the Amex Stadium. It took until the final minutes of a first half that Brighton had dominated for the breakthrough to arrive, Pedro tapping home on the rebound after an opening period in which Ajax – second-bottom of the Eredivisie – did little more than look to preserve parity, as Brighton dictated things from the first minute. The Dutch side have endured their worst-ever start to a league season, and after sacking manager Maurice Steijn on Monday they went down with barely a whimper, Fati’s goal early in the second half laying bare the gulf between Roberto De Zerbi’s team and the four-time European champions. It was a first half that Brighton controlled but were for the most part frustrated by an organised, obdurate Ajax. Pedro wanted a penalty for a shove in the back inside of three minutes, waved away by the referee with barely a glance, before Brighton’s top scorer on their European campaign tucked the only real chance of the opening exchanges wide of the near post from Karou Mitoma’s cut-back. Pedro appealed again for a spot-kick, this time with more gusto, when he appeared to be bundled to the ground by Jorrel Hato. The defender was adjudged narrowly to have reached Mitoma’s through-ball ahead of the Brighton striker as the Amex howled for a penalty. The hosts’ central-defensive pair spent much of the first half 10 yards inside the Ajax half. The plan to lure out the visitors and exploit the resulting space was resisted by caretaker boss Hedwiges Maduro’s team, who seemed content to sacrifice attacking ambition for the sake of clogging the gaps in between their lines. Simon Adingra had the best chance of the opening half-hour when he lashed a right-footed effort over the bar from Lewis Dunk’s header back across goal, as Brighton’s threat was stymied by Ajax in what was a ponderous first half from De Zerbi’s side. Mitoma and Pedro’s partnership looked the most likely avenue of success. The pair carved out the clearest opening yet when Pedro dashed into a channel down the right to reach his team-mate’s threaded ball and drove low at goal, only for goalkeeper Diant Ramaj to beat it away with a strong right hand. The breakthrough came three minutes before the break. Dunk’s pass was weighted into the path of Mitoma who dashed into the box and dragged the ball inside Josip Sutalo to make space to shoot. His effort was pushed out by Ramaj, but only to the feet of the onrushing Pedro who continued his fine European scoring run to end a frustrating half for Brighton on a high. Fati’s goal, slotted home brilliantly eight minutes after the break, cemented Brighton’s superiority. Adingra began the move from midfield, patiently stewarding the ball until Fati’s run was made, checking inside and feeding the on-loan Barcelona forward who beat his man with a devastating first touch and dispatched deftly beyond Ramaj. The game had sprung suddenly to life. Fati was inches from making it three and burying Ajax, his driven effort licking inches wide of the post, before Steven Berghuis at the other end struck the upright with Jason Steele beaten, a rare foray forward from the visitors. It was to be the closest the 2019 Champions League semi-finalists came, as Brighton’s debut European season finally got going in earnest. Read More Tyson Fury has ‘no doubt’ he will knock out former UFC fighter Francis Ngannou Aston Villa prove European credentials with triumph at AZ Alkmaar – Unai Emery David Moyes defends team selection as West Ham’s unbeaten European run ended
2023-10-27 05:21