Darwin Nunez on target again as Liverpool topple West Ham at Anfield
Darwin Nunez’s evolution into a genuine number nine for Liverpool continues as his brilliant fourth goal of the season proved vital in securing a 3-1 home victory over West Ham. The Uruguay international scored in back-to-back games for the first time since February as Jurgen Klopp’s side made it five successive Premier League wins to move into outright second spot, behind champions Manchester City, with Arsenal and Tottenham drawing at the Emirates. Captain Virgil van Dijk had spoken of the 24-year-old turning his potential into quality after the midweek Europa League win over LASK, in which Nunez scored a penalty but could have had a couple of others. His rasping 60th-minute volley from an exquisite Alexis Mac Allister lofted pass restored their lead after Jarrod Bowen’s diving header in the first half had cancelled out Mohamed Salah’s penalty, his 12 goal in his last 13 appearances at Anfield. Substitute Diogo Jota made the points safe late on as Liverpool scored at least three goals in their opening three home league games for only the second time in the last 43 years. But it was Nunez who caught the eye with his improving integration into a team which for so long played with a false nine in Roberto Firmino. His hold-up play gets better and, after that helped Liverpool take the lead in Austria in midweek, he was at it again in the build-up to Salah’s penalty. He launched a rapid counter-attack on the left after holding up the ball on the halfway line before releasing Luis Diaz and then charging 60 yards into the area in an attempt to get on the end of the return pass. He failed to do so but Salah was following up behind him and, having nicked it past Nayef Aguerd, he was tripped by the West Ham centre-back, who looked suitably sheepish having given away such a soft spot-kick. West Ham could have been two goals up by that point as Alisson had to scramble low to his right to keep out a Tomas Soucek header and was then relieved to see Michail Antonio wastefully direct a header wide from 10 yards. From another counter-attack Mac Allister dragged a shot wide and Salah miscued a shot from Van Dijk’s diagonal pass but almost inadvertently found Nunez. Liverpool were threatening to take the game away from the visitors, who have won only once at Anfield in 50 visits, and, had Salah slotted home after Mac Allister, Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai combined, it would have been their goal of the season so far. But David Moyes’ side are made of stern stuff, with their physical approach often infuriating the majority of those at Anfield, and when Soucek’s scuffed shot was deflected wide it showed danger was still present. They equalised three minutes from half-time from a goal which came almost out of nothing. Bowen won the initial header from an aimless aerial ball and Vladimir Coufal swung in a cross which the Hammers forward dived low in front of Van Dijk to direct inside the far post. A delightful Szoboszlai chip over the top saw Curtis Jones volley home only to be denied by the offside flag while another counter-attack saw Salah slide in Nunez, whose angled shot was claimed at the second attempt by Alphonse Areola. After the break West Ham reduced the game to a level Liverpool were uncomfortable with but the hosts still created chances, Nunez’s snap-shot going wide after Salah managed to find space between two markers to pick him out 12 yards out. It was the sighter the Kop’s new cult hero needed as he then lashed home Mac Allister’s delicate 15-yard chip which dropped invitingly somewhere near the penalty spot. Jones’ deflected shot was acrobatically tipped over by Areola, who then saved at the feet of Diaz, before Jota extended Moyes’ win-less career run at Anfield to 20 visits by stabbing home from close range after Van Dijk’s knockdown from an 85th-minute corner. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ollie Watkins winner sees Aston Villa down 10-man Chelsea at Stamford Bridge Brighton secure comeback win over Bournemouth thanks to substitute Kaoru Mitoma Ireland report clean bill of health after bruising South Africa showdown
2023-09-24 23:51
Ange Postecoglou has already transformed Tottenham with Arsenal comeback
All square at Arsenal, with one side much happier about it. Everyone else would at least have been greatly entertained by it. This was yet another north London derby that swung back and forth in such absorbing fashion to add to its archive of classic games but, once it settled into a 2-2 draw, it was Tottenham celebrating more. They have been given huge encouragement for the future, after displaying adventure and resilience in a match many might not have considered them quite ready for. That is the effect of Ange Postecoglou, which was all the more impressive given how Arsenal had posed the most testing questions for the first half-hour. Mikel Arteta’s side, however, might again be feeling the effects of a title race with Manchester City. They already find themselves four points behind by 24 September, and with the champions to come here in two weeks. That might be without Declan Rice, who went off with a calf injury that proved decisive. If it is again ludicrous to be talking about this at such an early stage, just as it was with the victory over Manchester United, these are the stakes of the Premier League right now. This is maybe the state of the Arsenal team right now, so promising but still missing a few elements. One is depth, as could be seen with how easy their defence was to get at for both of Son Heung-Min’s goals. Another is real extra-level quality in attack. For all that this draw ultimately came down to Arsenal failing to keep their lead, a large part of that was the encouragement Spurs enjoyed from their attack being able to extend it. It already raises the question over whether they will go big in January. They could have had a substantial lead here. That is what will be so frustrating. Spurs and Postecoglou, however, were rewarded for their bravery. That could well be a theme going forward. It has already been a theme of the season, as Spurs again defied expectations. They shouldn’t have been ready for this north London derby against a side that finished second last season. They were instead prepared to pounce on any Arsenal slip. That is what this whole game amounted to. Arsenal could really have killed the game before any semblance of a contest had even developed. It was set up for them. Postecoglou’s approach initially seemed rather naive given how nascent his team is, and it left Destiny Udogie constantly exposed on the left. Saka consistently had 15 metres of space around him and it of course wasn’t long until he made use of that. Having turned Udogie again, Saka saw the space open up and looked to curl the ball into the far corner. Romero intervened and turned it into the near corner. Arsenal were by that point in complete control and had the chance to take full command. Gabriel Jesus couldn’t seize it, though, blazing one key effort over. It does perhaps raise one of the final questions in the formation of this Arsenal team. Are they still lacking that finisher? Jesus is a brilliant link forward but he lacks that ruthlessness. It allowed Spurs back in. To give Postecoglou his due, though, they also forced their way back in. With the manner that Saka had got at Guglielmo Vicario’s defence in the opening half-hour, the Spurs manager could have been forgiven for altering formation and tightening up. He did the opposite. In a move that feels like it’s going to be symbolic about what is to come under Postecoglou, he doubled down, ensuring his left flank always had at least two in attack rather than defence. It started to make trouble for Arsenal, and made the difference. In a five-minute flurry, Brennan Johnson forced two big saves from David Raya - one of them a brilliantly instinctive response, that Mikel Arteta will feel vindicated his decision - before Spurs eventually forced their way in. This was a turnaround in more ways than one. It was suddenly Saka given a tough time as James Maddison so easily got around him to set up Son. It was not the last time that the duo made such a testing occasion look easy. Before then, though, Arsenal had contrasting developments. Declan Rice went off with a calf injury. Saka scored a penalty from a Romero handball. Both contributed to what next. With Arsenal seeming like they were still celebrating the goal, and substitute Jorginho so casual on the ball, Maddison just stepped up and took it off. It was reminiscent of the way Germany just cut through Brazil in that 7-1 in how simple it was, which was all the more surprising given Arsenal were apparently in a relatively secure position. They were anything but. Son was put clean through, almost no one around him, to just slide the ball past Raya for his second. Spurs didn’t quite settle for that but Arsenal did ensure they couldn’t set foot beyond the halfway much late on. For all the pressure, though, there was no big chance. There was no difference-maker to bring on. Arteta threw on Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith-Rowe but both felt hopeful shows of faith rather than any display of superiority. So it proved. It was an early-season derby that may say a lot about both for the season - and potentially influence a lot. Read More Arsenal vs Tottenham result and player ratings as Son Heung-min and James Maddison lead Spurs fightback Son Heung-min and James Maddison lead Tottenham response to claim Arsenal point Phil Foden admits Rodri will be a ‘big miss’ during his three-match suspension Pep Guardiola unhappy at Rodri for red card in Man City win
2023-09-24 23:46
Son scores twice as Tottenham rallies to draw 2-2 at Arsenal in north London derby
Son Heung-min scored twice as Tottenham maintained its unbeaten Premier League record under Ange Postecoglou by holding Arsenal to a 2-2 draw in the north London derby on Sunday
2023-09-24 23:29
Brighton secure comeback win over Bournemouth thanks to substitute Kaoru Mitoma
Roberto De Zerbi’s inspired double substitution helped Brighton come from behind to sink Bournemouth 3-1. The Seagulls trailed to Dominic Solanke’s opportunist strike but went in level at half-time thanks to a Milos Kerkez own goal. Boss De Zerbi, who had made nine changes to his starting line-up from Thursday’s Europe League defeat by AEK Athens, sent on Ansu Fati and Kaoru Mitoma at half-time. And the pair had an instant impact, combining for an exquisite goal just 15 seconds into the second half, with Mitoma applying the finishing touch. Japan winger Mitoma then wrapped up the victory with a late header to leave the Cherries still winless from their first six league matches. De Zerbi also opted to rotate his goalkeepers, replacing Jason Steele with Bart Verbruggen, but that was a move which backfired after 25 minutes. The Dutchman hesitated on the edge of the area as he attempted to play the ball out. Ryan Christie charged down the clearance and the ball rolled to Solanke, who chipped the stranded keeper into an empty net from 20 yards. Brighton offered precious little for the majority of an uncharacteristically lacklustre first half until three minutes of stoppage time. A goalmouth scramble saw Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster have efforts cleared off the line before Billy Gilmour swung the ball back into the box. Kerkez climbed at the near post in a bid to clear the danger, only to glance the ball past goalkeeper Neto and into his own net. De Zerbi made his double change at the break, but not even the shrewd Italian could have foreseen quite the impact the pair would have. Bournemouth lost possession from the kick-off and Mitoma played the ball out to Barcelona loanee Fati on the left before continuing his run into the area. Fati’s ball back in was helped on by Mahmoud Dahoud into the path of Mitoma, who sidefooted it past Neto to cap a glorious Albion move. With Brighton now in firmly the ascendancy, Dunk headed narrowly wide from a corner before Fati failed to convert a cross from Simon Adingra. Bournemouth went in search of an equaliser and Antoine Semenyo had a low shot well kept out by Verbruggen. But Mitoma put Brighton further ahead when he nodded in Pervis Estupinan’s cross with 13 minutes left. Solanke almost scrambled one back for the Cherries from close range late on but his effort was cleared off the line by Albion skipper Dunk.
2023-09-24 23:28
Pieces of distant, ancient asteroid arrive on Earth from Nasa spacecraft, after travelling billions of miles
A piece of asteroid has arrived on Earth from the other side of the solar system, in a major success for Nasa’s Osiris-Rex mission. The spacecraft has spent years flying to Asteroid Bennu, gathering up a piece of it, and bringing it back home so that it can be studied by researchers. It brings an end to a mission that took seven years, saw it travel 4 billion miles, and cost more than a billion dollars. Scientists hope that study can help reveal how planets formed and evolved, and might shed light on how life itself began. Since Bennu is around 4.5 billion years old, the sample is almost like a look back into the solar system during its early years and Nasa has referred to it as a “time capsule”. Asteroid Bennu is also notable as Nasa’s “most dangerous asteroid”, according to a scale used to measure how much of a hazard a given object poses. It is the first time that Nasa has brought back a piece of an asteroid, and the first time since 2020. It is also the biggest ever to be gathered, at around 250 grams. Nasa sent a team on board helicopters to gather the sample canister, extracting it to ensure that it did not become contaminated by the environment. Since the sample was directly from the asteroid, it will not have any trace of material from the Earth on it, unlike those that fall to Earth. That sample will be distributed between 200 people at 38 institutions across the world, including those in the UK. The Osiris-Rex mission left Earth in September 2016, and arrived at the asteroid in October 2018. It gathered samples in October 2020, and then left the asteroid in April 2021. Since then, both the sample and the spacecraft have been returning back from the other side of the solar system to Earth. The spacecraft then dropped off the sample to return home, while Osiris-Rex will carry on to study another asteroid called Apophis, where it will arrive in 2029. Apophis is also notable for its danger: at times, it has challenged Bennu at the top of the league table of most dangerous objects. But recent research has suggested that Apophis poses less of a danger. Ashley King, UKRI future leaders fellow, Natural History Museum, said: “Osiris-Rex spent over two years studying asteroid Bennu, finding evidence for organics and minerals chemically altered by water. “These are crucial ingredients for understanding the formation of planets like Earth, so we’re delighted to be among the first researchers to study samples returned from Bennu. ‘We think the Bennu samples might be similar in composition to the recent Winchcombe meteorite fall, but largely uncontaminated by the terrestrial environment and even more pristine.” Dr Sarah Crowther, research fellow in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester, said: “It is a real honour to be selected to be part of the Osiris-Rex sample analysis team, working with some of the best scientists around the world. “We’re excited to receive samples in the coming weeks and months, and to begin analysing them and see what secrets asteroid Bennu holds. “A lot of our research focuses on meteorites and we can learn a lot about the history of the solar system from them. “Meteorites get hot coming through Earth’s atmosphere and can sit on Earth for many years before they are found, so the local environment and weather can alter or even erase important information about their composition and history. “Sample return missions like Osiris-Rex are vitally important because the returned samples are pristine, we know exactly w Read More Pieces of a distant asteroid are about to fall to Earth Nasa to return largest asteroid sample ever as UK helps with research Astronomers find abundance of Milky Way-like galaxies in early universe Pieces of a distant asteroid are about to fall to Earth Nasa to return largest asteroid sample ever as UK helps with research Astronomers find abundance of Milky Way-like galaxies in early universe
2023-09-24 23:20
Ajax and Feyenoord's Eredivise match halted as fans throw fireworks on the field
The Eredivisie match between rivals Ajax and Feyenoord has been called off in the second half after fans threw fireworks onto the field at the Johan Cruyff Arena
2023-09-24 23:19
Man gored to death by bull at Spanish festival
Friend also injured by same animal during the Pobla de Farnals festival in the Valencia region.
2023-09-24 22:50
China sweeps through the gold medals on the opening day of the Asian Games
China has dominated the Asian Games for the last 40 years, and the 2023 edition will be the same
2023-09-24 22:23
US and Europe still tied after halfway point of final day at Solheim Cup in Spain
Europe and the United States are tied 10-10 as the decisive singles matches of the Solheim Cup get through the turn at Finca Cortesin in southern Spain
2023-09-24 22:17
Usher to headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas
Usher has a new confession: The Grammy winner will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in Las Vegas
2023-09-24 22:16
Ireland's grit sees it pass acid test at the Rugby World Cup. Title credentials are now undeniable
Top-ranked Ireland faced an acid test of its desire more than its ability at the Rugby World Cup against defending champion and three-time winner South Africa on Saturday
2023-09-24 21:46
Liverpool vs West Ham United LIVE: Premier League latest score, goals and updates from fixture
Liverpool host West Ham in the Premier League as the Reds look to continue their unbeaten start. Trent Alexander-Arnold was not fit enough to make the squad for the visit of West Ham as manager Jurgen Klopp made three changes from last week’s win at Wolves. After switching the entire XI for the Europa League win over LASK Klopp went back to his strongest line-up with the previously suspended Virgil van Dijk returning for Jarrell Quansah and Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, who impressed in Austria, coming in for Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota. West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen returned after missing their Europa League win over TSC Backa Topola through illness, allowing David Moyes to name the same side which lost to Manchester City last weekend. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.
2023-09-24 21:29
