Sports
Man Utd star Rasmus Hojlund spares Andre Onana’s blushes in comeback Europa League win
Rasmus Hojlund came off the bench to score twice as Manchester United secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday night.
The £72million striker proved to be United’s saviour after Andre Onana’s costly error had gifted the Czech side a shock lead early in the second half.
Ruben Amorim’s side were forced to battle back from behind on a cold evening in central Europe, with Hojlund’s late heroics sparing their blushes.
The Danish forward has now scored five goals since Amorim’s arrival as manager, continuing his impressive form as a substitute.
Rasmus Hojlund scored a brace after coming on off the bench
Reuters
The win provides United with a much-needed boost following recent Premier League defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.
Andre Onana’s nightmare evening began with early warning signs as he struggled with set-pieces, twice missing punches and even colliding with teammate Casemiro.
The goalkeeper’s most costly error came right after the break when his baffling pass was intercepted by Pavel Dulc, who set up former Watford striker Matej Vydra for a simple tap-in.
It marked Onana’s second major mistake in consecutive matches, following his recent poor showing against Nottingham Forest.
“Andre Onana has now undone all the good work he did this season, today and in the Forest game,” one fan was quoted as saying on social media.
Hojlund’s impact was immediate after replacing Marcus Rashford in the 56th minute, with the Dane proving clinical in front of goal.
The equaliser came through excellent work from Amad Diallo, whose direct running and mazy dribble into the Plzen penalty area created the opportunity.
Andre Onana joined in with the goal celebrations, likely coming over to thank Rasmus Hojlund
Reuters
Though Amad’s initial shot was blocked, Hojlund was perfectly positioned to tap home the rebound, bringing United level on the hour mark.
With time running out, Bruno Fernandes demonstrated his creative brilliance with a clever free-kick that found Hojlund in space.
The striker showed remarkable composure to fire home the winning goal in the dying minutes, converting Fernandes’ intelligent pass.
The brace highlighted Hojlund’s predatory instincts, with both finishes displaying the clinical edge United have often lacked this season.
Andre Onana had made a huge error earlier in the match
Reuters
Despite the victory, United’s overall performance was largely underwhelming, with several players struggling to make an impact.
Marcus Rashford was particularly poor, being substituted after 54 minutes following a display where he failed to create a single chance or register a shot.
Amorim’s substitutions proved decisive, with both Antony and Mason Mount making positive contributions alongside Hojlund’s match-winning cameo.
“Absolutely no disrespect to Rashford or what he’s done for the club but with the way Amorim wants to play, with the formation, I don’t see where Rashford fits in,” one fan commented.
Andre Onana won’t want to see that again 🫣
A gift from the United keeper and Reading old-boy Matej Vydra pounces to put Plzen ahead 😱
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/fHlsdddhgp
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 12, 2024
The Portuguese manager earned praise for his decisive changes, receiving a 7/10 rating for being “decisive with his substitutions.”
United will hope to build on this comeback victory as they head into this weekend’s Manchester derby.
David Gaskell, who holds the record of being Manchester United’s youngest ever player, has died at the age of 84.
Former goalkeeper Gaskell made his debut for United at the age of just 16 years and 19 days against Manchester City in October 1956.
He spent 11 seasons at United after being promoted to the senior squad by Matt Busby and won two league titles with the club.
Gaskell also played in the 1963 FA Cup final, helping United beat Leicester City at Wembley.
A statement from his family on the club website read: “Dave Gaskell leaves behind not just a remarkable sporting legacy, but an enduring example of kindness, dedication, and humility. He will be deeply missed but fondly remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him.”
Sports
Australian Open crowd branded ‘ugly’ for Novak Djokovic treatment after withdrawing from semi-final
Former tennis stars Justine Henine and Barbara Schett have hit out at the ‘ugly’ and ‘horrible’ reaction Novak Djokovic received from the Rod Laver Arena crowd after his withdrawal from the tournament.
Djokovic had indicated earlier this week that he was suffering with an injury at the Australian Open that threatened his chances of winning.
He managed to fight throuh the pain to record an incredible win over Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-final.
But it proved too much for Djokovic against Alexander Zverev as the 10-time Australian Open champion was forced to retire due to injury.
Novak Djokovic was forced to retire due to injury
REUTERS
Some fans inside Rod Laver Arena were not happy with Djokovic’s retirement and booed the Serbian as he made his way off the court.
The reaction left former world No 1 Henin shocked and appalled, especially given Djokovic’s achievements Down Under.
“Djokovic has lived in [his] best moments here but also a detention three years ago,” she said.
“Today, it was an ugly moment, in my opinion. We can’t accept that for a player who gave so much today, but also in the history of this sport.
“We understand that people paid for this game, but we need to have nuance. Djokovic has very rarely abandoned a Grand Slam. He is 38 years old, he still comes here to give his best.
“It’s not logical with the champion he is. He was right to react, it was ironic.
“He belongs to the part of players who don’t shut up in front of this behaviour. He’s right.”
Schett was equally horrified by the treatment Djokovic received from some fans inside the arena.
Novak Djokovic was booed after retiring
REUTERS
“It was horrible, we were shocked, Laura and myself, when the crowd started booing,” Schett told Eurosport.
“You never know in tennis, in sports, anything can happen. You can get injured, and clearly, he was that injured he couldn’t continue.
“Yes, the tickets are expensive, but again, that’s sports. It’s not like you buy a ticket for a movie and you know this is going on for two hours and you’re going to be there from start to finish.
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Alexander Zverev will face Jannik Sinner in the final
REUTERS
“No, you could be there [at tennis] for an hour and a half only, but you could also be there for five hours and that’s the beauty about tennis, because you never know what happens.”
Djokovic revealed he went as far as his body would allow him too before having to make the decision to retire.
“I did everything I possibly can to manage the muscle tear that I had,” he said.
“Medications, the strap and the physio work helped to some extent today. But towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain.”
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says teams are prepared to take his side on in a manner they did not previously, which will cost City a Champions League spot if he cannot find a solution.
Guardiola did not quite say City, who face Chelsea at home on Saturday, had completely lost their ‘fear factor’.
However, as he assessed a torrid season he zeroed in on a change in approach that indicates opponents are not intimidated the way they once were, with teams pressing his side more.
“Everyone came to the Etihad and stayed back,” he said. “The first team I saw man-marking was Neil Warnock at Cardiff. Now everyone does it. Everyone comes here, it doesn’t matter, man to man.
“They just jump to Ederson or Stefan [Ortega]. You have to adapt, do it better with the ball, otherwise you are not qualifying for the Champions League.”
City are currently fifth in the Premier League – 12 points off leaders Liverpool. Towards the end of 2024 they won only one game out of 13 and now find themselves having to beat Club Brugge on Wednesday just to claim a Champions League play-off place following this week’s defeat by Paris St-Germain.
Although City have £123m-worth of new talent available for the Premier League encounter with Chelsea, Guardiola does not believe that alone will solve his problems.
He dismissed those who focus on running statistics as evidence of whether a team is performing to its maximum or not, instead pointing out his side have not used the ball well enough.
“Speed is important but against PSG we ran more than them,” he said. “Our problem is with the ball. This season it is what we have missed.
“If you have the ball and don’t pass properly to your mate, everything is so difficult.”
When City won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on the opening weekend of the season, few would have predicted by the time the return meeting came around that Chelsea would be higher in the table and Guardiola’s team would be just a point in front of Bournemouth.
Guardiola believes qualification for next season’s Champions League would be like winning a trophy, given the injuries that cost him the services of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri and leave him with one fit central defender this weekend, excluding new additions Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov.
He also said there was merit in Jose Mourinho’s famous claim that finishing second behind City with Manchester United in 2017-18 was one of the greatest achievements of his career.
“There are seasons when there are a lot of difficulties,” Guardiola said. “How do you stand up? How do you stay there?
“I remember Jose. I don’t know the reality of United but he said many times finishing second in that season was his biggest success. I understand completely.”
Sports
Michael van Gerwen gets early chance at Luke Littler revenge from World Championship final defeat
Michael van Gerwen will have a chance to avenge his loss to Luke Littler in the World Darts Championship final at the Dutch Masters on Saturday after the pair made it through their opening matches of the event.
Van Gerwen missed out on a fifth world title to Littler earlier this month in a one-sided final at the Alexandra Palace.
There wasn’t a long break between the final and the 2025 season getting underway in Bahrain last week.
But Van Gerwen was absent from the Middle East tournament due to family commitments.
Luke Littler beat Michael van Gerwen in the world championship final
GETTY
He was back in action this week for his first official tournament of the season for his home World Series event.
And the 35-year-old put on a stellar display to defeat compatriot Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 and progress to the quarter-finals.
Littler was last to compete on the night after seeing world No 1 Luke Humphries crash out to Jermaine Wattimena.
The recently-crowned world champion was made to work against Dimitri Van den Bergh and looked at one stage at risk of following in the footsteps of Humphries.
But the 18-year-old managed to step up when it mattered the most to clinch the final two legs and win 6-4.
His victory sets up a repeat of the World Championship final with Littler and Van Gerwen going toe-to-toe once again.
The pair met in last year’s Dutch Darts Masters final, where Van Gerwen got the better of the teenager.
Their quarter-final on Saturday will be the 14th meeting between the pair with Littler only just edging the head-to-head record with seven wins to Van Gerwen’s six.
Luke Littler beat Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-4
Reuters
Stephen Bunting pulled off an impressive performance to knock out Gian van Veen, who averaged an incredible 105.13 in the match.
Raymond van Barneveld had the crowd in the palm of his hands as he pulled off a remarkable win over Chris Dobey.
Gerwyn Price will take on Kevin Doets in the quarter-finals after they defeated Danny Noppert and Nathan Aspinall respectively.
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Michael van Gerwen was too strong for Dirk van Duijvenbode
GETTY
The final quarter-final will be between Wattimena and Rob Cross with the winner of the Dutch Darts Masters taking home £30,000 in prize money.
The Premier League season gets underway at the start of next month in Belfast, with Littler and Van Gerwen once again facing off.
Wolves forward Matheus Cunha is the subject of a transfer battle with Aston Villa now entering the race, Barcelona’s hopes of signing Marcus Rashford from Manchester United suffer a setback, and Chelsea on course to sign Alejandro Garnacho.
Aston Villa have joined the chase for Wolves and Brazil forward Matheus Cunha, 25, who is also interesting Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United. (Mail), external
Barcelona’s attempts to sign Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford, 27, may be scuppered as they have not sold enough players to free up funds. (ESPN, external)
Manchester United will make a second offer to Lecce for Denmark defender Patrick Dorgu, 20, after their opening £25m bid was rejected. (Fabrizio Romano, external)
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has been left frustrated by the club’s lack of transfer activity, with no players bought or sold this month. (Manchester Evening News, external)
Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr are preparing an official offer for Aston Villa’s Colombia striker Jhon Duran, 21. (Telegraph – subscription required), external
West Ham have been told they will need to sign the Netherlands striker Brian Brobbey, 22, on a permanent deal as Ajax have no interest in a loan. (Fabrizio Romano, external)
Real Madrid have opened preliminary talks with Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich, 29, over a summer move, when his contract expires. (Bild – subscription required), external
Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho will join Chelsea this month after the 20-year-old Argentina winger’s talks over a switch to Napoli stalled. (Teamtalk), external
Sports
Michael Schumacher ally issues telling statement on Lewis Hamilton first impression after Ferrari test
Lewis Hamilton has received a glowing first assessment from a prominent Maranello restaurateur following his arrival at Ferrari.
Maurizio Giannini, owner of the legendary Ristorante Montana and close friend of Michael Schumacher, offered his immediate verdict on the seven-time world champion.
“Perfecto. No arrogance. Tranquillo,” Giannini told the Daily Mail of his first impressions of Hamilton. “He is just right for Ferrari.”
The comments came after Hamilton’s first official appearances as a Ferrari driver this week, having signed a multi-year contract with the Scuderia starting from 2025.
Ristorante Montana has long been a cornerstone of Ferrari’s racing heritage in Maranello, serving as a favourite dining spot for legendary drivers.
Lewis Hamilton made his debut for Ferrari at Maranello this week
REUTERS
The establishment, owned by Maurizio and Rossella Giannini, became particularly synonymous with Schumacher during his dominant era with Ferrari from 1997 to 2006.
The restaurant’s walls tell the story of Ferrari’s racing history, with Schumacher’s five world championships with the team representing a golden period for the Scuderia.
Since Schumacher’s final title in 2004, only Kimi Raikkonen has managed to secure a world championship for Ferrari, achieving the feat in 2007.
Hamilton’s first days at Ferrari have been marked by significant milestones in the historic Italian city.
The British driver tested a 2023 Ferrari at the Fiorano test track on Wednesday, where he also met with his new race engineer Riccardo Adami.
Lewis Hamilton made a strong impression on people he met
REUTERS
Earlier in the week, Hamilton participated in an official photo session outside the former residence of Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari.
The city of Maranello, steeped in Ferrari history, holds numerous references to Schumacher, who made the location his second home during his illustrious career with the team.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2023, Rossella Giannini highlighted Schumacher’s deep connection to the restaurant.
“Breakfast, lunch and dinner he would come here. He was everything,” she recalled.
“He called me his Italian mama and he was like another son to me.”
Hamilton’s next opportunity to drive a Ferrari will come at the Circuit de Catalunya between January 28-30.
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Michael Schumacher won seven F1 titles during his careerGETTY
The testing session will see Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc complete laps in one of Ferrari’s older cars behind closed doors.
Their mileage will count towards the FIA’s 1,000km annual limit for Testing Previous Cars regulations.
Brent Pilnick, BBC Sport
Following Whittaker’s no-show on Wednesday, it was always a matter of when, rather than if, the forward would leave Argyle.
While the manner of his departure might not have been the greatest – turning up so late he was dropped from the team – you cannot argue with the impact he has had at the club.
Since he first joined on loan in the summer of 2022 he has scored 34 goals, including an amazing run of 15 goals in 22 appearances between September 2023 and January 2024.
But since then he has found the net just eight times as his goalscoring touch has mirrored Argyle’s fall down the table.
The club-record deal is huge for Plymouth, but what the Pilgrims do with that cash will be key.
Do they spend it now to try to keep a club six points from safety and without a win in 11 weeks up, or do they hang on and use it to rebuild in League One next year?
Team news for Saturday and Sunday’s Scottish Premiership fixtures.
Sports
Kyle Walker sends emotional message to wife after sealing loan move from Man City to AC Milan
Kyle Walker has bid an emotional farewell to Manchester City after sealing his move to AC Milan, sharing a heartfelt 247-word message on social media.
The 34-year-old defender decided to seek a new challenge last month after nearly eight years with the Premier League champions.
“Manchester City… where do I start?” Walker wrote in his farewell post. “Signing for this incredible club in 2017 was a dream come true.”
The England international’s departure comes after Pep Guardiola revealed earlier this month that Walker was keen for a fresh start elsewhere.
Sources close to the player had quickly ruled out any potential move to the Saudi Pro League.
Kyle Walker has issued a statement online
GETTY/PA
In his farewell message, Walker reflected on his remarkable achievements at the Etihad Stadium.
“Seven years later, winning 17 trophies, including the Champions League and the famous treble is something I could only have dreamt as a child,” he wrote.
The defender paid special tribute to his manager, stating: “To Pep Guardiola, thank you for believing in me and working so hard to bring me here in 2017. Together, we’ve celebrated 17 trophies, and your guidance has helped shape me into the player I am today.”
Walker also thanked his teammates, describing them as “friends, but also family for life.”
He expressed gratitude to the City fans for “embracing me as one of your own from day one.”
During his time at Manchester City, Walker amassed an impressive collection of 17 trophies.
His silverware haul included six Premier League titles and the coveted Champions League trophy.
The defender has been a key figure at the Etihad since his arrival in 2017, though he has struggled for form this season.
Matheus Nunes has been filling in as City’s right back in recent weeks.
While Walker’s City contract runs until 2026, sources indicate his permanent departure is likely this summer, having made clear his desire to finish his career abroad.
Walker will begin his new chapter in Italy alongside wife Annie Kilner and their four children, after the couple have reconciled following recent relationship troubles.
A source told MailOnline: “They’ve had well publicised struggles but are now looking to put all that behind them and start afresh in Italy.”
Kilner, who will travel by private jet to join Walker, had previously served divorce papers in October but has since moved the footballer back into their marital home.
The couple will relocate with their children Roman, 13, Riaan, eight, six-year-old Reign and baby Rezon.
“Maybe Milan will be a fresh start for them?” the source added.
Walker included a message for his family in his statement on social media, adding: “To Annie, our children and all my family who have been there and supported me on this journey thank you.”
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Kyle Walker spent eight years at the Etihad
PA
AC Milan will cover Walker’s entire salary during his loan spell at the Italian club.
The move comes after a difficult campaign for Walker at Manchester City, where he has struggled to maintain his best form.
The loan arrangement will run until the end of the current season, with Walker’s City contract set to expire in 2026.
Despite the contract having time to run, sources suggest his permanent exit from the Etihad is expected this summer.
The defender had made it clear he wanted to experience playing abroad before ending his career, with Italy emerging as his preferred destination.
At a time when United co-chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe has ordered a cost slashing exercise that has seen ticket prices rise, 250 people lose their jobs, staff perks axed, Sir Alex Ferguson’s status as a paid ambassador revoked, legends have their remuneration cut and fans sent a letter warning the club is in danger of breaching profit and sustainability rules, you almost have to blink and look again when reminded of how much Antony cost.
United were gushing with pride in August 2022 when they confirmed they had struck a deal with Ajax for the winger.
The fee? £81.3m, second behind Paul Pogba as United’s most expensive player. At the time, it was the fourth highest transfer fee paid by a Premier League club.
In justifying it, United pumped out a lot of information.
Antony was a priority signing for new manager Erik ten Hag, they explained. The pair had worked together at Ajax and the pursuit had lasted all summer. Ajax, it was claimed, had played hard ball, but Antony was as keen for the deal to go through as United were.
He was high on the scouting radar before Ten Hag arrived, had a lot of technical ability and a winning mentality. United pushed and eventually got their man.
He certainly had been on their radar before Ten Hag arrived. His predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was told about him. The Norwegian would have accepted him. But his advice was not to pay more than £30m.
Still, when Antony became the first United player in 50 years to score in their first three league appearances, it looked like a good deal.
No-one was to know at the time that initial burst would represent 25% of the league goals he would score.
In 96 United appearances to date, Antony has scored 12 goals and claimed five assists.
The last time he found the net was in a 7-0 EFL Cup victory over League One Barnsley on 17 September. The last time he helped someone to score was on 4 April 2024, when he crossed for Alejandro Garnacho to net United’s third in what turned out to be a dramatic 4-3 defeat at Chelsea.
Knowing Antony was regarded as his man, Ten Hag backed the player for a long time.
Eighteen months after his arrival, at a point where he had not scored or created a goal for nine months and it was becoming obvious to most observers Antony may be well short of the standard United required, Ten Hag was still offering his support.
“He can do so much better,” he said, in a press conference on 12 January 2024.
“His end product at Ajax was very high. He should return to those levels. He is capable of doing it.”
Ten Hag also made reference in that media briefing to a legal case that saw Antony dropped from the Brazil national squad after assault allegations were made against him. Police investigations in Brazil concluded in August 2024 with no charges being brought. Antony has always denied the claims.
Ten Hag said the case had a negative impact on the winger, which given the gravity of what he was facing, is understandable.
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