The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Huddersfield Town

  • Wenger urges successor to ‘respect’ Arsenal values

    Arsene Wenger used his farewell news conference as Arsenal manager on Thursday to urge his successor to “respect the values of the club”.

    The Frenchman departs after a final game at Huddersfield Town on Sunday and was in reflective mood as he contemplated his 22 years in charge.

    Speculation is intensifying over who his successor will be with British media reporting that Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri and former Arsenal captains Mikel Arteta and Patrick Vieira among leading contenders.

    Asked for his advice to the new man, Wenger said: “Respect the values of the club. I would like him to bring his own ideas.

    “It’s a chance for the players to see something different. But, on the other hand, I will say respect what has been built here.”

    Read Also: Who succeeds Arsene Wenger? Vieira leads contenders

    In spite of his many achievements, Wenger will depart on a low with Arsenal losing a seventh consecutive away game on Wednesday, 3-1 at Leicester City

    It was their worst run in more than half-a-century.

    On Sunday, Arsenal are looking to end their embarrassing record of being the only side in the top four tiers of English football not to pick up an away point this year.

    Wenger, however, still believes the club is in good shape for his successor.

    “The players’ attitude was great last night,” said Wenger. “They were fantastic. There is a special bond in this team.

    “There is something waiting to come out that is special. Hopefully that will come out next season.”

    Wenger said he is unsure about his immediate plans, but has been linked with a position as general manager at Paris St Germain (PSG).

    “When you stay for such a long period, you question if it is time to go now or not,” he said.

    “We live in a society where people want big change always, you know. I don’t know what I will do. Maybe go to Russia.

    “I have some work to do in France (next week) on Monday, Tuesday. On Thursday, I will come back and clear my office. After that, I don’t know.”

    Wenger also used the occasion to look back, saying that while he considered his 2004 ‘Invincibles’ team the best of his reign, he was at his most productive between 2006-2015.

    The ‘Invincibles’ went through the 2004-2005 season unbeaten.

    NAN

  • EPL: Some of The Things You Might Have Missed

    EPL: Some of The Things You Might Have Missed

    English Premier League on Saturday was action pact as expected as 17 goals were recorded from the seven matches that were played.

    Incase you missed the matches including the star match of the day at Stamford Bridge in the game against Pep Guardiola’s side, read below some of the things you might have missed.

    Chelsea 0 – 1 Manchester City

    OPTA FACT

    • Kevin De Bruyne has scored nine of his last 11 Man City goals from outside the box, including each of the last four.

    A game which didn’t quite live up to its billing – not helped, of course, by Alvaro Morata limping off in the first-half with a hamstring injury. After a goalless first-half, Manchester City’s control greatly increased and Pep Guardiola’s playmakers began to make deep incisions into a shuffled Chelsea’s defence.

    When Kevin De Bruyne eventually gave the visitors the lead, after a well-timed pass from Gabriel Jesus and scything move, it was a goal they thoroughly deserved. And, ultimately, it was an advantage they protected well: Chelsea mounted a vague response, but all the best chances in the remainder of the game fell to City.

     

    Saturday’s round-up, as Tottenham run over Huddersfield and Manchester United continue to click through the gears.

     

    Huddersfield 0 – 4 Tottenham

    OPTA FACT

    • Harry Kane now has 13 goals for club & country in September 2017; his best ever goal tally in a single month of his career.

    A real lesson. Huddersfield have begun Premier League life well, but this was not David Wagner’s best day: Huddersfield played into Tottenham’s hands, got caught too high up the field three times inside the first half-hour and conceded as many goals in the first half as they had in their previous six games.

    Spurs spent most of the second half well within their comfort zone, but two goals from Harry Kane (who is now just 14 goals short of Teddy Sheringham’s Premier League record for the club) and Ben Davies capped a performance in which they played some of their brightest football of the season. Moussa Sissoko added a fourth from close range in second-half stoppage-time.

    Goals: Kane 10′, 23′, Davies 16′, Sissoko 90′

    Bournemouth 0 – 0 Leicester

    Bournemouth certainly started like a side determined pull out of the relegation zone before the international break. Jermain Defoe had the clearest opportunity, but slammed his shot against the crossbar. Eddie Howe’s team were the better of the two and certainly posed the tougher questions but, oddly for two teams who don’t exactly specialise in clean sheets, this proved a stalemate.

    Goals: *Tumbleweed*

    Manchester United 4 – 0 Crystal Palace

    OPTA FACT

    • This is the first time that Marcus Rashford has assisted two goals in a single game for Man Utd.

    Exactly the start here that Palace didn’t want. Only three minutes had passed when Marcus Rashford knotted up Joel Ward before setting up Juan Mata to open the scoring. Ten minutes before the break, an impressive Manchester United performance was further rewarded by their second, Fellaini scoring after good work from Ashley Young. Fellaini would double his tally just after half-time and Romelu Lukaku scored a late fourth for his seventh goal in as many games.

    Goals: Mata 3′, Fellaini 35′ & 48′, Lukaku 86′

    Stoke 2 – 1 Southampton

    OPTA FACT

    • Saido Berahino is now without a goal in 31 hours & 23 minutes of Premier League football (Stoke & WBA combined).

    Stoke have quietly begun to go off the boil, having not won a Premier League game since beating Arsenal in August and having not led in any game at all since their 4-0 win over Rochdale in the League Cup. Mame Diouf gave them the lead here, heading in Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner on 40 minutes.

    It wasn’t all good news in the first half, though, as there was still time for Saido Berahino to miss a penalty. His wait for a first Stoke goal continues. Fifteen minutes before time, Maya Yoshida acrobatically converted Shane Long’s flick to score only Southampton’s second goal away from home this season. Peter Crouch would have the last word, though, scoring late against his old side to win Mark Hughes three overdue points.

    Goals: Diouf 40′, Crouch 85′- Yoshida 75′

    West Brom 2- 2 Watford

    OPTA FACT

    • Abdoulaye Doucouré has scored 3 goals in his last 7 league games, as many as in his previous 57.

    Despite losing, Tony Pulis would have been greatly encouraged by the improvement he saw in his side last Monday at Arsenal and West Brom initially built on that here, scoring twice in three first-half minutes through Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans. A first goal of the season for each and the first time since May 2017 that Pulis’s team had scored more than one in a game. Abdoulaye Doucoure pulled one back before the interval and then late, late into second-half injury time, Richarlison headed in Jose Holebas’s free-kick to steal a point.

    Goals: Rondon 18′, Evans 21′ – Doucoure 37′, Richarlison 90′

    West Ham 1 – 0 Swansea

    OPTA FACT

    • Swansea have never kept an away clean sheet at West Ham, conceding 75 goals in 32 games in all comps (W2 D7 L23).

    Not a first half that gave anybody great reason for cheer; these really are two sides struggling for confidence. It didn’t really improve in the second period, either, and this game – if anyone chooses to remember it at all – become more notable for Slaven Bilic’s curious substitutions; Javier Hernandez’s withdrawal, in particular, proved unpopular with the home fans.

    Still, West Ham mounted a late siege and, after Andy Carroll had hit the bar minutes earlier, Diafra Sakho (remember him?) finished well to snatch the points. A relief for the home fans, less so the ones who (quite understandably) decided to leave early.

    Goals: Sakho ’90

  • Huddersfield land premier league ticket after 45-year wait

    Huddersfield land premier league ticket after 45-year wait

     

    Huddersfield Town have defeated Reading on penalties after a goalless Championship playoff final to end their 45-year wait for a return to the top tier of English football.

    For the first time in second-tier history, the 90 minutes ended goalless and penalties were required to separate the two sides following a cagey affair.

    The Terriers, who squandered the two major chances of the match early on, held their nerve to win the shootout 4-3 and earn promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history.

    Reading are left to rue what could have been, meanwhile, falling short in the playoffs for a joint-record fifth time after what was a nervy performance over the 120 minutes from both sides.

    Huddersfield created their two killer chances of a tight match in the opening 15 minutes, neither of which they could make the most of.

    Aaron Mooy floated a free kick into a good position for Michael Hefele to attack, but he somehow nodded wide from close range after getting the beating of Joey van den Berg.

    There was an even better opening to come the Terriers’ way moments later, as Elias Kachunga flashed the ball across goal where Izzy Brown was waiting for what looked like a simple tap-in.

    The Chelsea loanee remained onside but did not see the ball until late, perhaps explaining how he placed the ball wide of goal from just a couple of yards out – one of the great playoff misses.

    A lively start to the match did not offer a true reflection of what was to follow, with the teams – separated by just four points at the end of the regular season – cancelling each other out all over the field.

    The only other sight of goal for either side in the first half arrived midway through when Lewis Grabban, on the winning side with Norwich City here two years ago, curled wide from range after working some space.

    Chris Lowe and John Swift fired in the first on-target attempts of the afternoon in quick succession early in the second half, the latter of which forced a good stop out of semi-final hero Danny Ward.

    It was proving to be a playoff final devoid of any major chances, bar the two created by Town early on, with substitute Collin Quaner slotting wide 12 minutes from time when Nakhi Wells was better positioned behind him.

    Chris Gunter got in behind for the first time late on in normal time following a George Evans ball, but his teasing cross was well dealt with by Hefele in front of goal.

    Huddersfield won 22 of their 25 regular-season fixtures by a one-goal margin and still held out hope of snatching the match at the death in front of the 76,682 spectators at Wembley Stadium.

  • Leeds United loses to Huddersfield

    Leeds United loses to Huddersfield

    Michael Hefele scored a dramatic late winner on Sunday to help Huddersfield Town leapfrog West Yorkshire rivals Leeds United after a 2-1 win.

    The German defender prodded home in the 89th minute after Aaron Mooy’s shot deflected into his path.

    In the aftermath of the winner, both teams’ managers were sent to the stands after both benches got involved in an altercation.

    Substitute Izzy Brown had put the hosts in front from Tommy Smith’s cross before Chris Wood showed composure to level.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the win lifts the Terriers up to fourth, one point and one place above their promotion rivals with a game in hand.

    In truth, Town deserved their victory, though the game had looked destined to end level before Hefele’s late intervention.

    Huddersfield boss David Wagner sprinted down the pitch to join his team’s celebrations, but he bumped into Leeds counterpart Garry Monk on his way back to his technical area.

    This must have led to both teams being involved in a mass confrontation which culminated in both managers being sent off and three players being booked.

    NAN reports that the two teams could yet meet again in the playoffs this season.