Soccer

BOURNEMOUTH’S European venture is back on track thanks to Antoine Semenyo.The Ghana star lifted the Cherries above Fulham in the race for a Europa Conference place with a sparkling winner after 53 seconds!  Antoine Semenyo scored the decisive goal after 53 secondsCredit: GettySemenyo’s goal was enough to see Bournemouth through to a winCredit: PASemenyo’s eighth goal of the campaign sent the Cherries into eighth spot on goal-difference and ended a seven-game winless run.The Cottagers left Dorset cursing the fact that they dominated most of the play but left their shooting boots back at the Cottage.This was not only a battle for Europe but a contest between two managers being linked with Tottenham should Ange Postecoglou lose his job.Cherries’ Spanish gaffer Andoni Iraola and Fulham’s Portuguese chief Marco Silva have both caught the eye this season.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBournemouth made one change from the side that drew 2-2 with West Ham last time out.And it was a bit of a shock move too by boss Iraola, dropping Ukraine defender Illia Zabarnyi to the bench for the first time for Marcos Senesi.Nor surprisingly Fulham arrived on the South Coast unchanged from the team that beat champions elect Liverpool 3-2 in London.But any delusions of grandeur they may have had in seeing off the Reds was quickly quashed at the Vitality Stadium.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSFor it took Semenyo just 53 seconds to jink his way into the Fulham box and score only his fourth Premier League goal in 21 matches.Alex Scott set it up with a strong run and when he found his team-mate the Ghana striker moved inside Joachim Andersen and tucked the ball into the far corner.Inside Fulham’s wild dressing room celebrations as rowdy stars launch bottles and dive around after win over Man UtdThe forward had told yesterday’s Sun Sport that he wasn’t fussed by his lack of goals and had the belief he would get back on the score sheet.But no-one expected he would find the net so quicky in the league for the first time since the Cherries trounced Nottingham Forest 5-0 in January.  And it should have been 2-0 after only 17 minutes when Evanilson hit the underside of the bar from barely four yards out.Milos Kerkez’s excellent cross was played back by Scott only for the Brazilian to smack the woodwork with his half-volley.Hesitation between Senesi and Dean Huijsen opened up an opportunity for Rodrigo Muniz but the Fulham striker shot wide when clean through.This inspired the visitors who saw Muniz and Ryan Sessegnon test Cherries goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga with firm headers.Yet Scott came so close to netting in first half stoppage time when his solo effort was pushed around the post by Fulham stopper Bernd Leno.Marco Silva was furious when a mistake led to Ryan Sessegnon being substitutedCredit: AlamyZabarnyi’s exile on the touchline ended on 45 minutes when he was brought on for the struggling Senesi after the break.Within 10 minutes Fulham were grateful for Leno’s outstretched foot which denied Tyler Adams a second Cherries goal.A desperate Silva made a triple substitution on the hour although Sessegnon wasn’t happy being replaced by Adama Traore.And it took a brilliant diving save from Kepa to deny Alex Iwobi an equaliser minutes after the changes.Then sub Tom Cairney set-up up a shooting chance for Sasa Lukic who lifted his shot weakly straight at Kepa.Kepa was being labelled “a Chelsea reject” by the visiting fans but their taunts were music to the Spaniard’s ears especially when he was named man-of-the-match!Read More on The SunAt the other end Leno looked to have conceded a penalty nine minutes from time when he took out Evanilson.But VAR came to his rescue when they decided he had just managed to punch the ball clear before clattering into the Brazilian. More

CHELSEA remain top of the agent payments charts this season – but even the Blues have slashed the amount they splash out to intermediaries.The Stamford Bridge club paid out £60.4m to players’ representatives over the course of the current campaign according to figures lodged with the FA.Chelsea spent more than any other Prem team on agents fees this seasonCredit: GettyChelsea paid out to agents representing 44 playersCredit: GettyThat is a 20 per cent cut on the £75.1m Chelsea laid out last term, with all of the Big Six reducing their agents bill.Chelsea paid out to agents representing 44 players – 26 of whom are still to make their first team bow – as well as the agent of former boss Mauricio Pochettino.While the Blues spent more than £200m across the two windows, many of the payments related to previous deals completed since Roman Abramovich was forced to sell to the Todd Boehly-led consortium in 2022.Manchester City’s £60.6m bill last term was reduced to £52.1m, Liverpool dropped £10.6m to £20.9m with small falls at Manchester United, Arsenal and Spurs.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThat contributed to a slight overall drop in spending of £455,000 across the 20 top flight clubs to a total of £409.1m.Eight of the clubs who stayed up last season – Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Newcastle, West Ham and Wolves increased their fees to agents.Brentford, whose total rose from £8.1m to £14.7m, recorded the biggest rise by any club.And agents fees rose across all three divisions of the EFL.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSThe total for the Championship stood at £63.2m this term compared to £61.3m in 2023-24, with a £2.4m rise to £7.6m in League One and an increase of £300,000 to £2.7m in League Two.Leeds United spent the most by far with £18.8m – significantly more than second-highest spenders Burnley with £5.3m.In contrast, Oxford United splashed out just £572,808 on agents fees.Leeds spent the most on agents feesCredit: Getty More

MARCO SILVA was left fuming with the fourth official after the WRONG Fulham player was subbed off during his side’s 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth.A bizarre admin error meant Ryan Sessegnon was forced off as part of a triple substitution in the 57th minute.Marco Silva was fuming with the officials during Fulham vs BournemouthSilva was left raging with the mix-upFulham didn’t want to take Sessegnon off, but had no choice in the endSessegnon had gone close to finding a Fulham equaliser in the 37th minuteWith Bournemouth leading 1-0 after a 53-second opener, Adama Traore, Raul Jimenez and Tom Cairney were brought on to find a goal.Fans at home saw the trio replace Sessegnon, Sander Berge and Rodigo Muniz at the Vitality Stadium.But the changes took more than FIVE minutes and were so long in fact that referee Michael Oliver had to walk over and see what was going on.It has since transpired that Fulham didn’t want to take Sessegnon off, but had no choice in the end.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSAnd Fulham manager Silva looked absolutely incensed with the mix-up.Silva was up on the touchline shouting at fourth official Tim Robinson, but it’s not clear which player he wanted to come off instead of the winger.According to Premier League rules, once a player is subbed off, he “cannot return to the field of play during the same match”.The Sky Sports commentator said: “The card went in with Ryan Sessegnon’s name on it. Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”But our understanding from the Fulham technical area is that he wasn’t supposed to be coming off.”The Cottagers were undone by a stunning low finish from Antoine Semenyo inside 53 SECONDS.The Premier League’s Top 10 sexiest managers according to AIEvanilson then struck the post from a yard out in the 17th minute.Sessegnon then missed a huge chance with a straight forward header to level for the Cottagers on the stroke of half-time.But Silva’s subs couldn’t find a leveller, with the Cherries overtaking Fulham to eighth in the Prem table.Bournemouth won their first game in nine matches in all competitions and are back in the race for a place in the European Conference League last season. More

A FORMER England star has sold his collection of iconic Italia 90 kits for a six-figure price.Ex-defender Mark Wright swapped shirts with several opponents on England’s route to the semi-finals.Former England defender Mark Wright has sold his shirt collection from Italia 90Credit: GettyThe collection sold for over £100,000Credit: SWNSAnd as a result, he amassed a collection which included jerseys worn by Ireland’s Andy Townsend, West Germany’s Klaus Augenthaler and Italy’s Giuseppe Giannini.Shirts from Netherlands winger Johannes van’t Schip, Egypt’s Saber Eid, Belgium’s Marc van der Linden and Cameroon’s Emmanuel Kunde were also auctioned.England kicked off their 1990 World Cup campaign with draws against Ireland and Netherlands before defeating Egypt in the final group stage match thanks to a 59th-minute winner from Wright.The Three Lions then beat Belgium in the last-16 before coming from behind to defeat Cameroon 3-2 in the quarter-finals.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHowever, they were knocked out by West Germany on penalties in the semis.The seven shirts collected by Wright during the tournament were accompanied by the defender’s match-worn 1992 FA Cup final jersey from his Liverpool days, as well as six of his England caps.The collection was sold for over £100,000 at an auction at Wembley Stadium last week.Before the sale, Wright said: “I feel very proud when I look at the shirts. Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”I think how lucky I was to play in a World Cup and against these teams.”The most significant one for me was the Irish one as it was my mate Andy Townsend. To swap with a great mate was fantastic.The football boot customiser who’s scoring BIG with the game’s biggest stars are | Football Fixers”I don’t remember [swapping most of them] but I remember the German one obviously losing the semi-final and you’re switching.”If I’m honest I didn’t really want to switch that one.”The shirts and caps were purchased by a private UK-based buyer.Wright was capped 45 times by England and scored one goal.He also played for Liverpool, Southampton and Derby. More

CHELSEA have signed a whopping 47 players since Todd Boehly took over three years ago.However, many of them have failed to impress.Andrey Santos joined Chelsea in January 2023 but is yet to make a competitive appearance for the first teamCredit: GettyThe Brazilian has enjoyed a breakthrough season on loan at StrasbourgCredit: AFPGoalkeeper Djordje Petrovic is also impressing for the French sideCredit: AFPSome have barely touched the pitch in Chelsea blue, while others haven’t even represented the club yet.One of those stars is 20-year-old Andrey Santos.The Brazilian joined Chelsea from Rio-based side Vasco da Gama in 2023 but is yet to make his senior debut.He spent an underwhelming loan spell with Nottingham Forest last season – where he made just two appearances – but is currently enjoying a sensational breakthrough with Strasbourg in France.There, he is joined by goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, also on loan, who has made 31 outings for the Blues.And the two players have become fan-favourites at the club.Santos is a generation-defining midfield talent that Chelsea have got waiting in the wings in Ligue 1, ready to be unleashed on the Premier League in the 2025/26 campaign.Having watched his side thoroughly this season, I was so impressed by his talent and the development of Petrovic that I flew to Strasbourg to scout them in the flesh vs OGC Nice – this is what I found from each…Join SUN CLUB for the Chelsea Files every Tuesday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from Stamford BridgeANDREY SANTOS – MIDFIELDER – 20 Y/OMY VIEWA Swiss army knife of a midfielder, Santos is made of steel and was forged in the fire of box-to-box icon Patrick Vieira when he worked under him in the second half of last season.When I arrived at the Stade de Meinau, I had doubts that he could really be as good as the online discourse about him, but he was better.Todd Boehly gives major Chelsea stadium update and vows to leave Stamford BridgeThe young Brazilian was presented the fans’ Player of The Month award to rapturous applause ahead of kick-off vs Nice, and has previously captained the team this season as a 20-year-old loanee.With his collar up, he plays with the swagger of Eric Cantona, having the technical ability to match, hardly ever misplacing a pass and being dependable in his own box as well as the oppositions.He provided two assists, for Sam Amo-Ameyaw and Emmanuel Emegha, taking home the Man of the Match award in what would’ve been a perfect evening had Nice not equalised at the death.THE STATS VIEWIn 27 league games this season, Andrey Santos has racked up NINE goals and four assists, playing as a box-to-box midfielder.That is the same goal tally as Nicolas Jackson, with one less assist than Enzo Fernandez in the Premier League.He averages a 7.78 match rating according to Futmob, and his nine goals have come from an Expected Goal count (xG) of 4.37, a stat in which Chelsea players have made a habit of underperforming.Among midfielders aged under 21 in Europe’s top five leagues he ranks FIRST for: goals, possession won, interceptions, duels won, forward passes, and fouls suffered. (Stats @DataMB)THE FANS VIEWStrasbourg fans are very aware that he has the potential to be up there with their greatest ever players, and if they make it to the UCL this season, he will go down a club cult hero.The overarching view is that it’s a real shame he is BlueCo owned, that they will miss him more than anything when he returns to Stamford Bridge in the summer.Santos has managed nine goals and four assists this seasonCredit: GettyAndrey Santos is the next one, the next generational player that we will remember for years, and in a couple of years we will all be proud when he’s holding the World Cup in Brazil, that this guy played here at the Meinau”LionelStrasbourg fan VERDICTSantos must be a part of Chelsea’s plans next season, most likely fitting in where the injured Romeo Lavia would have liked to have been this season, or be used as an option to occasionally rest Moises Caicedo or Enzo Fernandez.He will give Maresca a huge selection headache however, as if he moves Caicedo to an inverted RB position as we saw earlier this season, then you have to drop club captain Reece James.Will at the very least be incredible squad depth.DJORDJE PETROVIC – GOALKEEPER – 25 Y/OMY VIEWMuch has been made of Chelsea’s goalkeeping situation this season, and rightly so.Robert Sanchez is perfectly portrayed by the stats that make the man, with the best save % in the Premier League at 74.5%, but also the most errors leading to goals (5)…Djordje Petrovic was shipped on loan to Strasbourg to develop his ability on the ball, with his shot-stopping ability rarely questioned in the season he spent as number one at Stamford Bridge.His development in that area has been undeniable, often playing those direct ‘hospital’ passes with great accuracy into the deepest lying midfielder, in this case Andrey Santos, who can turn on a sixpence and spring an attack for his side in transition. The only question mark I was left with from him in this game was his ability to deal with high balls, there were a few times in the game vs Nice that he was almost caught out at the back post and let off somewhat by his opponents poor finishing.Petrovic has zero errors leading to goals in Ligue 1Credit: AFPTHE STATS VIEWThe stats tell us that Petrovic has been one of, if not the best goalkeeper in Europe’s top five leagues this season.He ranks first among his competitors for passes completed and short passes completed, while ranking second for goals prevented. (@DataMB)In Ligue 1 he has ZERO errors leading to goals, compared to Robert Sanchez who has the highest in the Premier League with FIVE.Djordje Petrovic stands clear of most in Europe for passes completed per 90 and prevented goals this seasonCredit: (@DataMB) THE FANS VIEWStrasbourg fans know a thing or two about very good goalkeepers.The contrast between Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels and Robert Sanchez at Stamford Bridge earlier this season was stark, and the Belgian is who the RCSA faithful watched in between the sticks for six seasons.When asked about Djordje Petrovic, this is what I was told by lifelong Strasbourg fan Alex:”Petrovic is Petr Cech reincarnated. In the modern game his ability on the ball has been criticised, but if you’re protecting a one-goal lead there are maybe five goalkeepers in the world I would rather have. It’s astounding that Maresca saw his skill and selected Sanchez”AlexLifelong Strasbourg fanVERDICTHas earned the chance to be Chelsea’s No1 next season once more.Has clearly developed into a very strong goalkeeper on the line, while becoming much better with the ball at his feet, something Enzo Maresca clearly adores. More