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Axed Utd flop fumes at boss with cryptic ‘scapegoat’ post as inner turmoil erupts

‘I JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND’: VAR NON-CALL LEAVES FORMER REF, PL STAR BAFFLED

Referees and VAR are never the most popular figures in the game, but this weekend delivered what might just be the worst decision of the season.

Manchester City beat Fulham 5-1, but the game was finely poised at a goal apiece after Tim Ream equalised for the visitors just two minutes after Julian Alvarez opened the scoring for the champions.

Then, in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, City’s Nathan Ake struck, finding the back of the net with a header from a corner despite teammate Manuel Akanji appearing to be in the keeper’s way while in a clearly offside position.

Had the goal been disallowed for offside, the teams would have entered the halftime break level – and the second half would have been a vastly different prospect for underdogs Fulham.

The ball went through Akanji’s legs as he tried to evade it. But Fulham keeper Bernd Leno didn’t appear to move to make a save until the ball went past Akanji, clearly proving that the offside player interfered with play.

Fulham coach Marco Silva raged after the game, saying: “Everyone that plays football and has some knowledge of the game would be 100% sure [the VAR] has to disallow the goal.

“The more times you see that, the more you know it has to be disallowed.

“The player pulled away from the line of the ball and into the direction of goal. It is a clear offside. It is impossible for the VAR not to see it.”

Legendary former Premier League referee Mike Dean was flabbergasted on Sky Sports, saying:

“The goalkeeper can’t go straight away because he has to wait and when he does move, it’s too late. The player has to be interfering.

“It’s 1,000 per cent offside. It’s just offside. I just don’t understand why it wasn’t given. It’s offside in any game of football.”

Even City’s eventual hat-trick scorer Erling Haaland conceded he believed it was offside.

“It was offside,” he told beIN SPORTS after full-time. “I feel bad for them – I would be fuming after this as well. It must be a horrible feeling.”

CHELSEA’S BILLION-DOLLAR BLUNDER

When you spend a record-breaking billion pounds in transfers across just three windows, you expect results. But it’s clear that Chelsea still have some very big problems. Their 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest left them with just one win from four league games – and that was over newly-promoted minnows Luton Town, who spent just $38m this transfer window in a stark comparison to the Blues.

It’s Chelsea’s worst league start since 1995, with their biggest concern being a lack of cutting edge up front. They lost 3-1 to 10-man West Ham despite enjoying a whopping 76 per cent possession and taking 17 shots. Against Forest, where they had 77 per cent possession and 21 shots but managed just two on target.

Former Premier League striker Gabriel Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT: “What I don’t understand with Chelsea is that they had 21 shots and guess how many on target? Two.

“They’re getting into the positions but they just don’t have the quality and it seems to be a theme now.

“You look on social media and the story is that Chelsea sign players but they lose games. They’ve spent £1 billion. Why didn’t Chelsea use a quarter of that money and go out and buy a star?

“Go and give Paris Saint-Germain an offer for [Kylian] Mbappe that they can’t refuse. Harry Kane, ‘there you go, Daniel Levy. Whatever you want’. £150 million for Harry Kane and you’ve got two superstars.

“They’ve bought loads of players who are average. [Mykhailo] Mudryk came on and he nearly gave away two goals! He was absolutely useless. He’s had 19 games, zero goals and they haven’t got a style of play.”

Chelsea had a very good transfer window in many respects – beating Liverpool to the signings of in-demand Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, selling a host of fringe players, and signing plenty of other talented youngsters.

But they are clearly lacking attacking threat up front, though an injury to Christopher Nkunku plays a big factor in that regard. But €37.00m signing Nicolas Jackson from Villareal missed a massive chance late against Forest, and the rest of their attacking corps have struggled to fire so far this season.

In fact, the Blues made more signings (12) than they have goals this season.

Even their British-record signing Caicedo (£105m from Brighton) has been poor so far at Stamford Bridge. He was good against Luton in their 3-0 win, but gave away a penalty on debut at West Ham and also lost the ball in his own half that led to Forest’s winner.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino has plenty of fresh faces to deploy, but just as many headaches to address.

LIVERPOOL SHOW SIGNS OF OLD SELVES IN FRIGHTENING WARNING

Jurgen Klopp may have had to completely rebuild Liverpool’s midfield during the transfer window, but it was like watching his sides of old as Villa were overrun and outclassed at Anfield.

Dominik Szoboszlai scored his first goal since a £60 million move from RB Leipzig to cap a brilliant performance from the Hungarian.

Alexis Mac Allister has also impressed early in his Liverpool career and controlled the game with the aid of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who shone in his new hybrid role of moving into midfield when in possession from right-back.

Up front Darwin Nunez continues to find his feet after a difficult first season, while Liverpool’s refusal to cash in on a huge Saudi bid for Mohamed Salah this week was rewarded with another goal.

Klopp’s men had consistently been Manchester City’s biggest challengers for the title for the four years prior to last season’s slump that saw them finish fifth.

The challenge of facing Chelsea and Newcastle away before the visit of Villa looked like a tricky start.

But 10 points from a possible 12 is just what Liverpool needed to raise hope on Merseyside they can be back challenging the European champions for the title once more come May.

‘LINGERING SENSE OF UNEASE’ AS TOON’S ALARMING SLIDE CONTINUES

The acquisitions of Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes coupled with the excitement surrounding a looming Champions League campaign meant there was plenty of buzz surrounding Newcastle ahead of the season.

But four games into their Premier League campaign and Newcastle sit in 14th place with just one win.

A 3-1 loss to Brighton on the weekend condemned Eddie Howe’s side to their third league defeat of the season as Evan Ferguson ran riot over a toothless Newcastle outfit.

Granted, Newcastle’s three defeats have come against Brighton, Liverpool and Manchester City, who all finished inside the top six last season.

However, their 5-1 win against Aston Villa in the first game of the season is now looking as more of an outlier than a sign of what was to be expected.

The Times’ Gregor Robertson wrote the Brighton loss “does not portend a crisis but no-one can dispute the lingering sense of unease for Newcastle United heading into the international break.”

“Toothless as Newcastle were, there was no shame in a 1-0 defeat by Manchester City.” Robertson said.

“They were made to pay for their profligacy in last Sunday’s 2-1 loss against ten-man Liverpool but were superior for the majority of that game.

“Saturday’s defeat, however, despite a high-octane start against an outstanding Brighton and Hove Albion team, raised more concerning questions for the Newcastle head coach.”

A key element of Newcastle’s defeat to Brighton was the centre-back pairing of Fabian Schar and Dan Burn, with Matt Targett slotting in at left back.

Burn was shifted to the heart of defence after Sven Botman went down against Liverpool and was at fault for Darwin Nunez’s late winner.

The towering defender struggled in his efforts to keep Ferguson quiet as the Irishman was constantly afforded time and space to turn and drive at the Newcastle backline.

The international break couldn’t have arrived at a better time for Newcastle and they will happily take the chance to regroup.

But once the Premier League resumes, they must find form otherwise their Champions League fixtures against the likes of Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain could get ugly.