Irish striker Evan Ferguson was back in the starting line-up as Lorenzo Pellegrini scored the winning goal for Roma as they beat Lazio 1-0 in the Rome derby on Sunday. Ferguson has yet to score for Roma this season but his all-round game will have pleased manager Gian Piero Gasperini as Roma moved up to fourth in the Serie A table with three wins from four games. The 20-year-old from Bettystown, Co. Meath, had a chance to break his scoring duck in the first half but his low shot was well saved by Lazio’s goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. He played 66 minutes before being substituted. He had 24 touches of the ball and 11 successful passes, including one key pass. Lazio had two players sent off, Belahyane and former Arsenal man Guendouzi.
In England, Burnley, captained by Josh Cullen, were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Nottingham Forest; it was new Forest manager Angle Postecoglou’s first point won as Forest manager. Burnley are on four points, the same as Keith Andrews’s Brentford, who went down away to Fulham in the West London Derby where Nathan Collins captained the Bees and Caoimhin Kelleher was in goal. Graham Potter is coming under increasing pressure after West Ham were beaten 2-1 at home by Crystal Palace on Saturday. Potter’s star was on the rise when he left Brighton for Chelsea in September 2022 but he lasted only six months at Stamford Bridge. He was appointed Hammers manager in January this year.
Roma’s Evan Ferguson in actıon in the Serie A game against Torino at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome, on Sept. 14. [Inpho/Giuseepe Fama]
REDS AT 100 PERCENT
Liverpool made it five wins from five on Saturday as their flawless start to their defence of the EPL crown continued with 2-1 win over Everton in the 247th Merseyside derby at Anfield. Liverpool were well on top in the first half and took the lead after 10 minutes when Ryan Gravenberch lofted the ball into the Everton net from Mohamed Salah’s pass. Gravenberch turned provider just before the half-hour mark when he played in Hugo Ekitike to beat Everton keeper Jordan Pickford with a low shot. Liverpool, playing their third game in seven days, illustrated the strength of their squad by leaving Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, two summer signings worth a combined total of £241m, on the bench until the second half.
Everton improved as the game went on, pulling a goal back after 58 minutes when Jack Grealish’s cross found Ndiaye at the far post and he set up Gueye for a powerful rising drive that left Liverpool keeper Alisson helpless. Cork-born Irish international Jake O’Brien played the full game for Everton; Seamus Coleman was on the bench, but was not used.
GUNNERS, CITY
SHARE SPOILS
Arsenal hold on to second place, on goal difference, ahead of Spurs and Bournemouth after their 1-1 draw against Manchester City in North London, put them on 10 points, five behind Liverpool. Erling Haaland gave City the lead after 9 minutes and they held out until the 93rd minute when Brazilian sub Gabriel Martinelli got the equalizer after he made a perfectly-timed run onto an Eze pass and lifted the ball over the head of City’s new keeper Donnarumma after he had advanced off his line.
Haaland started the move for the City goal in his own half, ran half the length of the pitch to receive the pass from Reijnders and finished off in style. In the second half City sat back and tried to mop up every Arsenal attack, a plan that almost worked before Martinelli’s equalizer.
In midweek, Haaland became the fastest player to reach 50 Champions League goals as City beat ten-man Napoli in Manchester. The 25-year-old Norwegian reached a half century mark in just his 49th match in the competition, smashing Ruud van Nistelrooy’s previous record of 62 games, as the hosts finally found a way past Antonio Conte’s obdurate team.
After Sunday’s draw at the Emirates City manager Pep Guardiola said: ‘‘We played two tough games this week Manchester United at the weekend, then Napoli in the Champions League and today we played against a powerful team. Hats off to our team for the resilience. It's so difficult when you are not effective with high pressing, it's always tough in the build-up. We made some transitions. I think the result is fair. In general Arsenal were better on the day.’’
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said that the result give his team belief and momentum in the title race.
EVEN POPE CAN’T
MAKE HIM CHANGE
Prior to Saturday home game against Chelsea Manchester United’s under pressure manager Ruben Amorim suggested even the Pope could not make him change his 3-4-2-1 formation having been reassured by co-owner Jim Ratcliffe that he does not need to fear white smoke from Manchester United. Amorin must feel the pressure has lifted a little after a 2-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday on what was a miserably wet day at Old Trafford.
BRADY BLOW
FOR IRELAND
Robbie Brady will miss the remainder of Ireland’s World cup qualifying campaign after undergoing surgery on a calf injury. The 33-year-old Preston North End midfielder missed our opening games against Hungary and Armenia, and Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom has confirmed that the Dubliner is going to be out action for a few months. Heckingbottom said: ‘‘Robbie is going to be out for a while. We have been getting advice on the calf injury that he suffered. The decision was to go and have an operation to help limit the chance of it recurring. He has had the operation and is on the mend, but it’s going to be months rather than weeks before he is back.’’
CORK TEEN WINS
WORLD EVENT
Cork teenager Evan Deasy has won the inaugural Más+ by Messi 1v1 World Crown in Miami. Deasy, who plays for Cobh Ramblers under-20 team was just one of two Irish players selected for the skills-based tournament that brought players together for a showpiece event in the USA. Deasy had to navigate numerous qualifiers before winning the world title and taking home the $5,000 prize. The final was watched by Messi, who celebrated with the winners on his own Instagram account.
Deasy said: ‘‘Winning the first-ever Más+ by Messi 1v1 World Crown is a complete dream come true. This has all been so crazy just to be able to play in front of my mom and my stepdad here in Miami since I relocated to live in Cork and they have been living here in the U.S., but I have completely changed as a player. They have never seen me play at an actual game of football since I was young. So for them to come here in front of Lionel Messi, no less, this is their first experience in three years of me playing.’’
The tournament brought footballers from around the world to Wynwood Marketplace, which was transformed into a 1v1 battleground, where only two winners would walk away with the 1v1 World Crown.
EPL results: Arsenal 1, Manchester City 1; Bournemouth 0, Newcastle Utd 0; Brighton 2, Tottenham 2; Burnley 1, Notts Forest 1; Fulham 3, Brentford 1; Liverpool 2, Everton 1; Manchester Utd 2, Chelsea 1; Sunderland 1, Aston Villa 1; West Ham 1, Crystal Palace 2; Wolves 1, Leeds Utd 3.
