Leno tangles with ball boy, Klopp storms to the top
In the Premier League basement, promoted Luton Town are struggling to recover, while Liverpool FC are enthroned at the top. Boxing Day in England once again lives up to its promise. Things are not going so well for goalkeeper Bernd Leno - in addition to the defeat with Fulham FC, there is also an upset involving a ball boy.
Liverpool FC took the lead in the English Premier League on Boxing Day, a day steeped in tradition. Team manager Jürgen Klopp's side won 2:0 (1:0) at second-bottom FC Burnley and moved past Arsenal FC (40) with 42 points. The Gunners do not face West Ham United until Thursday.
Liverpool lived up to their role as favorites early on and took the lead through Darwin Núñez (6'). The visitors remained in control of the game after that, but missed further good opportunities before the break. The Reds were also the better team after the break. Harvey Elliott's goal (55') was conceded by VAR due to Mohamed Salah being ruled offside. Diogo Jota (90') made sure of the decision.
Goalkeeper Bernd Leno, meanwhile, caused a stir with a ball boy - and immediately apologized. The nine-time Germany international for Fulham FC had harshly taken the ball out of the assistant's hand during the 3-0 defeat at AFC Bournemouth and also touched him. During the next stoppage in play, Leno was seen hugging the ball boy. Justin Kluivert (44'), Dominic Solanke (62', penalty) and Luis Sinisterra (90+3) scored for the hosts. Leno didn't look good when he conceded the first goal either.
Things are going rapidly downhill at Newcastle
Fulham coach Marco Silva said after the game that it was not right for Leno to push the ball boy. "I spoke to Bernd about it," he said, according to the Mirror newspaper. "He's a top professional, he wanted to play on quickly, but the ball boys held the ball. He touched it, he didn't push it - they are different things."
Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood had kicked off the special matchday with a furious treble. Thanks to the New Zealander's goals (45.+1, 53rd and 60th), the relegation candidates celebrated their first win under new team manager Nuno Espirito Santo with a 3:1 (1:1) victory at Newcastle United. It was also their first success after seven league games without a win. Wood turned the game around after former Dortmund player Alexander Isak (23rd, penalty) had put the hosts ahead.
Espirito Santo, formerly coach of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, had taken over at Nottingham the previous week after his predecessor Steve Cooper was sacked. On his debut last Saturday, the Portuguese conceded a 3-2 defeat against Bournemouth. Saudi project Newcastle, meanwhile, have lost four of their last five league games and are in danger of losing sight of the Champions League places.
Luton Town celebrated a 3:2 (1:0) win at bottom club Sheffield United. After trailing 2-1 at one stage, two own goals from Jack Robinson (77') and Anis Slimane (81') gave the visitors victory. Ten days after the cardiac arrest of captain Tom Lockyer, who has since begun his rehabilitation, Alfie Doughty (17) had put Luton Town in front. Oliver McBurnie (61) and Anel Ahmedhodzic (69) scored to make it 2-1 to Sheffield Wednesday. Luton's win in the promotion play-off meant they moved back into the relegation places.
Read also:
- NFL kicker out injured, then something unbelievable happens!
- Taylor Swift talks about love for her NFL star
- Crazy victory in the NFL top game
- NFL star breaks referee's leg
After the incident with the ball boy during their game against AFC Bournemouth, Fulham's goalkeeper Bernd Leno apologized for his actions. In the Premier League, Liverpool FC, managed by Jürgen Klopp, continued their dominant form, securing a 2-0 win over FC Burnley to move ahead of Arsenal FC.
Source: www.ntv.de
