Monday, December 27, 2021
Man City delivers a spectacle
Tuchel celebrates a “great victory”
The program for the traditional Boxing Day in the Premier League has been severely cut, but the games that could take place are tough. The league leaders have a peat festival, Thomas Tuchel’s FC Chelsea celebrates a victory and a successful comeback.
Manchester City ended the first half of the Premier League with a spectacular goal. The English soccer champions won against cup winners Leicester City 6: 3 (4: 0). With the 15th win of the season in the 19th game, Pep Guardiola’s team consolidated first place in the table with 47 points. “A roller coaster ride. It was a typical boxing day game, lots of goals and entertaining for everyone. It was another important win to keep our run going,” said Guardiola.
Chelsea FC with coach Thomas Tuchel prevailed 3-1 (1-1) at Aston Villa on Sunday evening. Chelsea’s Reece James (28) gave the hosts, whose coach Steven Gerrard was missing due to a corona infection, in the lead with an own goal. Jorginho (34th and 90th + 3 / penalty kick) and striker Romelu Lukaku (56th), who recently had to be quarantined because of a corona infection, scored for the Champions League winner. The success against Aston was “a really big win,” said Tuchel: “The guys are super tired. The effort was huge. But we are super happy with it.”
Chelsea are third, level on points with Liverpool, six points behind the leaders. A total of three games on the 19th match day had previously been canceled due to corona. In addition to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool game against Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Watford FC and Burnley FC vs Everton FC have also been postponed.
City just stops catching up
Kevin De Bruyne (5th minute) and the German international Ilkay Gündogan (21st) as well as Riyad Mahrez (14th) and Raheem Sterling (25th) each shot the superior Manchester City champions in the front with a penalty kick. After the break, Leicester came through James Maddison (55th), Ademola Lookman (59th) and Kelechi Iheanacho (65th) on loan from RB Leipzig, before Aymeric Laporte (66th) and again Sterling (87th) won ensured.
Harry Kane has meanwhile set a record. England’s selection striker scored his ninth goal on Boxing Day on Boxing Day on Boxing Day in 3-0 (2-0) against Crystal Palace with his goal in the 32nd minute, drawing level with Robbie Fowler. Lucas Moura (34th) and the former Leverkusen Heung-min Son (74th) scored the other goals.
Crystal Palace had to do without coach Patrick Vieira. The French soccer world champion from 1998 had to go into quarantine because of a positive corona test. According to reports, Crystal Palace tried to cancel the match, the Premier League refused, it said. Fourth in the table, Arsenal FC won 5-0 (2-0) at the bottom of the table, Norwich City. West Ham United lost their fifth place after a 2: 3 (0: 1) home defeat against FC Southampton from ex-RB coach Ralph Hasenhüttl.
Klopp recalls the “real heroes”
Klopp, who had previously sharply criticized the staging of Boxing Day in view of the massive corona outbreaks in the clubs, emphasized in his Christmas letter to fans the importance of healthcare workers in the corona pandemic. “These people are the real heroes, and although we are in the 21st month of the pandemic, we must never forget what they have done – and continue to do – for you, for me and for everyone else,” wrote Klopp.
Nobody can predict how the pandemic will develop in the coming days, weeks or months. “But one thing is clear to me: together we are stronger,” said Klopp, whose players would repeatedly show him, “why I am the happiest man in the world. Working with them every day is a pleasure.”