Page 28 - Irish Examiner USA

sportsexaminer
28

2019 Champions After Defeating Flamengo Ancelotti And Arteta Have
Liverpool Crowned Club World
25th, Liverpool
have won Work To Do After
December the Club Watching Drab Draw

World Cup,
b e a t i n g
Flamengo 1-
|
0 in Doha.
EXAMINER w i t h
The clash

Flamengo in Qatar entered extra time as Mane

IRISH was denied a penalty right at the death.
Defender Virgil Van Dijk was named in the
starting line-up to give Liverpool a huge boost
ahead of the Club World Cup final.
The Holland captain, who has recovered from
illness after missing the semi-final, was one of four
changes from the side who beat Monterrey on
Wednesday.
That allowed Jordan Henderson to resume his
usual role in central midfield, in between Naby
Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who both
retained their places.
Trent Alexander-Arnold returned at right-back,
with Roberto Firmino, Wednesday’s stoppage-
time match-winner, and Sadio Mané rejoining
Mohamed Salah in the forward line.
Liverpool and Flamengo could not be separat-
ed in the first half, with no shots on goal being
recorded by either side in what was at times a bad- Jordan Pickford punches the ball in front of the onrushing David Luiz
tempered encounter. arlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta There had been a tangible sense aging a single effort on goal until
Mané squared for Roberto Firmino to score the learned the size of the tasks of optimism as the teams took to the 44th minute, when Lucas
game’s only goal 10 minutes into extra-time, with Cahead of them as they watched the field, with both showing signif- Torreira played a fine through ball
Liverpool hanging on for a 1-0 victory to claim the Everton and Arsenal play out a drab icant changes. for Martinelli, who shot just wide.
Club World Cup for the first time in their history. goallessdrawatGoodisonPark. Everton have been struggling The Gunners looked more fired
Substitute Lincoln missed Flamengo’s best Everton announced shortly with injuries and illness but up after half-time and Pierre-
chance of the game in the closing stages as he before the match that Ancelotti Ferguson was able to recall Fabian Emerick Aubameyang produced
had signed a four-and-a-half-year
the first shot on target in the 51st
Delph, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Lucas
blazed over from 12 yards. C
deal, while Arteta was also in the Digne and Djibril Sidibe while minute, his snap-shot from a cor-
Watford Beat Manchester United After stands having put pen to paper at Ljungberg made five chances from ner well saved by Jordan Pickford,
De Gea Blunder Arsenal on Friday. the dispiriting defeat by though the striker probably should
Manchester City last weekend.
have scored.
Ancelotti certainly represents a
David De Gea’s howler put rock-bottom coup on paper for Everton given Youth was a theme, with Emile Saka, meanwhile, was a touch
Watford on course for a remarkable result as his CV, but lifting the Toffees out Smith Rowe given a first Premier fortunate to escape a second yel-
Manchester United endured their most chastening of their current malaise represents League start alongside Reiss low card for a very high boot on
loss of the season. a very different challenge to his Nelson and Gabriel Martinelli, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Nigel Pearson’s first home match was a free hit usual task of delivering silverware Bukayo Saka selected at left-back. Everton threatened in the 68th
heading into Christmas, with the Hornets nine at the world’s biggest clubs. Mesut Ozil was sidelined with a minute when the ball was cut back
points off safety before kick-off and already staring The 60-year-old immediately foot injury but Ljungberg revealed for Calvert-Lewin on the edge of
down the barrel of relegation. confirmed that he would be retain- before the match that he would the box and his shot was half
Yet Watford’s survival hopes received an ing the services of coach Duncan not have been involved anyway blocked before the ball eventually
unlikely shot in the arm on Sunday as United goal- Ferguson, praising the Scot for his because of his reaction to being span just wide of goal off defender
keeper De Gea somehow let in Ismaila Sarr’s shot work as interim boss. substituted against City. Calum Chambers.
before Troy Deeney quickly scored a penalty fool- Ferguson’s only defeat in four Watching Ancelotti and Arteta VAR checked for a possible
ishly given away by Aaron Wan-Bissaka in a vital tough fixtures came on penalties in the stands may have been prefer- penalty after Calvert-Lewin’s shot
2-0 win. against Leicester in the Carabao able to concentrating on the pitch, hit a diving Torreira on the arm
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were out-fought Cup in midweek and he used his such was the paucity of quality on but nothing was given.
and out-thought in Hertfordshire, where a forget- program notes to thank the fans show in the first half. As he had against Manchester
table first half was followed by a second period to and players, saying the experience Everton at least offered some United, Ferguson chose to substi-
remember for the Hornets. had surpassed his expectations. intensity and purpose and man- tute a substitute, although this
Having shown promise in defeat at table-top- Freddie Ljungberg has been aged five shots, but none were on time it was Moise Kean who came
ping Liverpool last weekend, Pearson’s men took considerably less successful since target, with Sigurdsson’s 18th- on, with a furious-looking Tosun
the lead in a league match at Vicarage Road for stepping in following the sacking of minute free-kick the closest they the man removed.
the first time since April as Sarr’s 50th-minute Unai Emery, winning just one of came. Ferguson again did not even
effort somehow crept past De Gea. his six games, and this performance The Toffees had to contend look at Tosun as he marched off
Wan-Bissaka’s foul on Sarr four minutes later summed up Arsenal’s troubles. with another injury, meanwhile, and headed straight down the tun-
The game was littered with mis-
allowed Deeney to double Watford’s lead during placed passes and ineffectual final Alex Iwobi forced off after only 11 nel. He did not miss any meaning-
minutes with a right hamstring
an extraordinary start to the second half that balls from both teams, with just issue and Cenk Tosun coming on. ful action, with referee Kevin
United were unable to find a way back into as two shots on target in the entire 90 Arsenal had more possession Friend’s final whistle something
much as Solskjaer’s stunned side tried. C
minutes. but did very little with it, not man- of a relief. C