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Alex Iwobi’s Late Strike Seals Fulham’s First Home Win of the Season

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Alex Iwobi's Late Strike Seals Fulham's First Home Win of the Season

Alex Iwobi’s decisive 70th-minute goal ensured Fulham secured a 2-1 victory over Leicester City in their first Premier League home game of the season. The Nigerian winger’s composed finish through the legs of Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen restored Fulham’s lead after Wout Faes had equalized for the Foxes before halftime.

Fulham started the match strongly, with their dominance evident throughout. The Cottagers took the lead when Emile Smith Rowe, recently signed from Arsenal for £34 million, slotted home his first goal for the club. Smith Rowe, who struggled for game time at Arsenal last season, showed his quality by collecting a pass from Adama Traore, driving into the box, and firing a low shot into the far corner.

Leicester managed to level the score 20 minutes later through Wout Faes. Initially, referee Darren Bond disallowed the goal, ruling that Jamie Vardy had interfered with Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno from an offside position. However, after a VAR review, the decision was overturned, allowing the goal to stand.

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Despite Leicester’s equalizer, Fulham continued to control the match, creating numerous chances. Iwobi eventually found the breakthrough in the 70th minute, coolly finishing past Hermansen after a slick move. Leicester struggled to regain momentum after falling behind again, with Wilfred Ndidi coming closest to an equalizer in injury time, only to see his shot saved by Leno.

Fulham’s win marks a strong response after their narrow defeat to Manchester United in their opening game. Manager Marco Silva, who expressed the need for more signings, will be pleased with the performances of his new recruits, especially Smith Rowe, who showed great promise in his debut.

Leicester, on the other hand, were unconvincing at both ends of the pitch. Despite Faes’ goal, the Foxes struggled to create clear-cut chances and were defensively vulnerable, narrowly avoiding conceding more goals thanks to some excellent saves from Hermansen. Jamie Vardy, Leicester’s talisman, had little impact on the game and was substituted in the second half after failing to register a single shot.

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Cunha’s Late Stunner Lifts United as Arsenal Stumble in Emirates Classic

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Cunha’s Late Stunner Lifts United as Arsenal Stumble in Emirates Classic

Matheus Cunha produced a moment of high drama at the Emirates Stadium, scoring a stunning late winner to propel Manchester United to a memorable 3–2 victory over Premier League leaders Arsenal in a pulsating five-goal encounter.

The result marked Arsenal’s first home defeat of the season and tightened the title race significantly, especially after earlier victories for Manchester City and Aston Villa. While the Gunners remain top of the table, their advantage has now been cut to four points, adding fresh intrigue to the championship run-in.

Arsenal began the contest with authority and looked in control during the opening exchanges. Their pressure told in the 29th minute when United defender Lisandro Martínez inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, giving the hosts a deserved lead and igniting the home crowd.

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However, Manchester United showed resilience and composure to find a route back into the match. A loose pass from Martin Zubimendi proved costly for Arsenal, allowing Bryan Mbeumo to race through on goal. The United forward kept his nerve, rounding goalkeeper David Raya before calmly slotting into the empty net to restore parity.

The visitors carried that momentum into the second half and stunned Arsenal just five minutes after the restart. Patrick Dorgu produced a moment of quality, unleashing a powerful strike that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and into the net, giving United a surprise lead and silencing the Emirates.

In response, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made a bold quadruple substitution in search of inspiration, introducing Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino and Ben White. The changes appeared to pay off when Merino forced the ball home from a corner in the 84th minute, raising hopes of a late comeback and at least a share of the spoils.

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Yet Manchester United had the final say. Just three minutes later, substitute Matheus Cunha collected a pass from Kobbie Mainoo and produced a moment of individual brilliance, curling an exquisite 25-yard strike into the bottom corner to seal a dramatic victory.

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Adli’s Dramatic Late Strike Caps Fearless Bournemouth Night as Cherries Outlast Liverpool

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Adli’s Dramatic Late Strike Caps Fearless Bournemouth Night as Cherries Outlast Liverpool

Amine Adli delivered a moment Bournemouth supporters will treasure for years, scoring a stoppage-time winner to seal a thrilling Premier League victory over Liverpool and end the visitors’ 13-match unbeaten run at a rain-soaked Vitality Stadium.

In a pulsating contest that swung repeatedly, Adli reacted quickest to a goalmouth scramble in the fifth minute of added time, sending the home crowd into raptures just when it seemed Liverpool’s resilience might earn them a point. The goal crowned a performance full of belief and bravery from Andoni Iraola’s side, who refused to settle for a draw even after being pegged back from a two-goal lead.

Liverpool had shown their trademark fighting spirit to recover late on. With 10 minutes remaining, Dominik Szoboszlai struck his second free-kick of the week to make it 2-2, after Virgil van Dijk had earlier headed them back into contention. Yet Bournemouth continued to press, and their ambition was ultimately rewarded in dramatic fashion.

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The match turned sharply during a chaotic seven-minute spell in the first half that proved costly for Liverpool. Evanilson opened the scoring in the 26th minute after Van Dijk failed to clear his lines, with Alex Scott’s sharp ball across goal punishing the lapse. In the same phase, Joe Gomez was injured after colliding with goalkeeper Alisson while trying to block the shot, leaving Liverpool temporarily down to 10 men.

With play continuing as Wataru Endo prepared to come on, Bournemouth took full advantage. In the 33rd minute, Alex Jimenez timed his run perfectly to meet James Hill’s through ball and calmly finished through Alisson’s legs to make it 2-0, underlining the Cherries’ ruthlessness.

Liverpool eventually regrouped and responded impressively. On the brink of half-time, Van Dijk rose highest to head home from a Szoboszlai corner, restoring hope. That belief carried into the second half, and Mohamed Salah cleverly rolled a free-kick into Szoboszlai’s path, allowing the Hungarian midfielder to fire low past Djordje Petrovic for the equaliser.

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Both sides sensed victory was there to be claimed. Alisson was forced into a fine save to tip Ryan Christie’s effort over the bar, while at the other end Petrovic produced a stunning stop to deny Florian Wirtz, preserving Bournemouth’s momentum and belief.

As the clock ticked into stoppage time, neither team appeared content with a draw. Bournemouth pushed forward once more, and when the ball broke loose in the Liverpool box, Adli kept his composure to finish and spark wild celebrations. Petrovic sprinted to the touchline to embrace the dugout as the Vitality Stadium erupted in collective joy.

The result hands Liverpool their first defeat since November and extends their wait for a Premier League win in 2026. They remain fourth in the table, while Bournemouth climb to 13th, boosted by a result that could prove pivotal for their confidence.

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Despite an injury-hit squad and the mid-season loss of Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City, Iraola’s players produced a fearless, high-energy display in difficult conditions. While they briefly sat deeper in the second half, their willingness to attack late on defined the evening.

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Sancho’s Breakthrough Strike Sends Aston Villa into Europa League Last 16

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Sancho’s Breakthrough Strike Sends Aston Villa into Europa League Last 16

Jadon Sancho marked a memorable milestone by scoring his first goal for Aston Villa as the Premier League side secured a hard-fought victory over Fenerbahce in Istanbul, sealing qualification for the Europa League last 16 with a game to spare.

The decisive moment came in the 25th minute when Sancho reacted sharply to a deflected cross from Matty Cash, rising at close range to nod the ball past Fenerbahce goalkeeper Ederson. It was a composed finish that underlined Villa’s growing confidence on the European stage and gave them a crucial early advantage in a challenging away fixture.

That goal proved enough to maintain Villa’s impressive momentum in the competition. With six wins from their opening seven matches, Unai Emery’s side now sit third in the league phase table and are mathematically guaranteed a top-eight finish, ensuring direct passage into the knockout rounds. The achievement highlights Villa’s consistency and depth as they continue to balance domestic and European ambitions.

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Despite the positive outcome, Villa’s victory was not without tension, particularly in the closing stages. With 15 minutes remaining, Fenerbahce thought they had drawn level when Kerem Akturkoglu finished clinically, only for a video assistant referee review to rule the goal out for an offside in the build-up involving former Villa striker Jhon Duran. The intervention proved decisive in preserving Villa’s narrow lead.

Villa, who made six changes from their weekend Premier League draw at home to Everton, controlled much of the contest and created the clearer chances for long spells. Sancho came close to adding a second goal shortly before half-time when he rounded Ederson after being played through by Morgan Rogers, but his effort was dramatically cleared off the line by Fenerbahce captain Milan Skriniar.

Rogers briefly thought he had scored from the rebound, only for play to be stopped after the ball struck the referee in the build-up, bringing the move to an unfortunate end. The forward was again denied later in the match when another effort was ruled out, this time after Sancho had strayed offside before squaring the ball for what would have been a simple finish.

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Villa continued to threaten, with Cash going close to a spectacular goal when his dipping 25-yard strike crashed against the far post. At the other end, goalkeeper Marco Bizot played a vital role in preserving the clean sheet, producing an excellent diving save to his right to deny substitute Talisca after the attacker had broken through on goal midway through the second half.

Fenerbahce pushed hard in the final moments, but Villa remained disciplined and resilient, seeing out the game with maturity and composure. The win not only confirms their place in the last 16 but also reinforces the sense that Emery’s side are growing into serious contenders in the competition.

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