INEVITABLE UTD FAILURE: 10-MAN EVERTON WINS WITH SHOCK KIERNAN DEWSBURY-HALL STRIKE
Everton's Idrissa Gueye was sent off for slapping teammate Michael Keane in a bizarre incident at Old Trafford. Despite playing with 10 men, David Moyes's side secured a shock 1-0 win over Man United, their first at Old Trafford since 2013.
You rarely see something shocking in soccer these days, but two teammates going at each other's throats is up there.
That's what Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane did, reminding people of Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer—or David Batty and Graeme Le Saux for those who remember.
What made it even crazier was that Everton started well. This wild incident in the 13th minute happened just after Manchester United's first move into Everton's side of the field.
Bryan Mbeumo lost the ball, and Gueye's bad pass to Keane let Bruno Fernandes shoot from a ways out, but he missed.
The argument between Gueye, who is 5 ft 9 in, and Keane, who is 6 ft 3 in, got heated when Gueye slapped his teammate in the face and then tried again.
It reminded some of when Bowyer fought with his Newcastle teammate Dyer, resulting in both being sent off against Aston Villa in April 2005. Also, Batty and Le Saux's fight when Blackburn lost to Spartak Moscow a decade before that.
Idrissa Gueye was kicked out of the game for slapping Everton teammate Michael Keane in a weird incident.
Being down a player didn't stop the visitors, as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's goal won the match for the 10 men.
Referee Tony Harrington, who had only stepped in to calm down James Tarkowski and Joshua Zirkzee before, immediately showed Gueye a red card, kicking him out of the game.
Even then, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had to hold back the 36-year-old as he almost completely lost it. It was a really dumb move, and Gueye is lucky his team played so well to win.
This fight happened just after Everton captain Seamus Coleman, looking sad, went straight to the locker room because his start, which was in two months, lasted less than 10 minutes. Everyone thought the game would now be in United's hands.
But give credit to David Moyes's team. They got it together and scored a great goal just before halftime.
James Garner, who used to play for United, passed to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. He shrugged off a weak challenge from Fernandes, stepped past Leny Yoro, and shot an amazing ball from the edge of the box, which Senne Lammens could only help into the top corner.
This gave David Moyes his first Premier League win at Old Trafford in 18 tries against his old club. It also ended Ruben Amorim's five-match winning streak, which made people hopeful leading up to the anniversary of his first game as manager.
A win could have moved United up to fourth place. Instead, they're still in 10th, tied with Moyes's team, after not winning for the third game in a row.
Amorim wasn't fooled by United's short hot streak. After they won 4-0 against Everton last season, he warned that things would get rough, and he said before this game that the rough patch wasn't over. Once again, he was right.
Joshua Zirkzee had United's best chance, but Jordan Pickford made an excellent save.
United's recent wins under Ruben Amorim ended with a loss at Old Trafford.
United looked weirdly quiet in the first half, even though they had an extra player.
Without Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha—whose injury was revealed by Visit Altrincham's social media when he couldn't turn on the Christmas lights—Zirkzee started for the first time in a long time and didn't take advantage of it.
If Cunha and Sesko get healthy soon, it would make sense for the unhappy player to go on loan in January to get the playing time he needs before the World Cup.
Everton threatened twice through Iliman Ndiaye before Gueye's crazy act, and they deserved their lead with 10 players.
United pushed back before halftime. Patrick Dorgu missed a shot from Zirkzee's cross, Amad Diallo shot right at Pickford, and the England keeper made another excellent save to block another long shot from Fernandes.
Amorim put Lisandro Martinez in the squad for the first time since February and put him on the bench with Shea Lacey, and made changes to try to turn the game around.
Mason Mount came on at halftime, and Kobbie Mainoo and Diogo Dalot followed soon after. Everton, expecting a strong attack, fought hard to hold on.
Keane was involved in another play when his leg tripped Mbeumo in the penalty area, but VAR correctly said that Keane touched the ball.
Everton snapped a long losing streak at Old Trafford, winning there for the first time since 2013.
Mbeumo then forced Pickford to make a good save before Fernandes missed from close range.
Zirkzee nearly saved United when his header was saved by Pickford, who then made another fine save from Zirkzee as England manager Thomas Tuchel watched. Everton held on until the end.
Overall, it was an amazing win for Moyes's team—and Idrissa Gueye should be thankful.
WEST HAM’S JANUARY OVERHAUL CONTINUES AS ANDREAS SCHJELDERUP TALKS FOLLOW CASTELLANOS AND PABLO
The Hammers are the busiest team in January. Discover the latest on the plan to pair Schjelderup with new signing Taty Castellanos.
Gianluca Di Marzio reports that West Ham United are in the running to sign Andreas Schjelderup this month. The London club has already discussed a possible transfer for the attacker, since Nuno Espirito Santo wants to bring in wide players this month after getting strikers in the first few days of January.
West Ham United are trying hard this month to strengthen its team and improve its chances of avoiding relegation. The Hammers are currently 18th in the league, seven points from safety, so Nuno Espírito Santo has a tough job.
The Hammers have already signed Taty Castellanos from Lazio and Pablo from Gil Vicente, which fixes their striker problem. Callum Wilson will probably leave, since West Ham is talking about ending his contract early.
Espirito Santo will now focus on getting wide attackers, with plans to sign players for both wings. Fulham’s Adama Traore is a target, and the Hammers might be able to sign the Spanish winger. There are worries about Crysencio Summerville's form, so Espirito Santo might consider a different player to compete with him on the left.
Several players have been mentioned, with 21-year-old winger Andreas Schjelderup being the latest. The Benfica player is expected to leave this month, with growing interest from other clubs, including Italian side Parma.
West Ham have reportedly talked about signing the 21-year-old winger, with Benfica possibly viewing the Norwegian as expendable. If the Portuguese club gets a good offer, they might consider selling him, since the Norwegian might be interested in playing in the Premier League.
There might be some worries about joining West Ham given their difficult situation in the Premier League. But the 21-year-old winger might see this move as a chance to prove himself in the Premier League, meaning he might be open to joining the London team.
ASTON VILLA LAUNCH MOVE FOR MLS STARLET GOZO TO BOLSTER YOUTH RANKS
Aston Villa are looking to the MLS for its next star. Get the latest details on the enquiry for Real Salt Lake's Zavier Gozo.
Unai Emery and his team are on the hunt for fresh young talent, and now their search has brought them to Major League Soccer. According to transfer insider Matteo Moretto, Aston Villa recently reached out to Real Salt Lake about their promising forward, Zavier Gozo.
Villa’s interest in Gozo isn’t just talk—they actually contacted the staff in Utah to see what it would take to bring the 18-year-old to Birmingham. They see real potential in him and want to develop him in their academy. This isn’t just some distant scouting mission. It fits perfectly with Villa’s bigger strategy: sign top young players before their value skyrockets in Europe.
Gozo’s made a name for himself in Real Salt Lake’s youth system and has already broken into the first team. He’s also caught the eye of scouts across Europe with his performances for the USA U20s.
Talks are still early, but Villa clearly think Gozo could one day push for first-team minutes. Since Emery arrived, the club has put serious effort into signing young prospects. Bringing in a quick North American forward fits right in with the way they want to play. Fans will see this as another sign of Villa’s ambition to build a winning team for the long haul.
So, why does Emery want this American speedster? Gozo’s got the right tools for English football—he’s fast, direct, and can play out wide or through the middle. He loves running at defenders and creating chances, which is exactly what Emery wants from his wide players. Gozo’s already shown at MLS NEXT Pro and the senior MLS level that he’s got the energy and movement. Villa rely on counter-attacks. On top of that, he works hard off the ball, pressing from the front—something Emery always asks of his attackers.
Of course, there’s the question of whether Gozo’s ready for the physical side of the Premier League. The jump from MLS is tough, and he’ll probably need time with the U21s or maybe a loan before he’s ready for the first team.
Still, this move just makes sense for Villa’s future. Emery has proven he can develop raw talent into reliable players for his system. If they sign Gozo now, they get a young player they can shape without any rush for immediate results.