"UNIQUE GROINS": WHAT DID ALEX IWOBI MEAN BY HIS VIRAL POST-MATCH COMMENTS?
Two goals in two games: Alex Iwobi is in the form of his life as Fulham prepare to host West Ham this Wednesday.
Alex Iwobi lit up Craven Cottage on Sunday with a brilliant goal against Tottenham, and he credits his “unique groins” for pulling it off. The 29-year-old really added to Spurs’ misery, knocking in Fulham’s second goal in the 34th minute.
Harry Wilson had already opened the scoring, and even though Richarlison pulled one back for Tottenham in the second half, it wasn’t enough. Fulham took the game 2-1.
Iwobi’s goal stood out. He drilled the ball into the bottom corner from outside the box with perfect accuracy and plenty of power. The way he hit it was a bit unorthodox, too. He used his instep from a distance, somehow generating the pace and precision to leave Vicario with no chance.
After the match, Iwobi said his technique was all down to his “unique” hips. “Unique. That’s the best way to put it,” he laughed. “I don’t think anyone else has groins that can open up like that to side-foot it. When H [Harry Wilson] passed to me, I just wanted to side-foot it. I do it all the time in training, so my teammates weren’t surprised.”
Fulham boss Marco Silva wasn’t shocked either, but he did call it one of Iwobi’s best goals since joining from Everton last year. “He can do these things,” Silva said. “He’s always strong when he picks a corner and hits it hard. That was a brilliant moment for him. Offensively, it was a great game dynamic; lots of chances. We made life difficult for them.”
That’s two goals in two games for Iwobi, as Fulham picked up back-to-back wins over Sunderland and then their London rivals.
Now, Fulham sit ninth in the table and have a real shot at a European spot if they keep this form going. Jamie Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports, called Iwobi an underrated “manager’s dream” after his performance against Sunderland. “He can play anywhere, really. Marco Silva loves him; you can see why. He’s physically fantastic, sets up goals, and scores them too. I don’t think people talk about his quality enough. There are plenty of good players at Fulham, but he’s right up there with the best this season.”
Fulham will try to keep this run going when they host West Ham at Craven Cottage on Wednesday, another big London derby.
OLD TRAFFORD EFFECT: OLIVER GLASNER BLAMES "STADIUM BIAS" FOR PALACE’S PENALTY HEARTBREAK
Oliver Glasner blasted the "Old Trafford effect" after Crystal Palace’s lead vanished following a controversial penalty and red card.
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner didn’t hold back after Sunday’s match against Manchester United. Palace went into halftime up 1-0 thanks to a header from Maxence Lacroix, but then everything flipped. In the second half, Lacroix dragged down Matheus Cunha, and referee Chris Kavanagh immediately pointed to the spot. VAR took a look, and Lacroix got a red card.
Kavanagh explained the decision: “Crystal Palace number five commits a clear holding offence which denies a clear, obvious goal-scoring opportunity. The final decision is a penalty and a red card.”
Glasner was furious after the match. “The red card changed everything,” he said. “Honestly, it’s a really tough call. The foul starts outside the box. Cunha’s clever; he waits until he’s inside and then goes down.”
Reporters pressed him about it again, and Glasner just shook his head. “We spoke to the fourth official. They had to check if it was offside, where the foul started, and if it was a red card. There were a lot of things to look at. But I still think it’s the wrong call. That’s not a penalty. Maybe it’s a red for a foul outside the box, but the contact starts before. Maybe that’s just the Old Trafford effect.”
Chris Richards, Palace’s defender, echoed those feelings when he spoke to Sky Sports. He called Cunha "smart". Richards said, “You get an early 1-0 lead, and you want to build on that. But after the red card, United had all the momentum. We’re disappointed, but honestly, I’m proud of how we played today.”
He added, “Playing at Old Trafford, you kind of expect the home side to get a call like that. That’s just football. Cunha’s smart; he feels a tug in the box, and he goes down. Fair play to him. Going down to ten hurt us, sure, but you can’t fault the effort. No matter how many we had on the pitch, we played well.”
INSIDE VS OUTSIDE: DECODING THE EXACT MOMENT MAXENCE LACROIX’S FOUL BECAME A UNITED PENALTY
The Premier League Match Centre clarifies the penalty and red card that saw Maxence Lacroix sent off during Man Utd’s 2-1 win.
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The Premier League Match Centre stepped in after the chaos around Manchester United’s penalty and Maxence Lacroix’s red card. It all started when Crystal Palace’s Lacroix brought down United’s Matheus Cunha. The contact began outside the box, but by the time Cunha hit the ground, maybe a bit dramatically, they were inside. Lacroix had his arm on Cunha’s shoulder throughout.
Then came VAR. Referee Chris Kavanagh watched the replays and sent Lacroix off, leaving Palace, who had been 1-0 up before Fernandes buried the penalty, with ten men. The officials said Lacroix denied Cunha a clear shot at goal. Because Lacroix pulled him back instead of going for the ball, he didn’t get the ‘double jeopardy’ protection, which only covers players who make a genuine attempt to play the ball. Lacroix was nowhere near it.
The Match Centre summed it up in their statement: “After review, Crystal Palace number 5 commits a clear holding offence which denies a clear, obvious goalscoring opportunity. The final decision is a penalty and a red card.”
Michael Dawson, watching for Sky Sports, didn’t think there was much debate: “It’s a foul. Fernandes plays a great ball, Cunha gets away, and Lacroix has his hands all over him. Whether it’s two fingers or a full hand, it kept going. For me, that’s a penalty. Was it a goalscoring chance? Absolutely. Once Cunha gets goal-side and goes down, he’s got a real chance to score.”
Palace actually struck first, with Lacroix heading in from a Brennan Johnson corner just four minutes in. They kept United quiet for the rest of the first half, but everything changed early in the second. Lacroix’s mistake let United back in.
Fernandes equalised from the spot, sending Dean Henderson the wrong way. Not long after, Benjamin Sesko finished off a Fernandes cross to put United ahead. That’s seven goals in eight games for Sesko, and he’s now scored in three straight matches under Michael Carrick.
Since Carrick took over, United haven’t lost. They’ve now racked up six wins in seven games, climbing to third in the Premier League. They’re level with Aston Villa on 51 points but edge ahead on goal difference. It’s the highest United have been in the table since May 2023.
As for Lacroix, there’s a bit of unwanted history: he’s only the second visiting player ever to score and get sent off in the same Premier League game at Old Trafford. The last one? Michael Owen, for Liverpool, back in 1998.
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