Inter pile pressure on leaders Napoli with Spezia win

Milan (AFP) – Inter Milan moved to within one point of Serie A pacesetters Napoli on Wednesday after comfortably seeing off Spezia 2-0, while Roma crashed to a miserable 1-0 defeat at Bologna.

Roberto Gagliardini and Lautaro Martinez struck in each half for Inter at a freezing San Siro as Simone Inzaghi’s side jumped above AC Milan in second place ahead of their city rivals’ match at struggling Genoa in one of two late fixtures.

It extends Inter’s unbeaten run in all competitions to 10 games and was their fourth win on the bounce with a much-changed line-up as Inzaghi shuffled his deck with a host of defensive injuries and a trip to Roma coming on Saturday.

Inter’s hot streak has them right on the heels of Napoli, who are at Sassuolo at the same time as Milan face club legend Andriy Shevchenko at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Shevchenko’s Genoa are just a point behind 17th-placed Spezia and can dump the Tuscans and their coach, former Inter favourite coach Thiago Motta, into the drop zone.

Spezia have conceded a whopping 34 goals in 15 games and were brushed aside by an Inter side which was without several starters and in second gear for much of the night.

Gagliardini got them up and running nine minutes before half-time when he finished a delightful team moved by meeting Martinez’s delicate flick with a perfectly placed first-time finish.

After Jakub Kiwior did brilliantly to block Joaquin Correa’s goal-bound low drive Samir Handanovic made sure Inter led at the break with a superb save from Kelvin Amian’s header in first half stoppage-time.

Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu were both stopped from doubling the hosts’ lead by Ivan Provedel in the minutes after the restart while Correa crashed a shot off the bar, but it wasn’t long before Inter had their second.

Kiwior was penalised for handball after Martinez’s thumping shot struck his arm in the penalty area, and the Argentine made no mistake from the spot with just over half an hour remaining.

Bologna are eighth, level on 24 points with Juventus and Fiorentina after Mattias Svanberg fired them to their win over Jose Mourinho’s Roma.

Swede Svanberg, who was reportedly being watched at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara by scouts from Manchester City, struck a beautiful winner from distance to move Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side to within one point of fifth-placed Roma.

The result is also great news for Atalanta, who after their win over Venezia on Tuesday are six points away from their nearest challenger for fourth and the final Champions League spot.

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Arsenal defender Gabriel fends off robbers armed with baseball bat

London (AFP) – Arsenal defender Gabriel fought off a baseball bat-wielding thief who attempted to steal his car in video footage released by the Metropolitan Police.

The Brazilian had just returned to his home in Barnet, north London, when he was approached by three men as he got out of his car on August 20.

One of the men, Abdi Muse, 26, was armed with a baseball bat.

The men ordered Gabriel to give them his car keys, but the 23-year-old refused to do so.

Footage of the incident shows the ensuing struggle between Gabriel and the men as he fended them off.

The men fled with his keys but left the car behind in the garage.

Muse was later arrested, and he was jailed at Harrow Crown Court earlier this month for five years after admitting robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.

“It’s not a nice thing to go through, when you have family involved and they’re trying to access your house,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

“Gabby showed a lot of character, you see the reaction that he had straight away. Credit to the boy. After that he was fine.

“He was shocked and obviously he wanted to change a few things in his life to make sure that didn’t happen again.”

Arteta added that Arsenal supported Gabriel in the wake of the robbery.

“The club gave him all the support that was needed to try and help him forget about the situation, learn about it and move on”, he said.

Gabriel joined the Gunners from Lille for £27million ($36 million) last year.

At the time of the robbery he had been sidelined with a knee injury, but he has since made 10 Premier League appearances for the club.

It was not the first time that an Arsenal player has had to face off against robbers.

Two armed men attempted to rob expensive watches from defender Sead Kolasinac and midfielder Mesut Ozil in Hampstead, north-west London, in 2019.

However, Kolasinac fought back and was able to jump into a car driven by Ozil.

Ozil then drove them from the ambush as the would-be robbers pursued them on a moped.

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Carrick not in contact with Rangnick for Arsenal clash

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United caretaker manager Michael Carrick says he has not spoken to incoming interim boss Ralf Rangnick as he prepares to take charge of a third match at home to Arsenal on Thursday.

United confirmed the appointment of Rangnick as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s short-term replacement this week but the German is still to receive a work permit.

That means Carrick remains in charge for the clash with the Gunners which could have a huge bearing on the final race for a place in the Premier League top four.

“I haven’t got anything to update on. The process of the work permit and visa is ongoing as we speak,” said Carrick on Wednesday.

“I am in this position, as I was for Villarreal and Chelsea. I’m getting the boys ready for the game tomorrow night.”

Carrick has mustered a response from a star-studded squad that had lost five of Solskjaer’s final seven league games.

A 2-0 win at Villarreal secured United’s place in the last 16 of the Champions League and a 1-1 draw at league leaders Chelsea cut the gap on fourth place to five points.

“We have carried on as we have done. It has worked well for the last two games and hopefully it will as well for tomorrow.”

Carrick took the bold call to leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench for the trip to Stamford Bridge.

Ronaldo looked less than pleased as he headed down the tunnel at full-time after coming on as a second-half substitute, but Carrick played down the significance of that reaction.

“These types of decisions get blown up a lot bigger than they probably are. Decisions are made for a lot of different reasons and certain ones get bigger news than others, but that is how it was.

“I didn’t see it as being a major decision. It certainly wasn’t within the camp. We all got on really well with it. The game went well, to a certain extent, and it wasn’t a drama at all.”

Arsenal are level on points with West Ham in fourth and could open up a sizeable advantage on United should they win at Old Trafford for a second consecutive season.

Mikel Arteta described Rangnick’s arrival in the Premier League as “really interesting appointment” but is not so sure the German will have no input to how United will line up on Thursday.

“He has been one of top coaches and, in every involvement he has had in game, not just coaching, he has made some radical changes in areas so he is a really interesting person in the football world and a really interesting appointment,” said the Spaniard.

“We tried to gather information to understand more about what to expect and we don’t know.”

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MLS scores record 1.89 million viewers for Rapids-Timbers playoff

Major League Soccer’s first-ever game on Thanksgiving Day is a success. The Western Conference playoff match between Colorado Rapids and Portland Timbers wasn’t a stunner on the field. Yet, off the field, it scored a record viewing figure on television.

Aired on FOX Network immediately following the Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions NFL game, Colorado-Portland drew 1.85 million viewers. It is the most-watched MLS game since 2004 (excluding MLS Cup or All-Star Games). While it did not beat the 1.97 million who watched a DC United game in 2004, the Rapids-Timbers match is the most-watched MLS Playoff to date.

Fans of MLS on Tuesday were initially sent into a tizzy when The Athletic erroneously reported a viewing audience of 7.2 million for the game. The discrepancy appeared to be a result of the Bears-Lions NFL viewership number bleeding into the MLS game. For instance, the Bears-Lions had a viewership of 26.7 million people. When the NFL game ended, the MLS broadcast began, except in Chicago. Instead of showing the MLS game in its entirety, the local FOX network in the Chicago area aired a Bears post-game show and then local news.

MLS playoffs supposed to be on FOX. Except @fox32news Chicago opted not to show the game in favor of Bears postgame and local news. Not great sign for league’s penetration in this market.

— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) November 25, 2021

Regardless, the 1.85 million viewing number is a success. And the timing is ideal. MLS is currently in talks with broadcasters to sell the media rights to the league for 2023 and beyond. MLS executives and owners are confident of a record-breaking deal.

Putting the MLS TV rating into perspective

To put the 1.85 million number into perspective, it is greater than the most-watched Premier League game of all time. The record Manchester derby registered 1.72 million viewers in 2018. For the Rapids-Timbers game, the total viewership including FOX Deportes is 1.89 million.

For Major League Soccer, the Thanksgiving Day game had a lot of factors in its favor. Firstly, the 4:30PM ET start time was an ideal window for every time zone in the United States. Secondly, the lead-in had 26.7 million people watching the NFL game that preceded the MLS match. By FOX and MLS scheduling the match immediately after a NFL game, it automatically boosts the exposure. Some may argue that it does so artificially. For example, many households may leave their TV on after a NFL game and not watch the broadcast. Regardless, it is the most-watched MLS game ever on FOX.

In conclusion, while Major League Soccer will be buoyant with the number, the true test will be to see how well MLS does in other playoff games that air on national television. Next up for MLS is this Sunday when ABC televises NYCFC against Philadelphia Union, live from Yankee Stadium. For TV and streaming listings of all games, follow our MLS schedule.

World Soccer Talk Podcast · Premier League’s US TV Rights Deal: The Domino Effect

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Man Utd’s Glazer buys T20 franchise in new UAE league

London (AFP) – Manchester United co-chairman Avram Glazer has acquired a franchise for a new T20 professional cricket league in the United Arab Emirates, organisers announced on Wednesday.

Glazer, also an owner of NFL Super Bowl winners Tampa Bay Buccaneers, completed the purchase in his role as chairman of private equity firm Lancer Capital.

The UAE T20 League is a professional six-team competition sanctioned by the Emirates Cricket Board which is set to take place for the first time in February and March 2022.

Wednesday’s announcement comes after the Glazer family were outbid in their attempt to buy one of the two new franchises in the money-spinning Indian Premier League — the forerunner of all current global T20 franchise cricket events.

“I am very excited to be a part of UAE T20 at its formation,” Avram Glazer said. 

“UAE T20 promises to be a world-class event that will be transformative to the growth of cricket in the Emirates.”.

Khalid Al Zarooni, UAE T20 League chairman and vice-chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board, added: “I am very excited to welcome Mr Glazer to the UAE T20 Family.

“To have a partner who has invested into sports properties with a long-term perspective is a testament to the strength of the UAE T20 League’s business model and its value proposition to fans and its stakeholders, and an ode to the UAE as the destination of choice for global sports events.”

The names of the franchises have yet to be announced.

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Where to find Everton vs. Liverpool on US TV

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Everton vs. Liverpool on US TV in the Premier League, you’ve come to the right place.

For viewers in the US, Everton vs. Liverpool will be shown on TV and streaming (more details below).

Match: Everton vs. Liverpool

Kickoff: Wednesday, 3:15pm ET

Looking to watch Everton vs. Liverpool online from your work, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

 

We Recommend:

US Only.

 

Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming:

Who: Everton vs. Liverpool
What: Premier League
When: Game kicks off at 3:15pm ET / 12:15pm PT; Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Where: Live on NBCSN, Universo, fuboTV, Hulu Live and Sling Blue (free trial)

 

 

With fuboTV, you can watch Everton vs. Liverpool and tons more Premier League games with a 7-day trial. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV or hook it up to your TV with Google Chromecast.

Now with fuboTV, you can stream NBCSN, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, CBS Sports Network, FS1, FS2, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, beIN SPORTS Connect, beIN SPORTS XTRA, NBC (in select cities), CNBC, USA, FOX (in select cities), FOX Soccer Plus, FOX Deportes, Telemundo, Universo, Univision, TUDN, UniMas and Galavision.

Plus fuboTV, the legal streaming service, also streams Liga MX, World Cup, Women’s World Cup, MLS, UEFA Champions League (in Spanish), Europa League (in Spanish), Primeira Liga, Ligue Un, World Cup qualifiers, NWSL, select USMNT games, select USWNT games, select Mexico games, select England games and more.

The fuboTV app is available for Windows PC, Mac, Apple iPhones, Android phones, Amazon Fire TV, Android Mobile, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Hisense TVs, iOS devices, LG TVs, Samsung Smart TVs, Vizio Smartcast TVs and Xbox One.

Courtesy of World Soccer Talk, download a complimentary copy of The Ultimate Soccer TV And Streaming Guide, which features details on where to watch all of the leagues from around the world on US TV and streaming.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Premier League games on US TV and streaming

To find out when soccer games are on, download the free Soccer TV Schedules App which includes listings of all of the live soccer matches available in the United States (available on Apple iOS devices and Android devices).

 

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Where to find Watford vs. Chelsea on US TV

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Watford vs. Chelsea in the US, we have all of the details for you about the Premier League match.

The match won’t be shown live on US television, but you can cast the game to your big TV using Roku, Chromecast or one of the other devices mentioned below.

League: Premier League

Genre: Sports

Looking to watch Premier League matches online from your office, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

We Recommend:

US Only.

 
Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming:

Who: Watford vs. Chelsea
What: Premier League
When: Game kicks off at 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT; Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Where: Live on Peacock Premium

 

With Peacock Premium, you can watch Watford vs. Chelsea and tons more Premier League games.

Now with Peacock Premium, you can stream 175 Premier League matches per season that are exclusive to Peacock. Plus, you get access to the Premier League TV channel, which features Premier League reviews, previews, interview shows, daily news programs and classic Premier League games.

Peacock Premium is only $4.99/month (or free for Comcast and COX customers).

Replays of all 380 games for the 2021/22 season will be available to Peacock Premium subscribers. Matches will be available on replay and then for 30 days after they air.

Peacock is widely available across different platforms and devices, including:

• Computers: PC and Mac

• Apple: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD

• Google: Android, Android TV devices, Roku, Chromecast and Chromecast built-in devices

• Microsoft’s Xbox One family of devices: Xbox One S and Xbox One X

• VIZIO SmartCast TVs and LG Smart TVs

• Sony PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro

In addition to all of the soccer coverage, Peacock Premium offers more than 20,000 hours of programming from NBC Universal including movies, TV shows, original programming and live TV channels.

To learn more about Peacock, we’ve put together a how-to video.

More resources

Courtesy of World Soccer Talk, download a complimentary copy of The Ultimate Soccer TV And Streaming Guide, which features details on where to watch all of the leagues from around the world on US TV and streaming.

To find out when soccer games are on, download the free Soccer TV Schedules App which includes listings of all of the live soccer matches available in the United States (available on Apple iOS devices and Android devices).

 

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