
No Writer
Apr 18
Man Utd 5-4 Lyon (agg 7-6): Ruben Amorim invokes spirit of 1999 after incredible Europa League comeback
United produced a turnaround to rival any other in the club's history in extra-time against Lyon, overturning a two-goal deficit within the space of six extra-time minutes, the last two goals by Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire coming in the 120th and 121st minute. More remarkably, this followed an almighty capitulation, which saw United throw away a two-goal lead to a Lyon side that were down to 10 players for two of their four goals after the harsh dismissal of Corentin Tolisso. But somehow, just as Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did against Bayern Munich in the Nou Camp in 1999, United found a way. "I was watching the 99 documentary for inspiration," Amorim told TNT Sports, referring to a documentary about United's famous Champions League final comeback. "The team were tired. At 4-2, you think it is over, but here it is never over. Here everything is possible." Man Utd 5-4 Lyon (agg 7-6) - Match reportAs it happened | Teams | Match statsEuropa League quarter-final resultsNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺 Amorim added: "This is one type of moment that can change a lot of things. Sometimes we just look at the tactical and physical aspect. But these moments can change a lot in the players' minds." The unlikely comeback in pictures Amorim: All focus on Europa League now Amorim has endured a dismal time at Old Trafford since being appointed mid-season from Sporting, but he is hoping this moment can prove to be a catalyst to salvage something from the campaign. The United boss says the Premier League, in which his side are 14th with six games to go, will now take a backseat with all attentions on the Europa League and semi-final opponents Athletic Club. "We need to be really focused on the Europa League and take a risk with the kids in the league. Fans have to understand that we have to focus on the Europa League," said Amorim. Asked if there is belief United can win the Europa League, he said: "Yes, you can see it in the stadium. We need luck with injuries. It is going to be tough. "It is a special moment. We know we are underperforming and deserve all the critics. But we still have time to make something special of this season." Fans had already left the ground before Bruno Fernandes kick-started the comeback with his 114th-minute penalty, while others flooded back to their seats just in time to catch last-gasp goals from Mainoo and Maguire. "I feel for the people that had to leave when it was 4-2 [to Lyon] because of the traffic. They will be gutted!" added Amorim. "The sound in the stadium for Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire's goals was the best sound I have ever [heard]. "A lot of people want to keep shirts, I just want to keep that sound. It is the best sound in the world." Analysis: Man Utd prove again they never stop... Sky Sports' Adam Bate at Old Trafford: Where do you rank that? It is one of the most astonishing matches. United led by two but were two behind with hope all but extinguished before a hat-trick of late goals completed an Old Trafford comeback befitting of the best times at this great club. United displayed an evocative tifo in front of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand before kick-off with their five captains to have lifted a European trophy upon it. The words on that tifo? Never. Gonna. Stop. It is part of the folklore at United, the stories they tell. Add this to the tales to be passed down the generations. This is not 1999, not the Camp Nou, not even the Champions League. But even that win was from only one down. This was the first game in major European football history to feature five goals in extra-time. The finale was stirring, all that will, and should, be remembered. But, of course, there were downs as well as ups because two of them were scored by Lyon. How did United lose control of the game midway through normal time? And then fall behind against 10? It was an exercise in self-destruction at that point, supporters watching in a different kind of disbelief at the capitulation they were witnessing. But then came the twist. United kept going. The pressure suddenly shifted. Key players showed their mettle. Casemiro won a penalty and set up the next two. The teenage Mainoo, with a swivel of those hips, showed that he continues to have a penchant for the big moments. And Maguire. It had to be Maguire. The most chaotic win of them all. Never. Gonna. Stop.

No Writer
Apr 19
Ben Whittaker has been 'humbled' by dramatic draw with Liam Cameron, says Sky Sports expert Johnny Nelson
Whittaker was led away in a wheelchair after he and Cameron dramatically toppled out of the ring in their first bout in October, which ended in a split decision draw, and their rivalry will be settled in a second fight on Sunday, live on Sky Sports. Reflecting on Whittaker's performance in Saudi Arabia, Sky Sports expert Nelson believes the Olympic silver medallist "neglected what he does so well" but is backing new trainer Lee to bring the best out of the 27-year-old. Ben Whittaker v Liam Cameron 2: Everything you need to knowNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with NOWDownload the Sky Sports appChoose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! Nelson told Sky Sports: "I'm quite sure Andy Lee has said to him 'you've got an amazing talent, make sure you make the most of it'. "So I think he has got a serious approach from what we've seen. "The mental approach when you get into the ring - that makes or breaks a fighter, and I think for him, he knows he's talented, sometimes you can run away with yourself. And that's what he did. "The performance that I saw in Saudi from Ben, he boxed as though... 'it's a done deal this, I'm going to steal the show' and he neglected what he does so well. "He neglected that, and in doing that he almost paid the price. That why he's been humbled and that's why mentally he's got to stay on point so it doesn't happen again, because if he gets through Sunday night and he starts getting some amazing wins again, what stops him from developing amnesia and doing this again at a higher level? "So if this was to happen, it's better that it happens now than later down the line when there's a lot more at stake." Macklin: Whittaker can handle rematch pressure Fellow Sky Sports expert, Matthew Macklin, believes Whittaker will handle the big expectations on his shoulders ahead of a high stakes rematch. "I think there was an element of him underestimating [Cameron]. I think he possibly over-trained or got the weight a little bit wrong," said Macklin. "He got pretty tired pretty quickly, he was unravelling - which was alarming, really. "I don't think that would happen in this fight. I think he will have the right amount of fear, the right amount of nerves. The pressure will bring that. "In a lot of ways his career is on the line in terms of what he projected himself to go on and achieve, to be a star. "That is on the line right here." Watch Ben Whittaker's rematch with Liam Cameron on Sunday, live on Sky Sports from 7pm.

No Writer
Apr 18
Ange Postecoglou: Tottenham boss bites back at critics following Europa League quarter-final victory vs Eintracht Frankfurt
A defiant response from Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou in the aftermath of his team booking their place in the Europa League semi-finals thanks to a 1-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt in the second leg of the quarter-finals. Dominic Solanke's penalty just before half-time fired Spurs into a 2-1 lead on aggregate, before a stoic defensive performance ensured their progression into the final four of the competition, keeping their hopes of silverware and European qualification alive in the process. Frankfurt 0-1 Tottenham (Agg: 1-2) - Match reportAs it happened | Teams | Match statsEuropa League fixturesNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺 Pressure had been heaped on the Spurs boss in the build-up to the game, following a dismal 4-2 defeat to Wolves and the season hinging on progressing in Europe, but his team responded with an impressive performance to tee up a meeting with Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals. "Unfortunately for a lot of you, you're going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer. So let's see how that goes," Postecoglou said in his press conference. "I think I said yesterday, I am the same manager today that I was yesterday, so if people think us winning tonight makes me a better manager or whoever thinks I wasn't doing a good job yesterday, should be feeling the same way. "I don't care, it doesn't bother me, it doesn't affect what I do. For me, it's always about the dressing room. Do the players believe? Do the staff believe? That's much more important than what others may make of me." Spurs face fourth-placed Nottingham Forest, live on Monday Night Football, in their next Premier League fixture. Postecoglou: Frankfurt victory will not silence critics Postecoglou also claimed the victory would not silence his critics but bit back at those who "ridicule" his achievements as a manager. Speaking to TNT Sports when asked whether or not the win could ease the pressure from the outside world, he said: "Doubt it! My pleasure comes from seeing this group of players rewarded. They have never lost belief. Super proud of them. The Australian head coach was then asked about his "always winning something" in his second season comments from earlier in the campaign, where he continued: "I will leave that. People like to mock and ridicule. They diminish my achievements, I will keep doing what I do. "We are in the final four. Semi-final of a European competition. We are not often there." Will Postecoglou's premonition come to fruition? Sky Sports' Patrick Rowe... "I always win things in my second year," said Postecoglou at the beginning of the season. It was a statement that has loomed large over this team for much of the 2024/25 campaign, especially after exits in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. However, with pressure and noise being piled onto them heading into this fixture, they responded and now move one step closer to proving all the critics wrong. It was a performance that was needed from these players. Questions have been asked of their character, grit and determination throughout this season but this display, at a hostile Deutsche Bank Park, showed all of those qualities in abundance. They are not there yet but if they play like that for the remainder of the competition, they will be hard to beat.

No Writer
Apr 19
Antoine Semenyo: Man Utd believed to be front-runners in race to sign Bournemouth forward this summer
United head coach Ruben Amorim is thought to be a big admirer of Semenyo and has ideas about how to deploy him in a new-look attack next season. However, Man Utd are expected to face competition from a number of other Premier League clubs, including Liverpool. In fact, every top-six club apart from Arsenal is thought to have shown some interest in the 25-year-old. Transfer Centre LIVE! | Man Utd news & transfers🔴Man Utd fixtures & scores | FREE Man Utd PL highlights▶️Got Sky? Watch Man Utd games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔 Outside of the top six and United, Tottenham are also believed to be keen on Semenyo ahead of a summer window that is expected to see a significant turnaround in players across the Premier League. Bournemouth will not give up Semenyo lightly and are understood to value him as high as £70m. However, the structure of a deal remains undefined and could include a lower fixed fee with add-ons, similar to the £65m deal Bournemouth did with Spurs for Dominic Solanke last summer. United want and need to do business, and new forwards are among their priorities, with Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Antony all expected to leave the club permanently, most likely to their current loan clubs. Semenyo, who has scored 11 goals in all competitions so far this season, signed for Bournemouth in January 2023 for £10.5m from Championship side Bristol City. He still has four years left on his contract after signing a new deal last year.

William Bitibiri & Patrick Rowe
Apr 19
Marcus Rashford transfer: Forward shining since Man Utd exit but Aston Villa future still undecided
Sky Sports News reported Villa have not yet decided whether to take up their £40m option to turn Rashford's temporary move into a permanent deal, despite the forward scoring three goals and adding five assists across his 15 outings in claret and blue. Unai Emery admitted "it depends on the circumstances for now and the next weeks" while sources indicate the forward has not given up hope of joining Barcelona. Transfer Centre LIVE! | Aston Villa news & transfers🦁Aston Villa fixtures & scores | FREE Villa PL highlights▶️Got Sky? Watch Villa vs Newcastle LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔 Leaving Old Trafford has uncovered the Rashford that football fans had grown accustomed to seeing in years gone by and his next opportunity to impress will arrive in a crucial clash against fellow Champions League chasers Newcastle, live on Saturday Night Football. Rashford is facilitating his team-mates, driving with confidence at defenders and - after finally getting off the mark with a double against Preston in the FA Cup quarter-final to fire Villa to Wembley - the goals are now beginning to flood in for the 28-year-old. Most importantly, he is doing it with a smile on his face. So what more can Rashford do to secure a future in Birmingham? Here, Sky Sports takes a look at his rejuvenation and outlines why Rashford's permanent move to Villa Park should be a matter of when, not if. How much has Marcus Rashford improved at Villa? Sky Sports' Will Bitibiri: There's no question that Marcus Rashford needed a change. At United, Rashford's work rate and output were questioned as he slumped into a spell of poor form, but at Villa Park he has the look of a player rejuvenated. But what do the numbers say about Rashford's turnaround? In fewer than half the minutes he achieved for United this campaign, it's in his creative numbers where Rashford has shown the most growth. He is creating more than double the chances now, with 2.84 per game compared to 1.32 during his time at United this season. Villa's No 9 is also taking more shots now, averaging 3.26 in total compared to a previous 2.22. Alongside attempting and completing more dribbles at Villa, Rashford is having significantly more touches in the box. Debates over his industry have also been muted by a marginal improvement in the number of duels Rashford is involved in per game. Overthrowing Ollie Watkins Sky Sports' Patrick Rowe: Ollie Watkins is on the brink of breaking Gabriel Agbonlahor's Premier League goalscoring record for Villa, but there is one thing standing in his way: the form and impact of Rashford. Scoring 73 goals, as well as adding 32 assists, in 178 top-flight appearances - as Watkins has done - is a tough act for any forward to follow. However, Rashford is doing exactly that, and after being utilised as the 'No 9' for both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, it now appears he is Emery's first choice in the role. Numbers might not reflect his full impact on the pitch, but tune in to watch Rashford in action and you will see why. His blistering pace to ease past defenders remains and his talents on the ball, as the swivel of his hips and composure to tee up Ezri Konsa for Villa's third in the second leg showed, are now piecing the puzzle together once again. Whether or not the permanent move comes to fruition remains to be seen, but Rashford is a perfect fit for this Villa side. His ability to threaten centrally, while also drifting out wide to create space for surging runs from Morgan Rogers and Marco Asensio into the box, has already paid dividends for this team. If Villa can buy, they should. 'The best Rashford we've seen in years' Sky Sports' Lewis Jones: Emery knows a player - it's one of his many skills as a manager. He knows Marcus Rashford is a world-class operator on his day, hence why the on-loan Man Utd man is ousting Watkins from the Villa frontline. Emery has lit a fire under the much-talked about centre-forward. The performance in the second leg against PSG was the best we've seen from Rashford for two years. What he produced on this stage against arguably the best team in European football was world-class in terms of output. Rashford created the most chances (4) and completed the most dribbles (4) by any player on the pitch, combining both of those aspects to perfection in setting up Konsa to send Villa Park into a frenzy of belief that the comeback of all comebacks was on. It wasn't meant to be eventually, as Villa's fizzy play went flat when Rashford departed with 15 minutes to go. "I have to congratulate Marcus Rashford - I thought he was fantastic," said Wayne Rooney on Amazon Prime. "His talent, his skill, his ability to provoke the opponent. I hope he goes back to Manchester United and plays like he did today. That's what we all want to see as Manchester United fans. He wants to play for Manchester United, 100 per cent. He's a Manchester boy, but he needed to play." "Rashford, in an ideal world, would want to play and leave a legacy in Manchester. I don't know if that's possible, but that's what I'd like to see." Watch Aston Villa vs Newcastle, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, from 5pm on Saturday.