By Jasper Searles – Junior Sports Reporter
Hey, it’s Jasper.
I thought I would change up the format this week, keeping things interesting for my readers.
National League South
Hornchurch Struggling!
As of Tuesday, when Hornchurch were defeated 4 – 1 away to Dover Athletic, their form is 4 losses in a row and 1 point from the last 18 available. Title hopes may be gone.
Some big games to come, with Hornchurch taking on 2nd placed Worthing at the Bridge, this weekend.
Ps. I’m a celebrity winner Angry Ginge Follows Henry Sandat on Instagram!
Premier League
Saturday Matches
What a day! Aston Villa’s Tammy Abraham scraped a draw against Leeds, the score ended 1-1.
Then, Brighton picked up all 3 points on the road against Brentford, with the score 0-2 in their favour.
At Stamford Bridge, Burnley’s late, late equaliser helped them get a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
West Ham drew 0-0 vs Bournemouth, The first clean sheet for the Irons in a while, in what was an important game for the Hammers – who have tough games coming up. They continue to hunt down Nottingham Forest.
Many first half goals (not as many as the empty seats) means Man City beat Newcastle 2-1 at the “Empty-had”.
Sunday Matches
Guessand’s late winner guided Crystal Palace to a 1-0 win against Wolves. A huge win.
Talk about late winners… Liverpool’s 1-0 win against Forest had a 97th minute goal from Mac Allister.
Sunderland lost at home (again) to Fulham 3-1. The second time the Mackem’s have lost to the Cottagers this season!
In North London, we saw another 4-1 hammering of Tottenham by the Gunners. Eze, who turned down Spurs in the Summer, came to haunt them again.
Monday Night Football
1-0 to Manchester United was the result. A loss for Everton. Goal from striker Sesko makes the difference.
Champions League
A big week as we saw the Champions League play-offs conclude. The big stories from this game week:
Real Madrid’s Vini jr silences Benfica…
Newcastle through to the last 16….and will face Chelsea or Barcelona. (Typical toon luck.)
Inter Milan knocked out by FK Bodø/Glimt… who may win the whole Champions League! Woah woah woah, I know what you’re thinking? But the Norwegian surprise package have beat Manchester City, Athletico Madrid and now Inter Milan who made it to last year’s final. A 2-1 win at the San Siro!
Did anyone see ex-Toon defender, Lloyd Kelly’s red card in the Juventus game? One of the worst decisions ever!!!
Have your say!
Something different this week – now that all teams have made their final purchases and have their squads in place until the end of the season – I have been thinking and have come up with my top 5 signings of the 2025 – 2026 Premier League. My take on what an impact they have had are…
Name: Nick Woltemade
Transfer: Stuttgart to Newcastle United
The big German Striker (he is 6, 7”) had a great start to the season as a striker, the goals are still here and there. The German is being played as a number 10, which has benefited the team and players like Anthony Gordon – who scored 4 goals in 1 game in the Champions League this season (more than Isak all season).
Name: Hugo Ekitike
Transfer: Frankfurt to Liverpool
With other Liverpool striker Isak underperforming, Ekitike has stepped up. Despite a slow season for the Reds, he looks very lively and has many goals this season, so far.
Name: Bryan Mbumo
Transfer: Brentford to Manchester United
The Cameroon International joined the Red Devils in the summer. He has had a massive impact, especially recently under Michel Carrick. He is thriving at Old Trafford, so he couldn’t miss out on this list.
Name: Granit Xhaka
Transfer: Bayer Leverkusen to Sunderland
As much as I dislike the Mackem’s, undoubtedly, he deserves a spot on this list. The heartbeat of an inexperienced Sunderland side. They might have slipped down the table in recent weeks – at the same time as him being missing through injury. Shows how important he is to the Black Cats.
Name: Antoine Semenyo
Transfer: Bournemouth to Manchester City.
Since his January arrival, his stats have been good, as well as his performance. To date, he has many goal involvements (many goals and many assists). He has helped Manchester City go toe to toe with Arsenal in the title race. A potential title defining transfer must be mentioned.
Let me know your top transfers in the comments – I look forward to hearing from you.
That’s all for this week’s football round-up — see you soon for more results,
highlights, and stories from the world of football!
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