Call it the VAR effect. The Liverpool left-back was on the end of one of those trial by television incidents on Saturday when he was adjudged to have conceded an injury-time penalty for a foul on Danny Welbeck in the 1-1 draw at Brighton.
But the decision was only ratified after referee Stuart Attwell went to consult the pitchside monitor.
Robertson’s frustration intensified on Sunday as he watched two similar incidents in different games end up with neither being given as a penalty.
His Liverpool colleague James Milner had tweeted on Saturday that he was “falling out of love” with the game and the Scotland captain is feeling something similar.
“I used to love going to football games and being in that moment and celebrating a goal,” he reflects. “That has been taken out of the game a wee bit.
“Sometimes you’re waiting two or three minutes to see if a goal is onside or offside. If it’s that tight, leave it to whatever decision has been made.
“Milly’s tweet was echoing what footballers and football fans are feeling and I agree with what he’s saying. People I’ve spoken to are not enjoying watching football as much.
It’s “clear and obvious” we need a serious discussion about VAR. Sure I’m not alone in feeling like they are falling out of love with the game in its current state. pic.twitter.com/5FGgLtqbHs
“It’s constantly in review or on a screen, yet we’re still not getting the consistency that we maybe were looking for.
“Football is a great game that we fell in love with and still are in love with but it’s important we don’t lose that.
“I’m all for change and I know times change but it’s important to remember the key values of our sport. We’ve got to keep that.”
Robertson even admits that the constant analysis of decisions, whether they be tight offside or penalty calls, is proving a real turn off. And it has him pining for the old days.
“I would much rather leave it up to the referee’s naked eye,” he says. “It is much easier to accept a mistake like that than with so much technology involved. When referees make mistakes on the field, it’s what they see at that moment.”
Pascal Gross scores in the 93rd minute! ????
VAR rules Robertson committed a foul on Welbeck and Brighton make no mistake from their second spot-kick of the day! ???? pic.twitter.com/4dfHAf0Fwe
Robertson and Liverpool are in Champions League action on Tuesday night, needing three points to progress to the knockout stages but manager Jurgen Klopp will be wary of an Ajax side that has scored 38 goals in the eight games since the Reds won 1-0 in Amsterdam last month.
Just as big a concern for the German will be to avoid adding to his injury list, which he believes all started in the Merseyside derby when he lost Virgil van Dijk and Thiago Alcantara.
“We had two massive impact injuries and it started from then,” he states. “If one player goes out for a long time, another who is maybe not ready, has to play more often than not.
“You can’t prepare a squad for two massive injuries in one position, in our case centre half. Another midfielder then has to play centre half and someone else has to play midfield who was not exactly ready.
“One thing leads to another, but we have to deal with it and try to make the best of it.”
Liverpool XI (possible): Alisson; N Williams, Matip, Fabinho, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Jota, Mane; Firmino.
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Anton Ferdinand is revisiting a 2011 incident which led to former Chelsea and England captain John Terry being found guilty by the Football Association of racially abusing the ex-QPR defender.
The ‘Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism & Me’ documentary will tackle the storm which followed the incident, with Terry found not guilty in a court of law before the FA opted to issue the player a four-game ban and £220,000 fine in September 2012.
Ferdinand will explore the issues of racism in football, touching on his own experience from almost a decade ago, which he says led to bullets in the post and missiles thrown at his mother’s house.
“I beat myself up about not speaking out,” Ferdinand says in the documentary. “Bar a few close friends and family – mum, especially, and dad – everyone else was saying: ‘Don’t say anything, let the lawyers deal with it.'”
How to watch documentary in UK
‘Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism & Me’ will be aired on BBC One on Monday 30 November at 9pm GMT.
The documentary will then be available online using the BBC iPlayer.
How the Ferdinand-Terry story unfolded
In Chelsea’s Premier League match at QPR on 23 October 2011, Terry was alleged to have directed a racist slur towards Ferdinand in the 85th minute.
The pair had been involved in a heated exchange, and Terry was then captured allegedly calling Ferdinand a “f***ng black c***” while walking away.
In my brand new documentary, I explore the issue of racism in football, speaking for the first time about my own personal experience.#AntonFerdinand: Football, Racism and Me on @BBC One & @BBCiPlayer – Nov 30th – 9pm pic.twitter.com/XECjg3nbhR
Footage began to circulate on social media after the match, prompting Terry to release a statement in which he admitted to using the words, but only in response to Ferdinand’s claims he had used the slur.
Terry said: “I’m disappointed that people have leapt to the wrong conclusions about the context of what I was seen to be saying to Anton Ferdinand.
“I thought Anton was accusing me of using a racist slur against him. I responded aggressively, saying that I never used that term. I would never say such a thing, and I’m saddened that people would think so.”
In December 2011, Terry was faced with a charge for a racially aggravated public order by the Crown Prosecution Service. The then-England captain again expressed his disappointment.
In a statement, Terry said: “I am disappointed with the decision to charge me and hope to be given the chance to clear my name as quickly as possible.
“I have never aimed a racist remark at anyone and count people from all races and creeds among my closest friends. I have campaigned against racism and believe there is no place for it in society.”
Court finds Terry not guilty
During the court hearing in July 2012, Ashley Cole was summoned to give evidence, and he backed his then-Chelsea team-mate by claiming Terry was repeating the alleged slur.
“I think we shouldn’t be sitting here,” Cole said. “If I repeated something that I thought you said, that’s totally different than if someone just says something.”
A statement from Jose Mourinho was also read out in court: “I never once witnessed any demonstration of racism or racial abuse or behaviour. I am certain that John Terry is not a racist.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea players including Frank Lampard and Petr Cech signed a prepared statement, saying: “I have never heard John Terry use any form of racist language and have never heard any suggestion that he may have done so.”
John Terry (C) leaves Westminster Magistrates court in London, on July 13, 2012 (Photo: AFP)
Terry was eventually found not guilty. The court concluded that although “there is no doubt that John Terry uttered the words “f***ing black c***” at Anton Ferdinand,” it was deemed “impossible” to know exactly what was said in their exchange before that footage was captured.
The conclusion of senior district judge Howard Riddle ended: “Weighing all the evidence together, I think it is highly unlikely that Mr Ferdinand accused Mr Terry on the pitch of calling him a black c***. However I accept that it is possible that Mr Terry believed at the time, and believes now, that such an accusation was made.
“The prosecution evidence as to what was said by Mr Ferdinand at this point is not strong. Mr Cole gives corroborating (although far from compelling corroborating) evidence on this point. It is therefore possible that what he said was not intended as an insult, but rather as a challenge to what he believed had been said to him. In those circumstances, there being a doubt, the only verdict the court can record is one of not guilty.”
FA issue ban and fine
Following the court verdict, the Football Association pressed on with their own investigation, prompting Terry to retire from England duty after claiming his position with the national side had become “untenable”.
After a four-day hearing in September 2012, Terry was found guilty by the FA, banned for four matches and fined £220,000.
Anton Ferdinand (L) leaves Westminster Magistrates court in London, on July 9, 2012 (Photo: AFP)
A statement from Terry’s management company said: “Mr Terry is disappointed that the FA Regulatory Commission has reached a different conclusion to the clear not guilty verdict of a court of law.
“He has asked for the detailed written reasons of the decision and will consider them carefully before deciding whether to lodge an appeal.”
Handshake snub and Rio’s ‘choc ice’ tweet
Almost 12 months after the incident, and just before the FA hearing, Ferdinand refused to shake hands with Terry and Cole when QPR met Chelsea at Loftus Road.
Terry and Cole both offered their hand, and the former could be seen speaking to Ferdinand when the gesture was rejected.
That snub followed a tweet which led to Rio Ferdinand, brother of Anton, being found guilty of improper conduct and fined £45,000 by the FA for replying to a message which called then-Chelsea defender Cole a “choc ice” for his role in defending Terry.
The ex-United defender tweeted: “I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic hahahahahaha!!” when responding to a message which said: “Looks like Ashley Cole’s going to be their choc ice. Then again he’s always been a sell out. Shame on him.”
Carlton Cole’s accusations
Ahead of the documentary’s release, former West Ham striker Carlton Cole said in an interview with StoppageTime TV that Terry had admitted the accusations were in fact true, allegedly calling it a “moment of madness”.
A statement from Terry’s lawyers said: “John Terry refutes in the strongest possible terms the allegations that are made against him by Carlton Cole.
“They are false and never happened and Mr Terry has previously been cleared of these allegations in an English court of law.
“Never before has Carlton Cole mentioned this to Mr Terry or raised any issue of this type with him, the FA or the police. The reason for that is because the words were not said.”
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Various departments of the Football Association would have whirred into life at around 8pm on Sunday evening.
As minds were turning to bed, Monday morning and the start of the working week, an Instagram post from Edinson Cavani’s account used the phrase “gracias n***ito!” to thank a follower who had praised the Uruguayan for his performance against Southampton, coming from the bench to score twice in Manchester United’s three-goal comeback.
Phones started buzzing, emails pinged, messages exchanged, conference calls hastily convened. What had been a thrilling day for Cavani – his best since moving to Manchester United in the summer – turned into a social media storm and an FA racism investigation.
The FA can often make the call whether to charge or exonerate somebody for an alleged offence that occurred during the weekend by Monday afternoon, but in Cavani’s case we are not expected to hear anything for several days, and possibly not until next week.
The governing body is in the processes of establishing facts and motives, calling and emailing Manchester United to seek an explanation from the club and player for the post. Cavani will be afforded a few days to respond to them, although he made a public statement on Monday afternoon. Even when it receives his explanation, the FA will take time and care before reaching a conclusion. Its staff have much to analyse and take into consideration.
In the 24 hours since the post went live some have suggested that it is directly comparable to when Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches and fined £40,000 for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, nine years ago.
It has been claimed that Cavani and Suarez – Uruguay team-mates and friends – used the same word when, in fact, Suarez, a Liverpool striker at the time, was alleged to have used the term “n***o” (he claimed it was used in a friendly way he would have used in Uruguay).
Context, here, is crucial. In the Suarez case, during its investigation, lasting more than two months, the FA’s independent panel consulted with anti-discrimination campaigners Football Against Racism in Europe (Fare) on the language used by Suarez and the context of similar words used in South America.
Following the verdict, Fare’s executive director Piara Powar said: “If it is used in a friendly fashion then it is acceptable, it turns immediately to a hostile meaning if it is used as an offensive word. Taking the context of that game, it is difficult to see how he would have used it in a friendly way.”
Cavani deleted his Instagram post after speaking to Man Utd officials (Photo: Getty/Instagram)
Cavani maintains that the term “n***ito” was used in an endearing manner in his Instagram post. “The message I posted after the game on Sunday was intended as an affectionate greeting to a friend, thanking him for his congratulations after the game,” he said on Monday. “The last thing I wanted to do was cause offence to anyone.
“I am completely opposed to racism and deleted the message as soon as it was explained that it can be interpreted differently. I would like to sincerely apologise for this.”
When it was pointed out to him by a Manchester United official on Sunday that it was offensive, he deleted the post, around three hours after it was put up. Instagram stories, the method Cavani used to publish his post, are automatically removed 24 hours after they are published anyway.
Moreover, context is far easier to analyse when it regards a written post online as opposed to heated words exchanged during a live match. Words that were not picked up by stadium microphones and that even players nearby to Suarez and Evra had not heard. Words that were hard, even, to discern via grainy footage from broadcasters’ television cameras in the stadium.
Some weight would also be placed on whether Cavani posted the response himself.
Many players these days have social media managers and do not use the platforms themselves (some have professional accounts run by employees while using their own private accounts with family and close friends).
While FA regulations make clear that a player is ultimately responsible for what their accounts post, it would be taken into consideration if Cavani did not physically post the reply in question, although the statement he released yesterday did not deny that it was him.
The FA published fresh guidance on racist language at the start of the season. Racist incidents on the pitch are punished with bans of between six and 12 matches, whereas off-field incidents carry a ban of at least three matches.
Whatever the governing body concludes will divide opinion. Some spoke out in Cavani’s defence on Monday, while others insisted it was racist regardless of how the player meant it.
Manchester United stood by their player, saying in a statement: “It is clear to us that there was absolutely no malicious intent behind Edinson’s message and he deleted it as soon as he was informed that it could be misconstrued.
“Edinson has issued an apology for any unintentional offence caused. Manchester United and all of our players are fully committed to the fight against racism.”
The FA must tread carefully: what it decides will set a precedent for similar cases in future.
Sam Cunningham’s i football column is published in print and online on Tuesday mornings. You can follow him on Twitter @samcunningham
Formula One climbs back on the horse this weekend at the same Bahrain circuit that demonstrated the dangers of going wheel to wheel in an automotive prototype at speeds topping 200mph.
So far no word from snooker hall warrior Ronnie O’Sullivan about how easy a caper it is providing you have the quickest car. Perhaps Ronnie is still chalking his cue.
That he could move at all following an impact measuring 50G, his car splitting in two as he clobbered the barrier at twice the motorway speed limit, is testimony to the quality of safety in Formula One.
It’s not perfect. No money will be spared in the coming days and weeks as the sport investigates how a driver could still be so exposed during an impact, how the engine unit could shear from its mounting when designed to stay in situ, how the fuel cell could be compromised to such a devastating degree. Doubtless lessons will be learned, just as they were after the tragic accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix that cost Jules Bianchi his life.
Bianchi’s collision with a recovery vehicle at the scene of Adrian Sutil’s crash a lap earlier led to the introduction of the halo device that almost certainly saved Grosjean’s life. How ironic that Grosjean was one of many drivers, including seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton, who initially opposed its introduction. Bernie Ecclestone, the father of modern F1, argued that it was an affront to the integrity of open cockpit racing and was vehemently against it.
Without it, Grosjean’s head and torso would have taken the full force of the impact leaving us to speculate about the consequences of that. In a bygone age when there was no such thing as a survival cell, which remained intact allowing Grosjean to extricate himself, let alone a halo, first responders were left to manage death scenes. The example of Francois Cevert at Watkins Glen in 1973 comes to mind, his body halved as his Tyrrell sliced through the barriers during qualifying.
In the case of Grosjean, photographs suggest that his halo opened the metal barrier like a can opener as the chassis slid under the guardrails. That and the performance of the roll hoop, the essential safety architecture that extends above the driver’s head behind the seat, punching an inverted V-shape in the barrier during impact, protected Grosjean from the elemental forces that accounted for Cevert.
Grosjean was given notice last month that his services will not be required by Haas next season. Since he won’t be in the car this weekend, and must be a doubt for the final race of the season seven days hence in Abu Dhabi, it may be that the crash in Bahrain turns out to be his swansong. Not the lasting contribution to the sport he imagined but in its own way a statement of sorts.
Grosjean and the cockpit went through the barrier – where the halo device prevented him from suffering a serious head injury (Photo: Reuters)
On the day Watford’s Troy Deeney defended the right of footballers to police their own health in the case of head injuries following the collision between Raul Jimenez and David Luiz, Grosjean serves as an example that such decisions are best left with the experts. Had he, and the majority of his F1 rivals had their way, Grosjean would have advanced towards that barrier in Sakhir sans the device that saved him. A halo in more ways than one.
The Uruguayan will be investigated by the Football Association after replying to a message of congratulations on Instagram, in which he used a word that is seen as a term of endearment in Latin America – although one that is still offensive in other contexts.
In a statement, Cavani said: “The message I posted after the match on Sunday was intended as an affectionate greeting to a friend, thanking him for his congratulations after the game.
“The last thing I wanted to do was cause offence to anyone. I am completely opposed to racism and deleted the message as soon as it was explained that it can be interpreted differently. I would like to sincerely apologise for this.”
Manchester United added: “It is clear to us that there was absolutely no malicious intent behind Edinson’s message and he deleted it as soon as he was informed that it could be misconstrued.
“Edinson has issued an apology for any unintentional offence caused. Manchester United and all of our players are fully committed to the fight against racism.”
Ahead of the new season the FA applied a minimum three-match suspension should any player be found guilty of a discriminatory incident on social media.
Social media guidelines sent out by the FA warned players against using “threatening, indecent, abusive or insulting language or images” or “discriminatory language”.
Players are responsible for their social media accounts, even if posts are done by a third party, while the guidelines also mention to “remove any inappropriate postings as soon as possible”, a point Cavani has followed upon learning of reaction to the post.
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After his match-winning contribution for United at Southampton on Sunday, Cavani shared a congratulatory post on his Instagram story, which featured a picture of him celebrating at St Mary’s.
Below the photo Cavani used the Spanish term “n***ito”, which literally translates to “little black man”. United have stressed the word was clearly used in an affectionate manner and has different meanings in his native South America.
The club said the 33-year-old had been made aware such terms are viewed as offensive in the UK and he subsequently deleted the post.
A term of endearment?
Dr Christopher Sabatini, a senior fellow for Latin America at Chatham House, explained why “n***ito” is an “offensive” word despite its common usage in Latin America.
“It is a term of endearment in Latin America,” Dr Sabatini tells i. “They also have other terms of endearment that are equally offensive. They’ll refer to a girl who is skinny as ‘the skinny one’ or even, la gordita, ‘little fat one’. That doesn’t make it any less offensive.
Edinson Cavani deleted his Instagram post after speaking to Man Utd officials (Photo: Getty/Instagram)
“The irony is there are very few African Americans or Afro-descendants in Uruguay, or Argentina, where a large number were killed in the Conquest of the Desert. It’s not even that it has come out of societies that are deeply integrated, it comes out of it in a sense that they are a small minority.
“For example, in Argentina they refer to indigenous people as ‘blackheads’, cabezas negras, and they will argue that is just how they refer to them. Well, no, it’s really disgusting.
“The bottom line is, yes it’s a term of endearment, but that doesn’t make it any less offensive. It’s disparaging. Just because people say it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be aware of its connotations and its legacy in terms of a term of denoting condescension.”
Dr Sabatini added that celebrities with a large online reach must become more aware of certain phrases and their connotations.
“I’m not one to police language, but I do think international stars who have the megaphone need to be much more self-conscious of the implications of the words they use,” Dr Sabatini said. “Simply saying ‘that’s a phrase we use’ doesn’t work.
“There is reason for legitimate concern, and even punishment. There are plenty of other words too. We can go back millennia, we shouldn’t refer to women as ‘wenches’, this is the way languages and tolerance and inclusion evolve, and it does require – especially people with a public persona – being much more conscious of the language they use – regardless of context – and its implications.
He added: “Some Latin Americans will argue that it isn’t offensive. ‘No this is just the way we are’. It speaks to the legacy of the inequality with race and ethnicity.
“If you look at census data, Uruguay is one of the most homogenous of European countries in all of Latin America. When those numbers are smaller you become a lot less conscious of those concerns.”
The FA v Luis Suarez
Cavani’s friend and compatriot Luis Suarez was handed an eight-match ban and fined £40,000 in 2011 after the Football Association found the ex-Liverpool striker guilty of racially abusing then-Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.
A 115-page document, The FA v Luis Suarez, outlines the disciplinary case, in which Suarez was found to have used the word “n***o” or “n****s” seven times in his exchanges with Evra. “On each occasion, the words were insulting,” the FA said in its findings.
Suarez was given an eight-match ban following his confrontation with Evra (Photo: Getty)
Suarez initially claimed that his use of the term was “conciliatory and friendly and was commonly used in this way in Uruguay”, adding that in “no way” was it supposed to be “offensive or to be racially offensive”.
Spanish language experts were consulted for the case, and it ultimately came down to the context in which the term was used. In this instance, the FA rejected Suarez’s claims as it deemed his exchange with Evra was “confrontational and argumentative”.
Part of the FA’s summary read: “We received expert evidence as to the use of the word “n***o” in Uruguay and other areas of Latin America. It is often used as a noun to address people, whether family, friends or passers-by, and is widely seen as inoffensive. However, its use can also be offensive. It depends on the context.
“It is inoffensive when its use implies a sense of rapport or the attempt to create such rapport. However, if it were used, for example, with a sneer, then it might carry negative connotations. The Spanish language experts told us that if Mr Suarez said the things that Mr Evra alleged, they would be considered racially offensive in Uruguay and other regions of Latin America.”
The FA also stated Suarez’s punishment would have been smaller had he used the phrase once.
The case findings added: “Mr Suarez’s behaviour was far more serious than a single use of the word “n***o” to address Mr Evra in a way which would be considered inoffensive in Uruguay. If that was all that Mr Suarez had done, and we had found the Charge proved, the penalty would have been less than we have imposed.”
Suarez later admitted in his autobiography: “I’m not trying to pretend it was meant in a friendly way to Evra because clearly we were arguing. But nor was it ever meant as a racist slur.”
Evra revealed earlier this year he received a letter of apology from Liverpool CEO Peter Moore, while in 2019 former Reds defender Jamie Carragher also apologised to Evra after Liverpool players wore t-shirts in support of Suarez immediately after the striker was handed his eight-game ban.
Meanwhile, there are only three references to the term “n***ito” in the FA v Suarez case, which outline how the governing body sought advice from former United forward Javier Hernandez:
“A Mexican footballer, Omar Esparza, is widely known in Mexico as “el N***ito”. Hernandez, the Manchester United player, has been a close friend of Omar Esparza for many years and refers to him as “el N***ito” in an affectionate way. Hernandez admitted that terms such as “N***ito” can be used with close friends and in certain situations without it being offensive.”
What do FA laws and guidelines say?
Ahead of the new season the FA applied a minimum three-match suspension should any player be found guilty of a discriminatory incident on social media.
Social media guidelines sent out by the FA warned players against using “threatening, indecent, abusive or insulting language or images” or “discriminatory language”.
The guidelines add: “Discriminatory abuse includes a reference whether expressed [sic] or implied to any one or more of the following: Ethnic origin, Colour, Race, Nationality, Religion or belief, Gender, Gender reassignment, Sexual orientation, Disability.”
Players are also responsible for everything on their social media accounts, even if posted by a third party, while the guidelines also mention to “remove any inappropriate postings as soon as possible”, a point Cavani has followed upon learning of reaction to the post.
From the FA’s Essential Information For Players 2020/21 (Photo: FA)
Silva deleted a tweet to team-mate Benjamin Mendy in which he included a picture of the defender as a child next to the logo of a Spanish company, Conguitos.
An FA statement read: “The Manchester City midfielder’s social media activity on 22 September 2019 breached FA Rule E3(1), as it was insulting and/or improper and/or brought the game into disrepute, and constituted an “Aggravated Breach”, which is defined in FA Rule E3(2), as it included reference, whether expressed or implied, to race and/or colour and/or ethnic origin.”
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Edinson Cavani faces a possible three-match ban after using a racially offensive term in an Instagram post.
The Uruguayan striker came off the bench and scored twice to inspire Manchester United to a 3-2 comeback victory against Southampton on Sunday.
Replying to a message of congratulations on Instagram, Cavani used the Spanish term “n***ito”, which literally translates to “little black man”.
United stressed that the word was clearly used in an affectionate manner and has different connotations in Cavani’s native South America.
The club said the 33-year-old had been made aware such terms are viewed as offensive in the UK and he subsequently deleted the post.
The FA, which is aware of the matter and will investigate, issued guidelines ahead of this season clamping down on racist and discriminatory language and behaviour, with offences on social media carrying a minimum three-game ban.
Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and Dele Alli of Tottenham were both suspended for one match last season after posts that breached FA guidelines.
Cavani’s friend and compatriot Luis Suarez was given an eight-game ban by the FA in 2011 after calling United full-back Patrice Evra “n***o”. The Liverpool striker initially used the same defence as Cavani, although later admitted in his autobiography: “I’m not trying to pretend it was meant in a friendly way to Evra because clearly we were arguing. But nor was it ever meant as a racist slur.”
Solskjaer hails ‘top class’ Cavani
Cavani came off the bench at half-time to inspire United’s comeback at Southampton (Photo: AP)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer heaped praise on super sub Cavani after the veteran striker spearheaded United’s stunning comeback win at Southampton.
Saints were on course for their first home league win against the Red Devils since 2003, with Jan Bednarek and James Ward-Prowse giving them a two-goal cushion heading into half-time.
But United boss Solskjaer’s decision to turn to summer signing Cavani at half-time proved inspired, with the veteran striker setting up Bruno Fernandes before scoring a brace to seal a 3-2 triumph at the death.
United have come from behind to win all of their away league matches this season, with this victory extending their winning run on the road to a club record eighth match in succession.
“I thought we played well all day,” Solskjaer said. “We created some big chances.
“Of course they have the quality of James Ward-Prowse, which is always difficult to defend against, so coming in at half-time we have to make changes and Edinson made a great impact.
“We know he is one of the cleverest and best movers in the box, he can peel off you, get in front of you. Sometimes it works for you and he certainly had an impact today.
“[The never say die attitude] is very important and a trait that Man United always should have. Never give up, never give in.
“I don’t know how many times I was on the pitch and we came back and won games towards the end.
“We had a manager who never, ever allows anyone to give up and I have to say that’s one of my values.
“I have to say if you don’t play well at least work hard and never give in.
“Show that you give everything for your team and, even though I think we played really well today, I think we showed we had a character to dig in when the result looked to go against us.”
Solskjaer’s side showed great spirit at an empty St Mary’s, where Cavani was uncharacteristically unprepared before his stunning introduction.
“He’s got all the attributes of a top-class footballer and human being,” the United boss said.
“He’s had a great career, scored goals wherever he has been.
“He’s so professional, meticulous with his preparation, with his recovery, what he does at mealtimes, before the game, during the game, so I was surprised that he didn’t have his boots ready when the second half started!
“But also to have a focal point in the box is important for us because we’ve not really had that since Romelu [Lukaku] left.
“Anthony [Martial], Marcus [Rashford], Mason [Greenwood] they’re different types of forwards, so it gives us a great balance and a mix.
“We wanted to mix it up and Edinson had a great impact.”
There was an awful lot of nothing in Chelsea’s goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspur. Some good nothing. Some not so good nothing. Some nothing that, ultimately, both managers would have travelled home content with.
They set out two teams that were not afraid to play, but were definitely afraid to lose. Not necessarily an unwise approach, when the points shared leaves them both in the top three – only two points separating leaders Spurs and second place Liverpool with Chelsea – but not one that will likely ever be remembered beyond the 90 minutes, stoppage time, the post-match interviews, the highlights shows and the brief day-after chatter.
A particularly wise approach from Mourinho’s perspective. Spurs went top three weeks ago after a narrow win against West Bromwich Albion and here they are, top still, after matches against Manchester City and Chelsea.
At Stamford Bridge were two contrasting styles, seemingly cancelling each other out. Lampard’s conservative patience countering Mourinho’s resolute counterattacking.
From Chelsea, there was a lot of Ben Chilwell – Timo Werner – Chilwell – Mason Mount – Chilwell – Thiago Silva – Kurt Zouma – Reece James – etc – etc – then repeat in reverse with a few different players in the excruciating passages of short passing from left to right and left again, then right.
Silva’s brutal no-look pass back to his own goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, under pressure from Moussa Sissoko, was probably the highlight of the first 45 minutes, and it took place 90 yards away from their opponent’s goal.
From Spurs, there was a lot of what Mourinho has made great about this side: the renewed level of organisation and robustness, the interconnectivity and understanding.
Tanguy Ndombele’s clever skills and turns carrying the ball out of Tottenham’s half. His dribble seemingly through Silva and N’Golo Kante.
Chances were few and far between at Stamford Bridge (Photo: PA)
Harry Kane 2.0: spraying cross-field passes to left and right, the deft touch into Steven Bergwijn’s path, producing the only real chance of the first half that Bergwijn fired fractionally over Mendy’s crossbar. Bergwijn: confident, nimble and slippery.
All great to watch, yet all, equally, producing very little, if anything.
The same continued into the second half. Two almost identical, dangerous James crosses into Tottenham’s penalty area in the space of five minutes, two almost identical misses of the ball by Tammy Abraham as he ran and leapt to meet them.
When Abraham missed a third headed chance from Timo Werner’s cross it would have been fascinating to be inside the head of Olivier Giroud, the French striker sat in Chelsea’s dugout, probably thinking about all the headers he’s scored in his lengthy career.
Giroud was introduced with 10 minutes remaining on the clock as both managers tried to make something out of the nothing. Lampard perhaps trying harder. Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz joined Giroud for Chelsea. Mourinho turned to the creative Giovani Lo Celso, then replaced Bergwijn for Ben Davies, swapping attacker for defender.
A draw keeps both Chelsea and Tottenham firmly in the title race (Photo: GETTY)
As Spurs produced a rare second-half attack and Lo Celso tried something clever but instead floated the ball aimlessly wide, yet more potential turned to nothing, Mourinho burst from his dugout, furious.
All the good nothingness bred frustration on the touchlines, the complaints all the more audible in the Covid vacuum created in the stadiums of today’s football.
Mourinho and his staff and the Spurs bench were furious when James blocked the path of the advancing Sergio Reguilon with what they thought was a hand in the face. Lampard and Co thought differently.
Then Lampard and his staff and the Chelsea bench were angered when a promising break, with Werner attacking at pace in Tottenham’s half, was halted by referee Paul Tierney calling an off-the-ball foul on Eric Dier. Mourinho and Co thought differently.
There were the two significant saves, of course. Mendy down low and stretching to his right from Serge Aurier’s shot from the edge of Chelsea’s box. Hugo Lloris down low and stretching to his left to keep out Mason Mount’s dive from a similar distance.
As he nears his one-year anniversary as Arsenal boss, it feels like Mikel Arteta has been given a crash course in crisis management.
One win from his first seven games in the Premier League as he attempted to unpick Unai Emery’s tangled legacy. His coronavirus diagnosis and the disruption to the season which followed. The decisive defeats during Project Restart which shattered any lingering hopes of Champions League qualification. The wrangles with Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi; the backroom reshuffles; the list goes on.
So far, Arteta has navigated those crises calmly and decisively. Inconsistent results last season were answered by promising performances and Arsenal’s triumphant run to the FA Cup final. While his hardline stance towards unwanted players has proved controversial, there’s little doubt that, wherever there have been power struggles, he has come out on top.
Judging by this showing, Arsenal’s current malaise could be his most difficult challenge to date. Defeat to Wolves leaves Arsenal 14th in the table with one win from their last six league games. Nuno Espirito Santo stuck with a back four at The Emirates – a set-up which he used for the first time in his three-year tenure in Wolves’ 1-1 draw with Southampton last weekend – and Arteta matched him despite having limited success against Leeds with the same 4-2-3-1 formation.
The game was disrupted early on after a sickening clash of heads which left David Luiz and Raul Jimenez on the turf. The latter needed oxygen and was stretchered off, while the former was bandaged up and, somehow, allowed to continue. Players on both sides were visibly distressed by Jimenez’s injury and, once the medics had carried him down the tunnel, the match resumed at a subdued pace.
Wolves were first to settle into their rhythm, gradually upping the pressure on Arsenal’s back line. They opened the scoring with a sharp passing move just before the half-hour mark, Adama Traore thundering down the right flank and crossing for Leander Dendoncker to head onto the bar only for Pedro Neto to score on the follow-up.
Two minutes later, Arsenal almost equalised when Kieran Tierney made a mirror-image run and teed up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Unfortunately for him, Conor Coady was there to nick the ball off his toe. As it turned out, Coady’s heroic intervention was futile. From the ensuing corner, Willian played a tight one-two with Hector Bellerin before whipping a cross in for Gabriel to head home.
That was a false dawn for Arsenal, who were on the back foot for the rest of the half. Wolves’ second goal around the 40-minute mark was frustratingly similar to their first, Traore showing impressive poise under pressure to get the ball to Neto before he galloped forwards and unleashed a shot which, despite Leno’s parried save, was gobbled up by Daniel Podence.
Bellerin and Luiz were guilty of backing off too far in the build-up but, with the latter now bleeding through his bandages, it was no surprise to see him struggling. He came off for Rob Holding at half time, a decision which should have been made earlier.
Nuno Espirito Santo embraces Conor Coady at the final whistle (Photo: AP)
Arsenal had the same problems here that they did against Leeds, even before Nicolas Pepe’s sending off last weekend. They created fewer quality chances than their opponents, their midfield struggled to get a grip on possession and, despite having greater threat in the wide areas, the team seemed disconnected.
Barring some sustained pressure with 20 minutes to play which saw decent chances for Aubameyang and Reiss Nelson – the former dispossessing Rui Patricio only for the angles to close on a gaping net – the second half largely passed them by. After barely a year in the job, Arteta still needs time to work on Arsenal’s issues but he will need all his crisis management skills to get them out of this mess.
Raul Jimenez had to be carried off on a stretcher in the opening minutes of Wolves’ game against Arsenal at the Emirates after being apparently knocked out cold following a heavy clash of heads of David Luiz.
The Wolves striker headed a Willian corner clear but was immediately caught by Luiz who had looked to attack the ball and there was an audible crack that was picked up on Sky Sports’ TV coverage as the pair collided in the air.
The broadcaster opted against showing a replay the incident.
Luiz and Jimenez collided in mid-air (Photo: AP)Jimenez was given oxygen on the field before being taken off (Photo: AFP)
Referee Michael Oliver recognised the severity of the situation straight away and blew his whistle to enable the medical teams from both clubs to come onto the pitch. There were ten medics in total treating both Jimenez and Luiz.
Although Luiz was able to sit up following treatment, Jimenez was placed in the recovery position by Wolves’ medics and given oxygen while a stretcher was brought on to help him safely off.
After approximately eight minutes, Jimenez was eventually removed from the pitch on a stretcher to be taken to hospital. Luiz, on the other hand, was deemed fit to continue after having his head bandaged up following a cut to his forehead.
Sky confirmed around ten minutes later that Jimenez had been taken straight to hospital.
More to follow
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Tottenham and Chelsea retained their positions of first and third of the Premier League respectively after playing out a largely uneventful 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.
The solid, if unambitious, Spurs performance was reminiscent of Jose Mourinho‘s first spell at Chelsea but Frank Lampard will feel that Chelsea could have sealed all three points after dominating proceedings in the second half.
Here i looks at the match-defining performances from Stamford Bridge…
Joe Rodon – 7/10
“He came to us because we trust him. There is always a first time so when you come from smaller clubs, from lower divisions, there is always a first time. And for him the first time is a big match, but it’s also a great opportunity for him,” said Mourinho pre-match.
Despite having the vastly more experienced Davinson Sanchez at his disposal, Mourinho demonstrated his faith in Joe Rodon, the summer signing from Swansea City, handing the 23-year-old his first Premier League start at Stamford Bridge alongside Eric Dier in defence.
The towering, tattoo-covered Welshman, learned quickly that mistakes at the top level can be punished when after having his pocket picked by Mason Mount on the halfway line, he watched Timo Werner bend an arcing shot beyond Hugo Lloris – only for the offside flag to come to his rescue.
Rodon’s heart will have been in his mouth again in the 92nd minute when his weak header back fell straight to Olivier Giroud who failed to execute his lob over Hugo Lloris. A couple of shaky moments aside though, it was a promising first start in a Spurs shirt for Rodon, who got a bloody lip from Kai Havertz’s elbow for his troubles.
Reece James – 7/10
Forget Mason Mount vs Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold vs Reece James looks set to be this generation’s biggest selection dilemma for Gareth Southgate or any other England manager if both remain at right-back. There is an argument to be made that they are already the two best crossers of a ball in the Premier League, although it is difficult to gauge who is the superior provider.
Reece James impressed in the final third (Photo: PA)
At half-time, Gary Neville suggested that Chelsea had made life easy for Tottenham’s centre backs by crossing from too deep with James and Hakim Ziyech particularly culpable. It was almost as if James had listened in on Sky Sports’ half-time coverage as he whipped two sensational balls into the box within the opening five minutes of the second half.
The only frustration as far as James was concerned is that Tammy Abraham could not convert his pinpoint deliveries.
Tanguy Ndombele – 6/10
On more than a handful of occasions over the summer, it looked as though Tanguy Ndombele’s days at Tottenham Hotspur were numbered. The Frenchman, a club-record signing from Lyon in 2019, had struggled to force his way into Mourinho’s plans and the generational gap between both men was seen as too big a hurdle to overcome.
Tottenham’s gravitation towards a 4-2-3-1 system this season, though, has helped Ndombele showcase his best qualities, namely his superb close control and dribbling skills, in a No 10 role. During the first half, Ndombele completed twice as many dribbles (four) as any player on the pitch, including a couple that left N’Golo Kante and Thiago Silva bamboozled.
In the second, a quicksilver shift of his feet led to Kurt Zouma being cautioned for a foul by the touchline. After starting three games in a week, he was replaced by Giovani Lo Celso after 65 minutes.
Timo Werner – 5/10
There have been flashes of the near-unstoppable RB Leipzig version of Werner in the blue shirts of Chelsea but nothing sustained as yet. That captivating burst of acceleration followed by an assured pass through to Abraham to score against Newcastle last Saturday was followed by a glaring, scarcely believable miss in Tuesday’s win over Rennes.
Timo Werner had just one effort on goal (Photo: PA)
The best of Werner has invariably followed by the worst or vice versa so far into his Chelsea career. That was the case again here. Werner took his one real opportunity to score brilliantly, bending a ruthless effort in off the post early on. Sadly for the German, he had strayed into an offside position and it didn’t count.
Werner only had one non-offside shot all game which didn’t hit the target, while he failed to create a chance or complete a dribble. He had 28 fewer touches than Hakim Ziyech managed on the opposite flank. It was an anonymous performance from the £50m striker but judging by his pattern, a blistering display in his next game could be forthcoming.
Harry Kane – 5/10
For Werner, also read Harry Kane. The Spurs striker has been arguably the player of the Premier League this season, combining seven goals with a division-leading nine assists. Prior to kick-off, you had to travel as far back as Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat to Everton on 13 September for the last Premier League match in which Kane had failed to provide a goal or assist.
However, like Werner, Kane could barely get involved in the game. The Spurs striker retreated deeper and deeper as it wore on in an attempt to find the ball and make something happen but it was an ultimately fruitless task. His 41 touches of the ball was one fewer than his goalkeeper Lloris made.
Similarly to Werner, Kane’s lack of influence wasn’t necessarily any fault of his own. Spurs managed just 39 per cent possession across the 90 minutes and were set up to not lose rather than go for the win – a feat they ultimately managed. Despite the abundance of attacking talent on the pitch, it was a game dominated by the defenders.
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When Kurt Zouma agreed a loan move at Everton at the start of the 2018-19 Premier League season, it looked as though Chelsea were about to let go of another failed prospect.
Having arrived at Stamford Bridge six years ago with huge promise shown in the French league with St Etienne, Zouma endured a rocky start to life in west London before eventually losing his place in the Blues side.
It was a knee injury suffered in early 2016 that derailed any hope of immediate further progress. That summer new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte signed David Luiz from PSG in a £30m deal and, when Zouma was finally fit to return to action, there was no place for him to occupy.
A loan move to Stoke followed but still there wasn’t an opening at the Bridge, and so the France international headed to Merseyside in a 2018 deadline day deal that smacked of a last resort for the Toffees, and antipathy from Conte’s side.
Thankfully for the London club, Zouma didn’t hang around at Goodison. After a second full season following his knee operation, the centre-back returned to the capital with renewed vigour and the backing of a new manager, Frank Lampard.
The defender has been a colossal presence ever since.
It’s no surprise the improvement in defensive solidity that Chelsea have enjoyed since Project Restart has come with the upturn in performances from their centre-back. Two weeks ago the stats showed Zouma had a 96 per cent win rate of aerial duels, the highest amongst Europe’s top leagues.
Alongside Thiago Silva – the veteran free signing from PSG in the summer – Chelsea have found a defensive solution that is currently keeping Antonio Rudiger on the bench.
Zouma could have ended his Chelsea career when moving on loan for a second time in 2018 (Photo: GETTY)
And the machine was working smoothly on Sunday night against a Tottenham attack that has terrorised plenty of back lines already this season.
Harry Kane, the England striker with six career goals against Chelsea, barely had a sniff as the central partnership marshalled the edge of the area with sound reason. Steven Bergwijn was largely ineffective on the left for Spurs, while Son Heung-min failed to deliver the penetrating runs on goal the Korean has become famous for in north London.
And while plenty of praise is once again due to N’Golo Kante for his anchoring role across the midfield, it was Zouma and Silva who proved to be Chelsea’s bedrock here.
Ensuring the centre-back pairing runs smoothly isn’t an alien concept at Chelsea. Indeed, it was Lampard’s opposite number, Jose Mourinho, who masterminded the art of resolute defending when deploying John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho at the heart of defence during his first title-winning stint as Chelsea boss, with Lampard himself learning the managerial art from midfield.
Mourinho himself is trying to create a similar vibe at Spurs. Midfielder-come-defender Eirc Dier and his partner Toby Alderweireld – missing for this game through injury – is the Portuguese’s preferred set-up.
Chelsea centre-backs John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho controlled the defence for years in the mid-2000s (Photo: GETTY)
Yet even without the Belgian Spurs were primed to execute the defensive part of Mourinho’s gameplan at Stamford Bridge that we have seen so often during the manager’s career. They restricted Chelsea to a handful of chances, largely squandered by Tammy Abraham.
It was the same story at the other end but without even the chances to waste. A match that promised defensive solidity from the master and student of the art certainly delivered.
