United News of Bangladesh

Manchester City academy player Han Willhoft-King has quit professional football to pursue a law degree at Oxford University, bringing an early end to a promising career that once saw him train alongside stars like Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne. The 19-year-old London-born midfielder, who previously spent more than a decade at Tottenham Hotspur, was long regarded as a rising talent and even trained with Spurs’ first team under Antonio Conte. However, recurring injuries and a growing desire for academic life pushed him to reassess his future. Willhoft-King had initially planned to study at UCLA while playing for FC Cincinnati 2, but Manchester City’s offer in mid-2024 convinced him to delay university and attempt a final push into elite football. Despite valuable exposure with City’s U-21s and occasional sessions with the senior squad, he struggled for game time and continued to deal with injuries. He ultimately decided to sit for the LNAT (entrance exam to study law at British universities) and apply to Oxford. After being accepted into Brasenose College, he chose to step away from football entirely. Explaining his decision, Willhoft-King said he no longer enjoyed the daily grind of professional football and felt “understimulated.” “I still loved it. But I always felt I could be doing more. I was wasting hours of the day. I needed something different, and Oxford excited me — the people, too. I guess that’s the reason,” he told the English press. “We would be running after the ball like dogs for half an hour, 60 minutes. It’s not a very pleasant experience, especially when you are trying to press De Bruyne or Gündogan or Foden. You can’t get near them, so the feeling of not wanting to do this overcomes being starstruck.” Willhoft-King added there was strong logic behind his choice: “You can have a football career that lasts 10–15 years. But what happens after that? By starting university education, I will achieve a much longer-term career. I made this decision thinking a bit long-term.

Manchester City celebrated Pep Guardiola’s 1000th match as a manager with a commanding 3-0 win over defending champions Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. With the victory, the Citizens moved up to second in the Premier League table, closing the gap with leaders Arsenal to four points. Liverpool came into the with a midweek Champions League victory against Real Madrid, but lost rhythm immediately after kick-off. Aside from an early penalty save, Arne Slot’s men struggled to create anything meaningful, while City stretched the lead through Erling Haaland, Nico González and Jérémy Doku. City earned a penalty in the 9th minute when Doku weaved past two defenders and went down after contact with goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. Following a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot, but Mamardashvili dived to his left to deny Haaland. With Mamardashvili’s save, City have now failed to score from four of their last five penalties against Liverpool. In contrast, no goalkeeper in Europe’s top five leagues has saved more penalties than the Georgian shot-stopper (6) since the start of the 2023-24 season. The miss did not keep City waiting long. In the 29th minute, Matheus Nunes whipped in a cross from the right and Haaland headed in to break the deadlock. The 25-year-old Norwegian, the league’s top scorer, has now netted 14 goals in 11 Premier League matches, and 28 in 18 games across all competitions for club and country this season. His league tally now stands at 99 goals in 108 matches.

Manchester City continued their impressive run in the Champions League as Pep Guardiola’s men defeated Borussia Dortmund 4-1 at the Etihad on Wednesday. Phil Foden rediscovered his rhythm, scoring a brace, while Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki contributed the other two of City’s four goals. On the other hand, Waldemar Anton scored Dortmund’s only goal in the 72nd minute. With the victory, Manchester City extended their unbeaten run in the competition, while Dortmund suffered their first defeat of the campaign. After four rounds, City climbed to fourth place with 10 points from three wins and a draw. Bayern Munich lead the standings with maximum points (12), while the next two sides, Arsenal and Inter Milan, also have 12 points each. City dominate from the start Guardiola’s men put Dortmund on the back foot from the opening whistle with a series of well-coordinated attacks. City took control of the match inside the first 30 minutes with two goals. They nearly went ahead in the 10th minute, but Foden’s powerful low strike went straight to Gregor Kobel. Six minutes later, the Dortmund goalkeeper denied him again, this time saving a shot from outside the penalty area. In the 22nd minute, Foden finally found the breakthrough. Receiving a pass from Tijjani Reijnders, the England midfielder advanced a few steps and fired a low diagonal drive that sneaked inside the far post. Five minutes later, Haaland almost made it 2-0 as he set up Nico O’Reilly, but Kobel produced a superb reflex save, tipping the fierce attempt over the crossbar with one hand.

Erling Haaland delivered another masterclass on Sunday as Manchester City beat high-flying Bournemouth 3-1, climbing into second place in the Premier League. The Norwegian striker opened the scoring in the 17th minute and doubled the lead in the 33rd. In between, Bournemouth’s USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams pulled one back in the 25th minute, capitalizing on a mistake by Gianluigi Donnarumma. However, Nico O’Reilly sealed the victory for the hosts with a goal in the 60th minute of the game. With his brace, Haaland has moved onto 13 goals in the Premier League this season—more than twice any other player. He also achieved a rare record, becoming only the third player ever to score two or more goals in four or more consecutive Premier League home appearances, after Robbie Fowler (4 in 1995-96) and Luis Suárez (5 in 2013). Barcelona narrow gap with Real Madrid with a 3-1 win over Elche Arsenal remain well ahead at the summit of the table with 25 points from 10 games, but this win keeps Pep Guardiola's side within touching distance. The gap is now six points, while Bournemouth drop to fourth in the table with 18 points. The gap is now six points, while Bournemouth drop to fourth with 18 points. Liverpool have collected the same number of points as the Cherries but sit third due to goal difference. The Blue half of Manchester will host Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League match on Wednesday before facing Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Bournemouth, meanwhile, will look to return to winning ways on Sunday at Villa Park.

Following the completion of the English Football League (EFL) Cup, popularly known as the Carabao Cup, third-round fixtures last night, the fourth-round draw has been finalized, setting the stage for several high-profile Premier League clashes. Defending champions Newcastle United will host Tottenham Hotspur in one of the standout ties, with several Premier League giants set for challenging encounters. Premier League heavyweights drawn together In what is arguably the tie of the round, holders Newcastle United will welcome Tottenham Hotspur to St. James’ Park. Newcastle, who ended a 70-year trophy drought by lifting the Carabao Cup earlier this year, advanced comfortably with a 4-1 victory over League One leaders Bradford. Elsewhere, an all-Premier League affair sees Arsenal drawn against Brighton. Meanwhile, record ten-time winners Liverpool will host fellow top-flight side Crystal Palace at Anfield. Liverpool progressed after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Southampton, a match notable for Hugo Ekikite’s late winner and subsequent sending-off for taking his shirt off during the celebration. In other significant matchups, Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) will host Chelsea, ensuring another Premier League giant will be eliminated. Only Manchester City has a comparatively easier task on paper, drawn away to Championship club Swansea. Giant-killers eyeing more upsets The competition’s current giant-killers, Grimsby Town, have another golden opportunity to cause an upset after being drawn at home to Premier League side Brentford. The only remaining League Two side has already impressively dispatched Manchester United at home and Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday away, and their reward is yet another Premier League opponent at home as they seek to continue their remarkable cup run. Championship newcomers Wrexham were drawn against Cardiff City, marking the first meeting between the two Welsh clubs since 2002. Additionally, League One side Wycombe Wanderers have the chance to create their own magic as they host Premier League club Fulham. The fourth-round ties are scheduled to be played during the week of October 27. Carabao Cup fourth-round draw: - Arsenal v Brighton- Grimsby Town v Brentford- Swansea v Manchester City- Newcastle v Tottenham- Wrexham v Cardiff- Liverpool v Crystal Palace- Wolves v Chelsea- Wycombe v Fulham

A stoppage-time strike from Gabriel Martinelli rescued Arsenal as they held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. The result denied City a much-needed victory while keeping Mikel Arteta’s side firmly in the title race. Haaland’s early opener The visitors struck first in the ninth minute through Erling Haaland, who finished off a swift counter-attack. Starting from his own half, the Norwegian striker combined with Tijjani Reijnders before firing a low strike across goal. It was the first open-play goal Arsenal had conceded this season and their earliest concession in a Premier League match since September 2024. Arsenal take control Despite the early setback, Arsenal dominated possession, enjoying 68 percent of the ball and registering 12 attempts compared to City’s five. However, they struggled to create clear-cut chances against a disciplined defense. Barcelona closes gap on Real Madrid with commanding win over Getafe The Gunners’ first real opportunity came in the 32nd minute, when Noni Madueke headed off target. It was the first time since April 2021 that Arsenal had gone more than 30 minutes into a league match without a single attempt on goal. Arsenal piled on pressure after the break, forcing City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma into several key saves. City, however, nearly doubled their lead in the 57th minute when Haaland’s shot was parried and the rebound deflected over the bar. Martinelli’s late heroics Just as City seemed set to take all three points, Arsenal found their breakthrough. In the third minute of stoppage time, substitute Eberechi Eze slipped a precise through ball to Martinelli. The Brazilian forward kept his composure, lobbing Donnarumma with his first touch to secure a dramatic equalizer. The draw leaves Arsenal second in the table with 10 points from five games, five points behind leaders Liverpool. City, meanwhile, sit ninth with just seven points from their opening fixtures.  

Manchester City’s stunning slump deepened after losing to Aston Villa 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday. Goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers at Villa Park consigned the four-time defending champion to a ninth defeat in 12 games in a season that is unravelling. Pep Guardiola’s team has won just once during that run. “We don’t have a defense for the results. They are not good,” Guardiola said. Third-placed Arsenal closed the gap on league leader Liverpool to three points with a 5-1 win at Crystal Palace, but has played two games more. City dropped to sixth in the standings, nine points below Liverpool, and has played two games more. “It’s about what I can do with my people to get the results back and continue,” Guardiola said. “If there is a moment that I cannot overthink, it is right now. Try to be simple, stick to my principles and give certainty to the team.”   Title hopes fading After winning six titles in seven years and an unprecedented four in a row, City’s remarkable fall shows little sign of stopping. Guardiola admitted last week he had not been good enough to turn his team’s form around. City was without a win in any of its last eight away games in all competitions. While it looks unlikely to win a fifth straight title, a place in the top four and Champions League qualification could also be in jeopardy after fourth-placed Nottingham Forest won at Brentford 2-0 to move four points clear of City. Only once under Guardiola has City managed to win the title when losing six times in the league. That was in 2021, when it lost two of its last three games, having already been confirmed as the champion. City lost nine times when Liverpool won the title in 2020, but its sixth defeat didn’t come until February. Guardiola also lost six times in his first season in English soccer in 2016-17 and City finished third. The latest defeat could have been even more emphatic from a dominant Villa, which moved up to fifth. Duran scored his sixth goal in as many starts in the 16th minute from Rogers’ assist. Duran had a goal disallowed for offside in the second half and Rogers hit the post before doubling Villa’s lead in the 65th. Phil Foden pulled a goal back for City in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough to spark a late comeback. “We have to stay positive, even though it’s difficult, and we have to keep working hard,” City striker Erling Haaland said.   Jesus streak It’s five goals in a week for Gabriel Jesus against Crystal Palace. After scoring a hat trick in Arsenal’s 3-2 comeback win against Palace in the English League Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday, the Brazil striker hit another two goals when the teams met again on Saturday. Going into Wednesday’s game, Jesus had only scored once for Arsenal since the end of January. Jesus struck twice in a frantic start at Selhurst Park. He opened the scoring in the sixth, with Ismaila Sarr leveling five minutes later. Jesus restored Arsenal’s lead in the 14th and was denied back-to-back hat tricks when hitting the post and then having another close range effort saved by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice also scored for Arsenal.   Forest flying high If City’s demise is a surprise story of the season, so is Forest’s rise. After battling relegation for much of last term, Forest is in contention to qualify for the Champions League and possibly more. Facing a Brentford team that was unbeaten at home, goals from Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga secured another statement win on the road for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, having already won at Anfield and Old Trafford this year.   Isak treble Alexander Isak hit a hat trick in Newcastle’s 4-0 win at Ipswich. The Sweden international, who has 10 goals in his last 11 games, wrapped up his treble inside 54 minutes at Portman Road, including one in the opening minute. Jacob Murphy also scored. Brighton was 1-0 up at West Ham through Mats Wieffer, but Mohammed Kudus levelled for the draw.

The 2022–2023 English Premier League season is around the corner. Before that, football fans will witness an exciting match between reigning Premier League champions Manchester City and FA Cup winners Liverpool on Saturday (July 30) at Leicester's King Power Stadium. Apart from the possibility of winning a trophy, this matchup can act as a perfect dress rehearsal for both teams for the upcoming season. The Manchester City vs Liverpool FA Community Shield 2022 match preview is discussed in this article. FA Community Shield 2022: Liverpool vs Manchester City Probable Lineups Man City’s Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte will be unavailable for selection due to an injury. Apart from him, the rest of the players are available to be included in the squad for the Community Shield match. All eyes will be on City’s blockbuster signing, Erling Haaland, and he is likely to start in Saturday’s big clash against Liverpool. The other new signings, Julian Alvarez and Kalvin Phillips, will most likely have a chance to play against Liverpool. Read UEFA Women’s EURO 2022: Previews for the semifinals Predicted Starting XI (Manchester City): GK: Ederson Moraes; Defenders: Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Joao Cancelo; Midfielders: Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne; Forwards: Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland Liverpool, on the other hand, will miss some of their key players for the Community Shield fixture against Man City. Goalkeeper Alisson has a slim chance to play the game, while Diogo Jota, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Calvin Ramsey are all likely to miss the fixture due to injury issues. Liverpool’s new summer signing, Darwin Nunez, will likely start the match. Predicted Starting XI (Liverpool): GK: Adrian; Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip, Andrew Robertson; Midfielders: Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita; Forwards: Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez. Read Barcelona vs Real Madrid 2022: Pre-season el clasico match preview Match Prediction: Manchester City vs Liverpool FA Community Shield 2022 It’s well-known that Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola and Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp have completely different philosophies. Therefore, there is no similarity in their tactics. Guardiola prefers tiki-taka possession-based football, while Klopp demands high-intense, counter-attacking heavy metal football. 4-1-4-1 is very effective in Guardiola’s system, which can become 4-4-2 sometimes. It will be interesting to see how Pep uses Erling Haaland in his system. He is a tall, lethal striker who can provide a lot of goals for the Blues. However, Haaland may have to adapt to Guardiola’s passing system as quickly as possible. Julian Alvarez, another new arrival at Manchester City, may be a better fit for Pep's philosophy. Man City will have the upper hand to beat Liverpool in the match If the team can execute their plan properly. Read Cristiano Ronaldo's Summer Football Transfer 2022: 5 potential destinations On the other hand, Klopp prefers 4-3-3 and uses his two wings for counter-press. In the last few seasons, one of Klopp’s main weapons was Sadio Mane, but he left the club this summer for Bayern Munich. Liverpool bought Darwin Nunez from Benfica to replace Mane in the pressing role. Will he be able to replicate what Mane did during his time at Liverpool? The Manchester City vs Liverpool FA Community Shield 2022 match would give an idea of how good Nunez is. Liverpool’s wings will play a big part in the match to break through Man City’s defense. Besides, midfielders have to play a major role in taking control of the midfield. Overall, Liverpool have won 15 Community Shields, while Manchester City have won 6. Who will win the 2022 FA Community Shield trophy? The match will kickoff on Saturday at 10 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). Read Summer Football Transfer Window 2022: 13 most significant moves so far Prediction:  Manchester City 3 – 2 Liverpool Bottom Line Manchester City and Liverpool have strengthened their respective squads in the ongoing summer football transfer window 2022 to be even more competitive for the upcoming season. Man City clinched the League title on the final matchday last season but missed out on reaching the finals in any of the other three competitions. Liverpool, on the other hand, reached three finals but only won the FA Cup. They also finished second in the Premier League. Both teams will once again be hot favourites to win the domestic league as well as the UEFA Champions League in the 2022-2023 season. Therefore, the Manchester City vs Liverpool FA Community Shield 2022 clash would give an idea of which team is in the best shape at the moment prior to the upcoming Premier League season. Read Summer footballer transfer window 2022: 5 big moves can happen before deadline

Young Brazilian Rodrygo's goals in the 90th minute and in stoppage time have inspired another win for the ages. The 3-1 victory over Manchester City Wednesday gave Madrid yet another comeback and set it up for a showdown with Liverpool in the Champions League final on May 28 in Paris. City were moments away from returning to the final before Rodrygo, the substitute forward, stunned the English team with his back-to-back goals, inspiring Madrid to victory like a bruised boxer who lands a knockout combination. Madrid, who had trailed City ever since minute 2 of their first-leg match in Manchester, were finally level. Pep Guardiola's team still had another half hour of extra time, but they never recovered. It seemed inevitable that once resuscitated there was no stopping Madrid. And fittingly it fell to Karim Benzema, the man who had carried Madrid to the final four with hat-tricks in the previous two rounds, to earn and convert the decisive penalty that clinched a 6-5 aggregate victory. "I couldn't hear what my teammates were saying to me because I couldn't believe what was happening," the 21-year-old Rodrygo said about the mayhem that erupted after his goals. "We were dead, and then what happened was what happened." Perhaps City can take solace in that Paris Saint-Germain and defending champion Chelsea were also zombified by whatever wizardry Madrid somehow conjure up at the biggest moments of the biggest games. All good teams occasionally score against the flow of the game. But most, and especially this City engineered by soccer's top stylist in Guardiola, need to dominate stretches of play to produce lots of goals. Not Madrid. Not when they play in front of their fans. The clock becomes meaningless for Madrid at home. The 13-time European Cup winners produce those magic moments when time is suddenly compressed, the crowd roars, opponents freeze, and the goals just flow in quick succession. Ask PSG how Benzema was able to score three goals in less than 20 minutes of the second leg of their round-of-16 series that Kylian Mbappé's team had once controlled to advance 3-2 overall. Ask Chelsea how it was they could have the momentum going into the final period of their quarterfinal in Spain's capital only for Rodrygo and Benzema to score late for a 5-4 aggregate win in extra time. City entered the second leg against Madrid with the advantage after coming out on top of their 4-3 shootout last week. Riyad Mahrez's goal in the 73rd minute appeared to give them the cushion they needed to avoid any last-minute scares. Jack Grealish then went oh-so-close to padding that lead. But that just set the scene for Rodrygo, who coach Carlo Ancelotti had sent on for a tired Toni Kroos, looking to spark his attack. First, he slipped to the near post to tap in a cross knocked to him by Benzema just when City suffered a momentary drop in concentration. Seconds later, with Madrid seizing the moment, came his header when the slight forward managed to open up a bit of space in a packed area to push in a cross by Dani Carvajal flicked on by Marco Asensio. Once again, faith had trumped reason at the Santiago Bernabéu. "The whole world thought the game was nearly over – it was a little detail, a good combination, the goal of Rodrygo, and from there we put in all the energy we had. You need a bit of luck," Ancelotti said. While Ancelotti embraced his son and assistant Davide Ancelotti, Guardiola was left to run a hand over the top of his head and put on his best sportsman's grin as he shook hands with the players. The Catalan coach had just witnessed his grand design to finally win a European Cup for City succumb before that gift that Madrid have of making their players believe that by donning the all-white shirt they are destined for glory. Only the golden years of Lionel Messi's Barcelona, which Guardiola helped forge, was able to somewhat dim that mystique. Also read: Madrid clinch record-extending 35th Spanish league title

Manchester City's hopes of winning the treble this season were dashed after losing 3-2 to Liverpool in the semifinals on Saturday. The Citizens are now aiming for a double this season, with the Premier League and Champions League titles at the top of their priority list. On the other hand, Liverpool have already won the EFL Cup and they are a strong contender for the FA Cup, Premier League, and Champions League. Manchester City's double or Liverpool's quadruple are the two most likely scenarios. Manchester City's Prospect of Winning the Double Manchester City have won five of the last seven EFL titles, including four straight from 2018 to 2021. However, they were unable to win the EFL Cup this season after succumbing in the fourth round to West Ham United. The Citizens also missed out on a treble opportunity after losing 3-2 to Liverpool in the FA Cup semifinal. Manchester City now have a chance to win the Premier League and the FA Cup this season. They appear to be favourites to win both prestigious trophies. With 74 points, Pep Guardiola's team now leads the Premier League points standings. Manchester City are only one point ahead of second-placed Liverpool with seven games remaining. If Manchester City win the remainder of their games this season, they will be crowned champions. Read Favourites to reach the UEFA Champions League 2022 Finals Manchester City will meet Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. On paper, Manchester City have a better squad than Real Madrid, but overcoming Los Blancos would be extremely challenging. Man City will face either Liverpool or Villarreal in the final if they can defeat Europe's most successful club in the semi-final. Given Manchester City's and Liverpool's recent form, an all-English final is a genuine possibility. Liverpool's Prospect of Winning the Quadruple Liverpool's first trophy of the season came in February when they won the EFL Cup final against Chelsea. They defeated Chelsea 11-10 in a marathon penalty shootout. Liverpool also qualified for the 2022 FA Cup final after defeating Manchester City 3-2 in the semifinal. In the final, Liverpool will face either Chelsea or Crystal Palace. The final against Chelsea would be an intriguing matchup, considering the two teams have previously met in a final this season. The final match is expected to take place on May 14. Liverpool are only one point behind Manchester City in the Premier League. Liverpool have a total of 73 points after 31 games. They will keep pressing Man City until the end of the season, hoping for a slip-up in one of their final games. However, Liverpool must win their remaining matches to stay in contention. Read Bahrain-based investors in talks to buy AC Milan Liverpool also have a realistic chance of winning the Champions League this season. Liverpool will play Villarreal of Spain in the semifinal and will start as favourites. If they qualify, Liverpool will face either Real Madrid or Manchester City in the final. There will be no favourites in the championship game as whoever execute the game plan properly have a fair chance of winning the UCL 2022. Verdict  Both Manchester City and Liverpool have been in excellent form this season, and they made sure to have a good squad depth before the season started. Both teams' squad depth proved to be quite effective as the season progressed. Manchester City will surely want to win the Premier League as well as the Champions League this season. Therefore, the Citizens have the upper hand in the current debate about Manchester City's double or Liverpool's quadruple. On the other hand, Liverpool have the potential to make history by being the first English side to win all four major titles in a single season, and thus surprise everyone. Read AFC Cup play-off: Dhaka Abahani to face Mohun Bagan in Kolkata on April 19