Saka sparkles as Arsenal opens EPL season with win. Newcastle sends statement by dismantling Villa
Arsenal wingers Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka have lit up the opening Saturday of the Premier League season with an audacious assist and a curling long-range strike that helped the team start the campaign with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.
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English soccer heads ask Zuckerberg, Dorsey to act on racism
The leaders of English soccer have asked the heads of Facebook and Instagram to show basic human decency by taking more robust action to eradicate racism and for users identities to be verified. There has been growing outrage that players from the Premier League to the Womens Super League have been targeted with abuse on Twitter and Facebook-owned Instagram. โThe language used is debasing, often threatening and illegal,โ the eight English soccer leaders, including from the Football Association and Premier League, wrote to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook chairman Mark Zuckerberg. The letter was signed by the CEOs of the English Football Association (Mark Bullingham), Premier League (Richard Masters), English Football League (Trevor Birch), Professional Footballersโ Association (Gordon Taylor) and League Managersโ Association (Richard Bevan). Threats of violence on social media have also alarmed English soccer this week.
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EU regulator is considering Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine
A healthcare worker fills a syringe with the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at the vaccine centre that has been set up in central Newcastle, Scotland Monday Jan. 11, 2021. Britain gave its approval to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine last month and has been using it. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to be a key vaccine for many countries because of its low cost, availability and ease of use. Researchers claim the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine protected against disease in 62% of those given two full doses and in 90% of those initially given a half dose because of a manufacturing error. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it won't consider approving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine until data are available from late state research testing the shot in about 30,000 people.
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Handball rule draws widespread ire in penalty-dominated EPL
Tottenham coach Jose Mourinho gestures during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham and Newcastle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. Almost inevitably, a penalty was awarded after the referee took the opportunity to view the incident on the pitchside monitor. The Premier League has fallen in line with the rest of European soccer this season and applied the ruling in a stricter way rather simply than judging it on intent. Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson said the newly adopted rule was โkilling the gameโ after his team lost 2-1 by conceding a handball penalty for the winning goal. Mourinho chose not to criticize the rule for fear of collecting a fine from the Football Association, but his Newcastle counterpart had his say.
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EPL breaks silence on reasons for stalled Newcastle takeover
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters commented publicly about the aborted takeover for the first time in a letter to a British lawmaker, a copy of which was published on Twitter on Friday. Later, it (or PIF specifically) voluntarily withdrew from the process, Masters added, referring to the Saudis Public Investment Fund. Masters also dismissed suggestions that rival Premier League clubs vetoed the deal. The owners and directors test is delegated to and carried out entirely by the Premier League Board, he said. The Premier League faced calls to block the takeover by Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of murdered journalist and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi.
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David Law takes first-round lead at British Masters
England's Lee Westwood tees off the 5th during day one of the British Masters at Close House Golf Club, near Newcastle, England, Wednesday July 22, 2020. The European Tour resumes in earnest after its pandemic-induced shutdown with the British Masters starting Wednesday. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE NEWCASTLE-UPON-David Law of Scotland shot a 7-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Oliver Fisher, Garrick Porteous and Renato Paratore in the opening round of the British Masters at Close House Golf Course near Newcastle on Wednesday. I did not really know what to expect and its probably (about having) a mindset of acceptance, Law said. The New Zealander had not made a cut on the European Tour since 2013 as he struggled with a foot injury and loss of form.
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Man hit and killed on Southwest Freeway at 610; lanes shut down: Police
HOUSTON โ Houston police are investigating a deadly crash that left a 27-year-old man dead Tuesday morning. The accident happened on the Southwest Freeway near Newcastle Drive. Investigators said the man walked across the road and into traffic before he was hit. IH-69 Southwest Fwy southbound at Newcastle, accident has all southbound lanes closed. #houtrafficCC13 โ Houston Police (@houstonpolice) July 21, 2020Police are encouraging drivers to find a different route.
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Watford fires Nigel Pearson with 2 Premier League games left
Watford's head coach Nigel Pearson before the English Premier League soccer match between Watford and Newcastle at the Vicarage Road Stadium in Watford, England, Saturday, July 11, 2020. (Mike Egerton/Pool via AP)WATFORD Watford fired manager Nigel Pearson on Sunday with only two games remaining this season as the team tries to stay in the Premier League. The surprise move saw Watford announce internal promotions with Hayden Mullins taking charge for the remaining games, assisted by Graham Stack. Watford's remaining league games are at home to Manchester City on Tuesday and away to Arsenal next Sunday, when Bournemouth goes to Everton. Pearson helped Leicester to escape relegation from the Premier League in 2014-15.
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Manchester City overturns 2-year ban from Champions League
Manchester City players celebrate after scoring their second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Newcastle at the Ethiad Stadium in Manchester, England, Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (Michael Regan/Pool via AP)GENEVA Manchester City successfully overturned its two-year ban from the Champions League on Monday. The verdict by three judges clears the team coached by Pep Guardiola to play in the group stage of the Champions League next season. It also protects against players leaving to seek Champions League action with another club. That year, UEFA fined City 20 million euros ($22.6 million) of its Champions League prize money in a first wave of assessments of European clubs finances.
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West Ham twice squanders lead, draws 2-2 at Newcastle in EPL
West Ham's Tomas Soucek, left, and Newcastle's Jamaal Lascelles challenge for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and West Ham United at St. James' Park in Newcastle, England, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (Laurence Griffiths/Pool via AP)NEWCASTLE West Ham twice squandered a lead against Newcastle and had to settle for a 2-2 draw that moved the team four points clear of the Premier League's relegation zone on Sunday. With five games remaining, West Ham is inching closer to survival but could yet live to regret switching off to allow Jonjo Shelvey to score Newcastle's second equalizer in the 67th minute just 92 seconds after Tomas Soucek reclaimed the lead for the visitors. West Ham manager David Moyes threw his hands out in disgust after Shelvey dribbled his way through a gap in the defense and exchanged a one-two with Dwight Gayle before slotting home a low finish. West Ham is 16th in the 20-team league, four points above two teams in the relegation zone 18th-place Aston Villa and 19th-place Bournemouth.