Sports
Young Player of the Season: Haaland, Saka, Lead Six Others
With the 2022/2023 English football season drawing to a close, the Premier League has made public a list of eight nominees for the Young Player of the Season Award.
Top of the list and who many pundits across the world back to take home the award is Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
At 22, Haaland is enjoying a record-breaking debut season in England having scored 36 goals and providing 7 assists in 33 appearances.
Next to the City striker is Arsenal’s star boy, Bukayo Saka, aged 21.
The English player of Nigerian descent, Saka has been having a stellar season in the English Premier League (EPL). He has weighed-in with 13 goals and 11 assists this season for Arsenal helping the club return to the European Champion League.
Saka is joined on the list by two of his team mates at Arsenal, Gabriel Martinelli, 21, and Martin Ødegaard, 24, who captains the club.
Martinelli and Ødegaard are neck-to-neck on goals scored in the EPL this season. While Martinelli has scored 15 goals and registered 5 assists in 36 appearances, Ødegaard has 15 goals and seven assists in 35 appearances.
Ødegaard’s goal haul is a record for a non-penalty-taking midfielder in the EPL.
Also on the list is Newcastle’s Sven Botman, 23. His performance in the defensive position has helped his team in their quest for the top four has 10 clean sheets in 33 appearances.
Another player on the list is Moisés Caicedo, 21, who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. The defensive midfielder has contributed 1 goal, 1 assist, and helped his club to nine clean sheets in 33 appearances.
Next is Caicedo’s club teammate, Alexis Mac Allister, 24, has 10 goals and 1 assist in 31 appearances.
There is also Alexander Isak, 23, of Newcastle, who has 10 goals and 1 assist in 19 appearances.
Ahead of their Euro 2024 quarter-final match against Switzerland, England faces a significant disciplinary dilemma.
Five players—Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Kobbie Mainoo, Kieran Trippier, and Conor Gallagher—are on the verge of suspension, each having received one yellow card during the tournament.
If any of these players should be booked again during the match, they would be suspended from the semi-final, should England advance.
Adding to England’s challenges, manager Gareth Southgate will be without Marc Guehi, who is suspended after receiving his second yellow card in the match against Slovakia.
Despite these setbacks, England secured their place in the quarter-finals with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Slovakia on Sunday, highlighted by Jude Bellingham’s stunning overhead kick and Harry Kane’s late header.
Gareth Southgate’s team, pre-tournament favorites, has had a mixed campaign so far. They began with a nervy victory over Serbia and then drew with Denmark and Slovenia, yet managed to top Group C and move into the easier side of the draw.
Now, they face Switzerland, who eliminated European champions Italy, in what will be their toughest test yet.
The quarter-final match against Switzerland will take place in Düsseldorf on Saturday. If England succeeds, they will face either the Netherlands or Turkey in the semi-finals.
However, the potential suspensions of Bellingham, Foden, Mainoo, Trippier, and Gallagher loom large over the match.
Euro 2024 is set to enter its gripping quarter-final phase, featuring a clash of football titans from across the continent.
Following the conclusion of the round of 16, the stage is now set for an exhilarating lineup of matches.
See fixtures below:
Friday
Spain vs Germany at Stuttgart (1600)
Portugal vs France at Hamburg (1900)
Saturday
England vs Switzerland at Duesseldorf (1600)
Netherlands vs Turkey at Berlin (1900)
Football aficionados can anticipate thrilling encounters as these powerhouse teams vie for supremacy and a chance to advance to the prestigious semi-finals of Euro 2024.
The Netherlands clinched their first Euro quarter-final since 2008 with a commanding 3-0 victory over Romania in the last-16 match on Tuesday.
Donyell Malen starred with a brace, supported by Cody Gakpo’s opener in the first half.
Despite squandering numerous chances, the Dutch sealed their win as Gakpo set up Malen for the second goal before Malen dazzled with a spectacular solo effort in stoppage time.
Their next challenge awaits against either Turkey or Austria in the quarter-finals.
More to follow………….
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