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Fernandes joins Rooney with fifth Player of the Month award
London, April 4 (IANS) Bruno Fernandes has been named the Player of the Month for March following a stellar month for Manchester United.
Portuguese midfielder Fernandes was involved in all four goals as United enjoyed an unbeaten record in March. He started the month with a sensational free-kick goal as the Red Devils held second-placed Arsenal to a 1-1 draw. He followed up with two assists – taking him to 50 Premier League assists in total – and another goal in a 3-0 victory at Leicester City.
It is the fifth occasion Fernandes has won the Player of the Month accolade but the first time in five years, having claimed all four of his previous awards in 2020, when he was honoured in February, June, November and December.
Fernandes has also won three Goal of the Month awards, meaning that he has now won eight monthly accolades since joining the Red Devils in January 2020 from Sporting Lisbon.
Fernandes’ latest success moves him joint-third in the all-time Premier League list of winners alongside Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie and two behind Harry Kane, Sergio Aguero and Mohamed Salah, who each have seven.
Fernandes topped a six-man shortlist after the public’s votes were combined with those of a panel of football experts.
He will be hoping to claim a March awards double, given his goal against Leicester from last month is shortlisted for the Goal of the Month award while United head coach Ruben Amorim is in the running for the Manager of the Month award.
–IANS
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Disappointed fans vandalise Salt Lake Stadium after Messi exits early
Kolkata, Dec 13 (IANS) Kolkata’s much-hyped tryst with football icon Lionel Messi turned chaotic on Saturday, as moments of celebration at the Salt Lake Stadium were replaced by unrest and disappointment among thousands of fans.
Messi, who is in India as part of his GOAT Tour, made only a brief appearance here at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. Expectations of a memorable encounter quickly unravelled when the Argentine superstar was forced to cut short his lap of honour due to an uncontrollable surge in the crowd. Frustration boiled over, with bottles being thrown, prompting security officials to hasten his departure.
Many spectators, including those who had paid premium prices for tickets, complained that they never managed to see Messi—neither directly nor on the stadium’s giant screens, despite waiting for hours. The heavy security cordon and the presence of a large entourage of politicians and dignitaries further restricted visibility, increasing frustration among the crowd.
The unrest intensified as some attendees vandalised banners and seats, throwing chairs on the ground, while others booed officials, revealing significant lapses in crowd control at one of the country’s largest sporting venues. Outside the stadium, unhappy fans told the media that Messi stayed on the ground for barely a few minutes before being ushered away.
Earlier in the day, however, the visit had unfolded on a much more celebratory note. Messi virtually unveiled a 70-foot iron statue at the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, an imposing tribute depicting him holding the FIFA World Cup trophy. The statue, completed in just 40 days, drew admiration and applause from supporters across the city.
Yet the turmoil at Salt Lake Stadium has cast a shadow over what was meant to be a unifying moment for Indian football fans. The chaotic scenes starkly contrast the excitement and goodwill that surrounded Messi’s arrival, raising concerns over planning and security as the remainder of his India tour continues.
–IANS
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Aus Open: Gauff, Osaka, Pegula, Sabalenka pave way to third round
Melbourne, Jan 15 (IANS) American youngster Coco Gauff extended her winning streak to nine matches with a 6-3, 7-5 defeat of Jodie Burrage in the Australian Open second round.
The American had to come from 5-3 down in the second set to reel in the World No.173. Gauff’s speed and consistency saw her ease to a 3-1 second-set lead over Burrage. However, the Briton threatened to turn the tables with a run of four straight games before Gauff responded with four straight of her own to get over the finishing line.
With a win, Aguff set up a third-round encounter with 2021 US Open finalist and No. 30 seed Leylah Fernandez, who defeated Cristina Bucsa 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 for a place in the third round.
In other Day 4 action, two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka secured a berth in the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time since giving birth in July 2023.
The world No. 51 Japanese rallied from a set down to earn a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 win over 20th seed Karolina Muchova on Wednesday after battling for almost two hours. Osaka finished with 33 winners to 27 unforced errors, while Muchova hit 27 winners to 29 unforced errors.
The four-time major winner’s next opponent is Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, who is competing in her first Grand Slam since giving birth last year. Bencic advanced with a straight-sets dismissal of Dutchwoman Suzan Lamens, 6-1 7-6(3).
In another match, seventh seed Jessica Pegula snapped her losing streak against 2018 semifinalist Elise Mertens with a 6-4 6-2 victory at Margaret Court Arena.
Pegula, who reached three straight Australian Open quarterfinals between 2021 and 2023, needed 1 hour and 11 minutes to best Mertens, the highest-ranked unseeded player.
In the round of 32, Pegula faces Olga Danilovic, who scored a 6-1, 6-2 upset over 25th seed Liudmila Samsonova.
Meanwhile, top-seeded Sabalenka needed to battle before collecting her 16th straight win at Melbourne Park. After a first set, Sabalenka found herself down 5-2 in the second.
Bouzas Maneiro took the big second-set lead while she was aiming for her second upset of a Grand Slam defending champion. But, Sabalenka wrest back the momentum, winning five games in a row to swipe the second set and book her spot in the third round for the fifth straight year.
She is the first woman to win 16 straight Australian Open matches since Victoria Azarenka in 2014. Sabalenka is also attempting to become the first woman to win three straight Australian Open singles titles since Martina Hingis from 1997 through 1999.
With the win, Sabalenka remains in the mix to retain her World No.1 ranking coming out of Melbourne, although Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff also have the possibility to claim the top spot after the Australian Open.
Elsewhere, the 14th seed Mirra Andreeva survived a scare against Moyuka Uchijima, who served for the match at 5-4 in the third before the 17-year-old ultimately triumphed 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, (10-8).
–IANS
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