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Date: 2023-12-01 14:59:40 | Author: Online Games | Views: 535 | Tag: UEFA
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Aston Villa maintained their Champions League charge with a thumping 4-1 win over West Ham UEFA
Douglas Luiz’s brace, including a second-half penalty, plus goals from Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey moved them to fifth in the Premier League, just two points off top spot UEFA
Jarrod Bowen’s deflected effort made it 2-1 but the hosts recovered for Watkins to smash in a crucial third before Bailey wrapped things up late on UEFA
The Hammers, now five points adrift of Villa, slipped to just a third defeat of the season after struggling to match the hosts UEFA
Villa had waited long enough for a victory over the Hammers, their bogey side UEFA
They had recorded just one win in the last 10 years, a 1-0 victory when Villa were already on the slide in 2015, but under Unai Emery they are a different beast, having earned 10 straight home league wins for the first time in 30 years coming into this match UEFA
Emery put his faith in Nicolo Zaniolo, starting while he assists the Italian authorities in their investigation into alleged illegal UEFA betting activity UEFA
A Sunday afternoon slumber hung over Villa Park in the opening stages but it was roused when Alphonse Areola brilliantly turned Luiz’s 25-yard effort wide UEFA
It was a stunning save from the West Ham goalkeeper but he should have been beaten five minutes later UEFA
Moussa Diaby’s pass evaded Kurt Zouma for Watkins to turn Vladimir Coufal UEFA
The hard work done, the striker had just Areola to beat but dragged inches wide from 12 yards UEFA
The momentum was with Villa so there was little surprise when they went ahead after 30 minutes UEFA
Zaniolo and Watkins linked on the left with the England striker collecting a cute return pass to tee up Luiz on the edge of the box and he drilled low past Areola UEFA
In scoring, the midfielder became the first Villa player to net in six straight home matches in the Premier League UEFA
Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz celebrates his second goal against West Ham (Jacob King/PA)The hosts deserved their lead, Watkins close to doubling it two minutes later when he grazed the side-netting, and West Ham were too compliant as Diaby, Watkins and Zaniolo caused problems UEFA
Villa were slicker than the Hammers, who waned in the last third with a final ball missing and Michail Antonio haphazard UEFA
Any hopes of a comeback rested on a strong start to the second half but, instead, the Hammers self-destructed after 51 minutes to gift Villa total control UEFA
There was little danger when the Hammers looked to play their way out in the corner but Lucas Paqueta’s wretched pass put Edson Alvarez in trouble UEFA
Ezri Konsa darted ahead and Alvarez clattered the defender to concede a penalty which Luiz coolly converted UEFA
It looked like a Villa cruise but the visitors pulled a goal back out of the blue five minutes later when Bowen’s shot from 25 yards clipped Pau Torres and rolled in the corner UEFA
West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen celebrates after scoring the team’s first goal (Getty Images)The rarely-seen jitters returned to Villa Park and Matty Cash headed Nayef Aguerd’s strike over before turning Antonio’s dangerous cross behind UEFA
Yet Villa ended any hopes of a recovery with 16 minutes left UEFA
The Hammers had the hosts on the ropes briefly but were caught out by John McGinn’s long ball to Watkins UEFA
The striker, fresh from his winner for England against Australia during the international break, still had plenty to do but sold a dummy to Zouma before drilling into the roof of the net from an angle UEFA
Substitute Bailey then wrapped up the points with a minute left, collecting Youri Tielemans’ pass, sidestepping Aguerd and finding the top corner UEFA
More aboutollie watkinsWest Ham UnitedLeon BaileyPremier LeagueDouglas LuizJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Aston Villa go two points off top as Watkins strike downs West HamAston Villa go two points off top as Watkins strike downs West HamAston Villa’s Douglas Luiz celebrates his second goal against West HamPA WireAston Villa go two points off top as Watkins strike downs West HamWest Ham’s Jarrod Bowen celebrates after scoring the team’s first goalGetty ImagesAston Villa go two points off top as Watkins strike downs West HamWatkins cracked in Villa’s third after West Ham came back Getty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today UEFA
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Rugby World Cup-winning sides are often defined by their captain, as teams become a reflection of their skipper UEFA
Only eight men have worn the metaphorical armband and lifted the Webb Ellis Cup, with each of them going down in history as an all-time great UEFA
From Francois Pienaar receiving the trophy from Nelson Mandela in 1995 to John Eales defining an Australian dynasty in 1999, through Martin Johnson dragging England to 2003 glory as the only northern hemisphere side to triumph and Richie McCaw’s place as probably the greatest of all, the only two-time winning captain in 2011 and 2015 – these men have led from the front to cement their status as legends UEFA
Saturday’s final UEFA between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France offers another opportunity for two men to enhance their legacies but this particular match-up provides a fascinating contrast UEFA
On one side, Siya Kolisi stands in the traditional mould of inspirational leaders UEFA
His story, rising from poverty in the South African townships to become the Springboks’ first Black captain – in some ways, a huge burden to bear – is both remarkable and distinct from his predecessors UEFA
Yet the aura he has and the love and respect he garners is very much in line with McCaw, Johnson, Eales or the two other South African men to skipper a World Cup-winning side, Pienaar and 2007 captain John Smit UEFA
He made history as the first Black captain to win a World Cup four years ago and should he match McCaw by winning a second in Paris, there will be a legitimate claim to call him the greatest skipper of all time UEFA
Certainly, he engenders adoration in South Africa and adulation from the entire rugby world – it is almost impossible to sit in a press conference with him and not be impressed by Kolisi the orator and Siya the man, while he is also a titan on the field UEFA
"Siya transcends the game of rugby – he’s a symbol of hope for so many,” explains ex-Springbok prop and World Cup winner Tendai Mtawarira UEFA
“He came from nothing and became somebody iconic in the public eye UEFA
He means so much for South Africa UEFA
”Siya Kolisi became the first Black captain to win the men’s Rugby World Cup (Reuters)Yet the man he will shake hands with at the coin toss on Saturday and who will walk his team out less than a metre away has often provoked a very different reaction UEFA
Fairly or unfairly, Sam Cane has never captured the hearts of the New Zealand public in the same way that Kolisi has in South Africa UEFA
He’s largely unloved rather than beloved UEFA
And frankly, it’s not really his fault UEFA
His only real crime is that he’s not Richie McCaw but arguably the greatest player and certainly the greatest captain of all time is an unreasonably high bar to clear UEFA
Cane is an exceptional rugby player UEFA
He would have to be, because you don’t make more than 90 appearances in the All Blacks back row without being incredible, but the often prevailing opinion from supporters was summed up in an on-pitch comment by Ireland flanker/wind-up merchant Peter O’Mahony during the Test series UEFA between the sides last summer – “you’re just a s*** Richie McCaw”, yelled O’Mahony to the flanker UEFA
Sam Cane, left, will try to lead the All Blacks to a fourth World Cup title (Reuters)Cane became New Zealand’s starting No 7 when McCaw retired after the 2015 World Cup and assumed the captaincy upon Kieran Read’s departure following the tournament four years later UEFA
Following in the footsteps of McCaw, who had captained the All Blacks in 110 Tests, winning a ludicrous 97 of them, was an impossible job and he, along with coach Ian Foster, became a fall guy as performance levels and world ranking dropped during this current World Cup cycle UEFA
There were regular debates about whether Cane deserved a place in New Zealand’s best starting XV, let alone as skipper, and when he was injured during the warm-up of the World Cup opener against France, many on social media rejoiced as they felt the team was stronger with Dalton Papali’i promoted to the run-on side instead UEFA
It’s worth noting that France won that game, handing the All Blacks their only loss of the tournament so far UEFA
Now, they’re in a final and Cane was immense in both the quarter-final and semi-final victories UEFA
He may not have the raw athleticism of Papali’i but his work ethic, engine, grit, breakdown tenacity and dogged defence perfectly complement the skillsets of back-row teammates Shannon Frizell and Ardie Savea UEFA
In the narrow quarter-final win over Ireland, Cane topped the tackle charts with 22 and earned a number of timely turnovers in perhaps the performance of his career, while he has a brilliant 94 per cent tackle success rate across the tournament as a whole UEFA
“I think, personally, Sam is made for these sorts of Test matches, in the tough Test matches he does a great job,” said head coach Foster after the Ireland win UEFA
Kolisi and Cane will collide again in the World Cup final (Getty Images)Forwards coach Jason Ryan expanded on Cane’s role in the build-up to the final UEFA
“Sam has really grown as a captain,” said Ryan UEFA
“He has really fronted in the last couple of weeks on the field UEFA
He has good conversations and he has a phenomenal leadership group around him as well which is an important part of it UEFA
”He may never enjoy the unconditional love that his opposing skipper on Saturday does but becoming just the third All Black, after McCaw and 1987 winner David Kirk, to lift the Webb Ellis Cup would silence a lot of doubters UEFA
Kolisi and Cane have taken different paths to reach this point but when they step onto the Stade de France turf for the Rugby World Cup final, both are playing for the same legendary status UEFA
More aboutRugby World CupSiya KolisiSam CaneSouth Africa rugbyNew Zealand rugbyAll BlacksJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/4Beloved vs unloved: Contrasting captains Kolisi and Cane collideBeloved vs unloved: Contrasting captains Kolisi and Cane collideSiya Kolisi became the first Black captain to win the men’s Rugby World Cup ReutersBeloved vs unloved: Contrasting captains Kolisi and Cane collideSam Cane, left, will try to lead the All Blacks to a fourth World Cup title REUTERSBeloved vs unloved: Contrasting captains Kolisi and Cane collideKolisi and Cane will collide again in the World Cup final Getty ImagesBeloved vs unloved: Contrasting captains Kolisi and Cane collideSiya Kolisi, left, and Sam Cane will captain their sides in pursuit of the Rugby World Cup trophy on Saturday evening Getty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today UEFA
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