15 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2019 sports Man United held by Wolves missed a second-half penalty for United, who were denied victory by a spectacular equaliser from Ruben Neves

Bennett’s misplaced pass and United miss the eased past Willy Boly, only • to tread on the ball when he chance to go to the seemed certain to score. top of the Premier Well marshalled by Harry League table despite KNOW WHAT Maguire, United denied Wolves first-half brilliance a single shot on target in the first half. But Wolves were revitalised AFP | Wolverhampton At an average of 24 after the interval by the intro- years and 173 days, duction of the speedy Adama anchester United were Solskjaer had picked Traore. forced to settle for a 1-1 United’s youngest Suddenly, Maguire and com- Mdraw against Wolves pany did not look so solid and after Paul Pogba’s penalty was starting line-up Raul Jimenez glanced a free- saved by Rui Patricio at Mo - kick against the far post with lineux on Monday. since the final day United keeper David De Gea Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side of the 2016-17 cam- rooted. took the lead through Antho- paign Wolves’ pressure paid off in ny Martial’s second Premier the 55th minute when a short League goal of the season in the corner was worked to Neves on first half. the edge of the area and the Por- Ruben Neves hit a brilliant moved the ball onto Rashford. tugal midfielder curled a sub- equaliser for Wolves after the in- Rashford slipped a perfect- lime strike into the top corner. Wolves’ Rui Patricio saves Paul Pogba’s penalty terval before star Pogba ly-weighted pass to Martial in Neves’s eye-catching effort was denied by Patricio. inconsistent performance that Daniel James made his maid- United threatened for the the Wolves area and the French survived a VAR review for offside It was a curious decision for underlined why Solskjaer still en start for United after the first time when another of their forward blasted a superb strike in the build-up and he celebrat- Pogba to take the spot-kick as has a lot of work to do to turn his close-season signing from Swan- young guns Rashford spun past into the roof of the net without ed his 10th goal from outside the Marcus Rashford had scored a team into title contenders. sea scored his first goal as a sub- Ryan Bennett on the left side breaking stride. area since joining Wolves. penalty in last weekend’s 4-0 While there were moments of stitute against Chelsea. of the Wolves area and crossed Solskjaer had called for Mar- United had a golden chance to victory over Chelsea and also promise in attack and defence, There was no place in the towards Martial, who did not tial to be more clinical and, his reclaim the lead when Martial memorably netted the Champi- United didn’t take their chances matchday squad for Chile for- make enough contact as the ball message received loud and clear, found Pogba in the Wolves area ons League last-16 winner from and crumbled too easily when ward Alexis Sanchez, who has flashed past him. the Norwegian clapped approv- and the France midfielder was the spot against Paris Saint Ger- they came under pressure in been linked with Inter Milan. It was a warning Wolves failed ingly on the touchline. clipped by Conor Coady. main last term. their second game of the season. Solskjaer has described James to heed as United took the lead Martial’s goal took him to 50 Pogba and Rashford appeared Pogba has now missed four At an average of 24 years and as United’s ‘x-factor’, but the with an incisive raid in the 27th for United in all competitions to discuss who should take the Premier League penalties since 173 days, Solskjaer had picked 21-year-old didn’t win any minute. since his move from Monaco spot-kick. the start of last season. United’s youngest Premier friends when he was booked in 2015. Whoever made the final call, United would have gone top of League starting line-up since for diving in a failed attempt Revitalised Wolves Martial should have doubled it proved a bad move as Pogba’s the table with a win, but instead the final day of the 2016-17 cam- to win a free-kick from referee Breaking inside from left, Luke United’s lead on the stroke of powerful drive was superbly they were left to reflect on an paign. Jon Moss. Shaw found Jesse Lingard who half-time when he pounced on pushed away by Patricio.

Dembele adds to Barcelona’s injury woes Chelsea’s Zouma recalls ‘long AFP | Barcelona If Dembele is out for that long, he could miss five matches in La Liga as well as journey’ back to starting lineup Ousmane usmane Dembe- France’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against Albania Dembele Ole, Barcelona’s on September 7 and Andorra on September but I fought very hard. French international 20. He suffered a similar problem in May at Reuters | London “People don’t know, people striker, will miss the end of an injury-ravaged first season in don’t see but I was in the shad- five weeks af- Barcelona. helsea defender Kurt Zou- ow, working hard to get back ter suffering a He is the latest casualty in a depleted Barce- Cma says his return to the because I had a very bad injury. hamstring inju- lona strike force. Lionel Messi missed the Liga club’s starting lineup is the cul- I was off for one year (away ry, the club said opener in Bilbao on Friday, which Barcelona lost mination of a three-year strug- from the first team) but people on Monday. 1-0, with a calf problem. gle when he was seriously in- forget that. The club Uruguayan star Luis Suarez limped off af - jured and then sent out on loan “But I always believed in said in a state- ter 37 minutes in Bilbao, also with a calf to two Premier League clubs. myself. My family was al - ment that tests problem, and is expected to be absent for a Zouma, who suffered a knee ways there behind me and showed a “fi- month. injury in 2016 that sidelined him now I’m back here. I’m very brillary lesion Barcelona have loaned attacking midfielder for nine months, was loaned to happy to play here, I just in the left Philippe Coutinho to Bayern Munich but are Stoke City and Everton in the want to keep going.” thigh femoral reportedly in negotiations to buy Neymar back last two seasons before new Zouma has started the biceps.” from Paris Saint-Germain. Chelsea manager Frank Lam- club’s first three games of pard made him a part of his first the season and although team plans. he was below-par in a “It has been a very, very long 4-0 loss in the opener journey,” Zouma told reporters. at Manchester United, Stephens splits with coach Groeneveld “I don’t want to talk about that Lampard has shown now, because that is the past faith in the 24-year- Reuters | New York to go our separate ways,” 2017 old Frenchman as the champion Stephens said in a London side looks for merican Sloane Ste - tweet. its first win. Aphens has parted ways “Change is never easy, People don’t know, “That’s what I with her coach Sven Groen - but I’m so apprecia - wanted,” Zouma added. eveld less than a week before tive of our time together. people don’t see but “I’m in a big club and everyone the US Open gets underway, Onward!” I was in the shadow, wants to play. The competition the former champion ha Groeneveld, who has pre- working hard to get is very hard and there are a lot s said. viously coached former back because I had of talented players, so when you Stephens, who only teamed world number ones Ana Iva- a very bad injury. I train you have to do it right. up with Dutchman Groeneveld novic and Maria Sharapova, was off for one year “There are players who came in May, has not announced a thanked Stephens for their time (away from the first back, like me, and other players, replacement ahead of the year’s together. the younger guys who came in. final Grand Slam, which begins “I wish you a strong @ team) but people Now we are starting to under- on Monday. usopen, you have all it takes, forget that stand each other. We just need Kurt Zouma “After much thought, Sven Sloane Stephens serves against Yulia I believe in you!” he wrote on KURT ZOUMA to be more clinical and get the Groeneveld and I have decided Putintseva during (file photo) Twitter. wins.”