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Hello and welcome to another installment of Premier League news on Mania Africa. EPL GW 20 is underway and it saw Nottingham Forest beat Manchester United, with Erik ten Hag’s future at the club now hanging in the balance. Here are EPL GW 20 results.
Nottingham Forest Beat Manchester United Further Dampening Erik ten Hag’s Chances of Remaining at the Club
Things have been happening fast for Manchester United these past few days with the latest being their 2-1 loss against Nottingham Forest. Nicolas Dominguez opened the scoring for Nottm in the 64th minute before Marcus Rashford equalized for United in the 78th minute. Nottm weren’t done, however, with Morgan Gibbs-White giving Nottm the upper hand with his 82nd-minute goal. United, despite showing some fervor, were unable to upend Nottm’s lead, ending the game at a 2-1 loss.
What the Loss to Nottingham Forest Means for Erik ten Hag’s Future at Man United
Erik ten Hag is at a loss. Despite being brought on as the solution to the Solksjaer era, he’s failed to inspire and invigorate the team as its history and legendary status require. Some of his biggest failures include not being able to accommodate and sharpen club legend Cristiano Ronaldo, and his constant fights with star players including Jadon Sancho. ten Hag has also had a habit of placing his beliefs on non-performing players like Harry Maguire. For the loss against Nottm Forest, ten Hag said “It’s disappointing. The loss was unnecessary. We lost it in the first half. We weren’t energized enough or invested enough.” (Source: France 24)
Major Management Changes at Man United
Man United is going through some major leadership changes, with INEOS owner Jim Ratcliffe now owning 25% of the club. A deal was agreed with the Glazer family on Christmas Eve, and despite being a 1.3 billion Euro deal for a minority stake of 25%, it will mean that Jim and INEOS hold the deciding vote on all football-related matters such as transfers. As a result, the company and Jim will have the deciding vote on how the management shapes the future of the club. INEOS will also invest 300 million Euros in the club which will be used to partly improve infrastructure at Old Trafford. (Source: Standard UK)
Will Man United’s New Management Fire Erik ten Hag?
Despite this not being a complete buyout, the deal now sees new investment in the club for the first time, and it may bring with it changes to the club’s coaching team. INEOS may decide to kick out Erik ten Hag if they find that his style of leadership and the constant stream of bad results cannot be tweaked to help the club better succeed. As such, the loss against Nottm Forest, a recently promoted club to the EPL, could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and could see ten Hag out of a job.
Chelsea Beat Luton Town
Elsewhere, Chelsea beat Luton Town 3-2 in what is an indication of the increasing effectiveness of Mauricio Pochettino’s leadership and strategies. Chelsea is a giant that is now waking and we expect them to shake up the EPL Table and possibly finish top four.
Cole Palmer Brace
The star of the match was Chelsea’s Cole Palmer who scored a brace, netting in his first goal in the 12th minute before topping it up with a cherry second in the 70th minute. Noni Madueke scored Chelsea’s other goal in the 37th minute, giving them a 3-2 lead. For Luton, Ross Barkley scored their first goal in the 80th minute, with Elijah Adebayo scoring their second in the 87th minute.
Man City Beat Sheffield United
Manchester City, on their part, beat Sheffield United 2-0, further cementing their claim on the EPL Title. Rodri scored their first goal in the 14th minute, with Julian Alvarez cementing their lead with his 61st-minute strike. Despite looking a bit shaky in the recent past, Man City are still the club to beat in EPL this season, and we cannot wait to see how they reclaim top spot.
Other EPL Gameweek 20 Results
In other EPL GW 20 results, Crystal Palace beat Brentford 3-1, Aston Villa beat Burnley 3-2, and Wolves beat Everton 3-0. More EPL GW 20 games will be played today and tomorrow and we’ll update you on the results right here on Mania Africa. Stay tuned.
