Kristoffer Ajer spent a chunk of the extended international window fielding questions about the state of mind of his Norway teammate Erling Haaland and perhaps in recent weeks he also picked up some finishing tips. Two minutes after John McGinn’s shot cannoned in via Ajer’s calf, the centre-back strode forward in the Villa box and kept three defenders at arm’s length before scoring the equaliser, his shot also catching a nick off a defender, this time Victor Lindelöf.
For the second time in the game, one team cancelled out the other within two minutes, just 88 seconds between Yehor Yarmolyuk’s opener, born from Jaidon Anthony pressing Tyrone Mings, and Nicolas Jackson’s simple equaliser. It was a strange, seesawing and tempestuous game and a busy one for Ajer, who was also booked late on for questioning a decision by the referee, Craig Pawson, who managed the impressive feat of drawing ire from both sets of supporters.
Continue reading...Ipswich produced a dramatic turnaround to beat Fulham 2-1 after late goals by Abdoul Ouattara and Dara O’Shea extended Álvaro Arbeloa’s winless start to six Premier League matches.
The former Real Madrid manager had been on course to toast a maiden league victory in charge of the Cottagers after Ryan Sessegnon’s sweet 55th-minute strike put the visitors ahead. It would have eased the pressure on Arbeloa, but the Spaniard watched his team collapse with Ouattara producing a spectacular 30-yard equaliser with two minutes left before O’Shea, the Ipswich captain, headed home in stoppage time to spark wild celebrations at Portman Road.
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