Manchester City, the dominant force in English football for over a decade, finds itself once again under the Premier League's microscope. This time, however, the allegations are not about intricate financial dealings or sponsorship controversies, but something seemingly more mundane: breaches of kick-off timing regulations. Recent reports confirm that City has been hit with a substantial fine of £1.08 million for delaying kick-offs and re-starts on nine separate occasions during the 2024/25 season. While a million-pound fine might seem like a drop in the ocean for a club of City's financial might, these sanctions underscore a deeper tension within the Premier League – a battle between sporting integrity, commercial interests, and the relentless demands of a global broadcasting behemoth. This isn't merely a trivial matter of punctuality. It speaks to the meticulous choreography of modern football, where every second is accounted for, and every deviation from the schedule has...
Fulham took the lead with 58 seconds on the clock after Andreas Pereira picked out Sessegnon's run and slotted past Jose Sa.
Wolves responded in the 18th minute with Joao Gomes' second goal against Fulham this season, but Rodrigo Muniz gave the Cottagers the lead again a little over a minute into the second half.
Silva made five changes from Saturday's 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace, including Sessegnon, who made his first league start in over two years after a series of injuries.
The Portuguese, whose team is vying for a European spot, stated: "He's a lovely boy, and the last two or three years have been extremely difficult for him."
"A player who began playing at a high level at the age of 16 and everyone here and in this country knows he's going to have an amazing career because he's a top talent, but football isn't always like that.
"He began to sustain a number of injuries, which sapped his confidence, but the most important thing he lacked was the sharpness required to compete at this level.
"He works hard. It is his first Premier League start, but he has started both cups and performed well.
"Sometimes it's really tough but when you get injuries in a row but lets hope the future is going to be bright for him again."
Silva was particularly satisfied with his team's second-half performance.
He added, "In the second half, after 2-1, we controlled the game differently.
"It was difficult for us." However, Wolves had possession but failed to create a single chance in the second half.
"Changing five players, short period between games, changing the formation, the boys responded really well and I'm pleased for them."
Wolves manager Vitor Pereira couldn't hide his frustration after his team failed to learn from the first half.
He stated, "Today, I'm frustrated. Starting the first half by conceding a very easy goal, our concentration or focus was not up to par with the level of play.
"We reacted and began to play against a strong team, winning 1-0. We created some opportunities and scored a goal, but starting the second half the same way is extremely difficult.
"In the second half, I sensed the team was tired. The game on Saturday is why we are tired. Two games in three days made it impossible to fully recover.
"We need to defend well and today we committed mistakes we cannot commit again."
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