Football (Soccer) News
Fulham pulled off a famous late win at Chelsea, Newcastle beat Villa and Forest piled the pain on Spurs
Hapless City were fortunate not to lose that at the end.
Savinho has just committed a hilarious mis-kick for City against Everton when apparently attempting a cross. That’s all you need to know.
Continue reading...Manchester City’s plight is their individual kind of deja vu nightmare. Featuring domination, taking the lead, creating numerous chances, the spurning of these, and the pesky foe taking one of their very few to thwart those in blue.
Add to the above a dismal 53rd-minute Erling Haaland penalty miss – greeted with a mischievous wink by Jordan Pickford following his save – and times are ever more trying for Pep Guardiola’s men.
Continue reading...Jordan Pickford saved Erling Haaland’s penalty as Manchester City’s miserable run of form continued
A reminder of the teams
Manchester City (possible 4-3-3) Ortega Moreno; Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Foden, Kovacic, Bernardo; Savinho, Haaland, Doku.
Substitutes: Carson, Brits, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Simpson-Pusey, Mubama, Alleyne, O’Reilly, McAtee
Sheffield United lead a north-facing battle to go up while Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney are in the trenches
Chris Wilder could not contain the excitement in his voice. “It feels imminent,” said Sheffield United’s manager. “It’s getting pretty close.”
Wilder was referring to his club’s protracted takeover by American consortium, COH Sports. At long last that particular saga has reached a conclusion, with the two key investors, Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, joining United’s board as co-chairmen after the buyout of Prince Abdullah bin Mosa’ad’s United World Group was confirmed on Monday.
Continue reading...Valencia have confirmed the appointment of Carlos Corberán as their head coach on a contract to 2027 after paying his release clause of about £3m to West Bromwich Albion. The Spanish club made an approach on Tuesday after sacking Rubén Baraja.
West Brom said Corberán was departing “with the club’s gratitude and best wishes” after just over two years in charge and that Chris Brunt, Damià Abella and Boaz Myhill would oversee the first team while a replacement is sought.
Continue reading...The takeover of the Championship leaders Sheffield United by COH Sports has been completed. Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy have joined the board as co-chairmen with immediate effect after the buyout of Prince Abdullah bin Mosa’ad’s United World Group was finalised.
The takeover includes ownership of Sheffield United Women, SUFC Hotel Ltd and all real estate. “We are honoured and humbled to become the new owners of this historic football club,” Rosen and Eltoukhy told the club website. “We are excited to embark on this journey and our work begins today to deliver long-term success for Sheffield United over a sustained period of time.
Continue reading...Gian Piero Gasperini’s project embodies a mentality that echoes an NFL legend after 11-game winning run
The game had not even kicked off and it was starting to feel like a prize ceremony. Ademola Lookman held up the trophy he won as the African men’s footballer of the year. Atalanta’s president, Antonio Percassi, beamed as he handed over Serie A’s coach of the month award to Gian Piero Gasperini.
Percassi’s son, Luca, the club’s CEO, spoke for the TV cameras about the recent quality of life survey conducted by the newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore. It had ranked Bergamo, where Atalanta are based, as the best place to reside in all of Italy. “As a Bergamasco, I can confirm those statistics,” he replied with a laugh.
Continue reading...Arne Slot urged his players to keep their foot on the accelerator after Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points with a wild 6-3 victory against Tottenham. Although the manager felt his team produced their best attacking performance in an away game under him, he was not happy with a drop in intensity at 5-1 that gave Spurs brief hope of a comeback. The score was pulled back to 5-3 and Liverpool, who ended up capitalising on Chelsea’s draw with Everton earlier in the day, were reminded that they must maintain their focus if they are to win the league.
Arne Slot warns against complacency despite Liverpool’s six-goal display
Ange Postecoglou’s unserious Spurs exposed by serious Liverpool
Liverpool make a statement, Pep Guardiola tries to see the funny side and Sandro Tonali fires on all cylinders
Midway through Ruben Amorim’s post-defeat media conference the roof in the press room, located in the bowels of Old Trafford, did what some of the outside sections of the stadium do: leak. Spots of water hit a scribe perched in the front row, merriment ensued, and Manchester United’s head coach offered a wry smile, a fitting end to an afternoon on which Bournemouth had rained on his side’s pre-Christmas Day parade. Nine games into his tenure, the Portuguese’s coach record is poor – four wins, four losses and a draw – and the next four matches look tough: Wolves (away), Newcastle (home), Liverpool (away) and a trip to Arsenal in the FA Cup. Amorim, who continually repeats the need for victory, knows things have to improve. Jamie Jackson
Continue reading...Kylian Mbappé scored the opener and set up another goal as Real Madrid beat mid-table Sevilla 4-2 to move up to second place in La Liga and close the gap on Atlético Madrid to one point going into the winter break.
Mbappé scored with a thunderbolt from outside the box in the 10th minute before Federico Valverde put the reigning champions two goals ahead from long range 10 minutes later. Rodrygo fired in the third in the 34th minute from a cross by Lucas Vázquez.
Continue reading...Ruben Amorim said Manchester United's players and fans were 'suffering' after a damaging 3-0 Premier League loss to Bournemouth at Old Trafford. Dean Huijsen exposed United's frailties from set pieces with a first-half header before Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo added goals after the break to secure three points for the visitors
Continue reading...Luis Diaz and Mo Salah both scored twice as Liverpool produced a devastating attacking performance to demolish Spurs
Everton 0-0 Chelsea
Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth
This is the updated league table.
Continue reading...Fulham 0-0 Southampton and Leicester 0-3 Wolves were the other results in the Sunday kick-offs
Dear, departed Russell Martin had the look of an indie-rocker, in one of those bands like Biffy Clyro or Foals. But the new man, Ivica Juric, well he’s into the real stuff.
“I started at 14 years old with Metallica and Megadeth, then I moved on to more aggressive things. Death metal is my passion, bands like Napalm Death, Obituary and Carcass.”
Continue reading...The Friedkin Group’s era at Everton started as Farhad Moshiri’s tenure ended, with a goalless draw against a London club with designs on the top of the Premier League, and a strengthening of Sean Dyche’s case for the stabilisation job that the new owners require. Chelsea missed the chance to go top of the Premier League as their eight-match winning run in all competitions came to a halt at Goodison Park.
Enzo Maresca’s insistence that Chelsea lack the experience and pedigree for a sustained title challenge was given credence as his players toiled against a resolute Everton defence. Dyche’s side had the clearer opportunities and, despite failing to take any, departed the more satisfied team at the end of a momentous few days for the club.
Continue reading...After mid-morning wind and rain that might have caused Noah a problem, the skies cleared and Bournemouth took apart a Manchester United as amateurish as any of the iterations of the past decade or so.
Ruben Amorim’s men could not defend, retain the ball, or finish. So in these three fundamentals they failed, to leave their head coach appearing hapless and isolated.
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