Anelka in talks to quit Shanghai December 17, 2012 ■ FOOTBALL: Former Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka has initiated talks to terminate his contract with the Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua. Anelka joined from Chelsea in January but has only scored three times during his short spell as Shanghai struggled to finish ninth in the Super League. Former Blues teammate Didier Drogba joined Anelka in China [...]
Warnock insists pressure on Blues December 17, 2012 ■ FOOTBALL: Leeds manager Neil Warnock is relishing taking on Chelsea in the Capital One Cup quarter-finals tomorrow. The Championship side have won four of their last five games, while Chelsea return from Japan after the 1-0 defeat to Corinthians in the Club World Cup on Sunday. “It promises to be fabulous with no pressure [...]
Coya: the last word in Peruvian cuisine December 16, 2012 RESTAURANT COYA 118 Piccadilly, Mayfair, W1J 7NW Tel: 020 7042 7118 FOOD **** VALUE *** ATMOSPHERE *** Cost for two people with wine: £120 COYA WAS easily one of the most talked about openings this autumn. Created by Arun Waney, the man behind La Petite Maison and the uber successful Knightsbridge eatery Zuma, the restaurant [...]
Brindisa’s fourth outlet does tapas in a big way. Literally. December 16, 2012 RESTAURANT TRAMONTANA 152 Curtain Road, EC2A 3AT Tel: 020 7749 9961 FOOD **** VALUE *** ATMOSPHERE *** Cost for two people without wine: £70 THERE WAS a time, believe it or not, when there was not a hip new tapas bar on every street in central London. A time before the roast courgette flowers and [...]
Mind the gap: AVB urges his team not to blow it again December 16, 2012 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 vs SWANSEA CITY 0 TOTTENHAM boss Andre Villas-Boas has called on his players to cement their position in the top four of the Premier League, after seeing off a stubborn Swansea side at White Hart Lane yesterday. Tottenham blew a 10 point lead over fierce rivals Arsenal last season, and with a [...]
Saracens edge Munster to lift Euro ambitions December 16, 2012 CAPTAIN Steve Borthwick insists Saracens will not be getting ahead of themselves despite moving into the box seat for Heineken Cup qualification with a 19-13 victory over Munster yesterday. Fourteen points from Owen Farrell did the damage for the Aviva Premiership outfit with David Strettle also crossing for a try as Sarries moved to the [...]
Cahill blasts Corinthians star over red card December 16, 2012 CORINTHIANS 1 vs CHELSEA 0 CHELSEA manager Rafael Benitez insists they will still challenge for four trophies this year despite seeing his side surrender a fourth piece of silverware yesterday in the Club World Cup final. Paolo Guerrero’s 69th-minute header earned Brazil’s Corinthians the title in Yokohama, where a miserable occasion for the Blues was [...]
Allardyce praise for West Ham’s backs to the wall defending December 16, 2012 WEST BROMWICH ALBION 0 vs WEST HAM UNITED 0 WEST HAM manager Sam Allardyce hailed his team’s resolute defending as yesterday’s goalless draw at the Hawthorns earned the Hammers their first clean sheet in six games. Allardyce’s men had gone a goal behind in each of their previous five Premier League games, yet managed to [...]
Fellaini’s headbutt merits three-month ban December 16, 2012 IMAGINE you are in the penalty area and there’s a lot of jostling going on between you and an opposition defender, and you feel the need to take some unilateral action. Do you: a) push him away vigorously; b) elbow him in the ribs; c) punch him; d) give him a head-butt? Marouane Fellaini opted [...]
Tensions boil over as Trott frustrates India December 16, 2012 INDIA accused England batsman Jonathan Trott of gamesmanship after tensions boiled over yesterday as the Test series approached its decisive climax in Nagpur. Trott’s grizzled 66 not out helped guide the tourists from 94-3 to 161-3 – a lead of 165 and closer to a first series win in India since 1985 – on the [...]