Malaysia date for Arsenal tour April 10, 2012 FOOTBALL: Arsenal will kick off their pre-season tour of Asia with a game against a Malaysia XI in Kuala Lumpur on 24 July, the club have confirmed. The Gunners will then face Premier League rivals Manchester City in Beijing’s iconic Bird’s Nest stadium on 27 July, before finishing the tour in Hong Kong on 29 [...]
Champions League fight to go to wire, says Di Matteo April 9, 2012 FULHAM (1) vs CHELSEA (1) Chelsea boss predicts tight battle after late Dempsey goal denies Blues top-four boost CHELSEA manager Roberto di Matteo expects the four-way skirmish for two Champions League places to remain unresolved until the final day of the season, after local rivals Fulham dented their hopes last night. Midfielder Frank Lampard’s penalty [...]
Beaten English readjust targets April 9, 2012 SARACENS boss Mark McCall has backed his team to bounce back from European disappointment and focus on their Aviva Premiership title defence, starting this weekend at London Irish. Defeat against Harlequins at Wembley 10 days ago followed by a 22-3 Heineken Cup exit to Clermont Auvergne on Easter Sunday leaves the domestic champions with just [...]
SYNCHRONISED TARGETS HISTORIC DOUBLE April 9, 2012 CHELTENHAM Gold Cup winner Synchronised has one of racing’s oldest records in his sights after he was confirmed as one of 48 acceptors for Saturday’s Grand National. JP McManus’s charge is bidding to become the first horse since Golden Miller in 1934 to win both races in the same year, and will again be ridden [...]
Redknapp concedes third place to Arsenal April 9, 2012 TOTTENHAM (1) vs NORWICH (2) TOTTENHAM manager Harry Redknapp has all but conceded defeat in the battle for third place after their late-season slump deepened with a shock home defeat to Premier League surprise package Norwich. Goals from Anthony Pilkington and Elliott Bennett, either side of Jermain Defoe’s equaliser, condemned Spurs to a fourth defeat [...]
He got lucky, but Watson deserved his win April 9, 2012 THE WEEKEND saw a fantastic Masters, by my reckoning one of the best for many years, which culminated in a great and thoroughly deserved maiden Major victory for Bubba Watson. Apart from his first shot at the 10th during that decisive play-off, which veered into trouble in the trees, the American played fantastically well throughout [...]
Teary Masters champ Bubba still learning not to blubber April 9, 2012 NEWLY-CROWNED Masters champion Bubba Watson admits he is yet to exert the same control over his emotions as he does a golf ball. Watson won his first Major title at Augusta on Sunday after a fraught play-off with South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen – and promptly broke down on the green. “I’m just trying to figure [...]
Pardew dreams of top four April 9, 2012 NEWCASTLE (2) vs BOLTON (0) NEWCASTLE manager Alan Pardew admits he now has one eye on a Champions League place after his side boosted their chances against relegation-threatened Bolton. An insipid match was lit up by a superb solo goal from midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa, before striker Papiss Cisse’s 10th in nine games sealed the [...]
Balotelli sorry and eager to stick with City April 9, 2012 WAYWARD Manchester City star Mario Balotelli last night apologised for the latest low point in his rollercoaster career and insisted he still “loves” manager Roberto Mancini. Balotelli’s red card in Sunday’s defeat at Arsenal, a match that appeared to end City’s hopes of winning the Premier League, prompted Mancini to admit he intends to sell [...]
Toffees stick four past Black Cats April 9, 2012 Everton struck four times in 29 minutes to thrash Sunderland 4-0. The Toffees moved four points clear of rivals Liverpool but remain in seventh place.