Mancini lays down law to Arsenal over Nasri deal August 21, 2011 BOLTON (2) vs MANCHESTER CITY (3) MANCHESTER CITY manager Roberto Mancini has warned Arsenal he could pull the plug on a £25m move for Samir Nasri if Arsene Wenger plays him in the Champions League against Udinese this week. Mancini saw his team go top of the Premier League with a 3-2 win at Bolton [...]
Chelsea win the race for £26m Mata August 21, 2011 CHELSEA are poised to complete their biggest signing of the summer after agreeing a fee with Valencia for winger Juan Mata. Spain international Mata will complete his move this week, subject to a medical, for a fee thought to be around £26m. He is expected to sign a five-year deal worth £70,000 a week. Arsenal [...]
Swann calls on England to finish off India this morning August 21, 2011 SPINNER Graeme Swann relished taking centre stage at last as England moved to within seven wickets of completing a 4-0 series whitewash of India at The Oval. Swann (right) claimed two wickets after England enforced the follow-on, to add to his three from India’s first innings, as the tourists ended the fourth day on 129-3, [...]
Flutey World Cup woe as Johnson picks Simpson August 21, 2011 WASPS centre Riki Flutey is set to be the most high-profile casualty when England manager Martin Johnson whittles his World Cup squad down to a final 30 today. Flutey is the victim of the injury to scrum-half Danny Care, which will see Johnson take Wasps’ uncapped Joe Simpson and Saracens’ Richard Wigglesworth as back-up No9s. [...]
Dravid steel halts England celebrations August 21, 2011 IF ENGLAND are today denied the whitewash that would provide a fitting climax to what has already been a momentous series, then it will be in large part due to Rahul Dravid. The India batsman’s stubborn 146 not out in the tourists’ first innings of this fourth and final Test at The Oval was in [...]
Wenger obituaries are being penned prematurely August 21, 2011 ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger is a man on the brink. Saturday’s home defeat to Liverpool has detonated the myth that the Gunners were ever likely to finish in the top four and Wenger would be advised to consider jumping before he is pushed. Or so some would have us believe. But it’s hard to escape [...]
Djokovic’s US Open in doubt after retirement hands title to Murray August 21, 2011 BRITAIN’S Andy Murray became only the second man this year to get the better of Novak Djokovic as he won the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati last night. World No1 Novak Djokovic retired with a shoulder injury in the second set, with Murray firmly in control and 6-4, 3-0 ahead. It handed Murray a [...]
Fulham pay for Euro tie August 21, 2011 FULHAM boss Martin Jol admits a Europa League campaign is hampering his team’s competitiveness in the Premier League after losing 2-0 at Wolves. Kevin Doyle and Matt Jarvis scored as Jol’s men succumbed less than 72 hours after beating Dnipro on Thursday night. He said: “We can do well in Europe, but it is probably [...]
Hammers in late slip-up August 21, 2011 WEST HAM manager Sam Allardyce warned his side to lose their home jitters after conceding a last-minute equaliser to draw 2-2 with Leeds. Carlton Cole and a Patrick Kisnorbo own goal appeared to have earned Allardyce his first Championship win at Upton Park, with Ross McCormack leveller replying – only for Adam Clayton to score [...]
Walker out of Scotland squad August 21, 2011 Scotland wing Nikki Walker has been ruled out of the World Cup by the knee injury he suffered on Saturday against Italy. Coach Andy Robinson will name his final 30-man squad today.