England v Pakistan: Hosts set to unleash Mark Wood and Jofra Archer in all-out pace barrage June 2, 2019 Trent Bridge has in recent years become a cricket ground associated with one thing and one thing only: runs, and lots of them. Over the last four years it has been the highest-scoring venue in England and Wales, with an average one-day international run-rate of 6.98 per over, its true, even-paced pitch and short boundaries [...]
How Liverpool dialled down their heavy metal football to beat Tottenham in the Champions League final June 2, 2019 Six was the magic number for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp on Saturday night when a deserved yet unspectacular display in the stifling heat of Madrid yielded a 2-0 win over Tottenham. But while a sixth European Cup victory was the guiding motivation for all involved with Liverpool, the number also held personal significance to Klopp. [...]
Anthony Joshua’s seismic defeat by Andy Ruiz Jr is the shake-up that heavyweight boxing needed June 2, 2019 This wasn’t supposed to happen. Anthony Joshua’s first fight in the US was meant to be a glossy commercial for the Briton; more than merely a defence of his IBF, WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles, Saturday night’s clash with Andy Ruiz Jr was designed to break a new market, to wow an audience and [...]
Danny Cipriani sweeps up Premiership’s individual awards but will he get a World Cup call-up? June 1, 2019 If this season has not shown England head coach Eddie Jones that Danny Cipriani is deserving of a seat on the plane to the World Cup in Japan later this year, then perhaps nothing will. The 31-year-old has been instrumental to Gloucester’s revival this season as they reached the Premiership play-offs for the first time [...]
England show all the strings to their bow as they open the World Cup with dominant win over South Africa May 30, 2019 They waited a long time for the tournament to start, but when it finally did England did not disappoint. The hosts may not have produced their trademark – the gigantic total compiled through aggressive, explosive batting – yet, in a way, this was better. As the world’s best one-day international side for some time, we [...]
Anthony Joshua looking to build his US profile with Andy Ruiz fight in Madison Square Garden debut May 30, 2019 If Anthony Joshua already needed to deliver an impressive performance on his American debut then that has been made all the more important by the replacement of his initial opponent, Jarrell Miller, with Andy Ruiz Jr. Ruiz has had significantly less time to prepare so there can be no excuses for Joshua, who takes to [...]
Jurgen Klopp’s reliance on home advantage could cost Liverpool the Champions League May 30, 2019 If Anfield has become synonymous with magical European nights, then Jurgen Klopp is similarly linked to falling at the final hurdle. The stark fact is that, for all the entertaining football Liverpool have produced, they remain trophyless in his almost four-year tenure. The German has lost six successive finals – three at Liverpool, three at [...]
Trevor Steven: Tottenham have more to gain from Champions League win but Liverpool’s need is greater May 30, 2019 I couldn’t be any more excited about the prospect of a Champions League final between two English teams who possess all of the ingredients for wonderful, dynamic, modern football. Liverpool have stepped up another level again this season, as their astronomical Premier League points tally of 97 shows, steamrolling almost everyone in their path. They [...]
Champions League final prize money 2018-19: What Liverpool and Tottenham can earn and how winnings have trebled in a decade May 30, 2019 When Barcelona conquered Europe for the first time in Pep Guardiola’s reign, beating Manchester United 2-0 in the 2009 Champions League final in Rome, it banked the club prize money of €31m. A decade on and the winners of this year’s competition – either Tottenham or Liverpool, who meet on Saturday night in Madrid – [...]
Tottenham v Liverpool: Why Champions League final could prove the tipping point for delicately balanced Spurs May 30, 2019 After the late thrill of Barcelona, the precision of Borussia Dortmund, the rollercoaster of Manchester City and, finally, the unforgettable comeback of Ajax, winning Saturday's Champions League final would cap a brilliant European campaign and provide the biggest moment in Tottenham’s history. Just as for Liverpool, success in Madrid would be the perfect conclusion to [...]