Chelsea v Brighton: Stubborn Maurizio Sarri weighed down by his own philosophy as end edges closer April 2, 2019 Chelsea find themselves in a familiar position ahead of tomorrow's match with Brighton: clouded by a miasma of discontent, yet still on the pathway towards potential success. Last season Antonio Conte secured the FA Cup despite the end of the campaign being overshadowed by his protracted, bitter exit from the club rumbling on in the [...]
Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle: Aaron Ramsey’s virtuoso display leaves bittersweet taste for Emirates crowd April 1, 2019 It was all about Aaron Ramsey. Mesut Ozil may have brought some tricks and flicks, Alexandre Lacazette some bustling approach play and a neat finish, but for Arsenal fans leaving Emirates Stadium the performance of their Welsh midfielder – and all that it meant – was what had tongues wagging. Strangely for a virtuoso, all-action, eye-catching [...]
Sam Torrance: Tough cookie Kevin Kisner showed Major grit to win WGC Match Play April 1, 2019 A lot of golf goes into winning the WGC Match Play. Those who make it to the last four end up playing seven rounds in five days, so it is a grind. But Kevin Kisner is a tough cookie. Kisner, who reached the final last year only to suffer a 7&6 defeat to Bubba Watson, [...]
Gaming changers: how marketing messages have had to change for gambling companies April 1, 2019 Where do you know Ray Winstone from? If you’re of a certain vintage, you’ll probably recall his early work. Carlin in Scum, Kevin the rocker in Quadrophenia. More of a millennial? Then perhaps it’s his turn opposite Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast or as Frenchy in The Departed. Or maybe it’s simply him yelling “put [...]
Fulham must shed their excess to prepare for relegation and the hard landing looming in the Championship March 31, 2019 The summer was a time of excitement and optimism for Fulham. After an impressive 23-game unbeaten streak and fairytale play-off final win at Wembley, the club set about expensively assembling a squad it thought could not just avoid the drop the following season but thrive in the Premier League. Thanks to the deep pockets of [...]
Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham: Fortune favours the Reds as they go back top of the Premier League March 31, 2019 The title race remains on. It looked very much to be slipping away from Liverpool, but as the ball trickled over the line at the Kop End it was clear fortune favoured the reds. Rather than one of their own players, Liverpool fans were left celebrating the mistake of an opponent, as Hugo Lloris inexplicably [...]
Arsenal v Newcastle: Unai Emery’s incessant tinkering is proving a hidden strength March 31, 2019 In the Premier League’s current climate, new managers are expected to revolutionise the way their team plays, implementing an attractive style of football and instilling a work ethic that often involves pressing high up the pitch. Under Unai Emery this season, Arsenal have been accused of failing to follow that blueprint and told that they [...]
Romeo & Juliet: Kenneth MacMillan’s notoriously tricky take on Shakespeare’s classic is brutally beautiful March 29, 2019 Romeo and Juliet Royal Opera House Shakespeare famously trailed his tragic romance with ‘there never was a story of more woe / than this of Juliet and her Romeo”. Big words, Bill. But they hold up in this brutal, speechless version by The Royal Ballet. The Bolshoi Ballet first brought Romeo & Juliet to the [...]
Dumbo review: Tim Burton turns a family favourite into an animal rights advocacy project March 29, 2019 In case you’ve forgotten – it did come out in 1941 – the animated Disney film Dumbo is deeply odd and wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice for a live action remake. There are barely any humans in it, for a start, then there’s Dumbo himself, a doe-eyed, speechless pachyderm who gets bullied for 70 per [...]
Ollie Phillips: Home advantage weighs heavy for Saracens, Edinburgh, Leinster and Racing 92 in the Champions Cup March 29, 2019 The Six Nations finished two weeks ago but the tournament remains relevant as we head into the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup this weekend. The relationship between club sides and their countries is an interesting one and it’s born out when looking at the fixtures for Europe’s premier club competition. Wales won the Six Nations [...]