Avengers: Endgame review: A fitting finale to the most ambitious series in cinematic history April 25, 2019 Reviewing Avengers: Endgame is hard, because it’s not really a film, it’s more of a ridiculous fairground ride without the boring uphill bits. You could argue that the slow upwards climb for Endgame has been the 21 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that preceded it, and which you need to have watched so that [...]
Relentless excellence of Manchester City and Liverpool makes this the best ever Premier League title race April 25, 2019 This is by no means the first close title race of the Premier League era. Blackburn set an early benchmark when they pipped Manchester United by a solitary point in 1995, and Arsenal, United – twice – and Chelsea have all done the same since, while nothing has yet matched the drama of Sergio Aguero’s [...]
Ollie Phillips: Newcastle face do or die fixture against Northampton in bid to beat the Premiership drop April 25, 2019 What a difference a year makes. Last season Newcastle were toasting a Premiership semi-final place; this time they are staring down the barrel of relegation. It has reached do or die time for the Falcons, who are bottom of the table, seven points behind 11th-placed Worcester with just three matches remaining. Newcastle still have their [...]
Raheem Sterling may miss out on Player of the Year, but he deserves recognition for his contribution to the game this season April 25, 2019 Raheem Sterling may seemingly have missed out on the PFA Player of the Year award to Virgil van Dijk, but no one can take away what the England and Manchester City forward has achieved on and off the pitch this season. The 24-year-old has encapsulated everything that a footballer should be: a competitor on the [...]
London Irish will return from exile with move back to the capital as they bid to secure their Premiership status April 25, 2019 After 20 years in exile, London Irish are returning to their roots. The club bounced back into the Premiership at the first time of asking at the weekend with a 46-7 Good Friday win against Richmond, and after a difficult few years they are looking to their past for inspiration as they build for the [...]
Premier League given profit warning as rising wage bills eat into margins despite record revenue April 25, 2019 The Premier League may be experiencing a vintage season on the pitch, with a title race for the ages, most key positions in the table still undecided and English clubs dominating in Europe once more. But off the field the picture appears to be taking a turn for the worse, with top-flight teams’ most recent [...]
Manchester United 0-2 Manchester City: Pep Guardiola’s side show they can win ugly as they clear significant hurdle in Premier League title race April 24, 2019 Manchester City have won the battle. Now, with the derby behind them, they have given themselves the best chance of winning the war. On a night when they reached 157 goals for the season and passed their own record, from the 2013-14 title-winning campaign, for goals in an English season, City showed they don’t just [...]
Chris Tremlett: England’s bowlers are beginning to feel the pressure with World Cup edging closer April 24, 2019 Having watched England push the boundaries of one-day cricket over the past four years it’s clear to me just how much the format has changed since I retired. I used to bowl pretty much the same way with the red ball and the white ball. Like most seamers I tried to hit the classic Glenn [...]
Alec Stewart interview: Surrey’s director of cricket on rising stars Ryan Patel and Will Jacks and the club’s ethos April 23, 2019 Alec Stewart has seen a lot of players come through the ranks at Surrey. While he witnessed it first hand as a player, between the years of 1981 and 2003, it is since February 2014 that he has taken a particular interest. Having been appointed director of cricket five years ago, Stewart has set about [...]
Trevor Steven: Don’t blame Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United’s slump is down to their average squad April 23, 2019 When the two teams met in the Premier League 12 months ago, Manchester United succeeded in disrupting Manchester City’s title charge with a 3-2 win over their neighbours. It’s hard to see that being repeated at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening. In fact, it’s hard to see anything but an emphatic win for the men [...]