Southampton v Liverpool: Red rock Virgil van Dijk returns to his former club the finished article April 4, 2019 When Virgil’ van Dijk returns to St Mary’s Stadium tomorrow evening he will be braced for a frosty reception. The Dutch defender left Southampton for Liverpool in January 2018 under a cloud after a drawn-out and bitter tug of war created friction between the two clubs and alienated Saints fans. The world record fee for a [...]
Ollie Phillips: Mike Ford needs to galvanise Leicester to move them away from Premiership relegation April 4, 2019 There are five games left in the Premiership season and it’s crunch time at the bottom where four teams are battling it out to avoid the dreaded drop. Of the four it’s Leicester Tigers who are most unused to their standing, having slumped to 10th place and five points above the drop through a run [...]
Shazam! film review: The DC Comics character has its heart in the right place and its tongue firmly in its cheek April 4, 2019 They say there’s a hero in all of us. Shazam! runs with that concept, punches it in the gut then kicks it off a skyscraper. It follows fourteen year old foster kid Billy Batson, who finds he can instantly transform into a fully-grown, practically invincible superhero when he says the magic word “Shazam!” Comic aficionados [...]
Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace: Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen ensure winning start at Spurs’ new stadium April 3, 2019 It was a night that the 59,215 fans inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will never forget. It may have come eight months later than expected, but victory in their new home proved well worth the wait as it reignited their hopes of a top four finish. The Tottenham players walked out onto the pitch at [...]
Defending champions Surrey embracing the role of frontrunners as County Championship returns April 3, 2019 Surrey may have broken their 16-year duck to win the County Championship Division One trophy last season, but they are not content to stay stuck on title No19. The club hierarchy know all too well they’ve underachieved. Now, with the monkey off their back, the goal is to establish a dynasty capable of monopolising county [...]
Chris Tremlett: Surrey’s squad depth makes them favourites to retain their County Championship title April 3, 2019 There are so many factors and variables which go into a County Championship season, but looking at the squads I think Surrey must be considered favourites to defend their title. The first round of Division One fixtures begin on Friday, although Surrey kick off their campaign at home to Essex next week, and conditions, injuries [...]
Trevor Steven: Tottenham stadium move timing seems strange when they should be focusing on top four race April 2, 2019 Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has born the brunt of the criticism for a loss at Liverpool on Sunday that leaves them fighting to stay in the Premier League’s top four, but I believe their problems lie elsewhere. Two stats tell the tale of Spurs’ season. First, they are in double figures for defeats, which is [...]
Mick Schumacher’s bid to emulate his father is a challenge that few Formula One drivers have achieved April 2, 2019 This week Mick Schumacher took the biggest step yet toward emulating his father as he made his Ferrari debut during Formula One in-season testing. Being the son of the sport's most successful driver – seven-time world champion Michael – meant the spotlight was firmly fixed on the 20-year-old as he took to the Bahrain track [...]
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 [...]