Portsmouth’s fan-led revival reaches new milestone with Arsenal FA Cup clash March 1, 2020 When Portsmouth welcome Arsenal to Fratton Park on Monday night there will be a release of emotions from the almost 20,000 Pompey fans present, many of whom are responsible for the club’s slow but steady revival. The fifth-round tie is the furthest the club have progressed in the FA Cup since the 2010 final and [...]
Arsenal 1-2 Olympiacos: Last-gasp El-Arabi winner dumps sloppy Gunners out of the Europa League on away goals February 27, 2020 There is little doubt that this was the worst performance of Mikel Arteta’s reign. Arsenal squandered a 1-0 advantage coming into the home leg of their Europa League round of 32 tie as Olympiacos won 2-1 on the night following a last-minute winner in extra-time from Youssef El-Arabi to go through on away goals. It [...]
Inter Miami: How David Beckham’s dream of establishing an MLS franchise became a reality in Florida February 27, 2020 It has taken a long time, but this weekend Club Internacional de Futbol Miami will finally play their first competitive match. When they take to the pitch against Los Angeles FC on Sunday, Inter Miami’s players will be fulfilling the ambitions of one of their owners. David Beckham has been attempting to establish a team [...]
Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City: Pep Guardiola’s tactical master plan comes to fruition in slow burn away win at the Bernabeu February 26, 2020 Pep Guardiola lives for nights under the lights at the Bernabeu. As a former Barcelona player and manager – not to mention a prominent advocate for Catalan independence – he is not a popular man inside Real Madrid’s gigantic famous stadium. But so often in the past he has thrived in the lions’ den. His [...]
As Aston Villa brace for the Carabao Cup final, is a trophy more important than Premier League survival? February 26, 2020 The magic of a Wembley cup final is difficult to replicate but the importance of winning domestic silverware appears to have become increasingly secondary to the need to remain in the Premier League. For the thousands of Aston Villa fans set to descend on London this Sunday for the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, [...]
Chelsea 0-3 Bayern Munich: Gnabry, Lewandowski and Davies run riot as Blues are put to the sword at Stamford Bridge February 25, 2020 Four years after he left Arsenal, Serge Gnabry now looks at home in London. He has only played two games in the capital this season and yet has scored a barely believable six goals against Tottenham and Chelsea in the Champions League. With 38 goals in 32 matches, and 10 in just five group stage [...]
Champions League ban threat can play into Manchester City’s hands against Real Madrid February 25, 2020 Manchester City’s possible two-year ban from the Champions League, starting next season, has added a couple of extra dimensions to their last-16 clash against Real Madrid on Wednesday night. Firstly, there is the question of whether City draw extra motivation from knowing this may be their last shot at the trophy until 2022, or whether [...]
Manchester United shares dip as lack of Champions League football hits financials February 25, 2020 Manchester United today reported lower revenue and profit for the second quarter as its absence from the Champions League this season took its toll. Core earnings fell 31 per cent to £72m in the quarter to 31 December, compared to the same period last year. Revenue fell 19 per cent to £168m. The New York-listed [...]
Bayern Munich have been revived under caretaker boss Hans-Dieter Flick as they prepare to face Chelsea February 25, 2020 On Bayern Munich’s last visit to England, nearly five months ago, they dismantled Tottenham 7-2 in north London. Chelsea will be hoping to avoid a similar fate when they welcome the German champions to Stamford Bridge tonight but, worryingly, that was Bayern amid a relative slump; since then, they have rediscovered their mojo. Just 33 [...]
Arsenal 3-2 Everton: Gunners come out on top of end-to-end game between two work-in-progress Premier League sides February 23, 2020 Intrigue was never going to be in short supply in a match between two Premier League teams overhauled by high-profile new managers still harbouring faint hopes of European qualification. Still, Arsenal’s narrow victory in a five-goal contest that swung one way then the other – from Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s acrobatic first-minute goal to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s decisive [...]