Champions League draw reaction: English clubs face daunting ties in the last 16 December 16, 2019 In a change to the usual reaction of despair at familiar match-ups, today’s Champions League last 16 draw was met with a widespread reaction of excitement. In recent years the random draw has far too often thrown up repeat fixtures, with Europe’s best club sides getting used to lining up against each other every season. [...]
EFL Cup and Club World Cup: How Liverpool are planning to fight on two fronts this week December 16, 2019 Liverpool will play Aston Villa tomorrow night in the EFL Cup quarter-final less than 24 hours before they are due to play in the Club World Cup semi-final half-way across the world in Qatar. It means Jurgen Klopp’s side will have played three games in the space of five days, following Saturday’s 2-0 win over [...]
Arsenal 0-3 Manchester City: Kevin De Bruyne masterclass leads City to comfortable win at the Emirates December 15, 2019 Being torn apart by a player as brilliant as Kevin De Bruyne is not in itself embarrassing. But the ease and speed with which the Belgian playmaker ended Manchester City’s trip to Arsenal as a contest was dispiriting. As the popular refrain goes, Gunners fans arriving at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon expected little and [...]
Premier League appoints Richard Masters as chief executive after embarrassing saga December 12, 2019 The Premier League today approved the appointment of interim chief executive Richard Masters to the role on a permanent basis. Masters’ appointment follows an embarrassing saga for the football body, which gave the job to two previous candidates, neither of whom took up the role. Read more: The Premier League’s incoming CEO has quit before [...]
Chelsea 2-1 Lille: Blues avoid banana skin to qualify for the Champions League last 16 December 10, 2019 Frank Lampard was clear in his view on Chelsea’s crunch match with Lille tonight. The Blues needed a result from their final Champions League group game to reach the last 16 and their manager was ready to embrace the occasion. “I like the pressure of this game being a knockout,” he said in his pre-match [...]
Manuel Pellegrini must wake up and take West Ham back to basics to avoid the sack December 10, 2019 Manuel Pellegrini says he not worried about West Ham being relegated from the Premier League, but he needs to wake up because right now that is a possibility. Monday’s 3-1 home defeat by Arsenal means the Hammers have taken just four points from their last eight games – a run that leaves them one point [...]
Bayern Munich dead-rubber is a chance for Mourinho to show his changing attitude to youth players December 10, 2019 On one hand, Tottenham’s match with Bayern Munich on Wednesday night represents an opportunity for them to enact revenge on the 7-2 thrashing suffered at the hands of the German side earlier this season. On the other, with both sides already guaranteed to progress to the round of 16 and Tottenham unable to move above [...]
Leicester’s solid defence has been the foundation of their rise up the Premier League table December 10, 2019 Leicester have proven a serious attacking threat this season with the re-emergence of Jamie Vardy as one of the deadliest strikers in the Premier League and a record-equalling 9-0 victory away to Southampton. But under Brendan Rodgers they have also rediscovered the defensive resilience that was so crucial to their logic-defying title triumph of four [...]
West Ham 1-3 Arsenal: Gunners’ nine-minute burst enough to give Ljungberg a first victory and end nine-game winless run December 9, 2019 In the end all it took was one morsel of confidence to build on. For successful teams winning becomes a habit; over the last nine games Arsenal had forgotten how to do it. Booed off after 45 minutes in the London Stadium tonight it looked like the Gunners were set for another dispiriting night on [...]
Champions League permutations: What results Liverpool and Chelsea need to reach the last 16 December 9, 2019 Manchester City and Tottenham may have already sealed their place in the Champions League knockout round, but for many clubs a place in February’s round of 16 is still to play for. City are guaranteed top spot regardless of Wednesday night’s result against Dinamo Zagreb, while Jose Mourinho’s Spurs face a trip to Bayern Munich [...]