Chelsea 4, Peterborough United 1: Fringe stars shine for Blues in FA Cup but Antonio Conte still eyeing January transfer business January 8, 2017 Chelsea 4, Peterborough United 1 Chelsea manager Antonio Conte insists he still hopes to add to his squad this month despite fringe players forcing their way back into his thinking in an FA Cup romp against Peterborough on Sunday. Unsettled striker Michy Batshuayi scored his first goal since August, midfielders Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Nathaniel Cahlobah [...]
Liverpool 0, Plymouth Argyle 0: Jurgen Klopp defends team selection after draw adds to fixture pile-up worries January 8, 2017 Liverpool 0, Plymouth Argyle 0 Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he has no regrets about his selection gamble after an FA Cup stalemate with fourth-tier Plymouth exacerbated the Reds’ fixture congestion. Klopp selected the youngest starting XI in Liverpool’s history for Sunday’s third round tie and they failed to break down an Argyle side determined [...]
Football Association clears Premier League clubs to field weakened teams in the FA Cup and confirms plans to increase prize money January 8, 2017 Premier League clubs have been given the green light to field weakened teams in the FA Cup after Football Association chiefs said they would not take action against sides who made wholesale changes. Top-flight teams’ attitude towards the competition is in the spotlight again after six crashed out at the earliest opportunity over the first two [...]
Everton sell training ground naming rights to company co-owned by Arsenal investor Alisher Usmanov and majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri January 6, 2017 Everton's training ground will be renamed USM Finch Farm after the Premier League club agreed a naming rights deal with the holding company for the businesses owned by Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov. USM Holdings, which is also part-owned by Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, counts Russia's largest mining company Metalloinvest, Russian social network VKontakte and stakes [...]
Pep Guardiola dismisses retirement talk as West Ham’s Slaven Bilic talks up qualities of two transfer targets January 5, 2017 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has doused suggestions he is contemplating retirement as he prepares to embark upon his maiden FA Cup clash against West Ham at the London Stadium on Friday. Guardiola moved to clarify comments made last week in which he indicated he was pondering the end of his coaching career, which led [...]
Betting: Pep Guardiola to kick-off cup journey with win over West Ham January 5, 2017 Undoubtedly one of the most anticipated weekends in the English footballing calendar is the FA Cup third round – a time where the fans of even the smallest clubs can dream of a trip to Wembley in May. West Ham, with their brand new stadium, and Manchester City, with their billion-dollar owners, don’t quite fit into [...]
Betting: More cup magic expected as Sutton host AFC Wimbledon January 5, 2017 AFC WIMBLEDON return to the ground where their incredible story began as they face Sutton United in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday. Forming after the original Wimbledon FC were moved to Milton Keynes, Gander Green Lane hosted the Dons’ first ever match, back in July 2002. Fifteen years, and six promotions [...]
Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge redevelopment gets thumbs up from planners January 5, 2017 Chelsea's redevelopment plans for Stamford Bridge have moved a step closer to going ahead after being recommended for approval by planners at Hammersmith and Fulham council. The council will make their final ruling on planning permission for the Blues' £500m project next Wednesday. Chelsea want to boost the capacity of Stamford Bridge from 41,600 to 60,000 and build [...]
Up for the cup: Sutton United bask in overdue return to spotlight January 5, 2017 Non-league Sutton United may be cast as extras in the FA Cup script but nearly 30 years after their last show-stopping third round performance the part-timers are busy rehearsing their lines for a long overdue encore. It was January 1989 when Sutton, playing as they are today in English football’s fifth tier, knocked out top-flight Coventry [...]
Everton new boy Ademola Lookman attracted by Ronald Koeman’s development skills January 5, 2017 Everton's new teenage signing Ademola Lookman says manager Ronald Koeman's record at developing young players convinced him to join the Premier League club. The highly-rated 19-year-old has become most expensive player ever signed from a League One side after The Toffees agreed a deal worth up to £11m with Charlton. His performances both on the wing and up front for [...]