Agent of Arsenal target Shkodran Mustafi backtracks on previous claims deal agreed with defender August 12, 2016 Arsenal target Shkodran Mustafi's agent has backtracked on claims that a deal had been agreed between the player and the north London club. Valencia's German World Cup-winning defender has been at the centre of speculation linking him with Arsenal this summer as the Gunners search for another centre-back in the midst of a defensive injury crisis. Hie agent, Ali Bulut, told German [...]
Heads, shoulders, knees and toes: the cost of footballing injuries August 12, 2016 Injuries cost English Premier League clubs over £157m in wages last year, taking the total cost over the last five years to an eye-watering £0.7bn. Not afraid to complain about injuries, Arsene Wenger's concerns appear to be substantiated as Arsenal players were on the sidelines for a total of 1,553 days during the 2015/16 season. However this only put them second on [...]
Betting: Conte’s men can return Prem title to the King’s Road August 11, 2016 There has been more than £500million spent on transfers already this summer, and the upcoming season must be the most open in Premier League history. Leicester provided a 5,000/1 shock when winning the 2015/16 title, but realistically this year looks to be between the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea. Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United snapped up [...]
Alan Pardew eager for Crystal Palace to adopt tiki-taka style for new Premier League season August 11, 2016 Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew has promised a new brand of football this season with a slant towards the tiki-taka style pioneered by reigning La Liga champions Barcelona. The Eagles have bolstered their squad with the close season signings of former Tottenham winger Andros Townsend, defender James Tomkins from West Ham and Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda. [...]
Title rivals must be desperate to spend so much, says Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino August 11, 2016 Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino believes the club’s Premier League title rivals’ summer spending sprees are evidence of desperation. Manchester United have led the way with a world record £89m deal for Paul Pogba, while Manchester City have also shelled out around £150m and Chelsea remain in the market having spent £65m. “When you spend a lot [...]
Premier League betting: Toothless Tigers set to feel the full force of fearless Foxes August 11, 2016 Newly-promoted teams normally arrive in the Premier League full of hope and confidence for the season ahead. That can’t be said for play-off winners Hull, though, who start the campaign with a caretaker manager, a host of injuries and an army of angry fans. It’s been a disastrous close season for the Tigers and I [...]
Premier League betting: Absent Arsenal players will give Liverpool reasons to be cheerful August 11, 2016 The first match of the season is a time for optimism, with all football fans dreaming that this could be their year. Sometimes those dreams even come true – just ask Leicester. Such hopefulness is thin on the ground at Arsenal, however, with supporters fearing the club has gone backwards over the summer. Chelsea, Liverpool and [...]
England v Spain: Sam Allardyce to face off against fellow international newbie Julen Lopetegui in November friendly August 11, 2016 Sam Allardyce will face fellow new international manager Julen Lopetegui in his first big test as England boss when his Three Lions side play 2010 World Cup winners Spain on 15 November. England will play host Lopetegui's Spain at Wembley in their final match of 2016, four days after a World Cup qualifying match against Scotland. The last time the [...]
Government urged to lift ban and allow Premier League clubs to introduce safe standing August 11, 2016 Sport Minister Tracey Crouch has come under renewed pressure on the eve of the new Premier League season to allow England’s leading clubs to reintroduce standing areas at their stadia. A report published today by think tank the Adam Smith Institute (ASI) says the use of “safe standing” sections is backed by most top-flight teams [...]
End the stadium standing ban: It’s an open goal for football fans and clubs August 11, 2016 Twenty eight people died at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo last year, suffocating in a crush that began when police fired tear gas at away fans entering without tickets. It was another in a long line of stadium tragedies. But like the 2006 PhilSports Arena disaster in the Philippines, and the disasters in Johannesburg [...]