Chelsea 4-4 Ajax: Fans get their money’s worth in relentless, epic clash at Stamford Bridge November 5, 2019 There’s rarely a dull moment with Chelsea at the moment, but even so tonight’s Champions League match against Ajax was scarcely believable. Frank Lampard’s exciting, exuberant and confident side only added one point to their total in Group H, yet fans certainly got their money’s worth at Stamford Bridge. The fast-paced nature of the match [...]
Liverpool v Genk: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ready to grasp his chance in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield November 4, 2019 There’s no time like the present for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Having featured in just 19 minutes of last season due to a serious injury, the Liverpool midfielder is now making up for lost time. Damage to the cruciate and medial ligaments in the knee and hamstring tendons aren’t injuries you can just shake off and it [...]
Everton 1-1 Tottenham: Andre Gomes injury overshadows low quality match at Goodison Park November 3, 2019 A serious injury to Andre Gomes overshadowed Everton’s scrappy draw with Tottenham, but the video assistant referee still managed to prompt debate. The match contained three penalty shouts – two for Everton and one for Spurs – with VAR checks causing considerable delay only for none to be awarded by referee Martin Atkinson. However, it [...]
Eddie Jones’s future a key part of England’s next four-year cycle for 2023 Rugby World Cup in France November 3, 2019 After a Rugby World Cup comes a period of flux. Win or lose, success or failure, a new cycle begins now for the teams who competed in Japan, with planning for France 2023 under way already in the back rooms of the country’s governing bodies. For the likes of Australia, New Zealand and France that [...]
Manchester City v Southampton: Ralph Hasenhuttl faces real challenge to turn around sinning Saints October 31, 2019 When Ralph Hasenhuttl joined Southampton as their new manager on 5 December last year his first task was to fight fires. Saints were 18th in the Premier League and floundering, having become a listless identikit team under his predecessor Mark Hughes. They needed to be motivated, coached and saved from relegation. The Austrian achieved those [...]
Liverpool 5-5 Arsenal: Klopp’s side win on penalties as Mustafi and Keita flop and Ozil and Origi impress October 30, 2019 It’s probably unwise to draw any firm conclusions from a game that open, unpredictable and madcap but both Jurgen Klopp and Unai Emery learned something about their players after making 11 changes to their starting XIs. Tonight’s match at Anfield was a contest for a place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, and yet [...]
England v South Africa: What previous meetings can tell us about this weekend’s Rugby World Cup final October 30, 2019 When pondering England’s Rugby World Cup final against South Africa on Saturday there is one obvious point of reference to consider. The two teams met in the 2007 tournament showpiece in Paris, where the Springboks kicked five penalties to England’s two in a 15-6 win remembered for Mark Cueto’s disallowed try. But whether Cueto’s foot [...]
Ben Spencer’s late call-up for World Cup final raises the stakes after Eddie Jones’ gamble October 28, 2019 Eddie Jones admitted it was a “gamble” back in August and, on the eve of his biggest match as England head coach, the stakes have duly increased. Jones raised some eyebrows when he named only two scrum-halves in his 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup and, with Saturday’s final against South Africa on the [...]
England should not fear South Africa’s physical but one-dimensional style in World Cup final October 27, 2019 Back in the pool stage, the consensus was that England would be taking the hardest path to the Rugby World Cup final. Finishing top of Pool C meant being in the same side of the draw as New Zealand, the No1 side in the world and winners of the last two tournaments. Now, having overcome [...]
Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham: Aurier and Eriksen poor as Alexander-Arnold and Salah shine for league leaders October 27, 2019 It wasn’t straightforward, but the Liverpool juggernaut rumbles on at the top of the Premier League. Tottenham came to Anfield with a clear game-plan designed to suppress the hosts and Harry Kane’s header after just 47 seconds gave them the opportunity to implement it. But, as they keep doing, Liverpool found a way to win. [...]
