How the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was designed and the future of football grounds August 27, 2019 The third of April 2019 was a big day for Christopher Lee. After months of delays, speculation and criticism the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium officially opened its doors, with Spurs facing Crystal Palace in the Premier League. For the stadium’s project director it was the culmination of eight years of hard work – a chance for [...]
League One side Sunderland in advanced sale talks with MSD Capital partners and Michael Dell August 23, 2019 US investors and partners at MSD Capital are closing in on an agreement to buy League One football club Sunderland. John Phelan, Glenn Fuhrman and Rob Platek, who are the most senior figures at MSD Capital, a private investment firm that exclusively runs billionaire Michael Dell’s fortune, are in advanced talks to buy the English [...]
Return to Anfield, scene of harrowing recent defeats, offers early test of Arsenal’s putative revival August 22, 2019 If any fixture can puncture the fragile early-season optimism that has broken out at Arsenal then it is surely the prospect of a 200-mile journey north to face Liverpool. Saturday’s trip to Anfield promises to be a reminder of harrowing experiences for the Gunners in recent seasons, with the manner of their defeats even more [...]
Unai Emery has given Arsenal personality with David Luiz and Dani Ceballos signings. Now they can rival Tottenham for a top three place August 20, 2019 As they have stagnated and drifted towards mediocrity in recent seasons it has become increasingly difficult to see what would make Arsenal a standout team again, one with obvious strengths like Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham. But of the sides near the top of the Premier League it has been Unai Emery’s team whose start [...]
Chelsea 1-1 Leicester: Blues will need to show patience with Lampard ironing out his team’s kinks August 18, 2019 It was always going to take time for the Frank Lampard era to get going and, on this evidence, all parties will need to show the patience promised to the new Chelsea manager. Much like in their first two games of the season, Chelsea showed promise, offered excitement and displayed evidence of taking on board [...]
Clear and obvious cases of misplaced outrage as VAR and new handball rule deny Manchester City against Tottenham August 18, 2019 Another weekend of Premier League football, another batch of outrage at the correct implementation of new rules. This time at Manchester City, where Gabriel Jesus’s stoppage-time would-be winner was disallowed after consultation with the video assistant referee. Jesus’s strike was chalked off because it hit City defender Aymeric Laporte’s arm on its way to the [...]
Arsenal and West Ham among latest Premier League clubs proving why a director of football is now necessary August 15, 2019 They go by a number of titles, working tirelessly throughout the transfer window to recruit the best players and maximise value. Whether labelled as sporting director, director of football or something else, the responsibilities are similar. The position is a growing phenomenon in England, and in some instances those in the role are becoming cult [...]
Adrian the hero but Pulisic and Firmino impress in Liverpool’s Super Cup victory over Chelsea on penalties August 14, 2019 Adrian played just five times for West Ham last season – all cup games, the last of which was a miserable FA Cup defeat against AFC Wimbledon in January. Over the summer he was without a contract, training alone. Fast-forward to just his second game for Liverpool, and his first start for his new club [...]
English footballers are back in vogue in the Premier League: Why a no-deal Brexit means it is a sign of things to come August 14, 2019 “That is a conundrum that we have to solve,” said Gareth Southgate in December last year, addressing the increasingly marginal status of English footballers in the Premier League. The England manager was speaking after the number of native players hit an all-time low, with just 54 of the 220 who had been named in starting [...]
European Super Cup an inconvenience for Premier League sides August 13, 2019 Tonight’s European Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea in Istanbul is a rarity in that the fixture does not feature a Spanish side for the first time since 2013. In the last 10 years, all but one Super Cup has been claimed by either Barcelona, Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid, with four of the last [...]