Trevor Steven: Premier League title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool united by outstanding coaches and refusal to give in May 7, 2019 However the Premier League concludes on Sunday, I don’t think the competition has ever seen two better teams than Manchester City and Liverpool. Both are a credit to the division and could easily be champions in any other season. And thank goodness for Liverpool for hanging in there and keeping pace with City until the [...]
Manchester City 1-0 Leicester City: Vincent Kompany’s wonder strike punctures nervy Etihad atmosphere to put City one win away May 6, 2019 Manchester City can beat you in so many ways, but a Vincent Kompany outside-of-the-foot, long-range screamer? That is not something you expect to happen. Pep Guardiola’s side are team built on the foundations of rigorous drilling on the training field. Their manager is a football obsessive who has built his reputation on a distinctive style: [...]
Arsenal 3-1 Valencia: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette combine once again to spare defence’s blushes May 2, 2019 Arsenal are a team of contrasts. They’re flawed but entertaining, in one breath exasperating, the next exhilarating, and all of those aspects were on show against Valencia in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. After shaking off an appalling start, eventually the Gunners’ attacking qualities won the day to turn an uncertain 2-1 [...]
Football Betting Tips: Tottenham can seal top-four berth with Cherries win May 2, 2019 TOTTENHAM have stumbled in recent weeks, coming undone against rivals West Ham in the Premier League before another 1-0 loss in midweek when hosting Ajax in the Champions League. Excuses were made following that defeat by West Ham with many claiming one eye was on their Champions League fixture. However, excuses went out the window [...]
Football Betting Tips: Reds to take time see off Benitez’s Newcastle defence May 2, 2019 A FEW weeks ago, things looked pretty rosy for Liverpool fans. The Reds secured a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League, while an easier run-in compared to Manchester City meant there were genuine aspirations of a first league title since 1990. However, as they travel to Newcastle in the Premier League tomorrow, things [...]
Mauricio Pochettino must balance Tottenham’s Champions League dreams with importance of securing Premier League top four May 2, 2019 Tottenham could be forgiven for looking past this weekend's trip to Bournemouth to the all more attractive proposition of facing Ajax in Amsterdam next week for a place in the Champions League final. The reality is, however, that Saturday's early kick-off presents Spurs with the chance to seal their position in the top four and a [...]
Arsenal and Chelsea look for salvation in the Europa League with Premier League top four hopes in the balance May 1, 2019 Arsenal and Chelsea face different opponents in their Europa League semi-finals tomorrow evening. Valencia and Eintracht Frankfurt are different propositions and will pose different questions, but in many ways the London rivals are in the same boat. Like so many seasons before, their respective campaigns have boiled down to one major objective: qualification for the Champions [...]
Trevor Steven: Klopp’s decision on how to deal with Messi will prove decisive for Liverpool in Barcelona Champions League clash April 30, 2019 Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final against Barcelona tomorrow night comes at the perfect time. The Reds in form, have momentum after a 5-0 thrashing of Huddersfield on Friday and, following Roberto Firmino’s return to training, have all their major players fit. If this game had come around one year ago I definitely would have preferred Barca [...]
Tottenham and Ajax’s Champions League success serves as a reminder that there is more to football than money April 29, 2019 It is the semi-final that no one saw coming. Two teams with limited financial resources who were supposed to struggle to make it out of their Champions League group. Instead, Tottenham and Ajax have claimed some of Europe's biggest scalps on their path to a final-four clash that will see two of the competition's surprise [...]
Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea: The race nobody wants to win, De Gea’s errors mounting and Blues’ over-reliance on Hazard April 28, 2019 It’s the race nobody seems to want to win. With Manchester City and Liverpool streaking away at top speed in the Premier League, the efforts of those below them to finish in the Champions League spots is one being defined by the bad, rather than the good. While Chelsea looked more than happy to take [...]