Premier League talking points: Struggling Solskjaer, prolific Vardy and naive Chelsea September 1, 2019 “We have dominated the last three games and we know we are on the right track, we’re getting used to that way of playing,” said Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after his team’s 1-1 draw with Southampton on Saturday. The problem is that at a club like United you aren’t afforded much time to [...]
Kevin De Bruyne: Manchester City’s playmaker is back and assisting the champions towards a third successive title August 29, 2019 They don’t need any help, but Manchester City are enjoying a competitive advantage this season which they couldn’t always call upon in the last campaign. When you have the luxury of a squad packed full of some of the world’s best players one man shouldn’t make too much of a difference. But Kevin De Bruyne [...]
North London derby is a chance for Tottenham to forget their terrible form August 29, 2019 Last week ended in defeat for both Tottenham and Arsenal, placing perhaps more significance on this weekend’s north London derby than there would have otherwise been – if that was possible. Both sides endured their first loss of the season, although Arsenal’s came away to European champions Liverpool while Tottenham suffered a shock reverse at [...]
Chris Tremlett: England must use Ben Stokes’s Headingley miracle to spark Ashes fightback August 28, 2019 Like many, I assumed it would all be over when I looked at the score in England’s third Ashes Test against Australia on Sunday. But like many I didn’t count on the character and talent of Ben Stokes. I was there at the WACA in December 2013 to see Stokes hit his maiden Test century [...]
Trevor Steven: Christian Eriksen situation is a major problem for Mauricio Pochettino August 27, 2019 The domestic transfer window may have shut on 8 August, but 19 days later Tottenham are still feeling the negative effects it can bring. The European window remains open until the end of the month and I think it is causing Spurs a real issue. It’s hovering over some of the players and is causing [...]
Italian political crisis: Former PM Giuseppe Conte could return to power August 27, 2019 Italy’s former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte could return to power to lead a coalition between the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD). The two parties are in talks to try and form a coalition following the collapse of a pact between PD and the right wing League which triggered Conte’s resignation last [...]
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 [...]