Trevor Steven: Barcelona test offers Tottenham chance to kick-start season October 2, 2018 Were it not for the way they wilted in their defeat to Inter Milan last month, I’d be far more confident of Tottenham getting something out of their Champions League clash with Barcelona on Wednesday night. Yet the fixture remains a great opportunity for Spurs to kick-start their season, having spent much of the new [...]
Valencia another hurdle as Jose Mourinho attempts to bail out the rising tides at Manchester United October 1, 2018 What a difference two weeks make. Thirteen days ago Jose Mourinho was reflecting on his side’s 3-0 victory over Young Boys – Manchester United’s biggest away win in the Champions League for five years. The performance, in his own words, was “not phenomenal, but good enough”. How Mourinho longs to make such an assessment of [...]
Four things we learned from the Premier League this weekend: Cech’s injury could be a blessing, Sarri triggers Luiz comeback and Kane sharp again September 30, 2018 When Petr Cech’s hamstring twinged in the closing stages of the first half of Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Watford on Saturday the overriding emotion of most fans inside the Emirates was one of curiosity. Injury to the veteran goalkeeper meant a Premier League debut for £19m summer signing Bernd Leno. Having only seen the German [...]
Chelsea named bottom of the league for prompt payments as big clubs let the side down September 27, 2018 Elite Premier League clubs are less likely to pay their suppliers promptly than smaller teams, according to industry data provided to City A.M. Chelsea are the slowest team to settle invoices, says business information company Dun & Bradstreet, while Tottenham and Manchester City are also in the bottom four. Brighton and Bournemouth are the [...]
Big-spending Everton still seeking lift-off in mission to challenge Big Six September 27, 2018 When Iranian billionaire Farhad Moshiri purchased a 49.9 per cent share in Everton two and a half years ago, his intention was to ensure the club challenge for Champions League football. Yet as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stroked home Arsenal's second goal at Emirates Stadium on Sunday and condemned the Blues to their second Premier League [...]
Can banning ketchup really improve a footballer’s level of performance? September 26, 2018 Manager Maurizio Sarri has already made an impression on his new Chelsea team. They have won five of their opening six Premier League matches, and his philosophy of moving the ball quickly and intensive pressing – dubbed “Sarriball” – has led to the west London club making more passes than any other team in [...]
Manchester United posts record revenue, but performances hurt income September 25, 2018 Manchester United posted record revenue of £590m for its full year today, receiving a £10m boost to its broadcasting income after finishing second in the Premier League last season. But broadcasting revenue dropped in the fourth quarter after the team was knocked out of the Champions League by Sevilla in the round of 16 as the team's [...]
Trevor Steven: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp should resist wholesale changes against Chelsea in Carabao Cup September 25, 2018 Maurizio Sarri may have given us a clue as to how he will approach Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie at Liverpool when he remarked at the weekend that his Chelsea team were at least a year behind the Reds. Although the Italian has started very well in west London, neither Chelsea nor any other Premier League [...]
Arsenal make it five wins in a row with victory over Everton, but Unai Emery’s Gunners remain an enigma September 23, 2018 Unai Emery isn’t the easiest Premier League manager to understand and his Arsenal team are also likely to prompt outbreaks of head-scratching. To give the Spaniard his due, Emery’s English is vastly improved since his arrival in May and he now seems able to express himself with clarity and fluency. His team, on the [...]
Five things we learned from the Premier League weekend: Chelsea stumble, Palace home woes, Klopp in denial, Spurs scrape win, Burnley off the mark September 23, 2018 1. Chelsea stumble at last Chelsea’s perfect start to life under Maurizio Sarri was always going to be tested once they started their Europa League campaign and so it proved on Sunday at West Ham. Less than 72 hours after their win over PAOK in Greece, the Blues – featuring six of the same [...]