Betting: Fulham to win derby against well-travelled Spurs February 16, 2017 Fulham will be aiming for another Premier League scalp in the FA Cup when they host Tottenham in the fifth round on Sunday. The Cottagers sealed their place in the last-16 with a convincing 4-1 victory over Hull City, and Slavisa Jokanovic’s side are in excellent form heading into the clash. The west London side [...]
Mark Clattenburg vows to improve refereeing in Saudi Arabia after quitting English football in shock move February 16, 2017 England’s top referee Mark Clattenburg has vowed to help raise standards of officiating in Saudi Arabia after announcing his shock decision to quit the Premier League and move to the Middle East. Clattenburg has agreed to become Saudi Arabia’s head of referees, a role in which he will oversee the country’s officials while also taking [...]
Mauricio Pochettino may shelve plans to shuffle Tottenham pack and give players chance to make amends for Liverpool defeat February 15, 2017 Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino admits he may have to shelve plans for rotation as a number of his side’s big-hitters want the chance to rectify their dismal performance in defeat to Liverpool against Gent on Thursday. Pochettino had been expected to continue his policy of fielding a shuffled pack in the Europa League when Spurs [...]
Trying to win the Europa League could make it “really hard” for Manchester United in other competitions, warns Jose Mourinho February 15, 2017 Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho admits that he fears his side will have to negotiate major fixture congestion later in the season if they successfully pursue the Europa League. Mourinho has indicated he will resist the temptation to prioritise other competitions over the Europa League, which resumes on Thursday evening when United meet Saint-Etienne in [...]
Why dropping Mesut Ozil might be Arsenal’s best chance of getting a result at Bayern Munich February 14, 2017 Uncertainty reigns at Arsenal as they prepare for their latest Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich tonight. Will Arsene Wenger sign a new contract, and what about the futures of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez? At the heart of it lies the fate of the manager, but it all feels a little unanswerable at the [...]
Betting: Barcelona to break PSG hearts on Valentine’s Day February 14, 2017 Barcelona travel to the city of love on Valentine’s Day to take on Paris Saint-Germain in the opening match of the Champions League knock-out stage. The Spanish giants won the 2006 edition of Europe’s premier competition in Paris, and the clash between two of the continent’s largest sides is sure to set hearts fluttering. Unusually [...]
Bournemouth 0, Manchester City 2: Pep Guardiola refuses to engage in title race despite City trimming Chelsea’s Premier League cushion February 13, 2017 Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola continued to douse his side’s chance of reeling in runaway leaders Chelsea despite cutting their rivals’ lead at the Premier League summit to eight points with victory at Bournemouth. City chalked up their third successive league win and seventh in 10 matches since mid-December courtesy of Raheem Sterling’s first-half strike [...]
Swansea City 2, Leicester City 0: Claudio Ranieri demands more determination after resurgent Swansea beat free-falling Foxes February 12, 2017 Swansea City 2, Leicester City 0 Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri accused his players of lacking determination after a fifth Premier League defeat in a row deepened the free-falling champions’ relegation worries on Sunday. Swansea centre-back Alfie Mawson’s sweet volley put the hosts ahead and left-back Martin Olsson blasted a second to clinch their fourth win [...]
Burnley 1, Chelsea 1: Antonio Conte refuses to rise to Jose Mourinho barbs after Blues drop points February 12, 2017 Burnley 1, Chelsea 1 Chelsea manager Antonio Conte refused to rise to barbs from predecessor Jose Mourinho after his team missed the chance to open up a 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Sunday. Winger Pedro’s seventh-minute goal looked to have set the Blues on course for a 16th win from [...]
It’s not the right time for Arsene Wenger to leave, says former Arsenal centre-half Martin Keown February 12, 2017 Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown believes it would be the inopportune moment for Arsene Wenger to leave the club should the Frenchman opt to end his 20-year association with the Gunners at the end of the season. Wenger, whose contract expires in the summer, continues to polarise opinion amongst Arsenal fans, having failed to deliver [...]