Everton 0, Liverpool 1: Sadio Mane’s late goal sends Reds back to second in Premier League after clash marred by Ross Barkley tackle on Jordan Henderson December 19, 2016 Everton 0, Liverpool 1 Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson refused to blame Everton midfielder Ross Barkley for a horror challenge in a feisty Merseyside derby decided by Sadio Mane’s last-gasp winner on Monday night. Forward Mane struck in the 94th minute to inflict Everton’s first Premier League defeat at Goodison Park since March and restore Liverpool [...]
After subdued 2016, contrained by Brexit and Trump, these bankers are predicting a 2017 bounceback for UK M&A December 19, 2016 Despite mega-deals involving the London Stock Exchange, Arm Holdings, Sky and a big takeover approach from British American Tobacco (BAT), even the most optimistic M&A banker would concede it’s been a somewhat subdued year for UK deals. After a record 2015, a year in which Megabrew was finally agreed and Anglo-Dutch oil major Shell tied [...]
Manchester City 2, Arsenal 1: Arsene Wenger compares referees to “lions in a zoo” after the Gunners’ Premier League title hopes suffer another blow December 18, 2016 Manchester City 2, Arsenal 1 Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger compared referees to “lions in the zoo” after his team’s Premier League title hopes sustained a second swingeing blow in what he termed “a horrible week”. The Gunners looked set to bounce back from midweek defeat at Everton when Theo Walcott fired them into an early [...]
Tottenham Hotspur 2, Burnley 1: Mauricio Pochettino shrugs off Sean Dyche’s complaints after Danny Rose’s controversial winner December 18, 2016 Tottenham Hotspur 2, Burnley 1 Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino shrugged off the complaints of opposite number Sean Dyche after they claimed a hard-fought Premier League win over Burnley on Sunday. Left-back Danny Rose struck a controversial 71st-minute winner to complete Tottenham’s comeback after midfielder Dele Alli had cancelled out an Ashley Barnes opening goal. Read more: [...]
Bournemouth 1, Southampton 3: Jay Rodriguez double earns Saints bragging rights in south coast derby December 18, 2016 Bournemouth 1, Southampton 3 Southampton forward Jay Rodriguez relished his first Premier League brace for two and a half years as they came from behind to win at south coast rivals Bournemouth. Rodriguez, who missed much of the last two season through injury, put Saints ahead from close range and capped the victory with a [...]
Chelsea record largest loss in six years after ditching Adidas for Nike — but record revenue points to long-term health December 17, 2016 Chelsea recorded their biggest loss in six years last season, after agreeing to pay out of their £30m a year Adidas kit deal. The Blues announced a net loss of £70.6m for the year after incurring exceptional costs of £75.3m — which included compensation fees paid to both Adidas and sacked manager Jose Mourinho. Yet the club's [...]
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says Chinese spending power “a danger to every club in the world” as Oscar exit looms December 16, 2016 Chelsea manager Antonio Conte believes every club in the world is under threat of having star players prised away by cash-rich Chinese teams. Blues midfielder Oscar is on the verge of finalising a mooted £50m move to Shanghai SIPG, where he is reportedly set to earn an eye-watering £400,000-a-week. Conte expects to receive a significant proportion [...]
Why Adam Silver and Sir Philip Craven are my sports leadership heroes of the last 12 months December 15, 2016 If politics entered a post-truth era in 2016, sport entered a post-trust era. So much of sport is about trust – from your teammates to the coaches and medical team to the administrators that govern the game. Slowly but surely trust has been seeping out of the sports we love, and 2016 was the climax of [...]
Fifa’s video replay plans thrown into doubt by critical Real Madrid stars Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo December 15, 2016 Fifa's plans to bring video replays into football have been plunged into doubt after Real Madrid stars criticised its use during their 2-0 Club World Cup semi-final win over Mexico's Club America. Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric blasted the technology currently being trialled by Fifa after the former's injury time goal took nearly a minute to be [...]
Betting: Three points make Pep and Arsene’s Christmas list December 15, 2016 Nothing but three points will be on Pep Guardiola and Arsene Wenger’s Christmas lists as Manchester City host Arsenal at the Etihad on Sunday. The title challengers meet, with each left to rue missed opportunities this term. Both have led the way at the top of the Premier League this season – City from August until [...]