Champions League: Perfect start but no priority for Pellegrini September 17, 2013 VIKTORIA PLZEN 0 MANCHESTER CITY 3 MANCHESTER City boss Manuel Pellegrini was delighted with the start his side made to their Champions League campaign, but insists their pursuit of the trophy will not take priority over winning the Premier League title this season. Second half goals from Edin Dzeko, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero earned [...]
Ledley King: English coaches must learn to embrace the little guys or risk missing out on our own Lionel Messi September 17, 2013 Exclusive: Ex-Spurs captain on trouble with our academies, Bale and managing. HAD Lionel Messi been born in England the football world could have been robbed of one of its greatest ever stars. That is the belief of former Tottenham defender Ledley King, who fears the 5ft 7in Argentina forward, hailed by some as the best [...]
Premier League: Liverpool back on top of the Premier League September 16, 2013 SWANSEA CITY 2 vs LIVERPOOL 2 LIVERPOOL returned to the top of the Premier League last night, but a second-half equaliser from Michu ended their perfect start to the season. Coming into the game on the back of three victories, the Reds fell behind in the second minute when former midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, who inadvertently [...]
Pellegrini won’t take Kompany fitness gamble September 16, 2013 MANCHESTER City captain Vincent Kompany could make his return from injury in the Champions League tonight against Viktoria Plzen, but only if he is 100 per cent fit, manager Manuel Pellegrini insists. The imposing central defender has been sidelined with a groin injury since City beat Newcastle 4-0 on the opening weekend of the season. [...]
Giroud doubt gives Wenger striker headache September 16, 2013 ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger is facing a striker crisis ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League trip to Marseille. Top-scorer Olivier Giroud suffered a knee injury in Saturday’s 3-1 win at Sunderland to join the list of unfit forwards already unavailable to Wenger. Lukas Podolski, Yaya Sanogo and Nicklas Bendtner will all be absent in France, leaving [...]
Premier League: Allardyce reveals worry as Hammers draw another blank September 15, 2013 SOUTHAMPTON 0 vs WEST HAM UNITED 0 WEST Ham manager Sam Allardyce admitted his team’s lack of potency in front of goal is a growing concern, after they failed to net for the third Premier League game in a row. The Hammers registered just a single effort on target throughout the 90 minutes, though centre-back [...]
Mikel tips shot-shy Eto’o to show he’s still among the world’s best September 15, 2013 STRIKER Samuel Eto’o will soon show the Premier League he is still world class, according to Chelsea team-mate Jon Obi Mikel. Eto’o made a disappointing debut at Goodison Park on Saturday as the Blues lost 1-0 to Everton. The Cameroon striker was prolific at Barcelona and Inter Milan earlier in his career, but appears to [...]
Giroud in race to face Marseille as Arsenal’s injury list grows September 15, 2013 ARSENAL are hoping that Olivier Giroud will recover from a knee problem in time for Wednesday night’s Champions League trip to Marseille, after the French centre forward was injured in Saturday’s 3-1 win at Sunderland. The victory put Arsene Wenger’s side top of the Premier League – at least until Liverpool play Swansea tonight – [...]
Quality of new boy Eriksen stuns Soldado September 15, 2013 TOTTENHAM striker Roberto Soldado has revealed his surprise at the quality team-mate Christian Eriksen produced in his Premier League debut on Saturday. Spurs’s £11.5m summer signing from Ajax laid on the first of midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson’s two goals in the 2-0 home win over Norwich to cap a virtuoso display. And Soldado, who also moved [...]
Liverpool look to reclaim top spot September 15, 2013 FOOTBALL: Liverpool will return to the top of the Premier League if they can avoid defeat at Swansea tonight, with new signings Mamadou Sakho and Victor Moses in the running to make debuts.