Europa League: Defoe fires way into contention for starting role October 3, 2013 ANZHI MAKHACHKALA 0 vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 TOTTENHAM manager Andre Villas-Boas has hinted Jermain Defoe may earn his first Premier League start of the season in Sunday’s derby with former club West Ham after hitting his seventh goal in four starts last night. The 30-year-old also bagged his 21st goal for Spurs in Europe and [...]
Toffees to prove tough nut to crack again for wounded City October 3, 2013 THERE’S no doubt that Champions League holders Bayern Munich are a team right out of the top drawer but, even so, the way they brushed aside Manchester City on Wednesday night at the Etihad was phenomenal. Pep Guardiola’s side absolutely battered the ragged hosts and a 3-1 scoreline understates their superiority. While it’s been David [...]
Ferguson: Stick with Moyes, I’m not coming back October 2, 2013 FORMER Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has backed successor David Moyes to improve their poor Premier League form and ruled out a shock return to the Old Trafford hot-seat just five months after his retirement. The 71-year-old also revealed he rebuffed an approach from Chelsea after Roman Abramovich took control of the club in [...]
Champions League: Arsenal lucky to have Ozil, says Wenger October 1, 2013 ARSENAL 2 vs NAPOLI 0 ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger admitted they were lucky to clinch the deadline-day signing of Mesut Ozil, after the Germany playmaker scored one and set up another in a dazzling victory over Napoli last night. Ozil’s opener, his first since joining from Real Madrid, was swiftly followed by striker Olivier Giroud’s [...]
Torres dodges four-game ban over Spurs clash October 1, 2013 CHELSEA striker Fernando Torres has escaped further punishment for his altercation with Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen after the Football Association said it could not take retrospective action. Torres appeared to scratch or claw at Vertonghen’s face during Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League draw, although it was unclear whether referee Mike Dean had seen the clash, raising [...]
Moyes still has sights set on European glory October 1, 2013 MANCHESTER United boss David Moyes insists his side is equipped to challenge for the Champions League, despite their stuttering start to the season. United have recorded just a solitary win in their last five Premier League matches. Moyes takes his side to Shakhtar Donetsk tonight where no English team has ever won, but is adamant [...]
Mourinho walks out in anger after team selection questions September 30, 2013 CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho yesterday abandoned a press conference ahead of tonight’s Champions League match with Steaua Bucharest after becoming agitated with questions regarding his selection policy. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has not travelled to Romania with Mourinho unhappy at the Belgian’s display in last week’s 2-0 win at Swindon in the Capital One Cup [...]
Wenger laughs off ridiculous Premier League title claims September 30, 2013 ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger attempted to ground growing optimism sprouting from his team’s superb start to the season by branding talk of winning the Premier League title “ridiculous” yesterday. The Gunners go into arguably their toughest match of the season tonight against Napoli in the Champions League on a nine-match unbeaten run following an opening [...]
Torres could face further ban but has Mata support September 29, 2013 CHELSEA midfielder Juan Mata has leapt to the defence of team-mate Fernando Torres, following a fiery display in the fiercely contested London derby with Tottenham on Saturday. The Spain striker was sent off 81 minutes into the 1-1 draw following an aerial collision with defender Jan Vertonghen, though was fortunate to have escaped a red [...]
Premier League: Suarez deserved comeback goals, insists Rodgers September 29, 2013 SUNDERLAND 1 vs LIVERPOOL 3 LIVERPOOL boss Brendan Rodgers feels striker Luis Suarez’s two goals on his return to Premier League action were just reward for months of hard graft. Suarez, making his first league appearance in more than five months following a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, looked immediately accustomed to [...]