Chelsea must improve in their game management and deal with stressful situations better, after Marc Cucurella was sent off late in their 2-1 win against Brentford, with manager Enzo Maresca not satisfied with his side’s conclusion of the league contest. Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson each netted for the Blues, who secured their fifth successive league triumph to bride the gap to leaders Liverpool to two points. However, Chelsea were on the receiving end of a late goal against their London rivals as Cucurella was shown a second yellow card after his altercation with forward Kevin Schade for “adopting an aggressive…
Author: Somto Isaac
Luis Enrique cut a happy figure, praising his Paris Saint-Germain team’s quality and control in their win against Olymique Lyonnais on Sunday. The 3-1 victory at Parc des Princes brought an end to Lyon’s nine-game run without a loss as the Parisians kept clear distance at the summit of the Ligue 1 standings. Enrique’s side were the only team in the top eight not to drop points in the matchday as they are still unbeaten in the division and with 37 points, they are seven off Olympique Marsielle who are second. “Today, we played against an opponent full of confidence……
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said his side were “unbelievable” despite being held to a 0-0 home draw against Everton, also on a day when Liverpool failed to pick up maximum points. Just a week after the failed to win against Fulham, Arsenal recorded just yet another point as the Toffees held them to a stalemate on Saturday at the Emirates. The Gunners remain six points behind Liverpool having played a game more, with the 10-man Reds twice coming from behind in a 2-2 draw at Anfield. Arteta’s side, who have been runners-up for the last two campaigns, are also a…
Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk lauded his teammates after their 2-2 draw with Fulham at Anfield on Saturday. The Merseysiders twice came from a goal down with Andy Robertson also seeing a red card in the first half of an enthralling contest. Speaking after the game, Van Dijk also commented on the officiating while admitting a game against the London side was always going to be tough. “A great comeback is very positive. It’s disappointing having 10 men but we showed fight, kept trying to create chances. Could have been more but we take the point and move on. “Stay…
Napoli head coach Antonio Conte expressed delight with his side’s display in their 3-1 triumph at Udinese, insisting on more improvement to come. The Italian lauded his team’s resilience against a tough Udinese side, praising Napoli’s strong response following recent disappointments, including consecutive defeats to Lazio which saw they bundled out of the Coppa Italia and surrender their Serie A lead. “Udinese are a very good side and I saw a strong response from my boys,” Conte said to DAZN. “We have to be realistic, fearless and understand that to win you have to take control of the game, as…
Despite numerous questions, the England FA decided to support Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup after receiving answers to those questions from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation [SAFF] during a meeting last month, according to chair Debbie Hewitt. The governing body of world football, FIFA, handed the responsibility of hosting the tournament to the Kingdom on Wednesday, with the sole bid for the showpiece confirmed by acclamation. A number of rights organisations heavily came down on FIFA after the official announcement, highlight the Saudi’s human rights record. The Saudis have strongly invested in sport over the past…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has pointed at the amount of games leading to injuries that has plagued his side this season and caused their poor form, adding that he needs a squad of 45 or 50 players to aid the situation. The Spaniard added that his team are currently in survival mode with just three defenders available when they host Manchester United in Sunday’s derby at Etihad Stadium. The reigning champions sit fourth on the table and have recorded just one win in their last 10 games across all competitions. “The soul and the spirit of this team is…
Resuming as new head coach of Manchester United just less than a month ago, Ruben Amorim has admitted the club is “not in the best situation” currently. Following the exit of sporting director Dan Ashworth just 159 days after he assumed the role, the Red Devils announced on Sunday that he would be leaving. The 53-year-old, who came in from Newcastle, was expected to lead an overhaul of the United squad alongside new coach Amorim, who replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag in November. However, Ashworth’s exit stirs fresh concerns about United’s direction under co-owner Jim Ratcliffe. Following a home…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed he is questioning himself after his side fell to their seventh defeat in their last 10 games in all competitions. The English giants lost 2-0 at Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday, extending their bad run in their past games with just one win in their last 10 in all competitions. The result puts the Cityzens’ chances of qualifying for the last 16 at risk and when asked by newsmen if he has started questioning his management, Guardiola admitted so. “Yeah, of course. “Of course I question myself in the good moments…
Mikel Arteta had immense words of praise for Bukayo Saka and his “incredible talent” after the Arsenal attacker netted a brace in the 3-0 win over Monaco which moved his side closer to the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday. The 23-year-old netted in the latter stages of both halves before Kai Havertz secured the points for Arsenal’s fourth win in six games in the new-look league phase of Europe’s premiere competition. Arteta’s side sit third on the log with two games against Dinamo Zagreb and Girona to come in January, as they chase automatic qualification to the last…