Manchester City rose to the summit of the Premier League after Liverpool and Arsenal settled for a point, while Manchester United’s woeful start to the season continued in contrast to Crystal Palace somewhat ending theirs and in was a goal fest between Brentford and Ipswich Town as the English top flight sailed into the ninth matchday. Liverpool twice came from behind at the Emirates as they denied Arsenal a chance to cut the gap between themselves, retaining their four-point distance as Sunday’s contest ended in a two-all draw. Bukayo Saka returned to the Arsenal line-up and returned with a bang…
Author: Somto Isaac
Carlo Ancelotti has insisted Barcelona’s form this season is not making him lose sleep, ahead of Saturday’s Clasico. Hansi Flick’s Barca team — who dismantled Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday — travel to the Santiago Bernabeu to face second-place Real Madrid, in what will be a tight contest in what seemingly sets up for a close title race this season. Ancelotti’s Madrid side are unbeaten in 42 LaLiga games and could match Barcelona’s all-time record of 43 if they avoid defeat. “The truth is they are doing very well,” Ancelotti said at a news conference. “In…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola had special words for his players and their mentality while also stating the bond of his team is as strong as ever. The 53-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season and he is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal with rumours swirling of him potentially stepping down. The Spaniard had admitted before the start of the season that he would wait until the new campaign to see his new players’ connection. Speaking before Saturday’s game against Southampton, Guardiola who had admitted the above yardstick would be…
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag insisted he is convinced his team are progressing in the right direction, despite their unimpressive start to the campaign. The Red Devils ended their run of five games without a win as they defeated Brentford 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday but the pressure is not alleviated yet ahead of a showdown against former manager Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbache in the Europa League on Thursday. United are just with two points from their opening two games against Twente and Porto — and with Mourinho also under pressure after a difficult start to life in…
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has talked up his side’s chances ahead of their huge clash against Real Madrid this weekend, as he believes the 4-1 win against Bayern Munich is a confidence booster. With El Clasico on the horizons, Flick stated he was delighted to aid the Catalan giants bring a halt to an almost decade-long winless run against the Bavarians, and their biggest test of the season awaits them as they travel to the capital in their next LaLiga game. “It’s unbelievable this win. Bayern are a wonderful team, with fantastic players who know how to play very well,…
Liverpool and Aston Villa are now the only teams with a perfect record while defending champions Real Madrid, Manchester City and Barcelona were in red hot form as matchday three of the UEFA Champions League brought goals, excitements and thrilling moments. In a repeat of last season’s final, Vinicius Junior strengthened claims for a maiden Ballon d’Or with an outstanding performance with a brilliant hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund. Los Blancos staged another miracle European comeback on Tuesday night, going down by two in the first half against the German outfit following goals from Jamie Gittens and Donyell Malen. Antonio Rudiger…
Mikel Arteta has called on his Arsenal team to use the pain of their first loss in half a year to face Shaktar Donetsk in their Champions League clash on Tuesday. The North London outfit were shocked following a 2-0 loss against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, after William Saliba was sent off in the opening half. The result was a first loss since April, falling four points behind Liverpool — however, Arteta insists there is no cause for alarm. “You have a defeat, that’s part of the game, it happens in very specific conditions as well,”…
Borussia Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin is adamant his team will need more than a firm mentality to aid them in their visit to European Champions Real Madrid on Tuesday. Dortmund lost in their last outing against Los Blancos, which was the Champions League final as goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Jr. aided Real to their 15th title. “Mentality only is not enough to survive against Real Madrid, especially in this stadium, against the champions of this competition,” Sahin said in his pre-match presser. “We need everything tomorrow. We need a lot of quality, a lot of self-confidence, mentality of…
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has insisted he wants star forward Kylian Mbappe to contribute more goals over helping the team while they press. The European and LaLiga champions have not been at their best this season and are on the hunt for a more effective way to get the Frenchman firing since his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain. Los Blancos were defeated in their travel to Lille in their last Champions League contest and they host Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday in a rematch of last season’s final which they won to claim a 15th crown. “I prefer that [Mbappe] scores…
Barcelona midfielder Gavi could not hide his joy at being back on the pitch after a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury which kept him out for 11 months. The Spaniard underwent surgery after suffering the bad injury in the European Champions’ Euro 2024 qualifying triumph against Georgia last year, as he missed the rest of the season. The 20-year-old made his comeback on Sunday, receiving a standing ovation as he came on as a substitute in Barcelona’s 5-1 win against Sevilla in LaLiga. “I’m very happy to be back with the team. I’ve been dreaming about this moment for many…