Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has echoed his teammates will not get carried away with winning a potential quadruple this season, following their 4-0 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, to book their ticket to the League Cup final against Newcastle United. Van Dijk rounded up the demolition with a header following goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai to help the defending champions seal a 4-1 aggregate win on Thursday night to seal a return to Wembley on March 16. In addition to their qualification to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 after topping the league…
Author: Somto Isaac
Liverpool manager Arne Slot revealed his dislike for in-stadium VAR announcements, stating the development will increase pressure on referees. The update is being tried out by the English Football League during the League Cup semi-finals. The referees are to announce their final decision following a visit to the VAR pitchside monitor or at the “conclusion of factual matters such as accidental handball by a goalscorer or offside judgements” and only the final decision is announced to supporters. Last year, the Premier League said the supporter experience of video technology was “nowhere near good enough” and the organisation’s chief football officer…
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick stated his side are not one to find “excuses” after rivals Real Madrid expressed extreme displeasure with Spanish referees following their surprise LaLiga defeat at the weekend. Los Blancos lost 1-0 against Espanyol on Saturday and then sent an angry letter to the Spanish Football Federation raging at the country’s officiating as “rigged” and “completely discredited.” Madrid expressed their anger after Espanyol’s Carlos Romero was not sent off for bringing down striker Kylian Mbappe and the defender went on to net the winning goal. “This [letter] is their choice, they do it like this, it’s…
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was disheartened with his side’s exit from the League Cup following their 4-0 aggregate loss against Newcastle United. Goals from Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon secured a 2-0 win in front of the St. James’ Park faithful to secure their second final in the competition in the last three years. Speaking after the contest, the Spaniard admitted the defeat left a bad taste but focus would start immediately beginning with their training camp in Dubai. “We have to look forward. This is going to be a painful one. When we are in Dubai, recharge and go…
Real Madrid defender David Alaba will yet again spend time on the sidelines after he picked up an adductor injury in his left leg. Following a recent return from an anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] tear, which kept him out for more than a year, the LaLiga giants have not provided a specific date for a return. Los Blancos travel to Leganes in the Copa del Rey last eight on Wednesday – with a huge derby against city rivals Atletico Madrid at home and a visit to Manchester City in the Champions League knockout round playoffs on February 11. “Following tests…
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was over the moon with his side’s 2-1 win over West Ham United to boost their hopes of a top four finish as they moved above champions Manchester City in the Premier League. The Blues fell behind to Jarrod Bowen’s effort three minutes before halftime but Pedro Neto equalized after the break and Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s own goal aided the comeback. The win for Chelsea was their second in their last eight games. “It is huge,” Maresca said. “It was a tough game especially mentally. It is never easy when teams come here and wait and sit…
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti insisted his side are still the top side in the LaLiga title race even after their shock 1-0 loss at Espanyol on Saturday. Los Blancos still sit at the summit of the standings with 49 points amassed, one ahead of Atletico Madrid, who defeated Mallorca 2-0, with the rivals set to meet in the upcoming weekend. “We had chances and could have scored, but despite the defeat we are still in the fight. We have to focus on the next game,” Ancelotti said in a press conference. “We could have done better, the result was…
Liverpool manager Arne Slot was of the opinion his side were lucky enough to move nine points clear at the summit of the Premier League standings after Mohamed Salah double helped a the Reds to a controversial 2-0 win at AFC Bournemouth. The Merseyside outfit went ahead after Salah netted a penalty after Cody Gakpo appeared to trip himself rather than going down from a challenge from Lewis Cook — aside from the penalty decision, Gakpo was barely onside which left the Cherries angry by referee Darren England’s on-field decision which was not changed by VAR. Bournemouth thought they leveled…
England’s Football Association [FA] have charged Arsenal for failing to control their players, after they surrounded referee Michael Oliver following the controversial sending off of Myles Lewis-Skelly in the 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers last Saturday in the Premier League. The Gunners players opposed the on-field decision, which was eventually reversed earlier this week, after the official appeal. Oliver showed Lewis-Skelly a red card after he tripped Matt Doberty on the edge of the Wolves 18-yard area jist before halftime. Providing clips of the evidence, Arsenal saw the incident overturned by an independent commission, also canceling the three-match ban. “The…
Neymar has announced he will be moving back to Santos as he terminated his contract with Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia to secure a move back to the club where he began his career. The Brazilian superstar confirmed the recent speculation via a post on social media. “I couldn’t hold out until tomorrow, my family and friends already know about my decision. I’m going to sign a contract with Santos, I want to thank the fans all over the world who wanted this moment so much. “Almost 12 years have passed since I left the most famous Vila in the…