Category: Football

After the first serious wobble of Maurizio Sarri’s tenure, Chelsea really need a win this weekend. Unfortunately they are up against Manchester City, so that is far from guaranteed. Having lost to Wolves in the midweek, the Blues have now won two of their last five in all competitions and are 10 points off top spot in the Premier League. While ‘Sarriball’ still needs…

Bournemouth Asmir Begovic 3/10 Should have done better in the build-up to the opening goal, parrying a shot into Salah’s path that started the beginning of the end for the home side. Was sent the wrong way on two occasions in the lead-up to Salah's third of the afternoon. Not a performance he'll remember. Charlie Daniels 4/10  Didn't manage to offer much whatsoever on…

Things are looking up for Nottingham Forest as they head into their run of festive fixtures this weekend when Preston North End visit The City Ground. The Reds are unbeaten in their last five games and have kept clean sheets in all of their last three home games, which makes a bet on Forest To Win To Nil at 12/5 an eye-catching proposition this…

With the agony of the north London derby slowly dissipating like sorrowful mists on the ocean, Tottenham are ready to sail on into their busy December fixture schedule. Having recovered from derby defeat with a win against Southampton on Wednesday evening, Spurs now face a trip to Leicester and a chance to put even more distance between themselves and a demoralising result at the…

Golden Tate stands 5ft 9in in his heels. In the context of an NFL dressing room packed with alpha beef this wide receiver looks like an intruder in fancy dress. Some high-pitched dissenters in Philadelphia’s unforgiving Lincoln Financial Field shared that view until he fell across the line on Monday night with his first touchdown for the Eagles. The Super Bowl champions are on…

Pep Guardiola’s restless search for perfection at Manchester City takes him to some odd places. And I’m not talking coordinates on a map. “At Watford, at 2-0, we were not the best side. We can do many things better.” Who’d be a guest in Guardiola’s head? Some perspective: Liverpool have made their best start to a season, 12 wins in 15 games and no…

On Wednesday night, Kilmarnock beat Livingstone 2-0 at Rugby Park and went top of the Scottish Premiership. You heard me right – top. It's been a remarkable year for the East Ayrshire Club. Just 416 days ago, Killie were rock-bottom of the SPL and facing relegation. Steve Clarke has done a remarkable job since he was appointed in October 2017. Over the last 38 games,…

Real Madrid’s fans have grown accustomed to the routine often gone through for the unveiling of a big-name, big-money signing. In the summer of 2009, 80,000 supporters packed out the Santiago Bernabeu to welcome Cristiano Ronaldo as the club’s latest Galactico. Four years later, it was Gareth Bale who was given the ticker-tape reception. Thibaut Courtois was Real Madrid’s big summer signing, their only…

Wolves began the current Premier League campaign this season with high expectations. They were back in the top flight for the first time since 2012 with a group of talented players to call upon, and the assumption was that they would challenge for a place in the top half. Nuno Espiritio Santo’s men have struggled of late after a fine start, but this is…

He's been a key part of a Liverpool defence that has conceded just five Premier League goals so far this season, and the first line of attack on his flank. But now Andy Robertson which already saw him miss Liverpool's midweek fixture against Burnley And it's not just Liverpool fans who will be sweating on his fitness – 31.5 per cent of Fantasy Premier League…

“We’ve got to get back to being ‘us’. We’ve got to get back to the consistency of being ‘us’.” This may, disconcertingly, sound like bad dialogue from a fraught Hollyoaks relationship plotline, but it is in fact Sean Dyche’s latest verdict on Burnley. Having lost 3-1 to Liverpool on Wednesday night, the Clarets are currently second-bottom of the Premier League and starting to look…

Ander Herrera‘s diligent sprinting towards Bernd Leno paid off, as his hope of a fumble from the Arsenal goalkeeper came to fruition after Marcos Rojo's free-kick. His cross from the rebounded save found Anthony Martial, who equalised on the half hour mark. Manchester United had conceded only four minutes earlier, a header from Shkodran Mustafi cleared off the line by Herrera was ruled to have…

Jonathan Albon could be a millionaire by lunchtime on Sunday. All he has to do is win a 24-hour running race, covering 100 miles of hilly six-mile laps with obstacles including monkey bars, sandbags and walls interrupting him every half mile or so. Oh, and his run will be in Iceland. Where it is daylight for about six hours a day and the weather…

Manchester United David De Gea 4/10 Complete howler trying to catch Mustafi's header. Beaten with a soft shot for Lacazette's. Also saw Mkhitaryan smash a disallowed volley past the face of goal. Grew as the game went on, but overall a poor showing. Matteo Darmian 4/10 Not that confident on the ball, nor persuasive in terms of positioning. Blocked a threatening run well with…

Great football between great teams can be enthralling. Football between one great team and one poor team can be enjoyable too, although usually provokes interest rather than intrigue. Football between two poor teams is often hugely entertaining, although not always aesthetically. But for the perfect football recipe, you need good players doing things badly. Neither Arsenal nor Manchester United ever had Wednesday’s match between…