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Mark Lawrenson states his prediction for Manchester City vs Manchester United
BBC football expert Mark Lawrenson has stated his prediction for the upcoming derby between Manchester City and Manchester United in the Premier League. The Cityzens have been in exceptional form over the past few months and they recently won their 21st straight game across all competitions. In league terms, they have won 15 in a row and are clear at the top of the standings with a 14-point lead over arch-rivals United. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were considered as potential title challengers just four weeks ago, but that no longer appears the case. They have suffered just one league defeat this year, but their regular tendency to play stalemates has cost them in the bid to keep up with the Cityzens. Ahead of the Manchester derby, they have played three successive 0-0 draws with two of th...
Jamie Carragher pinpoints one main issue for Liverpool after Chelsea defeat
Liverpool legend turned pundit Jamie Carragher has said that the Reds must improve on one main aspect after the club’s disappointing 1-0 Premier League defeat to Chelsea last night. The Reds went into the game on the back of just one win from the previous five top-flight games. Their recent record at Anfield had also been horrific with no wins in six games which included four successive losses. They produced another lacklustre performance where they barely threatened the opposition goalkeeper and ended the game with just one shot on target which came through a long-range header from Georginio Wijnaldum. Speaking after the 1-0 loss, Carragher was concerned for his former side and said that the Reds did not look like finding the back of the net during the course of the 90 minutes against the...
Mikel Arteta wants to bring £31.5m French star to Arsenal this summer
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has identified RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate as one of the top central defensive targets ahead of this summer’s transfer window, Standard Sport reports. The north London side have experienced another poor Premier League campaign, and they are eight points off the Champions League places with 12 matches left in the season. Five teams are between them and the fourth spot, and their best chance of qualifying for the elite competition may rest on winning the Europa League. In a press conference yesterday, Arteta said that the club are already planning for the summer, and it is now reported that they are monitoring Konate with a view to a move. The same report suggests that David Luiz, Calum Chambers and Kostas Mavropanos could also head through the exit door as part...
Tottenham Hotspur record second successive league win following controversial evening at Craven Cottage
Tottenham Hotspur collected an important three points in their bid for European football after grinding out a 1-0 win over relegation strugglers Fulham on Thursday. The Lilywhites dominated large parts of the first-half and should have taken the lead when Heung-min Son’s cross found an unmarked Harry Kane six yards out. However, the forward uncharacteristically nodded straight at Alphonse Areola. Just moments later, Spurs were ahead. Son’s low cross was flicked towards goal by Dele Alli, who found the net via a deflection off Tosin Adarabioyo. Replays showed that Alli’s effort was heading wide, meaning that the goal went down as an own goal. Fulham struggled to create anything of note until first-half injury-time. Josh Maja laid off for Mario Lemina, who blazed over from ten yards out. The...
Premier League fans call for VAR changes after controversial Thursday
VAR has once again taken centre stage after a highly controversial round of Premier League fixtures which saw three goals harshly ruled out. The first came at Craven Cottage in the clash between Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur. On loan striker Josh Maja thought he had netted an equaliser for the home side, only for the cameras to spot a handball by Mario Lemina in the build up. The game ended 1-0 to Spurs. Despite the fact that Lemina’s arms were quite clearly by his side, the goal was chalked off. The handball law states that intent doesn’t matter if a handball leads to a goal – which is a frankly ridiculous rule. Lemina has the ball booted at him and his arms are down by his side, I’m genuinely baffled how they’ve disallowed it. Premier League referees really do have a concerning lack of co...
Gary Lineker raves about Chelsea star after his performance against Liverpool
Chelsea picked up a morale-boosting 1-0 win over Liverpool in the Premier League earlier tonight and midfielder Mason Mount produced a match-winning performance for the Blues. Not only did he create several impressive chances for his teammates, but the 22-year-old also managed to score the winning goal of the game on the 42nd minute. Mount was arguably the best player on the pitch and former Premier League player Gary Lineker seems quite impressed with the midfielder’s performance against the Champions tonight. Lineker took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the Chelsea midfielder during the game. What a player @masonmount_10 will be. Make that, already is. — Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) March 4, 2021 The young attacking midfielder has had an outstanding season with the Blues so ...
Celtic make contact with 43-yr-old manager, some of their fans react: ‘It’s happening’, ‘Get it done’
Celtic have been linked with a host of managers in recent weeks, and it seems that the Scottish giants have approached former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe. The 43-year-old is currently a free agent and could prove to be a quality long term replacement for Neil Lennon. Celtic parted ways with Lennon last month, and John Kennedy has taken over as the interim boss. The Hoops need to bring in someone with a long-term vision in the summer, and Howe could be the ideal man to rebuild them. The former Premier League manager did well to rebuild Bournemouth with talented young players, and Celtic could use someone like him. According to Football Insider, Howe is open to the Celtic job, and it will be interesting to see if the Hoops can finalise this appointment over the next few weeks. Apparently,...
West Ham looking at 29-yr-old as a long-term replacement for first team star
West Ham United have been linked with a move for the Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski. According to Tutto Bologna Web, the likes of Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa are also keeping tabs on the Serie A goalkeeper. The Hammers need to start planning for life without Lukasz Fabianski, and his compatriot could prove to be a quality long-term addition. The West Ham goalkeeper is currently 35 and will be past his peak soon. The Bologna keeper has done well in Italian football, and the 29-year-old has the quality to succeed in the Premier League. Skorupski has a contract with Bologna until the summer of 2023, and he is unlikely to come cheap this summer. However, the Hammers will hope to convince the Italian club to part with their first...
Predicted Spurs XI: Mourinho to make four changes; 24-year-old dropped
Tottenham Hotspur will travel to Craven Cottage to face Fulham in the Premier League on Thursday. Spurs returned to winning ways in the league last week after two back-to-back defeats when they won 4-0 against Brighton & Hove Albion. Fulham are in the relegation zone, but the Cottagers have shown recent signs of improvement. They are undefeated in their last five games and have lost just once in their last eight outings. Jose Mourinho is expected to rotate his squad ahead of two other London derbies against Crystal Palace and Arsenal. Gareth Bale was outstanding against Burnley in the last match, hinting at a return to his best. Mourinho claimed in the press conference yesterday that the Welshman will feature against Fulham. Dele Alli has also looked in good shape in recent weeks,...
Tariq Lamptey set to miss Leicester City clash
Brighton and Hove Albion manager Graham Potter has confirmed that young English full-back Tariq Lamptey will miss their home game against Leicester City with a new injury problem. Lamptey signed for Brighton in the 2020 January transfer window, having failed to make the breakthrough at Chelsea. Since then, he has become one of the most promising young full-backs around, recording a goal and two assists in 19 Premier League appearances for the Seagulls. Lamptey celebrates his first senior career goal against Tottenham However, the 20-year-old’s season has been blighted by injuries. He has not made an appearance since December 16 in the 0-0 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage. Lamptey was expected to make a return to action soon. However, manager Graham Potter has confirmed in his press co...
Decision time for Chelsea star as loan club eye permanent deal
Ruben Loftus-Cheek will face a big decision this summer as he enters an important phase in his career. The 25-year-old is currently on loan at Fulham but has indicated that he will return to Chelsea this summer to fight for his place. Loftus-Cheek is contracted to the Blues until 2024, and his chances of forcing his way into their starting XI appear remote. The midfielder has performed well for Fulham, and manager Scott Parker has confirmed that we would love to make the move permanent. During his press conference for Fulham’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, Parker praised the impact Loftus-Cheek has made. “Ruben has been a fantastic addition,” he said. “I’ve seen someone grow immensely from the start of the season to a person and player now who has transformed. ...
Rangers worried that PL club’s poor season could end up affecting them in future
Liverpool have had a mediocre season by their standards in the Premier League. The Reds are currently sixth in the table with 43 points and it would be a catastrophe if they missed out on Champions League qualification. According to Football Insider, there are suggestions from within the club that the motivation levels have dropped under Jurgen Klopp and the team is lacking in fight and desire. The whispers have made Rangers chiefs nervous that the Reds could come calling for Steven Gerrard after his superb season in the Scottish Premiership. SL View: Too early to dismiss Klopp The Rangers manager has been linked with a move back to Liverpool for a while now and it will be interesting to see if the Premier League giants decide to appoint him as their manager when Klopp decides to move...
