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Sokratis reacts after Olympiacos are drawn with Arsenal in the Europa League last 16
Olympiacos defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos has said that he is looking forward to a ‘difficult game’ against former club Arsenal in the round of 16 of the Europa League. The Greek centre-back spent two-and-a-half years with the Gunners but his contract was terminated last month such that he could join Olympiacos on a free transfer. He will now come face-to-face with his former employers in the last 16 of the Europa League and anticipates a special but difficult game against the north London giants. “This game is something special [for me]. I believe it will be a difficult game. Arsenal is a very big team,” He told Olympiacos TV, as translated by journalist Chris Wheatley. “[Since last year’s clash] they have the same coach with two or three new players, it’s a team with very h...
‘I don’t know’: Everton star reveals what Ancelotti told him the day before the Leicester game
Richarlison has shared his admiration for Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti during an interview with the club’s official website. It was a long interview (and a fascinating one) where he spoke about a lot of topics including his relationship with Ancelotti, his early years, the form of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Everton’s top-four ambitions and more. Richarlison talks about how he jokes with Ancelotti regarding how many Champions League titles the Italian has won. “The manager’s arrival was really important for the Club,” said Richarlison. “He’s a winner, he instils into the players a strong mentality to win games and that’s what’s happening. “It is five. Five Champions Leagues: two as a player and three as a manager. “I even joke with him about it and he says it was five not three. Ancelot...
Key players miss out for Roma, important pair sidelined for title-chasing AC Milan
The Serie A action concludes on Sunday at the Stadio Olimpico, as Roma and AC Milan come face-to-face in a real clash of titans. A disappointing dip in form in 2021 has hampered Milan’s pursuit of their first Serie A title since 2010/11, allowing Inter Milan to build a four-point cushion at the summit. Roma are in contention for a top-four finish, but they have a fragile one-point advantage on fifth-placed Atalanta. It will go down to who wants to win it more, as neither team would benefit too much from a draw. Roma Preview Coming into this matchday, the Giallorossi have not surrendered the three points in 16 successive Serie A home matches (W13, D3) and remain one of only four sides in Europe’s top-five divisions yet to lose at home this league season. Only top-placed Inter (32) have nett...
Paul Merson suggests Spurs star won’t play tomorrow…and he has a theory why
Popular football pundit Paul Merson has suggested that Dele Alli won’t play against Burnley on Sunday. Spurs will face the Clarets in the Premier League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Alli is expected to feature. Alli has struggled for game time this season, making just one start in the Premier League. The midfielder has been neglected by Jose Mourinho, and it appeared that their relationship was beyond repair. However, Alli seems to have rediscovered his form and has looked sharper in recent games after returning from injury. The 24-year-old delivered his best performance of the season in the Europa League against Wolfsberger on Wednesday where he scored one and provided two assists. The goal he scored was simply spectacular – an acrobatic bicycle kick – and reminded everyone of hi...
Pundit embarrasses himself with criticism of Newcastle United fans
Richard Keys has hit out at Newcastle United supporters for wanting Steve Bruce dismissed as the club’s manager. Newcastle are in danger of being relegated from the Premier League after failing to meet expectations this season. Speaking ahead of the Magpies’ home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, Keys criticised the fans for wanting Bruce sacked. “I don’t know what Newcastle fans if not Steve Bruce – I don’t know what they want,” he told beIN SPORTS. “Mike Ashley is well within his rights to continue to support his manager and to run the football club as he sees fit – it’s his.” SL View Keys has become an irrelevance in football circles after being dismissed by Sky Sports for making derogatory comments about female assistant referee Sian Massey in 2011. His latest attempts ...
Ndombele reveals the seven words Levy told him when he demanded Spurs exit
Tottenham Hotspur spent a club-record fee of £54 million on France international midfielder Tanguy Ndombele in the summer of 2019, but the former Lyon star struggled to impress in his debut season at the North London side, with injuries and a fallout with head coach Jose Mourinho frustrating his first year in the Premier League. The 24-year-old was linked with an exit during the last summer transfer window, with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich all said to be keen on him. Ndombele was also more than happy to leave Tottenham following his struggles on and off the pitch in the English top-flight, and the Frenchman has revealed that he did approach Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to ask for an exit. “To be perfectly honest with you, I don’t know how close I was to leaving,” Ndombel...
Big blow for West Ham, Man City star returns, Chelsea man misses out
The 26th round of fixtures in the Premier League features some key match-ups at both ends of the EPL table. We’ll update this story with reports, results, highlights and the latest Premier League standings throughout the weekend. The action is already underway, with Manchester City going head-to-head with West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium. Ruben Dias and John Stones got the City goals, with Michail Antonio replying for the visitors. West Bromwich Albion versus Brighton & Hove Albion is the 3.00 pm kick-off, with Leeds United vs Aston Villa following. Newcastle United round off proceedings today with a tough home fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers. There are five games on Sunday, with the clash between Chelsea and Manchester United the pick of the bunch. The Blues will be witho...
Pepe and Mari start, Predicted Arsenal line-up (4-2-3-1) vs Leicester City
Arsenal make the trip to the King Power Stadium for the Premier League clash against Leicester City on Sunday. The Gunners suffered an 11th league defeat of the campaign against Manchester City last weekend and that left them 11 points adrift of the top four. However, they will go into the Foxes game with momentum on their side after securing a dramatic Europa League win over Benfica in midweek to progress to the last-16. Brendan Rodgers’ side bowed out of the European competition with a loss to Slavia Prague and the Gunners will be hoping to inflict another defeat on them. The north London giants have struggled against the Foxes in the league in recent years. They will be aiming for a first win in five attempts to keep their slender top-four hopes alive. Formation: 4-2-3-1 Predicted Line-...
Leicester attacker ready to sign new contract amid Man United and Liverpool interest
Harvey Barnes is ready to put pen-to-paper on a new long-term contract with Leicester City amid interest from Manchester United and Liverpool, The Mirror reports. Barnes has been a regular for the Midlands outfit since being recalled from a loan stint at West Bromwich Albion in January 2019. The 23-year-old had an impressive full season in the Premier League last term with six goals and eight assists from 36 appearances. He has found better consistency in his game this season, bagging nine goals and four assists from only 24 top-flight matches. Barnes is now regarded as an undisputed starter for the Foxes on the left wing, and it is unsurprising that he is close to committing to a new deal. United and Liverpool are understood to be keeping a close watch on his performances, but the forward...
‘Admirers at Goodison’: Report claims £30m PL player is now on Everton’s radar
Everton will be looking to sign a right-back in the summer transfer window as the Toffees hope to find a long-term successor to right-back, Seamus Coleman. Fabrizio Romano claimed yesterday that Everton are ‘working’ on signing Max Aarons from Norwich City this summer after Bayern Munich refused to meet the player’s £35m price-tag. Aarons has been on Everton’s radar since he made his first-team breakthrough at Norwich, but the Toffees are also considering other options. According to reports from Liverpool Echo, Carlo Ancelotti has “yet to fully run the rule over the player”, but he is definitely under consideration. Everton are also heavily keen on Brighton’s young right-back Tariq Lamptey. The 20-year-old joined the Seagulls from Chelsea in January 2020 for just £...
Euro giants reportedly want to sign £70k-per-week Spurs star this summer
La Liga giants Atletico Madrid are reportedly eyeing a move for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso this summer. According to reports from Mundo Deportivo (they have cited English media as their source) the Rojiblancos are interested in signing the Argentine midfielder. Diego Simeone apparently likes him very much, and Atletico did try to sign him from Real Betis in 2019 before he moved to Spurs. The 24-year-old has managed only four starts in the Premier League this season, scoring one goal. He has also scored twice in the Europa League campaign so far. Lo Celso, who earns around £70k-per-week wages, has slipped down the pecking order although it has to be noted that he has struggled with recurrent injuries. While he has returned to training and could be available...
Spurs predicted XI: Mourinho to make six changes; duo returns, 25-year-old dropped
Spurs will take on Burnley in the Premier League clash on Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The north London club are going through a poor run of form at the moment, and find themselves ninth in the Premier League table. Jose Mourinho’s side have lost five of their last six games in the league and lost 2-1 against West Ham in the London derby in their last league game. However, Spurs are heading into this game on the back of a 4-0 win against Austrian side Wolfsberger in the Europa League. They’ve booked their place in the last 16 of the competition where they will face Dinamo Zagreb. Dele Alli produced a stunning performance on Wednesday night, and Mourinho now has got a selection headache, which he admits he enjoys most. The Portuguese boss revealed that Serge Aurier has returned ...
