Premier League
Jose Mourinho will personally push to bring £26m defender to Tottenham Hotspur this summer
Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho will spearhead the club’s pursuit of Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar this summer, Football Insider claims. The north London giants have experienced a stop-start campaign, and they are currently a couple of points adrift of the top four in the Premier League. While they have excelled in the attack with regular goals, they have had issues at the back and have kept just five clean sheets in 15 matches in 2021. Skriniar has been on Spurs’ radar for a while, and it is now reported that Mourinho will take it upon himself to push through a summer deal for the centre-back. The Portuguese has identified the 26-year-old as his top summer target, and it is claimed that Spurs came close to landing him for around £26 million in January. Sportslens view: Mouri...
Everton blow late lead against Crystal Palace
Everton’s hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League were dented by Michy Batshuayi’s 86th minute equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw for Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on Monday. The Toffees were made to rue a string of missed chances either side of James Rodriguez’s opener as they only narrowly closed the gap on fourth-placed Chelsea to four points. Rodriguez’s return from injury for the first time since Everton ended a two-decade wait to beat Liverpool away in the Merseyside derby in February sparked a far more enterprising performance from Carlo Ancelotti’s men. Vicente Guaita was forced into fine saves from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison in a dominant first-half display from the home side. Rodriguez finally broke the deadlock 11 minutes into the second-half when he fired hom...
Rio Ferdinand predicts where Liverpool will finish after thumping win over Arsenal
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes Liverpool have a strong chance of finishing in the top four after a stunning performance against Arsenal on Saturday. The Reds have struggled with their form since the turn of the year, but they comfortably beat the Gunners 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Speaking on BT Sport yesterday, Ferdinand said that the Reds are best placed to finish in the top four ahead of Chelsea, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur. He added that the Merseyside giants could get on a winning run, and he has the sneaky feeling that they will make it, though he wouldn’t want them due to the fierce rivalry. He said via football.london: “I think Liverpool are going to get in there now. “The result they got at the weekend, the performance and the confidence that will ...
Manchester United’s Eric Bailly tests positive for coronavirus after Ivory Coast duty
Getty Images Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed Eric Bailly has tested positive for coronavirus after his international duty with Ivory Coast. Bailly missed the Red Devils’ 2-1 comeback win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday as goals from Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood extended their unbeaten run to 10 Premier League matches. Amad Diallo, who made his international debut for the Elephants during their 3-0 defeat of Niger on March 26, is back in Manchester and was an unused substitute at Old Trafford. Solskjaer, in his team’s update, disclosed that Bailly – who was an unused substitute in Ivory Coast’s final Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Ethiopia last Tuesday – is yet to return to England and will not be available for selection for the time...
‘Sad’, ‘Good relief’: Some Man United fans react as 25-year-old suffers potential long-term injury
Some Manchester United fans have produced a mixed reaction after manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said that Anthony Martial could be ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Martial was recently on international duty with France, where he sprained his knee during the 2-0 triumph over Kazakhstan in a World Cup qualifier. He was subsequently unavailable for the Bosnia & Herzegovina game, and it now appears that the Frenchman could be out of action for a while. Speaking before yesterday’s 2-1 Premier League win over Brighton & Hove Albion, Solskjaer raised doubts whether Martial could play for the club again this term. He told Manutd.com: “Unfortunately, he sprained his knee with France. It’s always when they go away on internationals… you can keep your fingers crossed and...
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer provides fresh fitness update on Marcus Rashford
Manchester United Ole Gunnar Solskjaer provided a fitness update on Marcus Rashford following the club’s 2-1 comeback win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League. The Red Devils went behind early through a Danny Welbeck header, but they levelled the proceedings shortly after the hour mark through Marcus Rashford. Mason Greenwood delivered the winning goal in the 83rd minute with his first-ever headed goal for the Red Devils as they boosted their top four prospects. Rashford was substituted in the 72nd minute with suggestions that he may be short of fitness after recovering from a recent injury. However, speaking after the game, Solskjaer highlighted that the forward suffered a knock, and hinted that he could be assessed ahead of the Granada clash. He told Manutd.com: “I’m not...
Juan Mata set for Manchester United contract extension
Getty Images Spanish international Juan Mata looks set to be offered a shock contract extension at Manchester United. The 32-year old has seen his first team role steadily reduced under boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the former Chelsea star only making four Premier League starts in 2020/21. However, Solskjaer is keen to retain his experience at Old Trafford and the club will enter into talks over a new deal this summer. According to reports from the Daily Star, Mata’s current contract ends in July, but United will activate their rolling option to extend it by a further 12 months ahead of the 2021/22 campaign. Solskjaer is unlikely to offer anything more than an additional year to the ex Valencia schemer with Mata rumoured to be open to staying in England for another season. He has been li...
Video: Thomas Tuchel confirms fresh injury blow for Chelsea star Christian Pulisic
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed a fresh injury blow for Christian Pulisic during the club’s shock 5-2 Premier League defeat to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. The United States international was handed a start against the Baggies, and he made the opportunity count by opening the scoring in the 27th minute. Marcos Alonso’s free-kick rattled off the woodwork, and Pulisic was first on guard to convert the rebound past goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. However, the game turned on its head after Thiago Silva was sent off for a second yellow card in the 29th minute. The Baggies scored twice before the interval. At half-time, there was a surprise change with Mason Mount replacing Pulisic. Video evidence showed that the forward suffered a hamstring injury on his return to the field. NBCSN had fo...
‘West Ham would love him!’ Moyes urged to make summer move for 23-year-old
Former Republic of Ireland forward David Connolly has urged West Ham United to sign Tammy Abraham this summer. The striker was surprisingly left out of the Blues’ matchday squad for their dismal 5-2 defeat against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. Abraham has started just three Premier League games since Thomas Tuchel took over as manager, and it appears that the German doesn’t rate him. The 23-year-old is contracted to the club until 2023, but Connolly believes that a move across London would be in his best interests. “West Ham would love him!” Connolly told talkSPORT. “They need another striker. They’re very reliant on Michail Antonio, but I can’t see Chelsea selling Tammy Abraham. “Whether Tuchel wants a response – some managers might just want a response. Maybe he needs to do a bit mor...
Thomas Tuchel confirms Chelsea injury blow, reveals one starter vs West Bromwich Albion
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that N’Golo Kante won’t play any part in today’s Premier League early kick-off against West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge. The France international picked up a hamstring injury during a World Cup qualifier against Ukraine last month, and he was subsequently sent home for further treatment. In yesterday’s press conference, Tuchel confirmed that Kante won’t be part of the squad as he has yet to return to training following the muscular problem. He added that there is a possibility that Kante could also be sidelined for the next game against Porto as he does not want to rush him back to action. He told Chelseafc.com: “He [N’Golo Kante] wasn’t with the squad, and he did some individual work. With N’Golo, we will have to be patient.” “Will he mis...
Arsenal suffer fresh injury blow ahead of Liverpool clash, three players doubtful
Arsenal have provided a worrying fitness update ahead of the Premier League clash against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium tonight. Earlier on Thursday, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that Bukayo Saka (hamstring) and Emile Smith Rowe (hip) had yet to return to team training. The club have now revealed that both players will be assessed ahead of the late kick-off against Jurgen Klopp’s side. Granit Xhaka is also doubtful for the game as he was feeling unwell on Friday, but Willian is back in contention after overcoming a calf problem. While Saka, Smith Rowe and Xhaka could yet play a part, the Gunners have provided a surprise update by confirming that David Luiz is ruled out. The Brazilian is said to have experienced discomfort in his right knee, and it has been confirmed that he won’t be ...
Werner and Ziyech start, Predicted Chelsea line-up (3-4-3) vs West Bromwich Albion
Chelsea are scheduled to host West Bromwich Albion in today’s early Premier League kick-off from Stamford Bridge. The Blues are on a stunning 15-match unbeaten run, and 14 of those have been played under Thomas Tuchel, who became the club’s manager in January. In league terms, they are unbeaten for 10 games with six wins and four draws, conceding just twice – with one of them being an own goal. They are overwhelming favourites to beat the Baggies but will need to guard against complacency against the Midlands outfit. Tuchel’s side hold a slender two-point lead over West Ham United for the final Champions League and have the chance to extend the advantage. Formation: 3-4-3 Predicted Line-up: Edouard Mendy missed the internationals for Senegal due to a dental operation, but he can face the B...
