2 years agoMartial thriving despite – not because of – Mourinho’s tough loveAs he unerringly rattled his second goal of the game into the bottom corner of the Chelsea goal, giving Manchester United a 2-1 lead a... 2 years agoCoaching Cristiano: Mike Phelan reveals how Ronaldo became world’s bestWith another round of Champions League matches upon us, the narrative from one in particular continues to dominate the column inches. Manchester United host a... 2 years agoChilwell’s impressive innings continues at paceLike Phil Neville before him, Ben Chilwell has proved cricket’s loss has been football’s gain. As a teenager, the left-back had to choose between bat... 2 years agoPremier League icon: Jimmy Floyd HasselbainkFor several of the world's greatest players subtlety is king. For Jerrel ‘Jimmy' Floyd Hasselbaink it was an unnecessary complication. After all, the Dutchman could strike a ball... 2 years agoHuddersfield Town 0-1 Liverpool: 5 things we learnedTo say the Liverpool XI was a surprise would be an understatement. Huddersfield Town welcomed the Reds but it wouldn't have been a team David... 2 years agoChelsea 2-2 Manchester United: 5 things we learnedManchester United travelled to Stamford Bridge to take on joint-leaders Chelsea in a match christened the José Mourinho derby. It lived up to the hype.... 2 years agoChristian Benteke: Will he ever score again?It can't be too easy being Christian Benteke at the moment. The Belgian only scored three times last season, one of which – his only goal at... 2 years agoPriceless Firmino the jewel Liverpool can’t afford to loseEvery player has a price. Or, at least, that's what is claimed. The big money being pumped into the world of football by billionaire owners... 2 years agoBig problems as Seagulls forced to rely on their wingsIt is apt for a team nicknamed the Seagulls to be heavily based on wing-play. With question marks still hanging over Pascal Groß's fitness after an... 2 years agoMourinho must ignore basic instinct at Stamford BridgeEnglish football has worn down José Mourinho. Where once he charmed, now he aggravates. Where once he conquered, now he struggles. Where once he was special, now... 2 years agoHow Sergio Agüero turned the tables on JesusGabriel Jesus arrived on English shores as an unknown quantity in January 2017. His Manchester City debut came in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur... 2 years agoLiverpool’s dynamic duo stepping out of front three’s shadowsThe position of full-back is such a difficult one to fill in the modern game, simply because they have to do so much. Those deployed... 2 years agoThe real Callum Wilson has been rediscoveredBournemouth's Callum Wilson has had it far harder than most in the Premier League. The striker suffered two ACL injuries, one in each knee, within his first... 2 years agoThe Pitbull has Milan looking surprisingly stylishThe most relevant video on YouTube when you search for Gennaro Gattuso is a fairly standard highlight reel; tackles, celebrations, mouthing off. It has 1.5 million... 2 years agoDefence has proved best form of attack Pellegrini’s West Ham“I don't think it is a bad start… it is a very bad start,” Manuel Pellegrini admitted after West Ham United’s fourth successive Premier League... 2 years agoVIDEO: Is Sánchez to blame for his failure at United?When Alexis Sánchez arrived at Manchester United in January it was widely believed the Red Devils had pulled off a transfer masterstroke. Not only had they directly... 2 years agoDe Gea doesn’t need saving; his form is just fineLast season might have been the fourth year that David de Gea won the prestigious Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, but it... 2 years agoChelsea can’t afford to suffer second heart Aké“I have no regrets, no way. I am still 100 per cent happy with my decision,” Nathan Aké explained in October 2017, four months after leaving... 2 years agoEverton making big improvements on Bernard’s watchBig things can come in small packages. In Everton's case, a 5ft 4ins one. Bernard may not have played much yet but he’s made a... 2 years agoManchester City must pay the Sterling Raheem deservesAs a football fan you’d struggle to scroll down any daily gossip column without seeing a story linking Raheem Sterling to Real Madrid. The Manchester... 2 years agoDepay 2.0 ready to make return to Europe’s elite“I have been improving a lot,” Memphis Depay said last month, and few disagreed. “Not only on the pitch but as a person. I’ve become... 2 years agoSlow burn improvements hint there’s more to come from ArsenalWinning nine on the bounce is always impressive, even if the most difficult fixture of the bunch was either Everton at home or Qarabag FK... 2 years agoHow brilliant Bakayoko turned into terrible TiemouéThere are two ways to react to Gennaro Gattuso’s recent comments about Tiemoué Bakayoko, who is spending the season on loan at Milan. Either you laugh or... 2 years ago5 things we learned: Spain 2-3 EnglandFor 45 minutes in Seville England reached a level they haven't hit for well over a decade. And Spain didn't know how to handle it.... 2 years agoScout report: Milenković can follow Vidić to the topJosé Mourinho is not a man who is easily impressed. So it is telling that less than 48 hours after watching Nikola Milenković in action for... 2 years agoPremier League’s early under and over performers revealedYou can tell the story of the Premier League almost solely through players’ under or over performance against their underlying stats. Sometimes too much is... 2 years agoTeam of the week: Lukaku leads the line and the Dutch dominateThe creation of the UEFA Nations League has meant that international breaks no longer feel quite so disappointing, and this break was full of action.... 2 years agoPremier League Icons: Claude Makélélé“Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?” quipped Zinedine Zidane when Real Madrid sold Claude... 2 years agoDisturbance in the force may lead to genuine Bundesliga title raceBayern Munich have ruled the Bundesliga over the past decade but this season has brought a great disturbance in the force. The Bavarian giants have... 2 years ago6 future stars who could break into the England squadWhen the FA announced their ‘England DNA' blueprint for elite player development back in December 2014 many scoffed at the idea. It was derided by... 2 years agoHuddersfield’s misfortune masks deeper problemsThere are several, pretty important, statistics for which Huddersfield Town sit dead last in the Premier League; open play goals, shots on target and big chances... 2 years agoCroatia 0-0 England: 5 things we learnedIn an eerily empty Station HNK in Rijeka, England and Croatia played out a game as bereft of life and atmosphere as it was of... 2 years agoDunk’s call-up encapsulates England’s new identityNot only was Lewis Dunk a back-up for the England squad but he missed the phone call that told him he’d been selected to replace... 2 years agoLittle and large the way forward for faltering Newcastle‘Newcastle are down there too, but they’ve got a good manager so they should be able to work things out eventually.’ That line, or variations... 2 years agoWho’s in the race to sign Tanguy Ndombele?Given the top sides in European football are in a constant arms race when it comes to signing the world's brightest young talents, it's little... 2 years agoLiverpool’s Hydra is as dangerous as everFor opposition sides, playing against Liverpool last season was like facing the mythical many-headed serpent Hydra; stop one threat only to find two more that would... 2 years agoTime to get Real: Los Blancos are good but no longer greatAsk the majority of historians about eras and you’ll rarely get a satisfactory answer. For instance, the Industrial Revolution wasn’t much of a revolution and... 2 years agoTime for Premier League giants to start asking HoweIf Eddie Howe ever wished to commit his managerial achievements to paper, he'd produce a CV that glittered. The Bournemouth boss, still only 40 years... 2 years ago5 must-watch games during the international breakInternational football, especailly in the middle of a club season, is often viewed as an chore. But is certainly doesn't have to be. Often there... 2 years agoMount’s unique England pathway one others must followAppearances for Chelsea's first team: zero. Appearances in the Premier League: zero. Appearances in any top five European league: zero. England call-ups: One. And that's what... 2 years agoJardim became victim of his own incredible success at MonacoOn the face of it, Leonardo Jardim’s departure from his role as Monaco coach made perfect sense. The Ligue 1 side haven't won a game... 2 years agoIs Nuno Espírito Santo managing Wolves in wolves’ clothing?‘Wolves, Fulham and Cardiff: the best-prepared trio of promoted clubs ever?’ was the headline for The Guardian’s season preview. Eight games later, Cardiff are bottom... 2 years agoRelative to Lukaku and Morata, Lacazette is a slow-burn success storyThe 2017 summer transfer window, from a Premier League perspective, was marked out by a trio of the division's biggest clubs funnelling a large chunk... 2 years agoShould Lukaku still lead the line for Manchester United?A chip, a target hit, and a flurry of blue balloons. It’s the gender reveal video of Antoine Griezmann’s child, posted in early October. Search... 2 years agoMan Utd’s battle to keep De GeaManchester United have fought off interest from Real Madrid to retain superstar goalkeeper David de Gea on a number of occasions in the recent past.... 2 years agoHow to find a finisher – and the stats behind Morata’s dry spellIf there’s one thing that stats struggle to help you with, it’s who is or isn’t a good ‘finisher’. Until now. Previously, if numbers were... 2 years agoThe next Mbappé? Monaco’s latest starlet: Moussa SyllaTo say that Monaco have started the 2018/19 Ligue 1 season badly would be an understatement. They’re 18th after nine games, on just six points,... 2 years agoTeam of the Week: Mbappé four too goodKylian Mbappé got to work early in Paris Saint-Germain‘s Ligue 1 victory over Lyon on Sunday evening, winning a penalty, converted by Neymar, in just... 2 years agoParking the bus, the Klopp and Guardiola way“As we say in Portugal, they brought the bus and they left the bus in front of the goal,” uttered José Mourinho after a 0-0... 2 years agoLiverpool 0-0 Manchester City: 5 things we learnedThe battle for top spot heading into the International break. That was at stake at Anfield today as Liverpool played host to Manchester City, a... 2 years agoSouthampton 0-3 Chelsea: 5 things we learnedChelsea travelled to the St Mary's Stadium knowing a win would take them to the top of the Premier League ahead of Liverpool's match against... 2 years agoHughes must think smart; Saints struggles are nothing newIt wasn't so long ago that Southampton were the Premier League club many aspired to be. They were smart in the transfer market, promoted youngsters from their... 2 years agoMason Greenwood: The wonderkid channeling Old Trafford heroesMason Greenwood turned 17 on October 1. By October 2, he had penned his first professional contract with Manchester United. The teenager from Yorkshire has... 2 years agoManchester United 3-2 Newcastle United: 5 things we learnedAll the pre-game talk surrounded the future of José Mourinho at Manchester United, for the best part of 70 minutes, it looked like Newcastle United... 2 years agoArsenal’s new creator-in-chief deserves starting spotIn August, Arsenal and Nigeria legend Nwankwo Kanu threw down the gauntlet for Alex Iwobi. “When he comes to Nigeria he feels the pressure: he’s... 2 years agoStealthy City must bring the noise at AnfieldLast season was all about the noisy neighbours of Manchester; who, to great fanfare, tormented opposition sides on their way to the Premier League title.... 2 years agoPick and share you Chelsea side to defeat SouthamptonChelsea will look to continue their unbeaten start under Maurizio Sarri this weekend as the Blues make the relatively short trip to the south coast... 2 years agoPick and share your Man City side to face LiverpoolCurrent leaders Manchester City travel to Anfield on Sunday to take on Liverpool. Both sides had tricky Champions League ties in midweek, against Hoffenheim and Napoli... 2 years agoPick your Liverpool team to beat Manchester CityIt's by no means a crisis but Liverpool are now three games without a win, meaning Sunday's match against champions Manchester City is now even more... 2 years agoPick and share your Arsenal side to take on FulhamArsenal travel to Fulham on Sunday lunchtime in the Premier League looking to make it nine straight wins in all competitions. Unai Emery and his men had... 2 years agoPick and share your Rangers side to beat HeartsAfter seven games in the Scottish Premiership, Hearts sit top on 19 points. They are six ahead of the champions and eight from Sunday's opponents Rangers.... 2 years agoPick and share your Celtic XI to down St. JohnstoneCeltic take on St. Johnstone on Sunday and only three points will do as the champions look to close the gap on Hearts at the... 2 years agoPick and share your Man Utd side to face NewcastleIn his Friday morning press conference, José Mourinho admitted that defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday would mean Manchester United‘s recent run of results would... 2 years agoJamie Vardy: The most dangerous tortoise in the Premier LeagueStrikers depend on service. And Leicester City frontman Jamie Vardy is no different. In fact, it might apply to him more than most. Vardy is no... 2 years agoPretty football papering over fatal Fulham cracksSometimes in life it is easy to confuse love for one thing with love for something else. Do you really like that favourite uncle, or... 2 years agoPick and share your Newcastle team to face Man UtdA brutal run of fixtures has led to an dismal run of results for Newcastle United this season. Already in 2018/19, the Magpies have faced... 2 years agoArthur earns Spurs on Xavi’s greatest stageForty per cent of Barcelona's Champions League triumphs have been sealed on Wembley's hallowed turf – the first at the old stadium in 1992, then again... 2 years agoAlisson makes the simple sophisticated; he’s everything Liverpool neededDuring his tenure as Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has, at times, been accused of stubbornness. Many felt it's why he persevered with goalkeepers Simon Mignolet and Loris... 2 years agoTime for Rafa to hit the Muto buttonWhen Newcastle United confirmed the signing of Yoshinori Muto from Mainz in the summer, there was a sense of quiet optimism. But, so far, it... 2 years agoSarri must solve Chelsea’s striker conundrumThe opening weeks of the 2018/19 season have been kind on Chelsea fans. Their side is playing entertaining attacking football under a forward-thinking manager. Eden... 2 years agoGerrard must give Middleton chance to flourishThere are certain young players who gradually make their way into the first team and before anyone has really realised they become an established member... 2 years agoPick and share your Everton side to face LeicesterAfter overcoming Fulham last weekend, Everton will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League under Marco Silva against Leicester City. The... 2 years agoPick and share your Spurs side to beat CardiffAfter the disappointing defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League in midweek, Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action on Saturday and welcome struggling Cardiff... 2 years agoPick and share your Leicester side to face EvertonAfter claiming a 2-0 win at Newcastle United last time out, Leicester City will be looking to make it three consecutive Premier League wins when... 2 years agoVIDEO: Is Emery failing to get the best from Arsenal’s attack?Unai Emery's arrival at the Emirates this summer signalled a new era for Arsenal. Arsène Wenger's regime had long turned stale and in his place arrived a... 2 years agoPremier League’s surprise statistical stars of the season so farThe 2018/19 Premier League season may still be in its infancy, with just seven rounds of fixtures completed, but already several interesting stories are developing.... 2 years agoBrave Hendry developing into centre-back Celtic needIn recent months, Jack Hendry has endured a fall as rapid as his rise last season. Released by Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2017,... 2 years agoZlatan Ibrahimović At 37: His 10 Greatest GoalsStrikers are often compartmentalised into two distinct categories: great goalscorers and scorers of great goals. There are those, however, who disprove such a theory. Thierry Henry... 2 years agoPick and Share your Brighton side to beat West HamBrighton & Hove Albion have struggled to get more than a point from a game since their win against Manchester United earlier in the season,... 2 years agoPick and share your Chelsea side to beat MOL VidiChelsea return to Europa League action tomorrow as they welcome Hungarian side MOL Vidi to Stamford Bridge. The Blues made a winning start to their European campaign by... 2 years agoPick and share your West Ham side to beat BrightonAfter four losses from their first four Premier League games, West Ham United seem to have turned their season around, taking seven points from the... 2 years agoPick and share your Arsenal side to face QarabagArsenal make the long trip to Azerbaijan to take on FK Qarabag on Thursday in their second Group E fixture in the Europa League. Unai Emery will... 2 years agoPick and share your Celtic side to face SalzburgCeltic travel to Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday in the Europa League. After an opening group game win against Rosenborg, the Bhoys will want to... 2 years agoPick and share your Rangers side to face Rapid ViennaRangers take on Rapid Vienna on Thursday in the Europa League. Steven Gerrard will be confident that his side can get a result to push... 2 years agoPick and Share your Liverpool team to beat NapoliLiverpool kicked off their 2018/19 Champions League with a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Paris Saint-Germain. They top Group C ahead of their trip to Naples to... 2 years agoPick and share your Spurs side to face BarcelonaAfter the late collapse against Inter in their Champions League Group B opener, Tottenham Hotspur need to claim a positive result from match-day two when Barcelona visit Wembley. Defeat,... 2 years agoPick and share your Barcelona side to face SpursAfter dispatching PSV during the opening round of Champions League fixtures, Barcelona face a much harder task on match-day two as they travel to Wembley to take on Tottenham... 2 years agoRose slowly blossoming once again for SpursIt was just days before England's World Cup campaign that Danny Rose spoke with raw, unflinching honesty about the difficulties he'd faced, and ultimately overcome, during... 2 years agoScott McTominay: The unfortunate emblem of Mourinho’s United downfallFor David Moyes, it was 84 crosses in a 2-2 draw with Fulham. For Louis van Gaal, it was substituting Juan Mata for Nick Powell... 2 years agoJadon Sancho: Europe’s new assist kingIt's the sheer speed at which Jadon Sancho operates that really stands out when watching the 18-year-old in action for Borussia Dortmund. Yes, he is... 2 years agoEuropean team of the week: Pellegrini and flying Finn shineIt was another big weekend of football across Europe, with several high-profile matches played. There was the frenetic draw between Chelsea and Liverpool in the... 2 years agoPick and share your Real Madrid to take on CSKAReal Madrid take on CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday evening. Real will want to build on their match day one victory against Roma,... 2 years agoPick and share your Man City side to beat HoffenheimManchester City travel to German club Hoffenheim on match-day two of the Champions League needing a win to kickstart their European campaign. Pep Guardiola's side suffered a... 2 years agoPick and share your Man United team to face ValenciaAnother defeat, this time at the hands of West Ham United, has piled more pressure on Manchester United manager José Mourinho. The Portuguese coach still... 2 years agoPick and share your Everton side to face SouthamptonAfter a morale-boosting win at the weekend in the Premier League, Everton take on Southampton in the Carabao Cup looking to book a place in the... 2 years agoScout report: Why Europe’s best all want Nicolò BarellaNicolò Barella is one of the hottest prospects in Italy. At just 21 years of age, he is now in his third full season of... 2 years agoThe stats behind Luke Shaw’s resurgenceThings haven't gone to plan for Manchester United so far this season. The Red Devils are already struggling to keep apace with Liverpool and Manchester... 2 years ago5 things we learned – Chelsea 1-1 LiverpoolForget Sarriball. Forget gegenpressing. Sometimes a football match can change with the swing of a talented individual's leg. And that is exactly what happened between Chelsea... 2 years agoWest Ham United 3-1 Manchester United – 5 things we learnedThe story is, understandably, all about Manchester United. But don't overlook West Ham United, as it would be easy to do. For the Hammers were exceptional against... 2 years agoPick and share your Rangers side to face LivingstonRangers travel to Livingston on Sunday, knowing a win could take them within touching distance of runaway leaders Hearts. Steven Gerrard will be confident his...
