Newssport: Premier Liga

Showing posts with label Premier Liga. Show all posts

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Serie A September 08, 2018

Milan keeping tabs on Fabregas

Milan are keeping tabs on Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, per Corriere dello Sport.

The Serie A club tried to sign the Spain international when he was at Arsenal,

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and their interest has been reignited by his struggle for game time under Maurizio Sarri.

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Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Premier Liga March 14, 2018

Manchester United need patience and clarity to solve Alexis Sanchez dilemma

Mancheste United need patience and clarity to solve their Alexis Sanchez dilemma

made perfect sense when he recently offered a defense of Alexis Sanchez and the player’s slow start to life at Manchester United. Yet it was telling Mourinho felt the need to defend Sanchez at all.

The Chilean only swapped Arsenal for United late in the January transfer window. He’s played just eight games, but questions are already being asked about where Sanchez should play and if he can adapt to Mourinho’s philosophy.

ourinho’s attempt to deflect criticism came shortly before Sanchez’s latest drab performance, as United beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday. Mourinho played Sanchez as a No. 10 in another attempt to solve the dilemma of finding the mercurial forward’s best fit.

The results were far from spectacular, though, with Sanchez largely anonymous, but mistake-prone on the rare occasions he did see the ball.

ESPN FC’s Rob Dawson was sarcastic, but not wide of the mark, in his assessment of Sanchez and his performance:

Even so, Mourinho is right. Sanchez does need more time, and he’s too good a player not to eventually make the grade for the Red Devils.

Sanchez will come good, but he’ll need something more than Mourinho’s patience. He’ll also need clarity from his manager about where he belongs in United’s best XI.

Putting Sanchez in a No. 10 role may appeal to many, particularly given the South American’s astonishing vision for a through pass.

However, any central midfield role demands efficiency, something Sanchez has always lacked. He was too often swamped in the midfield mixer against Liverpool.

The problem was asking the 29-year-old free-spirit to do a defensive job.

Mourinho explained afterwards what he’d tasked his central trio to do, per Samuel Lukchurst of the Manchester Evening News:

Mourinho’s words speak to the inherent philosophical difference between himself and Sanchez’s previous manager. Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger does grant his attacking talents more freedom, while Mourinho keeps faith in pragmatism over purity.

Wenger’s improv approach to team structure was perfect for Sanchez and his riff-with-it style of play. Such freedom helped yield some spectacular numbers in three-and-a-half seasons, per BBC Sport:

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Friday, March 9, 2018

Premier Liga March 09, 2018

Mourinho will be making a huge mistake if he forgets about match-winner Rashford

After promoting his manager's hope for Manchester United's youth, the England striker has been forced to take a back seat of late

t is barely two years since Marcus Rashford broke into the national consciousness with that now-famous double against Midtjylland on his Manchester United debut.

Still only 20, he has since gone on to record a phenomenal 110 senior appearances for the club and collected 15 England caps into the bargain. For many, that would represent a fantastic return in such a short time and would be proof enough that the forward’s star is destined to shine brightly.

But there have been great concerns regarding the youngster in recent weeks, with his current run of nine league games without a start matching his career high at a time when manager Jose Mourinho has been otherwise liberal in handing out starting shirts to his attackers.

www.goal.com

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Thursday, March 1, 2018

Premier Liga March 01, 2018

Arsenal vs Manchester City – Highlights & Full Match

action

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Transfer March 01, 2018

Man Utd formulate £14m De Gea salary offer to deny Real Madrid star goalkeeper

The Spain No.1 came close to leaving Old Trafford in 2015 and there are fears the move could materialise this summer

When David de Gea somehow kept out Luis Muriel's header shortly before half-time in Manchester United's Champions League visit to Sevilla last week, it was a familiar collective sigh of relief which was heard on the away terraces.

Not only had he done similar moments earlier to deny Steven N'Zonzi, but the Spaniard has become recognised as the world's best goalkeeper on the back of countless such interventions over the past five years.

Having struggled during his early months at Old Trafford, De Gea has been United's most consistent player since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson brought about greater pressure on the Red Devils' goalmouth on a weekly basis. The 27-year-old won the club's Player of the Year award in 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16, prompting Jose Mourinho to announce shortly after his arrival at the club in 2016: "If season after season the goalkeeper is Player of the Season, it means that something is wrong. Hopefully he's not player of the season this season but hopefully he keeps making important saves for us."

But De Gea continues to stand out, and his form has continued to catch the eye of Real Madrid. The European champions attempted to sign the ex-Atletico Madrid star from United in 2015, only to be foiled by a matter of minutes, and there is a real belief that they could launch another bid for him this summer.

And, with former United star Paul Scholes admitting to Goal that he can understand if De Gea wants to leave for the Spanish capital , many of the club's fans are bracing themselves for a nerve-shredding summer as they look to hold on to the man Gary Neville claims is "United's only world-class player" .

Below, Goal looks at the situation and how it could play out...

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Friday, February 16, 2018

Transfer February 16, 2018

Mauro Icardi to Manchester United

Inter Milan captain Icardi has already been subject of Real Madrid transfer rumours this season but said at the time he was committed to Inter. However, according to Corriere dello Sport, the Argentine forward's representative, wife Wanda, is working with super-agent Mino Raiola to push through a move to Old Trafford. Icardi is also in talks with Inter over a new contract with the Italian side hopeful of removing the release clause in his deal. Icardi would like to see that price increased to €150 million on top of a pay rise.

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Monday, February 12, 2018

Premier Liga February 12, 2018

Report: Chelsea 3 West Bromwich Albion 0

Two superb shots from Eden Hazard, his 14th and 15th goals of the season, either side of a second-half strike from Victor Moses put smiles back on Chelsea faces and maintained our place in the top four, with this Monday night match completing the weekend’s round of Premier League fixtures.

After defeats home and away in the preceding seven days, a victory like this one over the bottom-placed club was just what was needed, and a clean sheet was very welcome too. There was also a first Chelsea start for Olivier Giroud who played an important part in the opening goal and had an eventful hour on the pitch.

Antonio Conte had also been able to welcome Andreas Christensen back into the defence, the Dane over the hamstring problem that had forced him off in the previous home game, and Alvaro Morata was named among the subs following a back injury, and he returned to action too in the second half.

West Brom boss Alan Pardew, however, was forced to change his forward line with barely a ball kicked and it was Daniel Sturridge, ex of this parish, who had the misfortune to be forced off with such an early injury. The on-loan-from-Liverpool striker was replaced by Jay Rodriguez.

The Baggies other forward, Salomon Rondon, sent a bullet header wide during an unsteady start for the Blues and an unmarked Rodriguez shot tamely wide. A few early jitters were maybe inevitable after the past two results.

There were a couple of early showings in the opposition box by Giroud and a flying Davide Zappacosta, continuing in place of Marcos Alonso who twisted an ankle in training on Saturday, was unfortunate not to be given a free-kick when his advance down the left was halted by a trip.

It was Zappacosta who was denied by Ben Foster’s reactions at the far post when Cesar Azpilicueta’s curling cross had evaded all those waiting in the middle in front of goal. It was Chelsea’s best moment so far and a good save, and there were 17 minutes on the clock.

Foster’s outstretched leg also prevented Giroud getting his name on the Chelsea scoresheet for the first time when he paddled Hazard’s well-spotted pass across the turf.

Chelsea were beginning to play our stuff and there were a good two minutes of pushing at the West Brom door before it was opened by Hazard in the 25th minute. It was the Belgian who received the ball back to goal and with opposition in close attendance behind him. One trademark turn and pass to Giroud followed, with his new team-mate carefully delivering the ball back into Hazard’s path. He needed no second invitation to sweep it low past Foster and into the bottom corner for a 1-0 lead.

Giroud was not far away from making it 2-0 with a spectacular overhead kick when Christensen’s aerial challenge for a corner sent it back across goal, but the January signing was on the turf again soon after for more painful reasons. He was accidentally studded on the back of the head by Ahmed Hegazi and required a big bandage to stem the blood flow but was able to continue.

Just before half-time, it was Giroud again the focal point as Hazard spread the play and Pedrocarved the Baggies defence open on the right, but the France centre-forward headed the cross wide.

There was still time for a first-half booking for Jonny Evans for a painful foul into the back of Giroud’s ankle.

Kieran Gibbs did similar on Moses at the start of the second half and he too went into the book. Azpilicueta then made a vital near-post challenge when the visitors threatened, and 11 minutes into the second period, Rondon allowed Courtois to save when he should have given our keeper no chance with the goal gaping. The Blues players were incensed no free-kick had been given for Rondon climbing all over the back of Christensen to get to the ball. From the corner, there was a chance for Evans but the Baggies skipper headed over.

Alvaro Morata, who had returned to training two days ago, replaced the battered Giroud with 60 minutes played. The new addition almost immediately had a shot deflected over following a brilliant Hazard pass and a touch from Pedro, who was having his busiest and most influential game in a while.

The important second goal arrived soon after. It was Moses who had brought the ball in from the wing, and there followed a moment of good fortune when Fabregas’ back-heel was diverted into the Nigerian’s path by a defender, but the finish was sharp, and was the back-flip celebration in front of the cheering Matthew Harding Stand.

Foster’s leg saved Chelsea’s next shot, that from the boot of Moses too, but the opposition keeper remained rooted when from almost the same patch of turf as that Moses drive, Hazard smashed the ball into the bottom corner for 3-0.

There were 20 minutes to go and it was Morata who came closest to adding to the score in that period, striking sweetly from distance and drawing a diving save from Foster. The Spaniard looked lively during his second-half cameo.

The three points tonight take us back above Tottenham who had moved ahead of us on Saturday, but next up come two home games in two different competitions – Hull here on Friday in the FA Cup and then Barcelona as the Champions League knockout commences.

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