Blog (Page 52)

There is still a huge amount of scope as to how Manchester United’s season could be viewed come the end of the season. A first trophy since 2017 is already in the bag, a superb achievement for Erik ten Hag, and they are still in the Europa League and the FA Cup. They should also have enough in the tank to secure a place in the Champions League for next season. Going out of both of those cups and then missing out on the top four would suddenly put an extremely different complexion on the season, and that is why the next set of fixturesRead More →

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has revealed that a Chelsea legend is his idol, with the Blues among the clubs keen on the Nigerian this coming summer. Osimhen has racked up 23 goals in 28 appearances in all competitions this season, including three of the five Napoli scored over two legs against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League. Already nailed on favourites to win a first Serie A title since 1990 and the days of Diego Maradona thanks to their 18-point lead, Napoli are increasingly fancied in the Champions League as well. Osimhen will be vital to that should they go all the way in Europe.Read More →

Manchester United are into the quarter-finals of the Europa League after a 1-0 win over Real B*tis on Thursday night added to the 4-1 aggregate lead from last week at Old Trafford. Marcus Rashford’s 27th goal of the season in the second half made the difference on the night. Knowing the uphill task that lay ahead of them after the first leg, B*tis started like a team who genuinely believed they could pull off an aggregate comeback. At the very least, that made it a much more entertaining game over the course of the first hour than most would have been expecting even if anyRead More →

Julian Alvarez has officially signed a new contract with Manchester City which will keep him at the Etihad until 2028. The Argentina World Cup winner has played a backseat role to Erling Haaland this season but has impressed when given opportunities. He has scored ten goals in 33 games so far for the Premier League champions after joining from River Plate last July. Alvarez also scored four goals for Argentina in Qatar and says he is looking forward to improving further under Pep Guardiola. He told City’s website: “This is a very proud moment for me and my family. For a club like City toRead More →

Newcastle’s quest to end their struggles on the road will continue on Friday when they visit Nottingham Forest. Eddie Howe’s Magpies have found life hard on their travels in 2023 and are up against a Forest side who pride themselves on their home form, so the boss will have to make sure he gets his team selection right. Here’s how Newcastle could set up. GK: Nick Pope – A few moments of madness in recent weeks from Pope, who is fortunate not to have been sent off last time out against Wolves. RB: Kieran Trippier – Trippier ended his assist drought against Wolves and willRead More →

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has suggested that there has been only one occasion this season when he has had a fully available squad to choose, while taking a swipe at Arsenal by claiming they have had no such problems. Ten Hag has lost Christian Eriksen and Alejandro Garnacho for most of the rest of the season due to impact injuries resulting from tackles. Illness has been a battle throughout the winter, while Casemiro is just about to embark on a four-game domestic suspension. “When you see all season, we have had some setbacks, every time we’ve dealt with it. It’s about the playersRead More →

England manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed his 25-player squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine, with Raheem Sterling the shock omission. The Three Lions return to competitive action on March 23 for the first time since their World Cup quarter-final exit to France in December, with the first of ten qualification games for next summer’s European Championship. Brentford’s Ivan Toney is called up after missing out at the World Cup, while James Maddison retains his place after shining brightly in a struggling Leicester side, but there’s no place in the squad for England favourite Sterling, who has struggled to find formRead More →

Derby County forward David McGoldrick has been named the PFA Vertu Motors League One Fans’ Player of the Month for February. The veteran Irishman, who has been a revelation since signing from Sheffield United in the summer, was on fire last month, contributing nine goals and assists across six games as the Rams’ promotion push back to the Championship continued. The 35-year-old took home 26% of the vote, beating out stiff competition from Barnsley’s Jordan Williams, Bolton Wanderers’ Dion Charles, Fleetwood Town’s Shaun Rooney, Sheffield Wednesday’s Josh Windass and Wycombe Wanderers’ Lewis Wing to win the award. McGoldrick’s February began with a phenomenal hat-trick and oneRead More →

Liverpool midfielder Stefan Bajcetic has confirmed he will miss the remainder of the campaign after picking up an adductor injury. The 18-year-old Spaniard only made his debut for the Reds earlier this season but has been widely hailed as one of the team’s top performers during a tricky campaign, making 19 appearances in all competitions before suffing the injury. Bajcetic missed Wednesday’s defeat to Real Madrid because of the problem which he has now confessed will rule him out for the entire campaign. “Unfortunately I’ve picked up an injury that will keep me out until the end of the season,” the teenager wrote. “It’s veryRead More →

Eddie Nketiah remains “a few weeks away” from returning to full fitness, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed. Nketiah injured his ankle in February but was not initially sidelined by the issue, only for further complications to force the 23-year-old to miss Arsenal’s last three matches in all competitions. Arteta had even previously confessed he was unsure whether Nketiah’s injury was truly a serious one or whether he would only need a few weeks on the treatment table. Asked for an update ahead of Thursday’s Europa League clash with Sporting CP, Arteta confessed Nketiah has plenty of work to do before he will be ableRead More →