Blog (Page 55)

Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard has insisted he still sees himself at the club next season, despite an almost complete lack of playing time so far in 2022/23. Hazard has one more year left on the contract he signed upon completing a €100m transfer from Chelsea in 2019. He has played only 98 minutes in La Liga all season and none at all since September. The 32-year-old has struggled with injury throughout his time in Madrid, but manager Carlo Ancelotti has gone in a completely different direction this season and a fully fit Hazard has spent most games on the bench as an unused substitute.Read More →

Arsenal’s astonishing form during the 2022/23 season has been recognised with a glut of success at the London Football Awards. Manager Mikel Arteta was unsurprisingly named Manager of the Year, while Martin Odegaard was named Premier League Player of the Year. Winger Bukayo Saka, who was of the runners-up to Odegaard in the senior category, took home the Premier League Young Player of the Year award ahead of teammates William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli, and Aaron Ramsdale was named Goalkeeper of the Year. The annual ceremony took place at the Roundhouse in Camden on Monday night, celebrating the very best footballing talent in the capital.Read More →

Real Madrid will look to finish the job in their last 16 second leg clash with Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Los Blancos fell two goals behind at Anfield but rallied to produce a masterful comeback, leaving Merseyside as 5-2 winners to put one foot into the quarter finals. Here’s the side manager Carlo Ancelotti could pick to get his team over the line. GK: Thibaut Courtois – Was the star of the show in last season’s Champions League final, proving his doubters wrong with nine saves. RB: Dani Carvajal – Has had to fight off competition from Lucas Vazquez, Militao, NachoRead More →

Brendan Rodgers said ahead of Leicester’s defeat to Chelsea that keeping the Foxes in the Premier League this season would go down as one of the greatest achievements of his career. That’s a sad indictment of the 2015/16 miracle-workers who seemed poised to break into the so-called ‘Big Six’ not so long ago as they pursued a Champions League berth. Public opinion is beginning to turn against the manager who has overseen four league defeats on the bounce. Leicester’s dire run of form has thrust them back into trouble in the context of relegation, and they’ve got some huge games coming up in their fightRead More →

Chelsea have clinched the signing of 17-year-old Jamaica international Dujuan Richards, pipping Newcastle to his signature. The teenager, who made his debut for his country against Trinidad & Tobago last week, agreed terms and signed for Chelsea before his international bow. Richards arrives from the Phoenix Academy and will join up with Chelsea in November when he turns 18. He had spent two weeks on trial with Newcastle before opting for a move to west London. The forward confirmed the deal on his social media, saying: “What a dream come true. When I am 18-years-old I will be able to play in the Premier LeagueRead More →

Following the failure of the Jesse Marsch experiment, the burden has fallen on Javi Gracia to help Leeds escape the drop. Guided to the top flight by Marcelo Bielsa in 2020, it’s been a difficult 18 months for Leeds after taking the league by storm in their first Premier League campaign since 2003/04. Bielsa’s magic faded in year four, and while Marsch showed promise during his year at the helm, Leeds were quickly heading towards the drop under his tutelage. They were forced into action, and Gracia has enjoyed a promising enough start at the helm. However, the Spaniard’s got plenty of work to doRead More →

The Champions League has been home to some of the most memorable goals in the history of football. Zidane’s volley, Bale’s overhead kick and Messi’s solo run are all widely heralded as some of the game’s best goals of all time, and Steve McManaman’s scissor kick in the 2000 final is right up there with them. McManaman, the second English player to ever represent Real Madrid, made it to the final in his debut season with Los Blancos and made sure it was one to remember with this dazzling strike to help secure a 3-0 victory over Valencia. The technique on the strike was incredible,Read More →

Dzsenifer Marozsan has announced her decision to retire from international football next month, ruling the Lyon star out of going to the 2023 World Cup with Germany. Still only 30, Marozsan is one of the finest and most decorated players of her generation. But the ACL injury from which she returned to action in November and had forced her to miss Euro 2022 last summer is a motivating factor in walking away from international duty. Germany’s planned friendly against Brazil on 11 April will now serve as a farewell game for the six-time Champions League winner as her 112th and final international appearance. “Because ofRead More →

West Ham United are leading the chase for Bournemouth left-back Jordan Zemura, who was dropped at the weekend over his contract situation, 90min understands. The 23-year-old has been one of the Cherries’ more impressive players during a difficult run of results, but was left out of the side that beat Liverpool 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday. Manager Gary O’Neil told The Daily Echo of his absence: “Just an internal decision that JZ shouldn’t be in the matchday squad today. So that was all really. “I don’t want to go into the details.” Zemura saw a one-year contract extension clause triggered in March 2022,Read More →

The WSL dished up its usual servings of drama and excitement in the latest round of matches. Chelsea’s narrow win over Manchester United took the headlines as it sent the Blues to the top of the table at United’s expense. Arsenal, meanwhile, were big winners over struggling Reading, with Manchester City also squeezing the top four with a late win of their own. Elsewhere, Liverpool got an important victory over free-falling Tottenham, while Leicester continue to build positive momentum, and Aston Villa are putting distance between themselves and the bottom seven to take an ever firmer grip on the ‘best of the rest’ title thisRead More →