Blog (Page 75)

[ad_1] The League Cup holds a unique, almost paradoxical place in the hierarchy of the English footballing pyramid. Bowing out of the early rounds of England’s demonstrably second-tier cup competition scarcely prompts a crisis but as soon as you win the trophy it’s importance explodes. Alan Hardaker, the brains behind the tournament’s creation in 1960 – 89 years after the FA Cup launched – argued: “If the FA Cup is football’s Ascot, the League Cup Final is its Derby Day.” 23 different teams have hoisted aloft this particular pot but which club has charged down the final furlong more often than the rest? Liverpool snuckRead More →

[ad_1] In the Carabao Cup final between Manchester United and Newcastle, Loris Karius will make his first appearance in English football in almost five years. The German looked destined for the top when, aged 23, he signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2016. It was hoped that he’d be their first-choice goalkeeper for the foreseeable future. That didn’t work out, though, and he slipped into football obscurity. Here’s the full story of what exactly happened to him during his first spell on English shores. Karius joined Liverpool in the summer of 2016, being signed from Bundesliga side Mainz for a fee of just underRead More →

[ad_1] Chelsea head coach Graham Potter has revealed that Tottenham counterpart Antonio Conte has previously offered him advice over WhatsApp. The Blues travel to Spurs on Sunday lunchtime in a crunch Premier League clash, with the visitors looking to register just their second win of 2023. Conte will not be present as he is at home in Italy recovering from gallbladder surgery. Assistant coach Cristian Stellini will lead from the touchline instead. Speaking ahead of Sunday’s London derby, Potter claimed that Conte texted him after Spurs’ victory at Brighton last season to offer him some advice. In an exclusive interview with 90min, Joe Cole talksRead More →

[ad_1] Brentford goalkeeper David Raya has insisted that he wants to compete for titles and play in Europe, while he revealed why he turned down two offers of a new contract from the Bees. Since Brentford’s promotion to the Premier League in 2021, Raya has established himself as one of the division’s top stoppers. The 27-year-old has been capped twice by Spain and was part of their squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, despite being a relative unknown in his home country having spent his whole professional career in England. But Raya’s time at Brentford could be coming to an end. 90min understands thatRead More →

[ad_1] Jurgen Klopp has leapt to the defence of his Liverpool players, insisting they should not be judged compared to past campaigns. The Reds have performed well below expectations this season having nearly completed an unprecedented quadruple in 2021/22. A dismal week in their campaign ended with a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday night, moving above Brighton into seventh place but having now played a game more than the Seagulls. But Klopp argued that the point earned at Selhurst Park was a good one and claimed that Liverpool are now ‘suffering’ from such lofty expectations they have set themselves. On this edition ofRead More →

[ad_1] Jurgen Klopp has confessed that ‘something is not right’ at Liverpool this season after the Reds fell to a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday. Liverpool were well below their best and were fortunate not to be punished by the same sort of defensive errors that littered their 5-2 defeat to Real Madrid in midweek, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joel Matip both caught out. Further forward, Liverpool’s midfield was once again blasted by fans, with a rare start for Naby Keita ending on a sour note after the Guinea international was hooked at half-time. “I think we killed the atmosphere with the wayRead More →

[ad_1] Doesn’t the Community Shield seem an awful long time ago now? Six months after enduring an underwhelming debut for Manchester City in the curtain-raiser against Liverpool, Erling Haaland has racked up more goals in a single Premier League season than any other player for the club since the competition’s inception in 1992. Haaland’s 27th league goal of the campaign doubled City’s lead during a 4-1 rout of Bournemouth on the south coast on Saturday. The Cherries were well beaten at the Vitality Stadium and are one of eight clubs in England’s top flight that Haaland has outscored thus far. Despite Haaland’s startling prolificacy, CityRead More →

[ad_1] Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid exchanged set-piece goals in the final 15 minutes of a subdued 1-1 derby draw on Saturday evening. Jose Gimenez put the visitors in front after Angel Correa’s second-half red card but 18-year-old Alvaro Rodriguez came off the bench to rescue the hosts with an 85th-minute equaliser. Four days after a boisterous and breathless Champions League tie against Liverpool, Real’s first half against Atletico was played in slow-motion by comparison. Diego Simeone’s side were chiefly responsible for the dialled-down tempo, desperately reluctant to press their city rivals and all too eager to retreat onto the edge of their own box.Read More →

[ad_1] Arthur Melo completed a full 90 minutes for Liverpool Under-21s on Saturday as he steps up his return from a thigh injury. After joining on loan from Juventus during the summer, Arthur has managed just one 13-minute appearance for Liverpool and has been unavailable since suffering a thigh problem in October which ultimately needed surgery. Things are moving in the right direction for Arthur, who managed a full 90 against Leicester Under-21s on Saturday as he looks to prove his fitness to manager Jurgen Klopp. It was his third appearance for the Under-21s this season and the second against the Foxes, with the firstRead More →

[ad_1] Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has travelled with the rest of the squad for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final. After sustaining an ankle injury in the recent victory over Barcelona, Rashford posted a worrying injury update on Instagram and manager Erik ten Hag later admitted his involvement in Sunday’s final is uncertain. Losing Rashford would be an obvious blow to a United side looking to end their six-year wait for a trophy. The 25-year-old is enjoying the most prolific season of his career and has bagged 24 goals in 37 games across all competitions, including five in five in the Carabao Cup. On this week’sRead More →