Ball
Paul Pogba limps off injured in Manchester United’s clash vs Everton
Manchester United have been dealt a blow as Paul Pogba limped off injured after 39 minutes of the Premier League clash with Everton. The France international has been in excellent form in recent weeks, but he looks set for a spell on the sidelines. He was on the ball and played a simple pass towards Victor Lindelof, only to immediately pull up in discomfort. He pointed to his right thigh as he received treatment before being replaced by Fred and limping down the Old Trafford tunnel. Midfield is one area of strength for Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the likes of Fred, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes, Nemamja Matic and Donny van de Beek ensuring there are ample options to choose from. However, in what is a congested season any absence will be keenly felt. Following the clash wi...
Manchester United boss seeks team’s cutting edge after Arsenal stalemate
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Manchester United’s forwards need to be more clinical after a 0-0 draw at an under-strength Arsenal dealt a second setback to their Premier League title challenge in four days. United threw away top spot with a shock 2-1 defeat by bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United in midweek and are now three points adrift of league leaders Manchester City having played a game more than their local rivals. The quartet of Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes have now scored just once in United’s last five league games. Cavani was the biggest threat for the visitors with two second-half efforts that flew just wide, but Arsenal were worthy of at least a point despite missing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka and Kieran Tierney. “We come awa...
Jordan Henderson: Liverpool were the ‘better team’ against Manchester United
Jordan Henderson felt Liverpool were the “better team” against Manchester United, but has admitted that his side have allowed their standards to slip in recent weeks. Liverpool welcomed United to Anfield on Sunday knowing that they could return to the top of the Premier League standings with a victory. However, confidence within the Reds’ camp wasn’t at its highest point after uninspired draws against West Brom and Newcastle and a dismal defeat away at Southampton, with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino all struggling for form in the final third. Unfortunately, the talismanic front three were quiet once again as Jurgen Klopp saw his team struggle to break down a well organised United outfit in a 0-0 draw. Liverpool had No.1 goalkeeper Alisson to thank for keeping them in the ga...
Marcus Rashford tames Wolves to send Manchester United into second
Marcus Rashford’s deflected strike deep into stoppage time moved Manchester United to within two points of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Wolves on Tuesday. United laboured for long spells against a youthful Wolves side, but got a huge slice of fortune in the 93rd minute when Rashford’s shot hit Romain Saiss to leave Rui Patricio helpless. Victory takes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men up to second and continues an excellent run of 23 points from the last possible 27 to mount an unlikely title challenge after a slow start to the season. Despite enjoying one more day’s rest amid the packed festive schedule than their opponents, Solskjaer made six changes from the side that drew 2-2 at Leicester on Boxing Day. Edinson Cavani made just his second Premier League start...
Mohammed Gidado vows to lift Jigawa Golden Stars
Teenager Abubakar Mohammed Gidado has expressed his readiness to utilize every opportunity to showcase his talent and uplift Jigawa Golden Stars as the 2020/21 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) gets underway. Tipped as one of the young talents to shine in the league this season, the 15-year old star is set to make his NPFL debut for the Northern club side against Sunshine Stars in their home game Kaduna in one of the opening Match Day 1 fixtures. “This is an opportunity for me to prove my talent in the league and to the world; I would be glad to give all my best for my club,” a confident Gidado said matter-of-factly. Snapped from Kingsgrant FC of Lagos, Gidado is delighted with the quality of players and standard in display at Jigawa Golden Stars which has helped him to settle do...
Tottenham boss ‘angry’ with Dele Alli for creating ‘problems for his own team’
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has hit out at Dele Alli, accusing the midfielder of creating “problems for his own team” in his side’s 3-1 win over Stoke in the Carabao Cup. Alli was handed a rare start at Stoke on Wednesday and looked dangerous on occasions in attack, seeing a goal-bound strike saved by Andy Lonergan in the first half. However, he was at fault for Stoke’s goal when a flick gifted possession to the home side – and it was an action that angered his coach. “For me a player who plays in that position is a player that has to link and create and not create problems for his own team,” Mourinho said in his post-match press conference. “They got us on the counterattack, so yes I was angry. “First half we were solid. They didn’t touch the ball, have a shot, have a corner. Instead of ...
Bernd Leno: Arsenal ‘don’t have time’ to feel sorry for themselves
Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno says there is no time for the players to feel sorry for themselves after an eighth Premier League defeat of the season ramped up the pressure on manager Mikel Arteta. Sunday is an unhappy first anniversary for the Gunners boss as he reflects on a 2-1 reverse at Everton that extended their winless run to seven league matches and left them just four points above the Premier League’s bottom three. “A lot of things are going wrong for us but we don’t have time to feel sorry for ourselves, we have to fight for every ball, for our team-mates,” said Leno. “Now the confidence is not at the top level but the only thing that can be said is we should stick together and come out of this situation.” The 28-year-old German said Arsenal showed a good attitude in the second h...
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must avoid Jose Mourinho’s mistakes to succeed
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has arguably fallen into the Jose Mourinho trap and needs to sort things out before they get out of hand. Sir Alex Ferguson often spoke about how, when setting his teams up, he would mostly focus on his own side and only a little attention was spent on the opponent. The legendary Scotsman made it a point to reiterate the balance was delicate and couldn’t sway too much in the other direction or it’d become dangerous. Mourinho often set United up on a match by match basis and it was why he was accused of not having any real tactics, philosophy or style at the club. When Solskjaer came in it was clear what he wanted the team to do and it was just a case of making the players do it better to show progression. It was partly why he won the job- for hav...
Jurgen Klopp: I thought VAR was a good idea, but now I’m not so sure
Jurgen Klopp admits he may have changed his mind about the need for VAR in football, after another incident-filled match for his Liverpool side in the Champions League. The Reds’ 1-1 draw with Danish champions FC Midtjylland on Wednesday saw a number of interventions from the video assistant referee. First Midtjylland were awarded a penalty for a foul by Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher on Anders Dreyer. The forward had initially been flagged offside by the assistant referee but replays showed, eventually at least, that he had been onside, though there was a lengthy delay as the referee headed to the pitchside monitor to rule on Kelleher’s subsequent challenge. Andreas Scholz converted from the spot to equalise for the home side after Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring. There was m...
Governor Umahi: I supported President Buhari during 2019 poll
Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has admitted supporting President Muhammdau Buhari during the 2019 general election, even as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Umahi said this at the foundation laying ceremony of a housing project in his home town – Uburu on Monday. The governor said that his former party should not waste time in accusing him of giving the president 25 per cent votes during the election. “I preached it in the entire south east zone of the country, that the person who supports us is whom we will support. “I joined the APC for the president’s love for Ebonyi even if for no other reason. “My eyes are on the ball – on what will get to my people,” he said. Umahi said that he plans to submit a proposal for a channelisation work which will cut across the housing project, ...
Roy Hodgson ‘really pleased’ as Crystal Palace hit 5 goals in West Brom rout
Wilfred Zaha was outstanding for Crystal Palace as they took advantage of the controversial dismissal of Matheus Pereira to claim their first points in three games with a rout at West Brom. Zaha had missed Palace’s previous two matches – both of which ended in defeat – after testing positive for Covid-19 but quickly found his feet again at The Hawthorns with a typically lively attacking display that included two goals and an assist. It was from his low cross that Darnell Furlong diverted the ball into his own net to give the visitors the lead and his whipped finish into the far corner that restored the advantage after Conor Gallagher’s low, driven equaliser. Between these two Zaha contributions, though, came the incident that completely altered the complexion of the game – Pereira’s red ca...
Juventus hit back to beat Torino
Juventus came from behind to beat Torino 2-1 on Sunday with US midfielder Weston McKennie among the scorers for the first time since he joined the Italian champions on loan. McKennie’s close-range header on 78 minutes put Juve level after Nicolas Nkoulou had given Torino a first-half advantage. After McKennie’s equaliser, Leonardo Bonucci produced an 89th-minute winner to lift Juve to second in the table, three points behind AC Milan who visit Sampdoria on Sunday. Inter Milan can overtake Juve by beating Bologna in Saturday’s late match. Before the game in Turin, Cristiano Ronaldo was presented with a special jersey commemorating his 750th career goal. But Ronaldo played a supporting role for once as 22-year-old McKennie, on loan from German club Schalke 04, scored a first Serie A goal and...
