Riyad Mahrez
AFCON 2021: Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi says his side are in a “big difficult situation”
Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi has conceded that his side are in a “big difficult situation” after they slumped to a shocking 1-0 defeat at the hands of Equatorial Guinea. Esteban Obiang scored the decisive goal for Juan Micha’s side on Sunday to boost their prospects for making it to the last 16. Algeria had two goals ruled out for offside at the Douala Stadium while several of their efforts were also thwarted by goalkeeper Jesus Owono. The Desert Warriors have been able to secure a single point so far from their first two AFCON matches. And with only a point, they are sitting at the bottom of Group E. The defending champions also played out a goalless draw in their opening match against Sierra Leone. Algeria now must win their final group mat...
Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans ‘keeping his options open’ amid Manchester United interest
Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans has said he is ‘keeping his options open’ regarding his future amid links to Manchester United. The 24-year-old’s reputation has greatly increased since he joined the Foxes in January 2019, initially on loan which was later made permanent. He endured a difficult time during his previous stint at Monaco, where he earned only six goals and three assists in 65 total appearances. However, he managed to reignite his career at the King Power. He has clocked up 113 matches across all competitions for the East Midlands outfit so far, scoring 18 goals and creating 19 assists in the process (stats from Transfermarkt). The talented midfielder also smashed the winner in Leicester’s 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the 2021 FA Cup final at Wembley Sta...
Report: Arsenal sound out two players from same club, including three-time league winner
Manchester City are looking to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur and they are ready to offload some of their big-name players. According to reports from The Atheltic, the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Bernardo Silva, Raheem Sterling, Aymeric Laporte and Riyad Mahrez were mentioned as potential makeweights in a deal for Kane. It gives an indication that these players are expendables in Pep Guardiola’s squad, and that the club could be ready to cash in on them. Arsenal are showing keen interest in two Manchester City players as they look to find ways to bolster their attacking department this summer. The Gunners, who finished eighth last season, want to show ambition in the market, and they have decided to check on the status of both Sterling and Mahrez, according to reports from EuroSpo...
Report: Pep Guardiola’s £100m transfer plan to sign 25-year-old star
Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish this summer. The Premier League champions are looking to add one or two top-quality players to their ranks. Pep Guardiola has earmarked Grealish as a perfect option to bolster his attacking department. Grealish, who is currently with the England squad for the European Championships, is expected to be in demand in the transfer market. If the 25-year-old moves on, Villa will demand a high transfer fee for their star player. According to reports from ESPN, City are looking to fund Grealish’s move by selling at least one of their high profile players this summer. The report claims that City are looking to offload Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez to boost their transfer kitty. Sterling, who has two years left...
Robin van Persie wants Chelsea boss to give Hakim Ziyech ‘much bigger role’
Former Arsenal forward Robin van Persie has urged Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel to give “a much bigger role” to Hakim Ziyech. The 28-year-old has made 39 appearances for the Blues across all competitions since teaming up with the side last summer. The winger has played in a number of roles under Tuchel and Van Persie has expressed his displeasure with this, since the Morocco international does not have a definite role at the club. “It is actually a shame that the creativity of players like Ziyech, Pulisic and Kovacic – who I think is a brilliant player – is not being expressed,” Van Persie told De Telegraaf. “Kovacic is their engine and playmaker. Ziyech also has those qualities higher up the pitch, but he should have a much bigger role in the team. “He is now constantly searching [for a p...
Kevin De Bruyne reveals what he told Riyad Mahrez before his freekick in Man City’s win vs PSG
Manchester City produced arguably one of the best away performances by an English club to win 2-1 against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final on Wednesday. PSG took the lead in the 15th minute through Marquinhos’ header, glanced in from Angel di Maria’s corner. Phil Foden missed a great chance, but City were positive after the break. Pep Guardiola’s side restored parity through Kevin De Bruyne, whose cross evaded everyone in the penalty area. City took the lead through Riyad Mahrez when his left-footed free-kick from 25 yards out went through the wall beating Keylor Navas. Former Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye was rightly shown a red card for his horrendous tackle on Ilkay Gundogan. De Bruyne has revealed what he told Mahrez before the free-kick. ...
‘Outstanding’, ‘Deserves more’: Some Man City fans react to 30-year-old’s display vs Wolves
A selection of Manchester City fans on Twitter heaped praise on Riyad Mahrez following his impressive display against Wolverhampton Wanderers last night. The Algeria international had gone into the game in a good run of form with a goal or an assist in each of his previous three Premier League appearances. He produced another top-notch showing against Nuno’s side where he was involved in three of the four goals scored by the Cityzens. The 30-year-old produced a delightful pass in the 15th minute which led to Leandro Dendocker’s own goal as he tried to intercept the ball ahead of Raheem Sterling. Prior to the interval, Mahrez delivered a cross which was headed home by Aymeric Laporte, but the goal was chalked off by VAR for offside by the finest of margins. Wolves scored against the run of ...
‘Excellent’, ‘Unstoppable’: Some Man City fans react to attacker’s display vs Everton
A section of Manchester City fans on Twitter reacted to the performance of Riyad Mahrez during the club’s 3-1 Premier League win over Everton at Goodison Park. The Algeria international had recently gone through a rough patch and he managed only one goal and one assist from his 10 league appearances prior to facing the Toffees. With the minor injury to Ilkay Gundogan, Mahrez got the chance to return to the starting line-up against Carlo Ancelotti’s side and he changed the complexion of the game in the second half. The scores were level at 1-1 in the 63rd minute when the 29-year-old came up with a trademark curling strike from outside the box to beat Jordan Pickford at the far post. Mahrez had been struggling in the final third of late but made amends with an excellent first-time shot which...
Super Eagles out to end Algeria’s 18-match unbeaten run
The Super Eagles will go into October 9 friendly against Algeria with the sole aim of ending the Desert Foxes’ 18 match -unbeaten streak. The North Africans last defeat came almost two years ago, a 1-0 loss to the Squirrels of Benin in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Since then, the Desert Foxes have won 13 and drawn 5 matches. Djamel Belmadi’s side recorded wins against top sides like Senegal, Nigeria, Tunisia, Mali and Colombia during the period. The game will be first time the Super Eagles and Algeria will be meeting in a friendly. It will be a repeat of the 2019 AFCON semi-final which Algeria won 2-1 courtesy of Riyad Mahrez late free kick. Both countries have faced each other 21 times in official match at senior level. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make ...
Champions League now a thorn in Pep Guardiola’s side
With the millions they have invested in top players and with the most respected coach of his generation in charge, Manchester City should be doing much better than going out of the Champions League in the last eight. But after their shock 3-1 defeat by Olympique Lyonnais on Saturday that is exactly what City have done in the last three years. Guardiola was brought into the club, by their Abu Dhabi based owner Sheikh Mansour, after his predecessor as manager, Chilean Manuel Pellegrini had taken the club to the semi-finals of the Champions League, while also winning the Premier League title. And while Guardiola has brought two Premier League titles, smashed records and produced some of the most glorious football the club’s fans have ever seen — European success remains elusive to his team. C...
Pep Guardiola: Bernardo Silva’s bad form may be my fault
Pep Guardiola says Bernardo Silva is one of the most special footballers he has ever coached despite the midfielder’s dip in form this season – something for which the Manchester City boss takes his share of responsibility. Silva was voted City’s player of the season as he and his team-mates swept to a domestic treble in 2018-19, but his performances this time around have been indicative of a general malaise, with Liverpool storming clear of their rivals to claim the Premier League title. The Portugal international has featured infrequently in the right-sided attacking midfield position he occupied for a chunk of last term, with Kevin De Bruyne back to full fitness and in prime form. Similarly adept on the right-hand side of attack, Silva has found his path blocked by Riyad Mahrez and, mor...
