Rio Ferdinand, the Manchester United legend, has expressed puzzlement over the lack of respect shown towards Mohamed Salah this season. Defending the Egyptian forward, who has faced criticism for his recent performances, Ferdinand pointed out that before Liverpool’s 4-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, Salah had only scored twice in eight Premier League games, both from penalty kicks. Additionally, he was involved in an altercation with Liverpool’s manager, Jurgen Klopp, during their 2-2 draw with West Ham United. Ferdinand emphasized that despite Salah’s contributions to Liverpool this season, he feels the forward is not receiving the recognition he deserves.…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
Manchester United has officially announced that center-back Harry Maguire is set to miss the remainder of the Premier League season due to a muscle injury sustained during training. This injury exacerbates an already significant concern for manager Erik ten Hag, who has been grappling with a shortage of center-back options in recent weeks. With Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans, and Willy Kambwala all sidelined due to various injuries, Maguire was the sole natural choice for the position. Unfortunately for United, Maguire’s injury requires a three-week recovery period, effectively ruling him out for the rest of the Premier…
Chelsea delivered a commanding performance at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon, fueled by a first-half onslaught that left West Ham United struggling to keep up. The Blues, fresh off a London derby triumph over Tottenham Hotspur, wasted no time asserting their dominance as Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, and Noni Madueke found the net within the opening 45 minutes. Shortly after the break, Nicolas Jackson added a brace to seal Chelsea’s comprehensive 5-0 victory, propelling them above Manchester United into seventh place in the league standings. The game began with both sides showing glimpses of intent, but Chelsea quickly took control.…
Liverpool returned to winning form and dashed Tottenham’s Champions League aspirations with a resounding 4-2 victory at Anfield. The Reds surged ahead with goals from Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Cody Gakpo, and Harvey Elliott, establishing a commanding 4-0 lead that seemed to set them on course for a comfortable win. However, Tottenham mounted a late comeback, finding the net twice in quick succession through Richarlison and Son Heung-min, ensuring a tense finale for the hosts. The game began with Tottenham showing promise despite entering on a three-match losing streak. However, Liverpool’s threat became evident when Salah’s cross narrowly clipped the…
Bayern Munich has confirmed that left-back Raphael Guerreiro will be absent from Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid due to injury. Guerreiro, who started the first leg on the bench but made a significant impact after coming on as a central midfielder at halftime, sustained an ankle injury during Saturday’s match against Stuttgart. Despite his efforts, he had to be substituted off after just 17 minutes and will now miss the crucial clash against Madrid. “FC Bayern will have to make do without Raphael Guerreiro in the next few matches,” the club statement read. “The Portuguese sustained…
Erik ten Hag is confident that Bruno Fernandes will remain with Manchester United this summer, dismissing recent reports and emphasizing that Fernandes’ remarks regarding his future were taken out of context. Amidst speculation suggesting United’s readiness to entertain offers for numerous players, including Fernandes, the club captain admitted he might reconsider his tenure at Old Trafford if he feels unwanted by the hierarchy. However, ten Hag believes Fernandes’ statements were misunderstood and holds no doubt about the player’s commitment to the club. When asked about his desire to retain Fernandes, ten Hag responded, “Absolutely, but that remark was also misinterpreted.…
Darwin Nunez has intensified speculation surrounding a potential departure from Liverpool by erasing all images of his time at Anfield from his Instagram page. Reports circulating in England indicate that Nunez, whom manager Jurgen Klopp personally pursued rather than the club’s recruitment team, could be offloaded this summer amidst interest from Barcelona. The Spanish side is reportedly seeking a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski. Adding fuel to the fire, Nunez was notably absent from the starting lineup in Liverpool’s recent 4-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, only entering the match as a substitute for the final 15 minutes. Following these rumors,…
Carlo Ancelotti, the head coach of Real Madrid, has hinted that the club prefers not to utilize younger players. Following Real Madrid’s comfortable 3-0 victory over Cadiz on Saturday, where they secured their 36th La Liga title after Barcelona’s loss to Girona, Ancelotti explained his decision to substitute 19-year-old Arda Guler. When questioned about the substitution, Ancelotti cited Guler’s fatigue as the reason for his replacement with Jude Bellingham, emphasizing the need for fresh energy to secure the win. “Arda Güler fulfilled his role admirably, considering his youth. I opted to replace him due to fatigue, seeking fresh legs to…
Cristiano Ronaldo has emphasized that scoring another hat-trick doesn’t bother him as much as the welfare of his team does. The seasoned Portuguese forward achieved his 66th career hat-trick, adding to his remarkable tally of 52 goals in 52 games this season. In Al-Nassr’s 6-0 victory against Al-Wehda in the Saudi Pro League at Al-Awwal Stadium on Saturday, Ronaldo moved closer to the milestone of 900 career goals, needing just 10 more. While celebrating his 50th goal of the season with his first strike in the match and securing his 66th career hat-trick, Ronaldo reiterated that his main focus is…
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has cautioned his team against dropping any points in their final three Premier League matches. Despite their impressive 5-1 victory over Wolves on Saturday, City remains one point behind the league leaders, Arsenal, who secured a 3-0 win against Bournemouth. With three games remaining for City and two for Arsenal, the Gunners also hold a superior goal difference, six goals better than Guardiola’s side. When questioned by Sky Sports if their emphatic win over Wolves was a statement to their title competitors, Guardiola responded, “The message isn’t just ours; Arsenal has sent one…
Former England defender Micah Richards highlights Manchester City’s upcoming match against Tottenham Hotspur on May 12 as a crucial fixture to watch. Speaking on Sky Sports following City’s 5-1 victory over Wolves, Richards pointed out that despite City’s strong form, their history at Tottenham’s ground suggests they might face difficulties. With City trailing Arsenal by just one point after their latest result, Richards emphasized the significance of the approaching end-of-season matches. He noted that City often excel in these high-stakes encounters. Reflecting on Tottenham’s recent dip in form, Richards highlighted City’s less-than-stellar record at Spurs’ stadium, indicating potential stumbling blocks…
The 2023-24 Championship season unfolded an electrifying contest for Premier League promotion, with Leicester City and Ipswich Town emerging triumphant, securing the top two spots for automatic promotion. As the curtain falls on an eventful campaign, let’s delve into the contenders for promotion and their prospects in the upcoming Premier League season. Leicester City, steered by manager Enzo Maresca, clinched the Championship title with an impressive 97 points and a formidable goal difference of +48. Despite grappling with challenges throughout the season, including a late-season stumble, Leicester’s possession-oriented approach and the pivotal contributions from goal scorers like Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Stephy…
Forest’s statement following Liverpool’s victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage drew criticism from Sky Sports, with Neville urging former Premier League referee Clattenburg to step down from his role. Neville stated, “Mark Clattenburg must resign tonight. If he saw those words go out which question the integrity of a referee and claims someone is a cheat for supporting another club then he’s supporting what is being said. He would lose all credibility with referees in the game. He should stand down tonight and distance himself from that statement.” Expressing his dismay, Neville likened Forest’s statement to a “mafia-gang statement,” labeling…
Mercy Akide Udoh made history as the first African woman to play professional football globally. Her groundbreaking achievement came when she joined the now-defunct Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) league in the United States, recognized as the world’s inaugural women’s football league. Akide’s entry into the sport marked a significant milestone for Nigeria and African women’s football, earning her recognition from FIFA as “The most renowned figure in African women’s football and one of the most formidable attacking players of the previous decade.” Born in Port Harcourt in 1975, Akide began her football journey by playing with boys in her…
Chelsea, one of the titans of the English Premier League, has opened discussions with Napoli in their quest to secure Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen ahead of the forthcoming summer transfer window. According to reports from Di Marzio, Chelsea is ready to make a substantial financial offer to secure Osimhen’s services for the upcoming season. The proposed bid being discussed between the clubs is said to fall within the range of €80-90 million. In addition to the monetary offer, Chelsea is reportedly willing to include Romelu Lukaku, who is currently on loan at Roma, as part of the deal, along with…
On Sunday, during Liverpool’s 4-2 victory over Tottenham, Mohamed Salah, the winger extraordinaire, matched a milestone previously set by Wayne Rooney. At Anfield, Salah, along with teammates Andy Robertson, Cody Gakpo, and Harvey Elliott, found the net before the hour mark, keeping Liverpool’s slim title aspirations burning bright. In addition to netting the opener, Salah, often hailed as the ‘Egyptian King’, provided the assist for Elliott’s remarkable goal. This latest performance boosts Salah’s season tally to 18 goals and 10 assists. Remarkably, Salah now holds the distinction of being the first player to achieve both 10+ goals and 10+ assists…
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou is confident that the club will support his “drastic” plans for player sales and acquisitions during the upcoming summer transfer window. Despite starting their first season under Postecoglou with an unbeaten Premier League run until November, Tottenham’s recent poor performances have dimmed their chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. While Spurs may consider the 2023/24 campaign a relative success, Postecoglou is aiming for more and is advocating for significant changes within the club. “We need change. Change has to happen,” Postecoglou stated at a press conference ahead of Sunday’s match against Liverpool.…
According to reports, Thiago Silva has made the decision to return to his former club Fluminense once his contract with Chelsea expires this summer. The veteran defender announced earlier this week that he would be leaving Stamford Bridge at the end of the 2023/24 season after four years with the Blues. Despite interest from various clubs across Europe and Saudi Arabia, multiple reports, initially from Brazilian outlet Globo, indicate that Silva has agreed to rejoin Fluminense. The deal with Fluminense will not be officially announced until Chelsea’s season concludes out of respect, as Silva is currently sidelined with an injury…
David Moyes disclosed that West Ham came close to signing Cole Palmer last summer before the midfielder opted for Chelsea. The Hammers pursued Palmer’s signature at the end of the previous season following his departure from Manchester City. However, they lost out to Chelsea in the transfer battle. Conversely, Manchester City showed interest in West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta during the summer. Still, they withdrew from the deal due to an investigation into potential betting breaches by the midfielder. Reflecting on West Ham’s failed attempt to sign Palmer, Moyes suggested that Paqueta’s collapsed move to City played a role in the…
Bayern Munich’s search for a new manager has encountered two new hurdles as both Roger Schmidt and Roberto De Zerbi have publicly dismissed the possibility of joining the club. Following unsuccessful pursuits of Xabi Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann, and Ralf Rangnick, Bayern’s quest for a successor to Thomas Tuchel, who is set to depart at the season’s end, has faced setbacks. Schmidt, currently coaching Benfica, reiterated his commitment to his current role, stating, “I’m not available. I’m fully dedicated to Benfica and content with my position. I don’t require any invitations. My stance is crystal clear.” Similarly, De Zerbi expressed his…