Manuel Pellegrini expects his Manchester City side to rediscover their attacking instinct against Arsenal on Sunday. City were disappointing in their Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid, struggling to create meaningful chances in either leg of an underwhelming tie. They went down with barely a whimper at the Bernabeu in midweek, with the 1-0 aggregate scoreline flattering Pellegrini's men. They have won just one of their last five games but Pellegrini wants that put right at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Victory over the Gunners would lift City back above Arsene Wenger's side into third in the Premier League. However, anything less than a victory and their place in the Champions League next season could be under threat. "I always visualise the … [Read more...]
Welbeck’s goal against Norwich lifts Arsenal to third despite fans protest
The victory moved Arsenal back into third place ahead of Manchester City's game at Southampton on Sunday, and while a top-four finish is looking more likely for the Gunners, Welbeck was left to rue a chance to finish atop the table. Before kick off the atmosphere inside the Emirates was more a low-level anxiety than anything more. There was a loud cheer for the return to the bench of Santi Cazorla, a classy influence who has been badly missed since his injury against the same opponents in November. Otherwise Arsenal lined up in the usual 4-2-3-1, with Olivier Giroud given another chance to continue his quest for a first league goal since January. The promise of protests had circled this game with various entities, including Red Action and the scary-sounding … [Read more...]
Victor Valdes returns to Manchester United after Standard Liege loan cut short
Victor Valdes is returning to Manchester United after Standard Liege decided to cut short the Spanish goalkeeper’s loan deal. Former Barcelona man Valdes joined Standard on a six-month loan deal in January and helped them win the Belgian Cup thanks to a 2-1 victory over favourites Club Brugge. But Standard have decided to give their younger players more gametime towards the end of the season and have cut Valdes’ loan short. A statement published on their official website standard.be, which also confirmed the early departure of Giannis Maniatis, read: “As we decided to give more playing time to the youth players at the end of the season and because they couldn’t be selected for medical reasons, the Spanish goalkeeper and the Greek midfielder have decided, in … [Read more...]
Klopp unapologetic for dropping Daniel Sturridge against Villareal
Jürgen Klopp has said he has no regrets about leaving Daniel Sturridge on the bench for their Europa League semi-final defeat in Villarreal and says he would do the same again. Sturridge, 26, signed for Liverpool from Chelsea in 2013 and he has since scored 43 Premier League goals from 67 appearances, although his time on Merseyside has been hampered by injuries. The England international was left on the bench for the Reds' 1-0 loss to Villarreal on Thursday, resurfacing doubts about his future. The decision generated thousands of posts on social media but Klopp shrugged off the talk and defended his tactics. “It is about finding a stability. With decisions like this it is always two questions,” he said. “Was it the right decision to choose this … [Read more...]
Chelsea were at the brim of relegation when I took over- Guus Hiddink
Chelsea's carertaker manager Guus Hiddink has revealed for the first time how close the club were to being relegated when he first arrived, claiming the side was “drowning” and that he feared they would not survive. The Dutchman was appointed on December 19, with the club just two places and one point off the relegation zone after a woeful start to the season that saw Jose Mourinho fired. The Dutchman has since steadied Chelsea to mid-table stability, but he admits he was deeply worried when he first arrived at Stamford Bridge – admitting that some of his players were too complacent. But Hiddink says that the situation was “desperate” and far more serious when he first arrived than was realised at the time. “Is there danger when you are there, in 16 or 17 … [Read more...]
Alexis Sanchez to the rescue as 10-man Arsenal draw at White Hart Lane
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspurs played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in the North London derby at White Hart Lane. Having lost three consecutive games prior to the visit to White Hart Lane. Arsene Wenger’s side had to put a stop to their poor run as their season seemed to be taking a nose dive. After a nervy opening period that saw the hosts dominate without creating chances it was Arsenal who took the lead when Aaron Ramsey flicked in Hector Bellerin’s pull back after a good move from Danny Welbeck. However, the game turned on its head when Francis Coquelin saw red for a second bookable offence after bumping into Harry Kane, with Belgian defender Toby Alderweireld blasting in from five yards following a rebound to draw Spurs level. Harry Kane seized his … [Read more...]
Aguero’s double keeps Manchester city title hopes alive
Manchester City kept alive their chance of winning the Premier League title, with an emphatic 4-0 thrashing of relegation candidates Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium. City’s confidence was low after a 3-0 hammering at Liverpool in midweek, but they responded in a positive way on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium. After a disappointing first half that saw Manchester City with the majority of the possession(78%), but failed to convert the chances created, the floodgates were opened in the second half with Sergio Aguero grabbing a brace and missing a chance to walk away with the match ball when his penalty struck the post. The Chilean welcomed back inspirational midfielder Yaya Toure who opened scoring and tormented rock bottom Remy Garde's men who might have … [Read more...]