Joel Campbell has joined Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon on loan after failing to secure a regular place in the Arsenal side. The Gunners announced the season-long deal on Sunday and said the Costa Rica forward "will be hoping he can help the Portugese side win the Primeira and gain further Champions League experience." Sporting Lisbon tweeted a picture of Campbell posing in club colours after he had tweeted them to suggest that they sign him. .@joel_campbell12 challenge accepted! Welcome to Sporting CP! #BemvindoCampbell pic.twitter.com/NyA7vIv2aV - Sporting CP (@Sporting_CP) August 21, 2016 It is the latest in a series of loan moves for a player who joined the Gunners in 2011 but has since spent spells in France, Spain and Greece. Campbell got … [Read more...]
Conte pleased with players’ impact from the bench
Manager Antonio conte praised the impact of his substitutes as Chelsea again left it late to strike for victory. The Blues had beaten West Ham on Monday with a late Diego Costa strike, and the Spain international produced the goods three minutes from time against Watford as Conte's side came from behind to win 2-1 at Vicarage Road. Etienne Capoue fired the hosts ahead 10 minutes into the second half before Conte reacted, introducing Victor Moses, Michy Batshuayi and Cesc Fabregas from the bench, with summer recruit Batshuayi levelling with his first Chelsea goal after Heurelho Gomes failed to deal with an Eden Hazard drive. And then Fabregas, seemingly down the pecking order under Conte, produced a superb pass into the run of Costa - with the striker … [Read more...]
Koeman happy with Lukaku’s Everton commitment
Romelu Lukaku has promised to stay at Everton and could even sign a new contract, manager Ronald Koeman has said. The 23-year-old has been a transfer target for his former club Chelsea this summer but the Londoners have been reluctant to meet Everton's valuation of the striker -- reported to be £75 million. Lukaku has expressed a desire to play European football and was frustrated by Everton's 11th-placed finish last season in the Premier League under Roberto Martinez, but the Toffees were determined to keep hold of their biggest asset. New major shareholder Farhad Moshiri wanted to convince the Belgium international of the project under Koeman, who was appointed in June, and the manager has revealed that Lukaku came to see him on Friday to tell him he … [Read more...]
Claudio Ranieri refuses to criticise Mark Clattenburg over penalty
Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri praised his team's display in the 0-0 draw against Arsenal and had no complaints over the referee. Claudio Ranieri refused to criticise referee Mark Clattenburg after Leicester City had two penalty appeals waved away during their 0-0 draw against Arsenal. The Premier League champions are still searching for the first win of their title defence, following last weekend's 2-1 loss at Hull City, and they could not find a way through in a game of few chances at the King Power Stadium. Danny Drinkwater went down under a lunging tackle from Laurent Koscielny in the 43rd minute and Ahmed Musa's lively cameo from the bench featured an untidy challenge from Hector Bellerin on the Nigeria international in the box. "I am not a … [Read more...]
Barcelona confirm agreement with Manchester City for Bravo
Barcelona sporting director Robert Fernandez has confirmed a deal is in place with manchester city for the transfer of Claudio Bravo. During the week it emerged the Premier League club were closing in on a €25 million move for the Barcelona goalkeeper, whom Pep Guardiola wants to replace Joe Hart. Despite those reports, Bravo started Saturday's La Liga opener against Real Betis, but it looks set to prove to be his last game for the Catalan club. "We have the beginning of an agreement in principle with Manchester City for Claudio Bravo," Robert revealed to TV3 after Barca's 6-2 win. "We need to sign a goalkeeper. We are waiting events this week. When Claudio leaves, we hope to have a new goalkeeper." Diego Alves had appeared to be close to making a … [Read more...]
Arsenal, Leicester play out a goalless draw
It ended goalless between defending champions Leicester City and last season's runners-up Arsenal at the King Power Stadium. Arsenal had the better of the opening period, looking dangerous in attack , testing the reigning Premier League champions’ defence. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came close in the 26th minute, unleashing a curling effort from 20 yards having beaten Riyad Mahrez, with ease, on the left flank. His effort had Foxes stopper Kasper Schmeichel beaten, but sailed wide of the far post. There was late controversy in the first half, as Danny Drinkwater looked to have brought down in the box by Laurent Koscielny . Petr Cech superbly challenged Jamie Vardy who had been played in by Riyad Mahrez on the counter-attack, but Drinkwater, on the follow … [Read more...]
Liverpool brought back down to earth by Burnley
Burnley burst Liverpool’s early-season bubble with a 2-0 victory which proved you do not have to have much of the ball to be effective. The Clarets converted two of their three shots on target, with Sam Vokes grabbing his first Premier League goal inside two minutes and Andre Gray doubling the lead before half-time. There was no rousing comeback from Liverpool like the one they produced last weekend at Arsenal to win 4-3 after going behind and, despite dominating possession, they never looked like scoring. That was partly down to their hosts’ dogged determination to hold onto their lead but largely due to a lack of cohesion and penetration in the final third. Jurgen Klopp’s side were laboured in their build-up, particularly in the first half, and … [Read more...]
Costa strikes late as Chelsea defeat Watford
Diego Costa struck another late winner for Chelsea as they came from behind to beat Watford 2-1 in their Premier League clash at Vicarage Road. Etienne Capoue thrashed the hosts in front 10 minutes after the interval, only for Michy Batshuayi to come off the bench and capitalise on a poor piece of goalkeeping from Heurelho Gomes to draw Chelsea level with his first goal for the club. And it was a superb through-ball from another substitute in Cesc Fabregas which set Costa away in the closing stages, with the striker making no mistake as he fired home another match-winning goal to give Antonio Conte's side a second 2-1 success of the season. Having relied on a late Costa strike to beat West Ham on Monday, Conte's men were largely disappointing but found a … [Read more...]
Guardiola delighted by early-season form
Pep Guardiola is delighted with the start manchester city have made under his stewardship. City overcame the toughest test of their new manager's reign so far as they beat Stoke 4-1 at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday , with Sergio Aguero and Nolito both netting twice. It is their third straight victory under Guardiola, with an impressive 11 goals scored, and the quality of their play has surprised even the former Barcelona boss. "I'm so happy for many of the things I see," said the Spaniard. "For how they celebrated the goals, for how they celebrate after the game in the locker room, how they speak to each other - that is the first step to be considered a team that can fight for titles. "It is impossible to say what is our target or what we can … [Read more...]
Stoke 1-4 Man City: Aguero and Nolito at the double as City defeat Stoke
Sergio Aguero and Nolito both scored twice as Manchester City romped past Stoke on Saturday lunchtime to extend their winning start to the season. Aguero hit a first-half double at the Bet365 Stadium - his fifth and sixth goals in just three games - to put City 2-0 ahead at half-time. Bojan reduced the deficit for Stoke shortly after the break, but substitute Nolito netted in quick succession late on to put the match out of sight. It is a third win for City in all competitions under Pep Guardiola, who again left Joe Hart out of his starting line-up. Having faced Sunderland at home in their Premier League opener and Steaua Bucharest in a Champions League qualifier in midweek, this represented the toughest test of Guardiola's City career to date. But … [Read more...]
Ibrahimovic delighted with United’s performance against Saints
Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Manchester United are just starting to "put the puzzle together" despite easily winning their second straight game to open the Premier League season. Ibrahimovic stole the spotlight from debutant Paul Pogba with two goals -- bringing his tally to three this week following his strike against Bournemouth on Sunday. Jose Mourinho's side already looks to be in midseason form, but Ibrahimovic says the best is still to come. "We are happy for the three points, and it was the first game of Paul, also, he settled in and the rest will come by itself," Ibrahimovic told Sky Sports. "I'm new in the team. I'm only here not even a month. Paul is back at his home, but still not with this team [before]. "He needs to get to know the players, … [Read more...]
Benteke joins Crystal Palace from Liverpool
Crystal Palace have completed the signing of striker Christian Benteke from Liverpool. The Eagles have broken their transfer record to land the Belgian in a deal which could be worth up to £32million. Benteke, 25, has penned a four-year contract with Alan Pardew's side. "I’m very happy to commit my future to Crystal Palace and I’m looking forward to meeting the manager, the players and the staff," said the 26-cap Belgium international. “I feel really happy that the deal has been done and now I can look forward.” Palace have been chasing Benteke all summer and finally got their man after tabling an offer of £27m, plus potential add-ons of £5m, earlier this week. The move comfortably dwarfs Palace's previous record purchase, set earlier this … [Read more...]
Jose Mourinho hails fantastic Paul Pogba
Jose Mourinho said a "phenomenal" Paul Pogba showed that he is "confident in the skin of a star" during his first appearance for the club since re-joining this summer in a world record £89 million move. Pogba made a sloppy start in the 2-0 win over Southampton at Old Trafford on Friday, when he conceded possession cheaply but grew in confidence as the game went on. United manager Mourinho had said that the player would be given "some minutes" but he went on to play the full match, as Zlatan Ibrahimovic's two goals helped the home team to a comfortable win. Speaking in his postmatch news conference, Mourinho said: "He was fantastic. The fact that his first action was bad -- loses the ball, gives a free kick to the opposition -- means that you can see even … [Read more...]
Ibrahimovic double sinks Southampton on Pogba debut
Zlatan Ibrahimovic continued his impressive start in aManchester United shirt as he fired Jose Mourinho's side to a 2-0 victory over Southampton. The Red Devils were comfortable under the Friday night lights at Old Trafford, as the Swedish star marked his home debut with a double, netting either side of half-time. The 34-year-old now has three goals in his first two Premier League games, following on from his strike in Sunday's Premier League opener at Bournemouth . The former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona striker opened the scoring with a towering header before doubling his tally from the penalty spot early in the second half. United had plenty of positives to take in Jose Mourinho's first competitive home match in charge of the club. One of … [Read more...]
Hazard hopes Chelsea strong start can ‘scare’ title rivals
Eden Hazard hopes Chelsea can strike fear into the rest of the Premier League by maintaining their winning start at Watford on Saturday. Antonio Conte's side won their first match of the campaign at home to West Ham on Monday night, but Hazard hopes a string of wins will get their title rivals worried. “If you win the first few games all the other teams will see that and say you are ready for the Premier League,” explained the Belgium international. “It scares them. If you don’t start well, you can still be champions at the end but it’s always better if you can win your first games. We know it’s a strong League, where you don’t know who will be champions at the start of the season. We hope it will be Chelsea, of course, but we know we have to fight for … [Read more...]
Mourinho: ‘World’s best’ Pogba will never win the Ballon d’Or
Paul Pogba will struggle to score even a quarter of the goals netted by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi and will not receive the same personal accolades collected by such illustrious rivals. As the French international record signing prepares for his second Manchester United debut tonight, Jose Mourinho has no doubt he has signed the world’s best midfield player. The £89 million former Juventus man will play some role in the opening Friday night Premier League fixture of the season, at home to Southampton, four years after leaving Old Trafford for nothing. Mourinho has called on United supporters to help improve the atmosphere inside Old Trafford - something that has been lacking over three disappointing years under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal - … [Read more...]
Hart can leave Man City if he wants – Pep
Pep Guardiola says he will allow Joe Hart to leave Manchester City if he wants to. Hart's future has been thrown into doubt after being left on the bench by Guardiola for City's first two games of the season. There has been speculation linking the 29-year-old with a move away from the club while City have reportedly been targeting other keepers. Asked if Hart could move if he wishes, Guardiola said: "Of course. I want happiness for the players. I don't want the players to stay here if they don't want to stay. "All the players here have a contract. If they decide they want to stay they are going to stay, but they know the situation when I spoke with them. "If they want to leave because they prefer to play every game - not only speaking about Joe, … [Read more...]
Conte vows to shake Mazzarri’s hand
Antonio Conte insists his bust-ups with Walter Mazzarri are in the past and will shake his hand at Chelsea’s game at Watford tomorrow. The duo had a series of fall-outs in Serie A when Conte was in charge of Juventus and Mazzarri was at Napoli. But Conte has revealed their differences have been resolved and were on good terms when they met at a meeting of Premier league managers before the campaign began. Both are new to English football and the Chelsea boss said: “I saw him in the meeting with the coaches. I spoke with him about this new experience. It's a great challenge also for him. “I saw him very focused about this experience. When we were in the Italian championship and fought for the title, Juventus against Napoli, yes (things happen)...but … [Read more...]
Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck due back by Christmas
Arsenal have been handed a boost with the news that Danny Welbeck could return from injury ahead of schedule. Danny Welbeck underwent surgery in May after injuring his right knee against Manchester City last season. The festive period is set to see the return of Danny Welbeck, with Arsene Wenger revealing the injury-plagued Arsenal forward is on track for a Christmas comeback. Welbeck has been sidelined since undergoing surgery in May after injuring his right knee against Manchester City in the Premier League last season. The 25-year-old suffered "significant cartilage damage", which ended his Euro 2016 hopes, but Arsenal manager Wenger said the Englishman is nearing a December return. "If the healing was not good, he would have been out until … [Read more...]
Pochettino blasts impossible League schedule after Lloris injury
Following Hugo Lloris' hamstring injury on opening day, Mauricio Pochettino has an increasing lack of recovery time. Mauricio Pochettino has condemned the football calendar as being completely incompatible with elite performance, saying that it was drawn up by people “who have never touched a football”. Pochettino explained in great detail in his press conference on Thursday afternoon that there were too many pressures on club managers, who receive tired players back from international competitions in July, and then have to play in pre-season before resuming the Premier League in mid-August. Spurs’ captain Hugo Lloris played in the Euro 2016 final on 10 July and then returned for Spurs’ opener at Goodison Park on 13 August, after just three weeks of rest … [Read more...]
Crystal Palace agree £27m fee with Liverpool for Christian Benteke
Christian Benteke's short-lived Liverpool career is set to come to an end after the club accepted Crystal Palace 's bid of £27million plus add-ons for the Belgium striker. According to Sources the Eagles will pay a potential further £5million dependent on certain criteria being met during the 25-year-old's stay at Selhurst Park. Benteke is scheduled to travel to London for a medical on Friday. The deal should mean Liverpool recoup most of the £32.5million they spent on the striker last summer in bringing him to Anfield from Aston Villa. Unlike Palace's failed offer earlier in the week of £23million plus £7million of add-ons, which Reds officials felt were unrealistic, the targets in the latest agreement appear much more attainable and satisfactory to … [Read more...]
Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper Eduardo set to join Chelsea
Portugal international goalkeeper Eduardo will join Chelsea next week, according to Dinamo Zagreb manager Zlatko Kranjcar. Antonio Conte is in the market for a new backup goalkeeper after deciding not to re-sign Italian veteran Marco Amelia last summer, while youngster Jamal Blackman joined League Two side Wycombe Wanderers on loan to gain first-team experience earlier this week. Eduardo would be behind both Thibaut Courtois and Asmir Begovic in the goalkeeping pecking order at Stamford Bridge. In a news conference on Thursday, Kranjcar revealed that Eduardo is scheduled to complete his move to Chelsea after the second leg of Dinamo's Champions League playoff tie against Red Bull Salzburg next Wednesday. Asked if he expected the goalkeeper to leave … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 593
- 594
- 595
- 596
- 597
- …
- 633
- Next Page »