• Welcome to AB88 forum. Lets find a section on this forum for your favorite sports and teams.
man_united_vs_sheffield-169.jpg

Sheffield United and Manchester United played out one of the games of the season so far earlier this evening as they produced a six-goal 3-3 thriller at Bramall Lane. The Blades came into this game knowing that they had a good chance of causing the upset against a depleted Red Devils side, and for large portions of the game, it really did seem as if they were going to get the job done.
Pushing back
John Fleck was able to give Sheffield United an early lead to really put Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men on the back foot, which is where they remained for all but seven minutes of this fascinating encounter. Lys Mousset made it two early in the second half, and at that stage, nobody could really see any logical way back for the visitors.
Then, in a stunning seven-minute spell, the game completely changed. Brandon Williams pulled one back for his side to really put the pressure on Chris Wilder’s men, and then before we knew it, Mason Greenwood had equalised. Marcus Rashford put the cherry on top by giving them the lead, but in the final minutes of the game, Oliver McBurnie came to Sheffield United’s rescue and ensured that they would, at the very least, be leaving with a point.
A true classic
The game served as a reminder to Manchester United fans all around the world that they hadn’t quite pulled themselves out of the chaos just yet – and, in fact, that there’s still a pretty long way to go. Solskjaer’s tactical void really does need to be called into question, because at this point, many people can’t really see any remaining form of hope. You never know what is around the next corner but with the January transfer window almost being upon us, there are plenty of reasons to believe that United will look elsewhere for a new manager.
Sheffield United’s unlikely push for a place in the top six is going incredibly well right now, and they’re going to try and continue that push next weekend when they travel to Molineux to face Wolverhampton Wanderers. Man United will travel to face Astana before hosting Aston Villa in the Premier League.
 
Magpies.jpg

Manchester City knew that they couldn’t really afford any other slip-ups in 2019 regarding the title race, as they’d already given Liverpool such an astonishing head start following the first few months of the campaign. While they certainly had their moments throughout the course of the afternoon on Tyneside, they were unable to get the job done as they slipped to a disappointing 2-2 draw against Newcastle United.
Shocking the world
Raheem Sterling edged the champions into a somewhat fortunate lead, but just a few minutes later Newcastle were level as Jetro Willems produced a lovely finish to round off a really nice move from the home side. It took until the final ten minutes of the game for City to respond courtesy of a Kevin De Bruyne thunderbolt that went in off the bar, but in the end, none of that mattered as Jonjo Shelvey issued yet another quick reply to salvage a point for Steve Bruce’s men.
Following the game, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola had the following to say.
“We played at a good level. It was not easy because they defended deep. We scored two goals but we also let two in which is disappointing.
City struggles continue
“With substitutions sometimes players forget positions. We found a way to get through but unfortunately at the end we conceded a goal. There are teams that defend deeper like this, it happens all season. We do the same work we have done over the last few seasons. We tried to score more goals but it did not happen.”
Liverpool are in the midst of playing Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield, and if they win, the gap at the top of the table will be extended to a huge 11 points. Manchester City will now turn their attention towards what should be a tricky trip to Turf Moor in order to take on Burnley, whereas Newcastle United will try to keep this momentum going when they face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
Whatever happens, this could be looked back on as a truly vital moment in the title race for all parties involved.
 
manchester-united-vs_d5d4290.jpg

Manchester United welcomed Aston Villa at Old Trafford for one of the closing games of the 14th round of this season’s Premier League roller coaster.
The Red Devils entered the match from the 11th place after the results on Saturday, hoping to climb back up all the way to sixth with a win here. On the other hand, the newly promoted visitors were sitting in 16th, only two points above the relegation zone.
Team News
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rested his entire team in the Europa League defeat to Astana on Thursday, keeping them fresh for this game. However, Paul Pogba, who is now close to being fit, was still missing. Scott McTominay was back having recovered from an ankle problem.
David De Gea was in goal. Harry Maguire paired up with Victor Lindelof in the heart of defence, flanked by Brandon Williams and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Fred and Andreas Pereira played as the double pivot in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Juan Mata playing further up in the number 10 role. Marcus Rashford and Daniel James played on the wings, with Anthony Martial the lone striker.
Dean Smith, who recently signed a new contract with Aston Villa, had Bjorn Engels at his disposal again with the defender back from a hip injury. Midfielder Jota was still absent, working on match fitness after a hernia surgery.
Tom Heaton stood between the posts. Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa formed the centre-back partnership, with Matt Target on their left and Frederic Guilbert on the right. Douglas Luiz was tasked with providing cover for the back four, with John McGinn and Conor Hourihane in advanced midfield roles. Anwar El Ghazi and Jack Grealish supported Wesley in attack.
The First Half
The game started in a relatively lively fashion as the ball moved from one end of the pitch to the other. One of the first things of note was that Maguire was having an unusually difficult time with the pace of El Ghazi and Wesley, and he picked up a yellow card in the seventh minute for grabbing the Dutch winger from behind. On the other hand, the pace of James and Rashford was also proving a tough thing to deal with for the Villa defenders.
It seemed only a matter of time and the question of which team would first make one of their dangerous attacks count, and it turned out to be the visitors. Minute 11 was running when Grealish managed to isolate Pereira one-on-one on the left flank, and cutting slightly inside, whipped in a fantastic curved ball from a tight angle straight into the far top corner, leaving De Gea stunned where he stood. A great goal.
0-1.
The first problem for Smith arose in the 17th minute when El Ghazi had to go off injured, due to sliding awkwardly while putting in a cross from the right. Mahmoud Hassan, better known as Trezeguet, came on.
United looked quite well in terms of attacking ideas. They were trying to hit Villa from both flanks and through the middle, but having gone a goal down they were now dealing with a very low block, very hard to break through. Martial managed to hit one low towards the near post from a tight angle in the 21st minute, but Heaton was for up to the task.
But Villa looked dangerous both on counterattacks and set-pieces, and in the 29th minute they managed to put the ball in the net again as Wan-Bissaka hesitated and enabled Grealish on the left to snatch the ball and take it into the six yards. The goalscorer pulled it across,Wesley got involved and eventually Trezeguet slammed it in from close range, but the linesman’s flag was raised for offside – a decision confirmed by VAR.
United had a good chance in the 35th minute as Fred slipped in a cunning through-pass for Rashford, but Mings managed to slow the forward down enough for Heaton to come and claim it. The home team really pushed forward as hard as they could, but they weren’t succeeding in breaking through the Villa lines quickly enough, and they looked vulnerable on the counterattack.
But in the 42nd minute, the score was level. United took a corner short before Pereira swung in a cross which found Rashford completely unmarked inside the six-yard box. The England international appeared to have scored from there at first, but his header actually hit the post and bounced off the back of Heaton before going in.
1-1.
The scoreline looked better from United’s point of view at that moment, but it changed absolutely nothing in terms of what was happening on the pitch. If anything, it made the visitors exude even more energy and even push the hosts back for a while. In that period, Grealish took a shot which got deflected wide, before Trezeguet let a rocket fly from range and hit the woodwork.
There was a moment of questionable refereeing from Craig Pawson in the last minute of injury time as he pulled the play back for a foul by Guilberto on Williams and booked the Villa fullback. The thing is, James was charging free into the box when Pawson’s whistle sounded.
The Second Half
Aston Villa players showed a strong desire to go out and win this game early in the second half. For several minutes pressed high, forced United players into mistakes and won possession in the opposition half, but in the end, they couldn’t seriously threaten De Gea. After five minutes or so, Solskjaer’s men finally shook off the pressure and went forward themselves, but they couldn’t do anything of note either.
The flow of the game was very much the same as in the first half at this point with both teams looking to attack and both defences busy, and it again looked a matter of time before one side found a breakthrough. In the 58th minute, Martial danced past several opponents inside the box and took a shot from close range, prompting a good save from Heaton. Then Mata did something similar but went down looking for a penalty, which the referee was never going to give.
With an hour gone, United were slowly getting a firmer grip on things, but once they reached the final third their passing became erratic and they were still having problems with the threat of counterattacks. Villa had a great chance in the 63rd minute as Trezeguet’s deflected shot fell kindly for Grealish, but Grealish completely misfit the ball and then his team were punished.
A cross came in from the right. Wesley tried to clear but only managed to flick it on, setting up Lindelof at the far post. The centre-back calmly headed in from close range.
2-1.
But straight away, Villa pulled back level. A clever chip by Targett and a smart run by Mings fooled United’s offside trap and the centre-back slammed a volley into the net from seven or eight yards. It was a great way to round off an excellent performance for the Villa defender.
2-2.
In the 74th minute, Solskjaer freshened his team up a bit by withdrawing a tired-looking Mata, whose inlfuence on the game had diminished greatly in the second half, and sending on Jesse Lingard instead. Four minutes later, Williams made way for Luke Shaw, but just before that, Martial had a great chance to put his team back ahead. Fred brought the ball into the box and lost his footing, but Martial picked it up and after a desperate scramble, he tried to lift it over Heaton from three or four yards but ended up lifting it over the bar as well.
With 10 minutes to go, it was Smith’s turn to make his second substitution as he replaced Hourihane with Henri Lansbury. Solskjaer’s last throw of the dice was to bring on Mason Greenwood instead of Martial, and then United had another good chance. James found the head of Fred with a good cross, but the Brazilian practically placed it into the arms of a grateful Heaton, unaware of the run of Lingard who could have perhaps done more with it.
Still, unperturbed by the wasted opportunity, United charged forward more decisively in the last five minutes. Maguire came close as a corner found him on the far post, but not only did Mings clear his header off the line, but the referee also signaled that Maguire had fouled his marker.
But as time slowly dripped through their fingers, their attacks became less dangerous and though they mostly dominated the four minutes of stoppage time, they couldn’t find the winning goal.
 
GettyImages-10676866841.jpg

They were predicting it was going to be one of the most one-sided Merseyside derbies in history, and in the end, that’s how it played out at Anfield as Liverpool tore through rivals Everton with a ruthless 5-2 victory.
It was a result that actually sort of flattered the Toffees who, aside from a few bright sparks here and there, were pretty atrocious. They simply were not able to get themselves going in the slightest, and the title contenders were able to exploit that.
A huge result
It was a really fast start to the game for Liverpool who found themselves 2-0 up within 17 minutes courtesy of goals from Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri. Michael Keane pulled one back to give the visitors hope, before Origi scored his second of the game and Mane added a fourth to really put Everton on the back foot.
Richarlison pulled one back just before half time but in the second half, it just felt like both sides were going through the motions. Gini Wijnaldum gave fans a chance to sing his famous song in the last few minutes in the game, scoring a fifth to rubber stamp a huge result for his side.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was understandably elated with his side’s dominant performance.
Title race domination
“All the goals were incredible, outstanding. Wonderful goals, sensational passes, super pieces of football. I loved it a lot!
“We needed fresh legs and I had to show my respect to the boys in the squad, that’s all. They proved it. It is much more fun making changes, all of the boys are ready to deliver performances like this.
“It was a massive moment in my first season when Divock Origi got injured in the derby. It changed his career for a bit.”
Liverpool’s surge towards the title will now take them down south as they prepare to go head to head with Bournemouth. Everton, on the other hand, need to take a long look at the status of Marco Silva as their manager – especially given the fact that they have to contend with a game against Chelsea at the weekend.
 
marco-silva-watford-manager_4211247.jpg

Which top boss would want to take over the mess?
The current Everton team have wildly underachieved. While some teams are better than the sum of their parts, the Blues is the reverse. They no doubt have talented players but they are not living up to their potential. The team can’t defend and have also struggled for goals.
Even as a bias Evertonian, it is hard to see any top boss wanting to take on that mess of a team, especially mid-season. People have talked about offering big money, but even that would unlikely to be enough to attract a boss who could move the club in the right direction.
Everton must be realistic
I have read some of the names mentioned by the press and supporters, and some are simply unrealistic. The likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez are unlikely to see Everton as an attractive proposition in their current state.
In an ideal world, the Blues could get a big-name boss to help the club to fulfil its potential. However, we do not live in an ideal world and this is not a fantasy story.
Some of the other names linked are not inspiring either, with the likes of David Moyes and Mark Hughes talked about as potential replacements for Silva. Meanwhile, Portuguese journeyman Vitor Pereira is the latest name linked with the vacant position.
He won two titles in Portugal with Porto and more recently the Chinese Super League crown. However, he has enjoyed an inconsistent managerial career and is known as something of a loose cannon.
Then there is Spanish pair Unai Emery and Marcelino. The former has just lost his job at Arsenal, while Valencia dismissed Marcelino earlier this season. Neither would be universally popular choices amongst the fans.
David Moyes the favourite for the vacant position
The idea of former boss David Moyes returning to the club seems to have gone down like a lead balloon amongst the supporters. The Scot did a solid job, with little financial backing for a decade. However, he also instilled a mentality of mediocrity at the Merseyside club. He basically surrendered in away games against the top-four and his style of play was not great on the eye.
However, it seems that the Toffees are willing to re-appoint the former United boss. In fact, David Moyes is the favourite for the job at odds of 6/4. That is not a great prospect for Evertonian’s as the majority will feel it is a step back.
In their current situation, though, stability and organisation are what the team needs. Moyes despite his failings as a boss is a man who can organise a team. His teams are usually hard to beat.
With not many top-class bosses knocking at the Everton door, and the club seemingly struggling to find a new boss, Moyes returning until the end of the season may just be a necessary evil.
 
skysports-david-silva-manchester-city_4484681.jpg

As a city derby, the rivalry between Manchester City and Manchester United has always had a special kind of spark regardless of which club was doing better at a particular moment in time, prompting the debate whether the city was “blue” or “red”. United are, of course, the most successful club on the domestic scene of England with 20 league titles, a lot more than City’s six, but four of those
Team News
Both teams have had a number of injury issues through the course of the season so far. As for City, boss Pep Guardiola been without winger Leroy Sane and centre-back Aymeric Laporte for a very long time now, and their absence, particularly that of the French defender, has been felt. They’ve recently been left without their attacking talisman Sergio Aguero as well. Oleksandr Zinchenko, a midfielder by trade but often deployed at left-back, is now close to returning to contention, but the derby simply came too soon.
Ederson Moraes was in goal. John Stones and Fernandinho were the centre-back pair, flanked by Kyle Walker and Angelino. Rodri anchored the midfield, with David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne in advanced roles. Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling in wide attacking positions supported striker Gabriel Jesus.
Ole Gunnar Solsjaer in the visitors’ dugout was without the services of three defenders; Eric Bailly, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Diogo Dalot. He also couldn’t count of Paul Pogba, with the Frenchman due to return to action soon. Fellow midfielder Nemanja Matic, defender Marcos Rojo and forward Anthony Martial all faced late fitness tests ahead of the game, and only Martial made the team.
David De Gea stood between the posts. Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire paired up at the back, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw either side of them. Scott McTominay and Fred acted as the double pivot in a 4-2-3-1 setup, with the trio of Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Daniel James playing just behind Martial as the striker.
The First Half
It took City less than a minute to impose themselves on the game, move forward in numbers and start circling the opposition box, but it was United who had the first chance early on with Rashford and Martial combining on the left and involving Fred who found James on the other side, but the young Welshman shot straight at Ederson.
City’s domination continued, but for a long time it seemed they were trying to walk into the net with the ball, and with United’s defence rather compact, it wasn’t easy. United occasionally broke the bonds and attacked in numbers, but mostly they looked for chances to hit quickly through the pace of Rashford, James or Martial.
In the ninth minute they broke again and Rashford set Lingard up nicely, but Lingard’s shot from a tight angle prompted a nice foot-save from Ederson. Four minutes later City had a great chance as Bernardo played a one-two with David Silva and squared the ball into the box for Jesus, but Lindelof’s last-ditch tackle stopped the Brazilian from scoring from close range. United quickly threatened again as Rashford’s diagonal found the run of James on the left, and eventually Martial blasted one from just inside the box, forcing Ederson into a third save in the opening 15 minutes. It was a very lively opening period.
There was a lot of controversy in the 20th minute. Rashford again broke into the box and was clearly tackled to the ground by Bernardo. Referee Anthony Taylor initially let the play continue, but VAR intervened and awarded United a penalty. Rashford himself stepped up, sent Ederson one way and the ball the other. A deserved goal for the young England international.
0-1.
Just a few minutes later Rashford could have made it two as Lingard and Fred orchestrated another counterattack, but his shooting was poor this time. Less than 60 seconds later he tried again from the edge of the box and hit the crossbar. Despite their overwhelming possession, City were looking stunned, and there was no stopping the visitors in their next move.
It was launched by De Gea’s long kick. Martial and Rashford did well to hold the ball up and eventually Martial combined with James on the right, before firing past Ederson into the near bottom corner.
0-2.
Sterling played mostly on the left wing for City and his duels with Wan-Bissaka were a fierce contest, mostly won by the United right-back.
City still stuck to their game-plan and kept the ball mostly in United’s half, and in the 37th minute they had a great chance. De Bruyne’s accurate cross from the right found the head of Jesus, but the ball went far from the target. Two minutes later, Sterling finally got the better of Wan-Bissaka and won a free-kick on the very corner of the box. It was taken directly by De Bruyne, and the Belgian’s curved effort scraped the roof of the net on the outside. Rodri won one in a much better position soon afterwards, a great angle for a left-footer, but David Silva’s chip over the wall was too slow to trouble De Gea.
Guardiola’s team pressed high when off the ball, but another interesting thing to note was that United weren’t haveing nearly as much difficulty with it as one would expect, given the champions’ reputation. But De Bruyne did create another good chance with another good cross, this time for D. Silva, but the Spaniard failed to get a shot off.
In the dying seconds of the half the home side had a penalty shout when Walker, having played a one-two with De Bruyne and tried to square from the byline, hit Fred on the hand. VAR reviewed the situation and confirmed the referee’s decision – only a corner.
The Second Half
As expected, City attacked hard after the restart, and after only three minutes D. Silva’s shot from around 15 yards whizzed over the far top corner. But their efforts still weren’t as unpredictable or unmanagable for the opposition as they can be.
United mostly knew exactly where the danger would come from and closed down any space that the hosts had their eyes on exploiting. They also had a good idea when to press high and when to drop into a low block.
Further more, Walker and Angelino were still having much trouble with Rashford and James, respectively. Angelino in particular found it difficult to deal with the pace of James. But in the 55th minute, City came very close after a long and intricate move caused a bit of a scramble in front of De Gea, and eventually De Bruyne took a shot which Lindelof stopped with a timely block.
From the ensuing corner United sprang a counterattack. James took the ball far up and involved Lingard who was mowed down recklessly by Walker. The City defender marvelously passed without a yellow card, but a few moments later disaster struck. With Laporte already out injured, Guardiola was forced to replace Stones through injury, and Nicolas Otamendi took to the pitch in the 59th minute.
A minute later Sterling dispossessed Lindelof deep in United’s half, charged into the box and past several opponents, before Wan-Bissaka stopped him once again with a well-timed toe-poke. A similar situation at the other end almost resulted in City going further down as James stole the ball from Angelino and burst forward, but the Blues defence survived the scramble. Then it was Rodri with a blast into the top corner for City, but De Gea made a fine save. City had another great chance immediately afterwards as Sterling’s shot caught a deflection off Wan-Bissaka and almost fell perfectly for Mahrez, who had replaced Bernardo earlier, but Shaw defended well. Then it was James who pulled another fast counterattack and involved Lingard whose shot was saved by Ederson.
There was also a very ugly moment in the 67th minute. A corner was given to United, and as Fred went to take it, City fans started throwing objects at him and only stopped at the request of several players in blue shirts. It will be interesting to see if there is any action taken from the English FA for that.
As the game entered its final 20 minutes, the frustration of Guardiola’s players was becoming more pronounced. They were now attacking constantly in numbers, but once inside the box, they either went down too easily or screamed for a penalty claiming a United player had handled the ball. They were becoming more nervous with every passing minute, as was Guardiola himself on the touchline. The frustration was perfectly depicted in the 80th minute, when first Walker needlessly clattered Fred from behind and De Bruyne followed that up with a nasty, deliberate foul on McTominay.
On the other hand, United seemed to know what to do in this situation. They defended patiently and still looked for for a chance to hit quickly, but understandably felt no pressure. And when intricate play didn’t work, City finally found another way to break through in the 85th minute.
Mahrez took a corner and delivered the ball well to the edge of six yards. Otamendi came up and jumped highest, slamming the header in.
1-2.
City suddenly sprang alive, attacking more fiercely than ever, and Mahrez came very close to equalizing straight away and was only denied by a great save from De Gea. Solskjaer then reacted by replacing Lingard with Axel Tuanzebe to strengthen the back line, and he had to replace Shaw with Ashley Young because of an injury to the starting left-back.
When the five minutes of injury time started running, United’s intentions were very clear – to defend and waste time by any means possible, which seemed to be driving City players mad. City were flinging the ball into the box non-stop, but apart from a few scrambles, there was nothing they could do. The final whistle was accompanied by a smile from Sir Alex Ferguson from the stands.
 
Arsenal-next-manager-leicester-2203919.jpg

Leicester City have been one of the hottest teams in the English Premier League in recent weeks, and they entered Sunday’s match against Aston Villa on the heels of an eight-game winning streak in all competitions. They made sure to extend that run, as they had little to no problems to defeat Villa by a convincing 4-1 score away from home.
Jamie Vardy netted a brace for The Foxes, and both Kelechi Iheanacho and Jonny Evans found the back of the net as well. Jack Grealish scored an stoppage-time goal for Villa during the first half, but that wasn’t enough to spark a comeback.
Leicester looked dominant right from the start, pressing high on the pitch and not giving Villa an inch of space to operate out of the back. Eventually that strategy would pay off, as The Foxes only needed 20 minutes to score the opening goal. An impressive through ball from Iheanacho found Vardy, and the former England international left Tom Heaton behind, got past a defender and slotted it home from close range.
Leicester would double their tally 21 minutes later, as Iheanacho – who was unstoppable during the first half – bagged his goal here. James Maddison sent a cross from the left wing and Iheanacho moved quicker than everyone else on the box to place the ball into the back of the net. Villa would show signs of reaction, however, and they pulled one back when Grealish defeated Kasper Schmeichel with a shot from outside the box.
Evans, Vardy seal the deal for The Foxes
The first half ended 2-1 for Leicester and one would have thought Villa would aim to even things up quickly after the break. However, Leicester only needed four minutes to add a third goal and essentially ice the contest out. Maddison was once again on the build-up – this time, his corner kick delivery found Jonny Evans. The former Manchester United defender nodded the ball home with a towering header.
Leicester closed things out in the 75th minute. A long pass from Dennis Praet found Vardy who, running behind the defence once again, faced Heaton one-on-one and placed the ball out of his reach with a composed finish. This brace allowed Vardy to extend his lead as the league’s top scorer. He now has 16 goals in 16 Premier League appearances, including 11 in his last eight.
Villa did what they could, but Leicester was simply too much for them to handle. The Foxes won this match deservedly and once again showed they are the lone team who can keep Liverpool’s pace in the EPL title race.
 
1187765637.jpg.0.jpg

Ansu Fati came off the bench to steal a late three points for a much changed Barcelona side against Inter Milan on Tuesday evening to eliminate the Italians from the UEFA Champions League.
Inter were probably the more impressive in the opening period but Carles Perez gave the visitors the lead midway through the first-half. Romelu Lukaku fired in the equaliser on the stroke of half-time with a brilliant finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.
The hosts had chances to win the game and ensure their progression but they were sucker-punched as Fati guided a brilliant winning goal into the bottom corner in the 86th minute to see Barca finish top of the group and oust Antonio Conte’s men.
Fascinating start at the San Siro
The hosts could have seized the lead within the first five minutes as a flowing move saw the ball played to Danilo D’Ambrosio but he blazed the ball over the crossbar. Lukaku also thought he had kept up his hot streak as he collected Diego Godin’s low shot and thundered the ball into the roof of the net, only to see his celebrations cut short by the offside flag.
Inter were the better side throughout the first-half but Barcelona goalkeeper Neto proved to be a formidable opponent as he palmed away Cristiano Biraghi’s well-struck effort.
Inter spurn opportunities and Barca profit
Despite the hosts’ early dominance, Barca struck the opener. Antoine Griezmann’s cross was collected by Arturo Vidal, who expertly played it into the path of Perez. He then coolly dispatched a shot into the bottom corner of the net with a composed finish.
Clement Lenglet should then have doubled the lead as a corner fell to him only yards out but he sliced his effort wide.
Lukaku finally beats Neto
That missed chance came back to bite the visitors as Conte’s troops deservedly hauled themselves minutes before the break. A long ball fell to Lautaro Martinez before Lukaku powerfully dispatched the knock down beyond the despairing grasp of Neto.
Both sides then had chances to go ahead after the break. Samir Handanovic produced a solid low stop to deny Griezmann. Neto followed that up as Lukaku shrugged off Jean-Clair Todibo and was again frustrated by the Brazilian.
Inter twice thought they had claimed the lead as the second-half wore on through Martinez but on both occasions, his strikes were ruled out by the offside flag.
Fati comes of the bench to steal three points
Much like in the first-half, the Catalans were subdued but always dangerous on the break. Perez wasted a wonderful opportunity to earn the three points as he fired over from the left.
His replacement, Fati, showed him how it was done though as he picked up the ball on the edge of the Inter penalty area and guided a zipping low shot into the far bottom corner of the Inter net to seal three points late on.
 
1215384_1.jpg

According to Sky Sports, Salzburg wonderkid Erling Haaland has visited both RB Leipzig and Dortmund ahead of a switch to the Bundesliga in the January transfer window. The 19-year-old is seemingly being monitored by a host of top European clubs, including the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United.
Numbers are sensational
The son of former Leeds and Norway star Alfie Inge Haaland has become one of the most in-demand players in the world game after a sensational couple of years. Many youngsters are talked up, but simply do not have the numbers to match their supposed potential.
It is difficult to argue with Haaland’s attacking returns this season. While he had impressed at various youth championships, this season he has not only starred in the Austrian Bundesliga, but also the Champions League.
The youngster has scored 16 goals in 14 matches in the Austrian top-flight this season. Some will say ‘it’s only the Austrian top-flight’. However, he has also been prolific in the Champions League. The striker scored eight goals in five European matches, only failing to score in Salzburg’s gameweek six home match against Liverpool. For a young player to produce some impressive goalscoring stats is very rare.
Bundesliga the logical next step
Moving to the German Bundesliga is the logical next step for the 19-year-old. The top-flight of football in Germany has become a breeding ground for young players who want to develop and move on to Europe’s biggest clubs.
The German top-flight also offers youngsters first-team opportunities in one of the best and most exciting leagues in the European game. Quite simply, there is probably not a better league for a youngster to play their football in at the minute. A move to the Bundesliga looks the ideal one for Haaland.
It will certainly be a major test of Haaland’s ability and potential, as the German Bundesliga is of a far higher standard than its neighbour leagues. Haaland may take a while to adjust. However, he seems to have the rare instinct of being a natural-born goalscorer. He also has decent technical ability and good football intelligence for a player of such tender years.
The step-up will do him good, as it will help him develop as a person and as a player. The youngster already seems to have outgrown Salzburg, who have played a part in developing yet another bright young player.
 
thumb_98559_default_news_size_5.jpeg
It is fair to say that Liverpool have been like a juggernaut in the Premier League this season. The Reds have won 16 of their first 17 matches in the top-flight, while also winning four of their six matches in the Champions League group stages.
On Wednesday evening, they face a different challenge, as Jurgen Klopp’s team face Mexican team Monterrey in the FIFA Club World Cup. The Merseysider’s are massive favourites to beat their opponents at odds of 2/9.
A strange situation
Liverpool appearing at the FIFA Club World Cup in itself is not a strange situation. In fact, the Reds as European champions were obligated to take part in the competition as representatives of Europe. However, what is strange is the fact that Liverpool are also playing a League Cup quarter-final on Tuesday night.
While Klopp and his senior team are facing Monterrey, a Liverpool eleven made up of Neil Critchley’s under-23 team take on struggling Premier League outfit Aston Villa at Villa Park. There was talk of the Reds pulling out of the League Cup altogether but then settled on the under-23’s playing instead. The Reds do have a busy schedule as they are still fighting on every front.
Who are Monterrey?
The Mexican team made it through to the CLUB World Cup by winning the CONCACAF Champions League for the fourth time since first lifting the trophy back in 2011.
The Mexican team have some familiar names to Premier League fans in their ranks, including utility man Miguel Layun, who once played for Watford in the English top-flight. The experienced star also played for the likes of Porto, Sevilla and Villarreal.
In a strange twist of fate, Rogerio Funes Mori, twin brother of former Everton star Ramiro Funes Mori is also in the Monterrey squad. In fact, he scored in the 3-2 victory over Al Sadd to set up this meeting with the European champions.
Then there is former Tottenham striker Vincent Janssen, who has scored ten times in 20 appearances since joining the Mexican team from Spurs. The forward is odds of 11/4 to score at anytime against the Merseysider’s.
Wednesday’s clash will not be the first time that Monterrey has met a Premier League side in this competition, as they suffered a 3-1 loss against Chelsea in the 2012 edition. Unfortunately for Monterrey, they will head into their clash with the European champions hoping to avoid a similar defeat.
Liverpool big favourites to lift the trophy
The European champions tend to dominate this competition, as 11 of the last 12 editions of the competition have been won by the kings of Europe. In fact, Spanish giants Real Madrid have won it for the last three years. With Liverpool in fantastic form, it is unsurprising that the Reds are favourites to win lift the trophy at odds of 4/11, with the final of the competition on Saturday evening.
If Liverpool do triumph in Qatar, then it is unlikely to be the last piece of silverware that the Merseysider’s pick-up. Any piece of silverware is welcome and it seems that Liverpool and their boss Klopp are taking the competition seriously. It would be a major surprise if the Reds fail to emerge victorious on Wednesday and indeed on Saturday evening.
 
Barcelona-vs-Real-Madrid-1218823.jpg

Barcelona and Real Madrid battled to their first Clasico bore draw since 2000 at the Camp Nou on Wednesday evening.
Heading into the match occupying the top two positions in La Liga, the game just failed to live up to the billing as chances were squandered. Gareth Bale thought he had scored a winner as he converted from Ferland Mendy’s bustling run but the linesman’s flag denied the Welshman and Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid as both sides earned a point.
Real spurn chances to lead
After netting in each of his last two La Liga matches, Karim Benzema had the first real chance at the Camp Nou as his shot on the turn was saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the Barcelona goal.
Brazilian midfielder Casemiro then went even closer as he leapt highest from a corner, only to see his header cleared off of the line by Gerard Pique.
Real’s excellent start to the game continued to go unrewarded though as they failed to make the breakthrough. First, ter Stegen just managed to clear away a cross before parrying away another effort from Casemiro.
Let offs for Los Blancos
Despite that, Barcelona remained dangerous and could well have profited from Thibaut Courtois’ poor punch that fell to Lionel Messi. As it looked as though the Argentine superstar would score, Sergio Ramos this time got back on the line to clear.
The hosts grew into the game just before the break and should really have been heading into the interval ahead as Messi’s wonderful pass picked out Jordi Alba. However, the defender could not fire the ball home from close range, instead putting his curling effort wide.
Messi also had another chance on the hour as he played a clever one-two with Antoine Griezmann but somehow failed to get any meaningful connection on his shot.
VAR denies Bale
Heading into the final 20 minutes, it was difficult putting a judgement on who was the most likely to tip the balance. Gareth Bale attempted to haul the game in Real’s favour with a fierce drive but could only find the side-netting.
The Welshman did eventually have the ball in the net as he tucked home Ferland Mendy’s cross but a combination of the linesman’s flag and VAR ruled the strike out as both sides departed with a hard-fought draw.
 
22157144-0-image-m-26_1576162583028.jpg
There seems to be a widespread dislike of Everton in the British mainstream media. I am not sure if it is because the Blues are attempting to upset ‘the Sky six’, but it is starting to become ridiculous.
Everton are on the verge of appointing Italian coaching great Carlo Ancelotti as their new head coach. Instead of the Blues receiving praise for their ambition, it seems they are being derided for showing ambition.
Not Ancelotti’s usual club
Even as a self-confessed Everton fan, I know we are not in the same league as the likes of Real Madrid, AC Milan, Bayern Munich or PSG (when it comes to current position anyway). However, Everton are not a small club either. In fact, only three clubs have won the English top-flight title more times than the Toffees.
That is the thing, we have the history and the financial backing of Farhad Moshiri. All the club needs is the right man in charge of the team. So, yes, we are not in the Champions League, yes, we have not won the European Cup (sore point), but the club have obviously convinced Ancelotti that we can aim high in the future.
The 60-year-old would not just be coming to Everton for his reportedly massive pay packet. He could easily retire on his career earnings. Maybe the Italian fancied a challenge and Everton offered him the right conditions.
Finally appointing a winner
Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri is wildly ambitious. He has backed previous coaches to the hilt. He put his faith in those bosses and more recently director of football Marcel Brands top deliver results. The sad truth is that all the recent Everton bosses have been ones with potential, rather than real winning pedigree.
The likes of Ronald Koeman and most recently Marco Silva have won very little in their careers. They may have won a few trophies in foreign leagues, but there is not a great record of consistently winning trophies.
Until his time at former club Napoli, Ancelotti was a serial winner of trophies. The job in Naples was an impossible one really. He was expected to overthrow perennial league champions Juventus. However, he wasn’t exactly given a massive budget to do so. Then there was trouble with the Napoli hierarchy.
At most clubs, granted mostly massive ones, Ancelotti has delivered silverware/and or success. The Italian is amongst the most successful coaches of his generation. The expected move to Merseyside is seen by many as Ancelotti’s career is on a downward spiral. Maybe that is just the mainstream media’s bias again.
Ancelotti was the best coach Everton could get
The talk of Ancelotti being wrong for Everton and why would Ancelotti move to Everton is frustrating. Why wouldn’t the Blues go for the best available boss and the Italian is the best around. He is certainly an upgrade on the likes of David Moyes and Vitor Pereira.
Ancelotti’s appointment will only improve Everton’s fortunes. The Italian must believe he can improve the Toffees situation or he would not have agreed to take the job. His first task will be to move them away from the relegation zone.
Everton are still odds of 6/5 for a top-ten finish this season. That would likely be acceptable considering the start the Toffees made to the season. Ancelotti would then be able to rebuild the squad next summer.
While it may look like a strange pairing, Carlo Ancelotti may just be the winner that Everton have needed all along to return to the glory days.
 
Image-Bitter-and-Blue.jpg

Had someone told you at the turn of the century that in 2019/20 a clash between Manchester City and Leicester City would actually be a contest between two teams that have both won the Premier League title in the last four years, you probably wouldn’t have believed them.
Nonetheless, defending champions Manchester City welcomed the 2015/16 champions Leicester City to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening in the 18th round of the Premier League campaign, in a game that is very likely to have had a big impact on the title race. They are the two teams currently chasing table-topping Liverpool; Leicester in second place with an ten-point deficit ahead of the clash, City in third with four points less than Leicester.
Team News
City boss Pep Guardiola was unable to count on long-term absentees Aymeric Laporte and Leroy Sane, both out with knee injuries. Forward Sergio Aguero was also injured recently, and though he was back in contention for this game, he started on the bench, as did Oleksandr Zinchenko. John Stones was out, and Guardiola decided to start Ilkay Gundogan ahead of Rodri.
Ederson Moraes was in goal. Nicolas Otamendi paired up with Fernandinho at the back once more, and they were flanked by Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy. Gundogan sat behind Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva in midfield, while striker Gabriel Jesus was supported by Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling.
Brendan Rodgers in the away dugout was only without midfielder Matthew James, who has been missing for a while now with a calf injury.
Kasper Schmeichel stood between the posts. Caglar Soyuncu and Jonny Evans have become a very stable centre-back partnership in central defence. Ricardo Pereira was on their right, Ben Chilwell on their left. Wilfried Ndidi anchored the midfield, with Youri Tielemans and James Maddison further up. Ayoze Perez and Harvey Barnes flanked striker Jamie Vardy.
The First Half
Both teams tried to make a mark on the game early on, with a half-chance apiece within two minutes. But as time wore on, it seemed more likely that the visitors would be the ones to blink first, and in the sixth minute a mistake by Evans almost proved costly, but the rest of the Leicester defence reacted well and stopped Sterling’s run.
City pressed high and pressed well, with De Bruyne often going as high as Jesus to help in closing Leicester players down, and the main line of the battle was gradually being moved towards Schmeichel. The Foxes, however, looked dangerous whenever they broke through that press.
In the 10th minute, Leicester moved their lines further up which City almost took advantage of twice, but first Sterling was stopped by Evans, and then Mahrez shot straight at Soyuncu. City’s attacks continued, and in the 14th minute Mahrez set De Bruyne up nicely for a shot from the edge of the box, with which the Belgian hit the post.
The Algeria international looked very lively on the right flank, constantly on the ball, twisting and turning, giving Chilwell and Soyuncu a lot to worry about. In the 17th minute, he completely turned Chilwell inside out on the edge of six yards and pulled it back for Jesus, who failed to take a proper shot. It was, however, a clear-cut chance.
Two minutes later, Leicester tried to hit back and they released Vardy on the right flank. He took Bernardo on and beat him, before trying but failing to find Maddison in the middle of the box. City continued pushing forward, but Leicester are always at their best with their backs against the wall, and so it proved this time too.
Minute 22 was running when Barnes released Vardy with a great pass in behind. The striker outpaced Fernandinho, came to the line of six yards and chipped the ball over Ederson, and into the net, silencing the Etihad.
0-1.
The score probably shoould have been level two minutes later as a lovely chipped ball by De Bruyne from the left found Sterling a few yards from the far post and the England winger did well to direct it on target first time, but Schmeichel stuck his foot out and made a great reflex save.
In the 28th minute, Vardy again caused some pain to City’s high defensive line as Ndidi this time found his run from the halfway line, but this time the striker went to wide to the left and missed the target from a tight angle.
But the ball was constantly being flung into Leicester’s box, and it always seemed a matter of time when something would come of it. Right on the half-hour mark, it was Mahrez again with a shot from the edge of the box, and this time it got deflected off Soyuncu’s foot and caught Schmeichel going the wrong way. Mahrez had no issues celebrating a goal against his former club.
1-1.
Probably sensing Mahrez’s tendency to make something happen, De Bruyne started drifting his way more and more at this point, and their combinations often seemed like nightmares for both Soyuncu and Chilwell. In the 37th minute, they also involved Jesus in a nicely worked move and De Bruyne eventually tried his luck, but Ndidi flung himself in the way of the shot. Two minutes later, De Bruyne found Sterling deep in the box, but the former Liverpool man couldn’t control the ball properly and lost it. Then it was Sterling’s turn to tee De Bruyne up, bu this time Schmeichel made a nice save.
In the 41st minute, Sterling entered the box and tried to get past Ricardo. He pushed the ball past the defender and went down, and referee Mike Dean gave a penalty. VAR checked and confirmed the decision, and Gundogan made no mistake from the spot.
2-1.
Leicester gave a good go at finding an equalizer in the two minutes of stoppage time and had City on the ropes for a minute, but they couldn’t make it count.
The Second Half
Leicester came into the second half with the same drive they showed at the end of the first. They got on the ball a lot more and weren’t just happy with dropping back and defending. However, they weren’t finding it easy to break through City’s lines, with Guardiola’s team adapting well to the change. With less than five minutes gone, the home side started pressing higher up again, looking to surprise the visitors, but the result wasn’t exactly what they hoped it would be with Ederson forced to run out of his box to clear in front of Vardy.
However, in the 51st minute De Bruyne managed to break down the right flanked and force a foul from Ndidi, for which the Leicester midfielder picked up a booking. They wasted the free-kick, but the Foxes were now finding it more difficult to play out the back and control the game. City achieved what they intended – they now kept the ball with ease, moved the lines towards Schmeichel’s goal and started looking dangerous again.
Leicester’s main problem seemed to be the fact that Vardy was the only player ever likely to trouble the City defence, making it easy for Fernandinho and Otamendi to focus their efforts. Perez and Barnes were practically invisible for most of the game, while Maddison was mostly surrounded by sky-blue shirts wherever he went.
In the 59th minute, City had a great chance. De Bruyne did extremely well to set up Jesus, but the Brazilian not only failed to score, but was also judged to have committed a foul. De Bruyne’s angry outburst earned him a yellow card.
Just 60 seconds later, Vardy again darted down the right flanked and squared the ball into the box for the incoming Barnes, but the youngster failed to divert it on target under pressure from Ederson and picked up an injury in the clash with the City goalkeeper. He was helped off the pitch by the medical staff and replaced by Marc Albrighton.
City’s attacks continued, one after another, and in the 66th minute Schmeichel made a spectacular save to deny Mahrez from the edge of the box. Leicester only occasionally managed to get some meaningful possession in th opposition half, and it was quite obvious that Rodgers had to react. Demarai Gray came on for Perez, but it seemed too late.
In the 69th minute, De Bruyne tore down the right flank, running in behind Chilwell and dribbling past Soyuncu, before squaring to the far post where Jesus was waiting for a tap-in.
3-1.
Leicester players were trying to respond, but City now used any means necessary to impede the pace of the game. Gundogan picked up a yellow card for a really bad tackle on Vardy, while Sterling was very lucky to avoid the same fate a few times. But Guardiola’s tactical fouling strategy worked again, and they soon had control of the game again.
De Bruyne came close to crowning another great performance with a goal in the 75th minute, but his good effort was diverted over the bar by the equally good Schmeichel. Two minutes later, Rodgers threw his last dice through Denis Praet, who replaced Tielemans. Gundogan was soon replaced by Rodri for City, apparently injured.
Mostly through relentless intensity and pure quality, helped occasionally by some ‘dark arts’, the home team brought the game completely under their control towards the end. Leicester could only hold the ball for longer spells in their own half, but even then they often lost it to City’s high press. With two minutes to go, Guardiola decided to give Phil Foden a run-out instead of Sterling.
There were four minutes of added time, but City immediately started wasting it through De Bruyne, who stayed sitting on the ground demanding to be replaced. Aguero came on.
Leicester still tried to get forward, but their attacks were mostly blunt. Even the ever-relentless Vardy wasn’t making runs anymore, and it was increasingly difficult for them to do anything of note in the opposition half, right until the referee blew the final whistle.
 
GettyImages-1190053571.jpg

Arsenal unveiled Mikel Arteta as their new manager earlier this month. The former central midfielder knows The Gunners must improve both their performances and their squad during the second half of the season.
Despite having an attack with established world-class players such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe and Alexandre Lacazette, another piece would be useful. A right winger seems to be at the top of the manager’s wish list. Arteta wants an experienced player, not one of the many youngsters Arsenal have promoted from within over the past months.
With that in mind, the idea of signing Kevin Volland could be an interesting addition for the Emirates Stadium outfit. The Leverkusen winger has been linked with a London switch over the past few days. And if we look at this, we could see a fruitful partnership for both parties involved.
Why would this move work for both sides?
On Arsenal’s side, adding Volland could form a devastating foursome upfront with Lacazette on the N°10 hole, Pepe on the left and Aubameyang as a striker. Volland could also work as depth as a centre forward, although he feels far more comfortable playing on a wider stance. Plus, Arsenal could boost their attack given their recent form.
The Gunners currently sit in 11th place of the standings, and they have scored only 24 goals in 18 matches thus far. That’s tied for the highest figure among the bottom 12 sides of the table, but let’s face it – Arsenal do not belong there. If we compare them against the Top 8 sides, Arsenal’s attack would rank as the second worst. Adding a boost seems necessary.
From Volland’s view, moving to Arsenal would be a great step on his professional development. The 27-year-old is living his third season at Leverkusen, and it seems he is ready to move into another directions. Performance-wise, he already has five goals and seven assists in 17 Bundesliga appearances this season. He could easily feature in a more competitive environment, and the Premier League would grant him exactly that.
We have to wait and see whether Leverkusen agree to part ways with Volland. After all, they will compete in the UEFA Europa League during the second half of the season. But if Arsenal comes with a big offer, then the Bundesliga side shouldn’t refuse. Volland’s value is at an all-time high right now and, if Leverkusen want to cash on him, now it’s the perfect time to do it.
 
1026184422.jpg.0.jpg

Burnley could be forgiven for feeling confident about their chances of getting one over on Manchester United when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men came to town earlier this evening. Alas, while their inconsistency has been difficult for a lot of their fans to stomach, they were able to give the masses something to smile about as they came out on top in this tight affair at Turf Moor.
United started the game a bit slow, but neither team was really able to test the other in front of goal. The possession game was with the visitors and that much was obvious, but it took them quite a while to actually do something with it. Just a few minutes before half time it was Anthony Martial who was able to take advantage of an error at the back from the Clarets, gifting the top four contenders the lead in the process.
Making it count
In the second half it was much of the same with Burnley failing to really inspire any sort of comeback. United certainly had to ride their luck at times and they were always going to have their backs against the wall, but they held on and even managed to add a second through a nice counter attack finish from Marcus Rashford.
Solskjaer had the following to say after the game up in Lancashire.
“In the first half I thought we were very good. We controlled it and dominated it. Second half of course there will be a couple more incidents in your box because they are throwing the ball into it but great defending.
“It is a big difference to get a clean sheet. It is important for us to know we can grind out results as well, even though if you score one you don’t always win but if we get the clean sheets we have a better chance to move up the table.
Dull but necessary
Burnley boss Sean Dyche, on the other hand, wasn’t too dissatisfied with how the game played out.
“It is sometimes the way it is. We played a top side. We worked hard tonight. It was a solid first half, we were in the game and a mistake changed that.
“It is hard to get Manchester United on the back foot but we certainly asked questions of them and certainly used the ball better. We created enough to nick something.
“I am pleased with the mentality tonight. It is hard playing these games but the mentality was good.”
 
GettyImages-1018848522.jpg

Chelsea completed a late smash and grab comeback victory to beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Gunners took a deserved lead in the 13’th minute as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang polished off a clever corner routine. An awful second-half error from Bernd Leno gifted Jorginho the equaliser though, before Tammy Abraham completed the turnaround as he latched onto Willian’s centre and drove the ball low into the net to secure victory for Chelsea and Frank Lampard.
Aubameyang gives Arteta perfect start
Surprisingly, David Luiz was the man with the early opportunities in the match as he first sent a wild overhead kick off target before forcing a relatively comfortable stop out of Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa from a free-kick.
Somewhat predictably though, it was Aubameyang who ensured the Gunners’ positive start to the game had some reward. Connecting with Calum Chambers’ flicked header from a corner, the forward stooped low to guide the ball beyond Kepa and into the back of the Chelsea net.
Chelsea struggle to impose
The Blues severely struggled throughout the opening half an hour of the match and Frank Lampard made an early change as he introduced Jorginho for Emerson. That alteration almost paid instant dividends as Kurt Zouma found space at the back post in a very similar position to Aubameyang’s opener but couldn’t connect with the ball to turn it in.
Despite being massively under-par during the first-half, Chelsea improved following the break but clear cut chances were still at a premium. Abraham probably had the best of them as he out-jumped the Arsenal defence from a corner but could only put his header straight at Bernd Leno.
Arsenal remained dangerous throughout and almost extended their advantage through substitute Joe Willock as he blasted a powerful effort marginally wide.
Leno howler gifts Chelsea equaliser
For all of their impressive play throughout the match, the Gunners’ great work was undone by a horrendous error by Leno. Aiming to punch clear a deep Chelsea free-kick, the German completely missed the ball, allowing Jorginho to ghost in-behind and tap into the unguarded net.
Barely five minutes later, the Blues completed their turnaround as they launched a lethal counter-attack. Abraham released Willian down the right-flank, with the Brazilian manufacturing space to return the ball to the striker in the box. He then took three touches to control, spin and fire underneath Leno to edge Chelsea ahead for the first time late in the day.
 
4espbar0401.jpg

The Catalunya Derby was far more intense than what anyone could have expected. Espanyol pulled a huge upset, and they escaped with a 2-2 draw against Barca after scoring a late equalizer in the 88th minute. David Lopez and Wu Lei scored for Espanyol, while Luis Suarez and Arturo Vidal found the back of the net for Los Blaugranas.
The hosts got off to a better start in the first half and although they had to wait until nearly the 25th minute to score the first goal, it was clear they were comfortable in their first match of the 2020 year. Los Pericos eventually broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute thanks to David Lopez. The central midfielder nodded home a cross from Marc Roca.
Barcelona struggled to react in the first half, and their first clear scoring chance came in the 41st minute through a header from Lionel Messi. Suarez attempted to score in the very next minute, but his effort rattled the crossbar.
Espanyol were on top on the score, but Barcelona were dominating completely. But they needed a spark off the bench to turn things around. That spark was Vidal.
Vidal’s energy not enough to lead Barca to a win
The Chilean midfielder replaced Ivan Rakitic, and he wasted little time to make an impact. His energy sparked all over the place, and it allowed Barcelona to mount a quick second-half comeback. First it was Suarez, who nodded home a cross from Jordi Alba, and later it was Vidal himself. Following a deflection, the former Juventus star headed the ball past the keeper with an excellent finish.
It seemed as if Barcelona wouldn’t relinquish the lead during the remainder of the contest, but they had to play with 10 men down the stretch following the sending off of Frenkie de Jong. And despite the fact Barca had several chances to add a third goal, Los Blaugranas would end up conceding a late equalizer to Wu Lei.
The Chinese winger, who came off the bench late in the second half to replace an incumbent Oscar Melendo, evened things up in the 88th minute. He took advantage off a pass from fellow substitute Matias Vargas, and defeated Neto with a shot from the edge of the box.
The match ended with a stalemate, although the result shouldn’t leave anyone happy. Los Pericos remain winless at home with this result, while Barcelona remain at the top of the Liga standings but only lead Real Madrid based on their goal differential.
 
1192979246.jpg.0.jpg

The opportunity arose earlier tonight for Everton to secure their first win at Anfield in a long, long time as they came up against a weakened Liverpool side in the Merseyside derby. They met in the third round of the FA Cup, and in the end, they were somewhat humiliated by this young Reds team that narrowly edged them out to make their way into the fourth round of football’s oldest club competition.
Liverpool’s youngsters gave as good as they got, but in truth, they didn’t get very much from Everton on the night. Carlo Ancelotti will be well aware of the fact that this team needs a lot of work, and their lethargic display served as proof of that. After a goalless draw in the first half it was 18-year-old Curtis Jones who curled in a magnificent winner with less than 20 minutes to go to send the Anfield faithful into a frenzy.
The youngster Jones spoke to the media in the wake of his historic goal.
The big brother wins again
“I just go out there and try and play my game.
“It’s been frustrating at times being on the bench and then getting a taste on the pitch and then being back on the bench.
“I’ve been basically begging to come on but hopefully I’ve topped it off with a good goal.
“I can’t sum up my emotions. For me it’s huge just being around this team every day and learning from this group of players. There are world-class players all over this team but I think I went out and showed what I could do on the pitch.”
One step beyond
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was, as you can imagine, happy with the win.
“They played brave football. Unbelievable individual performances from the kids and the adults as well.
“Adam Lallana – what a game, unbelievable. Joe Gomez – organising the whole defence for maybe the first time in his life.
“Sensational game and a sensational goal from a Scouser – who could ask for more? You cannot perform like the boys performed if you think you should not perform in that team.
“They all think like that. I am so happy they all showed up tonight. The only thing I didn’t want was a draw. We had to take some risks and it paid off.”
 
Premier-League-TV-schedule-How-to-watch-Man-City-vs-Watford-Arsenal-vs-Man-Utd-1097800.jpg

Manchester City put one foot in the Carabao Cup final as they beat near-neighbours Manchester United 3-1 at Old Trafford in the semi-final first-leg at Old Trafford.
Bernardo Silva wrote his name all over the derby just after the 15-minute mark as he powered in an absolutely blitzing long-range strike. Riyad Mahrez then got the second of the game as he latched onto a fantastic through-ball and rounded David De Gea to finish before an unfortunate Andreas Pereira own-goal made it three before the break.
United did eventually give their fans something to shout about as Marcus Rashford reduced the deficit with his 13th goal of the season to at least reduce the arears heading back to the Etihad Stadium in a few weeks’ time.
Bernardo blast gives City advantage
It was a low-key beginning to proceedings at Old Trafford, with the hosts initially looking the more threatening down the wings. However, a blockbuster from Silva livened the game up considerably. Picking up Kyle Walker’s pass just outside of the penalty area, the Portuguese drilled a stunning shot into the top corner that left De Gea with absolutely no chance.
Raheem Sterling could have doubled the lead with his first career goal against Manchester United but twice had close range efforts blocked away.
Quickfire strikes see City cruise
City doubled their lead mid-way through the first-period and it was once again a wonderfully crafted goal. A stunning ball from the unplayable Bernardo saw Mahrez slice through the United defence, with the Algerian staying cool to skip around De Gea and finish into the unguarded net.
Pep Guardiola’s men then showed ruthless efficiency to make it an unsurmountable scoreline before the break. A wicked counter-attack saw the ball fall to De Bruyne and he showed breathtaking skill to get one-on-one with De Gea but the Spaniard saved well. The ball only served to deflect to Pereira, who was unfortunate to tap it into his own net.
Rashford gives United a lifeline
Midway through the second-half, the ole’s started to come out as City controlled possession. However, some sloppy play finally saw United get on the scoresheet. The ball was gifted to substitute Mason Greenwood and he did excellently to play through Rashford, who showed great composure to slot into the far corner.
The England forward then tested Claudio Bravo with a fantastic dipping effort in the closing stages that the Chilean struggled to hold but that was how the scores remained ahead of the second leg at the Etihad Stadium in a few weeks’ time.
 
1577995631_719749_1577996225_noticia_normal_recorte1.jpg
Some of the best players in the world feature in LaLiga year after year. Even with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to join Juventus two seasons ago, Spain’s top-tier continues to showcase top talent on a weekly basis. However, there are a few players who have not been able to respond to the lofty expectations placed over their shoulders during the current term.
Without further ado, here are the three biggest underperforming new signings in LaLiga during the current 2019-20 season.
Nabil Fekir – Real Betis
Nabil Fekir joined Real Betis coming off two stellar seasons at Olympique Lyon. The attacking midfielder was close to join Liverpool months ago. However, he ended signing with Betis in what seemed a surprising decision. Los Verdiblancos were not playing in Europe this season, and it was unclear why Fekir had joined the Benito Villamarin outfit as destination considering he had more “attractive” proposals on the table.
Fast forward a few months, and Fekir still hasn’t found his foot on Spanish soil. The former France international only has four goals and one assist in 16 league appearances (15 starts) for Los Verdiblancos. He is still 26, so it’s possible he’s simply going through an adjustment period. But there’s no question there were bigger expectations around him. He hasn’t been the on-field leader Betis were expecting him to become due to his pedigree and track record.
Eden Hazard – Real Madrid
Eden Hazard was the biggest summer signing before the 2019-20 season. After all, the Belgian moved from Chelsea to Real Madrid while being a consensus Top 5 player in the world. However, he hasn’t looked like one during his first few months at Real Madrid. Between injuries and form struggles, the Belgian international has find it quite difficult to adjust to LaLiga. Although that was expected after spending several years in the English Premier League.
Hazard has been dealing with injuries of late and he couldn’t play against FC Barcelona last month. He only has one goal and one assist in eight Liga appearances (seven starts), and only one assist in five UEFA Champions League matches. Los Blancos expect him to improve as the season goes on, but injuries have prevented him from doing so. And at this point, all signs indicate we will only see Hazard’s best version as a Merengue in the 2020-21 season. The 2019-20 campaign already looks like a lost year for him.
Hector Herrera – Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid had a huge void in midfield after losing Rodrigo Hernandez to Manchester City in the summer. However, Diego Simeone acted quickly to sign Hector Herrera as his replacement. The Mexico international was coming off several successful years at FC Porto, where he became one of the best and more consistent central midfielders in Europe. But he hasn’t been able to repeat that while featuring at the Wanda Metropolitano outfit.
To date, Herrera has made 17 appearances for Atletico this season between LaLiga and the Champions League. However, he has started just 10 of those games, and he has failed to impress. He has just one goal and one assist and while that’s not his primary task, many expected him to have a bigger influence on the squad. Thomas Partey has outplayed him so far, and it doesn’t seem as if Herrera will be able to live up to the expectations before the current season comes to an end.
 
Top