Marcus Rashford is hoping to avenge Manchester United’s Stamford Bridge humiliation when they face Chelsea in the FA Cup quarterfinals. Jose Mourinho’s return to his old stomping ground in October resulted in a humbling 4-0 defeat. Mourinho’s side now have a chance to exact revenge in the FA Cup after Sunday’s quarterfinal draw pitted them against Antonio Conte’s runaway Premier League leaders. “At this stage of the competition you’re going to be facing a good team no matter where you go,” Rashford told MUTV. “I think we’ve just got to take it game by game. We’re on a good run…
Author: David Folami
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was always going to make “massive contribution” to Manchester United, according to manager Jose Mourinho. Despite question marks over his age — he turns 36 in October — the Swedish striker has consistently delivered for United. He came off the bench to score a 75th-minute winner as the Red Devils prevailed over second-tier Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup to earn a quarterfinal tie at Chelsea. “I don’t know the number of goals [Ibrahimovic has scored], I don’t know,” Mourinho told a media conference. “I knew that he would be a very important player for us. I knew…
Luis Enrique had no problem with the jeers aimed at him by Barcelona supporters on Sunday, but was disappointed some of his players were also subject to abuse from the Camp Nou crowd. Barca needed a 90th-minute penalty from Lionel Messi to beat Leganes 2-1 in a game which was played in a tense atmosphere following the midweek humiliation against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Attempts to sing Luis Enrique’s name from the section behind one of the goals at Camp Nou were met with whistles from other parts of the stadium, while Andre Gomes was also the subject…
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has said Luis Enrique has the full backing of the club. Bartomeu said there was no Plan B in place should the coach decide not to renew his contract when it expires in June. Barcelona’s 4-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last week has fuelled speculation that he will not remain at the helm for a fourth season. And speaking before Sunday’s narrow win against Leganes, Luis Enrique said he had still not decided whether he will renew, saying results in the coming months would not affect his decision. Jorge Sampaoli and…
Dani Alves has criticised Barcelona’s board for showing him no respect during his final three seasons with the club. The full-back left Barca on a free for Juventus last summer despite having only signed a new two-year contract the year before. However, Alves said he made sure that deal had a clause written into it which would allow him to leave for free after the first year of the terms so he could play Josep Maria Bartomeu and his board at their own game. “I like to feel wanted and if I’m not, I’ll leave,” he told ABC about his…
Coming from a goal down, Manchester United prevailed 2-1 at Blackburn to set up an Emirates FA Cup quarterfinal against Chelsea, thanks to strikes from Marcus Rashford and the irrepressible Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Blackburn were adept in defence and often canny in attack but United’s superior creativity wore them down although only after, in a compliment to Blackburn, they summoned two of their biggest stars from the bench. Henrikh Mkhitaryan again set the tone, Michael Carrick commanded the midfield, and Paul Pogba and Ibrahimovic were at their most decisive. United had a slow start, with Matteo Darmian and Jesse Lingard ineffectual…
Harry Kane scored a hat trick as Tottenham Hotspur saw off Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage to reach the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. A dominant Tottenham were too much for their Championship opponents with captain Kane opening the scoring in the first half before adding two more in the second to send his side into the last eight of the competition. Tottenham started the game on top and created two chances in quick succession in the opening few minutes, with Christian Eriksen seeing a strike saved after being played in by Dele Alli, before Alli then fired just wide…
The worst thing for Leicester City and Claudio Ranieri was that losing 1-0 to League One side Millwall in the FA Cup on Saturday was no surprise. That said, even allowing for the Premier League champions’ fall — they are just a point above the bottom three and without an away win all season — the manner of their fifth-round defeat was a mortifying embarrassment. Another one. Even if the FA Cup was a low priority given Leicester are fighting on the rarely paired fronts of relegation battle and the Champions League, losing to Millwall only heightened the sense that…
Chris Smalling has called on Zlatan Ibrahimovic to remain at Manchester United next season. Ibrahimovic, 35, has been in impressive form since arriving at United on a free transfer last summer, scoring 23 goals in 35 appearances for the club in all competitions. The former Sweden international has the option of a second year in his contract, with United manager Jose Mourinho saying in November that the club will extend his stay, though nothing has been made official as of yet. “I would definitely like to see Zlatan stay here,” Smalling is quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror. “Because…
FA Cup holders Manchester United will travel to Premier League leaders Chelsea in the standout tie of the quarterfinal draw, a game that will see Jose Mourinho return to Stamford Bridge. Mourinho, whose United side are currently competing for silverware on four fronts, lost 4-0 when he visited his former club in October. Lincoln City, the first non-league side to reach the last eight in 103 years following their win against Burnley on Saturday, have been rewarded with a trip to either fellow National League side Sutton United or Premier League giants Arsenal. Elsewhere, Millwall, who have already knocked three…
Jose Mourinho says Chelsea have the Premier League title wrapped up and can afford to pay more attention to their FA Cup quarterfinal than Manchester United. The draw for the last eight followed shortly after United’s close-fought 2-1 win against Blackburn Rovers and pitched Mourinho’s men against his former club at Stamford Bridge — a first cup meeting between the teams since the same stage four years ago. Chelsea edged that tie, winning 1-0 in a home replay after drawing at Old Trafford, and Mourinho suggested their eight-point lead in the league meant they could begin planning for a repeat…
Barcelona’s needed a 90th-minute penalty from Lionel Messi to overcome 17th-placed Leganes 2-1 in La Liga on Sunday. Messi put the hosts up almost right out of the gates, striking from close range in the fourth minute, with Luis Suarez providing the assist. But, with Barca trying to extend the lead, the visitors found a shock equaliser in the 71st minute, when Darwin Machis found Unai Lopez, who slotted home from the centre of the penalty area past Marc-Andre ter Stegen. With time running out, Neymar drew a foul in the penalty area to give Messi the chance, and the…
Jose Mourinho praised substitutes Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba for showing the attitude needed to carry Manchester United past Blackburn in the FA Cup. Ibrahimovic tucked away Pogba’s searching long pass to secure a 2-1 win at Ewood Park and see United into the quarterfinal draw. Mourinho told BT Sport: “I think the attitude of every player was really good. “When I have important players on the bench, I can try to make an impact. It depends also on their mentality and they were more than ready to come with the right attitude for the team.” United had to dig…
Manchester United are becoming accustomed to winning without Wayne Rooney, so much so that his absence from Sunday’s FA Cup fifth round victory against Blackburn Rovers passed without the merest hint of angst over the their captain’s injury-enforced absence at Ewood Park. Marcus Rashford’s first-half goal, which cancelled out Danny Graham’s opener for the home team, preceded Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s second-half winner, a goal that spared Jose Mourinho and his players an unwanted Old Trafford replay on March 1 and earned a quarterfinal trip to Chelsea. While Rooney may be United’s all-time record goalscorer, the fact this game was won with…
On Saturday, February 18, 2017, during the weekly Big Brother Naija house party (watch below), Bisola and TTT couldn’t get enough of each other. From smooching at the party to making out under the duvet, the two housemates got Nigerians talking on social media. In a video which can be watched below, TTT says to Bisola “we can’t continue,” and an obviously disappointed Bisola responds asking “why?” Bisola and TTT weren’t the only ones that kept social media alive. Kemen, who seemed to be in a different mood, got to kiss different female housemates, including Marvis.
Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has replied Ali Modu Sheriff, the recently reinstated National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Fayose replied Sheriff’s alleged comment on plans to kick Governors Fayose and Nyesom Wike out of the opposition party. Speaking on Ekiti Radio-91.5FM and EKTV on Saturday, February 18, 2017, Fayose said he does not talk to “monkeys.” Fayose said, “On that comment by Sheriff that he will kick me and Gov Wike out of PDP, I don’t talk to monkeys. That Appeal Court judgement is just a phase, it will fizzle out. All things will work together…
Psquare drop new tune titled ‘Away’. It’s as groovy as it gets from the fantastic superstar duo, dishing out a love song for the season. Enjoy this new wave.
Denrele Edun is the new host for the second season of MTV’s Lip Sync Battle Africa. The media and TV personality has replaced D’banj who hosted the first season with actress, presenter and model Pearl Thusi. Commenting on this new development, an excited Denrele said, “Co-hosting Lip Sync Battle Africa is truly the answer to a prayer I never made! The universe truly opened a door, and I’m gonna make sure I jump right inside and DO IT! It’s quite surreal – I was a contestant in Series 1 who flew in last minute and “spiritually” won his LSB challenge,…
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has assured the people of Bayelsa that the East-West Road will soon be completed. He also said funds will be provided by the Buhari administration for the completion of Kolo, Okaki roads. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Minister stated this when he visited Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa, at Government House Yenagoa, on Friday. He urged the contractors to go back to work, as the federal government is ready to pay them their outstanding balance, as soon as possible. Fashola, assured the government and people of Bayelsa…
Nigeria imports not less than 189.5 metric tons of tomato paste and sauce in the last 12 months, an expert has said. The expert, Mr Duro Kuteyi, food manufacturer at Betamark Consulting, made the disclosure on Friday in Lagos, while reacting to issues of post-harvest waste of fresh tomatoes in major farms across the country. Kuteyi, food technologist, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos that there was a lot of waste of fresh tomatoes and pepper in Nigeria. He attributed the reasons to post harvest losses and lack of processing techniques which had made Nigerians…