In desperate need of a good performance following their Champions League exit in mid-week, Manchester United visit Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday in the grip of a selection crisis. Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has been hit with a three-game ban and United manager Louis van Gaal could also be without up to six senior defenders for the trip to the south coast. Van Gaal has been slammed up and down after United’s 3-2 defeat at Wolfsburg on Tuesday condemned them to a group-stage exit from the Champions League, but winger Jesse Lingard believes the criticism has been overplayed. “Playing…
Author: David Folami
Manchester City defender Eliaquim Mangala has geared his team to end a mixed week on a high note by regaining top spot in the Premier League. Last weekend’s miserable defeat at Stoke dropped Manuel Pellegrini’s side to third, yet they responded with an outstanding performance to beat Borussia Monchengladbach 4-2 and ensuring they finished top of their Champions League group. That means City are set to avoid Europe’s biggest names when the draw for the last 16 is made on Monday, giving rise to hopes that they might finally enjoy a run to the latter stages of the competition. As…
Peter Cech has said how playing an instrument has helped him become a greater goalkeeper. Cech, who has kept six clean sheets this season, has taken up drumming in his spare time and says his new hobby is especially useful for a goalkeeper. “There are so many things I learn on the drums that I can use in goalkeeping as well, because the hand-eye co-ordination and the independence on each of the limbs is helpful,” he said. “It teaches you to use all four limbs in different ways. You need to find a way to co-ordinate things and, once you…
Arsenal’s assister Mesut Ozil has been likened to a musician by manager Arsene Wenger, who says the midfielder’s sense of timing makes him a joy to watch. Ozil has 12 assists in the Premier League so far this season, more than he managed in his two previous campaigns with the Gunners and twice as many as his nearest challengers – Gerard Deulofeu, Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Riyhad Mahrez. “Mesut is like a musician who always plays the right note, and at the right moment,” Wenger told the club’s website (www.arsenal.com). “His timing is perfect – when he has…
Jamie Vardy was named the Premier League’s player of the month for the second month in succession, while Claudio Ranieri got the managerial award to ensure a swift sweep for Leicester City. The table-topping Foxes went through the month undefeated, beating Watford 2-1 at home and Newcastle United 3-0 away, before drawing 1-1 with Manchester United at the King Power Stadium. Vardy wrote his name into the record books against United on November 29, when he became the first player to score in 11 successive Premier League matches, eclipsing the mark set by former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in…
Jamie Vardy was named the Premier League’s player of the month for the second month in succession, while Claudio Ranieri got the managerial award to ensure a swift sweep for Leicester City. The table-topping Foxes went through the month undefeated, beating Watford 2-1 at home and Newcastle United 3-0 away, before drawing 1-1 with Manchester United at the King Power Stadium. Vardy wrote his name into the record books against United on November 29, when he became the first player to score in 11 successive Premier League matches, eclipsing the mark set by former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in…
Bayern Munich host Ingolstadt in the first Bundesliga derby between the clubs on Saturday full of respect for their Bavarian pals, but determined to come back stronger from their shock defeat at Moenchengladbach. Pep Guardiola’s Bayern crashed to their first German league defeat of the season last Saturday when they were humbled 3-1 by third-placed Gladbach. It was only Bayern’s second loss of the season, following a Champions League defeat at Arsenal, and Bayern are determined to protect their five point lead in the table. “We have to play well and fight for everything, it won’t be an easy game,”…
European champions Barcelona will have to play without the injured Neymar for their final La Liga game before Christmas at home to Deportivo La Coruna before moving off to the Club World Cup in Japan. The Brazilian star’s absence due to a groin problem is a big miss as he has been Barca’s player of the season given Lionel Messi’s recent two-month absence due to a knee ligament injury, scoring 14 goals in just 13 league appearances. Messi also missed training on Thursday due to personal reasons and was seen heavily stretching his hamstring towards the end of a depleted…
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez will definately return from a hamstring injury before Christmas, manager Arsene Wenger said ahead of his side’s Premier League clash at bottom club Aston Villa on Sunday. Sanchez, who has scored nine goals in 20 appearances in all competitions this season, will be eager to return to action for Arsenal’s clash with title rivals Manchester City on December 21 having suffered the injury in the 1-1 draw with Norwich City last month. “No new injuries. Sanchez is the shortest one, the rest will be back after Christmas,” Wenger told reporters on Friday. With Santi Cazorla, Mikel…
Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck has said he has learnt a lot about how to look after his body during the “difficult” spell on the sidelines following a knee surgery in September. The England international, who is expected to return in the New Year after failing to start for the club this season, is yet to make his mark at the Gunners following his arrival from Manchester United in September 2014, scoring four Premier League goals in 27 appearances. “It is my first injury that has kept me out for so long. I had my operation and once that is sorted…
Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini insists humilated boss Louis van Gaal will silence his growing band of critics by winning the Premier League title this season. Van Gaal had endured a series of abuse from unhappy fans during last Saturday’s 0-0 draw against West Ham, but that was nothing compared to the insults thrown at him after United suffered an embarrassing Champions League exit on Tuesday. With a host of former United stars including Paul Scholes and Roy Keane queueing up to question van Gaal following that 3-2 defeat at Wolfsburg, the pressure is mounting as the Dutchman takes his…
The Egyptian Football Association have set up three friendly matches for the Pharaohs as they get set for the double leg against the Super Eagles. Nigeria and Egypt will meet back to back in March 2016 as the qualifiers for the Caf 2016 Africa Cup of Nations reaches a crucial stage. Reports coming out from Egypt have revealed that the team will play two friendly games with Afcon 2013 finalist Burkina Faso on the 24th and 28th of January 2016. A third opponent will be announced after the friendlies with Burkina Faso with Romania or Uzbekistan being the most likely…
Spain forward Alvaro Morata has ended speculation surrounding his future at Juventus by signing a contract extension with the Italian champions on Thursday. Morata’s deal was due to expire in June 2019, but Juventus announced: “Alvaro Morata has signed a new deal that will see him remain at the club until June 30, 2020.” Morata joined Juventus from Real Madrid on a five-year deal for 20 million euros in 2014 and the Spanish giants had the nous to include a clause which allows them to buy him back in June 2019. News of his contract extension should stop the Italian…
Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has been banned for three matches over an off-the-ball incident with West Ham United’s Winston Reid, the Football Association announced on Thursday. Germany captain Schweinsteiger caught Reid in the throat with his left elbow as they struggled for position while awaiting a free-kick in the first half of last Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Old Trafford. The incident was missed by the match officials, but a panel of former elite referees decided that Schweinsteiger had committed a red-card offence after reviewing video footage. “Bastian Schweinsteiger will serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect after he accepted…
Sacked Swansea boss Garry Monk has supported the Premier League club to win their fight to avoid relegation. Monk was devastated to be sacked by Swansea on Wednesday after nearly two years in charge of the Welsh team. The 36-year-old, who last season guided Swansea to a best-ever Premier League finish, conceded he had run out of time after a run of only one win in 11 games left them precariously perched a point above the relegation zone. “It’s with great sadness that I am leaving this special club,” Monk said in a statement released by the League Managers Association.…
Real Madrid have had an appeal against their disqualification from the Copa del Rey rejected, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF)confirmed on Thursday. “Every club is responsible for checking whether their players are eligible to play,” the Federation’s appeals committee said as they rejected an appeal made by Madrid last week. The Spanish giants were thrown out of the competition for fielding an ineligible player, Denys Cheryshev, in their tie against third-tier side Cadiz last week. Cheryshev not only started the match but also opened the scoring in Madrid’s 3-1 win. But he shouldn’t have been on the field as he…
The wife of former Nigeria captain and coach, Stephen Keshi, is dead. The tragic death of Keshi’s wife, Kate, occurred in the United States on Wednesday after illness. A statement from Keshi’s representative, Emmanuel Ado, revealed that Mrs Kate Keshi, has been battling with cancer. “With gratitude to God, the family of Mr Stephen Okechukwu Keshi announces the death of our wife, mother, daughter and sister, Mrs Kate Keshi nee Abureme. She died in the United States of America. She has in the last three years battled with cancer. She gave a good fight until she finally succumbed yesterday,” the…
We bet you never knew Barack Obama is a fan of good music. The American president has chosen Kendrick Lamar’s ‘How Much a Dollar Cost’ as his favorite song of 2015. In an interview with PEOPLE, Obama says that he can’t get enough of the powerful song, which appeared on Lamar’s Grammy-nominated album ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’. While her husband is bumping the Compton rapper, Michelle Obama is jamming ‘Uptown Funk’ by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, which she chose as her favourite song of the year. Earlier this year, he shared his summer playlist, which included tunes from Beyoncé,…
We bet you never knew Barack Obama is a fan of good music. The American president has chosen Kendrick Lamar’s ‘How Much a Dollar Cost’ as his favorite song of 2015. In an interview with PEOPLE, Obama says that he can’t get enough of the powerful song, which appeared on Lamar’s Grammy-nominated album ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’. While her husband is bumping the Compton rapper, Michelle Obama is jamming ‘Uptown Funk’ by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, which she chose as her favourite song of the year. Earlier this year, he shared his summer playlist, which included tunes from Beyoncé,…
It’s 17days to the second edition of Olamide’s ‘Olamide Live In Concert’ and the expectation is big, after a good 2015 by the YBNL boss and his crew. Tickets have started selling for the concert, which comes up at the Convention Centre of the Eko Hotel and Suites. Regular tickets go for N7000 while VIP tickets are being sold for N25000. Already, fans of ‘Eyan Mayweather’ rapper have been thrown into an exited mood as the countdown to the special day continues. Many industry watchers expect the concert to sell out with fans getting their hands on the tickets as…