He is barely fit, vulnerable to injury and, by the 84th minute of his team’s clash with Watford, he was visibly exhausted. But even in this state, Sergio Aguero is still one of the best strikers in the Premier League. How many other players would have the ability to cushion an angled header into the one part of the goal that was beyond Heurelho Gomes’ aegis? Not many. How many players would have the presence of mind to know that a delicate touch would save the day? Even fewer. Man City’s hopes of glory depend on keeping that man fit.
Author: David F.
Ashley Young has insisted he still sees himself as a winger despite making most of his appearances for Manchester United this season as a full-back. Young was converted into a wing-back and then a defender by manager Louis van Gaal, but he was selected on the right wing in an unconventional 3-2-4-1 formation in the 2-1 win against Swansea on Saturday and responded by delivering the cross for Anthony Martial when the Frenchman scored the opening goal. “Of course I enjoyed myself,” Young told MUTV. “I’m an out-and-out winger. I’ve played at full-back in the last few weeks but when…
Arsene Wenger is sensing that the “vibes” are right for Arsenal to finally end their Premier League title drought, saying the team showed their growing maturity in grinding out an ugly win against Newcastle. Wenger’s team have not won the league since 2004 and have often been criticised in recent years for not being mentally or physically tough enough to stage a proper title challenge. But with Arsenal two points clear atop the table just past the halfway stage, the Frenchman said he has a feeling that this season could be different. Especially after seeing his team overcome Newcastle 1-0…
Guus Hiddink insists that Jon Obi Mikel is the “ideal player” to bring balance to Chelsea’s midfield after the Nigeria international shone in Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace. Mikel was a surprise starter alongside the returning Cesc Fabregas at Selhurst Park with Nemanja Matic dropping to the bench, and completed 78 of 82 passes from the base of midfield as Chelsea produced their most convincing performance of the season to move six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone. Goals from Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa provided an emphatic scoreline for Chelsea but, speaking at his news conference…
Thibaut Courtois believes Chelsea legend Didier Drogba would be a “great addition” to Guus Hiddink’s backroom staff as the Premier League champions look to turn around their disappointing season. Chelsea want to add their former striker Drogba to the club’s coaching team but negotiations have proven difficult, given the 37-year-old remains under contract with MLS side Montreal Impact until December 2016. The striker sat alongside interim manager Hiddink and club owner Roman Abramovich during the 3-1 victory over Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Dec. 19, though Hiddink later said it would be down to Chelsea officials to determine whether Drogba…
Under fire Real Madrid boss Rafael Benitez claimed his side deserved more credit after holding on for a 2-2 draw with 10 men away to Valencia on Sunday. Benitez was badly in need of a win on his return to Valencia, where he won two La Liga titles in three years, to ease the constant speculation surrounding his future. Yet, his side were left with an uphill task when Mateo Kovacic was shown a straight red card 20 minutes from time after Karim Benzema’s early opener had been cancelled out by Dani Parejo’s penalty. A brilliant header form Gareth Bale…
Chelsea still have a chance of finishing in the Premier League top four and securing Champions League football at the end of the season, interim manager Guus Hiddink has said. Chelsea beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Sunday to register their sixth league win of the season and their first since Hiddink took the reins from Jose Mourinho last month. The win moved Chelsea up to 14th place in the table and 13 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, and Hiddink refused to write off his side’s chances of finishing in the top four although he admitted it would be “difficult”. “Everyone…
Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna has warned his teammates they must start seizing the initiative in matches instead of relying on Yaya Toure to get them out of trouble if they are to win the Premier League. City scored twice in the last eight minutes to record a 2-1 win over Watford on Saturday and looked to be on the verge of losing ground in the title race until Toure volleyed home in the 82nd minute before Sergio Aguero sealed the victory. Manuel Pellegrini’s men are third in the table, three points behind leaders Arsenal, and Sagna said the team…
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal paid tribute to Wayne Rooney after his winner against Swansea City lifted him to second place in the club’s all-time list of goal-scorers. Rooney superbly flicked in Anthony Martial’s cross with 13 minutes to go at Old Trafford on Saturday to give his side a 2-1 victory that ended their nine-game winless run and left them fifth in the Premier League. The United captain’s third league goal of the season took him past Denis Law to 238 goals – behind only Bobby Charlton’s club record of of 249 – and Van Gaal hopes a…
Manchester United’s 2-1 Premier League win over relegation-threatened Swansea City on Saturday has eased the pressure on their “angry” players, manager Louis van Gaal has said. Saturday’s win ended United’s eight-game winless run in all competitions, which has seen them being knocked out of the group stages in the Champions League and slip out of the league’s top-four. “I shall think that now the pressure is lowering, the performance shall be better every week. But that it also dependable on whether or not we score goals,” Van Gaal told British media. “And when we score goals and we create always…
A year-long ban on European champions Barcelona registering new players came to an end on Monday, finally freeing up summer signings Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan to make their debuts. Despite the ban imposed by Fifa for irregularities in the signing of foreign players under the age of 18, Barca recorded the second most successful year in their 116-year history. Luis Enrique’s men claimed five trophies in all, including a treble of La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey. However, having drawn three of their last four La Liga games to fall two points behind Atletico Madrid at the…
Chelsea players must fight for their futures at the club under interim manager Guus Hiddink, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said after Saturday’s 3-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace stretched their unbeaten run to four games. The Dutchman took over from the club’s most successful manager Jose Mourinho, who was sacked in December following nine losses in 16 league games. Champions Chelsea, with 23 points from 20 matches, are languishing 14th in the table, closer to the relegation zone than the top four. “We know we are responsible as well. We had team meetings where we said the same, we said…
Nollywood icon and beauty, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde is currently celebrating her 20 years in the entertainment industry. The veteran actress who has featured in over 200 reputable movies has been listed as one of the ‘‘highest-grossing movie stars you’ve probably never heard of’ by Yahoo. Omotola also happens to be the only Nigerian and African on the list. Omotola is listed alongside Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, Frank Welker, Bob Bergen, Jack Angel, Mickie McGowan, Michael Papajohn, Martin Klebba, Clint Howard and Chris Ellis. Omotola was likened to Oprah Winfrey and Kim Kardashian, and also qualified as ‘Nollywood’s cornerstone’. “In…
Time Magazine’s acclaimed Nollywood queen, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde thinks American boxing champ, Floyd Mayweather is a smart fighter after watching his match against Manny Pacquiao on May 2, 2015. According to the actress and entreprenuer, who watched the match alongside her hubby- she actually confessed to watching a boxing match for the first time- Floyd Mayweather is a smarter fighter but she loves Pacquiao’s game and smile. In her words, ‘i think @FloydMayweather was just a smart fighter.Loved @MannyPacquiao’s game and smile…Emm sticking with wrestling…’ she wrote on her Twitter handle. Omotola is one of the top Nigerian celebrities that…
Riri has been caught on camera sniffing on ‘something’ that looks like cocaine while partying with friends on a tour bus. A short video which has since gone viral shows the singer allegedly engaging with an undisclosed substance from her table with the use of a white straw. From the video, it seems Riri expresses shock and hurt after realizing she was being filmed by someone. When she raises her head, a couple of friends appear in between her and the camera to shield the coverage. As at now, there is no confirmation as to what was happening in the…
Ghanaian actor Van Vicker has been made an ambassador for The Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY) recently. Vicker was lovely enough to have his citation awarded to him by the Vice-President of Liberia. The actor shared a pictures of him with his citation. “A #MindBodySoulMoment an ambassador for The Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY). The citation was given to me by His Excellency the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia Joseph Nyuma Boakai. I was honoured to be in the same pic with honorable senator Howard Taylor. #IAmHumbled #TheVanVickerBrand #TheYoungGodFather #TheEntrepreneur #MySuccessStory #MyLife” read the caption of the picture.
Actor Van Vicker who was recently made an ambassador for The Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY) has indicated that he is creating a personality clothing line produced by Tetteh Plahar. Today, the actor shared the photos of the store on his Instagram. “Van Vicker Collections…the Class Act. A personality clothing line produced my Tetteh Plahar. In Stores soon” read the caption. He has also put up a billboard announcing the arrival of the clothing venture “After the rains, flood and more rains I finally got the billboard up. The VAN VICKER collections…the class act. A personality clothing line produced my…
Justin Beiber and friend, Joe Termini were attacked by reef sharks while on a getaway in Bora Bora on July 6 but unfortunately, the singer’s friend got bitten! After finishing up his week-long Hillsong Church retreat and leaving Australia, Justin and his pals decided to head for a swim in the warm Bora Bora waters for a little getaway but it all ended so badly for Termini. Bieber posted a picture of his friend who suffered the shark bites on his Instagram and captioned: “Exactly why i hate sharks they told us reef sharks don’t bite @joetermini.” Looks like Bieber…
Iyabo Ojo’s non profitable organisation, Pinkies Foundation has turned four. In a bid to celebrate its fourth anniversary, the foundation which was founded in 2011, reached out to a disable home to extend a hand of love and affection. Members of the foundation reached out to the Family Vocational Institute for Disable in Ijoko, Ogun State on Sunday, June 14, 2015 as it marked its fourth anniversary. According to Iyabo Ojo, ‘Pinkies Foundation is dedicated to helping and supporting kids with disability. It also helps in creating awareness among women on building a better Nigeria. The foundation assists its members…
Controversial star, Sinead O’Connor is yet to understand why Kim Kardashian was put on the cover of Rolling Stone, a magazine known for musicians. The popular Irish singer-songwriter goes as far as blaming the respected publication for ‘murdering’ music, stating that Bob Dylan would be ‘f**king horrified’. O’Connor took to her Facebook page to share her disappointment over the July-16-30 issue. Sinead wrote: ”What is this c**t doing on the cover of Rolling Stone? Music has officially died. Who knew it would be Rolling Stone that murdered it? Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh can no longer be expected to take…