Few Chelsea fans would have begrudged Frank Lampard his farewell Premier League cameo at Manchester City but the goodwill is starting to dissipate after he scored another goal to keep his new club in the title hunt. . On Wednesday, Chelsea’s all-time record scorer Lampard tied up the deal that extends his loan from New York City to Manchester City until the end of the season and 24 hours later he showed exactly why Manuel Pellegrini was so keen to keep him. . The league champions, for the second time in four days, had blown a 2-0 lead in front…
Author: David F.
Chelsea and Manchester City ended the first day of 2015 locked together at the top of the Premier League as City’s 3-2 victory over Sunderland on Thursday was followed by a shock 5-3 defeat for Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur. . Chelsea, previously beaten only once this season, looked set for another victory when Diego Costa scored after 18 minutes but rampant Spurs surged back with goals by Harry Kane, Danny Rose and Andros Townsend (penalty) to lead 3-1 at halftime. . Kane then fired in his second goal seven minutes after the restart and though Eden Hazard pulled one back,…
Arsene Wenger has praised Alex Song ahead of Arsenal’s clash with West Ham today. . The former Gunners midfielder has impressed in his loan spell at the Hammers, who lie fifth in the table. . Wenger helped mould Song after signing him from French outfit Bastia and is not surprised the 27-year-old has gone onto play for Barcelona. . He said: “I brought him here at the age of 17 and kept him despite all the opinions against him. . “He developed into a very good player, so you don’t need to convince me he is a good player. .…
Manchester City can revert to fielding a specialist striker against Burnley as Stevan Jovetic has returned to fitness. . The Premier League champions have played without their three leading centre-forwards for their last two games, both of which they have won, scoring six goals, but manager Manuel Pellegrini is considering recalling Montenegro international Jovetic for today’s clash. . Jovetic has not featured in City’s last three matches after suffering a hamstring problem but was available for the Boxing Day victory over West Brom, when Pellegrini decided not to risk him on the pitch at The Hawthorns. . “Jovetic was on…
Sky Sports expert and former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp has boldly claimed that Chelsea’s current powerhouse Nemanja Matic could go on to eclipse club legend Claude Makelele. . During Jose Mourinho’ spell in charge at the club his Chelsea era between 2004-2007 was almost defined by Makelele. The Frenchman had a role now exclusively named after him at the best of a ‘Christmas tree’ midfield and provided impregnable protection for the defence. . In 2014 however, that role is being wonderfully executed by Matic in his own unique style and Redknapp believes the Serbian’s name may now be more synonymous…
Nigeria international striker Emmanuel Emenike has declared he has no plans to quit Turkish champions Fenerbahce. . “I do not even think of that for a moment because they do not want me here,” Emenike told Hurriyet newspaper. Emenike’s agent, Erdem Konyar, has also revealed that there are no offers yet for the striker. . The Turkish agent played down the talk about impending move for the former Spartak Moscow forward in the winter. He said: “Emenike has had no official offers. . “Even if he does receive official bids he has no intention to leave Fenerbahce, he is happy…
The agent of Cristiano Ronaldo expects him to play out his career with Real Madrid. Jorge Mendes has taken care of the former Manchester United star since he was 15 years of age. . “I believe that Cristiano will finish his career at Real Madrid. He’s happy at the club and is still keen to achieve more success at the Madrid. Will the club retire his shirt number when he finishes at Madrid? With every respect to the likes of Raúl and Di Stéfano, no player can compare to Cristiano Ronaldo. . “He’s the best player ever and I’d say…
Juan Mata has described playing alongside Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney as a privilege. . The Red Devils were 3-1 winners against Newcastle United on Boxing Day courtesy of Rooney’s brace and Robin van Persie’s second-half strike. . And the Spain international talked up Rooney’s qualities, as well as his United team-mates Radamel Falcao and Van Persie. . “I think he can play there, yes,” declared Mata in a post-match interview with MUTV. “He can defend, he can attack, he can pass and he can score goals arriving into the box. . “For us, he is a very important player…
Barclays Premier League club, Liverpool, have reportedly offered out-of-favour striker, Fabio Borini and £8 million for Nigeria international midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi. . According to reports in the English media over the weekend, Onazi is now a main target for Brendan Rodgers to solve his team’s holding role in the midfield as they struggle in the Premier League this term. . The Reds are using Borini as a bait in the planned bid since the Italian striker has long been admired by the Rome club. . It is not the first time that Rodgers will be linked with a move for…
Germany’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer on Friday played down his prospects of securing the World Player of the Year award over holder Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. . “I’m certainly not favourite,” the Bayern Munich star told German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung. . “The other two are international ‘marques’, they’ve clearly got an advantage.” . If Neuer does receive the Ballon d’Or he will be the first of his countrymen to do so since Lothar Matthaus in 1990 and only the second goalkeeper after Lev Yashin, of the then Soviet Union, in 1963. . For Germany coach Joachim Loew, the…
Spain forward Fernando Torres has agreed to return to Atletico Madrid on loan from AC Milan until the end of the 2015-16 season, seven and a half years after leaving his boyhood club, the La Liga champions said on Monday. . Torres, 30, has been struggling for goals since joining Chelsea from Liverpool in 2011 and moved to Milan on loan in August. . Chelsea and Milan agreed on Saturday to make the switch permanent, paving the way for Torres to be loaned to Atletico, where he will hope to resurrect his stuttering career under inspirational coach Diego Simeone. .…
Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie is set to be offered a new contract by Stoke City despite being sidelined due to injury. . Odemwingie has been on the sidelines since August owing to a cruciate knee ligament injury, but the former West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City man will be out of contract at the Britannia Stadium at the end of this season. . It is likely the striker will be offered an one-year deal by The Potters considering he will turn 34 next season. . Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has revealed that “there’s something in place” for Odemwingie despite…
Manchester United midfielders Ander Herrera and Adnan Januzaj have returned to training ahead of the Premier League trip to Stoke City, manager Louis van Gaal said on Tuesday. . United have climbed to third in the table after winning seven of their last nine games going into the match against Stoke on Thursday. . “Herrera has trained today for the first time with us and Januzaj has also trained two training sessions with us,” Van Gaal told a news conference. . “They don’t have match rhythm. Januzaj was ill and you have to recover from your illness, not from your…
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal on Tuesday accused the English football authorities of neglecting player welfare and short-changing millions of supporters due to the over-crowded festive fixture schedule. . The Dutchman, currently in the middle of his first season in the English game, has been an outspoken critic of the Premier League’s traditional mid-season programme. . United drew 0-0 at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, kicking off only 43 hours after a Boxing Day win over Newcastle United, and Van Gaal believes the stress placed on the league’s superstars reduces the quality of the spectacle. . “Everybody knows the body…
Borussia Dortmund have full faith in coach Juergen Klopp who has no deadline either by when he has to lift the team out of the Bundesliga danger zone, general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke reiterated. . “We are fully convinced of him,” Watzke told Tuesday’s edition of the Bild paper. . Watzke said he has “zero point zero doubts” that Klopp still reaches players, dismissed a possible deadline scenario as “perverse” and insisted this position will not change. . Dortmund won the Bundesliga in 2011 and 2012, and were runners-up to Bayern Munich in the past two seasons. But they are struggling…
Bundesliga players get a rest over the festive season before training for the late January restart gets underway on January 30 in Stuttgart. Champions Bayern Munich have the longest holiday, and all 18 clubs will leave Germany for camps in warmer areas. . Runaway leaders Bayern Munich have the longest holiday while ailing VfB Stuttgart will be the first Bundesliga team to resume training for the second half of the season. . Stuttgart coach Huub Stevens will gather his players on January 3 while Pep Guardiola’s Munich don’t start until four days later with their preparation for the January 30…
Not content with four titles in 2014, including his second Champions League, prolific Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is determined to make next year an even bigger success. . Ronaldo netted 51 goals in 47 appearances last season, setting a record of 17 goals for one edition of Europe’s elite club competition, as Real secured a record-extending 10th continental crown and the King’s Cup. . The Portugal captain continued where he left off in 2014-15 as the world’s richest club by income claimed the European Super Cup and Club World Cup and he has amassed an incredible 32 goals in…
While Chelsea and Manchester City slug it out at the top of the Premier League, Louis van Gaal’s Old Trafford revolution gathers ever more momentum in the red half of Manchester. . The Dutchman endured a tricky start to his reign but seven wins in eight league games have put United hot on the heels of the pacesetters. . If the current United side can emulate the teams of Alex Ferguson who were renowned for a strong second half of the season, Van Gaal’s men could yet have their say in the destiny of the title. . United visit Tottenham…
The breakaway faction of the Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners (ANTP) known as Theatre Arts and Movie Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) over the weekend conducted elections into key positions. . The elections held on Friday December 20, 2014 and veteran Yoruba actor, Dele Odule emerged as President while Antar Laniyan was elected Deputy President. . TAMPAN, the new association which emerged in February 2014 after about six hours of crucial meetings in Ikorodu, Lagos among major stakeholders in the industry, predictably is enjoying the consent of major marketers and distributors in Oshodi as leading directors and producers endorse the association. . Odule, who was declared winner by the…
Popular Nollywood actor, director and filmmaker, Desmond Olusola Elliot recently sent out his season’s greetings as he posted a customised eCard on social media. The actor-cum-politician expressed his deep gratitude to his fans and supporters, and is pictured on the card with the 2 winners that emerged recently from a modelling competition he put in place hosted.