Month: November 2024

Christian Eriksen has proven to be an exceptional investment by Tottenham, having arrived from Ajax in 2013 for a reported £12million fee.

The Denmark international is set to feature for the 200th time in the Premier League against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, and he goes into that match with 58 assists to his name.

Only five players have set up more goals in their first 200 Premier League appearances, while Eriksen s assist against Liverpool on Sunday saw him match David Beckham s record of reaching double figures for goals created in four successive seasons in England s top flight.

Despite that and his overall record at Spurs, supporters have become frustrated with Eriksen at times this term, a dynamic not helped by his apparent reluctance to sign a new contra…

Robert Lewandowski believes he is only just entering his prime, as the Bayern Munich striker attempts to spark a return to Polish football s 1970s glory days at the 2018 World Cup.

Poland open their campaign in Russia against Senegal in Moscow on Tuesday, with Lewandowski finally set to make his mark on the grandest stage – qualifying woes having proved too steep to overcome in both 2010 and 2014.

However, far from thinking the World Cup has passed him by, the former Borussia Dortmund favourite – who turns 30 in August – feels this tournament has come along at the perfect time.

I have a plan to play at the top level at least until I m 35, he told The Guardian.

I feel I m just starting the best period for a striker. I m mature and have a lot of exp…

Steven Gerrard would have loved the opportunity to play under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

The Reds icon scored 186 goals in 710 appearances for his boyhood club before switching to MLS side LA Galaxy in July 2015.

Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers in October of the same year and Gerrard – who now manages Scottish Premiership side Rangers – admits to wondering if he should have stayed at Anfield longer to work with the German. 

I always had little thoughts as I ve gone along, he told Sky Sports. Should I have stayed at Liverpool? Should I have signed a year extension?

Maybe I might have been able to have that cameo under Jurgen Klopp as maybe a squad player.

These things always cross my mind but, look, I made decisions. I am very proud of m…

Mircea Lucescu has signed a two-year deal to take over as manager of Zenit, the club have confirmed.

Lucescu departed Shakhtar Donetsk after 12 years in Ukraine, where he won eight league titles and the UEFA Cup in 2009, and his deal includes the option to extend by a further 12 months.

The 70-year-old replaces Andre Villas-Boas, who opted to turn down a contract extension, stating his intention to enjoy a sabbatical year.

Welcome to Zenit to our new manager Mircea Lucescu!

— FC Zenit in English (@fczenit_en)

Lucescu guided Shakhtar to the Europa League semi-finals this season, where they were beaten 5-3 on aggregate by eventual champions Sevilla.

He could not end his tenure with a ninth league crown, as Dynamo Kiev comfortably beat …

Arne Slot s winning start in charge of Liverpool continued as goals from Mohamed Salah and Fabio Carvalho earned them a 2-1 win over Arsenal at Lincoln Financial Field.

Kai Havertz pulled one back for the Gunners before half-time, but they struggled to find an equaliser in front of the record crowd on Wednesday.

Despite Arsenal s bright start, Salah put the Reds in front, beating Karl Hein from close range as he drilled a low effort into the bottom-left corner after just 13 minutes.

Diogo Jota arguably should have doubled their lead, but instead struck the post before Carvalho latched onto Harvey Elliott s chipped cross to volley in a second.

Martin Odegaard then intercepted a loose pass in the box to set up Havertz for a sweeping finish to half the defic…

Gareth Southgate confirmed England will take a knee before their World Cup opener against Iran on Monday in a show of solidarity against discrimination.

Premier League teams had adopted the gesture on a regular basis following the death of George Floyd in the United States back in 2020.

It was scrapped as a regular feature ahead of this season, with the Premier League instead announcing the gesture would be reserved for special occasions.

All Premier League games between October 8 and 16 saw players take the knee as part of the No Room for Racism campaign, and it was also confirmed games on Boxing Day, the last weekend of the season and the finals of the FA Cup and EFL Cup will also see its return.

It had been reported that England players were discussing…

Cristiano Ronaldo was butchered and battered for three years at Manchester United before he began to break new ground, according to former team-mate Gary Neville.

The 31-year-old joined United from Sporting CP in 2003 and would develop into one of the best players in the game at the Premier League giants before leaving for Real Madrid in 2009.

However, Neville has made it clear the United players did not make things easy for the prolific attacker in his first few years at the club and he feels that time has made Ronaldo into the player he is now.

Cristiano was butchered and battered for two or three years at Manchester United and he has said it made him a man, Neville told talkSPORT.

He didn t arrive at Manchester United as someone who was setting the t…

England have no concerns about their attacking ability despite failing to score in each of their last two matches, midfielder Ella Toone insists.

The Lionesses, fourth in the FIFA world rankings, kick off their World Cup quest on Saturday against Haiti in Brisbane, just over a week after playing out a goalless draw in a behind-closed-doors training fixture with Canada on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

It was the same result as their pre-tournament home send-off against Portugal in Milton Keynes on July 1, but Toone has barely heard the subject raised during team training sessions in Australia.

— Lionesses (@Lionesses)

She said: “I don’t think it’s been spoken about as much as other people have. We’ve had a lot of games under Sarina (W…

Borussia Dortmund endured another grim Klassiker experience at the Allianz Arena on Saturday as Bayern Munich ran out 4-0 winners.

Bayern were only a week out from a 5-1 thrashing at Eintracht Frankfurt that cost head coach Niko Kovac his job, but Dortmund were still unable to lay a glove on them in a one-sided encounter.

Dortmund last won in Munich in April 2014, with the caveat that their rivals had already been crowned Bundesliga champions before succumbing to a 3-0 loss.

At the start of the decade Bayern-Dortmund was one of the most compelling rivalries in world football. Now, at least when the game takes place in Bavaria, a procession feels somewhat inevitable – as the past five Bundesliga editions show.

Robert Lewandowski  BVB

19 games�…

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Mohammed Kudus from Ajax in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed the Premier League club have asked about the midfielder’s current situation following his impressive performances for Ghana at the ongoing 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.

Kudus has been on the books of Ajax since 2020 and has established himself as one of the best young midfielders in Eredivisie. The 22-year-old has done well for Ajax, both in the Dutch domestic league and in European club competitions.

The former Nordsjaelland midfielder has made five starts and nine substitute appearances in the Eredivisie for Ajax so far this season, scoring five goals in the process. Kudus has also made five starts and one substitute appearance…