Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Premier League revs up for Demolition Derbies

The Premier League season is only two games old, but two of the top flight's biggest games are already upon us on Sunday.

Off the back of a pair of victories, Liverpool renew their storied rivalry with reigning champions Manchester United, who could be without Wayne Rooney due to a head injury.

The clash at Anfield is sure to be scintillating, but faces competition for game of the day from the north London derby.

A new-look Tottenham, who added Vlad Chiriches, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen to their overhauled squad on Friday, take on an Arsenal side who have been buoyed by three convincing victories in all competitions after an opening day defeat to Aston Villa.

Bayern's sweet revenge in Super Cup


It will never completely erase the memory of that Champions League final in May 2012 where Didier Drogba's penalty crowned a history victory for Chelsea at the Allianz Arena, but Bayern Munich will have taken some pleasure in Friday's Super Cup triumph.

Javi Martinez's extra-time leveller forced the tie into a penalty shootout and it was Romelu Lukaku's soft spot kick which enabled Pep Guardiola's men to gain some revenge over Chelsea.

Wenger set for Champions League scrap

After watching his team ease through their Champions League play-off tie against Fenerbahce, Arsene Wenger will now be reacquainted with the edgier side of Europe's elite competition.

In order to reach the round of 16, Arsenal will have to navigate their way past three tricky opponents in Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Marseille.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Pot luck: Big guns out to avoid Champions League surprise

The draw for the Champions League group stages takes place on Thursday afternoon with Europe's heavyweights set to learn their fate.

All eyes will be on the draw pots come 16.30 BST, with Gianni Infantino and Michel Platini taking to the stage in an attempt to ensure everything runs smoothly.

And there could be a nasty surprise in store for the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid, who are sitting pretty in Pot 1, with Manchester City and Napoli lurking in Pots 3 and 4 respectively.

AC Milan, PSG and Juventus are the stellar names occupying Pot 2, and the English contingent making up Pot 1 will undoubtedly be desperate to avoid reeling in last year's finalists Borussia Dortmund, who sit in Pot 3.

De Laurentiis the ambulance chaser

Calling all ambulance drivers - watch your back, Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis is on the loose!

The Partenopei chief is demanding a whopping £86 million in compensation after star striker Gonzalo Higuain suffered cuts to his face after diving from a hired boat and landing on submerged rocks.

De Laurentiis was far from pleased with the medical attention received by the Argentina international but, despite potentially having enough spare cash to buy Gareth Bale, he plans to donate the money to charity.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Nothing separates Manchester United & Chelsea


A cagey game in which both sides were happy to settle for a point, Monday night's stalemate at Old Trafford lacked the explosiveness many had predicted.

Perhaps not as unlikely, however, were the comments from Jose Mourinho after the match, who called on Wayne Rooney to clarify his situation at Manchester United.

"If now, he doesn't want to leave, we are out of the thing. We need to know what is happening," said the Chelsea boss.

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Bale prepared to join pantheon of Real Madrid greats


Gareth Bale is set to join some of the greatest players in the history of football as his move to Real Madrid draws closer.

Goal understands a world record £86 million fee has been agreed between Tottenham and the Spanish giants, with the Wales star set to complete the transfer in the next 48 hours.

Bale will rub shoulders with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, and follows a long list of legends - including Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Ronaldo and Alfredo Di Stefano - in plying his trade at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Benzema the latest to escape Wenger's paws

It's fair to say Arsene Wenger has had a tough time of it in the transfer market this summer. After Gonzalo Higuain got away as Arsenal turned their attentions to Luis Suarez, the Uruguayan himself proved to be off limits!

There appeared to be some light at the end of the tunnel, though, when it emerged that Karim Benzema was next on Wenger's hitlist. But now the Frenchman will not be coming either, it remains to be seen if the Gunners boss has the energy to carry on transfer hunting.