major events
Overall, the first legs of the Champions League last-16 were games to forget For the six Premier League sides: zero wins, two draws, four losses. Yet Barney Roney is here to make a positive impact on it!
The coefficient is safe. The coefficient is yours. You’re going home with the coefficient. But probably not, according to this evidence, with microwaves, washing machines or jet skis.
England’s football is ashamed. Premier League in Euro meltdown. Robot-ball crisis: how Arteta’s Arsenal destroyed all that was good and true, including Plowman’s Lunch and maybe even Woolworths. Such talks have started spreading after the last-16 matches of the Champions League this week.
Holger Heuss has emailed And – reading between the lines – I don’t think he was that impressed by some of his recent goalkeeping performances in the Champions League.
“I applied to both Spurs and Chelsea as a goalkeeper because of what happened this week,” he claims.
“As a 60-year-old man with very little goalkeeping experience I simply fancied my chances. I got an immediate response from Spurs – I’m in the team, with no trial. I was surprised and then I wasn’t… Chelsea have indicated they will give me a 15-year contract at £300k a week but I would probably join the bomb squad.”
Oh Holger! Being a protector is ungrateful, isn’t it?
Lewis Taylor, taking an amusing look at some goalkeeping disasters, wrote: Antonin and Filip, you are not alone.
Reece James yesterday signed a new contract with Chelsea until 2032 – And I saw Liam Rosenior boldly say: “We have secured the best player in his position in world football.”
Now, as manager of Chelsea, some might say he is an impartial observer (perish that idea!). But it is interesting. How close is James to becoming the world’s best right-back?
Rosenior justified his claim by saying: “‘Do I need to mention that you’ve seen him play?
“When you meet him or watch him from a distance, you admire him. He can play many different positions, technically, he can score goals, he defends, he has athleticism, tactical understanding… As long as I’m here, he will be my leader.”
The championship’s top two players will kick off at lunchtime today – But perhaps the most interesting battle isn’t for the top spot, it’s for second place.
After all, promotion is the name of the game and while Coventry have opened up an eight-point gap on Middlesbrough, the race for second place is incredibly tight.
In-form Millwall are one point behind Boro and host Blackburn at 3pm; Ipswich remain fourth, four points behind Middlesbrough – but have a game in hand on the teams above them. And today they visited poor old Sheffield Wednesday. Attractively dressed.
-
Coventry vs Southampton, 12.30 pm
-
Middlesbrough vs Bristol City, 12.30 pm
-
Oxford vs Charlton, 12.30 pm
-
Birmingham vs Sheffield United, 3pm
-
Leicester vs QPR, 3pm
-
Millwall vs Blackburn, 3pm
-
Norwich vs Preston, 3pm
-
Sheffield Wednesday v Ipswich, 3pm
-
Stoke vs Watford, 3pm
-
West Brom vs Hull, 3pm
There is no WSL game today. There are four matches tomorrow – but they are overshadowed by the Women’s League Cup final: holders Chelsea v Manchester United.
The game kicks off at 2.15pm on Sunday and ahead of that, Tom Garry speaks to former Barcelona and now United winger Fridolina Rolfo.
“We should be proud, but of course we’re not happy – we also want to win the final,” she says.
Michael Carrick is also talking positive ahead of Manchester United’s clash with Aston Villa Tomorrow at Old Trafford. He is not going to let his first defeat as United’s interim manager happen.
“What is the reaction going to be?” Carrick asked. “What are the feelings in the group? What’s the motivation for the next game? And carrying that forward.”
“I understand it being the first defeat, it feels a little different, but it’s going to come at some point.
“It’s a tough league. Most teams, if not every team, have suffered through that in recent times, so it’s keeping things in perspective and keeping it in a shape where we can improve.
“We have taken a lot of confidence (from recent games) as a group and we showed what we can achieve and how we play.
“It’s an important game, it can’t be taken away. It’s a great game.”
Meanwhile, Arne Slot has issued a rallying cry for his Liverpool playersUrging him to “get the most” from the rest of this uneventful campaign.
“What I want is for every single player to get the most out of every single training session and every single game between now and the end of the season,” Slot said ahead of Spurs’ visit yesterday.
“That’s the aim for me and that should be the aim for the players too because that’s the only way to get the most out of what we have.
“It’s not always so easy to predict exactly what’s going to happen because sometimes you need a bit of luck.”
We’re not here to bemoan Tottenham’s pain. But what happened the last time Spurs lost – and can the current team learn anything from the misfortune that befell Keith Burkinshaw’s talented side?
Sam Cunningham has written a beautiful interpretation of the past that even Tottenham fans can enjoy, albeit in a bittersweet manner.
Glenn Hoddle was crying in the dressing room. Others sat in disbelief, wondering what the future would hold.
Tottenham were the first English club in the 20th century to win the League and FA Cup double in 1961, and the first club to lift a European trophy by winning the Cup Winners’ Cup two years later. They were famous for playing attractive football and for Jimmy Greaves’ goals.
Under their manager Bill Nicholson, they added two League Cups and the UEFA Cup in the early 1970s. And now he was removed.
tottenham not in action today – They will visit Anfield tomorrow. However Igor Tudor, the specialist ‘firefighter’ manager who arrived at Spurs with a flamethrower, has also spoken to the press.
He rejected talk of the club being cursed by “black magic” (which is good) and said that the players should not “suffer” (which is bad). Tudor has given his players a choice: cry or fight.
Watch his fight (or cry) conversation.
On that struggle for Champions League placesOur writers explain how the PL contenders are shaping up with reasons to be delighted/scared and take a look at their run-in.
Worth reading.
Here are today’s five Premier League fixturesBy the way. It’s not just the two at the top in action!
-
Burnley vs Bournemouth, 3pm (all times GMT)
-
Sunderland vs Brighton, 3pm
-
Arsenal vs Everton, 5.30 pm
-
Chelsea vs Newcastle, 5.30 pm
-
West Ham vs Manchester City, 8 pm
Chelsea hosting Newcastle is delicious. The Magpies dashed Manchester United’s Champions League qualification hopes in their last league match; Chelsea are in fifth place and right around the cutoff point. What will happen?
Mikel Arteta, Pep’s disciple becomes title rival, Before today’s matches, there were some words for the media also. In particular, word about set pieces and the denial that Arsenal are blocking defenders as part of their corner routine.
Asked if other teams were learning some dark arts from Arsenal, Arteta said:
No, we were not the first. And it’s not about stopping. I’m not going to describe what we do, but it’s not blocking… others know what we try to do. And it is not so.”
Pep Guardiola spoke to the press yesterday Ahead of West Ham vs Manchester City today. In his usual measured fashion, Guardiola revealed that when he (possibly the world’s greatest manager, in charge of a resourceful and hugely successful football club) loses a game 3–0, everyone makes a big fuss.
Oh Pep! never change.
Let’s start with last night’s Championship game in which Wrexham beat Swansea 2-0 To boost their playoff hopes. Dom Booth was watching the Guardian and attended a football match, as well as some slavish devotion to the cult of fame. Bonus.
Apparently the suits at Sky Sports thought Wrexham v Swansea City on Friday night needed its own side show. The clash between two historic Welsh clubs just five points apart in the battle for the Championship playoff places will not go down well with the TikTok generation. If only there were some Hollywood actors to step into the content void, relegating Daniel Mann and Andy Hinchcliffe to second-rate commentary choices.
Fortunately, Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac were happy to oblige on the fifth anniversary of their £2m takeover of the then National League outfit. “With our decision to take over Wrexham, we really have no idea how it will turn out,” the pair said – presumably in unison – in a jubilant press release ahead of broadcast.
Preface
hello! I don’t want to get all Sky Sports promosMitchell and Webb Over to you – but it’s a pretty spectacular Saturday of live football action. We’ve got both Premier League title contenders as Arsenal welcome Everton at 5.30pm, then Manchester City visit West Ham in the evening.
Before then, the top two of the Championship are also playing: Coventry vs Southampton and Middlesbrough vs Bristol City (both 12.30pm kick-off). And to complete a top-two treble, the tight race for the Scottish Premiership sees second-placed Celtic host Motherwell at 3pm, before leaders Hearts visit Kilmarnock at 8pm.
Here at Matchday Live we’ll be bringing you the buildup to those games and more – team lineups, previews, breaking news, early goal alerts and more as we get them.
As always, please get in touch with your thoughts, predictions and match day musings.