Tag: Premier League

Brazil legend Ronaldinho: Any team in the world would make room for Harry Kane

The Brazil great lauded the Spurs star, saying that any club in Europe would make room for him if given the chance

Tottenham star Harry Kane could walk into any team in Europe, according to Brazil great Ronaldinho.

Kane has enjoyed another prolific season at Spurs, scoring 35 goals in all competitions to mark the third campaign in four when he has netted at least 30.

The England international is linked to the likes of Real Madrid and Ronaldinho believes the 24-year-old is more than capable of playing for any of the world’s biggest clubs.

“Harry Kane has been a great player for a while now – but there is no doubt this season he has hit a new level,” he told the Mirror .

“He is now at the level where any team in the world would want him. He could walk into any team in Europe.

“Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, it doesn’t matter how strong the team. He is now one of those few players in the world that any team would have to make room for if they had the chance to sign him.”

Kane has won the past two Premier League Golden Boots and is on track to make it three this season.

While Spurs will want to keep Kane, Ronaldinho – a two-time FIFA World Player of the Year – said clubs had shown they would pay whatever was needed to sign the world’s best.

“Over the last windows we have seen that the biggest clubs in Europe have paid whatever fees needed to sign the best players in the world,” he said.

“For maybe four or five clubs, they are now at a stage where the fee is not important if they want the player, they pay what they have to.”

Tottenham sit fourth in the Premier League table but face a fight for a Champions League place next season, with Chelsea just two points back.

Spurs are still alive in Europe this term and head into their round of 16 second-leg clash with Juventus level after a 2-2 draw in Italy.

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 16: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur in action during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City at Wembley Stadium on September 16, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

Source: www.goal.com

De Gea is Man Utd’s only world-class player – Neville

The Spanish goalkeeper has bailed out United regularly again this season, and the former Red Devils skipper says he’s the one player they can rely on

Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes that goalkeeper David de Gea is currently the club’s only world-class player.

De Gea, who was named United’s Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons between 2013 and 2016, has been in magnificent form again of late.

The Red Devils came away from their Champions League round-of-16 first leg against Sevilla with a 0-0 draw thanks to the Spaniard’s wonderful reflex save from a Luis Muriel header.

And Neville insists that the 27-year-old, who is being linked to a potential summer move to Real Madrid once more having almost signed for them in 2015, is the clear star of Jose Mourinho’s current squad despite the recent addition of Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez.

“De Gea’s the only world-class player Manchester United have got. You could maybe say Sanchez but not at Manchester United yet, even if he has been at a level for the last five or six years that you would say is world class,” Neville toldGoal .

“But De Gea’s the only player Manchester United have got at this moment in time that I would say has performed for the club at a world-class level.

“The other player I would say that has done brilliantly well, whether you could say he’s world class or not, is Antonio Valencia over the last two or three years. He’s been outstanding,” Neville added.

“But to me De Gea is their stand-out player in terms of world standard at the club without a shadow of a doubt.”

Neville, who was speaking at the Vimto Salford Challenge which celebrated a new partnership between local fruit juice giants Vimto and the Salford City side he co-owns, added that he has no concerns about Sanchez’s influence on the decreased game time for fellow forwards Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard.

“They are getting games, they’re just not going to play every single week and I would expect Manchester United players to be challenging for places all the time,” he explained.

“The problem for Jose Mourinho at the moment is how you get Romelu Lukaku, Rashford, Martial and Sanchez into a front combination thanks works together. That’s the big question at the moment, who plays on the right? Martial’s been out there, we’ve seen Sanchez out there in a couple of games, and neither of them are ideal out there.

“They’d all probably prefer to play centre forward, Rashford, Martial, Sanchez and obviously Lukaku. So at the moment it’s how they fit into a front three which is the most interesting thing, not which one plays. They have to show they can play together.”

United head to Crystal Palace on Monday in their next Premier League fixture having picked up three valuable points at the weekend by beating Mourinho’s old club Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford.

Source: www.goal.com

‘Hazard should play 90 minutes’ – Courtois surprised at Conte’s Man Utd substitution

The Chelsea goalkeeper wants to see his Belgian team-mate play the full match where possible after he was withdrawn in the second half at Old Trafford

Thibaut Courtois admits he was surprised to see Eden Hazard substituted by Antonio Conte during the 2-1 defeat at Manchester United.

The Blues slipped out of the Premier League’s top four after goals from Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard earned United the points following Willian’s opener.

Lingard’s winner came two minutes after Hazard had been substituted by Conte, with Pedro coming on for the Belgium international.

Chelsea were then left without their most creative spark when chasing the game and Courtois has aired his surprise at his compatriot’s withdrawal.

“I have no explanation for the substitution,” Courtois told Belgian outlet Play Sports. “I did not expect it, but it’s the manager’s choice. He’ll explain it. I can’t look into his head.

“Of course, you want players like Eden 90 minutes on the pitch. He can always bring something extra.”

Conte has been under pressure in recent weeks, with the Blues struggling domestically. Chelsea are currently fifth in the Premier League, two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham and 19 behind leaders Manchester City.

Speaking after the defeat at Old Trafford, Conte suggested that Hazard had failed to maintain his high standards in the second half and that his withdrawal was merely a tactical decision.

“No Hazard [is not injured], no,” he told a news conference. “It was a tactical decision.

“You have to keep the same performance for 90 minutes, we didn’t have a great balance, and every single player has to try to work with the ball, without the ball, otherwise we lose our balance.

“I think he’d finished his energy because the first half he ran a lot. The second half he started the same way, but when I see a player is a bit tired, my task is to find a different solution.”

Meanwhile, Courtois was left deflated by the defeat at United, which came on the back of a 1-1 draw at home to Barcelona in the Champions League when Chelsea had also taken the lead.

“After our goal, we conceded a counter-attacking goal just like last Tuesday but in the second half we had less of the ball, but even then we should never have lost this match,” he said.

“If you do not do the small things well in top matches, you lose, which is what happened.”

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 13: Eden Hazard of Chelsea walks off after being subbbed during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Leicester City at Stamford Bridge on January 13, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Source: www.goal.com

Giroud reveals Arsenal regret he intends to resolve at Chelsea

The France international remains determined to get his hands on the Premier League title having crossed London without a winners’ medal to his name

Olivier Giroud admits to having left Arsenal with “unfinished business” and is determined to right his Premier League wrongs with Chelsea.

The France international brought a five-and-a-half-year stint with the Gunners to a close during the January transfer window.

A deadline day switch saw him cross London, with Chelsea acquiring a proven performer who had plundered more than 100 goals for their local rivals.

Giroud was, however, to leave Emirates Stadium with just three FA Cup winners’ medals to show for his efforts and he is eager to land English football’s biggest prize after trading red for blue.

“I don’t know if we can really call it a regret but I have a little feeling of unfinished business because I would really have liked to have won the Premier League with Arsenal,” the 31-year-old told SFR Sport.

“You don’t just wipe away five-and-a-half years like that. I have said it often enough – it was my ultimate goal.

“Having said that, it’s not over, I’m still in the Premier League, now I’m at Chelsea. For this year, I think it’s over for the title, but next year, we’ll come to it with great ambitions.

“I still want to win it before I end my career.”

He has already opened his account for new employers, in an FA Cup clash with Hull City, but still has plenty to prove if he is to see regular game time and chase down his ultimate goals.

A 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in their latest outing has dropped the Blues out of the Premier League’s top four, while a 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 encounter means Antonio Conte’s side face the unenviable challenge of having to score at Camp Nou in the return date on March 14.

 

Chelsea’s French attacker Olivier Giroud looks on during the English Premier League football match between Watford and Chelsea at Vicarage Road Stadium in Watford, north of London on February 5, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Glyn KIRK / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

Source: www.goal.com

Chelsea to offer Hazard massive raise

 

Chelsea ready new contract offer for Hazard

 

Chelsea hope to keep Eden Hazard in London by offering him a new contract with a massive bump in wages, according to the Daily Mail.

Hazard’s current contract runs through 2020, but rumours continue to circulate that he desires a move to Real Madrid.

And the Blues are hoping a new deal, which would see him earn wages of £300,000 a week, would be enough to entice the former Premier League Player of the Year to stay.

 
Source: www.goal.com

Morata is the best player I’ve ever faced – Kimmich

The 23-year-old right-back has lifted the lid on his toughest opponent and who he believes the best player of his generation to be

Bayern Munich defender Joshua Kimmich has claimed that Chelsea forward Alvaro Morata rates as the toughest player he has ever had to face.

Morata has been criticised for his recent performance with the Blues, yet when he played with Juventus, Kimmich felt that he was a tough presence to cope with.

Indeed, he believes the 25-year-old was so good that he rates him higher than the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, who he has also faced in Champions League action.

“It was very tough to play against him because he has a very strong body, he is very fast and has a good technique,” Kimmich said, answering questions fans posed to him via Goal. “So it wasn’t easy to play against him.”

Meanwhile, the 23-year-old right-back found it tricky to pick an outstanding player of his generation.

“I think there are a lot of good players,” he said. “Neymar is not that old but he’s not my age. Paul Pogba is two years older than me and Paulo Dybala I think is one year older than me.

“For me, Kingsley Coman is a greater player, but he’s one year younger than me.

“I think we have a good generation with a lot of very good players.”

Kimmich also passed comment on other subjects, such as who is his greatest coach ever and his preference between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Watch the video above to discover his answers.

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 26: Alvaro Morata of Chelsea reacts during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Brighton and Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on December 26, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Source: www.goal.com

Wenger singles out ‘exceptional’ De Bruyne ahead of Carabao Cup final

The Gunners boss has hailed the Manchester City midfielder, who he believes has developed into one of the Premier League’s best players

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has praised Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, claiming that he is one of the biggest strengths for the Carabao Cup finalists.

The Gunners take on the Citizens at Wembley on Sunday, February 25 as Wenger hopes to become the eighth manager to win the English top-flight as well as the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.

However, he is wary of the threat posed by the Belgium international, hailing the 26-year-old’s progress in the Premier League since his 2015 transfer from Wolfsburg for £55 million.

“He’s had an exceptional development,” Wenger told reporters. “One of the big strengths of Manchester City is De Bruyne.

“He is a modern midfielder for me, he can be decisive in the final third.

“He works very hard; he is right footed, left footed, a fighter as well. Overall, I am not surprised [by his performances].

“They have so many players that you could think about how to stop that it is better you focus on the team plan rather than any individual.”

Sunday’s final is Arsenal’s eighth in the competition, but they have only won the competition on two of those occasions. Manchester City are playing in their third final in the past five years and their sixth overall.

Source: www.goal.com

Barcelona are great even without Neymar – Willian

After helping Chelsea to a first-leg draw against Barca, the Brazilian attacker talked up the talents of the LaLiga leaders

Barcelona are still as fearsome as ever even without Neymar, according to Chelsea attacker Willian.

Willian’s 62nd-minute strike was cancelled out by Lionel Messi as the teams played out a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

His Brazil team-mate Neymar may have left Barca for Paris Saint-Germain last year, but Willian believes that the Spanish giants remain one of the finest teams on the planet.

“I think Barcelona are Barcelona, with or without Neymar,” Willian said.

“Of course Neymar is a great player but they have Messi, they have [Andres] Iniesta, they have [Luis] Suarez.

“They have really good players so Barcelona is always Barcelona.”

While he opened the scoring, Willian also struck the post twice during Tuesday’s clash.

And despite Chelsea’s failure to beat Barca, the 29-year-old still believes his team can reach the quarter-finals with a result at Camp Nou on March 14.

“Of course, we can go there and do a great job again. It will be a completely different game,” Willian said.

“To play there is totally different. But I think we can go there with this mentality. We can go there with great spirit and try to win the game.”

Source: www.goal.com

Chelsea, Inter and the teams Messi has never scored against

Of all the teams the Barcelona forward has faced, he has failed to hit the net against just 12, including Tuesday’s Champions League opponents

A career spent as one of the world’s most prolific goalscorers and perennially at the top of the game, Lionel Messi has upset a huge number of teams as a star for Barcelona.

The Argentine’s exploits have led the Catalan side to global success and helped keep them within the top echelons of European football.

So consistent has Messi been that it is easier to name the teams he has failed to score against in his senior career since he emerged in Barca’s senior side as a 17-year-old in October 2004.

Of all the teams Messi has faced in the near 13 and a half years since his first appearance for the Blaugrana, he has failed to hit the net against just 12.

He will get the chance to knock one of those teams off the list on Tuesday when his side visit Chelsea in the Champions League. Goal runs through the teams the Camp Nou icon has never scored against.

#12 Gramenet

Messi’s third official appearance and first start for Barcelona was also his first defeat with the senior side, as Frank Rijkaard’s men lost to Gramenet in the Copa del Rey.

Despite the presence of Messi, Henrik Larsson and Andres Iniesta in the starting XI, the Blaugrana could not find a way through against the third-tier team and conceded the decisive goal in extra-time.

It is the only time Messi has come up against his side’s Catalan neighbours.

#11 Udinese

With just one goal to his name for the Camp Nou outfit, Messi was still far off the level that carried him to five Ballons d’Or when he lined up against Udinese in September 2005.

Back then, he was just a promising youngster lucky enough to be playing in attack alongside Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o.

It was the Brazilian who showed he was still the grandmaster in the Champions League encounter, scoring a hat-trick in a 4-1 win.

Messi, meanwhile, was withdrawn in the 70th minute and although he scored in his next Champions League appearance, he was left out of the next two group games, one of which was the return clash with Udinese.

#10 Cadiz

In December 2005, Messi missed another rare chance to add another name to his long list of victims in a game against Cadiz.

The Argentine got an assist as Barca won 3-1, setting up Samuel Eto’o early in the second half.

Messi was injured when the two sides met later in the season in a much tighter affair but, luckily, Ronaldinho was on hand to score the winning goal as Barca went on to win the league.

He has not faced them since.

#9 Real Murcia

The 2007-08 season may have been a disappointment for Barcelona, as they finished third in La Liga, an incredible 18 points behind champions Real Madrid.

However, it ended with a lot of fun, as they recovered from the concession of an early goal to storm to a 5-1 lead over Real Murcia in the final game of the season.

Messi again got two assists, but it was Giovani dos Santos who took the plaudits for his hat-trick. While Barca have faced Murcia several times since, Messi has not played in any of those games.

 Al Sadd

Barca strolled to Club World Cup success in 2011 with 4-0 wins over Al Sadd and Santos.

Although Messi outshone a young Brazilian superstar by the name of Neymar by scoring twice in the tournament decider, the Argentine was unsuccessful in finding the net against Al Sadd in the semi-finals.

He did, however, set up Seydou Keita for Barca’s third goal in a routine win.

#7 Girona

Messi may have drawn a blank against Girona in his first meeting with the newly-promoted side earlier this season, but they hardly needed him at his best.

Barca were gifted two own goals by the hosts before Luis Suarez put the game beyond doubt.

Messi could bring this list of teams down from 12 to 10 by the end of the week, as Barca travel to Chelsea on Tuesday before taking on Girona again at the weekend.

#6 Liverpool

Messi, Ronaldinho, Xavi and Deco could do little to prevent Liverpool from marching to the 2007 Champions League final when they met at the last-16 stage.

Rafael Benitez’s men got the crucial away goals with a 2-1 win in Camp Nou before Barca edged the return leg 1-0. Despite Messi starting and finishing each game, he could not find a crucial goal to put Rijkaard’s men through.

The Anfield side have been lucky to have evaded his reach in the near 11 years since.

#5 Benfica

Barcelona came up against Benfica early in Messi’s career, when they overcame the Portuguese side in the quarter-finals on their way to Champions League success in 2006.

The Rosario-born star was was ruled out for the tie through injury, however, and did not get a chance to face them again until 2013.

He orchestrated one win over the Eagles with two assists, but Benfica go down as another side that he hasn’t scored against in two attempts.

#4 Xerez

Messi certainly has a reasonable excuse for having never struck lucky against Xerez.

Although he played against them twice in La Liga in 2009-10, he was a second-half substitute each time and played a limited role in victories for Pep Guardiola’s team.

#3 Inter

It was Jose Mourinho’s Inter who halted Barca’s march to another Champions League crown when they knocked the Catalan side out in dramatic circumstances in the semi-finals in 2010.

The two sides met four times in the competition, having also been drawn in the same group, but Messi was kept quiet in the three times he featured against that year’s tournament winners.

#2 Rubin Kazan

Russian side Rubin Kazan have proved a surprisingly stubborn side when it comes to facing the Blaugrana in Europe.

Even the attacking prowess of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has proved futile in any game he has played against them.

The Argentine has been on the winning side against Rubin just once in the four times he has faced them, drawing two and losing one.

#1 Chelsea

A fixture with a lot of history, meetings between Barcelona and Chelsea in the Champions League generate a great deal of excitement and controversy.

Of the eight times Messi has taken on the Stamford Bridge side in the last 12 years, he has been on the winning side just once, in 2005-06.

He did have an integral role in the most exciting moment between the two sides in recent years when he set up Andres Iniesta for the big winner in their 2009 semi-final leg at Stamford Bridge.

However, in eight games against the Blues, Messi has never found the net.

Will that change on Tuesday?

Aguero to face no action over Wigan fan fracas

The FA has been investigating events at the DW Stadium throughout Tuesday and it has decided not to take any action against the Argentina striker

Sergio Aguero will face no punishment from the Football Association for his role in a fracas with Wigan fans following Monday night’s FA Cup clash, Goal has learned.

The FA has been in discussions with Manchester City and Wigan throughout Tuesday, and sources have told Goal that the governing body has recently informed Aguero that he will not be charged.

Hundreds of Wigan supporters flooded the pitch after their side knocked City out of the FA Cup at the DW Stadium on Monday, one of several other incidents under investigation by the FA.

Aguero was approached by a small number of fans and was seen jostling with them, seemingly after being provoked, before he was pulled away from the scene.

Sources have told Goal that City and Aguero are considering legal action against one fan, who they allege hit the striker, spat at him and said “suck my d***’.

Goal also reported earlier on Tuesday that the FA would be studying footage of the incident, captured either by broadcasters or supporters, to establish the facts.

They have since decided that Aguero does not have a case to answer, and have conveyed that message to City’s lawyers.

Aguero was approached by a small number of fans and was seen jostling with them, seemingly after being provoked, before he was pulled away from the scene.

Sources have told Goal that City and Aguero are considering legal action against one fan, who they allege hit the striker, spat at him and said “suck my d***’.

Goal also reported earlier on Tuesday that the FA would be studying footage of the incident, captured either by broadcasters or supporters, to establish the facts.

They have since decided that Aguero does not have a case to answer, and have conveyed that message to City’s lawyers.