Jose Mourinho endured another frustrating return to Stamford Bridge as Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 to end their FA Cup defence.
Mourinho s first return to the Blues after his December 2015 sacking ended in a humiliating 4-0 thrashing and United ultimately fared little better in this quarter-final capitulation, secured by N Golo Kante s stunning strike.
A defensive line-up was expected from United amid pre-match reports of a shortage of strikers, but Marcus Rashford defied illness to start as Mourinho changed his system to match that which Antonio Conte has dominated the Premier League with, and one that the former Blues boss has been far from complimentary about in public.
Mourinho s plans were thrown out of kilter as Ander Herrera picked up two first-half…
With the relentless schedule once again opening up on Tuesday night, we have another stacked set of fixtures from across Europe. So, for those of you looking to stick on a midweek flutter, we have found a handful of helpful tips that are worth keeping an eye out for.
Tuesday 2nd March
BST 19:00 Northampton Town vs Plymouth Argyle
Starting with Tuesday s guests, managing to make a dramatic return to winning ways over the weekend, the mood in Plymouth s camp should be at a real high. Eventually snatching a last-gasp winner against two-two chasers Lincoln on Saturday, the Greens have their own shock play-off charge at the top of their agenda. Making an immediate return to winning ways after that defeat against Peterborough last month, Ryan Lowe s side have gain…
Neymar has informed Paris Saint-Germain that he wants to leave the club this summer, according to .
The Brazilian held talks with PSG sporting director Leonardo early on Monday, and following the conversation the two of them had, he expressed his wish to leave the Parc Des Princes. Apparently, the Ligue 1 champions have tried to convince him to change his mind and stay, while Neymar hasn t told them which club he would want to move to.
Neymar has been heavily linked with a return to Barcelona, which he left to join PSG in a rather controversial move back in 2017, still holding the world record in terms of transfer fees. The story has been going back and forth for a few months now, and it is believed that negotiations between the clubs are ongoing despite PSG having yet …
Stoke City are considering a move for midfielder David Bentley,.
The 28 year old is available on a free transfer following his release from Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, having had loans spells with Russian side Rostov and former club Blackburn Rovers last season.
New Stoke manager Mark Hughes knows the player well having signed him whilst in charge of Blackburn Rovers back in 2005.
His best form undoubtedly came during his time at Ewood Park, when he earned his first of seven international caps, and was named player of the season in 2007.
A big money move to Tottenham Hotspur followed in 2008, though he made just thirty-two league starts in five years, spending much of the last three years out on loan.
His last Premier League appea…
Arsenal are interested in signing Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan in the summer of 2023, according to . The report in the Italian news outlet has claimed that the Gunners are ready to make a bid for the Netherlands international wing-back and could offer Takehiro Tomiyasu in a potential deal.
Former Serie A and UEFA Champions League winners Inter are willing to sell Dumfries, but they are looking for at least €40 million (£34.49 million) in transfer fees. Arsenal are ready to pay €40 million (£34.49 million) as well as include Japan international right-back Tomiyasu, who is valued at €25 million (£21.56 million).
Tomiyasu has lost his place in the Arsenal starting lineup this season. Ben White is playing at right-back this season despite being a centre-back b…
No offers have been made for Swansea City captain Ashley Williams, according to the club s chairman.
Despite reported interest from Arsenal during the close-season, Huw Jenkins revealed that there have been no offers for Williams, or any of other Swansea players.
The 28-year-old England international joined the club permanently in 2008 and was part of their rise to the English top flight.
As a result, Jenkins is determined to keep hold of the player.
We have had no phone calls about any of our players and we hope that continues, he told Sky Sports.
Ash has grown with us. His performances and personality have grown with the club and he is a vital part of our team.
He is a big part of our defence and now he is captain as well. He is a good leader to hav…
Spain head coach Vicente del Bosque has insisted his team will prepare to play underdogs Tahiti just like they would for any other team.
Fans will flock to the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, expecting Spain, the reigning world and European champions, to destroy the French Polynesian minnows, who are ranked 137 positions below Del Bosque s team on the FIFA rankings.
Tahiti were thumped 6-1 by Nigeria in their opening game of the FIFA Confederations Cup, while Spain overcame Uruguay 2-1, but Del Bosque said he has not allowed his players to take it easy in the lead-up to their clash with the Oceania Nations Cup champions.
We have prepared like we would for any other game, Del Bosque said on Wednesday.
Get ready, know our game plan and study our rivals that…
FIFA has claimed it is on the right track in the protection of workers’ rights at World Cup stadium projects following a damning report by Amnesty International on the treatment of migrant workers in Qatar.
Amnesty accused FIFA and the Qatari authorities of indifference towards systematic abuse and appalling treatment of migrants working on stadiums that will host the 2022 World Cup, following interviews with 132 contractors and 102 landscapers working on the tournament facilities.
The report described the abuse of migrant workers as a stain on the conscience of world football , but FIFA has claimed the unique attraction of the World Cup will act as a catalyst for a change in working conditions in Qatar.
In a statement, FIFA claimed to have been working w…
Manchester City are looking into the possibility of signing Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci as a welcoming gift for their soon-to-be manager Pep Guardiola.
Current Bayern Munich boss is believed to be a huge admirer of the 28-year-old Italian international and the Citizens have already made Bonucci their number one transfer target, according to the Turin-based media outlet .
Bonucci’s contract expires in 2020 and the versatile Juventus defender is currently on a 3.5 million-a-year deal with the Italian giants.
Juventus defender is praised for his reliability in the back, while Bonucci is also a great asset in the attack as the Italian international is not afraid to go forward and test his shot on the goal.
Leonardo Bonucci has played 190 Serie A mat…
Peter Bosz has called on his Borussia Dortmund players to be brave and attack Wednesday s Champions League opener at Tottenham.
The two sides are meeting in Group H at Wembley, with Dortmund returning to the scene of their 2013 final defeat to Bayern Munich.
Former Ajax boss Bosz, appointed at the beginning of this season, is determined to be positive and has already noted improvement in the squad.
The first game is always important, he told a pre-match news conference. We re approaching the game like any other and we re here to win.
At the start we made defensive mistakes, but since then the players have really been putting everything into practising well.
Back at Wembley!
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB)
Spurs have a similar …