Blog – Page 420 – Football Flame

Blog

PREMIER LEAGUE

Interim Everton boss Ferguson keen to go out on a high

Interim Everton Manager, Duncan Ferguson looks on prior to the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Everton FC and Leicester FC at Goodison Park.Interim Everton boss Duncan Ferguson has said he would like to sign off on a high if today's early Premier League kickoff against Arsenal is to be his final game in charge of the Merseyside club.The former striker, a longtime member of Everton's coaching staff, was handed the reins after Marco Silva was sacked earlier this month when Everton dropped into the relegation zone following a 5-2 defeat by Liverpool.Ferguson has steadied the ship since taking over, beating Chelsea at home and drawing at Manchester United in the league, and losing to Leicester City on penalties in the League Cup.Everton, who are now 16th in the standings, are expected ...
TRANSFERS

Report: AC Milan target Haaland in January transfer window

Erling Braut Haaland of RB Salzburg inspects the pitch ahead of the UEFA Champions League group E match between RB Salzburg and Liverpool FC at Red Bull Arena.Italian Serie A giants AC Milan are considering making sensational move for Austrian club RB Salzburg’s star forward Erling Braut Haaland in the January transfer window.The Milan-based club have been in the market to sign an attacking player in the mid-season transfer window and have been strongly linked with veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic who will be available as a free-agent once his contract with the Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Los Angeles (LA) Galaxy will come to an end on December 31st.However, delay from the former Sweden international in deciding whether he is willing to join the Milan-based club have pushed the hi...
TRANSFERS

Minamino agrees long-term Anfield deal

Takumi Minamino signs for Liverpool Football Club.Liverpool Football Club have confirmed an agreement with Red Bull Salzburg for the transfer of Takumi Minamino.The Japan international forward will officially become a Reds player on January 1 after he finalised personal terms and passed a medical on Merseyside on Wednesday.Minamino told Liverpoolfc.com: “It has been a dream, my dream to become a Liverpool player. And I’m so excited that the moment has come true.“To play in the Premier League was one of my targets. I think this is the top-class league in the world; I was thinking if my career as a footballer progressed smoothly, someday I would be able to play in the Premier League.“But I never thought I would be able to play in this team and I’m really happy about it. I’m looking forward t...
TRANSFERS

Arsenal looking to seal Mikel Arteta swoop

Mikel Arteta, Assistant Manager of Manchester City reacts during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Oxford United and Manchester City at Kassam Stadium.Arsenal will be hoping to wrap up talks with Manchester City as they seek to appoint former player Mikel Arteta as their new head coach.Negotiations remain ongoing between the two Premier League clubs, with a compensation package for the City assistant coach yet to be agreed.The Gunners had fuelled speculation of an imminent announcement of Unai Emery’s permanent successor by postponing Thursday afternoon’s scheduled press conference.Spaniard Arteta, who played for the Gunners from 2011 to 2016, reportedly said his farewells to staff at City on Thursday morning.The 37-year-old, who made 110 top-flight appearances for Arsenal before...
NEWS

Belgium named FIFA team of the Year 2019, England up to fourth

Romelu Lukaku (C) of Belgium celebrates his goal with teammates during the UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifier between Russia and Belgium.Football's world governing body said Thursday that Belgium is the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking's Team of the Year for the second successive time.The team, known as the Red Devils, had held on to top spot in a December table barely impacted by just 19 friendlies toward the end of a year in which 1,082 international "A" matches have been played – an all-time high since the ranking's 1993 inception.World champions France remain in the second place ahead of Brazil in third, the positions they held in December 2018, but the make-up of the year-end top five has changed, said FIFA in a statement.According to the ranking, the "Mover of the Year" is Qatar."The 2022 FIFA Wor...
NEWS

Man United boss Solskjaer planning tactical change vs Man City in Carabao Cup semi final

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United speaks with Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows Manchester United need to improve on their recent derby win if they are to triumph against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.Having edged past Rochdale and shocked Chelsea, the Red Devils overcame League Two side Colchester, the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, on Wednesday evening.The Essex side made the quarter-final harder than the 3-0 scoreline suggested, with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial scoring either side of Ryan Jackson’s own goal in a one-sided second half.United’s reward is a January double-header against Pep Guardiola’s City – a side Solskjae...
BUNDESLIGA

Joshua Zirkzee nets Crucial goal in Bundesliga debut

Joshua Zirkzee of Bayern Munich celebrates with team-mates after scoring his team's second goal during the Bundesliga match between Sport-Club Freiburg and FC Bayern Muenchen at Schwarzwald.Serge Gnabry invited sub Joshua Zirkzee to beat Freiburg keeper Mark Flekken in injury time, the 18-year-old sending FC Bayern into raptures. 104 seconds after coming on in his Bundesliga debut, the Dutchman found the net with his first touch, scoring Bayern's crucial second goal on Wednesday.In the closing stages it looked as if Freiburg and the German record champions would share the spoils, but Hansi Flick was soon vindicated in his decision. The FCB coach introduced striker Zirkzee, who paid back the trust. "Joshua has been with us for a few weeks, he's doing a very good job in traini...
NEWS

Roberto Firmino strikes late to take Liverpool into Club World Cup final

Roberto Firmino of Liverpool (L) scores the second goal of his team during FIFA Club World Cup Semi-Final match between Monterrey and Liverpool FC at Education City Stadium.Substitute Roberto Firmino grabbed a stoppage-time winner as Liverpool beat Mexico’s Monterrey 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the Club World Cup final, where they will play Brazil’s Flamengo.Liverpool, without centre back Virgil van Dijk, who was missing through illness and with Firmino and Sadio Mane starting on the bench, never truly imposed themselves on the game but their trademark perseverance paid off and earned them a place in Saturday’s final.“They fought really hard, we had problems before the game and during the game as well but I think the boys did exceptionally well,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.It was a ...
SERIE A

Flying Ronaldo fires Juventus three points clear

Cristiano Ronaldo (L) of Juventus FC scores a goal during the Serie A football match between UC Sampdoria and Juventus FC. Juventus FC won 2-1 over UC Sampdoria.Cristiano Ronaldo’s scoring streak continued on Wednesday as the Juventus forward netted a soaring header to secure a 2-1 victory at Sampdoria, putting the defending champion back atop the Serie A standings.Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon matched Paolo Maldini’s all-time record of 647 Serie A appearances in the game, but Ronaldo found a way to steal the spotlight once again.The Portugal star leaped above a defender and hung in the air to meet a cross before planting a header into the top of the net for the winning goal on the stroke of halftime. Earlier, Gianluca Caprari had canceled out Paulo Dybala’s opener for Juve.“The goa...
LALIGA

Postponed Clasico ends up with goalless draw

Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona competes for the ball with Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid during the Liga match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at Camp Nou.After being postponed in October, Barcelona and Real Madrid made their La Liga season's first Clasico at Camp Nou stadium on Wednesday, but the game ended with a disappointing 0-0 draw result for the first time since 2002.For Real Madrid, Gareth Bale started for the first time in four matches, while Ramos played in his 43rd Clasico, a record for any player in history.For Barcelona, Sergio Busquets was included in the line-up first announced before he was swapped out for Ivan Rakitic, which Barca claimed was a communication error.If it was, it was not the first mistake of the night, with a frantic first half.Real were the better side i...
NEWS

Ozil removed from PES 2020 in China

Mesut Ozil of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium.Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has been removed from China's version of the Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 video game following his criticism of China's treatment of Uighur Muslims.Ozil, who is a Muslim, called Uighurs "warriors who resist persecution".He also criticised both China and the silence of Muslims in response.NetEase, which publishes the PES franchise in China, said the former Germany player had been removed from three existing titles in the country."The German player Ozil posted an extreme statement about China on social media," it said in a statement."The speech hurt the feelings of Chinese fans and violated the sports spirit of love and peace. We do not understa...
LALIGA

3,000 security officers to be deployed for Barcelona Real Madrid clasico

Zinedine Zidane, Manager of Real Madrid greets Ernesto Valverde, coach of Barcelona prior to the La Liga match between Real Madrid and Barcelona.El clasico on Wednesday night takes place at Barcelona's Camp Nou against the backdrop of high political tension in Spain.Police were taking no chances with thousands of protesters expected to take to the area around the ground in support of Catalan independence.Originally slated for October 26, Spain's most anticipated match was postponed due to civil unrest which included the jailing of nine Catalan separatist leaders.Such was the friction, the Barcelona and Real Madrid coaches were escorted to the ground together to minimise the risk – having stayed at the same hotel on Tuesday night.Real coach, Zinedine Zidane, however, says he was not overly ...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Zaha Strikes late to earn Crystal Palace point

Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace dribbles past Martín Montoya of Brighton & Hove Albion during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion at Selhurst Park.Wilfried Zaha's equaliser lifted Crystal Palace up to ninth in the Premier Leaguetable as they shared the points in a 1-1 draw at home to Brighton on Monday. Neal Maupay fired the visitors into a 54th-minute lead but Palace star Zaha drew the Eagles level against the Seagulls with a fine solo effort 15 minutes from time at Selhurst Park. Palace have now moved above London rivals Arsenal in the table and Zaha was proud of the way his side stayed in the game against a Brighton team who had much the better of the play."It was a big game for both teams and I'm glad we got back in it -- if you ...
UCL

Jurgen Klopp reacts to Liverpool drawing Atletico Madrid in Champions League

Jurgen Klopp the head coach / manager of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Watford FC at Anfield.Liverpool will face Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.Monday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland, pitted the reigning champions against the Spanish club. The first leg of the series will take place at 9 p.m. West Africa time on Feb. 18 in Madrid at Estadio Metropolitano, and the second leg will take place at 9 p.m. West Africa time on March 11 at Anfield. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp offered his reaction to the pairing with Atletico Madrid, predicting a “tough and intense” series for the teams. “It’s an interesting draw,” he told Liverpool’s website. “Before the draw I actually thought it would be Madrid — either one of the two ...
NEWS

Saint-Etienne 0-4 PSG: Kylian Mbappe and Mauro Icardi strike against 10-man hosts to send Ligue 1 leaders seven clear despite Neymar penalty miss

Kylian Mbappe of PSG celebrates his first goal during the Ligue 1 match between AS Saint-Etienne (ASSE) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.Kylian Mbappe helped Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) extend their Ligue 1 lead on Sunday with a brace in a comfortable 4-0 win over 10-man Saint-Etienne.France forward Mbappe took his league tally to nine in 11 appearances as his side took advantage of second-placed Marseille only drawing at Metz on Saturday to move seven points clear and tighten their grip on the French championship, which they have won six out of the last seven seasons.Leandro Paredes set the ball rolling in the 10th minute with a deflected strike and once Jean Eudes Aholou was sent off in the 25th minute for a dreadful late tackle on the Argentine PSG could stroll the...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Jose Mourinho hails players after 'very important' Tottenham win over Wolves

Jose Mourinho the head coach / manager of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux.Mourinho is getting the best and more from Spurs. There have been small signs since he took over at Tottenham of the old Jose Mourinho -- the good Jose Mourinho, the one you probably hated if you didn't support his team but definitely loved if you did. But perhaps Tottenham's 2-1 win over Wolves on Sunday was the biggest one yet, a victory achieved with a late header that was frankly a robbery, Wolves arguably aggrieved they didn't get all three points, let alone none at all."It's one of these victories where quality is not enough," said Mourinho after the game. "If you're not a team, a real team, in the real sense of what the wo...
SERIE A

Inter, Conte's post-match comments after Fiorentina draw

Antonio Conte manager of FC Internazionale looks on during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and FC Internazionale at Stadio Artemio Franchi.A win by Juventus and a draw from Inter mean that the two rival clubs are tied for top of the table. The nerazzurri were held without a win away at Fiorentina, drawing 1-1 against the hosts at the Artemio Franchi. Afterwards, Inter coach Antonio Conte gave his thoughts on the match to Sky Sport: "We got back less than we deserved, just like against Barcelona. I'm upset because the team gave a good response, we deserved more. That being said, we must do better in all phases. In the last three matches we are talking about three possible wins which became two draws and a defeat. But this is a process of growth, we must be patient and bui...
SERIE A

Ronaldo scores twice in Juventus win over Udinese

Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus competes for the ball with Bram Nuytinck of Udinese Calcio during the Serie A match between Juventus and Udinese Calcio.Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Juventus beat Udinese to go top of Serie A - for a few hours at least.The Portuguese blasted in a crisp shot from the edge of the area for a fourth goalscoring game in a row.He then smashed in a first-time shot from Gonzalo Higuain's through ball before Leonardo Bonucci headed home to make it 3-0 before the break.Ronaldo almost grabbed his first Serie A hat-trick as he hit the post, before Ignacio Pussetto's late consolation.Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon made his 646th Serie A appearance, one short of Paolo Maldini's all-time record. It was Buffon's 700th league appearance including Serie B and the French top ...
BUNDESLIGA

Coutinho hat trick as Bayern bounces back to rout Bremen 6-1

Philippe Coutinho of FC Bayern Muenchen celebrates after scoring his team's sixth goal with team mates during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and SV Werder Bremen at Allianz Arena.Bayern Munich's Philippe Coutinho scored a hat-trick and Robert Lewandowski added two more goals as the champions demolished Werder Bremen 6-1 on Saturday to impressively bounce back from two straight league defeats.The Bavarians, missing several players through injury, climbed to fourth place on 27 points, just four behind leaders Borussia Moenchengladbach who are in action against VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday. Bayern fell behind in the 24th minute from a Milot Rashica goal after once more wasting several golden chances, including missed chances from top scorer Lewandowski, as had been the case i...
LALIGA

Barcelona slip up ahead of El Clasico with draw against Real Sociedad

Luis Suarez of FC Barcelona duels for the ball with Mikel Oyarzabal of Real Sociedad during the Liga match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at Estadio Anoeta.Barcelona suffered a potentially costly slip-up ahead of Wednesday’s Clasico as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Real Sociedad.Luis Suarez scored one goal and made another as Ernesto Valverde’s men, who had won their previous six games in all competitions, came from behind to lead at Anoeta.However, Alexander Isak’s 62nd-minute strike earned fourth-placed Sociedad a deserved share of the spoils, meaning Real Madrid now have the chance to move two points clear at the top of LaLiga with victory at Valencia on Sunday.Barca could have few complaints about their failure to win, having been outplayed for large parts of an entertaining ...
Blogarama - Blog Directory