PREMIER LEAGUE – Page 113 – Football Flame

PREMIER LEAGUE

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PREMIER LEAGUE

Pellegrini excited by Jack Wilshere return

West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini said Jack Wilshere's imminent return to first-team action will provide a 'good injection' to his squad.Wilshere started West Ham's opening four games of the season after joining from Arsenal last summer, but has played just one game since due to an ankle injury, which he underwent surgery on in December. With fellow midfielders Manuel Lanzini and Samir Nasri ruled out of Saturday's Premier League meeting with Leicester, the 27-year old could feature."Jack Wilshere is OK," Pellegrini said on Thursday. "He worked without problems."We'll see tomorrow how he feels. He played already one game for the U23s. We will talk with him but (it) will be soon this week, next week. I hope that he will play some games before we finish the season."He's a midfielder that we n...
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Liverpool vs Barcelona: Jurgen klopp focus on Cardiff, not Messi

Jurgen klopp is keen to make sure a Champions League semi-final against Barcelona does not become a distraction for his Liverpool players with crucial Premier League games coming up.Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Virgil van Dijk were on the scoresheet as Wednesday's 4-1 win in Porto secured a last-four meeting between the Premier League leaders and LaLiga's top side.The mouth-watering clash is in danger of making Liverpool's upcoming fixtures against Cardiff and Huddersfield look a little mundane by comparison.But with the Premier League title race against Manchester City as tight as ever, Klopp knows they must stay focused.Asked how his side might stop Lionel Messi and all, the German smiled."Thank God I don't have to think about that tonight and I have a few more nig...
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Everton are eager to sign Kurt Zouma and Andre Gomes on permanent deals

    Everton coach Marco Silva says the club are eager to sign Kurt Zouma and Andre Gomes on permanent deals. But Silva warned that the decision will not be solely in the hands of himself and the Goodison Park board.Defender Zouma, who is on loan from Chelsea, and midfielder Gomes, whose parent club is Barcelona, have both impressed at Everton this season.The pair have both said they are enjoying their time at Everton and Silva was asked if permanent deals might be in the offing, perhaps even before the end of the season."There is always a chance but it is not just in our hands," he said."They are happy here, that is a good sign. That means they are performing, they are enjoying, they are helping us also."We are happy with them, that is true, and it is up to us to do what we...
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Arsenal's Granit Xhaka and Laurent Koscielny hoping to prove fitness ahead Europa League Quarter final clash

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka and captain Laurent Koscielny are in a race to prove their fitness for Arsenal's Europa League quarter final first leg clash with Napoli on Thursday.  Centre back Koscielny is being assessed over a bruised foot, while Xhaka is aiming to return after an injury to his groin. The Swiss midfielder was seen training alongside his team mates at Arsenal's London Colney headquarters on Wednesday as they prepare for the game.Arsenal captain Koscielny has endured an injury hit campaign, missing the opening months with a ruptured achilles tendon, and has had to sit out the last two games with the knock to his foot. Xhaka meanwhile has also missed the previous two league games including the 1-0 defeat at Everton on Sunday - but could return for Thursday'...
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Harry kane could be out for the season, says Mauricio Pochettino

Tottenham continued their revival of form in style as they beat Manchester City in the first-leg of the Champions League quarter-final.Son Heung-min scored the only goal in the second half, but if Mauricio Pochettino’s side are going to reach the last four they will have to do it without their star man Harry Kane.The striker limped off in agony after a clash with England team-mate Fabian Delph.As the City left-back cleared the ball on the touchline, he followed through with a strong challenge which saw his studs roll Kane’s ankle.It’s the second time this season that the 25-year-old has suffered the injury having only returned to the side at the end of February from damage to his ligaments.Harry Kane was spotted leaving Tottenham’s new ground on crutches, putting a dampener on a special ni...
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Maurizio Sarri says £100 million is "too cheap" for Real Madrid target Eden Hazard

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri insisted that £100 million is "too cheap" for star talisman Eden Hazard, who continues to attract Real Madrid's attention as he scored an iconic goal against West Ham United on Monday.Hazard, 28, scored both goals as the Blues beat the Hammers 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, the first of which saw him beat six defenders before ending with a sublime finish. Sarri told Sky Sport Geoff Shreeves that a £100 million selling price was too cheap:The Italian said: "[£100 million] is too cheap; in this market it's too cheap. We have seen in the last market window every price, I think. So I think it is really very hard to change Hazard with another player."Sarri also spoke to Radio 5 Live after the game and admitted it would be a crushing blow if the player left St...
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Newcastle defender Lejeune ruled out for the rest of the season

Newcastle united have confirmed defender Florian Lejeune rule out for the rest of the season after sustaining a knee injury during Saturday's game against Crystal Palace.The 27-year-old was forced off on a stretcher during the second half at St. James' Park after injuring his left knee.Lejeune has been ruled out for the reminder of the current season and further updates on his recovery will be provided in due course.The frenchman has been ever-present for Newcastle in the Premier League since his return to action at the start of January, taking his 2018/19 to 13 appearances in all competition.
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Gabriel Jesus fires Manchester City into FA Cup final

Gabriel Jesus' early header proved the difference as quadruple-chasing Manchester City claimed a place in the FA Cup final with a 1-0 win over Brighton.The Brazilian headed home a brilliant cross from Kevin De Bruyne after just four minutes at Wembley.Controversy erupted when City's Kyle Walker escaped a red card after a VAR review of a coming together with Alireza Jahanbakhsh but, despite resisting further damage, Brighton could not find a way back.Chris Hughton's men applied plenty of pressure in the second half, with Aymeric Laporte producing a fine clearance to deny Glenn Murray but City managed the game well.Raheem Sterling also had three good chances to make the game safe.City made a confident start, and while Brighton may have been pleased to see that Sergio Aguero had failed to sha...
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Mo Salah and Jordan Henderson scores as Liverpool grab late win at Southamptom

Liverpool scored two goals in the final ten minute to deny Southampton a point at St Mary's.Shane Long became the first Southampton player to score against Liverpool since the striker netted the winner in the League Cup semi-final at Anfield in January 2017 to give his team a shock early lead. Southampton conceded before half time to Naby Keita but were highly competitive throughout the game. However, they ended up on the end of a harsh 3-1 defeat as Mo Salah and Jordan Henderson scored in the closing stages to send the Reds back to the top of the Premier League table. Hasenhuttl ditched the 4-2-2-2 formation that served Southampton well at Brighton to change to five at the back and it was doing a good containing job in the opening stages.Southampton looked really well ...
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Rafael Benitez is keen to stay at Newcastle

Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez existing deal is due to expire at the end of the season and while he wants to stay and the Magpies want to keep him, no agreement has yet been reached.However, it is understood significant talks have taken place in recent weeks and Benitez has now confirmed that he is awaiting an answer from the club on his proposals for the way forward.He said: "They were coming with something, we are coming with something, that's it. The ball is in their court."It was (managing director)Lee Charnley with my people. I will not talk too much about that. You have the clarification. The ball is in their court."Benitez's comments came after a report from France suggested he had engaged an agency to help him find a Ligue 1 club with his future on Tyneside unresolved.However, he in...
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FA Cup: Man City revealed squad for Brighton clash

Sergio Aguero and injured left back Zinchenko are both part of Manchester City's travelling squad for the FA Cup semi-final against Brighton this weekend.Man City travelled down to London by train on Friday afternoon and Guardiola has taken his entire squad as they plan to stay down in the capital after the game against Brighton at Wembley on Saturday evening. The Blues face Spurs in the first leg of the Champions League quarter final on Tuesday and the club have decided it would be more beneficial to stay in the capital than returning back to Manchester. Asked about his decision to do that Guardiola replied: "It is to avoid trains, planes, bus, as much as possible in just three days, it’s not a bad city to stay in."The fact City are staying there for a few days could explain why inju...
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Wolves set to confirm permanent signing of Raul Jimenez for £30m

The 27-year-old has been a revelation while on a season-long loan from Benfica, with his 15 goals in all competitions making him Nuno Espirito Santo's top scorer.It is thought Wolves will be paying the Portuguese side a sum in the region of £30million for the Mexican. Jimenez has struck up a potent partnership with Diogo Jota in recent months that has been instrumental in the club's rise to seventh in the Premier League, and their journey to the FA Cup semi-finals, in which they face Watford at Wembley on Sunday.Wolves had an exclusive option to make his temporary stay a permanent thing  an option they have now exercised. It is expected he will be tied down to a long-term deal that should see him enjoy his peak years at Molineux. Jimenez said recently: "I'm enjoying it. I love being h...
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Solskjaer : Pogba want to stay at Man Utd

Manchester United head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Paul Pogba has assured him that he will not be leaving the club, amid recent rumors linking the French midfielder with a summer switch to Real Madrid.Last week, Pogba described Madrid as a "dream club for every player".Speculation about Pogba's future intensified over the weekend, when Real coach Zinedine Zidane admitted that the club would welcome Pogba if and when he decides to move on from United. It is expected that Zidane will have a big transfer budget to spend this summer, as Madrid seek to rebuild after disappointing performances in this season's La Liga and Champions League.Madrid have previously signed David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo from United in big-money deals, but Solskjaer says he not worried about Pogba's situatio...
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Asernal moves to third after victory over Newcastle

Goals from Aaron Ramsey and Alexandre Lacazette gave Arsenal a 2-0 win over Newcastle United on Monday and lifted them to third place in the Premier League above rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.Ramsey found his way through a packed defence on the half hour to score with a low shot before Frenchman Lacazette put the game to bed in the 83rd minute with a chip over the keeper. The result put Arsenal on 63 points with seven games left, two above Spurs and Manchester United, with Chelsea a further point behind, as Unai Emery’s side boosted their hopes of a top-four finish and Champions League football next season. Five of Arsenal’s remaining seven fixtures are away, where they have picked up fewer than half of their points this season, a fact Emery was quick to pick up on after t...
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Pressure will get best out of City,says Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola believes the pressure of needing to win every remaining Premier League match can boost Manchester City’s quadruple bid.City boss Guardiola hailed his players’ mental strength, tipping them to “go like a machine” in the chase for an unprecedented clean sweep of Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup this term.His side coasted past hapless Fulham 2-0 at Craven Cottage on Saturday, with Bernardo Silva and Sergio Aguero on target and Guardiola predicting only seven wins from their remaining seven matches will allow them to retain the league title.City will face Tottenham in the Champions League quarter-finals and Brighton in the FA Cup’s last four, with Guardiola relishing the clogged schedule and the pressure.“For the semi-final and for the Champions League, be...
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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola provides Sergio Aguero fitness update after Fulham victory

Pep Guardiola hopes Sergio Aguero has not suffered a serious injury.The Manchester City striker limped off early in the second half as City returned to the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win. Aguero scored his side's second goal after Bernardo Silva fired the opener at Craven Cottage before he was replaced by Gabriel Jesus."He says he felt something, but hopefully he's not injured," said Guardiola."He decided on not continuing. Hopefully it will not be a big issue."We'll see tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow."City have now won 11 of their last 12 and Guardiola insists they must win their last seven matches to hold off Liverpool."Seven games left for the Premier League, and it's easy: we have to win every game to be champions."We have a tough, tough opponent. But that's the chall...
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Rafa Benitez insist he is not afraid of losing Ayoze Perez

Rafa Benitez insists there is no need to worry about Ayoze Perez’s admission that he could look to leave Newcastle United after a five-year cycle.In an interview in his native Spain, Perez suggested there will be a time when he could look to return to his homeland to take the next step in his career. It will be five years ago this summer when the 25-year-old arrived from Tenerife and his current contract does not expire for a further two seasons. But Perez’s comments could encourage teams in Spain to make a move, even though he has enjoyed another productive campaign in which he has scored seven goals to help Newcastle edge towards safety. Perez has previously interested in the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid but such moves would be much harder for him to nail down now given an indiffer...
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Everton boss Marco Silva reveals the reason for their inconsistent form

Marco Silva has highlighted one key trait he believes has held his side back this season.Everton have suffered an inconsistent campaign up until this stage, at one point finding themselves as high as sixth in the Premier League table before slipping down to the 11th place they currently occupy. The Blues will be looking to continue a recent upturn in form, however, with a visit to the London Stadium to face West Ham on Saturday evening.Silva's side have gained seven points from their previous four matches, but the manager knows they  could and should have got even more. And the boss believes that his team's lack of mental strength throughout this term has been holding them back from securing more points."It’s important to know as much as I can about the players," Silva told the Telegr...
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Eric Dier and Serge Aurier ruled out of Tottenham visit to Liverpool with injury

Tottenham Hotspur ruled out Eric Dier and Serge Aurier for Sunday's Premier League trip to Liverpool, manager Mauricio Pochettino has said.Dier suffered a groin injury in England’s 5-0 win over Czech Republic last week and was forced to withdraw from Gareth Southgate’s squad for their visit to Montenegro.“He (Dier) has been ruled out. It’s not a big issue but he needs to recover from the problem he suffered against the Czech Republic with the national team,” Pochettino told a news conference on Friday. “One week, 10, days, two weeks. We’ll see how it is going to improve. He was running today but we need to wait for the evolution (of the injury). “Him, Harry Winks and Serge Aurier are going to be out for the weekend.” Midfielder Winks is continuing on-field rehabilitation after a groin inju...
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Asernal concerned about Xhaka fitness ahead Newcastle clash

Asernal are worried about the fitness of Granit Xhaka ahead of Monday's Premier League clash against Newcastle. The 26 year-old suffered a set back during Switzerland's 3-3 draw with Denmark on Tuesday in the opening Group D Euro 2020 qualifer. Xhaka had fired his side into 2-0 lead with a shocking strike from distance midway through the 2nd-half but was replaced with 11mins remaining. Vladimir Petkovic's sid subsequently conceded three goals in closing 6mins and forced to settle for a 3-3 draw.“Xhaka could not stay on the pitch,” Petkovic said afterwards. “He asked me ten minutes before to be replaced. “Granit had abductor problems, he could not do any more.”The former Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder has cemented his place in Unai Emery's side despite the summer ar...
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