Author: t1006

It’s recently been suggested that Real Madrid are the ‘favorites’ to sign Liverpool target Jude Bellingham, but Jürgen Klopp can appeal to his love of Steven Gerrard. “Stay here and they will end up building a statue in your honor,” Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp told Philippe Coutinho in the 2017/18 season as he pushed for his dream move. “Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, and you will just be another player,” he warned (via The Mirror). “Here you can be something more.” As it turned out, Coutinho, who had his heart set on turning out for the Blaugrana, ignored Klopp’s advice…

A January move from Barcelona could confirm Chelsea’s transfer failure as its supposed ‘guarantee’ pales in comparison to Liverpool’s alleged $103m gamble. Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Kostas Tsimikas, Trent Alexander-Arnold. What do these four Liverpool players have in common? They have all recorded more touches in the opposition box this season than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Aubameyang may have only cost Chelsea $12m (£10m/€11m) when he moved from Barcelona in the summer, but he has still looked like one of the biggest failures of the window. And now, after the Blues sealed a loan deal for Atlético Madrid’s João Félix, Aubameyang’s stint at Stamford Bridge could be…

Liverpool need new midfielders for next season, and one who they should keep an eye on is Lazio star Sergej Milinković-Savić, as extension talks have broken down. Unless one has lived under a rock for the past several months, it’s been very evident that Liverpool needs more than one new midfielder at the end of this season. Jürgen Klopp’s engine room has looked tired and dysfunctional over the last few months. The real lack of investment in midfield, with Thiago Alcântara the only true signing since the summer of 2018, is now coming back to haunt the club, and performances in this campaign…

Darwin Nunez is better suited to Tottenham than Liverpool, according to former Reds defender Jose Enrique. Uruguay international striker Nunez moved to Anfield this summer from Benfica for a club-record £85m fee. The 23-year-old has registered 10 goals and three assists across his opening 23 games for Jurgen Klopp’s side in all competitions. He has encountered heavy criticism for a series of high-profile misses but was recently defended by Alan Shearer, who believes Nunez has what it takes to become a huge success at Liverpool. Enrique, though, is not convinced and feels Nunez would be better off playing under Antonio Conte at Spurs.…

Belle Silva was not shy in criticising her husband’s team again after 10-man Chelsea were beaten 2-1 by rivals Fulham in the west London derby on Thursday night The wife of Chelsea defender Thiago Silva was left sobbing after the Blues were beaten by local rivals Fulham in the Premier League on Thursday night. Chelsea lost 2-1 at Craven Cottage as Joao Felix’s debut turned into a nightmare for Graham Potter. Former Chelsea winger Willian put the home side ahead in the first half with a deflected effort after a mistake by Trevoh Chalobah. Kalidou Koulibaly pulled a goal back from a set piece after the break, but things soon…

Fulham have taken the lead against Chelsea as their impressive form continued with pressure mounting on Graham Potter after Willian’s opener against his former side Willian has made his mark in the west London derby – scoring against his former side Chelsea – but kept to his word. The Fulham star, who returned to the capital after a forgettable spell at Arsenal, has helped the Cottagers punch well above expectations this term. They are currently the best performing outfit in the west of the capital and took the lead against the Blues. Willian needed 25 minutes to break the deadlock as their winger cut inside…

Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino could be ready to take the Chelsea job – with Graham Potter’s future in doubt if he can’t beat Fulham at Craven Cottage on Thursday evening Mauricio Pochettino reportedly has his eyes on the Chelsea job should the Blues relieve Graham Potter of his duties in the near future. Pochettino, who is best remembered for his spell at Blues rivals Tottenham Hotspur, has been out of work since he was axed by PSG in July. And he could be back in work with the Blues, thanks to Potter’s poor start. Potter walked away from Brighton to join the Blues, after they sacked Thomas Tuchel in September.…

Joao Felix showed Chelsea what they’ve been missing for an hour and what they will now miss again for the next three games. The skillful halfwit.  Felix’s arrival at Chelsea should have excited more than it has. This is a guy who cost Atletico Madrid £120m in 2019. That’s a superstar fee for someone who has too rarely looked like a superstar in the three years since. But Felix and Diego Simeone always felt like a strange pairing, and having escaped the clutches of one of the most obstinate and polarising managers in world football, there’s more than a good chance…

JEREMY CROSS COLUMN: Marcus Rashford has hit a purple patch with Manchester United with seven goals in six games since arriving back from the World Cup – with 18 strikes for club and country this season Marcus Rashford is the renaissance man the whole of English football is talking about. Rashford has gone from the fallen star to one of the brightest in the game again following a blistering run of scoring form for Manchester United. He’s been so good in recent weeks that he’s outdoing a certain Wayne Rooney – and even appears to have got Pep Guardiola panicking ahead…

Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick at the Etihad in Manchester City’s 6-3 victory over Manchester United in October and Joleon Lescott notes Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez’s physical style didn’t work Manchester United cannot bully Erling Haaland out of the Manchester derby, according to Joleon Lescott. In United’s 6-3 defeat at City back in October, Haaland got the better of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez by scoring a hat-trick. Former City defender Lescott claimed Varane and Martinez took the wrong approach by trying to rough him up and said that method will simply not work. “I think Martinez and Varane tried to get physical…

Manchester United face Manchester City in the second Manchester derby of the Premier League season on Saturday afternoon. The last time these two teams faced each other, City were the victors, going 4-0 up before Antony scored. City then went 6-1 up before Anthony Martial scored a goal and a penalty to give United some face in defeat. Despite the score and the result, it was a better outcome for United than it could have been. United are now on an eight-match winning run, scoring three goals in each of their three matches, putting them in a much better position…

Liverpool are reportedly keen admirers of Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, with Jurgen Klopp still seeking to freshen up his midfield ranks. What’s the word? According to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, the 21-year-old is certainly a player who is on the Anfield outfit’s radar at present, with the Merseysiders having seemingly held a long-term interest in the Ecuadorean international. The transfer insider revealed on Twitter: “Liverpool do really like Caicedo, and have a historical interest, but they didn’t move for him at Independiente del Valle due to unwanted costs away from the low fee.” Jacobs – who previously suggested that the Seagulls…

Strikers dwell on misses, but the time you worry and the time that sleep deserts you is the time chances don’t come. Big moments can linger and you replay them in your mind — nothing stays with you like a penalty gone awry — but they’re rarely symptoms of sickness in your game. That’s why I have few concerns about Darwin Nunez and his form for Liverpool because his ability is obvious and the rest he can learn. If he wants to improve, he will. Nobody has fluffed more big chances than Nunez in the Premier League this season (15…

Two of Manchester City’s best players are on the bench for their Carabao Cup quarter-final with Southampton. Pep Guardiola insisted there was “no special reason” why Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland were on the bench for a second successive game. Having left them as unused substitutes in the FA Cup win over Chelsea at the weekend, the Manchester City manager suggested before the game that their rhythm for Saturday’s derby would not be upset if they went nine days without a match. That theory is now set to be tested after Guardiola named both on the bench for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup test against Southampton. City’s…

Pep Guardiola has promised something tactically ludicrous for the Manchester derby, with man-marking Wout Weghorst surely among his brightest plans. “I would like to arrive against United with the average of minutes in the legs of the players quite ­similar, because I have a few ideas, thoughts – ridiculous ones – against United, but still I didn’t watch the last games,” Guardiola said in midweek. It’s spitballing time. Rico Lewis man-marks Wout Weghorst “Pep Guardiola is probably the only coach in world football who would do this away at the Nou Camp. I can’t think of any other coach who would…

Manchester City’s calamity keeper Stefan Ortega might’ve wished to be back in the arms of his bikini-loving wife Sabina following his Carabao Cup blunder against Southampton Manchester City’s calamity keeper Stefan Ortega will no doubt have the full support of stunning wife Sabina after his Carabao Cup blunder against Southampton. Ortega was caught out by Moussa Djenepo having drifted off his line after Sekou Mara had slotted home a shock opening goal for the Premier League’s bottom side. Djenepo lifted the ball over the former Arminia Bielefeld stopper with relative ease – with Ortega left wishing he was back in the arms of his…

Barcelona are unable to re-sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Chelsea this month due to Spanish league registration rules. Aubameyang was signed by Barcelona on a free transfer from Arsenal last year but the striker spent just six months at Camp Nou before he was sold to Chelsea in a £12 million deal in September. The 33-year-old has struggled to make an impact since his move to Stamford Bridge, scoring just three goals in 15 appearances so far. Aubameyang is now understood to be open to leaving Chelsea in the January transfer window and reports in Spain claim Barcelona would be interested in re-signing the…

Chelsea take on Fulham on Thursday night looking to overcome consecutive defeats to Manchester City in the Premier League and FA Cup Following defeat to Manchester City, there was clearly a hint of frustration in Graham Potter as he sat down for his post-match press conference. He remained willing to engage with the media’s questions but there was an obvious dissatisfaction with the manner of defeat. The Blues boss has become more familiar than he would have liked with the feeling of defeat since taking over the Chelsea hot-seat. Since going unbeaten through his opening nine matches in charge, he…

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City were stunned by Premier League basement dwellers Southampton at St Mary’s on Wednesday night, who knocked them out of the Carabao Cup Pep Guardiola said his Manchester City side “don’t have a chance” against bitter rivals Manchester United this weekend if they play as they did in their Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat by Southampton. The Citizens were stunned by the Premier League basement dwellers at St Mary’s on Wednesday night after Sekou Mara opened the scoring for the Saints and Moussa Djenepo made it two in five first-half minutes. Guardiola brought on his big guns after the break, with Kevin De…

It’s almost nine months since Premier League side Manchester United confirmed Erik ten Hag as their next manager – and the former Ajax boss has not disappointed so far Erik ten Hag was described as “very disciplined” before he became Manchester United’s new manager – something Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcus Rashford have come to realise. The Red Devils revealed Ten Hag would be their next manager last April and he started work at Old Trafford the following month. He’s done well during his time in charge – guiding United to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup by beating Charlton on Tuesday night. Ten Hag was billed as a disciplinarian…

Lisandro Martinez got a timely 90 minutes under his belt against Charlton but will need more than playing time to handle Erling Haaland. Everton were powerless to prevent Erling Haaland from scoring but almost succeeded in starting his New Year’s Eve celebrations early. Haaland goaded Idrissa Gueye in celebration and was visibly riled by Ben Godfrey’s rumbustious approach, celebrating a free-kick sarcastically. Seconds later, Haaland lunged in on Vitalii Mykolenko, drawing the ire of almost every Everton player. Jordan Pickford suggested it was a studs-up assault. Haaland was booked for a tackle that was vicious. The Haalands have form for…

Babylon star Margot Robbie hit the red carpet in a custom Chanel gown Margot Robbie hit the 2023 Golden Globes in a dress made for a “Hollywood powerhouse.” Returning to the Golden Globes as a three-time nominee, the actress, 32, donned a baby pink Chantilly lace and silk tulle Chanel gown with a chevron bodice, inspired by the label’s Fall/Winter 2022 Haute Couture collection. Styled by Kate Young, the romantic designer piece was a masterpiece in itself, taking up 750 hours of work and incorporating 30,000 elements of embroidery including sequins, bugle beads and feathers. Robbie also upped the bling in a brooch placed in the center of the…

She’s working hard on the set of her raunchy new film Rock That Body. And Scarlett Johansson looked full of confidence as she showed some skin while strolling around the set of the R-rated comedy in New York State’s Mount Vernon on Monday. The actress teamed a tiny crop top with high-waisted trousers, flashing a glimpse of her figure. The 31-year-old actress showed some skin as she went bra-less under a skimpy black vest top cropped at the waist. She added a pair of loose-fit trousers which covered her stomach, while keeping comfy in white trainers. With a slick of…

She is set to play Barbie in the upcoming Greta Gerwig comedy. And Margot Robbie opted for a pretty pink gown at the 80th Annual Golden Globes in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The Aussie actress, 32, showed off her slender figure in a sheer halterneck sequinned gown by Chanel as she posed on the red carpet at the Beverly Hilton hotel. Margot’s dress featured a lace hem, and extra sparkle came in the form of a diamond broach pinned to the bodice. The former Neighbours star wore her blonde locks out in soft waves and minimal makeup, but did paint her pout with a bold red lipstick. Margot…