Month: April 2019

Paul Pogba’s salary demands could prove a stumbling block in the Manchester United midfielder’s move to Real Madrid. (AS)

Former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho is a target for Chelsea, who are considering the Barcelona man as a replacement for Eden Hazard ahead of his expected move to Real Madrid. (Calciomercato)

Liverpool have contacted Lille about signing 23-year-old forward Nicolas Pepe. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool and Arsenal are ready to launch bids for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Thorgan Hazard. (Daily Star)

Newcastle United striker, Ayoze Perez, scorer of a hat-trick against Southampton on Saturday, has hinted he could leave St James’ Park this summer. (Daily Mirror)

Motherwell midfielder and Scotland Under-21 international Jake Hastie has agreed a pre-contract deal with Rangers. (Daily Record)

Rafa Benitez’s future as Magpies manager is still in doubt despite the promise of £100m to spend on transfers. (Daily Star)

Nice could make a move to sign Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud, according to their president Gauthier Ganaye. (Goal)

Kylian Mbappe refuted talk he could join Real Madrid this summer, after the Paris Saint-Germain star scored a hat-trick against former club Monaco. (Goal)

But, PSG team-mate Edinson Cavani would not confirm his future is with the French champions. (Canal+)

AC Milan are set to make Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko’s loan move permanent, but will need to pay the Blues around £30m for the 24-year-old. (Calciomeracto)

Manchester United are ready to offer Mike Phelan the role of technical director – and promote former midfielder Michael Carrick to assistant manager. (Daily Mail)

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is in talks with New York Red Bulls over becoming his former MLS club’s new boss. (Sky Sports)

Cascarino, in his latest Times column, claims 21-year-old Gunners starlet Ainsley Maitland-Niles is showing all the same kind of traits as Bale did when he first joined Spurs in 2007.

He is, as Cascarino writes, ‘a full-back who is not really a full-back’, as Bale was in his early career.

Eventually Bale moved higher and higher up the pitch, ending up as an all-out forward – the position in which he became world class.

The Toffees produced perhaps their best performance of the season as they thrashed the Red Devils at Goodison Park, with four different players on the scoresheet.

Brazilian ace Richarlison showed once again why he is Marco Silva’s main man with a stunning overhead kick to open the scoring, with Gylfi Sigurdsson, Lucas Digne and Theo Walcott subjecting a downbeat United to their fifth straight defeat away from home.

The victory lifted Everton up to seventh place, although Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are 15 points ahead in sixth.

Still, it’s progress for the Merseyside club, although former manager Allardyce believes the Toffees need more firepower to really start challenging with the Premier League’s top sides.

“Everton were fantastic against Manchester United and it’s really put them on a high to end the season,” he said on Monday’s Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast.

“But, if you look at where Everton need to be, they need another top centre forward.

“If you want to finish in the top six, which is what Everton fans are sort of demanding at the moment, then they need to find a striker who is going to get 15 or 20 goals a season.

“And not only is that a hard job, it’s one of the most expensive jobs in the game today.”

But, Big Sam has given a glowing assessment of young striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and hopes he can start leading the line for the Toffees next season.

Manchester City got another win against a stubborn, top-four chasing Tottenham Hotspur side, while Liverpool hit back with a victory over Cardiff City on Sunday.

This ensures the title race continues to enthral, with City playing rivals Man United on Wednesday in their game in hand, while Arsenal blew their chance to go third by losing 3-2 to Crystal Palace.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, Brighton & Hove Albion kept their survival hopes up by drawing 0-0 with Wolverhampton Wanderers, who lost ground to Everton in the race for seventh spot.

Some results were deserved, others less so. But how would the Premier League table look if it was based on results calculated by ‘Expected Goals’?

Jermain Defoe, Ryan Jack and Nikola Katic were on the scoresheet meaning Neil Lennon’s champions elect will have to put the champagne on ice, at least until next weekend’s clash with Kilmarnock at Celtic Park.

The Hoops, who were hoping to celebrate their eighth straight title against Hibernian on Sunday, have now had their lead at the top temporarily cut back to eight points after seeing Steven Gerrard’s side once again dominate Craig Levein’s William Hill Scottish Cup finalists.

Hearts should have been on a high after booking their slot in next month’s Hampden clash with Lennon’s triple treble-chasers but all they had to cheer was Steven MacLean’s late consolation effort.

For the fourth time this season, Hearts contributed to their own downfall against Rangers by failing to match up to the Light Blues’ desire when pressing.

This was a big chance for the Jambos squad to press their claim for a starting slot on cup final day but some may find themselves disappointed come May 25 after this display.

Phil Foden’s fourth minute strike was all it took but Spurs did well on the counter and should have had a penalty after Kyle Walker’s clear handball.

The result leaves Spurs with work to do in the race to finish in the top four, with Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal all ready to pounce on the slip up.

But Mauricio Pochettino will be encouraged by his side’s courage and desire as they defended resolutely and attacked with menace, when they afforded the chance.

There were some poorer performances on the day as well as some fine ones too, so how did talkSPORT.com rate Tottenham’s players? Find out below.

Wednesday’s trip to Old Trafford appears to be the biggest hurdle left facing City as they chase another Premier League crown following Saturday’s tense 1-0 win over Tottenham.

Much has been made over whether United fans might actually prefer loathed neighbours City to win the title rather than arch-rivals Liverpool, but Silva does not expect that to affect players’ thinking.

United are in a tight battle themselves for a top-four spot and Silva thinks they will be just as hungry for the points.

The Portuguese midfielder said: “We are so happy with the win (on Saturday) and now it’s on to another tough one against Manchester United which I think will be crucial for the title.

“It’s a big game for us, a big game for them. They need points to be in the top four and we need them to fight for the title.

“So we expect a very difficult game against one of the best sides in England.

“They will be motivated to beat us and we look forward to it. We know we need the win, and the pressure is on – but that’s a good thing.”

Silva played an influential part as City gained a measure of revenge for their midweek Champions League exit at the hands of Spurs.

His clever cross in the fifth minute opened up the Spurs defence and Sergio Aguero nodded across goal for 18-year-old Phil Foden to head what proved the clincher at the Etihad Stadium.

Spurs had numerous chances to level but City held on in a tense and scrappy finale for three vital points.

The major downside for City was another injury to Kevin De Bruyne, who limped off in the first half. The club are awaiting an assessment.

Silva said: “It was a massive win, very important for us, especially after the defeat in the Champions League.

“We wanted to give a response with our fans here at home and I think we did it in the best way possible in difficult conditions.

“It was very warm outside and we played a very tough team with less than 72 hours to recover. It was three big points.”

Silva is one of three City players nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award along with Raheem Sterling and Aguero.

The 24-year-old, who is also on the shortlist for Young Player of Year, said: “Of course I would like one of us three to win, that would be nice, but what really matters is we win the Premier League and FA Cup.”

The Premier League clash will be live on talkSPORT 2 and here’s how you can tune in to catch it.

West Ham vs Leicester: How to listen

Full commentary from the London Stadium will be live on talkSPORT 2, with our coverage getting underway from 12pm.

Russ Williams will bring you all the build-up and to tune in to full commentary just click here for the live stream or click the radio player below.

You can also listen through the talkSPORT App, on DAB Digital Radio or on MW 1053 or 1089.

For more information about how to listen LIVE on talkSPORT click here.

West Ham vs Leicester: Kick-off time

The Premier League clash will get underway at 3pm on Saturday, April 20.

The reverse fixture in October finished 1-1 after Wilfred Ndidi cancelled out Fabian Balbuena’s opener.

The striker netted a quickfire first-half brace minutes after Saints’ James Ward-Prowse escaped a sending off for a cynical challenge on Miguel Almiron.

However, Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl made a double change at the break and one of the newcomers, Mario Lemina, pulled one back before Perez settled it four minutes from time with his 11th goal of the season.

Rafael Benitez’s men, who have won six of their last seven home games in the league to go 10 points clear of Cardiff, were decidedly ordinary for much of the second half, but ultimately emerged with a huge victory as the bulk of the crowd at St James’ Park pleaded with the manager to sign a new contract.

In a hectic opening to the game, it took a fine block by Matt Ritchie to deny Ward-Prowse after Nathan Redmond had picked him out with a 22nd-minute pull-back.

But last man Ward-Prowse was fortunate to stay on the pitch seconds later when he blocked Almiron on halfway as he attempted to race clear with support. Referee Anthony Taylor produced only a yellow card to the fury of Benitez and his players.

The Magpies’ anger was soothed within four minutes when Perez received the ball inside the box and patiently awaited his moment before dispatching his shot past the helpless Angus Gunn.

Perez had to wait just four minutes to double his tally when Salomon Rondon’s selfless run down the left gave him the opportunity to cross to the far post, where the Spaniard arrived on cue to beat the keeper from close range.

Almiron, still awaiting his first goal for the Magpies, scuffed a shot 41st-minute straight at Gunn after Rondon had forced Maya Yoshida into an error, although Paul Dummett had to make a telling intervention on the stroke of half-time to repel Josh Sims’ goal-bound effort.

Hasenhuttl made his move at half-time when he sent on Lemina and Stuart Armstrong for Jack Stephens and Sims, and the visitors might have been back in it within three minutes when Yoshida glanced a header wide from Ward-Prowse’s corner.

However, Ki Sung-yueng was unfortunate not to extend Newcastle’s lead when his skidding 55th-minute strike evaded Gunn’s dive, but came back off the foot of a post.

Pochettino’s men were unable to inflict Premier League heartache on the Citizens after knocking them out of the Champions League on Wednesday, with Pep Guardiola’s men winning 1-0 on Saturday.

However, Spurs worried their opponents on a few occasions with the likes of Heung-min Son and Lucas Moura going close.

And Pochettino spoke of his pride for his players despite being obviously disappointed with the result.

Speaking after the game, Pochettino said: “I think it was a good performance. I am so happy, so proud.

“Of course disappointed with the result but it was a good performance, an even game and I think we deserved a draw but in football sometimes you don’t get what you deserve.