List of All Articles with Tag 'a'

Barcelona president Joan Laporta says he has rebuilt his relationship with Lionel Messi and that his home is in Catalonia. Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal hope to lure Messi with a £400m-a-year contract offer.

LeBron James plays almost exclusively alongside teammates who grew up watching him dominate their game after two full decades in the NBA

Ahead of Man City's Champions League semi-final second leg tie with Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola says he must learn to adapt with the hectic fixture schedule that he 'doesn't understand'.

It was a eulogy from Pep Guardiola about a midfielder. He reflected on the excellence he can show when in a deeper role and celebrated his goalscoring exploits. He said how keen he is to keep him and that the club hierarchy know that. He was hailing Ilkay Gundogan, understandably after a tour de force. Just as predictably, Kalvin Phillips was not the object of his affection. The German’s afternoon at Goodison Park brought two goals. The Englishman’s brought two minutes of football. One could be bound for Barcelona on a free transfer in a couple of months. The other still has five years left on his Manchester City contract. Perhaps, when Gundogan plays as majestically as he has against Leeds and Everton, it is unfair to compare anyone to him. Yet in effect, Guardiola had to when Rodri sat out the games against Sheffield United and Leeds; on each occasion, he opted for Gundogan to anchor the midfield. Phillips was supposed to be the specialist defensive midfielder. Instead, he is the specialist substitute. Rodri is the most overworked member of City’s squad, with 4104 minutes under his belt. It is in part because Phillips has been trusted with just 407. Some 55 games into City’s season, Phillips has started just two: against a Bristol City team in the Championship and a Southampton side bound for that division. Guardiola’s side lost at St Mary’s, in their worst performance of the season, in the Carabao Cup. A bit-part role is not explained purely by a shoulder injury in autumn. City have scored 92 league goals, but none with Phillips on the pitch; indeed, they have a negative goal difference during his outings. Leicester scored one, and came close to getting three, after Phillips’ introduction a month ago; the midfielder described his own performance as “a bit of a stinker”. Since then, votes of no confidence have come from Guardiola, with cameos that have begun so late that nothing could go wrong: he came on injury time against West Ham, with a three-goal lead, slightly earlier at Goodison, and with the same scoreline. Scan Phillips’ season and Guardiola often brings him on so late he is destined to be the no-impact substitute: he was also introduced in injury time against Borussia Dortmund. He got one minute against West Ham in August, three against Arsenal in February, four against Chelsea in January, nine at Southampton, 12 against Sevilla, 13 at Wolves. A total of 17 appearances feels deceptive; even then, 161 of his minutes have come in the FA Cup. He may be having the worst treble-winning season ever, remembered in part for Guardiola branding him overweight after the World Cup. And if many could envy the medal collection he may soon have, Phillips in a better state could be the endearing success story – the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ who was transformed by Guardiola’s hero Marcelo Bielsa, integral for England on their run to the final of Euro 2020. Now he seems an afterthought, City’s third-choice defensive midfielder – fourth-choice if John Stones’ reinvention puts him ahead of Phillips – getting token appearances and meaningless minutes. For a while, it was possible to take solace in history. Many a player has flourished in his second season under Guardiola, after belatedly adjusting to his complex demands. Yet, even without being automatic choices, they were not marginalised. Bernardo Silva’s maiden season brought 53 appearances; 35 of them were in the Premier League, where he played 1520 minutes. Thus far, Phillips has played 105. Riyad Mahrez’s debut campaign brought 1338 top-flight minutes, Jack Grealish’s 1917, Rodri’s 2488. Each kicked on thereafter but, seemed with the benefit of hindsight, it was apparent he had a part in the manager’s long-term plans. It seems less likely that Phillips does; 10 days ago, Guardiola refused to confirm he will be at the Etihad Stadium next season and said the £42m man had to earn his confidence. So far, he has not. All of which feels more damning given Guardiola’s playing days and his status as the godfather of the midfielder. Rejection should be more painful. It could provide City with more of a problem, too. With Gundogan likely to go to Barcelona, with the prospect of another summer of interest from the Nou Camp in Silva, Phillips may present an unwanted problem; likely to be pursued elsewhere in the Premier League but adding to City’s need for reinforcements. As players of the calibre of Ronaldinho, Deco and Zlatan Ibrahimovic can testify, Guardiola can be swift to exile even the most distinguished; as Joao Cancelo knows to his cost, he can still be ruthless. Phillips faces a different form of public humiliation, embarrassed by the brevity of his contributions. He could finish the season with more medals than starts but, in a strange way, it would be a sign of how his move has gone wrong. Read More Man City being driven to title by man of the moment – and it’s not Erling Haaland It’s not necessary what he does – Pep Guardiola hits out at Everton’s Yerry Mina Kevin De Bruyne is Man City’s man for the big occasion but has he met his match?

French soccer team Toulouse did not select several players for its Ligue 1 game against Nantes on Sunday after they refused to participate in a league wide anti-homophobia campaign.

Kevin Sinfield, a legendary figure in the sport of rugby league, carried his friend and former teammate Rob Burrow across the finish line of the Leeds Marathon

Barcelona's ascent back to the top of Spanish football has been faster than anyone -- even the most optimistic of 'Culés' -- could have imagined.

Chelsea will accelerate their contract talks with Mason Mount after agreeing to hire Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager.

Martin Odegaard admits Arsenal's Premier League title chase is all but over after the 3-0 defeat to Brighton. Manchester City are now four points clear with a game in hand, and can clinch a third successive crown by beating Chelsea.

How Barcelona's La Liga title celebrations descended into chaos at neighbourhood rivals Espanyol.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard admits they must learn from Sunday’s crushing 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton. The Gunners’ faint title hopes went up in smoke after second-half goals from Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan earned the visitors a stunning victory at the Emirates. Premier League leaders Manchester City now need only one more win from their final three games to clinch the title but they could be crowned champions without playing if Arsenal lose at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. City won 3-0 at Everton before the Gunners’ clash with Brighton and despite a strong first-half showing, Mikel Arteta’s side folded with the Seagulls going in front in the 51st minute through Enciso before they picked off the hosts with late goals from Undav and Estupinan. Asked if mentality was an issue, Odegaard insisted: “No, I don’t think so. “I felt like we were good going into the game but yeah, in the game, it was a different story. “We have to accept that and learn from it. “In the first half we did a lot of good things and we had some moments where we could create some big chances and maybe score a goal or two. “Then in the second half we gave them more and more momentum. They are dangerous when they go direct and especially on our right side, they attacked us there a bit too easy in behind but it is hard to say at the moment. A lot of things we could do better.” While Arsenal boss Arteta did not admit defeat in the title race, Odegaard conceded their hopes were probably over. The way we played, especially in the second half, I don't know what happened to be honest but big, big disappointment. Yeah, it feels like there is no hope now Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard City’s success at Goodison Park made it 11 Premier League wins in a row and the championship is expected to be decided this coming weekend. Odegaard told Sky Sports: “Yeah, it feels like that (the title is over). I think it is going to be very difficult now. We have to be honest, so it is tough to take. “It is not a good feeling at the moment. The way we played, especially in the second half, I don’t know what happened to be honest but big, big disappointment. “Yeah, it feels like there is no hope now.” Brighton produced a scintillating second-half display to get their unlikely top-four charge back on track after they had suffered a surprise 5-1 home defeat to Everton last Monday. Roberto De Zerbi wheeled off down the touchline after Undaz’s 86th-minute lob before he dropped to his knees in celebration after Estupinan wrapped up the scoring. The Italian played down comparisons with Jose Mourinho, who did similar during his time at Porto in a match against Manchester United in 2004, but admitted the sky is the limit for him and his team. “Jose Mourinho is a great manager but I have this character, this passion,” De Zerbi stated. “I don’t know (about the future). I am focused only on qualifying for Europe now. “In my future I want to dream because I am used to giving everything in my work. I live for my work and I want to dream. I want to reach the impossible target always. “Now with Brighton. Before with Shakhtar, before with Sassuolo. When I work in football, I want to fix the target very high and if I lose, I lose and we start stronger.” De Zerbi did remain coy over the absence of Robert Sanchez, who had been his first-choice goalkeeper up until February. “We spoke two days ago and we found an agreement that today he is not going to come here,” De Zerbi explained. “He knew he was not going to play so we found an agreement.”

Monday's football transfer rumours include Man Utd's interest in Adrien Rabiot, Barcelona proposing a Martin Odegaard swap deal, Victor Osimhen, Neymar & more.