List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

Philippe Clement praised Rangers for the way they dealt with a “tricky” trip to Livingston as he called on the Scottish football authorities to consider implementing Sunday evening kick-off times for teams playing in Europe on a Thursday. The Rangers boss watched his team run out comfortable 2-0 winners at the Tony Macaroni Arena less than 72 hours after an energy-sapping 2-1 victory over Sparta Prague in the Europa League. Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibernian and the Ibrox side have all had to contend with playing domestic matches on Sunday afternoons after Thursday night European fixtures this term, and Clement feels Scotland should follow the lead of other leagues by allowing teams more recovery time in such situations. “I think it’s better for Scottish football to do it that way,” said the Belgian. “They do it in Belgium and in other leagues. “People who have never played may think, ‘what is the difference between six hours or eight hours more?’ but it’s a big difference in the recovery of a body, these hours of sleep and recovery because it’s a really short time for players to recover. “We play every three days, we will have a schedule of 12 games in about 38 days (after the international break) so recovery is an important part of it. The food, the drink, the cryo, when to sleep. “It’s important I think in every league that teams that play in Europe on Thursday evening play on the Sunday evening. In a lot of leagues, that’s done so it’s maybe something we can see in the future.” Clement made four changes for the Livingston game and admitted his team selection was influenced by the gruelling impact of the Sparta match. “Yes, because for example, Danilo did 1,300 metres of high-intensity runs on Thursday so if I let him start today I take a risk, for example,” he said. “Of course, I looked at that.” The win at Livingston came courtesy of a first-half goal from Cyriel Dessers and a second-half penalty from James Tavernier, who had missed an earlier spot-kick. Rangers also had first-half goals from Connor Goldson and Ross McCausland – on his first start – ruled out following VAR reviews. “It was a tricky game, with the circumstances with the (plastic) pitch which is not an advantage for us with the football we want to play,” said Clement. “Also kick-off at 12 o’clock after a European night. Also having European success and then playing domestically, it’s sometimes dangerous in the heads of the players. “So the team showed a really good mentality and the right spirit to play a very mature game because we didn’t give away anything and we deserved to win, clearly. “Also when you miss a penalty and a goal is disallowed, sometimes you get in dangerous games for losing points because the circumstances are not on your side. At the end, it’s a very positive afternoon.” Livingston go into the international break after suffering a fifth consecutive defeat. Manager David Martindale – who rued a “disappointing” first-half performance – is unfazed by their current predicament. “This is not an abnormal situation for us,” he said. “Yes, we are bottom of the league on goal difference, but we have gone on spells where we’ve not won a game in five in most seasons. “We just need to get back on track. I am not big on stats or data, it’s about one game at a time and what we can control. Hopefully that will lead to performances, which leads to results.”

Jimbo Fisher may have coached his last game for the Texas A&M football team. At the least, it would appear his days are numbered. Reports surfaced on Sunday th

Liverpool take on Brentford this afternoon in their bid to maintain a challenge towards the top of the Premier League table. The Reds are three points behind leaders Manchester City, though Pep Guardiola’s men face Chelsea in Sunday’s late kick off. Still, three points for Liverpool will add a bit of pressure to City’s trip to Stamford Bridge and Jurgen Klopp will want his team to get back to winning ways today. Klopp’s men suffered a setback against Luton in their last league outing, with Luis Diaz’s stoppage time goal rescuing a point at Kenilworth Road. Defeat to Toulouse in the Europa League continued Liverpool’s downward trend and they will want to turn around the form that has seen them take only eight points from their last five league games. In contrast Brentford are in fine shape. Thomas Frank’s men have won each of their last three fixtures after a slow start to the season and are now up to ninth in the table. A win at Anfield would be another impressive results and give the Bees a realistic sense that they can compete to get into Europe during this campaign. Follow the action from Anfield below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:

After surviving a chaotic Monday night fixture against Tottenham, Chelsea are back in Premier League action as they welcome the champions to Stamford Bridge. Manchester City travel down to London looking back to their best, scoring 12 goals in their last three games for the concession of just a single consolation at Bournemouth last weekend. By contrast, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have yet to find consistency this season, though Nicolas Jackson’s hat-trick in the win over Spurs should have done the striker’s confidence some good. The Londoners will be hoping to put a horrible recent record against their visitors behind them and secure a win Here’s everything you need to know. Get the latest match odds here. When is Chelsea vs Manchester City? Chelsea vs Manchester City is due to kick off at 4.30pm GMT on Sunday 12 November at Stamford Bridge. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage due to begin at 4pm GMT. Subscribers can stream the action via Sky Go. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider. Team news A numbers of Chelsea’s injury absentees are moving closer to a return, though both Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia remain out for now. Enzo Fernandez and Reece James, who asked to be left out of the England squad this week, should be available to feature, though. Manchester City suffered their own injury blow in midweek Champions League action, as John Stones left the pitch after picking up a knock. Pep Guardiola admitted his side could be “in trouble” if the versatile defender misses a significant period of time. He was unable to put a possible timeline on a return ahead of this game, while it is also unclear when Kevin De Bruyne will be back to fitness after a long lay-off. Predicted line-ups Chelsea XI: Sanchez; James, Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Caicedo, Fernandez, Gallagher; Palmer, Jackson, Sterling. Manchester City XI: Ederson; Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Walker, Rodri, Kovacic, Doku; Silva, Alvarez; Haaland. Odds Chelsea win 4/1 Draw 13/5 Manchester City win 3/4 Get all the latest Premier League odds here. Prediction Manchester City win. Chelsea 1-3 Manchester City Read More Liverpool vs Brentford LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Kieran Trippier confronts Newcastle fans after defeat at Bournemouth Mikel Arteta praises VAR and officials as 10-man Arsenal beat Burnley Victor Lindelof: Scoring more goals is next step for Manchester United Man United can ‘make life easy by scoring goals’, says Erik ten Hag after Luton win Chelsea’s downward spiral offers stark warning to Man City

Two AFC Wild Card contenders are set to face off in a critical Week 10 showdown on Sunday Night Football.

Liverpool take on Brentford as Jurgen Klopp’s side bid to maintain their challenge towards the top of the Premier League. Klopp’s men suffered a setback at Luton in their last league outing, with Luis Diaz’s stoppage time goal only enough to salvage a point at Kenilworth Road. A defeat to Toulouse in the Europa League continued a mixed recent run that has seen the Anfield club take only eight points from their last five league games. By contrast, Brentford have hit form, winning each of their last three fixtures after a slow start to the season. Here’s everything you need to know. Get the latest Premier League odds here. When is Liverpool vs Brentford? Liverpool vs Brentford is due to kick off at 2pm GMT on Sunday 12 November at Anfield. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom will not be able to watch the match live, with Sky Sports showing West Ham vs Nottingham Forest instead. Free-to-air, extended highlights will be available to watch on Match of the Day 2, which airs at 10.40pm on Sunday evening on BBC One and is available via the iPlayer. The fixture has been moved from a Saturday 3pm kick-off due to the Reds’ involvement in the Europa League on Thursday. Team news Alexis Mac Allister is suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season against Luton, forcing Jurgen Klopp into a midfield change. Wataru Endo is likely to come in, though Klopp admitted on Friday that he would consider Trent Alexander-Arnold as a midfield option. Virgil van Dijk should be available after illness but Andy Robertson and Thiago Alcantara are among Liverpool’s longer-term absentees. Brentford manager Thomas Frank took off goalkeeper Mark Flekken last week with an apparent injury, but the Dutchman seems to have recovered sufficiently from a dead leg to start. Aaron Hickey, though, will miss the rest of the year to add to a growing injury list for Frank. Predicted line-ups Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Endo, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Jota. Brentford XI: Flekken; Roerslev, Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Janelt; Jensen, Norgaard, Onyeka; Mbeumo, Wissa. Odds Liverpool win 2/5 Draw 4/1 Brentford win 11/2 Get all the latest Premier League odds here. Prediction Liverpool secure a narrow victory. Liverpool 2-1 Brentford Read More Mikel Arteta praises VAR and officials as 10-man Arsenal beat Burnley Victor Lindelof: Scoring more goals is next step for Manchester United Man United can ‘make life easy by scoring goals’, says Erik ten Hag after Luton win Chelsea’s downward spiral offers stark warning to Man City It is hard to overtake Manchester City under Pep Guardiola – Mauricio Pochettino Pep Guardiola: Only small clubs worry about selling players to their rivals

Megan Rapinoe was left devastated after her career swansong came to an early end as she limped out of the National Women’s Soccer League final. The 38-year-old suffered a suspected ruptured Achilles in just the third minute of the season-decider in San Diego and then had to watch her side OL Reign lose 2-1 to NJ/NY Gotham FC. Rapinoe won two World Cups and an Olympic gold medal in a brilliant 203-cap career for the United States, but the defeat means she ends her domestic stint without an NWSL title. She admitted that it was the “worst possible outcome” to her finale. “It felt like just a huge pop,” Rapinoe told ESPN. “The worst possible outcome. I just thank god I have like a f****** deep well of sense of humour. But just obviously devastating to go out in the final so early. “That’s life, it’s part of the game. I was feeling really good before the game, wasn’t feeling tight or wasn’t having calf issues or anything. You don’t always get to have the perfect ending. “I feel so lucky and so grateful to have played as long as I’ve played and to have played with the incredible players that I’ve played (with). “Every sort of new cycle that I’ve come with, I’ve gotten close to certain players and built relationships and played with some of the very best players in the world. “I’m looking forward to retirement. I’m retiring on the field, but you’ll definitely be seeing a lot of me off of it.” Read More Rob Key ready to take share of blame for England’s poor World Cup Victor Lindelof: Scoring more goals is next step for Manchester United On this day in 2004: John Toshack becomes Wales boss on five-year deal

Victor Lindelof says Manchester United must keep building after Erik ten Hag’s below-par side fought for a fourth narrow win in five Premier League matches. This has been a difficult second campaign to date for the Dutchman, who oversaw a ninth loss in 17 games in Wednesday’s 4-3 Champions League collapse at Copenhagen. United rallied at a packed Old Trafford on Saturday and Lindelof’s second-half goal secured a 1-0 win against unfancied Luton, easing pressure before an international break they head into in a surprisingly good spot. Despite relentless scrutiny and some chastening defeats, no team has won more points over their last five Premier League games than a Red Devils team with plenty of improvements to make. “We want to score more goals and that’s the next step for us,” Lindelof said. “Right now the most important thing is the three points and the result. “But after that we have to keep going, keep working and building and hopefully we can score goals, close the game and not make it difficult for ourselves. But it’s step by step. We want to score more goals and that’s the next step for us Victor Lindelof “We haven’t been playing at the highest level and we know that. We’ve just got to keep working hard. “”We’re (not far) off the top four, and it shows that even if we’re not playing at the highest level, we can still get a result.” All seven of United’s Premier League wins this term have come by a one-goal margin. Ten Hag believes things will improve when his goal-shy frontmen’s form turns and is happy how others have stepped up in the meantime, with defender Lindelof lashing home just his fourth for the club on Saturday. “It’s always special and nice to score a goal – I don’t score that many anymore,” the Sweden skipper told MUTV. “To score the match-winner in front of the Stretford End is a special feeling and I felt that today. “I saw the ball drop and I was thinking to myself ‘just try and hit it quite hard and quite high’. It was a good goal, I think. “After the goal we dropped a little bit but, like I said, three points was the most important thing.” Lindelof and many of his team-mates now turn their attention to international matters with United now not back in action until the trip to Everton on November 26. Luton return to Premier League matters a day earlier at home to Crystal Palace as Rob Edwards’ promoted side look for a second victory of a season after a pair of promising displays. “We are disappointed,” the Hatters boss said after a narrow loss at Old Trafford followed a 1-1 home draw with Liverpool. “Of course, there was hard work in the performance and there was good quality in the second half from us. “We showed a lot of bravery on the ball, and our fans know we aren’t a team that necessarily dominates on the ball. “To grow on the ball in one of the best stadiums in the world and in the toughest league in the world is difficult, so the boys showed incredible bravery. “It was harder to break United down later in the game as they got more players behind the ball, we just needed to find moments in the game at the right times and create some chances. “I saw a determination, a steel, a grit about us in that first half, we rode our luck once or twice but had a chance of our own through the Carlton (Morris) header and it was important to stay in the game. “The support we had from the fans was incredible today. It was very important at the beginning that we showed that respect which we did immaculately, and then I could hear them the whole game. “It made me really proud to be representing this club and I hope everyone has a safe journey home. “Take a lot from it, be proud of the football club today, but we are greedy and we want more points.” Read More Rob Key ready to take share of blame for England’s poor World Cup Tom Aspinall beats Sergei Pavlovich to become UFC interim heavyweight champion On this day in 2004: John Toshack becomes Wales boss on five-year deal Gareth Southgate: England have won over the world – now for our own fans It is hard to overtake Manchester City under Pep Guardiola – Mauricio Pochettino Pep Guardiola: Only small clubs worry about selling players to their rivals

John Toshack signed a five-year contract to become the new manager of Wales on this day in 2004. Former Liverpool striker Toshack, then 55, took the helm for the second time 10 years after lasting just a single game in his first spell. He had been appointed on a part-time basis in 1994, combining his duties with his role as manager at Real Sociedad, but resigned to concentrate on his club responsibilities following a 3-1 defeat by Norway. The Football Association of Wales turned to a man who had won 40 caps for his country for a second time a decade later having drawn up a three-man shortlist which also included Dean Saunders and Philippe Troussier after Gerard Houllier had declined an interview. Toshack, who had been outspokenly critical of predecessor Mark Hughes in his role as a pundit, arrived with the Welsh having missed out on qualification for the Euro 2004 finals after a play-off defeat by Russia and with their World Cup qualification hopes hanging in the balance following a return of just two points from their opening four games of the campaign. He said at the time: “While it’s mathematically possible that we can qualify, we realise that this particular campaign is by no means easy. “But by the time the European Championship qualifiers come round in September 2006, we’ll have a pretty good idea what sort of side I’ve got. Hopefully by results and hard work, we’ll be able to achieve our objectives.” Toshack, who launched his coaching career as player-manager at Swansea and guided the club from the fourth to the first division before heading for Sporting Lisbon, Sociedad, Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruna and Besiktas, went to work with his eyes wide open. Draws with Azerbaijan and Northern Ireland and defeats by England and Poland meant he inherited a difficult situation, and it was not improved by back-to-back defeats by Austria. Wales ultimately finished fifth in the group despite wins over Azerbaijan and Northern Ireland in their final two games. Toshack remained at the helm for almost six years, blooding a new generation of players as the likes of Robbie Savage, Gary Speed, Ryan Giggs, Jason Koumas and Simon Davies made way for youngsters Gareth Bale, Joe Ledley, Aaron Ramsey, Chris Gunter and Jack Collison. However, appearances at the finals of major tournaments continued to elude them and, after a 1-0 defeat by Montenegro in their opening Euro 2012 qualifier in Podgorica in September 2010, he left his post by mutual consent. Toshack departed having overseen 21 wins in 53 games during which he capped 43 new senior internationals and was succeeded three months later by Gary Speed. Read More Gareth Southgate: England have won over the world – now for our own fans It is hard to overtake Manchester City under Pep Guardiola – Mauricio Pochettino Pep Guardiola: Only small clubs worry about selling players to their rivals Rob Page: Harry Wilson has been one of Wales’ main men since Gareth Bale retired Kieran Trippier confronted by angry Newcastle fans after defeat at Bournemouth She’s a tough cookie – Jodie Burrage backed to bounce back from nightmare debut

Find out how the college football rankings for the Top 25 CFP rankings in Week 12 will look based on our projections after a Saturday with big wins for Georgia and Michigan, upsets for Tennessee, Oklahoma State and Kansas, and much more.

Gareth Southgate is proud the worldwide perception of the England national team has changed even if he feels it is a different story in his own country. England secured qualification to Euro 2024 last month and will be amongst the favourites to taste success in Germany next summer, especially given recent showings in major tournaments. After Southgate guided the team to fourth place at the 2018 World Cup, they were runners-up at the last Euros before they suffered a quarter-final exit at the World Cup in Qatar last year. With the Three Lions no longer viewed as a team built on passion and commitment, as well as boasting two of the world’s in-form players in Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane, the 53-year-old feels the nation’s technical ability is now recognised. “That was one of the reasons I joined the FA 10 years ago to work with the Under-21s. We felt we wanted to do that,” Southgate said in reference to England’s perception. “We have achieved that throughout the rest of Europe because when I travel I realise that’s how people now see us. “We haven’t achieved that so much with our own public at times! But it’s interesting to see how we are viewed elsewhere. “Without a doubt, that’s how we want to play. We were top scorers per game at the World Cup and we’ve been top scorers in qualifying for the two previous tournaments. “We want the fans to come to Wembley to see goals and exciting performances – and we’ve had some good nights. We will keep trying to do that.” Bellingham’s goalscoring emergence in a more advanced role at Real gives England another attacking option. Southgate said: “In terms of what I’ve had, we’ve certainly got some exciting players in the wide and number 10 areas behind the strikers and different types. “(James) Maddison is different to Jude, for example, with different attributes and so it’s good that we’re not replacing like-for-like during games because it means we can give teams different problems to cope with.” Such are Southgate’s options in the forward areas that he again left Raheem Sterling out of the 25-man squad originally selected on Thursday to face Malta and North Macedonia. Youngsters Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer also missed out despite England listing nine attackers in the squad list, but while Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish all look assured of a place at Euro 2024, there is less certainty around Kane’s deputy. Ollie Watkins will aim to impress after scoring in last month’s friendly win against Australia and Southgate will have another name in the mix for March when Ivan Toney is available again following the completion of his ban for repeated betting breaches. “Next striker into Harry there’s competition. I don’t think anybody’s quite nailed that down yet. I’d say that’s an even fight between a few,” Southgate reflected. “Ivan’s obviously got a tougher challenge than a lot of the players because he has got that limited time frame, but we think he’s got some really good attributes. “We’ve just got to see where he is. I haven’t spoken with him for a few months, but I am in touch with the club. We know how he is progressing. “In the end the key is, when he gets back playing, how he goes on the pitch.” One player unlikely to make a late charge into Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad is Mason Greenwood, currently on loan at Getafe from Manchester United. Greenwood was suspended by United on January 30, 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online. He faced charges including attempted rape and assault, but the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February the case had been discontinued. Southgate said: “We’re a long path from needing to think about that. I haven’t been tracking his games at this stage and we’ve got a lot of good players in those attacking areas of the pitch.”

Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged it will be difficult for any club to win the Premier League title whilst Pep Guardiola remains in charge of Manchester City. Chelsea face the champions at Stamford Bridge on Sunday seeking a fourth win in six games in the league, but go into the game 11 points behind Guardiola’s treble winners having finished a colossal 45 points back last season. Despite spending over £1billion on signings during the 18 months that owner Todd Boehly has been at the helm, the club have slid away from the league’s summit in that time, dropping from third place at the end of the 2021-22 campaign to 12th last season. Pochettino has consistently defended results and performances since he took over in July, emphasising that despite the huge outlay, the club has mostly invested in young, inexperienced players who will required time to mature. Ahead of Sunday’s showdown in west London, he agreed that toppling City will be a significant challenge whilst Guardiola is still in his job. “I think we are all trying to be close to their level,” said Pochettino. “That’s the idea, that’s the challenge. It’ll be tough of course. If he continues there, he has the experience and the capacity, and the knowledge. He’s a great coach. It’s going to be tough to beat Manchester City. “But we need to believe. Football is about belief and to try to develop and to create some different strategies to try to be above them.” If he continues there, he has the experience and the capacity, and the knowledge. He’s a great coach. It’s going to be tough to beat Manchester City Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino Pochettino previously enjoyed success against Guardiola and City in eliminating them from the Champions League with Tottenham en route to the final in 2019. They ultimately lost in the final to Liverpool in Madrid, with Pochettino leaving less than six months later having failed to win silverware, despite running Leicester close for the title in 2016. “We were contenders in the Champions League, we beat (City) with Tottenham,” said Pochettino. “But our possibility to win the league was when we fought in 2016 with Leicester. We never went in a fight with City for the league. “But we were contenders in the Champions League. It’s not easy. “That’s why massive credit to Pep and the organisation. Of course, you can see. But different clubs, different people, different structures, for sure, they’re building something really special. “It was tough for them to win their first Champions League (last season), but they were consistent; improving and improving and improving with the confidence in Pep’s project, backing Pep for seven years. Massive credit to them.” Read More Pep Guardiola: Only small clubs worry about selling players to their rivals Rob Page: Harry Wilson has been one of Wales’ main men since Gareth Bale retired Kieran Trippier confronted by angry Newcastle fans after defeat at Bournemouth She’s a tough cookie – Jodie Burrage backed to bounce back from nightmare debut Sean Dyche: Everton are starting to show belief on the road after latest win Mikel Arteta: ‘I’m completely with referees’