List of All Articles with Tag 'football'

Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea must rebuild trust with their fans if they hope to reverse their woeful home form that has seen them win just one of their last 13 Premier League games at Stamford Bridge. That run dates back to a 1-0 win against Leeds in March, since then they have picked up a single home victory against newly promoted Luton in August. The 2-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday was their third home loss in six this season, and saw them revert to the hesitant, goal-shy habits that have been a feature during owner Todd Boehly’s 18 months in charge. At one stage in the first half Pochettino was drawn into a confrontation with a supporter who challenged the contributions of striker Nicolas Jackson, and there was a notable souring of the atmosphere once Brentford took the lead just before the hour mark. In all there have been just three home league victories in 2023, with the team having failed to score on 10 occasions in all competitions. “The key is to create a good atmosphere,” said Pochettino. “I think you need to be in the right way with the fans, with the team. The team need to translate to the fans the idea that they can trust them. “I think it (takes) time. We have many talented players but still they are so young. I’m not talking about the mentality of the club or the badge because Chelsea is about victories and a strong winning mentality. “The team is young and we need to match this level of capacity to compete always at your best. “We can talk about Cole Palmer who arrived in the last moments (of the transfer window) who is showing character, taking the responsibility to take penalties. It’s always about getting a good balance.” Pochettino had 10 first-team players unavailable from the start against Brentford, with the in-form Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez joining a lengthy injury list before kick-off with minor knocks. Captain Reece James was for the second consecutive game fit only for a late cameo for the bench, whilst Ben Chilwell was also absent. “Not to complain or make excuses, but we need all the squad fit,” said Pochettino. “We have too many circumstances at the moment where we are competing but we are missing things. When we have all the players fit, I think the team is going to find its balance. “It’s not easy to build trust (with the fans) and be mature and to accept sometimes that the game is going in a direction that you don’t want. “You need to be calm in this moment to have the character, to be mature enough and to have the capacity to say ‘we play in (our) way’. You need time. It’s about the maturity that we need to get.” Read More Retiring Ben Youngs believes the future is bright for England England an incredibly tight-knit unit – Matthew Mott refutes ‘unsettled’ claim Unai Emery confident Aston Villa can challenge for top-four spot Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi staying positive after ‘frustrating’ Fulham draw Sir Bobby Charlton tributes – in pictures Old Trafford pays tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton ahead of Manchester derby

Liverpool forward Luis Diaz was left out of the squad for Sunday's Premier League home game against Nottingham Forest after his parents were kidnapped in Colombia, with manager Jurgen Klopp saying everyone at the club was worried. Colombia President Gustavo Petro said late on Saturday that Diaz's mother had been rescued after they were kidnapped in northern Colombia, but officials were still searching for his missing father, who may have been taken to Venezuela. “The game preparation was the most difficult I’ve ever had in my life. I didn’t expect that, I wasn’t prepared for it,” Klopp said after the 3-0 victory. “I don’t want to make the game bigger than it was, but definitely, we tried to help Luis with the fight we put in because obviously we want to help and we cannot really help. “So the only thing we can do is fight for him and that’s what the boys did.” Liverpool secured their fifth straight home Premier League win to move three points behind leaders Tottenham. But Klopp said: “How can you make a football game really important on a day like this? It’s really difficult. I’ve never struggled with that in my life. “We heard late last night about it. We spoke to Luis, he wanted to go home...Then we got the news with his mum, which is fantastic, and since then nothing really. We are obviously the first people to get involved and we try to have knowledge of everything as much as we can, but we don’t want to disturb in any way the important people there, we just want to support, that’s it.” Earlier, Liverpool issued a statement saying they were aware of the situation involving Diaz's family and were focusing on the player's welfare. Diaz, who has played 43 times for Colombia, was signed by Liverpool in January last year in a deal reported to be worth 45 million euros ($47.5 million). He has scored three times for Liverpool in all competitions this season. Colombia's Attorney General Francisco Barbosa on Sunday said it was possible that Diaz's father was being taken to Venezuela, and ordered an investigation to look into the motives of the kidnapping and find those responsible. "We have information that he could, at some point, be in Venezuela. If he ends up crossing the border and he's in Venezuela, we have to ask [Colombia] President Gustavo Petro ... to help us with freeing Luis Diaz's father," Barbosa told reporters. Colombia's national police also announced payment of $48,500 (£40,000) for any information leading to his rescue. Reuters, further quotes from PA Read More Nunez scores as Liverpool show support for Luis Diaz in win over Forest Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Liverpool forward Luis Diaz’s parents kidnapped by gunmen in Colombia

Deion Sanders ripped his offensive line after loss to UCLA.

Manchester United’s abject performance in the derby defeat to Manchester City left former players Roy Keane and Gary Neville offering a damning assessment of the current state of the club, with players and hierarchy alike coming in for criticism. However, manager Erik ten Hag largely appears in favour with the ex-Old Trafford stars, despite overseeing a start to the Premier League campaign which has tallied five defeats in ten matches, leaving the Red Devils eighth in the table and and 11 points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur, past the quarter mark of the campaign. Keane offered the most immediate and radical propsed solution to the latest crisis at the club, suggesting that Bruno Fernandes should have the captaincy removed from him - despite only being officially appointed to the position in July after Harry Maguire was demoted from it. “The first thing I’d do, I would definitely take the captaincy off him, one hundred per cent. I know it’s a big decision but Fernandes is not captain material,” he said. “A talented player no doubt, but after watching him again today, we’ve discussed this before. “His whinging, moaning, throwing his arms up constantly - it’s really not acceptable. “When you make change you talk about boardroom level, but the manager can do this. The manager can hold his hands up and say I got it wrong - he’s the opposite to what I would want in a captain. “Man United have been built on great players and great characters. We haven’t seen that.” Keane also alluded to overspending and poor decisions in the transfer market. “We’re well aware United have to pay over the odds but it feels too much for some of them. They lack physicality, they’re like children out there. Too many who have come in for the fees involved haven’t done the business.” Neville, meanwhile, labelled it “unbelievable” that United still don’t have a sporting director - David Harrison is director of football operations and John Murtough is football director at the club. However, he also pointed to the impending propsed takeover or partial purchase of ownership shares by Jim Ratcliffe as a reason behind coaching staff not being able to perform as well as they otherwise might do and get the team playing to their maximium level. “It’s toxic, they all think they’re going to lose their jobs. That’s what’s happening and I believe the toxicity at this club eats alive every player and has done for years,” Neville said. Jamie Carragher, however, countered that “What [Ten Hag] is doing on the training pitch has got nothing to do with the club takeover,” but Neville reiterated that it wasn’t time to place the Dutch head coach under pressure by calling for change. “Of course there’s pressure, we’ve seen it before with [David] Moyes, [Jose] Mourinho, [Louis] Van Gaal. I think Ten Hag should continue, 100 per cent. Today wasn’t one of his best days in midfield [tactics] but the reality is the performances have been so poor for the last few months: battered by Brighton, lucky against Brentford and Copenhagen. “I can’t quite see a way out of it in performance levels but changing manager? That’s not where I am at. He’s hitting the same issues [Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer did: doing well in a cup, signing players to go to the next level and [falling off].” United are next in action in the Carabao Cup against Newcastle United, before a trip to Fulham and a vital Champions League away game to FC Copenhagen. Read More Erling Haaland shadow continues to loom over Manchester United’s misfiring forwards Diogo Dalot ensures Manchester United honour Sir Bobby Charlton with victory Nunez scores as Liverpool show support for Luis Diaz in win over Forest Nunez scores as Liverpool show support for Luis Diaz in win over Forest Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United are ‘on the up’ despite derby drubbing Joao Palhinha’s stunning strike snatches Fulham a point at Brighton

Erik Ten Hag insisted Manchester United were still “on the up” despite being comprehensively outplayed by rivals Manchester City in Sunday’s derby. Erling Haaland struck twice – the first from the penalty spot – and Phil Foden added another as treble winners City eased to a 3-0 win in a one-sided Premier League encounter at Old Trafford. The result underlined City’s superiority over their neighbours – the gap between the sides now being nine points after 10 games – and emphatically ended any suggestion United might have turned a corner after winning their previous three matches. Manager Ten Hag nevertheless put a on brave face on what proved a chastening afternoon for the club’s fans. The Dutchman said: “The three games before we won and the spirit is very good. The fighting spirit is very good. “I think we are on the way up. The start was difficult, but now we are on a way up. “We have to be patient, but I’m happy some of our injuries are coming back and then our side will be stronger.” When you see first half, it's toe-to-toe. Just the penalty changes the game Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag Ten Hag felt United were competitive in the first half, which they ended trailing only 1-0 after Haaland’s 26th-minute penalty. He said: “When you see first half, it’s toe-to-toe. Just the penalty changes the game. “But even then we could have got back in the game, for instance with that shot of Scott McTominay just before half-time. “So, I think from chances it was very toe-to-toe.” Ten Hag did admit, however, the second half was “absolutely not” close. He said: “We were losing and I decided to bring more offensive power in and we made a mistake that was not according to the game plan.” Ten Hag repeatedly said he had “no comment” to make on the penalty decision, which was awarded for a foul by Rasmus Hojlund on Rodri following a VAR review. Opposite number Pep Guardiola claimed his side’s victory had not been as straightforward as it looked. City strongly asserted their authority in the second period as an unmarked Haaland headed his second and teed up Foden for the visitors’ third 10 minutes from time. Guardiola said: “It looks easy but it’s not, really it’s not. “We have a lot of respect for United, for what they do, but we were at our best, especially in the second half. “The second goal helped us a lot. We were saying at half-time they will be more aggressive and they were, but we made two incredible two build-ups. “Bernardo (Silva) and Jack (Grealish) made a good action and Erling scored the second goal. That was the key point of the game.” Guardiola admitted he did not anticipate his side dominating the local scene as much as they have when he arrived in Manchester in 2016. He said: “I know what we have done. I don’t know what United have done because I’m not here, but I didn’t expect it when I arrived here with Jose Mourinho, with (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, with the top, top players of (Romelu) Lukaku and the squad.”

Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp said preparation for Sunday’s 3-0 home win against Nottingham Forest had been “the most difficult I’ve ever had in my life”. Reds forward Luis Diaz did not feature in the Premier League clash at Anfield after reports that his parents had been kidnapped in Colombia and Klopp said the player had returned home to be with family members. Liverpool confirmed an “ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Diaz” earlier on Sunday and Colombia’s president said Diaz’s mother “has been rescued” but his father remains missing. Klopp said: “The game preparation was the most difficult I’ve ever had in my life. I didn’t expect that, I wasn’t prepared for it. “I don’t want to make the game bigger than it was, but definitely, we tried to help Luis with the fight we put in because obviously we want to help and we cannot really help. “So the only thing we can do is fight for him and that’s what the boys did.” Liverpool secured their fifth straight home Premier League win to move three points behind leaders Tottenham. But Klopp said: “How can you make a football game really important on a day like this? It’s really difficult. I’ve never struggled with that in my life. “We heard late last night about it. We spoke to Luis, he wanted to go home…Then we got the news with his mum, which is fantastic, and since then nothing really. “We are obviously the first people to get involved and we try to have knowledge of everything as much as we can, but we don’t want to disturb in any way the important people there, we just want to support, that’s it.” Liverpool said in a statement that they were supporting the player. It read: “Liverpool Football Club can confirm it is aware of an ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Diaz in Colombia. “It is our fervent hope that the matter is resolved safely and at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, the player’s welfare will continue to be our immediate priority.” Colombia’s president Gustavo Petro said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “In an operation in Barrancas, Luis Diaz’s mother has been rescued, we continue the search for the father.” The country’s football federation said in a statement that the kidnapping was regrettable and urged authorities to rescue Diaz’s father. “The Colombian Football Federation rejects the security situation that the parents of our player Luis Díaz are going through,” they said. “From the FCF we express our solidarity with him and his entire family and we call for the relevant authorities to act as quickly as possible to resolve the situation.” Liverpool signed Diaz from Porto in January 2022 in an initial £37.5million deal that included a potential extra £12.5million in add-ons. The 26-year-old winger has made 11 appearances this season and scored three goals. Diaz was an unused substitute for Thursday’s 5-1 Europa League win against Toulouse after starting the Premier League victory over Everton last weekend. He was not in the 18-strong squad that Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp named for Forest’s Premier League visit to Anfield. Read More Unai Emery confident Aston Villa can challenge for top-four spot Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi staying positive after ‘frustrating’ Fulham draw Sir Bobby Charlton tributes – in pictures Old Trafford pays tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton ahead of Manchester derby ‘That one was for Bill’ – Everton dedicate victory at West Ham to Bill Kenwright Sorry England slump to 100-run defeat against India to add to World Cup woes

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said there was still room for improvement after his side cruised to a 3-0 home Premier League win against Nottingham Forest. Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez scored within the space of four minutes before the interval to put Liverpool in control and Mohamed Salah struck his eighth league goal of the season in the second half. Klopp’s side made it five wins from as many league games at Anfield this season – their eighth in a row in all competitions – and sit three points behind leaders Tottenham. Klopp said: “If you’re chasing a game it’s obviously a completely different task, but if you are in complete control you should stay in control. “The last five minutes I think before half-time, all of a sudden we were a bit too deep and they just could chip the balls there and these are moments we have to improve, clearly. “In creative situations you can always improve because the boys have a lot of potential and we have to use it fully.” Once Liverpool broke the deadlock there was no way back for injury-hit Forest, but Klopp still remains wary of his side’s ability to protect a lead in front of their own fans. “You might remember three or four years ago, all of a sudden we became slightly more dominant and were leading at home and always came under pressure,” he said. “Like one-nil up meant nothing. Everybody thought ‘Oh my god, 1-0, 10 minutes to go!’ Maybe they saw the equaliser coming and that’s the situation you have to grow into and the boys showed wonderful signs in all aspects. “That’s now something we have to learn again because the key positions are obviously occupied by different players than that time, up front, midfield, last line. “So that’s the space for improvement. Creating without losing the compactness is pretty much the idea.” Forest’s winless league run was extended to six league games and head coach Steve Cooper admitted it had been a torrid 90 minutes. He said: “For sure it is a tough afternoon. Coming into the game, you know you have to play really well and commit to a plan in order to get some success in the game. “We were forced into some player selection, formation and plans through the unfortunate situation with attacking players. We had to go with a couple of players out of position.” Cooper was without a recognised central striker after Chris Wood (hamstring) was a late withdrawal, with Taiwo Awoniyi returning to the bench after a groin injury. “We only had one player who could play as a number nine in Anthony (Elanga),” Cooper added. “It’s a position which is a little bit foreign to him anyway and two days ago we didn’t think he would be available because of illness.”

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery believes his side can be top-four contenders this season if they continue their remarkable progression. Villa have improved exponentially under the Spaniard’s regime and posted a 12th successive Premier League home win after they beat Luton 3-1 at Villa Park. Goals from John McGinn and Moussa Diaby gave them the upper hand before Luton captain Tom Lockyer put through his own net. An Emiliano Martinez own goal got Luton on the scoresheet in the final 10 minutes, but it was Villa’s afternoon. They have lost twice this season – to Newcastle and Liverpool – and Emery wants his side to keep improving. “You have to be very demanding and focus each on match,” he said of his side’s chances. “We are winning matches because we are being very focused, we are being very demanding in our defensive structure, we are trying to build a team with high commitment. “We are between another seven teams, they show their power consistently. But if we are working like that and doing this process, being demanding, being strong, of course we can progress and still keep the moment we have now in the table. “I want to face each match being focused, preparing properly and being demanding. “We have played Liverpool and Newcastle and they were better than us. When we lost against Liverpool and Newcastle, I told the players I want to reduce the distance they showed when they come here.” They have not lost on home soil since they lost 4-2 to Arsenal on February 18, but Emery thinks there is more to come. “There is still a lot of work to do and still a lot of things we can improve. “Tactically, try to be more consistent for 90 minutes. I am very happy but I think there are things that can improve,” he added. Luton boss Rob Edwards knows that his side’s season will not be judged on games like this. “Let’s be honest, today was a difficult afternoon for us. There is a gulf between the two teams, at the moment Aston Villa are an exceptional team, in a great moment, confident, brilliant manager and very good players. At 3-0 down with 30 minutes to go I’m on the touchline thinking, ‘This is difficult’. “I’m really pleased with how the players stayed in it, stayed committed, that was important. It’s important the fans can see we never ever give in and stick at it. “It was a difficult afternoon but proud of how we stuck to the task. “Today wasn’t going to define us, we know that, we are in a different battle to Aston Villa at the moment, there is a difference in the teams, but we have to learn from it. “I want to make us better and me better.”

Former Manchester United team-mates, City opponents and fans paid tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton ahead of the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Sunday. Charlton, who died at the age of 86 earlier this month, was a key member of England’s victorious 1966 World Cup team and enjoyed great success with United, who became the first English side to win the European Cup in 1968. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the images from the latest tributes to a much-loved figure in world football.

Roberto De Zerbi was frustrated with Brighton’s 1-1 draw against Fulham but insisted there were positives to their performance at Amex Stadium. Joao Palhinha’s stunning 65th-minute equaliser cancelled out Evan Ferguson’s opener as Fulham fought to earn a point on the road. And De Zerbi believes the Seagulls lacked a cutting edge on a day where they rued missed first-half opportunities. “I am really frustrated and disappointed with the result,” De Zerbi said. “I think we played a great game, especially three days after the Ajax game at home (a 2-0 win in the Europa League). It was a fantastic first half but we could have scored more. “In the second half we played well. We conceded a goal only in one moment and when we lost distances we lost balance and then there was only one team on the pitch (Fulham). “Last season we lost three points against Fulham and this season we dropped another two points and we are frustrated with the result.” Ireland international Ferguson scored Brighton’s opener with a quality finish past goalkeeper Bernd Leno and into the bottom corner. But boss De Zerbi insisted his striker is not playing at his full capacity despite scoring five times in 10 appearances in the Premier League. He added: “Ferguson is not in his best moment but he’s a different player for us and a different type of striker we have in the squad and I think he could play better but he’s not in the best moment, he played a good game.” Fulham boss Marco Silva believes Fulham were not at their best and showed Brighton “too much respect”. He said: “In the first half we did not reach the standards we should if we want to compete at this level. We were not sharp enough to play the way we would like to play. “We were not aggressive and showed them too much respect. They won most of the challenges and we were not at the level with the pressure. “They won most of the second balls, we cannot be erratic if we want to play under pressure and make the right decisions. The goal we conceded is a good example and we have to make better decisions and be less erratic. “I have to give credit to the players in the second half in the way they believed and they expressed themselves on the pitch.”

Sean Dyche and Dominic Calvert-Lewin dedicated Everton’s 1-0 victory at West Ham to chairman Bill Kenwright. The Toffees were playing their first match since the death of Kenwright on Monday at the age of 78. It was a performance the lifelong Everton fan would surely have been proud of with Calvert-Lewin hitting a superb second-half winner. “Firstly, and you can’t guarantee it, but it’s befitting to win after the week we’ve had following the sad loss of the chairman,” said Toffees boss Dyche. “The players know the depth of the chairman’s love for the club, they’re well aware of that.” Calvert-Lewin revealed the shock of the news affected everyone at Goodison Park. “No-one was prepared for what happened this week and it has saddened everyone at the club. That one was for Bill,” the striker told Sky Sports. “He would have been proud of us and proud of how we won – to get the lead, dig in and work so hard. It was a very good day.” Calvert-Lewin, who has been beset by injuries over the past couple of seasons, looks to be finally getting back to his best. Six minutes into the second half he played a one-two with Jack Harrison, Cruyff-turned away from Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd and hit a low shot past Alphonse Areola. It was his 50th Premier League goal for Everton, joining Romelu Lukaku, Duncan Ferguson and Tim Cahill in reaching the half-century. “Dom’s a very good player who’s had a tough couple of years,” added Dyche. “He’s very close now, you can tell in his body language and it was a fine finish. “He looks stronger, sharper. It is a really good marker for him to get to that number.” A second away win of the season gave Everton a little more breathing space between them and the bottom three. “This is a tough place to come, they’ve proved that over the last couple of years, so it was a very good performance,” said Dyche. “We are improving from last season. I think there are clear signs of that.” For West Ham, it was a third defeat in eight days following reverses at Aston Villa and in the Europa League at Olympiacos. David Moyes picked an attacking line-up, handing Ghana winger Mohammed Kudus his first start in the Premier League, but their only shot on target came in the 90th minute through substitute Said Benrahma. “That would be a problem for us,” said Moyes. “But, let’s be fair, that’s the first game we’ve not scored a goal in this season. “But I agree, I thought we missed chances today, we missed two or three opportunities to score. I don’t think it was ever going to be a game where we had nine or 10 opportunities. I didn’t see it that way for either team.” Read More Aston Villa breeze past Luton to register 12th straight Premier League home win Joao Palhinha’s stunning strike snatches Fulham a point at Brighton Old Trafford pays tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton ahead of Manchester derby Sorry England slump to 100-run defeat against India to add to World Cup woes Liverpool show support for Luis Diaz in victory over Nottingham Forest Francis Ngannou rematch or Oleksandr Usyk showdown? – Tyson Fury’s future plans

Aston Villa continued their impressive home form as they beat Luton 3-1 to rack up a 12th successive Premier League win at Villa Park. Unai Emery’s side have won every home league game since February 18 and made light work of the Hatters, with goals from John McGinn and Moussa Diaby giving them the upper hand before Luton captain Tom Lockyer put through his own net. Villa have scored 13 goals in the last three Premier League home games as Emery’s team continue to show they are early contenders for the top four this season. And with games against Nottingham Forest and Fulham coming up, they have a chance to solidify their position in the race before a clash with leaders Tottenham on November 26. This was a seventh defeat in 10 top-flight games for Luton, who have quickly found out how demanding life can be in the Premier League, though they did get on the scoresheet when Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez scored a late own goal. They were up against it from the start as Villa were quick onto the attack and could have led inside four minutes. Ollie Watkins collected a cross and teed up Nicolo Zaniolo, but the Italian’s cushioned effort drifted just wide of the post. Only a brilliant double save from Thomas Kaminski stopped Villa from breaking the deadlock in the 11th minute as he superbly spread himself to block Watkins’ close-range effort and then reacted quickly to stop the follow-up effort. There was no surprise when the hosts went ahead in the 17th minute and it was another masterpiece from set-piece coach Austin MacPhee’s playbook. Douglas Luiz’s low corner was dummied by Moussa Diaby and it ended up with McGinn at the far post, with the Scotland international shifting the ball past Chiedozie Ogbene and into the far corner. That might have given the Villa the platform to go on and flourish, but Luton did well to stifle them and the hosts were restricted for the rest of the first half in terms of clear-cut chances. But that quickly changed after the restart as they doubled their lead in the 49th minute. Lucas Digne’s cross fell kindly to Diaby 12 yards out and he drilled a low effort into the bottom corner. The Hatters came from 2-0 down at Forest to draw 2-2 last weekend, but there was little chance of a repeat here. Villa continued to probe and added a third just after the hour. Diaby made good headway down the right and his cross was turned into his own net by Lockyer. Leon Bailey could have made it four but he shot wide while McGinn did not connect with a right-footed shot when the goal was gaping. Luton did not give up and got on the scoresheet in the 83rd minute, Villa defender Ezri Konsa’s header hitting the crossbar and rebounding off Martinez and into the net. Read More ‘That one was for Bill’ – Everton dedicate victory at West Ham to Bill Kenwright Everton financial reports just another thing to deal with – Sean Dyche Aston Villa prove European credentials with triumph at AZ Alkmaar – Unai Emery Ollie Watkins continues red-hot form as Aston Villa ease past AZ Alkmaar Sandro Tonali trains with Newcastle team amid betting investigation in Italy The tributes in pictures as football family remembers Sir Bobby Charlton