“Cholo, don’t go! Cholo, stay!” they sang as the Madrid derby reached the 90th minute. These weren’t Atletico fans, though. There were only a handful of them inside the Bernabeu anyway. These were Real Madrid supporters bellowing an ironic chant that started behind the goal at the south end and had soon spread everywhere, reverberating
Blog – The Match
VALENCIA, Spain — Following narrow wins against Granada and Ibiza, Quique Setien failed his first major examination as Barcelona manager when the Blaugrana crumbled 2-0 against Valencia, their first defeat at Mestalla since 2008. Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved a first-half penalty from Maxi Gomez and Barca made it to half-time with the game goalless, but
Steve Nicol says an experienced centre forward could have helped Chelsea avoid their 2-2 draw vs. Arsenal. LONDON — On the face of it, Mikel Arteta has made an unimpressive start to life as Arsenal manager. Tuesday’s 2-2 draw at Chelsea left him with just one win in six Premier League games since taking charge
Ale Moreno says Liverpool continue to get results while challengers falter and the EPL race is over. Ale Moreno says there’s nothing to be optimistic about with Man United without Marcus Rashford. LIVERPOOL, England — The genie is out of the bottle. When Mohamed Salah lifted the tension inside Anfield by making it 2-0 against
Steve Nicol says Sheffield United are a top striker away from taking their play to the next level. LONDON — As a neutral turning up for an Arsenal game, there’s little that quickens the pulse like seeing a central defensive partnership of David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi on the hosts’ teamsheet. After all, it’s a
Sergio Aguero sets a Premier League record with his 12th hat-trick as Manchester City smash Aston Villa. Craig Burley praises Sergio Aguero for his consistency and longevity following his record day for Man City. BIRMINGHAM, England — Danny Drinkwater has seen Riyad Mahrez make fools of his opponents countless times, but this was the first
Steve Nicol says Liverpool’s attack needs to pick up even as the Reds continue to dominate the Premier League. Another day, another win and another record for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. After Roberto Firmino’s first-half goal secured a 1-0 victory against Tottenham, the Premier League leaders took their points haul to an incredible 61 from 21
Steve Nicol still doesn’t see Arsenal as a team that’s good enough to break back into the top four. Stewart Robson says it’s too early to declare Mikel Arteta has sparked a massive change at Arsenal. LONDON — Mikel Arteta is going to need a bit of time. Time to instil his playing style, time
ESPN FC’s Stewart Robson explains how Chelsea allowed Brighton back into the game in the 2nd half. Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s stunning late goal costs Chelsea the win on their visit to Brighton. BRIGHTON, England — What did we all realistically expect from Chelsea at the beginning of the season? This was a team with a new
Frank Lampard explains how an aggressive half-time discussion helped Chelsea beat Arsenal. Mikel Arteta suggests a difference in physicality cost Arsenal in their defeat to Chelsea. LONDON — Arsenal‘s final game of the decade ended like so many of the games that had preceded it: deflation, rows of empty seats and a nagging feeling of
MANCHESTER, England — What a difference a year makes for Manchester United. Ahead of Wednesday’s first anniversary of Jose Mourinho’s sacking and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival, the club sits sixth in the Premier League and Mauricio Pochettino’s name continues to hover over Old Trafford as a potential saviour. At first glance, the picture does not
Craig Burley says Freddie Ljungberg’s management of in-game substitutions for Arsenal has been a mess. LONDON — As half-time approached at the Emirates Stadium, Manchester City fans tucked away in the corner began to sing one of their favourites: “We are not, we’re not really here.” Given their team was already 3-0 down, Arsenal supporters
Arsenal manage a 3-1 comeback win vs. West Ham, snapping their nine-game winless streak. Don Hutchison says there were “millions of things not to like” about Arsenal despite their win vs. West Ham. The FC crew debate whether Arsenal should stick with Freddie Ljungberg after his first victory at the helm. LONDON — The great
Craig Burley, Steve Nicol and Ale Moreno break down Liverpool’s standing in the Champions League field. LIVERPOOL, England — For once, the late winner never came and Liverpool had to settle for a point. There will be some disappointment that they could not secure qualification from their Champions League group against Napoli at Anfield, but
Craig Burley believes Lionel Messi is single-handedly covering up deficiencies at Barcelona. MADRID — “You wanted to have a name and you forgot to be a man,” the banner read. Raised by fans in the Wanda Metropolitano’s Fondo Sur in the pouring rain, midway through the second half of a thrilling game that ended in
Shaka Hislop says Manchester United looked “average” once again in their draw vs. Aston Villa. MANCHESTER, England — At the start of a week that could prove a defining one for his reign at Manchester United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needed a win on Sunday. He did not get it. Aston Villa, newly promoted from the
Steve Nicol says the apathy of players and fans are partly why Arsenal had no choice but to sack Unai Emery. Craig Burley chooses his top candidates for Arsenal manager. Watch the full segment on ESPN FC’s YouTube channel. NORWICH, England — Balding, chisel-jawed and from the Nordic region, one of the protagonists at Carrow
Manuel Pellegrini’s good day saved his job, but it came at the expense of Frank Lampard’s Chelsea. LONDON — Frank Lampard has had better days. The Chelsea manager is quite rightly being extolled as a breath of fresh air at Stamford Bridge and in the Premier League this season, but this was a day when
Roberto Firmino’s late winner at Crystal Palace kept Liverpool’s unbeaten league run intact. After another dramatic win, Ale Moreno says there’s too many signs Liverpool will win the title. LONDON — Liverpool are a fabulous, thrilling, football team in full flow. All controlled aggression, relentless pace, viscerally incisive attacks, loosely organised chaos. But the reason
Ale Moreno says Man City’s comeback win over Chelsea kept the door to the Premier League title slightly open. MANCHESTER, England — Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have proven their footballing ability beyond doubt, but if this season is more a gauge of their character, they passed an important test by beating Chelsea 2-1. There was