The panel weighs in on Jurgen Klopp’s commitment to let his first team take the winter break off. While a currently invincible Liverpool await what seems a certain Premier League coronation, the “who makes the Top 4?” plot thickens by the week. Only a fool would dare make a prediction about how this everyday story
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It has reached the stage where frankly nobody, not even the most hard-line Cules, could complain if Lionel Messi was preparing to walk away from Barcelona without a transfer fee this summer. It’s in his contract that he’s allowed to do so. I guess that clause was negotiated for a situation just like the current
Missed any of the action around Europe this weekend? Have no fear: Gab Marcotti is here to catch you up with all the talking points in the latest Monday Musings. Jump to: Setien’s Barca a mess so far | Kobe the soccer fan | Why Juve lost at Napoli | Klopp entitled to play LFC
Michy Batshuayi and Fikayo Tomori send Chelsea through with goals at Hull City. Watch the FA Cup on ESPN+. Following Chelsea’s 2-1 win vs. Hull City, Steve Nicol breaks down their issues in the attacking third. Chelsea reached the FA Cup fifth round with a hard-fought 2-1 win at the KCOM stadium. Frank Lampard’s side
Steve Nicol says an experienced centre forward could have helped Chelsea avoid their 2-2 draw vs. Arsenal. Frank Lampard gives an update on Tammy Abraham’s injury as he’s set to miss Chelsea’s clash with Hull City. Pretend for a moment that there’s a continuum in football. At one end, there’s the physical: the stuff you
TRANMERE, Birkenhead — It was 11.20 p.m. on Thursday evening. League One side Tranmere Rovers had just beaten Premier League Watford 2-1 in the FA Cup and there were six men with pitchforks on the playing surface at Prenton Park. The mist was floating in off the River Mersey and the clock was ticking. In
Death, taxes, and Antonio Conte complaining about his lack of squad depth: These are the three constants of life in the 21st Century. In January 2018, during his final season with Chelsea, the Italian manager said: “I don’t know what will happen at the end of this window. The club knows my thoughts about this.
It’s been a rough week for Roman sides. Both Roma and Lazio suffered elimination in the Coppa Italia quarterfinals and head into Sunday’s Derby della Capitale (12 pm ET on ESPN 2/ESPN3) licking their wounds. Lazio mustn’t let it check their momentum and dampen the enthusiasm percolating around the team at the moment. They can point to
Hector Bellerin snatches a late equaliser after Arsenal play most of the game a man short. The FC crew tear into David Luiz for his red-card challenge in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw vs. Chelsea. The ESPN FC crew talk if Frank Lampard gets a pass from the media when Chelsea produce poor results. Chelsea and Arsenal‘s
Alejandro Moreno discusses Manchester United’s “desperation” as the transfer window deadline approaches. Craig Burley believes Man United failed to take advantage of Burnley’s early mistakes in a 2-0 defeat. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the wrong man for Manchester United. Nice guy, great goal scorer, club legend — the Norwegian is all of those, but when
Don Hutchison explains why Mohamed Salah’s play has been frustrating this season for Liverpool. Don Hutchison says Chelsea’s next game vs. a “flaky” Arsenal side could be just in time to lift their spirits. As the Premier League prepares for a full round of midweek fixtures, we look back at some of the best games
“Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined being coach of Barcelona,” Quique Setien said after the club appointed him last week, ending a turbulent chapter under the previous boss, Ernesto Valverde. “I never thought Barcelona would choose me.” Nor did most people. Betis’ 61-year-old former coach is a committed follower of Johan Cruyff,
It’s a signing that seems almost too perfect. Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, the most recognizable Mexican player for over a decade, is now in Southern California having signed with the LA Galaxy and the marketing possibilities seem endless. The sight of Chicharito going up against compatriot Carlos Vela twice a year (at least) adds another layer
Steve Nicol wasn’t too surprised by Erling Haaland’s debut hat trick to help Borussia Dortmund come back vs. Augsburg. Steve Nicol weighs up whether Dortmund’s Erling Haaland could have had the same immediate impact at Old Trafford. Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland scored three goals on his Bundesliga debut, but that’s not enough for some
Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette is a big fan of statistics. He’s not the most data-savvy player but in his constant search for improvement and how to become a better player, he’s taking more of an interest. A few days ago, a friend showed him a graph about the Premier League most involved goalscorers — simply
Steve Nicol considers whether a Juventus move would be good for Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic. Bojan Krkic explains why Ernesto Valverde’s sacking from Barcelona doesn’t come as much of a surprise to him. BARCELONA — Lionel Messi scored the only goal of the game as the Quique Setien Era began at Barcelona with a narrow
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
Chelsea were defeated late on by Newcastle at St. James’ Park on Saturday night, after a last-minute Isaac Hayden goal handed the home side a 1-0 win at the death. With Jetro Willems being subbed off early on due to injury, the away side must have felt like favourites to grind out a victory but
Sometimes, it takes something bold to effect change. UEFA’s annual benchmarking report, released this week, underscores what we already know. There’s good news (financial stability) and not-so-good news: extreme polarization. And it’s the latter that could use a fix. Over the past decade, debt has fallen, revenue has increased tremendously and the game of soccer,
Bayern Munich’s dominant streak in the German Bundesliga is going to end sooner or later. According to our research, it’ll end this year. A few weeks ago, I compared the Bundesliga to American college football’s Big 12 conference — one dominated by offense-friendly, super-fun systems. It was an apt comparison in another way, too: the
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