Gary Neville is sceptical about the current Manchester United squad despite the fact the Red Devils have won their last seven games. Their 2-1 victory over Brighton on Saturday ensured caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued his 100 per cent winning start since replacing Jose Mourinho in December. It’s the best start any United manager […]
TalkSport - 21.01.2019 15:55
SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Japan advanced to the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup on Monday by beating Saudi Arabia 1-0. Takehiro Tomiyasu scored with a header in the 20th minute while the Saudis created few chances despite having more than 75 percent of the possession. Japan, which is looking to win a record fifth Asian Cup title, will next face Vietnam. Saudi Arabia has not reached the Asian Cup quarterfinals in 12 years. Again at the sparsely attended tournament, there were banks of empty seats and chants echoed around the stadium. Later Monday, defending champion Australia plays Uzbekistan while host the United Arab Emirates faces Kyrgyzstan. More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-Soccer
Yahoo - 21.01.2019 14:17
Jurgen Klopp has branded his Liverpool side “proper warriors” after seeing them prove that they have the stomach for a Premier League title battle. The Reds cemented a standing at the English top-flight summit on Saturday with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Crystal Palace. Klopp's side rose to all of the challenges put in front of them, with Mohamed Salah starring once again as he bagged a brace to complement efforts from Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.
Yahoo - 21.01.2019 10:58
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is concerned about the hamstring injury Dele Alli picked up in his side's last-gasp win at Fulham. Alli, who cancelled out a Fernando Llorente own goal with a header early in the second half, limped out of the game in the final few minutes, clutching his hamstring. He watched on from the bench as Harry Winks earned Spurs a vital three points with a header deep into time added on at Craven Cottage, but his problem cast a shadow over Tottenham's victory. Another injury to an attacking player is the last thing Pochettino needs, given the absence of the injured Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, who is on international duty, over the next few weeks. It looks highly
Yahoo - 21.01.2019 09:26
Jose Mourinho offered some interesting observations during his two-game stint as a pundit on BeIN Sports, but his advice to Arsenal manager Unai Emery that Mesut Ozil "needs a little bit of care and a little bit of love" to perform at his best was the one which would have had everyone at Manchester United rolling their eyes. Self-awareness has never been one of Mourinho strong points, but telling a rival manager that he needs be more aware of a player's feelings appears to be a classic case of "Do...
ESPN - 21.01.2019 06:45
Carlos Vela did not rule out a move to Barcelona, despite saying he is happy at LAFC. Barcelona put on a show for the fans at the Camp Nou, as Lionel Messi secured the home victory with a beautiful strike with his right foot. Zlatan Ibrahimovic opens up to ESPN FC about Paul Pogba's revitalization since Jose Mourinho's departure and likens it to his disagreements with Pep Guardiola at Barcelona. Arsenal manager Unai Emery was reluctant to speak about rumoured transfer target Denis Suarez. Barcelona are set to complete the surprise signing of Sassuolo's Kevin-Prince Boateng on loan until the end of the season with an option to make the move permanent for €6 million in the summer, sources have told ESPN FC. Boateng, 31, will arrive to bolster Barca's forward line after the sale of Munir El Haddadi to Sevilla earlier this month. Transfers How a transfer works With help from former Tottenham and Liverpool director of football Da...
ESPN - 21.01.2019 06:43
Gab Marcotti cites lucrative contracts and a sense of confusion at the club as reasons Arsenal are unlikely to sign new players in January. Arsenal have confirmed that head of recruitment Sven Mislintat will leave next month. Last week, a source told ESPN FC that the 46-year-old would leave the Emirates Stadium after a series of disagreements over the Gunners' organisational structure and transfer strategy. In a statement, Arsenal thanked Mislintat for "a truly outstanding job in helping us recruit players who are making a big impact now and will do so even more in the future." The head of recruitment said: "It's been an amazing experience...
ESPN - 21.01.2019 06:12
ESPN FC's Sid Lowe explains why LAFC's Carlos Vela could fit Barcelona's needs for a back-up striker after the departure of Munir to Sevilla. Barcelona B defender Moussa Wague has apologised for hitting an SD Ejea supporter but said he had been provoked by "numerous and repeated racist insults" during Sunday's game between the sides. Senegal international Wague was sent off in the second half after tangling with a home fan as he tried to get the ball back for a throw-in. Wague, 20, said sorry but said he had been subjected to racist abuse by Ejea supporters throughout the match. "I want to apologise to SD Ejea and the club's fans for my...
ESPN - 21.01.2019 04:25
Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe has refused to rule out a move to Real Madrid. The 20-year-old officially joined PSG for a £162million fee last summer after signing on loan a year before. He is viewed as one of the world’s best young players and has been tracked by Real Madrid in the past. When […]
TalkSport - 20.01.2019 20:37
Harry Winks scored with the final kick of the game to lead Tottenham past Fulham after losing Dele Alli to injury late on. Harry Winks scored with the final kick of the game to lead Tottenham past Fulham after losing Dele Alli to injury late on. Paul Mariner and Ross Dyer look at how Tottenham dug deep to defeat Fulham, and evaluate the side's deepening injury woes with Dele Alli going off. LONDON -- With about 10 minutes left at Craven Cottage, a fizzing cross was delivered into the Fulham area from Tottenham's left flank, the sort of ball a centre-forward dreams of. Fernando Llorente rose to meet the header but seemed to just hold back very slightly as the ball arrived. The ball skimmed off his forehead and missed the far post. Had he jabbed his head forwards just a little, he would have made more forceful contact and almost certainly have at least put his effort on target. He was...
ESPN - 20.01.2019 12:49
Fulham Tottenham Hotspur 1 2 FT Game Details Live football odds with bet365. Bet Now » Highlights GameCast Lineups and Stats Harry Winks scored with the final kick of the game to lead Tottenham past Fulham after losing Dele Alli to injury late on. Fernando Llorente's blushes were spared as Tottenham Hotspur recovered from his early own goal to grab a last-gasp 2-1 victory over lowly Fulham at Craven Cottage. Llorente, starting in place of the injured Harry Kane, put past his keeper Hugo Lloris in the 14th minute but Dele Alli's second-half header levelled it up and Harry Winks headed home seconds from the end of stoppage-time. It was a heartbreaker for Fulham who deserved a point but injury-hit...
ESPN - 20.01.2019 10:50
Manchester City started slowly, but eventually strolled to a three-goal win over bottom side Huddersfield Town. HUDDERSFIELD, England -- Manchester City cut Liverpool's lead at the top of the Premier League back down to four points with a comfortable 3-0 win at bottom side Huddersfield Town on Sunday. City were far from their best in the first half but led through Danilo's goal, which deflected in off Christopher Schindler. Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane then scored in the space of three minutes as City killed off the game. Positives City became the first team in Europe to reach 100 goals for the season...
ESPN - 20.01.2019 08:42
A look at the records of American Frances Tiafoe and Spaniard Rafa Nadal before their quarter-final match at the Australian Open on Tuesday (prefix number denotes seeding):
Reuters - 21.01.2019 14:57
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic took another step towards a record-breaking seventh Australian Open crown in the early hours of Tuesday morning by reaching the quarter-finals. The Serbian, who has won 14 Grand Slam championship crowns, was made to work to beat Russian No. 15 seed Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3 over three hours and 15 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. The match ended at 12:43 a.m. local time at Melbourne Park. Djokovic, who has now reached 10 or more quarter-finals at each of the four major championships, will prepare to meet eighth-seeded Japanese star Kei Nishikori. Djokovic leads Nishikori 15-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. [ALSO LIKE] Djokovic turned the tables on Medvedev in the first set, saving one break point at 30/40 in the fifth game, before applying the pressure to take a 4-2 lead, courtesy of three straight errors from his Russian opponent. Medvedev tightened up his game and broke Djokovic to recover to 4-5, but Djokovic sealed the 39-minute set in the n...
ATP - 21.01.2019 14:33
Kei Nishikori is the marathon man of the 2019 Australian Open, winning his third five-setter in four matches to reach the quarter-finals for the fourth time (also 2012, 2015-2016). The Japanese star fought back from two-sets-to-love down for the fourth time in his career on Monday night at Melbourne Park with a 6-7(8), 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-4, 7-6(8) victory over Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta, the No. 23 seed, in five hours and five minutes. Eighth-seeded Nishikori, who also recovered from 5/8 in the deciding set tie-break by winning five straight points, hit 81 winners, including 15 aces. Carreno Busta committed 57 unforced errors to Nishikori’s 67. Nishikori will now hope to have enough fuel in the tank to challenge World No. 1 and six-time former champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia or Russian No. 15 seed Daniil Medvedev on Wednesday. Djokovic leads 15-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head, while Nishikori beat Medvedev in the Brisbane International final two weeks ago and leads 2-1 overal...
ATP - 21.01.2019 13:27
Key statistics from the 6-1 4-6 6-4 victory for American Serena Williams over Romania's Simona Halep in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Monday (prefix denotes seeding): 1-Simona Halep 16-Serena Williams Aces 2 9 Double faults 2 2 Break points won 3/7 5/10 Net points won 1/1
Reuters - 21.01.2019 11:16
Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares saved three consecutive match points to beat Kevin Krawietz and Nikola Mektic 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-5 at the Australian Open on Monday. Serving at 4-5 (0/40) in the third set, the 2016 champions reeled off 13 of the next 16 points, including five straight points to reach 5-5, to book their place in the quarter-finals after two hours and nine minutes. Murray and Soares saved all eight break points they faced and won 82 per cent of first-serve points (56/68) to book a quarter-final meeting against 2017 titlists Henri Kontinen and John Peers. Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut were also made to work for their place in the last eight, rallying from 2/5 down in a second-set tie-break to beat Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4. The fifth seeds will face six-time champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan for a semi-final spot. Lukasz Kubot and Horacio Zeballos also claimed a place in the quarter-finals, beating Aussie wildcards Blake Ellis and Alexei Popyr...
ATP - 21.01.2019 08:18
If this is the new and improved Milos Raonic,the rest of the ATP Tour better take notice in 2019. Raonic produced a glittering performance on Rod Laver Arena on Monday afternoon, efficiently dismissing Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-1, 7-6(5) in a tidy one hour and 59 minutes. The Canadian booked his spot in the Australian Open quarter-finals for the fourth time in five years. He will await either Borna Coric or Lucas Pouille next. "The tension was palpable in the end," Raonic said after sealing the win on his fourth match point. "I tried to keep him off pace and make him as uncomfortable as possible. It worked today." For the first hour and three minutes, Raonic could do no wrong. He broke a rattled Zverev four times in a row to surge to a 6-1, 6-1 lead. The German claimed the initial advantage with a break in the opening game of the match, but it was one-way traffic from there for the Canadian. One of Raonic's 15 aces sealed the first set and a return winner gave him the second. Zverev star...
ATP - 21.01.2019 06:58
Former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam singles titlist Yevgeny Kafelnikov will soon be able to call himself a “Hall of Famer”. The Russian, who retired in 2003, will be inducted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame this July in Newport. Kafelnikov, who was Russia's first Grand Slam singles champion, said, “I’m very honoured to become a Hall of Famer and to represent Russia among tennis’ greatest champions.” The Sochi native captured his first major singles title in 1996 at Roland Garros. That same event, he partnered with Daniel Vacek to win the doubles title. No man since has won the singles and doubles titles at the same major. Kafelnikov was also the singles champion at the 1999 Australian Open, and he won four Grand Slam doubles titles – three at Roland Garros and one at the US Open. In all, Kafelnikov won 26 tour-level singles titles and 27 tour-level doubles titles. The Russian complemented his No. 1 ATP Ranking in singles with a ...
ATP - 21.01.2019 00:12
Stefanos Tsitsipas faced four set points to trail Roger Federer by two sets at the Australian Open on Sunday, but rallied in dramatic fashion to defeat the two-time defending champion 6-7(11), 7-6(3), 7-5, 7-6(5) for the biggest win of his career. Serving at 4-5 in the second set, the #NextGenATP Greek held his nerve to save all four set points before securing a stunning victory after three hours and 45 minutes. Tsitsipas served 20 aces and saved all 12 break points he faced to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final. The World No. 15 becomes the first Greek player to reach the last eight at a Grand Slam and moves into second place on the list for most Grand Slam wins by a Greek man (9). The 20-year-old Tsitsipas also becomes the youngest Australian Open quarter-finalist since Nick Kyrgios (19 years, 280 days) in 2015. Last year, Tsitsipas became the second winner of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, following in the footsteps of inaugural champion Hyeon Chung. Last year, Chung also u...
ATP - 20.01.2019 13:20
In his 10th Grand Slam fourth-round appearance, Roberto Bautista Agut finally reached his first major quarter-final on Sunday at the Australian Open. The 30-year-old Spaniard defeated last year's runner-up Marin Cilic 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, after three hours and 58 minutes, to record his second victory in six FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings against the Croatian. Unbeaten in 2019, Bautista Agut joins Alex de Minaur at the top of the list for most tour-level match wins this year (9). In the opening week of the 2019 season, Bautista Agut claimed his ninth ATP Tour title at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, beating Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic and Tomas Berdych in consecutive matches to lift the trophy. Bautista Agut also needed five sets to beat Andy Murray and John Millman in the opening two rounds in Melbourne, before defeating 10th seed Karen Khachanov in straight sets. The 22nd seed will meet two-time defending champion Roger Federer or #NextGenATP Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas for a place in ...
ATP - 20.01.2019 11:28
What's the best birthday gift Frances Tiafoe could give himself? How about a first Grand Slam quarter-final at the Australian Open. Tiafoe made a massive statement on one of the game's biggest stages, punching his ticket into the last eight at Melbourne Park on Sunday. On his 21st birthday, the #NextGenATP star upset 20th seed Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 7-5 to secure his spot in the quarters. If there was any doubt of Tiafoe's arrival, the Maryland native stepped up in the big moments and played the match of his young career. He is the youngest American to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals since a 20-year-old Andy Roddick advanced to the semis in 2003. Tiafoe fired 63 winners in total to prevail after three hours and 39 minutes, setting a quarter-final clash against Rafael Nadal. It has been a breakout fortnight for the World No. 39, having earned the biggest win of his young career (by ATP Ranking) over sixth-ranked Kevin Anderson in the second round, followed by his ...
ATP - 20.01.2019 07:23
The second week of play is set to begin at the Australian Open, with 16 players remaining in the year’s first Grand Slam. There is plenty of action left, though, and there could be plenty of repercussions in the ATP Rankings. ATPTour.com looks at the most glaring changes that could happen in the ATP Rankings based on what occurs in Melbourne. Zverev Guaranteed To Reach No. 3, No. 2 A Possibility No matter what happens the rest of the tournament, Alexander Zverev is guaranteed to at least match his career-high of No. 3 in the ATP Rankings. Since the German reached the third round last year, he only had 90 points to defend, whereas World No. 3 Roger Federer, as defending champion, is defending 2,000 points. Zverev has already earned 180 points (90 more than in 2018) by moving through to the fourth round. And since he only trailed Federer by 35 points in the 14 January ATP Rankings, and the Swiss cannot gain points — even if he wins the title — Zverev will move to at le...
ATP - 19.01.2019 23:29
After six-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic defeated #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov in four sets on Saturday, the World No. 1 told the 19-year-old that it was a pleasure to compete against him. But for Shapovalov, it was a position he strived to put himself in for a long time. “Honestly the pleasure was all mine. To play a champion like him on a court like that in an event like this, it's a dream come true for me,” Shapovalov said. “During the match, I was smiling, enjoying my time out there. It was a lot of fun.” [ALSO LIKE] At the same time, Shapovalov does not want this to be a one-off. The left-hander, who began the fortnight at No. 27 in the ATP Rankings, had never faced the No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings before. And the next time it happens, he does not want to walk off the court without taking a victory with him. “I do want to compete against these guys in the future, in the near future. It's about physically getting ready for th...
ATP - 19.01.2019 15:47