There has been much debate about what has changed at Arsenal under Unai Emery, but the new man echoed predecessor Arsene Wenger by answering a reporter s phone on Friday.
Wenger jokingly picked up a call during a post-match news conference after a big win over Chelsea in 2016 and this time it was Emery s turn to amuse the assembled media.
In between answering questions on Mesut Ozil s fitness and his ban of fruit juice at the training ground, Emery was interrupted by a phone call.
A mischievous grin stretching across his face, the Arsenal boss answered the phone sat in front of him that had been used as a dictaphone by one of the reporters present.
Okay, good morning or good afternoon, Emery greeted the person on the other end of the line. Hi, I am Unai …
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been backed by Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward although he is expected to deliver trophies.
United have won only five of their past 19 matches in all competitions, the early optimism of Solskjaer s arrival last December having mostly evaporated since he signed a three-year contract in March.
A dismal 2-0 loss to West Ham on Sunday means Solskjaer has taken 48 points from 27 Premier League games in charge, the same tally Jose Mourinho managed in his final 27 matches in the job before he was sacked.
With pressure from outside Old Trafford starting to build on the manager, Woodward has pledged to show patience and not become influenced by the short-term .
However, while he considers Solskjaer s recruitment polic…
Dutch winger Arjen Robben will be given more time to recover from a hamstring injury by coach Bert van Marwijk it was announced on Sunday by the Dutch Football Federation (KNVB).
Robben injured his left hamstring in the 87th minute of the Netherlands 6-1 friendly win over Hungary in Amsterdam on Saturday, having earlier scored two goals in a 40-minute second-half cameo.
The Bayern Munich star named Bundesliga player of the season underwent medical examinations on Sunday in Rotterdam and it was deemed that the injury was not as serious as first feared and he would be going out later this week to join up with the rest of the squad.
Therefore for the time being, I will not replace Arjen, said van Marwijk.
I want to give him all opportunities to associate …
Unai Emery lauded Ollie Watkins’ “fantastic” performance after the Aston Villa forward scored twice during their 2-1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Watkins’ brace took his Premier League tally to 12 and Rodrigo Muniz scored his fourth in three games as the spirited Cottagers failed to find a late equaliser.
Villa boss Emery lauded the striker’s commitment as he continues his bid to be a part of Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad with England.
“He was fantastic,” Emery told a press conference.
“The best action was in the first half where he created a chance for (Youri) Tielemans.
“When he’s scoring, it’s very important for him and for us. I’m very happy with him and I believe his commitment has improved a lot. Defe…
Gary Cahill has waded into the war of words between Chelsea and Everton over John Stones by urging the young defender to move to Stamford Bridge.
Stones was the subject of a bid from Chelsea last week reported to be worth £20million that was rejected by Everton and criticised by manager Roberto Martinez.
Reports have suggested Chelsea will test Everton s resolve with an improved offer ahead of the new season, with Jose Mourinho risking the ire of Martinez by referring to Everton as a smaller club .
Cahill, who left Bolton Wanderers to join Chelsea in 2012, believes the lure of the Premier League champions is impossible to resist, and has urged Stones to take the chance should the two clubs agree a deal.
Are Chelsea a hard club to turn down? Yes,…
Zinedine Zidane has described Cristiano Ronaldo as the soul of Real Madrid and insists he will not be sold.
The Portugal captain has been rumoured to be considering his future at the Santiago Bernabeu despite Zidane having succeeded Rafael Benitez as head coach this week.
Though Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United continue to be linked with the player, the new Madrid boss has claimed he will not sanction the sale of a prized asset.
He s more than non-transferable, he s the soul of the team. I laugh because, while I m here, he s not going to go, he said on Friday.
Zidane has also challenged Madrid s star attacking trio of Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema to step up their defensive game as he begins his tenure against Deportivo La Coruna on Sat…
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Group A of the UEFA Nations League will feature a star-studded match this Thursday, as Portugal and Poland will meet at Stadion Śląski in Chorzów, Poland. Despite the fact that the reigning European champions won t have Cristiano Ronaldo, this will be a thrilling match where the top spot in Group 3, League A will be on the line. Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain) will be the referee.
Poland
Poland have not started their UEFA Nations League campaign on a positive note since they secured a 1-1 draw against an inconsistent Italy side in their debut, thanks to a goal from Napoli star Piotr Zielinski. The Polish side is coming off a disappointing campaign in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where they couldn t g…
Scotland came into this game with more pressure than you d usually expect for a friendly, with their poor performance against Israel still looming large. Alas, aside from a few sparks here and there, this didn t do much to calm the nerves behind the scenes with Portugal running out 3-1 winners at Hampden Park.
Worrying times
Alex McLeish hasn t exactly done wonders for the national team since returning to the job, although you could certainly argue that they performed better in this one than they have done in a while.
The change of formation certainly helped matters for them as they showed more of an attacking prowess going forward in the first half, with the Euro 2016 champions being slow to get off the mark. Still, they weren t able to take advantage, and the home cr…
Harry Maguire called for a “big reaction” after Manchester United were stunned by a late Fulham winner at Old Trafford.
Alex Iwobi netted in the seventh minute of stoppage time as Fulham snatched a 2-1 Premier League victory on Saturday after it seemed Maguire had salvaged a point for the hosts.
Fulham dominated most of the contest and deservedly led through Calvin Bassey’s 65th-minute strike, but United produced a strong finish.
Maguire equalised when he pounced on a rebound in the 89th minute and Erik Ten Hag’s men were pushing for a late clincher themselves when they were caught on the break and Iwobi finished them off.
The defeat ended United’s four-game winning run in the league and dented their hopes of reaching the top four.
Unite…
Harry Kane scored a hat-trick off the bench to help Tottenham to a 5-1 Europa Conference League win over Mura.
The England striker was summoned along with Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura to settle some nerves after Spurs had allowed their early grip on the game to slip.
Dele Alli s penalty and a fine strike from Giovani Lo Celso had put Nuno Espirito Santo s men in control early on, but a stunning volley from Ziga Kous gave the Slovenian side a lifeline and made things a little nervy for the hosts.
That was until Kane s clinical finishes killed the contest and ensured no further pressure was applied to the Spurs boss, whose position has come under scrutiny in the wake of a humbling 3-1 loss to Arsenal.
1995 Harry Kane is the first Tottenham player t…