FA Cup and Premier League review 16th January 2012

In-demand Pep Guardiola will become the new boss of German giants Bayern Munich in the summer

Last night saw action in both the FA Cup and Premier League. Arsenal defeated Swansea 1-0 in their third round replay and Manchester United beat West Ham 1-0 at Old Trafford.

Arsenal dominated possession against Swansea, but found it difficult to break down their resilient defence.

The Gunners had 26 shots on goal and the visitors had fortune on their side at times. However the Gunners did make a breakthrough on 86 minutes.

Striker Oliver Giroud laid the ball off to midfielder Jack Wilshere on the edge of the penalty box and the England international fired home a powerful effort past Michel Vorm in the Swansea goal.

Wilshere was the outstanding player fo…

Ravens vs Raiders Monday Night Football Picks and Predictions: Can Baltimore's MASH Unit Keep Up?

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson must be wondering if he will be taking on the Las Vegas Raiders all by himself the way his teammates seem to be dropping like flies around him.

Even with all the injuries, the Ravens are dealing with, they’re still 4-point road favorites going against a Raiders team that needs to start showing some progress in Year 4 with Jon Gruden back at the helm. Do the Raiders have value as a home underdog?

Find out in our free NFL picks and predictions for Ravens at Raiders on September 13.

Justin Herbert MNF Spotlight: Herbert Torches Broncos in the Air

AFC West hostilities will be renewed at SoFi Stadium on Monday Night Football as the Denver Broncos visit the Los Angeles Chargers. 

Denver has struggled so far in 2022, getting out of the gate at 2-3. L.A. is a bit better off at 3-2, but it needs a win here to avoid falling into a tie for second in the division. 

The outcome of the quarterback battle between the Broncos’ Russell Wilson and the Chargers’ Justin Herbert will likely go a long way in determining the winner of this tilt. Let’s zero in on the latter, and discuss our three favorite prop picks involving Herbert this Monday night.

How to Stream Bears vs Commanders Live Free — in the U.S.

The 0-4 Chicago Bears will have their work cut out for them tonight when they try to notch their first victory of the season against the 2-2 Washington Commanders. Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong this year for the Bears, who have looked thoroughly lost on offense and are giving up the second most points per game in the league.

Adding injury to insult, Jaylon Johnson and Eddie Jackson didn’t participate in practices earlier this week, leaving Chicago’s precariously thin secondary even more vulnerable than usual. Can the Bears break out of their slump this evening on Thursday Night Football, or will their nearly year-long losing streak continue?

While there are a number of different subscription-based TV channels and streaming services available to w…

Bills vs Chiefs Odds, Picks, and Predictions Week 14: Will Shakir Get Left Out of Buffalo Offense?

Two polarizing teams will meet in Arrowhead on Sunday as the Buffalo Bills visit the Kansas City Chiefs who sit as slight -1.5 home favorites in the NFL odds. 

With a tough passing matchup and the weather also being a factor, is there some value in fading some tertiary pass-catchers on the Bills? These guys could be afterthoughts in Buffalo’s offensive plans coming out of the bye, especially with a possible Dawson Knox return.

I break down the Week 14 NFL odds and offer my free NFL picks for Bills vs. Chiefs on December 10. 

Bills vs Chiefs odds

Bills vs Chiefs predictions

The Buffalo Bills’ offense turned to more three-WR sets once tight end Dawson Knox hit the shelf in Week 8…

Lions vs Giants Prediction, Picks & Odds for This Week’s NFL Preseason Game

While it isn’t quite regular season football, it feels amazing to have our favorite sport back when the Lions take on the Giants on Thursday.

The Lions reached the Conference Championships last season, while the Giants had a terrible 6-11 season. However, this is a fresh year and both teams are looking to the future.

Don’t miss our NFL picks and predictions for the Lions vs Giants.

Lions vs Giants prediction

My best betGiants -3.5 (-105 at BetMGM)

My analysisYou never really know what to expect to in preseason and the Detroit Lions trip to MetLife to face the New York Giants is even trickier to call than usual. Ordinarily, we’d look at how both coaches have treated preseason previously but neither Dan Camp…

Carlo Ancelotti admits Jude Bellingham ‘not at his best’ against Bayern Munich

Carlo Ancelotti admitted that Jude Bellingham was “not at his best” in the first leg of Real Madrid’s Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, but backed him to come good in the return game at the Bernabéu next week.

Ancelotti revealed that Bellingham was suffering from cramp and fatigue during the game, a problem that has often afflicted him in the past, and one that led to his substitution here after 75 minutes.

Vinícius Júnior gives Real Madrid edge in semi-final after Kane rouses BayernRead more

“Bellingham was just tired,” Ancelotti said. “He couldn’t continue any more. I have enough good players on the bench. He will get back to his best performance. I think he was injured, which affe…

In 2020 things, John Harbaugh doesn't know what day it is, but who does?

The entire concept of “days of the week” is just an imaginary construct at this point, with no distinguishable difference from one to the next. John Harbaugh, head coach for the Baltimore Ravens, is all of us. I feel ya, man. It’s all just one giant blur of questions and isolation. I literally almost forgot what day it was while writing this. When football came back, I thought there would at least be some normalcy to my schedule — I knew I could count on there being football on Thursday, Sunday, and Monday. Then they had to go get all weird because of COVID-19 and start playing Monday doubleheaders, Tuesday night games, and most recently, a Wednesday matinee game. There is absolutely nothing normal about any of this. Harbaugh, who just coached the Ravens in their meeting wit…

Portsmouth release three players after investigation into discriminatory texts

Portsmouth have released three players from their academy following disciplinary proceedings in relation to discriminatory messages sent in a group chat.

The League One side began an investigation after images appeared on social media of posts from a private conversation among a number of under-18 players following England’s Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy earlier this month.

Concerns raised over how football clubs will enforce new heading restrictionsRead more

Disciplinary action was instigated once it was concluded there was a case to answer and as a result of that three youngsters have been released.

“We can confirm that a decision has been made today to release three players from the…

‘My heart is suffering’: France captain Wendie Renard sparks World Cup exits

The France captain, Wendie Renard, said on Friday that she will not play at this year’s Women’s World Cup to preserve her mental health, adding that she “can no longer support the current system”, with fellow internationals Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani following suit.

Renard, who plays for Lyon and is widely considered to be one of the best defenders in women’s football, represented France in international games against Norway, Denmark and Uruguay earlier this month. The 32-year-old has won 142 caps for Les Bleues.

According to a report in French multimedia outlet RMC Sport, Renard will not play for the national team as long as the coach, Corinne Diacre, is in charge. Renard was stripped of…