Champions League winners and losers

Jude Bellingham was a winner and a loser. But Phil Foden came of age for the 427th time, while Chelsea showed they can adapt…   Winners Manchester City They never panicked. The players kept faith, despite being bound at one point for yet another quarter-final exit, and Pep Guardiola did not waver. A first Champions […]

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Liverpool to ignore CL exit by signing Sancho and Mbappe

Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League on Wednesday. Looking at Thursday’s news stories you would be forgiven for not realising.   Phil me up The biggest story emerging from Wednesday evening’s Champions League games was not Liverpool exiting at the hands of Real Madrid or Manchester City reaching their first semi-final under Pep […]

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Liverpool must settle for going fourth and multiplying

This is more than a step back for Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp celebrated fourth in 2016/17 and they must master those mini skirmishes again.   And then there were none. There will be no fresh ink on the trophy count wall at Melwood. After a glut of cabinet filling, Liverpool have fallen away badly from the […]

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Why Jorginho is Tuchel’s non-negotiable for Chelsea

‘The transformation in Jorginho’s reputation and standing at Chelsea from last season to this has been exceptional. From figure of ridicule and target of misplaced derision, to the wise leader in Frank Lampard’s youthful revolution,’ we wrote in October 2019 about the Sarri-ball scapegoat turned Chelsea ‘driver’. In the 18 months since, sneering levels have […]

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Ranking average age of Premier League starting XIs

Manchester City are the alarmingly big movers as we look at the average age of Premier League XIs this season from the oldest to the youngest…   17) Crystal Palace (average age: 28.8) Top (or bottom) of the age stakes for the last two seasons, Crystal Palace have quite the summer on their hands. Sixteen […]

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The perfect Man City hat-trick gives Guardiola another semi

Manchester City never panicked. The players kept faith and Pep Guardiola did not waver. A first Champions League semi-final together is huge.   For Pep Guardiola, the perfect hat-trick. A first Champions League semi-final with Manchester City. A comeback from a losing position at half-time – away from home, no less. And an actual, real-life, […]

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Early loser: Robert Lewandowski and avoidable injuries

When people start complaining about injuries and the unfairness of it all, our eyes tend to glaze over and we drift off to our happy place until someone starts talking about something less dull. So please forgive us as we embark on a few hundred words now about injuries and the unfairness of it all. […]

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Early winner: Mauricio Pochettino and another CL fun run

Contrary to popular opinion, Tottenham fans are actually rather enjoying living vicariously through Mauricio Pochettino at PSG. It’s good fun.   Same coach, different players. There’s no point even trying to view Mauricio Pochettino’s Paris reign through anything other than a Jose Mourinho prism right now. We’re certainly not about to try it here after […]

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Kane to Man United? Absolutely not. Kane to West Ham? Maybe

Harry Kane is Drake rejecting Man Utd but quite liking the idea of West Ham. Thomas Tuchel might not just be there to keep the Germans happy.   Classy Tuch A total of 79 days have passed since ‘the most brutal of all’ Chelsea sackings. ‘Lampard is a Chelsea legend, the club’s all time record […]

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VAR is both salt in the wound and the knife that cut it

Next season will be the last we see of VAR, at least as it is. Most fans opposed it from the start; their return ensures it cannot continue.   Remember the glory days? Remember a time before VAR? When we could just trust the officials to do their best to get almost every call right, […]

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