One more miracle? Manchester City and Liverpool’s Premier League title race approaches its last hurdle May 9, 2019 Before the dramatic events of this week unfolded, most observers, whether impartial or otherwise, would have agreed that the Premier League title race was likely a foregone conclusion. But we now live in a post-Vincent Kompany 30-yard screamer, post-Champions League semi-final comeback mayhem world which has made a mockery of such assumptions. Anything is possible [...]
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham: Lucas Moura’s hat-trick caps comeback and sends Spurs into Champions League final May 8, 2019 Just when you thought it couldn’t happen again, it did. Tottenham were dead and buried, 3-0 down on aggregate in a Champions League semi-final, away from home against an Ajax side who had already disposed of European heavyweights Real Madrid and Juventus. But they refused to be beaten, and through Lucas Moura’s hat-trick, completed in [...]
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona: Reds’ supporting cast come to the fore in stunning Champions League turnaround at Anfield May 7, 2019 Anfield has seen some famous nights, especially in European football, but this was special. Trailing 3-0 from the first leg, against one of Europe’s most prestigious, decorated and star-studded sides, Liverpool pulled off the biggest turnaround in Champions League semi-final history. Read more: Trevor Steven: The two factors that unite City and Liverpool Shorn of [...]
Trevor Steven: Premier League title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool united by outstanding coaches and refusal to give in May 7, 2019 However the Premier League concludes on Sunday, I don’t think the competition has ever seen two better teams than Manchester City and Liverpool. Both are a credit to the division and could easily be champions in any other season. And thank goodness for Liverpool for hanging in there and keeping pace with City until the [...]
Manchester City 1-0 Leicester City: Vincent Kompany’s wonder strike punctures nervy Etihad atmosphere to put City one win away May 6, 2019 Manchester City can beat you in so many ways, but a Vincent Kompany outside-of-the-foot, long-range screamer? That is not something you expect to happen. Pep Guardiola’s side are team built on the foundations of rigorous drilling on the training field. Their manager is a football obsessive who has built his reputation on a distinctive style: [...]
Arsenal 3-1 Valencia: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette combine once again to spare defence’s blushes May 2, 2019 Arsenal are a team of contrasts. They’re flawed but entertaining, in one breath exasperating, the next exhilarating, and all of those aspects were on show against Valencia in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. After shaking off an appalling start, eventually the Gunners’ attacking qualities won the day to turn an uncertain 2-1 [...]
Mauricio Pochettino must balance Tottenham’s Champions League dreams with importance of securing Premier League top four May 2, 2019 Tottenham could be forgiven for looking past this weekend's trip to Bournemouth to the all more attractive proposition of facing Ajax in Amsterdam next week for a place in the Champions League final. The reality is, however, that Saturday's early kick-off presents Spurs with the chance to seal their position in the top four and a [...]
Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool: Magic Messi, Same old Suarez and Klopp’s gung-ho tactics help make Champions League classic May 1, 2019 There is such a thing in football as scoring at the right time. After 74 minutes Liverpool were cursing their luck but content with a 1-0 score line they could take back to Anfield. Eight minutes later they were heading home with their tails between their legs. The architect of such a demise was, not [...]
Arsenal and Chelsea look for salvation in the Europa League with Premier League top four hopes in the balance May 1, 2019 Arsenal and Chelsea face different opponents in their Europa League semi-finals tomorrow evening. Valencia and Eintracht Frankfurt are different propositions and will pose different questions, but in many ways the London rivals are in the same boat. Like so many seasons before, their respective campaigns have boiled down to one major objective: qualification for the Champions [...]
Tottenham 0-1 Ajax: Depleted Spurs playing catch up after classy visitors claim vital away goal April 30, 2019 It was Tottenham’s first European Cup semi-final since their debut season in the competition back in 1962, but despite the rarity of the occasion, they produced a lacklustre performance that will leave them wondering what could have been. Spurs came into the game on the back of their first defeat at the new Tottenham Hotspur [...]