London (AFP) – Harry Kane counts England manager Gareth Southgate as a "father figure" but his 12th man as it were is his fiancee and childhood sweetheart Kate Goodland, he told The Times. The 25-year-old — who returned to the starting line-up for Saturday's game against Burnley after a seven match absence due to an […]

Burnley (United Kingdom) (AFP) – England striker Harry Kane, absent for seven games through injury, starts up front for Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League clash with Burnley on Saturday. The 25-year-old England captain — whose enthusiasm in training on returning from the ankle injury led him to being described as "an animal" by Spurs […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Misfiring CAF Confederation Cup top group seeds Etoile Sahel, Raja Casablanca and Zamalek will have home advantage Sunday when seeking their first mini-league victories. Etoile have won the African version of the UEFA Europa League twice, Raja are the trophy-holders and Zamalek can boast of nine CAF titles. But the north […]

London (AFP) – While Manchester City are eyeing the first of a potential historic four-trophy haul as they prepare for Sunday's League Cup final, reeling Maurizio Sarri is facing what could be his last match as Chelsea boss. Beating the Premier League champions to win a trophy may seem like an harsh ultimatum for the […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United fans are desperate to deny Liverpool Premier League glory this season, even if it means another title for their cross-town rivals Manchester City. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's in-form team have a chance to severely dent Liverpool's chances on Sunday when they host Jurgen Klopp's side in a fixture that […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal's bad luck with defensive injuries was summed up when the welcome return of Sokratis in the midweek Europa League victory against BATE Borisov came at the expense of another setback for Laurent Koscielny. Manager Unai Emery hopes French defender Koscielny, who returned from a long-term achilles injury in December, will recover […]

London (AFP) – Maurizio Sarri says he cannot understand why his position as Chelsea boss is under threat when he considers Pep Guardiola's first season at Manchester City. The 60-year-old Italian is clinging to his job, seven months since his appointment, after Chelsea's humiliating 6-0 defeat at City, leaving them outside the Champions League qualification […]

Milan (AFP) – Trigger happy Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek continued his goal-scoring spree in a 3-0 win for his new club AC Milan over lowly Empoli on Friday to keep their Champions League ambitions firmly on track. The 23-year-old joined Milan from league rivals Genoa last month and has now scored seven goals in six […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint Germain admitted Friday they would be happy to send fans asleep after their dominance of the French Ligue 1 title chase was reflected in a new multi-million euro sponsorship deal with a hotel giant. The French champions, who enjoy a 14-point lead at the top of the table and are […]

London (AFP) – Gerard Deulofeu's first hat-trick in English football saw Watford stroll to a 5-1 victory at Cardiff on Friday and climb to seventh place in the Premier League. Deulofeu fired Watford into a first-half lead before scoring twice in as many minutes just after the hour-mark. Troy Deeney added further gloss with two […]

London (AFP) – Aymeric Laporte has signed a two-year contract extension at Manchester City, the Premier League champions announced on Friday. The 24-year-old, who joined City in a then club record £57 million ($74 million) deal in January 2018, is now committed to the club until 2025. The French centre-back has excelled this season, becoming […]

London (AFP) – Fulham were given a helping hand towards relegation by Javier Hernandez as West Ham came from behind to secure a 3-1 victory on Friday. Hernandez cancelled out Ryan Babel's early strike by jabbing the ball in with his hand the far post. It was a punch that knocked the stuffing out of […]

Milan (AFP) – Krzysztof Piatek continued his goal-scoring spree in a 3-0 win for his new club AC Milan over lowly Empoli on Friday to keep their Champions League ambitions firmly on track. The 23-year-old Polish striker joined Milan from Genoa last month and has now scored seven goals in six matches, including a double […]

Paris (AFP) – Brought back last month for a second spell in charge along with eight new signings, Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim says the new faces have helped get the struggling principality side moving in the right direction once again. "The club have done great work with the new signings who have brought more balance […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola has admitted he is surprised by Chelsea's revolving-door policy with managers as he prepares for Sunday's League Cup final, the match that could seal the fate of the London club’s current boss Maurizio Sarri. There has been mounting speculation over the Italian Sarri's future in recent weeks after […]