London (AFP) – Frank Lampard said Chelsea had to improve their home form if they were to remain in the top four following a 2-0 loss to Southampton on Thursday. After an impressive 2-0 win away to Tottenham, Chelsea and their fans probably expected a win against a Southampton side battling to avoid relegation. But […]

Bournemouth (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to match his high standards after the Spaniard’s first game in charge ended in a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Thursday. After a bright start from the visitors, the ills of Arsenal's season that have seen Arteta handed his first senior managerial role were obvious when […]

London (AFP) – Southampton bolstered their hopes of top-flight survival with a 2-0 victory at Chelsea on Thursday as the Blues lost consecutive home games in the Premier League for the first time since 2011. Frank Lampard's young side kicked off on the back of a tactically inspired victory away to his mentor Jose Mourinho's […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic extended their winning run in the Scottish Premiership to 11 games with a 2-1 victory at St Mirren on Boxing Day to maintain a five-point lead over Rangers at the top of the table. Steven Gerrard's men have a game in hand over the Scottish champions and kept up their title […]

Bournemouth (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Mikel Arteta failed to galvanise an instant upturn in Arsenal's fortunes as the Gunners had to come from behind just to salvage a point in a 1-1 Boxing Day draw at Bournemouth. After a bright start from the visitors, the ills of Arsenal's season that have seen Arteta handed his […]

London (AFP) – Mikel Arteta got off to an underwhelming start as Arsenal manager with a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth as Chelsea slumped to another shock home reverse, losing 2-0 to Southampton, on Boxing Day. Carlo Ancelotti had a more positive impact on his Everton bow as Dominic Calvert-Lewin's brilliant diving header earned a 1-0 […]

London (AFP) – Clan Des Obeaux won the King George VI Chase on Thursday for the second year in a row to give trainer Paul Nicholls a record 11th success in the race as he saddled the first two home on Thursday. The three-mile (4.8 kilometre) steeplechase at Kempton Park, southwest of London, has long […]

London (AFP) – Dele Alli got Tottenham back on track as the England midfielder capped a gritty escape act with the late winner in Thursday's 2-1 victory against Brighton. Jose Mourinho's side were in danger of a second successive Premier League defeat when Adam Webster headed Brighton into a shock lead at the Tottenham Hotspur […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Hamdou Elhouni-inspired Esperance of Tunisia want to carry on where they left off in the Club World Cup when the CAF Champions League resumes Friday with three matchday three fixtures. Libyan Elhouni scored a hat-trick in a 6-2 rout of Al Sadd from host nation Qatar last week as his side […]

London (AFP) – Willian's performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend highlighted just why Frank Lampard is keen to see the Brazilian's future at Chelsea resolved. While much of the focus this season has been trained on the outstanding contribution of the youngsters in Blues manager Lampard's squad, Willian's performances on the right of […]

London (AFP) – Leicester City face runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool on Boxing Day knowing their own title hopes are very much in the balance. Thursday's match will see the second-placed Foxes, the shock 2015/16 champions, kick off 10 points adrift of Liverpool, who will arrive in the East Midlands fresh from winning a maiden […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur have failed with their appeal against Son Heung-min's red card, the Football Association announced Tuesday. The South Korean winger saw red in the second half of Spurs' 2-0 loss at home to Chelsea in a spiteful London derby on Sunday after VAR confirmed he had kicked out at Blues defender […]

Centurion (South Africa) (AFP) – South African cricket captain Faf du Plessis said on Tuesday that a chance meeting with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had turned him into a fan. Du Plessis was having dinner with Springbok rugby captain Siya Kolisi in a Cape Town restaurant in November when Klopp, on a private visit to […]

London (AFP) – Paul Pogba has been hailed as the "best midfielder in the world" by Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the Frenchman returned from a long injury lay-off. The World Cup winner was in action for United for the first time since late September as a substitute in their chastening 2-0 defeat […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has urged Scottish football authorities to make a "severe example" of bottle-throwing supporters if they are serious about protecting players. Gers left-back Borna Barisic only narrowly escaped a potentially serious injury during a win away to Hibernian on Friday when a glass bottle was hurled at him from […]