Leicester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Claudio Ranieri has told Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez he needs to provide more graft and guile as Leicester try to pull away from the relegation fight. Ranieri's struggling champions slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Everton on Monday which kept them just three points above the Premier League's bottom three. And […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers paid tribute to the collective spirit at the club as his side look to reach the halfway stage of the Scottish Premiership unbeaten. The Scottish champions host Ross County on Wednesday night having only dropped two points in their first 18 league fixtures so far this season. The […]

Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino returns to former club Southampton on Wednesday with a feeling of gratitude, but also a burning desire for a return to form on the road. The north Londoners have not claimed an away victory since September, a run that has left them outside of the […]

Kingston upon Hull (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes that every game in the second half of the season will be like a cup final for his title hopefuls. An impressive and hard-earned 3-0 win at Hull kept pace with leaders Chelsea after Antonio Conte's side beat Bournemouth earlier on Monday. […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is looking forward to working with Zlatan Ibrahimovic again next season after declaring the striker's contract extension will be a formality. Ibrahimovic 35, arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in July on a one-year deal with an option for a further year, which Mourinho in November indicated […]

London (AFP) – Arsene Wenger hailed Olivier Giroud's fighting spirit after the Arsenal striker marked his first Premier League start of the season with the winning goal against West Bromwich Albion. Giroud headed home four minutes from the end of a game that had seemed destined to finish goalless at the Emirates Stadium. Before Monday's […]

In the coverage of soccer games on television, co-commentators play a key role in the analysis of the sport. They try to add key observations to the game, as well as giving their input on what is happening in front of our eyes. There are many great ones, but they are only a select number […]

Kingston upon Hull (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola offered a reassuring prognosis on the injury that curtailed John Stones's involvement in his side's 3-0 win at Hull City on Monday. Back in the starting XI following two games on the bench, Stones was forced off after just 17 minutes at the […]

Kingston upon Hull (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Andrew Robertson's rash challenge undid 72 minutes of hard work by Hull City and allowed Yaya Toure to set Manchester City en route to a 3-0 victory on Monday. Robertson's trip on Raheem Sterling enabled City to keep pace with impressive Premier League leaders Chelsea, although the early […]

London (AFP) – Pedro Rodriguez scored twice as red-hot Premier League leaders Chelsea crushed Bournemouth 3-0 on Monday to register a club-record 12th consecutive league victory. Pedro struck either side of Eden Hazard's 50th English league goal at Stamford Bridge to give Antonio Conte's side a provisional seven-point lead at the summit following the Boxing […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Henrikh Mkhitaryan said his spectacular 'scorpion kick' volley in Manchester United's 3-1 victory over Sunderland on Monday had been a matter of instinct taking over. The Armenian playmaker sealed victory at Old Trafford by diving beneath Zlatan Ibrahimovic's right-wing cross and flicking the ball past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with his […]

Burnley (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Middlesbrough goalkeeper Victor Valdes unwittingly took on the role of Father Christmas as his error gifted Premier League relegation rivals Burnley a 1-0 win on Boxing Day. An attritional Turf Moor encounter looked to be drifting towards a goalless draw when, in the 80th minute, Andre Gray took aim with […]

Swansea (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Swansea manager Bob Bradley faces a fight to save his job after West Ham cruised to a 4-1 rout of the Premier League strugglers on Monday. Bradley is reportedly close to being sacked after just over two months in charge and his case for a stay of execution wasn't enhanced […]

Leicester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Goals by Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku kept champions Leicester firmly enmeshed in the relegation battle on Monday as they lost 2-0 to Everton in their Premier League clash. Mirallas' third goal in as many games against the Foxes and Lukaku's 10th this season came against a Leicester side missing three […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his 17th goal of the season as Sunderland manager David Moyes was condemned to a 3-1 defeat on his return to Manchester United on Monday. Dutch defender Daley Blind opened the scoring in the 39th minute at Old Trafford with his first Premier League goal since September […]