Derby games are sometimes cagey affairs with far more interesting events happening in the stands than on the pitch. The last four North London derbies have been like that. Two 1-0 wins for Arsenal, a 2-0 win in the FA Cup, which was far less competitive than the scoreline indicates, and the 1-1 draw from […]

Sam Allardyce faces a defensive dilemma ahead of the visit of Manchester United on Sunday. The West Ham boss was unable to bring in any defenders on loan in the closing days of the winter transfer window and injuries have left him with very few options when Louis van Gaal's side arrive at Upton Park. […]

Hull boss Steve Bruce has dismissed speculation that his job may be under threat and vowed to fight on in a bid to rescue the Tigers from the Barclays Premier League relegation zone. Last week's abject 3-0 home defeat to Newcastle was the club's third in succession and left them rooted in the bottom three […]

There are plenty that have been unyieldingly willing to dismiss Tottenham Hotspur this season. The club’s wonderful patent for turning around games and notching winners late on away from home has been attributed to luck by a lot, while the consistently sparkling form of various players have been branded as elongated purple patches. But to write off this team’s […]

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger revealed leading scorer Alexis Sanchez feels he can defy the doctors and tackle Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday, but will not risk further injury to his star man. The 18-goal Chile forward missed last weekend's 5-0 demolition of Aston Villa with a hamstring strain, but has stepped up his […]

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho cut a glum figure in his press conference this morning, telling reporters "You know why I'm here. So you cannot expect that I'm super happy." The self-proclaimed "Happy One" wasn't happy at all as his short answers and body language indicated a man who seems frustrated, angry and depressed by the […]

Jack Wilshere is "not a smoker", Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said. Speaking at the Gunners press conference this morning, Wenger responded to photos of the England midfielder holding a shisha pipe at a nightclub which were posted on social media earlier this week "I have spoken with him about that. He is not a […]

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone will opt to start striker Mario Mandzukic over Fernando Torres for Saturday's showdown with cross-city rivals, Real Madrid. The decision may come as a surprise to some since Torres scored twice against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu early in January to ensure Atletico's advancement in the Copa del Rey. But […]

Real Madrid have been dealt a second injury blow within 48 hours. Defender Sergio Ramos has been ruled out for six weeks after tearing a hamstring in his left leg during Madrid's 2-1 victory over Sevilla on Wednesday. The injury to Ramos was preceded by the announcement that Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez is set to miss the next […]

A 3-0 victory in the semi-final against host nation Equatorial Guinea has put Ghana in the African Cup of Nations final for a record ninth time. The four-time winners of the tournament were missing captain and the nation's all-time leading scorer Asamoah Gyan. He was a last-minute withdrawal due to a hip injury the 29-year-old […]

The year 2015 got off to a bad start for the USA as they fell 3-2 on the road in Chile. Overall it was a mixed performance with good showings by Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore, but poor showing from Jermaine Jones and Clint Dempsey. The USA has now lost three in a row, is […]

It's not often we get to sample three of European football's most iconic derby matches on the same day, back to back. The North London, Madrid and Merseyside rivalries capture the passion of a local rivalry like few other fixtures in the game. Each club involved has a rich history, longstanding traditions and—aside from bragging rights—their […]

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman has responded light-heartedly to claims from former Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino that he inherited a "winning team" when he took over at St Mary's in the summer. Saints were widely expected to struggle this season having lost Pochettino to Tottenham and a number of their star players to fellow Premier League […]

Steve McClaren has laughed off speculation linking him with the vacant managerial post at former club QPR. The Premier League strugglers are in the market for a new manager after Harry Redknapp resigned this week. McClaren, also linked with the Newcastle job recently, spent just under three months coaching under Redknapp at Loftus Road prior […]

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is scheduled to end his vow of silence on Friday. The 52-year-old has not spoken publicly in 10 days after avoiding media duties around last weekend's draw with Manchester City. It is expected he will plan to bite his tongue on controversial topics ahead of Saturday's match at Aston Villa at […]