Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin has been an absolute revelation since he was implemented into the starting XI last December. The defensive enforcer has given the Gunners grit and tenacity in the middle of the park, something that the club missed for some time. Coquelin’s attitude and playing style are, however, not just a smoke screen […]

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal admits he is under intense pressure to qualify for the Champions League – and when you look at the financial figures involved, it is easy to see why. Should Van Gaal lead United to victory in their two-legged play-off against Club Brugge, they will earn a place in the […]

Christian Benteke scored a disputed winner on his home debut as Liverpool claimed a controversial 1-0 win over promoted Bournemouth in the Barclays Premier League. The £32million summer signing from Aston Villa struck from close range after 26 minutes at Anfield but debate raged over whether Philippe Coutinho was offside. This came after the Cherries […]

Any good film trying to portray authentic teenage angst has it — the scene where the main character locks itself in a bathroom, flings itself into the driver's seat of a car, or perhaps collapses against a hallway locker and screams. Screams violently and inexplicably, because there is no outlet. Nobody's there to listen. Nobody […]

‘Il grido di battaglia’ is the official anthem of Parma, who are now known as Parma Calcio 1913. The anthem translates as ‘the battle cry,’ which is apt for a club that were declared bankrupt in April. Not only will they play in Serie D, they have also lost use of their ground, the Stadio […]

Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward has flown to Catalonia to secure the £22 million transfer of Barcelona forward Pedro. It has been widely reported that the much-anticipate move will be finalized this week, with the expectation being that the Spain international will be unveiled as a United player on Tuesday or Wednesday. To this […]

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal maintains he has complete faith in Wayne Rooney despite his indifferent start to the campaign. Rooney has been restored to his role as a central striker this season despite spending much of last term in midfield. So far he has failed to find the net and has had no […]

There are losses and, then, there are losses. Some hurt more than others. Some happen in preseason and come with a certain luxury of avoidance and denial. Others happen during the season and can demoralize or inspire fans. As a Chelsea fan, I know that watching them lose to a major rival like Manchester City earlier at the Etihad Stadium was […]

Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking has dropped a hint that Kevin De Bruyne could be set to leave the Bundesliga side, admitting that the next few days will be "difficult". Before the weekend Hecking said he was growing tired of all the speculation linking the Belgium international with a move to Manchester City, adding his conviction […]

Here are the 10 things we learned from gameweek 24 of the MLS season: 1. Nat Borchers’ emotional moment Nat Borchers is the ultimate professional, a player with true gravitas and depth. He was a key cog in Jason Kreis’ Real Salt Lake for many, many years, but this last offseason, RSL decided to dump […]

Sergio Ramos has ended speculation over his future by signing a new five-year deal at Real Madrid, insisting he never wanted to leave the club. The 29-year-old World Cup winner has been linked with a move to Manchester United for most of the summer but has now committed to Madrid by penning a contract until […]

Monday was a celebration of NBC retaining the Premier League for another six years. Unfortunately, Saturday was a morning of frustration when those either looking for a second screen experience (as I was doing) or trying to follow the second-halves of games were completely blacked out of NBC Sports Live Extra. Beginning in the second half […]

Manuel Pellegrini hit back at claims from rival Jose Mourinho that Manchester City's 3-0 win over Chelsea was "completely fake". City sent out a strong title warning as they outplayed the champions at the Etihad Stadium to continue their superb start to the Barclays Premier League season. Mourinho felt the scoreline was lopsided but Pellegrini […]

Manchester United will complete the signing of Barcelona forward Pedro on Tuesday, following the conclusion of the Spanish Super Cup. The 28-year-old will say his farewells and depart for England shortly after the completion of the second leg of the competition, which Barcelona trail 4-0 to Athletic Bilbao. United had been attempting to lure Pedro […]

Olivier Giroud's stunning volley helped Arsenal battle to a 2-1 Barclays Premier League win at Crystal Palace. The Gunners produced the required response from their opening day defeat at home by West Ham with a determined display at Selhurst Park, where German playmaker Mesut Ozil delivered a stand-out performance. The German's floated cross was smashed […]