Category: World Soccer

St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright dismisses speculation linking him with Rangers vacancy

Boss Tommy Wright’s focus remains solely on St Johnstone as he finds himself among the leading contenders for the Rangers job. Former Gers manager Alex McLeish appears to be the front runner for the post which became vacant on Friday night when the Ibrox club announced they had accepted the resignation of Mark Warburton and his management team, although the Englishman has denied standing down.

Partick Thistle make it to the quarter-finals – a Scottish Cup run at last for the Jags

Managers seduced by the pot of gold offered by Champions League qualification or maintaining Premier League status tend to field shadow teams in the early stages of the competition. Thistle match winner Adam Barton has direct experience of cup competitions south of the border in his days with clubs including Coventry and Portsmouth and he is delighted that the status of the William Hill Scottish Cup remains undiminished.

Petr Cech will not leave Arsenal in the summer

Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech will not be leaving the north London outfit in the summer transfer window, according to his agent. Cech has come under scrutiny for his performances recently and was at fault for gifting Cesc Fabregas a goal at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea ran out comfortable 3-1 winners on February 4. Joe Hart, Jordan Pickford and Guillaume Hubert have been linked with a move to Arsene Wenger’s side, while Wojciech Szczesny is expected back at Arsenal in the summer after his loan deal with Roma finishes.

Nice fight back to draw at Rennes but title ambitions fade

Valentin Eysseric scored a late equaliser for OGC Nice as they battled back from two down to salvage a 2-2 draw at Rennes on Sunday but it was not enough to prevent the title hopefuls losing ground on Ligue 1 leaders Monaco. Eysseric broke past the home side’s defence in the 81st minute and sped away before finishing calmly past Benoit Costil to rescue a point.

Kieran Gibbs sees plenty of hard work ahead for Arsenal

Kieran Gibbs was pleased to see Arsenal return to winning ways against Hull on Saturday but insists there is still plenty more to come from the Gunners. The England left-back was recalled to the starting line-up as Alexis Sanchez scored a brace to see off the spirited Tigers at the Emirates Stadium as Arsene Wenger’s side picked up three vital points following two successive defeats.

Henry: ‘Not real’ Kante should win Player of the Year

The former Arsenal star, who won the award twice, says the France international deserves to be recognised after a stunning campaign for the Blues Thierry Henry is backing Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante to win this year’s PFA Player of the Year award after impressing in his debut season for the Blues. The France international, who helped Leicester to a stunning title campaign last season, swapped the King Power Stadium for Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Pochettino lashes Tottenham players after Liverpool loss

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino accused his players of failing to deal with the pressure of a Premier League title race after they were outplayed in a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool on Saturday. The Londoners were lucky to be only two goals down at halftime at Anfield as Liverpool brought Tottenham’s nine-game unbeaten run in the league to a halt.

Preston North End 4-2 Brentford: Match Report

Preston back on song with big win over Brentford Aiden McGeady’s double helped Preston put a four-match Championship winless streak to bed as they came from behind to beat Brentford 4-2 at Deepdale. Tom Field handed the Bees an early lead but McGeady levelled with a magnificent strike and Callum Robinson gave North End the advantage after the break.

Rotherham 1-1 Blackburn: Match Report

Blackburn leave it late to take a point at Rotherham Blackburn scored a late equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw at fellow strugglers Rotherham. Jon Taylor’s 47th-minute goal had looked like it was going to be the difference between the two sides before an own goal from Stephen Kelly in the last five minutes secured Rovers a point.

Manolo Gabbiadini, pictured centre, scored twice for Southampton at the Stadium of Light

Manolo Gabbiadini rekindled memories of his namesake Marco on Wearside as Southampton cruised to a 4-0 Premier League victory at bottom-of-the-table Sunderland. It will be 30 years in September since Marco Gabbiadini arrived at Roker Park in an A 80,000 switch from York and forged a partnership with Eric Gates which brought him 87 goals and a permanent place in the hearts of Black Cats’ supporters.

Millwall 1-0 Southend: Match Report

Fred Onyedinma effort enough as Millwall edge Southend Fred Onyedinma’s second-half header proved enough as Millwall saw off play-off rivals Southend United 1-0 at the Den. The Shrimpers had midfielder Will Atkinson sent off in the 34th minute and the Lions took full advantage to secure all three points.

West Ham 2-2 West Brom: Match Report

Late Jonny Evans goal earns West Brom a Premier League point at West Ham West Brom secured a stoppage-time goal to rescue a 2-2 draw at West Ham. The hosts felt Nacer Chadli’s early goal should not have stood and were unhappy one of their own was disallowed – but they appeared to have secured a fourth win with goals from Sofiane Feghouli and Manuel Lanzini.

Northampton 3-1 Chesterfield: Match Report

John-Joe O’Toole bags brace as Northampton defeat sorry Chesterfield John-Joe O’Toole’s first-half brace set Northampton Town on their way to a 3-1 victory over struggling Chesterfield at Sixfields. Marc Richards was denied by goalkeeper Lloyd Allinson before Northampton went ahead in the 12th minute when O’Toole headed home from Hiram Boateng’s corner.

Luton 2-1 Crawley Town: Match Report

Danny Hylton late brace earns three points for Luton Two goals from leading scorer Danny Hylton saw Luton come from behind to beat Crawley 2-1 at Kenilworth Road. The hosts moved up to fourth in the League Two table thanks to the second-half brace from Hylton, which takes his personal tally up to 17 for the season.

Palace rooted in relegation zone after 1-0 loss at Stoke

Crystal Palace’s Jason Puncheon, left and Stoke City’s Joe Allen vie for the ball, during the English Premier League soccer match between Stoke City and Crystal Palace, at the bet365 Stadium, in Stoke, England, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce gestures, during the English Premier League soccer match between Stoke City and Crystal Palace, at the bet365 Stadium, in Stoke, England, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017.

Oxford Utd 1-0 Milton Keynes Dons: Match Report

Kane Hemmings secures late win for Oxford to end MK Dons run Substitute Kane Hemmings snatched a late winner as Oxford made it five victories in a row in all competitions with a 1-0 success over MK Dons. Hemmings glanced in a header from Rob Hall’s right-wing cross to end Dons’ own recent good run of six league games unbeaten.

Norwich 5-1 Nottm Forest: Match Report

Norwich hit Nottingham Forest for five at Carrow Road Norwich maintained their push for the SkyBet Championship play-offs as three goals in the space of eight first-half minutes inspired them to a thumping 5-1 home win over Nottingham Forest. Jonny Howson’s 10th-minute piledriver opened the floodgates at Carrow Road, with Josh Murphy quickly adding a second from a tight angle before Wes Hoolahan lobbed in a third from well outside the box.

Man Utd 2-0 Watford: Match Report

Anthony Martial returns to form as Manchester United see off Watford Anthony Martial impressed on his return to the Manchester United starting line-up, scoring one and providing the other as Jose Mourinho’s men comfortably overcame Watford. The player started brightly when he arrived from Monaco but has struggled to recapture that form this term, with his lack of game time leading to questions over his happiness and Old Trafford future.

Falkirk 3-0 Dundee Utd: Match Report

Falkirk claim comfortable Dundee United win to move third in the Championship Falkirk moved above Morton into third place in the Ladbrokes Championship with an impressive 3-0 victory over Dundee United at Falkirk Stadium. Falkirk took the lead in the fifth minute when a cross from Lee Miller was headed home via the underside of the crossbar by John Baird.

Asier Illarramendi back to best in 2nd stint at Sociedad

Asier Illarramendi, not long ago considered a flop at Real Madrid, has boyhood club Real Sociedad sitting near the top of the Spanish league. Illarramendi’s unstoppable long-distance strike sealed Sociedad’s 2-1 win at Espanyol on Friday, a victory that lifted the Basque Country club past Atletico Madrid and into fourth place.

Grading the Last 10 Spanish Signings at Real Madrid

In the summer preceding the 2009/10 campaign, Real Madrid boosted their squad with two big-name signings: Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, with both deals dominating headlines and expectations for the season ahead. But they also signed four Spanish players: Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa from Liverpool , Raul Albiol from Valencia and Esteban Granero from Getafe.

Bournemouth v Manchester City: Team news, odds and stats

From Chelsea’s reserve on A 220,000 a week to the stars on A 35,000, the highest paid player at every Premier League club ‘A tough, hard, old school defender’: Everton’s legendary hardman Ferguson picks Adams among the three toughest opponents he faced in Premier League EDDIE HEARN: Brook isn’t scared of Spence … and Bellew is too busy to be sunbathing Day of inspiration for the relegation fight? From lunch for one at Nando’s to a book launch with an eclectic mix of stars, Palace boss Allardyce gets ready for dogfight Klopp’s biggest game: Liverpool’s clash with Tottenham is the most important game of his Anfield tenure so far Everton’s Catch 22: Lukaku is central to aim of gatecrashing the top six but his red-hot form will alert big rivals Real Madrid are on course for a first title since Mourinho was in charge… but Zidane can’t afford any slips EXCLUSIVE: Rosberg on why he had to … (more)

Surprising Alaves to take on Barcelona in Copa del Rey final

Alaves, the recently promoted club from Basque Country, will be playing in the final of a major tournament only for the second time in its 96-year history. “This was unthinkable in the beginning of the season,” Alaves coach Mauricio Pellegrino said after their clinching 1-0 home win over Celta Vigo on Wednesday in the semifinals.

Arena says Guzan could start next month, Howard could return

Brad Guzan could start for the U.S. in critical World Cup qualifiers against Honduras and Panama next month despite his lack of playing time with Middlesbrough, and Tim Howard may return from leg surgery in time to be included in the roster. U.S. coach Bruce Arena said Thursday he was impressed by recent performances of Hamburg forward Bobby Wood and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Christian Pulisic.