Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola cited Euro 2020, COVID-19 and Kevin De Bruyne's lack of match fitness as reasons for the Blues' disappointing opening weekend defeat to Tottenham. Jack Grealish had some bright touches on his Premier League debut for City, but it was not enough to prevent them from leaving empty-handed. Guardiola's side missed a host of early chances to pile the pressure on S...Full Story »

Despite last weekend’s disappointing 1-0 defeat in the Community Shield, confidence is high in the Manchester City camp as the club embark on the brand new Premier League season. The champions start their title defence away at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday in a blockbuster fixture which could see new record signing Jack Grealish perhaps handed his first league start for the Blues. Follow...Full Story »

Angel Di Maria has said it is "much better" that Paris Saint-Germain signed Lionel Messi rather than Cristiano Ronaldo, adding that Messi is "from another planet" compared to Ronaldo and even PSG teammates Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Di Maria -- who joined PSG in 2015 after spells at Real Madrid, where he was a teammate of Ronaldo, and Manchester United -- has played with Messi for Argentina sinc...Full Story »

MANCHESTER CITY boss Pep Guardiola has hit back at criticism of his side's lavish spending. The Premier League champions have forked out around £1.4bn on transfers in the last decade - more than any other club. Pep Guardiola has hit back at his critics Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp claimed this week that City have 'no limits' in the transfer market, after they signed Jack Grealish for ...Full Story »

Jurgen Klopp praised Liverpool’s professional performance after they secured a 3-0 win at Norwich on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season.Diogo Jota got the Reds off the mark for the 2021-22 campaign with a fierce drive in the 26th minute and Roberto Firmino all but wrapped up the points with a goal midway through the second half having only entered the pitch minutes earlie...Full Story »

Danny Cowley dedicated Portsmouth’s 2-0 Sky Bet League One win over Crewe to the club’s fans.Second-half goals from striker John Marquis and winger Marcus Harness saw Pompey maintain their 100 per cent league record.Head coach Cowley said: “It was a good day for the people of Portsmouth. It was good day today – this was for them.“It was a performance which warranted...Full Story »

Reading manager Veljko Paunovic believes his players have rediscovered their “warrior spirit” after claiming a 2-1 Championship victory over Preston.Femi Azeez put Reading 1-0 ahead in the 28th minute with his first senior goal on only his third league appearance.Preston equalised just past the hour mark through a Daniel Johnson penalty but Reading secured their first league win of t...Full Story »

Cardiff boss Mick McCarthy said he had no cause for complaint after two second-half strikes secured a 2-0 win at newly-promoted Blackpool and the Bluebirds’ first three points of the fresh campaign.The visitors – who had been held 1-1 at home by Barnsley in their opening clash of the 2021/22 season – were on top from the off, with Aden Flint, Ryan Giles and James Collins all go...Full Story »

Mansfield boss Nigel Clough said better was still to come from his side as they made it two wins out of two with a 2-1 home victory over Newport.George Maris and Ollie Clarke sealed the points as the Stags won at home.Clough said: “The best thing is I don’t think we are playing as well as we can but we are finding a way to win which is a very good sign.“We have not got 100 per ...Full Story »

Robbie Stockdale was disappointed not to mark his home debut as Rochdale manager with a win after his side played out a goalless League Two draw against Scunthorpe.Stockdale took over at Dale after Brian Barry-Murphy walked out to join Manchester City’s coaching team three days into pre-season training.He has drafted in eight new players and lost key men Ollie Rathbone and Steven Humphrys ...Full Story »

Substitute Dimitri Sea left Hartlepool feeling sick as Barrow secured an exciting 3-2 win over the Sky Bet League Two new boys at Holker Street.Dave Challinor’s side twice came from behind before French striker Sea, whose Carabao Cup winner earned the Bluebirds a second-round tie with Aston Villa,, struck the winner after 72 minutes.Barrow made a perfect start to the clubs’ first Foo...Full Story »

Edinburgh City moved off the bottom of the cinch League Two table thanks to their first win of the season, a narrow 1-0 victory at home to Stenhousemuir.On-loan summer signing Ryan Shanley scored his first goal for the hosts as he slotted Robbie McIntyre’s assist home just after the half-hour mark for what proved to be the winner at Ainslie Park.Thomas Orr missed the chance to level matter...Full Story »

Pep Guardiola insists he will proudly remember last season as one of the best of his career despite the agony of Champions League final defeat.Guardiola’s Manchester City enjoyed another outstanding campaign on the domestic front as they powered to the Premier League title, won the Carabao Cup and reached the FA Cup semi-finals.Yet the club’s long-held European ambitions remained unf...Full Story »

Reading boss Veljko Paunovic hopes to welcome back Ovie Ejaria for the Sky Bet Championship visit of Preston.Paunovic is optimistic of adding to a threadbare squad before this weekend despite a transfer embargo and could include Ejaria in his line-up, with the midfielder missing last weekend’s defeat at Stoke due to a groin injury.Lucas Joao dislocated his shoulder at the bet365 Stadium bu...Full Story »

Swindon head coach Ben Garner has revealed Akin Odimayo is fit ahead of the game against Carlisle.The defender was forced off the field with cramp in the second half of the Robins’ defeat by Cambridge in the Carabao Cup.Mathieu Baudry also went off during the Cambridge game with a tight hamstring which is hoped not to be serious.Dion Conroy, Ben Gladwin and Kaine Kesler-Hayden were all res...Full Story »

Blackpool midfielder Kenny Dougall will be pushing for inclusion against Cardiff this weekend.Dougall missed the Tangerines’ Sky Bet Championship opener at Bristol City last Saturday because of a knee injury he suffered in pre-season but he played the first half in the midweek Carabao Cup win over Middlesbrough.Provided there are no setbacks, Dougall can expect to make the squad when the B...Full Story »

Nunez agent quiets Brighton talkThe agent of Brighton target Darwin Nunez has quieted talk of the Benfica player moving to England this summer. "We had interest for Darwin, but there was never a formal offer," Edgardo Lasalvia told ESPN. "We’ve spoken and they asked about him. In principle, Darwin is going to stay in Benfica at least until December of this year.” 'Norwich's style...Full Story »

Northampton manager Jon Brady praised his team’s bravery as they came from a goal behind to shock Championship side Coventry 2-1 in the Carabao Cup.Debutant Kion Etete’s brace bagged the Cobblers a place in the second round of the competition and they will host AFC Wimbledon thanks to their second-half turnaround following Tyler Walker’s opener.“It was a great performance...Full Story »

Rudiger's Chelsea stint Rudiger has been on Chelsea's books since July of 2017.  All told, Rudiger has featured 149 times in all competitions for Chelsea, across which he has scored seven goals and provided three assists. But Rudiger's standing at Chelsea have varied a fair bit, especially over the course of the 2020/21 campaign. Throughout much of Frank Lampard's time at the club, Rud...Full Story »

Forest Green head coach Rob Edwards praised goalkeeper Lewis Thomas after his vital penalty save steered the League Two side into the next round of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Championship side Bristol City.The former Wales Under-19s international kept out Kasey Palmer’s spot-kick and then denied Cameron Pring to secure a 6-5 win on penalties after the sides had drawn 2-2.Edwards sai...Full Story »