Jurgen Klopp has no complaints with the way Jose Mourinho set up his Manchester United side in their goalless draw on Saturday, despite suggesting that he could not deploy his Liverpool team in the same way. For the second season running, Mourinho’s United came to Anfield with the safety catch on in an unambitious display designed to stifle Klopp’s dynamic attacking talents. For the second season running, it worked. Liverpool were limited to only two clear cut chances, spurned by Joel Matip and Emre Can on either side of half-time, while Romelu Lukaku fired United’s only opening straight at goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. show all … [Read more...] about Jurgen Klopp has no complaints with Jose Mourinho’s tactics at Anfield
Premier League
Antonio Conte admits it might not be Chelsea’s year after third league defeat
Antonio Conte has warned that Chelsea may struggle this season after his side’s title challenge was derailed at Crystal Palace. The Blues were deservedly beaten at Selhurst Park in a game where the lack of depth in the champions’ squad was laid bare. That isn’t something that will be lost on the disappointed Conte, who spent much of the summer lobbying for further reinforcements but still hopes that Alvaro Morata will be fit for Wednesday’s visit of Roma. show all How did the Premier League's big … [Read more...] about Antonio Conte admits it might not be Chelsea’s year after third league defeat
Gary Cahill fears the worst as injury curse continues to hit Chelsea
Gary Cahill admitted it feels like everything is going wrong for Chelsea as their injury crisis worsened at Selhurst Park on Saturday. Antonio Conte wanted to strengthen his squad significantly in the summer to deal with the rigours of continental football. But the Blues still look short in a number of areas as Victor Moses joined key first-teamers N’Golo Kane, Alvaro Morata and new signing Danny Drinkwater on the sidelines. show all How did the Premier League's big seven clubs begin the new campaign? … [Read more...] about Gary Cahill fears the worst as injury curse continues to hit Chelsea
Wilfried Zaha an ascending star as Roy Hodgson hints Crystal Palace are ahead of schedule
There was always a feel with Roy Hodgson, a local man, that he is as perfect a fit as Crystal Palace could have hoped for right now. But Hodgson is more than just a calm, steadying influence after a wild, albeit brief, Dutch summer. The 70-year-old out-thought one of smartest coaches in the Premier League and set his team up perfectly to beat the defending champions on Saturday, overcoming the lack of a recognised striker in the squad, an injury to the number one goalkeeper and a lack of confidence stemming from seven games in which they had suffered seven defeats and not scored a single goal. And Hodgson believes that his side could even be ahead of schedule in their efforts to avoid Premier League relegation. “It took us a long while to get anything like this sort of team performance at Fulham; we didn’t do it after a month,” Hodgson said of the quick turnaround in fortunes. “We’d have been into two or possibly three months before … [Read more...] about Wilfried Zaha an ascending star as Roy Hodgson hints Crystal Palace are ahead of schedule
Arsene Wenger laments Arsenal’s lack of away goals but Mesut Ozil isn’t the answer
Arsenal have played four away games in the Premier League this season and only scored one goal. And that was a Per Mertesacker header from a corner at Watford this Saturday evening. It is a bad record and one that Arsene Wenger knows that he has to do something about. He said as much at Vicarage Road, admitting that he was worried by the lack of goals on the road. “We had the chances today that we had at Stoke,” he said, “but we do not score enough goals away from home at the moment.” Arsenal’s away season started with a 1-0 defeat at Stoke City – whose defence is not exactly impermeable – before they lost 4-0 at Liverpool, who are almost as bad. Their 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge was impressive but this game at Watford was not, despite Wenger’s insistence that his team was “unlucky” having “played well for big parts of the game”. … [Read more...] about Arsene Wenger laments Arsenal’s lack of away goals but Mesut Ozil isn’t the answer
Diving ban for Richarlison would be laughable says Watford’s Marco Silva
Watford manager Marco Silva believes that any potential punishment for his winger Richarlison for an alleged dive this week would be laughable. Richarlison earned Watford the crucial penalty kick against Arsenal on Saturday after a collision with Hector Bellerin. Arsene Wenger condemned the decision as “scandalous” and “a creation of the referee” afterwards. There is scope for the Football Association to review the decision on Monday and to ban Richarlison if a three-person panel unanimously decides that he deceived the referee in going down. show all … [Read more...] about Diving ban for Richarlison would be laughable says Watford’s Marco Silva
Pep Guardiola has warning for his Manchester City players
Pep Guardiola has warned his Manchester City players that they would be “stupid” to start getting over-confident despite their superb recent form. Guardiola’s players lived up to the ‘Shark Team’ nickname given them by injured left-back Benjamin Mendy by producing one of the most impressive and ruthless attacking displays of the Premier League era to gobble up Stoke on Saturday. Kevin De Bruyne was the game’s outstanding player, despite not scoring, as he provided two assists and was involved in the build-up for a further three goals, producing further evidence that he is the league’s best player right now. show all … [Read more...] about Pep Guardiola has warning for his Manchester City players
Christian Eriksen wants to move on from Wembley curse as the Bernabeu looms
“You need to find something else to write about,” said a grinning Christian Eriksen, as he greeted the assembled press in the Wembley tunnel. Tottenham’s first league win at their new home. A win achieved without Harry Kane scoring. Yes, Eriksen was right. Time to change the script. But then, this has always been one of the most impressive aspects of this Tottenham side: their ability to defy prevailing wisdom. There was a time, remember, when it was commonly believed Mauricio Pochettino teams were meant to collapse in April and May. When people were certain his viscerally intense management style would burn out after three seasons. When it seemed inevitable that the financial gravity of the Premier League would bring Tottenham crashing to earth. They can’t win at Wembley. They’re too reliant on Kane. Teams will work them out. In a sense, Pochettino’s mission has been to take these million little anxieties - these airborne particles of negativity … [Read more...] about Christian Eriksen wants to move on from Wembley curse as the Bernabeu looms
Watford snatch dramatic last-gasp winner against disappointing Arsenal
Richarlison’s late winner at Swansea City was good, and his equaliser at the death at West Bromwich Albion too was important too. But this Watford fight-back, sealed by Tom Cleverley’s 90th minute winner, sparking carnage at Vicarage Road, was the best of the lot. 1-0 down to Arsenal with less than 20 minutes left, Watford never stopped believing, never stopped throwing everything they had at Arsenal, even after Mesut Ozil missed an inviting chance to make it 2-0 and kill the game. And Watford were rewarded as the ripped the game away from Arsenal in the final minutes. Troy Deeney’s came on as a substitute and converted a penalty won by the brilliant Richarlison. Then, in the final minute, Cleverley smacked the ball into the roof of the net, taking the roof off Vicarage Road in doing so. Marco Silva had said before this game that he did not need to convince his players that they could beat Arsenal, because they had been proving to him all week that they had … [Read more...] about Watford snatch dramatic last-gasp winner against disappointing Arsenal
Five things we learned from Watford’s comeback win over Arsenal
Arsenal, who started without Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, failed to hold onto a first half lead but will ask questions of the referee as a controversial penalty for Watford made it 1-1 before the Hornets scored a late winner to snatch the three points. Per Mertesacker gave Arsenal the lead on his first Premier League start for 532 days by taking advantage of Watford’s sloppy defending from a corner. From then Arsenal failed to kick on and Troy Deny levelled the score line from the spot after Watford were given a penalty when the referee, Neil Swarbrick, deemed Hector Bellerin to have fouled Richarlison who appeared to make the most of what little contact was present. Late on Tom Cleverly completed the comeback by reacting quickest to a loose ball in the box to pile further misery on Arsene Wenger and Arsenal. Here are five things we learned: … [Read more...] about Five things we learned from Watford’s comeback win over Arsenal
Rafa Benitez has defended Florian Lejeune after the defender’s performance against Southampton
Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez defended Florian Lejeune after the French centre-back conceded a second-half penalty that allowed Southampton to snatch a 2-2 draw. Lejeune was making just his second Premier League appearance for the club after signing from Spanish side Eibar in the summer, but was guilty of needlessly bringing down Shane Long in the box to concede a late penalty kick. Manolo Gabbiadini smashed home from the spot to deny Newcastle what would have been an incredibly impressive victory at St Mary’s. After the match, Benitez accepted that Lejeune had made an error to concede the penalty but defended the 26-year-old, who was unlucky not to score a last-gasp winner when his header from inside the box was heroically cleared off the line by Southampton substitute Steven Davis. “I have not yet seen the replay but from the bench it looks as though it was a penalty,” Benitez conceded. “Obviously he conceded the penalty that but then afterwards he was … [Read more...] about Rafa Benitez has defended Florian Lejeune after the defender’s performance against Southampton
Manolo Gabbiandini double earns Southampton point in frantic draw with Newcastle
Before this unexpectedly entertaining mid-table clash, Mauricio Pellegrino conceded he was looking forward to inviting his old mentor Rafa Benitez “for a coke after the game”. But after watching the defensive horror show that ensued, both men could be forgiven for reaching for something a little stronger. Southampton twice fell behind before Manolo Gabbiadini twice bailed them out of trouble, both defences stumbling around like drunks at the end of this haphazard 2-2 draw. Defensive errors were to blame for all four of the goals. Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster had a game to forget in goal for the home side and should have stopped both Isaac Hayden and Ayoze Perez’s successful attempts, while Gabbiadini was criminally allowed to dribble the ball around Newcastle’s entire defence for his first before Shane Long won the soft penalty that lead to his second. Hayden's effort gave Newcastle the lead (Getty) That both sides looked dangerous in attack but so … [Read more...] about Manolo Gabbiandini double earns Southampton point in frantic draw with Newcastle
Ronald Koeman hails ‘aggression’ and ‘commitment’ after Everton secure late draw
Ronald Koeman insisted that he saw “aggression” and “commitment” from his Everton players even after they drew 1-1 at Brighton and Hove Albion this afternoon. Everton were saved by Wayne Rooney’s last-minute penalty kick, earning them a point which moves them further away from the relegation zone. Despite a poor performance from Everton for much of the game, Koeman was determined to take the positives as he looks for anything to turn their underwhelming season around. show all How did the Premier League's big … [Read more...] about Ronald Koeman hails ‘aggression’ and ‘commitment’ after Everton secure late draw
Wayne Rooney saves Everton at Brighton but questions over Ronald Koeman remain
Wayne Rooney scored a crucial equalising penalty in the last minute at Brighton to earn Everton a point, but he will not have stopped the questions or the pressure facing Ronald Koeman’s continued management of the club. Everton were short of ideas, speed and inspiration, creating precious few real chances and were heading for defeat before Michael Oliver spotted a penalty-box infringement by Bruno. Rooney, at the very end of normal time, put the penalty away to earn a draw. The result leaves Everton 16th in the table, three points ahead of the relegation zone, desperately underperforming given expectations at the start of the season. They have only won twice in the league this season, at home against Stoke City and Bournemouth. Their last away win in the league was back on 21 January at Crystal Palace. It makes for an ugly picture for Koeman and further reinforces the feeling that he is not getting the best out of the players he has. Here the Everton squad looked as unbalanced … [Read more...] about Wayne Rooney saves Everton at Brighton but questions over Ronald Koeman remain
Southampton vs Newcastle – live!
Newcastle make the long journey from the north east to the south coast on Sunday afternoon to face Southampton as both teams look to get a foothold in the middle of the table scramble. Only two points separate the teams in the table but both will want to use this opportunity to distance themselves from any potential relegation scrap come the end of the season. Follow all the live action below… Please allow a moment for the blog to load… The game kicks off at 4.00pm BST on Sunday 15 October at St Mary’s. The game will be live on Sky Sports Premier League with coverage starting at 3.30pm highlights available on Match of the Day 2 on BBC1 at 10.30pm. Alternatively, you can follow the action on The Independent’s live blog above. Virgil van Dijk. The wantaway defender is slowly but surely getting up to speed after missing preseason sulking about a move to Liverpool not being completed. He has earned back his place in central defence now and his eye is now on … [Read more...] about Southampton vs Newcastle – live!
Brighton vs Everton – live!
Everton travel to Brighton on Sunday looking to kick start their Premier League season with Ronald Koeman hoping the international break will have given his stars the chance to regroup. The Toffees only have seven points from seven games this season and languish just the one place above the drop zone, with pressure really starting to mount. Brighton are in a slightly better position than Sunday’s opponents but are equally in need of the points to avoid an end of season relegation scrap. show all How did the Premier League's big seven … [Read more...] about Brighton vs Everton – live!
Jose Mourinho’s post-Liverpool comments revealed more than he wanted
Jose Mourinho, rather predictably, wasn’t going to accept much responsibility for the nature of the match at Anfield. He wasn’t even going to accept that Manchester United’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool was not an entertaining game. “Depends what for you is an entertaining game,” Mourinho snapped back. “One thing is an entertaining game for fans, another thing is entertaining game for the people who read football in a different way. That’s different. For me, the second half was a game of chess but my opponent didn’t open the door for me to win the game.” As much as the Portuguese was inevitably trying to influence what was going to be said about his team, he actually said a lot himself, that could well foretell even more about United’s season - and why they may not be champions. … [Read more...] about Jose Mourinho’s post-Liverpool comments revealed more than he wanted
Troy Deeney: Arsenal lack ‘cojones’
Troy Deeney has rubbed salt into Arsenal's wounds following their defeat at Watford suggesting they don't have the "cojones" for the fight. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was left blaming a penalty - converted by Deeney - after Watford came from 1-0 down to triumph 2-1 at Vicarage Road. But Deeney did not subscribe to Wenger's view and felt basic physicality had spurred his side on - something Arsenal are often accused of being unable to deal with. show all How did the Premier League's big seven clubs begin the new campaign? … [Read more...] about Troy Deeney: Arsenal lack ‘cojones’
Arsene Wenger blasts ‘scandalous’ penalty decision
Arsene Wenger was furious with the penalty decision that turned Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat to Watford this evening, describing it as “scandalous” and as a “creation” of referee Neil Swarbrick. Watford scored their equaliser after Hector Bellerin was penalised for fouling Richarlison, as Troy Deeney converted from the spot. But Wenger could not accept that the penalty should have been awarded. “I say it was no penalty, it was a creation from the referee and that is it,” Wenger said. “As a moment in the game it was absolutely important for Watford. I just think it was no penalty, and no goal.” But Wenger stopped short of saying that he wants to see Richarlison retrospectively punished for going down. “I don’t want to interfere with referee’s decisions,” he said, “I just want the right decisions to be made during the game.” Marco Silva admitted that the decision was “50-50” but … [Read more...] about Arsene Wenger blasts ‘scandalous’ penalty decision
Antonio Conte crosses his fingers Alvaro Morata will be fit for Roma clash
Antonio Conte hopes Alvaro Morata will be fit for Wednesday night's game with Roma, but his side missed the Spanish striker and midfielder N'Golo Kante as they went down 2-1 at Crystal Palace. Tiemoue Bakayoko and Cesc Fabregas started in midfield for the champions but the Blues struggled to create against a Palace side set up to pick them apart on the counter. And with Chelsea's balance not quite right, all three points were left with the hosts at Selhurst Park. "To lose a player like Kante is not simple because he's able to cover a lot of the pitch," said Conte. "But, for sure, I have to think also to take into consideration a solution. "You know very well that the balance is very important if you want to win. The balance is very important. For sure, today, our balance was poor.” With Michy Batshuayi labouring up front, a performance so poor that Conte preferred to end proceedings without a recognised centre-forward, Chelsea can at least hope to revert to their … [Read more...] about Antonio Conte crosses his fingers Alvaro Morata will be fit for Roma clash
