Football Mag

Raheem Sterling hit the winning penalty as Manchester City retained their EFL Cup crown with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea following a goalless draw that saw Kepa Arrizabalaga incredibly defy under-pressure Maurizio Sarri. City hammered Chelsea 6-0 at the Etihad Stadium two weeks ago but Maurizio Sarri's switch of system to use Eden Hazard as a false nine – with Gonzalo Higuain missing out at Wembley on Sunday – boosted his side's defensive solidity. Pep Guardiola claimed pre-match it was too early to talk about City's chances of winning a historic quadruple despite being in the FA Cup quarter-finals, leading their last-16 Champions League tie with Schalke and sitting neck-and-neck with Liverpool in the Premier League. Remarkably, an injured Kepa would not make way for Willy Caballero in extra time and, although he saved one spot-kick, Sterling converted the decisive effort for City to deny Sarri, reportedly close to the sack, his first trophy as a m

Claude Puel has been sacked by Leicester City, the club announced on Sunday. The Frenchman, who was appointed in October 2017, had seen his position come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks and a 4-1 battering at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday sealed his fate. A sizeable portion of the Foxes' fans stayed behind to vent their frustration at the King Power Stadium, with Leicester yet to win at home in 2019 and having earned just one victory in nine competitive outings. And Leicester have opted to make the change less than 24 hours the crushing defeat, with a club statement reading: "Leicester City Football Club has parted company with Claude Puel, who leaves his position as First Team Manager with immediate effect. "The club would like to thank Claude for his efforts in leading the team during his 16 months in the role and wish him well in his future career."

Nemanja Matic was ruled out of Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Liverpool on Sunday and is set to miss multiple weeks of action due to injury. The Serbia international midfielder has been one of the mainstays of the United midfield this season under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his predecessor Jose Mourinho. But United faced Liverpool with Scott McTominay in the centre of the park in Matic’s place after the former Chelsea man pulled up with an injury in training on Saturday. While the exact nature of the injury was not immediately disclosed, Matic is expected to be out for two to three weeks due to the problem. "We tried to get him fit for the game but it wasn't to be," manager Solskjaer said of Matic's injury when speaking to MUTV ahead of kick-off on Sunday. That means he will miss the Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace and Southampton in the next seven days, and will also be absent for the trip to Paris Saint-Germain for the second leg of

Paulo Dybala came on from the bench to score the winner as a lacklustre Juventus overcame Serie A strugglers Bologna 1-0 on Sunday. Despite putting in a below-par performance for much of the encounter, Juve took the lead when Dybala – whose long-term future in Turin is rumoured to be in doubt – slotted home from close range eight minutes after coming on. Dybala's effort came against the run of play, with Juve sparred by wasteful finishing and a superb block from Alex Sandro, who prevented Ibrahima Mbaye from putting Bologna ahead. However, Juve's strength in depth proved the difference as they became the first side in Serie A history to win at least 22 of their first 25 games of a season, with the result also a timely boost for boss Massimiliano Allegri after the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid in midweek.

Alexandre Lacazette and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were on target as Arsenal coasted past struggling Southampton 2-0 to move back into the Premier League's top four. It took just six minutes for Lacazette to convert from Mkhitaryan's attempted shot and the latter turned home the dangerous Alex Iwobi's assist at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Lacazette wasted a couple of golden opportunities to stretch the lead before half-time and, while Arsenal's tempo noticeably dropped after the break, Unai Emery's side were in complete control. Manchester United's goalless draw with rivals Liverpool consequently sends Arsenal back into the Champions League places, while Southampton remain mired in relegation trouble.

Carlo Ancelotti has revealed how the “selfishness” of Gareth Bale contributed to a “mess” at Real Madrid and his subsequent departure from the club in 2015. The Italian took the reins at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2013. In his first season at the helm he delivered La Decima, with Real claiming the Champions League crown for the 10th time in their history. Ancelotti would last just one more year before being moved on, with club president Florentino Perez claiming that decision was “very difficult”. “If there is something that drives me crazy, it is selfishness. When a player has to pass the ball and does not pass it,” Ancelotti told Il Napolista . “I paid for that in the first person. At Madrid, I took off Bale in a game against Valencia. He had to pass the ball to [Karim] Benzema, who would have scored into an empty goal, but instead of that, he shot [and missed]. “It was the reason that triggered an argument with Florentino, I took him off and the mess began there.” Ancelotti, who mo

David de Gea has become the seventh goalkeeper to record 100 Premier Leagueclean sheets for a single club and the second at Manchester United after Peter Schmeichel. The Spaniard endured a tough start to his spell at Old Trafford following a switch from Atletico Madrid in 2011. He was, however, given time by Sir Alex Ferguson in which to settle in new surroundings and fulfil his potential. There was not too much for him to do on his most recent outing, but he was able to help shut out Liverpool in a 0-0 draw. Stalemate on home soil took De Gea to a notable landmark, with a century of clean sheets having now been secured for the Red Devils in the English top flight. United legend Schmeichel is among the more notable names on that roll of honour, with the former Denmark international having helped to establish domestic dominance during his time in Manchester. Among the others to have hit a century is Tim Howard, another ex-United goalkeeper who secured 116 shut outs with Everton. Petr

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer set a new record points haul for a manager in their first 10 Premier League matches after Manchester United's 0-0 home draw with Liverpool took him on to 26. Solskjaer became United's interim manager in December, replacing Jose Mourinho after a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool. The Norwegian swiftly instilled a more attack-minded approach and United have remained unbeaten in the Premier League since he took over. Sunday's goalless draw at home to Liverpool is only the second time they have dropped points in the league under Solskjaer – the other being against Burnley at Old Trafford, when United came from two goals down to rescue a point in a 2-2 draw. Solskjaer overtakes Guus Hiddink, formerly of Chelsea, for the most points won by a manager in their first 10 Premier League games – the Dutchman having taken 25.

Liverpool returned to the Premier League summit despite being held to a 0-0 draw by bitter rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford in a match that was marred by first-half injuries to four players.    After days of anticipation and excitement, the match swiftly descended into farce in the first period, as Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, Roberto Firmino and Jesse Lingard were all forced off injured, and the match struggled to recover from an entertainment perspective.    The medical staff were rather less busy in the second half and that allowed Liverpool to increase the pressure, generally dominating against a United effectively playing with 10 men due to Marcus Rashford struggling with a knock. But the Reds could not take advantage, with United arguably happy to hold on to the draw which sees Ole Gunnar Solskjaer set a new record points haul for a manager in his first 10 Premier League games, taking him on to 26 points.

Gerard Pique questioned Santiago Solari complaints about the fixture schedule after the Real Madrid coach asked why Barcelona will have an extra day to prepare for Wednesday's Clasico, nothing extra rest did not help Los Blancos when the clubs clashed in October. The two La Liga giants meet in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final in midweek, with the tie level at 1-1 after the first game at Camp Nou. Yet that contest will come just three days on from Madrid's visit to Levante, while Barca have a four-day gap following their 4-2 victory at Sevilla on Saturday. Solari called the decision to give one club more rest than the other "curious" at his pre-match media conference, but Pique suggested the shorter gap may actually benefit Madrid, after an extra day of rest in October saw them hammered 5-1 by Barcelona in a match that cost then-Blancos manager Julen Lopetegui his job. "The last time they had an extra day's rest we beat them 5-1!" Pique sai

Pep Guardiola says it is unfair to expect Manchester City to win an unprecedented quadruple, as they bid to defend their Carabao Cup title. City will face Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea in the showpiece at Wembley on Sunday as Guardiola, whose side are fighting on all four fronts, goes in search of a third major honour in England. Kevin De Bruyne described City's chances of completing a clean sweep of all the domestic and European competitions on offer as "nearly impossible" - something which his manager echoes. Asked whether he preferred his players to target a quadruple, Guardiola said: "Ask me this question in May, in April or May ask me that question and after I will tell you the answer. And I will not lie to you. But in May, in February it is impossible to talk about that. "Kevin has said perfectly in the last press conference in Germany [ahead of victory against Schalke in the Champions League]. "The next target is the next game. Believe me ho

Jurgen Klopp is targeting all three points against Manchester United on Sunday but the Liverpool manager insists victory at Old Trafford would guarantee them the Premier League title. Liverpool have the chance to move three points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table if they can inflict a first domestic defeat on caretaker United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. With City in the Carabao Cup final, Liverpool's clash with United is their game in hand and could be pivotal in the run-in. However, Klopp is keen to stress that his side still have plenty of other tough matches to come in the remaining weeks that they must be fully focused for. "Would we like to win the game and go three points in front of City, of course we would," Klopp told reporters. "Would a victory over United be worth more than three points? No, because we still have to play Tottenham and Chelsea and other difficult teams before the end of the season." "We actually have three big gam

Paul Pogba’s apparent decrease in social media use has pleased caretaker Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as it means the midfielder has opened himself less to criticism. The midfielder has been criticised by media in the past for a variety of off-the-field issues, including his social media use, as a sign he is not serious enough about the game. It is a situation that has become less of an issue in recent weeks as United have not lost in the league since Jose Mourinho was sacked, with Pogba leading the Red Devils resurgence. "Paul has always been a larger-than-life character. He has a fantastic family, but you don't do yourself any favours," Solskjaer told media. Pogba has scored nine goals and added six assists under Solskjaer and ahead of the club’s match against Liverpool, Solskjaer is happy to see Pogba and his team-mates not opening themselves up for criticism by appearing to not focus on the upcoming contest. "You don't want to

France striker Kylian Mbappe became the youngest player score 50 goals in Ligue 1 after his brace helped Paris Saint-Germain beat Nimes 3-0. The 20-year-old scored twice in the final 21 minutes to take his tally to 51 goals in just 88 Ligue 1 matches. At the age of 20 years, two months and three days, Mbappe is the youngest player since to score a half-century of goals in Ligue 1, breaking Yannick Stopyra's mark of 21 years, 11 months and nine days, which he accomplished with Sochaux in 1982. Mbappe currently tops the Ligue 1 scoring charts with 22 goals, five ahead of nearest challenger and teammate Edinson Cavani, who is currently sidelined with a calf injury. In total the former Monaco forward has scored 27 goals in 31 matches in all competitions so far this campaign.