Football Mag

George Baldock cancelled out Son Heung-min's opener as Sheffield United claimed a deserved draw against a lacklustre Tottenham. Sheffield United shrugged off being on the sharp end of more VAR controversy to claim a deserved 1-1 draw at Tottenham. Son Heung-min, back in action after his three-match ban for the tackle that left Everton midfielder Andre Gomes with a badly broken ankle was overturned, gave Spurs the lead against the run of play following an Enda Stevens error in the 58th minute. David McGoldrick saw an equaliser ruled out after John Lundstram – who hit the post during the first half – was adjudged to be offside during the build-up. But Chris Wilder's men impressively retained their composure and George Baldock's 78th-minute cross zipping into the far corner was a touch of fortune they richly deserved. Source : GOAL  

Tammy Abraham scored his 10th Premier League goal for Chelsea as they secured a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The 22-year-old striker became the youngest Blues player to reach double figures in the Premier League since Arjen Robben when he swept home following a clever Willian pass. Chelsea had found clear-cut chances hard to come by against a stubborn Palace side, whose manager Roy Hodgson was taking charge of his 300th game in England's top flight. Abraham's cool finish broke the deadlock, though, before a simple header from Christian Pulisic made certain of a sixth league win in a row for Frank Lampard's side. Source :  GOAL

                                                                                                                           - GOAL.com The Premier League has revealed that it reached a cumulative global audience of 3.2 billion for all programming watched during the 2018-19 season, a six per cent increase on the previous campaign. Working in partnership with industry analyst Nielsen, the league also found that the cumulative audience for live Premier League programming rose 11% to 1.35bn. The figures only account for standard in-home broadcast viewing and exclude out-of-home and mobile consumption. The Premier League credited a significant portion of its audience growth to n...

                                                                                                                         -  The Guardian The Wales international Ethan Ampadu is close to continuing his development at RB Leipzig next season with Chelsea negotiating his departure on a season-long loan to the Bundesliga club. Ampadu, who has eight senior caps, underwent a medical in Germany on Friday having been omitted from the Chelsea senior squad who are currently in Japan on a two-game pre-season tour. Frank Lampard, who had attempted to secure the youngster while Derby manager, had made clear his intention to loan out the 18-year-old in search of regular first-team football...

Real Madrid have refused to rule out selling Isco and Marco Asensio if the money could be reinvested in signing Manchester United's Paul Pogba or another marquee midfielder, as per reports. Madrid have already spent over €300 million shaking up a squad which failed in 2018-19, with Eden Hazard the headline addition to their forward line, and centre-forward Luka Jovic and winger Rodrygo also arriving. That puts the futures of Isco, Asensio, Mariano and Gareth Bale in doubt as coach Zinedine Zidane remains keen to add a new central midfielder. They would be open to selling Isco if a "big offer" is received and that Borussia Dortmund had made an initial enquiry, but the 27-year-old himself decided the Bundesliga club were not "important enough." The club are still looking to sell at least one big name this summer, although at this point even Zidane is accepting that it will be difficult to sell Bale at their €80-100m asking price. Zidane remains hopeful...

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain provided the sharpness and dynamism Jurgen Klopp will have been delighted to see despite Liverpool suffering a 3-2 preseason defeat to Borussia Dortmund. The England international, who was involved in just four matchday squads last season as he recovered from multiple ligament damage, was the standout star for the European champions at Notre Dame Stadium. His explosive runs from midfield were on show and he provided the impetus in attack for the Reds during the first outing of their US tour. Oxlade-Chamberlain's cross from the right, which Ryan Kent connected with nearly had Liverpool level after Paco Alcacer converted from close range following poor defending three minutes in, but Marwin Hitz pulled off a superb save. Klopp's side did equalise after Fabinho supplied a lovely pass, which was met by a clever Kent dummy before Harry Wilson applied the finish to a well-worked goal. Dortmund responded with a quick double in the second half after...

Algeria became Africa Cup of Nations champions for a second time as they edged Senegal 1-0 in a scrappy final on Friday. Djamel Belmadi's side needed a sensational last-gasp Riyad Mahrez winner to beat Nigeria in the last four, but it was a scrappy early strike that decided this clash as Baghdad Bounedjah benefited from a huge deflection. Further chances were few and far between in an ill-tempered affair as Algeria withstood almost constant pressure and also saw a Senegal penalty award overturned with VAR. The single goal ultimately proved enough to hold on, Algeria triumphing on foreign soil for the first time to add to their 1990 success as hosts.

Victor Valdes has been appointed as Barcelona's new U19A head coach, returning to Camp Nou five years after ending his time at the club as a player. The 37-year-old racked up 539 appearances for Barca across all competitions over the course of 12 seasons between 2002 and 2014, winning 21 major titles in total. Valdes picked up three Champions Leagues, six La Liga titles and won the Copa del Rey twice, earning legendary status at the club while also establishing himself as one of the finest shot-stoppers in Europe. The ex-Spain international was released by Barca in 2014 and returned to the highest level the following year, signing an 18-month deal with Manchester United. Valdes was sent out for a loan spell at Standard Liege before being sold to Middlesbrough and decided to hang up his gloves permanently in 2018 after leaving the Riverside the previous summer. The former Blaugrana star signed a one-year contract at Camp Nou on Friday morning with the option of an exten...

Christian Eriksen might end up in the Spanish capital after all, but it's Atletico Madrid who are now linked with a move for the Dane should they not be able to finalise a move for James Rodriguez this summer. The Colombian is the priority, but the Tottenham playmaker is a Plan B worth considering and one that hasn't been ruled out. It has to be remembered that although James himself is open to moving to the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano, a move can only happen if Real Madrid are willing to negotiate with their cross-city rivals and agree an affordable deal, with Napoli now seemingly priced out. Fearing that Madrid will ask for too much, Diego Simeone, Miguel Angel Gil Marin and Andrea Berta have put the possibility of the Danish international on the table. Eriksen is determined not to extend his Spurs contract, which ends in 2020, and has been on Los Blancos' radar for some time, but Zinedine Zidane doesn't want him in his squad.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he is “working on one or two” transfer deals as he seeks to further bolster his ranks at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have already snapped up Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the summer window. Speculation suggests there are more arrivals to come, with Sporting midfielder Bruno Fernandes and Leicester defender Harry Maguire considered to be top targets. Solskjaer has stopped short of revealing the identity of those he has his sights set on, but concedes that every effort is being made to bring in more proven talent. Quizzed on his recruitment plans, the United boss told reporters ahead of an International Champions Cup clash with Inter: “Well, as I said, we are working on one or two. My objective here is that we have got to get ready for the games and the training sessions.”

Inter boss Antonio Conte has expressed his admiration for Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku, who continues to be linked with a move to San Siro. Lukaku scored 26 goals across all competitions in his debut season for United but was less prolific in the 2018-19 campaign, facing criticism amid concerns over his fitness in particular. Speaking ahead of his side's pre-season clash against the Red Devils in the International Champions Cup on Saturday, Conte confessed he "likes" Lukaku as a player before also conceding the Nerazzurri are in dire need of attacking reinforcements. “You know very well I like this player [Lukaku]," the Italian coach began. "Today Lukaku is a player of United and this is the reality. This is the truth. “For sure it’s not easy to play without a striker at the beginning of the season like this. The market is still open."

Frank Lampard suffered his first defeat as Chelsea manager as Leandro Damiao's late strike gave Kawasaki a 1-0 friendly win in Yokohama. The pre-season contest had appeared to be heading for a goalless draw at the Nissan Stadium, until Brazil striker Damiao headed home with just two minutes to go. Despite the result, however, Lampard will still have taken much from his side's run out in searing temperatures against the J-League champions, with midfielder Mason Mount once again catching the eye ahead of the new campaign. However, it was the introduction of Ross Barkley as one of several half-time changes that gave Chelsea's play some much-needed impetus in the second half, only for Shota Arai to thwart the visitors with a number of smart stops.

Matthijs de Ligt insists his €75 million (£68m/$84m) move to Juventus was driven by personal ambition, with Cristiano Ronaldo having no influence on his decision to head for Italy. After seeing his future become the subject of much speculation over recent months, the Netherlands international has finally brought a long-running saga to a close. The reigning Serie A champions have won the race for his signature, with a highly-rated 19-year-old opting to take on a new challenge in Turin after heading for the exits at Ajax. It had been suggested that a chat with Portuguese superstar Ronaldo after the UEFA Nations League final in June helped to sway De Ligt’s thinking, but he insists that is not the case. “After the Nations League final I was already sure that I wanted to join Juventus, but it was still a big compliment to have Cristiano ask me to join here but it didn't make the difference,” De Ligt told reporters at his first press conference as a Juve player. “I came her...

Atletico Madrid have reported Barcelona to La Liga as they continue to pursue an €80 million (£72m/$90m) addition to the transfer which has taken Antoine Griezmann to Camp Nou. A World Cup-winning forward has completed a move from the Spanish capital to Catalunya. Barca have paid out the €120m (£108m/$135m) required to trigger the release clause that existed in his Atletico contract. They believe they have done nothing wrong , but domestic rivals are arguing that an agreement was reached with Griezmann when his exit fee stood at €200m (£179m/$224m). Atletico vowed when a move was announced that they would be opening legal proceedings . That fight has now been taken to La Liga officials and those in power at the Spanish FA (RFEF). Atletico had been planning to take their case to FIFA, in the hope that world football’s governing body could rule in their favour.

Mauricio Pochettino has been handed a two-match touchline ban by the Football Association following his angry exchange with referee Mike Dean after Tottenham's defeat to Burnley last month. The Spurs manager approached the official at the end of his side's 2-1 defeat at Turf Moor in the Premier League on February 23 and continued his tirade despite being told to walk away. Pochettino was seemingly initially angered by a decision to award a corner from which the Clarets opened the scoring through Chris Wood, though his mood appeared to worsen by something Dean said in response. The Argentine later apologised and accepted that he had "made a mistake", but the FA decided to hit Pochettino with a misconduct charge that he has accepted, leading to a two-match touchline ban and £10,000 fine. An FA statement read: "Mauricio Pochettino has been fined £10,000 and will serve a two-match touchline ban following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing."

Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira will serve a three-match suspension after the club’s appeal to the Football Association over his red card against Tottenham was rejected, as per reports. Torreira had come on at half-time during Saturday’s north London derby at Wembley, and was sent off by referee Anthony Taylor during stoppage time after catching Danny Rose with his studs in a sliding challenge. Following the decision by the FA, Torreira will be banned for Sunday’s clash against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium, while also missing the home game with Newcastle on April 1 and the trip to Everton on April 7. Arsenal will be back in action on Thursday night in the first leg of their Europa League tie against Rennes in France. Torreira would be eligible as his ban is only for domestic games, but striker Alex Lacazette is suspended following red card against BATE Borisov.

Feyenoord have confirmed Jaap Stam will replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst as the club’s new coach in the summer. Van Bronckhorst announced in January that he would be leaving his position at the end of the season, with former Manchester United defender Stam being appointed as his successor on a two-year contract. Stam only took charge at PEC Zwolle in December on an 18-month contract, but revealed that he could not turn down the opportunity to coach Feyenoord. “I really enjoy PEC Zwolle, but, for every ambitious coach, if the opportunity arises to work at a club like Feyenoord, you will seriously think about it,” Stam told Feyenoord’s official website. “After good and open conversations with (technical director) Martin van Geel about the possibilities and impossibilities at Feyenoord, I soon found out that I would like to go for this opportunity."

Vinicius Junior will be sidelined until the tail end of the season after Real Madrid confirmed the Brazilian teenager has torn calf ligaments in his right leg. The winger sustained the injury in the first half of Madrid's Champions League defeat at the hands of Ajax on Tuesday. He was substituted in the 35th minute, with Ajax leading 2-0, and the Eredivisie side went on to win 4-1 and dump the three-time defending champions out in the round of 16. Madrid gave no timescale for his recovery in a statement released on Wednesday but reports have suggested he will miss the next two months. "After the tests made today to our player Vinicius by the medical team of Real Madrid, he has been diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right calf. Further evaluation pending," the statement said. The injury to Vinicius will also come as a blow to his international aspirations, with the 18-year-old having been called up to the Brazil squad for the first time.

Barcelona are weighing up another raid on Ajax - this time for Matthijs de Ligt. The Catalan giants have already sealed a deal to take the Dutch club's exciting 21-year-old midfielder Frenkie de Jong to Camp Nou in the summer at a cost of €75 million (£65m/$85m). And Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu has confirmed interest in De Jong's Ajax team-mate DeLigt, 19, as well. "His name is on the table," Bartomeu said in an interview with radio station SER Catalunya via Spanish publication Marca. "Where there is such talent away from Barcelona, we're always looking at them. "It's a topic that will be discussed in our sports planning which begins in March, with De Jong we felt we had to move quickly because there were many clubs that wanted him."

Bayern Munich have reacted angrily to Germany coach Joachim Low's decision to rule three of their veteran stars out of further international football. Low has indicated he will not select Thomas Muller, 30, Mats Hummels, 29, and Jerome Boateng, 30 - who have 246 caps between them - for future games, summarily retiring the trio. But the timing of it - ahead of key Bundesliga and Champions League games - and finality of the treatment of the three 2014 World Cup winners on a surprise visit to the training ground, has annoyed their club. In a statement, Bayern said: "National coach Joachim Low has decided not to consider our players Thomas Muller, Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng in the future. "The fact that the players and the public were informed three months later, just ahead of important matches for FC Bayern next Saturday in the fight for the Bundesliga title against VfL Wolfsburg and a few days before the decisive second leg in the round of 16 of the Champions League...