The Champions League Round of 16 first legs concluded last week. Ten-man Manchester City survived a huge scare to snatch a vital 3-2 victory over Bundesliga outfit Schalke 04. Atletico Madrid rode a second-half surge to a 2-0 victory…

This season’s Championship deserves to be remembered as the most competitive ever, no matter who eventually wins the title. The top six places that offer direct and playoff promotion to the Premier League change hands faster than a baby…

Jose Mourinho's move to Manchester United was met with glee from the Old Trafford faithful. The self-proclaimed Special One was tasked with getting the good times rolling once again. For twelve months or so, the Portuguese worked his magic,…

Petr Cech isn't renowned for a lavish lifestyle. Not the most vocal or jovial, he is simply a nice footballer. No surprise he expressed that by treating the Arsenal ladies' team to dinner in London. Cech had promised to entertain…

Despite Juventus’ continued dominance, 2018/19 offers a compelling Serie A campaign. Champions League football remains a distinct possibility for six other clubs. Carlo Ancelotti built spacious accommodations for Napoli in second place,…

Every year, prodigiously talented youngsters tease us with their promise. A good number never quite fulfil their potential, leaving us to wonder whatever happened to so-and-so if we even wonder at all.  Nothing thrills more than seeing…

You’ve been to the cinema. You know what happens when the characters must tread a narrow path cut out of a mountainside. Inevitably, the ground gives way below some poor sod’s feet. He shouts, scrambling madly for a purchase. None…

If Che Adams scored against Bolton last Tuesday, it would have created a little bit of Birmingham City history. The striker would've been the first player to score in seven consecutive league matches for the club since Trevor Francis in…

Chelsea hired Maurizio Sarri at the beginning of the 2018/19 season. Many supporters harboured hopes that this would finally signal the end to the circus that had become their managerial recruitment. At first, all the signs were positive. The…

Beginning with the Round of 16 matches, video assistant referees are part and parcel of Champions League officiating. The technology was applied in Rome and Amsterdam. The decision at the Stadio Olimpico was straightforward. Not so at…

After a difficult start to the season that cost Julen Lopetegui the job he'd only just accepted at the expense of managing Spain in the World Cup, Real Madrid finally turned a corner. The Merengues won seven and drew one in their last…

A look at the Premier League goals scored and conceded tables suggest Arsenal’s first priority in the summer transfer market should be a defender.  The Gunners hold down fourth place in the former category but rank eleventh in the…

Manchester United's defence has been their biggest concern this term. That much is obvious. It all stems back to an unwillingness to invest in a centre-back over the summer. In the end, perhaps that's what cost Jose Mourinho his job...…

Nothing lasts forever. This is a statement that has always had paramount effects in the human world. Not even the perfect-looking marriage between Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and his former club, Real Madrid was able to overcome…

Bayer Leverkusen have a fabled reputation when it comes to developing brilliant midfielders in Germany; Michael Ballack, Toni Kroos and Arturo Vidal are amongst those in recent years. New manager, Peter Bosz, has given a new attacking identity…