Month: September 2019

The Argentine now sits ahead of Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas as the most successful player ever to feature in the Spanish top flight

Lionel Messi has surpassed Iker Casillas as the Liga star with most wins in the competition as he helped Barcelona take a huge step towards the title on Saturday. 

The Catalans were made to sweat for the three points by Atletico Madrid, despite the visitors losing Diego Costa early in Camp Nou due to a red card for dissent . 

It was not until the 84th minutes that Barca made the breakthrough, having seen Jan Oblak frustrate the likes of Messi and Luis Suarez with a string of brilliant saves. 

Suarez converted with a stunning strike from the edge of the area that flew into the net beyond the goalkeeper’s grasp to break the deadlock against the 10-man Colchoneros. 

Messi then stepped up just two minutes later with an outrageous no-look finish that left Oblak rooted to the spot, assuring a hard-fought 2-0 victory for the league leaders. 

It also marked a moment of individual distinction for the Argentina, as he sent another long-standing Liga record tumbling. 

Messi has now racked up 335 wins in the Spanish top flight, a number higher than any other player in the history of the division. 

The previous holder of the milestone was Iker Casillas, who had managed 334 during his long, distinguished spell between the posts for Real Madrid. 

Leo, moreover, needed just 447 games to reach the new record compared to Casillas’ 510 outings – meaning a total win rate of just under 75 per cent when on the pitch for Barca.

The Argentine now boasts 33 goals in the current Liga campaign, 13 more than nearest rival Suarez. 

His strike partner also caught the headlines for the most unusual of occurrences: a goal hit from outside the area. 

Both his last two strikes have come from distance, a phenomenon that had never previously taken place since the Uruguayan moved to Spain from Liverpool. 

Barca meanwhile were grateful to the South American pair as they opened up a 11-point lead over Atletico at the Liga summit, an advantage that looks almost insurmountable with just seven games remaining of the season.

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The Gunners boss could only sign Denis Suarez on loan in January, but expects money to be available in the summer

Unai Emery admits Arsenal would struggle to splash out £75 million on one player – such as Liverpool did to sign Virgil van Dijk – but says the Gunners must spend this summer to improve their squad.

As was shown in January when Arsenal could only bring players in on loan, money is relatively tight in north London, but things will improve ahead of the 2019-20 season thanks to the club’s new commercial deals with Adidas and Emirates.

As it stands, the club is working towards a transfer budget of around £45m, but that will rise should Emery’s side go on and secure Champions League football.

Players could also be sold to generate more funds, with Arsenal expected to bring in at least four new players during the summer – including a left-back, a wide attacker and a replacement for Juventus bound Aaron Ramsey.

Emery admits money must be spent to build on what has been an encouraging first season, but was also keen to point out that Arsenal must continue to look to promote from within.

“I think we can improve first, by spending money to achieve players,” said Arsenal’s head coach.

“In the past the club have done great work in watching players, finding and signing young players and developing our players in the academy.

“I have big respect for our work, for our players in the academy. I want to develop the players here – giving them progress to achieve something at a big club like we are.

“We can also achieve [buy] some players who are in other teams, who can come here and give us this performance – like Van Dijk with Liverpool.”

Emery added: “We can share both situations. Developing players with us and [finding] some players who we can spend money on to help us.

“I think we are in the right way with the club, with the owner, with Raul Sanllehi [head of football] to find that. To fight against the teams with more money the us, maybe Manchester City, maybe Real Madrid.

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“Arsenal is great. Our objective is to be with the best teams in the world.”

Arsenal go into Sunday’s game at Everton with Champions League qualification in their own hands.

They know if they win all seven of their remaining games it will be enough to get them back into Europe’s elite competition for the first time in three seasons.

Bringing Champions League football back to the Emirates was Emery’s objective this season, but he admits he wants more.

“When I am training Arsenal I know we have targets, collectively and individually,” he said. “I earned titles in Paris and Sevilla and I think here we need the same objective. To win titles, in the present and the future.

“To win the Premier League is difficult, but our progress is to be consistent and to create a big team to have the possibility to achieve that.

“I am here for that. For titles, to be with the best teams in the world in the Champions League, have the best players in the world.

“This is what I have done in the past and I want to do the same in the future.”

The Red Devils remain in the hunt for a top-four finish, but their former midfielder fears a lack of Champions League football could cost them

Manchester United have been warned that failing to qualify for the Champions League would be “simply not good enough”, with Paul Ince claiming top transfer targets could slip the net as a result.

The Red Devils surged back into contention for a top-four finish following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s appointment as successor to Jose Mourinho on an interim basis.

His early efforts led to him being handed a three-year contract, but he has also endured the first wobble of his reign.

United have suffered three defeats in their last four across all competitions and now sit sixth in the Premier League table.

They are just two points off the Champions League places, and three behind Tottenham in third, but with so many sides in the mix there is a fear that missing out could lead to Solskjaer being unable to bring in the necessary talent during the summer recruitment window.

Former Red Devils midfielder Ince has told Paddy Power: “They need to be picking up results, especially when they’ve still got the likes of Man City to play if they want to make those Champions League spots.

“Ultimately, Man United have to be in the Champions League. It’s simply not good enough if they’re not. 

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“Don’t get me wrong, Ole has done a fantastic job in getting them to this point, but they need to finish the job off.

“They cannot afford to be without European football next year. In fact, United should never not be in that competition. 

“No disrespect, but they should be attracting the biggest players and the biggest players don’t want to play in the Europa League.

“The team should be doing everything they can do make top four, and the Wolves result seems particularly poor because of that.”

United suffered a 2-1 defeat away at Wolves in their most recent outing – the second time they have fallen to that scoreline at Molineux in a matter of weeks.

They had returned to action after the international break with an unconvincing 2-1 win over Watford, with Solskjaer having work to do in order to get his side back on track.

Ince added: “The honeymoon period with Ole is definitely over. He said when he got the job that now it was time to work.

“There’s always more pressure on you when you are given the job permanently, than when you’re a caretaker manager, and he knows that he will be getting analysed and picked apart every time they lose a game.

“The pressure will mount, of course it will. He’s got a lot of work to do and he knows that and not getting into the top four will cause more scrutiny on him – that result [against Wolves] has made that look like a tough ask. Every team has a dip in form, of course, but now could be the worst possible time to have one.

“United face Barcelona next, and then West Ham in the league and it’s crucial that they bounce back from this. That’s what the good Man United teams do, they bounce back.”

Speaking ahead of a huge Premier League clash on Friday, the Liverpool boss revealed he almost targeted his opposite number while at Mainz

Jurgen Klopp says he considered signing Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl during his time at Mainz, as he prepares to face the Austrian with Liverpool on Friday.

The Reds travel to St Mary’s on Friday evening for a vital Premier League fixture which could have a huge impact on this year’s title race.

Liverpool are second in the Premier League – one point behind reigning champions Manchester City with six matches remaining.

A win against Southampton would see Klopp’s side return to the summit, while Pep Guardiola’s men negotiate an FA Cup semi-final against Brighton over the weekend.

Hasenhuttl has had a huge impact for the Saints since taking charge of the first team, helping them climb out of the relegation zone after a dismal first half of the 2018-19 campaign.

Ahead of Liverpool’s arrival on the south coast, Klopp revealed that he came close to buying Hasenhuttl while he was working in the Bundesliga with Mainz.

“I thought about signing him as a back-up striker for different situations when I was the manager at Mainz,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “That would have been funny!

“Each little step in his managerial career, he has really worked hard for and deserves all the praise for it.

“It was a smart decision by Southampton to go for him.”

Klopp was in a playful mood despite the pressure mounting on his players heading into a crucial period of the season.

Liverpool are chasing their first league crown for 29 years, while also plotting a course through the latter stages of the Champions League.

Four successive wins across all competitions have seen the Reds get back on track after an inconsistent start to 2019 and they will be expected to secure another three points against the Saints.

The 51-year-old coach might have one eye on his team’s European clash with Porto next week, however, as the fixture list begins to pile up and tensions continue to rise in their bid for silverware.

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The Derby manager is a big fan of the England youngster, who hopes he can go back to his parent club and make it to the very top of the game

Chelsea legend Frank Lampard is adamant Mason Mount has a bright future ahead of him and believes the sky’s the limit for the young midfielder.

The 20-year-old is regarded as one of the biggest prospects to come through the Chelsea academy in recent years and excelled on loan at Eredivisie side Vitesse last term.

He was sent out on loan to Derby County this season to continue his development under Lampard’s guidance and has been in impressive form once more.

Mount’s fine performances even earned him a call-up to the England squad back in October 2018 and it seems likely he will return to Stamford Bridge come the end of the season, with Chelsea’s transfer ban potentially increasing his chances of getting regular first-team action.

The youngster is currently sidelined due to injury, keeping him out of contention for Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for the March internationals, yet Lampard has nothing but praise for the midfielder.

“Firstly, he has the potential to be a top player, and I mean that,” Lampard told Goal . “He broke into the England squad which I thought was a great achievement after playing for us. I think he can go as far as he wants. I have seen a progression in him now.

“He has played two-thirds of a season now in the Championship, which is full throttle and very taxing on a young midfielder to be the creator that he is. Also the amount of work he does off the ball for us, which I think goes unnoticed, he has been fantastic in doing that for us.

“He is a player who really wants to learn and be at the top. It is as important as the talent itself. He works fantastically hard. He is a good team-mate and he has the talent to go to the top. He has been a pleasure to work with.

“His choices have been really good. He was very successful in the Chelsea academy and youth team, as a team and for him as an individual. He took a leap to go abroad. That in itself, in terms of his personality, says a lot and he performed brilliantly there in terms of goals and assists.

“He has come to the Championship and performed very well here as well. So I think everyone’s pathway is different. We know that at Chelsea it is quite difficult to get into their first team at 17, 18 or 19 years of age, but he hasn’t sat still. He has actually gone out and played and played a lot of games.

“I would be delighted for him [to play for Chelsea]. I know what a great lad he is as well. He works so hard, and he has a good mentality. If anyone deserves it, it will be Mason, and I would be absolutely delighted for him to get in that team.”

Mount was among the first of a number of English youngsters to make the move abroad at a young age – albeit temporarily – with the likes of Jadon Sancho, Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe all having headed to the Bundesliga this term.

Lampard believes leaving the English game could have a positive impact on a youngster’s career, but is also quick to stress there is no guaranteed path to success that suits everyone.

“It depends on the individual,” he added. “Fair play to the ones who do decide that. If they feel it is going to enhance their career for whatever reason. I think it can be a different choice for many reasons.

“I think for some that it can be good to stay with their parent club. For some, it might be better to go out on loan in the UK, for some it is somewhere else. It will always come down to how dedicated and talented the player is, without a doubt.

“Choosing the right pathway is an important element of it but the ones who rise to the top, no matter the pathway, are generally the ones who have the right mentality and attitude.”

Lampard was speaking on behalf of his role as Nano M ambassador, who seek to promote well-being and healthcare in professional sport.

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The 19-year-old was asked to help fill in for Juventus’ superstar forward against Empoli and rewarded that show of faith with a match-winning strike

Moise Kean is filling the shoes of Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus – temporarily, at least – and following in the footsteps of Mario Balotelli with his goal-scoring exploits as a teenager in Serie A.

An academy graduate in Turin has been tipped to enjoy a bright future for some time.

He is, after all, already a record-breaking performer at senior level.

Upon being given his big break by Juve, Kean became the first player born in the 21st century to grace one of Europe’s top divisions, to score in one and to appear in the Champions League.

That place in the history books is safely secured, but there are more to be shot at.

The ambitious youngster has already stated his desire to chase down more records, just like current colleague Ronaldo.

For now, Kean is being asked to provide cover for a five-time Ballon d’Or winner nursing an untimely injury.

He was introduced off the bench by Massimiliano Allegri during the second-half of a meeting with Emploi on Sunday, and within three minutes had grabbed a match-winner.

Kean now has eight efforts to his name in the Italian top-flight, spread across outings for Juve and those taken in during a loan spell at Verona.

Only former Inter and Milan frontman Balotelli can claim to have hit that mark at a younger age, with a teenager who has also earned senior international recognition heading down an illustrious path.

Balotelli was just 18 when reaching eight goals in Serie A, but Kean could go on to achieve much more.

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A fellow countryman is currently impressing at Marseille, but there have been plenty of false dawns for a striker who is now 28 years of age and considered to have wasted much of his undoubted talent.

The same cannot be said of Kean at present, with his early promise hinting at a rise to the very top of the game.

Two goals have been recorded in just three appearances for Italy, while he has nine efforts at club level.

Three of those have come in the Italian top-flight season, and from just three shots on target.

Juve are fully aware of the talent they have on their hands and despite boasting the likes of Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic on their books, have worked hard to keep Kean and block any more loan moves away from the Allianz Stadium.

Games have been coming thick and fast for the Hornets and their captain says their next match-up feels like ‘just another game’

Watford captain Troy Deeney is treating this weekend’s FA Cup semi-final like any other game and admits he is not excited about facing Wolves at Wembley.

Victories over Woking, Newcastle United, QPR and Crystal Palace have earned Watford a place in the last four, and another win on Sunday would see them into their first FA Cup final since 1984.

While that would excite most, Deeney insists this weekend’s clash has no extra meaning for him, particularly given it is Watford’s second semi-final in four seasons.

“I’ve played in an FA Cup semi-final before, so I wouldn’t say it’s the biggest game of my career,” he told talkSPORT.

“I’ve got a weird feeling about this one; it doesn’t excite me too much, it doesn’t make me go, ‘Ah!’ It’s just another game.

“We’ve had two games this week, I’m knackered. I’m literally just preparing like it’s another game.”

While the clash may not have got Deeney excited, Wolves defender Ryan Bennett is relishing the opportunity at Wembley.

“It’s not every day that you get the chance to progress into a final and we’ve got a good opportunity now after beating some good teams to get here,” he told the club’s official website.

“Now we’re looking at playing well and pushing forward to try and get into the final and hopefully go on to win it.”

He added: “To reach a semi-final in any competition, regardless of when it was last done, is always a massive achievement for a club. I think it’s going to be amazing.

“It’s not every day you get medals in football, and that’s one of the biggest ones out there, so I would love to go and get it.”

Little separates the two sides heading into the clash, with the Premier League pair sitting just a point apart in the English top flight.

A return to league action after the cup clash sees Wolves get arguably the easier fixture as they travel to Southampton, while Watford host Arsenal two days later.

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If the players at the world’s biggest football club can’t be bothered, why should you?

Karim Benzema fought bravely against the tide, but Real Madrid put in an eminently unwatchable performance at Leganes in a 1-1 draw on Monday.

Zinedine Zidane’s return was supposed to have reinvigorated Madrid but they are lamely stumbling towards the finish line of a season which seems, at this point, endless.

They are third, 14 points behind leaders Barcelona, nine ahead of Sevilla in fourth, in purgatory until the summer sales begin.

The fact that they were playing on Monday speaks for itself. It’s a slot reserved for the teams in mid-table and lower. And that seemed fitting.

The first half was one of the direst in Madrid’s recent history, which really is saying something.

Marco Asensio spurned one good chance near the start, fluffing his lines after being teed up by Isco.

Then, tumbleweed. Even given the low stakes, though, this collection of players should be capable of putting on a more entertaining performance than this.

Madrid are the most successful club in the history of football, and this display was just the latest embarrassment in a season of misery for the storied Spanish capital side.

Los Blancos created nothing until a chance for Raphael Varane came after a scramble in the box, which was parried by Leganes goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar.

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The French centre-back should have scored but it would have been far more than Madrid deserved, putting in the same hopeless performance they have offered up for most of the season.

Even though their hero Zidane has returned, nothing has changed. It will not and cannot until the club is scrubbed clean.

The deadwood needs to go. Until now, the media has focused on which players are performing badly to see whom Madrid might sell, but after Zidane’s comments on Sunday, that theory has changed.

“There are many players here that can be sold because they are all really good,” said the coach ahead of this clash.

So now the focus was on which players could put themselves in the shop window – and none obliged.

The one player who showed some conviction was the same player who all season has been head and shoulders above the rest – Karim Benzema.

He is one of the very few whom Zidane will want to keep, along with Varane and captain Sergio Ramos.

Benzema levelled for Madrid early in the second half after Leganes took the lead with Jonathan Silva slamming the hosts ahead at Butarque in the 45th minute.

Luka Modric slipped in the Frenchman and after seeing his first shot saved, he showed the heart and desire the team as a whole desperately lacked to slip in the rebound.

It might have sparked something in the European champions, it should have. But they continued to disappoint.

Marcelo came close with one effort but Leganes gave as good as they got, with Youssef En-Nesyri having a goal ruled out for offside at the other end.

Real Madrid players have to take a good look at themselves after this. Even though they are firmly ensconced in third place, they owe the shirt and badge more commitment than they offered at Butarque.

The Belgian goalkeeper saw his transfer wish granted over the summer and admits to having experienced a frustrating end to his time in England

Simon Mignolet has admitted to losing patience with life at Liverpool long before he secured a move away from Anfield.

The Belgium international was the undisputed No.1 at Anfield for a while.

Having been snapped up from Sunderland for £9 million ($11m) in the summer of 2013, he took in 204 appearances for the Reds.

Only two of those came in the 2018-19 campaign, with Liverpool having invested £65m ($81m) in landing Brazilian star Alisson.

Mignolet had already slipped behind Loris Karius in the pecking order by the time further competition arrived and found himself firmly wedged down Jurgen Klopp’s plans last season.

The 31-year-old admits that was difficult to take, with there having been a desire on his part to secure a switch elsewhere some time before he was offered the chance to return to his homeland at Club Brugge.

Mignolet told Het Nieuwsblad on a frustrating end to a nine-year spell in English football: “After pre-season, I returned with the idea: now I am going to give everything here and I get nothing in return.

“However, that was the easy option: seeing out the remaining two years at Liverpool, making good money at a top European club and being a free agent at the age of 33.

“But another two years on the bench, that wasn’t in me. I had been at the end of my patience for the past six or seven months.”

Mignolet claims that plenty of interest in his services was shown once an exit door was opened by Liverpool.

The likes of Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Porto and Benfica were all keen on doing a deal.

He was, however, to head home at the end of a protracted saga.

Even with it clear that he was surplus to requirements and that no regular game time would be afforded to him, Mignolet says Liverpool still made it tricky for him to get out.

He added: “Not difficult? I don’t dare say that!”

Mignolet has slipped straight into the starting XI at Club Brugge, taking in four domestic outings while also helping the club into the group stages of the Champions League.

Each of the 89 Icons will have four different cards – but how will they work, when are they available and how can you get them?

FIFA 20 is primed for release on September 24, with fans around the world counting down the hours before it hits their consoles.

One of the most popular modes in the game is, once again, sure to be Fifa Ultimate Team, in which players build dream teams consisting of their favourite stars.

Since FIFA 18, there have been icon cards available which allow players to include selected stars from the past in their squads. In FIFA 20, there will be 89 such players, including 15 new stars, each of whom will have four individual cards representing a different stage of their career. 

As such, attributes of the Icons will vary from card to card, while certain cards will only be introduced into the game after several months.

Here’s exactly how FUT Icons will work in FIFA 20.

Base Cards

The base version of each Icon will typically represent a period in their career in which they will still honing their skills and working their way to brilliance. As such, these cards are typically the weakest for each Icon.

EA will make these cards available in packs and via the FUT Draft from the release of the EA & Origin Access Trial through until mid-December. Once that deadline has gone, these players will no longer be available in packs, although it will be possible to trade for them.

Mid Cards

These cards are typically stronger than the base cards as they represent the Icon pushing towards the top of the game. By this stage, the Icons were typically among the elite handful of players in the world and have ratings that reflect that.

The availability of these cards varies a little to that of the base cards. While it will also be possible to secure mid cards from the release of the game, these will be on offer in packs and via the FUT Draft for two months longer, extending into February 2020.

Prime Cards

FUT players will favour these cards over both the base and mid versions as these represent the Icons at the peak of their powers. With that in mind, the ratings will be higher than the previous versions.

Fans will not be able to get their hands on these cards until mid-December, when they are released into the game via packs and the FUT Draft. Once they have been released, they will remain in the game until the end of FUT 20.

Moment Cards

Moment cards will be the platinum-standard for FUT Icons in FIFA 20. These do not represent a particular era, but instead, focus on a historic performance in which they established themselves as an all-time legend of the game.

While these will be the most sought after additions to anyone’s FUT squad as they will be the highest-rated version of an Icon in FIFA 2020, they will not be available until February 2020.  

Icons who were in previous versions of FIFA will not necessarily have the same Moment version as they had in those prior games. 

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Icon Swaps

EA Sports has announced that it wants Icon cards to be more accessible to a wider range of players and one of the strategies to achieve this it has come up with is the Icon Swap.

There were will be three Icon Swaps throughout the year, in which players have to complete certain objectives in order to receive tokens in return. These tokens can then be traded for Icon rewards during a Swaps release.

During an Icon Swaps release, there will be 20 individual Icons available, though these are untradeable. This will consist of a range of Icon versions, though if one player has been used in one Icon Swap release, they will not appear in any others.

Each Icon Swaps release will have a unique number of tokens assigned to it, with each individual Icon requiring a certain number of tokens to redeem. These tokens will not roll over between releases.

The first release of Icon Swaps, which offers players in Prime before they are otherwise available, takes place on October 11 and runs through until December.

Details of the two subsequent Icon Swap periods will be made available in due course.