After Tottenham’s Champions League exit was confirmed with a defeat at Monaco, we look at the reasons for the meek showing by Mauricio Pochettino’s side in the competitionWhen Arsenal had to play their Champions League home ties at Wembley in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, Arsène Wenger and his players said all the right things about how the national stadium ought to lift them. It was only some time after the event that they revealed their true feelings. Wenger and Ray Parlour used the word “nightmare”, while Emmanuel Petit called it a “disaster”. Arsenal lost three of their six matches at Wembley and they failed to advance in the competition. It will be interesting to see whether – or, more likely, when...
The striker is prolific and has an admirable work ethic but, as in the match at Parc des Princes, has a habit of falling short when his team need him the mostThe two things that nearly everyone agrees on are he is dashingly swoonsome and that is irrelevant. Beyond that there is constant debate about the usefulness of a high-scoring striker who will attempt to deliver a decisive performance at the Emirates on Wednesday. We are talking – before anyone launches into another dissertation on Olivier Giroud – about Edinson Cavani.It is easy to forget that Cavani opened the scoring when Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain drew 1-1 at Parc des Princes in September. Because what really sticks in the mind...
The podders examine Spurs’ winless streak before a crucial north London derby. Plus, Manchester City get the beating of Barcelona and Inter axe De BoerSubscribe and review: iTunes, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast & StitcherIt’s a jam-packed edition of Football Weekly Extraaaaa, with James Richardson joined by Barry Glendenning, James Horncastle and Gregg Bakowski to look back on a busy week in the Champions League. Continue reading...
Pep Guardiola sowed the seeds for this performance in the first half in the Camp Nou a fortnight earlier, and the landmark victory over Barcelona showed his side are ready to establish themselves at Europe’s top tablePeople laughed at the idea that Manchester City played well in their first game against Barcelona two weeks ago. But they lost 4-0, it was pointed out. They ended up with 10 men. They handed Lionel Messi his latest Champions League hat-trick on a plate. All true, yet City did play well in the Camp Nou, between their various defensive mishaps they showed a willingness to get at Barcelona and make chances. If that was a sign of a new tenacity under Pep Guardiola...
The Argentinian striker may not have scored against Barcelona but Pep Guardiola would have been delighted by his relentless all-round gameSergio Agüero dominated the fallout from Manchester City’s defeat in Barcelona without setting foot on the pitch for 79 minutes and he eclipsed Lionel Messi in the return at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night without getting on the scoresheet. The reaction of City’s gifted Argentinian was everything Pep Guardiola desired and demanded on their landmark victory in the Champions League.The final touch eluded Agüero against Luis Enrique’s spell-binding yet defensively fragile team but, strangely for an outstanding goalscorer, that kept the focus on where the striker needed it most. His work rate, movement and creativity have all been brought...