It is hardly going out on a limb to suggest for example that Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool may see a clearer path to the shiny stuff in the Champions League this season than at home where they are already miles off the paceWhen Antonio Conte said at the start of the week that English clubs had a great chance of Champions League success this season he was possibly trying to gloss over a less than favourable draw that left Chelsea with the unenviable task of advancing past Barcelona. The draw was generally kind to English clubs, though Tottenham may beg to differ, and in pitting Real Madrid against Paris Saint-Germain it guaranteed the removal of at least one of the...
Sean Dyche takes Burnley into lofty territory, José Mourinho miscalculated in the Manchester derby and Tiémoué Bakayoko fails to justify his costly transferThere is a temptation to regard Burnley’s presence in the upper reaches of the division as an early-season aberration. One of their alumni argued otherwise, while maintaining that improbable interlopers will benefit if they continue to be overlooked. Andre Gray, who traded Turf Moor for Vicarage Road in the summer, said: “The table doesn’t lie. It’s 16 games, not four or five where they’ve had a great run, and they’re seventh. They’ve been consistent.” The striker was jeered by some fans on his first return to Burnley, but had nothing but praise for his former colleagues and his...
Atlético Madrid’s no transfer policy contributed to their failure to reach the knockout stage of the Champions League, while Eden Hazard’s dazzling display gives Chelsea cause for optimismAt the end of this occasionally heated, largely room temperature night of make-or-break Champions League football Atlético Madrid’s travelling fans could be seen still singing in the away end 20 minutes after the final whistle, scarves twirling, flags draped, a wall of consolatory red and white.Atlético may have just failed to reach the knockout stages for the first time in seven seasons after this 1-1 draw. They may have looked blunt, a powerhouse whose resources have been stretched, with a team who have aged together. But this is a club built on that...
Manchester City chasing record number of records, Hazard challenged to get better still, Puel proves his worth again and Pochettino unfazed by wobble• Sign up now and get our weekly email, The Recap, every Friday Related: Pep Guardiola happy as Man City repeat ‘Fergie time’ trick against West Ham Related: The Dozen: the weekend’s best Premier League photos Continue reading...
Is there a possible straw for Manchester City rivals to clutch at? Jack Wilshere has an impact off the bench and Riyad Mahrez is treading water at Leicester• Sign up to our weekly email, The Recap, here, showcasing a selection of our sport features from the past seven daysManchester City proved they possess the spirit to match their skills in fighting back from an undeserved half-time deficit to claim this win. Huddersfield Town, who were again impressive, held the lead for 1min54sec – 20% of the total time City have been behind in their seven away games this season. City’s unbeaten record was briefly imperilled by a poor period of play which had Fabian Delph at its heart. The stand-in...