José Mourinho has lamented his side’s poor fortune after the home draws against Arsenal, Burnley and Stoke but a look at the statistics tells a different storyThere was an amusing moment when José Mourinho spoke to the press after Manchester United’s draw against Arsenal as the manager attempted to suggest he was at a disadvantage compared with rivals because of the short period of time he has been at the club. “Look how long Mr Wenger has been with his team,” he began, predictably but reasonably enough. The next manager he mentioned was Mauricio Pochettino, however, who has not exactly been at Tottenham for a lifetime, and when the only other example he could think of was Jürgen Klopp, just...
Crystal Palace need to stand tall after another defeat, Arsenal’s steel bodes well for title challenge and West Ham’s problems up front have been laid bare Related: Pep Guardiola was always going to win but Yaya Touré may not have lost Related: David Luiz holds back to ensure Chelsea’s defence stays unbreached | Michael Cox Related: Victor Anichebe thrives after being given fresh lease of life at Sunderland Related: Harry Winks gives Tottenham hope for Champions League survival Continue reading...
First and second in the Premier League, the teams of Antonio Conte and Jürgen Klopp may find not playing in the Champions or Europa League will help decide who secures the titleForget Brexit. Now Chelsea and Liverpool are first and second in the Premier League we should start discussing Chexit and Lexit. This weekend I asked an executive from a leading Premier League club whether Chelsea and Liverpool had an advantage by not being in Europe this season. Of course they have, he replied. The only question is, how much? Related: Ruthless Diego Costa sees off Middlesbrough and sends Chelsea top Related: Liverpool left frustrated as dogged Southampton hold on for a draw Continue reading...
Ronald Koeman’s comments about Romelu Lukaku and Liverpool’s title chances were not diplomatic but Evertonians should not pine for the failed romanticism of Roberto MartínezWelcome back to club football, the sort that does not have to apologise for forcing viewers to wait an extra day for I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!. Events have been unfolding during the international break and it transpires that some Everton supporters think Ronald Koeman should be gagged. They do not care for the tone of some of the manager’s recent remarks and believe club officials should step in to shut him up next time he starts saying Romelu Lukaku probably will have to move somewhere else to fulfil his potential, or...
The former England captain has departed the LA Galaxy. And he always gave the impression of a man who valued the Californian lifestyle over MLSThere were more than a few familiar aspects to Steven Gerrard’s last appearance on a Major League Soccer pitch. Not for the first time, he stroked home a penalty past Tim Howard as the LA Galaxy vied with the Colorado Rapids for a place in the Western Conference final. And again, not for the first time, the 36-year-old finished a shoot-out on the losing side. It was an appropriate way for Gerrard to bring this stint of his career to a close.Of course, that isn’t reflective of the glittering 18-year career Gerrard has enjoyed, during which...