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West Ham’s first season at London Stadium: a ‘terrible’ experience or a step forward?

Slaven Bilic’s side have struggled in their new home and only visible progress on the pitch will compensate fans who have swapped 112 years of history for a running track and a poor atmosphereFrom a business perspective, it was not hard to understand why West Ham United found it impossible to resist the allure of the London Stadium, with its agreeably large capacity, vast corporate facilities, proximity to the capital’s centre and Olympic legacy. It seemed to tick all the boxes for a club looking to reach the next level, as long as everyone kept in mind the football team that was going to play there. They would have to feel as comfortable as those sitting in the posh seats....

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Premier League: 10 talking points from this weekend’s action

Gabriel and Arsenal falter under pressure, Crystal Palace have a problem with fan behaviour, Sunderland must keep Didier Ndong while Hull’s Harry Maguire continues his excellent formSean Dyche laughed off the fact James Tarkowski had been struck by a plastic cigarette lighter as Burnley’s players celebrated their first goal but Crystal Palace will find the incident far from amusing. This was the third time a visiting player has been struck by an object thrown from that corner of the Holmesdale stand since the club returned to the Premier League in 2013. Wayne Rooney and more recently Fabricio Coloccini were the others hit and the Metropolitan police appealed for witnesses over the coin flung at the Newcastle defender. The Football Association...

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Gianfranco Zola’s Birmingham blues show creative gifts can get lost in dugout | Richard Williams

The story of Italian’s past decade provides an illustration of the difficulties experienced by so many creative players who set out to translate their talents to the manager’s roleGianfranco Zola left the manager’s job at Birmingham City on Easter Monday, the local paper said “with dignity”. His decision acknowledged the implications of supervising only two victories in 24 matches and he was praised for turning up to explain himself rather than slinking out of the back entrance. The manner of his going was consistent with the class he had shown during a 20-year playing career that took him from an amateur team in his native Sardinia to glory with Napoli, Parma and Chelsea, and to 35 senior international appearances for...

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Premier League: 10 talking points from this weekend’s action

Lukaku and Barkley owe Koeman a lot, Wilshere’s Bournemouth loan has proved a damp squib and Mignolet finally proving a positive game-changer for LiverpoolThe focus so often fixes upon Wilfried Zaha at Crystal Palace but over their seven-game revival under Sam Allardyce, they have posed as much threat from the opposite flank. Andros Townsend had rather grumbled through his first seven months at Selhurst Park, unhappy to be operating from the left and only offering flashes of his quality. The past seven weeks have been more reflective of a winger with 13 England caps. “Against Arsenal, Andros shut down three Arsenal players on his own, one after the other,” Allardyce said. “He ran from the right side to the left,...

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Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Everton and Romelu Lukaku get to shift their attention to the pitch, Liverpool face off with Manchester City, and Spurs look to push on without Harry KaneEverton-owned strikers will provide two causes for regret at Goodison Park on Saturday. Hull City miss Oumar Niasse, the on-loan centre-forward whose goals against Swansea City last week have made escaping the drop a realistic proposition, as he is ineligible to face the club that froze him out within months of arriving from Lokomotiv Moscow. That is poor timing as Marco Silva looks to create some momentum but Everton have concerns of their own. Romelu Lukaku and his family are hardly known for reticence but his clearly voiced concerns about the club’s ambition, hot...

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