Big-spending Nottingham Forest will hope they can do a Wolves but the English second tier remains unpredictable Related: League One 2018-19 preview| Ben Fisher Related: League Two 2018-19 season preview | Ben Fisher Related: Number of clubs sponsored by betting firms is ‘disturbing’, say campaigners Related: Football League 2018-19: 20 things to watch out for this season | Jacob Steinberg Continue reading...
Álvaro Morata needs to play regularly, rusty Manolo Gabbiadini can solve Southampton’s problems, and Stoke are in big trouble Related: Chelsea’s Morata tries to run his way into Antonio Conte’s good books | Barney Ronay Related: Mohamed Salah will get even better before the season is out, says Jürgen Klopp Continue reading...
City’s manager fails to learn from Tottenham’s experience at Rochdale and his weakened team paid a hefty priceManchester City had already done their bit for the romance of the FA Cup by losing to Wigan twice in the last few years, first in the 2013 final and then in the quarters a year later. Incredibly this hectic night might eclipse both those upsets.The chances of the underdogs completing a hat-trick looked slim with two divisions separating the sides and City practically crowned champions already, though where there is Claudio Bravo in goal there is always hope and Pep Guardiola sportingly offered Wigan further encouragement by starting with Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker on the bench. Related: Wigan’s Will Grigg...
Michy Batshuayi might be just what Chelsea need, VAR creates fresh farce and Coventry’s on-field outlook brightens at lastCardiff are not the first team to irk Pep Guardiola this season with their aggressive style but the constant fouling and Lee Mason’s conservative use of cards meant Manchester City were lucky to get away with only one injury in their victory at Cardiff City Stadium. Leroy Sané was the victim of a heinous shin-high challenge from Joe Bennett at the end of the first half that was punished only with a yellow card, the Cardiff defender eventually being dismissed in the closing stages of the match for a late lunge on the teenager Brahim Díaz. Guardiola rightly lambasted Mason after the...
League One leaders win 4-0 to puncture euphoria at AFC Wimbledon after club was cleared to return to their spiritual home of Plough LaneEmotions ran high at Kingsmeadow on Saturday, when Wimbledon got their celebrations in first and Wigan Athletic went home with a 4-0 win, emphasising their right to top League One and sending them from 20th to 23rd.Wimbledon’s celebrations were nothing to do with the match but rather the news that, barring a judicial review, for which there is a six-week window, the club have cleared the last hurdle on their way back to Plough Lane, their spiritual home for 100 years. The plan is for a £25m, 11,000-seat ground 250 yards down the road, on the site...