'Schillaci was a man who lived for goals'

Published

2 hours ago

September 20, 2024

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'Schillaci was a man who lived for goals'

Italian football expert Mina Rzouki remembers Salvatore ‘Toto’ Schillaci, who has died aged 59.

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FPL tips and team of the week: Erling Haaland not essential this week

Published

4 mins ago

September 20, 2024

NewsAdmin

FPL tips and team of the week: Erling Haaland not essential this week

Emi Martinez, Aston Villa, keeper, £5m – home to Wolves

Clean sheets have been so hard to predict this season.

Gameweek four saw six of them from the 10 games, which means we’ve had 18 in 40 games – or clean sheets for 18 teams from a potential 80!

There’s no standout keeper this week but Martinez has been a big-game performer in the past and derby games can be tight affairs.

Yukinari Sugawara, Southampton, defender, £4.5m – home to Ipswich

The Japanese full-back has been flying down the right flank in manager Russell Martin’s progressive style of play where he likes to overload areas of the pitch.

Sugawara has put in 16 crosses, double any of his defensive team-mates and second on the team to Will Smallbone.

He’s created three of Southampton’s five big chances and also scored at Brentford.

Ipswich have been goal shy so far, with just two in their four games and, should Saints turn some impressive periods of play into a 90-minute performance, Sugawara has chances of a return at both ends of the pitch.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool, defender, £7m – home to Bournemouth

I may sound like a broken record by now but the attacking returns are on the horizon for the most expensive defender in the game.

Alexander-Arnold was close to another clean sheet last week before Nottingham Forest’s smash-and-grab success at Anfield and it’s amazing he has not got an assist yet.

The right-back’s expected assists (xA) stat is an incredible 1.87 from four games. For context, that is an assist higher than any other defender in the game except Villa left-back Digne (0.94). Tottenham’s Pedro Porro and Sugawara are next with just 0.67.

Josko Gvardiol, Manchester City, defender, £6m – home to Arsenal

Defences are likely to be on top when City host Arsenal on Sunday and you’d expect the Gunners to set up like they did last season, to absorb City pressure and hit on the break.

Rodri should return to City’s line-up which should mean Gvardiol playing a more progressive position down the left like he did at the back-end of last season.

He’ll see plenty of the ball, we know he has a goal or assist in him and, if City do keep a clean sheet, the Croatian will be a strong contender for bonus points.

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Football

Salvatore Schillaci: Italy striker announces himself during 1990 World Cup

Published

1 hour ago

September 20, 2024

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Salvatore Schillaci: Italy striker announces himself during 1990 World Cup

Watch the moment substitute Salvatore ‘Toto’ Schillaci announced himself on the global stage at Italia ’90 with his side’s first goal during Italy’s opening match against Austria.

Schillaci was the top scorer at the 1990 World Cup, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot on home soil.

It was announced on Wednesday that Schillaci has died aged 59.

Available to UK users only.

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Football

Martin Odegaard: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says captain’s ankle injury ‘quite significant’

Published

3 hours ago

September 20, 2024

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Martin Odegaard: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says captain's ankle injury 'quite significant'

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says captain Martin Odegaard has suffered a “quite significant” ankle ligament injury.

The midfielder limped off during Norway’s Nations League win over Austria on Monday, 9 September.

Odegaard had gone down in pain after hurting his left ankle following a foul by Christoph Baumgartner midway through the second half.

He returned to Arsenal for an MRI scan and missed his side’s 1-0 win at Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday.

“The scan showed some damage around the ligaments in the ankle so we are going to miss him,” said Gunners boss Arteta before his side play Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday.

“It’s something quite significant so we are going to lose him for a while. Hopefully not months.”

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Football

Rodri: WIll players actually go on strike and legally can they do it?

Published

4 hours ago

September 20, 2024

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Rodri: WIll players actually go on strike and legally can they do it?

Southampton manager Russell Martin said he “didn’t think” his players were interested in striking after their promotion to the Premier League.

He said: “We’ve gone from 50 games to 38 and a couple of cup games so I think our lads will be delighted.”

But he did add: “I think something’s going to give at some point. I think that will be that the quality will be diluted at the top level.

“The top players… you’ll see less of them because of injuries, so I think he [Rodri] has a very good point and I think it needs to be looked at – the welfare of the guys playing internationals and the Champions League.”

Ross Meadows, head of employment at law firm Oury Clark, said: “In practice, I think this will be a last resort if co-ordinated through the Professional Footballers’ Association or Fifpro as there are significant legal hurdles to overcome to have a lawful strike, including a ballot to all members and notice to the Premier League clubs.

“The PFA, for example, typically seeks to resolve disputes through negotiations rather than strikes. Historically, football players have avoided strike action in favour of collective bargaining and pressure through their union.”

Former England and Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart said on BBC Radio 5 Live that Rodri and Alisson were “just speaking from their hearts”.

“Two players there that are going to speak honestly,” he said. “They’re not rash guys, they’re not guys who sensationalise everything. I’m sure they just answered questions.

“Rodri, in particular, was asked whether they’re close to going on strike. I don’t think in the forefront of his mind was thinking ‘you know what we are up to… that is actually the plan’.

“He is just saying that at some point they’re going to have to stand up for themselves because it is a lot of football.”

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Football

Boniface's amazing trick pass sets up Leverkusen goal

Published

5 hours ago

September 20, 2024

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Boniface's amazing trick pass sets up Leverkusen goal

Victor Boniface produces a brilliant trick pass before Alejandro Grimaldo scores Bayer Leverkusen’s second goal against Feyenoord.

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Football

Champions League 2024-25: First impressions of new format

Published

6 hours ago

September 20, 2024

NewsAdmin

Champions League 2024-25: First impressions of new format

This new ‘league phase’ – instead of lots of groups all containing four teams – is going to take some getting used to.

One big table with 36 teams is something we do not even see in league football, and taking it all in involves some serious scrolling. You can check out the full thing here.

Remember, teams who finish in the top eight will qualify automatically for the last 16, while those who place ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them.

Whoever finishes 25th or lower will be eliminated. So only one-third of teams actually go out after everyone plays eight games.

According to Opta, 16 points from a possible 24 gives a 98% chance of a top-eight finish.

Ten points is 99% likely to lead to a top-24 finish, so teams who won this week only need two more wins and a draw for a chance of reaching the last 16.

Fifteen teams won their opening games (meaning 15 teams lost) which leaves six clubs in between on one point.

In a nutshell, if you won you’ve got a great chance of going through. If you lost… you’ve still got a great chance of going through.

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