Chelsea's Charly Musonda talks us through a tough three years - and the extraordinary story of how a knee injury saved his father's life.
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Friday, April 30, 2021
Charly Musonda: Chelsea winger tells Football Focus about three-year recovery
Chelsea winger Charly Musonda tells Football Focus he "feels like a fighter" having spent the past three years recovering from injury.
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Jurgen Klopp warns Liverpool over Chelsea and Manchester United progress
Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool’s title challenge next season will be even tough due to the progress made by Manchester United and Chelsea.
Manchester City are on the brink of winning the Premier League as they currently have a 10-point advantage over United, who are in second place.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have suffered a drastic dip in form this season and are now in danger of missing out on a top-four finish with Leicester City and Chelsea in pole position to secure third and fourth spot.
And Klopp believes Liverpool’s bid to win the Premier League title once again ‘will not get easier’ due to how quickly their rivals are improving.
‘We are responsible for the things that happen to us. We were involved in the last few years constantly in semi-finals and fighting or league titles,’ said Klopp.
‘I don’t know if other teams felt bad because of us but I wish for them not, I’m not like that. I’m not a person like this.
‘They [City] deserve the situation they are in. That is football, that is fair. They won an awful lot of games. United turned the game around [against Roma] – like they did 20 times this year.
‘I had my bad moments in the season for other reasons, not because other teams are winning more games than us.
‘That’s not my problem, my only problem is with the opponent of the specific weekend and not think, ‘oh my God, City again and United are back on track’.
‘Life is too short for these kind of worries or thoughts.
‘We will challenge them again next year but this year we can only finish our season as good as possible and we have nothing to do with semi-finals and finals.
‘It always becomes harder because City never stops. That is clear. They did not stop and they will not stop.
‘United is coming up definitely everyone can see that, Chelsea is obviously in a brilliant place, a top squad.
‘Thomas [Tuchel] inherited a present and you can see that they are really good so it will not get easier.
‘We’re not just talking about City there will be other teams for sure. We have to deal with all the other teams who are outstandingly strong but still go under the radar like Leicester: brilliant manager and a top squad dealing with different situations.
‘Nobody should write off Tottenham or Arsenal. Obviously West Ham is now flying. How can it be easier? It is not only City.
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Arsenal need to make ‘unbelievable offer’ to sign Emi Buendia, says Norwich boss Daniel Farke
Arsenal have been told that they will need to make an ‘unbelievable offer’ in order to sign Emi Buendia from Norwich City this summer.
The Gunners had explored the possibility of signing Buendia in the January transfer window but Norwich stood firm over their £40 million asking price.
The Championship club, who have already secured automatic promotion back to the Premier League, are in a strong negotiating position as Buendia’s contract expires in 2024.
And Norwich boss Daniel Farke insists the club are keen to keep the Argentine.
‘Of course if one of the best clubs in the world wants Emi as a starter and makes an unbelievable offer then it could be a realistic solution for all parties,’ said Farke.
‘But Emi is a key player and it is always our task to make sure that we keep the key players.
‘It is due to the great work of Stuart Webber we have them under long term contracts.
‘That means if a club wants them they have to invest an unbelievable amount of money.
‘If there is a club who want to put some crazy offers out then maybe you use this to help the club in the future, but as a head coach my first thought is to work further on with our key players.’
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Thomas Tuchel insists he wont get ‘angry’ with Chelsea board over summer transfer targets
Thomas Tuchel insists he will not get ‘angry’ with Chelsea’s hierarchy if they are unable to secure his preferred transfer targets this summer.
After taking over from Frank Lampard at the end of January, Tuchel has put Chelsea in a strong position to finish in the top four in the Premier League and also has the chance to guide the team to the Champions League final later this month.
Chelsea are understood to be prioritising a new striker for the upcoming transfer window with Erling Haaland, Sergio Aguero and Romelu Lukaku all linked with moves to Stamford Bridge.
And while Tuchel admits he already has ideas about which profile of player Chelsea should target, he is adamant that he will not be unhappy if his first-choice targets do not arrive this summer.
‘I have opinions about what we can add to the group to get better,’ said Tuchel.
‘This is my job and I will give my opinion and I am asked my opinion and we will do this and sometimes opinions change.
‘This is also a process and I have my ideas of course. I have ideas of certain profiles. This is not about me wishing for this player A and B and if they don’t come I will get angry. This was never like this in my whole career. This will not be like this.
‘I totally understand there are issues to solve with the agents, the player, the interests of a club. It is not only about me and my wishes.
‘I talk with the club and give my opinion and we share this with the scouting and of course I’m involved and I should be involved and I have absolutely the feeling that I am involved.
‘The players that we have are fantastic players with big personalities. Right now is even the moment where we get to know each other better and better and we have big games coming and coming and crucial times ahead of us.
‘We will have a very clear picture of our group at least and the stronger they perform the harder it is to improve the squad from outside. But there is always room and there are always ideas and we will find out.
‘I have the strong feeling we are not in a rush and we are not in a big need and very relaxed. Right now everybody is fully focused and it is not the moment to get distracted with any other subjects.’
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Matty Taylor relishing chance to play for hometown club Oxford United
Matty Taylor had his heart broken twice by local club Oxford but now wants to finish his career there — after getting them back in the Championship.
The 31-year-old striker has come full circle after spells in non-league led to his big break at Bristol Rovers and a controversial switch to Bristol City.
Now he is thrilled to be back at the club he supported as a boy, even if the scars of his double rejection run deep.
Oxford-born Taylor signed as a seven year old but was released at 16, only to rejoin after toughening up in local football. He made his first-team debut at 17 but was released again after a handful of games in the Conference.
‘The first rejection was the worst,’ he recalls. ‘All I wanted to do was play for Oxford United. I had my heart set on that and to get that taken away — it took me a while to get over it.
‘The second one was nearly as bad because I had a taste of it and I thought that was the end of me being a professional footballer.
‘In hindsight going out and playing in non-league was probably the best thing that could have happened to me.’
He made his name at Bristol Rovers, his goals firing the Pirates to back-to-back promotions into League One.
‘The team was built around me to score and I thrived, scoring 68 goals in 135 games.’
Taylor could have rejoined Oxford after two years at Rovers but by that time had higher ambitions.
‘Although all my mates are Oxford fans and there was part of me that wanted to do it, I knew it wasn’t the right decision at that point in my career. I managed to play in the Championship so it was the right decision.’
But fuming Rovers fans felt making the leap at arch-rivals City was definitely the wrong choice.
He recalls meeting Rovers team-mates and their partners for drinks that week and broaching the move. ‘They all said I had to do it, I had to go.
‘But I knew I was going to get a lot of ill-feeling from Rovers fans and didn’t really know how it was going to go down with City fans.
‘It was a massive opportunity so the rivalry wasn’t going to get in my way.
‘I didn’t look at my social media for a week because it wasn’t pretty reading, but nothing silly happened.’
And he is thankful to have played in the Championship. ‘It’s something I wouldn’t have dreamed of a few years ago having played non-league and been released a few times,’ he adds.
‘I played in some very big games — we got to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and had a magical night beating Manchester United in the quarters. Those memories are special.
‘My work at Rovers is tarnished a little bit. But it is not all hate. I’ve had quite a lot of nice messages from Rovers fans in the last few years. It’s 50/50, really. Time is a healer.’
With game-time dwindling at City Taylor leapt at the chance to rejoin Oxford on loan last term, helping them reach the play-off final, only to lose 2-1 to Wycombe at Wembley.
‘It was gut-wrenching. That defeat will sit with me a long time,’ he admits.
‘It just wasn’t our day but we will try to put it right this season. You do learn a lot more in defeat so I think we will be better equipped mentally.’
Oxford are well-placed for another play-off shot with Taylor’s 17 goals having helped them up to fifth ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Shrewsbury.
And he believes the possession-based style adopted by Karl Robinson’s team could help Oxford to thrive if they did make it into the Championship.
‘You are competing with pretty much all ex-Premier League teams but we are similar to Brentford in buying sometimes unknown players who surprise you,’ says Taylor, who still has two years left on his Oxford contract.
‘I think with our style and quality we would definitely be able to compete.
‘I am very happy because I have gone full cycle. It would be lovely to finish my career here.’
But he will not rest until the club is back in the Championship.
‘I would like nothing more than to get promoted with my hometown club,’ Taylor admits. ‘It would be an unbelievable achievement.’
■ 141 — Career goals for Matty Taylor in 418 appearances for Oxford, Forest Green, Chester, Bristol Rovers and Bristol City
■ 70 — League One goals for Oxford this season, a figure only surpassed by the top two sides — Hull (77) and Peterborough (74)
MORE : Martin Keown feared for Mikel Arteta during Arsenal’s Europa League defeat to Villarreal
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Dean Smith sets Man Utd target for Jack Grealish after scan on mystery shin injury
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has confirmed Jack Grealish has returned to individual training after a positive scan on his shin injury this week.
In a huge boost for both his club and for England ahead of the postponed Euro 2020, Grealish is set to return to action against Manchester United next weekend.
The Aston Villa captain has missed 10 Premier League games with the mystery shin issue, with his side only winning twice without their talisman.
He won’t be ready to face Everton this weekend but he will return to full training this week, with Smith hopeful the 25-year-old will be ready to face Manchester United.
Smith admitted there would be a cautious approach to his return, after he was initially scheduled to make his comeback against Fulham on April 4.
‘The scan has came back and it’s showed a positive scan,’ said Smith ahead of Saturday night’s clash with Everton.
‘We’re loading him gradually and we’re obviously a little bit tentative after the last time.
‘He’s doing gradual loading and won’t be available for this weekend.’
Grealish has not featured since Villa’s goalless draw against Brighton on February 13 but his return should be well timed for Gareth Southgate.
He will have five league games left to prove his fitness to the England manager, having suffered multiple setbacks in trying to get over this shin issue.
Smith will also be without French midfielder Morgan Sanson – who remains out with a knee injury – but he was delighted to welcome Brazilian striker Wesley back to the fold last weekend in the 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion.
‘He’s had one of the most significant injuries that I’ve seen, so it just shows his strength of character,’ said Smith.
‘For him to come on [against West Brom] and almost score the winner just gives the whole squad a boost.’
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Unai Emery hits out at unfair Bukayo Saka penalty decision during Villarreal vs Arsenal
Unai Emery was left stunned following the award of the penalty which handed Arsenal a route back into their Europa League semi-final against Villarreal.
The Yellow Submarine looked well placed to take a potentially decisive advantage into next week’s second leg, having raced into a 2-0 half-time lead.
Arsenal’s fate looked as though it was sealed when Dani Ceballos was given his marching orders shortly before the hour mark, but Mikel Arteta’s side rallied after that setback and halved the deficit from the penalty spot.
The Gunners were fortuitous to have been awarded a spot kick, with Bukayo Saka appearing to have initiated the contact with Manuel Trigueros and Emery struggled to comprehend VAR’s unwillingness to overturn the decision.
He said: ‘There is no explanation, VAR should be very clear to say what it is and what is wasn’t.
‘Everyone has told me that it’s not a penalty, when I saw it I thought how can he call that a penalty, even with VAR.
‘If there is no VAR maybe you can make a mistake. But with VAR it has to intervene there and define what’s a penalty and what’s not.
‘I insisted we had to get back up from 2-0 to 2-1, knowing it was unfair and we had options to go 3-0 up and they were down to 10 men.
‘We knew the tie was going to be difficult for us. Still we have a good result for us, it’s not as favourable as it could’ve been given certain circumstances.’
MORE : Unai Emery defends Mikel Arteta over team selection criticism after Arsenal’s defeat to Villarreal
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Erik ten Hag: Ajax manager signs new deal with Dutch club until 2023
Ajax manager Erik ten Hag signs a new contract, keeping him at the Dutch club until June 2023.
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Manchester United: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants Edinson Cavani to stay
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he is "doing my best" to convince Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani to stay at the club for another season.
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Inter president jets in for talks over future of £105m Chelsea target Romelu Lukaku
Inter Milan’s president Steven Zhang has reportedly flown in to Italy this week to discuss the future of Chelsea’s top summer target Romelu Lukaku.
Zhang has returned to Milan for the first time in six months to explore their summer options, with some of the club’s biggest assets set to be up for sale.
Lukaku could be one of those to head for the exit door. Despite playing a key role in firing his side to a first Serie A title in more than a decade, the club’s Chinese owners Suning are reported to be in serious financial peril.
Inter are determined to keep hold of Belgium international Lukaku but are willing to let him leave if their asking price of £105million is met.
And Zhang has arrived to hold talks this week over the futures of Lukaku and head coach Antonio Conte, according to the Daily Mail.
Chelsea have made Lukaku their top target after accepting defeat in the race for Erling Haaland.
While they are also interested in Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, they feel Lukaku is a more attainable target.
Thomas Tuchel has made it clear to Chelsea chiefs that a top-class centre-forward should be their summer priority.
Lukaku certainly fits that bill. He has banged in 29 goals in all competitions for title-chaasing Inter this season.
Chelsea know Lukaku well. They bought him as a teenager for £18million from Anderlecht in 2011 before selling him to Everton.
They attempted to re-sign the Belgian in 2017 but he opted to join Manchester United for £75m instead.
The club will now have to smash their transfer record this summer if they want to be reunited with the striker.
Lukaku has three years left to run on a contract worth £14million a year.
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David Cox: Albion Rovers striker quits football over 'abuse' claim during Stenhousemuir game
Albion Rovers' David Cox says he has quit football after claiming he was verbally abused about his mental health struggles by an opposition player.
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Social media boycott: Football joined by sporting bodies in four-day boycott
Leading football clubs will be joined by a number of sporting bodies for a four-day boycott of social media to tackle abuse and discrimination.
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FA Vase final: Amar and Arjun Purewal hoping to 'break barriers' at Wembley
Amar and Arjun Purewal will make history at Wembley on Monday in a moment they hope will help to "break barriers".
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Bruno Fernandes reveals personal goals and assists target after Roma thrashing
Bruno Fernandes has revealed he wants to pass the 32 goals mark this season as well as providing at least 20 assists as he looks for a big finish to the campaign.
Fernandes was on target twice as Manchester United thrashed Roma 6-2 in the Europa League semi-finals, with Edinson Cavani, Paul Pogba and Mason Greenwood completing the rout at Old Trafford.
The Portugal international took his goal tally up to 26 in all competitions, in what has been a remarkable first full season as a Manchester United player – but he is far from done yet.
In the remaining five Premier League matches and – barring an unlikely Roma comeback in the second leg – two Europa League ties, Fernandes is aiming for six more goals and another four assists.
And, as ever, he is confident of posting those numbers.
‘I scored 32 at Sporting so I expect to pass that mark! My target every time is to do better and better and my target now, as everyone knows, is to win trophies,’ Fernandes told the club’s official website.
‘For myself [my target] is to improve every season. I think if I score 32 goals in one season, I can do better.
‘I know it’s a big number but why not!? If you dream about and fight for it, you can do it.
‘I will keep improving on that and trying to do better and better and keep trying to give more assists.
‘My best season with assists was 20, I don’t know how many I have this season, but I have to reach that level again.’
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Bruno Fernandes reveals what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said at half-time to spark Manchester United comeback vs Roma
Bruno Fernandes revealed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer urged his Manchester United players to remain calm at half-time ahead of their Europa League semi-final fightback against Roma.
Solskjaer’s side were down 2-1 at the break but moved through the gears in the second half to thrash the Italian outfit 6-2.
Fernandes and Edinson Cavani were both twice on the scoresheet before Paul Pogba and Mason Greenwood adding gloss to the performance late on, with United now closing in on a first final under Solskjaer.
At half-time there was a sense it could prove to be another missed opportunity, with goals from Lorenzo Pellegrini and former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko putting the home side on the back foot but they will now travel to Rome for the second leg with a four-goal advantage.
And Fernandes credited the turnaround to his side keeping their cool and being aware that they had three halves remaining to turn the semi-final on its head.
‘The manager and the players, we also talk, as we said about keeping calm and doing the right things, play easy football, quick football, one and two touches and keep the head fresh and calm,’ Fernandes told the club’s official website.
‘Don’t go mad, don’t try to win the game in the first five or 10 minutes of the second half because we know we had a long way to arrive at the final.
‘Like I said, before at half-time we knew we had three halves to play so the second of the four halves we ended very well. And we have to do the same in the two halves we have left to play.’
Fernandes was delighted with the result but warned his team-mates to approach the second leg with the same attitude, despite the healthy cushion.
‘The performance of the team was top,’ he added. ‘The result is really good for us, could be better if we don’t concede goals but, anyway, we did a great job in the second half.
‘As the coach said at half-time, we have four halves to play – we played the first one and we lost, the second one we win and at half-time in both games [the tie] we are through, but we have two halves to play again and the mindset has to be to win that game again.’
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Mikel Arteta reveals the red card warning he gave Dani Ceballos against Villarreal
Mikel Arteta revealed he was intending to substitute Dani Ceballos moments before the red card offence which put Arsenal’s hopes of qualifying for the Europa League final in serious jeopardy last night.
The Gunners were already trailing 2-0 following a disastrous first-half performance in Villarreal, before hot-headed Spain international midfielder Ceballos was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence.
The 24-year-old, currently on loan from Real Madrid, was cautioned in the first period for cynically hauling down Juan Foyth and could have been dismissed shortly after the re-start for another foul on Manuel Triguero.
Arsenal fans were surprised Arteta had kept Ceballos on the field, predicting the worst, and those fears were duly realised when the former Real Betis star was handed a second yellow card for treading on Dani Parejo’s foot shortly before the hour mark.
Arteta insisted he was planning to bring Ceballos off but was unable to co-ordinate the substitution before disaster struck.
He said: ‘I haven’t seen the action again. We talked at half-time to say that we had to be very careful, there was a tackle very early and I was going to take him off but by the time that Gabi was ready to come on, that action happened and he was out.’
Ironically, Arsenal fared better with 10 men and hauled themselves back into the tie, albeit in fortuitous circumstances, when Nicolas Pepe scored from the penalty spot after a dubious foul on Bukayo Saka was penalised.
‘It changes completely the tie obviously, and it makes a huge difference and we know that we have to be better than we were for 95 minutes,’ said Arteta afterwards. ‘If we don’t do that then we won’t have the chance to be in the final.
‘Well, comparing how it (the mood) was at half time, it’s very different! But I said to them we have an opportunity, it’s a big challenge that we have ahead of us, but we have the opportunity to make it, but it has to be now.
‘In the return leg it’s going to be too late, we have to change it right now. If we’re able to do that, we’re going to get here in a completely different position.
‘We still had another incident which was the red card and playing with 10 men against this team, and the team went to a different level again and we got the goal.’
MORE : Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta hits back at criticism for his team selection against Villarreal
MORE : Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta hits back at criticism for his team selection against Villarreal
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Niamh Charles: Young Chelsea star's rise to success
How Niamh Charles rose from Liverpool's "secret weapon" to a future star for England and Chelsea.
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Thursday, April 29, 2021
No trophies or Champions League football - so who fits the bill as the next Spurs manager?
Where will Tottenham and Daniel Levy turn in their hunt for a new manager after missing out on Julian Nagelsmann?
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Andros Townsend says footballers 'are not going to take the abuse any more'
Crystal Palace and England winger Andros Townsend says players are "starting to fight back" against abuse and discrimination on social media.
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Andros Townsend: I'm proud of players voicing their opinions on racism
Crystal Palace's Andros Townsend says he is proud of players voicing their opinions on racist abuse on social media, saying enough is enough.
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Scottish League 1: Partick Thistle thrash Falkirk to secure title
Partick Thistle sealed the Scottish League 1 title in style with a 5-0 hammering of Falkirk to return to the Championship at the first attempt.
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Everton set to sign ex-Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho in £35m deal
Everton are set to sign Philippe Coutinho in a £35 million deal from Barcelona, according to reports.
The 28-year-old has failed to make an impact since his £148m move from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2018.
After spending last season on loan at Bayern Munich, Coutinho was brought back to Barca by Ronald Koeman and was a regular under the Dutchman before he suffered a knee injury in December.
The Brazil international needed surgery to fix the problem and has already been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Barcelona are in desperate need to balance their book this summer and have been open to offloading Coutinho ahead of the upcoming window.
And according to The Sun, Everton are now on the verge of agreeing a £35m deal for Coutinho.
The report claims that Everton are so confident about the transfer that they are already making housing arrangements for the midfielder’s return to Merseyside.
Coutinho spent six seasons at Liverpool before leaving to join Barca.
Speaking about Coutinho’s departure, Klopp said in an interview last year that he did not begrudge the midfielder’s desire to move to Camp Nou.
‘I really respected Phil’s switch from the first second,’ Klopp said on the Pure Football Podcast.
‘Not that I do that all the time, but it felt really like ‘oh wow that could be difficult’.
‘So it’s not about yes we signed a new contract only weeks before that, but it was really clear he wouldn’t have asked me for any other club – but for this club there was no chance
‘Then we had to be hard in the summer because we had no other solution. We lost Adam Lallana [to injury] in that time as well, we would have lost two players.
‘That’s not possible, you cannot solve that on the transfer market.
‘He was open to that [staying] and that was really cool. Then you have to be fair in the window and say we can do it, we don’t like it but we can do it.’
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