Conor Hourihane and Anwar El Ghazi scored first-half goals to end Aston Villa s three-match losing run in the Premier League, as they beat Newcastle United 2-0 on Steve Bruce s return to Villa Park.
Bruce was sacked by Villa in October 2018, just over four months after losing the Championship play-off final, and he had little to celebrate in Monday s clash.
Martin Dubravka produced a fingertip save to keep out Douglas Luiz s 25-yard drive but was beaten by Hourihane, the midfielder whipping a free-kick around the wall and into the net.
Villa quickly added a second through El Ghazi, who turned in Hourihane s set-piece delivery from close range for his third league goal of the season, though only after a VAR check for offside.
Allan Saint-Maximin, Isaac Ha…
Monaco have denied the claim that club owner and president Dmitry Rybolovlev allegedly stands to receive €124million from Kylian Mbappe s transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, as reported by Mediapart, the online investigative journal in France.
Mediapart s report is based on documents it claims to have received from whistleblowing platform Football Leaks , though Monaco have branded it misleading .
According to the French news outlet, sums of €77m and €47m from the €145m Monaco obtained from PSG for Mbappe were allegedly designated for Rybolovlev in July 2018 and June 2019 respectively.
Monaco have strenuously refuted the allegation, insisting that although the funds are recoverable for the president due to previous investments he has written off, Rybolovlev …
“I was an exceptional player, I was never on the bench” – Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola (Video)
Raheem Sterling recently spoke about his displeasure with mostly sitting on the Manchester City bench these days.
Manager Pep Guardiola was asked how he felt about being benched during his playing days, and his response was very interesting.
Reporter What were you like when you got left out?
Pep Look I was an exceptional player I was never on the bench.
Pep Guardiola fires back when asked about his reaction as a player when/if he was ever left out of the starting line-up
— Football Daily (@footballdaily)
…
Howe responds to Klopp congratulations: Newcastle ´living different reality´ to ´extravagant´ percep
Eddie Howe has clarified comments on Newcastle United s ceiling after Jurgen Klopp congratulated the Magpies on their limitless outlook following last year s Saudi-backed takeover.
Newcastle have made the most of their buyout by an ownership group including Saudi Arabia s Public Investment Fund, the richest owner in world football.
No club spent more in the January window, before Newcastle shattered their transfer record with the £59million August signing of Alexander Isak, who netted on his Premier League debut against Klopp s Liverpool.
So, when Magpies sporting director Dan Ashworth last week spoke of the club having no ceiling – wording that was soon echoed by head coach Howe – it irked Klopp.
I hear now at Newcastle they said, there s no ceilin…
West Brom s Premier League status was predictably confirmed for another season despite a 2-1 defeat to Stoke City at The Hawthorns.
The hosts came into the game under little pressure, knowing Norwich City who began Sunday in 18th position needed to make up a three-point gap while also overturning a significant goal difference deficit.
Norwich were beaten by Arsenal, meaning that West Brom were assured of survival despite a fifth straight home loss at the hands of Stoke.
Stephane Sessegnon hit the bar from point-blank range for Pepe Mel s men early on, but the visitors soon seized control and moved ahead after 22 minutes courtesy of a Gareth McAuley own goal.
West Brom rallied after the break and levelled through a calm finish from Sessegnon, while Youssouf Mulumb…
Cardiff City F.C. have completed the signing of former Real Valladolid striker Javi Guerra on a three-year deal, according to the club s official website, .
Guerra, 32, will become an official member of the Bluebirds on 1 July after passing a medical earlier this week.
The 32-year-old Spaniard brings both experience and goal-scoring prowess to the Cardiff City Stadium ahead of the club s crucial 2014/15 Sky Bet Championship campaign.
I am very thankful for the warm welcome I have received here at Cardiff City and am very excited for my new challenge in Wales, .
Hopefully I can keep up the level that I have been playing at in Spain for the last few seasons and that it will be a successful time for me in Cardiff, with both the club and the sup…
Toni Kroos has revealed Bayern Munich s refusal to match his wage demands was one of the principal reasons behind his decision to leave the club for Real Madrid.
The Bundesliga giants were keen to hold on to Kroos, but eventually opted to cash in on him in 2014 one year before the end of his contract after he refused to sign a renewal.
Kroos has admitted that he initially intended to stay at the Allianz Arena, but says he has no regrets over his switch to the Santiago Bernabeu.
We obviously failed to reached an agreement financially, Kroos told Sport Bild.
But when I look back at the whole situation, I am quite happy that we did not reach an agreement. I initially wanted to stay when we started talks, but we did not only disagree about the financial sid…
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos congratulated Rafael Nadal after the tennis great claimed his 10th French Open crown.
It was an historic day at Roland Garros as Nadal became the first player in the Open Era to win the same major 10 times with a resounding 6-2 6-3 6-1 win over Stan Wawrinka on Sunday.
Nadal – the King of Clay – was a class above to claim the Coupe des Mousquetaires for the first time since 2014.
And Ramos – who clinched a La Decima of his own as the Spanish giants won their 10th European trophy in 2014 – heaped praise on the fanatical Madrid fan after Spain defeated Macedonia 2-1 in World Cup qualifying.
He is a sporting icon in Spain, he s one of the greats of Spanish sport, said Ramos.
And besides, he s a Madrid fan. …
As reported by the Independent, Tottenham Hotpsur are considering a swoop for Atletico Madrid outcast Thomas Lemar.
The winger was among the more sought-after players in Europe prior to his switch from AS Monaco in 2018 and a fierce race for his signature unfolded, which eventually Atletico won and paid €72 million to take him to the Spanish capital. Naturally, under those circumstances, a huge weight of expectation was placed on his shoulders, and he appears to have completely crumbled under it, as manager Diego Simeone himself admitted.
Spurs are facing the prospect of losing Christian Eriksen very soon, and Lemar could be seen as a replacement for the Denmark international. The deal would apparently begin with a loan for which the North London club would pay a €6…
Huddersfield Town manager David Wagner backed close friend Jurgen Klopp to guide Liverpool to their first league title in 28 years as he prepares for a first taste of Premier League football.
Wagner, who was the best man at Klopp s wedding, deployed the gegenpressing tactics favoured by the Liverpool boss as soon as he arrived in Yorkshire in November 2015, leading to comparisons between the two coaches.
The pair will go head-to-head in competitive action for the first time when Huddersfield visit Anfield on October 28th, and when asked by Bild who he expected to win the Premier League, Wagner replied: Liverpool .
Wagner s side earned promotion to the top tier of English football via a penalty shoot-out victory in last season s Championship play-off final against…