Author: Kayode Akinwumi

Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has insisted the details of his contract extension negotiations with Liverpool would remain private. Alexander-Arnold whose current deal with his boyhood club will expire in June however revealed that winning trophies is a major consideration for him in deciding his future. The Liverpool vice-captain has been with the club for 20 years, but fans are now worried he may be lured away from the club on a free transfer if he does not renew his deal.The fears are valid considering the interest in the defender from Real Madrid. The Spanish club has on its roster Alexander-Arnold’s…

Barcelona’s perfect start to LaLiga continued over the weekend with a merciless 5-1 thrashing of Villareal. With the win Barca maintain their convenient spot at the top of the LaLiga table, four points above Real Madrid in second place. However, their win over Villarreal was blighted by an injury to first choice goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.Ter Stegen picked up a serious injury on his right knee just before halftime. The German goalkeeper was trying to intercept a cross when he got injured, prompting signals from his teammates and opponents for medical help. He was subsequently taken off the pitch on…

It was another weekend of drama and excitement in the English Premier League as week 5 clashes delivered the goods. A late equalizer by Manchester City denied Arsenal a win to go top of the table. Aston Villa climbed into the top three with their fourth win of the season in five games. Here are the biggest talking points from Premier League Week 5: Heated contest at the topArsenal was two points and a place behind league leaders Man City coming into Week 5. Despite Pep Guardiola’s optimism, City were without Kevin De Bruyne who picked an injury against Inter…

Manchester City and Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne might feature in City’s upcoming clash with Arsenal. The Belgian left City’s midweek Champions League encounter with Inter injured. However, City manager Pep Guardiola has said De Bruyne could be available for Sunday’s Premier League game against the Gunners. He said, “he feels a little better today… Tomorrow we train and we will see. He could be involved.”De Bruyne was forced to come off during the goalless draw against the Italian champions on Wednesday after getting injured while trying to reach a through ball from teammate Jack Grealish. De Bruyne’s availability for…

The much-touted league stage of the new Champions League format is off to an interesting start. The first round of matches ended yesterday with 18 games played in different arenas across Europe. The games were a mix of massive wins, intense and heated ties as well as interesting upsets. Here are some of the takeaways from week 1 Champions League results: Goals everywhere Bayern Munich’s attacking firepower was unrestrained against Dinamo Zagreb, destroying the Croatian side in a 9-2 blowout. Harry Kane was a big part of the win, scoring four goals and winning the Man of the Match Award.…

Premier League champions Manchester City stand accused of financial fair play rules violations in a landmark case. The hearing into the case, which is expected to go on for months, started on Monday. The club has denied all charges and continues to maintain it has irrefutable evidence to clear it of any wrongdoing.However, a lot is at stake in this epoch-making case. Among other penalties, City could be at risk of expulsion from domestic cup competitions, and their eligibility to continue playing in the Champions League or later at the Club World Cup is uncertain if they are found guilty.Premier…

Manchester United’s plans to erect the “Wembley of the North” may eventually involve demolishing the Old Trafford, reports indicate. The initial plan was to use the monument as a replacement for the Leigh Sports Village for the use of the club’s women’s teams and its academy. This would follow a downsizing of the stadium from its current 74,000 capacity to about 30,000, according to the Manchester Evening News. The rationale was to keep the stadium as a piece of the club’s treasured history.Tearing down the stadium may be a cause of concern for many United fans. The club, showing it…

Daniele De Rossi’s Roma tenure is over. The former Italy midfielder was sacked by the club earlier today after four Serie A games this season. The 41-year-old coach has been overseeing Giallorossi since January when he was appointed to replace Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho. He steered Roma to a sixth place finish in the Serie A and the semifinal of the Europa League where they lost to Xabi Alonso’s invincible Bayer Leverkusen.De Rossi’s impressive exploits with Roma last season earned him a contract extension through 2027. However, this season started on a really underwhelming note for the Giallorossi who have…

Actions continue today in the UEFA Champions League. Six games are slated for today, featuring both clubs with high European pedigree and clubs without much of a history in the competition. Two games start early at 5.45pm (WAT), Bologna hosting Shakhtar Donetsk at the Stadio Renato Dell’Ara. The Rossoblu are having a slow start to the season following the departure of key figures from their historic team last season. Manager Thiago Motta was replaced by Vincenzo Italiano and players like Joshua Zirkzee left the club for good.Also at 5.45pm (WAT) RB Salzburg will visit the epet Arena to face Sparta…

England striker Harry Kane got Bayern Munich off to an impressive start in the new Champions League competition format. Bayern hosted Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb last night to kick off the league stage of the Champions League. In a show of absolute dominance, the Bavarian side put nine goals past their opponents despite having two goals disallowed while conceding only two. Kane found the net four times with Olise, Guerreiro, Sane and Goretzka. Earlier yesterday, Aston Villa marked their return to Europe’s elite club competition with a convincing win over Swiss side Young Boys. Unai Emery’s men not only won…