Only a year on from winning an unbeaten domestic treble, Chelsea's difficulties this season have been well-documented. The Blues are set to be dethroned as English champions for the first time since 2019 and injuries in attack have played a significant role in their shortcomings, forcing Sonia Bompastor to deploy line-ups without a central striker at times. Sam Kerr's performances for Australia at the Asian Cup this month, then, were a welcome sight for Chelsea fans.
At FC Barcelona, defender Alessandro Bastoni is reportedly at the top of their wish list. However, his club, Inter Milan, is reportedly unwilling to cooperate.
It was a night of equal misfortune for Wales and the Republic of Ireland, who were eliminated from World Cup qualifying. Both teams lost leads in the final minutes before losing painful penalty shootouts to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Czechia, respectively.
Thomas Tuchel has handed Ben White a long-awaited England recall, ending the defender's self-imposed four-year international exile. The Arsenal star, who has not featured for the Three Lions since March 2022, returned to the fold following a late injury to Jarell Quansah. While Tuchel is eager to turn a new page, he has insisted that White must reconcile with squad members who witnessed his abrupt departure from the 2022 World Cup camp.
When Bukayo Saka scored his 13th goal for England against Wales in October and became the highest scoring Arsenal player to play for the Three Lions, one reporter thought it would be a good opportunity to ask Thomas Tuchel to reflect on the winger’s international career. He most likely expected the German to wax lyrical about one of the best players for club and country over the past five years.
The German moved to the capital of Lombardy during the winter break with high hopes and ambitions. As the season draws to a close, little remains of those hopes and ambitions.
Following Borussia Dortmund’s baffling sending-off in Bergamo, UEFA has taken action – suspending Nico Schlotterbeck. Meanwhile, former sporting director Sebastian Kehl is set to return to Borussia. News and rumours about BVB.
Italy moved within one match of ending their long World Cup absence with a composed 2-0 win over Northern Ireland in their playoff semifinal, as Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean proved decisive. For a side still carrying the weight of missing the last two tournaments, this was less about flair and more about control. And, for long stretches, Italy had both.
The latest report from the Premier League's KMI panel has confirmed that matches involving both Arsenal and Chelsea were impacted by officials failing to make the correct call on the pitch. While the league continues to grapple with the consistency of its refereeing, these latest findings suggest that even the division's biggest clubs are not immune to high-profile blunders.
Viktor Gyokeres was the hero for Sweden on Thursday night as the Arsenal forward's clinical hat-trick secured a 3-1 victory over Ukraine. The result keeps Sweden's dreams of reaching the 2026 World Cup alive, setting up a winner-takes-all play-off showdown with Poland.
Antonio Rudiger has revealed what he thinks about Harry Kane ahead of Bayern Munich's Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid. The former Chelsea defender is under no illusions about the challenge Kane will pose, having seen the England captain tear apart defences in both European and domestic competition throughout the current campaign.
Brazil's main men fell flat as the Selecao turned in an underwhelming performance against France in a forgettable 2-1 loss. The Selecao were poor at both ends of the pitch, and languid in between, and only really showed attacking intent when it was too late. A late goal from Bremer was rather flattering as Carlo Ancelotti's men were easily dealt with by Les Bleus, who played most of the second half with ten men.
Thomas Tuchel has issued a blunt "pressure" warning to Cole Palmer, warning the Chelsea superstar that his place in the England starting XI for the World Cup is far from guaranteed. The German coach insists that the playmaker must prove his worth in the international setup following an injury-hit campaign.
Juventus winger Francisco Conceicao has addressed growing speculation linking him with a move to Liverpool as a potential successor to Mohamed Salah. The Portugal international remains focused on his responsibilities in Turin despite the mounting interest from the Premier League ahead of the summer transfer window.
San Diego FC owner Mohamed Mansour said he would welcome the chance to sign Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah this summer, but added the club would need to assess whether he is the right fit tactically. San Diego are among several MLS teams linked with the winger, though a move to the Saudi Pro League appears more likely.
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