Roberto Mancini seemed to confirm that he had “a double contract” during his time as Manchester City manager, amid allegations that the club breached the Premier League’s financial regulations. Mancini, who guided City to their first Premier League championship in 50 years during the 2011-12 season and later took charge of Italy, insisted that the […]
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It is as though an entire era has suddenly been called into question. Manchester City’s achievements in English football from 2009-10 to 2017-18 now risk being viewed differently: the 6-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, Sergio Agüero’s dramatic stoppage-time title winner in 2012 and the campaign in which the club collected 100 points […]
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The Premier League has united with La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga in demanding immediate governance changes at Fifa following the controversial World Cup sell-off proposal known as FFE, as Gianni Infantino prepares to pursue a fourth presidential term. The forceful joint statement suggests that Infantino’s offer to commission an independent governance review is […]
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In March, Tottenham reacted to the threat of relegation by making a major investment in Roberto De Zerbi, who was negotiating from an exceptionally strong position. Performances improved noticeably, and the club secured survival on the final day. Spurs have since spent a net £175m ($234m) to strengthen the squad, suggesting that the financial restraint […]
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Jonathan Liew’s examination of Raheem Sterling’s difficult journey and the unrealistic route faced by young footballers is both insightful and well timed, especially when considered alongside Jacob Steinberg’s report comparing Arsenal prospect Max Dowman with Lamine Yamal. Only a very small number of children recruited by elite clubs at an extremely early age eventually fulfil […]
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Borrowing the words of a former Manchester United manager, Michael Carrick had always expected difficult times to arrive. The second half of last season had gone almost flawlessly, but that level of success was never likely to continue indefinitely. Carrick sensed growing pressure before the trip to Fulham, making his feelings after the match easy […]
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Manchester City remained at the Premier League summit with a perfect five wins from five after defeating Sunderland 5-3 in a thrilling eight-goal encounter. Antoine Semenyo struck twice, scoring on either side of the interval, while Enzo Fernández, Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland also found the net for City. Sunderland nevertheless caused the hosts plenty […]
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Hull understood that their first Premier League defeat would eventually arrive, but they could hardly have done more to postpone that moment. Going two goals down inside seven minutes might have caused Hull to collapse, yet they responded with impressive resilience. They also recognised the vulnerability of a talented Newcastle side weakened by injuries and […]
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The early belief that Chelsea could emerge as Arsenal’s strongest title rival now appears badly misplaced. Their two frantic victories at the start of the campaign were difficult to assess: either they were valuable results secured while the team developed a stable system, or warning signs of deeper weaknesses. Following three matches without a victory […]
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When does an encouraging opening begin to look like a genuine breakthrough? It may still be too early to say, but as Leeds scored freely during a thrilling evening at Elland Road, it felt as though expectations around the club were beginning to rise. Those who followed Leeds closely during the summer believed the team […]
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