..::Football IV::..

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Manchester United 0 Liverpool 0: Four first-half injuries mar tense encounter

Liverpool returned to the Premier League summit despite being held to a 0-0 draw by bitter rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford in a match that was marred by first-half injuries to four players.

After days of anticipation and excitement, the match swiftly descended into farce in the first period, as Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, Roberto Firmino and Jesse Lingard were all forced off injured, and the match struggled to recover from an entertainment perspective.The medical staff were rather less busy in the second half and that allowed Liverpool to increase the pressure, generally dominating against a United effectively playing with 10 men due to Marcus Rashford struggling with a knock.

But the Reds could not take advantage, with United arguably happy to hold on to the draw which sees Ole Gunnar Solskjaer set a new record points haul for a manager in his first 10 Premier League games, taking him on to 26 points.

After losing Nemanja Matic to injury in the build-up to the match, the first 25 minutes were nightmarish for United in terms of fitness, losing Herrera and Mata, while Rashford was also in pain.Liverpool did not remain unscathed, as they lost Firmino just past the half-hour mark having appeared to roll his ankle.

Lingard – Mata's replacement despite being deemed not fit enough to start following a hamstring injury – then seemed to aggravate that problem when attempting to round Alisson for the only real chance of a bizarre first period, forcing Solskjaer to replace him with Alexis Sanchez.

Liverpool looked to turn things up after the break, but United's defence provided an excellent platform.A rare opportunity fell to them 20 minutes from time, as Georginio Wijnaldum headed just wide from a corner.

United briefly thought they had the lead when Joel Matip put into his own goal in the 75th minute, but Chris Smalling – who played the ball into the danger zone – was offside, and that proved to be the final chance at either end, as Liverpool dropped points for the third Premier League game in four.

 

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Arsenal 2 Southampton 0: Lacazette and Mkhitaryan send Gunners fourth

Alexandre Lacazette and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were on target as Arsenal coasted past struggling Southampton 2-0 to move back into the Premier League's top four.

It took just six minutes for Lacazette to convert from Mkhitaryan's attempted shot and the latter turned home the dangerous Alex Iwobi's assist at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Lacazette wasted a couple of golden opportunities to stretch the lead before half-time and, while Arsenal's tempo noticeably dropped after the break, Unai Emery's side were in complete control.


Manchester United's goalless draw with rivals Liverpool consequently sends Arsenal back into the Champions League places, while Southampton remain mired in relegation trouble.
Nathan Redmond failed to capitalise on lax Arsenal defending when shooting straight at Bernd Leno one-on-one and shortly afterwards the Gunners went in front.Iwobi's left-wing cross travelled across the box, with Lucas Torreira seemingly felled by Jack Stephens in his bid to meet the ball, and Mkhitaryan's cross-cum-shot was cleverly flicked in by Lacazette.

It was 2-0 after 17 minutes as goalkeeper Angus Gunn was played into trouble by Stephens and Iwobi pounced on his hasty clearance before squaring for Mkhitaryan to side-foot home from the edge of the box.Lacazette wastefully blasted over from six yards shortly before the break, while James Ward-Prowse fired wide on the volley for Southampton from Granit Xhaka's wayward pass early in the second half.

The chances began to dry up, although substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang forced a great late save from Gunn, and the only slight concern for Emery was the sight of Iwobi struggling with a calf problem 15 minutes from the end.

 

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Bologna 0 Juventus 1: Substitute Dybala spares Bianconeri blushes

Paulo Dybala came on from the bench to score the winner as a lacklustre Juventus overcame Serie A strugglers Bologna 1-0 on Sunday.

Despite putting in a below-par performance for much of the encounter, Juve took the lead when Dybala – whose long-term future in Turin is rumoured to be in doubt – slotted home from close range eight minutes after coming on. Dybala's effort came against the run of play, with Juve sparred by wasteful finishing and a superb block from Alex Sandro, who prevented Ibrahima Mbaye from putting Bologna ahead.

However, Juve's strength in depth proved the difference as they became the first side in Serie A history to win at least 22 of their first 25 games of a season, with the result also a timely boost for boss Massimiliano Allegri after the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid in midweek.

Bologna were unfortunate not to capitalise on their opponents' sluggish start – Federico Santander clipping over from close range before Nicola Sansone and Simone Edera shot wide. Santander should have done better with a strike that flashed wide just before the half-hour mark, and Federico Bernardeschi's curling effort almost made Bologna pay for their profligacy.

Juve barely improved in attack after the interval and needed a fantastic last-ditch intervention from Alex Sandro to deny Mbaye from point-blank range.Allergi turned to Dybala for inspiration and was swiftly rewarded for the positive change when the Argentine forward latched on to a loose ball and made no mistake with a composed first-time finish in the 67th minute.

Bologna rallied late on and Mattia Perin came to Juve's rescue in in the closing minutes, tipping Sansone's dipping strike onto the woodwork to make sure his side kept a 14th clean sheet in Serie A this term.

 

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De Gea joins Schmeichel in exclusive club with 100th Premier League clean sheet for Man Utd


David de Gea has become the seventh goalkeeper to record 100 Premier League clean sheets for a single club and the second at Manchester United after Peter Schmeichel.

The Spaniard endured a tough start to his spell at Old Trafford following a switch from Atletico Madrid in 2011.He was, however, given time by Sir Alex Ferguson in which to settle in new surroundings and fulfil his potential.

De Gea helped United to land the last of their Premier League titles in 2013, as an iconic coach headed into retirement.The Red Devils have suffered a humbling fall from grace since then under a succession of coaches.

Their No. 1 has, however, been a model of consistency throughout a testing spell.
De Gea has thrived under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as others have faltered.

He has been rewarded with four Player of the Year awards, with that record-setting haul lifting him above the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo.There was not too much for him to do on his most recent outing, but he was able to help shut out Liverpool in a 0-0 draw.

Stalemate on home soil took De Gea to a notable landmark, with a century of clean sheets having now been secured for the Red Devils in the English top flight.

De Gea has now added his name to an illustrious list of those to have achieved the same feat over the course of their respective careers.United legend Schmeichel is among the more notable names on that roll of honour, with the former Denmark international having helped to establish domestic dominance during his time in Manchester.He kept 112 clean sheets for the Red Devils, so that will be the next target for De Gea.

Among the others to have hit a century is Tim Howard, another ex-United goalkeeper who secured 116 shut outs with Everton.Petr Cech tops the charts with 162 for Chelsea, while David Seaman managed 137 with Arsenal.

Pepe Reina collected 134 clean sheets during his days at Liverpool and Joe Hart boasts 109 from a productive stint at Manchester City.

 

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Congratulations De Gea!​

 

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Someone call the doctor! Brave Man Utd overcome glut of injuries to earn point


If Manchester United fans will never normally settle for a point from any meeting with Liverpool, they will surely have been delighted with their side’s character in securing a 0-0 draw on Sunday after losing three players to injury before the half-time whistle.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side showed a great fighting spirit to extend their unbeaten run in domestic games under his stewardship to 13. And while the plethora of injury worries thrown up by this fixture will be a concern, he will be able to take plenty away from the way his players took to their task in the second half against Jurgen Klopp’s title-chasers.

United had already been hit by the absence of Nemanja Matic, who picked up a muscle injury in training on Saturday which is likely to keep him out for two to three weeks. Yet what was to unfold in the first 45 minutes at Old Trafford would have disrupted any team and tested any manager.

Marcus Rashford was the first to appear in trouble, taking an early knock which had him doubled over in back play at regular intervals throughout the first half. However, he was able to carry on and it would be Ander Herrera to limp off first with Andreas Pereira coming on in his place.

With Alexis Sanchez warming up in case of the need to replace Rashford, Juan Mata received treatment for an injury picked up deep in the United half after he had raced back to foil Mohamed Salah. He was soon substituted by Jesse Lingard.

But Lingard himself wouldn’t even make it to half-time, having pulled a muscle as he stretched to challenge Alisson Becker after a disguised pass by Romelu Lukaku. On came Sanchez and United were stuck playing the final 47 minutes with no further substitutions and Rashford not at 100 per cent.
One has to worry for what lies ahead for United with so many of their first-team regulars potentially missing out. With Paul Pogba’s Champions League suspension to add into the mix, the Reds may find themselves arriving at Paris Saint-Germain on March 6 with none of their usual midfield trio of Pogba, Herrera and Matic available to them.

With Lingard’s curtailed comeback – he lasted only 18 minutes here in his first appearance since the home-leg loss to PSG – there is also a question mark developing over United’s forward line with Mata also limping out of the action and Anthony Martial still to return from a groin injury.

They battled well to hold Liverpool in the second half and for lengthy spells even had the ascendancy. But Solskjaer must now come up with a long-term strategy to deal with the current medical malaise - with five games to play in a 17-day period across three competitions before the next international break.

 

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Matic,Herrera,Mata & Lingard.

Get well soon guys!

​

 

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Chelsea 0 Manchester City 0 (aet, 3-4 on penalties): Sterling spot-kick seals EFL Cup after Kepa defies Sarri

Raheem Sterling hit the winning penalty as Manchester City retained their EFL Cup crown with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea following a goalless draw that saw Kepa Arrizabalaga incredibly defy under-pressure Maurizio Sarri.

City hammered Chelsea 6-0 at the Etihad Stadium two weeks ago but Maurizio Sarri's switch of system to use Eden Hazard as a false nine – with Gonzalo Higuain missing out at Wembley on Sunday – boosted his side's defensive solidity.

Pep Guardiola claimed pre-match it was too early to talk about City's chances of winning a historic quadruple despite being in the FA Cup quarter-finals, leading their last-16 Champions League tie with Schalke and sitting neck-and-neck with Liverpool in the Premier League.


Remarkably, an injured Kepa would not make way for Willy Caballero in extra time and, although he saved one spot-kick, Sterling converted the decisive effort for City to deny Sarri, reportedly close to the sack, his first trophy as a manager.
A controversial start saw Jorginho escape punishment after appearing to elbow Sergio Aguero straight from kick-off before referee Jon Moss gave no foul when Oleksandr Zinchenko's challenge halted the progress of N'Golo Kante as the midfielder ran through on the City goal.

City began to find their rhythm and Aguero rifled a shot over the crossbar before his deflected effort was easily claimed by Kepa.The holders thought they had opened the scoring in the 56th minute but Aguero was rightly flagged offside and a VAR check upheld the decision.

Kante should have broken the deadlock but, after Hazard's dazzling run deceived City's half-time substitute Vincent Kompany, he blazed the perfect cutback over the crossbar.

Aguero and Sterling could not find a finishing touch in an extra-time goalmouth scramble before City's record goalscorer was denied by Kepa.The Blues keeper required treatment twice in the added period but refused to be replaced by Caballero, who saved three penalties for City in the 2016 final, leaving Sarri furious.

Jorginho's tame effort was saved by Ederson to hand Chelsea an immediate advantage, but Kepa saved from Leroy Sane then David Luiz hit the post.Hazard's Panenka effort kept Chelsea alive but Sterling crashed his strike in off the crossbar to retain the title for City and keep their quadruple hopes alive.

 

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Congratulations Manchester City

Carabao Cup Winners 2019!​

 

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Borussia Dortmund 3 Bayer Leverkusen 2: Sancho stars as Bosz loses on Signal Iduna Park return

Borussia Dortmund returned to winning ways in the Bundesliga with a 3-2 triumph over Bayer Leverkusen, making it an unhappy return to Signal Iduna Park for Peter Bosz.Dutchman Bosz was Dortmund coach for the first half of the 2017-18 campaign before being sacked, and although his new team looked promising at times on Sunday, the hosts were slightly more ruthless in attack.

Jadon Sancho was the key man in the first half for Dortmund, setting up Dan-Axel Zagadou and scoring his eighth goal of the season either side of Kevin Volland's strike.


Mario Gotze scored what proved to be the vital goal in the second half, with Jonathan Tah's late header ultimately not enough to inspire a comeback as Dortmund ended a run of three successive draws to restore their three-point lead over Bayern Munich.
Leverkusen looked the brighter of the two sides for much of the first half but found themselves trailing in the 30th minute as Zagadou swept home from Sancho's corner.

The away side hit back soon after through Volland, the forward finding the bottom-right corner with his left foot from about 25 yards.But they only remained level for a minute – Sancho producing an exquisite volley from an Abdou Diallo left-wing cross.Gotze got Dortmund's third with an hour played, finding the bottom-left corner from the edge of the area after a cross kindly deflected into his path.

Leverkusen made things tense late on when Tah guided Julian Brandt's deep free-kick in despite Roman Burki getting a hand to it, but it proved to be too little, too late, as Dortmund held on.

 

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Fiorentina 3 Inter 3: VAR at the fore as Spalletti's side succumb to late show

Inter were left to rue a stoppage-time VAR-assisted penalty as Fiorentina salvaged a 3-3 draw in a remarkable Serie A encounter on Sunday.

Having been the benefactors of two decisions that went to the video review system, it was third time unlucky for Inter as the referee deemed Danilo D'Ambrosio had handled the ball in the sixth minute of seven added on, with Jordan Veretout eventually stepping up to slot home following a five-minute VAR check.

Luciano Spalletti's side had been 3-1 up seven minutes into the second half, when Ivan Perisic netted with Inter's own VAR-awarded spot-kick after Matias Vecino and Matteo Politano had cancelled out Stefan de Vrij's first-minute own goal.


But Fiorentina rallied, and after Cristiano Biraghi had a goal ruled out by VAR, Luis Muriel's stunning free-kick set up a grandstand finish, with Veretout keeping his composure in extraordinary circumstances to secure a share of the spoils in Florence.
The frantic pace was set inside 17 seconds – De Vrij only able to divert Giovanni Simeone's flick into the back of Inter's net.Fiorentina's lead lasted just five minutes, Vecino prodding home from Radja Nainggolan's cross, with the goal standing following a lengthy video review.

And Inter's torrid start was forgotten by the 52nd minute – Politano arrowing a low strike into the bottom corner before Perisic sent Alban Lafont the wrong way from 12 yards after VAR was used to deem Edimilson Fernandes had used a hand to block a cross.

Biraghi's superb strike looked to have reduced the deficit, but VAR confirmed that Muriel had fouled D'Ambrosio.

Muriel atoned by drilling in a sensational free-kick, and Fiorentina's luck finally turned when D'Ambrosio was penalised for handball, and with a review ensuring the decision was correct, Veretout made no mistake.

 

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Levante 1 Real Madrid 2: Benzema and Bale make most of VARchee

Real Madrid returned to winning ways in LaLiga on Sunday with a 2-1 defeat of Levante, as they made the most of two key interventions from VAR at Ciutat de Valencia.

Roger Marti looked to have earned a point after cancelling out Karim Benzema's first-half penalty, but a second spot-kick, also awarded after help from the video assistant, allowed Gareth Bale to secure the victory before each side had a player sent off.

Santiago Solari named a strong side despite two games against Barcelona to come in the next week, evidently eager for a response after their shock defeat to Girona last time out.


The best of the early chances fell to Levante, with Roger turning the ball against the post from a corner before Robert Pier fired over the bar after Madrid failed to clear a free-kick.

Madrid were handed their breakthrough 43 minutes in, though, when Enis Bardhi was penalised for handball after a VAR review, allowing Benzema to sweep home the opening goal from the spot.

Levante nearly equalised immediately, with Roger this time hitting the left-hand post after evading Nacho Fernandez, and Thibaut Courtois denied the forward again with a low stop moments after the restart.

But Roger finally found the net on the hour mark, sliding in front of Nacho on the sodden pitch to steer Jose Luis Morales' low cross from the left just beyond the reach of Courtois and into the right-hand corner.

However, Casemiro went to ground after Cheick Doukoure appeared to make the slightest contact with his shin with a rash attempted clearance, and Bale confidently dispatched the penalty once referee Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva was happy to let the call stand.

Nacho saw red when he earned a second booking four minutes from the end, but Madrid held out under some sustained late pressure before Ruben Rochina was also dismissed after collecting a second yellow card for dissent, despite having been substituted.

 

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Disgraceful Kepa brings shame to unlucky Chelsea with Sarri farce


Maurizio Sarri's tactical masterclass was undermined by the shameful actions of Chelsea's record signing Kepa Arrizabalaga, who refused to leave the pitch in the closing minutes of extra time in order to be substituted.Willy Caballero was left waiting on the touchline by an act of rebellion from the £71 million goalkeeper, who didn't allow the penalty specialist on the field despite suffering from an injury to his hamstring.

With the scores level at 0-0, Sarri was left furious and had to be held back by Antonio Rudiger after the match, such was his anger.

Ironically, Kepa also turned out to be a villain in the shootout itself. Despite making one save from Leroy Sane, he let a weak Sergio Aguero shot slip underneath him.Raheem Sterling would then win the penalty shootout for City after Jorginho and David Luiz missed before him.

The mild-mannered Basque goalkeeper is known by his previous coaches for his professionalism, but there is unlikely to be any ramifications for him after a shambles was played out on the pitch.

Sarri described the situation as a "misunderstanding," though he admitted that it wasn't happy with the goalkeeper's conduct and plans to talk with him further about it this week.Chelsea had put in a brilliant performance at Wembley to stem a recent run of bad form, with a 6-0 defeat to Manchester City still fresh in the minds of the players.

Pride was set to be restored after that worst defeat in 28 years, but the incident at the end of extra time ensured a negative feeling lingers on around the club ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur.

The under-fire Sarri lost control on Sunday evening, but the images played out across the world will continue to look ugly after this public row as pundits line up to criticise the goalkeeper.“Kepa should never play for Chelsea again. That should be his last performance in a Chelsea shirt. He's a disgrace. I've never seen anything like it,” former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton roared on BBC Sport.

“If I was Sarri I would walk. You cannot be undermined. Why weren't the players dragging Kepa off anyway? Kepa should be sacked, not Sarri.”

That seems unlikely, though, due to the cost invested in the player and because of Chelsea’s recent transfer ban. However, this incident – which wouldn’t be out of place in a soap opera - only goes to embarrass the club even further.“Once your number goes up you have to come off and show a bit of respect,” said the former Chelsea captain John Terry on SkySports, as the misunderstading leaves those involved red faced.

Chelsea’s performance deserves to be celebrated, as spectacular displays from Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante lit up the Wembley showpiece. Unfortunately, all the talk will now be about yet another shambolic moment at the Stamford Bridge club.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Kepa karapu wade nisa Sarri ta yaka nagala hitiye

 

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Sarri insists he is 'fully in control' of Chelsea dressing room despite Kepa clash


Maurizio Sarri insists he is "fully in control" of the Chelsea dressing room despite his extraordinary touchline row with Kepa Arrizabalaga in the Carabao Cup final.

The Chelsea goalkeeper refused to be substituted in the closing moments of extra time at Wembley on Sunday, prompting a furious reaction from his head coach Sarri.

Kepa, who appeared to be struggling with cramp, went on to save from Leroy Sane in the penalty shoot-out, but Manchester City eventually triumphed 4-3 after 120 goalless minutes of action.

Sarri later stressed the incident was simply a misunderstanding and that he would not be taking any severe action against the player for apparently refusing to obey his instructions.

The 60-year-old then made it clear that Chelsea's largely impressive performance showed that he has not lost authority over the squad, even if the Kepa incident might suggest otherwise.

"I think that, if you saw the match, you can understand very well that, today, the players played exactly the match we prepared yesterday," Sarri told a news conference. "So, I think I am in control, fully in control of the situation."Now, I'd like to speak about something else, about our way of football today, because our way of football today was a little bit different from other matches."

When asked if he felt Kepa showed him a lack of respect, Sarri said: "No, Kepa only said: 'No, no, I'm very well and able to continue.' He understood I wanted to change for an injury. He was only telling me his word, saying he was really very well. So, I think that, in 120 minutes, a discussion can happen with the players.

"I think we have to concentrate on football. Of course, I will speak to him. As I said before, he was right for his motivation. But not for the conduct."Sarri also denied that the incident affected the Chelsea players ahead of the penalty shoot-out, saying: "No, I don't think so, because the only nervous person was myself. I saw the players very quiet and calm.

"We had prepared [for a shoot-out], but it's useless because it's very easy to kick a penalty in the training ground. Then, after 20 hours, you have to kick a penalty here with 80,000 people, and millions watching on television. So, it's really different. It's not a question of technical ability. But more the mind, I think."

There had been doubts over Sarri's future as Chelsea boss in the build-up to the game following heavy Premier League defeats to City and Bournemouth and an FA Cup exit at the hands of Manchester United.The former Napoli boss says it will be up to the club to decide if his team's efforts in the final will buy him any more time in charge.

"I don't know; you'll have to use your phone and ask the club," he said. "I can say my opinion, but I don't know. But today I'm really very happy because my feeling is that we are improving. We are improving because we could become a very solid team, I think.

"We conceded nothing to Manchester City, and that's not really very easy. They're very dangerous in the attacking phase, and usually score a lot. So, I'm happy with the performance, and I saw the match on the pitch that I prepared yesterday. So, for a coach, it's a very important thing."

When asked what owner Roman Abramovich might think, Sarri replied: "I don't know. If the television worked well, [he saw] a good performance. It depends on the television, I think. I don't know where the president is, so the signal might be not good."

 

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David Luiz on Kepa 'misunderstanding' - I never want to come off!


Chelsea defender David Luiz has had his say on the controversy surrounding goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who refused to come off in Sunday's Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.

With the game tied 0-0 and penalties approaching, Kepa went down with an injury and his manager Maurizio Sarri summoned Willy Caballero to replace him.
But the Spaniard insisted he was able to continue, and waved off his manager in extraordinary fashion.

Both Kepa and Sarri insisted after the game that the incident was a misunderstanding, a sentiment with which Luiz agreed.“I also think it was a misunderstanding, but if you think differently you can write what you want," the Brazilian told reporters.“I think he didn't understand if the coach wanted to change him because of his decision or if he was feeling bad or not."

The incident served to add fuel to speculation that Sarri had lost control of the Chelsea locker room, with the goalkeeper seemingly unconcerned to proceed with an open act of defiance.Though Sarri has been under intense pressure, Luiz said that he hopes the Italian continues in his position and that the Chelsea dressing room are still backing him.

“Yes, I love the way he plays," the Brazilian, who saw his penalty in the shootout rebound out off the post, said when asked if the Chelse players are still backing Sarri."I love the way he is as a man, he's a fantastic person, so of course the players are with him.

"For me it was more difficult today to miss the penalty, to not to give him a title, than for me. I wish to give that for Sarri.”Though Kepa's actions have caused plenty of controversy, Luiz has indicated he at least sympathises with the sentiment that Kepa was displaying in refusing to leave the field.

"I can speak about me: I never want to be off the pitch, I never want to come off.”

 

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'I wish I could do it' - Kompany stunned by Arrizabalaga substitution stand-off


Vincent Kompany said he’d “never seen” a player refuse to leave the pitch for a substitution after he watched Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga defy his manager in the Carabao Cup Final.The Blues goalkeeper stubbornly refused to leave the Wembley pitch in the final minute of extra time before City triumphed in a penalty shoot-out.

Manager Maurizio Sarri was attempting to bring on number two goalkeeper Willy Caballero, but cancelled the substitution when Arrizabalaga sensationally flouted the order.

And City skipper Kompany joked that he would have liked the option to resist being brought off during his career."Of course I've never seen it,” he told Sky Sports. “I wish I could do it every now and then when I don't want to get subbed off.”

Argentine Caballero, who was the hero when City beat Liverpool to life the Cup in 2016, had been Sarri’s choice to face penalties after the game finished goalless, but in unprecedented scenes found himself returning to the bench moments after stripping off ready to come on.

"I know how good Willy is on penalties,” said Kompany. “When we won this competition against Liverpool he was tremendous, he won the penalties for us and it would be another mind game to be played."It didn't happen and the confidence was there to score the penalties."

Former Chelsea skipper John Terry, who lifted the Cup under Jose Mourinho in 2005, said he would be surprised if there were not consequences for Arrizabalaga after publically disrespecting his manager’s wishes."It will be interesting to see if Kepa plays the next game,” said Terry. “If I was in the dressing room I would expect the manager to come in and deal with it straight away.”

The stand-off represented a bizarre development in the increasingly uncertain saga of Sarri’s tenure at Chelsea.Some reports had suggested that the Italian would be sacked if the Blues lost Sunday’s showpiece.

The road doesn't get any easier as Sarri and Chelsea face Tottenham midweek.

 

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'It was a big misunderstanding' - Sarri plays down Kepa mutiny in Chelsea defeat


Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has played down goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga's extraordinary act of defiance in the Carabao Cup final, saying it was a "big misunderstanding".

The Spaniard refused to be substituted in the closing stages of Sunday's game at Wembley, despite twice going down with cramp.Sarri wanted to bring on substitute goalkeeper Willy Caballero but was left seething when Kepa refused to leave the field.

After 120 goalless minutes, City went on to win 4-3 on penalties, Kepa saving from Leroy Sane but allowing a weak Sergio Aguero effort to creep beyond him, with Raheem Sterling converting the decisive kick.Sarri appeared in a much more conciliatory mood when asked about the incident by reporters after the game.

"It was a big misunderstanding,’ said Sarri in quotes published on Chelsea's official website. "I understood he had cramp so I didn’t want the goalkeeper to go to penalties in that physical condition.

"I only realised the situation after three or four minutes when the doctor came to the bench. In the meantime I wanted Caballero on the pitch, and the keeper only wanted me to know he was in condition to go to penalties, so it was a big misunderstanding.

"Kepa was right, even if the way he conducted himself was wrong. Mentally he was right, he was able to go to penalties, but I only realised everything when the doctor was able to come to the bench, not before. I was really angry."I want to talk with him because he needs to understand that with a misunderstanding we can get in trouble, especially with you (the media)."So I think I only have to explain the situation to Kepa but without any other problem."

Chelsea were demolished 6-0 at City in the Premier League two weeks ago but showed a vastly improved display after Sarri used Eden Hazard as a false nine, dropping Gonzalo Higuain to the bench."They played exactly how I asked them. Today I am proud of my players," Sarri continued. "You have to ask the club [about his future]. Here I am really very happy.

"In the last three matches we are improving, we have improved a lot. Today we showed to everyone we can become a very solid team."We conceded nothing to the opponents and against City it is not easy. So really very happy with my players and proud of my players.

"If you look at the performance it was really very good. In my opinion, against the best team in Europe."

 

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Hazard would star for Real Madrid – Mourinho


Chelsea star Eden Hazard has the talent and personality to play for La Liga giants Real Madrid, according to his former manager Jose Mourinho.

Hazard, 28, revealed earlier this month he had made a decision on his future, but whether he is staying at Stamford Bridge or leaving remains unclear.The Belgium international is contracted until 2020, yet has been linked consistently with a switch to Madrid.

Mourinho, his former coach and an ex-Madrid boss, is unsure what Hazard will do, but he believes the attacker is capable of starring at the Santiago Bernabeu."Eden's ambitions... playing at Chelsea his whole life or going out to a giant like Real Madrid?" he told DAZN on Sunday.

"I can't tell you, because I haven't talked to him for quite a while."Let's talk about talent. Does he have the talent to play for Real Madrid? He does.Does he have the personality to wear a super heavy shirt and play in front of a crowd like the Bernabeu? He has personality, yes."Hazard arrived at Chelsea from Lille in 2012 and has won two Premier League titles and the Europa League with the club.

The forward made his spot kick in Sunday's Carabao Cup final for Chelsea, but it was not enough as the Blues fell to Manchester City in penalty kicks.Chelsea are back in action midweek when Hazard and the Blues take on Tottenham.

The Blues currently sit sixth in the league, three points behind fourth-place Arsenal while maintaining a game in hand.

 

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Lukaku: Man Utd ready for anything, including four injuries in one half!


Romelu Lukaku claims Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has Manchester United “prepared for any situation”, with even four injuries in one half against Liverpool failing to knock them out of their stride.The Red Devils headed into a home date with their arch-rivals with a clearly defined plan of how they intended to set about claiming a positive result.

Those pre-match preparations were ripped up inside the opening 20 minutes as Marcus Rashford suffered a knock to his ankle and Ander Herrera was forced from the field.Juan Mata then followed a fellow Spaniard to the dressing room before his replacement, Jesse Lingard, limped off on his return from a previous ailment.

Solskjaer admitted afterwards that “everything that could go wrong did go wrong” for his side, but United still had enough about them to tinker with their tactics and take a point from a 0-0 draw.

Lukaku claims that resilience is down to the message being put across by the manager, with the Belgian striker telling Sky Sports: "I think the coaching staff did a good job of telling us the indications of how to play and we were prepared for any situation.

"We did well as a team and, from this performance, what we have to take is that we can fight in whatever circumstances."If a player gets injured we can always make sure another player comes in and does a job, so I'm happy."

United are now waiting on updates from their medical department when it comes to the walking wounded.They are due back in action on Wednesday against Crystal Palace.

Solskjaer may have to get creative with his selection for that fixture, but a man now unbeaten through 10 Premier League outings is being backed to keep the Red Devils competitive.Asked if a dogged display against title-chasing Liverpool was another example of the progress being made under an interim coach, Lukaku said: "Yeah, of course.

"Everybody's been talking about us being offensively a great team, but I think defensively we are doing a great job, as well."Look at how the defenders are playing. Chris Smalling coming in for the last three games and doing really well, so he raises the level as well.

"For the defenders the competition is great and for us up front as well. We have to keep performing how we are and make sure whatever situation we have, we control the game and try to win."