Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech: Spurs need trophy to show progress

Despite constant criticism, former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires feels Arsene Wenger is still the right man for the job. Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has said rivals Tottenham must win silverware before they can claim to have become the dominant club in North London. Cech, whose team take on Spurs in a derby on Saturday, told Sky Sports Spurs needed a trophy in order to show "progression." Tottenham finished above Arsenal last season, the first time in 22 years that had happened, having been pipped to second place by them on the final day of the campaign before that. But Cech, asked whether the balance between the...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/arsenal/story/3269501/arsenal-goalkeeper-petr-cech-tottenham-need-trophy-to-show-progress

Watford dismiss Everton's approach for manager Marco Silva - sources

Marco Silva defends how he set his team up after Watford blew a two-goal lead in a 3-2 defeat at Everton. Watford have rejected an approach from Everton for their manager Marco Silva, sources close to the Vicarage Road club have told ESPN FC. Everton are continuing their search for a new manager following the sacking of Ronald Koeman and Silva has emerged as one of their top targets. Watford are determined to keep hold of Silva as they look to build on his promising start to life at Vicarage Road this season and have informed Everton that any approach will not be welcome. Sources have told ESPN FC that...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/watford/story/3269006/watford-reject-evertons-approach-for-manager-marco-silva-sources

Eden Hazard remaining with Chelsea could be tied to Antonio Conte's fate

Stevie Nicol discusses Eden Hazard's comments about possibly playing for Zinedine Zidane and reuniting with Jose Mourinho. An international break wouldn't be an international break without a story or two surfacing that links Chelsea's star man Eden Hazard with a move to Real Madrid. In recent seasons, the La Liga giants have made no secret of their desire to sign Hazard, and more often than not the player has talked up the possibility of heading to the Bernabeu with a few choice remarks while away on duty with Belgium. The 26-year-old was at it again at the weekend, proclaiming it would be a dream to play under Real...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/club/chelsea/363/blog/post/3269409/eden-hazard-remaining-with-chelsea-could-be-tied-to-antonio-contes-fate

Liverpool's Solanke selling point as Klopp looks for edge over rivals

The ESPN FC crew discuss Nathaniel Clyne's injury setback for Liverpool. Dominic Solanke's call up to the full England squad for Tuesday's friendly with Brazil may be a little surprising given that the striker has yet to even start a Premier League game, but Liverpool should be using his promotion to their advantage when trying to persuade the brightest young stars that Anfield is the best place for their future development. This year has shown us that English football is awash with talented young players, as England won World Cups at both Under-20 and U17 level. You...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/club/liverpool/364/blog/post/3269445/liverpool-solanke-selling-point-as-klopp-looks-for-edge-over-rivals

Spurs' Christian Eriksen: Dennis Bergkamp a big influence on my career

Mauricio Pochettino elaborates on Dele Alli's hamstring injury and hopes he'll be available for the North London derby. Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen has told Sky Sports he owes his breakthrough in senior football to Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp. Bergkamp spent more than a decade at Arsenal, retiring in 2006 before returning to his former club Ajax as assistant manager -- around the same time a teenage Eriksen had joined them. Denmark international Eriksen, speaking ahead of Saturday's North London derby at the Emirates Stadium, said Bergkamp had played a big part in his development in Amsterdam. "I...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/tottenham-hotspur/story/3269414/spurs-christian-eriksen-dennis-bergkamp-a-big-influence-on-my-career

Premier League confirms Mike Dean as referee of North London derby

Despite constant criticism, former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires feels Arsene Wenger is still the right man for the job. Mike Dean will referee his seventh North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham on Saturday, the Premier League has confirmed. In 2015, 100,000 Gunners fans signed a petition to ban him from Arsenal games after a controversial loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge that year. Dean chose not to send off Chelsea striker Diego Costa for a foul and instead gave Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista a red card for retaliating. He was in charge the last time Arsenal defeated Spurs in a Premier League match...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/english-premier-league/story/3269354/premier-league-confirms-mike-dean-as-referee-of-north-london-derby

Arsene Wenger: I could take on international role after Arsenal era

Despite constant criticism, former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires feels Arsene Wenger is still the right man for the job. Arsene Wenger has told beIN Sports he could be tempted to take over as coach of a national team once his reign at Arsenal is over. Wenger has been linked with both the France and England jobs on several occasions, and said the lighter schedule involved in international management could be beneficial as he gets older. "Maybe, yes, I will do it at some stage. But until now I've liked to be involved every day in the life of a club, because the real test is there," he said. "Four or five weeks......
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/arsenal/story/3269321/arsene-wenger-i-could-take-on-international-role-when-arsenal-era-ends

Was Pablo Zabaleta spotted sporting Manchester City colours in training?

He may be a West Ham player these days, but it would appear that Pablo Zabaleta's heart still lies with Manchester City, the club at which he spent nine long years before leaving for east London in May. Indeed, the 32-year-old was spotted wearing his old club colours around his neck during a recent Hammers training session, donning a blue-and-white scarf for the occasion. Once a =5...Pablo Zabaleta rocking the City scarf in West Ham training today. = pic.twitter.com/CrTzMuvrQA— City Watch (@City_Watch) November 13, 2017

Of course, it's also worth remembering that Zabaleta is a former Argentina international, with the Albiceleste obviously sharing...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/blog/the-toe-poke/65/post/3269343/was-pablo-zabaleta-spotted-sporting-manchester-city-colours-in-training

Guardiola's defensive dilemma will prove how far City have grown

ESPN FC's Shaka Hislop discusses Manchester City's dominance in the Premier League.
Manchester City's trip to Leicester last season was one of the low points of their season. The 4-2 defeat, which was made only marginally respectable by two consolation goals for Pep Guardiola's side in the final eight minutes, was perhaps the second-worst result of the campaign behind the 4-0 loss at Everton.
That afternoon at Leicester, some fans began to question the logic in Guardiola's methods. Pablo Zabaleta was asked to tuck into midfield when City had the ball, while a remaining back three...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/club/manchester-city/382/blog/post/3269277/guardiolas-defensive-dilemma-will-prove-how-far-city-have-grown

Chelsea managerial turnover normal in modern football - Didier Drogba

Former Chelsea stars Gianfranco Zola and Roberto Di Matteo talk the Blues' start so far, Michael Emenalo and Alvaro Morata.
Didier Drogba has told RMC he does not believe the high turnover of managers at his former club Chelsea is anything exceptional in the current game.
Drogba, 39, won four Premier League titles and the same number of FA Cups in two spells at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has appointed nine managers in the last 10 years, but Drogba said: "Everyone says Chelsea isn't very stable. But in modern-day football, there is no coach who lasts more than three or four years at a club.
"I asked...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/chelsea/story/3269267/chelsea-managerial-turnover-normal-in-modern-football-didier-drogba

Arsenal set to benefit from fitness boost ahead of derby vs. Spurs

With criticism coming from all directions, Arsenal's Mesut Ozil may be the epitome of a polarizing player.

        Shaka Hislop questions why Alexandre Lacazette has been sitting on the bench when he feels he clearly improves Arsenal.

With Arsenal's infamously fragile squad, the international break is always a nerve-wracking period for Gunners fans. Supporters scour the headlines, desperately hoping their key players return to London unscathed. This week, there will be more prayers said and fingers crossed than usual because, when the Premier League resumes at the weekend, Arsenal face a hugely important fixture against rivals Tottenham.
Thus far, though, the indications are that any fears may have been misplaced. Arsenal are...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/club/arsenal/359/blog/post/3269257/arsenal-set-to-benefit-from-fitness-boost-ahead-of-derby-vs-spurs

Mourinho left hamstrung by Paul Pogba injury at Manchester United

Jose Mourinho has spoken of his eagerness for Paul Pogba to return at Manchester United.
The game is up, if it wasn't already. With each week that he is absent with a confusingly persistent injury, Paul Pogba shows he is indispensable to Manchester United's title challenge.
Though Jose Mourinho cannot expect too much sympathy, given that his club has the financial resources of a small nation, he can feel entitled to some frustration. Even he cannot have anticipated how much less effective United would be without the Frenchman.
If there is any consolation to be drawn from this situation,...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/club/manchester-united/360/blog/post/3269249/mourinho-left-hamstrung-by-paul-pogba-injury-at-manchester-united

Leicester vice-chairman denies King Power tax claims as case proceeds

Claude Puel and Kasper Schmeichel delve deeper into Leicester's draw against Stoke City.
Leicester City vice-chairman Aiyawatt Shrivaddhanaprabha has "categorically denied" allegations that King Power International, which owns the club, failed to pay £322 million in taxes.
The case centres on the monopoly on duty free airport shops in Thailand that was granted to King Power in 2006.
A lawsuit brought against the company alleges that it paid only a three percent slice of duty-free revenues to the government when the amount required was 15 percent.
Reuters reported that the Central...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/leicester-city/story/3269246/leicester-vice-chairman-denies-king-power-tax-claims-as-case-proceeds

Why has England's Ruben Loftus-Cheek fallen through the cracks?

Gareth Southgate is full of praise for Ruben Loftus-Cheek after his performance on his England debut against Germany.
For the many who derided Ruben Loftus-Cheek's maiden England call-up as ludicrously premature, the 21-year-old's spectacularly assured debut display against Germany in the 0-0 draw on Friday no doubt came as quite a shock.
People more familiar with his talent and his story, however, know his emergence as a national talking point is long overdue.
Throughout his academy career, coaches, scouts and other observers inside and outside Chelsea spoke about Loftus-Cheek with awe reserved only for the truly...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/club/chelsea/363/blog/post/3269136/why-has-england-ruben-loftus-cheek-fallen-through-the-cracks

Manchester City on solid footing, but it wasn't always that way

Shaka Hislop feels Manchester City's increasing revenue is good for the game of football.

        Is Alexis Sanchez set to sign for Manchester City come January or does he have another club in mind after his time at Arsenal runs out?

The anniversary passed quietly and unobtrusively last week of an episode in Manchester City's history that still gives supporters of the club the shivers 20 years later.

Freshly relegated to the second tier, it had taken City chairman Francis Lee weeks to find a new manager but only 32 days to lose him again. Steve Coppell, appointed to the job that apparently nobody wanted with the usual brash fanfare and raft of promises, went the way of so many others, slinking out of the back door under...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/club/manchester-city/382/blog/post/3269047/manchester-city-on-solid-footing-but-it-wasnt-always-that-way

Hiring of minority bosses still a concern in football - LMA's Richard Bevan

Brighton's Chris Hughton is one of five BAME managers in England's top four divisions.
Football has "an awful long way to go'' before completely addressing the lack of black, Asian or minority ethnic bosses, according to League Managers Association chief executive Richard Bevan.
There are just five BAME managers in English football's top four divisions, with Bevan recognising the number is not enough.
Chris Hughton (Brighton), Nuno Espirito Santo (Wolves), Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Northampton), Keith Curle (Carlisle) and Jack Lester (Chesterfield) are the only BAME managers in the...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/english-premier-league/story/3268934/hiring-of-minority-bosses-still-a-concern-in-football-lmas-richard-bevan

The Sweeper: Congratulations Cristiano

Cristiano Ronaldo becomes a father for the fourth time, the Pogba brothers grace the MTV European Music Awards and more in the Sweeper.
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/international/55/video/3268753/the-sweeper-congratulations-cristiano

Chelsea youth development vindicated by Loftus-Cheek's England debut

Gareth Southgate is full of praise for Ruben Loftus-Cheek after his performance on his England debut against Germany.
Watching Ruben Loftus-Cheek garnish his England debut against Germany on Friday with a fine individual display was immensely gratifying for all Chelsea followers. For those who have watched him through the age groups, imposing himself at every level and consistently standing out among an incredibly talented crop of young players, their faith in his ability was vindicated. It is far too soon say that the 21-year-old has officially made it at the top level but the signs are hugely encouraging.
Predictably,...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/club/chelsea/363/blog/post/3268600/chelsea-youth-development-vindicated-by-loftus-cheeks-england-debut

What Clyne's injury means for Liverpool and England

With Nathaniel Clyne reportedly set to be sidelined for three more months, how will Liverpool and England cope without him?
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/english-premier-league/23/video/3268587/what-clynes-injury-means-for-liverpool-and-england

Swansea captain Leon Britton joins coaching staff after Claude Makelele exit

Paul Clement says Swansea are struggling for confidence after falling into the relegation zone with their loss to Brighton.
Swansea captain Leon Britton has joined the Premier League club's coaching staff.
Britton fills the vacancy left by Claude Makelele, who departed Swansea last week to become manager of Belgian club KAS Eupen.
The 35-year-old midfielder will continue playing but has given up the captaincy at the Liberty Stadium.
"It is the beginning of a new chapter in his career,'' head coach Paul Clement told the official Swansea website.
"I feel he is the perfect person for the role at this time.

        Swansea's Leon Britton will continue playing despite accepting a coaching role at the club.

"He is still...
Source: http://www.espnfc.com/swansea-city/story/3268525/swansea-captain-leon-britton-joins-coaching-staff-after-claude-makelele-exit

Source: http://www.espnfc.com/english-premier-league/23/index

ESPN FC - English Premier League News