Month: April 2023

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool will “take what we get” at the end of the season as they eye a fourth Premier League win in a row against Tottenham on Sunday.

The Reds are in seventh place after continuing their recent resurgence with a 2-1 victory at West Ham on Tuesday.

Liverpool are seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United and will move above Spurs if they beat them at Anfield this weekend.

Reds manager Klopp expects his players to throw everything into a late-season push for a place in either the Champions League or Europa League.

He said: “We will take what we get. We didn’t start the season saying it will be fantastic, but the season taught us a few things. If it is Europa League, it is Europa League.

“We want to create a basis to qualify for the best possible scenario. Squeeze everything out.”

Klopp has been encouraged by the Reds’ return to form but is demanding more.

The German said: “It’s too early to speak about consistency winning three in a row. I am happy with the performances at the moment as I saw a lot of things we want to see in games, and that’s really pleasing for the coach.

“I know from the outside results are everything, but performances levels are what you are looking for. We want to focus on us, but we cannot ignore the quality of the opponent.

“There is always something to improve on. I am absolutely okay with us at the moment, but we have to stay focused and show the most important prize in football is three points.”

Centre-back Ibrahima Konate is available to return from injury when Spurs travel to Merseyside on the back of fighting back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Manchester United on Thursday.

Tottenham were hammered 6-1 at Newcastle United last weekend, resulting in interim boss Cristian Stellini being sacked and Ryan Mason taking charge until the end of the season.

Klopp is wary of the threat posed by the London club despite the fact they have endured a turbulent time.

He added: “This is a season where a lot of things are difficult for a lot of teams. We have our problems, Chelsea have problems, Tottenham have problems. It is not cool for us but opens it up for other teams and Champions League spots are there to grab for other teams.

“Little mistakes can cause massive problems. I don’t know anything about that for Tottenham, but they showed they are outstanding last night. I will be prepared for the best possible Tottenham side. They have been the best counter-attacking side in Europe by some distance.”

Juan Mata has named Didier Drogba as the best team-mate he played alongside in the Champions League, while Lionel Messi is the Spaniard’s most revered opponent.

Drogba, a legend at Stamford Bridge, scored the winning spot-kick in Chelsea’s penalty shoot-out victory over Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final.

It brought up Chelsea’s first European crown, one they followed up nine years later by beating Manchester City 1-0 in Porto.

Drogba’s coolly taken penalty was his memorable final contribution during his first stint at Chelsea, albeit he returned for a brief second spell in 2014.

Mata, who now plays for Galatasaray, had left for Manchester United by that time, but for him, Drogba will always be the former team-mate synonymous with big Champions League moments.

“If I think about the Champions League, and the times we played together at Chelsea, and when we won the competition, the first big man that comes to mind is Didier Drogba,” Mata said in an interview with the Go Turkiye YouTube Channel.

“He scored the goal in the final, he scored the last penalty, he was a leader on and off the pitch, and he is definitely one of the best strikers of the last 20 or 30 years, so he has to be there. 

“He was very helpful to me during my time in London, and he comes to my mind when I think of the Champions League.

“I also have to mention John Terry, [Frank] Lampard, Wayne Rooney, [Robin] van Persie, and many other greats that I had the chance to play with.

“But when I think of Champions League and that final in Munich, it has to be Didier.”

When it came to the toughest opponent playmaker Mata has faced, there was only one player who came to mind.

“I’ll have to go with Messi,” Mata said. “I played against him in the Spanish league with Valencia, but also in the Champions League with Chelsea.

“I remember those semi-finals when we won it, and he missed a penalty, and he was very unlucky.

“But he is an unbelievable player, still playing at such a great level, we got to see what he did at the World Cup.

“I admire him, and it was a pleasure for me to play against him, hopefully we can play against each other again.

“For me, I have to say he is the one.”

Hamit Altintop, who played for Bayern and Real Madrid, echoed Mata’s sentiment, though it was not as easy for the former Turkey international to pick out an individual.

“Didier is a real leader on and off the pitch, I played with him in Galatasaray,” he added.

“One of my friends asked me if I could make my best XI. In goal: Oliver Kahn, Manuel Neuer, Iker Casillas… These names are all unbelievable players that get mentioned if you talk about the Champions League.

“Iker Casillas is amazing, Cristiano [Ronaldo] the same, if you’re talking about the Champions League, you have to mention Messi, of course. All of these names come to mind.”

An Italian team is guaranteed to reach the Champions League final for the first time since 2017, when Madrid beat Juventus, with a Milan derby on the cards in the semi-finals.

Manchester City and Madrid face off in the other semi-final tie, and Mata pointed out it is not always the strongest team that goes on to win the competition.

“Sometimes in the Champions League, the best teams don’t win, because it’s not as long as a normal league, so sometimes you need a little bit of luck: a post, a save, a penalty or other things like that,” the 34-year-old said.

“If you don’t have mental strength, and if you don’t all behave as one, you’re not going to win. I felt like that is what happened with Chelsea at that time, we felt like it was meant to be, we felt that was the year.

“For me the mental aspect of football, sometimes it is undervalued, but for me it is key.”

Borussia Dortmund have edged ahead in the Bundesliga title race but face a tricky test at relegation-threatened Bochum this evening. 

Bayern Munich will be ready to take advantage of any slip-up as Thomas Tuchel’s men host bottom side Hertha Berlin. 

Germany’s race for Champions League football is similarly tense, with Bayer Leverkusen hoping to close the gap on Union Berlin when the teams meet. 

Fellow challengers Freiburg travel to FC Cologne on Saturday, while fifth-placed RB Leipzig take on Hoffenheim.

Game of the week: Bochum vs Borussia Dortmund (Friday, 7.30pm)

Dortmund made the most of Bayern’s dropped points at Mainz to claim top spot — and Edin Terzic’s charges will be desperate to maintain pole position. 

They should be confident of doing so against a Bochum outfit that has not won in their last four league outings (two draws, two defeats). 

Die Borussen have certainly had the upper hand against tonight’s opponents this season, beating them in both the Bundesliga (3-0) and the DFB-Pokal (2-1). 

In-form forward Donyell Malen may be key to securing all three points. He has scored four times in his last three outings.

Bayern Munich vs Hertha Berlin (Sunday, 2.30pm)

Bayern were hoping that Thomas Tuchel’s appointment would boost their fortunes — but Die Roten have failed to win in four attempts across all competitions. 

That included a 3-1 defeat at Mainz last time out, which allowed Dortmund to leapfrog them in the table. 

But Hertha Berlin should be the perfect opponents for beleaguered Bayern. The rock-bottom visitors have lost three in a row and have conceded nine times across their previous two matches. 

The German champions will be relying on their outstanding home form — they are unbeaten in their last 21 Bundesliga home games (14 wins, seven draws), the longest ongoing run in the league.

Union Berlin vs Bayer Leverkusen (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Leverkusen are currently six points off the top four, so victory on Saturday is imperative for Die Werkself. 

Though Union triumphed at Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend, the form book is in Leverkusen’s favour — it is now eight league games unbeaten for Xabi Alonso’s men, including six wins. 

Die Eisernen have won just one of their 10 competitive matches against Leverkusen in professional football but will be hoping to double their total this weekend.

However, the visitors will be buoyed by memories of their previous encounter with Union when they ran out comprehensive 5-0 winners at the BayArena. 

FC Cologne vs Freiburg (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Freiburg can make it three wins on the bounce when they face a Cologne side lodged firmly in mid-table. 

The Breisgau Brazilians will be fully aware that they could drop out of the top four if they do not emerge victorious with RB Leipzig just two points behind them in fifth. 

But Christian Streich’s outfit have largely been solid away from home this term — only four teams can better their record of 22 points on the road. 

Austrian striker Michael Gregoritsch will hope to add to his 10 Bundesliga goals for the season after registering a brace against Schalke last time out.

RB Leipzig vs Hoffenheim (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Leipzig’s Matchday 29 defeat to Leverkusen was their third loss in five league games — but a home clash with Hoffenheim should see Marco Rose’s men get back to winning ways. 

After all, Die Kraichgauer sit just four points above the relegation play-off place, despite notching up three victories in a row during March and April. 

The Red Bulls have also beaten Saturday’s visitors twice this campaign, recording 3-1 wins in both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal. 

However, Pellegrino Matarazzo’s unit did hold Bayern to an away draw earlier this month, so it would be unwise to completely write off a surprise result in Leipzig.

The weekend’s other games

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Augsburg (Saturday, 2.30pm) 

Stuttgart vs Borussia Monchengladbach (Saturday, 2.30pm) 

Schalke vs Werder Bremen (Saturday, 5.30pm) 

Wolfsburg vs Mainz (Sunday, 4.30pm)

Follow each game with our unbeatable live scores service. Simply tap the Scores tab on the web or download the LiveScore app from the App Store for iOS devices or Google Play for Android.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is confident there is more to come from his own “Thierry Henry” after seeing record signing Alexander Isak light up the Premier League.

The Magpies’ £60million summer recruit has been in sensational form since returning from a four-month injury lay-off, taking his tally for the season to 10 goals as he battles Callum Wilson for the right to lead the line.

However, it was a stunning assist in Thursday night’s 4-1 win at Everton which drew comparisons with the mercurial Frenchman as he picked up the ball on halfway and skipped past three defenders on a mesmerising run before crossing for Jacob Murphy to tap in at the far post.

Asked if he could see the comparison, head coach Howe said: “Yes, I can, I can see the comparisons there.

“Everyone is different, there are no two players that are the same, but I do think he has some of the characteristics Thierry had.

“He’s certainly got the speed and a similar build and frame. The footwork for the assist was truly remarkable, really, and I think he’s got a lot of potential to improve and get better.

“But it’s been a great start for him here.”

Eyebrows were raised when Newcastle opted to invest so heavily to prise the now 23-year-old away from Real Sociedad in their search for added firepower, but their faith has been richly rewarded.

Isak scored a stunning debut goal at Liverpool in August, but after just three appearances for the club, damaged a thigh muscle on international duty with Sweden and was sidelined until January.

However, his rich vein of form has been key to the Magpies’ surge into Champions League contention – he has scored four times in his last five games – although his intervention at Goodison Park came from the bench as Howe rotated his in-form frontmen.

Asked if Isak has proved an even better player than he had anticipated, he said: “I don’t think you ever know with absolute certainty.

“Anyone who says that would be lying because until you work with a player close-up and you see them every day, I don’t think you ever know what their true capability is.

“But we’ve been very impressed with everything that he’s delivered to this point, not just technically on the pitch, but his character and how he’s handled certain situations. He’s been first class.”

Nevertheless, Isak will have to wait to see if he gets another chance to impress when struggling Southampton visit St James’ Park on Sunday with Howe having rested Wilson for the trip to Brentford earlier this month after he had scored twice at West Ham, and then done the same to the Swede following his double against Tottenham on Sunday.

Coventry have agreed a five-year deal with Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group to play at the CBS Arena.

The Sky Blues were initially given an eviction notice in December after failing to agree a new lease when Frasers Group bought the stadium in November following the collapse of Wasps.

The club did strike a deal to be able to play until the end of the season but have now secured a long-term agreement.

Owner Doug King said: “We are delighted to sign this agreement, which we know will be welcomed by Sky Blues fans.

“This agreement will help to provide a period of further stability whilst we continue to build a positive future for Coventry City Football Club.

“The licence will enable us to play at our home, the Coventry Building Society Arena, for a minimum of five years and we will continue to positively engage with Frasers Group with regard to the longer term at the Arena.”

Coventry were forced to play at Northampton in 2013-14 and spent two seasons in Birmingham between 2019 and 2021 after being unable to find agreements with previous owners Arena Coventry Ltd and Wasps.

It is a further boost for the Sky Blues who are fifth in the Sky Bet Championship with two games left.

Mark Robins’ side are looking to end a 22-year exile from the Premier League and host Birmingham on Saturday.

Michael Murray, CEO of Frasers Group, said: “Following our recent acquisition of Coventry Building Society Arena, we are committed to investing into the Arena and the local community, and therefore supporting its future growth.”

Heung-min says Tottenham knew there could be no repeat of an “unacceptable” St James’ Park humiliation as they fought back to draw 2-2 with Manchester United.

Spurs’ hopes of securing a top-four Premier League finish were rocked by a 6-1 hammering at Newcastle on Sunday.

Interim boss Cristian Stellini was relieved of his duties after that drubbing on Tyneside, with Ryan Mason taking the hotseat until the end of the season.

Tottenham looked to be in danger of suffering another mauling when they trailed the Red Devils 2-0 following goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford.

But they rallied in the second half to salvage a point at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday, Pedro Porro halving the deficit and Son equalising after being set up by Harry Kane.

Son said: “We wanted to give everything and that was the dressing room speech.

“We couldn’t let the game go. We were really angry about it, we didn’t deserve to be 2-0 down at half-time.

“The last week was unacceptable and we didn’t want to repeat that. We feel really, really sorry for the performance and result and we wanted to bring a good energy.

“We really appreciated [the fans’] support and they were fighting with us.”

Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams says he is “gutted” he will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a fractured jaw in his side’s 3-1 win over Brighton.

Forest claimed their first win in a dozen matches on Wednesday to boost their hopes of avoiding relegation, moving one point above the Premier League bottom three after seeing off the Seagulls.

But victory came at a cost as Williams suffered a nasty blow after an inadvertent collision with team-mate Brennan Johnson.

He was stretchered off and immediately taken to hospital, where he had surgery and is set to return home on Friday afternoon, according to a statement from Forest on Thursday evening.

While Forest did not give an indication of how long he would be out for, the Welshman himself indicated he will play no further part in the campaign with five matches remaining.

He wrote on Twitter: “Absolutely buzzing the lads got the win yesterday but at the same time I am gutted to say my seasons over for sustaining a broken jaw.

“I will do everything I can to help my teammates bring home those points every game.”

The 22-year-old has made 34 appearances in all competitions this season since joining Forest from Liverpool last summer in a transfer worth £17million.

Ryan Mason promised Tottenham’s players will stick together between now and the end of the season after they staged an impressive second-half comeback to draw with Manchester United.

Spurs were coming off the back of a 6-1 drubbing away to Newcastle on Sunday and looked in trouble again when Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford fired United into a 2-0 half-time lead.

But Mason rallied his players at the break and they hit back strongly in the second half, goals from Pedro Porro and Son Heung-min rescuing the result and reminding home fans of their team’s powers of recovery after the debacle on Tyneside.

That result led to the sacking of interim coach Cristian Stellini by Daniel Levy, and the Tottenham chairman was the target of Spurs fans’ anger in the first half when it looked like their team would be overrun.

Mason, who has been installed until the end of the season whilst Levy searches for a permanent successor to Antonio Conte, said he was proud of his players for their fight and the way they went at United with the Newcastle result fresh in their minds.

“It’s been difficult after Sunday because the manner in which we lost wasn’t nice for anyone to be involved with,” said Mason. “But the most important thing now until the end of the season will always be to stick together as a team.

“Football – small details can change games, change results but ultimately the most important thing is to be together. And to everyone – the fans, the outside world looking in, they’ll see a team that’s solid and united together. And when you are that you have a chance of success.

“(We have) big character, big personalities, stuck together, kept believing and acted as a team throughout the whole game. That pleases me after what happened at the weekend because we probably didn’t have that as a group.

“And off the back of how the first half went in terms of the scoreline, to go out at half-time and stick together, fight for each other and really got our fans involved, I thought they helped us massively, and it’s pleasing.

“It proves a lot to me what I already thought about this group but to see that on to the pitch is a good feeling.”

Though admirable, the result did little to revive Spurs’ rapidly diminishing hopes of catching United in the race to qualify for the Champions League.

The gap to Erik ten Hag’s side in fourth stands at six points with Tottenham having played two games more.

Mason was asked whether at 2-2 he was tempted to go after the win that would have gone some of the way towards reeling in United and breathing life into the top-four scramble.

“We invested so much energy into getting that scoreline at 2-2,” he said. “It felt like we were almost acting a little emotionally to try and get that third, and sometimes that’s great but at the same time I felt there were a couple of moments when we looked a bit leggy, a bit open unnecessarily.

“So we changed it a little bit – still try and win the game but at the same time recognise the game and moment we were in.

“I felt once we had got the second goal the lads had sort of invested so much energy into it that we went a little bit flat and they took a little bit of control of the game without really creating anything.

“To come off 2-2 off the back of going in 2-0 down at half-time is a positive.”

Ten Hag reflected on a game in which, after a solid first half in which they dominated Spurs and were clinical with their chances, control of the match ultimately got away from them once they lost their dominance of the ball after the break.

“After half-time, there was a difference,” said Ten Hag. “We lost the control. We were not ball-secure. Then you have to go into the fight.

“When you lose your battles, you don’t block the crosses, when you don’t squeeze out, you don’t block shots, you concede goals and that’s what happened.

“Finally you have to be satisfied and take that point.”

Ryan Mason has a Tottenham team “willing to fight” for their place in the upper echelons of the Premier League after a comeback draw with Manchester United.

Goals from Pedro Porro and Son Heung-min helped the interim boss break the club’s losing streak in the first game in charge after replacing Cristian Stellini

Mason is no stranger to the Spurs hot seat, having been caretaker following Jose Mourinho’s exit two years ago, during which he was in charge for the EFL Cup final.

But after a 6-1 loss to Newcastle United last time out, Mason was delighted to get a response from his side that underlines their desire.

“In football, you can win, lose or draw but the most important [thing] is that we react together,” he told BT Sport. “I have a team that’s willing to fight.

“I thought in the second half, we were outstanding [with] the character we showed after last Sunday. I hope the fans can see that we were a team today.

“Those players in there, I know I’ve got men who when they pull together, they’re a very strong team. That’s my job, to inspire them and make sure we act as a team.”

Goalscorer Son, who was supplied for his point-clinching finish by regular partner Harry Kane, suggested Spurs’ performance was born out of frustration over recent failings.

“I thought we didn’t deserve to be 2-0 down in the first half,” he added. “We played quite well, we had the chances to score. But we weren’t clinical enough.

“We didn’t want to let the fans down, we wanted to give everything and that was the dressing room speech. We couldn’t let the game go. We were really angry about it.

“Football is all about the fans. The last week was unacceptable, and we didn’t want to repeat that. With them, we really appreciated their support. They were fighting with us.”

Bernardo Silva has described Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland as “beasts” after the destructive duo ran riot in Manchester City’s vital win over Arsenal.

De Bruyne scored twice from Haaland assists and then made another for John Stones before the Norwegian got on the scoresheet in a 4-1 win at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

The victory put the treble-chasing champions in firm control of the Premier League title race as they moved within two points of the leaders with two games in hand.

Haaland has now scored a stunning 33 goals in the competition this season – one short of the record – and laid on seven assists while De Bruyne’s figures are seven and 16 respectively.

City midfielder Silva said: “We knew that they could come doing man-to-man and we tried to stretch them as much as possible because, if they do man-to-man against us, they have to deal with Kevin and Erling up front. It’s never going to be easy in that spot.

“It was perfect for Kevin. They gave space for Kevin and to Erling to run. When you give them this kind of space, they are so difficult to defend.

“Two beasts running, their movements – Kevin with the passes, Erling with the scoring – this was the opposite.

“They did it perfectly, they created lots of chances. We could have scored even more.”

City now have a superb chance to emulate Manchester United’s 1999 achievement of winning all three of the remaining trophies on offer.

As well as being in command of their title destiny they are through to the FA Cup final, where they will face United, and they take on Real Madrid in the last four of the Champions League next month.

Manager Pep Guardiola has been reluctant to publicly discuss the prospect of winning the treble.

Silva insists the subject is not off-limits but the focus is very much on taking one game at a time.

The Portuguese said: “No, he hasn’t banned anything! We’re big men and we talk about whatever we want.

“But these players know that the best way to achieve good things is to think just about the next one. If we don’t beat Fulham on Sunday we put ourselves in a difficult position to win the Premier League.

“If we don’t win the Premier League we arrive in the final of the FA Cup and in the semi-finals of the Champions League not in a good momentum.

“We want to try and stay in this good momentum to try and go as far as possible. The team is doing very well at the moment and we’re going to try and keep it that way.”