CHELSEA VS MANCHESTER CITY: All Stats, Hits & Flops from the Community Shield
Monday, 06 August 2018 16:33Manchester City once again proved that they are the team to beat as they eased past Chelsea to win the FA Community Shield. The Citizens won 2-0 with Sergio Aguero scoring both the goals for the defending Premier League champions.
Chelsea were a lot better than they were last season but just not good enough to stop Manchester City. Sarri can be proud of his team for trying hard but the end product was poor and there were a lot of misplaced passes as well.
There were two goals for the predatory Sergio Aguero – the first being his 200thfor City – but it was the manner of their construction, and the architects of them, that was so impressive. On both occasions City carved through Chelsea.
Phil Foden, the great young hope at still just 18, created the first and also released Aguero with the pass of the match – a wonderful wedged ball through with back-spin to bring it back to the striker – while John Stones continued his imperious form from the World Cup, just three weeks to the day after returning from Russia, and Bernardo Silva looked like a player trying to prove a point. The only disappointment was an indifferent performance from £60million signing Riyad Mahrez and the confirmation, if any were needed, that goalkeeper Claudio Bravo is not going to be challenging Ederson for his place.
The three biggest Hit players of the game was:
1. Sergio Aguero: Easily the man of the match today. The Argentine scored his 200th and 201st goal for Manchester City today and they were enough to see his side ease past Chelsea.
2. Bernado Silva: After the big summer signing from Monaco last summer, he could only show a glimpse of himself but, in this game he showed his true colours. He was running the show for City and was finding gaps out of nowhere. He gave the Chelsea side a tough time and there was nothing any Chelsea player could do to stop him.
3. Willy Caballero: Surprised that Willy Caballero is a hit? Well, I am too. Before the game kicked off, no one would have expected him to be one of the best players on the pitch for Chelsea.
After Callum Hudson-Odoi, it was Caballero who impressed for The Blues. He made numerous saves to keep the score respectable for Chelsea today.
There was nothing he could do for both the goals as they were defensive mistakes and Aguero made the most of it.
As for the three Biggest flops, it was a no-brainer:
1. David Luiz: Once again, David Luiz has proved that he just cannot play in a two-man defense. The Brazilian is out of position more often than not and leaves the opponent strikers unmarked all the time.
2. Marcos Alonso: if there is one player in the Chelsea squad who is not fit for SarriBall, it has to be Marcos Alonso. There was nothing the Spanish defender was able to do right today.
He could not defend, he could not pass, and it takes him 5 crosses to get one right. Emerson Palmieri needs to be given a chance from the next game.
3. Alvaro Morata: Alvaro Morata just can't catch a break. The Spanish striker was unable to do anything (again!) today and was clearly making things difficult for Pedro and Hudson-Odoi.
He was not creating chances nor was he able to link up with his teammates. There was no intent from him today to score and, if things continue like this, he might be warming the bench more often than not this season.
BIN LADEN PLANNED TO ATTACK THE ENGLISH NATIONAL TEAM ACCORDING TO NEW BOOK
Thursday, 21 June 2018 08:23A newly published book has claimed that Osama Bin Laden drew up plans to take out the England national team in a terror attack at the 1998 World Cup.
Middle East-based journalist Adam Robinson and former US terror chief Yossef Bodansky believe that the al-Qaeda warlord plotted to kill members of the Three Lions squad during a group match against Tunisia.
In their book Terror on the Pitch, the authors claim that Bin Laden devised the attack with Algerian Islamist terrorist organisation the Armed Islamic Group.
The plan is said to have involved taking down goalkeeper David Seaman via a suicide bomber, shooting Alan Shearer dead on the pitch and tossing a grenade at the bench where then-manager Glen Hoddle would have been sitting, according to The Mirror.
David Beckham and Michael Owen are also said to have been earmarked for execution.
Bin Laden, who was killed by US Special Forces in May 2011, allegedly spent time in London on a fact-finding mission while plotting the attack and developed "an affinity" for Arsenal during his time there.
LEROY SANE OUT BRANDT IN- GREMANY 23 MAN SQUAD
Tuesday, 05 June 2018 08:29Germany and Manchester City winger Leroy Sane has been left out of Germany's final 23-man World Cup squad.
Sane, Bayer Leverkusen pair Bernd Leno and Jonathan Tah and Freiburg striker Nils Petersen were all dropped as Joachim Low cut the defending champions' 27-man provisional squad on Monday..
Meanwhile, Goal Keeper Manuel Neuer, who came back after nine months out in Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Austria, is in the squad.
Germany's 23-man squad in full
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Paris St-Germain)
Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Matthias Ginter (Borussia Monchengladbach), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Marvin Plattenhardt (Hertha Berlin), Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea), Niklas Sule (Bayern Munich)
Midfielders: Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Julian Draxler (Paris St-Germain), Leon Goretska (Schalke), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Sebastian Rudy (Bayern Munich)
Strikers: Mario Gomez (Stuttgart), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)
SALAH LEADS EYGPT WORLD CUP PARTY
Tuesday, 05 June 2018 08:26Egypt and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been named in Egypt's World Cup squad despite being injured in the Champions League final.
It is understood Salah will not meet up with his team-mates until 9 June as he continues his recovery from a shoulder injury, his national team said.
Egypt's opening World Cup fixture is against Uruguay on 15 June.
They meet hosts Russia on 19 June and conclude their campaign in Group A against Saudi Arabia on 25 June.
MAN CITY DEFENDER MAKES BELGIUM WORLD CUP SQUAD DESPITE INJURY WORRIES
Tuesday, 05 June 2018 08:21Defender Vincent Kompany has been named in Belgium's 23-man squad for the World Cup despite being an injury doubt but Palace striker Christian Benteke misses out.
32 year old Vincent Kompany, suffered a groin injury during Saturday's goalless draw with Portugal.
Manager Roberto Martinez said he would make a decision on the centre-back's fitness closer to their opening match against Panama on 18 June.
Belgium's final 23-man squad
Goalkeepers: Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg), Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool).
Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Thomas Meunier (Paris St-Germain), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur).
Midfielders: Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang), Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Monchengladbach), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian).
Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea), Nacer Chadli (West Brom), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United).