There is no better pairing than Marcelo Bielsa and Uruguay, so says Ander Herrera.
Former Argentina, Athletic Bilbao and Leeds United boss Bielsa agreed to become Uruguay coach earlier this week.
The enigmatic Argentine, who was interviewed by Everton but reportedly turned the Premier League club down in January, was sacked by Leeds last year.
Bielsa is still a legend in the eyes of many Leeds fans, but is now back in work on the international scene, having taken charge of Uruguay, whose former coach Diego Alonso resigned following a group-stage exit from the World Cup in Qatar.
Ex-Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Herrera, who is now back at Athletic Bilbao, came through under Bielsa during the latter s stint in the Basque country betw…
Liverpool legend Gary McAllister cannot visualise the Reds without captain Virgil van Dijk, with the defender having entered the final year of his contract at Anfield.
Van Dijk has played a talismanic role since joining Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018, making 197 Premier League appearances for the club.
Since his debut, only Mohamed Salah (229), Trent Alexander-Arnold (211), Andy Robertson (209) and Alisson (201) have played more league matches for the Reds.
The Dutchman has won the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup trophies with the Reds, taking the captain s armband when Jordan Henderson departed last year.
However, he has entered the final 12 months of the four-year contract he signed in 2…
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With all eyes falling on north London this weekend, Arsenal will welcome Tottenham to the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.
Arsenal
Starting with the hosts, while Arsenal might have suffered title heartbreak last season as they missed out on the chance to get their hands on a first Premier League crown since 2004, the Gunners aren’t showing any signs of a hangover. Opening their Champions League adventure with a thumping performance in midweek as they cruised their way to a 4-0 romp against Dutch giants PSV, Mikel Arteta’s young squad should find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high. Marking their return from September’s international break with a rugged 1-0 victory away at relegation scrappers Everton, Sunday’s hosts will be d…
Arsenal head to Germany on Wednesday night looking to progress to the Champions League semi-finals by beating Bayern Munich.
With the quarter-final tie finely poised at 2-2 following the first leg at the Emirates Stadium last week, Mikel Arteta will be hopeful his side can pull off a victory in Bavaria.
However, Arsenal’s recent past is tarnished by some poor performances on the road in European knockout games, some of which were unexpected and some whose ramifications are still felt on the club to this day.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the highs and lows Arsenal have been through since the closing years of Arsene Wenger’s reign.
HIGHS
Slavia Prague 0 Arsenal 4: Europa League quarter-final, 2020-21
Nico. Laca. Saka.
Clinical.
…
Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal’s Champions League history is irrelevant and challenged his side to prove they belong at the tournament’s business end as they prepare to face Porto in the last 16.
The Gunners are back in Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in seven years but have failed to progress past this stage since 2010.
Arsenal will be firm favourites at the Estadio do Dragao on Wednesday night as Arteta looks to go further in the Champions League than he ever managed as a player at the club.
Next stop: Porto
— Arsenal (@Arsenal)
“They (the players) know that we have not been in the competition for seven years,” the Spaniard said.
“Obviously some of them were here and they know the story and they know that…
Belgium s Eden Hazard was a standout performer in the Rode Duivels 4-0 win over Hungary to help book the side s place in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.
Belgium forward Eden Hazard was outstanding as the Rode Duivels enjoyed a 4-0 win against Hungary in the last-16 of the European Championships on Sunday.
The Chelsea man scored and made an assist at the Stadium Municipal, and was running Hungary ragged throughout.
He was the best player on the park, and finally delivered a performance expected of him as Belgium look ahead to their quarter-final clash to come.
Hazard the driving force in each Belgium attack
The 25-year-old had the second-most touches (71) in the Belgium side in the comfortable win over Hungary, and looked in the mood to beat his man…
England could challenge for the 2022 World Cup, according to Germany great Lothar Matthaus.
Gareth Southgate s men have been drawn against Belgium, Panama and Tunisia in Group G for the 2018 event in Russia, but they are not considered among the favourites.
Matthaus – who won the 1990 World Cup – feels England should be contenders in four years time.
The former Bayern Munich star pointed to the country s success at the Under-17 World Cup last year, but he believes Germany could go back-to-back by lifting the trophy in Russia.
England have a very good team, young team, he said.
Maybe the World Cup is coming four years too early but for the next World Cup I think they have very good players and have made good results with the youth team in the…
Bayern Munich midfielder Corentin Tolisso has vowed to come back stronger in 2019 after he suffered a serious knee injury against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
Having scored Bayern s first goal in the 3-1 victory, Tolisso had to be taken off during the first half at Allianz Arena after going down innocuously in the middle of the pitch.
Bayern confirmed after the game that the former Lyon man had torn his anterior cruciate knee ligament and would be set for several months on the sidelines.
Tolisso posted a tweet on Sunday to say he would be back stronger next year.
I ll be back stronger, see you soon in 2019, the World Cup winner wrote.
Je reviendrais plus fort , on se voit en 2019
I will be back stronger , see you soon in 2019
West Ham United want to sign Armando Broja from London and Premier League rivals Chelsea in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that a number of clubs are keen on Broja, adding that West Ham are leading the race for the striker.
Broja has been on the books of Chelsea since 2009 and is now part of the first team. The 22-year-old Albania international striker, though, is not guaranteed a place in the starting lineup. The youngster has made three starts and five substitute appearances in the Premier League for the Blues this season, scoring one goal in the process.
West Ham are ninth in the Premier League table at the moment with 24 points from 16 matches, nine points behind defending champions Manchester City. Meanwhile, Chelsea currently fi…
Wayne Rooney returned to fire England to the top of Group D and into the knockout stages of Euro 2012 after a 1-0 victory over Ukraine.
The co-hosts dominated much of the opening half and England were happy to go into the break level despite having the best chance through Rooney, however Roy Hodgson s side came out with a much more positive attitude in the second half and the Manchester United striker scored the 29th goal of his international career to keep England s unbeaten record in this competition intact.
England s goal continued to lead a charmed life throughout the second half though and they were indebted to John Terry for a fantastic goal line clearance in the 62nd minute following Joe Hart s save from Marko Devic.
After missing the first two group game…