This Sunday sees Premier League leaders Liverpool host Manchester United, rivals who sit 27 points below them in the table.
There has been a clear gulf in class between Jurgen Klopp s side, who have accrued a whopping 61 points from a possible 63 across 21 fixtures, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s men, who have suffered defeats at Watford, Bournemouth and Newcastle United already this term.
Yet one bright spark for United has been the form of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, an attacking duo who have combined for more goals than Liverpool pair Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
Rashford faces a battle to be fit for the game having come off against Wolves in Wednesday s FA Cup replay due to a back injury, but just how do the quartet compare when fully fit, and how hav…
Diego Simeone refused to confirm or deny whether Atletico Madrid are among the clubs interested in disgruntled Chelsea forward Alvaro Morata.
Former Real Madrid frontman Morata has been linked with a return to LaLiga, though Sevilla said a deal for the Spain international would be very, very complicated .
Morata – who has only managed nine goals in all competitions this term – has scored just 16 Premier League goals since joining Chelsea from Madrid in a reported £60million transfer in July 2017.
Atletico have reportedly joined the race to bring Morata back to Spain but head coach Simeone was coy following Wednesday s 1-1 draw with Girona in the Copa del Rey.
The only thing I m thinking about is the upcoming match against Levante, Simeone told repo…
Once again moving within a single point of breaking into the top-four, Manchester United picked up a 1-0 victory against West Ham at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
While the former Premier League champions might have had to overcome a late flurry from the Hammers, Erik ten Hag s side dominated large spells of the game and will feel that they were deserving off maximum points here.
With the game eventually decided by Marcus Rashford s first-half header, the Red Devils also extended their unbeaten run to eight matches across all competitions.
However, while United might still be firmly battling it out in the Champions League chase, the Hammers find themselves desperately seeking some stability as they continue looking over their shoulder at the drop zone.
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Karim Benzema s double propelled Real Madrid to a 2-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk as they at least temporarily moved top of Champions League Group D.
A woeful defensive error from Shakhtar enabled Benzema to give Madrid the lead in the 14th minute, Los Blancos becoming the first team to reach 1,000 Champions League/European Cup goals.
Shakhtar responded superbly and levelled matters when Fernando powered home their first goal of the group stage.
Yet Madrid were much improved in the second half, and predictably it was Benzema who provided the decisive touch after wonderful build-up play from Vinicius Junior and Casemiro.
Luka Modric could have given Madrid the lead in the fifth minute as he was played in on goal at the end of a well-worked move only to be th…
Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels is flattered to be linked with a move to Juventus.
Italian sources have suggested that Hummels is the Serie A side s priority to reinforce their back line after missing out on signing Bruno Alves of Zenit St Petersburg in the summer.
Juve director Fabio Paratici watched the 22-year-old in London last week as Borussia Dortmund lost 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League.
I am honoured by Juve s interest in my services, Hummels told Tuttosport.
To know that a club this important want me is very exciting and forces me to ask myself some questions.
I see myself playing abroad, but at the moment I am only focused on Dortmund.
Who would not like to play for Juve?
Hummels, who has bee…
Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker is eagerly anticipating a Euro 2012 showdown with team-mate Robin van Persie next year.
European rivals Germany and the Netherlands clash in Group B on June 13 in Kharkiv and the centre-back admits that playing against the Dutch striker will be a tough prospect.
He said he would be happy to see me next summer that was the first thing he said after the draw, Mertesacker told the club s official website.
This is not a friendly though, it s a tough game and therefore both of us want to go through the group stage.
It will be very tough to stop Robin. I think his best position is in the front, in the middle (as a striker). There he can use his unbelievable skills. He is so reliable in scoring goals it is incredible.
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ration of his contract, while goalkeeper Kelvin Davis is to be offered a behind-the-scenes role.
Uruguay international Ramirez arrived at St Mary s Stadium from Bologna for a club-record fee in 2012, but has failed to live up to his billing since making the switch.
Loan spells at Hull City and Middlesbrough over the past two seasons have not convinced Southampton to retain Ramirez, who will now be looking for a new club after scoring eight goals in 55 appearances for Southampton.
Davis, meanwhile, could extend his 10-year stay on the south coast, albeit not as a player.
Kelvin s tremendous passion and commitment to the club are two of the reasons why we are currently in conversations with him about a new role moving forward, in which he can conti…
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has spoken of his relief at seeing Luis Suarez leave Liverpool for Barcelona.
The Uruguayan forward won a host of accolades at the end of last season including the Premier League Player of the Season and PFA Player of the Season after scoring 31 goals to help Liverpool finish second in the top flight.
However, he has never been far from controversy and made the headlines for the wrong reasons by biting Giorgio Chiellini during this year s World Cup, earning a ban from all footballing activity until the end of October.
Suarez has been caught biting opponents three times in his career, having done so while playing for Ajax in 2010 and Liverpool last year.
Having also picked up a suspension for racially abusin…
Genoa have completed the signing of Giovanni Simeone, the son of Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone, for a reported fee of €3million.
The Serie A side confirmed the deal on Thursday, with the Argentina youth international believed to have signed a three-year deal.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club announces the acquisition from River Plate, on a permanent basis, the sporting rights of attacker Giovanni Simeone, a club statement confirmed.
He will be presented to the media on Friday.
Ecco la cronistoria delle prime giornate di al Genoa. La photo gallery
— Genoa CFC (@GenoaCFC)
Simeone made 31 appearances and scored six goals for River after making his debut in August 2013.
The 21-year-old, who spent last season on loan…
Scotland international goalkeeper David Marshall has joined Hull City from Cardiff City after agreeing terms on a three-year deal.
Marshall, signed for an undisclosed fee, is the first senior arrival of the transfer window at the KCOM Stadium, with Hull experiencing a turbulent opening to the campaign.
Manager Steve Bruce s resignation, combined with fan unrest directed at the club s owners the Allam family and a worsening injury crisis, left Hull with just 13 fit senior players at the start of the season.
Under the interim guidance of Mike Phelan, Hull defied the odds to win their opening two matches against Leicester City and Swansea City, before a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United on Saturday.
On Friday, Phelan said the club were targeting six new arriva…