Sports

Sevilla and Real Madrid were title rivals when they last met in LaLiga back in November.

Then, as is the case now, Madrid led the table, but Sevilla were just two points back in third having played the same number of games. Optimism was growing for a genuine title fight.

But the team the capital from behind to win 2-1 through a late Vinicius Junior goal and have since opened a significant gap to Sevilla.

Including the three earned at the Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid have collected 10 more points than Sevilla in the intervening period.

Now, as the sides prepare to face off again at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Carlo Ancelotti s men – fresh from reaching the Champions League semi-finals – look to be coasting towards a 35th championship.

Even victor…

Alexandre Lacazette s second-half penalty proved decisive as Arsenal beat Tottenham 2-1 to dent the top-four hopes of Spurs, who saw goalscorer Erik Lamela sent off.

Arsenal s preparations for the game were by no means ideal as Mikel Arteta revealed pre-match that captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had been dropped for disciplinary reasons, reportedly relating to tardiness, but the Gunners were the better side from start to finish and deserved the points.

It looked like being a grating day for them after seeing Emile Smith Rowe and Cedric Soares denied by the woodwork either side of Lamela s quite remarkable breakthrough goal.

But Martin Odegaard restored parity on the stroke of half-time and Lacazette completed the turnaround from the spot in the second period to…

While the summer transfer might have only slammed shut a matter of weeks ago, should already be planning for January following some devastating injury news last week.

Watching midfield talisman Rodri limp off in the first-half during City’s 2-2 stalemate against Arsenal on September 22nd, ’s men are now set to be without the Spanish international for the remainder of the season.

Undergoing surgery on an ACL injury, the 28-year-old certainly leaves a real void in the heart of City’s midfield.

With many billing the ex-Atletico Madrid star as a potential Ballon d’Or winner this year, we have taken a look at the potential contenders to replace during the January transfer window.

Martin Zubimendi Real Sociedad

While it might have appeared almost ce…

Eddie Howe will not put a target on Newcastle’s back as they attempt to continue their progress.

In the space of seven days this month, the club has gone out of the Champions League and the Carabao Cup to leave themselves fighting on just two fronts as the turn of the year approaches.

That has led to suggestions from outside the city that the Magpies are in serious danger of under-achieving this season and, in some quarters, that head coach Howe’s job could be under threat.

Howe said: “My discussions with everyone connected with the football club here and the running of the football club, there’s never been that pressure of this season or next season in terms of positions in the league and expectations to win competitions. That’s all come from us intern…

Manchester City kept up their 18-match winning run with a 1-0 win at Arsenal on Sunday that maintained their 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

The Gunners have lost each of their most recent eight league games against City and saw the repeat of a familiar problem at Emirates Stadium.

Mason Mount tapped into an established Chelsea tradition in their 1-1 draw at Southampton – a sixth match unbeaten for Blues boss Thomas Tuchel.

However, David Moyes showed imposing records do not last forever as fourth-place West Ham beat Tottenham 2-1.

Here, we take a look at some of the quirks that revealed themselves over the course of the latest Premier League weekend.

City slickers catch sleepy Gunners napping

The scoring at Emirates Sta…

Erling Haaland would provide long-term value for Manchester City even if the club have to splash the cash to sign him as a replacement for Sergio Aguero, says Richard Dunne.

City and Aguero confirmed on Monday that the Argentina striker will be leaving when his contract expires at the end of the season.

A glittering 10-year stint at City after signing from Atletico Madrid has seen him become the club s record goalscorer with 257 strikes to his name.

City were already being linked with Borussia Dortmund sensation Haaland before the Aguero announcement.

Haaland has been prolific since signing for Dortmund in January 2020 and reportedly has a €180million asking price with all of Europe s top clubs likely to pursue him in the transfer market.

Even …

Diogo Dalot believes the underlying spirit shown in Manchester United s dramatic 1-0 win over Omonia Nicosia promises to take them far as a team.

United looked destined to be frustrated by their visitors in Thursday s Europa League clash at Old Trafford, but the hosts eventually scored with their 34th shot.

Scott McTominay dealt the decisive blow after Omonia goalkeeper Francis Uzoho had performed admirably to keep the game goalless.

With his goal, McTominay became the first substitute to score a winning goal in the 90th minute or later in a European match for United since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the 1999 Champions League final.

Like Solskjaer on that occasion, McTominay came off the bench to net his winner, and Dalot felt that reflected well on United s …

Erling Haaland described his start to life in the Premier League as amazing after hitting his second consecutive hat-trick to make history in Manchester City s 6-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest.

Haaland – who scored a match-winning treble against Crystal Palace on Saturday – needed just 38 minutes to clinch a perfect hat-trick as Forest wilted on Wednesday, taking him to nine goals in his first five Premier League outings.

That tally represents a new competition record, bettering the eight-goal hauls managed by Sergio Aguero and Micky Quinn at the start of their Premier League careers.

City, meanwhile, have scored 19 goals across their opening five matches, the highest tally in their league history. The last side to exceed 19 goals after five matches at …

While Manchester United might have sprung a famous FA Cup upset at Wembley over the weekend as they clinched a against bitter local rivals Manchester City, it appears that Erik ten Hag will still be giving his Old Trafford marching orders over the coming weeks.

Although the former Ajax boss might have guided United to a 13th FA Cup crown to Wembley on Saturday afternoon, ten Hag has found a tremendous amount of pressure on his shoulders.

With the heavyweights eventually forced to settle for an eighth-place finish this season, they have also broken a host of unwanted records.

With continued speculation that the new Old Trafford hierarchy are looking for a change in the dugout during the summer break, we have taken a look at who the leading contenders are to rep…

On April 26, 2016, Manchester City and Real Madrid played out a tepid 0-0 draw in the first leg of a Champions League semi-final at the Etihad Stadium. 

Back at the same ground, in the same round of the same competition six years later, they produced a spectacle that had the contrast cranked up to the maximum.

It was the joint-highest scoring semi-final in the competition s history, and it was a story that twisted and turned from the first minute until the last.

But the opening chapter reached its conclusion with City holding a 4-3 advantage after an enthralling 90 minutes.

A start for the history books 

City pressed Madrid high from the off and it was shortly after regaining possession in the final third that Kevin De Bruyne made a phenomenal…