Chelsea 3 Crystal Palace 1: Morata double maintains momentum

Alvaro Morata continued his strong recent form with a brace as Chelsea beat Crystal Palace 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Sunday.

Morata gave Chelsea the lead by finishing well after good work from Pedro, but Palace levelled when a one-two with James McArthur caught David Luiz out of position and Andros Townsend beat Kepa Arrizabalaga with a fine drive.

The improving Morata, though, scored his fourth goal in as many Premier League appearances, converting a free-kick from substitute Eden Hazard to set the Blues up a fourth consecutive win in all competitions.

And when Pedro turned in a cross from another Spaniard, flying left-back Marcos Alonso, Chelsea were able to celebrate moving up to second place in the table.

Chelsea struggled to br…

England not focused on spoiling Australia’s World Cup party – Keira Walsh

England midfielder Keira Walsh insists the Lionesses are not thinking about the Australian hearts they would break if they eliminate the World Cup co-hosts in Wednesday’s Sydney semi-final.

Australia reached the final four for the first time after beating France in a thrilling penalty shootout, while this will be England’s third crack at advancing to the final of the global showpiece – a feat they have yet to accomplish.

The fervour with which Australians have embraced their side has grown at a frenetic pace, culminating with thousands gathering in fan parks across the country to watch the quarter-final and millions more breaking viewing records on TV.

Ready to attack a new week!

Sights firmly set on Wednesday! |

— Lionesses (@Lionesse…

India v United Arab Emirates: Zaccheroni shrugs off speculation over future

United Arab Emirates coach Alberto Zaccheroni says reports about his future will not be a distraction ahead of the Asian Cup hosts crunch clash with India.

A 1-1 draw with Bahrain in their Group A opener added to the pressure on UAE ahead of their next two fixtures, with India topping the table after thrashing Thailand 4-1 last time out.

UAE must either finish in the top two of the pool or as one of the four best third-placed teams to progress, with Zaccheroni, whose contract expires at the end of the Asian Cup, coming under fire.

Reports suggest Zlatko Dalic, who last year led Croatia to their first World Cup final, has been lined up as a replacement for Zaccheroni after the tournament.

But the former Japan coach shrugged off the speculation when he s…

Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Real Madrid? Man Utd, PSG and the clubs he could join

Cristiano Ronaldo s future at Real Madrid was plunged into uncertainty on Friday as reports emerged claiming he is ready to leave Spain.

A report in Portuguese newspaper A Bola suggested the four-time Ballon d Or winner no longer wants to play in LaLiga amid scrutiny over his tax affairs.

Ronaldo s representatives have strongly denied an accusation that the forward concealed earnings and defrauded the Spanish authorities out of €14.7million.

However, the ongoing attention on his finances have according to sources A Bola claim are close to the player made Ronaldo consider his future in Spain, alerting a host of potential suitors across the globe.

But where could he go? Here, we look at five potential destinations for the Portugal superstar.

 

Henry steps down as France Under-21´s head coach following Paris Olympics

Thierry Henry has stepped down from his role as France Under-21 s head coach after guiding his side to a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.

Henry, who was appointed last year on a contract until June 2025, said he was moving away from the position due to reasons personal to him.

The former Arsenal striker led Les Bleus to a first final at the Games since 1984 in Paris, but fell agonisingly short in the showpiece match against Spain.

Two goals in extra-time from Sergio Camello secured La Roja a second gold medal after France had come from 3-1 down to force extra-time at the Parc des Princes.

During his time in charge of the Olympic squad, Henry won eight of his 11 games in charge (two draws and one loss) while also scoring 31 goals in that time.

Thiago Silva confirms PSG exit after Champions League loss amid Chelsea links

Chelsea target Thiago Silva confirmed he has played his last game for Paris Saint-Germain following their Champions League final defeat to Bayern Munich.

PSG were unable to claim a maiden Champions League title as Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal holders Bayern triumphed 1-0 in Lisbon on Sunday to complete a 2019-20 treble.

Silva signed a contract extension to remain at PSG until the end of their Champions League campaign amid links to Chelsea and Serie A side Fiorentina.

Chelsea are reportedly favourites to sign PSG star Silva on a free transfer and the 35-year-old defender discussed his future post-match.

It was my last game in Paris. I am sad, Brazil international Silva told RMC Sport.

I apologise to the fans. I thank all the fans for their love. I l…

If you want to see me get kicked, watch MMA instead – Neymar

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar has hit back at critics of his style of play  urging them to watch mixed martial arts (MMA) instead if they enjoy seeing someone get kicked. 

Few players in world football boast the technical attributes and dribbling abilities of Neymar, who has managed to successfully bring his playful style to Europe after toying with defenders in his native Brazil with Santos. 

The silky forward wowed at Barcelona and has done the same at PSG, even though his spell in Paris has been interrupted by a pair of serious foot injuries. 

Despite his exciting style, Neymar has rarely been far from criticism, with some accusing him of being a disrespectful showboater or reacting theatrically when fouled. 

The combination of the two has s…

World Cup early exit ´hurts so much´ for Germany´s Ozil

Mesut Ozil says it hurts so much for Germany to fall at the World Cup s first hurdle, failing to qualify for the knockout round.

Although Germany beat Sweden thanks to a late Toni Kroos free-kick, defeats either side to Mexico and South Korea saw the defending champions finish bottom of Group F.

Germany were among the pre-tournament favourites, having triumphed at last year s Confederations Cup to add to their Brazil 2014 crown.

But Die Mannschaft instead failed to pass the first round for the first time since 1938, leaving Ozil to rue what went wrong.

Having to leave the World Cup already after the group stage hurts so much, Ozil posted on Instagram.

We just weren t good enough. I ll need some time to get over it.

Liverpool, Spurs & Chelsea want Osimhen

According to a recent report from Sky Sports News, three Premier League sides in the form of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are all interested in bringing Victor Osimhen over to England’s top flight. The Lille youngster has been turning heads at the French club for quite some time now which has been the primary source of the interest in the 20-year-old. 

Alas, he’s expected to remain at Lille for the remainder of the current season, although they could be persuaded depending on just how tempting the potential offer is during the January transfer window from any of the aforementioned clubs. 

He is believed to be happy with the club and wants to help them secure qualification to next season’s UEFA Champions League, which doesn’t seem like an unrealis…

Cancelo to decide Man City future

“At the end of the day, the player has to decide whether he wants to stay here with us and fight or not. He has to decide. Everyone is free in this country, in the UK, to do what they want to do in their own lives.” 

Those are the words of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola who has taken the time to react to speculation that could see Joao Cancelo leave the club even though he only arrived during the most recent summer transfer window. 

City have struggled to maintain any sort of consistency throughout the course of the season up to this point, and it looks like that could cost them in the form of Cancelo calling their bluff and requesting a move away from the Etihad. 

It certainly seems to be a little bit premature, but at the same time, City have…