SPORTS

Manchester United produced arguably their best performance of the season to damage Chelsea’s title charge with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford on Sunday. United boss Jose Mourinho made the controversial decision to bench his star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and in-form winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan before kick-off and handed the captain’s armband to bit-part player Ashley Young, putting the omissions down ...

Red Bull Leipzig completed their remarkable rise in world football by booking a place in next season’s UEFA champions league just 8 years into its inception. The fast improving Bundesliga side dispatched SC Freiburg 4-0 at the Red Bulls Arena to open up an unassailable lead over the fifth place Hertha Berlin. Formed in 2009 under the fifth wing of ...

Jurgen Klopp could not have been more forthright. “Nonsense” was his description of choice as he dismantled the rumours suggesting Liverpool were preparing a January move for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The same word can be applied to the reported £35 million valuation of the Arsenal midfielder, who will enter the final 12 months of his contract this summer. What exactly is ...

Thibaut Courtois may be a month shy of his 25th birthday, but he’s certainly not lacking in top flight experience or championship knowhow. In fact, last season marked the very first time in his senior professional career that he did not walk away with a trophy at the end of the season, breaking a streak of five seasons where he ...

Ghana midfielder superstar Michael Essien was the star attraction in the Indonesia league opener on Saturday when his Persib Bandung side were disappointingly held to goalless draw by Arema FC. The former Chelsea showed his trademark power display in the match played at the Stadium Bandung Lautan Api but failed to score. But the Ghanaian did not disappoint the local ...

Mesut Ozil has revealed that he instigated his move to Arsenal in 2013 by phoning manager Arsene Wenger and asking him to sign him from Real Madrid. The Germany star has admitted that it was a decision that left former boss Jose Mourinho amazed, as the Portuguese thought Ozil wanted to spend the rest of his career with the Spanish ...

Manchester United match-winner Ander Herrera thinks referee Bobby Madley was correct not to award a handball against him in the build-up to his side’s opening goal in the victory over Chelsea. The Spain midfielder set up Marcus Rashford’s goal with a magnificent throughball after seven minutes, before going on to score with a deflected effort after the break as United ...

Accra Hearts of Oak could add Elmina Sharks to their recent victims at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday in week 12 of the Ghana Premier League. Both teams appear determined to collect all three points at stake and earn the bragging rights, but Sharks look a wounded side after losing 1-2 to WAFA at their home grounds last Sunday ...

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic are the leading candidates on a six-man shortlist for the 2016-17 PFA Players’ Player of the Year award. After a disappointing campaign last time out, the resurgent Hazard – the winner of the accolade in 2014-15 – has been integral to Chelsea’s return to the top of the Premier League table, ...

Lucas Alcaraz has been named as the new coach of Algeria, the country’s football federation announced on Thursday in a short statement. The 50-year-old Spaniard was available after being sacked by his hometown team, La Liga strugglers Granada, on Monday. Alcaraz, who was replaced at Granada by former Arsenal and England defender Tony Adams, is charged with the task of ...