انتقد حارس مرمى فريق مانشستر يونايتد، ديفيد دي خيا، تقنية الفار بسبب ما حدث خلال مواجهة كريستال بالاس هذا الأسبوع.

وتواجه الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الثانية من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، حيث فاز كريستال بالاس بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف.

واحتسب حكم المباراة ركلة جزاء لصالح كريستال بالاس وسددها جوردان أيو ولكن دي خيا تصدى لها.

ورغم ذلك، قررت تقنية الفيديو إعادة ركلة الجزاء بسبب تقدم دي خيا عن خط المرمى، ونجح ويلفريد زاها هذه المرة في إسكان الكرة الشباك. ركلة جزاء كريستال بالاس أمام مانشستر يونايتد

وقال دي خيا، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ديلي ميل” الإنجليزية: “أتفهم أن هذه القاعدة الجديدة لركلات الترجيح قد تم تطبيقها، لكن كان من الصعب بالفعل تنفيذ ركلة جزاء حتى مع وجود خيار الميل إلى الأمام”.

وأضاف: “إذا أضاع الشخص الذي سدد ركلة الجزاء، فلن أفهم أنه يمكنه مبادلة اللاعب الذي يسددها، إنك تزيل الضغط عن اللاعب الذي أخذ الركلة في المرة الأولى، لذا فأنت تمنح فرصة لشخص آخر ولن يتعرض لنفس الضغط الذي تعرض له الشخص الأول!”.

وواصل: “ولكن هذه هي القاعدة، أعتقد إنه أمر غير عادل بعض الشيء، لقد انحنيت إلى الأمام قليلًا، بالنسبة لي كان تصديًا جيدًا، لكن كان لا بد من تكرارها مرة أخرى وكدت أن أقوم بالتصدي لها مرة أخرى أيضًا”.

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Speaking to Sky Sports’ Match Centre (11:25am on March 7 as per HITC), Danny Higginbotham expects Birmingham City to target Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish in the second city derby at St Andrew’s on Sunday, but believes they can benefit.

What’s the word, then?

The 23-year-old returned to action in the 4-0 win against Derby County last weekend following a three-month injury lay-off, and he made an instant impact with a dynamic display – as captain – that culminated in a stunning volley.

According to WhoScored, the Villa talisman is the most fouled player in the division averaging 4.8 every appearance, and it would be no surprise if the hosts look to take him out of the game at the weekend.

Well, speaking on Sky Sports’ Match Centre, per HITC, ahead of the huge clash between the Championship play-off hopefuls, the 40-year-old pundit said: “There will be no doubt about that [Birmingham targeting Grealish].

“The beauty of it is when you go to try and stop a player like that because there are three players around him. He has got the two central midfielders and the centre back comes out, so all of a sudden he creates space in behind him because you are fearful of a player like Grealish.”

What will happen?

The 23-year-old has got so used to being fouled by opposition players that he now knows how to get up, get on with it and still make a difference.

The great thing for Dean Smith is that if Higginbotham is correct with his predictions, it could give players like John McGinn and Conor Hourihane more space to make a difference in the final third at St Andrew’s.

The latter showed with a brace in the success against the Rams last time out that he has plenty of quality, and he could be given the opportunity to take advantage to ensure Villa take a crucial three points in their play-off bid.

The notoriety of Portsmouth’s transfer news has lessened somewhat after the carnage of the last decade, and fans would be disappointed to hear that one of their modest recent targets is now excelling in the Premier League.

Before their desperately sad fall from the Premier League into the fourth tier of English football, Pompey fans had seen it all; players who had won Premier League titles; individuals who would go on to win major European competitions; proper, quality footballers who just couldn’t make it work on the south coast.

Now, fighting their way back up the football leagues, we take a look at one player who could have really made a difference…

Sean Longstaff – 2018

Sean Longstaff was a relatively unknown name before his rapid ascent to stardom in Newcastle and was a major target for Portsmouth at the start of the current season, according to the Shields Gazette.

In fact, the deal was almost done until Benitez cancelled (via the Chronicle) on the day he was due to arrive. Probably the right choice from Newcastle’s perspective, but a real nightmare for Pompey.

The young midfielder, who now turns out for Rafael Benitez’s side on a regular basis, scored his first goal for the club on Tuesday night in their victory over Burnley, continuing his run of good form.

Indeed, Longstaff is a truly tenacious player that’s made the most of a golden opportunity to prove himself, battling his way through the system and ultimately earning a place in the public eye.

And that’s exactly what Portsmouth could have done with this season: a quality player desperate to prove himself.

Yes – 4th place certainly isn’t the worst. But they had a great chance to earn an automatic spot into the Championship this season and they’ve all but squandered it to Barnsley and Luton, and potentially the ever-present Sunderland.

The move may have only been on a loan basis but with Portsmouth now struggling could have made a huge impact. Now described as ‘better’ than Declan Rice by BT Sport pundit Martin Keown (via the Daily Star), he could have helped Kenny Jackett’s side keep the pace in League One.

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Harvey Elliott has already made headlines due to his exploits at Fulham.

Aged just 15, the right winger holds the prestigious honour of being the club’s youngest ever player, as he made his debut as a second-half substitute in the 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Millwall earlier this season.

Elliott had an exam at school that same day, such are his tender years.

Indeed, Elliott was born in 2003, the same year that Wayne Rooney made his breakthrough for England.

And he appears to be something of a prodigious talent.

Colin Omogbehin, the club’s Under-18 head coach, has been impressed with the growth and maturity shown by a player who still cannot legally drink in this country.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Speaking to BBC, he said: “From an early age Harvey’s always managed to make good decisions at the right time.

“Whether that’s rolling someone in with the perfectly weighted pass or scoring himself. He’s real top end.”

He added: “When he was 14 he played in the Under 16s against top quality opposition and he stood out. He was the best player on the pitch.”

Elliott has played 13 times for Fulham’s Under-18 team and has scored three goals, while laying on three assists, and has also played twice for the Under-23s.

One of those games came against Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Trophy, playing 45 minutes in a 2-1 defeat, and he has also been capped at Under-15 and Under-16 level by England. He has scored two goals for the former.

Elliott has yet to commit himself to Fulham, however, due to FA rules. He cannot sign a professional contract until the age of 17.

The London Evening Standard, perhaps unsurprisingly, report that there is subsequently interest in his services.

Barcelona, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea are all said to be keeping an eye on the teenager, who is regarded as one of the finest young talents in English football currently.

Fulham face a battle to keep hold of him but, such is his precociousness, he should thrive wherever he goes.

أعلن أندريا بيرلو المدير الفني لنادي يوفنتوس، عن تشكيل البيانكونيري لمواجهة روما، ضمن الجولة الثانية من الدوري الإيطالي للدرجة الأولى على ملعب أوليمبكو.

يوفنتوس حقق الفوز في المباراة الأولى بثلاثية نظيفة أمام سامبدوريا، بينما روما الذي تعادل سلبيًا مع هيلاس فيرونا، خُصمت نقاط المباراة منه وذهبت منافسه، بسبب خطأ إداري.

وشهد تشكيل يوفنتوس، تواجد الدولي الإسباني ألفارو موراتا الوافد الجديد ضمن التشكيل الأساسي، في الهجوم بجانب كريستيانو رونالدو. تشكيل يوفنتوس أمام روما

حراسة المرمى: تشيزني

الدفاع: كيليني، بونوتشي، دانيلو، كوادرادو

الوسط: كولوسيفسكي، رابيو، ماكيني، رامسي

الهجوم: كولوسيفسكي، موراتا، رونالدو تشكيل روما أمام يوفنتوس

حراسة المرمى: ميرانتي

الدفاع: كامبولا، ايبانيز، مانسيني

الوسط: سبينازولا، بيليجريني، فيريتوت، سانتون

الهجوم: بيدرو، مخيتاريان، دجيكو

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Leeds United’s promotion push currently hangs in the balance. Defeat to QPR last time out saw the Whites lose the initiative in the Championship title race. On Friday, Marcelo Bielsa’s side take on fellow promotion contenders West Bromwich Albion at Elland Road.

Another defeat at this stage in the season could be catastrophic for the Yorkshire club. The pressure is certainly mounting, and the recent comments from veteran attacking midfielder Pablo Hernandez should worry fans of the side.

Tensions boiled over between Leeds and Bolton at the weekend and our man Thogden was on the scene. Check out the video below…

What he said

In a pre-match press conference, as quoted by the Yorkshire Evening Post, the 33-year-old was asked about his thoughts on the approaching clash with the Baggies. The Spaniard said: “We know it is an important game. We know if we win we can open up a gap over them. We don’t need to think too much. We just try to win the three points. We play better without pressure.”

Embracing the pressure

What should worry Leeds fans is Hernandez’s reference to pressure. Whether the 4-cap former Spain international likes it or not, it is something that is very much already on. Leeds only playing at their best without pressure won’t help them now as there is going to be intense scrutiny on them now in each of their remaining games this season. 

Bielsa needs to find a way to get his team to produce their best in those sorts of situations – failure to do so will see them fall short of their Premier League dream again.

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Manchester City fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was revealed that Aymeric Laporte has once again been left out of Didier Deschamp’s France squad.

Laporte, arguably one of the Premier League’s best in his position and a player who cost City £57m when they signed him from Athletic Bilbao, has never been capped by his country – he has received just a single call-up, but never made it onto the pitch.

There’s good news for fans of City, Liverpool, Spurs and United in the video below…

City’s second most expensive player in their history could have played for Spain, but he did not apply for residency before arriving at the Etihad Stadium.

There is a lot of confusion surrounding Deschamps continued expulsion of the 24-year-old.

It has been suggested that Les Bleus boss is not a fan of his personality, whilst it has also been coined that his contact with the Spanish national team hasn’t gone down well with Deschamps, despite France regular and World Cup winner Lucas Hernandez previously doing the same.

Let’s see what the City supporters are saying about the matter on Twitter…

Liverpool’s season is looking like going down to the wire as they battle with Manchester City at the top of the table.

The Reds got through the January window without making a new signing, and we here in the Tavern are unsure if that’s a decision which could come back to bite them in the title race.

However, the summer will soon be here, and with that comes a chance for the club to make a move into the market and add some quality in key areas.

And one man we feel would be a solid addition if they could pull it off is Watford forward Roberto Pereryra.

The Argentinian has been in fine form for the Hornets this season and has chipped in with a number of goals and assists already while being impressive with his performance levels in general.

The 27-year-old took time to find his feet in the English game, but now he is up and running properly, the big clubs in England can surely see that Pereyra can offer plenty if given the right sort of chances.

Liverpool do seem to rely on the form of Roberto Firmino through the middle, so signing someone like Pereyra might well prove to be a wise move.

Goals, assists, and plenty of quality, the Watford ace would slot in nicely at Anfield if the Reds can indeed pull off a surprise swoop.

Liverpool fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!

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With the FA Cup fifth round tie between Manchester United and Chelsea on the horizon, memories of the club’s past glories in the famous competition will be sure to flood the memory as one of England’s classic fixtures has another chapter written.

The pair met in the final of last season’s FA Cup competition, and were also up against each other in the quarter-final of the 2017 edition, but their last meeting before that came way back in 2013, again in the quarter-final.

A lot has changed in the six years since that game, which Chelsea won 1-0 thanks to a Demba Ba strike, so let’s take a look at where some of the Blues’ heroes on that day are now…

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Demba Ba

The Senegalese marksman hit an excellent winner in the aforementioned 1-0 win. Nowadays, at 33 years of age, Ba is currently playing in Turkey for Istanbul Basaksehir on loan from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua.

Ba, formerly of West Ham and Newcastle, joined the Turkish league leaders last month and has already opened his account for his new club in just two appearances off the bench.

Fernando Torres 

Now at 34 years of age, Fernando Torres is playing in Japan with Sagan Tosu, where he isn’t getting close to the goalscoring figures that he used to reach.

The man who has won the World Cup and scored the winning goal in the 2008 European Championship final has netted just three goals in 17 J-League appearances this season, as his glittering career looks to be coming to a steady halt.

Ashley Cole

The former England international now finds himself at Championship side Derby, amazingly playing under his teammate from that aforementioned 1-0 over the Red Devils in Frank Lampard, who is the Rams manager.

Cole went to Italy with Roma after leaving the Blues before chancing his arm in America with LA Galaxy, but he’s now back in the familiar territory of English football. He’s so far made only one Championship appearance this season.

Ramires

The Brazilian international left Stamford Bridge three years ago, moving to Chinese side Jiangsu Suning in a £25m deal.

Ramires was a fans’ favourite at Chelsea and offered fantastic energy in midfield. He’s producing good form in China with seven goals and three assists in 23 league starts.

John Obi Mikel 

After a decade-long stay in west London, John Obi Mikel followed Ramires’ lead and moved to China to sign for Tianjin TEDA.

The Nigerian spent two years in the Chinese Super League, before moving back to England last month to team up with Tony Pulis at Middlesbrough and help aid their promotion charge.

Pep Guardiola’s return to Germany certainly wasn’t as routine as he had hoped following an incredible 3-2 victory over former rivals Schalke.

Indeed, it took City until the dying minutes of the game to rescue all three points and save face against a far weaker (on paper at least) Schalke side.

Manchester City started the game in typically explosive style.

A well worked free-kick routine saw Aguero’s first effort of the game saved in theatrical style by the flying hands of German stopper Ralf Fahrmann, before the latter’s dangerous pass was dispossessed on the outside of the area and placed easily into the open net by the awaiting Argentine.

VAR had its first decision of the game when the ball was ruled to have struck the arm of Otamendi in the box. Penalty to Schalke duly despatched by Nabil Bentaleb.

The hosts continued to pressure and saw their efforts pay off when a freekick floated into the area saw one of their players pulled to the ground. Second penalty of the half, second goal for Bentaleb.

Nicolas Otamendi was shown his first red of his Manchester City career in the 68th minute after an unnecessary foul from behind making his side’s task all the more difficult.

Despite their best efforts, it would take until the dying minutes of the game before Guardiola’s men restored normality. Substitute and former Schalke player Leroy Sane unleashed an absolute peach of a free-kick to level things up before Ederson’s Hail Mary found the feet of Sterling who duly dispatched.

You’ve got to say that Nicolas Otamendi really let his team down.

The penalty wasn’t really his fault, but the second yellow card was avoidable, and he’s given his manager a bit of a headache going into the next fixture because of it.

A special mention should also go out to Fernandinho, as well, who really looked off the boil compared to his usual self.

His tug on Sane in the box to give away the second penalty was silly and, as an experienced player, the Brazilian should have known better not to make needless contact in the box. Especially with VAR on the prowl.