Carabao Cup semis set, Southampton close in on Juric, plus team news: football – liveNEWS | 20 December 202417m ago 07.42 EST Lastly, Guardiola is asked about Aston Villa and Unai Emery: “It’s no surprise [how well Villa have done]. Top, excellent manager … he has done incredible success. Unai has been in many clubs, handling playing in Europe and local competitions.” Share
19m ago 07.40 EST “I was not happy,” Pep Guardiola says of last weekend’s dramatic loss against Manchester United. “I triy to be honest with myself, here, right now, and six/seven days ago about my feelings, and about the team. But you fall down six times, you have to stand up seven. “There is no alternative. I’m fine. I’m a normal person with feelings like all of us. When the situation is going well, we are better, when it’s not going well professionally, we are more concerned about what we have to do. But it’s normal.” City haven’t had a game this week. Is it a chance to reset and start again? “That is obvious. We have to start again. That doesn’t mean we know what it going to happen. Of course we have to try it again, do it again. Sooner or later, it will turn around … We have some problems in the squad. Ruben is out for a long time. Ederson, I don’t know if he will be ready for tomorrow. We have to continue. “Ruben Dias will be out for three or four weeks. It is a muscular injury. Against United, after 75 minutes he felt something. But he is strong, he wanted to stay on the pitch. And now he’s injured. “Manuel Akanji, John Stones are back training. Mateo Kovacic is back and available. That’s good for us. It’s a boost for us. “[This week] we make two good training sessions, today the third. We trained good. The guys are ready.” Is there anything to take from City’s last visit to Villa? “We will play here. The past is the past. It’s a new situation. We have to deal with it.” Guardiola is asked about this unprecedented run of bad form for his City side. “We were able to come back [before]. Now it takes longer. We’ve had more than 40 bad days in terms of results … across eight years, we have done incredible things. These 40, 45 days have been bad. The reality, right now, speaks for itself. We have to win games. We are not winning games. I know in one moment we can get a good result.” Will anyone leave City in January? “I don’t think so. No.” Share Updated at 07.48 EST
29m ago 07.30 EST Tim Woods has emailed in: “After his controversial comments on his job versus the PMs, it seems Ange has decided to double down by claiming Russell Crowe is Australian. No doubt he thinks the same about Crowded House, pavlova and flat whites.” Share
51m ago 07.07 EST John Brewin As fearsome fortresses hosting a bastion of invincibility go, the Gtech Community Stadium is unassuming. Anyone driving past as the A4 becomes the M4 is liable to miss it completely, tucked away among high-rise des-res flats. Its family vibe is hardly Galatasaray’s old Ali Sami Yen either, the team kick off to the not exactly fearsome rabble-rouser Hey Jude and that word “community” is very much to the fore in the PA announcements. Thomas Frank’s fearless yet fragile Brentford bask in home comforts Read more Share Updated at 07.12 EST
1h ago 07.01 EST The Brighton head coach Fabian Hürzeler accepts “critical feedback” from supporters comes with the territory amid his team’s poor run of form. Albion travel to West Ham on Saturday seeking to arrest a four-match winless run during which the club has dropped from second to ninth in the Premier League. Sections of the Seagulls’ support vented frustration following Sunday’s 3-1 home loss to rivals Crystal Palace, which followed a defeat at Fulham, sandwiched between draws with Southampton and Leicester. “I think it is the right thing that the supporters have these expectations because it shows we are ambitious and that is exactly what I want from the club - to create this winning culture and to be ambitious,” Hürzeler said. “If you try to act with courage and say that’s our goal, then it is also part of it to fail at one time and to be criticised at one time. It is part of the business. It is not a nice business. It is a very honest business. Critical feedback is part of the business and then you have to deal with it.” (PA Media) View image in fullscreen Fabian Hürzeler: “It is not a nice business.” Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA Share Updated at 07.13 EST
1h ago 06.53 EST Ange Postecoglou is asked about Tottenham’s Carabao Cup semi-final date against Liverpool. “We’re in it. Which is the main thing. It’s an exciting fixture. We’ll have to beat all of them [Liverpool, Arsenal, or Newcastle]. It’s a great draw for us.” Postecoglou’s Gladiator reference from last night – “Are you not entertained” – is mentioned. “Top actor. Aussie … fellow Aussie. Yeah. I genuinely believe that. There’s a big part of our game that is about entertainment … maybe entertainment is the wrong word. “But you go to a game of football to kind of feel emotions that maybe in your day to day existence you don’t get the opportunity to … exhilarating, anxious … that’s what we love about it. There is a lot of suffering in there, when you’re watching a football game, but if you come out on the right side, it’s an amazing feeling.” View image in fullscreen Top actor. Fellow Aussie. Photograph: Dreamworks/Allstar Can they afford to be so gung-ho against Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday? “I’m not sure what you mean by gung-ho. We’ll play our football. Liverpool are a fantastic side. They’re the stand-out team in the competition [Premier League], but on our day we are pretty good opposition. “Hopefully Timo Werner will be OK for Sunday. The plan is Destiny Udogie should be OK.” He isn’t expecting a 0-0 against Liverpool on Sunday, then? “I’d be very surprised but you never know. They’ve got unbelievable attacking threats, you’ve got to be wary of that, but we’re pretty good at scoring ourselves.” Lastly, a question arrives on the nature of “Angeball”. “I’ve got to do things a little bit differently. For us, as a football club, if we’re going to bridge that road to success, we need to do things a little bit differently. It’s not easy but it’s the path we need to choose.” Share Updated at 07.22 EST
1h ago 06.32 EST Eddie Howe is delighted with the “good feeling” in his Newcastle squad as they prepare to face Ipswich tomorrow. The Magpies travel to Portman Road after a 4-0 Premier League victory over Leicester last Saturday and a midweek quarter-final triumph against Brentford in the Carabao Cup. Newcastle are 12th in the table following a mixed run of form, but Howe believes confidence is building, and that scoring 12 goals in four matches is a factor in that. He said: “We’re human beings and I think there has been - a slight at times in certain games - confidence issues. But I think you’ve seen a really good feeling within the team in the last two performances. I’d probably say three out of the last four have been really strong, as strong as we’ve seen this season. “Hopefully that’s a good sign. I think we’re scoring goals again, which is such a confidence builder. Three goals again the other night and possibly could’ve scored more goals from different areas of the pitch, which we haven’t had this season, really. “We’ve always had that historically, goals from everywhere. I think it’s a really important aspect and it was great to see Sandro (Tonali) pop up with two massive goals for us. I think if you believe you can score goals from a number of sources, areas of the team, that naturally lifts how you feel about yourself.” (PA Media) View image in fullscreen Eddie Howe: Delighted. Photograph: MI News/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Share Updated at 06.34 EST
2h ago 06.25 EST Andy Hunter The Friedkin Group’s takeover of Everton represents a momentous day for those exhausted and resigned to calamity by the tenure of Farhad Moshiri. Was it only eight years and 10 months? It felt much longer. Mercifully, evidence of lessons learned and a much-needed departure from what has gone before was present on day one of the US company’s long-awaited arrival. Everton’s new era under TFG offers chance of stability and ambition Read more Share
2h ago 06.23 EST “Correct,” Ruud van Nistelrooy says, when it is suggested that Leicester v Wolves on Sunday is a big game for both clubs. Wolves are 19th, Leicester are 17th. Should the Foxes win they would be eight points clear of Sunday’s opponents. “The situation Wolves are in, and we’re in … for us it’s important to keep developing. “From the three games [since Van Nistelrooy took over], we’ve had two positive results and one negative. (4-0 against Newcastle last Saturday.) “It’s important to react on that. It’s more than just the table, where we are, and where the opponent is. It’s the next step in our development in how we want to play and the way we want to act, and also the reaction from the defeat at Newcastle.” Share Updated at 06.27 EST
2h ago 06.17 EST Sarah Bertram has edited together the best and worst moments in football video in 2024: Own goals and bicycle kicks: the best and worst football moments of 2024 – video Share Updated at 06.18 EST
2h ago 06.12 EST While Liverpool lead the Premier League table, manager Arne Slot says it is too early to evaluate their title chances. The Reds have a two-point lead over second-placed Chelsea after 15 games and are six points ahead of Arsenal, with a game in hand over both. “Judge the table after 19 games (the halfway point) because then everyone has played the same opponents,” Slot told reporters on Friday. “Probably we had a bit of luck, for example Arsenal had a lot of red cards in the beginning of the season, that’s why they dropped points. “We have now received a red card and we dropped points. We now have Tottenham away which Arsenal had at the beginning of the season, Chelsea already played there.
“Don’t look at it where you were in the season, it is about where you are at the end of the season.” View image in fullscreen Arne Slot. A big fan of Ange Postecoglou. Photograph: James Marsh/Shutterstock Liverpool travel to Tottenham on Sunday in what will be a preview of their League Cup semi-final against Spurs. The Dutchman is a fan of Postecoglou and his team, adding he would love to see Spurs win the Europa League. “I hope, hope, hope he wins a trophy. Not the League Cup but I am completely a fan of his team for the Europa League,” Slot said. “People talk about trophies, trophies, trophies and that is so important. “For me his brand of football is more important and if he can combine it with winning something that would be so good for football in general because then people can stop talking about ‘is it too attacking?’ How on earth can you play too much attacking football? Every time it is a joy to watch them.” (Reuters) Share
2h ago 05.51 EST I’m seeing a high number of goals caused directly by teams “playing it out from the back” this morning. Two involving Tottenham and one for Chelsea against Shamrock Rovers. Modern football, eh. Share Updated at 05.51 EST
2h ago 05.45 EST Marcus Christenson, Football Special Projects Editor, talks us through the top 10: 2:35 The Guardian's top 10 male footballers in the world 2024 – video Share Updated at 05.47 EST
2h ago 05.40 EST There’s an interview with Jarrad Branthwaite on my telly. First question: “Jarrad, how much are you looking forward to Christmas?” Share Updated at 05.41 EST
2h ago 05.39 EST Everton Women sign Gago from Nantes Tom Garry The first signing of the new era at Everton under the Friedkin Group’s ownership has been announced, the women’s team confirming the signing of the France forward Kelly Gago for an undisclosed fee from the French club Nantes.
The 25-year-old will join the WSL team from 1 January and is understood to be the first of several January signings that Brian Sørensen’s side are seeking to make after the takeover.
Gago told the club’s media channels: “My strengths are my speed, my physical presence, my power, and I can bring all of that to the team. I chose to come and play for Everton as I liked what Brian, the head coach, had to say and how his team plays.” Share
3h ago 05.28 EST “This is the most Tottenham thing you’ll ever see,” said Gary Neville on commentary at 3-2. Share
3h ago 05.27 EST Just saw the highlights of Tottenham 4-3 Manchester United. LOL ShareAuthor: Luke Mclaughlin. Source
