LIVERPOOL, England — “We’ll see on Sunday,” Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said last week, when asked how far his Manchester United team have come since suffering humiliation on their last visit to Everton. Solskjaer will have hoped for a better result than a 1-1 draw, but having demanded a response after a 4-0 thumping at Goodison
Blog – The Match
Craig Burley and Steve Nicol break down Real Madrid’s Clasico triumph over Barcelona. MADRID — His goal wasn’t a thing of beauty, he’s a work in progress, and I’m not trying to sell you the idea that Vinicius Junior is about to threaten the Ballon d’Or podium. But let’s not beat around the bush: We
Manchester City beat Aston Villa to win their fifth EFL Cup final in seven years. Watch Carabao Cup on ESPN+. LONDON — Is this what victory fatigue looks like? A lap of honour around Wembley Stadium, following a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, a third successive Carabao Cup triumph, played out to a half-full Manchester
BOURNEMOUTH, England — There was a sense of inevitability about both Chelsea goals in their 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, which is not something that has been said very much about them in recent weeks. The visitors’ 33rd-minute opener at a windy Vitality Stadium rewarded a spell of mounting pressure, with Marcos Alonso following in to
LONDON — There is something particularly brutal about a heavy defeat in the Champions League. Nothing exposes a team’s weaknesses quite like a dismantling by a side from another league, and Chelsea know precisely how that feels after being given a lesson by Bayern Munich at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night. This was the moment
Steve Nicol makes the case for Ederson to become Man City’s spot-kick taker after another miss vs. Leicester. Pep Guardiola reacts to Man City’s 1-0 win over Leicester and gives his take on the penalty decision. Manchester City will have to maintain a very delicate balance for the rest of the Premier League season. The
LONDON — The roar of relief that greeted the final whistle in Arsenal’s ramshackle 3-2 victory over Everton told its own story. In front of the dug-outs, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta turned to embrace his coaching staff. On the pitch, his players shared tired, happy hugs with each other, their smiles reflecting both satisfaction after
Alejandro Moreno and Craig Burley lament Jose Mourinho’s excuses following Tottenham’s loss against Leipzig. On Wednesday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we saw a team show glimpses of the old Tottenham Hotspur, the young, vibrant side that thrilled everyone under Mauricio Pochettino and came so close to a couple of improbable title wins. The problem was
Liverpool suffers a 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. ESPN FC’s Gab Marcotti breaks down a vintage Atletico Madrid performance vs. Liverpool Steve Nicol says Liverpool could have and should have lost by more vs. Atletico Madrid MADRID — How do you beat Liverpool? Just ask
Steve Nicol and Craig Burley are incredulous after Harry Maguire’s apparent kick out at Michy Batshuayi. LONDON — Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not convinced everyone he is the right man to lead Manchester United, but he is beginning to prove he can come up with a big result just when he needs it most. One
Craig Burley says Arsenal have chosen a strong direction by allowing Mikel Arteta to run things his way. LONDON — When the great history of Mikel Arteta’s time at Arsenal is written, there will be many more convincing performances than Sunday’s 4-0 win over Newcastle. At least, Gooners around the world will hope so. The
Shaka Hislop breaks down how Liverpool overcame another shaky start for their 17th straight league win. NORWICH, England — So Liverpool win again and the incredible run goes on. It was a 1-0 result, in the wind and rain, against a Norwich City team that has been anchored to the foot of the Premier League
Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger scores twice as they play out a 2-2 draw at Leicester. Frank Lampard says some things are beyond his control as he discusses Chelsea’s lack of January transfers. LEICESTER, England — If Frank Lampard is going to need Antonio Rudiger to get Chelsea out of trouble every weekend, he can probably
“Cholo, don’t go! Cholo, stay!” they sang as the Madrid derby reached the 90th minute. These weren’t Atletico fans, though. There were only a handful of them inside the Bernabeu anyway. These were Real Madrid supporters bellowing an ironic chant that started behind the goal at the south end and had soon spread everywhere, reverberating
Manchester United took some frustration out on League One side Tranmere in the FA Cup. Watch FA Cup on ESPN+. BIRKENHEAD, England — Even on a good day for Manchester United, the storm clouds are never far away. For the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in May 2013, the team hit six goals
VALENCIA, Spain — Following narrow wins against Granada and Ibiza, Quique Setien failed his first major examination as Barcelona manager when the Blaugrana crumbled 2-0 against Valencia, their first defeat at Mestalla since 2008. Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved a first-half penalty from Maxi Gomez and Barca made it to half-time with the game goalless, but
Steve Nicol says an experienced centre forward could have helped Chelsea avoid their 2-2 draw vs. Arsenal. The FC crew tear into David Luiz for his red-card challenge in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw vs. Chelsea. LONDON — On the face of it, Mikel Arteta has made an unimpressive start to life as Arsenal manager. Tuesday’s 2-2
Roberto Firmino’s late goal keeps the Reds alone at the top of the Premier League. Steve Nicol and Shaka Hislop marvel at Liverpool beating Wolves despite a rough second half. Steve Nicol and Shaka Hislop marvel at Liverpool beating Wolves despite a rough second half. Steve Nicol says Jurgen Klopp “has to be brave” and
Ale Moreno says Liverpool continue to get results while challengers falter and the EPL race is over. Ale Moreno says there’s nothing to be optimistic about with Man United without Marcus Rashford. LIVERPOOL, England — The genie is out of the bottle. When Mohamed Salah lifted the tension inside Anfield by making it 2-0 against
Steve Nicol says Sheffield United are a top striker away from taking their play to the next level. LONDON — As a neutral turning up for an Arsenal game, there’s little that quickens the pulse like seeing a central defensive partnership of David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi on the hosts’ teamsheet. After all, it’s a