Category: Competitions

FA Cup rotation likely: will we get Partey started again?

We begin our defence of the FA Cup today, a trophy we’ve won more than any other club, when Newcastle come to the Emirates later on.

I expect Mikel Arteta to rotate his squad quite a bit today. There’s a Premier League game on Thursday, we face today’s opposition in the league the following Monday, and although the schedule itself hasn’t been as taxing as it might have been, this is more about keeping players who haven’t had minutes fresh rather than resting those who have.

It’s quite something to think that someone like Emile Smith Rowe, about whose potential the manager spoke in glowing terms, could be sitting this one out to save him for Palace when just a few short weeks ago this was the kind of fixture you’d be looking for him to play in. It must be tempting to stick with what works, but like … Read the rest

Chinese GP promoter seeking 2021 Formula 1 race postponement

The Chinese Grand Prix is set to become the second Formula 1 race to be postponed in 2021 as the promoter seeks a date change to later in the year.

Last year’s race in Shanghai was the first to be scrapped following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a further 12 races eventually being cancelled through the 2020 season.

F1 unveiled a more usual calendar for 2021 in November, listing 23 races, but is already set to postpone the planned season-opener in Australia due to the ongoing pandemic and global restrictions in place.

Doubts had begun to emerge over the viability of the planned race in China on 11 April, but the promoter of the race has now confirmed it is seeking a postponement until later in the year.

“We have been in contact [with F1] via conference call almost every week”, Yibin Yang, the general manager of race … Read the rest

I Am Jesus Christ Video Recaps a Year of Development; Release Windows for Kickstarter & Prologue Revealed

SimulaM’s upcoming game “I Am Jesus Christ” created quite a stir on the press when it was announced back in 2019 and has made progress over the following year culminating with the recent Christmas trailer.

Today the developer released a new video focusing on recapping that year of development including a trip to Israel to research the subject matter and a look at plenty of images from the game in developmemt.

We also learn that a free “prologue” version will be released on Steam to give players a chance to see what the game is all about. This should come between June and July 2021.

Before that, Simulam plans to hit Kickstarter and releasing a demo between the end of April and the beginning of May.

You can watch the video below.

If you’re unfamiliar with the game, which will come to PC via Steam, you can read … Read the rest

Surprise playmaker?: Man United have sensational creator hidden in their ranks

Manchester United may have a dangerous weapon in their arsenal in the form of Alex Telles who showed what he can bring in the win over Watford.

It’s clear the former Porto man can still bring even more to the table but against the London club, he managed to hold his own.

It was Telles’ delivery that Scott McTominay headed in for the narrow 1-0 victory but it wasn’t the only chance he created.

The Brazilian defender was signed in the summer for a cut-price figure and fans celebrated his arrival as they looked forward to his attacking talent.

Telles hasn’t yet settled in fully but there are signs he can press on now and make the left-back position his own in the absence of Luke Shaw.

… Read the rest

“We will sell top performers again if it makes financial sense” – RB Leipzig CEO pitches in on Upamecano links

Oliver Mintzlaff has said that RB Leipzig are prepared to sell their top talents, provided that a potential transfer makes financial as well as sporting sense, in light of recent speculation over Dayot Upamecano’s future, as reported by the Echo.

The Bundesliga star has been linked with a move to a number of elite European clubs including Liverpool and league rivals Bayern Munich.

“We have a squad that is very broad in terms of quality,” the Leipzig CEO admitted. “So we will sell top performers again if it makes financial sense and we can cope with it from a sporting point of view.”

While not directly mentioning the Frenchman, it’s thought that Mintzlaff’s words are in reference to the 22-year-old centre-half.

There’s no doubt that the German outfit have done extraordinarily well despite losing a host of top talent over the years to the Premier League from Naby Keita … Read the rest

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gives update on injured Man United star in wake of hefty collision during FA Cup triumph

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has shed light on the condition of Eric Bailly after the centre-back was withdrawn during Manchester United’s victory over Watford.

United’s win over the Hornets was less than convincing, but they returned to winning ways and progressed to the next round of the FA Cup – what else matters?

All that will be of concern to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in wake of the game is the condition of Bailly, who was forcibly taken off as a substitute after a hefty collision with goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

MORE: Opinion: Solskjaer deserves more credit for United’s league turnaround

At the time of the incident it looked as though it could have been a head injury, concussion being the assumption, hence why the physios were so insistent to get him off the field.

More Stories / Latest News
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gives update on injured Man United star in wake
… Read the rest

“I still need to improve” soon to be Juventus player agrees that he needs more playing time

Nicolò Rovella is set to become the next Italian teenage star to play for Juventus.

The Genoa man has impressed in the few games that he has played for them, and Juventus is looking to secure his future.

The Bianconeri are set to sign the 19-year-old and allow him to remain with Genoa until the end of next season.

The midfielder has now explained the rationale behind the decision which he seems to be happy about.

He said that his career development needs him to be at a club where he will be playing matches regularly so that he can develop himself further.

Rovella then says that it will only happen at Genoa now and he will also be given the chance to make a mistake as he continues to grow as a footballer.

This is why his immediate future is with them.

“My future is at Genoa, because I … Read the rest

Arsenal take a loan for cash flow … and squad management?

Morning all.

It’s Friday, on Saturday we play Newcastle in the FA Cup, but I’ll leave any previewing of that game till tomorrow.

Let’s start this morning with news from yesterday which saw the club announce they had taken a £120m loan from the government’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) scheme.

The statement read:

We are taking a short-term £120 million loan through this facility to partially assist in managing the impacts of the revenue losses attributable to the pandemic. This is a similar approach to that taken by a wide variety of major organisations across many industries including sport, and is repayable in May 2021.

The CCFF is designed to provide short-term finance at commercial rates during the pandemic to companies that have strong investment ratings and which make significant contributions to the British economy.

Now, with billionaire owners, some might wonder why this isn’t something KSE themselves … Read the rest

‘Biofuel can save the internal combustion engine, but F1 has to be quick’

Formula 1 has taken a number of important steps towards the future over the last few years. The budget ceiling has guaranteed fairer competition, and with a range of young talents it also looks good in sporting terms. But what about the sustainable picture of Formula 1?

According to Andreas Haupt of Auto Motor und Sport, it is in fact absolutely essential that sport gets to work on this as quickly as possible. He foresees that in the next few years, politicians will accelerate decisions that will completely ban cars powered by fossil fuels. This is already happening in some cities.

That would, of course, be a great loss for car enthusiasts, and Formula 1 would be squeezed with internal combustion engines. That is why, in Haupt’s view, it is very important that they set the development of CO2-neutral fuels in motion as soon as possible and also use them … Read the rest

Fabio 2.0: Why Fognini Is Focussing On Calm & Patience

Fabio Fognini is one of the most entertaining players on the ATP Tour. When the 33-year-old feels a certain way, positively or negatively, he makes sure everyone within shouting distance knows it. But since last May, when the World No. 17 underwent arthroscopic surgery on both his ankles, Fognini has adopted a new mindset highlighted by calm and patience.

Call this Fabio 2.0.

“I know that sounds really weird from me, those kinds of words,” Fognini joked to ATPTour.com after winning his first-round match at the Antalya Open on Friday.

But the Italian is serious. The nine-time ATP Tour titlist is as hungry as ever for success, especially with the Nitto ATP Finals moving to Turin in his home country, Italy, this year. Fognini knows that coming back from those surgeries to find his best form will not be an easy task. But he is accepting things as they come, … Read the rest