MERSEY MAYHEM
As if seeing their team diddled out of victory over Everton on the back of an offside call so tight it resembled The Fiver clambering out of a pub toilet window to avoid getting in a round, Liverpool fans were forced to endure further horror when it emerged Virgil van Dijk will be out for many months after it was confirmed he had “done” his ACL and will need surgery followed by rehab.
In the interests of accuracy it should be pointed out that it was in fact Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford wot “done” big Virgil’s knee, knacking the joint in question with a reckless challenge that went completely unpunished because the video assistant referee, David Coote, was so focused …
Guardian writers’ predicted position 2nd (NB: this is not necessarily Andy Hunter’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position 2nd
Odds to win the league (via Oddschecker) 5-2
Prospects
There is a touch of the unknown about Liverpool this season, unusually, with Jürgen Klopp starting a first full campaign at Anfield without Sadio Mané and looking to a pool of young talent led by Darwin Núñez to compensate for the undeniable loss of the Senegal international. Not in doubt, however, is Liverpool’s position as the best-equipped team to deny Manchester City a hat-trick of Premier League titles.
The United States remained unbeaten in the semi-final phase of regional qualifying for the 2010 World Cup Wednesday with a 3-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago.
With goals from Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and Brian Ching, the United States took their points total to nine, stretching their lead atop Group 1 to five points over Trinidad.
Guatemala and Cuba were playing later Wednesday in the group.
The United States, who have already beaten Guatemala and Cuba, got off to a quick start.
Bradley struck first, firing home a free kick lofted from the left by Landon Donovan in the ninth minute.
Nine minutes later, Dempsey made it 2-0 with a powerful right-footed shot into the left side of the net.
Ching added a header in the 57th to rou…
Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier refused to discuss speculation linking him with Manchester United, insisting his full focus is on England s Euro 2020 campaign.
Trippier has been linked with a move from LaLiga champions Atletico to Premier League giants United this off-season.
The 30-year-old has spent the past two seasons in Spain and is reportedly open to a switch to United but declined to discuss any possible move ahead of Wednesday s Euro 2020 semi-final against Denmark at Wembley.
I ve just enjoyed the season [at Atletico] and we ve won the title, Trippier told reporters.
I m away with England, we re playing Denmark and I m not focusing on my club or what is going on.
I m just focused on England and doing as best as I can if I play…
Spain remain on track to defend their European title after a 2-0 win over France in their Euro 2012 quarter-final on Saturday.
Spain remain on track to defend their European title after a 2-0 win over France in their Euro 2012 quarter-final on Saturday.
A brace from Xabi Alonso was all that separated the two teams at Donbass Arena as Spain booked a meeting with Portugal in the last four.
France rarely posed a threat as Spain bossed the game in large parts, opening the scoring midway through the first half as Alonso headed in as he completed a century of international appearances.
Despite an improved performance in the second half France failed to find a breakthrough and received a sucker-punch when Alonso slotted home from the penalty spot in second-hal…
Wembley stadium was on Thursday chosen by UEFA to host the 2011 Champions League final with the same season s UEFA Cup final going to Dublin s new Lansdowne Road ground.
London and Dublin were named as venues for the two European showcase matches by UEFA s Executive Committee meeting in Nyon.
European football s governing body also named Munich s Allianz Arena as the venue for the 2012 Champions League final with Bucharest s National stadium hosting the 2012 UEFA Cup final.
For the Republic of Ireland this will be the first time the country has staged a major European final with the venue, the new Lansdowne Road, still under construction.
This year s Champions League final is in Rome and the UEFA Cup final in Istanbul.
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Fabio Capello claimed former side England have a monkey on their back and then fail when it comes to finals.
Gareth Southgate s men reached their first major final in 55 years at Euro 2020, but lost on penalties as Italy claimed their first European Championship since 1968.
England have enjoyed relative success in September s World Cup qualifiers, crushing Hungary and Andorra 4-0 before conceding a late equaliser to draw 1-1 with Poland.
In the latter game, Southgate opted to not make any substitutions – the first time the Three Lions have done so since the Euro 1996 semi-final against Germany.
And Capello believes there is a reason for the England manager s lack of substitutes in Warsaw after heartbreak in the Euro 2020 final two months ago.
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Frank Lampard announced that he would leave Chelsea after 13 years at the club on this day in 2014.
Speculation had been rife over the England international’s future, with his contract running down in west London, and the former West Ham midfielder confirmed in a statement that he had played his last game for the Blues.
Lampard joined Chelsea in 2001 after six seasons at Upton Park and went on to make 648 appearances and become the club’s all-time top goalscorer with 211 in all competitions.
During his time at Stamford Bridge, Lampard won the Champions League, the Europa League, three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups.
“When I arrived at this fantastic club 13 years ago I would never have believed that I would be fortunate enou…
Week 8 kicks off with the best Thursday Night Football game of the season as the 7-0 Arizona Cardinals play host to the short-handed Green Bay Packers, who have a six-game winning streak of their own. We hand-picked our three favorite props to give us a little more skin in the game.
We bring you our favorite free prop picks and predictions for Thursday night’s Packers vs. Cardinals Week 8 battle.
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So, Drew Lock is your quarterback? You’re really doing this? OK. Drew Lock it is…
The Seattle Seahawks begin the post-Russell Wilson years with Lock as their guy for 2022 — and according to reports, the team wasn’t interested in any other QB options (Baker Mayfield or Deshaun Watson) after trading away the face of the franchise in March.
Pete Carroll is coming off his first losing season in a dozen years as head coach in the Emerald City after the Seahawks finished 7-10 SU (9-8 ATS) in 2021. He’s the third overall favorite to be the first head coach fired in 2022 with the Seahawks’ NFL odds calling for another regression in victories.
When it rains it pours, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Get out the umbrellas,…