Last night saw a squad of Manchester City legends take on a squad containing some of the Premier League’s greatest ever players for Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match at the Etihad.
Among the players to take to the field were Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Jamie Carragher and Robin van Persie. The game ended 2-2 thanks to a last-minute equaliser from former Cityzens front man Benjani. Indeed, he even did that famous celebration afterwards, just for the fans.
50,000 people packed out City’s home ground last night and it was a great spectacle all around. The highlight of the evening, however, was certainly Robin van Persie’s goal in the second-half.
The Dutch forward, who famously turned out for Arsenal and Manchester United during his career in the Premier League, effortlessly curled the ball past Joe Hart with that trademark left foot.
The 36-year-old’s finish has expectedly been doing the rounds on social media today, with United fan page @UtdXtra posting the video to their 315,000-strong follower base last night.
Here are some of the replies from United supporters, who clearly wouldn’t mind it if the former Netherlands international returned to Old Trafford this season…
United fans, how much do you miss van Persie? Let us know by commenting below!
كشفت الصحافة الإسبانية عن صفقتين مهمتين دخلتا على رادار نادي برشلونة بكل قوة بعد فوز جوان لابورتا، بالانتخابات الرئاسية يوم أمس الأحد، باكتساح لمنافسيه فيكتور فونت وتوني فريشيا.
ولكن بحسب صحيفتي “آس” و”ماركا” الإسبانيتين لم ينتظر لابورتا كثيرًا حتى يبدأ تنفيذ خططه لتدعيم برشلونة بأفضل شكل ممكن في الميركاتو الصيفي المقبل رغم المشاكل المالية التي يعاني منها العملاق الكتالوني.
اقرأ أيضًا.. صحيفة إنجليزية: عودة لابورتا لرئاسة برشلونة ستؤثر على مستقبل محمد صلاح في ليفربول
وبحسب صحيفة “ماركا”، يفكر لابورتا في ضم مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر سيتي، سيرجيو أجويرو، الذي ينتهي عقده بنهاية الموسم الحالي وبالتالي لن يكلف خزائن برشلونة أي أموال سوى راتبه.
التعاقد مع أجويرو سيدعم هجوم برشلونة بلاعب مميز، ولكن لابورتا أيضًا ينظر للمستقبل ومفاوضاته مع ميسي من أجل تجديد عقده، وتواجد مهاجم مانشستر سيتي داخل برشلونة قد يقرب البرغوث من التجديد لأن الثنائي تربطهما علاقة صداقة قوية للغاية.
بينما أفادت صحيفة “آس” أن لابورتا بدأ التحرك من أجل ضم ظهير أيسر نادي بايرن ميونخ، ديفيد ألابا، وسيعقد اجتماعًا مع وكيليه (صديقه) بيني زهافي وفالي رمضاني لمناقشة إمكانية انتقال النمساوي إلى “كامب نو” خاصة أن اللاعب أعلن قبل أسابيع رحيله في يونيو المقبل بعد نهاية عقده مع العملاق البافاري.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
According to an interview carried out with Bal des Productions, via Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur right-back Serge Aurier has suggested he has no competition for that position, and while his comments may be contentious, he is absolutely right.
What did he say?
In quotes translated by Sport Witness, the Ivory Coast international said when asked whether he was scared of spending the season on the bench given the competition for places at Spurs:
“What competition? There isn’t any. I’d simply decided to leave [this summer], which was normal for me. Many things were taken into consideration. In the end, I wasn’t able to leave. It proves the club trust me on a lot of points, and we’ll see.”
He’s spot on
While it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say in public – especially given centre-back Davinson Sanchez was preferred at full-back ahead of him in the north London derby against Arsenal prior to the international break – the 26-year-old is right.
Of course, while Sanchez may have played at right-back against the Gunners, it isn’t his natural position and it showed as he was criticised by his own supporters on Twitter for his display at the Emirates.
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Another natural centre-back who has featured there is Juan Foyth, while Kyle Walker-Peters doesn’t quite look up to the taskon a consistent basis either from an attacking point of view, as shown by his Football London rating against Newcastle, with the 22-year-old another who seemingly hasn’t convinced Spurs fans on social media.
In that respect Aurier should have something of a clear run at the position in the next few months, but his latest comments are unlikely to go down well with manager Mauricio Pochettino, who already clearly didn’t trust him to feature from the start against the club’s arch-rivals.
The Ivorian may have some grovelling to do then, but it’s hard to argue that he isn’t correct about that lack of competition.
In today’s Everton roundup, we look at the news doing the rounds surrounding the Toffees. The club are monitoring Jack Clarke, manager Marco Silva insists Theo Walcott is ‘unhappy’, and Sandro Ramirez is ‘calm’ despite his goal drought continuing away from Goodison Park.
Club keeping an eye on Clarke’s situation
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Report: As reported by the Express, Tottenham Hotspur are considering bringing back Jack Clarke after a torrid time at Leeds United, with the club keen to loan him out to a different club. Everton are one of the few top-flight clubs keeping an eye on the 18-year-old with the Toffees are considering taking him on, should Spurs bring him back from the Yorkshire club.
Verdict: In Clarke’s debut season at Leeds, the teenager won the Young Player of the Year after netting two goals and providing four assists in his 22 Championship appearances. However, after returning to Elland Road this season as a permanent Spurs players, Clarke has yet to have been named in a squad for a Championship clash and has appeared in just two League Cup fixtures.
Everton are well equipped up top this season, but with Richarlison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Moise Kean preferred down the centre, Clarke could battle for a spot on the wings, especially considering Theo Walcott has played just 48 minutes all season, whilst both Bernard and Alex Iwobi have yet to cement regular starting spots.
Walcott ‘unhappy’, says Silva
Report: As reported by the Liverpool Echo, Everton boss Marco Silva states that ex-Arsenal man Walcott is unhappy at a lack of minutes at the club since his move from north London. Silva said: “I know the last few seasons at Arsenal were not the best, then he came to Everton and had four or five good months.
“Last season, even if in some games he was not in the starting XI, he was one of the players who played more minutes for me.”
“Theo is unhappy, he has to be unhappy, like Tom or whoever, Theo has to be unhappy but after that you have different ways to react.
Verdict: Walcott has found himself glued to the bench this season, playing just 48 minutes, and with the arrival of Iwobi, it is no surprise to see the 30-year-old so unhappy. Last season, Walcott did play in 37/38 games, but he only started 24 of them and bagged himself just five goals in all, subsequently forcing Silva to delve into the market for an alternative goalscoring winger.
The Englishman has found himself miles away from the national setup in the last four years, and after enduring a similar fate at Arsenal, Walcott could perhaps have to find another team if he wants to get the minutes he desires.
Ramirez ‘calm’ despite poor form
Report: Sandro Ramirez told El Desmarque recently that he is ‘calm’, despite not finding the back of the net in two years. The 24-year-old said: “For me, it’s a very important year. I’m very excited. When you’ve gone some time without scoring like I have, you need [confidence]. A striker lives for goals, but I don’t believe that feeling. I’m calm because I’ve always scored goals and I will continue scoring goals”.
Verdict: Ramirez has netted just one goal at four different clubs since signing for Everton back in 2017. This one goal came in a Europa League tie for the Toffees back in 2017, and the Spaniard has since endured disastrous loan spells at Sevilla, Real Sociedad and now at Real Vallodolid.
However, the Everton man has proved he can put the goals away, after bagging 14 times for Malaga back in 2016-17. After all, Ramirez is still only 24, and his best years are yet to come. Although, it is tough to see them at Goodison Park, with Richarlison, Kean and Calvert-Lewin all pushing for a spot as the central striker.
أكد أيمن الطويل مدرب حراس مرمى الناشئين بالزمالك والمكلف بتدريب حراس الفريق الأول مؤقتًا، سعادته بالعمل داخل أروقة القلعة البيضاء.
وكان الطويل قد تولى تدريب حراس الفريق الأول بشكل مؤقت لحين التعاقد مع مدرب جديد، بعد استقالة عمرو عبد السلام، من الجهاز الفني بقيادة باتريس كارتيرون.
طالع | وكيله: باتشيكو علم بخبر رحيله عن الزمالك من الإعلام
وقال الطويل في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “الزمالك” عبر برنامج “زمالكاوي”: “شرف كبير لي العمل مع الفريق الأول حتى لو دقيقة واحدة”.
وأضاف: “قلت لحراس مرمى الفريق الأول شرف كبير التواجد معكم اليوم”.
وتابع: “تحدثت مع حراس المرمى وأبلغتهم بأنني وارد أن أكون متواجدًا معهم لهذه الفترة فقط، كل حارس مرمى متواجد في فريق الزمالك قادر على حراسة مرمى منتخب مصر”.
وواصل: “أتمنى تحقيق الفوز على الترجي التونسي وتكون بداية للصعود للدور المقبل”.
وأتم: “حراس المرمى أدوا مرانًا قويًا جدًا اليوم وكانوا متحمسين للغاية، واستقبلوني بشكل جيد”.
يواجه برشلونة نظيره ريال سوسيداد اليوم الأحد ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني في الجولة 28.
ولدى الثنائي ليونيل ميسي وفرينكي دي يونج أربع بطاقات صفراء في الدوري، لذا إذا حصلا على بطاقة صفراء واحدة أخرى اليوم فسيتغيبان عن مباراة بلد الوليد ويلعبان مباراة الكلاسيكو أمام ريال مدريد.
تعرف على معلق مباراة برشلونة وريال سوسيداد اليوم في الدوري الإسباني
وفي حالة لم يتم إنذارهما اليوم سيلعبان المباراة القادمة أمام بلد الوليد وهما مهددان بالغياب عن الكلاسيكو.
وتقام مباراة الكلاسيكو بين ريال مدريد وبرشلونة على ملعب “ألفريدو دي ستيفانو” ضمن مباريات الجولة 30 لليجا، يوم السبت الموافق 10 أبريل المقبل، في تمام الساعة التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.
View this post on InstagramEntrenando con ? … vamossss !! Always forward together let’s go!! ??⚽️?A post shared by Erik Lamela (@eriklamela) on Sep 26, 2019 at 7:50am PDT
The message from the Spurs players is loud and clear – they want to look forward and not dwell on the poor run they’ve been on as of late.
This sort of mentality is exactly what Tottenham need if they are to bounce back after a disappointing start to the season. It will do them absolutely no use whatsoever to sit and think about past events.
It remains to be seen whether or not Spurs can win this weekend against Southampton, but these Instagram posts should fill supporters will confidence that the squad are not buying into the crisis mode mentality that seems to be engulfing some parts of the fan base.