The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Premier League

  • Manchester City get £35,000 fine

    Manchester City get £35,000 fine

    The Football Association have fined Manchester City £35,000 for failing to control their players during the 1-1 Premier League draw against Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium earlier this month.

    City accepted the charge last week, which related to their reaction after a second-half penalty was awarded against them, referee Michael Oliver booking Gael Clichy for a foul on Roberto Firmino.

    Some members of Pep Guardiola’s side continued their protests after ex-City man James Milner converted the spot-kick.

    Sergio Aguero netted a second-half equaliser at the Etihad Stadium to keep third-placed City one point ahead of Liverpool in the Premier League table, with a game in hand.

    Manchester United pleaded guilty to the same charge following their FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Chelsea and were fined £20,000.

  • Hazard claims EPL Goal of the Month

    Hazard claims EPL Goal of the Month

    Eden Hazard has won the Premier League Goal of the Month award for February for his strike in Chelsea’s 3-1 Premier League win against Arsenal.

    Hazard’s goal came in the 53rd minute of that game and put Antonio Conte’s side 2-0 up, after Marcos Alonso had opened the scoring on 13 minutes. Cesc Fabregas added a third in the 85th minute before Olivier Giroud pulled one back for Arsenal in added time.

    “It is always good to win trophies,” Hazard told Chelsea’s official website. “It is not my most important target to win Goal of the Month, I want to win big trophies at the end of the season, but it is something I can say in few years’ time to my kids that I scored a beautiful goal against Arsenal.

    “It means a lot for the fans and for us, because it was a derby and we won the game. That is the most important thing in football that you win the game if you score a fantastic goal, and I hope to score more goals like this.”

    Other goals nominated for the award included Romelu Lukaku vs. Bournemouth, Henrikh Mkhitaryan vs. Leicester, Gylfi Sigurdsson vs. Man City, Manuel Lanzini vs. West Brom, Robbie Brady vs. Chelsea, Harry Kane vs. Stoke and Danny Drinkwater vs. Liverpool.

  • My dream died after Leicester sack – Ranieri

    My dream died after Leicester sack – Ranieri

     

     

     

    Claudio Ranieri has said “his dream died” after being sacked by Leicester City on Thursday, just nine months after leading them to a stunning Premier League triumph.

    Ranieri’s tenure came to an end after Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Sevilla in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie and with the Midlands club just one point above the relegation zone.

    Leicester’s decision to part with Ranieri has attracted widespread condemnation and dismay from the football world.

    And, in a statement, Ranieri made no attempt to hide his disappointment, saying: “Yesterday my dream died. After the euphoria of last season and being crowned Premier League champions all I dreamt of was staying with Leicester City, the club I love, for always.

    “Sadly this was not to be.”

    Thanking his family and his staff, Ranieri added: “I wish to thank my wife Rosanna and all my family for their never-ending support during my time at Leicester.

    “My thanks go to [backroom staff members] Paolo [Benetti] and Andrea [Azzalin] who accompanied me on this wonderful journey. [And] To [Ranieri’s agents] Steve Kutner and Franco Granello for bringing me the opportunity to become a champion.

    “Mostly I have to thank Leicester City Football Club. The adventure was amazing and will live with me forever. Thank you to all the journalists and the media who came with us and enjoyed reporting on the greatest story in football.

    “My heartfelt thanks to everybody at the club, all the players, the staff, everybody who was there and was part of what we achieved. But mostly to the supporters. You took me into your hearts from day one and loved me. I love you too.”

    Despite not being allowed to fulfil his ambition to stay with the club with whom he won his first domestic top-flight title, Ranieri looks back on his time at the King Power Stadium with nothing but fondness and said the memory of Leicester’s unbelievable exploits last season will live with him forever.

    “No-one can ever take away what we together have achieved, and I hope you think about it and smile every day the way I always will,” he said.

    “It was a time of wonderfulness and happiness that I will never forget. It’s been a pleasure and an honour to be a champion with all of you.”

    Ranieri’s departure followed reports the Italian had lost the support of the Leicester dressing room.

    However, speaking at a media conference ahead of Monday’s home game with Liverpool, caretaker boss Craig Shakespeare refuted those claims.

    “It is very sad. The players are hurt and frustrated,” Shakespeare said.

    “I have not had one problem with them – there was frustration but he [Ranieri] had not lost the dressing room. I am not aware of any senior players going to the owners.”

  • Amakapabo: Victory over Lobi not cheap

    Amakapabo: Victory over Lobi not cheap

     

     

     

    Rangers coach Imama  Amakapabo has expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance in Wednesday’s Premier league tie against visiting Lobi Stars.  Amakapabo who described the match as a tough game confessed that the flying Antelopes had to dig deep to claim the entire three points at the expense of hard fighting Lobi Stars.

    “Difficult game against Lobi Stars, but I am happy we got all three points at the last minute,” he said shortly after the final whistle.

    The game decided at the Cathedral ended 2-1 in favour of Rangers with the coach hailing the fighting spirit of his boys who only few days ago held Algerian side JS Saoura to a goalless draw to advance in the Champions league where they will face Zamalek of Egypt.

    “The boys did not lose hope and kept fighting until the second goal was scored,” he enthused

    The victory is coming at a time when some are beginning to worry over what they dubbed Rangers poor run at home.  The result some fans were quick to say will fire the team to greater heights.

    Rangers who are due in Lagos tomorrow Thursday will next face MFM on Friday night  in tie which some have predicted will be full of fireworks

  • Defoe named Player of the Year

    Defoe named Player of the Year

     

     

     

     

    Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe has picked up his award for the 2016 Player of the Year at the North East Football Writers Awards, while Jordan Pickford was named the Young Player of the Year.

    The annual event, which took place at Ramside Hall on Sunday evening in Durham, reflected on the stand-out contribution of Defoe to Sunderland’s quest to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

    Defoe was present to pick up his trophy, alongside team-mate Pickford – whose outstanding performances for the Wearsiders led to him receiving his first England call-up under Gareth Southgate at the end of last year.

    Defoe said: ‘My mum keeps asking me, “How long are you going to play for? When are you going to do your coaching badges?”

    ‘I don’t know to be honest, I just take each day as it comes. Even my friends in football… I ask Ian Wright and Rio Ferdinand, “Do you miss it?” And they miss not just the training and the games, but just being around the lads in the changing rooms.

    ‘I’ve always said it’s important that players can play for as long as they can. That’s why I’ve always looked after myself.’

    Pickford, whose stock has risen despite Sunderland’s troubled campaign, has been forced to watch on since the end of the year owing to a knee injury, but the perennial strugglers will soon be boosted by his return.

    After the Premier League’s bottom side were soundly beaten 4-0 at home to Southampton on Saturday, he will hope to fully recover from his set-back at the earliest opportunity.

    The goalkeeper picked up his award from Sunderland legend Jimmy Montgomery, while Defoe joins a host of players to have won the top prize having worn the red and white-striped shirt.

  • Remo stars dream victorious debut

    Remo stars dream victorious debut

    Premier league new comers Remo Stars are determined to begin their campaign on a victorious note.

    Coach of the side Daniel Ogumodede who opined that the Shagamu based side are not in the premier league to make up the numbers, added that the club and the players are looking forward to the opener in

    Shagamu where the team’s supporters are expected to turn out in large numbers.
    “We know what it means to be in the premier league, we are prepared to put in our very best. Starting

    on a victorious note will be good for us and we believe we can achieve that,” he said
    Ogumodede who led his side to a third place finish in the Nigeria National League Super 4 which had

    Gombe United, Kastina United, and ABS on parade, said although the side failed to win, the experience

    garnered in the course of playing equally talented and ambitious teams will come handy in Sunday’s

    match and subsequent fixtures.
    “Our performance in the Super 4 I believe was good enough and the experience that came with it will be

    very useful,” he submitted
    Remo Stars take on Plateau United on Sunday in their league opener, other matches that will arrest the

    attention of fans across the country include ABS against Akwa United and MFM versus Niger Tornadoes.

    Many are however likely to focus on the tie between league champions Rangers international and Abia

    Warriors as the Flying Antelopes begin their title defense.

  • Chelsea thrash Everton 5-0 to move top

    Chelsea thrash Everton 5-0 to move top

    Eden Hazard scored twice as Chelsea moved to the top of the Premier League with a scintillating 5-0 victory over Everton at Stamford Bridge.

    Not since winning the 2014-15 title have Chelsea led the top flight, but they took advantage of Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough earlier on Saturday to do so, though Arsenal or Liverpool could displace them by winning their respective matches on Sunday.

    Antonio Conte’s team, unchanged for the fourth straight league match, ran riot and punished visiting manager Ronald Koeman for his decision to switch to a three-man defence.

    That surprise tactical change came despite Everton having ended a run of five games in all competitions without a win at home to West Ham last time out.

    Hazard opened the scoring in the 18th minute, converting for the fourth successive league game for the first time in his career, before Marcos Alonso opened his Chelsea account with his maiden goal for the club just 70 seconds later.

    Koeman sent Kevin Mirallas on for Bryan Oviedo in a bid to add stability through a more familiar formation, but the hosts continued to dominate and Diego Costa fired home three minutes before the interval.

     

  • Violent conduct: Aguero gets three-match ban

    Violent conduct: Aguero gets three-match ban

    Manchester City FC striker Sergio Aguero will miss Saturday’s derby against Manchester United in the Premier League after being banned for three games.

    A Football Association panel found the 28-year-old Aguero guilty of violent conduct after he elbowed West Ham’s Winston Reid in City’s 3-1 Premier League win on Sunday.

    Argentina international Aguero is also suspended for miss City’s home league game with Bournemouth on Sept. 17 and the EFL Cup third-round match at Swansea on Sept. 21.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Aguero has scored three goals in three league games this season for City.

    They are top of the table with a 100 per cent record.

    He also scored a hat-trick in the first leg of their 5-0 Champions League qualifier against Steaua Bucharest.

    City contested the violent conduct charge and argued that “the standard punishment would be clearly excessive’’.

     

  • Chelsea confirm Conte as new manager

    Chelsea confirm Conte as new manager

    Chelsea football club have confirmed Antonio Conte as the new manager ending months of speculations by football fans.

     

    Antonio Conte penning down a three- year contract deal with the London club on Monday and he will take charge by next season.

    Chelsea  sacked Jose Mourinho in December after an unimpressive performance and the start of the season and hired  Guus Hiddink as the interim coach for the team.

    The Blues are still unbeaten in the Premier League since the Dutchman took over – their 15-game streak is the longest undefeated run in the division this season – and still have a slim chance of qualifying for Europe.

    However, the Italy coach will remain in charge of the Azzurri at European Champion 2016, after which he will take the reins at Stamford Bridge having beaten off plenty of competition to land the job

     

  • Nath Boys look beyond Lagos FA exit

    Nath Boys look beyond Lagos FA exit

    After exited the Lagos FA cup in the round of 16, Nath Boys Football Club is looking beyond the tournament with the aim of doing better in the Metro League.

    Nath Boys, who were finalist in the 2015 edition of the tournament succumbed the superiority of Premier League debutant, MFM FC in the round of 16 clash on Tuesday and the captain of Nath Boys Innocent Wisdom believes playing against MFM has improved their confidence.

    “It was a good experience for us playing against MFM because they are a good side and for us we have realized that football is not how good you are but the vast experience you have that matters. Playing in the FA Cup has really prepared us for the Metro League which kicks off next Thursday. I must also admit that the MFM team is a very strong side and from the way they played against us, I believe they can go far in the Premier League,” Wisdom said.

    He however, said that they have come over the defeat as they are looking forward to do well in the Metro League as well as improve with each game.

    Like Wisdom, midfielder Ekene Okoliugo admitted the quality of MFM saying, “It was a nice game because we really enjoyed ourselves in the match. I think they showed that they are more experienced than us while we also lost concentration. From the match, we have realized that we must always be 100 percent focus in every match and also ensure that we play from the beginning to the end. With the way the MFM side played, I see them making an impact in the Premier League,” he said.