Frank Lampard hopes Chelsea will be able to take a huge leap to challenge Liverpool for the Premier League title next season but acknowledges recruitment will be key.
Chelsea served a transfer ban ahead of the current 2019-20 campaign, which was then reduced to ensure the Blues can make signings in January.
Lampard, appointed at the start of 2019-20, will get the opportunity to influence Chelsea s involvement in the transfer market for the first time, but he already has the team in a healthy position.
Chelsea are fourth in the Premier League table, inspired by academy stars Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham, and Lampard hopes their talented prospects can be boosted by new recruits before 2020-21.
I definitely don t want to declare [a title challenge] at this…
LaLiga leaders Barcelona return to action on Saturday looking to pick up where they left off before the World Cup and end 2023 on a high.
The Blaugrana won each of their last five league games prior to Qatar 2022, leaving them top of the table during the break.
They will be confident of making it six in a row this weekend.
While local derbies can be particularly difficult to predict, Barcelona s duels with Espanyol tend to go one way.
A one-sided derby
This isn t a derby that s been defined by unpredictability in recent years.
Barcelona haven t lost any of their past 24 league meetings with Espanyol (W18 D6), which is their longest run without a defeat against them in the top flight.
Their last such defeat was almost 14 years ago i…
Arsenal face another major obstacle in their quest to land a first Premier League title in 19 years when they travel to Liverpool on Sunday.
The Gunners have historically struggled at Anfield, though Mikel Arteta s men have passed most tests this season en route to opening up a healthy lead over Manchester City.
While Arsenal will be looking to continue their good form, having won seven league games in a row, it is the start of another new chapter for Chelsea when they head to Wolves.
Frank Lampard was this week appointed as caretaker manager for the rest of the season following the sacking of Graham Potter, with Chelsea way down in 11th place.
There are plenty of other big games at the top and bottom of the division this weekend, not least at Old Traffor…
Bayern Munich are interested in signing Joe Gomez from Liverpool in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that new Bayern manager Vincent Kompany personally wants to bring Gomez to the Allianz Arena.
Gomez has been on the books of Liverpool since 2015 when he joined from Charlton Athletic. The England international has not always been a regular for the Reds, but he has shown his importance to the Merseyside club from time to time.
The 27-year-old made 17 starts and 15 substitute appearances in the Premier League for Liverpool last season. He gave one assist in those games. Gomez also provided two assists in six starts and four substitute appearances in the UEFA Europa League. The English defender made four starts and one substitute appearan…
Manchester City will host neighbours Manchester United on November 10 in the 2018-19 Premier League season.
The showdown between last season s top two is scheduled to take place the weekend before the final international break of 2018, while the return game at Old Trafford will be played on March 16.
United tackle Liverpool at Anfield on December 15 and host the Champions League finalists on February 23, while Jose Mourinho s latest return to Chelsea is scheduled for October 20.
The first Merseyside derby of the season will be held at Anfield on December 1, with the reverse clash at Goodison Park set for March 2.
Pep Guardiola s reigning champions travel to Arsenal on the opening weekend in a daunting start to life in England for Gunners boss Unai Emery,…
Euro 2024 continued to deliver on the drama on Monday, as Group B came to a thrilling conclusion.
Matters were relatively simple for Spain, as the group winners made it three wins from three by seeing off Albania 1-0 in Dusseldorf.
Yet there was late chaos in Leipzig, as reigning champions Italy salvaged a 1-1 draw against Croatia to book their place in the last 16.
We round up the best Opta facts from the day s action.
Croatia 1-1 Italy: History-making Modric strike not enough
Luka Modric, at the age of 38 years and 289 days, became the oldest player to score at the Euros when he lashed home in the 55th minute, and it looked for all the world as if that would be enough for Croatia to sneak into second place.
Yet Italy, and specifically su…
Megan Rapinoe s hamstring strain prevented her from starting the United States semifinal against England, but Jill Ellis said she may have called on her if the game had gone to a penalty shootout.
There was a notable omission from USA s starting XI when it was revealed prior to kickoff, Rapinoe only among the substitutes despite scoring braces in back-to-back games to fire the defending champions to the last four.
Curiously, there was no explanation for the outspoken Rapinoe s absence, though the fact she only watched on during the prematch warm-up suggested something was amiss.
Ellis team did not miss their star forward too much, though, Rapinoe s replacement Christen Press scoring the first goal and Alex Morgan the winner as England, who had leveled through El…
Lazio striker Goran Pandev is a serious candidate to strengthen Inter Milan`s attack in January 2010.
The Macedonian international has agreed on terms with the Nerazzurri.
The next step is to make a formal approach to Lazio`s president Claudio Lotito. It is said Inter will open up dialogue by offering the Roman s â?¬10 million plus David Suazo.
Pandev`s contract with Lazio expires in June 2010. He already wanted to leave the club this summer but Lotito kept him in Rome. Since his transfer request, the 26-year-old hasn`t been part of the Lazio squad.
Due to Pandev`s expiring contract Lotito could consider accepting an early deal rather than risk losing the player on a free transfer in the summer.
…
Lionel Messi s uncanny ability to create history continued with a record-breaking sixth Ballon d Or on Monday.
The decade-long monopoly on football s most prestigious individual prize held by the Barcelona great and Cristiano Ronaldo was broken a year ago by Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric.
But once again it was Messi s name on the prize as he added to the Ballons d Or he won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
Below, with the help of Opta data, we have scrutinised the numbers behind each of the years Messi has been named the world s best.
2009
Could there really have been any other winner in a year in which Messi swept every major honour? There were six collective titles in total as Pep Guardiola s star-studded class won La Liga, the Copa del…
Favourites Brazil and Argentina were both on the receiving end of shock eliminations in the quarter final stage of this year’s Copa America tournament overnight, leaving the race for the 2011 title well and truly open.
Brazil failed in their quest to break down a resolute Paraguayan outfit that were inspired by their goalkeeper Justo Villar, with the match ending 0-0 after the allotted 120 minutes. Incredibly, the five time World Cup winners missed all four of their spot kicks in the shoot out, sealing their fate on the night.
Meanwhile, the Argentine hosts were the better side in their respective quarter final against Uruguay, but failed to capitalise on their opportunities, going down 5-4 on penalties, with Carlos Tevez missing the decisive shot.
Chile and C…