Home Blog Page 292

Arsenal still hoping on Ramsdale and Odegaard moves

This season looks bleak for Arsenal after their 2-0 opening game defeat to newly-promoted Brentford on Friday

The team lacked a drive in most of its squad, needing young players like Emile Smith-Rowe and a substitute Bukayo Saka to breathe any bit of life into the team.

Even with the team’s lack of form and no European football this season, Arsenal still believes that they will be able to make more signings before the end of the transfer window.

Arteta has shown major interest in signing Sheffield United’s current goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale. The club has already had a €30 million offer rejected but this has not squandered their plans.

Dean Jones has spoken about how this deal may still happen:

“They’re so determined to sign Aaron Ramsdale. Ramsdale wants the deal to happen, there’s no doubt about that, it’s just about finding that breakthrough. It’s not the priority right now is the problem for Ramsdale, they have to sign a midfielder.”

That midfielder that the Gunners are looking for is Real Madrid’s, Martin Odegaard. After what was considered a successful loan move last year, Arteta is keen to bring him back to the club.

In nine league starts after joining in January, the Norweigan scored one and assisted two from centre midfield. He has been very famous since he was a young teenager, now he is 22 and looking to lock down a position with a top club.

His transfer value is estimated at €41 million but Real Madrid may not want to sell him yet, hoping he can grow into a future Galactico.

“There’s the potential they can do a loan. Real Madrid, I’m told, are open to it. Arteta absolutely loves him. Just take on his wages for a season, not a significant fee, and have that option to buy him next year,” Jones added.

The Gunners have also been looking to purchase English midfielder James Maddison from Leicester City but with each passing day, this rumour grows less likely.

 

Ulster v Munster Ticket Info – 2021 Women’s Interprovincial Championship

Ulster Rugby has released information on tickets for their opening 2021 Women’s Interprovincial Championship clash against Munster.

Ulster Rugby is set to welcome spectators back to Kingspan Stadium for its first fixture of the 2021/22 season on Saturday, August 28th at 4:30 pm.

The competition returns after a year away and will be televised on TG4 and the BBC iPlayer for those unable to attend any games.

Here are the ticketing details for those able to attend the first game of interprovincial action for Ulster and Munster.

The game will be an all-ticket event, meaning that all tickets must be pre-purchased before the game – no tickets will be available at the ground on match-day.

Seated tickets in the Grandstand are available to purchase in pods of two, three, four, five and six for the game.

There will be one metre of social distancing between all pods that attend the match.

Standing tickets will be available for the interprovincial clash on the Promenade.

General sale tickets will be priced at £10 for adults and £5 for under-18s and will be available to purchase from Tuesday at 10 am.

Ulster season ticket holders for the 2021/22 season can claim a free ticket for the match.

They can do so via Account Manager up until 5 pm on Friday, August 20th.

All Season Ticket holders have been emailed with details on how to claim their free ticket, plus full terms and conditions.

For group bookings, Ulster Rugby are asking those who wish to enquire to contact the ticket office at tickets@ulsterrugby.com / 028 9049 3222 (option 1).

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all supporters, Ulster Rugby would ask all supporters to follow the latest public health guidance in relation to COVID-19 restrictions.

They are also advising that supporters travelling to the game attending the fixture should test themselves using Rapid COVID-19 tests before they attend, and on days 2 and 8 after the event, in order to identify any positive cases.

To see all fixtures for the tournament, click here.

Crystal Palace v Brentford – Preview, Lineups, Betting, TV Coverage

Crystal Palace will host the newly promoted Brentford at Selhurst Park in a London derby on the Gameweek 2 of the 2021/2022 Premier League season.

This game will mark the first competitive fixture between Crystal Palace and Brentford since the 16th of August 1977 where Crystal Palace came out 5-1 victors in the League Cup.

Crystal Palace is entering a fresh new start under recently appointed Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira.

Vieira was appointed in the summer after the departure of Roy Hodgson after four years in the Selhurst Park dugout.

While Brentford is coming into this game after a monumental debut in the Premier League with a stunning 2-0 home win over Arsenal.

Crystal Palace Retrospective

Coming into this season, Crystal Palace is in a year of transition after parting ways with Roy Hodgson.

Patrick Vieira has taken over at the London club and has a major task on his hands for the next few months to steer Palace away from relegation in his first season.

In his first competitive game as manager, he oversaw his team lose 3-0 away to Chelsea.

Chelsea dominated the game from the start and took the lead with a stunning free-kick from Marcos Alonso after 27 minutes.

Christian Pulisic doubled their lead 5 minutes before half-time before Trevor Chalobah finished the game on 58 minutes to seal all three points for the Blues.

Overall, Palace created very little in terms of offence, having 4 shots in 90 minutes with 1 shot on target is nothing to write home about.

However, playing Chelsea is a lot different to playing Brentford, so there will be more opportunities in front of goal.

 

Brentford Retrospective

For their first game ever in the Premier League, Brentford showed that they could cut it against the bigger teams.

Arsenal came to the Brentford Community Stadium with a weakened team, but take nothing away from the hosts. They deserved all 3 points.

Sergi Canos opened the scoring for the home side after a sharp turn and fired the ball in past Bernd Leno at his near post to stun the Gunners.

After that, it was all Brentford and on 73 minutes a long throw-in bounced over a host of players before Christian Norgaard jumped high to head home their second to give them their first top-flight win in over 75 years.

Date, kick-off time and venue

This London derby between Crystal Palace and Brentford will kick off at 3 pm BST (British Summer Time) on Saturday, August 21, 2021, at Selhurst Park.

Where to watch Crystal Palace vs Brentford

As the Premier League returns to its original 3 pm scheduling format with the return of fans to stadiums, this match will not be televised live in the UK.

Crystal Palace vs Brentford team news

Young centre-back Kristoffer Ajer picked up an ankle injury in their win over Arsenal and is currently being assessed.

For Palace, there are no new injury concerns.

Crystal Palace vs Brentford prediction

On the surface, Palace should win this, given the vast amount of players that would walk into the Brentford team.

However, Palace is still a work in progress, with manager Patrick Vieira asking for patience from the Palace fateful.

Losing to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge is not an embarrassing feat in anyone’s mind, but they were for more ways than one, dominated in every aspect.

Opponents Brentford truly outclassed an awful Arsenal performance on Friday night. Defensively solid and vibrant in their attack.

I can see an improvement from Palace here, but not enough to halt the hype around Brentford.

Prediction: Brentford 1-0

Predicted Line-Up

Crystal Palace Predicted XI – (4-4-2)

V.Guaita, T. Mitchell, C. Kouyate, M. Guehi, J. Ward, J. Schlupp, J. Riedewald, J.McArthur, J. Ayew, J. Philippe Mateta, W.Zaha.

Brentford Predicted XI – (3-5-2)

D. Raya, K. Ajer, P. Jansson, E. Pinnock, S. Canós, F. Onyeka, C. Norgaard, V. Janelt, R. Henry, B. Mbeumo, I. Toney.

Betting Odds

Crystal Palace To Win: 13/8

Draw: 2/1

Brentford d to Win: 9/5

 

Liverpool Defender Ben Davies Completes Sheffield United Loan Move

Liverpool defender Ben Davies has completed a loan move to EFL Championship side Sheffield United for the 2021/22 season.

The centre-half, who is yet to appear in a competitive fixture for the Reds, will link up with the Blades for the remainder of the campaign.

Davies will work to help Sheffield United get back to the Premier League at the first time of asking under new manager Slavisa Jokanovic.

There will be no option for the Blades to buy Davies during their first season back in the Championship.

The Liverpool player had taken part in the side’s pre-season ahead of the current season.

The 26-year-old joined Liverpool in January amidst an injury crisis but has failed to play in any competitive fixtures for the side since his arrival.

The former Preston North End defender joined the then-Premier League champions on deadline day in January.

The Englishman signed a long-term deal with the side and was signed to bolster their ranks at centre-back.

Davies had spent three-and-a-half years playing in the Championship with Preston after breaking into the side before leaving and will bring that experience with him to Sheffield.

The defender was Preston’s Player of the Year for 2019.

Davies will join the ranks at Sheffield, which include Republic of Ireland defenders John Egan and Enda Stevens.

He will become the side’s first incoming transfer of the summer after an exodus took place following their relegation last season.

Five centre-backs have left the club this summer and Ethan Ampadu also returned to Chelsea following the end of his loan period, leaving the side in need of reinforcement at the back.

Davies potential season-long loan would leave Liverpool with six centre-backs on their backs, including Rhys Williams.

Liverpool face Burnley in their first home fixture of the new season on Saturday, August 21st at 12:30 pm.

Liverpool Issue Stadium Access Update Ahead Of Burnley Game

Liverpool FC have issued an update to fans on the club’s website, providing information on how to access the stadium to watch the side’s first Premier League home fixture of the season against Burnley.

It will be the first time Anfield will have a capacity crowd in 17 months after the pandemic led to the postponement of football in England.

The club will be using full NFC technology for supporters to access the stadium following trials in pre-season.

A full review of the trials has been carried out and several changes have been made to improve it ahead of the Burnley match.

The Premier League is encouraging a digital-first policy for the season, meaning that NFC tickets and Photo ID will be in use this weekend, as opposed to Print@Home and paper tickets.

Supporters are reminded to download their digital tickets to their smartphones before arriving at Anfield.

Technical advice and support will be available at the stadium for fans who need it.

The club is once again encouraging supporters to come early to avoid queues and allow for checks and search procedures.

On top of this, staggered entry times will be utilised in order to control the flow of fans around the ground.

Supporters will be contacted directly via email with details of their entry time ahead of the match, and fans are asked to enter during their allocated time.

Although no longer required by government guidance, it is recommended that fans wear a face covering and maintain distance from fellow supporters where possible when entering and leaving the stadium.

In line with our city partners at Liverpool City Council’s Ground Safety Advisory Group and Public Health Department, supporters are strongly recommended to take a lateral flow test 24 to 36 hours prior to kick-off.

Fans are also reminded that Anfield is home to many people, so we ask that you respect residents by leaving quietly and taking any litter home with you.

Liverpool welcome Burnley to Anfield on Saturday afternoon at 12:30 pm. The game will be televised live on BT Sport.

Liverpool Youngster Woodburn Set For Loan Exit

Liverpool youngster Ben Woodburn is set to spend another year away from Merseyside to gain experience – this time at Scottish Premiership club Hearts of Midlothian, according to Goal.

Woodburn has only made 11 appearances for Liverpool’s senior side since 2016 and has spent time on loan in the lower tiers of English football.

The 21-year-old was an unused substitute in the Premier League giants’ victory over Norwich City on the opening weekend.

The Liverpool academy product has not played for the side since the 2017/18 season when he played for the final minutes of the season against Brighton.

He became the side’s youngest-ever goalscorer (17 years 45 days) against Leeds United in the EFL Cup in his second appearance for the club but has not been able to break into Klopp’s side.

Woodburn has several suitors for a loan move in places like Croatia and Denmark but the Scottish side are the ones leading the race for the player.

Woodburn has a year left on his contract with Liverpool and wants to play regular football this season.

The winger has previously spent time on loan at Sheffield United, Oxford United and Blackpool in the second and third-tiers of English football.

The prospect failed to make an impression with the Blades and a fractured foot brought a premature end to a promising loan spell with Oxford.

He spent four months on loan at former Liverpool U23 boss Neil Critchley’s Blackpool and got minutes under his belt but failed to make an impact during his time there as he contracted Covid-19.

The Welsh international was part of Liverpool’s pre-season squad and performed well when called upon but will find it hard to break into a team where the midfield depth is large and the forwards have world-class ability if he stays.

A move to Hearts grants him the opportunity that he desires.

Munster Rugby preseason friendly ticket news

Munster are set to face Bath in a preseason friendly at home in Thomond Park on Saturday 3rd September

Munster will play the English Premiership side at 15:00 in Limerick in front of a half-capacity stadium. This will be their first match in Thomond Park this season and they are happy to welcome back fans.

This match is part of the government’s pilot event for fans returning to games and will be subject to government approval.

Munster Rugby Supporters Club members, Season Ticket Holders, and 10-Year Ticket Holders have already received emails about how they can avail of tickets first.

While the majority of tickets will be allocated across these groups, they are also offering a number of tickets free of charge to frontline healthcare workers in recognition of their efforts over the last 18 months.

In order to apply for the tickets frontline healthcare staff, please follow this link:
Ticket Update | Munster v Bath

Any further availability of match tickets for general sale will be reviewed once the priority distribution groups have been facilitated during their access periods.

Tickets can only be purchased online via registered accounts and will not be available at the gate.

Tickets will be available on Ticketmaster and will be non-transferable due to contact tracing measures.

In order to access the stadium, a number of new measures will be implemented to ensure a safe environment for all supporters, players, and staff.

All supporters attending Thomond Park Stadium will be required to comply with Covid-19 Guidelines prior to, during, and after the match.

West Ham United Transfer News and Rumours

A look at all West Ham United Transfer News and Rumours from the summer transfer window.

West Ham United transfer news and rumours:

Who has West Ham United been linked with?

Jesse Lingard

(Sky Sports, August 3): West Ham have admitted that they have a 10 per cent chance of signing Jesse Lingard after his successful loan spell after last season.

Kurt Zouma

Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma is still on top of David Moyes’s wishlist, with talks continuing according to reports from the London Evening Standard. (London Evening Standard, August, 17).

The European champions are said to be willing to offload the French centre-back for a fee set around £25 million,

But the player’s wages are thought to be an issue with Zouma demanding over £100,000-per-week and West Ham may not be willing to meet those demands.

Nikola Milenkovic

23-year-old Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic’s proposed move to The Hammers has broken down; with Tottenham now in discussions for the player.

Moyes and company were confident a deal could get done prior to deadline day, the optimism around the deal came from the player having less than a year left on his current contract and doesn’t want to sign a renewal.

A fee for the player was thought to be around €15-16m (£12-13m) but the London club has walked away from the deal after failing to agree on agent fees (Firenze Viola, August, 16).

James Tarkowski

Burnley centre-back James Tarkowski has been touted as a top priority for David Moyes with the 28-year-old centre-back keen to see out his current contract at Turf Moor and move on a free at the end of the season. (The Boot Room, August 17).

Which players have been linked with a move away?

West Ham United transfer news and rumours:

Declan Rice

The latest from inside Declan Rice’s camp is that he is yet to sign a contract extension with West Ham United.

He is back training and does not want to force a move out of the club that he has been with since his youth days.

Chelsea has been heavily linked with the midfielder, while Man United have been looking at him as a potential incoming to bolster their central defensive midfielder issue.

Ampadu and Sarr on the way out the door at Chelsea

Reports have emerged that Newcastle United are looking to sign two of Chelsea neglected young defenders, Malang Sarr and Ethan Ampadu

Chelsea are reaching for the stars this season, signing Romelu Lukaku in hopes of getting Premier League silverware and holding onto their Champions League success. To grasp these lofty heights they must lose some dead weight.

Two players that have never featured in a game under Thomas Tuchel and are a part of the Blues’ famed loaning system are Sarr and Ampadu.

Both players spent last year on uninspiring loans at Porto and Sheffield United respectively. Now with Chelsea’s current list of defenders, it seems less likely than ever that these two will get some game time.

Luckily for them, the latest reports claim that Newcastle United are looking for diamonds in Chelsea’s rough. Steve Bruce is looking for young defenders to spruce up his aging defense.

Both players have shown some promising attributes in recent years that would warrant a move to another Premier League club.

The defenders have had tough seasons with Ampadu being relegated with a poor Sheffield United team before being red-carded in his final game of Euro 2020 for Wales.

The French center-back Sarr spent much of last year coming off the bench for Portuguese side Porto. Things got so low for Sarr that he even spent time training with their ‘B’ team.

Despite these terrible spells, Ampadu has played well for teams like RB Leipzig and Crystal Palace while Sarr has shown his quality in the French league.

Newcastle United are not a team rolling in cash at the moment so it is likely that these two may be loaned again. Bruce will need to speed up his decision-making with only two weeks left in the transfer window.

Due to Premier League rules, two players cannot be loaned from one club to another so Newcastle will have to decide to buy one or choose their favourite for a loan.

 

Leeds handed boost in Cunha transfer bid

Many Leeds United fans are waking up this morning to find out that transfer target Matheus Cunha has rejected a lucrative move to a Russian League team

The Brazilian striker has been a target for the Premier League club all summer. According to the latest reports, he turned down a big-money move to Zenit St. Petersburg.

The goalscorer has made it clear that he will only leave Hertha Berlin for a ‘top club’ to further his career, according to German news outlet Bild.

Leeds will have some tough competition in getting the player, Athletico Madrid as the favorites to sign the player while city rivals, Real have also kept tabs on the striker. Some Serie A sides have shown interest such as Napoli and Atalanta.

Leeds United are the only Premier League club willing to buy the 22-year-old which gives them a major advantage if the Brazilian wants to play in England.

The Whites are also in a hotly contested deal for Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez. Tottenham were very close to signing the player until he pulled the plug on contract negotiations.

Leeds will now need to compete with West Ham for the signature of the Uruguayan while also keeping an eye on Cunha at Hertha Berlin.

Is Matheus Cunha suited to Leeds life?

The Brazilian can play in any position in the forward line but is preferred to sit behind the striker. He is currently marketed at €32 million but would probably go for more.

Since moving from the Swiss Super League he has played three full seasons in the Bundesliga. In his most recent season, he scored seven goals and got four assists, helping the Berlin team avoid relegation.

What makes him more of a hot prospect was his three goals and an assist in Brazil’s Summer Olympics victory this year.

His energy allows him to hunt down defenders which is a valuable trait in Leeds’s team. The young player is considered fast and creative which Bielsa could mold perfectly to fit his team’s style of play.

1...291292293...584Page 292 of 584

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

ABOUT US

SportsNewsIreland is an Irish website launched in 2009 to offer sports fans in Ireland an alternative and independent source to keep them up to date with all the news from around the country. Every week we bring you live score updates from all levels of GAA, rugby, soccer, racing and athletics. Contact

Contact us: Email: info@sportsnewsireland.com

FOLLOW US

Design by SportsMediaIreland.ie