Sports
Chelsea’s win sets them up against Newscastle
Chelsea’s win sets them up against Newscastle
MAURICIO Pochettino believes Chelsea can win the Carabao Cup after his side beat Blackburn Rovers to set up a home quarter-final against Newcastle.
Goals from Benoit Badiashile and Raheem Sterling were enough to beat the Championship side at Stamford Bridge, as they won for the first time at home since a third-round victory against Brighton in late September.
“We need to think that it is an important competition for us” manager Pochettino said.
“We are not in Europe. That should be an opportunity for us like the Premier League and like in January we will start the FA Cup. Of course, we need to think we that we can win this competition.”
French centre-back Badiashile, making his first start for Chelsea since May, opened the scoring on the half-hour mark after Rovers keeper Leopold Wahlstedt palmed Conor Gallagher’s cross from a short corner straight to him inside the area.
Sterling doubled the lead with nearly an hour gone when he ran on to Cole Palmer’s interception and curled the ball into the far corner.
Blackburn’s best chance came in the final moments, when substitute Arnor Sigurdsson was played through but denied by a fine Robert Sanchez save.
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Chelsea have struggled in the Premier League this season, sitting 11th in the table with just three wins from 10 games, but their Carabao Cup performances have been a positive and moving one step closer to some silverware will be a timely boost for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
The sight of Reece James flying down the right as part of Chelsea’s attack is something supporters at Stamford Bridge have missed for most of this season.
The Chelsea captain was making his first start since the opening day of the Premier League season and was constantly threatening against Blackburn, having a good chance to open the scoring saved after an excellent pass by Enzo Fernandez
He was substituted after an hour but the minutes under his belt will give him a good chance of starting away at Tottenham in the Premier League on Monday.
“He’s an important player for us. He’s an amazing player, for me one of the best full-back in the world,” Pochettino said.
“The temptation is ‘Ok, come on go and play 90 minutes’ but we need to be careful. Little by little he is going to get fit and cope with the demand of the games.”
Badiashile, a £35m January signing from Monaco, was in the treatment room before Pochettino arrived at the club and his performance on his return will have been a big positive for the Chelsea manager.
The 22-year-old put in a solid display before being withdrawn along with James, looking assured next to former Monaco team-mate Axel Disasi.
The goal and clean sheet will be a real bonus as he looks to put a long injury absence behind him.
The next challenge on his hands will be getting into the Chelsea side ahead of Levi Colwill who is also a left-sided centre-back.
Chelsea’s win sets them up against Newscastle
Sports
Arsenal climb to second in EPL with 1-0 win over Ipswich
Arsenal climb to second in EPL with 1-0 win over Ipswich
LONDON: Arsenal moved up to second place in the Premier League with a 1-0 home win against Ipswich on Friday.
Mikel Arteta’s side is six points behind leader Liverpool, which has a game in hand.
Second-bottom Ipswich had won two of its last three away games but was up against it from the start at the Emirates.
The visitors did not have one touch in the Gunners’ box during the first 45 minutes and, although Ipswich showed signs of life after the break, it was Arsenal which continued to dominate the game, marshaled by Declan Rice in midfield.
Kai Havertz got the only goal midway through the first half when he knocked in a cross from Leandro Trossard.
Havertz, Rice, Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus all had chances but none of them could add to Arsenal’s tally.
“It’s so tough, every team is tough to break down,” Havertz said. “They fight for each other and at the end we’re very proud for the win.”
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Arsenal is a point above third-place Chelsea and two points clear of season surprise team Nottingham Forest in fourth.
Seagulls and Bees share the points on south coast
Brighton had most of the chances but could not find the net in a 0-0 draw with Brentford that extended the south coast club’s winless run to six league games.
It was a frustrating night for the home side and especially Julio Enciso. The Paraguay striker had a host of opportunities to score but couldn’t make them count.
Along with Southampton, Brentford has the worst away record in the league with seven losses and two draws and it was easy to see why in this toothless performance.
Brentford had an early goal from Yoane Wissa ruled out for offside and, although it came a bit more into the game in the second half, it failed to pressure Icelandic goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson, who made his Premier League debut eight minutes before halftime when Mark Flekken went off with a thigh injury.
One bright spot for the home side was the return of winger Solly March. He came on as a late substitute to make his first appearance for Brighton since injuring a knee against Manchester City 14 months ago.
The result leaves Brighton in 10th place with 26 points, one spot and two points ahead of the Bees.
Arsenal climb to second in EPL with 1-0 win over Ipswich
Sports
Ronaldo, Vinicius, Yamal win big at 2024 Globe Soccer Awards [Full list of winners]
Ronaldo, Vinicius, Yamal win big at 2024 Globe Soccer Awards [Full list of winners]
The winners of the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards were unveiled Friday evening in Dubai, celebrating outstanding achievements in football over the past year.
The event honored players, managers, and clubs across various categories.
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior stole the spotlight, clinching both the Best Player and Best Forward of the Year awards, reinforcing his status as one of the world’s finest talents.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the legendary Al Nassr captain, added another accolade to his storied career by securing the Best Middle Eastern Player Award, while Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal was recognized as the Best Emerging Player of the Year.
Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti was awarded Best Coach of the Year, and Jorge Mendes received the Best Football Agent Award, further cementing their influence in the football world.
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2024 Globe Soccer Award categories and winners
Alongside the standout men’s and women’s categories, here is a rundown of the other winners:
Best Men’s player (18 finalists): Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
Best Midfielder (11 nominees): Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
Best Forward (10 nominees): Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
Best Women’s player (12 finalists): Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
Best Men’s club (10 finalists): Real Madrid
Best Women’s club (4 finalists): Barcelona
Best Coach (7 finalists, all in men’s football): Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)
Best Emerging player (7 finalists, all men): Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Best Agent (7 nominees): Jorge Mendes
Best Sporting Director (6 nominees): Piero Ausilio (Inter Milan)
Best Middle Eastern player (5 finalists): Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
Best Middle Eastern coach: Jorge Jesus (Al Hilal)
Best Middle Eastern club (4 finalists): Al Ain
Revelation award: Olympiacos
Maradona Award: Jude Bellingham
Ronaldo, Vinicius, Yamal win big at 2024 Globe Soccer Awards [Full list of winners]
Sports
Vinicius should have won Ballon d’Or, not Rodri – Ronaldo
Vinicius should have won Ballon d’Or, not Rodri – Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has reignited controversy surrounding the 2024 Ballon d’Or, accusing the organisers of unfairly denying Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior the prestigious honour.
Speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Friday, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner openly criticised the decision to crown Manchester City’s Rodri as the year’s top player.
“In my opinion, he [Vinícius] deserved to win the golden ball [Ballon d’Or award],” Ronaldo declared on stage.
“It was unfair in my opinion. I say here in front of everybody. They give it to Rodri, he deserved it too, but they should have given it to Vinícius because he won the Champions League and scored in the final.”
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Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win, attributed to his pivotal role in Manchester City’s historic treble-winning season, has sparked ongoing debates.
Ronaldo’s remarks have added weight to criticisms that the award often overlooks key performances in favour of broader narratives.
Vinicius’ absence from the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris this October, along with his Real Madrid teammates, was widely interpreted as a silent protest against perceived biases in the voting process.
Despite missing out on the Ballon d’Or, Vinícius has enjoyed an exceptional year.
The 24-year-old Brazilian winger was crowned FIFA’s The Best Men’s Player earlier this year and was recently named the Best Men’s Player at the Globe Soccer Awards.
His consistent performances, including his decisive goal in the Champions League final, have cemented his reputation as one of football’s most dynamic players.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who received the Best Middle East Player Award during the ceremony, praised the Globe Soccer Awards for their fairness and transparency.
Vinicius should have won Ballon d’Or, not Rodri – Ronaldo
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