Riyad Mahrez scored a hat-trick as Manchester City thrashed Burnley 5-0 on Saturday in a timely response to criticism of their early-season form.
The Algeria international struck twice in the first half to surpass 100 goal involvements in the Premier League and put City in total control.
Burnley had brief respite when a third City effort was disallowed, but Benjamin Mendy s clever finish – his first goal in English football – effectively ended the contest before half-time.
Ferran Torres also got his first league goal for City before substitute Phil Foden crossed for Mahrez to complete his treble and cap a supremely comfortable outing at the Etihad Stadium.
Mahrez opened the scoring just six minutes in, slotting home from Kevin De Bruyne s pass a…
Diego Maradona was a majestic footballer who was idolised by millions worldwide, but the Argentina great was not the best role model off the pitch.
His death at the age of 60 on Wednesday led to an outpouring of grief from within sport and beyond.
The 1986 World Cup winner is revered in his homeland, where thousands queued to file past his coffin on Thursday morning, as well as in Italy, where he played arguably the best football of his career for Napoli.
Maradona also battled major drug and alcohol problems, once shot at journalists, had a turbulent private life and took a swipe at Pope John Paul II.
Those episodes all form part of the legend and the bigger picture when it comes to remembering the most talented player of his generation.
DRUGS D…
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder praised his side’s character as they put last week’s thrashing by Aston Villa behind them to claim a first away win of the season at Luton.
The 5-0 loss at Bramall Lane last Saturday left the Blades 10 points adrift of Premier League safety, but they bounced back with a deserved 3-1 victory at Kenilworth Road.
Luton could not summon the intensity with which they dispatched Brighton 4-0 here 11 days previously. Instead, and despite dominating the ball in the first half, they allowed the visitors the spaces they needed to take control of the game by the break.
Our Brazilian Baller.
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited)
First, Cameron Archer recovered his composure after slamming wide from eight yards to …
Cristiano Ronaldo was denied two stonewall penalties in Manchester United s win at West Ham, according to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Portugal star got his fourth goal in three games since his return to the Red Devils in Sunday s 2-1 victory at London Stadium.
Ronaldo s first-half goal cancelled out Said Benrahma s deflected opener, with Jesse Lingard who impressed on loan at the Hammers in 2020-21 curling home a sublime winner after coming on as a substitute.
Ronaldo was floored by challenges from Vladimir Coufal and Kurt Zouma during the second half, with referee Martin Atkinson and VAR unmoved, but a penalty was given deep into injury time for a handball by Luke Shaw.
Mark Noble came off the bench but saw his effort saved by David de Gea with jus…
Former France international Yohan Cabaye has announced his retirement at the age of 35.
The midfielder had not made a competitive appearance since starting for Saint-Etienne in a defeat to Lyon on March 1, 2020.
Cabaye posted on Twitter: It is with great emotion that after more than 17 years of passionate love for football, with emotions greater than any other, memories that will remain forever and unforgettable human and sporting encounters, I announce the end of my professional football career.
If this decision may seem obvious, logical and inevitable to some, having spent 35 years in the world of football, it remains very difficult to take and to accept because my love for football is immense.
Cabaye debuted with Lille in 2004 and won a Ligue 1 and …
The Champions League risks becoming a travelling circus if matches are taken outside Europe, according to the boss of one of the continent’s leading clubs.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin hinted in April that a Champions League final could be played in the United States in the future, while sources close to the European Club Association have also spoken favourably about playing a revamped Super Cup in the US in the years ahead.
However, the chief executive of Bayern Munich, Jan-Christian Dreesen, gave the idea short shrift at the ECA’s General Assembly in Berlin on Thursday.
“For sure we have to develop our tournament, but on the other side my personal view is quite clear. We are not the Cirque du Soleil,” he said.
“We have a European champion…
Real Madrid have that they ve reached an agreement with Eden Hazard to terminate his contract with the club on June 30th, 2023, a year before its original expiration date.
The 32-year-old winger, who joined Real from Chelsea in 2019 for a reported fee of €120 million, has completely failed to justify the investment made in that transfer, making no more than 76 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring seven goals and producing just 12 assists. Spread across four years, that amounts to 19 games, less than two goals and three assists per season.
Hazard s underwhelming spell at the Santiago Bernabeu can be explained up to a point through injuries, as well as the breakthrough of Vinicius Junior who has established himself as one of the best in the world on th…
Goalkeeper Elliott Parish has left St Johnstone after a four-year stint with the club.
The 33-year-old joined Saints from Dundee in 2019 and predominantly served as the Perth team’s back-up before taking on goalkeeping coach duties midway through the season just finished.
“Everyone at St Johnstone wishes Elliott all the best in his future career and thanks him for his service to the club,” Saints said as they confirmed his departure on Friday.
Parish made 27 appearances, the last of which came last December.
The former Bristol City, Blackpool and Colchester keeper was on the bench as understudy to Zander Clark for both finals as Saints won an historic League Cup and Scottish Cup double in 2021, while he made one appearance in the earlier rounds of e…
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes the Red Devils have to improve quite a bit to be among the Premier League title challengers.
United are ninth in the Premier League, eight points adrift of defending champions and leaders Liverpool but with two games in hand ahead of Thursday s fixture at Sheffield United.
The Red Devils finished 33 points off the pace last season but Solskjaer cannot see a title rival streaking away like Jurgen Klopp s Liverpool did in their record-setting 2019-20 campaign.
United are about to embark on a run of six matches in 15 days, including a trip to face high-flying Leicester City and a long-awaited Yorkshire derby against Leeds United.
Solskjaer insisted the race to be crowned 2020-21 Premier League champi…
Highly-rated striker Evan Ferguson has signed a new contract with Brighton which ties him to the club until 2029.
The 19-year-old Republic of Ireland international has extended his existing deal with the Seagulls, amid reports that other Premier League clubs were tracking his progress.
“Evan deserves this new contract and he has a very big future ahead of him,” Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi said.
Ferguson joined Brighton from Irish side Bohemians in January 2021 and made his first-team debut later that year in a Carabao Cup tie against Cardiff.
Evan Ferguson has signed a new contract that runs until June 2029!
— Brighton Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC)
He has scored 15 times for the first team since then, having opened his acco…