Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart said the club no longer accepts second place as good enough in the Premier League.
City top the standings on goal difference after 12 matches as they bid to add to their 2011-12 and 2013-14 titles.
The Premier League big-spenders were runners-up in 2012-13 and last season but that is no longer good enough, according to Hart.
When I first came here league status was important, getting a good, solid base on which to build on was the mind-set, the England international said ahead of Saturday s showdown with Liverpool in Manchester.
Now finishing second isn t good enough. It s a big jump but it s realistic. We should be disappointed when we don t win. We were very disappointed last year and it s a great mentality to have …
Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino has warned Manchester United they face a shock attempting to juggle Europa League and Premier League commitments.
United were eliminated at the Champions League group stage after they were beaten 3-2 by Group B winners Wolfsburg and PSV saw off CSKA Moscow on Tuesday.
Louis van Gaal and Co. are set to compete in the Europa League for the first time since 2011-12 and Pochettino said the Manchester club are in for a culture shock as they prepare for Thursday fixtures.
It s a big, big difference, said Pochettino, whose Tottenham can win their Europa League group if they draw with Monaco on Thursday.
When you play Thursday and Sunday, it can affect the mentality and the psychology of the players. Thursday night, [long] tr…
Juventus are interested in signing Manchester United s Anthony Martial this summer, .
The French winger is reportedly unhappy with his status at Old Trafford and is considering his options, while Juventus are looking to fill the position of left winger in their team. The position has been played admirably by striker Mario Mandžukić this season, but the Croatian international is likely to leave and should that happen, they would certainly need to boost their attacking options.
However, Juventus are not the only big club interested in Martial s services. They face stiff competition in the form of Bayern Munich. The Bavarian club have already confirmed that Niko Kovač will take over from Jupp Heynckess as manager. With their star wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben b…
Ahead of Wednesday s eagerly anticipated feast of attacking football at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola pledged to stay true to their instincts to dominate and thrill. One of them blinked.
Towards the end of a first half that had long since become an ordeal for his Manchester City, careering towards a bludgeoning 3-0 Champions League quarter-final loss at the hands of Klopp s coruscating Liverpool, Guardiola might have been tempted to simply close his eyes altogether.
A couple of hours earlier, City s team news prompted raised eyebrows as Raheem Sterling dropped to the bench and Ilkay Gundogan came in to bolster a midfield that enjoyed 82 per cent possession in its last outing.
The reasoning was obvious enough – giving the visiting defence enough passin…
Spezia recorded a Serie A first as they dealt a blow to Napoli s title challenge by securing a shock 1-0 victory at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday.
Juan Jesus own goal was the difference in Naples, with Spezia becoming the first side to win a Serie A match without registering a shot on target since Opta started collecting the data in the 2004-05 season.
Napoli s third straight home league defeat saw them slip behind Milan – who Luciano Spalletti s side beat 1-0 at the weekend – and into third, with the gap to leaders Inter now standing at seven points.
The hosts were unable to convert with any of their 26 efforts on goal, with Hirving Lozano seeing a goal chalked off for offside and Andrea Petagna adjudged to have committed a foul befor…
Crystal Palace s trip to Tottenham will go ahead as expected despite a reported COVID-19 outbreak in Patrick Vieira s squad.
Spurs are set to host Palace on Sunday as part of the Premier League s Boxing Day schedule, but widespread reports suggested the fixture would be called off due to coronavirus issues at the south London club.
Vieira confirmed on Friday in his pre-match news conference that Palace had received a couple of positive tests and there was growing concern over the evolution of the problem over the coming days.
However, Palace confirmed on the day of the fixture that the game would go ahead as normal in a statement that read: We can confirm that our match away at Spurs is going ahead today as scheduled (15:00 GMT).
Palace later announced…
Interim Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez believes he will almost certainly return to Liverpool in the future.
The 52-year-old took over the managerial reins at Liverpool in 2004 bringing a host of Spanish stars including Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso to Anfield.
His most notable success during his six seasons at the club was winning the Champions League in the 2004-05 campaign, and he has stated his desire to return.
I will return, almost certainly, Benitez told Spanish newspaper Marca. What I do not know is when. My daughters and wife still live there.
My idea is to train a competitive team. Why not in England? We will have to wait and see. Everything will be worked out.
One of the main criticisms aimed towards Benitez during his spell at Liverpo…
Former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker Michael Owen has shared his concerns regarding the future prospects of the England national team.
Roy Hodgson s side are currently locked in an intense battle for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, with four crucial games remaining in their UEFA Group H campaign.
Even should they get there, England remain an unlikely candidate for success in Brazil, having failed to progress beyond the last four of a major international tournament since winning the World Cup in 1966.
And Owen, who earned 89 international caps and scored 40 goals for his country in total, is far from confident in England talent reserves.
England are not in a great position, although we still have some good players. I would have thought we will qualify for t…
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told Stoke City s fans they will not be proud of themselves later for aiming derogatory chants at Aaron Ramsey on Sunday.
The Wales international suffered a serious leg break as a result of a challenge from Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross in February 2010, an injury which caused him to miss much of the rest of that year.
Ramsey was booed and jeered by sections of the crowd at the Britannia Stadium during a 0-0 draw between the teams on Sunday, while some fans chanted he walks with a limp at the 25-year-old.
Wenger believes ignoring such behaviour is the only suitable way to deal with it but he also claimed some people may be ashamed of themselves if they hear a repeat of their actions on television.
I don t listen much. I …
AFC Bournemouth have signed Rhoys Wiggins for the fourth time after agreeing an undisclosed fee with Sheffield Wednesday.
The 28-year-old full-back has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Eddie Howe s Premier League newcomers.
Wiggins has previously spent two loan spells at the Vitality Stadium and completed a permanent switch in 2010.
After one season with the club he departed for Charlton Athletic and made over 100 appearances prior to moving to Wednesday at the start of the current campaign.
He has struggled to break into the first team at Hillsborough, though, and will hope to revive his fortunes with Bournemouth.
I was surprised by the interest, but Eddie Howe s a good manager and he knows what I m capable of and how he sees me fit…