Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is offering his non-playing staff a share of a £1million bonus if they beat Arsenal in this afternoon's match. Ashley is reported to be a Spurs fan, and a Newcastle win would secure Champions League football for Andre Villas Boas' side providing they are able to beat Sunderland in today's other [.
Stoke striker Peter Crouch's toothless performances in front of goal are because he has three less teeth than at the start of the season. That's according to Potters boss Tony Pulis. He reckons the 6ft 7in striker's collision with Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini last November is the cause of his loss of form.
Manchester United marked Sir Alex Ferguson's 13th and final Premier League title with an open-top bus tour around the city today. Fergie addressed crowds gathered outside Old Trafford taking time to request fans attend tomorrow's under-21 clash with Liverpool before the bus set off on its trip to the city centre.
Spurs manager Andre Villas Boas is hoping his side will be rewarded for their late winner against Stoke with a slip-up from north London rivals Arsenal. After seeing his side beat the Potters, Villas Boas was hoping that the Gunners will drop points against either Wigan or Newcastle in their final two games of the [.
Robin Van Persie left Arsenal for Manchester United because his biological clock was ticking, according to Gunners boss Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman compared his former star striker to a 39-year-old woman who wants her first baby. And he seemed to acknowledge that RVP had to leave in order to fulfil his ambition of winning the [.
Spurs' battle for Champions League football appeared to take a blow last night after their talisman, Gareth Bale, was stretchered off during the Europa League clash with Basel. Bale's ankle twisted to right angles, forcing him off the pitch late in last night's match. But manager Andre Villas Boas has since delivered some optimistic news.
Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny will be rested from tonight's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich due to concerns about his mental state, Arsene Wenger has confirmed. The Poland international will not feature as the Gunners attempt to some how turn around a 3-1 deficit from the first leg. Wenger explained: "He has played many games [.
Didier Drogba might have left behind the physicality of the Premier League, but it's now defenders in Turkey who have to contend with his brute force. A good case in point: on Monday night the Galatasaray striker hospitalised Orduspor's David Barral in an accidental clash of heads. In his efforts to get a trademark Drogba [.
A decent Premier League programme meant last night's Copa Del Rey clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona was Sky Sports' least-hyped El Clasico in a very long time. This humorous moment from the match saw Gerard Pique attempted to complain to the referee that he'd been hit by a lighter thrown by Real Madrid fans.
Manchester City are hoping their club chaplain will help to diffuse the training ground bust-up that saw a physical altercation between Mario Balotelli and Roberto Mancini. It's emerged that the 22-year-old striker had been having regular one-to-one sessions with Rev Peter Horlock before the incident as he attempts to curb the behaviour that has left [.
OTP always assumed that Eric Cantona's loyalties lay with Manchester United. But who's that lurking behind Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill during last night's Premier League clash at Anfield?
Liverpool Boss Brendan Rodgers today confirmed both Joe Cole and new signing Oussama Assaidi is
getting close to resume full training.
Joe Cole left the field limping after injuring his hamstring during the opening Premier League
fixture against West Bromwich Albion, while new Assaidi was withdrawn from the reserves clash with
Manchester City after reporting a tightness in his groin.
Joe Allen claims to have 'massive belief' in his ability and to have embraced the pressure which
accompanies a big-money move to Liverpool.
The Wales international moved to Anfield during the summer transfer window in a £15million switch
from Swansea.
He may only be 22, but Allen is now regarded as a key figure for club and country.
The FA Cup Final has seen some classic goals over the years. This video neatly rounds many of them up ahead of tomorrow's clash between Manchester City and Wigan. Any favourites?
Rafa Benitez says he knows his Chelsea side face a "very difficult" task when they face champions Manchester United on Sunday. The Spaniard is keen to keep up the Blues' winning ways as the battle a packed fixture list to try to finish in the top four. Chelsea need to avoid defeat against United before [.
Barnsley were forced to play their Championship clash with Crystal Palace in their opponents' away kit on Saturday. Ahead of the match, referee Kevin Stroud decided that both Barnsley's home and away strips were to similar to Palace's red and blue home kit. Left with no suitable kit to wear, the Tykes had to don [.
Millwall captain Danny Shittu headed his side to Wembley in last night's FA Cup quarter-final replay against Blackburn. The centre-back scored the only goal of the game as the Lions defeated Rovers to set up a semi-final clash against Wigan. Rovers fans might be keen to see how their side fared with the help of [.
Spurs goalkeeper Brad Friedel had a rough night at the hands of Lyon supporters during last night's Europa League clash. It seems the French side's fans had taken exception to the fact that everyone's favourite near-geriatric goalie was keeping former Lyon hero Hugo Lloris out of the side. But Friedel clearly enjoyed having his say [.
Arsene Wenger followed Saturday's FA Cup defeat to Blackburn with one of the grumpiest press conferences of his 16-year tenure at Arsenal. The Gunners boss was visibly angry during the pre-match press conference ahead of tonight's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich. He took exception to just about any line of questioning the assembled journalists [.
Everybody's favourite violent psychopath masquerading as a centre-back, Pepe, has been relatively speaking a reformed character of late. But the Portugal international couldn't resist a return to his former ways during Real Madrid's Copa Del Rey clash with Celta Vigo last night. Pepe kicked opponent Roberto Lago in the Bernabeus during the match.
Craig Levein and his Scottish charges failed to secure a vital home win against Serbia on
Saturday.
Both sides huffed and puffed, but in truth they game lacked a real spark. Man City defender
Aleksandar Kolarov was key to the majority of the Serbs' good play while new Stoke man, Charlie
Adam, did his best to make things happen for the Scots.
Spurs midfielder Mousa Dembele has effectively let his side's team news out of the bag ahead of tonight's crunch clash with Chelsea thanks to an Instagram photo. The Belgian was subbed off during his side's win over Southampton on Saturday, but the suggestion was that he would recover from his muscle problem ahead of this [.
Chelsea's interim manager Rafa Benitez has joked that he expected the club's supporters to blame him for their current fixture congestion. The Blues have a busy run-in. They have been playing fixture catch-up for most of the season after a trip to the Club World Cup and a run to the semi-finals of the Capital [.
QPR's players will today hold a meeting to plan vital tactics ahead of their clash with Chelsea: will they shake hands with John Terry and Ashley Cole or not? Terry stood trial earlier this year accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, while Ashley Cole spoke out in his defence. Ferdinand will not shake hands with [.
Oh Blackburn, Blackburn, Blackburn! How different it might have been. This screengrab from 2010 shows that Rovers were within touching distance of signing a little known Polish striker by the name of Robert Lewandowski. The then Lech Poznan player was set to visit Ewood Park to be wooed while watching the club's glamour clash with [.
Sunday's U-20 Women's World Cup Final clash has been set and after their
splendid semi-final wins yesterday, Germany and USA perennial
'elites' in the women's game will meet in the final. To celebrate their 3-0 win over Japan in Tokyo
last night, the German girls took off their socks and boots, went barefoot and did a lap of
honour for the supportive Japanese fans.
It's safe to say that Lionel Messi would rather be playing football than sitting on the bench. His role as a substitute during the first-half of last night's Champions League clash with PSG generated some interesting GIFs, not least the one above. Such was Messi's boredom, he even started pretending to be on a teenage [.
It all got a bit frantic towards the closing stages of tonight's Champions League clash between Manchester United and Real Madrid. Time was of the essence, as this ball boy was well aware. In his haste, he tumbled over the advertising hoardings and landed in a heap.
You'd struggle to hit a ball much more cleanly than that. Manchester United right-back Rafael gave them the lead against QPR in today's top vs bottom clash with this superb strike.
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos became so attached to his pennant before tonight's clash with Manchester United that he nearly forgot he wasn't supposed to keep it. Having shaken hands with the ref's entourage and United skipper Patrice Evra, the Spain international took up his position to pose for a photo.
We're not sure if referee Pedro Proenca dismissed England's protests against the award of a penalty in last night's clash with Brazil in the style of an American teen drama ("no way, girlfriend") or through the medium of the Birdie Song.
Arsenal's 5-1 thrashing of West Ham last night was initially overshadowed by what looked like a very nasty injury to Hammers defender Dan Potts. The 18-year-old full-back was involved in a horrible clash of heads with Arsenal's Bacary Sagna, which left him motionless on the floor for 15 minutes. The youngster was stretchered off the [.
Being a cameraman at top level football can't be easy given the pace of the game. But the situation isn't helped by pesky so-and-so's like Victor Moses who insist on jumping out of shot all the time. The cameraman at Chelsea vs Southampton's FA Cup third round clash thought he was perfectly placed to capture [.
Cristiano Ronaldo might be sad at the minute, but look at the joy he brings to those around him. The Portuguese star's late winner against Manchester City in last night's Champions League clash encouraged Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho to throw caution to the wind, risk some stubborn grass stains and slide across the turf [.
Doesn't it just feel good to get a win again? The Columbus Crew were probably the hottest team
in MLS going into Wednesday night's clash in Foxboro; but they were exhausted and far from home,
and the New England Revolution took advantage. It was a trap game for the Crew and a much-needed
vote of confidence for the Revs.
This has to be one of the most entertaining andunbelievable hissy-fits we have ever witnessed from a football manager. The match in question is a top-tier Bulgarian clash between CSKA Sofia and Botev Vratsa and the madness kicks off when a Botev player concedes a red card for a handball in his own area.
Matt Smith's reward for grabbing a last-gasp equaliser for Oldham against Everton will be a fine. The substitute ignored a signed order from caretaker manager Tony Philliskirk that all Latics players must keep hold of the shirts after the match. The note above was placed in the Boundary Park tunnel ahead of the FA Cup [.
Newcastle defender Steven Taylor says he's excited about the build-up to Sunday's local derby against Sunderland but has warned his team-mates that they cannot afford to get carried away with their emotions. The Magpies are slender favourites in online gambling markets after having lost only one of their last 15 meetings with the Wearsiders.
In League One this weekend a goalkeeping stalwart kicked a ball directly to an opponent – an
error which resulted in a goal, faced the first public criticism of his long standing spell between
the sticks and was dispatched to the bench. I am, of course, talking about Carlisle United's Adam
Collin, whose unbroken run in the Cumbrians goal ended at 149 appearances in this week's JPT clash
with Preston North End.
