Manchester City’s arguably most inspirational player finally returns for Saturday’s Premier League clash against Newcastle. Yaya Toure hasn’t played for City since the 2-1 FA Cup third round victory against Sheffield Wednesday back in early January after helping Ivory Coast lift their first African Nations title since 1992.
It’s no coincidence that City went on a five-match winless spell without Toure in the side and have only won once without him in the league since April 2014. Toure is such an important player for Man City and it certainly shows when he is absent from the side. Pellegrini hasn’t got team selection right with Toure missing on international duty.
Fernando has filled in for the Ivorian during the six matches and has been extremely poor throughout. Partnering Fernandinho, City lost their creativity in the middle of the pitch with the team looking a lot less convincing going forward. Playing Toure with one of these two Brazilians compliments the 31-year-old but when they both play together, City have looked half the side they can be.
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Now Yaya Toure is back, City will be able to play with a lot more freedom from midfield and still be able to be equally solid just infront of the back four. Goals from centre midfield will be added with Toure back, as the two Brazilians have only managed three between them this season which has been evident in recent weeks with a lack of confidence infront of goal becoming a worry.
Since joining from Barcelona in 2010 for £24 million, Yaya Toure has elevated himself to be regarded as one of the best players in the world. He made an instant impact during his first season at the club, scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup semi-final win against Man Utd where he put in a Man of the Match display. He went on to net the only goal in the 1-0 win against Stoke in the final which ended City’s 35-year wait for a major trophy.
Toure then played a key part in the clubs first league title in 44 years the following season. Last season is where he was at his best, scoring 20 league goals which went a long way in securing a second Premier League title in three seasons. Toure was one of the best players in the league, if not in Europe. Many have said he hasn’t been at his best this season which is true but he has still managed seven league goals and nine in total. He hasn’t been able to have as much of an influence on games as he did last season but even so, has popped up when needed and is still very much a key player. Much of City’s attacking play goes through Toure so expect a lot more goals upon his return.
His goalscoring form throughout his time at Man City has been perhaps the most impressive feature. He has scored 61 of his 83 career goals for City, in 210 appearences for the club. Obviously he is much more than a goalscorer, being able to control a game from the centre of midfield but goalscoring has now become a vital part of his all round game.
The Premier League title looks to have slipped out of Man City’s grasp due to their poor form in Toure’s absence. Pellegrini with be delighted to have Toure back for the crucial Champions League ties against Barcelona where an on-song Yaya Toure could take City further than they have ever been before in Europe.
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England manager Roy Hodgson celebrated the performance of Jack Wilshere after his side’s 2-1 victory over Brazil.
The Arsenal midfielder has returned from a series of injuries recently, making the game at Wembley his first Three Lions start since May 2011.
The 21-year-old slotted seamlessly into the side, alongside captain Steven Gerrard in central midfield, and linked up well with Theo Walcott.
Hodgson was delighted with Wilshere’s display, stating that the playmaker is fulfilling his potential:
“If he can keep up that level of performance he will soon justify all the expectations and hopes because he was very, very good,” He is quoted by Sky Sports.
He went on to praise Theo Walcott, who was instrumental in England’s opening goal:
“As was Theo Walcott, he terrorised the left side of their defence, was involved in the first goal and there were so many other occasions when he was within a hair’s breadth of scoring or creating a chance.
The former Liverpool and West Brom coach was also delighted to secure a win against Brazil, who will host the 2014 World Cup:
“It’s my first crack at Brazil as a manager and I’m delighted to have been able to oversee a victory.
“It was an all-round performance from the team, there were some very, very good moments and I thought we were good value for two goals to one.”
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Wayne Rooney put England ahead after 27 minutes, slotting ball home after Walcott’s effort had been saved by Julio Cesar.
Fred equalised for Brazil after some poor defending from Gary Cahill, but his Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard netted the winner on the hour mark with a neat shot from the edge of the area.
According to reports in Portugal, Everton will flex their financial muscle this summer to sign Porto striker Moussa Marega.
What’s the story
Everton look set for another busy transfer window this summer, and Portuguese outlet A Bola claims the Toffees are after Moussa Marega.
The report claims Everton are extremely keen on Marega after his incredible season, but face competition from Swansea and West Ham.
However, with Swansea’s lack of financial power and West Ham’s precarious position in the relegation scrap, Everton should be front-runners. According to A Bola, Marega has a release clause of €40million (£34.9m) and Everton have “deeper pockets” than the other interested parties.
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Should Everton splash the cash?
Valued at £10.8million by Transfermarkt, signing Marega would be a massive statement of intent from the Blues. Fans may be dubious about signing a relatively unknown player from one of Europe’s lesser leagues, but the Mali international has been simply incredible this season.
After spending the 2016/17 season on loan with Vitória Guimarães, where he scored 13 times in 25 league appearances, the 26 year-old has scored a remarkable 20 goals in 24 league games for Porto this season.
He is best suited to playing alongside another striker, as he has done with Vincent Aboubakar. His pace and power make him a force to be reckoned with, and having found his confidence and finishing touch this season he has been virtually unstoppable for the league leaders.
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If Everton can wrap up a deal for around £30million, Marega could form a sensational partnership with Cenk Tosun as he has done with Aboubakar, and Everton fans could finally see some goals at Goodison.
Everton fans, would you be happy with a £34.9m deal for Marega? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
There’s nothing quite like watching a classic Premier League clash on Boxing Day, and epitomising the spirit and character of the English top flight – especially amid it’s uniquely dense winter schedule – is the fixture between Chelsea and West Ham.
Having done it on a cold weeknight in Stoke on Monday evening, the Premier League leaders will certainly fancy their chances of making it five wins on the bounce when entertaining the East Londoners at Stamford Bridge.
The Hammers are enjoying some incredible form of their own however, with a run of seven wins in their last eleven propelling them to fourth in the table, so they’ll enter the Boxing Day affair with full confidence.
Matches of such feistiness and festive spirit are often decided by who dominates the individual battles however, so with that in mind, here’s FIVE that could eventually decide the outcome.
STEWART DOWNING VS NEMANJA MATIC
Football – Stoke City v West Ham United – Barclays Premier League – Britannia Stadium – 1/11/14West Ham’s Stewart Downing celebrates scoring their second goalMandatory Credit: Action Images / Paul BurrowsLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account represen
Stewart Downing is enjoying a new lease of life in the No.10 role and arguably the most productive form of his career, grabbing a talismanic four goals and six assists in 16 Premier League outings this season.
Despite his tribulations over the last few years, it would be naive to think the England international isn’t capable of hurting Chelsea – currently, only Cesc Fabregas is creating more chances per match in the Premier League than the 30 year-old, as detailed below:
Downing conducts the ground play that contrasts so perfectly with the Hammers’ better famed long-ball style, so it’s vital the Blues eliminate him from the game as much as possible, forcing their opposition into more one-dimensional routes forward.
Fortunately for Chelsea however, Downing will be directly up against Nemanja Matic – a Serbian midfield monolith that’s proved himself integral to the Blues’ starting Xi and emerged as arguably the Premier League’s top enforcer over the last year.
He put in an incredible nine tackles against Stoke City yesterday evening, boasting a current average of 3.9 per match in the Premier League, so Chelsea fans will fancy his chances of nullifying Downing’s threat.
His height will be vital against the Hammers too – West Ham are the joint-tallest team in the Premier League with an average height of 6 foot 1, but the 26 year-old measures in at a whopping 6 foot 4.
Andy Carroll vs John Terry
After spending much of the first half of the season on the sidelines, Andy Carroll’s returned to fitness with real intent since the start of November, picking up three goals and one assist in his last three Premier League outings – including this beautiful chip against Leicester City:
Of course, the striker’s aerial threat will be the bigger concern to Chelsea than his eloquence on the ground. He’s currently the Premier League’s leading aerial combatant by a rather incredible distance, as detailed below:
As he proved last night against Peter Crouch, such dogfights are bread and butter for Chelsea skipper John Terry – but it’s inevitable that he’ll lose out on at least a handful of challenges with Carroll, so it’s a case of damage limitation.
The likelihood of a strike-partner, either World Cup star Enner Valencia or fellow heading enthusiast Diafra Sakho, throws in another potentially fatal dynamic for Terry to consider
EDEN HAZARD VS CARL JENKINSON
//www.youtube.com/embed/YG4POuNyj6k
Arsenal loanee Carl Jenkinson could be in for a really rough ride against Chelsea’s Eden Hazard on Boxing day.
That’s no disrespect to the one-time England international, who’s enjoyed a rich vein for form since his Upton Park move in the summer. But the Blues attacker is one of the world’s best and the powerful and tall Jenkinson, measuring in at 6 foot 1, is hardly tailor-made to handle tricky wingers with low centres of gravity.
Hazard’s notched up an impressive six goals and three assists this term, having started all of Chelsea’s Premier League fixtures thus far. But his defining gift is undoubtedly taking on defenders with the ball, currently sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League’s dribble charts:
That being said, the Belgium international’s occasional reluctance to track back is arguably Chelsea’s only notable weakness defensively, which gives Jenkinson an interesting avenue to exploit.
After Stewart Downing, West Ham’s full-backs are their most consistent providers this season, with two assists each, and both will bombard the box with speculative balls as much as possible – leaving Andy Carroll to do the rest.
Whilst Aaron Cresswell is unlikely to find much room against Willian and Branislav Ivanovic on the opposing flank, Jenkinson will get the space to put in accurate crosses. With Carroll in top form, that could directly influence the outcome of the match.
DIEGO COSTA VS WEST HAM’S BACK FOUR
//www.youtube.com/embed/1NCR8DUhAzQ
Diego Costa is a one-man wrecking ball – in echoes of Chelsea’s legendary Didier Drogba, he possesses the power and strength, but perhaps most importantly, the audacity, to occupy whole defences single-handedly.
The Spain international fights for every ball and runs the channels relentlessly in a bid to find a slither at goal – stopping him from doing so is the task of an entire department, not simply just one or two markers.
Costa’s hit a bit of a dry patch following his prolific early-season form, finding the net only once in his last six outings for the Blues – this scuffed finish against Hull City:
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But twelve goals in 14 Premier League outings is a return only bettered by Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, so the 6 foot 2 striker’s ability to find the net is without doubt.
On the other hand, if there’s one defence tailor-made to handle the physical menace Costa consistently provides, it’s almost certainly West Ham’s. The likes of Winston Reid, James Tomkins, James Collins and Carl Jenkinson are all tall and powerful, gritty defenders that will relish the challenge of batting it out with Chelsea’s battering-ram front-man.
ALEX SONG VS CESC FABREGAS
//www.youtube.com/embed/GGLp4SjIOkk
The lynch-pin behind West Ham’s rise to fourth this season, the summer arrival of Alex Song has completely transformed the East London side.
The Cameroon international meets the usual requisites of a typical Hammers signing in terms of height and brawn, but blends it with Champions League experience and quality. He’s already become a focal point and leader of the starting XI.
Cesc Fabregas is a rather different proposition however – one Song only knows too well from their Arsenal and Barcelona days together.
The Spain international has amassed two goals and an incredible twelve assists this season, making him in some way responsible for a goal in all but two of his 16 Premier League appearances, and likely to feature in the No.10 role that served him so well against Stoke City, it will be predominantly up to Song to stop Fabregas creating.
With the 6 foot 2 midfielder currently averaging the most passes per match for the Hammers however, barring Mark Noble, Fabregas will have to maintain the pressure his former team-mate too.
I’m a bit tired of New Year’s resolutions. You make them up after seven drinks too many, promising a new start and a positive you. Well you could have decided to take a positive step forward in mid-July.
Footballers are the same and shouldn’t really wait about for a specific time of day to really pull their socks up. But it’s ‘traditional’ to think of it in this way, so after all the holiday weight is shed, what surprising performances could be in store as we head into the new year?
Well a fair few shot stoppers need to start earning their pay in the manner in which their pay packet suggests; they’re all certainly not car salesmen. How about scoring a few goals from the strikers? Or what about playing well for at least a month before attaching your name to European giants in the gossip pages?
Everyone needs a good 2013, otherwise what’s the point? But this hatful need to start proving their worth on a consistent basis.
Click on Pepe Reina below to unveil the 15
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Southampton fans appear certain their club is about to be relegated from the English Premier League after suffering another defeat on Saturday, this time losing heavily away to Newcastle at St James’ Park.
It was a match that Saints needed to win, or at least salvage a draw from, but Mauricio Pellegrino’s side looked as bad as they have all season against the Magpies, beaten easily by a three-goal margin.
Mauricio Pellegrino’s side have won just once in the Premier League since late November and fans have been calling for him to be sacked for months.
Out-of-form and just one point above the relegation zone with just eight games remaining though, supporters now seem resigned to their fate, believing it’s inevitable they are dropping down to the English Championship.
It’d be a remarkable fall from grace after finishing eighth last season.
Can Pellegrino save them in the final stages of the season? Would a new manager at least give them a fighting chance?
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Former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood believes that youngster Ryan Mason is not dissimilar to Liverpool and former England captain Steven Gerrard.
The 23-year-old impressed in the north London derby last weekend after winning his spot in Mauricio Pochettino’s XI thanks to a goalscoring display in the Capital One Cup victory over Nottingham Forest.
There has been much talk behind the scenes in north London regarding Mason, who has endured a difficult career with injuries so far, with many senior figures big fans of the midfielder.
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And Sherwood – who managed Spurs during the back end of last season – believes that if he can stay fit, Mason has an outside shout of making England’s EURO 2016 squad thanks to having similarities with Gerrard:
“If he stays fit, keep your eye on Ryan Mason at Tottenham as a late contender for the England Euro 2016 squad,” he wrote in the Independent.
“It is telling that he is still at Spurs at the age of 23. We always knew he was a talent who was too good to discard. His problem has been with injuries.”
“His game is not dissimilar to that of a young Steven Gerrard, who I trained with when he was brought into England senior squads for experience,
“There is not a lot Ryan cannot do. Steven always had such great desire and heart. It’s up to Ryan now to show that he has similar qualities to match his undoubted ability.
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“In recent weeks Mauricio Pochettino has selected Ryan ahead of the likes of big-money signings Mousa Dembele and Paulinho, so he must think a lot of him. The club sold Sandro too, who plays in Ryan’s position.”
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Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini will move for Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross in the January transfer window according to the Daily Mail.
The 25 year old, who came through the ranks at Manchester United, is reportedly unhappy with the new contract offer that has been tabled for him and may look for a big money move next month.
With just 18 months left on his current deal, the England defender is attracting major interest from all of the big clubs in the Premier League including City, United and Chelsea
Tony Pulis is desperate to keep his star defender and with the Potters wandering quietly up the league table, a push for European football could entice the bruising centre half to stay at the Britannia Stadium.
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Shawcross has been offered a contract renewal but the wage structure at Stoke could be an issue as their star man seeks a big money move to a major English club.
Just 21 wickets in four days at Trent Bridge as spinners struggle to exploit hybrid pitch
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 25-Jun-2025Pocketing 12 points for a draw was enough to keep Nottinghamshire top of the Rothesay County Championship table with eight of 14 matches played, although they now find defending champions Surrey breathing down their necks after the match against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge ended in stalemate.Nottinghamshire led Division One by 10 points going into this round but Surrey’s victory over Worcestershire at New Road has closed the gap to two ahead of next week’s second batch of fixtures with the Kookaburra ball, when Surrey meet Durham at the Kia Oval and Nottinghamshire travel to Somerset.Matthew Revis supplemented Finlay Bean’s superb double-hundred for with an unbeaten 93 but with Yorkshire’s first innings stretching to lunch on day four before Nottinghamshire could bowl them out for 510 on a generally benign pitch, the chances of a positive outcome were almost non-existent.Part-time off-spinner Freddie McCann finished with a career-best three for 53 before Nottinghamshire, who had made 487 in their first innings, reached 148 for one in their second innings, opener Ben Slater passing fifty for the sixth consecutive innings – four of them against Yorkshire – in making an unbeaten 74. The players shook hands on a draw at ten to five.All-rounder Liam Patterson-White, who was three for 129 from 52 overs of left-arm spin overnight, could not add to his wickets tally in Yorkshire’s first innings, but the additional 10 overs in his final analysis of three for 146 puts him 10th in Nottinghamshire’s table of bowling marathons.Not since 1929, when off-spinner Sam Staples sent down 408 deliveries – also against Yorkshire – to claim fourth spot in that list, has any bowler exceeded Patterson-White’s 372 bowled in a single first-class innings for the county.Farhan Ahmed, the 17-year-old off-spinner, bowled 50 overs for his one for 126, although it is not the first time he has hit that milestone despite this being only his 13th match. In the draw against Surrey here last year – also played with the Kookaburra ball – when he broke all manner of records in taking his career-best seven for 140 on his Championship debut, he was in his 51st over when he took his final wicket.With little help for the seam bowlers in using the Kookaburra ball, Nottinghamshire had hoped that a used, hybrid pitch in the prevailing dry conditions might provide significant assistance to the spinners. Yet though two thirds of the Yorkshire innings was against spin, there was never enough turn to unsettle the more capable batters hugely.McCann found some turn, bowling George Hill (30) and Jack White – the former via an inside edge – and having Dom Bess (26) stumped, but by then the Yorkshire innings was beginning to peter out. Will O’Rourke departed in a somewhat farcical run-out.Yorkshire’s left-armer, Dan Moriarty, bowled Haseeb Hameed, but Nottinghamshire were otherwise untroubled through the 48 overs that remained in the match – even when Yorkshire skipper Jonny Bairstow, having handed the wicketkeeping gloves to Bean for the final session, brought himself on to bowl in what turned out to be the last over of the match.His over of what appeared to be off-spin was only his second in professional cricket, the other – also wicketless – having been against Durham in 2014.
Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc struck during the final session to keep the home side on top
Tristan Lavalette15-Dec-2023New captain Shan Masood batted positively but fell late on day two to dent Pakistan’s rearguard as Australia remained in control of the first Test at Optus Stadium.Pakistan lost opener Abdullah Shafique and Masood in the final session and still face an uphill battle in avoiding a 15th straight Test defeat in Australia.After spending 113.2 overs in the field, Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq had withstood torrid bowling from Australia’s pace attack with a 74-run slow burn of a partnership.Masood had promised a continuation of Pakistan’s proactive batting approach from their successful tour of Sri Lanka in July. But Shafique and Imam were watchful through 20 overs in the second session as they effectively blunted Australia’s accurate pace bowlers.Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc immediately nudged 145kph in a speed considerably higher than any Pakistan paceman. Pacemen Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, whose first seven overs cost just four runs, were relentless in targeting a dangerous short of a length.While Imam, who made just two runs off his first 31 deliveries faced, entirely focused on stonewalling, Shafique looked impressive technically as he presented a straight bat in defence. Unlike Imam, he was able to make the scoreboard tick over with the occasional elegant boundary.He was engaged in a cagey battle with returning offspinner Nathan Lyon, who almost removed Shafique with his second delivery after an edge flew past Steve Smith at slip. Shafique countered by using his feet superbly to whack Lyon down the ground for a boundary.But Lyon had the last laugh when he had Shafique miscuing to leg slip where David Warner held onto a fine catch. In his comeback from a calf injury that cut short his Ashes campaign, Lyon is now just three away from 500 Test wickets. After coming on in the 10th over, he conjured spin and bounce to finish with 1 for 40 from 13 overs.Masood took it upon himself to lead from the front and play aggressively as he smashed Lyon for a boundary on his second delivery faced. He soon after hit a gorgeous boundary off Hazlewood to race to 19 off 13 balls.Masood quickly caught up to Imam, but he fell on 30 just 10 minutes before stumps when he was caught behind off Starc in a decision overturned on review.Khurram Shahzad survived through to stumps as the nightwatchman with Imam finishing on 38 from 136 balls.4:47
‘Marsh has become the player Australia always wanted him to be’
Masood’s wicket dented Pakistan’s fightback after a forgettable performance in the field. They lacked discipline with the ball and fielded raggedly as Australia batted at over four runs an over to post a formidable first innings total of 487.Australia’s innings was dominated by Warner’s 164 on the opening day as he launched his Test cricket swansong in style. After starting day two on 346 for 5, Australia’s position strengthened through allrounder Mitchell Marsh’s 90 off 107 balls.Marsh took charge in the first session and relished playing his first Test match at Optus Stadium having dominated on his home ground for Perth Scorchers in the BBL. He also justified the faith of selectors who stuck with him over Western Australia team-mate Cameron Green.Having been watchful early against the second new ball, Marsh unfurled his muscular batting with powerful strokes around the wicket as he raced to his half-century off 66 balls.He took a liking to innocuous short-pitched deliveries that were being served up by an uninspiring Pakistan attack. Pakistan’s goal of bowling Australia out an hour into the day’s play quickly eroded with spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi unable to consistently threaten with the second new ball.Debutant seamer Shahzad could not replicate his energetic performance from day one where he hit the mid-130kph mark. He bowled considerably slower at the start of day two and his pedestrian pace was easily handled by Marsh.Marsh eyed a century before lunch as he launched debutant quick Aamer Jamal for six over midwicket. But Jamal countered by reverting to a short-pitched tactic with fielders spread out on the boundary. Marsh resisted the bait through to lunch and was made to wait for his century.But it never eventuated with Marsh falling short of his fourth Test ton after being clean bowled by Shahzad on the first ball after the resumption. Jamal ripped through the tail to finish with 6 for 111 from 20.2 overs in the sixth-best figures for a Pakistan player on debut.Jamal sparked a fightback for Pakistan, whose sedate approach with the bat left a crowd of 17,666 fans often inventing ways to keep entertained in the terraces. But the late wickets of Shafique and Masood had Australia firmly on top.