Premier League Archives | Page 2 of 4

David Moyes returns to Everton

Our Reporters3 months ago3 months ago05 mins

Everton have confirmed the return of David Moyes as head coach, with the Scot becoming Sean Dyche’s replacement at Goodison Park. Dyche was sacked by the Toffees just hours before the team’s FA Cup third-round contest against Peterborough United on Thursday night, but the team managed to record a 2-0 victory in order to progress to the next stage. There has been widespread speculation surrounding a possible return for Moyes in recent days, and the Scot’s switch back to the Merseyside giants has now been confirmed ahead of Everton’s next Premier League match against Aston Villa on January 15. Moyes was previously in charge of Everton between March 2002 and June 2013, and he has since managed Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham United. The 61-year-old’s second spell at West Ham came to an end in May, but he is now back in the Premier League and will be aiming to guide Everton away from the Premier League relegation zone in the coming weeks. Moyes told Everton’s official website: “It’s great to be back! I enjoyed 11 wonderful and successful years at Everton and didn’t hesitate when I was offered the opportunity to rejoin this great club. “I’m excited to be working with The Friedkin Group and I am looking forward to helping them rebuild the club. “Now we need Goodison and all Evertonians to play their part in getting behind the players in this important season so we can move into our fabulous new stadium as a Premier League team.” Meanwhile, Everton’s executive chairman Marc Watts said: “We are pleased that David is joining us at this pivotal time in Everton’s history. With over a decade of experience at the club, he is the right leader to propel us through our final season at Goodison Park and into our new stadium. We look forward to working with David to build the foundation of a new era for Everton.” Moyes was previously Everton manager between March 2002 and June 2013, taking charge of 518 matches, boasting a record of 218 wins, 139 draws and 161 defeats, giving him a win percentage of 42.08. The Toffees made the 2009 FA Cup final under Moyes, while they also enjoyed four European campaigns, with their best Premier League season coming in 2004-05, when they finished fourth. Everton finished 11th in 2005-06, but they then claimed sixth, fifth, fifth, eighth, seventh, seventh and sixth during an impressive period; it has been a struggle for the Merseyside club in recent seasons, though, finishing 16th, 17th and 15th in their last three campaigns. Moyes is taking charge of a Toffees outfit that are currently 16th in the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone, having picked up only 17 points from their opening 19 matches of the campaign. The Toffees are without a victory in the Premier League since December 4, while they have only won one of their last 11 fixtures in the top flight of English football. Moyes’ first match in his second spell at the helm will come at home to Aston Villa on January 15, before welcoming Tottenham Hotspur to Goodison Park on January 19.

Liverpool joins race for Osimhen

Our Reporters3 months ago3 months ago02 mins

Premier League league leaders Liverpool are reportedly the latest club linked with a move for Victor Osimhen. Prior to his move to Galatasaray on loan last summer, a number of clubs including Chelsea tried to complete a swoop but ultimately fell short. Before he joined the Super Lig side, Napoli had reduced his release clause to approximately £63million and a rare break clause had been created. From the Premier League clubs, it is likely Arsenal and Chelsea will have been included considering their positions in the top flight and the Blues’ previous interest. With the Reds still asessing their striker options, they could be guaranteed too. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also possibilities along with Manchester City. However, Pep Guardiola’s side already have Erling Haaland and Osimhen would only be keen to join a club where he would be the main man. Outside of England, La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are almost certain to be included in the list. Paris Saint-Germain could also be there considering they would be able to afford Osimhen’s wages following Kylian Mbappe’s summer exit.

Everton sacks manager Sean Dyche

Our Reporters3 months ago3 months ago04 mins

Premier League strugglers Everton sacked manager Sean Dyche on Thursday, just hours before their FA Cup third-round tie against Peterborough. Speculation about Dyche’s future had intensified with reports suggesting Everton’s new owners, the US-based Friedkin Group, were talking to potential successors since completing a £400 million ($492 million) takeover last month. Everton said in a statement Dyche had been “relieved of his duties as senior men’s first-team manager with immediate effect” after two years in charge, with the process to appoint a new boss under way. The Toffees are once again battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League after winning just one of their past 11 games, with that sole success coming against fellow drop candidates Wolves in December. Everton Under-18s head coach Leighton Baines and club captain Seamus Coleman will take charge against third-tier Peterborough on an interim basis while the Liverpool side seek a permanent replacement for Dyche. Former Manchester United and Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, currently in charge of Turkish club Fenerbahce, has recently been linked with Everton. Mourinho has experience of working with the Friedkin Group at Roma, although the Italian club sacked him just under a year ago. David Moyes, who managed Everton between 2002 and 2013, ex-England coach Gareth Southgate, Brentford boss Thomas Frank and Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola are also among the reported contenders to succeed Dyche. Everton have won only three times in 19 league matches this season and are languishing in 16th place, with only one point separating them from the relegation zone. Asked earlier this week if the club were considering his position, Dyche’s answer suggested he knew the sack could be looming. “To be clear, it should be,” the former Burnley boss said. “At the end of the day, if you’re a business of this size, succession planning should surely be part of their diligence. I’ve got no problem with that at all. “I think the noise has grown very powerful here. It does. But we’ve had it before. “The players haven’t lacked effort but it’s obviously affecting them because you can see it in their performances.” Dyche took charge at Everton in January 2023 and kept them in the top-flight despite numerous issues, including last season’s points deduction for breaching Premier League rules on profit and sustainability. They finished 17th in Dyche’s first season, avoiding the drop with a victory against Bournemouth on the last day, and came 15th last term, extending their streak of being ever-present in English football’s top-flight since 1954. But chief among Everton’s problems under the 53-year-old Englishman were a lack of entertainment and a paucity of goals. Everton’s tally of just 15 this season is the second worst in the Premier League, behind only bottom of the table Southampton’s 12.

West Ham sack Lopetegui, five staff members

Our Reporters3 months ago3 months ago02 mins

West Ham United have sacked head coach Julen Lopetegui after seven months in charge, with former Chelsea boss Graham Potter listed as the leading candidate to take over. The Spaniard had been preparing for the team for their FA Cup third-round tie against Aston Villa on January 10. But the board have decided to act, bringing an end to the 58-year-old’s tenure. Lopetegui was relieved of his duties by David Sullivan after holding crunch talks with the West Ham owner in a meeting on Monday. It comes after the Hammers were left languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table following their 4-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City. A club statement reads: “West Ham United can confirm that head coach Julen Lopetegui has today left the club. “The first half of the 2024/25 season has not aligned with the club’s ambitions and the club has therefore taken action in line with its objectives. “The club can confirm that assistant head coach Pablo Sanz, head of performance Oscar Caro, head analyst Juan Vicente Peinado, fitness coach Borja De Alba and technical coach Edu Rubio have also left with immediate effect. “The board would like to thank Julen and his staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future. “The process of appointing a replacement is underway. The club will be making no further comment at this time.”

Red-hot Iwobi targets more Premier League goals

Our Reporters4 months ago4 months ago03 mins

Fulham star Alex Iwobi has expressed his willingness to score more goals for the Premier League side. The Nigerian stated this after grabbing a brace against Brighton on Thursday. “We wanted to get a win on the board after our last game against Spurs. There’s no better place to do it than at our place. I should be getting more goals but it was good to get them for the team. “We see the ability in training. This performance gives us a boost going into Arsenal, who are on a good run,”Fulham match-winner Iwobi said: The midfielder continued his red-hot form by leading Fulham to victory and up to sixth in the Premier League with two goals in a 3-1 win over Brighton. The 28-year-old was deployed deeper than usual in central midfield yet pressed high to capitalise on a Brighton mistake in the fourth minute and then curled in a late third for the hosts to make it three goals and two assists in his last four appearances. The game was in the balance until Fulham substitute Andreas Pereira had his corner deflected into the Brighton net by their own midfielder Matt O’Riley. But Iwobi made sure he would steal the show, bending a perfect effort into the bottom-right corner with three minutes left to secure the points. Fulham boss Marco Silva said: “It was a big three points for us in a tough game. We started in the best way possible with the early goal but Brighton made it really difficult for us in the first half. They started with three at the back and it made it difficult for us to connect with the wide players. “Second half we were much better. We conceded in a moment we should prepare better for the long ball. It was a good shot from the edge of the box. Difficult game but a big three points for us. “We played with Alex Iwobi in a different position. He’s an offensive player and did an amazing job.”

Nottingham Forest gives updates on Ola Aina

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago03 mins

Nottingham Forest hope to have Ola Aina available for their trip Arsenal after returning from international duty with Nigeria ahead of schedule last week. Aina has been in superb form this season, almost ever-present in Nuno Espirito Santo’s starting XI with Forest riding high in fifth place. The right-back completed the full 90 minutes in the 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest prior to the international break and played 83 minutes for Nigeria in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Benin last Thursday. The former Chelsea youngster was replaced late on, subsequently receiving treatment for an issue suffered in the match. That 1-1 draw against Benin ensured Nigeria qualified for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations with a game to spare. With Forest in direct communication with the Nigerian FA, an agreement was met to allow Aina to miss Monday’s game against Rwanda, returning to the UK late last week for treatment back at Forest. ‘Before our match against Benin, I spoke with an official from Nottingham Forest, and subsequently received a message from Nuno, the manager, asking if we could release Ola Aina since they are facing Arsenal next weekend. ‘I agreed, stating that if we managed to get a positive result in Côte d’Ivoire, we’d maintain our good rapport. We have alternative players available, so in light of this, it was important to sustain the relationship,’ Nigeria’s interim coach Austin Eguavoen said in an interview. An official statement from the Nigeria Football Federation added: ‘English Premier League side Nottingham Forest fervently requested that wing-back Olaoluwa Aina be permitted to return to the UK for their pivotal match, having already secured qualification for AFCON.’ Aina will be assessed this week with reports in Nigeria claiming the reason for his substitution last week may have been fatigue. Forest head to north London to take on Arsenal at 3pm on Saturday afternoon.

Rivers Hoopers through to 2024 Nigeria Premier Basketball League Final

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago03 mins

Defending champions Rivers Hoopers have secured a spot in the Final of the Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Final Eight after edging Gboko City Chiefs 79-73 in a hard-fought semi final showdown on Sunday. Kelvin Amayo led the charge with 22 points, while Okiki Michael and Buchi Vincent Nwaiwu chipped in with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Nwaiwu made it a double-double with 12 rebounds while adding 2 assists and one three pointer midway through the third quarter. Rivers Hoopers continue to dominate the league, boasting the best offensive and defensive record. Their stifling defense was on full display, as they recorded an impressive 11 steals and 5 blocks. The game was marred by controversy as Gboko City Chiefs repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions, prompting a 30-minute delay. The contest eventually resumed 6 minutes into the third quarter. Timothy Kwaor who finished with a game high 24 points for City Chiefs shot 6/11 from deep. Kwaor made three straight threes at the start of the fourth quarter. He however ran into foul trouble and was made to leave the game with four minutes remaining to play. The KingsMen did more than enough to seal the victory over Gboko City Chiefs. This victory marks the KingsMen’s fourth victory in four meetings over Gboko City Chiefs, underscoring their dominance in the league. The first outing was at the Final Four in Port Harcourt last November and twice in the Chief of Defence Staff Basketball Championship in Abuja last month. Unbeaten this season (11-0), Rivers Hoopers aim to secure back-to-back Basketball Africa League (BAL) appearances when they face Hoops & Read in Monday’s final.

Man Utd to offer £36.5m star plus cash for Osimhen

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago04 mins

Man Utd will offer Joshua Zirkzee plus cash to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen instead of pursuing a deal for Viktor Gyokeres, according to reports. The Red Devils appointed Ruben Amorim as their new manager on November 1 with the Portuguese coach officially taking over his new side on November 11 after completing his duties as Sporting Lisbon boss. Amorim replaces Erik ten Hag after the Dutchman had a nightmare start to the new season at the helm after INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe put their faith in him over the summer. Ten Hag was sacked with the Red Devils winning just three of their first nine Premier League matches before interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy added another four points to their tally in his two league fixtures in charge. Amorim has a big job on his hands to turn around their fortunes with Man Utd currently languishing in 13th place in the Premier League table. And one of their biggest problems has been in front of goal with only Southampton, Crystal Palace and Everton scoring fewer goals than Man Utd (12) this season. Speculation has been building of a potential move for Sporting striker Gyokeres but that looks increasingly unlikely in the January transfer window. And now Ruleta Sport‘s transfer expert Gerardo Fasano insists that Man Utd will offer Zirkzee – who joined from Bologna in the summer for £36.5m – plus cash in exchange for Osimhen. Osimhen, who was previously called the “best striker in the world” at headers by Carlo Ancelotti, has been on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli during the first half of the season and has contributed eight goals and three assists in nine appearances in all competitions. And Fasano has revealed interest from Man Utd: “Manchester United are said to be on the trail of Victor Osimhen. I have been told that the English club, through Mr Amorim, could include the former Bologna striker Zirkzee in the negotiations for Osimhen. “Amorim has understood that Sporting Lisbon could ask too much for Gyokeres and is testing the waters for Osimhen. Zirkzee might not be the ideal striker for the coach.”