Mauricio Pochettino is confident that Christian Eriksen will rediscover his best form for Tottenham now he has signed a new contract.
Eriksen s deal was set to expire at the end of next season, but the Denmark international penned a new four-year deal that runs until 2020 on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old has dipped below his usual lofty standards in the early stages of the Premier League campaign, but manager Pochettino believes Eriksen will flourish now he is free of off-field distractions.
Perhaps subconsciously, the speculation can affect you when you are in the process of negotiating your future, Pochettino said ahead of Saturday s trip to Stoke City.
It is not about money. It s about your future. Sometimes it is difficult but we trust Christian, he is h…
Competition: Premier League
Market: Manuel Pellegrini next manager to leave
Odds:
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini finds his position under threat following defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday night. The Sky Blues saw their title hopes effectively over at Selhurst Park, losing 2-1 to the high-flying Eagles, and now the future of the manager and a host of players in being questioned.
It was City’s third away defeat on the bounce in the Premier League, and the seventh time they had dropped points in 11 games. They finished the night in fourth place after 31 games, behind Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, and will be now looking over their shoulder to ensure they don’t finish outside of the top-four.
Pellegrini is sure to be one of the…
Tottenham and Liverpool will contest an all-English Champions League final in Madrid on Saturday and both teams certainly earned their place in the showpiece.
A day after the Reds remarkably overturned a 3-0 semi-final deficit against Barcelona, Spurs came back from being behind by the same margin with only 45 minutes of their tie against Ajax remaining in Amsterdam.
Both games were wild matches to live long in the memory but, somehow, they were entirely in keeping with the incredible drama this season s Champions League knockout stages have produced.
Routine fixtures became the exception as Europe s elite did battle in style.
THAT feeling when you reach your first-ever !
Congratulations,
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) …
Verdict: Barcelona win and both teams to score
Best Odds:
Bookmaker:
It’s first vs second in Group D and it’s also a repeat of the 2015 Champions League final. For both sides, they will know how important three points are on Wednesday night. Barcelona only need a point to guarantee their spot in the last 16, while Juventus will be desperate to move out of touching distance from third-placed Sporting Lisbon.
Juventus
Although Massimiliano Allegri’s side may sit three points ahead of third-placed Sporting Lisbon, Juventus will know that their spot in the last 16 is far from guaranteed. If the Old Lady are able to leave the Allianz with three vital points on Wednesday night, the defending Serie A champions will once again book their spot in the …
Emerging Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic has a long list of admirers.
The 21-year-old netted 21 Serie A goals last season.
Vlahovic scored a double in Fiorentina s 4-3 win over Milan last weekend too.
TOP STORY – NEWCASTLE STILL KEEN ON VLAHOVIC
Cashed-up Newcastle United will still pursue hot property forward Dusan Vlahovic despite Fiorentina s €80million (£67m) asking price according to Corriere Fiorentina.
The bottom-of-the-table Premier League club are determined to land the Serbian who has also attracted interest from Juventus.
Juventus want Vlahovic in January and are still front-runners to land the 21-year-old, who has already netted 12 goals this term.
Liverpool one of three Premier League clubs in transfer …
Ralf Rangnick s expected arrival at Manchester United is not good news for other teams in the Premier League, according to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Veteran German coach Rangnick appears set to become interim boss at Old Trafford for the rest of the season.
United lost five of their last seven Premier League games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was sacked last Sunday, and Klopp is convinced Rangnick can fix their problems.
Unfortunately a good coach is coming to England, so that s how it is, to Manchester United, Klopp said in a news conference on Friday.
He s obviously a really experienced manager who built two clubs from nowhere to proper threats and proper forces in Germany with Hoffenheim and Leipzig.
He did a lot of different jobs i…
Hatem Ben Arfa s contract with Newcastle United has been terminated by mutual consent, leaving the attacker free to complete a move to Nice.
Ligue 1 side Nice announced on Saturday that they had agreed a deal in principle to sign the 27-year-old, who recently had an unsuccessful stint on loan at Hull City.
Newcastle have now cleared the way for Ben Arfa to move on, coming to an agreement that ends the player s stay at St James Park.
A statement from the Premier League club on Sunday read: Newcastle United can confirm that Hatem Ben Arfa and the club have reached an agreement to terminate the contract between both parties with immediate effect by mutual consent.
Newcastle United wishes Hatem all the best for his future.
Ben Arfa joined Newcast…
Ivica Olic has confirmed he will leave Bayern Munich on a Bosman move at the end of the season in order to join Wolfsburg on a two-year deal.
The 32-year-old joined Bayern from Hamburg in 2009 and has since made over 75 official appearances for the Bavarians. Nevertheless, he has been struggling to secure regular first-team football under coach Jupp Heynckes.
Therefore, the Croatia international has opted to move on at the end of the season in an attempt to earn more game time elsewhere.
It is true that I have signed a contract with Wolfsburg. I am very pleased about it, and have informed the people at Bayern of my decision, Olic told Sport Bild.
Olic will reportedly earn an annual salary of six million euros at the Volkswagen Arena.
The attack…
Philadelphia Union thrashed a 10-man Montreal Impact 4-1 to move into second position in the Eastern Conference in MLS.
Romell Quioto had given Thierry Henry s Montreal an early lead at Red Bull Arena on Sunday, but his first-half red card proved costly.
Alejandro Bedoya levelled before Kacper Przybylko s brace either side of half-time, and Anthony Fontana sealed the win.
Quioto found the bottom corner with a 25-yard free-kick in just the fifth minute, but he was sent off 11 minutes later for elbowing Mark McKenzie.
Quioto s goal was the first time Montreal had scored from a direct free-kick shot since 2018, according to Opta.
Free Kick is good! drills the free kick to put up early!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS)
Philadelphia…
Sheffield United have broken their transfer record for the third time in a month to sign striker Lys Mousset from Bournemouth.
The Blades reportedly paid £10million to secure the Frenchman and have tied him to a three-year deal.
The fee eclipses the club s outlay on Luke Freeman and Callum Robinson, who are said to have joined for £5m and £8m respectively, earlier in the window.
Mousset, 23, becomes United s fifth new addition since winning promotion to the Premier League.
Manager Chris Wilder said: Lys is big, quick and a different type of threat at the top of the pitch to what we already have.
Welcome to the Blades, Lys
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited)
I think he will prove to be a great fit for us and the fact …