The Numbers Game: Can Liverpool keep quadruple bid alive in showpiece Chelsea contest?

Liverpool may have lost ground in the Premier League title race to Manchester City, but they could claim a second trophy of the campaign when they face Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

A Wembley Stadium meeting between the Blues and the Reds is, of course, nothing new, with Thomas Tuchel paying the penalty – literally – for his ill-fated introduction of Kepa Arrizabalaga in February s EFL Cup final loss.

Revenge will certainly be on Chelsea s minds after substitute Kepa missed the decisive spot-kick in the shoot-out at the end of that goalless draw, and they will be desperate to avoid becoming the first team to lose both domestic English cup finals in the same season since Middlesbrough in 1996-97.

For Liverpool, meanwhile, their pursuit of the quadru…

Petrov excited by new Villa boss Gerrard´s ´winning mentality´

Former Aston Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov has hailed Steven Gerrard s winning mentality and believes the Liverpool legend is an exciting appointment for his old club.

Gerrard, who led Rangers to their first Scottish Premiership title in a decade last season, left his post and replaced Dean Smith at Villa Park on Thursday, handed a reported three-and-a-half-year deal.

Petrov was a Villa player between 2006 and his retirement in 2013, having signed from Rangers rivals Celtic.

The 42-year-old had a keen eye on developments in Scotland and expects Gerrard to set a high bar at his new club in his unrelenting pursuit of success.

[Gerrard brings a] winning mentality, Petrov told Stats Perform.  I mean, you can see the way he manages, you can see the way…

Mbappe named among PSG substitutes for Bayern Munich clash

Kylian Mbappe was named among Paris Saint-Germain s substitutes for Tuesday s Champions League last-16 first leg against Bayern Munich.

The France forward was initially ruled out of the match when sustaining a hamstring injury against Montpellier on February 1 that was expected to sideline him for three weeks.

However, after returning to training on Monday, Mbappe was deemed fit enough to start on the bench for PSG at the Parc des Princes for the visit of Bayern.

Since making his PSG debut in 2017, Mbappe has recorded 57 goal contributions (34 goals and 23 assists) in 50 Champions League appearances.

Lionel Messi, who missed Saturday s 3-1 Ligue 1 loss at Monaco, was among the starters for the hosts alongside Neymar and 16-year-old academy graduate Warren…

Under-fire Conte ready to ´die´ for Spurs until the end of the season

Antonio Conte is ready to die for Tottenham until the end of the season but knows fans have run out of patience with him.

The pressure on Conte intensified after Spurs crashed out of the Champions League following a drab goalless draw with Milan on Wednesday.

Tottenham were beaten 1-0 in the first leg at San Siro and could not mount a fightback, bowing out at the round-of-16 stage to dash hopes of ending their 15-year trophy drought.

The London club have lost seven of their 15 games this year and although they occupy fourth place in the Premier League, Liverpool and Newcastle United are hot on their heels.

Conte, who was appointed as head coach in November 2021, is only under contract until the end of June and although it appears unlikely he will remain i…

Breitner: Euro 2016 not as important as World Cup for Germany

Paul Breitner believes Germany should only be judged on their performances at World Cups after they sealed qualification for Euro 2016.

Germany clinched a place at next year s finals in France with a 2-1 win over Georgia in their Group D finale on Sunday.

After winning the World Cup for a fourth time last year, Germany are favourites add a fourth European crown to their list of honours with victory in the Stade de France final.

However, former Germany international Breitner who won the 1972 European Championship and the 1974 World Cup has been quick to play down the significance of prospective success in France for Joachim Low s men.

He told Omnisport:  I think that a European Championship is not important as a World Cup. A European Championship is for m…

Conte claims Inter players are worth much more now

Antonio Conte claimed he has made Inter s players much more valuable in the transfer market as he urged them to turn winning into an obsession .

Inter s Serie A title celebrations continued on Saturday with a 5-1 thrashing of Sampdoria at San Siro as they were given a guard of honour by their opponents before kick-off.

The win was Inter s 14th consecutive victory at home – a new club record – as two goals from Alexis Sanchez and one apiece from Roberto Gagliardini, Andrea Pinamonti and Lautaro Martinez put the gloss on stylish performance.

Conte ended Juventus Serie A dominance by delivering the Nerazzurri s first title in 11 years and he also reckoned his coaching has made Inter s players worth more.

He told Sky Italia: I think the work we ve don…

Hakimi to PSG? The numbers which point to a smart move for Ligue 1 giants

Achraf Hakimi is rumoured to be on the verge of a move to Paris Saint-Germain, with reports from France claiming personal terms have already been agreed.

Following an impressive loan spell at Borussia Dortmund, Hakimi sealed a permanent switch from Real Madrid to Inter in 2020, for a reported €40million.

Hakimi played in 37 of Inter s 38 Serie A fixtures as the Nerazzurri clinched their first Scudetto crown since 2010, making 29 starts. Only Lautaro Martinez (38) featured in more top-flight games for Inter in 2020-21.

He scored seven league goals, including a double against Bologna in December, a total only bettered in Inter s ranks by Martinez (17) and Romelu Lukaku (24), as well as laying on a further eight assists.

The 22-year-old will no doubt be…

Arteta expects Wilshere back at Arsenal one day

Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal will welcome Jack Wilshere back with open arms in future after the Gunners academy product joined Danish side AGF.

The 30-year-old signed for the Aarhus-based team on a short-term deal initially, but an option to extend that contract by one year exists, with Wilshere desperate to prove himself after falling off the footballing map.

Arsenal favourite Wilshere, who began his career with the Gunners and helped the club win the FA Cup twice, has been without a team since leaving Bournemouth at the end of last season.

He was a teenage wonder with Arsenal, making his debut as a 16-year-old in 2008, but injuries have blighted his career in recent years. Prior to making the move to Denmark, Wilshere had been training with Arsenal in an effo…

Blanc hoping to see ´a great Pastore in 2016´

Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc hopes Javier Pastore can bounce back from an injury-hit end to 2015.

Pastore has been restricted to just 11 appearances in all competitions this season, having battled conjunctivitis and a calf problem.

The Argentina international is now struggling with an adductor injury and Blanc is setting his sights on having the former Palermo man back to his best in 2016.

He [Pastore] still has that adductor injury hindering him, Blanc said at his media conference ahead of PSG s match away to Nice on Friday.

He has not yet resumed running on the pitch. I hope he will get better by [the] year s end.

I hope with all my heart that we will have a great Pastore in 2016.

March of the Day: Former players join fight against MND with long distance walk

Former footballers Marcus Stewart and Stephen Darby are holding one of the biggest fundraising events for the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation to raise awareness for motor neurone disease.

A core team of 16 former players will take on the ‘March of the Day’ trek, which starts at the University of Bradford Stadium and will travel more than 175 miles over two-and-a-half days.

The walk starts today and takes in 17 football grounds across West Yorkshire and the north-west, including Elland Road, the Etihad Stadium, Old Trafford and Goodison Park, before finishing at Anfield on Sunday evening.

New Fundraising Walk

22nd-24th March 2024

Bradford to Liverpool via 17 clubs and over 175 miles.

To get involved you can see the full details here