Zlatan Ibrahimovic saw a goal disallowed in Man Utd's 2-1 win over Middlesbrough for a high boot, but was it harsh?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic saw a goal disallowed in Man Utd's 2-1 win over Middlesbrough for a high boot, but was it harsh?
With the game goalless in the first half, Ibrahimovic poked home ahead of Middlesbrough goalkeeper Victor Valdes from a left-wing cross, only for Lee Mason to disallow the goal.
Ibrahimovic, standing tall at 6ft 5in, was adjudged to have lifted his boot too high in front of Valdes, a decision which riled Jose Mourinho and the Swede.
Mourinho said after the game that his side has scored three legitimate goals in the contest, and added that if Sir Alex Ferguson was in the dugout, the scoreline would have been 3-1.
However, the Portuguese manager did not reproduce the same touchline protests that have seen him in trouble with the FA this season.
Goals from Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba eventually stole United the win at Old Trafford, but should it have been a more simple afternoon for Mourinho's men?
Watch the footage of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's controversial disallowed goal in the video above
Swansea are set to appoint Paul Clement as their new manager, Press Association Sport understands.
Clement, the former Derby boss and current Bayern Munich assistant, has been in talks with Swansea over the last 24 hours to become the club’s third manager of the season.
And it is understood that the deal could be finalised over the next 48 hours before Swansea – who will head into 2017 bottom of the Premier League – visit Crystal Palace on Tuesday.
Bob Bradley – who succeeded Francesco Guidolin in October – saw his 85-day reign come to an end after the 4-1 Boxing Day defeat to West Ham.
Clement emerged as the favourite to succeed Bradley after number one target Chris Coleman, the Wales manager, chose to close the door on making an emotional return to his home-town club.
The 44-year-old was interviewed for the position when Bradley was appointed, and the Swansea hierarchy were impressed enough with Clement to return to him after sacking the American on Tuesday.
Clement has an excellent reputation as a coach having worked as Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant at Chelsea, Paris St Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern.
But his only job in management at Derby lasted just eight months before he was surprisingly sacked in February 2016.
Derby were fifth in the Championship at the time, having been top of the table on Boxing Day.
Club owner Mel Morris said he was unhappy with the team’s style of play and sacked Clement after the Rams had gone seven games without a win.
Clement’s managerial skills will certainly be tested in south Wales as Swansea face a huge task to avoid relegation.
Bournemouth’s 3-0 win at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday leaves them bottom with 12 points at the halfway stage of the campaign.
Caretaker boss Alan Curtis oversaw a fourth straight league defeat and says confidence is so low that it will be difficult for the new manager to spark a recovery.
“It showed today it’s going to be very difficult,” Curtis said. “But I believe – naively or not – that there should be enough there to get better results.
“I think the first goal is crucial for us because once we concede the confidence drains from us.
“Confidence in sport, especially football, is a fragile thing.
“There’s no explanation apart from we’re bottom of the table, not winning games, conceding too many.
“Maybe if we had not conceded the second and gone in at 1-0 we could have reorganised.
“But Bournemouth did to us what we used to do to teams.”
Arsene Wenger admits that Olivier Giroud is struggling to accept his new role as Arsenal’s substitute striker.
The Frenchman finally started his first Premier League game of the season on Boxing Day against West Brom and responded with his fourth league goal of the season, making him our early winner.
Olivier Giroud has now scored 18 headed league goals since 2013/14; only Cristiano Ronaldo (22) has scored more in Europe's top 5 leagues. pic.twitter.com/GmOwEnMg7j
Wenger is fulsome in his praise for Giroud, telling Sky Sports: “For me in my head he is a regular player, in his head he is a regular player, so when he doesn’t play of course he is frustrated, but if he can still help the squad.
“He has different qualities from other strikers, and he has shown that again against West Brom that he is a fighter, a winner, and he uses his body well to bring other people in, and sometimes with his feet, sometimes with his head.
“So overall, when I think we need his qualities we play him. He accepts that, not well, but we are in a competitive world and unfortunately I can only start 11 players.”
Mark Hughes talked about the experience gained since passing the milestone of 400 Premier League games as a manager
Stoke City boss Mark Hughes says he "may try something different" when he takes his team to face Premier League leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Hughes has never won a Premier League game at the home of the Blues in 10 attempts as a manager, losing eight of those contests.
However, with Antonio Conte's side looking to equal Arsenal's Premier League record for the most consecutive wins of 13 when the Potters visit west London, the Welshman knows just what a test awaits him and his players.
Liverpool 4-1 Stoke
Which is why Hughes is prepared to experiment this weekend in the hope of ending both his own poor record at the Bridge, as well as Chelsea's long winning run.
"We have looked at different things," he told Soccer Saturday. "We tried something different at Arsenal and played Marko Arnautovic down the middle and that affected the game and we went in the lead in that game as well.
"We played two up front against Liverpool and we may well try something different against Chelsea.
You have to have flexibility tactically so that you can respond to things in games when oppositions change their formations
Mark Hughes
"A lot of times with these games the expectation is that you are not expected to get anything out of them. So maybe that can give you a bit of leeway in terms of looking at different things that you may be able to use further down the line as well against lesser opposition."
Stoke arrive in the capital sitting 13th in the table after Tuesday night's 4-1 loss at second-placed Liverpool, with Hughes targeting yet another top-10 finish come the end of the season.
"We have done really well in recent years and maintained a high level with top-10 finishes in all my time here, but this year I sense it will be a real challenge to do that again," he said. "But that is our intention.
Mark Hughes was disappointed that individual and collective mistakes cost Stoke points in their 4-1 defeat to Liverpool after a bright start to the game
"We never talk about: 'Let's get to 40 points and see where that takes us and then try and get higher when we've got that.' We never talk in those terms because I feel and I have belief in my group that we are better than just thinking of looking to survive, we have gone beyond that as a club."
And with Hughes set to come up against one of the most tactically astute managers in the game in Chelsea head coach Conte, the 53-year-old is hoping the 17 years he has spent in the dugout - including taking charge of more than 400 Premier League games - will serve him well this weekend.
"I think I am more flexible and not rigid in terms of one way of playing in how I play," he said. "You have to have flexibility tactically so that you can respond to things in games when oppositions change their formations, you have to react accordingly.
Mark Hughes has taken charge of more than 400 Premier League games
"So I think I have become more aware of that side of it and better at it and I think that comes with experience.
"I have just finished 400 games at this level, so there are not too many formations or ways of playing that I have not faced before. So those resonate when you come up against them again and you can remember what happened in previous games and be better the next time you come up against that."
Watch Mark Hughes' interview in full in Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports News HQ from midday on Saturday
Jermain Defoe has brushed off speculation that he could leave Sunderland next month amid interest from West Ham.
The 34-year-old’s eight goals to date this season have once again kept the Black Cats in with a chance of escaping the drop from the Premier League, and his feat has not gone unnoticed elsewhere.
However, Defoe, who arrived on Wearside in a swap deal with Jozy Altidore almost two years ago, remains relaxed about the situation.
He told Sky Sports News HQ: “There’s going to be speculation because, let’s be honest, the people that score goals are wanted.
“Over the years, anyone that has scored goals has been talked about in terms of moving to different clubs.
“I think it’s just part and parcel. The players don’t really get involved; you just get your head down and you play football.
“It’s a good feeling to be wanted, but when you’re playing well and scoring goals then you must be enjoying being at the place you’re at.”
Moyes is convinced Sunderland can fire themselves out of relegation trouble if his players give Defoe a helping hand.
Until Fabio Borini struck at Manchester United on Boxing Day, only the former England striker, sidekick Victor Anichebe and full-back Patrick van Aanholt, as well as Leicester defender Robert Huth, had found the back of the net in the league this season.
Both Moyes and chief executive Martin Bain have signalled their intention to resist any attempt to lure Defoe away from the Stadium of Light next month.
However, if he does remain on Wearside, the former Hammers frontman will need support if the club is to retain its top-flight status once again.
Asked about Borini’s superb strike at Old Trafford, Moyes said: “He scored a really good goal and I am pleased that he has added to our goalscoring tally, but in a way, I would rather when it was 3-0 that he had kept it until another day where it was one which might have really mattered.
“But I still think if you get him, you get Defoe, you get Victor, you get Adnan [Januzaj] – we have actually got people who are capable of scoring and making goals, and we are going to need them to produce between now and the end of the season.”
The challenge facing Sunderland is being exacerbated by an horrendous injury list – keeper Jordan Pickford this week became the latest man to join the ranks for an extended period – and the financial restrictions which will severely limit Moyes’ ability to re-shape his squad during the January transfer window.
However, while that may be viewed as a green light for potential buyers to target the likes of Pickford, Defoe and Lamine Kone, the Scot, who has been encouraged by conversations with owner Ellis Short that the situation may not be as bleak as was first thought, insists he has heard nothing and issued a warning.
He said: “I’ve spoken with the owner and I think there’s a chance that maybe we could try to do things if the right things turn up, so we can only look and see.
“And the other thing is, I have always been an expensive seller.”
In the meantime, the Black Cats will attempt to ease themselves out of the drop zone on Saturday with a difficult trip to Turf Moor, where promoted Burnley have collected 19 of their 20 points to date this season.
Moyes said: “You might not necessarily pick out loads of individuals, but you’d pick out a good team and that’s what makes them dangerous. It’s probably the reason why they have picked up many good home results this season.”
Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Jamie Redknapp and Thierry Henry discuss Chelsea’s blistering form and whether cracks could appear
After winning 12 games on the trot, there aren't too many reasons for Chelsea's title rivals to be cheerful at present.
But with just over half of the season left to play, and as we have seen all too often in Premier League history, anything can happen.
How would injuries impact Antonio Conte's side? Could an abrupt end to their winning run before breaking Arsenal's long-standing record reverberate for weeks afterwards? And what about facing the sides around them at the top?
Chelsea have won 12 games on the trot
With the help of four Sky Sports pundits, we look for reasons to be hopeful for those currently trailing Chelsea at the top of the table...
Gary Neville
I think the rest of them have just got to keep winning. They've got to put pressure on Chelsea and believe that the cracks will come. They will drop points.
They've all got to play them, they all have a responsibility to take points from Chelsea, some in the coming weeks. I think ultimately it is still in the hands of other clubs to damage them, take points from them.
At the moment Chelsea's spine looks so much stronger than other teams, and if they can stay clear of injury, and with the fixture run-in they have they are in a good position, but I would still say there is a lot of hope for the other teams.
Antonio Conte is in his first season in the Premier League
Thierry Henry
I just think at the moment, when you are in that run, things go your way all the time. You have to give them credit for the plan, the way they play and the structure. Whoever plays in that structure plays well all the time; Pedro, Victor Moses, Marcos Alonso.
Yes, it is up to other teams to put on pressure, but they don't concede goals, it's vital.
Jamie Redknapp
I expect Chelsea to beat Stoke at home, but that Tottenham game is the one, that would be 14 games won and the record they are looking for.
Highlights from Chelsea's 3-0 win over Bournemouth.
I've just got this feeling that might be the game that turns it all around for them. Because they are in great form, we all know it, but the one thing when I look at the squad, is that they perhaps don't have the depth the other teams do.
If they were to pick up just one or two injuries, maybe to Costa, it might affect them.
But overall, they have been fantastic. Conte has done a great job. Hats off to them.
Jamie Carragher
Chelsea are big favourites, and of course Liverpool are in with a shout.
With the run Chelsea are on, that doesn't happen often, and there's a reason for that. That run will come to an end.
Antonio Conte is happy with Chelsea's form but warns that 12 successive victories doesn't mean they'll win the Premier League title
If I'm a Liverpool player, the manager, or at Man City or Arsenal, I'm thinking we must keep the points gap as it is. The worry is if the gap gets bigger. Keep it as it is for as long as possible, and Chelsea will drop points, whether through a bad run of form or injuries.
Liverpool play them at the end of January, I'd be thinking if they can keep them at six points until then, get them to Anfield. OK, there will be pressure on Liverpool to win that game, but the longer the season goes on there will be more pressure on Chelsea too.
It's up to those teams around them to take points off them.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent has claimed Real Madrid have been offered 300million euros for the star forward by an unnamed Chinese Super League club, but said his client has no interest in the deal.
Jorge Mendes told Sky Sports Italia that Madrid had been offered a transfer fee worth the equivalent of £257million for the player, who would in turn receive over 100million euros – around £86million – a year in salary.
“From China, they’ve offered 300m euros to Real Madrid and more than 100m per year to the player,” Mendes said.
“But money is not everything. Real Madrid is his life. Cristiano is happy at Real Madrid and it is impossible to go to China.”
The transfer offer, if genuine, would be almost triple the world record 105million euros (£89.6million) Manchester United paid Juventus for Paul Pogba in August.
Ronaldo, who won his fourth Ballon d’Or earlier this month, signed a new contract at Madrid in November, extending his commitment to the club until 2021.
But the cash-rich Chinese league has emerged as a major contender in the world transfer market with mega-money deals.
Last week, Shanghai SIPG signed Brazil midfielder Oscar from Chelsea for around £52m, while on Thursday former Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez joined Shanghai Greenland Shenhua where he will reportedly become the highest paid player in the world on the equivalent of £615,000 a week.
“The Chinese market is a new market,” Mendes added. “They can buy a lot of players, but then again it is impossible to go for Ronaldo. Cristiano is the best player in the world and best ever. It is normal to have some offers.
“He won the European Championship with Portugal, it’s like winning the Italian league with Genoa: they were not the favourite.”
Sky Sports News HQ understands the Swansea board gave Clement serious consideration and were very impressed with his presentation - and they now want to go back in for the renowned coach.
Gary Rowett is understood to be next on the list should Swansea fail with Clement
But if they are not successful, former Birmingham boss Gary Rowett, who was sacked earlier this month, is understood to be next on the list.
Former Tottenham, Portsmouth and QPR manager Harry Redknapp is also understood to want the job but Swansea are not planning to approach the veteran manager.
Highlights from West Ham's 4-1 win over Swansea
Clement made his name as an academy coach, then first-team coach and assistant manager at Chelsea, working under Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti, whom he followed as assistant to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
He linked up again with Ancelotti at Bayern last summer after he was sacked by Derby, despite the team sitting in fifth place in the Championship.
Gareth Southgate held talks with Wilfried Zaha earlier in December in a bit to keep the Crystal Palace winger committed to England, Press Association Sport understands.
Zaha, 24, has two senior England caps to his name but both came in friendly matches – meaning he was eligible to switch his international allegiance to Ivory Coast, the country of his birth.
He has since been named in the Ivory Coast squad for the forthcoming African Nations Cup, which begins on January 14.
Southgate spoke at his official unveiling following his permanent appointment to the England post about his wish to convince the former Manchester United man to stick with the Three Lions.
It is understood Southgate met with Zaha to explain he had been monitoring his progress, despite not being included in either of the two squads he named during his interim tenure, and would prefer he remain available for selection for England.
Despite that, it is also believed Southgate offered Zaha no assurances over future selection with the player subsequently sticking by his decision to revert to representing Ivory Coast.
Southgate worked closely with Zaha during his reign as Under-21s boss and he went on to be capped in two senior friendlies under Roy Hodgson.
Speaking on December 1, Southgate said of Zaha: “We are still first and foremost hopeful that we can speak to Wilf.
“He’s a player I’ve obviously worked with. At the time, I had him with the Under-21s. The first few months he played very well for us…then he had a difficult period for his club.
“He had a loan spell at Cardiff that didn’t go so well and at the stage we had players like Tom Ince, who was performing better in the Championship out wide for us, so he dipped out of that group.
“Then obviously over the last couple of years, with respect, no-one was questioning him not being in our squad last summer (at the European Championships).”
But, having seemingly rejected Southgate’s advances, the player will now form part of Michel Dussuyer’s Ivory Coast squad for the African Nations, and could make his bow for the Elephants in a friendly against Sweden on January 8.
He is joined in the squad by four fellow Premier League players in Manchester United defender Eric Bailly, Lamine Kone of Sunderland, Bournemouth’s Max Gradel and Stoke loanee Wilfried Bony.
Nathan Redmond was shown a straight red card for bringing down Dele Alli
Southampton will not appeal Nathan Redmond's red card against Tottenham, manager Claude Puel has confirmed.
The forward was shown a straight card for bringing down Dele Alli in thr 4-1 defeat at St Mary's, live on Sky Sports 1HD on Wednesday.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp felt the punishment was harsh after it appeared that Redmond's contact on Alli, who was awarded a penalty for the foul, was minimal.
Redmond conceded a penalty for the foul, but contact appeared outside the box
Puel was asked on Thursday whether the club would appeal the decision after taking overnight to consider their options, and he said: "No. It's finished.
"I stay with my first view. It was just two players trying to fight to win the ball, and I think it's difficult to accept this red card.
"But it's finished now. It's important to look forward and think about the game against West Brom. We cannot go back."
