Soccer

Open Extended Reactions José Mourinho’s name was sung at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. No, this isn’t a rewind to 2004 or 2014, during his two previous spells as Chelsea manager, but a snapshot of the here-and-now at a club in crisis. The reality is that, should Mauricio Pochettino pay the price for the team’s disastrous

Gabriele Marcotti, Senior Writer, ESPN FCFeb 5, 2024, 12:53 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Another big weekend in Europe’s top leagues didn’t disappoint when it came to major moments, significant results and plenty to review. In England‘s top-of-the-table clash between Liverpool and Arsenal, it was the Gunners who rose to the occasion and wrapped up

Connor O’Halloran Feb 5, 2024, 06:39 PM ET Open Extended Reactions LONDON — You never know exactly when Manchester City‘s domestic winning run will begin, only that it definitely will begin sometime. It usually starts around this time of year, when the season drifts towards its final third, when the title race starts to narrow

Open Extended Reactions Video Assistant Referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made, and are they correct? After each weekend we take a look at the major incidents to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game. – How VAR

Open Extended Reactions LONDON — And then there were three. An afternoon that began with Arsenal facing the prospect of the Premier League leaders disappearing from view ended with a powerful statement of intent suggesting Mikel Arteta’s side can challenge Liverpool and Manchester City for the title. They have now beaten both at Emirates Stadium

Rob Dawson, CorrespondentFeb 4, 2024, 12:29 PM ET Open Extended Reactions MANCHESTER, England — Whatever happens to Manchester United between now and the end of the season, manager Erik ten Hag can at least point to the emergence of Rasmus Højlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo as positives from an otherwise forgettable campaign. It was

 A hat-trick from Wolves forward Matheus Cunha again exposed Chelsea‘s defensive frailties as the visitors came from behind to record a 4-2 win at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Chelsea, who lost 4-1 at Liverpool in midweek, went ahead in the 20th minute through Cole Palmer. But two minutes later, Joao Gomes found Cunha whose shot took

Julien Laurens, CorrespondentFeb 3, 2024, 03:56 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Kylian Mbappé has decided to join Real Madrid once his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires this summer, sources confirmed to ESPN. The news was first reported by Le Parisien. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Last month, ESPN reported that Mbappé had

Sam Marsden Moises Llorens Feb 3, 2024, 04:33 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández pleaded with LaLiga referees to “let us compete” and claimed the Catalan club are “paying for the Negreira case” after Vitor Roque‘s red card in Saturday’s 3-1 win at Alavés. Roque was sent off just 13 minutes after

Feb 3, 2024, 06:28 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said his players are already giving 100% and do not need to take any further motivation from his looming departure to win the Premier League this season. Last month, the 56-year-old announced his decision to step down as Liverpool manager at

Feb 2, 2024, 04:55 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Atlético Madrid boss Diego Simeone has told ESPN he “understands” Jurgen Klopp’s decision to leave Liverpool, and said that club management is a “continuous struggle” where a coach can reach “breaking point” if they don’t have the energy to carry on. Klopp announced last week that

Rob Dawson, CorrespondentFeb 2, 2024, 12:07 PM ET Open Extended Reactions There’s usually a lot for a manager to get through at the first news conference of the summer, and when Man United’s Erik ten Hag sat down in a private school auditorium in rural New Jersey in July, it was no different. But among

Ed Dove, Special to ESPNFeb 2, 2024, 11:33 AM ET Close Ed Dove is a writer and scout who has a deep and enduring passion for African sport, politics and literature. Instagram: @EddyDove22, Facebook: @EddyDoveAfrica The poor behaviour of journalists at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in the Ivory Coast has prompted the

Rob Dawson, CorrespondentFeb 1, 2024, 07:00 PM ET Open Extended Reactions WOLVERHAMPTON, England — It’s difficult to make sense of Manchester United‘s 4-3 win over Wolves — but then it’s been difficult to make sense of Manchester United all season. Over the course of a chaotic game at Molineux, United won it twice, threw it

Rob Dawson, CorrespondentFeb 1, 2024, 07:14 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Erik ten Hag admitted he had “mixed feelings” after Manchester United threw away a two-goal lead against Wolves but still won 4-3 thanks to Kobbie Mainoo‘s stoppage-time winner. Mainoo scored in the 97th minute at Molineux to win a chaotic game, just two minutes

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterFeb 1, 2024, 04:23 AM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions Paxten Aaronson made his full debut for the USMNT in 2023. (Photo by Michael Janosz/ISI Photos/Getty

Jan 31, 2024, 07:06 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The 2024 winter transfer window will close Feb. 1 across Europe (at 11 p.m. GMT/6 p.m. ET for the Premier League; find out when the rest of the leagues shut here), and there are plenty of moves in the works and gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk

Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff WriterJan 31, 2024, 09:11 AM ET Close Bill Connelly is a staff writer for ESPN.com. Open Extended Reactions Now is when the rubber meets the road. After a January loaded with (often delightful) cup ties, endless transfer rumors (most of which went nowhere), and lots of cold rain, February raises the