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BBC News
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Why beating Man Utd meant so much to Newcastle fans
I cannot overstate to you quite how important it is to Newcastle United fans for us to beat Manchester is true that Manchester United fans might not consider Newcastle their rivals per se (well, how can they this season... rivals normally sit close together in the league table) but Newcastle fans have considered Manchester United the thorn in their side for a long goes back to the 1990s, when Kevin Keegan's "Entertainers" were routinely thwarted by Manchester United and unable to secure the top spot in the Premier was compounded in 1999 when we lost the FA Cup final to younger fans, it was the 2023 League Cup final loss. It was last year, when we finished the season so close to getting European football at St James' Park again - ahead of them on goal difference - only for Manchester United to win the FA Cup and take the coveted then, you can understand the deep, deep joy we all felt on Sunday as we, for the first time since 1931, did the double over Manchester United. It was fitting, too, that Wor Flags did a Kevin Keegan-themed display in three of the four stands before the game. How far we have come!And how far we still have to go. This week sees us making up a game (against Crystal Palace at home) and going away to Aston game will be easy, but we are in excellent form. Our eyes are on the prize of Champions League football, and the team look like they understand the eyes on Harvey Barnes, who has taken the opportunity to turn into an end-of-season goal machine, as we continue to right the wrongs of the past and end the season in more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external
BBC News
11-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
The Egyptian King's prolific season
It has been another outstanding season for Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and one that now feels even better after it was announced he has signed a new 'Egyptian King' has scored 27 goals and created 17 in just 31 appearances for Liverpool in the Premier his his most prolific campaign since 2017-18, when he scored 32 goals in his debut season at date, he has scored 184 Premier League goals, level fifth on the all-time list with Sergio Aguero after moving ahead of Thierry Henry on 175 and Frank Lampard's Andrew Cole (187), Wayne Rooney (208), Harry Kane (213) and leading scoring Alan Shearer (260) are ahead of in all competitions he has made 394 appearances, scoring an incredible 243 times while also providing 111 Ian Rush and Roger Hunt have scored more for the Reds throughout a look below at the forward's goals and assists records across all competitions from the last eight years.
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Something sad about watching City on Sunday'
There is always a special anticipation for a derby game. Even when Manchester United and Manchester City are not at their best, the sparks should still be flying. Sadly not this time and although United are marooned at the other end of the table, it was they who deserved the three points, but only was something sad about watching Pep's men and comparing them with the fabulous dynamic sides of the past. I couldn't even criticise the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic for effort and pure ability but the brilliant flashes that were once regular from each, are much rarer an average age nearing 33, there was little chance that this midfield was going to run away from anyone. None are famously speedy box-to-box players anyway. At a push, you can get away with maybe one or two like that in the team, but an entire midfield of that age and style just can't work if you want to be the best of the best in the Premier was most evident when City tried to break with pace. There is an old phrase in football: "He looked like he was towing a caravan… through quicksand". Maybe harsh but the point is clear - the necessary dynamism has sides look like they need major revamping in the summer. Even though City could yet win the FA Cup and finish in the top four, I suspect they still need at least as much restructuring as their massively underachieving opponents across the up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter
BBC News
27-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
How do we reflect on Arsenal's season so far?
Earlier on Thursday, some Arsenal fans contacted us to defend the club's performances this the Gunners have been criticised for their Premier League title pursuit falling away in recent weeks, their view is that Mikel Arteta deserves praise for keeping the club second and in the Champions what's the truth? We've looked at Arsenal's situation over the past decade to decide. League positionLet's not rewrite history. For most of the past 10 years, Arsenal would have snapped your hand off for second with nine games to their re-emergence in 2022-23, it had been five seasons in the doldrums of the race for the Europa League and not a sniff of the being the closest challenger to the league leaders is worthy of yet, compared with the past two seasons, Arsenal are years ago at this stage they were first, 19 points better off than currently, while last season they were two points off the is this relative decline that has caused such – and injuriesDefenders of Arteta point to mitigating factors around injuries. The lengthy losses at various stages of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have caused real barely fielding their first-choice attackers, Arsenal have scored 53 goals, fourth-most in the Premier League (two fewer than second) and have the fifth-best conversion rate. Not stellar numbers but ones that suggest they are perhaps the point remains that they did not ensure adequate cover, either in the summer or in January, for such injury issues, and recent failures against Nottingham Forest and West Ham have arguably cost them their shot at the Premier is unrealistic to expect to win the title with Mikel Merino up points is enough for a four-point cushion in second place. This amount merely speaks to the dearth of quality at the top of the Premier League as over the past decade, no second-placed team has had fewer points after 29 the 2016-17 and 2018-19 seasons. Those Arsenal sides had three more points than the current team but were marooned in fifth Manchester City's unexpected drop-off, miserable seasons for Manchester United and Tottenham, and the continued transition period for Chelsea, the usual competition for Arsenal is not is the missed opportunity to cash in that so infuriates. Champions League mitigationIn Europe, Arsenal have been excellent and marched smoothly into the course, the Champions League has been expanded, meaning extra games, more travel and mileage into their legs (although progress was so serene, Arteta could rest players for the final group game).The Gunners do deserve great credit for their performances. After all, it is really not so long ago that they were scrambling around unsuccessfully in the latter stages of the Europa League or, as in 2022-23, not playing in Europe at have outlasted both Liverpool and Manchester City this season and are genuine contenders to win legitimate fear is who awaits in April – and 15-time winners Real Madrid present a massive stumbling them though, and this season moves closer to being the most special do you think? Creditworthy season or a huge missed opportunity?Tell us here
BBC News
14-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Caldwell focuses on mental recovery after cup exit
Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell has said he and his staff are focusing on the mental recovery of the team after their FA Cup heartbreak against Nottingham Forest on Grecians - who played all of extra time with 10 men - lost 4-2 on penalties to a Forest side that is third in the Premier was a loss that Caldwell feels needs to be recovered from as much psychologically as it does physically."The physical bit is, I think, fairly easy. We know recovery protocols, you know what to eat, you know what to sleep," he told BBC Radio Devon."For me, the mental and emotional aspect of coming down and then coming back up - that is the harder bit."We've got different things that we do cognitively, we try to get the players smiling, we try to change the energy within the group in different ways - some stupid ways." Caldwell uses methods such as playing games and making the players dance to try to lift spirits and re-centre their focus for what is an important part of the travel to bottom-of-the-table Cambridge United on Saturday (12:30 GMT) just five points above the relegation have dropped to 18th place in the division having lost six of their past seven games and they have not won in League One since 26 added of the loss to Forest: "I think that is important that we don't just put it aside and say: 'Right, physically you need to do this, this and this, do your job, get out of this building'."We have to connect with the players emotionally again, we have to build them back up for what's going to be a huge effort on Saturday."It's not just physical recovery, that's fairly easy, it's mental and emotional."We have to be at the very same levels we were at on Tuesday, because if we are then we're going to be a really difficult team to play against in League One."
