List of All Articles with Tag 'f'

Newcastle United host Manchester United on Saturday night with just one point and one place between them in the Premier League table. Their relative standings might be in close proximity but the two clubs feel worlds apart right now – even as they share a curious overlapping in many factors this season. Both clubs drew in midweek, in Champions League matches with a huge amount resting on the outcomes. The Magpies, of course, earnt the better result but perhaps ended up feeling worse; such is the rollercoaster of emotions within football, holding Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-1 draw but conceding in the final minutes to a hotly debated penalty. The Red Devils, meanwhile, threw away a two-goal lead much earlier in the game and still could have won their match, eventually leaving Galatasaray with a 3-3 draw. Neither currently stand to progress in their groups, and both face an uphill battle domestically to regain a top-four place to return and try again among Europe’s elite in 2024-25. It’s the visitors to St. James’ Park who seem to have a host of problems stacked against them: an underperforming, big-money goalkeeper, a manager facing increased scrutiny, a litany of off-field problems this season, an ongoing takeover moving at glacial pace and mutiny among the fanbase towards the current owners, who now look like staying in place. Against that, Newcastle as a club look cohesive and together: a coaching group who have clearly improved the squad, remaining progressive in competitive terms compared to only two years ago and gradually adding to the memorable occasions on home soil. And yet, it’s Man United who come into the game ahead in the table, United who have taken more points across the last four league fixtures and United who have a far shorter injury and absence list to contend with. Such a convoluted mix of truths and perceptions is not uncommon, but this head-to-head in particular looks a potentially defining one in the battle for top-four places. Despite initial appearances, it’s tough to go against Newcastle as being in the better frame of mind to emerge with precious points. Their work rate, team chemistry and near-impeccable home form are all big factors for this fixture in isolation against Ten Hag’s team, who still appear tactically fractured and very brittle mentally when periods of matches go against them. Add in the fact they do not score a shed-load of goals – just 16 is the lowest in the Premier League’s top 12 – and that their away wins this term have all come at teams ranked 14th or lower, and it becomes even more difficult to see the Red Devils pulling off a morale-boosting victory. Looking in more granular detail at the head-to-head battles which might shape the match brings up a wider-lens, longer-term rivalry: players up against each other for places in England’s Euro 2024 squad. With Mason Mount well out of the picture for now, Man United hold perhaps three who would be seen as general certainties under Gareth Southgate: Harry Maguire, now a first-teamer again at club level; Marcus Rashford – woefully out of form and shifted to the right flank recently – and Luke Shaw, just returned from injury at left-back. Maguire appears untouchable, in part due to a lack of elite-level alternative candidates, but arguably the same cannot be said for the other two. Having switched wings, Rashford may now be in direct confrontation with two names of interest to the Three Lions, including one player suggested in some quarters as being so in-form that he cannot be continually overlooked: Anthony Gordon, Newcastle’s left-sided forward, as well as Tino Livramento, nominally a right-back but excellent on the left against PSG. It might be fanciful to suggest Livramento might usurp a senior so quickly and outside his normal role, but with a dearth of consistently available and excellent left-back options around for Southgate, it’s not an impossibility either, particularly if he defends the way he did at the Parc des Princes with regularity. Further forward it’s a different story. By the numbers, Rashford is still having an effect on United’s attack in terms of the basic dribbling and shooting traits he brings, but his end product has been woeful. He takes more shots than Gordon – total number and per 90 league minutes – yet fewer are on target. His decision-making can come into question at times too, with more shots blocked this term than anyone else at Man United has even attempted, Bruno Fernandes aside. And there’s the fact he has tallied just two goals total across all competitions, one a penalty, against Gordon’s five. The Newcastle man has found the finishing touch which had previously been conspicuously lacking, even thriving when asked to lead the line for the team – while Rashford, who has had several stints at the same job at Old Trafford, appears further away than ever at being a regular centre-forward, now even shifted away from his preferred left flank. As considerations for the national team, they overlap in plenty of attributes: ball-carriers at pace, direct runners behind the defence, hard workers defensively and a goal threat in central areas. Form, by its very nature, will ebb and flow. It’s no secret which of the two is nearer their peak right now, and if April and May – a time of trophies and international selections – seems a long way away, one team appears to be far better placed to give their forward a platform to consistently succeed. One game in isolation won’t decide the fate of these clubs, who pushes for a top-four finish or indeed who makes the final 23 for England. But if the game is decided by the in-form Gordon in particular, expect the calls for inclusion to only grow louder – and Rashford is the obvious candidate who would need to make way. Read More Newcastle boss Eddie Howe believes more VAR ‘would ruin the game’ Newcastle did not deserve penalty heartbreak - they were robbed by VAR Champions League: What do Man United, Arsenal and Newcastle need to reach last 16? Alan Shearer rages at ‘disgusting’ penalty decision as Newcastle denied famous win Newcastle let down by ‘poor’ penalty call to leave Howe ‘hugely frustrated’ PSG vs Newcastle LIVE: Champions League result and reaction

The FA Cup reaches the third round proper as clubs from the Premier League and Championship enter the competition. 64 balls will be in the hat as English football’s most prestigious cup competition intensifies. Manchester City are the defending champions after beating cross-town rivals Manchester United in an historic derby final at Wembley in June. The club’s seventh FA Cup triumph was followed a week later by Champions League success as Pep Guardiola’s side secured a treble. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the draw. When is the FA Cup third round draw? The draw for the third round proper of the 2023/24 FA Cup will be held at about 1pm GMT on Sunday 3 December. The proceedings will be conducted in advance of the second round tie between Eastleigh and Reading, which kicks off at 1.30pm. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch the draw live on ITV1 as they build-up to live coverage of the Eastleigh vs Reading match from 12.40pm GMT. Registered users will be able to stream via ITVX. Which teams are in the draw? The ball numbers are as follows: 1. AFC Bournemouth 2. Arsenal 3. Aston Villa 4. Birmingham City 5. Blackburn Rovers 6. Brentford 7. Brighton & Hove Albion 8. Bristol City 9. Burnley 10. Cardiff City 11. Chelsea 12. Coventry City 13. Crystal Palace 14. Everton 15. Fulham 16. Huddersfield Town 17. Hull City 18. Ipswich Town 19. Leeds United 20. Leicester City 21. Liverpool 22. Luton Town 23. Manchester City 24. Manchester United 25. Middlesbrough 26. Millwall 27. Newcastle United 28. Norwich City 29. Nottingham Forest 30. Plymouth Argyle 31. Preston North End 32. Queens Park Rangers 33. Rotherham United 34. Sheffield United 35. Sheffield Wednesday 36. Southampton 37. Stoke City 38. Sunderland 39. Swansea City 40. Tottenham Hotspur 41. Watford 42. West Bromwich Albion 43. West Ham United 44. Wolverhampton Wanderers 45. Maidstone United or Barrow 46. Wycombe Wanderers or Morecambe 47. Notts County or Shrewsbury Town 48. Chesterfield or Leyton Orient 49. Aldershot Town or Stockport County 50. Alfreton Town or Walsall 51. Blackpool or Forest Green Rovers 52. Cambridge United or Fleetwood Town 53. Bolton Wanderers or Harrogate Town 54. Wrexham or Yeovil Town 55. Crewe Alexandra or Bristol Rovers 56. Peterborough United or Doncaster Rovers 57. Eastleigh or Reading 58. Gillingham or Charlton Athletic 59. Stevenage or Port Vale 60. Newport County or Barnet 61. Oxford United or Grimsby Town 62. York City or Wigan Athletic 63. Sutton United or Horsham 64. AFC Wimbledon or Ramsgate Read More Barnsley kicked out of FA Cup over rule violation Guardiola urges Man City fans to come to Spurs clash because it will be ‘fun’ Tottenham’s evolution represents a gift and a curse against Man City Guardiola urges Man City fans to come to Spurs clash because it will be ‘fun’ Tottenham’s evolution represents a gift and a curse against Man City Postecoglou up for challenge of taking injury-hit Spurs to Man City

The seafood giant promised patrons as much shrimp as they could eat. It turns out they could eat a lot.

Southwest Airlines and its pilots union are nearing a new contract which will increase pay for over 11,000

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON U.S. manufacturing remained subdued in November, with factory employment declining further as hiring slowed

LONDON Britain's manufacturing sector showed further signs that it might be turning a corner in its long-running downturn

EAST ALTON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 1, 2023--

By Deborah Mary Sophia and Aishwarya Venugopal (Reuters) -Retailers like Amazon.com and Foot Locker are signaling optimism for holiday season

Need a unique gift for a cat lover? Check out these cat toys, treats, and more.

UD Las Palmas return home on Friday night after four weeks away, welcoming Getafe in the curtain-raiser for the weekend's action in LaLiga EA Sports. Their play

Williams have confirmed that American rookie Logan Sargeant will remain with the team next season. The British outfit’s move to retain Sargeant, 22, for a second campaign completes the 20-driver grid for 2024. Sargeant, who scored just one point during a difficult first season, will race alongside Alex Albon after the London-born Thai’s seat had already been confirmed. “I am thrilled to be continuing with Williams Racing for the 2024 season,” said Sargeant. “It has been an incredible journey with the team so far and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue developing as a driver within such a talented and dedicated group. “We have exciting plans for the future and I can’t wait to contribute to the team’s success in the coming year.” Sargeant claimed his maiden point in Formula One – the first American to score in the sport since Michael Andretti 30 years ago for McLaren – after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were both disqualified from the United States Grand Prix in Austin in October. Albon finished the year with an impressive 27 points to help Williams land seventh in the constructors’ championship, the team’s best result for six seasons. “I am pleased to continue our journey with Logan into 2024,” said team principal James Vowles. “Logan has demonstrated immense skill whilst under the pressure of the world stage, making him a perfect fit for our team. “We have great confidence in his abilities and believe that together we can achieve even greater success in the upcoming season.” The Formula One season will start in Bahrain on March 2.

Williams have confirmed that Logan Sargeant has kept his seat for the 2024 F1 season. The American driver’s future at the team was in doubt after he finished bottom of all the active drivers in the 2023 standings, registering just one point in 22 races. But team boss James Vowles has put the speculation to bed and confirmed Sargeant’s spot as Alex Albon’s team-mate next season. "I am pleased to continue our journey with Logan into the 2024 season,” Vowles said. “Logan has demonstrated immense skill whilst under the pressure of the world stage, making him a perfect fit for our team. We have great confidence in his abilities and believe that together we can achieve even greater success in the upcoming season." Sargeant added: "I am thrilled to be continuing with Williams Racing for the 2024 season. It has been an incredible journey with the team so far, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue developing as a driver within such a talented and dedicated group. “We have exciting plans for the future, and I can’t wait to contribute to the team’s success in the coming year." More to follow... Read More Max Verstappen reveals three favourite wins in 2023 title triumph F1 Drive reveal bespoke karts with ‘DRS’ for Tottenham Hotspur Stadium track Lando Norris snaps at Max Verstappen ‘BFF’ comment