Premier League

Ashley Cole Still Mocking Arsenal

Published

9 years ago

March 22, 2017

Ashley Cole says he laughs when his former side Arsenal fail because of the “lack of respect” they showed him as a player.
The former England left-back was in the Gunners’ youth teams before enjoying a long spell as a regular starter for Arsene Wenger’s side, winning two Premier League titles.
But Cole rejected a contract extension from Arsenal when London rivals Chelsea made an offer of almost double. Fans from north London held the decision against him, but as he went on to become a Champions League and Europa League winner while his former side have struggled ever since, it is he who has had the last laugh.
When asked on ITV’s Play to the Whistle if he found amusement in Arsenal’s pain, he answered: “If I’m honest, yeah, I still think to this day. I laugh to myself. I had a lot of history there and I think the way I left was maybe a bit dodgy but the lack of respect they showed me as well.
“I think I have to blame myself as well. Maybe I did things in the wrong way. But when I look back at it now I think there were a lot of parties I could blame.
“But it’s gone now and it’s ten years down the line. I had a great time there, I missed the old players that were there but I moved on and won every trophy I could.
“I wouldn’t look back and say I regretted leaving.”

Premier League

Man United’s Fernandes and City’s Shaw win FWA Footballer of the Year awards

Published

9 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Kunle Solaja

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was named the Football Writers’ Association men’s player of the year on Friday after a standout season in which his ‌assists helped his side back into the Champions League, while Manchester City forward Khadija “Bunny” Shaw claimed the women’s award for the second time.

Women’s Super League – Manchester City v Aston Villa – Manchester City Academy Stadium, Manchester, Britain – December 14, 2025 Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw celebrates scoring their fifth goal and completes her hat-trick Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Fernandes has scored eight league goals and provided 19 assists, leaving him one short ⁠of the Premier League record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne, with three matches remaining.

The 31-year-old Portuguese midfielder beat runner-up Declan Rice of Arsenal by 28 votes, with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland third, and Fernandes is the first United player to win the award since Wayne Rooney in 2010.

United, inspired by a rejuvenated Fernandes, and ‌interim ⁠manager Michael Carrick, have flown up the Premier League standings to third spot and are already assured of a return to the Champions League next season after a two-year absence.

Jamaican striker Shaw, who ⁠previously took the award in 2024, has led City to their first Women’s Super League (WSL) title in 10 years.

Shaw has netted 19 ⁠goals in 21 games, on track to win the Golden Boot for a third successive season, and was a ⁠landslide winner of the vote ahead of last year’s victor, Arsenal’s Alessia Russo. Chelsea’s Lauren James finished third in the vote.

-Reuters

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Premier League

Escape route opens for Tottenham, but De Zerbi says more to do

Published

5 days ago

May 4, 2026

Kunle Solaja

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi reacts as Aston Villa manager Unai Emery looks on. Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

Successive Premier League victories for the first time since last August have arrived in the nick of time for Tottenham Hotspur, but the relegation battle is far from won, manager Roberto de Zerbi warned on Sunday.

Tottenham fans must have thought they were dreaming as their side outplayed ‌fifth-placed Aston Villa for a 2-1 victory that was far more comfortable than the score suggested.

Goals by Conor Gallagher and Richarlison inside the opening 25 minutes rewarded Tottenham’s early domination, and they never looked in danger of squandering the victory that moved them above West Ham United into 17th place with three games left.

Former Brighton manager De Zerbi has now gathered seven points from his first four games in charge since ⁠replacing interim manager Igor Tudor, including last week’s 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers that snapped a 15-game winless run in the league, a sequence that had sent Tottenham towards a first relegation from the top flight since 1977.

They are now one point above West Ham with home games against Leeds United and Everton either side of an away trip to Chelsea remaining.

“We have to not forget the situation before Wolverhampton. The season is not finished yet , and we cannot be happy just for these two wins,” De Zerbi said.

“We have to keep working with the same mentality. And now I don’t want to hear the positive voice. We have to stay focused for the ‌next ⁠game. We have to feel the same pressure.

“Football can change week-by-week, and we can’t forget the position in the table and what we felt before the Wolves game. We have to push again.”

While De Zerbi lost his first game in charge to Sunderland and then suffered heartache in his second when Brighton earned a 2-2 draw in stoppage time, he has quickly fuelled ⁠belief and confidence in the under-performing, injury-hit squad.

Forward Randal Kolo Muani produced one of his best displays for Tottenham on Sunday, while Gallagher chose the perfect moment to score his first goal for the club.

“If I say Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Palhinha and ⁠all our players are at a great level, high level, it’s because I feel. I don’t want to sell something if I don’t believe in my words,” he said

“I’m lucky because I’m working with good people and very good players. My job is just to transfer the confidence, to make them believe in themselves and to try to be stronger than the defeat, stronger than the position of the table, stronger than the words you normally say about Tottenham.

“To show passion, to show value, humility, pride.”

– Reuters

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Premier League

Arsenal breeze past Fulham to open six-point gap over Man City

Published

6 days ago

May 2, 2026

Kunle Solaja

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring their second goal. Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

Arsenal opened up a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a ‌comfortable 3-0 win at home to Fulham, thanks to a first-half double from Viktor Gyokeres either side of a goal from Bukayo Saka.

The Gunners started brightly and ⁠with purpose, taking a deserved lead in the ninth minute when Saka put Raul Jimenez on his backside and laid the ball on a plate for Gyokeres to slot home.

Gyokeres returned the favour shortly before halftime, finding Saka, who beat former Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd ‌Leno ⁠at his near post to double the lead, before Gyokeres headed in Leandro Trossard’s cross in added time.

Arsenal played within themselves in a ⁠sedate second half having wrapped up a win that puts them on 76 points from 35 games, ⁠with second-placed Manchester City on 70 points from 33 games. Fulham are 10th with ⁠48 points from 35 games, three points behind west London rivals Brentford in sixth.

-Reuters

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