Football transfer news

CF Montreal picked up three much-needed points at home against FC Cincinnati to claim their first home win of the 2024 Major League Soccer season.

The Canadian side returned to their home ground of Stade Saputo after beginning the season with a six-game road that included two wins, three defeats and one draw. Montreal were forced into playing their first six games of 2024 on the road because of the lingering winter conditions at.

Montreal would’ve instead played at the nearby Olympic Stadium but were forced to start on the road due to renovations at the indoor venue.

Montreal’s 2024 campaign started off in bright fashion under first-year head coach Laurent Courtois. The team managed a goalless draw against Orlando City before pulling off two wins against FC Dallas and a Lionel Messi-less Inter Miami.

However, with three straight defeats against Chicago Fire, DC United and Seattle Sounders following the victory at Chase Stadium on March 10, Montreal needed to get back on track. There was no better way to do that than in front of their supporters, but they faced stiff competition coming up against reigning Supporters’ Shield champions and reigning league MVP Lucho Acosta.

Former Atlanta United and Miami striker Josef Martinez added his second goal of the season to put the hosts up just before the halftime whistle. Yuya Kubo pulled on back for the Orange and Blue just before the 60th minute mark, but it was Ariel Lassiter who restored the lead just a few minutes later.

Courtois’s side on for the three points in their first home win of the campaign and first victory overall in over a month, climbing back into the MLS Cup playoffs picture in the Eastern Conference after seven games played.

“I’m very happy with the three points tonight for the fans and the guys too after the last three games. I’m proud of the content tonight because that’s how we want to be recognized,” Courtois said after the victory. “We kept our composure even after Cincinnati equalized. I was nervous we wouldn’t be able to replicate the energy of the fans. But that was exactly what we had in mind.”

Montreal have looked a much better side than the inconsistent 2023 team that just missed out on postseason action under Hernan Losada, who was let go after the regular season. Even though the results started to tail off for a few weeks, Courtois hopes that the triumph over a top side will give the team confidence to go on another unbeaten run.

“Playing a home game is certainly a factor, but we know what we do during the week and what we want to deliver on the pitch. The whole thing is a puzzle that we piece together gradually. When one part doesn’t fit, it’s easy to call everything into question. Tonight, the whole group was up to standard. Everything was in its place. The final product is what we expected,” he said.

READ THE LATEST MLS NEWS, QUOTES & TRANSFER RUMOURS HERE

Mauricio Pochettino left his Monday night press conference in a fit of rage after being asked to comment on the bizarre penalty incident that occurred between Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson.

Chelsea defeated Everton in a comprehensive 6-0 score-line, with talented forward Cole Palmer managing four goals to take his Premier League tally for the season to 20.

However, there was one major topic on everyone’s minds after the game, and unfortunately it wasn’t the result, which leaves a previously woeful Chelsea within touching distance of the top six.

Palmer, the normal penalty taker for the Blues this season, looked ready to step up when the kick was awarded. But, Madueke took the ball, prompting Jackson to argue that he should take it instead.

The conversation soon became heated, before captain Conor Gallagher stepped in to inform them that Palmer would in fact be the player taking the shot.

Pochettino was quick to apologise on behalf of his players, stating that this would be “the last time” he would allow this kind of behaviour.

Although, it seemed the Blues boss himself was tired of talking about the matter, as he promptly left his press conference after being hounded about the penalty. A video showed the boss complaining about intense questioning, before choosing to leave the room.

Pochettino was heard saying: “All day we talk about one thing” before turning around and reaffirming his point to the press. You all [asked] one [question] all press conference. Every question was in this way [about the penalty incident].”

The Argentine boss had nothing left to say after he promptly exited the room at Stamford Bridge, bringing the press conference to an abrupt end.

READ THE LATEST CHELSEA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has revealed that he and the rest of the squad knew something was different the day that Jurgen Klopp announced he would be leaving the club.

Klopp went public in late January with his decision to step down as manager at the end of the season. He had informed the club hierarchy of that intention in November, but the players found out at basically the same time as the fans and the rest of the football world.

What was out of the ordinary is that the Liverpool players were gathered for a team meeting as soon as they arrived at the club’s Kirkby training ground.

“[It was] weird, because we never have a meeting at that time, never,” Alexander-Arnold explained to Gary Neville on the latest edition of The Overlap. “We normally get in at 10:00 or 10:30 and then have a meeting at 12:00 just before we go out to train. But when we got in, we had a meeting at 10:30 and that’s the first time I’ve ever had a meeting at 10:30.

“Everyone’s in the changing room, [Klopp] is just stood there and you can see the lads all looking round, thinking, ‘What’s going on?’ And then he just says, ‘Look, lads, I wanted to let you know’. It was breaking [publicly] at the same time. He knew that another season would be too much.

“Something he taught us and something I’ve adopted as a player is take it season by season, no matter what situation you’re in. There’s no point stressing about the next season because that’s completely different. There’s so many lessons he’s taught me, but that’s probably one of the biggest.”

As the clock winds down on Klopp’s time at Liverpool after nearly nine years, the Reds have already won the Carabao Cup and are still targeting a treble before the campaign is out, with Premier League and Europa League trophies both within their sights.

READ THE LATEST LIVERPOOL NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP

It’s all to play for in Germany on Tuesday night as Borussia Dortmund welcome Atletico Madrid to Signal Iduna Park for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Atleti hold a slender 2-1 advantage heading into the return fixture, but it initially looked as if Diego Simeone’s side would blow away BVB in the Spanish capital. The hosts raced into a 2-0 lead, but a resilient Dortmund fought back in the second half, halving the deficit, and they were perhaps unfortunate not to draw level in the closing stages.

The visitors’ indifferent away record this season will doubtlessly concern Simeone, with Atletico winning just a third of their La Liga fixtures on the road.

BVB have endured similar consistency woes this term, but they’ll fancy their chances of progressing into the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2013 off the back of their second-half showing last weekend.

Here’s 90min’s preview of Tuesday’s quarter-final second leg.

Borussia Dortmund vs Atletico Madrid H2H Record (All Games)

Current Form (all competitions)

Sebastien Haller, whose goal in Madrid handed Dortmund more than a glimmer of hope, is set to miss the return leg with an ankle injury.

Jadon Sancho and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, both of whom were bright last week, are also doubts. The former, though, is expected to be fit to start.

Ramy Bensebaini remains out of action for the hosts, while Julian Brandt should come into the side after making an impact off the bench in the first leg.

Dortmund predicted lineup vs Atletico (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Can, Sabitzer; Sancho, Brandt, Adeyemi; Fullkrug.

First leg goalscorer Samuel Lino is suspended for Tuesday’s clash in Dortmund. The Brazilian’s absence will be hard-felt by the visitors as there’s not an obvious wing-back replacement.

Nahuel Molina could switch flanks, or Simeone could opt for the more defensive Reinildo.

The visitors are also without Vitolo and Marcos Paulo. Memphis Depay remains a doubt with a muscle injury.

Atletico predicted lineup vs Dortmund (3-5-2): Oblak; Witsel, Gimenez, Hermoso; Molina, Llorente, Koke, De Paul, Reinildo; Griezmann, Morata.

Signal Iduna Park has hardly been a fortress for Dortmund this season, but it’ll be rocking on Tuesday night. BVB have a good chance of progressing, with the reward for the victor being a fairly winnable semi-final tie.

Simeone would’ve preferred a healthier buffer heading into the second leg, and it’ll be interesting to see whether he reverts to vintage Atleti ideals on Tuesday. Their retreat last week got Dortmund back into the game.

It’s hard to see either side containing the other for the duration, and we should once again see goals at both ends. Atleti’s away record is a concern, but there’s just something about this Simeone-led outfit which suggests they’re going to enjoy a deep European run.

Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Atletico Madrid

READ THE LATEST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS, PREVIEWS & RATINGS HERE

The business end of the season has brought about the usual thrills and spills from all corners of the Premier League.

Control of the title race has changed hands, the confusion of the relegation battle continued and the desperate fight for European places looks like a battle royal for the incompetent.

Here are your best players from Gameweek 33, ranked.

It’s been an inconsistent debut season at Manchester City so far for Jeremy Doku, but on the right day he looks like one of the world’s best.

He tore apart Luton Town in the champions’ 5-1 win at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, reminding Pep Guardiola exactly why he needed such a fast and tricky winger in the first place.

Poor Bruno Fernandes has scarcely enjoyed the opportunity of playing for a Manchester United that isn’t completely useless since his 2020 move from Sporting CP.

The Red Devils’ captain was again on hand to pull them back from the brink over the weekend, coming up with a brace to twice bring United level in their 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.

If you want to know how good Fabian Schar’s performance against Tottenham Hotspur was, Newcastle United fans were quick to hail him as the club’s best pound-for-pound signing on social media after rounding off the scoring in a 4-0 win.

The Magpies activated a £3m release clause in his Deportivo La Coruna contract in 2018 and will not have had a single regret about it.

A lot of talk heading into West Ham United vs Fulham was regarding the form and future of the Irons’ mercurial Lucas Paqueta, who has again been linked with a move to Man City.

But the show at the London Stadium was stolen by a Brazilian midfielder dressed in white, with Andreas Pereira coming up with a match-winning brace.

While Jordan Pickford hasn’t done much to suggest he should be replaced as England’s number one (despite his best efforts to start such a conversation on Monday), there’s a real fight to secure the seat behind him on the plane to Euro 2024 this summer.

Dean Henderson, now starting for Crystal Palace in place of injured Three Lions rival Sam Johnstone, strengthened his case for re-selection with a stunning performance in their 1-0 win at Liverpool.

For anyone who wants to jump off the Darwin ‘Darwizzy’ Nunez hype-train, you are welcome aboard the Nicolas Jackson express.

His showing in Chelsea’s 6-0 drubbing of Everton had it all – a clever assist, a lovely goal, and a petty argument over who should be allowed to take a penalty before obviously relenting to Cole Palmer.

Genius.

If Wolves’ best players weren’t so injury prone, they might stand a chance of, I don’t know, winning the treble maybe.

Matheus Cunha made his first start since returning from his most recent lay-off in some style, scoring twice in a 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest. His first goal was straight out of an EA Sports FC playbook in which the player only has one analog stick and one-star skill moves.

When Leicester City were shopping out-of-contract Youri Tielemans to try and snag a transfer fee for him in the summer of 2022, Arsenal were one of the sides who sniffed around before ultimately deciding against a move.

He was one of the best players on the Emirates Stadium pitch when his Villa side won 2-0 there on Sunday. Not a single Gunners midfielder could hold a torch to him.

Prior to Tottenham’s defeat at Newcastle, Micky van de Ven was lauded as one of the Premier League’s best defenders.

He was totally deserving of the praise, barely putting a foot wrong in his 20 appearances before his St James’ Park shocker.

And that is total testament to the skill of Alexander Isak. Great players have the capacity to embarrass anyone. On this occasion, the Swede kept skinning Van de Ven again and again.

When Isak completely changed his momentum and sent the giant Dutchman crashing to the floor leading to the opening goal, the game changed with it. That’s a proper striker right there.

Four goals. A perfect hat-trick before the half-hour mark. Shutting Jackson and Noni Madueke up by scoring another penalty.

Ladies and gentlemen, Cole Palmer is your player of the week.

READ THE LATEST FEATURES AND ANALYSIS FROM 90MIN