Sports
Thibaut Courtois talk tough title chances ahead of crunch Manchester United clash
Thibaut Courtois admits it is now a simple equation for Chelsea .
Beat Manchester United on Sunday and stay in the title race. Lose at Stamford Bridge to his former boss Jose Mourinho and kiss it goodbye.
Credit to the big Belgian keeper . His saves from Stephan El Sharaawy and substitute Kostas Manolas stopped that nightmare Roman conquest on Tuesday night from turning into an annihilation.
Now he will be hoping for more protection at the weekend when Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial roll into town. Chelsea’s chances of catching the Manchester clubs depends on it.
“City are nine points ahead of us, United four, Tottenham just one.” he said. “So if you want,this game is a must-win game to remain at the top and remain close to the other teams.
“We will try to get the three points at home and we will give our lives for it on Sunday.”
Courtois stood up to be counted after the Rome disappointment, addressing head on the questions as to what has gone so badly wrong for the Premier League champions.
Courtois believes injuries and an increased workload are catching up with the the players that cruised to Premier League success last season.
N’Golo Kante has been out for three weeks, Victor Moses remains on the sidelines. Danny Drinkwater, signed from Leicester in August, was injured until last month. Eden Hazard had ankle surgery during the summer.
Alvaro Morata and Pedro have also had setbacks during the first two months of the campaign. Gary Cahill has been suspended. Bakayoko is still adapting to the Premier League. So too Antonio Rudiger.
Antonio Conte decided against risking Kante – despite the dynamism and protection he gives to the Chelsea defence – with United such a crucial contest on Sunday.
Courtois remains convinced that the approach from Conte is the right one for the long term.
“N’Golo Kante was important for us and brings a lot of balance into the team.” he said. “But you cannot push him if he does not feel ready.
“Danny Drinkwater was out a long time as well so Cesc Fabregas and Tiemoue Bakayoko played a lot of games and that impacts on their legs.
“So it’s harder for them to keep up the pressure, especially against the three midfielders as Roma played with.”
The question was still – legitimately – raised during Tuesday’s post-mortem as to why Nemanja Matic was sold, to United in particular.
But Courtois suggested the Serbian midfielder had had his heart set on a reunion with Mourinho anyway.
Matic may have been just what Chelsea cried out for at the heart of their midfield in Rome. Yet in the wider context he is understood to have preferred a first-team role at Old Trafford instead of third choice – behind Bakayoko and Kante – at the Bridge.
Courtois went on: “If a player nowadays wants to go to a team, then he has – I don’t want to say the power – but if he has a strong will to leave and join another team then it is hard for the club.
“You cannot just ignore him and say ‘you cannot leave’ because then you have a disappointed player who won’t play at his best.
“So obviously for us you give a player to another big team, but they are choices that are made in football and we have some quality midfielders.
“So I hope we can show on Sunday that we are better.”
Victor Osimhen has been named the 2023 African Footballer of the Year, cementing his status as one of the world’s top players.
Osimhen surpassed competition from Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah for the prestigious award.
The Super Eagles forward concluded a remarkable year in the imperial Moroccan city of Marakesh, ending Nigeria’s 24-year wait for Africa’s top individual prize, last won by legendary Kanu Nwankwo in 1999.
During the event, Osimhen expressed gratitude, acknowledging the impact of Nigerian legend Emmanuel Amuneke, who coached him at the U-17 level, and the support from fans and fellow players.
“It’s a dream come true for me. I want to thank everyone who has seen me through life’s journey, in achieving my dreams and goals. I appreciate Nigerians and Africa for their unwavering support and encouragement,” he said.
Osimhen recognised the influence of Emmanuel Adebayo, Solomon Kalu, and other African legends, expressing gratitude to his role model, Didier Drogba.
The award reflects Osimhen’s outstanding performances with Napoli, where he played a pivotal role in their Serie A title run, scoring 26 league goals and becoming the first African to win the top scorer award, breaking George Weah’s record in the Italian top-flight.”
Lionel Messi, the renowned Argentine football icon, clinched the coveted 2023 Ballon d’Or, setting a new record for the 2022 World Cup champion.
In a glamorous event held in Paris, Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami, received the prestigious award on Monday night. This achievement is widely seen as a well-deserved recognition for his pivotal role in guiding the Abiscelete to World Cup victory in the previous year.
Aged 36, Messi succeeded Karim Benzema as the recipient of this award, which acknowledges his exceptional performances during the last season when he inspired Argentina to triumph at the World Cup.
His remarkable displays in Qatar, where he led his nation to a historic victory, enabled him to surpass strong competition, notably from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Haaland secured the second spot in the final voting, with Mbappe finishing third and Kevin De Bruyne taking fourth place.
Messi, a former Barcelona superstar, left an indelible mark at the World Cup, scoring seven crucial goals. His exceptional performance led to him being named the tournament’s best player, especially after Argentina’s victory over France in the final.
While Messi’s World Cup heroics were undeniable, his final season with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was relatively lackluster. Subsequently, he made a move to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
His former PSG teammate, Mbappe, made a strong case for the Ballon d’Or with his outstanding World Cup performance, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals, including a memorable hat-trick in the final for France.
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland had a remarkable season, scoring an incredible 52 goals in 53 games for Manchester City. This stellar performance played a pivotal role in helping Pep Guardiola’s team secure a historic treble in the English Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.
Both Haaland and De Bruyne were nominated for the Ballon d’Or from their exceptional contributions to the success of Manchester City.
Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba’s ‘B’ sample has confirmed the presence of testosterone, a source close to the case told AFP on Friday.
The 30-year-old former Manchester United player, a World Cup winner in 2018, faces a ban of up to four years.
The original test by the Italian anti-doping agency (Nado) showed the presence of testosterone metabolites.
On Friday, Pogba learned that the analysis of his B sample, carried out on the previous day, had produced the same result.
The player’s entourage declined to comment.
Under the World Anti-Doping Code, Pogba is liable to a four-year suspension, which could be halved if he proves that he was not at fault.
The ban could even be limited to a few months if the use of the substance took place “out of competition and is not related to his level of performance”.
Pogba’s representatives said last month that the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.
Testosterone promotes muscle development.
Contacted by AFP, Nado was unable to confirm this information “due to a decision by the Italian privacy authority”.
Pogba has seven days to submit his defence to Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal, which will investigate his case and request a sanction, a process that could take several weeks.
In addition to the proceedings of the Italian sports justice system, a judicial investigation will be opened by the Turin public prosecutor’s office, as doping is a criminal offence in Italy.
Since the announcement of his positive test, Pogba has been unable to train with Juventus, the club to which he returned in July 2022 after six seasons with United.
The announcement came shortly before Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri’s press conference on the eve of the Turin derby against Torino, at which he simply said he was “sorry for Paul”.
Contacted by AFP, the club, which has also suspended payment of his estimated annual salary of 8 million euros (8.4 million dollars), did not respond.
Pogba started the season attempting to bounce back from string of injuries last season and from summer surgery.
His sample was reportedly taken at his club’s opening match of the Serie A season, a win at Udinese on August 20, during which he was an unused substitute.
After the first sample tested positive on September 11, Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta said she was “awaiting the second sample and cannot have an opinion before the results”.
“What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule,” she added.
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