LONELY

The England winger is the club’s top scorer, having already bagged 13 goals in his first 19 games. And according to Sky Sports, City chiefs are keen to tie him down to a long-term deal to scare away Premier League rivals that are keeping tabs on him. Sterling still has two-and-a-half years left on his current deal but the club feel his dramatic improvement is deserving of a pay rise. The 22-year-old was linked with a switch to Arsenal in the summer, with speculation suggesting he could be used as a makeweight in a deal to bring Alexis Sanchez to the Etihad. But Sterling has established himself as a key part of Pep Guardiola’s plans this term and the Spaniard is desperate to keep hold of him. The Sun reported last month that City were trying to negotiate a new contract that would see him take home £200,000-a-week and an agreement is thought to be close. He arrived in Manchester from Liverpool two years ago in a deal worth £49m. His 96th minute winner against Southampton on Wedne

Spain midfielder David Silva extended his contract with English football club Manchester City. “David Silva has signed a one-year contract extension with Manchester City,” the club said in a statement. The 31-year-old, who is widely recognised as one of Man City’s greatest ever players, has been in fine form the ongoing season during the record-breaking run of 19-consecutive wins that has seen Pep Guardiola’s side establish an eight-point lead at the top of the English Premier League (EPL) table. Silva said: “I am so happy to have committed my future to City. “I am incredibly proud of what I have achieved at City in my seven-and-a-half seasons here and with Pep in charge, I feel we are in a great position to win trophies this season and beyond. “The style of football we are playing is a pleasure to be a part of and I look forward to winning more titles in the years to come.”

Michael Owen is backing Mohamed Salah to score his 13th Premier League goal in Liverpool FC’s home clash against Brighton on Saturday. The Reds made a swift return to winning ways at bet365 Stadium on Wednesday night following last weekend’s 1-1 draw with defending Premier League champions Chelsea. Salah broke the deadlock against his former club Chelsea before Willian netted an 85th minute equaliser to rescue a point at Anfield. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp opted to rest Salah for the trip to Stoke mid-week before the German coach turned to the attacker in the second half following Sadio Mane’s opener. The Egypt international netted a brilliant volley to take his tally to 11 goals following Mane’s tenacious play on the right wing. Salah secured a 3-0 win at the Potters after he captialised on a mistake in the Stoke defence before he slotted a finish past Lee Grant in the home goal. Former Liverpool FC striker Owen is confident Salah will continue his goal-scoring run when pro

N'Golo Kante won his second Premier League title in a row last season as he helped guide Chelsea to the crown as even picked up a Player of the Year award for himself. Considering how few people had even heard of the French midfielder just two years ago, his rise to become one of the best players in the world in a usually unheralded position is all the more remarkable. The Blues have not yet recaptured the sparkling form that saw them win 13 games in a row in the league at one stage last season and part of that is down to the absence of Kante for a full month. Having played nearly every game of the last two seasons for Leicester and Chelsea, the Frenchman is now coming to terms with having to play more regularly with his team in European competition for the first time in his career. After a mixed start to the season, things started to unravel without Kante available and the stats back up what the fans already know: Chelsea are much stronger with Kante in the team. The Blues

Michael Owen is backing Chelsea to win to nil against Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening. The defending Premier League champions are on a five-game unbeaten run in the English top flight in the current campaign. Chelsea eased to victories over Watford, Manchester United, Bournemouth and West Brom before a 1-1 stalemate with top-six rivals Liverpool. The Premier League title holders have lost two home games in the Premier League this season following losses to Burnley and leaders Manchester City. Chelsea are in third place in the Premier League table and nine points adrift of Pep Guardiola’s men. Antonio Conte’s men will welcome promoted side Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon. The Magpies are winless in five games but managed to avoid fifth successive Premier League defeat following a 2-2 draw at West Bromwich Albion mid-week. Former Liverpool striker Owen backed Chelsea to win to nil against Newcastle at Stamfor

EMANJA MATIC is poised to miss Manchester United’s clash against Arsenal but he could return for the Manchester derby, reports claim. The midfielder has been a permanent fixture of Jose Mourinho’s side and has fitted in seamlessly at Old Trafford following his £35million move from Chelsea over the summer. The Serbian signalled to come off in the 4-2 victory over Watford in midweek after picking up a muscular injury. According to the Daily Mirror, Matic has undergone tests in order to be match fit for the trip to the Emirates on Saturday (5.30pm). The report goes on to suggest that Mourinho will be eager to get Matic available for the Manchester derby a week on Sunday. It is suggested that the medical staff will do everything they can to ensure that is the case. Mourinho revealed substituting Matic against Watford did impact upon the team despite eventually getting the three points. “We lost stability when Nemanja Matic had to come out but the important thing is the three points

Nigerian fans are in for a swell time today as pay TV network, StarTimes has concluded plans to show today’s 2018 FIFA World Cup draw live to the homes of its subscribers. Elegbede The long wait is almost over for 32 teams bidding for glory at next summer’s football showpiece event as the World Cup draw holds today at the State Kremlin Palace, with Eagles fans waiting with rapt attention to know the three teams their darling team will battle in the group stage of the biggest sporting competition set to hold next year in Russia. And to satisfy its customers, StarTimes has promised to deliver all the moments and drama of the draw from the concert hall of the State Kremlin Palace, with a capacity of 6,000. Speaking yesterday to Sports Vanguard, Brands and Marketing Director of StarTimes, Qasim Elegbede, said the firm in its quest to continuously fulfil its commitment to deliver a fine mix of sporting events to its subscribers, acquired the right, which permits it to show the draw li

President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said former President Goodluck Jonathan was never desperate for power, but got there by providence. He stated this on Thursday in Abuja at the unveiling of a book titled “On a Platter of Gold“ written by Mallam Bolaji Abudullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Saraki, who was the chief host of the occasion, said “a country produces the kind of leadership it gets’’. “I think it is us Nigerians, that produce the kind of leaders we get; no matter what you say about Jonathan, I don’t think he was someone who was desperate for power,“ he said. He added that Jonathan was not someone that was prepared for leadership but became the president of the country either by “misfortune or fortune“. The president of the senate added that it was unfortunate that Nigerians knew the right things to do, but would not do it but would keep playing the blame game. He expressed optimism that the book would be cherished by Ni

The 25-year-old tops the goalscorers' chart in the English elite division and the Reds’ legend stated how his virtouso showings has taken him aback Former Liverpool defender Phil Thompson says Mohamed Salah 'has been a revelation' for the Anfield outfit. Salah came off the bench to net a brace in the Reds’ 3-0 victory over Stoke City in Wednesday’s English top-flight outing which earned Jurgen Klopp’s men their seventh league win. The forward has registered 17 goals in all competitions this term, thus, surpassing his performance at Chelsea, where he scored just four times in his 27 appearances. Subscribe to our mailing list

LONDON — Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has been charged with misconduct after he was sent to the stands during a Premier League game. The English Football Association said Thursday that Conte has until Tuesday to respond to the charge. Conte was sent from the dugout in the first half of Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Swansea on Wednesday after furiously protesting the award of a Swansea goal kick. The Italian at first sat behind the dugout, but then had to move due to the proximity of his new seat to his coaching staff. Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Subscribe to our mailing list

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is doing extra gym work in an attempt to regain his Manchester United place, Manchester Evening News reported. M.E.N. Sport understands Mkhitaryan has been putting in additional hours in between his United training schedule after losing his place in Jose Mourinho's starting XI. Mkhitaryan, 28, has been dropped from three of the last four matchday squads and has not started since the November 5 defeat at Chelsea, where Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher claimed United played 'with 10 men' due to Mkhitaryan's apparent anonymity. The Armenia international is believed to be working hard and putting in extra hours away from the club's Carrington training complex after Mourinho admitted he was unhappy with Mkhitaryan's form. Subscribe to our mailing list

Everton have officially announced the appointment of Sam Allardyce as the club's new permanent manager. After six weeks of searching following the dismissal of Ronald Koeman, while David Unsworth acted as interim boss, the Toffees have now confirmed the 63-year-old former Bolton Wanderers and Crystal Palace manager has signed an 18-month contract. Allardyce agreed to re-open talks over the possibility of taking over at Goodison Park despite initially ruling himself out of the running. The man who was England manager for a single game was in attendance alongside Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri on Wednesday night as Everton beat West Ham (another of Allardyce's former clubs) 4-0 at Goodison Park, while the club's official Twitter account made a pre-announcement on Wednesday, afternoon after speculation increased that his installation was imminent. Allardyce was seemingly not the first choice for Moshiri and the Everton board, with Watford rejecting two bids for Marco Silva,

Dozens of people on Thursday embarked on protest condemning slave auction in Libya. The protest is being held in front of Libyan embassy, United Kingdom. Protesters were seen holding placards with inscriptions like “Blacks are not for sale’ ‘Where are our African leaders, White silence is violence, ‘End slave auctions in Libya.’ Nigerian Government on Wednesday repatriated 242 migrants from Libya. 

If Jose Mourinho had prodded, gesticulated and ranted at an opposition player there would have been a communique from the Football Association detailing his latest improper conduct charge. Mourinho, the man billed an 'enemy of football' for daring to criticise a referee, is never going to generate swathes of sympathy for dismissals, but because of the FA's victimisation of him, the flashpoint between Pep Guardiola and Nathan Redmond has already become a Mourinho versus Guardiola issue ahead of next week's Manchester derby. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/man-utd-news-guardiola-mourinho-13974142#share=true&playerID=6345b443e2192e5564ba30abc7.y34vu6acsp9x1pu8t337ybx5r&time=0&vid=119ytc9j2efop1r7s9xx8ampkr For those who have not seen it, Guardiola confronted Nathan Redmond after Manchester City's dramatic victory over Southampton on Wednesday night, animatedly patted him and ranted at the winger as he approached the tunnel. "I

Antonio Conte is waiting to find out if he will face a touchline ban after he was sent off during last night’s 1-0 home win over Swansea. The Chelsea boss was dismissed by referee Neil Swarbrick just before half-time, having ranted at fourth official Lee Mason after a decision went against his team. Conte said he later apologised to the officials, and was this morning waiting to hear if he is to be charged. The FA were waiting for the referee’s report of the incident before making a decision, with Conte hoping he will be in the dugout for Saturday’s home game against Newcastle. Meanwhile, Blues midfielder Cesc Fabregas says he is starting to fear that Manchester City’s name is written on the Premier League trophy. City extended their winning run to 12 League games last night and maintain an 11-point lead over Chelsea. Chelsea star Fabregas fears Man City's name is written on PL trophy “When you’re in the kind of form City are in, that whatever you do — you score one, two, th

Antoine Griezmann has reportedly promised Manchester United he will move to Old Trafford after a fresh round of transfer talks with Jose Mourinho. According to reports in Spain, the United boss took a flight to Madrid on Wednesday morning and met with the France international to discuss the finer details of his proposed transfer next summer. Griezmann was close to joining United earlier this year before Atleti’s transfer ban and a change of heart from Mourinho saw the player pledge his immediate future to the La Liga side. But United’s interest in Griezmann has never cooled and Don Balon claims Mourinho stepped up his pursuit for the former Real Sociedad man by flying to Madrid for talks with the player after deciding it was he, rather than Gareth Bale, he wanted to sign next summer. It’s believed United have decided to act now after Barcelona stepped up their interest in the player and also signaled their intent to match the buyout in his Atletico deal. But the Spanish outlet cla

Barely one month after a top civil servant committed suicide in Kogi State allegedly over non-payment of salaries, another civil servant, a 47-year-old Abdullahi Uye Zhiya from Oguma in Bassa Local Government Area of the state has also taken his own life. Zhiya was said to have terminated his own life due to frustrations he encountered as a result of non-payment of 12 months’ salaries owed him. He was said to have killed himself by drinking a liquid substance suspected to be poisonous chemical. Zhiya, the chief store officer at the state Universal Basic Education, Oguma, who was said to have killed himself early this week did not leave a suicide note, but he was said to have complained bitterly to a friend over his inability to feed his family members. A close family source told our correspondent that due to his economic distress caused by the non payment of his salaries, four of his children could no longer go to school while the deceased could no longer afford to buy drugs for hi

Ex President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, has condemned the Muhammadu Buhari government, demanding why life is becoming harder for Nigerians after it promised them change. He said this in a piece sent to media houses on Tuesday titled ‘The Truth and Nothing But the Truth,’ complaining about the bitter state of the country. “What, for example, happened to all the lofty promises made during the campaign season that preceded the 2015 elections? Why are our politicians unwilling to be accountable? Why is transparency in government a taboo? Did they not promise to change this country into a paradise? Why is it, then, that life is getting even harder for the average Nigerian? Why is the level of insecurity so high that people are abducted even from their homes? Why has our country’s leadership failed to create an environment for investments to thrive?” “A government that is more powerful than the people is not accountable to the people. It does

Ahead of the 2019 general election, fiery Enugu priest, the Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has come hard against Nigerians who were yet to obtain their voter’s card. The priest, who has backed Nigerian youths to take up the mantle of leadership in the country, said it was sinful to stay by the side and watch wrong people rule the nation. Mbaka, the spiritual director, Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Nigeria, spoke ahead of the ministry’s annual crusade due to start from 13th of December to the 31st Night December night when the ministry usually experienced the largest crowd of worshippers. He vowed to lend his support to the youths of Nigeria to take over the leadership positions in the nation. Speaking during an all night crusade organized by the Directorate of Inter-Faith, the National Youth Council of Nigeria, an interdenominational programme hosted last weekend at the Adoration ground, Mbaka charged the youths to stand up and stand out for the leadership positions in the country and to stop

The 36-year-old recently returned to the first-team squad following seven months out with a cruciate ligament injury he suffered in April. The Swede scored 28 goals during his debut season at United and was due to leave during the summer, but the club handed him a year’s extension as they offered support during his rehabilitation. Ibrahimovic was thought to be planning on seeing out his current deal before heading to America to finish his career in MLS. But according to the Sun, the striker will meet Mourinho for discussions in the new year about staying beyond the summer, with the pair promising one another absolute transparency. United are currently second in the table, eight points behind leaders City. They’re back in action this weekend as they face Arsenal at the Emirates. Subscribe to our mailing list

The weekend’s headliner Premier League fixture, Manchester United at Arsenal, has lost some luster. For the home side, their leading scorer, Alexandre Lacazette, has been ruled out due to a groin injury. For the visitors, the anchor of their middle and most important player to their offense, Nemanja Matic, most likely will be missing. “Lacazette has a groin problem and he is out, certainly, for Saturday’s game,” Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger confirmed after his side trounced Huddersfield Town 5-0 tonight. Lacazette scored in the first half (his seventh in league play), but did not return after halftime. He was replaced by Olivier Giroud, who bagged a brace for the Gunners. Lacazette broke the Gunners club transfer fee record when he moved over from Lyon in the summer. Arsenal are favored in the late afternoon/early Saturday evening kickoff by the ever so slightest of margins. The bookies are showing the Gunners at 8/5 to win, 12/5 for a draw, and Manchester United at 83/41. That’s