Espanyol appoint Rubi as new head coach

An impressive debut season for Pascal Gross at Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League has been rewarded with a one-year contract extension.

The German midfielder was a relative unknown when he swapped Ingolstadt for Brighton in July, but he quickly became a household name thanks to his performances for the Seagulls.

Gross finished the 2017-18 campaign with seven goals and eight assists, and that was enough to earn a new deal that will run until 2022.

We are delighted that Pascal has agreed a new contract with the club, said manager Chris Hughton.

He has enjoyed an excellent first season with us in the Premier League, and we are really pleased with the impact he has made.

He settled very quickly and became an integral member of the team.…

Market: Both teams to score

Odds: 3/4 @

In what could prove to be an action-packed Championship battle on Saturday lunchtime, runaway leaders Leicester will make the trip to Coventry.

Starting with the hosts, while Coventry might have suffered major play-off heartbreak last season, Mark Robins’ side are enjoying another Championship flurry. Continuing to skyrocket their way up the table and now with their sights firmly set on securing another top-six finish in 2024, the Sky Blues are unbeaten in all of their previous eight appearances across all competitions. Likewise, along with suffering jus a single defeat since the start of November, the former Huddersfield boss will be hugely excited by his side’s clinical performances in the final third. Extending on t…

West Ham forward Michail Antonio has declared VAR should be binned following a weekend of controversy in the Premier League.

The Hammers saw an equaliser against Chelsea ruled out after Jarrod Bowen was perceived to have fouled goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, which stood among several contentious VAR decisions in England s top-flight.

Newcastle also saw a Tyrick Mitchell own goal against Crystal Palace chalked off for a foul on Vicente Guaita, with the PGMOL admitting on Sunday that both decisions were incorrect.

Those incidents have sparked a debate around the application of VAR in England and Antonio has made his feelings clear by suggesting the technology should no longer be used.

  It was a madness, that s what I am going to call it. An actual madness. I h…

Bordeaux coach Francis Gillot is concerned about his future at the Ligue 1 club after the side s poor start to the season.

Gillot s men have won once in five league games so far in 2013-14 and fell to a 3-0 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.

The 53-year-old who has been in charge since June 2011 has seen Bordeaux lose their last three matches in all competitions, conceding seven goals in the process.

I am very worried for the future, he told L Equipe. Not only for Europe but also for the Championship, I worry a lot.

Some had the opportunity (against Frankfurt) to show and they did not. They did not show anything.

We are not effective in both areas (attack and defence), this means that there are no effective players.

Roberto Mancini will be very happy to see Carlos Tevez again when his Galatasaray side meet Juventus in the UEFA Champions League.

The Italian signed a three-year deal at the Turkish champions on Monday after Fatih Terim paid the price for a poor start to the campaign that saw the side win just once in five domestic fixtures.

Mancini s first match in charge sees Galatasaray travel to the Juventus Stadium to face the Serie A champions in Wednesday s Group B fixture.

The game will see Argentina international striker Tevez reunited with Mancini, the duo having worked together at Manchester City.

The pair are believed to have endured something of a fractious relationship at City and famously fell out when Tevez refused to come off the bench in a Champions League fixt…

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho has agreed a new long-term contract with the Premier League club.

Sakho has made 47 appearances for Liverpool since joining from Paris Saint-Germain in 2013.

The France international centre-back, who has established himself as a favourite with the Anfield faithful, played for the first time this season when he captained Brendan Rodgers side to a 1-1 Europa League draw at Bordeaux on Thursday night.

Rodgers expressed his wish to retain Sakho s services earlier this week and the 25-year-old has obliged by penning his new deal.

Sakho told Liverpoolfc.com: I am very happy to sign a long-term contract with Liverpool because, as I ve always said, I am very happy here and my family are happy in Liverpool.

I will keep w…

Eden Hazard has been rewarded for an impressive campaign at Chelsea with an improved five-and-a-half-year contract.

Chelsea have extended star winger Eden Hazard s contract until 2020.

Hazard has scored 13 goals for Chelsea this season, helping them open up a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League and secure a place in the League Cup final.

Stamford Bridge boss Jose Mourinho had joked earlier in the week that delays in tying the Belgian down to a new deal were down to him, and any fears that may have been brewing among the Chelsea faithful have been put to bed.

I am very happy to sign a new contract with Chelsea, Hazard told the club s official website. 

Since I came here in 2012 I have always felt good and the club has been very sup…

Antonio Rudiger marked his 100th appearance for Chelsea with an unlikely brace but Frank Lampard s side are still looking for a first Premier League away win in 2020 after a 2-2 draw at Leicester City.

The battle between third and fourth in the Premier League table sparked into life after the interval, Chelsea going ahead at the King Power Stadium when Rudiger nodded in Mason Mount s corner.

However, Chelsea s lead lasted less than 10 minutes, Harvey Barnes drawing the hosts level with the aid of a deflection off Reece James to leave Willy Caballero picked ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga no chance.

The Argentine goalkeeper, making his first league start since May 2019, had little chance of keeping out Leicester s second goal, Ben Chilwell popping up at the b…

Jose Mourinho admitted he was a little scared amid speculation of Nicolo Zaniolo leaving Roma, while he refuted suggestions the attacker was difficult to manage.

Zaniolo scored the winning goal as Roma ended a 14-year trophy drought, defeating Feyenoord in the inaugural Europa Conference League final in May.

But speculation persisted in the close season that the 23-year-old may depart the Eternal City, with Juventus reportedly the favourites to secure his signature.

Zaniolo dismissed the move as never likely ahead of Thursday s Europa League clash with HJK Helsinki, which Roma won 3-0 after goals from Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Andrea Belotti.

While the Italy international suggested a transfer was never on the cards, Mourinho acknowledged h…

League Two promotion hopefuls Fleetwood Town have signed Nathan Tyson on a month-long loan from Blackpool, .

The 31 year old has made just six league appearances for the Seasiders, all off which have come as a substitute, having joined from Derby County on a free transfer in the summer.

He had a brief spell with Millwall towards the end of last season, but started just once for the Lions, and failed to hit the in any of his four outings for the club.

Tyson moved to Derby County in 2011 after spending six years with fellow East Midlands club Nottingham Forest.

He goes straight into the Cod Army’s side for their match against Millwall tomorrow afternoon, where victory could see them return to the top of the division.

The Reading born strike…