When the 2015/16 season ends, so will the Barclays Premier League. Starting next season, it will officially go by the name everyone who isn’t contractually obligated to say “Barclays” (or a corporate wonk) uses now: “Premier League.”
Category: England
Robert Huth scores brace in Leicester win against Man City during season that is actually happening
Leicester beat Manchester City 3-1 at the Etihad. Robert Huth had a brace. They are now five points clear at the top of the Premier League table with 53 points from 25 matches. This is real.
Leicester were in last place with 17 points from 24 matches on this day last year. In August, the odds on them winning the Premier League were 5000/1. Now they are 7/4 favorites. This is not a joke.
Their manager, Claudio Ranieri, has never won a first division title. Their top scorer, 29-year-old Jamie Vardy, who also leads the Premier League in goals, was playing non-league football four years ago. Their captain, 32-year-old Wes Morgan, is only playing his second season of top flight football. Rihad Mahrez, who scored against Man City and has been involved in more goals than any other Premier League player this season (14 goals, 10 assists) was bought for about £400,000 in January 2014. I’m serious.
Leicester City’s best ever finish in the top flight came in 1929 when they were runners-up. They have never appeared in the Champions League, which now seems certain to change next season as they are now 13 points clear of fifth-place Manchester United. You are not hallucinating this.
To repeat: Leicester beat Man City 3-1. Robert Huth has more goals than 2014/15 Player of the Year Eden Hazard this season. Leicester are in first place in the Premier League and favorites to win it. There is not a gas leak in your house, nor is it raining frogs outside.
Just to be absolutely clear: All of these words have been about Leicester City Football Club of Leicester, England in the United Kingdom on the planet Earth. The image at the top of this post has not been photoshopped. You are awake.
Donald Trump: Footballer, League Cup draw picker
Of all the candidates in the 2016 U.S. presidential race, Donald Trump might be the last one you would expect to have a long history with the world’s game.
John Terry attempts one last power move to extend his Chelsea career
Immediately after Chelsea’s 5-1 win against MK Dons in the FA Cup, arguably the team’s finest performance of the season and one that further broke down the intense anger that followed the sacking of Jose Mourinho in December, John Terry opted to make a major announcement.
Inflatable banana weilding idiot feels the wrath of Italian reporter
This year’s deadline day purple dildo moment comes via an Italian with an inflatable banana https://t.co/vvlztfOPC0
— Ian Prior (@ianprior) February 1, 2016
(UPDATE: Turns out the video was a well executed set-up and the “reporter” is actually an actor. Well played to The Football Republic.)
Though you probably have never had someone jam an inflatable banana in your face while you try to do your job, you can surely imagine that such an experience might make you a bit angry. Especially if your job requires you to speak coherently in front of a camera while people watch live.
Louis van Gaal gets wine bonuses from Ed Woodward
Manchester United beat Derby County 3-1 in the FA Cup, giving manager Louis van Gaal another temporary reprieve from being hounded about his job security.
In his post-match press conference, he revealed that Man United CEO Ed Woodward buys him expensive bottles of wine after big wins.
Port Vale player hires ice cream van for his teammates
Port Vale midfielder Michael Brown recently had his 39th birthday, so to celebrate, he treated his teammates to something different.
Emmanuel Adebayor vows to Google his new club
Emmanuel Adebayor has signed a six-month deal with Crystal Palace after having his Spurs contract terminated in September, and the enigmatic striker has wasted no time in demonstrating the ambivalence that left him without a club for four months.
Speaking to Palace’s official website, Adebayor was a bit too honest when he said, “I don’t know much about the club but it’s better to learn so I’ll be going on Google and finding out more about them.”
Obviously he’s just been far too busy not playing football to Google his new club before signing.
He added: “Whatever the team want to achieve I will follow them.” Because, again, that’s not something one would think to ask about before facing a series of interviews.
Anyway, the chances of Emmanuel Adebayor Googling “Crystal Palace” within the next six months are about as slim as him receiving a warm reception at the Emirates when Palace visit in April.
Dele Alli scores wonder goal, waves
Well, Dele Alli just did this in Spurs’ 3-1 win at Crystal Palace…
Jurgen Klopp breaks his glasses celebrating Liverpool winner
Liverpool won 5-4 at Norwich on an Adam Lallana goal in the fifth minute of added time after the home side equalized in the second minute of added time. It was a match that will go down as one of the best of the season and Jurgen Klopp celebrated as such, getting right in the middle of the Liverpool players’ celebratory mosh pit.
Of course, as anyone who wears glasses will tell you, this was never going to end well for his spectacles. And it didn’t. A flailing Christian Benteke hand accidentally knocked Klopp’s glasses off his face, breaking them in the process.