Layla Anna-Lee has a new show and, well, it’s unbiased. At least occasionally…
In the ninth episode of Layla’s Occasionally Unbiased Football Show, Layla Anna-Lee talks Messi and Ronaldo’s World Cup departure, a bug conspiracy theory, Suarez’s spat and much more.
[ MORE: Bobby Wood staying in Bundesliga ]
Click play on the video above to watch the ninth episode in full.
Chelsea host Manchester United on Monday (kick off, 2:30 p.m. ET) in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
[ LIVE: Chelsea v. Man United, FA Cup ]
A place in the quarterfinals is up for grabs under the lights at Stamford Bridge, and both Maurizio Sarri and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are eager to get one step closer to Wembley as well as keeping their Premier League top four hopes alive.
This fixture has produced some classic encounters in the past and with Chelsea out of sorts in recent months and United flying, this could be a great chance for the Red Devils to get revenge for their defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup final last May.
Here at Pro Soccer Talk we will have you covered for analysis and reaction from the huge clash, while you can click on the link above to follow all of the action live.
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The FA Cup results over the week mean that six Premier League games will be moved from Matchweek 31.
[ STREAM: Every PL match live ]
With Brighton, Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Watford and Wolves all confirmed quarterfinalists in the FA Cup and one of Chelsea or Man United also going through, there are plenty of games which cannot be played on the weekend of March 16.
The Manchester derby between Man City and Man United is the most notable game that will have to be switched, while Spurs’ home game against Crystal Palace (which could have been their first game at the new White Hart Lane) now has to be rearranged.
New dates will have to be arranged and that isn’t easy at this time of the season as UEFA regulations state that Premier League games cannot be played on the same night as Champions League or Europa League matches.
Below is a list of the PL games impacted, and their date is TBA.
Expect a few of these games to take place in midweek in late April or May and they could be pivotal in the relegation, top four and title battles.
Premier League fixtures to be rearranged
Brighton v. Cardiff
Brighton v. Chelsea
Man United v. Man City
Tottenham Hotspur v. Crystal Palace
Watford v. Southampton
Wolves v. Arsenal
Nani has arrived in Major League Soccer.
Orlando City SC announced the Portugal national team star has arrived from Sporting Lisbon on a free transfer and has signed a three-year deal as a Designated Player.
[ MORE: All of PST’s MLS coverage ]
Nani, 32, will be a huge draw for Orlando as they look to get things back on track after a rough few years in MLS.
Speaking about Nani’s move to MLS with Orlando, EVP of Soccer Operations Luiz Muzzi was delighted to welcome the experienced attacker.
“This is an exciting day for our organization,” said O. “Nani brings tremendous experience to our roster. He’s a dynamic winger with quality abilities to move and cross the ball, impact games and lead the offensive play.”
The former Manchester United, Fenerbache, Valencia and Lazio winger won the 2016 European Championships with Portugal and appeared at the 2014 World Cup for his national team. USMNT fans will remember his goal against the U.S. in Manaus…
Nani has scored 24 goals in 112 games for Portugal and although his arrival isn’t as big as Kaka leading Orlando in their first three seasons as a franchise, he is a huge get for a team which hasn’t made the playoffs in their four MLS campaigns and finished way off the pace in each of the last two years in the Eastern Conference.
Manager James O’Connor has a mix of youth and experience in this Orlando squad but he must make a fast start in 2019 after winning just two of his 17 games after arriving midway through the 2018 campaign.
Orlando need a total rebuild and Nani’s arrival should shake things up a little, even if a veteran winger may only solve a few of their problems for a few seasons.
It seemed like David De Gea‘s future at Manchester United was up in the air, with the Spanish goalkeeper having just over a year left on his current deal and some reports suggesting an impasse had been reached.
But it appears that United are willing to pull out all of the stops to keep DDG around.
[ STREAM: Every PL match live ]
De Gea, 28, has been named United’s Player of the Season in four of the last five campaigns and since Sir Alex Ferguson retired he has bailed United out of sticky situations time and time again.
It has been reported that De Gea would be handed a new five-year deal which would see him pick up the largest basic salary of any current player in the Premier League, and therefore any PL player in history.
Our colleagues from Sky Sports News in the UK have more on the situation regarding De Gea:
United have been surprised at reports they rejected wage demands of £350,000-per-week, as Sky Sports News understands they would be prepared to pay that amount, but agent demands may be driving the price higher still.
In the past few months Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Ashley Young, Anthony Martial and Scott McTominay have all signed new contracts with the Red Devils and Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward told investors in a call last week that he wants to “finish off the final few as rapidly as we possibly can.”
It is expected De Gea’s deal is at the top of that list, with Ander Herrera and Juan Mata (both out of contract this summer) the other top priorities to tie down to new deals.
De Gea’s importance to United is clear and just as star strikers and attacking players are rewarded handsomely, the value of having a star goalkeeper should not be understated. Even if, historically, they haven’t earned quite as much as outfield players.
The Spaniard has played 347 times for United in all competitions since arriving from Atletico Madrid in 2011, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League.
After almost leaving in the summer of 2015 (United’s staff must do a daily salute to Real Madrid’s dodgy fax machine which scuppered the deal at the eleventh hour) it is clear he is their most important player. Wonderful displays recently against Tottenham Hotspur and at Arsenal have proven De Gea’s worth, if anyone ever doubted it.
