Leicester vs Southampton: Adams inspires superb Saints comeback win

By Joe Prince-WrightAug 20, 2022, 11:53 AM EDT

Southampton fought back to win 2-1 at Leicester City, as Che Adams inspired the Saints to another rousing comeback.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

After fighting back from 2-0 down to grab a point against Leeds last weekend, Saints were 1-0 down in the second half as James Maddison whipped in a brilliant free kick.

However, substitute Che Adams scored twice to turn the game on its head and Ralph Hasenhuttl went wild at the final whistle as Saints secured their first win of the season.

They have four points from their first three games, while Leicester have one point and are yet to win.

WATCH FULL MATCH REPLAY

What we learned from Leicester vs Southampton

Foxes going through the motions: They had plenty of the ball throughout but aside from Maddison’s cheeky free kick, Leicester didn’t really force the issue. Leicester’s players weren’t taking responsibility and there is a malaise around the King Power Stadium right now. With Wesley Fofana being left out of the squad after being distracted by Chelsea’s ongoing pursuit of him, plus Youri Tielemans left on the bench, Brendan Rodgers has to reignite the hunger in his team after a summer of frugality and consolidation.

Southampton come to life after going behind: Just like their comeback draw against Leeds last weekend, Southampton only started to play when they were behind. The kings of dropping points from winning positions since Ralph Hasenhuttl has been in charge, there is a resilience about this young Saints side. Many of them are in their first season in the PL and perhaps if they went in to games with a little more confidence they could get more out of them. After conceding way too many goals last season, Saints needed to focus on shoring things up.

Tactical focus

Saints showed tactical flexibility to switch to a 4-2-3-1 from the start after playing in a 3-5-2 and 4-2-2-2 last week. Hasenhuttl’s side were solid enough defensively but they just couldn’t keep the ball well enough and their forwards were isolated. As for Leicester, they had plenty of the ball but struggled to create clear openings until Maddison’s moment of magic from a free kick. After that opener, Southampton came out of their shell and looked much better as Leicester sat too deep and invited pressure.

[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ]

Stars of the show

Kyle Walker-Peters: What a shift from the Saints right back who had quality on the ball and was always an option in attack. He is pushing hard to be in England’s squad for the World Cup.

Che Adams: What an impact off the bench. He was carrying a knock in the week but was fit enough to come off the bench and the Scotland international scored two to turn the game around. He also hit the post in the 96th minute as he almost scored a hat trick.

Armel Bella-Kotchap: The young German defender kept Jamie Vardy at bay and the 20-year-old looks a real talent.

James Maddison: Whipped in a lovely free kick in the first half which Bazunu pushed away and scored with a cheeky free kick in the second. His class on the ball remains.

What’s next?

Leicester travel to Chelsea on Saturday, Aug. 27, while Southampton host Manchester United on the same day.

How to watch Leicester vs Southampton live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 10am ET, Saturday
TV Channel: USA Network
Online: Stream via NBCSports.com

Key storylines

Leicester haven’t signed anybody this summer and there are concerns Brendan Rodgers’ side may lose Wesley Fofana, Youri Tielemans and Jamie Vardy before the transfer window closes. After losing Kasper Schmeichel earlier this month, the Foxes are battling to keep their squad together after a summer of frugality. Fofana seems the most likely to leave as Chelsea want to sign the talented French defender, 21, and a world-record fee could arrive. Rodgers has done a fine job to lead Leicester to fifth, fifth and eighth place finishes over the last three seasons (with an FA Cup trophy, long European runs and a Community Shield win to boot) but it feels like his project is on the verge of collapsing.

As for Southampton, well, they’ve gone with a risky recruitment strategy this summer but last weekend against Leeds it did show some signs of bearing fruit, long term. Gavin Bazunu, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Romeo Lavia, Joe Aribo and Sekou Mara have all arrived this summer and aside from Aribo they are all 21 and under. Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is under pressure after a poor finish to last season but they have been handed a very tough start by the fixtures computer, so we shouldn’t really judge Saints until the break in November.

In-form players to keep an eye on

James Maddison and Jamie Vardy remain Leicester’s go-to guys, while Wesley Fofana continues to impress as Chelsea chase his signature. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall continues to improve and is set for a breakout campaign.

Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, 18, could be one of the best signings of the summer, while Sekou Mara had a huge impact off the bench in his Premier League debut. Saints’ James Ward-Prowse continues to ooze quality.

Leicester team news, injuries, lineup

Ricardo Pereira will be out for six months after he ruptured his Achilles, while Ryan Bertrand is out with a knee injury. Harvey Barnes recovered from a knee injury to start. A report from The Athletic said that Fofana has been asked to be kept out of Leicester’s squad for this game due to the ongoing interest in him from Chelsea, and he is not in the matchday squad.

Our starting XI for today's #PL match 🦊 📝#LEISOU pic.twitter.com/lWQ5237Ans

— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 20, 2022

Southampton team news, injuries, lineup

Theo Walcott and Tino Livramento remain out, while Romain Perraud is out with a foot injury. Lyanco and Che Adams have recovered from small issues and are on the bench, while Hasenhuttl has brought Mara, Adam Armstrong and Joe Aribo into the starting lineup after their impact off the bench last week against Leeds.

YOUR REDS ❤️

Here's the #SaintsFC side taking on #LCFC: pic.twitter.com/ieEODXgL3S

— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) August 20, 2022

Follow @JPW_NBCSports

Premier League transfer news live, today! Latest updates on the summer window

By Joe Prince-WrightJun 3, 2023, 2:45 PM EDT

We are all set for a very summer transfer window, as the latest transfer news keeps flooding in and plenty of big names are expected to be on the move.

[ VIDEO: Premier League analysis ]

The 2023 summer transfer window opens on June 14, 2023 for Premier League clubs and it will close at 6pm ET on September 1, 2023.

From superstars like Declan Rice, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham in-demand, to speculation around the future of Lionel Messi and plenty of money set to be spent by the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, this will be a fun summer.

Below we roundup the latest transfer news, done deals, reports and rumors and give our analysis on what’s going on as Joe Prince-Wright (JPW), Nicholas Mendola (NM) and Andy Edwards (AE) will guide you through a hectic last few weeks of the window.

Transfer news live today! Latest from the summer window, so far…

June 3 – In-demand $40M back name checks Liverpool

Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven has had a dream to play at Anfield since attending a game there as a youngster. An excellent ball progressor, Van de Ven is viewed as a $40 million target and reports have said Jurgen Klopp is an admirer. So it’s a mutual appreciation society.

“I once went to the Liverpool stadium with my dad,” he told AZ WAZ. “That was over Christmas on Boxing Day. Liverpool vs Arsenal. That was madness. Then when ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ comes [on] – that’s a goose bump moment, that was very cool. It’s a dream to play there.”

The 6-foot-4 Van de ven turned 22 in April and has served as the captain of the Dutch U-21 national team. He moved from Volendam to Wolfsburg in the summer of 2021 and became a full-time starter in his second season, occasionally swinging to left back. (NM)

June 2 – Man United in ‘detailed talks’ for young forwards

According to The Athletic, Manchester United have been in ‘detailed talks’ over the signing of Randal Kolo Muani and Rasmus Hojlund. The young forward duo are both being chased by the Red Devils as Erik ten Hag wants to add one of them and a more experienced striker. Per the report, John Murtaugh has spoken to both Eintracht Frankfurt and Atalanta multiple times about Kolo Muani and Hojlund respectively and United are hoping to move on with chasing summer targets despite uncertainty surrounding their ownership status as the Glazer Family continue to explore the option of a full or partial sale of the Premier League giants. Kolo Muani and Hojlund both fit the mould for the type of player Erik ten Hag wants and if United can land one of them and somehow pull off an unlikely move for Harry Kane (unlikely due to Daniel Levy’s unwillingness to do business) then it will be a heck of a summer for the Red Devils. (JPW)

June 2 – Gvardiol wanted by Manchester City

According to a report from The Times, Josko Gvardiol is at the top of Pep Guardiola’s wish-list this summer. The Croatian defender, 21, is thought to be valued at $108 million by RB Leipzig and although the German giants don’t want to sell, it is believed Gvardiol is keen on a move to City. The report says that City plan on moving on at least one of their center backs and all of John Stones, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake seem certain to stay with Aymeric Laporte perhaps the most likely to move on. Gvardiol has long been linked with a Premier League move and his power in the air as well as his pace and ability on the ball is a perfect fit for the Premier League and City. Josko Gvardiol also got a good look at City this season as Leipzig were hammered by Erling Haaland and Co. in the UEFA Champions League. We’ve seen this season how Guardiola’s side dominated the final months of the season not only due to their incredible goalscoring exploits but largely thanks to a solid defensive unit. Having mobile center backs who can slot in at full back and step into midfield is key to the way they play. Gvardiol can do that. (JPW)

June 1 – Manchester United move to front of queue for Mason Mount

A report from ESPN says that Manchester United have moved to the front of the queue when it comes to signing Mason Mount this summer. Mount, 24, has just one year left on his contract at Chelsea and is expected to move on this summer. Mount has been linked with moves to United and Liverpool but the report says that Mount is keen on heading to United although the Red Devils have some reservations over the $75 million transfer fee Chelsea are asking for. Per the report, clubs are waiting for later in the summer to try and buy Mount as they known Chelsea will have to move players on due to the enormous squad Mauricio Pochettino has inherited and will have to trim. Does Mount to United make sense? It does. He can slot in anywhere in Erik ten Hag’s midfield and is the perfect kind of player to add depth to their squad and be a great 12th man or step in when key midfielders are injured or need a rest. His time at Chelsea is clearly coming to an end and even though Mount has struggled this season at Chelsea, his quality is proven in the Premier League in recent years and on the international stage with England. (JPW)

May 31 – Liverpool eye Bundesliga midfielder

Bild says that the Reds are turning to the Bundesliga to address their midfield. Jurgen Klopp will turn to Borussia Monchengladbach’s Kouadio “Manu” Kone this summer, as Liverpool has reportedly told the player that it will be approaching Gladbach. Kone, 22, has been linked with several big clubs including a late March report regarding Manchester United interest. A ball progressor who reads the game very well, Kone is said to carry a price tag of more than $40 million. (NM)

May 30 – Chelsea all-in on Ugarte

Chelsea are in talks to sign Manuel Ugarte, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Uruguayan and Sporting Lisbon holding midfielder is admired by new Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino. Romano says PSG are in the race for Ugarte too. Ugarte, 22, is exactly the kind of player Pochettino loves as he will dig in, win the ball and get it to others to create. Alongside Enzo Fernandez, Ugarte will add extra defensive stability to Chelsea’s midfield and improve the balance of their squad. Our partners in the UK at Sky Sports says that Ugarte has a $65 million release clause in his contract. (JPW)

May 30 – Declan Rice linked with Bayern Munich

Our partners at Sky Germany say that Bayern Munich are very interested in signing Declan Rice from West Ham. Bayern, who won their 11-straight Bundesliga title on the final day of the season, have made Rice, 24, their top target as Thomas Tuchel is a huge fan of the England international.

Here is more from Sky Germany reporter Uli Kohler: “Tuchel had a phone call with Rice. I don’t know what they were talking about – maybe money, maybe about what he can expect here [in Munich]. Bayern is keen on him. They need a strong defensive midfielder but everybody knows there are a lot of other clubs interested in him. Bayern could afford it. They would like to keep it below €100m [£86.4m]. They have to look at their accounts very closely but I think they can afford it.”

Rice has long been linked with a move to Arsenal or Manchester United but it is believed that West Ham’s asking price for their captain and central midfielder (who is out of contract next summer) is putting up Premier League clubs. Bayern appear to be ready to pay close to the $120 million West Ham want for Rice. Is he worth it? He is. There is perhaps no better two-way central midfielder under the age of 25 in Europe and Rice’s ceiling is extremely high. (JPW)

May 25 – Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Mason Mount are summer targets for Man United

A report from our partners in the UK at Sky Sports says that Manchester United are trying to sign a trio of England internationals: Harry Kane, Mason Mount and Declan Rice.

“Manchester United will try to sign Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Mason Mount this summer. Their No. 1 target is Kane. He is the player Erik ten Hag wants most. It is unlikely they will sign all three players and everything depends on what happens with the takeover. Kane, Rice and Mount are exactly the kind of characters Ten Hag wants in his dressing room.”

It is clear Kane will be the top target for United as Erik ten Hag has spoken about signing a new striker and that is their main transfer need. It is tough to see Tottenham selling Kane to a direct top four rival in Manchester United for anything less than $130 million, even with Kane’s contract winding down. That said, do you take that money this summer and use it to rebuild? Or let him go for free in the summer of 2024?

Next up, Declan Rice will surely be their next main target, as all three of these players have just one year left on their contract. Rice, 24, is just the type of player United need alongside Casemiro in central midfield and the England international has become one of the best two-way central midfielders in Europe under the age of 25. Rice’s close friend is Mason Mount and the latter clearly doesn’t want to sign a new contract at Chelsea, so he could be the cheaper option of the three. All of this hinges on Manchester United’s takeover but if, as expected, they qualify for the Champions League, then signing two of these three players would be a huge upgrade on their current options and gives them quality, depth and experience in midfield and attack. First choice would be Kane and Rice but Kane and Mount would still be pretty decent. (JPW)

Follow @JPW_NBCSports

Barcelona wins Women’s Champions League with stunning comeback

Associated PressJun 3, 2023, 1:41 PM EDT

Midfielder Patricia Guijarro ignited a stunning second-half comeback as Barcelona overturned a 2-0 deficit to beat Wolfsburg 3-2 and win its second Women’s Champions League title on Saturday.

“We didn’t make it easy for ourselves,” Barcelona and England defender Lucy Bronze said in a pitchside interview after securing her fourth Champions League crown. She won it three years in a row with Lyon.

[ MORE: Man City beats Manchester United in FA Cup Final ]

Fridolina Rolfö capped the fightback by calmly firing the winner into the far corner of the net after a mix-up in the Wolfsburg defense in the 70th minute.

Guijarro is one of 15 Spanish players, including Bonmati and four other Barcelona teammates, who renounced playing for Spain last year, citing differences with their coach. They have not played since and their participation in this summer’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is in serious doubt.

Wolfsburg led 2-0 at the break thanks to goals from Ewa Pajor and Alexandra Popp.

But Barcelona kept believing it could win.

“We were never worried about scoring three goals,” Bronze added.

It's Wolfsburg's former player, Fridolina Rolfö, turning the tide in favor of Barcelona, 3-2!

Watch the @UWCL live on @DAZNFootball YouTube channel.#WatchWithAta #UWCLfinal #ataFREE

🎥 @DAZNFootball pic.twitter.com/V01VGYoqsf

— ata football (@atafball) June 3, 2023

Barcelona earned its second league crown – the first was in 2021 – from its fourth final since 2019 in front of 33,147 fans at PSV Stadium, a record crowd for a women’s game in the Netherlands.

Guijarro’s double in the 48th and 50th minutes swiftly overturned a first half in which Wolfsburg’s pressing play and clinical counterattacking earned two goals.

First, the Barcelona midfielder slammed the ball into the roof of the net in the 48th. Aitana Bonmatí then made room for herself on the right before crossing for Guijarro to head past Merle Frohms for the equalizer. Guijarro was named player of the match.

It was a remarkable turnaround for coach Jonatan Giráldez’s Barcelona Wolfsburg took the lead inside three minutes when tournament top scorer Ewa Pajor robbed Bronze of the ball close to the Barcelona penalty area and fired a powerful shot that goalkeeper Sandra Paños touched but could not stop from flying in. The goal improved Pajor’s tally in the competition to nine.

It was a rocky start for Bronze, who returned to the Barcelona lineup for the first time since she was injured in the semifinal first leg against Chelsea and underwent knee surgery.

[ MORE: Pep Guardiola reaction – Okay to talk treble now ]

Irene Paredes clasped her hands to her face when she squandered a great chance to equalize 10 minutes later, heading wide at the far post a corner from the right by María Pilar León.

Wolfsburg doubled its lead when veteran forward Alexandra Popp ran into space between two defenders and headed a cross from the left by Pajor past Paños from close range in the 37th. Popp equaled Ada Hegerberg’s record of scoring in four finals.

Wolfsburg goalkeeper Merle Frohms made sure her team went into the break without conceding by racing off her line in stoppage time to smother an effort by Salma Paralluelo.

But she couldn’t stop Barcelona’s onslaught after the break.

With Barcelona leading and the minutes ticking down, Giráldez brought on two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who has recently recovered from an ACL injury. Barcelona’s vocal fans in Eindhoven roared as Putellas replaced Bonmatí.

It was Putellas who accepted the trophy from England coach Sarina Wiegman after Wolfsburg players formed a guard of honor for their opponents as they walked up to collect their medals.

Manchester City vs Inter Milan: How to watch Champions League Final, odds, predictions

By Nicholas MendolaJun 3, 2023, 1:20 PM EDT

Manchester City is on the chase for a historic treble and standing in the way is Inter Milan, one of Europe’s precious few clubs to claim such an honor.

[ LIVE: Manchester City vs Inter Milan ]

The Premier League winners three times running have an FA Cup under their belt after beating Manchester United on June 3 and the final jewel in their treble crown awaits with a win in Istanbul on June 10.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

Pep Guardiola could lead a second club to a treble after he did it with Barcelona in 2008-09, and they would give heated rivals United domestic company on the treble stage right down the road.

Guardiola says it’s now okay to talk about the treble. We agree, and we’ve laid out why the achievement is so special after the jump.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Manchester City vs Inter Milan.

How to watch Manchester City vs Inter Milan live, stream link and start time

Dates: 3pm ET June 10, 2023
Online: Live updates via NBCSports.com
How to watch: TUDN, Paramount+

What Premier League clubs have won the treble?

Manchester United won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in 1998-99.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils are the lone Premier League club to win it.

That’s it. For now.

How many times has the treble been won?

Nine times in history has a team won its domestic league, top domestic cup, and the European Cup.

Bayern Munich and Barcelona have each done it twice, with Bayern doing it in 2012-13 and 2019-20 and Barca pulling it off in 2008-09 and 2014-15.

Celtic was the first to win a treble, doing it in 1966-67, while Ajax was the next in 1971-72.

PSV Eindhoven then won it in 1987-88 before Man United made it happen 11 years later. Inter Milan is the only Italian team to pull it off, winning in 2009-10.

(UEFA.com)

Champions League Final odds (Betting odds provided by our partner, BetMGM )

BetMGM is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on BetMGM for the first time after clicking our links.

Man City (-250) vs Inter Milan (+625) | Draw over 120 mins (+380)

Over 2.5 goals (-160). Under 2.5 goals (+110)

Champions League Final predictions

Joe Prince-Wright: Man City 2-1 Inter Milan
Andy Edwards: Man City 3-1 Inter Milan
Nick Mendola: Man City 2-0 Inter Milan

Manchester City team news, injuries, lineup options

QUESTIONABLE: None

Inter Milan team news, injuries, lineup options

QUESTIONABLE: Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Joaquin Correa. OUT: Dalbert.

Follow @NicholasMendola

Pep Guardiola after FA Cup win: Man City ‘can now talk about the treble’

By Nicholas MendolaJun 3, 2023, 1:10 PM EDT

Pep Guardiola is giving Manchester City’s players a couple of days to celebrate their FA Cup Final, but now they can admit there’s something even bigger than the Champions League final at play.

“We can now talk about the treble,” Guardiola acknowledged after Man City topped Manchester derby rivals Man United on Saturday at Wembley Stadium. “It is one game away.”

[ MORE: Man City vs Inter Milan preview ]

Nine times in history has a team won its domestic league, top domestic cup, and the European Cup, and only once has it happened for an English team: The 1998-99 Manchester United team.

“What a privilege we are one game away. I said to the players you have to put the pressure on yourself to be recognized as something good you have to win Europe.”

Guardiola said Erik ten Hag’s set-up surprised City, as a narrow formation forced the Citizens to find different routes to goal.

And he was asked about his post-game tears of joy, spotting by cameras on the pitch.

“It was so important for us today,” Guardiola said. “The FA Cup is so nice. I’m a Barcelona fan but I will love this club for the rest of my life. I know today we gave our fans a good gift to enjoy against our neighbors.”

Look what it means to Pep Guardiola 💙#FACupFinal pic.twitter.com/rXm0HZ47mx

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 3, 2023