Newcastle turn professional following promotion to Women’s National League

Mauro Icardi continued his hot streak with a double as Inter cruised to a 3-0 win at a sodden Stadio Olimpico against Lazio in Serie A on Monday.

A sixth straight league win for the Nerazzurri was set up by Icardi s opener, the striker showing his poacher s instinct again after his late header in last weekend s derby victory over AC Milan.

Lazio were also in good form having won three games in a row in all competitions, but when Marcelo Brozovic drilled in a fine second their hopes of a fightback were extinguished in the heavy Rome rain.

Captain Icardi struck again after the break and another victory moves Inter up to second in the table, albeit six points behind leaders Juventus, while Lazio are fourth.

Icardi missed an early chance when he arrived too …

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists his team s poor recent record at Stamford Bridge will count for little against Chelsea on Sunday.

The Gunners have not won at the home of their London rivals since October 2011, when Robin van Persie scored a hat-trick in a 5-3 thriller.

Wenger s side have also lost both of their Premier League away fixtures this season to sit 11th after four matches.

But rather than dwell on recent history, the Frenchman preferred to focus on Arsenal s recent FA Cup and Community Shield triumphs over Antonio Conte s men.

Basically, in recent years, Chelsea have always had a great team, Wenger told reporters after the Europa League win over Cologne.

It was always difficult to win [at Stamford Bridge] but our record against C…

According to Sky Italia, Barcelona are interested in signing Girona star Cristhian Stuani. The 32 year old forward is the third highest goalscorer in La Liga, and Barcelona are in desperate need of a back up forward. It seems like a no brainer, but it all depends on whether or not Stuani wants consistent time in the first team.

He has a £13 million release clause and would be replacing Munir El Haddadi, who recently made the jump over to fellow Spanish side Sevilla. Stuani has been in the Uruguay national side since back in 2012, and even got into the squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup this past summer.

Stuani has been with Girona since back in 2017 when he made the jump over from Middlesbrough, and it’ll be interesting to see what he prioritises here. If he wants to …

Marcus Rashford was not included in Manchester United’s squad for the game at Fulham.

The England striker was forced to apologise to United boss Erik ten Hag after attending a nightclub party following last weekend’s embarrassing derby defeat to Manchester City.

But Rashford was missing at Craven Cottage due to injury after taking a “heavy knock” in training.

is unavailable for today s game. ||

— Manchester United (@ManUtd)

Reports emerged the day after the City match that the England international, who turned 26 on Tuesday, had gone to the Chinawhite nightclub for a pre-arranged birthday party hours after the Old Trafford loss.

“Yes, I am aware of it,” manager Ten Hag said of Rashford’s post-derby night out.

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Roma having nothing to lose in their Champions League quarter-final clash with Barcelona, says former winner Marco Materazzi.

The Giallorossi overturned a first-leg deficit against Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk to progress to the last eight on away goals, where they will face Ernesto Valverde s much-fancied Catalan outfit.

Materazzi, who was part of the Inter team that beat Bayern Munich in the 2010 final, believes that having defied the odds in the round of 16, Eusebio Di Francesco s side should just enjoy the experience of reaching this stage for the first time in a decade.

Roma have already made a little miracle, the 44-year-old told Omnisport, speaking courtesy of Hublot. Not many were thinking they would have won versus Shakhtar, but they did it.

…

Following John Terry s announcement that he will leave Chelsea at the end of this season and look to play on away from the Premier League, Omnisport examines five potential destinations for the Stamford Bridge captain.

MLS

Terry confirmed he will not line up for another Premier League club, which opens up the prospect of his joining the growing ranks of former England stars plying their trade in Major League soccer.

Ex-Chelsea and England team-mate Ashley Cole has joined Terry s fellow former England captain Steven Gerrard at LA Galaxy, while old Stamford Bridge ally Frank Lampard is preparing for his first full campaign with New York City – having undertaken the type of sojourn at Manchester City that Terry insists he wants no part of in his post-St…

Jose Mourinho insists he will not run away or disappear  from his responsibilities after launching an impassioned defence of his Manchester United tenure.

The Portuguese has faced severe criticism over his tactics in the wake of United s dismal Champions League last-16 exit to Sevilla on Tuesday.

Mourinho was particularly panned for the defensive mindset the Red Devils set up with in the 2-1 defeat, as Wissam Ben Yedder s double put the tie beyond United.

But speaking ahead of United s FA Cup quarter-final with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, Mourinho delivered an emotional 12-minute monologue in his media conference, fighting back against his critics.

He said: Life is good, I have an amazing job to do. 

Yesterday I met a new person work…

Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini is looking forward to a strange FA Cup semi-final against former club Everton.

The last time United played Everton in the FA Cup, Fellaini was wearing blue.

On Saturday, he will be in United red as he looks to reverse the outcome last time around, when Everton won on penalties in 2009.

I played against United that day and won, but that is in the past and I want to win again this time with United, said the Belgium international.

A lot has changed for both teams since then.

United have gone from regular Premier League winners under Alex Ferguson to mere top-four contenders under Louis van Gaal, while Everton have failed to put themselves in the continental football picture under Roberto Martinez, langu…

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has set his sights on winning the treble this season as he looks to build on a successful 2016.

Arch-rivals Barcelona are the only Spanish club to have added Champions League glory to a domestic double, achieving the feat in 2008-09 and 2014-15.

Madrid ended last year on a high as they beat Kashima Antlers 4-2 after extra time to lift the Club World Cup, but Ramos is hungry for more.

As always we aspire to win the three competitions; the league, Champions League and the Copa del Rey, along with other titles that may come our way, the centre-back said. 

From that base we will try to play good football and give everything for the badge.

Then everything will be easier when it comes to achieving success.

…

Edin Dzeko has ended the season as Serie A s most prolific striker and equalled Roma s club record of 29 goals scored in a single league campaign, set by Rodolfo Volk in 1930-31.

A close-range effort 10 minutes into Sunday s 3-2 win over Genoa ensured the 31-year-old striker became the first Bosnian player to win the Capocannoniere, fending off the challenge of Dries Mertens who scored in Napoli s 4-2 win over Sampdoria to take his own total to 28.

Dzeko has scored eight goals in Roma s last eight matches to make this term his most successful the striker having scored 26 goals in the Bundesliga for Wolfsburg in 2008-09 – and his form has been vital to Roma s second-place finish.

Belgium international Mertens last scored more than 20 league goals in a season wh…