Soccer Chronicles

On this day in 1999, a goal from Roy Keane ensured that Manchester United became the first British club to win the Intercontinental Cup with a 1-0 win over Brazilian side Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras.

 Happy Birthday to former Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Everton, Nagoya Grampus Eight and England striker Gary Winston Lineker who turns 57 today. He holds England's record for goals in FIFA World Cup finals, with 10 scored. Lineker currently works as a soccer pundit with BT Sports. 

 On this day in 2016, former Aston Villa midfielder Gary Southgate was appointed the head coach of the England national team.

 Since the start of last season, Jamie Vardy has scored 11 Premier League goals against the 'big six' - five more than any other player. The former Halifax Town striker scored with a volley in Leicester City's 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur last night.    After playing out a 2-2 draw with Newcastle United at the Hawthorns yesterday, West Bromwich Albion have now dropped a league-high 10 points from leading positions in the Premier League this season.  After scoring Tottenham Hotspur's only goal in an eventual 2-1 loss to Leicester City, Harry Kane has now scored 11 goals in all competitions against Leicester City - four more than he's scored against any other side. A 2-1 loss to Leicester City at King Power Stadium last night means, Tottenham Hotspur have now lost as many Premier League games this season as they did in the entirety of 2016/2017 season (4).  After netting a double in Manchester United's 4-2 win over Watford, Ashley Young ha...

Happy Birthday to former Manchester United and Welsh midfielder Ryan Joseph Giggs who turns 44 today.  Career Apps: 1031 Career Goals: 181 Total Titles won: 34  Happy Birthday to former Southampton, Burnley, Sheffield United and Leicester City winger Nathan Antone Jonah Dyer who turns 31 today. He currently plays for Swansea City.   Happy Birthday to former  Bellinzona, Genoa, Chievo Verona, Modena, Cremonese, Rennes, Lyon, Sunderland, Rennes, Asante Kotoko and Nitra Centre-back John Mensah who turns35 today. He currently plays for Swedish second division side AFC United.    Happy Birthday to Middlesbrough goalkeeper Dimitrios Konstantopoulos who turns 39 today. He has previously played for the likes of Coventry City, Nottingham Forest, Cardiff City and AEK Athens, Hartlepool United, Farense and Kerkyra.   Happy Birthday to former Jomo Cosmos, Strasbourg, Supersports United, Mamelodi Sundowns, Kazier Chiefs an...

On this day in 2009, Jimmy Bullard scored an 82nd-minute penalty to earn Hull City a precious point and ensure a seventh successive top-flight draw for Manchester City. The game ended 1-1 as Bullard celebrated his equaliser by mocking Phil Brown's team talk at Eastlands.

On this day in 2011, former Leeds United, Newcastle United, Everton, Bolton Wanderers, Sheffield United and Welsh midfielder Gary Andrew Speed was found dead at the garage of his home by his wife Louise. It was reported that he committed suicide.  He was aged 42.… RIP MR SPEED

  On this day in 2010, Dimitar Berbatov became the fourth player to score four goals in a Premier League game when he netted five in Manchester United's 7-1 win over Blackburn Rovers.

On this day in 1941, Aimé Étienne Jacquet was born. He was the manager of the French national team during the 1998 FIFA World Cup leading them to victory in the tournament.

 On this day in 1998, Manchester United played out a 3-3 draw with FC Barcelona in a UEFA Champions League game at Camp Nou. 

 On this day in 2006, Arsenal's poor record at Bolton Wanderers continued as a brace from Nicolas Anelka helped consign them to defeat. Abdoulaye Faye headed Bolton ahead before team-mate Kevin Davies escaped a red card for pushing Emmanuel Eboue. Anelka powered in a 25-yard screamer against his ex-club, who then pulled one back with a Gilberto Silva header. Anelka's double was his first two goals for Bolton. 

On this day in 2016, Wayne Rooney became Manchester United's record European goalscorer as they beat Feyenoord 4-0 to keep their Europa League fate in their hands. The Red Devils captain scored his 39th European goal for the club when he clipped the ball over Brad Jones from Zlatan Ibrahimovic's perfect through ball - with Feyenoord appealing unsuccessfully for offside.

Six of the 10 youngest English players to make their Champions League debut, have done so whilst playing for Arsenal. l Everton's 5-1 loss to Atalanta is the heaviest home defeat suffered by an English side in the Europa League/UEFA Cup since Nottingham Forest in March 1996 (1-5 v Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup). The Toffees have already lost more games in all competitions at Goodison Park this season as they did in the whole of 2016/2017 (4).  However, Sandro Ramirez has now scored his first competitive goal for Everton, on what is his 13th appearance for the club in all competitions.  A narrow 1-0 loss to German side FC Cologne is the 11th away game that Arsenal have lost in all competitions in 2017 – their most in a calendar year since 2010 (also 11). The Gunners have also conceded three penalties in their last five away games in all competitions (vs Watford, Manchester City and FC Koln).   Vitesse Arnhem midfielder Mason Mount (on loan fro...

Yakubu Aiyegbeni is one of the only three teenagers to have scored a hat-trick in the Champions League (19years 306days for Maccabi Haifa v Olympiakos in 2002), alongside Wayne Rooney & Raúl Gonzalez.……

 Happy Birthday to former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Nabil Bentaleb who turns 23 today. He currently plays for German Bundesliga side Schalke 04.    Happy Birthday to former AZ Alkmaar, NEC Nijmegen, Dynamo Kyiv and Fenerbahçe winger Jeremain Marciano Lens who turns 30 today. He currently plays for Beşiktaş(on-loan from Sunderland).  Happy Birthday to former Manchester City, Norwich City, Leicester City, Crewe Alexandra, Derby County, Barnsley, Bradford City and Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers forward Ashley Stuart Ward who turns 47 today.   Happy Birthday to former Crewe Alexandra, Norwich City and West Ham United striker Dean Ashton who turns 34 today.   Happy Birthday to former Bloemfontein Young Tigers, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Cardiff City midfielder Kagisho Evidence Dikgacoi who turns 33 today. He is currently a free agent after he was released in June by South African Premier Soccer League side Lamontville Go...

Brazilian footballer Robson de Souza commonly known as Robinho has been sentenced to nine years in prison for taking part in the gang rape of a woman in Milan in 2013. An Italian court ruled the 33-year-old and five other Brazilians assaulted the Albanian woman, who was 22, after plying her with alcohol in a nightclub. The forward, who left AC Milan in 2015 after five years, was not in court but pleaded not guilty via his lawyer. The sentence will be put on hold until the appeals process is completed. Robinho, capped 100 times by his country, spent two years at Manchester City and currently plays for Atletico Mineiro in Brazil.

 Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar Junior has been involved in 15 goals (seven goals, eight assists) in only six Champions League matches against Celtic, averaging a goal involvement every 35 minutes. After scoring a double in an eventual 7-1 win over Celtic, The 25-year-old is now the second player to score in each of the first five group games of a Champions league season in the current format (since 2003/2004), after Cristiano Ronaldo who also did it this season.   After playing out a 0-0 draw at Juventus yesterday, Barcelona have now recorded goalless draws in back-to-back games in Champions League for the first time ever.   A 7-1 win over Scottish Premiership side Celtic means, French Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain have scored more goals (24)  in a single Champions League group stage than any other side ever.      A narrow 1-0 win over Manchester United yesterday means no English side has ever managed to k...