data-mm-id=”_x8wdz3yis”>The top-seed Los Angeles Lakers did the thinkable on Saturday night when they eliminated the eight-seed Portland Trail Blazers from the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Lakers won four consecutive games in such a convincing manner that the outcome seemed incredibly obvious from the start. And yet…From the minute it looked like the Blazers would make a run at the final spot in the Western Conference, people were coming forward to proclaim them a huge obstacle for the Lakers. Charles Barkley said the Blazers could / would beat the Lakers before the season even resumed. And he wasn't alone. As the Blazers blazed through the seeding games, beating the Grizzlies and taking Game 1 of the Lakers series, the Portland bandwagon filled up quickly with no regard for social distancing. The underdog Lakers pull off the upset! pic.twitter.com/T9UKRDFFIm— pickuphoop (@pickuphoop) August 30, 2020Even generally brilliant minds were briefly swayed by the small sample size of a negative Game 1 result for the Lakers. And then 48 hours later most people had snapped back to reality. Anthony Davis dominated Game 2, the Lakers cruised in Games 3 and 4 and Damian Lillard got hurt and went home, leaving the longshots shorthanded as the Lakers completed the gentleman's sweep on Saturday night. So what were we all thinking? The Bucks dropping Game 1 of their series with the Magic was met with laughter, but no one was saying Orlando had a shot against the best team in the league. And there certainly weren't any people predicting the Hornets or Wizards were going to beat the Bucks back in June when they were on the outside looking in.What is it about the possibility of LeBron James failing that causes generally reasonable people to lose their minds and prognosticate the impossible? Is it because every misstep is more ammunition for the Michael Jordan debate? Yeah, probably. Deep down LeBron has been threatening one of the few things in this world that most people believed to be true – Jordan is the best ever. Whether LeBron is actually better or not is beside the point. His very existence is a threat that must be constantly mitigated. It doesn't matter who won the series, just saying they would lose for a month puts the thought in the back of people's heads that he almost did, even if he didn't. Sure, you end up looking dumb, but in the end, who was the one who really got owned the hardest?
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Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi cast doubt over the club s determination to not sell Moises Caicedo despite labelling the player s transfer plea a mistake .
Reports earlier this week suggested Arsenal had a £60million bid for the Ecuador international rejected by Brighton.
Caicedo responded by announcing his desire to leave in a post on social media, calling it a magnificent opportunity without specifically mentioning Arsenal.
The 21-year-old has since been told to take time away from the club while there is uncertainty surrounding his future, meaning he was unavailable for Sunday s FA Cup clash with Liverpool.
It was ahead of Sunday s game when De Zerbi was asked about the latest on the Caicedo saga, and the Italian could not offer …
Oh, I say, what a return!
The Premier League offered rich drama on the opening weekend of the 2021-22 season, with Brentford stunning Arsenal, Manchester United thrashing Leeds United 5-1, and Tottenham getting the better of champions Manchester City.
Games come thick and fast again, with Liverpool tackling Burnley in Saturday s first clash, followed by Manchester City s clash with Norwich City. Sunday sees tasty tussles between Southampton and Manchester United, and Arsenal and Chelsea.
Try our Opta-powered quiz for size before the action gets under way.
Shot stopping brilliance!
Some top saves from the opening weekend of the
— Premier League (@premierleague)
1. Liverpool s Mohamed Salah has scored 98 goals in his 159 Pre…
Virgil van Dijk used to be a little bit too lazy and a little bit arrogant on the pitch but has become one of the world s best defenders, according to Ronald Koeman.
Koeman was Southampton manager when Van Dijk arrived in the Premier League from Celtic in 2015 and also worked with him during his time as head coach of the Netherlands.
The Dutch defender established himself as one of the division s best centre-backs at St Mary s Stadium and in the January transfer window of 2018 completed a £75million move to Liverpool, making him the most expensive defender in the world at the time.
Van Dijk was not dribbled past by a top-flight opponent between March 2018 and August of the following year, while last term he became only the fifth outfield player in Premier Le…
Mikel Arteta admits his Arsenal side needed too many chances to beat Brighton but was pleased with the maturity and intelligence which secured victory at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners returned to winning ways in the Premier League as Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz struck in the second half on an afternoon where Arteta’s side dominated Brighton.
The visitors managed just one shot on target on a tough afternoon for Roberto De Zerbi and his players – while Arsenal had mustered 16 in a goalless first half.
Arsenal eventually found the back of the net as Jesus nodded in from close-range, before a smart Havertz finish secured the points.
“We have great players that can define games and finish actions,” said Arteta.
“Today we needed too many…
Arsenal are interested in signing Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that intermediaries have made contact with Arsenal and have told them that Sesho is available for a move in the middle of the season.
Sesko joined RB Leipzig from RB Salzburg in the summer of 2023. The two clubs had agreed a £20 million deal for the 20-year-old forward back in the summer of 2022. 90min has claimed that Leipzig would be open to selling the Slovenia international forward in the January transfer window if they receive £40 million for him.
The young forward has made two starts and six substitute appearances in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig so far this season, scoring three goals in the process. Sesko has scored one goal in…
Barcelona want to sign Brighton and Hove Albion defender Joel Veltman in the summer transfer window, according to . The report in the Spanish publication has claimed that Veltman, who can operate as a right-back or as a centre-back, is out of contract at Premier League club Brighton at the end of the season, and that La Liga outfit Barcelona want to bring him at Camp Nou on a free transfer.
Veltman has been on the books of Brighton since 2020 when he joined from Ajax. The 31-year-old has been superb for the Seagulls over the years and is one of the best and most important players in the Seagulls’ team.
Brighton are eighth in the Premier League table at the moment with 52 points from 31 matches. Meanwhile, Barcelona currently find themselves at the top of the La Liga…
Cristiano Ronaldo is the symbol of Real Madrid and the heir to club legend Alfredo Di Stefano, according to president Florentino Perez.
Ronaldo was one of Perez s first signings upon his return for a second spell as president in 2009, as his Galacticos philosophy was once again established.
Since then, Ronaldo has gone on to establish himself as one of the greatest players of all time and enjoyed an astonishing career in Madrid, winning everything on offer and claiming four Ballons d Or, adding to the one he won in 2008 with Manchester United.
The records have also tumbled for him at Madrid and he is now the club s leading scorer in LaLiga and across all competitions.
And Perez believes his influence has been like that of Di Stefano, who is regarded as …
Rob Edwards revealed he would have joined critics in writing off Luton’s Premier League survival chances before the start of the season if he had been an outside observer.
The Hatters boss saw his side win for the third time since their top-flight return against Newcastle on Saturday to pull to within two points of 17th-place Nottingham Forest.
It continued an impressive run at Kenilworth Road that in their previous four home games had seen them beat Crystal Palace and take the lead against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City, albeit taking only a single point from those three fixtures.
THAT WAS FOR YOU LOCKS!
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown)
Victory against bottom side Sheffield United on Boxing Day could see them move out of the bottom thre…
Chelsea needed an 89th-minute penalty from substitute Noni Madueke to edge past Crystal Palace 2-1 at Stamford Bridge and climb back into the top half of the Premier League table.
It had looked like being another frustrating home outing for Mauricio Pochettino’s side for most of the second half, after Michael Olise had cancelled out Mykhailo Mudryk’s early goal with a brilliant finish on the half-volley on the stroke of half-time.
Nicolas Jackson missed a superb chance to win it, slotting the ball wide after being set up by Conor Gallagher.
Coming up clutch. |
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC)
But with the game drifting towards what would have been a deserved point for Palace, there was a final twist, Eberechi Eze tripped Madueke as he sought to…
Manchester United return to winning ways as Anthony Martial scored twice in a 4-1 triumph over a generous Newcastle United side at Old Trafford.
Having lost 2-0 to then-bottom Watford last time out, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s side appeared to be suffering a Christmas hangover when they fell behind to Matty Longstaff s 17th-minute opener on Boxing Day.
Manchester United s defence had been given an early reprieve when Dwight Gayle carelessly blazed over when clean through, but Longstaff – scorer of the only goal in the reverse fixture back in early October – made them pay, collecting Joelinton s layoff before angling a low shot beyond David de Gea.
However, any thoughts Steve Bruce may have harboured of completing a league double over his former club had disa…