SPORT : Chelsea vs Aston Villa , Lampard’s squad for EPL clash confirmed

 

Chelsea boss, Frank Lampard, has named the Blues’ squad to tackle Aston Villa in today’s Premier League fixture.

According to Football London, Lampard has released a 26-man list to face West Ham at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea head to the game after losing 3-1 against Arsenal in their previous Premier League encounter on Boxing Day.

Chelsea is currently in the 8th position on the Premier League table with 25 points from 15 matches.

Chelsea’s full squad against Aston Villa:

Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Willy Caballero and Karlo Ziger.

Defenders: Cesar Azpilicueta, Reece James, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori, Marcos Alonso, Ben Chilwell and Emerson Palmieri.

Midfielders: N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Billy Gilmour, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Faustino Anjorin, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic.

Strikers: Tammy Abraham, Timo Werner and Olivier Giroud.

The kick-off time for the game is 6: 30pm, Nigerian time.

SPORT : Aguero to possibly return as Manchester City meets Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton

 Everton welcomes Manchester City at home in one of the star matches of the Premier League this week.

The Citizens would come into the match after winning three games in a row while Everton will be looking to make it five straight wins in the Premier League.

It will be a managerial tussle between two of the best coaches in the world. Guardiola may not have to rotate his side who secured the 2-0 win against Newcastle at home as things stand.

Joao Cancelo was largely the best player in the victory over Newcastle United and he could continue at right-back since Kyle Walker is out of the side due to Coronavirus.

Benjamin Mendy would come in to form a back four while John Stones and Ruben Dias could feature in the central defence.

Eric Garcia is absent, in midfield, Rodri played a part for the last half-hour against Newcastle and could start though Fernandinho may replace Ikay Gundogan in the team.

Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling could be available, while Riyad Mahrez could come in for Bernard Silva.

The major focus ahead of this match is Sergio Aguero. The former Atletico Madrid striker came on from the substitute bench against Newcastle United. But he could make his first League start for two months when they play against the home side, Everton.

Gabriel Jesus is unavailable for this one due to Coronavirus.

Manchester City’s predicted eleven against Everton

Ederson; Joao Cancelo, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Benjamin Mendy; Rodri, Fernandinho; Riyad Mahrez, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling; Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero.

SPORT : Lampard could rotate his squad against Londoners, Aston Villa

 Chelsea would be aiming for a win against Aston Villa when both sides meet on Monday after losing 3-1 against Arsenal on Boxing Day.

The Blues have now lost three of their last four outings in the English topflight and their quest for the title is at risk ahead of the home fixture against Villa.

Lampard is supposed to ring changes to the Chelsea side that lost against Arsenal as it would barely be only 2 days before facing Londoners Aston Villa.

Goaltender, Edouard Mendy is expected to keep his spot but the Blues could field an entire changed defence line. Full-back pair of Ben Chilwell and Reece James was 

struggling with fitness concerns prior to the Arsenal game. So Emerson Palmieri and Cesar Azpilicueta could come in for both pair respectively.

Kurt Zouma and Thiago Silva should be given a break, meaning Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger could come in as their replacement.

In the centre of the park, the only player that could start is N’Golo Kante. Though Jorginho could pick a spot as the deep-lying playmaker not minding his penalty miss against Arsenal.

German playmaker Kai Havertz may also be given another to redeem himself regardless of his poor start to the season.

In the attack, Olivier Giroud would come in for Tammy Abraham while Frank Lampard has relatively confirmed that Callum Hudson-Odoi will start against Villa.

On the opposite wing, Christian Pulisic or Timo Werner may be given a run in the side. Hakim Ziyech is back but will likely start from the bench.

Chelsea’s predicted line-up against Aston Villa

Edouard Mendy; Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Emerson Palmieri; Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Kai Havertz; Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Olivier Giroud.

ENTERTAINMENT : Lin Qi, billionaire Netflix producer dead after alleged poisoning

 

Lin Qi, Chairman of Yoozoo Games and a Netflix producer is dead.

He passed away after days of illness reportedly caused by a poisoned tea.

The Chinese billionaire, 39, created Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming game.

In 2015, Yoozoo Group purchased the rights to Chinese sci-fi trilogy, The Three Body Problem.

In September, Netflix announced it would adapt the books into an English series with Game of Thrones creators, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.

Shanghai police have detained a man for the alleged poisoning. Local media identified the suspect as Lin’s colleague, Xu Yao.

Lin founded Yoozoo in 2009. Hurun China Rich List puts his net worth around 6.8billion yuan.

“Goodbye youth. We will be together, continue to be kind, continue to believe in goodness, and continue the fight against all that is bad”, the company said in a statement.

ENTERTAINMENT : They hate me because my dad is rich – Davido

 Nigerian pop star, Davido has said that the hatred for him in the music industry is because his father is rich.

Davido, who started his music career ten years ago, said this after a fan wrote that artists in the music industry hated him because he was born rich.

The fan wrote: “I agree now the envy is too on this lad. He didn’t ask to be born rich, all he wants to do is make good music and leave a legacy.”

Davido, responding to the comment, said that he has been fighting in the industry for 10 years because he is a rich kid and would not be intimidated to leave.

On his Twitter page, Davido wrote: “Everyone knows this is the truth!!! 10 years I have been fighting this shit! But I swear nobody ‘go see me finish again!’

“I will continue to deliver you guys! TULE!!!!!

Recall that the ‘Fem’ crooner had threatened to leave the music industry after a reported fight with Burna boy in Ghana on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, music producer, Paulo, has appealed to Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boy to reconcile their differences.

Paulo urged the trio to end their fight and advance the African music culture.

ENTERTAINMENT : Davido threatens to quit music after purported fight with Burna Boy

 

Nigerian pop star, Davido, has threatened to leave the music industry.

The ‘Fem’ crooner stated this in a tweet on Monday.

“I go leave this music for una” Davido wrote.

It is the first time he is saying anything after the purported fight with Burna Boy in a Ghanaian nightclub yesterday.

Davido’s comment comes as a music producer, Paulo, appealed to him, Wizkid and Burna Boy to reconcile their differences.

Paulo, in an Instagram post, pleaded with the music superstars to end their fight to advance the Africa music culture.

How 18 medical doctors were kidnapped in Cross River – NMA

 

About 18 members of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Cross River State branch were kidnapped between 2019 and 2020.

The chairman of the association, Dr Innocent Abang, disclosed this while reviewing the activity of the Association to NEWS LAND via phone on Monday.

“I can’t really recall how many doctors were kidnapped in 2020 alone but between 2019 and 2020 we had about 18 doctors and their relatives kidnapped.

“Though we had several unpleasant moments where we had to mourn because of the kidnappings and deaths of our members, we still had great times to praise God for.

“This dastardly act led to psychological trauma in many, one doctor, died in less than six months following the kidnap, another left her specialist training program, others have had to abandon their homes and several others with very unspeakable traumatic experiences.

The Chairman regretted that in most of them, huge ransoms were paid except the last where our colleagues were rescued from the abductors safely and unconditionally released, we applaud the government and the special rescue team for that.

“Why doctors have been the target of kidnapping in Cross River State can only be answered from an angle of guessing because only the kidnappers have the answer to that question.

“But we think it is because Cross River State is largely dominated by civil servants who are poorly remunerated with doctors, on the other hand, appearing to have relatively a better salary which is demonstrated in the cars they drive from loans obtained from cooperative and banks”

“The other group of persons who have better financial muscles like the businessmen and politicians have left or are leaving the state because of the insecurity leaving the doctors who initially stayed back because of the peculiarity of their work.

“However, that’s no longer the case because doctors are also leaving in their numbers seeking better conditions of service and more secured future and environments, hence the massive migration to the US and UK.

“Nigerian government had better stem this tide as many are preparing to move by early next because of poor facilities in our hospitals, lip services paid to provision of PPE even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The federal government has a lot to do to assist the state in handling COVID-19 while the state still has a lot to do to ensure we reduce the rising numbers of positive cases” the Chairman stated.

He said, “For now, the hijack of ENDSARS affected the testing centres in Cross River State leaving only UCTH, isolations centres and waiting bays are needed in the state for effective and result-oriented management of the COVID-19 cases.”