The Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi
debate is likely to go on and on for long after they’ve both retired,
but some interesting Champions League stats suggest we may finally have
an answer.
While many feel Messi has a slight edge over Ronaldo in the debate at
the moment, the Real Madrid star’s incredible 2016/17 may have elevated
his status slightly among the remaining doubters.
The Portugal forward started last summer by helping his national team
to a surprise victory in Euro 2016, landing him the international
honour that had long eluded him and that continues to elude Messi.
Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored four Champions League final goals (Picture: Getty)
Ronaldo ended the season in unstoppable form (Picture: Getty)
As well as that, the 32-year-old had another prolific season to give
Real Madrid a first title win for five years, though his finest form
surely came as he almost single-handedly dragged the club to another
Champions League win.
Ronaldo came to life in the latter stages of the competition, scoring
hat-tricks in the quarter-final and semi-final wins over Bayern Munich
and Atletico Madrid before netting a superb brace in the 4-1 final
triumph over Juventus.
His numbers this season have given him a big boost in terms of his
overall Champions League knockout record, putting him some distance
ahead of Messi in terms of impact at this stage of what is surely the
most competitive level of world football.
Ronaldo has done it in the biggest games (Picture: AS)
And it seems the gap just gets wider the bigger the games get, with
Ronaldo netting 13 semi-final goals to Messi’s four, and four goals in
finals – twice as many as the Argentine forward.
This won’t settle the debate for everyone of course, but if scoring
so consistently against the best teams in Europe in the most important
games of most clubs’ seasons isn’t enough, then it remains to be seen
what more the former Manchester United star can do to win people over.
Between them, Real Madrid and Barcelona have won six of the last nine
Champions League finals, but some occasional early exits by Barca have
meant Messi has been unable to add to his record later in the
competition.
Reports: Five Players Want CR7 To Leave Real
Reports: Five Players Want Cristiano Ronaldo To Leave Real Madrid
It has been reported that these five players would be pleased if superstar Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid this off-season.
Ronaldo recently threatened to leave Los Blancos, according to Spanish
media, as it was speculated he is unhappy with the treatment he receives
in Spain.
The Portuguese's goalscoring instinct helped Real win the La Liga and
UEFA Champions League titles last season, but the mood in Ronaldo's camp
has changed dramatically.
The 32-year-old has been heavily linked with a return to Manchester
United, while Paris Saint-Germain are also believed to have offered the
player a huge contract.
Ronaldo was accused of tax evasion by Spanish authorities recently,
which is also said to have added to his unhappiness at Real.
According to Don Balon, several players at Real would welcome a
Ronaldo exit: Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Alvaro Morata, Marco Asensio
and Luka Modric.
The report claimed that Ronaldo leaving Real could benefit a few of
these players, but none more so than Bale, who is believed to want a
greater role under Zinedine Zidane.
Thursday, 22 June 2017
Liverpool must keep spending in order to continue their upward progress
Once the signing of Mohamed Salah is complete, Liverpool Football
Club can finally bury an albatross. The Egypt international's expected
£39 million fee surpasses the club's previous record payout, the £35m
paid out to Newcastle United in January 2011 for Andy Carroll.
Carroll,
sold at a £20m loss to West Ham just 30 months later, became symbolic
of the transfer-dealing naivety of owners FSG, who'd been in charge of
the club for just a few weeks when doing that deal. They eventually made
a £50m profit on Luis Suarez, whom they signed the same week as
Carroll, and sold Raheem Sterling to Manchester City for £49m in the
summer of 2015, among other deals, but the transfer market has been a
cruel mistress throughout FSG's stewardsh
Salah's signing will take FSG's outlay beyond £500m at a club still
bearing the scars of the "transfer committee" era, when expensive deals
for the likes of Mario Balotelli, Christian Benteke and Lazar Markovic
went sour during Brendan Rodgers' reign.
Last summer, with Jurgen
Klopp given a far greater say than his predecessor, Liverpool largely
got it right: Southampton's Sadio Mane (his fee £1m short of that
Carroll fee) was the biggest hit of a haul that also included Joel Matip
on a free from Schalke and Georginio Wijnaldum, a £25m signing from
Newcastle who scored the crucial first goal in the 3-0 final-day defeat
of Middlesbrough that qualified the club for the
Champions League.
A
year on, and even though the window is not yet technically open, the
market is proving rather more difficult. Before the lengthy process of
landing Salah came the Virgil van Dijk affair, where Liverpool's apology to Southampton
over an inappropriate approach to the Dutch defender betrayed fears of
serious censure from the authorities. The club is already seeing out an
academy transfer ban imposed in April after an illegal approach to a
12-year-old Stoke City player.
Peter Moore, the former Electronic
Arts exec who became Liverpool's CEO on Jun. 1, has found it tough going
so far at least in transfer terms. After last season's objective of
returning to the Champions League for the first time since 2014 was
completed, this summer's dealings need to be as good as those in the
summer of 2016 in order to keep fans happy and continue the upward
trajectory.
"The talks we've had so far are very positive," said Klopp in April
of prospective summer targets. "That doesn't mean it will all work out,
but they are really positive and they all see the progress. That's
good."
The fruits of those preliminary discussions so far are
Salah and the opportunistic addition of Chelsea contract rebel Dominic
Solanke, still just 19. There have been links with Monaco's Kylian
Mbappe and Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang since the end
of the season but both players are beyond Liverpool's reach, while the
talk has gone dead on a move for Barcelona midfielder Rafinha.
It's
clear that some squad refreshment and reinforcement is required given
that Klopp's team almost crawled over the line. The dynamism before 2016
turned to 2017 became a memory as Liverpool withdrew from competing for
the title towards protecting their top-four place. Mane, first when
playing at the African Cup of Nations for Senegal in January and then
after a knee injury in April, was sorely missed whenever absent, to help
explains the eagerness to pay that high price for Salah.
The
winger's speed off the flanks can add another dimension to an attack
that laboured, especially at Anfield, where opponents eventually learned
to sit sat deep, frustrating and preventing the counterattacks that are
usually the prime weapon of a Klopp-led team.
Depth is badly
required in other departments, too, judging by the substitutes' bench in
the closing weeks of the season. Ben Woodburn, Marko Grujic and Trent
Alexander-Arnold are promising talents who may well be stars of the
future but should Klopp's squad negotiate a tricky playoff round in
August, they'll be fighting on the dual-priority fronts of Premier
League and Champions League.
Greater
experience is required. Their move for Van Dijk betrayed Klopp's desire
to land a centre-back of poise and top-level capability, but the rarity
of such players means they often go to auction to the highest bidder. A
willingness to paying heavy prices would take Liverpool into fresh
territory, since FSG have previously proved reluctant to compete with
the heavy spending of the two Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Arsenal, who
now habitually breach the £35m-and-over bracket that Liverpool had not
broken post-Carroll. Salah's price appears high for a player who
previously struggled in English football during an 18-month spell at
Chelsea, but is now the going rate for Premier League elite clubs buying
talent from the continent.
As transfer prices increase, there
become fewer shortcuts. To follow last year's smart, successful
dealings, Liverpool's owners must now dig deep.
Oscar given eight-match ban for inciting Chinese Super League brawl
Former Chelsea midfielder Oscar has been given an eight-match ban and
a fine by Chinese football authorities after he was judged to have
instigated a mass brawl in Shanghai SIPG's draw with Guangzhou R&F on Sunday.
Oscar,
25, has also been fined 40,000 RMB (£4,623.50) in a move that will
deprive Andre Villas-Boas of the services of the player until mid-August
as the Chinese Football Association seeks to protect the reputation of
the country's premier domestic competition.
"According to the
referee's report, video evidence and a written explanation from the
parties involved, when the game reached the 45+2 minute SIPG player
Oscar offended opposing players in an immoral manner, leading to a
massive brawl which has had a very bad influence on the Chinese Super
League's reputation," an official statement said.
The incident involving Oscar started after referee Zhou Gang had
allowed Hulk's equaliser to stand despite protests from the Guangzhou
players that he was offside when he received Oscar's pass.
Soon
after the restart, Oscar twice kicked the ball into R&F players,
sparking a melee that ended with Guangzhou's Li Tixiang and Fu Huan of
Shanghai being sent off.
Oscar joined SIPG from Chelsea in January
as the club broke the Asian transfer record to sign the Brazil
international for €60m, breaking the record they had set the previous
June to purchase Hulk from Zenit St Petersburg.
Oscar's ban is
the second time this season the Chinese Football Association has
punished a player who has made international headlines for indiscipline.
Shanghai Shenhua's Qin Sheng was banned for six months in March for stamping on the foot of Tianjin Quanjian's Belgium international Axel Witsel in a game broadcast internationally.
Wednesday, 21 June 2017
Cheick Tiote laid to rest in Ivory Coast funeral
Last Updated: 19/06/17 6:18am
Pallbearers carry the coffin of football star Cheick Tiote during his funeral
Cheick Tiote was laid to rest in the Ivory Coast on Sunday following his sudden death in China earlier this month.
Former Newcastle midfielder Tiote moved to China in February
to play for second division side Beijing Enterprises and was training
with his club when he collapsed and passed away after emergency
treatment at the age of 30.
Tiote, a 52-time capped Ivory Coast
international who featured at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, was honoured
with a military funeral at the Williamsville cemetery in Abidjan where
hundreds of people gathered to mourn.
Ivory coast forward Wilfried Bony attends the arrival of the casket
Full military honours were bestowed on Tiote at the funeral service,
which was attended by prime minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly as well as
several members of the government, Ivorian football federation officials
and players.
Tiote's coffin was draped in the country's orange,
white and green national flag before being taken to a mosque in the
upmarket district of Riviera Golf where prayers were held.
"It's a
huge loss for Ivorian and African football," said former national team
goalkeeper Boubacar Barry, who played with Tiote in the victorious 2015
Africa Cup of Nations side.
Tiote was honoured with a military funeral
"It's a big loss because he was such a warrior on the pitch. On
behalf of all the footballers here, I present my condolences to his
family and his friends. Thank you Tiote, thank you."
Tiote began
his European club career with Belgian outfit Anderlecht and had a loan
spell at Roda JC Kerkrade before moving to FC Twente in 2008.
He
signed for Newcastle in 2010 and made 156 appearances for the club,
becoming a firm favourite with fans over his six years in England.
Cheick Tiote's family will battle for share of tragic footballer's £10million fortune
The
former Newcastle United star is not believed to have left a will and
leaves behind two wives, a mistress and around 50 siblings
He wed second wife Laeticia Doukrou in a traditional ceremony in his
native Ivory Coast in 2014. His father was also a polygamist, and had
eight wives. Tiote was one of nine full brothers and sisters born to the
same mum. Cheick also had dozens of half brothers and sisters.
The former £60,000-a-week midfielder also had a three-year-old child with Zimbabwean Nkosiphile Mpofu, 33, also known as Nikki.
Now, his fortune and assets may have to shared between his surviving relatives by his legal representatives.
A source close to the player, who earned around £14million during his
time in English football before his lucrative move to China in
February, said: “Cheick died so young. I would be shocked if he had a
will at 30. He was one of nine children, and he had about 50 half
brothers and sisters.
“He was very generous during his lifetime, and he would send a lot of money back home for his family.
“But it is hard to know how his assets will be sorted between his surviving wives, children and other relatives.”
Tiote’s body was flown back to the Ivory Coast for his funeral after
current and former team-mates gathered for an emotional memorial service
in China.
Ex-Newcastle Utd team-mate Papiss Cisse wept at the ceremony in Beijing, before Tiote’s body was taken back to Ivory Coast ahead of a private funeral.
“I lived some extraordinary moments with this man and now he is
gone,” said Senegal striker Cisse, who spent four years at Newcastle
with Tiote.
“He was like a brother. We shared a lot in life. His family was my family.”
Relatives of the Beijing Enterprises star, and his agent Emanuele
Palladino, flew out to China following the shock announcement of his
collapse on June 4.
His death sent shock-waves around the
football world and prompted a tide of tributes, notably from managers
Steve McClaren and Alan Pardew.
Mr Palladino said: “There is increasing speculation regarding the
circumstances and reasons behind Cheick Tiote’s death, with many
inaccuracies being printed on this subject. This has been upsetting for
Cheick’s family and all parties involved at what is already a difficult
time.
“We appreciate Cheick was a much-loved personality. His
club Beijing Enterprises are being co-operative at this time, and when
we have official information surrounding his death we will give a
statement on behalf of his family.
“Until then we cannot comment further, however we thank you for all
your continued support and well wishes.”
He declined to comment on whether Tiote left a will, saying it was a ‘private’ matter.
Washington (CNN)Think
"Trump orbit" in a recreational sense, and it's likely golf or gilded
interiors come to mind -- a vision of uber-comfortable playgrounds
replete with ribeye steaks and crystal chandeliers.
Rustic?
Not so much. But this weekend, President Donald Trump, first lady
Melania Trump and presumably 11-year-old Barron are testing the woodsy
digs at Camp David, the rural presidential getaway deep in the mountains
of Maryland. It will be the President's first trip to Camp David, and
his first weekend overnight trip away from the White House not at a
Trump-named property.
It's
an unusual decision for the President, who is widely known as someone
who doesn't like to disrupt his daily routine or spend weekends anywhere
except at Trump-branded properties.
More
to the point on this weekend's overnighter, the President appears to
have a predisposed opinion of Camp David, which he shared with a
European journalist shortly before he was sworn in.
"Camp David is very rustic. It's nice, you'd like it," he quipped. "You know how long you'd like it? For about 30 minutes."
But others speak of the presidential retreat more kindly.
"It's
a place they can let their hair down and relax," says Marti Mongiello,
who in the 1990s worked as a chef and manager at Camp David, which is
located near the tiny town of Thurmont, Maryland. "There aren't people
waiting to take pictures. If they want to walk and feel alone in the
woods, they can do that."
Mongiello,
a colorful figure who now runs a small North Carolina inn which is also
home to the Presidential Culinary Museum, served the Clintons during
his tenure. He says he is familiar with Trump's eating habits as well,
having consulted on a handful of Trump property restaurants.
"If
and when they are at Camp David, the place will be stocked with his
favorites, those Keebler Vienna Fingers cookies, and better have the
Lay's potato chips," he said, adding that the Secret Service will also
have probably checked out the nearest Kentucky Fried Chicken locations,
just in case POTUS gets a craving. "You have to figure that out. They'll
map, know, target and analyze how to get in and get out of at least
three locations," he said, adding that staff got used to fast food runs
during Bill Clinton's visits.
(For
the record, there's a KFC in Thurmont that's open until midnight on
Saturdays, and one just over the border in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania,
about a 25-minute drive from Camp David.)
Outside
of easy access to fried chicken, Trump could also get to know Camp
David for its security purposes; it's a fully activated government safe
zone, just a 20-minute Marine One helicopter ride from the South Lawn of
the White House.
"There's
a great element of secrecy," Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird told CNN in
March. "But, I like to say, it doesn't really affect the residents. The
President comes and goes and we don't ever really know about it."
Trump, a lover of pomp and circumstance who craves the roar of a crowd, probably won't like that part much either.
And then there's the mice.
"You're
in the woods, on top of a mountain, so if you see a mouse in the house,
don't lose your mind," Mongiello said, recounting one such episode with
first lady Hillary Clinton screaming after seeing a rodent. "The Secret
Service came running," he said.
However,
most first ladies enjoy accompanying their husbands to Camp David,
which has approximately 16 cabins that serve as full-service "houses,"
complete with top-notch amenities and plenty of staff to assist VIP
needs.
There's skeet
shooting, basketball, tennis, horseback riding, rock climbing, a movie
theater, bowling, even laser tag -- not to mention so many hiking trails
that it's easy to get lost.
"Rosalynn
Carter tells a great story about walking, seemingly alone, in the woods
there with her mother, and her mom being alarmed by the sound of leaves
crunching behind them," said Kate Andersen Brower, a CNN contributor
and author of "First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern
First Ladies." "It was Rosalynn's Secret Service agent trailing them. So
even though it's more private, the first family still isn't ever
completely alone."
George W. Bush spent every Christmas as president with his family at Camp David.
"[It]
was like a sanctuary for the Bushes and for a lot of other presidents,"
Anita McBride, first lady Laura Bush's former chief of staff, told CNN.
"George W. and Laura Bush I think had an exceptional relationship with
Camp David because they had spent so much time there. It gave President
Bush an opportunity to relax, to have the outdoors at his feet, to get
on his bike, to ride around, to just have that freedom of movement that
you really don't have when you're living in the White House."
Hiking,
hoops, horses -- not exactly the hobbies of Donald J. Trump. However,
there is golf. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had a one-hole "course"
with multiple tees built outside the Aspen cabin, where most presidents
stay. If that doesn't do the trick, Trump can tee off at the Camp David
driving range, adjacent to the helicopter pad.
Still,
if activities and relaxation aren't his thing, Trump might want to
consider Camp David for work purposes; many presidents have entertained
foreign leaders there.
"He
may not be the kind of person that likes a rustic atmosphere, and
that's what you'll find at Camp David," says Kinnaird. "At some point,
you'll find President Trump at Camp David for whatever reason, whether
it's a family getaway, whether it's a sensitive meeting that they want
to have close to Washington, and it's a nice place to visit. I think
he'll be up here."
This weekend could be the deciding factor. Or it could send Trump back to the gilded confines of a Trump property.
Sunday, 18 June 2017
Donald Trump claims his approval rating is higher than Barack Obama's but data suggests opposite
The President is being investigated for possible obstruction of justice
Donald Trump has claimed his approval rating is higher than that of Barack Obama
– despite the data he is referring to suggesting the opposite is true.
“The new Rasmussen Poll, one of the most accurate in the 2016
election, just out with a Trump 50 per cent approval rating. That’s
higher than O’s #’s!” he wrote in an early morning tweet.
Last week, the President had tweeted an image of a Rasmussen Reports poll that put his approval rating at 50 per cent – the first time it had been above 50 per cent since April.
The new Rasmussen Poll, one of the
most accurate in the 2016 Election, just out with a Trump 50% Approval
Rating.That's higher than O's #'s!
“His approval rating has ranged from a high of 59 per cent
in late January shortly after he took office, to a low of 42 per cent in
early April,” said the polling company.
Donald Trump tried to say ‘Little Havana’ and people were disturbed
On Sunday, Mr Trump sought to double down on the positive news by
claiming his numbers were higher than those of his predecessor, Barack
Obama.
However, data from the same polling company
suggests that is not true. Mr Obama entered office on 20 January 2009
with an approval rating of 67 per cent. At this same stage of his
presidency, his rating had slipped to 55 per cent, a level that was
still a clear five points higher than that of Mr Trump.
Mr Obama’s lowest approval rating, as measured by Rasmussen, was in June
2010 when it fell to 42 per cent. His final score, on 17 January 2017,
was 62 per cent.
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16 April 2017 (UTC).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 November 2016 (UTC)
Victor Moses (born 12 December 1990) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a winger or wing-back on either flank for Premier League club Chelsea and the Nigeria national team.
Moses began his career in the Championship with Crystal Palace, before his performances caught the eye of Wigan Athletic, where he made his Premier League
debut in 2010. After two years, his game had improved to the extent
that European champions Chelsea were interested, and he signed for them
in the summer of 2012. Despite ten goals in all competitions during his
first season, he spent his second season on loan to Liverpool, his third on loan at Stoke City and his fourth on loan at West Ham United.
Born in Nigeria, Moses represented England at under-16, under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels, but opted to play for Nigeria
as opposed to being fully capped for England. He has gained over 20
caps for Nigeria since his debut in 2012, and played in their winning
campaign at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, as well as the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Club career
Early life
Moses was born in Lagos, Nigeria,[1] the son of a Christian pastor. When he was 11, his parents were killed.[3] A week later, with his travel being paid for by relatives, Moses went to Britain as an asylum seeker.[4] He attended Stanley Technical High School (now known as the Harris Academy) in South Norwood. Scouted playing football in the local Tandridge League for Cosmos 90 FC, Crystal Palace approached him, with the club's Selhurst Park stadium just streets away from his school.[4]
Offered a place in the Eagles' academy, Palace recommended him to the fee-paying Whitgift School in Croydon, where former Arsenal and Chelsea star Colin Pates was coaching the school football team.[4]
Moses first came to prominence at 14 after scoring 50 goals for
Palace's under-14s side. Playing for three years at both Whitgift and
Palace, Moses scored over 100 goals as well as helping Whitgift win many
School Cups, including a National Cup where Moses scored all five goals
in the final against Healing School of Grimsby at the Walkers Stadium, Leicester.[5]
Crystal Palace
Moses with Crystal Palace in 2009
Moses made his first team debut for Palace at the age of 16 on 6 November 2007 in a 1–1 draw with Cardiff City.[6] He kept his place in the side thereafter and scored his first senior goal on 12 March 2008 in a 1–1 draw with West Bromwich Albion.[7] In total, Moses played 16 times in 2007–08 as Palace reached the Championship play-offs where they lost out to Bristol City.[8] At the end of the season, he signed a new contract at Selhurst Park, much to delight of manager Neil Warnock,
who stated, "Victor signing is a huge coup for the club; I've told
Victor he could go as high as he wants. He's improving every day and I
am delighted that he has signed this deal as he is a player who will go
from strength to strength."[9]
Moses score twice in 32 appearances in 2008–09 as Palace had a disappointing campaign, finishing in 15th position.[10] In 2009–10,
Moses went on a run of six goals in eight matches but Palace were
suffering huge financial problems and the club went into administration
in January 2010.[11]
Wigan Athletic
On the final day of January 2010, he completed a £2.5 million transfer to Premier League side Wigan Athletic after Palace went into administration.[12] He made his debut on 6 February 2010 as a substitute against Sunderland in a 1–1 draw.[13] On 20 March 2010, Moses came on as a substitute against Burnley and got his first assist for the club, setting up Hugo Rodallega for an injury time winner.[14] He scored his first goal for Wigan on 3 May 2010 against Hull City.[15]
Moses picked up two injuries at the start of the 2010–11 season,[16]
and found it difficult to make it back into the first-team due to
increased competition for places. He scored his first league goal of the
season on 13 November 2010 in a 1–0 win against West Bromwich Albion.[17]
Following the departure of winger Charles N'Zogbia, Moses became a regular starter for Wigan in the 2011–12 season.
On 10 December 2011, he scored his first goal of the season against
West Brom – his first goal since scoring against the same team last
season.
On 23 August 2012, Wigan accepted a fifth bid from Chelsea
after they finally met Wigan's asking price after four previously
unsuccessful bids. The player was given permission to speak with
Chelsea.[18] On 24 August, Chelsea announced that the transfer of Moses had been completed.[19] Moses played his first game for Chelsea when he appeared as a substitute against West London rivals Queens Park Rangers on 15 September.[20]
Moses made his full debut for Chelsea when he started the League Cup game against Wolverhampton Wanderers and scored his first goal after 71 minutes in a game that finished 6–0 to the Blues.[21] Moses started his first Champions League game against Nordsjælland. On 31 October, Moses was named Man of the Match against Manchester United in the League Cup, a game Chelsea won 5–4.[22]
On 3 November 2012, Moses scored his first Premier League goal for Chelsea in the match against Swansea City, which ended in a 1–1 draw.[23] Four days later, he scored his first Champions League goal for Chelsea against Shakhtar Donetsk; Moses replaced Oscar in the 79th minute and went on to head in Juan Mata's corner with seconds left to secure a 3–2 win.[24]
On 5 January 2013, Moses opened his scoring tally for the year with a
powerful drive into the bottom corner whilst playing in the FA Cup Third Round against Southampton, as Chelsea came from 1–0 behind to beat the Saints 1–5.[25]
Moses scored his first Europa League goal for Chelsea in a 3–1 home win against Rubin Kazan,[26] and then his second in the reverse fixture a week later.[27] He continued his fine form in the competition by scoring his side's first goal in the 1–2 away win at Basel on 25 April.[28] He also scored in the reverse match against Basel when the Blues won 3–1 at home and secured their participation in the Europa League Final,[29] a match in which Moses did not feature but the Blues nonetheless won 2–1 against Benfica in Amsterdam on 15 May.[30]
2013–14 season: Loan to Liverpool
On 2 September 2013, Moses signed for Liverpool on a season-long loan deal.[31] He scored on his debut on 16 September against Swansea City in a 2–2 draw.[32] On 25 January 2014, he scored the first goal of a 2–0 victory against Bournemouth in the fourth round of the FA Cup.[33] Due to the form of Raheem Sterling during the 2013–14 season, Moses found opportunities hard to come by under Brendan Rodgers, playing 22 games of which only nine were starts.[34]
2014–15 season: Loan to Stoke City
On 16 August 2014, Moses joined Stoke City on loan for the 2014–15 season.[35] He made his Premier League debut for Stoke City on 30 August in a 1–0 win away at Manchester City.[36] In Stoke's 1–0 win over Newcastle United on 29 September, Moses provided the assist for the lone goal scored by Peter Crouch and was voted Man of the Match for his performance.[37] On 19 October, in a 2–1 win against Swansea City, Moses won a penalty after going down under a challenge from Àngel Rangel; after the match, Swansea manager Garry Monk claimed that Moses dived.[38][39]Match of the Day 2 pundit John Hartson also claimed Moses had cheated, but later apologised to Moses for his comments.[40] Moses scored his first goal for Stoke on 1 November in a 2–2 draw with West Ham United.[41] He suffered a thigh injury against Burnley on 22 November which ruled him out for eight weeks.[42] On 17 January 2015, Moses returned to the starting line-up against Leicester City, which ended in a 1–0 win for Stoke.[43] On 21 February, Moses scored a 90th-minute penalty to earn Stoke a 2–1 victory over Midlands rivals Aston Villa at Villa Park.[44] He also scored in a 2–0 victory over Everton on 4 March.[45]
With André Schürrle and Mohamed Salah leaving on a permanent basis and on loan, respectively, it was announced that Chelsea manager José Mourinho attempted to recall Moses back from Stoke mid-season, only for the winger to reject the move back.[46] Moses suffered a hamstring injury whilst playing against West Ham on 11 April, which ruled him out for the rest of the season.[47]
2015–16 season
After
a successful season on loan with Stoke, Moses returned to the Blues and
made appearances in all four of the preseason games and scored once,
against Paris Saint-Germain F.C..[48] Moses made his first competitive appearance since the return on 2 August 2015 against Arsenal for the Community Shield when he replaced John Terry in the 82nd minute. The match ended with Chelsea losing 1–0.[49] Moses was also included on the bench during the first game of the season against Swansea City, although he did not make an appearance as Chelsea drew 2–2.[50]
Loan to West Ham United
On 1 September 2015, Moses joined West Ham United on a season-long loan.[51] Before joining West Ham United on loan, Moses signed a new four-year contract, which will keep him at Chelsea until 2019.[52] Moses made his West Ham debut on 14 September in a 2–0 home win against Newcastle United, where he was named Man of the Match.[53] In his second game, on 19 September away against Manchester City, Moses scored his only West Ham goal, in a 1–2 win.[54] On 5 December, during the match against Manchester United, Moses suffered a hamstring injury that ruled him out until February.[55]
Moses with Chelsea in 2017
In April, it was revealed that the loan deal also had an option to
make the move permanent at the end of the season, but West Ham decided
to turn down the option.[56]
2016–17 season: Return to Chelsea
After impressing new manager Antonio Conte
during preseason, Moses was included in the first-team squad. On 15
August 2016, Moses played his first league game for Chelsea in three
years, coming off the bench for Eden Hazard against West Ham United in a 2–1 win.[57] On 23 August, Moses made his first start and scored his first goal since his return, in the Second round of the EFL Cup against Bristol Rovers in a 3–2 victory.[58]
After back to back league defeats, Conte converted into a 3–4–3 formation with Moses playing as a right-sided wing-back in the following match against Hull City. His performance as a wing-back helped Chelsea to a 2–0 victory and also earned him the Man of the Match.[59] On 15 October 2016, Moses scored his second league goal of the season against Leicester City in a 3–0 home win.[60] On 26 November 2016, Moses scored the winner in a 2–1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur and was named the Man of the Match.[61] Moses played 40 games in all competitions for Chelsea in the 2016-17 season, scoring four goals.[62]
With Chelsea winning the Premier League title, Moses became the
Nigerian player with the most Premier League appearances for a title
winning team.[63] On 27 May 2017, he played in the 2017 FA Cup Final against Arsenal which Chelsea lost 2–1. Having been booked for a foul on Danny Welbeck he was given a second booking, resulting in a red card, after diving in the penalty area. He became the fifth player to be sent off in an FA Cup final.[64]
International career
England
U-16 and U-17 level
Despite originally hailing from Lagos, Nigeria, Moses initially chose to represent his adopted home of England, featuring for the under-16 team, in which he won the Victory Shield in 2005, and under-17 level. He travelled with the squad to the 2007 UEFA European U-17 Championship in Belgium, scoring three times (including the only goal in the semi-final win over France) to help John Peacock's side to the competition final, where they were narrowly beaten by a single goal by Spain, though Moses managed to finish as the competition's top scorer and collect the Golden Boot for doing so.
That same summer, the squad travelled to South Korea for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Moses finished as the Young Lions' top scorer, netting three times in the Group B fixtures, but sustained an injury in the victory over Brazil that ruled him out of the competition. Moses' teammates went on to reach the quarterfinal stage.
U-19s
Following that tournament, Moses was promoted to the under-18 squad, and following his goalscoring exploits for Crystal Palace's first-team, he was promoted to the under-19 side without appearing sufficiently for the U-18s to actually collect a cap. He went with the U-19s to the 2008 UEFA European U-19 Championship in the Czech Republic, playing two matches and picking up one assist as the Young Lions failed to make it out of Group B. Speculation grew as manager Stuart Pearce snubbed him that Moses would return to play for Nigeria in the 2010 FIFA World Cup—this move never materialised.
U-21s
Moses was promoted to the under-21 squad at the beginning of the 2010–11 season and made his debut against Uzbekistan in a 2–0 win.[65]
Nigeria
Moses was selected to play for Nigeria against Guatemala in February 2011, but the friendly was cancelled.[66] He then accepted a call-up in March 2011 for Nigeria's games against Ethiopia and Kenya.[67] However, he was ruled out of those games because his application to FIFA to switch nationalities was not received in time. It was announced on 1 November 2011 that FIFA had cleared both Moses and Shola Ameobi to play for Nigeria.[68] Moses was called up to Nigeria's 23-man squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations,
scoring two penalties in their final group stage game against Ethiopia,
which Nigeria needed to win to go through. For the second, Ethiopian
goalkeeper Sisay Bancha
was given his second booking in the events leading to the penalty and
was sent off. Ethiopia had already used all three substitutes so their
holding midfielder went in goal, and missed Moses' penalty. The game
ended 2–0. Nigeria went on to win the tournament, their third such
title. Moses started in the final and played the entire game.[69]
Moses was selected for Nigeria's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and started in their opening group match and the Round of 16 match against France as they lost 2–0.
Upon Gernot Rohr's assumption as Nigeria's head coach in August 2016, Moses featured regularly in the FIFA 2018 qualifying matches.[70] Moses scored a brace for Nigeria during a FIFA 2018 qualifying match against Algeria in November 2016, helping them secure a 3–1 victory.[71]
Personal life
Moses grew up supporting Arsenal.[72] He has a son, Brentley, (born 2012) and a daughter, Nyah, (born 2015).[73][74]
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