Chris Robshaw Tests The New BMW Designed Mouthguard

Rugby players will be chomping at the bit to get their mouth around the latest innovation in protection from BMW who have developed the ultimate rugby mouth guard which will be rolled out in the lead up to the biggest event in rugby.

 

Chris Robshaw has been key in trialing the brand new RU Series which brings BMW’s car safety technology to the rugby field - essential for someone who has made on average 18 tackles per game during the RBS Six Nations. Watch the video above to see Chris talk about the benefits of the revolutionary new design.

 

These specially modified mouth guards are made entirely from ethylene-propylen-dien rubber, the standard protection in the door seals of all BMW models. This development uses tyre tread technology for extra grip as well as BMW’s signature “kidney grille” between the front incisors acting as an elegant respiration vent.

 

Dr Uwe Gotobekidin, Head of Product Fabrication, said: “We wanted to develop something that could genuinely improve performance and help the face of rugby and we’ve loved getting our teeth into this unique opportunity to collaborate with the sport.  

 

“We understand the importance of marginal gains in improving performance on the pitch and we have employed all our automotive design and engineering skills in delivering this project. We have every confidence it will get the rugby world’s tongues wagging.”

 

Chris Robshaw, Rugby player and chief product tester, said “When BMW asked if it could help improve my performance by developing a new mouth guard, I bit their hand off at the opportunity.

 

“It’s been great to be part of the process to develop something that will contribute to the success of players across the country. Not only will it give me added protection during a match, it will also help protect my smile for the post-match press conference photos.”

Aston Villa Boss Sherwood Enjoys ‘Satisfying’ Win On Return To Tottenham

Tim Sherwood was left to reflect on another “satisfying” triumph Aston Villa manager on Saturday, but getting one over former side Tottenham was not the reason why.

The ex-Spurs boss – where he was axed as head coach at the end of last season – saw his team run out 1-0 winners at White Hart Lane thanks to Christian Benteke’s fifth goal in three games.

After three wins in eight games under their new coach, the Villans - who were in real danger of the drop - now find themselves six points clear of the bottom three.

And while Sherwood was rightfully pleased with taking another step closer to safety, he admits Aston Villa still have work to do to make their Premier League status certain.

When asked if he enjoyed the victory, Sherwood replied: "Yes, but I didn't enjoy it while it was still going on.

"If we hadn't won here today, I wouldn't have enjoyed it [coming back] but it is most satisfying because it is the most important stage of the season.

“It’s obviously satisfying for me, but for Aston Villa first and foremost it’s another three points which we vitally need.

“There is still a lot of hard to be done, but this is a massive step towards survival for the club.

“There were some heroic performances out there today and we’ll need more of them from now until the end of the season.”

On Benteke’s timely return to form, Sherwood added: "He's done well.

"For the whole to team score just 12 goals in 25 games before I came in, there was something wrong. Something wrong with the team behind him, not creating chances. It wasn’t good enough for the strike force we have.

"Benteke - he's prolific. If you give him a chance he will score.

"We are playing it to him a lot earlier, and [Gabriel] Agbonlahor. Keeping them in the game I think is key. It stretches the opposition and I think we saw that today, the Tottenham defence could not settle."

Tottenham lined up with five academy graduates brought through the ranks under Sherwood’s watch at the north London club, including star forward Harry Kane.

He may have been sacked as manager in the summer, but Sherwood revealed he still has a good relationship with key figures at Tottenham, and insists he would not be Villa manager now were it not for the faith put in him by the side.

“This football club has been very good to me, I spent a lot of years here,” he added.

“I respect their decision to let me go and have to thank them because without Tottenham Hotspur, if they hadn’t have let me go, I wouldn’t be Aston Villa manager now.

“I was overwhelmed by the number of well wishes I received from people involved with the club, as well as fans, this week.

“So I think that if they could have lost any game I think it would have been to me today.”

Burnley 0-1 Arsenal: Gunners Win Eight In A Row To Pile Pressure On Leaders Chelsea

Arsenal moved to within four points of leaders Chelsea following a 1-0 win at Burnley.

Their London rivals still have two games in hand, with the Clarets’ relegation rivals QPR up next for Jose Mourinho’s men.

With Leicester beating West Brom earlier in the day, Burnley could have done with a point here, with Sean Dyche’s side two points from safety, but Arsenal controlled the game and did not allow their hosts too many chances.

Laurent Koscielny was at his best in defence as he dealt with the threat of Danny Ings and Sam Vokes well to ensure the Gunners won their eighth game in a row, the only side to have achieved that feat this season.

And they needed just 12 minutes to open the scoring, with Aaron Ramsey smashing the ball into the roof of the net.

Arsenal appeared intent on wearing the home side down before pressing forward again following that early goal and keeper David Ospina was really only tested once in the first 45 minutes when he saved Kieran Trippier’s fierce free-kick.

In the second half, George Boyd missed a golden chance to equalise for Burnley with 20 minutes remaining after great play from Ben Mee, who put the ball through Hector Bellerin’s legs and crossed to his team-mate, but Boyd - from an unmarked position in the centre of the penalty area - completely missed the ball when swinging his boot.

Burnley started pushing for an equaliser in the final ten minutes but Arsenal saw the game out to put pressure on the Blues.

Manchester United Plotting £50million Borussia Dortmund Raid

Manchester United are lining up a double raid for Borussia Dortmund duo Ilkay Gundogan and Mats Hummels during the upcoming summer transfer window.

 

Louis van Gaal is a keen admirer of the duo who have been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford in previous windows.

 

However, according to the latest reports at the Daily Mail the Red Devils are plotting a £50million bid for the pair in the hope of acquiring the experienced internationals this summer.

 

Reports suggest that Gundogan expects to complete a £15million move to Old Trafford at the end of the season while last week reports emerged suggesting that Hummels had said goodbye to his current teammates ahead of an expected move to Old Trafford at the end of the current campaign.

 

Jurgen Klopp’s side have had a season to forget so far, they currently sit in tenth position in the Bundesliga having languished in and around the relegation zone earlier in the campaign. 

 

Hummels joined the club back in 2007 from Bayern Munich, and has won two league titles during his time with Die Borussen.

Gundogan meanwhile has been linked to Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal in recent weeks, however, he has made it no secret that he would be open to move to Manchester.

Arsenal And Liverpool Must Pay £40million Fee To Land 'New Cristiano Ronaldo'

Premier League rivals Liverpool are Arsenal have been told they must pay £40million to land Benfica star Goncalo Guedes.

 

According  to the latest reports at the Daily Express the Premier League rivals will have to stump up a whopping £40million transfer fee in order to secure the signing of the Benfica youngster.

 

The 18-year-old who has been dubbed the new Cristiano Ronaldo has enjoyed a standout season in Portugal for Benfica which has led to interest from a number of Premier League outfits as well as some other European giants.

 

Guedes was set to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign before extending his contract until 2021, but it is believed that Benfica inserted a £40m release clause into the deal.

 

The news will come as a major blow to both Arsene Wenger and Brendan Rogers who were hoping to land the player on a free transfer and it remains to be seen whether the clubs will be willing to spend the huge fee in order to land the player this summer.

Everton To Launch Summer Bid For Manchester United Winger

The 20-year-old has fallen out of favour under Louis van Gaal this season, and the Daily Star reports that he could be set for a move to Goodison Park in the summer. 

 

The youngster had an impressive season last time out, but has failed to continue his progression and recreate the early signs of promise he showed under David Moyes. 

 

Everton were among the clubs linked with a move for the United academy graduate in January, but the Old Trafford club were reluctant to do business mid-season. 

 

The winger has just eight starts in all competitions to his name this season and has lost his place in the Belgium squad as a result. 

 

Januzaj is also yet to register a goal or assist this season, in stark contrast to last campaign where he netted four goals and bagged three assists in 27 Premier League appearances. 

Stephen Keshi To Know His Fate After CAF Congress

The Much cheered coach has been given another contract fortunately but awaiting announcement by the NFF despite a lot of Mishap in the past

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Stephen Keshi would be officially announced as coach of the Super Eagles after the Nigeria Football Federation president, Amaju Pinnick, returns from Cairo, Egypt, venue of the CAF Congress. 

Pinnick and Dr. Sanusi Mohammed, the general secretary, will be back this weekend and Goal has learnt from sources that the NFF boss will then make official the appointment of the former national team captain next week.

It was learnt that the leadership of the NFF also delayed the naming of the coach till after the draws for the 2017 Africa Cup Nations were done.

And now that Nigeria is in a relatively tough Group G with Egypt, Tanzania and Chad, there is need for a coach to be named in order to start preparations for the qualifiers that are expected to commence in June.

A very close source to the NFF boss told Goal recently in Abuja that “the issue of who coaches the Super Eagles has long been decided. It is Stephen Keshi and nobody else has been courted. The only thing delaying the official naming of the coach is to do a proper contract and to iron out areas that could cause future crisis between the NFF and Keshi.

“There have been hostilities between the former NFF Board President and Keshi in the past which the present Board is seriously guiding against a re-occurrence. That is why Keshi has to know the dos and don’ts on ground before finally sealing the deal. He needs to know his boundaries so that the two parties know what is expected from each other and thus avoid unnecessary friction in the line of duty.

“All things being equal, I expect the President of the NFF to name Stephen Keshi officially as the chief coach of the Super Eagles when he and his GS (Mohammed) return from Cairo,” the source said.

Transfer Rumours And Paper Review – Saturday, April 11

Manchester City are preparing an incredible double swap deal to sign Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba. The reigning Premier League champions are willing to part with both Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko AND cash to sign the young French talent. (Daily Star)

Manchester United are also desperate to land Pogba. The Red Devils have requested a meeting with Juventus and are prepared to pay £54million plus Robin van Persie to sign their former youngster. (Daily Express)

Manchester United are set to make a £50m-plus raid for Borussia Dortmund pair Ilkay Gundogan and Mats Hummels. United's interest in £36million-rated defender Hummels is well known and now midfielder Gundogan is expected to join his teammate at Old Trafford in a £15million deal. (Daily Mail)

PSV Eindhoven director Marcel Brands has conceded that £25m-rated Dutch winger Depay is likely to leave the club this summer, with Manchester United leading the charge. (Metro)

Martin Skrtel admits that his future remains unresolved after Liverpool put contract negotiations with the defender on hold until the season has ended. He is third Liverpool star whose future has been plunged into doubt, with Raheem Sterling and Jordan Henderson also yet to be tied down to new deals.  (The Times)

Birmingham are set to finally cash in on starlet Demarai Gray this summer – with Bournemouth leading the race for his signature. (Daily Mirror)

Jonas Gutierrez is close to earning a new contract at Newcastle by triggering an appearance clause. (Daily Mirror)

Robin Van Persie Ruled Out Of Manchester Derby

Robin van Persie has been ruled out of the Manchester derby after Louis van Gaal confirmed the striker is not fit enough to feature on Sunday.

Van Persie has returned to full training and said this week he was "able to play again," but the Dutchman will miss a seventh consecutive game with the ankle injury he sustained in February's defeat to Swansea.

Van Gaal, who prefers not to rush players back from injury, has taken the cautious approach and Van Persie's comeback may be against Chelsea next weekend.

"Robin van Persie is not fit enough to play," Van Gaal said in a news conference. "I don't think Luke Shaw is fit enough to play. I cannot say they are not fit but in my opinion they are not fit to play.

"When I am very honest, then I don't have injured players any more. It is unbelievable. It is the first time I can say that. But fit to play, match rhythm: that is a different story."

Van Persie's absence means captain Wayne Rooney is almost certain to carry on as a forward, although Radamel Falcao offers Van Gaal another option.

United are also waiting to see if defenders Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw will be in contention.

Centre-back Smalling missed the 3-1 win over Aston Villa with illness while left-back Shaw has not played since March's FA Cup defeat to Arsenal.

Emeghara Gets One Match Ban

San Jose Earthquakes Designated Player Innocent Emeghara faces a one-game suspension for a challenge that left a visible knot on Luke Mulholland’s head on Sunday.

Emeghara was shown a yellow card for the challenge in the 41st minute of the 1-0 loss to Real Salt Lake, in which he appears to lead with his elbow before clattering into the Real Salt Lake midfielder.

The MLS Disciplinary Committee determined that the challenge endangered the safety of an opponent, and it also fined Emeghara an undisclosed amount.

The Earthquakes were also cited by the Disciplinary Committee for players’ actions in the wake of the foul. Players surrounded referee Armando Villarreal in protest, and this violated MLS’s mass confrontation policy.

The foul by Emeghara set up the eventual game-winning goal by Javier Morales when he sent the rebound of the subsequent free kick into the net.

Barcelona Still Hopeful Of Keeping Dani Alves - Bartomeu

The club president insists there is still a chance the Brazilian could stay, despite his agent revealing he now looks set for a summer exit

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says contract talks with Dani Alves are ongoing and insists the defender could still stay at Camp Nou.

The right-back's agent has criticised the club for offering the Brazilian an unsatisfactory deal and suggested negotiations were over as the player had better offers to move elsewhere.

Bartomeu, though, maintains nothing is certain yet and believes Alves, whose current contract expires in June this year, could still be at Barca next season.

"Barcelona are constantly negotiating to bring in players or offer them new deals, but we do so discretely," he said.

"In Alves's case, the matter is not closed. If Alves accepts the deal we have offered him, then he will stay at Barca.

"Everyone has their own strategy. Ours is discretion and a final statement announcing a deal."

The 31-year-old joined Barcelona from Sevilla in 2008 and has played 34 games in all competitions this season.

Man United - Man City Preview: Pellegrini Looking At The Positives Ahead Of Derby

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini is remaining defiant over the reigning Premier League champions' poor form ahead of Sunday's derby against Manchester United.

Pellegrini's men slumped to a third consecutive away league defeat - and fourth in all competitions in a row on the road - at Selhurst Park on Monday, as they lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace to leave their title defence in tatters.

City were level on points with leaders Chelsea on New Year's Day, but four wins and as many losses over the 11 subsequent league games means they head to Old Trafford a point and a place behind United in fourth.

But Pellegrini insists that his team are still playing well, having seen them dominate for long periods without reward against Palace last time out.

"We lost the last away games, especially the last two with two goals in set-pieces, against Burnley and Palace," he said.

"We hope we continue doing the good things we are doing because we are not a disaster, we're not a mess. We are doing a lot of things well."

City captain Vincent Kompany is facing a late fitness test on a hamstring injury sustained during the second half against Palace, while forward duo Wilfried Bony and Stevan Jovetic remain injured.

The latter concerns could mean a start for Edin Dzeko alongside Sergio Aguero in attack. The Bosnian striker has just four Premier League goals this season - the same number he has netted on his past two appearances at Old Trafford on derby day.

Indeed, City can be buoyed by impressive recent form against their neighbours, having won the past four derbies and six of the last seven in the league. A victory at the weekend would make City the first team to win five consecutive Premier League games against United.

But Louis van Gaal and his squad will be confident, having taken a haul of 40 points on their own turf this term - the highest number in the Premier League, where they are on a winning run of five matches.

Nevertheless, the Dutchman is keen to keep his players on their toes.

"'Never change a winning team' is an English expression," he told MUTV. "You must see the quality of your opponent and make a decision with the staff, so it's not always about never changing the team."

Robin van Persie has returned to training for United following an ankle injury, but the 169th Manchester derby comes too soon for him, while England defenders Chris Smalling (illness) and Luke Shaw (hamstring) will be assessed.