Author: Chronicle Editor

Mark Hughes has been sacked as manager of Stoke City, just hours after the club’s FA Cup third-round exit at the hands of League Two Coventry City. A run of five defeats in seven Premier League games also contributed to Hughes’ departure and he leaves with the club in the relegation zone. Hughes, 54, had been in charge of the Potters for four and a half years. Stoke, who play Manchester United on 15 January, say they will “look to appoint a new manager as soon as possible”. A section of Stoke fans called for him to leave and held…

Liverpool are set to sign Riyad Mahrez, with the 26-year-old Leicester City and Algeria forward expected to have a medical on Sunday. (Bein Sports) The Reds are prepared to move quickly to fill the void left by Philippe Coutinho’s departure, with Monaco’s 22-year-old winger Thomas Lemar top of their wanted list. (Liverpool Echo) Manchester City are set to put in a £25m bid for Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, 29, but that move could put an end to their interest in Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez, 25. (Sunday Mirror) City are keen on a move for Leicester’s England defender Harry Maguire, 24,…

Barcelona have announced that a deal has been agreed with Liverpool for the transfer of Philippe Coutinho. The Brazil international has signed a five and half year deal with the Bernabeu club and has a release clause of 400 million euros. “We will shortly inform you of the details of the player’s arrival and presentation,” a statement on Barcelona’s website read. The Reds are expected to receive £105m up front – a British record – for the 25-year-old Brazil international, with the rest in realistic add-ons. The final deal will be eclipsed only by the £200m Paris St-Germain paid Barcelona…

Norwich City earned a FA Cup replay after holding a dismal Chelsea side to a 0-0 draw at Carrow Road. Antonio Conte made nine changes to the side that drew 2-2 with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, with only captain Gary Cahill and midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko keeping their places. Chelsea looked out of sort in the opening minutes of the match despite having Pedro and Willian in the team. READ: Aguero score twice as Man City comeback to beat Burnley Missing a trick? Chelsea unsurprisingly made nine changes for the tie, with only Gary Cahill and Tiemoue Bakayoko keeping…

Sergio Aguero scored twice in two second-half minutes to help Premier League leaders Manchester City fight back to beat Burnley and reach the FA Cup fourth round. A John Stones mistake let in Ashley Barnes to give Burnley a surprise lead. However, Aguero levelled from a quickly-taken free-kick and made it 2-1 from Ilkay Gundogan’s back-heel. Leroy Sane ran on to David Silva’s pass to add the third before Bernardo Silva slotted the fourth into an empty net. City’s win stretched their domestic unbeaten run to 26 games this season and keeps alive their chances of winning four trophies. It…

Islamic State (ISIS) has declared war on Gaza-based Palestinian terror group Hamas, for its inability to prevent the United States recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. An offshoot of ISIS in Egypt in a 22-minute video recently released, purportedly showed the execution of an alleged collaborator. The man who is on his knees wearing an orange jumpsuit, similar to the footage of the group’s execution of American and British hostages in 2014, is accused of working with Hamas. The video reportedly opened with footage of President Donald Trump announcing the Jerusalem move last month with ISIS urging its fighters not…

US President Donald Trump has rejected questions raised over his mental health in a bombshell book, describing himself as a “very stable genius”. Michael Wolff’s book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House suggests even those close to Mr Trump have questioned his capability. The US president has dismissed the book, calling Wolff a “loser”. The row has overshadowed a key meeting of Republicans as they try to thrash out their priorities for 2018. A retreat at Camp David will focus heavily on a strategy before crucial congressional elections in November. READ: Oganiru Ndigbo Worldwide lauds Buhari for Onitsha…

Oganiru Ndigbo Worldwide has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the inclusion of Onitsha in the next phase of rail line project. The groups said that the move by President Buhari is an indication of the new focus of the government for South East. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Awka, the group’s state Chairman Chief Ifeanyi Okechukwu said that the Igbos should be patient with the present administration for the dividend of democracy to get to the zone. READ: Relief materials from SGF, NEMA missing in Adamawa “As far as I am concern,…

Former Chelsea striker Diego Costa scored a goal before being sent off seconds later on his first start for Atletico Madrid since returning to the Spanish club. Costa was booked in the 62nd minute of Saturday’s La Liga game with Getafe before scoring six minutes later. He then jumped into the crowd to celebrate and was subsequently shown a second yellow card and dismissed. Atletico won the game 2-0 with Angel Correa scoring the opener. READ: Blow below the belt? Mourinho tells Conte he will never be suspended for match-fixing It has been an eventful return to Atletico for Costa.…

Relief materials brought by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA are missing in Adamawa, northern Nigeria. According to claims by an NGO, Stop Genocide Action Group, the diverted relief materials were meant for victims of Numan ethnic crisis in Adamawa. The group’s spokesman, Prof. Sali Nana, who raised the alarm in a statement on Saturday, called on the government to carry out an investigation into the matter to alleviate the suffering of the victims. “We draw your attention to the unprecedented diversion of relief aid meant for the victims of…