Watford sack Nigel Pearson with only two PL games remaining

Watford have taken the remarkable decision to sack Nigel Pearson with just two games of the Premier League season to go, as per iSports API football data.

A statement from the Vicarage Road club said: “Watford FC confirms that Nigel Pearson has left the club with immediate effect.

“Hayden Mullins, with Graham Stack as his assistant, will take up the position of interim head coach for the Hornets’ final two Premier League fixtures of the 2019/20 season.”

Pearson replaced Quique Sanchez Flores in December – who had in turn replaced Javi Gracia a few months earlier – and had revived their season after a dreadful start.

But now, with the club three points above the relegation zone with a pair of games remaining, the board have parted ways with Pearson.

According to iSports football API, the former Leicester manager’s last game in charge was Friday’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham.

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AS Monaco appoint Niko Kovac as their new head coach

AS Monaco have confirmed the appointment of Niko Kovac as their new head coach on a three-year contract with the option for a possible extension.

According to iSports API football data, one of Monaco’s prime concerns last term was their poor defensive record and they conceded the joint-fourth most goals (44) during the course of the league season.

That is something which the club will have to improve upon, if they are to make the push for the European places and most particularly, for the top three positions which offer a route to the Champions League.

The Croatian, who was previously with Bayern Munich, has taken over the hot seat from Robert Moreno, who was dismissed from the managerial role shortly after Monaco’s 2-0 win over Cercle Brugge in a pre-season friendly.

The Principality outfit have been unable to compete against Ligue 1’s best over the past two seasons and they finished a lowly ninth during the 2019/2020 campaign which was curtailed after 28 games because of the coronavirus outbreak, as per iSports football API.

“AS Monaco are pleased to announce the arrival of Niko Kovac as head coach. The Croatian has signed on a 3 year contract with an option to extend,” a statement on the club’s official website read.

Monaco have already started their preparations ahead of the new league season and Kovac has around a month’s time before the club’s opening clash against Reims at home.

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sets new post-Ferguson record

Manchester United’s 2-0 win against Crystal Palace this evening extended the side’s unbeaten run to 19 games.

It is a significant run, not just because of the timing, as the Red Devils push to win a top four place in the Premier League, but also because it is the longest unbeaten run since Sir Alex Ferguson retired seven years ago.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure as United manager has seen a number of good runs and bad runs, but the team seems to have finally found consistency since the arrival of Bruno Fernandes in the January transfer window.

According to iSports football API, the Norwegian has some catching up to do to match Sir Alex’s best, though, as he led the side to two 29 game unbeaten runs, once in the treble winning season of 1999 and the other in 2010-11.

United won the Premiership on that occasion as well, with Dimitar Berbatov ending the season as the league’s top scorer along with former Red, Carlos Tevez, who was playing for Manchester City. Both scored 20 goals, as per iSports API football data.

Solskjaer’s new record came as a result of incredible forward play from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial and some steely defending, in particular from Harry Maguire and David de Gea.

It was not a performance for the connoisseur but United ground out a win when it mattered, something they have also not always been able to do since Sir Alex retired.

United will hope to extend the run to 20 on Sunday when they face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final.

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Leeds on the brink of Premier League promotion

A fourth win on the bounce means Leeds United are now just one point away from promotion to the Premier League，as per iSports football data.

The Yorkshire giants beat rivals Barnsley on Thursday to edge ever closer to a top flight return.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were dominant throughout the first-half and took a deserved lead when Barnsley defender Michael Sollbauer turned a dangerous low cross into his own net.



The Tykes were much improved after the break and a nervy Leeds, who lost Hélder Costa to injury, failed to keep control of proceedings but held on to their narrow lead.

One of the biggest clubs in England, Leeds have been absent from the top flight since relegation 16 years ago, according to iSports football API.

Last season they were desperately close to promotion under Argentine Marcelo Bielsa, and he has once again led the team superbly this campaign.

With two games remaining, the Whites sit five points clear of West Brom and six ahead of third-placed Brentford.

All football stat collect from isports API, for more details, please visit www.isportsapi.com.

Real Madrid clinch LaLiga title with tenth win in a row

Real Madrid continued their stunning run on Thursday to beat Villarreal and clinch the LaLiga title.

Two goals from Karim Benzema helped Madrid secure a tenth win in a row, securing their 34th LaLiga crown.

According to iSports football API, it is the 11th trophy in total the club have won with Zinedine Zidane in charge.

Sergio Ramos and Benzema in particular have been crucial during the run-in, scoring five goals apiece in the nine fixtures since Spanish football returned last month.

The title is just the second for Los Merengues in the last eight LaLiga seasons, as per iSports API football data.

Attention will now turn to the return of the Champions League, with Madrid 2-1 down heading into their last 16 second leg against Manchester City in August.

Elsewhere, rivals Barcelona suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at home to 10-man Osasuna.

All football stat collect from isports API, for more details, please visit www.isportsapi.com.

Brandon Ingram and the top NBA free agents to watch in the bubble

When the NBA resumes on July 30, there will be millions of dollars on the line for the 2020 free agents taking the court, according to iSports basketball API.

More than 150 players participating in the NBA restart are on track to hit free agency in October, and one misstep could prove costly for a player looking for a new deal. Last month, Washington Wizards forward Davis Bertans opted out of playing in the bubble so he could maximize his earning potential and avoid risking injury.

And it's not just the players hitting free agency this fall who are worried. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in June that several top stars from the 2017 draft class who will be extension-eligible this fall, such as Boston Celtics wing Jayson Tatum and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, talked to the National Basketball Players Association about possible insurance allowances.

But for most players -- like New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram -- participating in Orlando is a risk they are willing to take, as per iSports API. Here's a look at what's at stake, the decision-making process for players and teams, and the 10 most interesting free agents to watch in Orlando.

All stat collect from isports API, for more details, please visit www.isportsapi.com.

Sacramento Kings' De'Aaron Fox out at least week after spraining ankle

Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox suffered a left ankle sprain in practice Wednesday and will be reevaluated in seven-to-10 days, the team announced.

Fox was the Kings' leader in points (20.4), assists (6.8) and steals (1.4) prior to the NBA's suspension of play in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, as per iSports NBA data. He recently said that his speedy playing style could help Sacramento surprise some teams in the restart.

Fox's injury was the latest development in what has been a snakebitten restart for Sacramento, which has had four players -- Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Jabari Parker and Alex Len -- test positive for COVID-19 before training camp. A fifth player, center Richaun Holmes, inadvertently left the campus perimeter in Orlando, Florida, and had to go back into quarantine for 10 days.

The Kings play their first of three scrimmages on July 22 against the Miami Heat. They play their first of eight "seeding" games July 31 against the San Antonio Spurs.

According to iSports basketball API, after going 7-3 in its last 10 games before the March hiatus, Sacramento is 3½ games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. At the conclusion of the seeding games, the team that is in ninth place can force a play-in with the eighth-place team so long as the No. 9 team is within four games. The No. 9 team would have to beat the No. 8 team two games in a row to earn a first-round playoff berth. The No. 8 team would have to win just once to keep its place in the postseason.

All basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details, please visit www.isportsapi.com.