Tag: Stoke City

Theo Walcott achieves coffee machine goal milestone

Beating Stoke is great, but earning a new coffee machine is far, far better

(Arsenal/Twitter)

Theo Walcott scored Arsenal’s first goal in their 3–1 come from behind win against Stoke. It was his 10th of the season, the 100th of his career and it put Arsenal top of the table, but the aspect of this occasion that he was most excited about was the prize it earned him.

No, it wasn’t a goal bonus written into his contract and worth millions of pounds—it was a deal he made with his wife Melanie earlier this season. Last month, Walcott revealed the arrangement. He told reporters (via the Independent): “She said ‘If you get 10 goals before Christmas I’ll buy you this coffee machine.’ So I can’t wait for that and hopefully it will happen.”

After scoring his 10th, he tweeted his delight.

Even Walcott’s club knew what it meant to him (they were also glad that they wouldn’t have to pay for the coffee machine).

It’s worth noting that Walcott hasn’t scored more than nine goals since the 2012/13 season, when he had a career high 21. This is partly down to the injuries that have dogged him, but last season he managed just nine in 42 appearances. Maybe his wife will promise him a new blender if he reaches 20 by the end of the season.


Letters from Bojan: A glimpse of darkness

The earnest question of whether Lionel Messi could do it on a cold, wet night in Stoke has persisted as a cliched joke for a few years now. So when Barcelona surprisingly sold Bojan, a 24-year-old once hyped as the next Messi, to Stoke City, the only explanation was that Messi personally asked him to go there on an expedition to see if the conditions in this mythical place are as challenging as the fables suggest. This is Bojan’s seventh letter back to his friend.

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Letters from Bojan: A triumphant return

The earnest question of whether Lionel Messi could do it on a cold, wet night in Stoke has persisted as a cliched joke for a few years now. So when Barcelona surprisingly sold Bojan, a 24-year-old once hyped as the next Messi, to Stoke City, the only explanation was that Messi personally asked him to go there on an expedition to see if the conditions in this mythical place are as challenging as the fables suggest. This is Bojan’s sixth letter back to his friend.

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Giddy Frank Lampard and Sad Steven Gerrard both score in their final Premier League match

After years of highlighting and comparing their incompatible brilliance, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have both ended their England careers and their careers in England this season. Both signed off from the Premier League with a goal in their final match before heading to MLS, but the hugely different circumstances in which they scored and emotions on the day sum up their divergent experiences in the Premier League.

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Petr Cech’s expert analysis of Charlie Adam’s 65-yard goal against Chelsea

Though it is fair to say that I, Petr Cech, am a goalkeeping expert, I must admit that I feel unqualified to offer an analysis of Charlie Adam’s goal against Chelsea. I say that because, unlike Tibia Cornwall, I have never conceded a 65-yard goal to Mr. Charles Adam, of all people.

It’s a bit like asking the President of the United States what it’s like to press the button that destroys the whole world in one giant nuclear explosion. He’s never done it, so he just doesn’t know. I’ve never let Charlie Adam score a goal of the season contender from inside his own half, so I have a difficult time comprehending what that level of embarrassment could be like. I can tell you what it’s like to make big saves to help Chelsea win the Champions League final, but this…I’m afraid I just can’t comprehend it.

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Letters from Bojan: A dream shatters

The earnest question of whether Lionel Messi could do it on a cold, wet night in Stoke has persisted as a cliched joke for a few years now. So when Barcelona surprisingly sold Bojan, a 24-year-old once hyped as the next Messi, to Stoke City, the only explanation was that Messi personally asked him to go there on an expedition to see if the conditions in this mythical place are as challenging as the fables suggest. This is Bojan’s fifth letter back to his friend.

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Letters from Bojan: A taste of glory

(AP)
(AP)

The earnest question of whether Lionel Messi could do it on a cold, wet night in Stoke has persisted as a cliched joke for a few years now. So when Barcelona surprisingly sold Bojan, a 24-year-old once hyped as the next Messi, to Stoke City, the only explanation was that Messi personally asked him to go there on an expedition to see if the conditions in this mythical place are as challenging as the fables suggest. This is Bojan’s fourth letter back to his friend.

Read more