Premier League

Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) announced Monday it has terminated David Coote's status with the organization following an investigation into a video in which he disparaged Liverpool and then-manager Jürgen Klopp.

"David Coote's actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable," PGMOL said in a statement.

"Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare."

In the offending video, which surfaced in November, Coote called Liverpool "s--t" and described Klopp as "f--king arrogant" and a "German c--t," per the Daily Mail's Lewis Steele and Kieran Gill.

ESPN's Dale Johnson noted that Coote's frustration appeared to stem in part from a 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Burnley in July 2020. He was the referee for the match, and Klopp voiced his displeasure with the officiating after the fixture concluded.

England's Football Association launched a separate inquiry into Coote after Stephen Moyes of the Sun reported he may have arranged to issue a yellow card in a Championship match in 2019.

Coote denied any wrongdoing.

"I strongly refute these false and defamatory allegations," he said, per ESPN's Tom Hamilton. Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life they have never affected my decision making on the field. I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability."

Coote has the opportunity to appeal the decision PGMOL handed down Monday.

The 42-year-old officiated his first Premier League match during the 2017-18 season and was assigned to the division full time in May 2018.

West Ham forward Michail Antonio is in stable condition after being involved in a traffic accident on Saturday.

The club said in a statement that Antonio is "conscious and communicating" with hospital staff after a road traffic accident in the Essex area.

Additional details about the accident are not known at this time.

The 34-year-old Antonio has played for West Ham since 2015. He is the club's all-time leading goalscorer in Premier League matches with 68 in 268 appearances.

Antonio has appeared in all 14 Premier League matches for the Hammers this season, scoring one goal and tallying one assist.

West Ham United is one of 10 clubs Antonio has played for since turning pro in 2008. His senior career began with Tooting & Mitcham United, but he left after just four matches to join Reading.

While playing primarily for Reading from 2008 to 2012, Antonio was also loaned out to various clubs during those four years. He had a two-year stint with Sheffield Wednesday from 2012 to 2014.

After a one-year run with Nottingham Forest, Antonio signed with West Ham United in September 2015. The club has finished in the top 10 in the Premier League five times since he joined.

In addition to his club career, Antonio has played for the Jamaican national team since 2021. He scored the country's first-ever goal in Copa América competition in a 3-1 loss to Ecuador on June 26.

Jerry Jones is apparently content owning only one team with a long-held reputation for failing to win titles.

Football London's Alasdair Gold reported Wednesday that "there's nothing" in the unfounded rumors the Dallas Cowboys owner is looking to purchase Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

This isn't the first time Jones has been linked with the possible acquisition of the London-based side. The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare and Jack Pitt-Brooke also reported in April that Tottenham's were exploring at least a partial sale as a way to general significant funds.

The Premier League is the richest soccer league in the world. Deloitte estimated that the revenue of all 20 clubs hit £6.1 billion for the 2022-23 season.

Tottenham in particular will hold a lot of appeal for somebody looking to enter the world of PL club ownership. Spurs ranked eighth in the Deloitte Money League with a total revenue of €631.5 million, which was up 21 percent from the previous year.

Even when the club isn't qualifying for the Champions League, being stationed in London with a relatively new stadium clearly has its advantages.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium might be of particular interest to an NFL owners such as Jones because it continues to be a staging ground for American football games as part of the NFL's International Series. The venue hosted games in back-to-back weeks in October.

Spurs supporters have long lamented the club's prudent transfer policy and would surely welcome a new ownership regime that promised to loosen the purse strings.

Given the Cowboys' fortunes over the three decades, they'll be thankful that Jones isn't answering the call.

Pep Guardiola has agreed to a two-year contract extension with Manchester City, the team announced Thursday. The deal will keep him with the club until June 2027, according to insider Fabrizio Romano.

Guardiola said in a press release announcing the extension:

"Manchester City means so much to me. This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.

"That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.

"Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and of course the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.

"I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.

"Hopefully now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus."

Guardiola's contract was previously set to expire in 2025, and he said last May that he was "closer to leaving than staying" at the end of the deal.

Manchester City hired Guardiola ahead of the 2016-17 season. He has since led the club to six Premier League titles.

Should he take the option on his new deal, Guardiola could now be on track to remain with City through 2027.

The news comes after City lost 2-1 to Brighton on Nov. 9,..

The loss marked the continuation of City's unprecedented struggles in league play following a loss on Nov. 2 to Bournemouth, which represented the club's first league defeat in almost a year.

After dropping decisions to Brighton and Bournemouth in Premier League Play, and losing to Tottenham and Sporting Lisbon during the stretch, Manchester City has now lost four straight games across all competitions for the first time since 2006.

This is the first time any Guardiola-managed club has undergone a four-game losing streak, per ESPN. That goes back to 2007, when Guardiola began his managerial career as the head of Barcelona B.

Man City still sits five points back of Liverpool for the Premier League standings lead, and Guardiola said after the Brighton loss that he does not believe the streak because his team is "playing bad."

Instead Guardiola pointed toward injuries to players including Jack Grealish, Ruben Dias and John Stones, along with the ongoing absences of Oscar Bobb and reigning Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, impacting the team, per ESPN.

Manchester City has lost executive Omar Berrada to Manchester United, and director of football Txiki Begiristain is expected to leave the club at the end of the season, The Athletic's David Ornstein and Lee reported on October.

The upcoming departure of Begiristain, who played alongside Guardiola at Barcelona, has sparked rumors surrounding the manager's future with the club as well as City's ability to remain a Premier League title contender.

Now that Guardiola is on track to remain with the club, City will focus on gaining ground in the Premier League race. League play resumes on Nov. 23 with a home game against the Spurs.