..::Football III::..

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Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United: Sturridge inflicts first defeat on Moyes

Daniel Sturridge was the hero as his winning goal helped Liverpool beat Manchester United 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday.

The England striker flicked Daniel Agger's goal-bound effort beyond David de Gea and Tom Cleverley on the line in the first half to grab the goal that proved to be the winner in a fiery Premier League encounter.

United battled in vain to come back into the game, but Simon Mignolet remained defiant as he kept his third clean sheet of the season.

Brendan Rodgers was forced to change his Liverpool starting XI for the first time in the Premier League this season as a groin injury kept Kolo Toure out. Martin Skrtel replaced the Ivorian at the heart of Liverpool’s defence alongside Daniel Agger.

Wayne Rooney was the notable absentee for the visitors - the striker ruled out with a head injury – with Antonio Valencia dropping to the bench as Ashley Young and Ryan Giggs replaced them.

With Tiago Ilori, Mamadou Sakho and Victor Moses all watching on from the stands ahead of potential moves to Anfield, the hosts had the perfect start with a goal inside four minutes.

Steven Gerrard’s corner was met by Agger and as his header flew towards goal, Sturridge reacted quickly to divert the ball into the back of the net from close range.

United reacted well to conceding so early and should have levelled on three occasions as Danny Welbeck and Robin van Persie both missed good chances.

Welbeck fired two shots straight at Simon Mignolet and Van Persie failed to react to a Giggs corner that had evaded a host of players inside the penalty area.

Rodgers’ side controlled the majority of the half with neat passing and fluid movement, but were unable to test David de Gea in the United goal.

Young – who had been quiet in the first half – went close to equalising for the visitors just after the break with United's best sight of goal. Liverpool failed to clear a corner but Young’s half-volley struck Glen Johnson and deflected away.

The rivalry between the two sides began to intensify as the game reached the hour mark, with referee Andre Marriner issuing five yellow cards – four of them to United players.

Red Devils substitute Nani stung the palms of Mignolet minutes after coming on but the hosts were able to keep their opponents at bay.

Van Persie fired wide following a Chicharito through-ball and a fine De Gea save also denied Raheem Sterling in stoppage time as Liverpool clung on to record the victory.

Liverpool's win, however, was tempered by the departure of Johnson late in the game through injury. Watching England manager Roy Hodgson will have been particularly concerned given Phil Jones also limped out in the second half.

 

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Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham: Giroud strike downs big-spending Spurs

Olivier Giroud scored his second goal in as many Premier League matches as Arsenal overcame Tottenham 1-0 in the north London derby on Sunday.

The France international struck the only goal of the game midway through the first half after cleverly clipping home Theo Walcott's low cross.

Arsenal made two changes to the side that beat Fulham 3-1 last week, with Laurent Koscielny and Jack Wilshere coming in for Bacary Sagna and the injured Lukas Podolski, while new signing Mathieu Flamini – in his second spell with the club – was named on the bench.

Erik Lamela was among the Tottenham substitutes, although fellow new additions Vlad Chiriches and Christian Eriksen were not included in the squad.

Arsenal seized the early momentum almost immediately and twice came close to going ahead in the opening five minutes. Santi Cazorla forced Hugo Lloris into a fine save with a curling free kick before shooting narrowly wide from another set-piece shortly after.

The hosts' dominance looked to have come to an end as Tottenham began to dictate the game and press forward.

However, Andre Villas-Boas' men were undone on the counter-attack after 23 minutes, with Giroud meeting a low near-post cross from Theo Walcott to prod home from point-blank range.

Arsenal wasted no time in attempting to add to their lead, Walcott again causing problems as he burst free down the right wing only to be denied by another athletic save from Lloris.

Aaron Ramsey fired over from distance on the half-hour mark before Lloris had to be fleet of foot to race out of goal and win the ball after Walcott had again broken through the Tottenham backline.

Villas-Boas will have been disappointed by his team's performance at both ends in the first half, with Andros Townsend the only player to force Wojciech Szczesny into a save with a tame effort.

Flamini's comeback came earlier than expected for Arsenal, the Frenchman thrown into the action two minutes before the interval after Jack Wilshere was forced off through injury.

Arsenal's superiority waned somewhat after the break, although Spurs still struggled to create any meaningful chances, Nacer Chadli sending a free kick way over the bar in the early stages of the second period.

Tottenham's lack of creativity was nearly punished again by Giroud, the France international denied by compatriot Lloris, who produced a superb finger-tip save to push the striker's left-footed shot wide of the post.

Lamela was introduced midway through the second half, the former Roma man brought on for Townsend, while Brazilian midfielder Sandro was also thrown into the fray after Etienne Capoue was taken off on a stretcher with an ankle injury.

Spurs had their best chance of the game moments later as Szczesny kept out a vicious volley from substitute Jermain Defoe from the edge of the area, with Roberto Soldado's follow up blocked by Giroud.

Giroud almost turned provider as Arsenal launched another excellent counter, the 26-year-old pulling back for Walcott, only for Lloris to keep the deficit at one goal with another fine stop.

 

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Full-time: Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham
Olivier Giroud (23 mins)

 

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Frankfurt 1-2 Borussia Dortmund: Magical Mkhitaryan fires Klopp's side top

Two terrific goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan handed Borussia Dortmund a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, moving them to the top of the Bundesliga.

The Armenian struck either side of Vaclav Kadlec's goal to see Jurgen Klopp's side leapfrog Bayern Munich with their fourth win in four league games against a spirited Frankfurt side.

Dortmund made one change from their 1-0 win over Werder Bremen last week, with Sven Bender replacing Sebastian Kehl in midfield.

For the hosts, recent signings Stephan Schrock and Kadlec both featured in the starting line-up as Armin Veh's men went in search of consecutive Bundesliga wins.
Frankfurt started brightly and created an early chance when Japan international Takashi Inui tested Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller.At the other end, Marco Reus set up Jakub Blaszczykowski, but he could only fire straight at keeper Kevin Trapp.Dortmund did score an early goal though, as Armenian Mkhitaryan calmly slid home a through ball.

Blaszczykowski slipped the ball in behind the Frankfurt defence and Mkhitaryan did the rest, timing his run well before slotting a left-footed effort past Trapp.
Kadlec had a terrific chance to level proceedings but was denied by good defending from Marcel Schmelzer, before Weidenfeller kept out the dangerous Czech forward moments later.

Kadlec was a constant threat though, and opened his Frankfurt account 10 minutes before the break after reacting quickly to a loose ball, knocking home the rebound from Stefan Aigner's cross to send the sides level into the break.

Parity was not to last long, however, as Mkhitaryan fired home his second of the afternoon within 15 minutes of the restart. The attacking midfielder cut in from the right before dribbling along the edge of the penalty area and striking powerfully past Trapp.Dortmund almost scored a third goal shortly after, but defender Neven Subotic saw his header hit the post.The visitors enjoyed good spells of possession in the latter stages but could not find another goal to kill the game off.

They held on for victory though, as Jurgen Klopp's men – who have lost just two Bundesliga matches on the road since September 2011 - made it four wins from as many games this season, ;eapfrogging champions Bayern Munich into first place in the table.

 

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Real Madrid 3-1 Athletic Bilbao: Who needs Bale? Isco double troubles Basques

An Isco double plus a Cristiano Ronaldo header ensured focus returned to matters on the pitch for Real Madrid following a comprehensive victory over Athletic Bilbao.

Gareth Bale's impending move to los Blancos has stolen the headlines in recent days but Isco was determined to ensure he would not be overshadowed by the €100 million transfer, putting in another outstanding performance.

The former Malaga man broke the deadlock midway through the first half, with Ronaldo, who appeared deflated as talks over a new contract rumble on, heading home his first of the season just before the break.

Isco netted again in the second half, although Ibai Gomez grabbed a deserved consolation goal for Athletic, who were dogged throughout.

With Bale's expected move still not confirmed before the early kick-off, Carlo Ancelotti made just one change to his side that narrowly beat Granada on Monday as Sami Khedira added physicality to the midfield in Mesut Ozil's place.

Ander Herrera notably found himself among Athletic's substitutes, with the midfielder widely reported to be on the brink of a €36m move to Manchester United.

The hosts were in the ascendancy early on and carved out the game's first real chance 15 minutes in as Karim Benzema latched onto Sergio Ramos' lofted pass, but saw his weak chipped effort fall straight into Iago Herrerin's arms.

Ronaldo tested the goalkeeper with a fierce drive after 24 minutes and Ramos headed the resulting corner wide, as Pepe just missed out on a tap-in at the far post.

They did not have to wait long to break the deadlock, however, as just two minutes later Benzema chipped a masterful ball over Athletic's defence and into Isco 15 yards out, who took a touch and tucked home.

After seeing Benat fire a free-kick just wide for Athletic on the half-hour, Benzema went close twice late in the half, first heading over and then seeing an effort from eight yards blocked after a neat one-two with Alvaro Arbeloa down the right flank.

But it was Ronaldo who doubled the advantage, stealing in unmarked to get on the end of Angel Di Maria's whipped free-kick and plant a firm header to the helpless Herrerin's left.

Madrid's tempo dropped somewhat after half-time, but they retained a threat, with Herrerin called into action 10 minutes into the second half, racing off his line to deny Benzema as the Frenchman charged towards goal.

Ronaldo looked buoyed by his headed effort and fizzed a free-kick towards the corner, but Herrerin plunged to his right and kept the ball out with a fine save.

And the hosts' pressure once again paid off after 72 minutes as Benzema took the ball into the penalty area, before chipping back to Isco on the edge of the box.

The Spain international lashed a right-footed effort across goal, which deflected off an Athletic defender and looped into the opposite corner.

Ibai put Athletic on the scoresheet with 10 minutes to play, smashing home after Andoni Iraola had burst down the right flank and cut the ball back to Markel Susaeta, who miscued his effort into the half-time substitute's path.

But it proved to be only a consolation as Madrid comfortably closed out their third league win from as many games this season.

 

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Rodgers expects deals for Sakho, Ilori & Moses to be completed on Monday

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that the club are hopeful of sealing deals for Mamadou Sakho, Tiago Ilori and Victor Moses on Monday.

The Reds agreed on Sunday a €17 million fee with Paris Saint-Germain for France international Sakho, while Sporting Lisbon youngster Tiago Ilori is on the verge of sealing a €7m switch plus performance related bonuses.

Chelsea winger Victor Moses, meanwhile, has also emerged as a transfer target for Rodgers' side, with the former Wigan Athletic star not in Jose Mourinho's first-team plans for the 2013-14 campaign.

Speaking after his side's 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday, a game that all three of the Reds' imminent new arrivals attended, Rodgers revealed the club are close to finalising the signings but insisted he does not expect to do any further business.

Liverpool have already signed the likes of Iago Aspas, Kolo Toure, Luis Alberto, Simon Mignolet and Aly Cissokho during a busy summer window for the club, while Luis Suarez is also set to remain at Anfield.

 

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Coentrao is staying at Real Madrid - Ancelotti

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says Fabio Coentrao will be staying at the Spanish side, despite continued interest from Tottenham.

With the transfer window set to close on Monday, the Portugal defender had been linked with a last-minute move to Spurs, as Gareth Bale prepares to travel in the other direction in a €100 million deal.

Ancelotti had previously revealed that Coentrao was keen to leave Madrid, but the left-back - a €30m buy from Benfica in 2011 - now looks set to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.

"Coentrao is staying with us and everyone is happy," Ancelotti told the media after Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 in La Liga on Sunday. "I never wanted him to leave."

However, the Italian coach did not call up the Portugal defender for Sunday's game and refused to rule out player exits on what is likely to be a busy transfer deadline day for Madrid, with Bale set to be presented on Monday afternoon.

"I really don't know what will happen tomorrow - I can't say at the moment," Ancelotti added. Anything can change, in incomings and outgoings..."

And Madrid's director of international relations, Emilio Butragueno, also hinted at a busy Monday for Real.

"There are 36 hours left in the transfer market," he told Canal Plus. "Not just for Real Madrid but for all the clubs. It will be hectic.

"Tomorrow night everything will be revealed."

 

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Arsenal close in on loan deal for Viviano

Arsenal have reached an agreement with Palermo to sign goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano.

The 27-year-old Italy international is due to fly to London on Sunday night to discuss personal terms with the Gunners and undergo a medical, which is expected to take place on Monday morning.

The deal is likely to be a season-long loan, which gives Arsenal the option to buy Viviano at the end of the campaign.

It is understood that Arsenal will pay a substantial loan fee for the keeper, who became available after his club Palermo were relegated to Serie B.

Viviano spent last season on loan at Fiorentina but they have not taken up an option to buy him and he is now expected to complete a move to Arsenal before Monday night’s transfer deadline.

Arsene Wenger turned his attention to Viviano after continually revising his list of goalkeeping targets during the summer.

Arsenal had made moves for a string of keepers, including QPR’s Julio Cesar, Valencia’s Vincente Guaita and Stoke City’s Asmir Begovic.

 

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Ancelotti: I'm glad Ozil is not happy

Carlo Ancelotti claims he is glad to see Mesut Ozil unhappy at having been restricted to a role among the substitutes at Real Madrid.

The Germany international was left out of the starting XI for los Blancos' 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao at the expense of Isco and Luka Modric, but Ancelotti insists he would not expect any player to enjoy being left on the bench.

"It's normal that Ozil isn't happy. I don't like players who are happy to be on the bench," he told reporters after the match.

Isco played a starring role in Ozil's absence with two goals, and the Spain starlet was thrilled at the reception he received from the home faithful following his display.

"I'm happy with the goals and the points. I hope this continues. I try to help the team in every way I can, be it through assists or scoring," he said.

"We've had three games. I'm just getting started. I'm very grateful to the Santiago Bernabeu."

Luka Modric was likewise pleased at the supporters' backing after an inspired display at the heart of midfield.

"I'm delighted with the affection from the Santiago Bernabeu. I appreciate the support of the fans. I want to give my all in every game," the Croatian added.

 

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Atsu joins Chelsea and makes Vitesse loan move

Chelsea have signed Christian Atsu from Porto on a five-year deal.

The 21-year-old midfielder will move to Eredivisie side Vitesse Arnhem on loan for the rest of the season.

Liverpool were in pole position to sign the Ghana international before displaying a reluctance to meet the Portuguese club’s €4 million asking price for a player who has just a year left to run on his current contract.

Atsu becomes Jose Mourinho's seventh summer signing since rejoining the club for a second spell following the arrivals of Cristian Cuevas, Samuel Eto'o, Andre Schurrle, Mark Schwarzer, Marco van Ginkel and Willian.

The attacker made his first-team breakthrough at Porto last term, clocking up 17 appearances as the club won the Portuguese league, and will now look to continue his development at Vitesse due to the fierce competition for places at Stamford Bridge.

Question marks continue to be raised over Juan Mata's future at Chelsea after limited playing time so far this season, but Mourinho has insisted the two-time Player of the Year is not for sale.

Elsewhere, Victor Moses has been linked with a move to Liverpool ahead of Monday's transfer window deadline.

 

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Injured Rooney has 'no chance' of playing for England, says Moyes

Manchester United manager David Moyes says striker Wayne Rooney has "no chance" of playing for England in Friday's World Cup qualifier against Moldova after suffering a cut head in training.

Goal reported on Saturday that the 27-year-old had left the club's Carrington training base with a bandaged head and was a doubt for United's trip to face Liverpool at Anfield.

The England international's future has been engulfed in uncertainty since he asked to leave Old Trafford at the end of last season, but he had worked his way back into the reckoning to star in United's draw against potential suitors Chelsea.

However, Rooney will miss the champions' clash with Liverpool with the head injury sustained in training, and is highly unlikely to play any part in England's upcoming matches against Moldova and Ukraine.

"Wayne Rooney has got a cut down his forehead, it was completely accidental," Moyes told Sky Sports.

"It will keep him out for a few weeks. I would think he's got no chance of playing for England."

Only four players have scored more goals in an England shirt than Rooney, and his absence will be a big blow to Roy Hodgson ahead of a tricky double-header of World Cup qualifiers.

 

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'Nani has signed new Manchester United deal'

Manchester United winger Nani has signed a new deal to stay at the club, according to Juventus sporting director Giuseppe Marotta.

Goal exclusively revealed back in July that David Moyes considered the winger a part of his first-team plans and that he was considering handing the former Sporting Lisbon star a contract extension.

Nani had previously been courted by the likes of Roma, Monaco and Galatasaray over the summer although Marotta is adamant he has agreed a new contract at Old Trafford and that Juve never entered negotiations.

He told reporters: "He has renewed his contract with Manchester United and we never negotiated for him."

The 26-year-old has yet to feature for the Red Devils in the 2013-14 campaign although Moyes revealed on Friday that he is close to being available for selection after an injury-plagued pre-season.

 

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Congratulations Nani!​

 

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Del Piero: Juventus can overcome Real Madrid

Alessandro Del Piero believes Juventus will sail through their Champions League group and even have enough to beat Real Madrid.

Del Piero, who scored 264 times in 626 games for the Bianconeri before joining Sydney in September 2012, won the Champions League with the Turin-based outfit in 1996 and finished with a runners-up medal on three subsequent occasions.

The Italian forward spoke positively about the Old Lady's chances of emulating previous successes in Europe after being drawn against Madrid, Galatasaray and Copenhagen in Group B, stressing that they have enough quality to progress at the expense of Madrid if they have to.

"The club has indicated that the Champions League is a concrete goal," the 38-year-old was quoted by Tuttosport.

"Juve can easily go through to the next round, even against Real Madrid."

Juventus have made a positive start to their Serie A defence, winning both of their opening games, including a 4-1 victory over Lazio on Saturday.

 

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Pellegrini expects 'progress' on Demichelis deal

Manuel Pellegrini says he expects "progress" to be made over the transfer of Martin Demichelis from Atletico Madrid.

Goal revealed on Tuesday that the Premier League runners-up had agreed a deal in principle for the transfer of the centre-back worth up to €4.7 million.

Pellegrini is in the market for a centre-back after seeing his captain Vincent Kompany injure his groin against Newcastle United and has pinpointed Demichelis.

"I expect progress," Pellegrini told reporters. "I hope that we can get one more defender for the team.

"Maybe he’s the name we want. We will see what will happen with him."

Pellegrini also insisted Gareth Barry remains part of his plans, despite rumours of a move to Everton for the midfielder.

The 59-year-old wants the England man to stay and fight for his place at the Etihad Stadium, and hopes he will provide competition to the likes of Yaya Toure and Fernandinho, despite failing to feature so far this season.

He explained: "All the players have a future here. At the moment we have all of the squad fit.

"We have 23 players it’s impossible for all of them to be playing.

"Gareth Barry is an important player but we also have Toure, Fernandinho, [Jack] Rodwell and Javi Garcia, so we have four players in that position."

 

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Madrid block Coentrao & Di Maria sales

Real Madrid are to resist Arsenal and Tottenham approaches to sign Angel Di Maria and Fabio Coentrao respectively, Goal understands.

The pair had looked to be heading for the Santiago Bernabeu exit following an unsettled summer at the club, with their sales also providing funds for Real's imminent capture of Gareth Bale from Tottenham.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti, however, sees Di Maria as an important part of his plans at the Spanish side, while no satisfactory offer has yet been received for Coentrao.

Unhappy with his status within the Liga club, Coentrao had been touted for an exit from Madrid all summer with Monaco offering a pay rise in French football, and former club Benfica exploring the possibility of a return on loan.

Tottenham came close to landing the 25-year-old, with manager Andre Villas-Boas targeting the Portugal international as left-back in his new-look team - even though the proposed financial terms of the €17 million deal had prompted some consternation within the London club.

However, Madrid want to recoup around €20m for the player they signed for €30m in the summer of 2011.

Also originally recruited from Benfica by Jose Mourinho, Di Maria has been sounded out by Arsenal after Madrid informally placed the Argentina international on the transfer market last month.

But Ancelotti has told the Argentina winger that he is a big part of his plans, regardless of Bale's proposed €100 million recruitment, leaving Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger short of transfer options with the close of the window just over a day away.

Ancelotti has also blocked Manchester City's sustained attempt to recruit Pepe, currently first choice at Madrid in the absence of injured France defender Raphael Varane.

An often controversial figure at the Bernabeu, the Brazil-born defender had welcomed the idea of moving to the Premier League after falling out with Mourinho last season - but he now looks set to stay at the club, alongside Coentrao and Di Maria.

 

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Draxler: If Schalke want to sell me, I'll leave

Julian Draxler is prepared to leave Schalke if the club receives a suitable offer before the transfer window closes.

Goal understands the highly rated 19-year-old has emerged as a transfer target for Arsenal, who are planning to make an audacious bid for the midfielder before Monday's transfer deadline.

And Draxler accepts that the Bundesliga outfit could be willing to sell if they receive an offer in the region of €40 million.

"I don't mind people speculating, I'll let them have their fun," he said. "If nothing extraordinary happens, I will be here on Monday.

"But Schalke could change their mind and say 'Well, 40 or 30 million euros is not so bad,' and then I can't do much about it."

"If the club absolutely wants to sell me, I will not say 'No, I want to stay.'"

Draxler played the full 90 minutes on Saturday as Schalke beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 with goals from Marco Hoger and Jefferson Farfan.

 

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Gargano 'couldn't have made a better choice' than to join Parma

Napoli midfielder Walter Gargano believes he could not have made a better choice having opted to join Parma on a loan deal.

The 29-year-old spent last season on loan at Inter, making 28 Serie A appearances, and has reportedly been monitored by the likes of Cagliari, Sunderland and Fulham in recent weeks.

Gargano, capped 47 times for Uruguay, joined Napoli in 2007 from Danubio and helped the club to win the 2011-12 Coppa Italia during 199 appearances, but admits he is thrilled to be moving to Stadio Ennio Tardini.

"It is very emotional to come here, meet the team-mates, the club," he told Parma Channel. "I am proud to be at Parma. It is the club that has shown that they want me the most, they have a great history which I know and my family likes the city a lot. I couldn't have made a better choice."

Gargano will join the club for the 2013-14 campaign, with Parma retaining the option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.

 

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Moyes 'wouldn't be worried' if Manchester United make no new signings

Manchester United manager David Moyes has claimed that he "would not be worried" if Manchester United do not bring in any new faces in the wake of their 1-0 defeat against Liverpool on Sunday.

The Premier League champions rarely tested Reds keeper Simon Mignolet and looked to to be overran in midfield for large parts of the game.

The Red Devils drew 0-0 with Chelsea and beat Swansea 4-1 in their two opening Premier League fixtures, but Moyes believes his side's performance in defeat against Liverpool was the best of the lot.

"I thought we played really well, probably the best we have played this season. We just couldn't quite find the final ball or the right finish," he said to reporters, after telling BBC Sport: "From what I saw today, I'm more than happy with what I've got. I wouldn't be worried if I didn't add to the squad."

With United chasing Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Daniele De Rossi, as well as, according to reports, Luka Modric and Ilkay Gundogan, the Scot could not give an indication as to whether he would be able to bring in midfield reinforcements before Monday's 23:00BST transfer deadline.

"There isn't very long left," he added. "I couldn't give you a heads-up at the moment."

Moyes also revealed that Wayne Rooney will miss three weeks of action after sustaining a head injury in training on Saturday due to a collision with Phil Jones.

 

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Attha attha mokata worry wenawada thama Liverpool match 1ka witharai neh paradune

anemanda Moyes nam