..::Football III::..

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Cahill: Win over Fulham proves Chelsea doubters wrong

Chelsea defender Gary Cahill is confident that they will be successful under Jose Mourinho after Saturday's convincing 2-0 win over Fulham.

Mourinho's side had been under pressure going into the game following consecutive defeats to Everton and Basel.

However, Chelsea responded in confident fashion, briefly returning to the top of the league thanks to goals from Oscar and John Obi Mikel, whose strike marked the first time that he had found the net for the Stamford Bridge club.

Cahill was delighted to return to winning ways and was quick to dismiss talk of a crisis at the club.

"Two dodgy results back to back got everyone talking," Cahill told the club's official website.

"When you are a big team and you lose two games it gets talked about as a crisis. It was not ideal but we didn't feel that way.

"We looked a bit tentative first half but the second half we created a lot more chances, put Fulham on the back foot and we looked a better side.

"'It was much more like us and that is why we got our joy.

"The second half was how we should be playing at home. It takes time when new players come in but we have a great squad now, a proven manager and I am sure we will do well.

"At the start of the season I thought we were playing some great stuff but it does take time because we have players needing to adapt to the league and to adapt to being here."

Chelsea bolstered their squad significantly in the transfer window and England international Cahill believes that the added strength in depth can only be a positive thing.

"There is competition for places with world-class players in all positions, and everyone is aware of the squad we have," he added. "So we know that if we play poorly we will surely be out the team.

"That is healthy and we do play many games so having a good squad is important. No one is complacent and that is a good thing."

 

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Di Matteo undecided over Sunderland job

Sunderland have made Roberto Di Matteo their No.1 target to replace Paolo Di Canio - but face a battle to persuade the former Chelsea manager to take the job.

Goal understands that Black Cats chiefs have already put out informal feelers to Di Matteo’s camp to inform him of their interest in him taking over at the Stadium of Light.

Formal talks will be scheduled imminently but Sunderland accept they must persuade the 43-year-old that the vacant post would be the right career move.

The Wearside club are believed to be in no rush to make an immediate appointment and are content for caretaker manager Kevin Ball to stabilise the squad over the next two games.

The long-serving former skipper and current Sunderland Under-21s manager has been placed in charge of the first team for Tuesday night’s Capital One Cup clash against Peterborough United and is also expected to be in the dugout for Sunday’s home match against Liverpool.

Sunderland sources have told Goal that the board "want to leave a bit of distance" between Di Canio’s reign and the start of the new manager’s tenure, which might not even begin until after the club's home fixture against Manchester United on October 5.

Gus Poyet and Tony Pulis have been among the other names linked to the job but Di Matteo is the favoured candidate of the club’s Italian sporting director Roberto De Fanti.

Di Matteo has been out of work since being sacked as Chelsea manager last November but his stock remains high after winning the Champions League and FA Cup during his eight-month spell at Stamford Bridge.

He is regarded by Sunderland as a steady pair of hands following the abrasive regime of Di Canio, who was sacked on Sunday night with the club bottom of the table following a run of one draw and four defeats from their first five Premier League matches.

However, Di Matteo is understood to have reservations about taking over at a club where there was such a high degree of player turnover during the summer, with 14 new players signed and 13 others sold or released.

After his surprise appointment in place of Martin O’Neill in March, Di Canio made an immediate impact by steering the club away from relegation, but his reign was marked by dressing room unrest and dissatisfaction among his players with his volatile management style.

The tipping point is believed to have been dressing room showdowns in the immediate wake of Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at West Brom, and then again at the training ground on Sunday.

Word got back to the board and, with the club desperate not to get sucked into a relegation battle for the second consecutive season, American owner Ellis Short gave the green light for Di Canio to become the first top-tier managerial casualty of the season.

 

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Ribery: Bayern are on the right track

Franck Ribery feels Bayern Munich are on the right track after something of a stuttering start in the opening weeks of the 2013-14 campaign.

The Bundesliga champions beat CSKA Moscow 3-0 in midweek before recording a 4-0 win over Schalke at the weekend and the France international is pleased with Bayern's progress in recent weeks, given their early-season slip-ups to Freiburg in the league and Borussia Dortmund in the DFL-Supercup.

"We worked incredibly well together [against Schalke] and played like champions. We were already on the right track against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League. If we can maintain this kind of form it would be super," Ribery told the official Bundesliga website.

"We’re currently playing completely differently and much better compared to the beginning of the season. If we can continue performing like we did against Moscow and here against Schalke then we’re heading in the right direction.

"We’re playing with a lot of energy, working extremely well defensively and are still creating a lot of pressure in the final third."

Bayern sit joint first in the Bundesliga table following this weekend's results, with 16 points from six games.

 

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Arsenal want to perform for Ozil - Gibbs

The arrival of Mesut Ozil has motivated everyone at Arsenal to up their game, admits Kieran Gibbs.

Ozil arrived at the Emirates Stadium from Real Madrid in a €50 million deal on transfer deadline day, smashing the Gunners' transfer record and appeasing fans who questioned the club's ambition.

The Germany international has since made a blistering start to life in the Premier League, and Gibbs believes the arrival of a world-class name has galvanised the entire squad.

"He's really enjoying himself." Gibbs told Arsenal's official website. "He looks very determined and happy and he's a humble boy as well.

"Coming from a club like Real Madrid you would expect a player to come with a bigger head on their shoulders but he's very down to earth and he's passionate.

"It's positive for us and a signing like Ozil is going to push our squad forward because you don't want to let him down. You want to perform for him and he will take us to the next level."

Arsenal sit with Tottenham at the top of the Premier League after an impressive start to the season, and Gibbs is confident they have the quality and depth to be a genuine force this term.

"I think the team is just gelling," he added. "We've had a strong finish to last season and people could see the players really gel. I think that's happening this season at an earlier stage.

"I'm very excited about the quality of the squad and when we get more players back from injury I feel like we'll be a force. We need to keep focused and build on our run. I'm sure we can be contenders."

 

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Abate: AC Milan have a lot of work to do

Ignazio Abate feels AC Milan have a lot of work to do if they are to challenge for the top positions in Serie A this season.

The San Siro side were beaten 2-1 by Napoli at the weekend and currently sit only 11th in the league table, with just four points from their opening four games in their domestic campaign.

"We have only four points and have a lot of work to do. We have to start winning games, starting with the match against Bologna on Wednesday," Abate told the official Milan website.

"Compared to the start of last season, we have more identity but maybe we're missing a bit of competitiveness.

"I think we have some work to do with our self-confidence as well as this team really has quality. We just have to be more cynical."

Milan's midweek trip to Bologna is followed by a home clash with Sampdoria on Saturday.

 

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Vidic: Manchester United will bounce back

Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic has described the 4-1 loss to Manchester City as "horrible", but promises the Premier League champions will make amends.

A Sergio Aguero double and goals from Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri condemned David Moyes to defeat in his first Manchester derby, but the defender is keen not to lay the blame at the Scot's door.

"It is horrible to lose the derby game," Vidic told Sky Sports. "It hurts. Trust me, no one will want to remember this. "It doesn't matter whether we are losing or winning you will always go back to that question. Is the manager good? Are the players good?

"I am not looking at it that way at all. This is a club that has a history. This is a club that has players who have won so many titles and the players are all national team players. There is so much experience."This loss has hurt but the most important thing the new manager and the old manager said was that you have to bounce back and win the next game."

Vidic partnered Rio Ferdinand at the heart of defence for third match in a row, the first time they have enjoyed a similar run in the first team for nine years, and the Serbian has admitted the team struggled from the off.

"We cannot be sad and feel sorry for ourselves," he continued. "We cannot afford to do that. We have to stay true and improve certain things and then win.

"From the first minute they tried to be aggressive. They had more possession and we didn't really get in the game from the first minute. This is what we have to learn."

 

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Arsenal reveal £30m drop in profits in latest financial results

Arsenal have announced their 2012-13 financial results, revealing a £30 million drop in pre-tax profits from their 2011-12 figures.

The Gunners' group profit amounted to £6.7m for the year-ending May 31, 2013 - while their pre-tax profit for the previous year totalled £36.6m.

Robin van Persie's £24m move to Manchester United helped account for a total of £47m in player sales although that figure fell short of the £65.5m recuperated the year before, with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri leaving the club.

Arsene Wenger invested £58.7m in the purchase of new players, while contract extensions, including a four-and-a-half-year deal in the region of £90,000 a week for Theo Walcott, pushed amortisation charges up to £41.3m - a £4.5m rise from 2012.

Turnover from football, meanwhile, increased to £242.8m from the 2012 figure of 235.3m, with the Gunners reaping the financial benefits of their various commercial tie-ins, including the extended partnership with Emirates.

Reflecting on the results, Arsenal chairman Sir Chips Keswick said: "It is my job to ensure we steer further along the course we have set.

"We must continue to grow commercially to provide the club with the best opportunity to achieve success and we must do this in a way which remains true to our values and which ensures and protects the long-term sustainability of the club.

"We face a competitive landscape across the top of the Premier League and across Europe’s elite clubs which is tougher than ever. Despite fair play initiatives the financial competition for top players remains intense and transfer prices and player wages continue to move ever higher.

"It is therefore positive that the strong financial platform we have created in recent years allows us to continue to be competitive at the highest level."

 

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'Moyes needs Ferguson's help, but Man Utd will STILL win the title' - McQueen

David Moyes should seek out Sir Alex Ferguson's help following Sunday's derby humiliation but Manchester United will still retain their title, according to Red Devils legend Gordon McQueen.

Manchester City showed no mercy towards the Scot at the Etihad Stadium, as two goals from Sergio Aguero and strikes from Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri wrapped up an emphatic victory.

It was a result which brought to mind memories of City's stunning 6-1 triumph at Ferguson's United at Old Trafford in October 2011, when Roberto Mancini's men went on to lift the Premier League.

McQueen feels now would be a good time for Moyes to bend his predecessor's ear about how best to rally his team, but remains confident United will be able to retain their title nonetheless.

"I will be surprised if he doesn’t seek out Sir Alex’s advice because he is there for things like that," McQueen told Goal.

"Accepting advice is a strength, not a weakness. Sir Matt Busby was there for Fergie when he had a difficult start at United and you cannot turn your back on such a wealth of experience.

Nothing that has happened this season has changed my mind and I’m still confident United will retain their title and have a good run in the Champions League.

"There is a long way to go and I’ve seen the folly of having knee-jerk reactions at this stage of the season so many times before."

McQueen thinks people have been too quick to write off United's title chances following the defeat, though he admits much improvement is needed.

"People forget that United under Sir Alex lost at Everton on the first day of last season causing alarm bells to ring, but went on to comfortably win the league, and the season before lost 6-1 at home to City, so although it’s been a disappointing and difficult start, there is no need to panic," he added.

"Of course, doubts will creep in because his team hasn’t performed against the big rivals, but he’ll get it right.

"Too many players have not been performing to their potential, and those players have got to take responsibility.

"We are kidding ourselves if we think that yesterday’s result was because we were without Robin van Persie. It will be like ‘castles in the sand’ if United fans believe the Dutchman would have made the difference.

"The problem is that United’s title rivals have raised their bar and United have struggled so far to do the same."

 

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Khedira unhappy with Madrid start

Sami Khedira has called on Real Madrid to improve on the slow start they made to Sunday's 4-1 win over Getafe.

Carlo Ancelotti's side fell behind to Lafita's fifth minute strike but struck back through goals from Pepe, Cristiano Ronaldo (2) and Isco.

But though Khedira applauded the quality of los Blancos' goals, the Germany midfielder admitted last season's Liga runners-up cannot afford to start so sluggishly.

He told the club's official website: "We played a great match and got a good result, even though the first 15 minutes were not good. After that we turned the score around and we are very happy. Cristiano Ronaldo and Isco scored two great goals."

The 25-year-old was linked with a summer exit following the departure of Jose Mourinho, with Khedira himself revealing that Manchester United had enquired about his services.

A move failed to materialise, however, with the former Stuttgart man happy at the Santiago Bernabeu and delighted with the competition for places at the club.

He added: "It is very important to for us to have a team in which anyone can play because we have many high-level and high-intensity matches. We have a quality squad and we are all happy."

Khedira was named Germany's ambassador for football for 2013 on Monday in light of his performances and conduct in representing German football over the past year.

 

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Rooney demands improvement after 'sloppy' derby defeat

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has underlined the need for his side to make defensive improvements after Sunday's derby defeat to Manchester City.

David Moyes' team were trounced 4-1 by their rivals at the Etihad Stadium, with the striker scoring a late consolation after a Sergio Aguero double and strikes from Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri had put the game beyond doubt.

The result marked United's heaviest away defeat to City since 2004, and Rooney has acknowledged that his side's performance was far from acceptable.

"It is not good enough," Rooney told MUTV. "We know we have to improve and stop giving these sloppy goals away.

"It is not nice to lose to City. It was a bad result and we are all extremely disappointed."

Rooney's free kick was his fourth goal in three games and made him the all-time leading scorer in Manchester derby matches with 11 goals.

But the England international was keen to focus solely on Wednesday's Capital One Cup clash with Liverpool, rather than personal milestones.

"It is nice to score but it means nothing," he added. "The most important thing today was the points and we have come away with none.

"Thankfully we have another massive game against Liverpool. It is the ideal game for us. Any game against Liverpool, whether it is a friendly, Capital One Cup or Premier League, is massive.

"We have to try and get the victory so we can put this defeat to the back of our minds."

 

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Just the beginning unath Manchester United City match 1ke thibba performance gana balanakota nam title 1ka gana hopes thiyaganna bahaAnthima chater CITY match 1ke play karapu widiya

Defending anthimai..........amadiwata Ashley Young pissu natanawa

kohomath meh season 1ke methek big matches wala Manchester United perormance godak weekFA cup Liverpool match 1keth mona karaganida manda

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Manchester United Last Fixtures
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Swansea Vs Manchester United (1-4) WON

Manchester United Vs Chelsea (0-0) DRAW

Liverpool Vs Manchester United (1-0) LOST

Manchester United Vs Crystal Palace (2-0) WON

Manchester City Vs Manchester United (4-1) LOST​

 

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Jesse Lingard Birmingham City debut 1kema goals 4k score karalaPatta

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Khedira unhappy with Madrid start

Sami Khedira has called on Real Madrid to improve on the slow start they made to Sunday's 4-1 win over Getafe.

Carlo Ancelotti's side fell behind to Lafita's fifth minute strike but struck back through goals from Pepe, Cristiano Ronaldo (2) and Isco.

But though Khedira applauded the quality of los Blancos' goals, the Germany midfielder admitted last season's Liga runners-up cannot afford to start so sluggishly.

He told the club's official website: "We played a great match and got a good result, even though the first 15 minutes were not good. After that we turned the score around and we are very happy. Cristiano Ronaldo and Isco scored two great goals."

The 25-year-old was linked with a summer exit following the departure of Jose Mourinho, with Khedira himself revealing that Manchester United had enquired about his services.

A move failed to materialise, however, with the former Stuttgart man happy at the Santiago Bernabeu and delighted with the competition for places at the club.

He added: "It is very important to for us to have a team in which anyone can play because we have many high-level and high-intensity matches. We have a quality squad and we are all happy."

Khedira was named Germany's ambassador for football for 2013 on Monday in light of his performances and conduct in representing German football over the past year.

Till Madrid get the Umph (May be the first Goal or may be at times a perfect shot on goal) they are passing passing. Something which i didn't see from Mou :/ But anw seems a good start

 

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Jesse Lingard Birmingham City debut 1kema goals 4k score karalaPatta

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Barcelona 4-1 Real Sociedad: Neymar strikes in La Real rout

Neymar scored his first Liga goal as Barcelona brushed Real Sociedad aside in a 4-1 win on Tuesday night.

The champions produced a scintillating display at Camp Nou to make it six wins from six games in the top flight this season, with the Brazil international opening the scoring after just five minutes.

Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets then added goals two and three before half-time, while Alberto de la Bella grabbed a second-half consolation for Sociedad before Marc Bartra completed the scoring for the hosts.Barca coach Gerardo Martino continued his squad rotation policy with four changes from the side that won 4-0 at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.

Dani Alves and Busquets replaced Martin Montoya and Alex Song, while the goalscorers from the victory at the Estadio de Vallecas - Cesc Fabregas and Pedro, who grabbed a hat-trick - were left out in favour of Andres Iniesta and Alexis Sanchez.Sociedad boss Jagoba Arrasate, meanwhile, made seven alterations to the team that drew 0-0 at home with Malaga.

Only goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, Inigo Martinez, Bergara and captain Xabi Prieto retained their places, with Antoine Griezmann, and Haris Seferovic among those to come in to the starting XI.Those wholesale changes almost paid dividends immediately as Seferovic rattled the crossbar from outside the box after only two minutes following a bright start from the visitors.

But Barca had won 17 straight home league games before Tuesday’s fixture, and normal order was resumed just three minutes later when Neymar bundled home.
Sanchez embarked on a strong run down the right, before sending in a low deflected cross that deceived Bravo and gave the 21-year-old the simplest of tasks of tapping in from three yards.And it did not take long for Barca to double their advantage as Messi found the net with a diving header on eight minutes.

A typically free-flowing move led to Neymar standing up a perfect cross from the left that found Messi unmarked at the back post and the Argentinian made no mistake by nodding home his seventh league goal of the campaign.

Things then went from bad to worse for Arrasate when skipper Prieto was forced off with a thigh injury, and Busquets compounded his misery in the 23rd minute.Messi somehow contrived to hit the crossbar from two yards after Alves' low delivery from the right, but Busquets was on hand to collect the loose ball 20 yards out after a poor clearance and rifle home a fine half-volley.

The champions continued to dominate thereafter and produced some mesmerising interplay in the final third, with the only negative of the half for Martino coming when Javier Mascherano was forced off after failing to shake off a knock from an early collision with Busquets.

Barca picked up where they had left off after the interval and created four clear goalscoring opportunities within the first 15 minutes of the second half, with Messi missing twice and Neymar and Sanchez following suit soon after.However, Sociedad got themselves back into the game just after the hour through De La Bella.

Substitute Imanol Agirretxe took advantage of some lax defending from Gerard Pique before firing across the six-yard box for the full-back to convert from close range.

But Martino’s side restored their three-goal cushion on 76 minutes when substitute Bartra got in on the act by finishing from two yards after a dazzling dribble from Messi in the penalty area.

Barca then took their foot off the pedal, although Sanchez nearly added further gloss to the scoreline as he hit the post with a header in injury time.

 

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Swindon Town 0-2 Chelsea: Mata and Luiz back as Blues progress

Chelsea swept past Swindon Town to make it into the fourth round of the Capital One Cup.


Juan Mata and David Luiz, who had notably been left out of the Blues line-up against Fulham on Saturday, were both involved in a 2-0 win at the County Ground.

Two goals in six first-half minutes from Fernando Torres and Ramires gave the visitors the win, although their success was tempered by the loss of Marco van Ginkel and Ramires to injury.Torres opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a poacher’s finish after Juan Mata saw his shot saved by Wes Foderingham.

And Ramires doubled the lead soon after as he lifted a ball into the net following a neat pass from Torres, who had wriggled free outside the area in expert fashion.
As well as the returns of Mata and Luiz, Jose Mourinho gave Mark Schwarzer his Chelsea debut in goal, Cesar Azpilicueta made his 50th club appearance, and there were also starts for Kevin De Bruyne and Willian.

Swindon boss Mark Cooper made one change from the side victorious against Bristol City last time out, with Alex Pritchard replacing Louis Thompson in midfield.Chelsea were forced into an early change when young Dutchman Van Ginkel twisted his knee after falling awkwardly, with the 20-year-old appearing to be in a lot of pain as he hobbled off in the 10th minute.

After a tight opening to the game, Mourinho’s men had the first sight of goal midway through the half.Mata threaded a neat ball into Torres and the striker cut in front of his man but saw Foderingham make a save with his head to deny him.

Minutes later, though, the former Liverpool man made no mistake as he broke the deadlock after neat build-up play between Ramires and Mata.Mata’s shot was saved by Foderingham, but Torres was on hand to pounce on the loose ball and poke home from a matter of inches.

And Torres then turned provider in the 35th minute as the visitors doubled the lead. The Spaniard played a perfectly weighted pass for Ramires to run onto inside the penalty area, leaving the Brazilian to calmly lift the ball over the advancing keeper and into the back of the net.Danny N’Guessan thought he had halved the deficit for the hosts early in the second half when he met a Jay McEveley free kick and headed past Schwarzer, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Swindon provided more of an attacking threat after the break, but Schwarzer was rarely tested in the Chelsea goal.

And the hosts were nearly punished for pressing forward in the closing minutes but Torres and Willian were both denied by resilient defending as the Premier League side eased through to round four.

 

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Manchester City 5-0 Wigan: Jovetic doubles up for comfortable hosts

Stevan Jovetic scored twice in a 5-0 win over Wigan on his home debut to help Manchester City progress to the fourth round of the Capital One Cup.

The hosts squandered a number of good opportunities in the first 30 minutes as they looked determined to get their revenge for last season's FA Cup final defeat to the same opposition, before Edin Dzeko eventually got the breakthrough.

Jovetic doubled their lead in the second half before substitute Yaya Toure scored a delightful free kick but there was still time for the Montenegrin and Jesus Navas to add the fourth and fifth.

Fresh from their 4-1 derby-day demolition of Manchester United on Sunday, City boss Manuel Pellegrini made 10 changes, with Fernandinho the only player to keep his place.

Seventeen-year-old Marcos Lopes made only his second appearance for the club, while Jovetic played his first game at the Etihad Stadium following a summer move from Fiorentina.

Wigan swept Ipswich Town aside with a 2-0 win on Sunday and just the two players remained in the side for the short trip to Manchester, as Thomas Rogne and Leon Barnett started at the back.

The Premier League side were unsurprisingly in control from early on and they almost took a fifth-minute lead but Lee Nicholls parried Dedryck Boyata's header wide following a James Milner corner.

City were producing plenty of crosses as Dzeko nodded a Milner centre wide before the England international emulated the Bosnian a few moments later following Lopes's delivery.

Lopes struck the crossbar with a superb effort just before the half-hour mark but City did eventually take the lead in the 33rd minute as Dzeko made amends for his previous wasted efforts by looping a volley over Nicholls after Fernandinho's clever scooped pass.

Pellegrini had the luxury of being able to bring Toure on for Fernandinho at the break and City were no less dominant at the beginning of the second half, with Dzeko testing Nicholls once again in the 55th minute.

Five minutes later, City added to their lead. Nicholls thought that he had made a save from Jovetic initially but the Montenegrin's effort after a Micah Richards cross struck the goalkeeper and went in.

If there was any doubt regarding a City win, Toure made sure that they would go through to the next round 15 minutes from time as he fired an unstoppable free kick past Nicholls after Fraser Fyvie had fouled Jovetic.

City grabbed a fourth in the final 10 minutes as Jovetic poked past Nicholls following Milner's cross and Navas got his first for the club with a low right-footed effort to complete the rout, latching onto Alvaro Negredo's through-ball.

 

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Aston Villa 0-4 Tottenham: Chadli bags first Spurs strike as visitors run riot

Jermain Defoe scored another double as Tottenham eased to a 4-0 victory at Aston Villa in the third round of the Capital One Cup.

Defoe – who netted twice on his last appearance for Spurs against Tromso – headed his side into the lead on the stroke of half-time after great work from Lewis Holtby at Villa Park on Tuesday.

Paulinho doubled Tottenham's lead with a near-post flick just four minutes after the break and substitute Nacer Chadli sealed the win with a powerful late finish.

There was still time for Defoe to get a second goal though, as he rounded Villa goalkeeper Jed Steer in stoppage time to score his sixth goal of the season.

Both sides rang the changes, with Villa making seven, as striker Libor Kozak was handed his first start in the absence of the injured Christian Benteke (hip).

Tottenham made eight alterations, as Defoe returned from a niggle, while Romanian defender Vlad Chiriches made his long-awaited debut after finally receiving his work permit following his move from Steaua Bucharest.

In a first half dominated by Tottenham, Harry Kane, Defoe and Erik Lamela all had early attempts on goal but, at the other end, visiting goalkeeper Brad Friedel got down well to deny Marc Albrighton with a smart save.

Defoe had two more efforts on goal as Tottenham pressed, while Albrighton shot over, before the hosts stepped up the pace 10 minutes before the break.

First, a flowing counter-attack involving Lamela and Holtby saw the former’s shot well saved by Steer, who was also called upon to keep out a placed Defoe effort.

Tottenham deserved a goal for their dominance and they got it on the stroke of the interval, as Defoe played in Paulinho, who flicked to Holtby.

The Germany international lobbed a sublime ball into the area and Defoe – who had continued his run – nodded beyond the reach of Steer.

Villa made two changes at the break, as Nicklas Helenius and Jordan Bowery were introduced in place of Kozak and Karim El Ahmadi, and one of boss Paul Lambert's additions almost made an immediate impact.

Helenius beat Tottenham's Jan Vertonghen to a long ball, before closing in on goal, only for the Spurs defender to bizarrely pull his shorts down as they tangled, with the eventual shot going wide.

Lamela had a free-kick deflected just wide shortly afterwards, and from the resulting corner Tottenham increased their advantage, as Paulinho charged to the near post and acrobatically flicked Holtby's cross into the net.

Paulinho had another effort saved while Kane saw a shot deflected wide, and Aleksandar Tonev forced a good save out of Friedel with a well-hit strike.

But Chadli and Defoe wrapped up the win for Tottenham in the dying stages, with the former beating Steer at his near post before Defoe rounded the Villa goalkeeper and scored an easy tap-in

 

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Casillas exit unlikely, says Perez

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has revealed that it would be "difficult" for Iker Casillas to depart in the January transfer window.

Los Blancos have started the season with Diego Lopez as first choice goalkeeper, just like he was in the second half of the last campaign, but Perez cast doubt on the skipper being shipped off in the winter.

"It'll be difficult for him to leave in [the next transfer window]," the 66-year-old told Cadena SER. "Mou's decision on dropping Casillas was made for sporting reasons. He gave him a little warning and then after that it was because he was injured.”

The Santiago Bernabeu chief refused to hit back at new Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino for criticising Madrid's €100 million purchase of Gareth Bale, suggesting that the Argentine is not used to the big-spending culture in Spain.

"Martino is new to his post and he doesn’t know very well how signings work here," he added. "It's easy to agitate public opinion."

Madrid's brought in Carlo Ancelotti to replace Jose Mourinho over the summer and Perez revealed the Italian had to be prised away from Paris Saint-Germain with a contract nearly identical to that of the departing Portuguese.

"We paid PSG €7 million for him," he continued. "We paid one half and he paid the other. He earns more or less the same as Mourinho."

Karim Benzema has received his fair share of criticism from Madrid fans since the start of the new season but Perez believes that supporters are only trying their best to get the best out of the France striker.

He added: "I think the crowd whistle Benzema to motivate him. I've even heard fans whistle [Real Madrid legend Alfredo] Di Stefano."

 

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Lukaku reveals Premier League obsession

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku has revealed that he watches every second of every Premier league match in a bid to improve his game.

The 20-year-old Belgium international, on a season-long loan from Chelsea, came off the bench to score the winner in the Toffees' 3-2 Premier League victory at West Ham on Saturday.

Lukaku scored 17 goals while at West Brom in 2012-13 and says that he tries to absorb as much as possible about the movements and techniques of fellow strikers and opposition defenders.

He told Metro: "It's true that I watch every single game in the league - 90 minutes.

"I take my time to study and to learn other strikers' movements and to learn about other defenders. I take my time.

"Really I want to be one of the best in this league so you can only learn from the best by watching the best. After training I go home and record every game. I have a satellite and I just watch the games."

It serves his ultimate goal of becoming one of the best players that the world has ever seen, with his loan spell all about taking his game to the next level.

"My aim is to go down as one of the greatest," Lukaku added. "That's why I'm at Everton. I'm here to help the team, the team is here to help me.

"Everton were that step I needed. As a team they are always close to the top four and get to cup finals. That was really interesting for me."