..::Football III::..

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Martial: I want to play with extraordinary Ibrahimovic

Manchester United attacker Anthony Martial has admitted he would like to play alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Sweden international has been linked with a move to the Premier League as his contract with Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire at the end of the campaign, with Manchester United and Arsenal linked to the 34-year-old.

And Martial believes the Sweden international, who has scored 30 goals in 26 Ligue 1 appearances and 39 in 42 games in all competitions this term, still has a lot to offer and would love to team up with him in the future.

"It would be nice to play with him," he told Telefoot. "He is an extraordinary player and he continues to prove it despite his age."

Martial, 20, joined United from Monaco at the start of the season and has impressed with eight Premier League goals in 25 matches.

And the France international is happy with his choice to join the Old Trafford club, hailing manager Louis van Gaal as a big influence on him.

"I really like Louis van Gaal, he was always behind me. He made me come and made me play, this is the most important thing." "We will have to strengthen during the transfer window, although we have a good team."

 

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Sunderland 0-2 Leicester City: Vardy the difference as Foxes edge closer to title

Jamie Vardy's clinical double earned Leicester City a 2-0 win over Sunderland that takes them a step closer to the Premier League title.The England striker raced onto Danny Drinkwater's long ball before finishing with aplomb midway through the second half of a scrappy affair at the Stadium of Light, which was high in tension but low in quality.

Both sides had shouts for a penalty waved away in a first half during which chances were scarce, though Kasper Schmeichel saved well to deny Fabio Borini as Sunderland sought a win to give their survival hopes a major boost.

Drinkwater came close for Leicester before he set up Vardy to snatch the lead and send the visiting fans into raptures, and Claudio Ranieri's side secured a killer second in injury time to put further pressure on second-placed Tottenham, thanks to a fine solo goal from their star striker.

Sunderland, who worked tirelessly but were too often wasteful in the final third, remain four points from safety in 18th place.N'Golo Kante's ambitious dipping volley from distance summed up Leicester's determination to seize an early advantage.

Wes Morgan, whose header secured three points against Southampton last week, spurned a great chance to put Leicester ahead when he nodded Riyad Mahrez's corner wide from just six yards out.

Shinji Okazaki's appeals for a penalty were dismissed after he was caught by DeAndre Yedlin following Marc Albrighton's flighted ball over the top, but it was Sunderland who began to look the more likely as the half went on, Younes Kaboul coming closest with a looping header from just inside the box.

The home side had their own shouts for a penalty waved away by Anthony Taylor just before half-time as Patrick van Aanholt's attempted cutback struck the trailing arm of Robert Huth, before Schmeichel reacted well with his legs to hook Fabio Borini's deflected effort clear of the near post.

Borini missed two more half-chances as Sunderland started the second period the strongest, first scuffing a shot wide of the near post before firing just a couple of feet over with a far cleaner strike from the edge of the area.

Drinkwater was denied by a smart smothering stop from Vito Mannone as he looked to race clear onto Vardy's pass, but just as a breakthrough was beginning to look beyond a surprisingly sluggish Leicester, they seized the initiative.

Drinkwater fired a superb long pass from his own half into the path of Vardy, who raced into the penalty area before slotting low past a hesitant Mannone into the bottom corner.

Mahrez almost set up Vardy for a second as he left Yedlin for dead on the break, but the ball just eluded him before Borini endured the embarrassment of kicking the ball into his own face and behind for a goal-kick when picked out in space in the area.

Sunderland pushed for a late equaliser, but Jack Rodwell blazed over the crossbar when completely unmarked just six yards out to sum up another frustrating 90 minutes for Sam Allardyce's side.

And Leicester, who saw late efforts from Drinkwater and substitute Daniel Amartey thwarted by Mannone, sealed the win as Vardy charged from the halfway line before prodding the ball around the Sunderland keeper and tucking in his 21st goal of a remarkable season.

 

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Schalke 2-2 Borussia Dortmund: Huntelaar penalty denies Tuchel’s men

Schalke all but ended Borussia Dortmund's Bundesliga title hopes as they twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with their rivals in the Ruhr derby on Sunday.

Thomas Tuchel made eight changes to his team in preparation for Thursday's Europa League quarter-final second leg against Liverpool at Anfield and saw his team miss the chance to win a third straight derby clash, which would have been their best run in the fixture since 1967.

All four goals came within a 17-minute spell at the start of the second half, with Shinji Kagawa's brilliant chip and Matthias Ginter's header cancelled out by Leroy Sane's low strike and a Klaas-Jan Huntelaar penalty for the hosts.

The result means Dortmund are seven points behind leaders Bayern Munich with only five games remaining, while Schalke stay seventh but move level with fourth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach in the race for Champions League qualification.

Dortmund threatened first when 17-year-old Christian Pulisic's looping header from Erik Durm's cross was only just dealt with by a backpedalling Ralf Fahrmann in the home goal.

Pulisic was the main threat and he should have scored from Dortmund's next opening, racing though on goal and firing inches wide of the far post.

Schalke's first attempt of note saw Sane unleash an excellent long-range strike which had Roman Burki worried before clipping the outside of the post.

Junior Caicara fired off-target from Younes Belhanda's pass shortly before half-time, with Huntelaar furious at the Brazilian for opting to shoot instead of cross.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan came on for Mats Hummels in a tactical half-time change and Dortmund took the lead in stunning fashion within four minutes of the restart.

Kagawa played a neat one-two with Moritz Leitner on the edge of the area before scoring with a stunning first-time chip.

But Schalke made a prompt response, levelling in less than three minutes. After Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's shot was blocked, Caicara's cross was pushed out by Burki and Sane smashed home with his left foot.

Dortmund moved back in front in the 56th minute when Mkhitaryan's set-piece delivery from the right took a huge deflection and ended up right on the head of an unmarked Ginter to convert from six yards.

However, a thrilling second half saw Schalke draw level for a second time with 25 minutes remaining. Sokratis Papastathopoulos was ruled to have brought down Huntelaar from behind and the Dutchman took the spot-kick himself, calmly sending Burki the wrong way.

Dortmund almost re-took the lead when Fahrmann made a crucial save from Kagawa after Pulisic's cutback, before the visitors were boosted by Ilkay Gundogan's appearance from the bench after more than a month out injured, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also introduced.

Aubameyang almost got away in the closing stages but was denied by a crucial Joel Matip block, while Schalke saw substitute Max Meyer miss the target with a good opportunity as Dortmund left knowing that the Europa League and DFB-Pokal will now have to be their priorities.

 

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Vardy hails 'big step' towards Premier League title

Jamie Vardy believes Leicester City took a crucial step towards the Premier League title on Sunday, as they defeated Sunderland 2-0 at the Stadium of Light.

Two clinical finishes from England internaional Vardy gave the Foxes a scrappy victory, moving them 10 points clear of second-placed Tottenham, having played a game more.

Claudio Ranieri's men now need just three more victories from their final five games to ensure that they win the title and Vardy, who was applauded from the pitch by both sets of fans at the final whistle, subsequently expressed his delight at the result.

"Our fans have been brilliant and it's brilliant to have the Sunderland fans clapping as well," he told Sky Sports.

"It was a great game, it was tough, but we knew it would be.

"We wanted to win and that's what we've done. It's a step closer. You never know what will happen in the last few games but it's a step in the right direction."

Danny Drinkwater, who set up Vardy's opening goal with a fine long pass, echoed his team-mate's sentiments, claiming that the victory felt like a pivotal moment in a remarkable title race.

"We've got a few games left. It's a step, but it's a big one," he added.

"If it puts more pressure on Tottenham, perfect, but I can't see them looking too much at that. But we've done our job.

"The fans are brilliant at this club, but the lads fully deserve it."

 

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Leicester fans can dream, but the players must focus - Ranieri


Claudio Ranieri says Leicester City must leave dreaming about the Premier League title for the fans, despite taking another major step towards glory on Sunday.

Two goals from Jamie Vardy gave the league leaders a 2-0 win away to Sunderland which put them 10 points clear of second-placed Tottenham, having played one game more.

Vardy and Danny Drinkwater claimed after the match that the victory felt like a crucial one, with Leicester now three wins away from the most unlikely of title triumphs.

Ranieri was moved to tears as he applauded the travelling fans at full-time but warned that they cannot now allow their focus to slip."We knew it would be tough, it is normal because Sunderland are fighting to be safe, but I am very happy for the three points," he told BBC Sport.

"Our performance was very solid, of course they had the chance to draw but we had three or four chances to finish it early.

"The fans must continue to dream but we must continue to be concentrated and focused. Now we have two tough matches at home, the Champions League is on the table and we have to keep it. We achieve nothing yet.

"We have to stay calm, be focused, strong, solid and keep going. You make this job for the emotion you feel inside but it is difficult for me to tell what kind of emotion. Today we made some mistakes, we still have to look at what is not right."

Vardy ended a run of six league games without a goal to move onto 21 for the campaign, and Ranieri admits he was relieved to see his leading scorer rediscover his clinical touch.

"It is important for Jamie Vardy to score because he made some good assists in the last game but he is our goalscorer and he needed to score again and I am very happy with him," he added.

 

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Liverpool 4-1 Stoke City: Origi at the double as Reds crush Potters

Divock Origi staked his claim to start against Borussia Dortmund once again by scoring twice as a much-changed Liverpool hammered Stoke City 4-1 on Sunday.

Eyebrows were raised when Jurgen Klopp opted to start Origi ahead of Daniel Sturridge in last Thursday's Europa League quarter-final first leg, but the young Belgian rewarded his manager's faith with a crucial away goal at Signal Iduna Park.

And Origi was at it again at Anfield on Sunday as he bagged a brace after coming on as a half-time substitute in place of Sheyi Ojo, who impressed on his first Premier League start.

Klopp made seven changes to his XI with Thursday's second leg against his former club in mind, with the recalled Sturridge also offering a timely reminder of his quality with a close-range header that restored Liverpool's lead before the break after Bojan Krkic had cancelled out Alberto Moreno's early screamer.

It took the buoyant Origi just five minutes to get himself on the scoresheet with Liverpool's third of the game as he nodded James Milner's delivery past Jakob Haugaard, and the 20-year-old's cross-cum-shot added gloss to the scoreline with 25 minutes remaining.

Klopp, who took the opportunity to rest Philippe Coutinho but was able to field Lucas Leiva from the bench after his thigh injury, sees his side climb above Stoke into eighth in the Premier League and can reflect on a job well done ahead of the season-defining visit of Dortmund.

Liverpool enjoyed the better of the opening stages and took the lead in the eighth minute, when two of the four men to keep their places after the trip to Germany combined.

Milner fed Moreno with a quick free-kick after being fouled by Phil Bardsley, and the Spaniard fizzed a dipping long-range drive beyond Jack Butland's deputy Haugaard for his first goal of the season.

But Stoke were level by the midway point of the half when Bojan was allowed the freedom of Liverpool's penalty area to glance home Xherdan Shaqiri's free-kick from the left.

The visitors thought they had turned the game on its head soon after when Peter Crouch headed in a superb cross from Erik Pieters, only for the offside flag to deny the former Reds striker.

And Stoke's frustration was compounded by a moment of brilliance from Liverpool youngster Ojo, who drifted left before dancing his way past Shaqiri and sending an inch-perfect delivery across the face of goal to give Sturridge the easy task of nodding Klopp's team back in front.

Origi replaced teenager Ojo at half-time, and the Belgian made an immediate impact after being left all alone to power a close-range header past the helpless Haugaard.

It was one-way traffic after the interval and Origi put the icing on Liverpool's cake when he cut inside Bardsley and angled a ball in towards Sturridge that ended up in Haugaard's far corner.

 

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Leicester City qualify for Champions League

Leicester City have secured Champions League football for the first time in their history after beating Sunderland 2-0 and seeing Tottenham beat Manchester United at White Hart Lane.

The results means Claudio Ranieri's side, who currently have 72 points after 33 games, cannot finish lower than fourth in the Premier League this season, with just five games left to play.

The Foxes remain hot favourites to finish this season as champions after two goals from Jamie Vardy saw them down Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

However, Tottenham remain in pursuit, seven points behind, after three goals in quick succession condemned Louis van Gaal's side to defeat.

The Red Devils now look increasingly unlikely to finish in the top four, Sunday's defeat leaves them four points behind rivals Manchester City, in the final qualification spot, with six games left to play.

 

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Congartulations Leicester City!

Leicester City PattaTop 4 awi kiyala hithuwe wath nathi team 1kak​

 

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Tottenham 3-0 Manchester United: Second-half blitz keeps Spurs title hopes alive

A trio of quickfire second-half goals helped Tottenham to maintain their pursuit of Premier League leaders Leicester City with a 3-0 win over Manchester United.

Kick-off was delayed by half an hour as the United team bus fell foul of London traffic but it took a good deal longer for much excitement to arrive, as White Hart Lane endured a dour first half without a shot on target.

But 0-0 became 3-0 within six scintillating second-half minutes as Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld and Erik Lamela struck to land damaging blows against United's hopes of a top-four finish.

Tottenham's outlook is comparatively more positive after they eventually found an impressive response to Leicester's earlier Sunday win at Sunderland to sit seven points behind the leaders with five matches remaining.United lie fifth, four points shy of neighbours Manchester City, and contributed little as an attacking force in the latest turgid showing of the Louis van Gaal era.

This result, combined with Leicester's 2-0 success at the Stadium of Light, means Claudio Ranieri's men are now assured of a top-four finish.

Playing for the first time since suffering medial knee ligament damage in January, Jan Vertonghen made an important challenge to stop Anthony Martial's mazy run as United started brightly despite their delayed arrival.

A rare handling error from United goalkeeper David de Gea forced Timothy Fosu-Mensah, preferred at right-back to Matteo Darmian, into a last-ditch challenge on Harry Kane with the goal gaping.

The visitors failed to fully clear the danger and Christian Eriksen's right-wing cross to the recalled Lamela at the back post deserved better than a woeful headed miss.

A lack of service meant Marcus Rashford was hardly the main culprit in United's first-half struggles but the teenage striker was replaced by Ashley Young, who took up a central attacking role after almost three months out with a groin injury.

De Gea punched clear as Eriksen fired goalwards from the left wing before having his palms warmed by Eric Dier and Kane.

Young's introduction as an unlikely attacking spearhead had done little to increase United's potency but Martial almost opened the scoring in the 62nd minute.

The France forward glided in from the left past a clutch of Spurs defenders but thumped his eventual shot too close to goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

De Gea reacted well to clear Danny Rose's deflected cross with his right boot, while a selfless tackling display from Fosu-Mensah came to a close in the 68th minute as he limped off to be replaced by Darmian.

The opening goal arrived from the Italian's flank shortly afterwards – Eriksen scampering forward following a scrappy passage of midfield play and his first-time cross was matched by an instant finish for Alli's eighth league goal of the season.

United's impressive discipline deserted them entirely as Alderweireld powered home Lamela's free-kick.

Darmian was booked for a foul on Kane to bring about that opportunity and a dismal cameo continued as he watched Rose spear a low cross past him for Lamela to sweep home emphatically in the 76th minute.

De Gea tipped over Kane's header as a rampant Spurs underlined their credentials, while United must regroup quickly for Wednesday's FA Cup sixth-round replay at West Ham.

 

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Kala thiyenne lassanata

3 goals in 7 minutes

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Van Gaal explains decision to play Ashley Young as lone striker

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has explained why he chose to bring on Ashley Young and play him as a lone striker in the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

The 30-year-old came on at half-time and replaced Marcus Rashford for the Red Devils who crashed to a damaging defeat thanks to three goals in six minutes.

Speaking after the game Van Gaal explained his decision to play his winger as his team's forward, with Anthony Martial forced out wide.

"I want more running in behind. I think we have chances to do that because they are like us an attacking side with full-backs coming up," he told reporters.

"You need runners to the death, Ashley Young has done that very well in the second team. Anthony Martial is more a player who wants the ball in to his feet, so when I want runs in behind it's better to give that to a player who is willing to do that."

The result leave United four points behind Manchester City in the race for the fourth Champions League spot but Van Gaal insists they are not out of it yet.

"Every team can lose. Still we are in the race. When you lose a game then you have to close the gap again. That's more difficult," he told Sky Sports.

"Tottenham are a great team. Until the first goal we were a good team, who were playing good, who also had a big chance for a goal. Three-nil is a big negative result, the way we played until the first goal it was good."

 

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Pochettino: I missed Lamela's goal... I was in the toilet!

Mauricio Pochettino admitted that he could not see Erik Lamela secure three valuable points for Tottenham over Manchester United, as he was elsewhere 'occupied'.

It is every fan's nightmare to visit stadium facilities and hear the screams of the fans above, as their team celebrates hitting the back of the net.

But not even managers are immune to calls of nature at inopportune times, as the Argentine confessed after a 3-0 victory at White Hart Lane.

"I missed Lamela's goal! I saw it on TV. I left the toilet in the manager's room, then heard the roar so I ran to the dressing room to watch," he laughed to reporters in a press conference.

While Pochettino's thoughts might momentarily have been elsewhere as Lamela slotted the ball past David De Gea, he nevertheless insisted that his first concern was Tottenham, not Premier League leaders Leicester.

"We were focusing on our game, but Leicester showed the character and personality and fully deserved the result. It was important for us to show character and personality after the Leicester game. I'm very happy," he said.

"We showed a message that we are there, waiting and fighting. If they fail we have to stay there. Seven points is a big gap to reduce but we have to believe."

 

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Klopp praises performance of Sturridge and Origi


Jurgen Klopp applauded Daniel Sturridge for an “important” display in the 4-1 victory over Stoke and saluted Divock Origi for yet another impressive showing.

The Reds were rampant at Anfield late on Sunday afternoon, with both strikers on the scoresheet as Mark Hughes’ men were toppled in the fourth meeting between the sides this season.

Sturridge, who started after being overlooked in favour of Origi in the 1-1 Europa League quarter-final draw with Borussia Dortmund, headed in Liverpool’s second from close range after being brilliantly set up by Sheyi Ojo.

He looked sharper and more steely than he has in recent weeks.

The Belgian forward, who netted the opener in the first leg against Klopp’s former side, came off the bench to bag a brace.“You saw his first goal, a set piece, quick in mind, a short corner and then what a cross and what a header,” explained the Reds boss.

“The second goal is only possible with confidence. He really wanted to shoot – it was not a cross or something, he really wanted to shoot. Even on the bench, it was a surprise – a nice goal!”Klopp pointed out Origi’s increased physical presence, something the 20-year-old spent time on when he was sidelined earlier this year.

“During the last injury, he used [the time to work on] a little bit of body strength as everyone can see,” the manager said. “Now he has to wear another shirt and another kit!”
With the former Lille man bagging three in two games, the focus was naturally on him, but Klopp wanted to highlight the England international’s contribution as well.

He said: “It’s normal that you speak about Divock Origi after a game like this, but today I want to speak about Daniel Sturridge because he worked really hard and got a brilliant goal.

“He was throughout the whole game, but especially in the first half he was so important. “He kept Ojo in the game when he spoke to him to him on the pitch and told him ‘come on, stay positive’ and things like this.

“He was defending really smartly. He doesn’t have to defend like Lucas Leiva or someone like this, he has to defend smart by closing space, pushing them to one side and things like this – and that’s what he did. “There were a lot more good moments and I am really, really happy with his performance today.”

 

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Van Gaal still hopeful over top-four finish despite Tottenham blow

Louis van Gaal still believes Manchester United can finish in the Premier League's top four but conceded their hopes of Champions League qualification suffered a significant blow in the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham.

Kick-off was delayed by half an hour at White Hart as the United team bus got stuck in London traffic but its inhabitants endured far greater discomfort after Dele Alli scored the opening goal 20 minutes from time.

Toby Alderweireld headed a second and Erik Lamela netted a superb third as Spurs demolished their tardy visitors within six thrilling minutes.United lie four points behind fourth-placed Manchester City having ceded the ground they gained by winning last month's Manchester derby.

"Every team can lose to everybody so still we are in the race, but of course when you lose a game you have to close the gap again and that's more difficult," Van Gaal told Sky Sports.

"I think that Tottenham is a great team and I've said that also in advance of this match. Until the first goal we were the better team and also had a big chance for the first goal.

"To lose by three goals is a big negative result but the way that we have played until the first goal was good."

Neither side registered a shot on target during a dour first half but Van Gaal rued a 62nd-minute miss from Anthony Martial before Tottenham's decisive salvo."I think the better chance was with us, with Martial – that was big chance," he said.

"We gave the goal away with miscommunication and then you know what happened. Within five minutes we were out of the game."We didn't clear our heads. I think it is strongly expressed because the second goal is a set play. One of our best headers loses that duel.

"It is also a fantastic header from Alderweireld but it is happening and it cannot happen."

 

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Van Gaal still hopeful over top-four finish despite Tottenham blow

Aston Villa/Crystal Palace/Leicester City/Norwich City/West Ham/Bournemouth

meh hama match 1kakma win karanna wenawa Champions League Place 1ka gana hopes thiyaganna namno draws no losses & Leicester & West ham thamai fixtures set 1ke thiyana amaruma matches 2ka​

 

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Nasri: I'm so hungry Guardiola will be lucky to work with me!

Samir Nasri is determined to stay at Manchester City and says Pep Guardiola will be a "lucky man" if he decides to work with him this summer.

Guardiola will replace Manuel Pellegrini as manager at the end of the current season and has already identified a list of transfer targets as he plots an extensive squad overhaul.

Many current City players are expected to be shown the door in the off-season, but Nasri, who capped his first start since September with a goal against West Brom on Saturday, is certain he still has plenty to offer.

The Frenchman is excited to be back in action having spent the last five months on the sidelines and, although he has not yet had any assurances from the incoming coach, he is desperate to make the most of his opportunities and says he will do everything to ensure Guardiola can take advantage of his attributes.

"I don’t know because you never know, maybe he comes with his ideas and stuff," Nasri told reporters. "I played against him in the past [for Arsenal], he had some praise for me but I think that was like five years ago now.

"That is one thing. When he is going to start I am going to be fresh so I hope that will help me and I will try to perform, because when you have been out for so long you are more hungry when you come back, you don’t want to waste your time.

"You want to be back with a bang and be fit for my team. If I stay working with Pep Guardiola, if he wants me, he’s just going to be a lucky man because I will be really hungry."

Nasri, unlike many of his club-mates, will not be joining up with his national team this summer and will report for City's pre-season training at the start of July.

Having spent the majority of this season recovering from a freak tendon injury which required surgery and around 100 stitches to rectify, the 28-year-old is in no mood for a summer break and, once he has helped City finish the season strongly, is looking forward to talking over his future with Guardiola.

"You have to discuss with the manager when there is a new manager," he added, "I just know that I am the type of player for his philosophy and the way he likes his team to play, so we are just going to see. On the first day of pre-season I will have a chat with him because I am going to be really hungry."

Nasri, who is just as determined to shine for Pellegrini in the final weeks of his reign, says he "loves" Guardiola's style of play, but will not get too carried away before he knows whether or not he will be given a chance by the Catalan.

"It's exciting. If Manuel was staying it's the same thing. [Guardiola] is a great manager, maybe the best in the world. It's exciting if you are part of his plan. If you are not part of his plan, it's not exciting at all.
"Even if it was not my generation, I was a huge huge fan of Johan Cruyff, and [Guardiola] copied everything off him because he was one of his players. I love the way his teams play, having the possession of the ball, 70 per cent, so it's something I'm looking forward to."

Nasri signed a contract extension until 2019 less than two years ago, but while he talked at length about working his way into Guardiola's plans, he has warned that he will not stick around if he cannot get regular game time.

"Of course I want to stay," he continued. "That's why I extended my contract. But at the end of the day I am a player and I want to play. You can do whatever you want, but if you are sitting on the bench you are not happy no matter if you have signed a 25-year deal. It doesn't matter.

"The only thing that matters is when you are on the pitch. I am OK with everything, I am OK to be a team player. If I don't perform, to sit on the bench, of course I'll accept it, but if I play I just want to be one of the starters if I perform. That's just how it is."

 

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Wenger: Arsenal were too weak in the air

Arsene Wenger conceded Arsenal's defence was too weak in the air during their 3-3 draw at West Ham.

Andy Carroll struck a hat-trick, including two headers, which put West Ham 3-2 up after falling 2-0 behind, before Laurent Koscielny stole a point for Arsenal – a result which put a huge dent in their title ambitions.

The draw, plus Leicester City's 2-0 win over Sunderland, left Wenger's side 13 points off the league leaders with six games left in their season.Wenger conceded after the game that his defence had let Carroll bully them into submission.

"If you look at our defensive record we are third best in the league," he said."We can’t make too much of it. But if we had a weakness today it is in the air. We lacked a bit of a tricky attitude.

"We know that Carroll can beat anyone in the air but we jumped and made it a bit not uncomfortable for him."In the game we did not have many problems. But the problems weren’t especially central defence, more on the flanks where we suffered.

"When we went 2-0 up we lost a bit of our defensive focus. With a player like Carroll, he can score goals from nothing – any set piece, any free-kick. Carroll was fresh and wanted to fight."Wenger was less convinced by questions about his side's lack of leadership.

"I think every time you concede goals people come up with the same thing: you lack leaders, you lack this and you lack that," he said."I don’t deny we lacked something at 2-0. Is it leadership? I’m not completely convinced; it’s just heading the ball."

 

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Schneiderlin questions United mentality

A poor six minutes in which Manchester United conceded three goals against Tottenham has raised questions about the team's mentality for Morgan Schneiderlin.

The French midfielder was left scratching his head by the lapse which saw Tottenham take a commanding 3-0 lead through Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld and Erik Lamela.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah had been forced off with an injury in the 68th minute after being the standout man in United's defence, before Alli kicked off the Tottenham scoring spree.

But Schneiderlin suggested his team were mentally weak, such was the collapse after the first goal."After the first goal we lost a bit of shape, maybe it was a mental thing," he said.

"In the first half we had possession and caused a few problems but after the goal it happened so quickly, three goals so quick cannot happen.

"Everyone has their head down like you can imagine. No-one would have thought that after 60 minutes it would have been 3-0."But fair play to them they got us when we were a bit down. Like I say, it is us to blame."

The result leaves United four points off fourth-placed local rivals Manchester City with six games to play.

 

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LA Liga Fixture 2016.04.11

LA Liga Fixture 2016.04.11

Deportivo Vs Las Palmas​

 

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Serie A Fixture 2016.04.11

Serie A Fixture 2016.04.11

Roma Vs Bologna​