..::Football IV::..

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West Ham 2 Newcastle United 3: Magpies' slide ends in festive thriller


Newcastle United moved out of the Premier League relegation zone as they claimed a first win in 10 games with a pulsating 3-2 victory over West Ham on Saturday.

The Magpies went into the contest at London Stadium having taken just one point from the last 27 available, and looked set for another long afternoon when Marko Arnautovic pounced on an early Christmas gift from Henri Saivet to open the scoring.

But Saivet, making his first start in central midfield under Rafael Benitez with Mikel Merino and Isaac Hayden both injured, quickly equalised with a long-range free-kick.




Newcastle twice struck the woodwork as they enjoyed the better of the first half, and eventually completed the turnaround in the second as Mohamed Diame scored against his former club.

An immediate chance for West Ham to level was not taken when Andre Ayew saw a contentious penalty kept out by Rob Elliot and Christian Atsu soon punished him at the other end by capping off a lightning break from the hosts' corner to put Newcastle two clear.

Ayew provided hope for West Ham in the 69th minute but his spot-kick failure ultimately proved decisive as they could not find a late leveller, meaning it is now back-to-back defeats for David Moyes as their recent upturn in form is halted, while Benitez can finally be allowed to feel somewhat more festive.


Arnautovic needed no second invitation to open the scoring in the sixth minute, with Saivet - in as part of five changes by Benitez - carelessly conceding possession. The Austria forward latched on to the Senegal midfielder's terrible pass and surged past Ciaran Clark before firing confidently beyond Rob Elliot.

But Saivet atoned for his error in stunning fashion four minutes later, bending a low free-kick into the bottom-left corner past the dive of the out of position Adrian to level matters.

Only the woodwork prevented Newcastle from quickly completing the turnaround, Dwight Gayle clattering the crossbar from DeAndre Yedlin's low cross after Matt Ritchie found the American on the overlap down the right.

West Ham continued to carry a threat themselves and Michail Antonio spooned a header over when given space in the area before Arthur Masuaku's drive was parried by Elliot.

The woodwork again frustrated Newcastle as Ritchie curled against the post from the edge of the area after great hold up work from Gayle, and Antonio then missed a sitter at the other end, sending a free header well wide when it seemed easier to score.

Newcastle looked the more likely to score the game's third goal, though, and Yedlin's surging run and ball to Ritchie deserved a better conclusion than Gayle shooting over.

The visitors almost paid the price for again allowing Arnautovic space to run at goal after the restart, but the former Stoke City star could only lash wide this time around.However, Newcastle took the lead they will have felt they deserved eight minutes into the second half as Atsu nutmegged Pablo Zabaleta and pulled the ball back for Diame to emphatically convert into the top-right corner.

Their advantage came to close to being instantly eroded two minutes later but, after Lee Mason controversially pointed to the spot despite Clark's foul on Antonio appearing to take place outside the box, Elliot dived low to his left to keep out Ayew's poor penalty.

The points looked to have been made safe a minute after the hour, Gayle launching an excellent counter with a superb pass for Atsu, who charged forward and played a one-two with Joselu before tapping into the bottom-right corner.

Newcastle's two-goal lead lasted a matter of eight minutes and it was their former striker Andy Carroll who set it up, the substitute nodding a corner down for Ayew to partially atone for his earlier miss and halve the deficit from close range.



Obiang sent a half-volley over and West Ham huffed and puffed in search of a third, but their approach in pumping long balls into Carroll proved entirely too predictable and Newcastle hung on to complete a double over the Hammers and leapfrog them in the table.

 

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Manchester City 4 Bournemouth 0: Aguero inspires emphatic win

Manchester City's astonishing winning run stretched to 17 games with a 4-0 hammering of Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium, as record-breaker Sergio Aguero stole the show with a double.

Pep Guardiola's side could perhaps be accused of not reaching their usual lofty standards, but Bournemouth rarely appeared capable of punishing any complacency and once Aguero – who is reportedly unhappy with his coach's rotation policy – opened the scoring, there was no looking back.

City looked particularly sluggish at times in the first half, though it still was not surprising when they took the lead just before the half-hour mark, as Aguero nodded in his 100th goal at the Etihad, the perfect tonic for any Guardiola grievances.




The hosts tightened things up in the second half and looked a far more focused unit, especially after doubling their lead through Sterling, who scored his seventh goal in five games against the Cherries.

Aguero doubled his tally for the day 11 minutes from time with another well-taken header to round off an impressive performance from the Argentinian.


And Danilo added their fourth late in the day with his first goal for the club, as City go to within two victories of the longest winning run ever in Europe's top five leagues and 14 points clear of Manchester United, who face Leicester City later on Saturday. Despite City's attempts to monopolise possession, Bournemouth will have been happy with their start, as they went close to the opening goal in the 10th minute.

Adam Smith darted up the right flank and delivered a cross, pulling it back towards the edge of the area where Junior Stanislas was waiting to volley just wide of the right-hand post.City eventually crafted their first opportunity 10 minutes later, as Aguero latched on to Nicolas Otamendi's lofted pass and put his effort over.

He found his range shortly after, though, steering a stooping header into the bottom-left corner from Fernandinho's cross after being left completely unmarked.
But Bournemouth finished the first half well and threatened to equalise just before the break.

Ryan Fraser's pass in behind City's defence forced Ederson to rush off his line and make a tackle on the edge of the area, knocking the ball to Kyle Walker, who passed it straight to Callum Wilson, only for Otamendi to make an important last-ditch intervention.

City appeared much sharper all over the pitch upon the restart, affording Bournemouth even fewer opportunities to attack.And their second goal in the 53rd minute effectively ended the visitors' already slim chances.

David Silva – back after missing the last two games for personal reasons – found Aguero on the edge of the box and the striker flicked a fine pass into the area for Sterling to collect and slot past Asmir Begovic.

City's control on proceedings only seemed to increase after that goal and they added a third for good measure in the 79th minute – Aguero heading in Bernardo Silva's fine cross.



Danilo then rounded things off late on, sweeping a left-footed effort inside the left-hand post after a fine run and pass from the electric Sterling.

 

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Aguero,Sterling,D.Silva,Sane, CITY playerla okkoma wage pattama form ekaka inne​

 

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Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 3: Leaders strike major blow in title race

Barcelona struck a major blow in the LaLiga title race with a 3-0 win over Real Madrid in Saturday's Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Second-half goals from Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Aleix Vidal gave the Catalans a club-record third win in a row in a league match at the home of their fierce rivals and saw them move nine points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of the table.

Zinedine Zidane's reigning champions, who had Dani Carvajal sent off for a deliberate handball just before Messi's strike from the penalty spot, are now 14 points adrift of the leaders and, despite having played a game less, their title hopes appear to have been dealt a crushing blow.




Madrid trounced Barca in the Supercopa de Espana in August but the latter have gone unbeaten since that two-legged tie in all competitions, and they seemed happy to frustrate the home side in the first half in the knowledge that the onus was on Madrid to chase the win.

The hosts, who surprisingly matched Barca's four-man midfield by starting Mateo Kovacic, saw Cristiano Ronaldo – passed fit after an injury scare this week – and Karim Benzema come closest to breaking the deadlock before Suarez struck nine minutes after half-time at the end of a slick move.

Zidane prepared to bring on attacking reinforcements but the game was taken out of his hands when Carvajal was sent off and Messi swept home from the spot for his 17th LaLiga goal against Madrid, more than any other player in history has managed.


Substitute Gareth Bale nearly halved the deficit but Vidal squeezed in a third in injury time, leaving Madrid – along with Atletico, losers to Espanyol on Friday – staring at what looks to be an insurmountable task of hauling in the leaders in 2018.

The Santiago Bernabeu roared its approval as the home side started strongly, and Ronaldo headed the ball into the net inside two minutes only for a correctly raised offside flag to cut short the celebrations.

Barca appeared content to allow Madrid a greater share of possession as they maintained a more rigid shape and it kept both the home players and crowd frustrated, as the game entered something of a walking pace.

There was a sudden explosion into life half an hour in, though, as Keylor Navas made a brilliant save to tip over Paulinho's shot following Messi's sublime pass, before Ronaldo drove down the other end and forced Marc-Andre ter Stegen to save well at the near post.

With the game at last coming to life, Paulinho was again denied when Navas kept out his header, while Benzema glanced Marcelo's cross off the base of the right-hand post, with Ter Stegen beaten.

If Madrid began the first half better, it was Barca who came out flying for the second period – and, unlike the home side, they made their dominant spell count.

Ivan Rakitic was allowed to burst right through the heart of the Madrid midfield and play the ball out wide to Sergi Roberto, whose first-time cross was finished with aplomb by Suarez as he arrived unmarked from the left.

Frustrations were growing rapidly for the home side and particularly with Suarez, who was booed resoundingly for his reaction to a Casemiro challenge before he was caught round the face by a stray arm from Sergio Ramos, which earned the Madrid captain a booking.

Zidane was preparing to make some changes but, in the 63rd minute, the match was put beyond the champions. Suarez missed two golden opportunities to score, denied first by Navas and then the post, and as Paulinho tried to prod home the rebound, Carvajal blocked his attempt with a clear raised arm.

The ball was eventually put into the net but, rather than allow the goal to stand, referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez brought it back for a penalty and sent off Carvajal, before Messi swept the spot-kick high past Navas.

Marco Asensio and Bale were at last introduced and nearly combined to give Madrid a lifeline, with the Welshman just denied by Ter Stegen after Asensio had found space. Ramos then had a shot blocked and just failed to turn a Ronaldo cross home.

But Ernesto Valverde's side made absolutely sure of what could prove to be a pivotal win in injury time, as Messi teed up Vidal on the edge of the area and his low shot squirmed through Navas' grasp and into the net.

Madrid's title hopes look to have all but evaporated, while Barca will finish 2017 at least eight points clear at the top, depending on whether Valencia can beat Villarreal later on Saturday.

 

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Burnley 0 Tottenham 3: Kane hat-trick sends Spurs above Arsenal

A hat-trick from Harry Kane ensured Tottenham moved above Arsenal into fifth place in the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Burnley on Saturday.Kane's treble was enough to give Spurs their first back-to-back wins at Turf Moor for 92 years and lift them above Sean Dyche's side and the Gunners in the standings.

The clash represented a difficult prospect for Mauricio Pochettino's men after their chastening 4-1 loss to Manchester City last week, but they were the stronger team for the majority of the game and should really have added more goals in between Kane's first two.




They took control when the England international scored from the spot in only the seventh minute after Dele Alli had been fouled and, although Burnley enjoyed a good 20-minute spell in the middle of the match, they rarely had Hugo Lloris troubled in the visiting goal.

Kane at last produced a composed finish after Moussa Sissoko and Son Heung-min had wasted one-on-one opportunities to make the points safe, firing low into the net on the counter-attack.

The 24-year-old completed his treble with an emphatic left-footed finish with 11 minutes left to make the points secure and move onto 36 Premier League goals for 2017, level with the calendar-year record set by Alan Shearer in 1995.Spurs are now only a point behind fourth-place Liverpool and two above Burnley, who sit seventh after suffering only their fifth league defeat of the season.


Alli was lucky to escape a red card in the defeat to Manchester City and he was perhaps fortunate only to be booked after just four minutes in Lancashire, when he lunged into a challenge on Charlie Taylor. Burnley fans were further incensed when Alli was brought down by Kevin Long just two minutes later, allowing Kane to dispatch his penalty high into the net and put Spurs in front.

Kane shot inches wide after an Alli shot deflected into his path and Sissoko was denied by Nick Pope with 22 minutes played, but the visitors' dominance began to wane towards the end of the half as Burnley began to threaten.

The hosts continued their good spell after the break but they were given two real let-offs by Spurs on the break, First, Son blazed over from barely eight yards out after Serge Aurier set him up completely unmarked, before Kane overhit a simple pass to Christian Eriksen when Burnley had only one covering defender.But with 68 minutes played, Spurs at last doubled their lead. Sissoko intercepted the ball near the halfway line and sent a fine throughball to Kane, who kept his composure to slot beneath Pope from inside the penalty area.

Kane closed to within one goal of a new milestone in the Premier League when he completed his seventh hat-trick of the year in all competitions, collecting Alli's pass before drilling low across Pope's goal and into the bottom-right corner in stylish fashion.

He will surpass Shearer's 22-year record with a goal against Southampton at Wembley on Boxing Day, when Spurs will seek a fourth home win in a row in all competitions.

 

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Everton 0 Chelsea 0: Conte's men fail to make most of dominance

Chelsea failed to make the most of their superiority as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, with the hosts extending their unbeaten run to seven across all competitions.

Antonio Conte's men were looking to open a six-point gap ahead of fourth-placed Liverpool after their entertaining 3-3 draw with Arsenal on Friday, but ultimately Chelsea could not successfully break down Sam Allardyce's stubborn Everton.

For all of their first-half dominance, Chelsea did not create as many clear-cut chances as Conte would have hoped, with Jordan Pickford only troubled sporadically.




The champions were quick out of the blocks after the break and saw a couple of opportunities go begging, but such chances soon dried up once again.Eden Hazard looked lively leading the line for Chelsea and he often combined to good effect with Willian and Pedro, but without the suspended Alvaro Morata, they were lacking in the final third.

Ashley Williams actually went closest for Chelsea, heading on to his own crossbar late on, but Everton survived that scare to hold on and secure a hard-fought point.


Chelsea managed to exert control almost right from the off, enjoying periods of real pressure and crafting several decent chances early on.The best opportunity fell to Tiemoue Bakayoko, who saw his 10-yard effort cleared off the line by Phil Jagielka in the 10th-minute after Marcos Alonso's volley was deflected right to the midfielder.Everton looked particularly helpless against Hazard, whose driving runs caused no end of problems.

And one such foray nearly brought about another chance, as he darted at the Everton defence, offloaded to Victor Moses on the right and almost got on the end of the wing-back's resulting cross.Pickford was forced into action nine minutes before the break, however, palming Pedro's left-footed effort over after a swift Chelsea counter.

A rare Everton chance presented itself late in the half, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin selfishly went for goal himself when surrounded in the area instead of feeding the unmarked Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Chelsea began the second period with renewed focus and went close to the opener inside a minute – Pedro meeting Willian's cut-back and testing Pickford, with Alonso's rebound then blocked behind the goalkeeper by half-time substitute Williams.

That flurry failed to usher in another period of Chelsea dominance, though, with Everton looking more solid in midfield, despite Idrissa Gueye's withdrawal due to injury.Chelsea were successful in preventing Everton from becoming a threat, though they were forced to wait until the 76th minute for their next chance.

Moses flashed a teasing delivery across the face of goal that Williams glanced on to the bar, breathing a sigh of relief as it bounced away to safety.

Everton played the majority of the final 10 minutes with everyone other than Sandro Ramirez behind the ball, but they very nearly stole victory right at the end, as Michael Keane headed just over from a corner, much to the relief of Conte and Chelsea.

 

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Sassuolo 1 Inter 0: Falcinelli compounds Nerazzurri's nightmare before Christmas



Inter's nemesis Diego Falcinelli scored in a 1-0 win for Sassuolo as the Nerazurri lost for the second match in succession, handing the initiative to title rivals Napoli and Juventus.Falcinelli had struck just three times in 21 Serie A appearances since netting a brace for Crotone against Inter in April, but he crashed home a brave header at the expense of his favourite opponents in the first half at Mapei Stadium on Saturday.

Mauro Icardi saw a penalty saved after the break as Inter, whose 3-1 loss to Udinese last time out was their first defeat of the league season, battled in vain to force an equaliser.




A second consecutive loss for Luciano Spalletti's team leaves them third in the table, five points behind Maurizio Sarri's leaders Napoli, who saw off Sampdoria 3-2 at home.Reigning champions Juventus are second and can move four points clear of Inter if they beat Roma in Turin later on Saturday.

Ultimately, it was a frustrating final outing before Christmas for Spalletti's side, who are in Coppa Italia action against local rivals AC Milan on Wednesday, before hosting Lazio in Serie A next weekend.


Inter started strongly and were the first team to register a shot on target, Antonio Candreva firing straight at Sassuolo goalkeeper Andrea Consigli in the seventh minute.

A minute later, Milan Skriniar also went close, climbing highest to meet Candreva's corner, only to head the ball over the bar.Icardi somehow shot wide from close range with only the goalkeeper to beat in the 25th minute, but the raised flag of the assistant referee spared the Argentine's blushes.

Inter's failure to capitalise on their dominance was punished nine minutes later, when Matteo Politano charged up the right flank and dinked an inviting cross to the back post.Falcinelli bravely threw himself at the ball, heading it past Samir Handanovic to give Sassuolo a 1-0 lead. The goalscorer also collided with the post as he landed, but was able to continue after receiving treatment from medical staff.

Icardi spurned a chance to equalise as half-time approached, chipping the ball over the onrushing Consigli but seeing covering defender Francesco Acerbi head behind before he could get a shot away.

Inter made a blistering start to the second half and should have been level in the 49th minute, Icardi seeing his penalty saved by Consigli after Acerbi blocked Joao Cancelo's cross with his arm.

Sassuolo had a penalty appeal of their own waved away when Domenico Berardi went down under pressure from Cancelo, and the hosts' coach Giuseppe Iachini was duly sent to the stands by referee Daniele Doveri.That hectic spell gave way to a pattern of more patient, probing play from Inter, Edoardo Goldaniga clearing Ivan Perisic's threatening header in the 73rd minute.

Matteo Politano nearly sealed it for Sassuolo in the 81st minute, cutting inside from the right flank and drawing a good save from Handanovic, who also kept out a speculative long-range attempt from Alfred Duncan.

At the other end, substitute Eder lashed a half-volley narrowly wide of the far post with five minutes to go in what proved to be Inter's last real chance to salvage a point.

 

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Iniesta: Real Madrid capable of pulling off ‘the impossible’


Andres Iniesta has urged Barcelona not to write off Real Madrid after their resounding 3-0 triumph in El Clasico on Saturday.

Second-half goals from Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Aleix Vidal secured all three points at the Santiago Bernabeu to extend Barca's lead at the summit of La Liga to nine over Atletico Madrid after their 1-0 defeat to Espanyol on Friday.

Zinedine Zidane's side, meanwhile, are now a whopping 14 points behind Barca – having played one game less – but Iniesta is refusing to rule them out of the title race."I do not think the distance in points shows the distance in quality between the two teams," Iniesta told beIN SPORTS.

"We are very respectful of Madrid. We know they are one of the best clubs in the world, so we never rule them out for La Liga."There are still so many matches to play and Madrid, in their history have always proved they can pull off the impossible."

Iniesta admitted the hosts were the dominant side in the first half, but commended the Catalans' ability to turn the tide and register a memorable triumph."I want to congratulate the whole team on a great win," he added.

"In the first half, Madrid had more chances than us. They were playing a more attacking style of football to us and were stronger than us."In the second half we turned the tables and were more comfortable"In the first half they played us one-on-one but were not able to keep up that demanding style of play in the second half."

 

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Clasico win has not won Barcelona La Liga - Valverde


Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde refuses to believe his side's emphatic Clasico win could have decided the La Liga title race.

The Catalans moved nine points clear of second-place Atletico Madrid at the top of the table thanks to a 3-0 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The champions, who had Dani Carvajal sent off as they crashed to defeat thanks to second-half goals from Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Aleix Vidal, are now 14 points behind Barca and face a huge challenge in keeping their title defence alive in 2018.

"We're happy. We beat a great team on their pitch," he told BeIN SPORTS.
"We're still in the first half [of the season] and there's a long way to go. I don't want to say anything; there's still everything to decide."

The first half was a cagey affair, with both teams set up with four central midfielders, but Barca took control of the game early in the second half when Suarez broke the deadlock, before Messi's penalty doubled the lead after Carvajal was sent off for a deliberate handball.Valverde admits his players were thrown off their natural way of playing in a difficult first 45 minutes, but was pleased with the way they improved.

"They planned a game to stop us from playing," he said. "We had to go long. If we did not save ourselves from the first line of pressure, we didn't have the ball.

"After that, we controlled possession. Bit by bit, the chances and the goals came.
"In a match like that, when it's so physical, it's most difficult at the start. Then we played with more ease.

"I didn't think Madrid were of it. In fact, Madrid are never dead. They attacked and had more chances with 10 men, if anything."

 

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Gattuso: I'm the least of Milan's problems


AC Milan head coach Gennaro Gattuso has rejected suggestions he could quit, claiming he is the least of the club's problems after the team suffered a 2-0 loss at home to Atalanta.Gattuso replaced the sacked Vincenzo Montella late last month but has only managed one Serie A victory, a 2-1 win over Bologna, from his four league games in charge.

Last weekend the Rossoneri were surprisingly beaten 3-0 by struggling Verona and they were second best again on Saturday at San Siro, where Bryan Cristante and Josip Ilicic sealed all three points for Atalanta.

Speaking to Mediaset Premium, Gattuso insisted walking away after less than a month in charge was not the solution."Many things didn't work, though at the start we had the right approach. Once we went behind, it turned into an uphill struggle," he said.

"It's a complicated situation, the fans are protesting and we can't think of continuing the season like this. But I don't see people holding back or not trying to give their best. I see people who give their all, but evidently we are fragile.

"Today I am the Milan coach, but I am the least of our problems. It's not just about fitness levels, but here is also the psychological component. When what we are doing is not enough, we must become a team and to do that we need to make fewer mistakes."If I thought that I was the problem, then I would resign immediately. If I thought the players weren't behind me, I'd resign. But that's not it."

Gattuso won both Serie A and the Champions League twice during his time as a Milan player, but the former Italy international feels memories of the club's great teams of the previous three decades are not helping the current squad.

"We lack determination, hunger and grit," he said. "I also think we should stop making comparisons with the past. There were different players and a different club."We have to focus on the present, a present full of difficulties which we must all find a way out of together.

"When I say we are not a team, I mean it and I can see it. When we run into difficult moments, we cannot react. It's simply a fact. It's not the fault of individual players."

 

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Mourinho blasts 'childish' Man Utd after Leicester City draw

Jose Mourinho criticised his players for their "childish" play after Manchester United let a lead slip in the 94th minute at Leicester City.

Two goals from Juan Mata cancelled out Jamie Vardy's opener and put United in front before Harry Maguire went forward from defence to net in the last seconds at the King Power Stadium.

Chris Smalling appeared to be struggling with a muscle injury late on in the 2-2 draw and Mourinho was unhappy with his players' inability to adapt accordingly.

"It was an easy match to win," Mourinho told Sky Sports."We did everything to win. But when you lose big chances like we did in front of the goal... and not just big chances, also possession moments where it was easy to keep possession."I would say childish losses of possession. So, so, so easy. And then you are punished in the end.

"And again in the end, no maturity because Smalling was in trouble, he comes out of the game, they put Maguire as an extra man... the players on the pitch cannot react to that and analyse the game and make a quick adjustment."So I think childish in their box and childish in our box. Mistakes plus mistakes. We were punished by two points in an easy match to win."

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss described the opportunities his side passed up to increase their lead before Maguire's equaliser as a "joke"."I don't know," he reflected when asked how United had failed to win the game. "I don't know.

"We didn't win because we missed incredible chances. I would say joke chances.
"And then in the last second of the game we make a big defensive mistake, so it's an accumulation of mistakes in an easy match to win."I talked to the players at half-time, when the result was 1-1: [I told them it was an] easy match to win."

Despite falling 13 points behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race and losing to Championship side Bristol City in the Carabao Cup, though, Mourinho insisted that he remained upbeat."I feel great," he added. "Seriously. It's one thing to feel angry as a manager; it's another thing to feel great as a man.

"I feel good, I feel great. I work hard. The players do the same. Again, I repeat: we were punished by our mistakes. And what can I say more than that?"

 

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"We didn't win because we missed incredible chances."And then in the last second of the game we make a big defensive mistake, so it's an accumulation of mistakes in an easy match to win."I talked to the players at half-time, when the result was 1-1: [I told them it was an] easy match to win."

 

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When you lose, people think everything is f***** up – Zidane


Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane is prepared to face criticism after their damaging Clasico defeat to Barcelona, because many people think "when you lose, everything is f***** up".

Barcelona ran out 3-0 winners at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, sweeping Madrid aside thanks to second-half goals from Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Aleix Vidal.Madrid, who had Dani Carvajal sent off just before Barca's second goal, now trail the Catalans by 14 points in La Liga, leaving them with a mountain to climb if they are to retain their title.

Yet, although Zidane accepts the loss was "painful", he does not think Madrid are in crisis."We are not playing badly, that's why it is even more painful," Zidane said in a news conference.

"Football can change so quickly. Many people said they [Barcelona] were bad in pre-season, and now we will be labelled as bad tomorrow [Sunday]."This is football, we have to accept it. When you win, [people think] everything is wonderful and when you lose, everything is f***** up.

"We are sad because it is a painful defeat, but, at the same time, we will not give up - that's for sure."What we have to do now is to rest as much as possible. We do have a week off and we will be back stronger than before."Real Madrid never surrender, whatever happens."

Zidane also defended his decision to leave Isco on the bench after deciding to start with Mateo Kovacic, with the aim of limiting Messi's influence on the match.

"I have to make decisions. The idea was to keep an eye on Messi, and Mateo did well. We made a decision and that's it," the Frenchman told beIN SPORTS, before further discussing the issue in his post-match media conference."I'm making decisions as a coach. The decision was Kovacic on the pitch and Isco on the bench at the start. Then, because of how the match went, I was not able to use Isco.

"I had to use Nacho [Fernandez] because of the red card and had two changes left with one player less. That changes the game.

"I'm the coach and it's always going to be like that while I'm here."I will not regret anything. If you score in the first half the match is different. I know I will take the criticism, but that's football, and it will not change how I think."I make these decisions and I accept what happens."

 

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Vieira tells Arsenal how to get their house in order - starting with Alexis and Ozil


Patrick Vieira admits Arsenal have dipped in recent years, with it now vital that they invest in new contracts and fresh faces.

According to the Gunners legend, the collective performance under Arsene Wenger is “not good enough” for a club with such lofty ambition.The 2016-17 campaign saw the north London outfit slip out of the Premier League’s top four, forcing them out of the Champions League, while only three FA Cups have been secured since last claiming the title.

Further struggles are now feared, with Arsenal in danger of losing key men such as Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez as their contracts run down while the club continues to see domestic rivals outspend them on the very best talent available.

Vieira told Sky Sports on what needs to be done at Emirates Stadium: “When you look at the Arsenal team in the last few years, I think everybody will expect more from Arsenal because of what this football club represents.“In the current years, of course it’s not good enough.“It’s not good enough for the club, it’s not good enough for the fans.

“Of course, when you are used to winning, you want to keep winning.“There are players who have to make a decision about what they want to do in the future and that is the first thing they need to resolve.“Then bring in quality players to challenge Manchester City because I believe that Manchester City will be the team to beat in the years coming.”

Absence from Europe’s premier club competition will make it more difficult for Arsenal to attract the world’s best, while leading those currently on their books to look elsewhere.That is the problem facing Wenger, with the Gunners once again locked in a battle to secure a top-four finish.

Arsenal sit sixth in the Premier League table at present, with a thrilling 3-3 draw with Liverpool heading into Christmas keeping them on the outside of the Champions League places.

 

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James 'really happy' after swapping Real Madrid for Bayern


James Rodriguez says he is “really happy” at Bayern Munich having traded life at Real Madrid for that at another “top club”.After finding regular game time hard to come by in the Spanish capital, the Colombia international opened himself up to a summer move.

Various landing spots were mooted for the talented playmaker, but Bayern were to emerge victorious in the clamour for his services as they put an initial two-year loan deal in place.

James initially struggled to produce his best in new surroundings, but he has fully settled now and is flourishing as confidence returns to his game.“I'm very pleased with my first six months,” the 26-year-old told Sport1.“We can go into the holidays with a good feeling after the last few weeks and we hope to be successful next year as well.”Bayern entered the winter break in Germany sat 11 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table.

They have also reached the last-16 of the Champions League, with the return of Jupp Heynckes as an interim successor to the ousted Carlo Ancelotti helping to breathe new life in the club.

The target now is to finish the campaign with another collection of silverware, with James confident that he has swapped one heavyweight outfit for another just as capable for challenging for the biggest prizes in football.He added: “Bayern are like Real Madrid - a club at the highest level.

“They always want to win titles and are used to always having to win.“Without question, Bayern are a top club. It's a new life for me, but I've settled well. I'm really happy here.”

It has already been suggested that James’ form in Germany could see him welcomed back into the Real fold at some stage, but he has played down such talk and appears fully focused on the present for now.

 

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Otamendi signs two-year Man City contract extension


Nicolas Otamendi has signed a two-year contract extension with Manchester City, Goal can reveal.

The 29-year-old has become an important part of Pep Guardiola’s side this season and he has been rewarded for his fine performances in recent months. He has started all but two of City's games across the Premier League and Champions League, scoring five goals in his 23 appearances.He is the latest star whose deal City have moved to renew ahead of next summer's World Cup in a bid to ward off interest from Europe’s top clubs.

Goal reported earlier this week that Fernandinho, whose contract was due to expire in the summer, has already put pen to paper on a one year extension, with the option for a further year.
Gabriel Jesus has also agreed a new deal until 2023 and will sign it in the coming weeks, while Kevin De Bruyne will sign his new agreement once City and his agent agree upon the valuation of his image rights.Otamendi, like Fernandinho, has already signed his contract.The Argentina centre-back signed a five-year deal when he signed for City in 2015, and has now extended his stay until 2022.

 

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Man Utd's lack of killer instinct leaves Mata angry


Juan Mata admits Manchester United’s lack of killer instinct at Leicester has left those in the Red Devils camp “frustrated and angry”.

Jose Mourinho’s side appeared to have battled their way to three points at the King Power Stadium after recovering from falling behind to take control of the contest.

Mata bagged a brace to turn a festive fixture on its head, but his efforts were ultimately rewarded with just a solitary point as Harry Maguire snatched a last-gasp leveller in a 2-2 draw.

United are now 14 points adrift of arch-rivals Manchester City in the Premier League table, with another costly setback effectively ending the title race as those at Old Trafford are left to curse their shortcomings.“We didn't kill the game and we should have killed it – it’s easy to say now,” Mata told MUTV.

“If we won, we would have been saying it was a fantastic game and we came back and did the most difficult thing which was to score twice after they went ahead. But that's football and in the last seconds they put the ball into the box and scored.

"You have to keep going, particularly at Christmas time when you play every two or three days."Now we feel frustrated and angry, but we need to keep going and from tomorrow, rest and think about the next game. Obviously we aim to finish the next one with a much better feeling."

Mata admits he can take little comfort from having netted twice against Leicester, with the Spaniard having done all he could to collect a win with one smart finish and a classy free-kick.

He added: “[For the first goal] I got into the box and Jesse [Lingard] laid the ball off for me and I tried to shoot at goal. I think it was between the legs of the defender and it went in at the far post.“The other one was a nice free-kick, but now I'm feeling disappointed because they weren't enough to win.”

United return to action on Boxing Day with a home date against Premier League surprise package Burnley, before wrapping up 2017 with a visit from Southampton.

 

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Chelsea must buy in January to compete with Pep's City and Messi's Barca


Chelsea’s 0-0 draw at Everton on Saturday was yet another example of why Antonio Conte simply must splash the cash in the January transfer market if the club are to have any hope of closing the gap on Manchester City.

Eden Hazard led the line alongside Willian and Pedro after Alvaro Morata was suspended for his midweek goal celebration in the Carabao Cup. The trio were lively, producing tricks and flicks, but didn't have the cutting edge or variation in attack to find a winning goal without Morata.

Chelsea are still a very strong team but they now have 10 points fewer than they did at this time last season, while they are a mammoth 16 points off leaders Man City.

Everton were stubborn and solid – if somewhat negative - and that seems to be a formula that lesser teams have successfully adopted against Conte's side this season.

Where Chelsea have failed against such defensive tactics, Man City have succeeded and there is now a marked gap in quality between both clubs. City's success this term isn't by chance and Chelsea now must look into the transfer market for answers in order to add both quality and quantity to their squad.

Man City are ready to show their financial muscle again in January, with centre-back Virgil van Dijk at the top of their wishlist and Alexis Sanchez also likely to arrive on a Bosman in the summer.Chelsea need to match that ambition with Van Dijk, Thomas Lemar, Leon Bailey, Ross Barkley and Alex Sandro among those being targeted.

Chelsea are still competing on three fronts – even if the league title looks almost impossible - but they must stick to their plan to "build something important for the future" as Conte has repeatedly been quoted as saying in press conferences.

This means signing players who are either already world class or can grow into champions in the future. Chelsea still have the pedigree to beat anyone on their day but they lack the depth to fight it out over a gruelling league season given their other exertions.

Last season Chelsea didn't have to worry about the Champions League, which also helped ensure they suffered less injuries, and this gave them an edge on local rivals. The impact that European football would have on the squad physically was perhaps underestimated at Stamford Bridge during their summer transfer business.

Morata has performed well after moving for £55 million from Real Madrid but Tiemoue Bakayoko has struggled, Davide Zappacosta hasn't made an impact and Antonio Rudiger has been merely adequate.

Michy Batshuayi came off the bench versus Everton for the last 20 minutes but he still doesn't seem to be trusted by Conte. The Belgian is barely making any league starts, even in Morata’s absence, and is the third choice striker at Stamford Bridge. While Pep Guardiola is doing a magnificent job with his coaching, Man City are outdoing Chelsea on the pitch this season because of their superior work in the transfer market.
The Blues must find a way to compete with City for signings again in January, with the worry being that top players will soon start thinking that it is better to move to Manchester than London. Chelsea are still a good team, but that is not enough if they are to compete with a world class side like Man City.

And it isn’t only Pep’s men that Chelsea should be worrying about as we head into the New Year. On Saturday, Barcelona sent out a frightening message ahead of their Champions League last 16 meeting by thrashing Real Madrid 3-0 in the Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Lionel Messi was, unsurprisingly, the star of the show in that game and if Chelsea want to compete against him come February then they must strengthen in January.

 

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Man Utd to make £40m Malcom bid in January


Manchester United are ready to make an opening bid of around £40 million for Bordeaux forward Malcom, Goal understands.

United boss Jose Mourinho regards the Brazilian as the best young prospect in Europe and will urge Ed Woodward, the club's executive vice chairman, to broker a deal in January.

It is understood that Bordeaux are asking for more than £55m, and with president Stephane Martin insisting the 20-year-old will not be allowed to leave this winter, United are prepared to let him stay at the Matmut Atlantique stadium until the summer.

Malcom has already matched last season's tally of seven goals in Ligue 1 but despite some eye-catching performancs this season the French club are languishing in 15th place.

The Red Devils are currently some way short of offering the sums suggested by Bordeaux, but Mourinho will want Woodward to be flexible with his budget after the United supremo refused to meet Inter's valuation of Ivan Perisic in the summer, a source of annoyance for the Portuguese manager.

It is believed Arsenal have also been keeping tabs on Malcom, although they are yet to have made any contact with Bordeaux.