..::Football IV::..

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Man Utd in talks with PSG's Lucas Moura over January move


Manchester United remain in touch with Lucas Moura’s agents as they plot a potential January move for the ostracised Paris Saint-Germain attacker.

The 20-time English champions have yet to make a formal bid for the Brazilian but they have been in touch with his advisors over a significant period of time having originally targeted the player as a 19-year-old when he was still playing in his homeland with Sao Paulo. But after being outbid for his signature in 2012 by PSG, United continue to be admirers.

And after seeing their player restricted to just 72 minutes of Ligue 1 football this season, Lucas’ camp – led by agent Wagner Ribeiro – have begun the search for a Premier League club willing to end his PSG exile and reinvigorate his push for a place in Brazil’s World Cup squad.

Liverpool have no interest in the player, despite reports to the contrary, but United could be persuaded to make a move before the January window closes as they look to add to their faltering forward line.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s loss of form and the lack of pace and width available to Jose Mourinho on the right side of attack have persuaded the Portuguese manager that he may need to add to his stocks for the remainder of the season, and he recently named Lucas as one of the PSG stars being overlooked since the record-breaking summer arrivals of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

“What Paris Saint Germain did this season with Neymar and Mbappe, they got two of probably the four best attacking players in the world. They got two at the same time,” said Mourinho.
“And then players like Angel Di Maria, Julian Draxler, Javier Pastore, Lucas… they are second choices. Money makes a difference.”However, United are yet to make an official approach to the French side, with only Nantes having tabled an offer since Lucas’ rejection of an earlier bid by Beijing Gouan.

The 25-year-old has 18 months remaining on his contract in Paris, with his current employers thought to be ready to accept a bid of close to €40 million for the player they paid around €50m for in the summer of 2012.

 

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Man Utd in talks with PSG's Lucas Moura over January move

Talk kara kara innawa witharaine.Deal eka wenne nahane​

 

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Barcelona announce €11.8m Yerry Mina signing


Barcelona have announced their second signing of 2018, with defender Yerry Mina joining La Liga's leaders from Brazilian side Palmeiras for €11.8 million.Mina has signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with the Catalan giants.

A deal for Mina had been set up for after the World Cup, but Barcelona were keen to complete an early move for the defender, who made clear his desire to join Ernesto Valverde's side.

The table-toppers said in a stement: "Yerry Mina now comes to Barca with the opportunity to continue developing as a footballer following his move to Europe. Without a doubt the Colombian has the potential to make it."
The Colombia international will strengthen Barcelona's defensive options as Javier Mascherano is reportedly expected to leave Camp Nou in the January transfer window, with Chinese Super League side Hebei China Fortune reportedly keen on the experienced Argentine.

Mascherano has started only six La Liga games so far this season, with Thomas Vermaelen typically selected by Valverde as Gerard Pique's partner in the absence of the injured Samuel Umtiti.

Umtiti has also been linked with a transfer away from Barcelona, with Manchester City and Manchester United among the clubs linked with triggering the France centre-back's €60m release clause. Gerard Pique, however, has said he is sure the France international wishes to stay with the club. Barcelona have already added to their squad this month, having finally completed a long-awaited move for Brazil international Philippe Coutinho.

After a string of failed bids for the Liverpool playmaker in August, Barca have agreed to pay a reported club-record fee of €120m for the Brazil international, who signed a five-and-a-half-year deal at Camp Nou.

 

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‘I don’t think Mahrez would want to go to Arsenal’ – Wise


Riyad Mahrez would not be interested in a move to Arsenal, according to former Chelsea midfielder Dennis Wise.

The Algeria international has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium as a possible replacement for Alexis Sanchez, who could make a January move to Manchester City.Wise, though, believes that there will be better options on the table for the 26-year-old than Arsene Wenger’s men, with Liverpool also following his progress.

“I don’t think Mahrez would want to go there,” he told Sky Sports.“I think there would be other teams that Mahrez would look at and think he’s capable of going into, teams that are in a better position than Arsenal.”

Ian Wright, who stands at second in Arsenal’s all-time scoring chart behind only Thierry Henry, was of a similar opinion.
“They’re in a position now where someone like him has got to go there and really pull up trees to get Arsenal back to where they need to go,” he said, referencing the fact that the Gunners may see both Alexis and Mesut Ozil leave on Bosman deals.“What help has he got? He’s looking at two unbelievable players who might walk out.”

While the Gunners are struggling to make the top four in the Premier League once again and were eliminated from the FA Cup by Nottingham Forest last weekend, their Carabao Cup hopes remain alive after a scoreless draw in the first leg with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

 

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Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0: Stamford Bridge stalemate leaves EFL Cup semi-final poised

Chelsea and Arsenal played out a draw for the fourth time in as many meetings this season as the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final finished goalless at Stamford Bridge.

The London teams reconvened seven days on from a scintillating 2-2 Premier League draw at Emirates Stadium but this encounter failed to hit those heights, instead repeating the scoreline from a September stalemate on this ground.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who watched the match from the press seating as he continued to serve a touchline ban, deployed reported Manchester City target Alexis Sanchez as a second-half substitute and is likely to be the happier of the two managers.




An even first half gave way to sustained Chelsea pressure after the interval, with the visitors struggling to stem the tide after an enterprising display from Jack Wilshere was ended by another injury scare for the midfielder.Alvaro Morata probed as Chelsea's attacking spearhead to no avail and Antonio Conte will regret his side's two best chances falling to Andreas Christensen – a defender who proved ill-suited to the task.

It represented a restoration of pride for Wenger and Arsenal after their weekend FA Cup humiliation at the hands of Nottingham Forest and they will welcome their rivals to north London in two weeks' time with hopes of a fourth domestic knockout cup in five seasons firmly intact.


Eden Hazard recovered from a calf complaint to start for Chelsea and the Belgium star played in Morata after two minutes, although the angle was against the striker – who endured a torrid outing when the sides met in the league last week – and he shot into the side netting. Victor Moses found joy in attacking inexperienced wing-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles down the Arsenal left, with David Ospina grasping a shot at the second attempt as Morata lurked.

In the 28th minute, Maitland-Niles lost his footing and Moses fired against the base of the near post.At the other end, Thibaut Courtois parried away an Alex Iwobi snapshot and Maitland-Niles, with roles suddenly reversed, went down under a challenge from Moses.

Martin Atikinson consulted VAR as Arsenal supporters chanted the name of the trialled technology but the referee stuck with his initial decision of no penalty.Cesc Fabregas headed tamely at Ospina when he found space on the end of Cesar Azpilicueta's cross from deep in the final minute of the first half.

Chelsea resumed on the front foot and saw another aerial chance go begging when Christensen nodded over from close range. Morata was unable to adjust his feet and convert when Marcos Alonso flicked Fabregas' 54th-minute corner in his direction and the forward then tested Ospina from range.

Before those attempts, Wilshere injured his leg blocking a firmly struck cross from Moses and an impressive outing as Arsenal captain was curtailed when he limped off to make way for Mohamed Elneny before the hour.



A clever turn away from Shkodran Mustafi allowed Morata to test the side-netting from an acute angle once more.In the absence of Wilshere, Arsenal looked even less likely to regain their earlier control and Mustafi blocked from Moses before Christensen again showed himself to be nowhere near as adept in the opposition box as in his own with another limp header.

Fabregas' 88th-minute cross struck the outside of the post before Danny Welbeck correctly survived trial by VAR inside his own area for a challenge on the Spain playmaker, meaning Arsenal emerged unscathed.

 

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Real Madrid 2 Numancia 2 (5-2 agg): Guillermo double deepens Zidane's woes despite Copa progression

Numancia striker Guillermo scored a brace at the Santiago Bernabeu as Real Madrid were held 2-2 in the second leg of their last-16 Copa del Rey tie, Zinedine Zidane's side progressing 5-2 on aggregate.

Dubiously awarded penalties converted by Gareth Bale and Isco helped Madrid establish a comfortable win in last week's first leg, in which Pape Maly Diamanka was sent off for Numancia.

And when Lucas Vazquez headed Dani Carvajal's cross in after just 10 minutes, the LaLiga giants looked set to win their first home game of the new year easily despite Zidane making 10 changes from Sunday's league draw at Celta Vigo.




Numancia had other ideas, however, Guillermo levelling just before the break and mere minutes after coming on as a substitute to give the second-tier side hope of a memorable cup shock.

Vazquez scored his second of the night to record his first Real Madrid brace in 109 appearances for the club, turning home from close range after Borja Mayoral unselfishly headed Marco Asensio's cross into the attacker's path to restore the hosts' lead.

But Numancia - who had Dani Calvo sent off deep into injury time - were not finished, Guillermo matched Vazquez's feat by heading home his second of the night to deepen the gloom surrounding Madrid, who lost their last home game 3-0 to Barcelona and are 16 points behind their rivals in the LaLiga table.Asensio lashed an early effort into the side-netting but Madrid were in front inside 10 minutes.

Vazquez won both penalties against Numancia last week and he was the second-tier side's tormentor again, heading Dani Carvajal's pinpoint right-wing cross into the ground and past goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi.


Munir saved from Vazquez, while Asensio and Mayoral both wasted chances to extend Madrid's already comfortable advantage.

Unai Elgezabal headed Dani Nieto's corner over after 32 minutes but Numancia's attacking threat was seemingly minimal, before they scored out of nothing on the stroke of half-time.Madrid were caught short at the back and Marc Mateu squared a low cross that Guillermo - on as a substitute for the injured Higinio Marin - could hardly miss from close range.

Munir made a simple stop from Dani Ceballos five minutes after the break as Madrid - thrashed 3-0 by Barcelona in their last home game - sought to get back in front.And when Madrid regained the lead it was again Vazquez, the forward scoring his fifth goal of the season in all competitions.

Excellent football led to Asensio finding space on the left, with Mayoral nodding the ball into the middle of the box for Vazquez to turn past Munir, although he nervously checked for a raised offside flag before celebrating.Kiko Casilla had to save from Nacho Sanchez and Pere Milla bundled wide as Numancia battled for a second equaliser, before Zidane introduced senior stars Isco and Casemiro in a bid to see the game out.

Numancia claimed a second equaliser, however, Guillermo flicking a sublime header beyond Casilla from an excellent Saul Garcia left-wing cross to give the second-tier side lifelong memories of their trip to the Bernabeu, Calvo's late dismissal for a foul on Isco in stoppage-time proving a mere footnote.

 

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Fernando Hierro: Zidane out? Madrid must be calm


Former Real Madrid captain Fernando Hierro leapt to the defence of Zinedine Zidane, urging the club to be sensible as pressure builds on the under-fire head coach amid their struggles.Madrid soared to new heights in 2016-17, winning La Liga and becoming the first team to successfully defend their Champions League crown last season.

However, Madrid have been less than convincing this term despite winning the UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup and Supercopa de Espana – already 16 points behind runaway leaders and bitter rivals Barcelona in La Liga.




Madrid also stumbled into the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey following a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Numancia on Wednesday, prompting Zidane to admit that his new contract with the club has no meaning .But Hierro has called for calm in the Spanish capital and urged the club not to rush any decisions.

"We have to be sensible," Hierro told EFE ."We are in January and it is the same coach and almost the same players who won eight titles in the last two years.

"Real Madrid means that you have to win every game, being second is not worth it.
"However, we have to be calm and use good sense."One gets used to winning everything, but when that isn't the case, it's not a good enough reason to want him out."

"We have to be smart in our judgment because they are the same players, the same trainer and the same philosophy," he added.Hierro joins Michael Laudrup, who won the league title in 1995 after joining Madrid from Barcelona, in backing Zidane to keep his post with Madrid despite the disappointing standing in the league this season .

Zidane's Madrid welcome sixth-placed Villarreal to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, and despite having little chance of winning La Liga are still in the running in the Copa del Rey and face PSG in the Champions League round of 16.

 

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Conte: No transfer talk with Man Utd and City target Alexis


Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has reiterated his "great admiration" for Alexis Sanchez, but said he was not attempting to lure the Arsenal forward to Stamford Bridge when the two were pictured in conversation earlier this week.

Sanchez, whose Arsenal contract expires at the end of the season, has been heavily linked with a January move to runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Amid reports of increased interest from Manchester United in the Chile forward, Arsene Wenger said on Friday there had been no "concrete" developments regarding Sanchez's future, the Arsenal boss adding: "Nothing is decided one way or another"

At a news conference later in the day, Conte was asked what he had said to the player when the two spoke in the Stamford Bridge tunnel ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie between Chelsea and Arsenal.

"I said hello," replied Conte with a smile. "He's a great player and he knows very well that in my first season at Juventus we tried to buy him from Udinese, and then he decided to go to Barcelona.

"He knows very well my admiration for him - it was a good chance to say hello.[There were] no other conversations. I have great admiration for great players, I think Alexis Sanchez is one of these players.

"I don't know [where Sanchez will go]. You have to ask him which is his choice, or maybe ask Arsenal because Arsenal has to decide his future before June.
"For sure, his future will be in a great club."

Asked whether other Premier League clubs have a responsibility to stop Pep Guardiola from adding Sanchez to his richly talented squad, Conte suggested Chelsea could do little to hijack any City move.
"No, because if Manchester City want Sanchez, they buy Sanchez," said the Italian. "They don't have a problem about money or investment and I think it's a good investment because we are talking about a top player and you can buy him for a price that is not so high.

"I'm hearing that the amount is around £20m. If you go to buy Sanchez with a normal price, it’s maybe £80-£90m."This is just my opinion, because in the past City showed if they want to take a player, they go and buy this player."

 

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Man Utd and Chelsea target Candreva would 'love' Premier League move


Inter winger Antonio Candreva says he would “love to have a go playing in the Premier League” amid links to Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.The 30-year-old has often been mooted as a target for leading sides in England, but has never been given the opportunity to complete a switch.

He hopes that situation will change in the near future, expressing a desire to test himself outside of his homeland – even if the standard in Serie A is improving.

Candreva told Calcio 2000 magazine: “I really like the Premier League, as it’s an exceptional competition. I’d love to have a go at playing in the Premier League.

“Serie A is showing this season that not only is it always a difficult league, but also now has some very entertaining games. I think Italian teams are improving and can do well in Europe too.”Candreva is currently helping Inter to chase down a domestic crown, with the Nerazzurri sat third in the table – nine points adrift of leaders Napoli.

Luciano Spaletti, an experienced coach held in the highest regard by those working under his wing, is the man charged with delivering success this term at the San Siro.“Spalletti is a coach at a great level,” added Candreva.“I’m very happy to be working with him in this period of my career. Thanks to him, I am improving a great deal.

“He works a lot on concentration, motivation and consistency. He is meticulous and you always learn something new with Spalletti.”Candreva has not been in the best of form this season, despite his claims to be improving, with his goal account yet to be opened in 2017-18.

He is, however, adamant that criticism from certain sections of Inter’s fan base is not weighing on his mind.“I never felt the pressure of playing at San Siro,” he said.“We are talking about a crowd that knows its football and has seen world-class players, so naturally it demands a high level of performance. That is why we must be careful to make as few mistakes as possible.”

 

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Gabriel Jesus could return for Man City in 2-3 weeks


Gabriel Jesus could be fit for Manchester City's Champions League game against Basel on February 13, according to Pep Guardiola.The Brazilian had initially been ruled out for 4-6 weeks with the knee ligament injury he picked up against Crystal Palace on New Year's Eve.

City sent Jesus to Barcelona for a check-up on Thursday, little over 10 days after the Palace game, and Guardiola says the striker could be back in action within three weeks.
"Yesterady he was in Barcelona with Dr Cugat, and at the end it was good," the City boss said. "In two or three weeks, when we play Basel in the Champions League, he could be ready, two or three weeks he will be ready, I think."

Should the 20-year-old return within three weeks, he would theoretically also be available for games against Burnley on February 3 and Leicester City on February 10.

 

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Iniesta insists arrival of €160m man Coutinho won't retire him at Barcelona


Andres Iniesta insists the €160 million arrival of Philippe Coutinho at Barcelona will not “make me retire or kick me out”.The La Liga giants have spent big during the current transfer window, with a transfer record smashed to land Ousmane Dembele over the summer broken again to bring in another creative influence.

Coutinho has been acquired from Liverpool to nail down a regular role in the present, but he is also considered to be a long-term successor to World Cup winner Iniesta.

The long-serving 33-year-old Barca skipper is aware of such talk but maintains that another quality addition has been made to complement him in Ernesto Valverde’s plans, not replace him.Iniesta told Onda Cero on Coutinho’s arrival in Catalunya: “I'm a player for this club and I've always said that only the best can play for this club.“That makes Coutinho one of the best. He's young and he has an innate talent, while Barcelona are a club where he can keep growing.

“There will never be a player that can make me retire or kick me out of here. At 33 years of age, that isn't the issue. Coutinho has come here to improve us.“I'm happy that he's one of the best players in his position. He has the things that we like.

“He's a quick and skilful player, who links up very well, uses both feet very well, creates goals and scores them.“He'll find a very good environment to grow here. The money we paid for him is another thing.

“The price of the market decides what a player is worth. Beyond the madness, we must be happy that he's ours.”Coutinho is having to be patient before proving himself at Barcelona, with a thigh problem delaying his debut.The Brazil international arrived carrying the knock and is not expected to make his La Liga bow until a derby date with Espanyol on February 4.

 

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Mourinho not ruling out Man Utd move for 'phenomenal' Alexis


Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has refused to rule out a move for Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez.

The Chile international has been widely tipped to join Manchester City, either in the January window or when his contract runs out this summer, but United are reported to have entered the race.And in his press conference on Friday, the United boss did not deny his club could move for Alexis.

"I don’t know if ethical or correct,” he told reporters."The word we can find to be speaking about players of other clubs. If somebody speaks of one of my players to tell we are interested or we are not interested, I wouldn’t be very, very happy."Sanchez is an Arsenal player, I don’t know but probably this weekend he is going to defend Arsenal colours so I don’t think it’s correct to say things about Alexis Sanchez.

"At the general level what I can say is myself and the Manchester United board, the owners, we don’t believe a lot in the January market, we don’t believe in signing a player just to sign a player, just to do something, we don’t believe in that.

"What we believe really is there are some players in football world if you have the chance to sign them in January, in March or in July, you have to try and that’s it.

"But in relation to Alexis Sanchez I don’t say a word. The only word I can say is he is a phenomenal player, apart from that an Arsenal player and I feel I shouldn’t say much more than this.”Goal understands that City remain hopeful of signing Alexis, but they are wary of overpaying for the star, whom Arsenal value at £35 million.

It was reported on Thursday that United have approached Arsenal regarding Alexis, although senior City sources are themselves unaware if that is merely mischief making - either on the part of agents or their rivals - or a genuine attempt to stage an eleventh hour coup.Alexis has made 21 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions this season, scoring eight goals and providing four assists.

United have recruited aggressively under Mourinho's management, spending £145.8m on Romelu Lukaku, Victor Lindelof and Nemanja Matic in the summer transfer window.

 

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Sanchez wa ganna puluwan unoth hodaiath sure naha deal eka wenakam.​

 

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'Now I just have contempt' - Mourinho fires back in Conte feud


Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho claims he feels "contempt" for Chelsea counterpart Antonio Conte as he continued to stoke the feud between the pair. Mourinho and Conte have engaged in a war of words in recent weeks that has seen both men fire increasingly venomous barbs.

The Special One has brought up prior charges of match fixing around the Italian, who responded by dubbing his rival a "little man".And speaking on Friday, Mourinho showed no inclination to let tempers calm as he once more went on the warpath.

"I think when a person insults another you can expect a response," the United manager fired to reporters in a press conference."Or you can expect contempt, silence. The first time he insulted me I had a response, a response that I know that touched the point where he really feels hurt.

"Then he insulted me for a second time but now I change and now contempt and for me contempt means end of the story."Chelsea got the better of the Red Devils in their first Premier League meeting of 2017-18, winning 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.

The teams will meet again in the return fixture at Old Trafford in February, with fireworks expected if the managers continue to clash in their bitter off-field spat.

 

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Bayer Leverkusen 1 Bayern Munich 3: Leaders open up 14-point lead with comfortable win

Javi Martinez, Franck Ribery and James Rodriguez did the damage as Bayern Munich claimed a commendable 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena on Friday, increasing their lead at the Bundesliga summit to 14 points.

Jupp Heynckes' men were the controlling force for most of the match and, although Leverkusen found some hope through a deflected Kevin Volland goal, Bayern ended their hosts' 12-match unbeaten run and claim a first win at the BayArena since March 2013 despite Robert Lewandowski's absence due to a knee injury.

The entertaining first half was initially end-to-end, with the two sides having fairly equal shares of the ball, but Bayern gradually gained control and identified Leverkusen's main weaknesses; their susceptibility at set-pieces and Karim Bellarabi's reluctance to track back.As such, it came as little surprise to see Bayern's opener come via a corner, with Javi Martinez slamming home after Leverkusen failed to clear their lines.


The in-form Leon Bailey went close to a stunning equaliser when he struck the crossbar nine minutes after the break and Bayern soon made the most of that, as Ribery rounded off a swift break with his first Bundesliga goal of the season.

Volland pulled one back via a deflection of Niklas Sule in the 70th minute to usher in a period of intense Leverkusen pressure, but Bayern - who introduced new signing Sandro Wagner late on - wrapped things up through James' exquisite stoppage-time free-kick to increase their lead at the top ahead of Schalke's trip to RB Leipzig on Saturday.

Bayern were the first to craft an opportunity as Arjen Robben led a break and picked out Ribery at the back post, but Bellarabi recovered to block the Frenchman's eventual effort.

A couple more chances fell to the visitors in quick succession in the 17th minute, with Bernd Leno forced to turn Arturo Vidal's effort from an acute angle around the post, before saving the Chilean's header from the resulting corner.

Leverkusen's first real chance a few moments later should have opened the scoring, but the unmarked Dominik Kohr headed wide from the left-wing corner.
And Bayern punished his profligacy in the 32nd minute – Martinez blasting in from close range after Vidal's header ricocheted into his path.Things nearly got worse for Leverkusen a few minutes later, but Vidal nodded just wide.

Leverkusen did not appear any more of a threat initially after the break, but a moment of individual brilliance from Bailey nearly restored parity in the 55th minute.The Jamaican winger darted into the right side of the penalty area and left Sule in knots, before chipping a left-footed effort on to the bar.

Bayern took full advantage soon after, as they caught Leverkusen on the break and Ribery – exploiting the space left by Bellarabi – strode into the left side of the area before tucking his effort into the bottom-left corner.

But luck was on Leverkusen's side 20 minutes from time, as Volland's effort from just outside the penalty area took a huge deflection off Sule and beat the helpless Sven Ulreich.Another chance presented itself to Volland late on, as Kai Havertz fed the striker into the penalty area, but his first touch was poor and allowed Ulreich to make a vital save.

And James ended Leverkusen's fading chances in stoppage time, caressing a free-kick into the top-left corner from the edge of the area to cap off a strong individual performance.

 

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Chelsea never wanted Vardy, says Conte


Chelsea are thought to be interested in adding a back-up striker in January, with Michy Batshuayi looking for a loan move, but Antonio Conte insists that he's never requested a move for Leicester City's Jamie Vardy.

Vardy is undoubtedly Leicester's most important striker and helped the club win a shock Premier League title in the 2015-16 season under Claudio Ranieri, scoring 24 goals that season.He faces a race to be fit for his side's visit to Stamford Bridge on Saturday after missing an FA Cup third-round match against Fleetwood Town.

Conte says that while he admires Vardy, the Blues have never approached the striker during his time at Stamford Bridge.

"No, honestly we didn't speak about him, but I repeat we are talking about a really good player," Conte told reporters at Cobham Training Centre. "For sure Vardy is a really good player and I don't like to speak about players of other teams, but in this case we are not talking about transfer market.

"I appreciate a lot this player because he is a really good player, Vardy. He played for the national team and is scoring with regularity in this league and is a good player, but this different — I am talking about him because you ask me and not the transfer market."

Chelsea are looking at options to loan Charly Musonda but have been reluctant to loan Kenedy, who has not had much game time but is operating as a back-up to Marcos Alonso at left wing-back.Conte says Chelsea may consider promoting an academy player to allow Kenedy to go on loan, with Newcastle United interested in adding the Brazilian in January.

"In this case we have two solutions," Conte added. "If Kenedy goes on loan, we go to take another player or we take a player from the academy. Then the club has to decide which solution the club prefer."Conte thinks that the big Premier League teams are aiming to "kill" each other in the transfer market as Manchester City and Manchester United reportedly tussle over Alexis Sanchez.

Sanchez looks set to depart Arsenal in January or over the summer, with only six months remaining on his contract, and it doesn't look like Chelsea will make an approach, despite Conte's admiration for the forward.

In terms of net spending, Chelsea were outdone by both Manchester clubs in the summer transfer window and have only added Ross Barkley for £15 million from Everton this winter, despite Diego Costa's £59m move to Atletico Madrid."I understand that the other teams try to kill the other teams and to anticipate the situation and this is the real transfer market, not to wait until the last moment to buy the players," he said.

"If you anticipate the transfer market you become stronger and you make the other team weak, and I have great respect for the plan of the others because everyone is trying to kill you."

 

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Conte has no plans to walk out: I am fully committed to Chelsea


Antonio Conte's future may be the subject of much debate, but Chelsea's manager insists he will not walk out on the club.

Despite guiding Chelsea to the Premier League title in his first season at Stamford Bridge, Conte has been repeatedly questioned over his future in recent months, amid continued speculation he could depart before his contract expires in June 2019.

Earlier this month Conte appeared to express frustration with the club's transfer policy, saying that "in my history I've rarely been given the players I asked for" and that he "always ended up at clubs who were running an austerity programme."

The Italian was asked about Massimiliano Allegri and Luis Enrique being linked with his job on Friday and replied: "Everything is possible."However, Conte went on to make it clear he is happy in his role and subsequently told reporters there was no chance he would quit Chelsea.

"I am fully committed for Chelsea," he said. "I am fully committed in this and I am happy in what I am doing now and what I did in the past. But I am more happy in what I am doing now."

When Conte was pressed further on the matter and asked if there was "no way he would walk away", he simply replied: "No."The comments emerged after the manager offered less definitive remarks during his pre-match news conference on Friday, with Conte refusing to rule out an early exit.

"Everything is possible," he said. "I have another year of contract with this club but, as you know very well in football, everything is possible."In one moment you stay here and in another you are in another place and another person replaces you. Football is like this. Our job is very difficult. Everything can change."

Conte's Chelsea sit third in the Premier League table, 16 points back of leaders Manchester City entering Saturday's match against Leicester City at Stamford Bridge.

 

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Wenger plans to stay at Arsenal until 2019


Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted he is still committed to the Premier League club and has no plans to leave before the end of his contract in 2019.Ahead of a trip to Bournemouth on Sunday, Wenger is under some pressure with his side sitting sixth in the table — five points behind fourth-placed Liverpool.

The Gunners also fell in their FA Cup opener for the first time since Wenger took over as manager, dropping a 4-2 result against Championship side Nottingham Forest last weekend.

And Arsenal missed out on participating in the Champions League this campaign after a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League last season. The Gunners also have failed to advance past the round of 16 in that competition since the 2009-10 season.Wenger, however, signed a new deal at Arsenal last year and said he was as committed as ever to seeing out his contract."Did I ever walk away? Never. Why should I change?" he said. "I'm always committed.

"I'm here for 21 years. I just do, in every single decision I make, what is right for the club."If I stay for one year or 10 years, it's exactly the same," he added. "If it's me in charge or somebody else, you can only do what is best for the club. And that's what you try to do.

"That has nothing to do with my personal situation."Wenger, 68, has been in charge at Arsenal since 1996, winning three Premier League titles and seven FA Cup trophies.Arsenal could still add to that trophy count this season, as the Gunners are level with Chelsea after the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final and set to face Swedish side Ostersund in the last 32 of the Europa League in February.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.01.13

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.01.13

Chelsea Vs Leicester City

Crystal Palace Vs Burnley

Huddersfield Vs West Ham

Newcaste Vs Swansea

Watford Vs Southampton

WBA Vs Brighton

Tottenham Vs Everton

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[Wolverine GTR]

LA Liga Fixtures 2018.01.13

LA Liga Fixtures 2018.01.13

Girona Vs Las Palmas

Real Madrid Vs Villareal

Eibar Vs Atletico Madrid

Deportivo Vs Valencia
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