..::Football IV::..

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Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.01.13

Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.01.13

Frankfurt Vs Freiburg

Augsburg Vs Hamburg

Hannover Vs Mainz

Stuttgart Vs Hertha Berlin

Werder Bremen Vs Hoffenheim

Leipzig Vs Schalke
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Real Madrid 0 Villarreal 1: Fornals' late show stuns frustrated champions

Real Madrid were left shell-shocked by a clever last-gasp Pablo Fornals goal as Villarreal earned a smash-and-grab 1-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu.

LaLiga's champions largely dominated proceedings on home soil, but Villarreal snatched all three points and a first league victory at Madrid with three minutes left thanks to Fornals' exquisite chip after Enes Unal's shot was saved.It compounded a day of utter frustration for an out-of-form Madrid, who felt they twice should have had a penalty in the first half.



Villarreal defender Alvaro Gonzalez was lucky to not face punishment for handball from a Gareth Bale header, while Cristiano Ronaldo was adamant he was fouled by Mario Gaspar on the stroke of half-time.Referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco was unmoved on both occasions, while Madrid were further frustrated by a poor one-on-one miss by Ronaldo and some good work by Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo.

Madrid have now won just once in five LaLiga matches and will be 19 points adrift of Barcelona if their Clasico rivals beat Real Sociedad on Sunday, while Villarreal are just one point adrift of Los Blancos in their bid to muscle in on the top four.


Isco saw an early effort blocked by Gaspar, with the Spain playmaker's tentative penalty claims for handball rightly going unheard.Bale saw a goal ruled out after nodding in from Ronaldo's header back across goal, before Asenjo made a fine stop from Marcelo's rasping 35-yard drive.

He made an even better stop to palm Ronaldo's 25-yard dipping free-kick over the top via the crossbar, before the Portugal captain wastefully dinked over Asenjo and wide of the left post after latching onto Luka Modric's throughball.
Ronaldo went close again shortly after when he hit a stinging drive into the side-netting.

Madrid were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty 10 minutes before half-time when Bale's header from Toni Kroos' left-wing cross was seemingly handled by Alvaro Gonzalez. And Madrid had more cause for consternation on the stroke of half-time.

Isco's teasing low cross was met by Ronaldo inside the six-yard box and saved brilliantly by Asenjo, but the forward was seemingly clipped by Gaspar when meeting the ball.Villarreal brought Denis Cheryshev on as a half-time substitute and the former Madrid winger picked Casemiro's pocket before dragging wide from the edge of the box.

A lively start to the half saw Raphael Varane make a crucial intervention from Samu Castillejo's probing pass, while Asenjo was equal to a well-controlled Kroos volley.Modric saw a 20-yard daisycutter well held by Asenjo, while the Croatia midfielder hit a fierce drive over the top from outside the area with 10 minutes remaining.

And Madrid were made to rue their lack of clinical edge in the 87th minute.Villarreal launched a lightning counter-attack led by Cheryshev, who slipped in Unal and, although his shot was saved by Keylor Navas, Fornals was on hand to brilliantly clip his shot over the stranded Madrid goalkeeper to spark jubilant scenes on the away bench.

 

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West Brom 2 Brighton and Hove Albion 0: Set-piece specials end league win drought


West Brom ended their miserable Premier League run on Saturday, beating Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0 at the Hawthorns to record their first league triumph in 21 games.Having won their two opening games of the season, the Baggies soon fell apart, leading to the sacking of Tony Pulis.

The appointment of Alan Pardew failed to spark an immediate turnaround, West Brom lurching into a winless run so long that only the miserable 2007-08 Derby County team possess a longer drought in Premier League history.



Pardew secured his first victory in all competitions at Exeter City in the FA Cup last week, and the visit of the Seagulls offered a fine chance to get on a roll - Chris Hughton's men have now failed to score in nine league games on the road this term.

With that in mind, victory will have been in the hosts' thoughts as soon as the in-demand Jonny Evans headed them into a fourth-minute lead - the Northern Ireland defender showing the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City his value at both ends of the pitch.The Baggies should have been given a first-half penalty for a blatant Glenn Murray handball, but they kept at their task and Craig Dawson gave them a cushion early in the second half.

Pardew's men remain second-bottom in the table, but have closed to within two points of 17th-place Bournemouth, who visit Arsenal on Sunday. Despite the defeat, Brighton are still three points above the drop zone, but their toothless away form will concern Hughton.


The Baggies had scored just twice in their previous four home games, but found the net on their first foray forward.Matt Phillips' right-wing corner was flicked on at the near post by Jay Rodriguez, catching out Brighton's defence as Evans charged in at the back post to stretch and head home.

An unmarked Dawson headed off target from another Phillips delivery five minutes later and the winger then blasted wide from 30 yards as the hosts kept pressure on Mat Ryan's goal.

Referee Martin Atkinson had the benefit of VAR assistance as he officiated the EFL Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Arsenal earlier in the week and Pardew may have lamented the technology's absence on the half-hour mark as Murray blocked Phillips' shot with both arms, only for Atkinson to wave away penalty appeals.Dawson was in the thick of the action at either end before the break, bravely blocking Lewis Dunk's shot before wasting a one-on-one chance at the other shortly after, Ryan closing the angles sharply.

But the defender would not be denied when presented with a more familiar chance 10 minutes after the interval, Dawson rising above Gaetan Bong to meet Chris Brunt's left-wing set-piece with a downward header that bounced over those guarding the goal-line and in.

Anthony Knockaert blazed Brighton's most presentable chance over, after Ben Foster had come charging off his line, while goalscorers Dawson and Evans had to be withdrawn with apparent injuries, but Pardew was able to celebrate a fine win that could provide the Baggies' season with the launchpad it badly needs.

 

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Chelsea 0 Leicester City 0: Relentless Foxes hold on after Chilwell red

Chelsea missed a chance to go second in the Premier League as they were held to a 0-0 draw by a relentless Leicester City side that finished the match with 10 men.

Leicester put on a masterclass in pressing until Ben Chilwell was shown a second yellow card for a lunge on Victor Moses, but the champions were unable to take advantage and claim the three points that would have moved them above Manchester United.

Claude Puel welcomed Jamie Vardy back after two games out with a groin injury and the England striker, along with Riyad Mahrez, caused Chelsea no end of problems - his chasing of a long ball leading to returning captain Gary Cahill going off with a hamstring injury in the 33rd minute.




The Foxes had the better of the chances and Antonio Conte reacted by replacing Eden Hazard, ineffectual with Leicester's intense closing down robbing him of service, and Cesc Fabregas with Willian and Pedro before the hour mark.A second booking in the space of five minutes for Chilwell meant Leicester had to play out the final 20 minutes a man light, and the Blues could not make their numerical superiority count.

Chelsea's fourth successive draw in all competitions could see them slip to fourth by the end of the weekend, while Leicester will take heart from a thoroughly deserved point at Stamford Bridge.


Leicester began with great energy and should have gone ahead when Chilwell cut back to Shinji Okazaki inside the six-yard box, only for the Japan international to steer over.

Vardy failed to hit the target from dangerous positions twice in less than a minute, before Wilfred Ndidi's free header following a corner was parried brilliantly by Thibaut Courtois and Antonio Rudiger stopped Aleksandar Dragovic slotting home on the follow-up.

Chelsea responded by launching a counter-attack from which Fabregas warmed the gloves of Kasper Schmeichel with a low drive from an acute angle.Leicester continued to overrun the hosts, who were forced to replace the injured Cahill with Andreas Christensen just after the half-hour mark.

But Chelsea soon showed signs of getting to grips with the game, Alvaro Morata pulling a save from Schmeichel after charging in along the byline, while the Dane did well to tip a fierce Fabregas drive over three minutes before half-time.

Leicester were soon back on top after the restart. Mahrez was at the heart of the action for Puel's men and, after being refused a penalty having gone down softly as he ran at Christensen, he drove in from the right and saw a 20-yard shot deflect narrowly wide off the centre-back. Conte had seen enough and replaced the disappointing Hazard with Pedro, while Fabregas got the chop for Willian as Chelsea switched to a 3-4-3.

The hosts were handed a boost when Chilwell was shown a second yellow card for catching Moses, but they found it difficult to create openings as Leicester sat back.A 25-yard effort from N'Golo Kante was held by Schmeichel, before Tiemoue Bakayoko sent a pair of attempts from outside the box off target.

Morata's frustrations got the better of him as he picked up a yellow card for a petulant foul on Harry Maguire towards the end of another lacklustre showing, while Marcos Alonso had a stoppage-time free-kick pushed around the post by Schmeichel as Leicester kept Chelsea at bay.

 

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Watford 2 Southampton 2: Doucoure grabs controversial late leveller


Abdoulaye Doucoure scored a controversial last-minute equaliser to secure a 2-2 draw for Watford as Southampton's Premier League winless run was extended to 10 matches.

A first-half double from James Ward-Prowse had put the Saints in the driving seat, but Andre Gray cut the deficit early in the second half and Doucoure got the leveller at the death, appearing to use his hand to do so.

It added to Mauricio Pellegrino's misery as his side's poor form continued, though Watford themselves have won just once over same period of Saints' top-flight winless streak.




Having opened his account for the season in last weekend's FA Cup win over Fulham – setting up a fourth-round clash with the Hornets – Ward-Prowse picked up where he left off.The midfielder broke the deadlock after 20 minutes as Southampton sought revenge for September's 2-0 loss to the same opponents at St Mary's Stadium.

Pellegrino's men continued to impose themselves on the game and, after Dusan Tadic and Wesley Hoedt had been thwarted by Heurelho Gomes, Ward-Prowse was on hand again to cap a swift counter-attack with a straightforward finish.

Watford fought back after the break, with Gray nodding in and Doucoure stealing the headlines in more ways than one, leaving the visitors to wish VAR was in use.Southampton threatened early on but saw a promising attack ended by an offside flag as Shane Long's shot forced a reflex save from Gomes.


The hosts badly fluffed their lines to ensure a dangerous foray into the Saints box yielded no reward, with Doucoure's cutback miskicked by Gray before Daryl Janmaat's follow up was blocked, the same player then flashing a powerful drive just over the crossbar.

But, having failed to make that pressure count, the Hornets were punished at the other end when Ward-Prowse coolly slotted home from inside the box after good work from Long.

Gomes came to Watford's rescue to deny Tadic a certain goal three minutes later, the Brazilian pawing away the midfielder's back-post header.

A speculative Hoedt effort from long range gave Gomes yet more work to do and he was equal to it, as was Marvin Zeegelaar when the Dutchman had to block Long's attempt from the edge of the six-yard box.But there was nobody there to save Silva's side when Long burst down the left to pick out Tadic, who in turn laid on a simple finish for Ward-Prowse.

Troy Deeney was introduced at the interval, marking his return to league action after a four-match ban following his dismissal against Huddersfield Town last month.A much-improved Watford started to show signs of life early in the second half and Richarlison had a shot blocked before finally they got their reward after 58 minutes.

Janmaat's rasping drive was tipped onto the bar by Alex McCarthy, who got no help from his defence when the ball fell for an unchallenged Gray to nod in.Molla Wague then mistimed his jump when well positioned to connect with substitute Roberto Pereyra’s delivery as Watford continued to turn the screw.

Pellegrino sent on Mario Lemina as he looked to stem the tide and Southampton did initially stabilise, helping to quieten the expectant home crowd until Doucoure had the final say, turning in Deeney's header across goal and evading the attentions of referee Roger East.

 

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Huddersfield Town 1 West Ham 4: Arnautovic runs riot to secure Moyes' 200th PL win


Marko Arnautovic created three and scored the other as West Ham lifted themselves away from the Premier League relegation zone with a 4-1 victory over Huddersfield Town.

For the third successive away game, Arnautovic found the back of the net for the Hammers, his latest strike coming 11 seconds into the second half at the John Smith's Stadium.

The Austria international created the opener for Mark Noble midway through the first half, only for Joe Lolley to level things up with his first league goal of the campaign. Huddersfield were not level for long, though, as Arnautovic stunned the home crowd with his sixth of the season, a powerful drive beyond Jonas Lossl.

He then turned provider for Manuel Lanzini, his strike partner netting twice in five minutes to take the game away from their hosts.Victory lifts the Hammers into 11th place in the table, above Huddersfield, while also giving David Moyes his 200th Premier League victory.


Huddersfield had the better of a competitive start with attacking trio Rajiv van La Parra, Tom Ince and Lolley leading the charge.

However, it was West Ham who broke the deadlock just before the half hour after a mistake by Lolley from Lossl's short goal kick.Town's attempts to play the ball out backfired dramatically as Arnautovic and Noble applied pressure, the pair dispossessing Lolley before the latter slotted home.

Making such a mistake on his first home Premier League start could have easily affected the 25-year-old, but he responded in the perfect fashion by levelling things up before the break.

A neat Huddersfield move on the right ended up at Lolley's feet, he cut inside and was given plenty of time to curl a sumptuous shot out of Adrian's reach.David Wagner's hopes of Huddersfield maintaining momentum in the early stages of the second half were quickly extinguished by a sensational Arnautovic strike from the kick-off.

A long ball from Angelo Ogbonna was flicked onto the Austrian by Cheikhou Kouyate, he lifted it over Tommy Smith and lashed beyond Lossl to restore West Ham's lead.

With the wind in their sails, West Ham pushed for a third and came within inches as Aaron Mooy cleared off the line after Lossl had failed to deal with an Aaron Cresswell corner. And there was no respite as Lanzini put the game to bed with two strikes in quick succession.

His first came after a neat passing move that finished with Arnautovic slipping the Argentine in, Lanzini making no mistake from 15 yards.As the clock ticked past the hour he had his second, this time profiting from Arnautovic's rapid counter attack to lift the ball beyond Lossl.

The introduction of new signing Alex Pritchard gave Huddersfield renewed hope, but there was nothing the former Norwich City man could do as Moyes celebrated his milestone win.

 

[1118lakmalkumara]

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Alexis Sanchez's family arrive in London in preparation for Arsenal exit


Alexis Sanchez’s family have arrived in London in preparation for the Chilean’s departure from Arsenal, Goal has learned.

The 29-year-old is subject of a transfer tussle between Manchester City and Manchester United this month, although it’s understood that the former Barcelona man has his heart set on a move to the Etihad Stadium, where he will link up with his old coach Pep Guardiola.

Arsenal are demanding a fee of £35m for Sanchez while the player's agent Fernando Felicevich, previously dubbed ‘the king of South American football’ by Forbes magazine, is requesting a fee of £5m for facilitating the transfer.

City have made it known that they are unwilling to meet Felicevich's personal demands, believing the total package requested by the agent and Arsenal does not represent value for money.

But Goal understands that while the club insist they are willing to walk away from a deal this month, potentially leaving United with a clear run, the Blues would rather find an agreement that suits all parties and sign the Chilean before the transfer window closes.Sanchez’s older brother Humberto arrived at Heathrow Airport on Saturday with a number of family members in preparation for the player’s departure from Arsenal.

It's understood that the two-time FA Cup winner wants his closest family to be alongside him for when his exit from the Gunners is confirmed this month.

“It looks like Sanchez will not extend his contract,” Arsenal boss Wenger told reporters in the embargoed section of Friday’s pre-match press conference.
“But we want to keep Jack [Wilshere] and if we have an opportunity maybe to keep [Mesut] Ozil, the rebuild will be less deep than if all the three left.”Goal understands that Bordeaux starlet Malcom tops Wenger’s wishlist as a replacement for Sanchez, while Thomas Lemar – who came close to joining the Gunners on transfer deadline day last summer – remains another target.

Contrary to reports, the French side own 100 per cent of the player's rights and there is no third party ownership involved in any potential deal.Malcom’s representatives were in London meeting with Arsenal officials on Friday and it's understood that the club will sanction the sale of Sanchez to City once they secure a replacement.

 

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Sanchez Arsenal walin giyoth loku chance ekak thiyanawa CITY join wenna Guardiola nisa.​

 

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Cahill injury not serious, Conte claims


The hamstring injury sustained by Chelsea captain Gary Cahill against Leicester City is not serious, according to head coach Antonio Conte.The Italian made just two changes from the side that started the EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal on Wednesday, with Cahill, one of those who returned to the first XI, hobbling off in the 33rd minute.

Andreas Christensen replaced him in defence, but Conte does not expect the skipper to be ruled out long term."I think he is with the doctor now, but it's OK, I do not think it was serious," he told the BBC.

Leicester's relentless pressing made it difficult for the Blues to create opportunities, even after they were reduced to 10 men following the second yellow card shown to Ben Chilwell.

Eden Hazard was unable to make an impact before being replaced ahead of the hour mark, while Alvaro Morata did not have a single shot at goal.The result represented the first time Chelsea have drawn three straight matches 0-0 in their history, and Conte blamed fatigue rather than singling out the misfiring Morata.

"I think we played with a lot of top players against Arsenal, and then again today against a very good team. I think a lot of our players were tired," the Italian said."In the first half Leicester ran more than us, they played better than us, but we knew we were playing against a good opponent, maybe the worst opponent we could have played in this moment. We suffered a lot in the first half.

"I don't think it is only Morata's problem, also the other players, because we are not scoring goals, we are not conceding, but we are not creating chances."

 

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'Real Madrid struggles not down to bad attitude' - Nacho perplexed by another defeat


Nacho insists that there is nothing wrong with Real Madrid's attitude after Los Blancos' poor form continued with a demoralising 1-0 defeat to Villarreal.

Zinedine Zidane's men saw Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo have legitimate penalty claims waved away in the first half at the Santiago Bernabeu, while good work from visiting goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo kept the hosts at bay.

And Villarreal caught Madrid sleeping with a rapid counter-attack with just three minutes remaining, Pablo Fornals' clever chipped finish sealing a famous first league win for the club at the Bernabeu.

Madrid now have just one win in five Liga games and will be 19 points off the top if Barcelona beat Real Sociedad on Sunday, but defender Nacho insists the team are giving all they have.

Speaking to beIN SPORTS, he said: "I do not know [what happened] really."I think we showed a good attitude, we have fought well, all the team. Villarreal are a team that likes possession, but we have played a good match in general."We had a corner and they caught us out of place, it's not a lack of attitude."

Madrid need a huge points swing to reel in Barca, but Nacho – while admitting time is fast running out – is refusing to throw in the towel.

He added: "Every game we play we go out and say that there are possibilities. I keep thinking about it because there are many points left, but logically every time we do not win the chances are much lower."We have the cup this week and we are very excited to keep fighting. It's not a lack of attitude."

 

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Real Madrid vs Villarreal 0-1 - All Goals & Extended Highlights - La Liga 13/01/2018

 

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Eibar 0 Atletico Madrid 1: Gameiro goal enough for a laboured win

Kevin Gameiro's first-half goal was enough as Atletico Madrid laboured to a 1-0 win over Eibar, whose seven-match unbeaten LaLiga run came to an end.

Diego Simeone made 10 changes from the 3-0 Copa del Rey defeat of Lleida on Tuesday, with Diego Costa among those left on the bench, and while Atletico hardly produced a memorable performance, Gameiro's well-crafted goal proved to be all they neededAtletico looked capable of making light work of Eibar early on, playing some great football and creating decent chances for Angel Correa and Koke.



As such, it came as little surprise when the breakthrough did arrive, as Gameiro rounded off a fine break with his fourth league goal of the season.But, thereafter Atletico offered very little from an attacking perspective, an aspect of their performance which stayed with them deep into the second half, with Eibar looking the more purposeful.


Eibar's need for an equaliser saw Atletico defend desperately towards the end and the hosts also had a penalty shout turned down, but Simeone's men held on to move them to within six points of pacesetters Barcelona, who head to Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Atletico looked unperturbed by Eibar's excellent recent run of form during the early exchanges, as they took charge and crafted a couple of excellent chances.The first came about at the end of a well-worked passing move by the visitors, Correa sending a cross-cum-shot – with Gameiro almost getting to it – agonisingly wide of the bottom-left corner.

And a similar move in the 11th minute presented Koke with the chance to score, but the Spain international slammed into the side-netting following Sime Vrsaljko's cross.There was to be no denying Atleti just before the half-hour mark, though.

Antoine Griezmann sprang the offside trap when chasing Saul's through pass and coolly squared to his compatriot Gameiro, who tucked past the helpless Marko Dmitrovic.Eibar nearly responded with a quick equaliser, but Sergi Enrich headed Joan Jordan's right-wing cross just over.

The home side offered a lot more attacking intent after the break and enjoyed plenty of possession, with the half-time introduction of tricky Chile international Fabian Orellana making a significant difference.

Even with their improved performance, Eibar had to rely on a slice of luck for their first clear chance of the second half just after the hour mark, as Enrich's header took a huge deflection off Diego Godin and was crucially stopped on the line by a relieved Jan Oblak.Eibar's pressing almost resulted in them getting punished on the break 16 minutes from the end, but Dmitrovic did well to block Griezmann's effort at the end of a swift counter.

Atletico somehow survived in stoppage time, as Kike Garcia sent a glancing header just past the left-hand post, before Augusto Fernandez got away with handling the ball in the area in the build-up to another brilliant chance which Enrich prodded wide from close range.

 

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Tottenham 4 Everton 0: Kane becomes Spurs' record Premier League goalscorer

Harry Kane scored twice to become Tottenham's all-time leading goalscorer in the Premier League as they eased to a 4-0 win over Everton at Wembley.This season has already seen Kane break Alan Shearer's record for most Premier League goals in a calendar year with 39, while also finishing 2017 with more goals than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

And he now owns a piece of Tottenham history after he helped Spurs put Everton to the sword, his brace taking him past Teddy Sheringham's previous record of 97.For much of the match, however, Kane had played second fiddle to Son Heung-min, who broke the deadlock after 26 minutes and set up Kane's first shortly after the interval.

Son, who has had a hand in more goals at Wembley than any other Tottenham player this season with seven goals and four assists, was comfortably the best player on the pitch but it was Kane who assumed centre stage as his 98th top-flight goal arrived in the 59th minute.

That put the game beyond doubt and Christian Eriksen added late gloss to the scoreline in a win that moves Tottenham level on points with fourth-placed Liverpool, while Everton have now lost their last four games in all competitions, Cenk Tosun's debut for the Toffees amounting to a damp squib.


Spurs, who claimed a 3-0 win at Goodison Park back in September, struggled to create much in the early stages despite enjoying the better of the play, but a chance to break the deadlock went begging as Son headed Eriksen's free-kick narrowly over.

Wayne Rooney then dragged an effort wide at the other end and looked to have given Everton the lead in the 22nd minute as he turned Tosun's flick-on beyond Hugo Lloris from point-blank range, only to be correctly denied by the offside flag.Kane then forced Jordan Pickford into a strong save down to his left at the end of a quick Tottenham counter, and the hosts' strong response to the scare Rooney provided was quickly rewarded.

Serge Aurier, heavily involved in Tottenham's build-up play throughout the first half, attempted to flash an effort across goal but his shot turned into a cross that Son confidently converted with a calm close-range finish.And Son was at the heart of the move that put Tottenham two goals to the good just two minutes into the second half.

The South Korea star brilliantly turned past Jonjoe Kenny and surged down the left before firing in a low cross for Kane to move level with Sheringham with a simple finish, though replays suggested he had strayed offside.

Son then played in Dele Alli, who failed to find the finish as he shot into the side netting, before Pickford was forced into action once more by a fierce low drive from Kane.The woodwork denied Son a second as he struck the left-hand post, but Tottenham were soon celebrating again as Kane surpassed Sheringham by meeting Eric Dier's curling delivery with a scruffy finish into the ground that looped over Pickford.

Tottenham did not take their foot off the gas and, after a double save from Pickford denied Son and Alli, the latter's backheel set up Eriksen to fire in a fourth on a night that firmly belonged to Kane and further demonstrated the gap in quality between the two sides.

 

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Congratulations Kane!

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Kane breaks Spurs' Premier League goalscoring record


Harry Kane has left another record in his wake by becoming Tottenham's highest scorer in the Premier League.England striker Kane rounded off a stellar 2017 by breaking Alan Shearer's record for the most Premier League goals in a calendar year and outscored Barcelona and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi for club and country over the 12-month period.

Kane has picked up where he left off in 2018, netting a double against AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup before two more goals against Everton at Wembley on Saturday took him past Teddy Sheringham's previous Premier League best for Spurs.

Sherringham netted 97 in the top flight for Tottenham across two spells, placing him ahead of Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe on 91.

Kane is now on to 98, having punished Everton twice after half-time, with Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen also on target to put Mauricio Pochettino's men on course for a dominant 4-0 win.The 24-year-old now has 20 Premier League goals this term and 28 in all competitions.

 

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Valverde: Barca the best team in the world


The January signings of Philippe Coutinho and Yerry Mina leave Barcelona as the envy of world football, according to head coach Ernesto Valverde.

Barca followed the club-record €160 million capture of Liverpool playmaker Coutinho by wrapping up an €11.8m deal with Palmeiras for Colombia centre-back Mina on Thursday.Valverde's men sit nine points clear at the top of La Liga ahead of Atletico Madrid's trip to Eibar, and 16 points better off than bitter rivals Real Madrid, who suffered their latest setback on Saturday with a 1-0 loss at home to Villarreal.

It is a far cry from the unrest that surrounded Neymar's world-record switch to Paris Saint-Germain back in August but Valverde always believed he was inheriting a team of the highest quality when he elected to leave Athletic Bilbao.

"Well, I'm very happy with the players who I had before the arrival of these two players, and with the ones I had at the end of the summer and with the ones I have now," he told reporters ahead of Sunday's trip to Real Sociedad, which Coutinho will miss due to a thigh problem."I thought Barca was the best team when I was the coach of Athletic and now I can see that. Barca is the best team in the world. "

Valverde went on to praise Mina's all-round ability but suggested it is unlikely he will take part at Anoeta."He's a player who's daring at the offensive area of the field. He's spectacular in the air and defensively as well," he said.

"Seeing him train we need to see how he's going to adapt to the team. That's something important. He gives us the feeling he can do anything."When might he make his debut? I don't know. We have to see how he feels. He has to train with the team first.

"We have a style of play he has to adapt to. We know it's not easy for defenders and that's where we think he's going to play."One man leaving Barca is Arda Turan, who has agreed a two-and-a-half-year loan switch to Turkish Super Lig club Istanbul Basaksehir.

The Turkey midfielder has failed to scale the heights he reached at Atletico since joining Barca and his loan move runs until the end of his Camp Nou contract in June 2020.

"He's a player who was here, he's very talented. He's shown it in the time that he was not just here at Barca but at Atletico," Valverde added, having failed to grant the 30-year-old a single senior appearance during his tenure."Maybe he didn't have the opportunities he wanted this year, but I have nothing else to say."

 

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'I said I stop' - Conte ends war of words with Mourinho


Antonio Conte is unconcerned by Jose Mourinho stating he has "contempt" for the Chelsea head coach, seemingly bringing an end to their war of words.The duo have traded barbs over recent weeks, with Conte claiming Mourinho was suffering from amnesia after the Manchester United boss branded some of his contemporaries – without naming any individuals – "clowns" for their antics on the touchline.

Unimpressed, the Portuguese responded with a dig relating to the four-month ban the Italian served for failing to report alleged match fixing – which he was later acquitted of – while at Siena in 2011. The Chelsea boss retaliated by referring to his counterpart as a "little man".

On Friday, Mourinho said he wanted an end to the story despite still harbouring ill-feeling towards Conte , who appears content to close the chapter.Asked about the United manager's latest comments, Conte said: "I said I stop. It is the same for me. I do not know if he said this for me. I am not worried, I sleep very well."

Conte was speaking following Chelsea's 0-0 draw with Leicester City on Saturday, the first time in the club's history they have been involved in three successive goalless matches.

The 48-year-old made just two changes from the EFL Cup semi-final draw with Arsenal on Wednesday and switched from his 3-5-2 to a 3-4-3 during the second half, but he refused to blame a lack of rotation or his system for the result against the Foxes.

"My plan was to play with one team in the FA Cup, and then these two games with almost the same players. But I think I saw a lot of players very tired," Conte said.

"Against Norwich I made nine changes. Against Arsenal maybe 10 changes. I thought that two games, after two and a half days, for the same players was normal to recover. But we have to consider that, in this period, to face all competitions is not simple."The first thing I have to find is the right balance. At the same time, against Norwich we played 3-4-3 with Pedro, Willian and [Michy] Batshuayi, but we didn't score. It was the same.

"This is not a problem with the system. In both systems we are conceding less but, with both systems, we are scoring less than last season. We have to try to improve on this aspect."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Loku deyak Mourinho Vs Conte waliya nawathinawanam​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho hints at Alexis move: You fight for fantastic opportunities


Jose Mourinho hinted at a Manchester United move for Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez, insisting that you must "fight" when a "fantastic opportunity" arises in the transfer market.

Sanchez is in the final six months of his contract at Arsenal and had been expected to move to United's local rivals Manchester City, after he nearly joined Pep Guardiola's men at the start of the season.

But Manchester United have reportedly emerged as genuine rivals to City, whose main attraction to Sanchez is understood to be the presence of Guardiola, the coach who signed him for Barcelona.

Mourinho's side are said to have presented Arsenal with a bigger offer than City, and although Mourinho claims it was not in the club's plans to sign players in January, he acknowledged that fantastic opportunities are worth pursuing whenever they present themselves.

"Let's say we have three targets in the summer – a defender, a midfielder and an attacking player," Mourinho told reporters."If in the winter you do one of the three, then in the summer you do three minus one. If we do something now, we don't do it in the summer again.

"Our plan was not to have new players in January. We build a squad with this idea and I share this philosophy with [executive vice-chairman] Mr. [Ed] Woodward and the owners."But if there is a fantastic opportunity on the table, you fight for that fantastic opportunity. If it happens, it happens."

Nevertheless, Mourinho does not think that any signing will bridge the gap between United and City in terms of points in the Premier League this season, with Guardiola's side 15 clear ahead of their trip to Liverpool on Sunday.

"At this stage, I don't think it's about the market," said Mourinho, whose United host Stoke City on Monday. "There are lots of already strong teams in the Premier League, not like in other leagues where it is difficult for the top sides to lose points, and there is a very important difference of points between first and second.

"City have a very comfortable advantage and they can sit on that. It is the sort of lead that gives a lot of tranquility and takes away the pressure from the guy that comes behind you. I have been in that situation.

"I don't think any of the teams near the top – Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and ourselves – are thinking they can spend money this January to close the gap."It's not about transfers. It's about keeping on winning, getting the maximum number of points from the remaining games and seeing what happens."Mourinho's Man United take on Stoke on Monday in the Premier League.