..::Football IV::..

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Wenger: Guardiola has it easy in England

Criticism of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been nothing compared to what Arsene Wenger experienced when he first arrived in England, the Arsenal boss insisted.

Former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss Guardiola arrived in the Premier League amid much fanfare in the off-season but the two-time Champions League-winning manager and his tactics have been scrutinised.

After a strong start to the season, City have struggled for form and consistency, ending a run of back-to-back defeats with a 2-0 win over Watford last time out, but Guardiola and Co. could potentially find themselves 10 points adrift of top spot depending on results on the weekend.

Wenger endured criticism of his own upon his surprise arrival from Japanese outfit Nagoya Grampus in 1996, eventually becoming a trailblazer for foreign managers in England, and the Frenchman believes it was a lot worse in the 1990s as Arsenal and City prepare to go head-to-head on Sunday."I should get some newspapers from when I arrived here and you will see that it's much easier today for the foreign managers," Wenger said.

"I would say when I arrived here it was difficult for the foreign managers. Today it difficult for the English managers. That's what has changed."Have I been surprised by the criticism? Yes and no. Yes, because his CV is impeccable and no because that's part of our game and modern life in our job.

"People really love football in this country and there's a big passion for the game. I respect that hugely, but people also want their team to win."On top of that, people are impatient as well — modern society is like that."

Of Guardiola, whose City are fourth and just one point behind third-placed Arsenal, Wenger added: "I must say he has done extremely well and he is one of the most respected managers in the game, if not the most and maybe rightly so. But every manager has a personality and can only act with his own personality."You cannot copy a manager, you can only be who you are, and he has been influenced at Barcelona by the [Johan] Cruyff period when he was a player.

"I think he has strong beliefs and that for me is the most important thing for a manager. You want every manager who has a positive philosophy to succeed."People are always resistant to radical change. They are also ready to cope with it if it is successful.

"Our job is to always accept that you want your own philosophy but at the right pace, and when you go somewhere, sometimes you have to analyse what is going on and to bring in your own philosophy at a pace where you think they can cope with it."

 

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'I want to win more titles' - James insists he is happy at Real Madrid

James Rodriguez has reiterated his happiness at Real Madrid amid ongoing speculation regarding the attacker's future at the La Liga club.A January exit continues to be mooted for James, who has struggled to cement himself in Madrid's starting XI since Zinedine Zidane since replacing Rafael Benitez in January.

After starting Champions League and La Liga fixtures against Borussia Dortmund and Deportivo La Coruna, James was among the substitutes in Thursday's Club World Cup semi-final win over Club America.The Colombia international, however, has no plans to leave the Spanish capital.

"I am happy here. I hope I can play the final and add yet another title," James said via AS Diario ."I hope to continue doing good things."When you wnt to play at a club like Real Madrid, you always have to know that it's a team that wants to win titles, and is used to winning titles."

James has made eight La Liga appearances this season, but only four of those matches have seen the Colombian named in the starting line-up.

 

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'Alexis Sanchez one of the best in the world' - Xavi

World Cup winner Xavi is delighted to see Alexis Sanchez getting the recognition he deserves, with the Arsenal forward now considered to be ‘one of the best attacking players in the world’.The Chile international has always been held in high regard, but has often been overshadowed by the exploits of others.

His efforts at Udinese in Serie A earned him a high-profile move to Barcelona in 2011 but his time at Camp Nou was spent working in Lionel Messi’s shadow – with the majestic Argentine at the peak of his powers.

Alexis has, however, become a leading light in the Premier League since trading Catalunya for north London, with his contribution helping to push Arsenal into title contention this term.

His 12-goal return has him sat alongside Chelsea’s Diego Costa in the race for the English top-flight’s Golden Boot, while the lack of a contract extension at Emirates Stadium is seeing him linked with big-money moves elsewhere.

Xavi is not surprised to see the 27-year-old shining in the global spotlight, with his ability clear for all to see when forming part of a star-studded squad at Camp Nou.
"The level Sanchez is playing at now is not a shock to me at all, he is one of the top forwards in Europe and now everybody is seeing it,” said Xavi.

“He scored some important goals for Barcelona but maybe because there were so many established stars already at Barcelona that not everybody recognised him as they should. “Now at Arsenal he is their main threat, people are starting to notice - but anybody who has played with him will know of his qualities and not be at all surprised he is now being considered one of the best attacking players in the world.

“What gets him so much respect is his work rate. He has this obvious ability but also works so hard for the team, he never stops running.”

While being an admirer of Alexis , Xavi is also a fan of Arsenal and expects Arsene Wenger’s side to sustain a challenge for major honours at home and abroad – with the Gunners due to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16.

He added: “I have always respected the way Arsenal play football but this season there is something different about them, they have that extra bit of quality and determination.

“It is a long season but with the team they have, they shouldn't fear any team in England or in Europe.”

 

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Injured Oblak could return in two months, says agent

Jan Oblak could return to the Atletico Madrid fold inside two months, according to his agent Miha Mlakar.The Slovenia international damaged his shoulder during a recent La Liga clash with Villarreal.

He was hurt while attempting to claim a cross that allowed Jonathan dos Santos to find the target in a 3-0 victory for the hosts at El Madrigal.

Atletico were quick to confirm that the 23-year-old would be forced under the knife, with early reports claiming that he would miss around four months of competitive action.

A statement from the club read: "Jan Oblak has undergone radiological and magnetic resonance tests that have confirmed that he has suffered 'an injury to the soft parts of his left shoulder (a Bankart lesion) as a result of the dislocation' that occurred at El Madrigal.”"He will have to undergo surgery in the next few days."Mlakar, though, has suggested that his client could be back much sooner than expected.

He told Goal : "Arthroscopy has been a 100% success and has gone very well, now you have to rest for 3-4 weeks and then start with rehabilitation, and in two months you will get better and stronger.”

He also pointed out that a precedent has been set by the doctor who operated on Oblak, with the surgeon having previously helped Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech through a similar ailment.He added: "This doctor already operated on Petr Cech also on the same shoulder and returned in nine weeks.”

Atletico will be hoping to welcome Oblak back in the not too distant future, having collected just one win in their last five La Liga fixtures.

They now sit sixth in the Spanish top-flight, 12 points adrift of league leaders and arch-rivals Real Madrid.

 

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Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea: Costa header seals 11th straight league win for Conte's men

Chelsea equalled their longest Premier League winning run by beating Crystal Palace 1-0 on Saturday for their 11th consecutive victory.

The league leaders were already guaranteed to be top of the tree at Christmas and a first-half goal from Diego Costa extended a run that stretches back to October 1.
Chelsea last won 11 on the bounce during their 2009-10 title-winning season and have been crowned champions each time they have previously topped the table on Christmas Day.

Costa's opener came at the end of a drab first half but marked a sparkling return to form for the Spain international, whose 13th Premier League goal of the season takes him beyond his tally for the entire 2015-16 campaign.

He got his head to an excellent Cesar Azpilicueta cross to get the better of Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey two minutes from the break, proving enough to secure maximum points.

Chelsea's joy at moving nine points clear of Liverpool and Arsenal at the summit was tempered somewhat by yellow cards for Costa and N'Golo Kante, who are now suspended for the Boxing Day clash with Bournemouth.

Cesc Fabregas' winning goal at Sunderland in midweek was not enough for him to retain his place in the Chelsea starting XI, dropping to the bench in one of two changes made by Antonio Conte.Willian – one of the men to come in – was central to the visitors' first meaningful attack.

Following a tepid opening in the Selhurst Park fog, the Brazilian exchanged passes with Eden Hazard on the edge of the box before Joel Ward obstructed the Belgian to concede a free-kick 20 yards out.

David Luiz's low effort deflected wide off a Palace defender and the home side were soon threatening at the other end – Jason Puncheon scuffed his strike from a Martin Kelly cross to send the ball wide of the target.In a half of few clear-cut chances, Palace were having most joy down the right, with Kelly whipping in another cross that James McArthur headed just wide.

Another attack down that flank resulted in a free-kick when Wilfried Zaha – earlier involved in a minor squabble with Damien Delaney over the make-up of a wall – was brought down just outside the box, but Jason Puncheon curled just over from the set-piece.

It was Chelsea who eventually snatched the lead just before the break, Costa getting his head on the end of a superb hanging cross from Azpilicueta to send the ball looping over Hennessey – the game's first effort on target and the striker's 50th Chelsea goal.Thibaut Courtois was forced into a save from Yohan Cabaye early in the second half, before Kante tested Hennessey with a strike from 25 yards.

Marcos Alonso then drove a volley into the side-netting as he picked up the pieces from an intercepted Victor Moses cross after 67 minutes, while Fabregas - on for Willian - guided a tame effort straight at Hennessey.

Chelsea continued to look the more likely to score the game's second goal, with Hennessey getting down well to his right to keep out Kante before Alonso rattled the crossbar from a free-kick, but they had to settle for a one-goal margin to put real distance between themselves and their title rivals.

 

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Chelsea equal club record with 11 Premier League wins in a row

Chelsea equalled a club record as they made it 11 Premier League wins on the spin with the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Diego Costa was the hero as he scored his 50th goal for the club to edge the Blues past Alan Pardew's side at Selhurst Park.

The result moves the visitors an impressive nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table, with Arsenal in action against Manchester City on Sunday before Liverpool travel to Everton on Monday.

Antonio Conte's men were already guaranteed to be top of the pile at Christmas and the result over Palace only moves to strengthen their grip on top spot in the table.

And the win makes it an incredible 11 in a row in England's top flight, only the second time the west Londoners have managed that in their entire history.

The run has seen Chelsea pick up impressive victories against the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham, as well as the away win at Manchester City on December 3.

This is also the only time in a single season that Chelsea have won 11 matches in a row, with their last defeat in the league coming against Arsenal back in September.
Chelsea previously picked up 11 wins on the bounce back in 2009, spanning over two seasons before then-manager Carlo Ancelotti finally suffered defeat to Wigan Athletic.

 

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Middlesbrough 3-0 Swansea City: Negredo double puts Swans to the sword

Alvaro Negredo's first-half double helped Middlesbrough to a 3-0 win over Swansea City in Saturday's Premier League encounter at the Riverside Stadium.
The Spanish striker had scored just three times in his previous 15 league outings this term, but took his tally for 2016-17 to five with a sublime finish on the turn and a converted penalty.

Marten de Roon put the match to bed early in the second half when he tapped home from close range.

Back-to-back defeats had seen Aitor Karanka's men drop to 17th place in the table heading into the game, a mere three points clear of the drop zone, but they find themselves in mid-table safety again following this impressive victory.

It was not all good news for Middlesbrough, however, as they lost Viktor Fischer to an apparent knee injury early on.Swansea, meanwhile, have dropped to 19th place in the table once more following their 11th defeat of the season, having collected just 12 points from 17 games.

Bob Bradley's side started the match with attacking intentions and got their first opportunity when Gylfi Sigurdsson tested goalkeeper Victor Valdes with a powerful strike from 25 yards out.

Middlesbrough slowly grew into the game from there on and Negredo handed the home side the lead in the 18th minute, leaving Lukasz Fabianski no chance with a fine left-footed finish on the turn after Adam Clayton made progress down the left.
Things went from bad to worse for Swansea at the half-hour mark when Negredo doubled his side's lead from the spot.

Jordi Amat clumsily brought down Adam Forshaw inside the area, leaving referee Neil Swarbrick no choice but to award Middlesbrough a penalty and Negredo sent Fabianski the wrong way from 12 yards.

Swansea went in search of a goal early in the second, but looked toothless in attack as they struggled to reach Fernando Llorente.

Middlesbrough had considerably less trouble finding their dangermen and it was De Roon who made it three in the 58th minute with an easy finish after a fine cross from Gaston Ramirez.

Bradley brought on Leroy Fer for captain Leon Britton as the visitors went in search of a way back in, but Swansea's top scorer could not trouble the Boro defence as it ended 3-0.

 

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Stoke City 2-2 Leicester City: 10-man Foxes recover to earn a point

Daniel Amartey scored a dramatic late equaliser as 10-man Leicester City overcame Jamie Vardy's red card to earn a 2-2 draw at Stoke City on Saturday.

Vardy was controversially sent off midway through the first half for a challenge on Mame Biram Diouf, while referee Craig Pawson also awarded Stoke a penalty after Bojan Krkic's cross was handled by Danny Simpson.

Bojan netted from the spot and Joe Allen looked to have killed off the match in first-half stoppage-time with his fifth top-flight goal of the season - the strike giving him more goals this season than his previous four combined.Claudio Ranieri was furious with Pawson but he had late hope when substitute Leonardo Ulloa headed in his first Premier League goal of the campaign.

And Amartey scored with a header of his own with two minutes left on the clock - his first Leicester goal - as the champions salvaged a thrilling point, repeating their two-goal comeback away to Stoke from last season.

Stoke are now winless in three league matches and sit 11th in the table after their late collapse.

Leicester, meanwhile, drop to 15th and sit just three points clear of the relegation zone, but will take confidence from only their second point from nine away matches this season.

A lively start to the match saw Kasper Schmeichel - back in Leicester's team as one of two changes - save from Jonathan Walters, before Lee Grant made a magnificent stop from Robert Huth's looping header at the other end.

Vardy' sending off was the match's big talking point. The England striker initially left the ground as he slid in to challenge Diouf, but then appeared to win the ball cleanly and was stunned when Pawson brandished a red.

Pawson was in the spotlight again when he pointed to the spot. Bojan surged down the left and saw his cross blocked by Danny Simpson's arm, before sending Schmeichel the wrong way from the resulting penalty after 39 minutes.

It was then two in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Giannelli Imbula's strike bounced off the post and rebounded off Schmeichel's back, presenting Allen with a simple finish.

Leicester went into the break having received five yellow cards in addition to Vardy's red, with Ranieri fuming with Pawson as the teams went down the tunnel.

Schmeichel made an excellent one-handed save from Walters' header after the break, before racing out to deny Allen his second of the afternoon after he had been slipped through by Glen Johnson.

Ranieri's introduced Ulloa and Demarai Gray for the closing stages and the duo immediately combined with 16 minutes remaining.

Gray whipped in a cross from the right and Ulloa sent his header back across the face of goal to beat Grant, with the ball crossing the line before Ryan Shawcross could clear.

And an astonishing comeback was complete when Amartey sent a thumping header past Grant from Christian Fuchs' magnificent cross.

 

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Atletico Madrid 1-0 Las Palmas: Saul strike ends hosts' winless streak

A fine strike from Saul Niguez gave Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win over Las Palmas on Saturday to end their disappointing recent run at the Vicente Calderon.

The Spain international curled in a fine finish from just outside the area on 59 minutes to secure a fifth win and clean sheet in a row in La Liga against the Canary Islanders.

Diego Simeone's side, who had won only one of their previous five La Liga games and had failed to score in their last two league matches at home, looked short on confidence for much of the opening hour and missed good chances to take the lead through Kevin Gameiro and Saul in particular.

Mauricio Lemos rattled the crossbar with a stunning effort from close to the centre-circle to sum up the confident approach from the visitors, who enjoyed close to 70 per cent of the possession in an assured display that belied the fact that they have not won away since August.

Roque Mesa missed a good opportunity only a minute before Saul's winner, however, and the visitors could not muster a clear chance for an equaliser despite their dominance of the ball in the closing stages.

The defeat leaves Quique Setien's side 10th, while Atleti climb to fifth in the table and back to within a point of fourth-placed Villarreal, who beat Sporting Gijon earlier in the day.

Atletico fans were chanting 'Don't touch the badge' before kick-off as a protest against a proposed change to the design of the club crest, but they nearly had a 1-0 lead to shout about after 16 minutes when Saul hit the post with an instinctive half-volley from 12 yards.

Antoine Griezmann shot wide under pressure from Pedro Bigas after a good long pass from Koke, but opportunities were in short supply in a pedestrian opening half-hour.

Centre-back Lemos almost broke the deadlock out of nothing for Las Palmas, hitting the top of the crossbar with a spectacular strike from almost 40 yards out, but Gameiro should have scored for the home side when he steered the ball wide of the near post following Koke's low cross from the right.

Atleti showed signs of improvement after the break, but it took a key save low to his right from Miguel Angel Moya - starting in place of the injured Jan Oblak - to prevent Roque Mesa opening the scoring from a swift counter-attack from the visitors.

Barely a minute later, that miss was punished in style. Griezmann's shot deflected into the path of Saul, and he bent a fine left-footed finish beyond Javi Varas and into the bottom corner from 20 yards out.Las Palmas pushed forward in search of a quick response and Michel Macedo blasted over after receiving the ball at the far post, with only Moya to beat.

Atleti seemed content to drop deeper and safeguard their narrow advantage - despite some disapproving cries from the home fans - and the approach proved a frustrating obstacle for a visiting side who have been heavily linked with the shock signing of Paris Saint-Germain outcast Jese Rodriguez this week.

Gameiro was denied a chance for a second Atleti goal by an offside flag, but the result rarely looked in doubt in the closing stages, allowing Simeone to celebrate an important win that keeps their top-four chase firmly alive.

 

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Gerrard PRAISES Man Utd and tips them to challenge for title next season

Steven Gerrard has tipped Manchester United to be in the mix for the Premier League title in the 2017-18 season.

The Liverpool legend, who retired from football back in November, has been impressed with Jose Mourinho's side of late after they recorded two wins on the trot.

The Red Devils are currently six points behind fourth-placed Manchester City and face West Brom knowing that anything but a win will dent their hopes of claiming a Champions League spot.Gerrard is, however, convinced that they will eventually recover and believes they are capable of challenging for the title in 2017-18.

He told BT Sport: "Everyone knows they've had a difficult few years before Jose's come in and slowly but surely they're moving forward. They're getting a settled team.

"There's a lot of players within the XI who are playing very well and the bench looks strong as well. Jose's made three or four really big signings, they're settling and doing well.

"They're only a few more pieces away from the jigsaw that'll make them compete again at the top. I think next year Manchester United will compete for the title.
"They're moving forward and playing an awful lot better than they did in previous years. They've got a chance [of the top four this season]."

 

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Guingamp 2-1 PSG: Emery's men suffer further slip up in title race

Paris Saint-Germain failed to bridge the gap between themselves and their Ligue 1 title rivals by slumping to a 2-1 defeat at Guingamp that increases the pressure on Unai Emery.

A quickfire double from Yannis Salibur and Nill de Pauw did the damage midway through the second half, with Edinson Cavani, who had missed a glorious opportunity shortly after half-time, pulling one back with 10 minutes to go to set up a dramatic finale as the champions went in search of an equaliser.

Emery's side looked to have turned a corner with a resilient comeback draw against Nice in their last Ligue 1 fixture, but were lacklustre throughout on Saturday, with their defensive frailties again proving costly.

Guingamp - who move up to fourth with this victory - outclassed PSG in every department.Cavani's 17th league goal of the season proved the catalyst for a late rally in which the Uruguay striker hit the crossbar and Jean-Kevin Augustin saw an effort cleared off the line, but the visitors failed to find a leveller.

The result leaves PSG, now without a win in their last three Ligue 1 fixtures, planted in third place, giving Monaco and Nice the chance to extend the gap at the top when they face Lyon and Dijon respectively on Sunday.

Fresh from the midweek 3-1 Coupe de la Ligue win over Lille, PSG dominated proceedings early on, though Guingamp's defence remained untested, with Angel Di Maria's wayward long-range strike the highlight of a tepid opening.

Di Maria went close again soon after, but Karl-Johan Johnsson got down well to make a good save from the Argentine's strike while, at the other end, Moustapha Diallo headed wide.

Guingamp's confidence continued to grow, Diallo squandering another close-range chance before Jimmy Briand was denied by Marquinhos' excellent block.Against the run of play, however, PSG would have had the lead on the half-hour mark had Cavani directed his volley on target after connecting with Di Maria's exquisite cross.

PSG's players were left furious five minutes prior to the interval - Marco Verratti claiming that he had been scythed down in Guingamp's area by Fernando Marcal - but referee Fredy Fautrel, taking charge of his final Ligue 1 match before retirement, correctly dismissed the penalty appeals.

Attempting to inject some energy into PSG's lethargic display, Emery introduced Grzegorz Krychowiak at half-time, but the visitors continued to struggle against Guingamp's disciplined defence.

However, they finally carved open their hosts 53 minutes in - Cavani latching onto Verratti's throughball - but PSG's top-scorer failed to apply the finish from a tight angle.

Guingamp wasted no time in making PSG pay for that miss as, 13 minutes later, Salibur slotted in from close range after capitalising on poor defending from the visitors.

Matters were soon made worse for PSG - De Pauw marking his first Ligue 1 start of the season with a neat finish at the culmination of a sweeping counter-attack.Emery's side piled forward, but despite having two fantastic chances – Cavani hitting the crossbar with a brilliant header before Johnsson and Marcal combined to clear Augustin's attempt off the line – Guingamp somehow held firm to claim the points.

 

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AC Milan 0-0 Atalanta: Montella's men held by visitors

AC Milan lost further ground in the Serie A title race as they were held to a goalless draw by Atalanta at San Siro on Saturday.

Monday's defeat to Roma saw Luciano Spalletti's side move three points clear in second, with leaders Juventus a further four points in front.But third-placed Milan proved unable to bounce back with a victory ahead of a clash between the top two later on Saturday.

Milan had failed to score in three of their last four home league clashes with Atalanta prior to this latest meeting and it was the visitors who posed the biggest threat in the first half, with the exception of a Luca Antonelli effort that hit the post.The hosts were much improved after the interval but failed to make the breakthrough that would have turned up the heat on Roma ahead of their trip to Turin.

The first half was played out under a blanket of thickening fog, with clear-cut goalscoring opportunities initially in short supply.

Andrea Petagna - Atalanta's biggest threat - fired wide from 25 yards in the early stages, before captain Alejandro Gomez fired across the face of goal when attempting to beat Gianluigi Donnarumma from a tight angle.

Despite Milan edging possession, it was Atalanta who looked more dangerous as the opening period progressed, and Petagna will feel he should have done better when he poked wide having barged his way through the home defence on the half-hour mark.

Andrea Conti then headed just over from a Leonardo Spinazzola cross, before Donnarumma denied Roberto Gagliardini from close range.The half looked set to finish without Milan having made a single attempt on goal until the advancing Antonelli rifled an effort against the left-hand upright in the closing seconds.

But Milan were immediately under pressure at the start of the second half when Andrea Bertolacci was robbed of possession by Conti, but Gomez failed to get a shot away after working his way into the box.

Former Atalanta man Giacomo Bonaventura's magnificent turn on the edge of the area deserved a better finish than his smash over the crossbar, but he came closer just a few minutes later when he fizzed a low drive just wide of the right-hand post.

Milan grew in confidence and dominated the latter stages, but Gianluca Lapadula was unable turn the ball into the net after goalkeeper Marco Sportiello carelessly rushed a long way off his line in an attempt to gather.

Juraj Kucka then danced around his marker - and through the lingering fog - only to fire well wide, before Donnarumma was called into action to palm over a looping Rafael Toloi header.

Carlos Bacca came close to snatching the points seven minutes from time, but Conti was on the line to keep him out and preserve parity.

 

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West Bromwich Albion 0-2 Manchester United: Zlatan at the double to beat Baggies

Two goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic secured a 2-0 victory for Manchester United away to West Brom on Saturday.

The Sweden star hit his 15th and 16th goals of the season - one in each half - to extend United's run to four wins in a row in all competitions and put them level on points with fifth-place Tottenham in the Premier League.

Ibrahimovic needed only five minutes to make his mark at The Hawthorns, heading in Jesse Lingard's cross to put the visitors ahead, although he was a little fortunate to stay on the pitch beyond the 24th minute after he deliberately barged into Craig Dawson.

Wayne Rooney, still one goal short of equalling Bobby Charlton's United record of 249 goals, had a shot tipped onto the crossbar and Lingard also wasting a good opening before the break.But Ibrahimovic fired in a deflected effort after 56 minutes to double United's lead and ease any fears of more dropped points from a winning position.

West Brom offered little by way of a threat to David de Gea's goal and should have been reduced to 10 men themselves, when Salomon Rondon slapped Marcos Rojo and only received a booking.

The end of their three-game winning run at home sees them stay seventh in the table, while United are now on 30 points alongside Spurs, having played a game more.

West Brom started on the front foot, but a clinical passage of play from United saw them silence the home fans after only five minutes.

Antonio Valencia, back in the side following suspension, sent a long ball down the line into the path of Lingard, and his fine first-time cross from the right was nodded into the net by the arriving Ibrahimovic.
The goal sapped the home side's early confidence and it took a brilliant reaction save from Ben Foster to deny Rooney a second, with the former United goalkeeper tipping his snapshot from 20 yards against the crossbar.

Ibrahimovic upset the home fans when he only received a yellow card for a bruising shoulder-charge on Dawson, before Rondon, fresh from his headed hat-trick against Swansea City, glanced a Matt Phillips cross narrowly past De Gea's left-hand post.

United's approach play lacked a lot of the fluency they have found of late, but Lingard wasted a glorious chance to make it 2-0 after a good move just before the break, as he lashed over from a tight angle with only Foster to beat.

But if there were any concerns about Jose Mourinho's men throwing away another 1-0 lead, they were put to bed by Ibrahimovic 11 minutes after the restart.

Picking up Rooney's pass to the left of the West Brom area, the veteran striker drove infield and drilled a low shot that took a big deflection on its way into the bottom corner of Foster's net.

West Brom's frustrations were building and Rondon was lucky to receive only a yellow card from referee Anthony Taylor after slapping Rojo following an argument.

Tony Pulis urged his players forward in the closing stages, but United held firm with few concerns to make it 10 games in a row without defeat in a promising resurgence of form.

 

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Juventus 1-0 Roma: Higuain fires champions to seven point lead

Gonzalo Higuain's thunderous strike ensured that Juventus opened up a seven-point lead at the top of the table and equalled their own record for the longest home winning streak in Serie A history with a 1-0 victory over nearest title rivals Roma.

Former Napoli forward Higuain moved to 10 league goals for the campaign 14 minutes into an enthralling clash at Juventus Stadium, blasting in from the edge of the area.

That made it 25 home league wins in a row for the Bianconeri, a feat they also achieved between August 2013 and November 2014.Higuain's goal came after a full-throttle start from Massimiliano Allegri's side, with Roma fortunate to head into the interval with just a one-goal deficit.

And though Luciano Spalletti's men came into the fixture knowing that a win would move them within one point of the champions, Roma could not manage to find a way through Juve's resilient defence.

The victory is a vital one for Juve, who now have a comprehensive points cushion to build on heading into the second half of the season as they signed off for 2016 in Serie A ahead of their Supercoppa Italiana showdown with AC Milan next Friday, while Roma remain in second.

Kostas Manolas wasted no time in setting the tone, as his full-blooded challenge sent Mario Mandzukic crashing over the advertising hoardings 20 seconds in.In response, Juve created the first opportunity, Higuain's effort forcing Wojciech Szczesny into an instinctive save.

Juve's forward duo combined excellently 10 minutes later - Mandzukic picking out his strike partner with a precise cross, but Szczesny was well-placed to hold onto Higuain's volley.

Higuain, however, made no mistake from Juve's next attack, slaloming around Daniele De Rossi and Manolas before thumping an unerringly accurate finish in off the left-hand upright.

Roma improved, but Radja Nainggolan, who netted a stunning winner against Milan last time out, could only find the side-netting as the visitors finally managed to muster an attempt.

Despite Roma's resurgence, Juve went close to a second prior to half-time when Higuain's strike was saved by Szczesny, although the Argentine had been flagged offside.Manolas could have levelled at the other end a few moments later, but Daniele Rugani was on hand to block the defender's close-range effort.

Spalletti did not hesitate in shaking things up at the interval, bringing on Mohamed Salah - recently back from injury - in place of the inexperienced Gerson.Juve were forced into a change themselves soon after the restart, former Roma player Miralem Pjanic hobbling off clutching his hip - Juan Cuadrado replacing the stricken playmaker.

Szczesny came to Roma's rescue once again with 20 minutes remaining, getting down low to his right to deny Stefano Sturaro at the culmination of an exquisite counter-attack.

Roma searched desperately for an equaliser, Federico Fazio almost smuggling the ball home from a corner before Gianluigi Buffon held onto Diego Perotti rasping drive.

But despite a late glut of pressure, in which Manolas again went close, Juve held firm, and almost extended their lead through another Sturaro effort as Roma's five-match unbeaten streak in all competitions came to a halt

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Still world class and getting better - two-goal Ibrahimovic is Man Utd's hero yet again

There were many people within football who laughed at the very notion of Zlatan Ibrahimovic joining Manchester United. Apparently he was a flat track bully who would be subsumed by the faster, more physical, more demanding Premier League. Surely a 35-year-old who had spent the last four years in the piddly little French Ligue 1 had nothing to offer ‘the greatest league in the world’.

On Saturday he grabbed another two goals as United won 2-0 away to a West Bromwich Albion side managed by Tony Pulis, supposedly the boss who best exemplifies the very nature of football against which Zlatan would struggle. He now has 11 in 16 Premier League appearances, and 16 in 25 in all games since first pulling on the United shirt.

Moreover, the last few days have underlined just how important he has quickly become to English football’s most successful club. With his late winner at Crystal Palace on Wednesday and the double he pocketed at The Hawthorns, he has delivered at a key stage of United’s season. In need of successive victories for the first time since August and facing two of the Premier League’s most notoriously difficult away dates, Zlatan has come good just when it has mattered.

Ibrahimovic gave United the perfect start inside five minutes, steering a header past Ben Foster after being found by a magnificent first-time cross from Jesse Lingard, who had made an excellent run down the wing. It was the 15th goal of the Swede’s United career, and his seventh in the last seven games during a spell which has seen him become increasingly pivotal to the Red Devils’ cause.

He could have seen red before half-time on another day, with his late, forceful shoulder charge flooring Craig Dawson long after the ball had gone. But with Anthony Taylor’s yellow card came a reprieve and the opportunity for United’s talisman to continue to lead the charge.

Eleven minutes into the second half he had another goal, taking the ball from the corner of the area, flicking it past Gareth McAuley and then drilling a shot which deflected off Craig Dawson and escaped Ben Forster into the far corner. The one United player who is always full of confidence had injected yet another big dollop of it into his side and they finally had the two-goal cushion they have regularly lacked in recent weeks.

Far from a fading force, Ibrahimovic is getting better and better. The lack of pace is no problem for him since he reserves energy so cleverly over the course of 90 minutes that his burst of speed is still there in the final seconds just as it is early in a game. Not only that, he is becoming more and more of a leader, and a man with 470 career goals to his name is never something to be sniffed at.

Not only is he already on the verge of racking up a 10th straight season of 20-plus goals, he’s also on course for a sixth successive campaign of 30 or more. And all this in a league which was supposedly too big a tough for him.

Zlatan might have the big mouth which riles many football fans but surely nobody can claim he doesn’t back it up, particularly when he is ramming the misguided obituaries down the throats of more and more critics with every game that passes.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho: Ibrahimovic has proved he's a superman

Jose Mourinho believes Zlatan Ibrahimovic has "proved he is a superman" with his superb form for Manchester United.

The 35-year-old took his tally for the season to 16 after hitting both goals in United's 2-0 Premier League victory against West Brom at The Hawthorns on Saturday.

Ibrahimovic, who has scored 100 goals in 170 league outings since the start of 2011-12, has only missed two games for United since joining from Paris Saint-Germain and was described by Mourinho as undroppable this week.

And Mourinho admits he has been amazed by the former Barcelona and Inter star's commitment, despite him having entered the closing stages of his career.

"I'm so pleased for him," he told BBC Sport. "He's the kind of player who doesn't need to prove anything to anyone but when he decides to come to England in the last period of his career, to the most difficult championship, I think he proved he's a superman in his mentality.

"What he's doing is fantastic. At the age of 35, I think it's a dream for every striker of 25 to arrive in the Premier League and impress as he is doing."I need to give him a rest and now we have a week, we don't have a match after 48 hours. It's not just him."

United are now unbeaten in 10 matches and have moved level on points with Tottenham in fifth place after taking nine points from their last three league games.

Mourinho stressed the importance of continuing to deliver good performances given the demands of the United fans over the team's style of play."I could mention everyone because they need to be really strong to play well, not get the results and cope with the frustration of negative results," he said.

"And now we have three wins in a row, we have a bit of happiness. It's important to win matches - the top teams are not losing many points. We have to try to win as many as possible.

"At some clubs you can play bad football as long as it's winning football. At Manchester United, it's one of those clubs where winning matches is not enough. You have to win and play well."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Guardiola: I didn't help Alexis too much at Barca

Pep Guardiola has praised Alexis Sanchez as a “class, class player” but suggested he may have failed to get the best out of the Chilean during their time together in Barcelona.

Alexis won four trophies during his two seasons with Guardiola at Barca and another two after the Catalan left the club in 2012, but joined Arsenal in 2014 after failing to really establish himself in La Liga and there is a sense he did not reach his potential at Camp Nou.

The Chile international has been one of Arsenal’s key men since he arrived in England and he will head to the Etihad Stadium for a reunion with Guardiola on Sunday having scored 12 league goals so far this season.

Guardiola believes his former player is perfectly suited to the central striking role he is now enjoying with the Gunners, but says he deserves more credit for his time at Barca as he was rarely given the chance to play there.

“I think Alexis played well at Udinese, with Chile, he played really good in Barcelona,” he said on Friday. “Normally when you play with Messi all the players are beside him and people think he [Alexis] was not at his level because Messi is the highlight. But he played good and helped us a lot.

“And I think the position he’s in now as a striker is perfect for him, suited perfectly to him. In Barcelona maybe I didn’t help him too much because he was playing wide, I like the wingers wide.

“He can do that but he’s more between the lines than to cross to the goal.Sometimes he played as striker, especially one game I remember against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final.

“He’s a player who can play in several positions, left, right, he’s a fighter, [he has] spirit, he’s a character, he’s a winner, he’s a class, class player.

“I think now he’s playing really well, but at Barcelona, and with the national team, with Chile, he won two Copas America, so that shows how good a player he is.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Buffon keeps 200th clean sheet for Juventus in win over Roma

Gianluigi Buffon held his 200th clean sheet for Juventus in Saturday's 1-0 win over Roma.The Serie A champions extended their lead at the top of the table over their main contenders to seven points thanks to Gonzalo Higuain's 14th-minute strike.

While the Bianconeri attack otherwise struggled to break through the visitors' defence they were able to rely upon the 38-year-old, who still looks on the top of his game.

Buffon may have only needed to make two saves throughout the 90 minutes, he has already impressed this season by setting a new record for consecutive clean sheets with a run of 10.

And the goalkeeper has now added another impressive milestone with the club since joining in 2001 from Parma.

The World Cup winner already holds the record for most Serie A clean sheets across his spells at Parma and Juve.Buffon is currently contracted to Juve until 2018, who now sit seven points clear of Roma.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2016.12.18

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2016.12.18

Bournemouth Vs Southampton

Manchester City Vs Arsenal

Tottenham Vs Burnley

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[Wolverine GTR]

LA Liga Fixtures 2016.12.18

LA Liga Fixtures 2016.12.18

Leganes Vs Eibar

Deportivo Vs Osasuna

Barcelona Vs Espanyol​