..::Football IV::..

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AC Milan 2 Udinese 1: Kalinic double opens account for new club

Nikola Kalinic's first goals for AC Milan were enough to secure a 2-1 win over Udinese at the San Siro.

The signing from Fiorentina twice demonstrated predatory instincts to beat his marker and score from close range and had a third ruled out for offside as Milan return to winning ways in Serie A after last weekend's 4-1 humbling at Lazio.

Kevin Lasagna cancelled out the Croatian's first goal with a fine finish, and had earlier seen a goal ruled out for offside by the video assistant referee (VAR) system.Udinese had chances to claim a point in the second half through Seko Fofana and Andrija Balic, but Milan held firm to secure their third league win of the season.

Vincenzo Montella's side will be looking to make that four when SPAL visit the San Siro on Wednesday. Udinese, meanwhile, face Torino in midweek as they target just a second win of the Serie A campaign.

Milan were almost made to pay for that profligacy just a minute later, but they were spared by the VAR system. Lasagna latched onto a clinical throughball to roll the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma, but his celebrations were cut short after the officials decided he had strayed into an offside position.

Technology was used again in the 18th minute to deny Milan the opener. Kalinic's header from a corner crashed back off the post and was stabbed towards goal by Leonardo Bonucci from close range, but was hacked away before the whole ball could cross the line.

Minutes after being denied by the woodwork, Kalinic did get on the scoresheet as he beat his marker to bundle home Calabria's cross from close range.

Milan's advantage did not last for long, though, as Lasagna took full advantage of an inexplicable pass across his own area by Alessio Romagnoli to drill a left-footed strike past Donnarumma.The goal did little to dampen Milan's attacking instincts and they reclaimed the lead after 31 minutes. Kalinic got on the end of Franck Kessie's header from a corner to prod home from almost on the line.

Milan twice came close to scoring their third in the early stages of the second half, but Giacomo Bonaventura's audacious overhead kick just screwed wide and Romagnoli's header was repelled by Simone Scuffet. Udinese nearly pulled level for the second time after 63 minutes, but Donnarumma was equal to Fofana's fierce drive. Soon after substitute Balic saw a looping header arc agonisingly over the Milan goalkeeper's bar.

Milan squandered opportunities through Calabria and substitute Hakan Calhanoglu to extend their advantage, while Kalinic was denied a hat-trick after the VAR system was once again used to rule out his late strike.

 

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Coutinho opens up on failed Barcelona move but insists his focus is firmly on Liverpool


Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho has revealed the details behind his collapsed transfer to Barcelona, admitting he and his family were excited about the move to Camp Nou.

The Brazil international was marked by the Catalan club as a replacement for Neymar following his countryman's record-breaking €222 million switch to Paris Saint-Germain last month.

Despite Coutinho telling Liverpool he wanted to go ahead and leave for La Liga, before handing in an official transfer request in view of forcing a move through, the Reds refused to sell.

Now, having made his Premier League return to Jurgen Klopp's side in the club's 1-1 draw at home to Burnley on Saturday, Coutinho insists he is solely focused on giving his best to the Merseyside club.

Coutinho told ESPN Brasil: "What happened was a job offer and, in life, sometimes you get interested, sometimes you don’t, and in my case, as everybody knows, I got interested, my family too.

"But as I’ve always said, it’s a great honour to receive an offer from such a great club like that, but it’s also a great honour being here - Liverpool is great club worldwide.

"Now I’m here and I’ll give my best, as always."I've never had any problems with anyone here. I've always respected the support very much of the groups. The players, the directors, the technical staff. And that hasn't changed at all. Like I said, whatever job offers you get, some interest you and others don't."

Asked if he was still feeling a sense of disappointment, he replied: "No. It's all done now. I have to work. I'm focused on working hard and to have a good year if possible. In the end, I have to help my team."

Klopp named Coutinho in the Reds' first team for the first time this season at the weekend, with Sadio Mane serving the first of his three-match ban for his sending off against Manchester City. He was eventually replaced by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with Klopp citing cramp as the reason behind the swap.

The draw leaves Liverpool in eighth position after five league games.

 

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Barcelona star Dembele ruled out for up to four months


Ousmane Demeble has been ruled out for up to four months in an injury blow that has rocked Barcelona.

Barca have confirmed that the 20-year-old did, as feared by head coach Ernesto Valverde, suffered a torn hamstring in Saturday's 2-1 victory away against Getafe, which was his full La Liga debut.

Dembele had to be withdrawn in the first half of his side's dramatic win, leaving the field after sustaining the problem while attempting a back-heel near the corner flag when the match was still goalless.

After conducting tests on Sunday, Barca released a statement which read: "The tests have come back following first team player Ousmane Dembele has ruptured the tendon in his femoral bicep in his left thigh."The player will be operated on by Dr. Sakari Orava in Finland this week. He is expected to be out for between three and a half months and four months."

The problem, which is in Dembele's left leg, will see him miss the first half of the season in a huge blow to the Catalans after his initial €105million move from Borussia Dortmund.

Barca, who have won all four of their La Liga matches to start the new season, have clashes against Eibar, Girona, Sporting CP and Las Palmas before the next international break.

Dembele is also set to miss huge league fixtures against Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia and the rest of the Champions League group stages.The France international is also in line to miss the first league Clasico of the season against Real Madrid in December, with his return coming after the mid-season break.

Dembele had made his first Barca start against Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday, having come on as a substitute at home to Espanyol last week, his first game in the club's colours.

Dembele's injury means that he will miss much of Barca's season, including a host of crucial matches in the league and Champions League, as well as domestic cup competitions such as the Copa del Rey. Below is a list of games that the 20-year-old is likely to miss, based on his projected recovery timeline.

 

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Luiz was fouled by Sanchez before red, claims Conte


Chelsea boss Antonio Conte believes David Luiz was fouled by Alexis Sanchez just before the challenge that saw the defender sent off in the 0-0 draw with Arsenal.David Luiz received his first Premier League red card for a high challenge on Sead Kolasinac with only three minutes left in Sunday's Premier League contest.

It meant Chelsea had a player sent off for the third consecutive match against Arsenal, having had Victor Moses removed in the FA Cup final and Pedro dismissed in the Community Shield.But Conte felt referee Michael Oliver should have already blown up before David Luiz's infringement after a challenge from Gunners substitute Sanchez.

Conte told Sky Sports : "David Luiz, you know very well that I don't like to comment about the referee. I didn't do this it in the past and I don't do it in the present. "The only thing I can tell is you need to see what happened before the tackle."Asked if perhaps there was a foul on Luiz before he fouled Kolasinac, Conte answered: "Yeah."

Conte went on to discuss the issue again in his post-match media conference and insisted he was certain Sanchez should have been penalised for his challenge on David Luiz, which prompted the Brazil international to lose possession.

"For sure, that was a foul," he said. "For sure. But, I repeat, the referee took this decision. If he stopped the play before, it [Luiz's challenge] wouldn't matter."I repeat, in this situation a player is fouled in a continuing way – he continued to push him."

Conte was unsure if Chelsea would appeal the decision, adding: "We have to wait for the referee's decision to know how many games he will be suspended for."We have great respect for them [officials], but it is very strange to finish a third game in a row against Arsenal with 10 men."

As well as the run of reds against Arsenal, Chelsea have had three sending offs in five league matches this season, Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas having been given their marching orders against Burnley on the opening weekend.

"I was a player and I think it can happen, this type of period, if you are not so lucky and receive red cards," Conte added."But, as I said before, I think we have to try to improve in all situations. We work to improve tactical and physical situations.
"In the end, we'll try to pay more attention in the future. I hope, also, to be more lucky with the refereeing decisions. For us, and also for the opponents. "Sometimes the opponents deserve a red card but, instead, they carry on playing with 11 men."

 

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Dani Carvajal signs five-year Real Madrid contract extension


Real Madrid have announced defender Dani Carvajal has signed a new five-year deal with the club.The contract will see the right-back remain at the Santiago Bernabeu until the end of the 2021-22 season.

A product of the club's academy, Carvajal re-joined Madrid for a reported €6.5 million at the beginning of the 2013-14 campaign after impressing in a lone season at Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

The 25-year-old has been a regular presence under Zinedine Zidane and has gone on to win 13 caps for Spain since debuting in 2014.​

Carvajal follows fellow full-back Marcelo and star midfielder Isco in inking a new deal with Los Blancos.

 

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Valencia wonder goal proves he's best right back in Premier League

In a squad containing the likes of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic among many other world stars, it is easy to overlook someone like Antonio Valencia. But as his goal and performance against Everton again highlighted, he remains the very best in his position the Premier League has to offer.

The languid way in which he lashed a 20-yard half-volley into the top corner of Jordan Pickford’s goal sums up his contributions since joining United from Wigan Athletic in 2009. Rarely flashy but able to produce when his side need him the most, he epitomises exactly the way Jose Mourinho’s title-winning sides of years gone by have gone about their business.

Eyebrows were raised when United’s local rivals Manchester City forked out in excess of £50 million for Kyle Walker over the summer. But if that is the going rate, and despite the fact Walker has five years on his opposite number at Old Trafford, it would not be outside the realms of possibility for United to request a similar fee should any club show an interest in purchasing the one-time flying winger.

Valencia’s evolution from an attacking wideman to a dependable defensive presence on the right-hand side is one of the few success stories of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Though Michael Carrick is officially the club captain, the midfielder’s lack of first-team opportunities means Valencia has become Mourinho’s de facto leader on the pitch. The way in which almost all of the United side interrupted his low-key celebration tells observers exactly how highly regarded he is inside the dressing room.

By full time Valencia’s importance was only highlighted further by United slipping into the old habits that dogged them last season as they spurned opportunity after opportunity. Everton old boy Lukaku proved particularly wasteful, and though he, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Anthony Martial added gloss to the scoreline late on in what is becoming a familiar late salvo from this United side, such poor finishing will likely cost them at some point this campaign.

In fact, were it not for the wastefulness of Wayne Rooney – who received a standing ovation from the Theatre of Dreams as he was withdrawn in the closing stages – then the pressure that has slowly begun to surround manager Ronald Koeman may have been lifted somewhat.

As it was, the former Southampton boss was likely left cursing his luck, praying for a player who can provide the same consistently high-quality performances Valencia is capable of. Having that same player slam in long-range stunners every so often would probably help too.

 

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ada match 1ke Valencia ge goal 1ka patta

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Paris Saint-Germain 2 Lyon 0: Own goal double maintains 100 per cent start for Emery's men

Two late own goals helped Paris Saint-Germain maintain their 100 per cent record in Ligue 1 with a hard fought 2-0 win over Lyon at the Parc des Princes. The hosts were some way off their free-flowing best, with their vaunted attacking trio of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani struggling to break down a stubborn Lyon backline for much of Sunday's encounter.

Lyon's resistance was finally broken with 15 minutes remaining when Marcelo got the final touch to Cavani's flick to score an unfortunate own goal.Cavani then saw a penalty brilliantly saved by Anthony Lopes before another own goal - this time from Jeremy Morel - added an undeserved gloss to the scoreline four minutes from time.

Lyon were left to rue their luck at either end of the field, having seen Tanguy NDombele's thunderous second-half effort cannon against the crossbar at 0-0.
PSG will hope to continue their seemingly unstoppable march when they visit Montpellier next weekend, while Lyon will hope to bounce back from their first league defeat of the season when they host Dijon.


Lyon looked sharp in the early stages and had a penalty appeal rejected after five minutes when NDombele went down awkwardly under pressure from Layvin Kurzawa. The visitors threatened again shortly afterwards when Memphis Depay cut inside from the left, but his powerful drive was well gathered by Alphonse Areola.

The attacking verve that PSG so effortlessly demonstrated in the 5-0 Champions League win over Celtic in midweek was absent in the early stages, but they nearly broke the deadlock when Thiago Silva met Neymar's low cross. The Brazilian defender could only skew his shot over the bar, though.

For much of the half, the Parisians struggled to penetrate Lyon's resolute backline.On one of the rare occasions that they did, Neymar's strike from the edge of the area was too close to Lopes, who comfortably parried it away.

The first opening of the second period went Lyon's way. Nabil Fekir won the ball on PSG's right touchline before bursting into the area, where his low shot was pushed out for a corner by Areola.

Fekir was in the thick of the action soon after when he unceremoniously hauled down Neymar on the edge of the area after a surging run. From the resulting free-kick, Lopes did well to push away Neymar's shot, which looked destined for the top corner. Lyon came agonisingly close to taking the lead after 67 minutes, when NDombele's drive from 30 yards crashed back off the woodwork.

They then squandered a golden opportunity to score when Marcelo headed straight at Areola from Ferland Mendy's teasing free-kick.They were made to pay for that miss in the 75th minute as PSG took the lead.Substitute Giovani Lo Celso did well to create space on the left and his cross was met by Cavani, whose backheel attempt was deflected in by the unfortunate Marcelo.

Cavani, who seemingly won an argument with Neymar over who should take the spot-kick after Mendy had manhandled Mbappe in the area, missed the opportunity to get his name on the scoresheet as Lopes superbly tipped his penalty onto the bar.

But Lyon were dealt a cruel blow as Mbappe's shot bounced back off Lopes onto the onrushing Morel, who could do nothing to prevent the ball rolling into an empty net to cement PSG's win.

 

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Real Sociedad 1 Real Madrid 3: Mayoral and Bale crucial as Zidane's men return to winning ways

Borja Mayoral and Gareth Bale did the damage as a depleted Real Madrid avoided dropping points for the third LaLiga game in a row by beating Real Sociedad 3-1 at Anoeta on Sunday in a commendable display.

Madrid's hosts went into the match having won all three of their previous league games, but Zinedine Zidane's men rose to the challenge despite being without Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo and Karim Benzema, as Mayoral had a hand in the first two goals, before the under-fire Bale - who was otherwise quiet - wrapped things up.

The reigning champions looked in fine shape right from the start against an in-form La Real and were fully deserving of the lead when Mayoral – making his first LaLiga start since this fixture in April 2016 – slammed home 19 minutes in.

Real Sociedad's Kevin Rodrigues endured a turbulent half, as he initially levelled in 28th minute, before then seeing another effort hit the crossbar in a passage of play that ended with the left-back scoring an own goal following a swift Madrid break.

Madrid were rather more willing to sit back and counter at the break and that worked brilliantly when Bale broke away to score their third goal just after the hour mark.

La Real enjoyed plenty of possession towards the end and piled men forward in the hope of a late comeback, but the visitors produced a professional display and had little difficulty keeping their two-goal lead intact.


Madrid were quick out of the blocks at Anoeta and Marco Asensio went close twice inside 16 minutes, seeing two efforts blocked after brilliant work by full-backs Dani Carvajal and Theo Hernandez.

There was no stopping Mayoral in the 19th minute, though, as he slammed home from close range after Sergio Ramos had held the ball up brilliantly for the young striker.

But La Real were level again soon after – Rodrigues meeting Odriozola's deep right-wing cross with a left-footed volley that squirmed under Keylor Navas, who should have kept it out.The same combo caused havoc again in the 36th minute, but Rodrigues' volley this time hit the floor and bounced up onto the crossbar.

And Madrid marched straight up the other end to re-take the lead, as Mayoral rode one challenge, skipped past another on the halfway line and then beat Diego Llorente in the penalty area, allowing him to play a low ball into the danger zone for Rodrigues to accidentally put past his own goalkeeper.

The match was played with similar ferocity after the break and both sides had chances within six minutes of the restart – Llorente heading straight at Navas, before Mayoral stung the palms of Geronimo Rulli and then smashed the rebound into the side-netting.

Rulli was powerless to resist in the 61st minute, however, as Bale charged on to Isco's lofted pass over the defence, outpaced Rodrigues and then dinked a clever finish over the approaching goalkeeper.

La Real's need to push men forward left spaces at the back towards the end, and both Isco and substitute Lucas Vazquez went close – the former shooting just over from distance, before Rulli denied the Madrid winger.

David Zurutuza should have at least made the ending a little tense for Madrid when he was played through on goal five minutes before the end, but Dani Carvajal made a vital last-ditch tackle and the away side ultimately crossed the line.

 

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Emery tells Cavani and Neymar to sort it out after penalty disagreement


Unai Emery expects Edinson Cavani and Neymar to come to an agreement on penalty-taking responsibilities after the pair argued over a spot-kick during Paris Saint-Germain's win against Lyon.

PSG continued their 100 per cent start to the Ligue 1 season with a 2-0 victory at home to Lyon thanks to a pair of own goals, a result somewhat overshadowed by a disagreement between star forwards Cavani and Neymar.

Cavani and €222 million arrival Neymar quarrelled over a penalty in the 79th minute — the Uruguayan eventually winning the argument with his new team-mate but missing from the spot.

PSG head coach Emery said he wants to leave it up to Cavani and Neymar to decide on the spot-kick duties but he will intervene if necessary."The penalties are to be struck by a few players, one is Cavani and the other is Neymar," Emery said."It takes a gentleman's agreement on the ground to hit the penalties.

"Afterwards, we will arrange internally for the penalties that are coming in, because I think both are able to score them, and I want the two to alternate in this exercise.
"If there is no agreement, I will decide. I do not want it to be a problem for us."

On the match itself, Emery added: "We respect the championship, and last season we suffered both matches against Lyon. Today I wanted to win with less difficulty, but I recognise the reality, we must learn to suffer and win with difficulty. "Of the 90 minutes, the team deserved to win. Lyon had opportunities, but over 90 minutes we did more than them."

The defeat was Lyon's first of the campaign and they will be disappointed not to have left the capital with at least a point after an impressive display.

Bruno Genesio refused to be too despondent, though, excited for what the rest of the season will bring if they continue to perform in such a positive fashion. "We leave disappointed because we deserved better," he said. "We had the opportunity to score and we paid for one or two mistakes.Nevertheless, we can be very positive about what we did tonight. If we reproduce this, we can think about beautiful things that await us this season."

 

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Mourinho not thinking about Manchester City


Jose Mourinho insisted after beating Everton that he "didn't think one single second about Manchester City" because he was more worried about making the most of Manchester United's other title rivals dropping points.

United ran out 4-0 winners over Everton at Old Trafford on Sunday, with Antonio Valencia, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial getting the goals — the last three scored in the final seven minutes.The result meant that United remain joint-top with Manchester City on 13 points after five matches, but that was not the key for Mourinho.

The Portuguese coach was more concerned about making sure United capitalised on Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal all drawing over the weekend.
"Today I didn't think one single second about Manchester City," Mourinho told reporters."I thought about Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. They lost, or they didn't win their match.

"And it was a chance for us to get two points like they did last week when we drew against Stoke."So, I was just thinking about them and never about City. City won their game and id their job."I was thinking about the others and when I saw their results I thought this was an opportunity we could not waste."

 

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David De Gea, The Best Goalkeeper with a Century of clean sheets


Manchester United have won 4-0 for the third time this season after brushing away the Toffees with three late goals from Mkhitaryan, Lukaku and Martial. Antonio Valencia opened the scoring for United on the 4th minute after a wonderful strike from outside of the Everton area.

Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea has joined the 100 club after United’s 4-0 victory over Everton in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon. United have started the new season in good form, winning four out of five league matches, three of which had the same scoreline, 4-0.Former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville has expressed his belief that David de Gea is the club's one true world-class player at the moment.


Neville believes that De Gea may be the best goalkeeper in world football at the moment, placing him firmly in the 'world class' category ahead of the rest of his teammates.

"You could argue he's the outstanding goalkeeper in the world. He's Man United's world-class player," Neville told Sky Sports News."I gave him quite a bit of stick when he first came here, but he is nowhere near that now."

In the UEFA Champions League, United started well also, beating FC Basel 3-0 at the Theatre of Dreams, which as of Sunday saw seven goals at the stadium inside the same week. On Wednesday United face Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford, which could see more goals coming.

De Gea marked his 275th appearance for the Red Devils with his 100th clean sheet, which is a great feat considering the start he had at the Theatre of Dreams in the 2011/12 season after making his near £18 million transfer from Atletico Madrid, replacing the veteran goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who was a big loss for the club that summer.

Of his 100 clean sheets, 79 come in the Premier League, 10 in the UEFA Champions League, one in the UEFA Europa League, four in the FA Cup, five in the League Cup and one in the FA Community Shield. It was also the day that United kept their 250th clean sheet at Old Trafford in the Premier League with Peter Schmeichel having 68 of those in his own name. De Gea, compared to Schmeichel, may have a long way to go to reach those feats, especially in the plaudits and trophies the Danish goalkeeper won in his time at United, but it is coming for the Spanish number one.

When you look at the goalkeepers with the most clean sheets during their United careers, Schmeichel tops the list with 180. In second place there is Alex Stepney with 175, then Gary Bailey with 161, then Edwin van der Sar with 135, the next landmark for the Spanish goalkeeper, something which could well be achieved inside the next two seasons, should United continue to perform like they have of late. Perhaps De Gea could get closer to that feat this season, who knows?

De Gea should continue his rise to the best goalkeeper in the world over the next few years. United have so far stopped the Spaniard from leaving for Real Madrid and his current contract will end in the summer of 2019

 

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Congratulations De Gea!

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One day Rooney will be back home, says Mourinho


Jose Mourinho has predicted Wayne Rooney will return to Manchester United in the future and insists he was not surprised to see the forward warmly welcomed back to Old Trafford by the club's fans.

The 31-year-old returned to his former ground with Everton in his first appearance against United, with whom he spent a successful 13 years, since re-joining his boyhood club in July.

United ran out 4-0 winners, but Rooney was substituted with eight minutes remaining when the deficit was just one and was afforded a huge ovation by the home supporters, as well as receiving a handshake from Mourinho on the touchline.

Manager Mourinho praised his side's fans for their respect and is confident Rooney, the captain during his first season in charge at Old Trafford, will be back in some capacity in the future.
"I didn't need to ask," Mourinho said of the generous reception given to Rooney. "It is the nature of English fans and big clubs when a player is big in the club and has an important part of the club's history. "I think every club in England has that. I can only speak about Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford, and in both stadiums when you have former players, the reception is normally phenomenal. No surprise at all."He is at home and one day I believe he will be back home."

 

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Manchester United reach 250th Premier League home clean sheet after shutting out Everton

Manchester United's defence was rock-solid again to frustrate Everton as the Red Devils recorded a Premier League milestone. Although Wayne Rooney in particular had chances to score against his former club, David de Gea's goal remained intact on Sunday. And in keeping the Toffees out at Old Trafford, United became the first club in the Premier League to reach 250 home clean sheets.

The Manchester club have kept 39 more clean sheets than their closest rivals, Chelsea, who have achieved the feat 221 times since the start of the Premier League.

In third place sit Arsenal, with 216, while Manchester City lie well back on just 143.

The 'Great Dane' Peter Schmeichel has been responsible for more of those shutouts than any other United keeper, having kept 68 clean sheets at Old Trafford during his legendary spell.

De Gea, meanwhile, reached the century in clean sheets against Everton in all competitions, and has thus far kept his net intact in 79 Premier League games.
Will the Spaniard go on to overtake the Great Dane?

 

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Congratulations Manchester United!

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Borussia Dortmund 5 Cologne 0: Aubameyang, Philipp bag braces as BVB return to the top

Borussia Dortmund plundered three goals in 10 second-half minutes to return to the Bundesliga summit with a 5-0 thrashing of Cologne on Sunday.

Leading 2-0 at the break, the hosts turned on the style in a scintillating spell after the interval as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Maximilian Philipp both bagged braces - the latter claiming his first goals for the club.Sokratis Papastathopoulos also got in on the scoring fun to extend the hosts' unbeaten start to their league campaign.

On the back of their Europa League drama away to Arsenal on Thursday, bottom-placed Cologne posed few problems throughout the match and never recovered from Philipp's second-minute opener.Dortmund twice benefited from the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee, but it was Aubameyang's quickfire double after the restart which turned the contest into a rout.

Andriy Yarmolenko also starred following his superb Champions League goal against Tottenham as Peter Bosz's side recovered from that 3-1 loss to canter to victory and a fourth straight Bundesliga clean sheet.


Yarmolenko's superb strike in midweek offered a glimpse of his talent and the Ukraine star needed just two minutes of his first league start to further underline his class, dribbling beyond his marker and whipping in a superb cross for Philipp to nod in the opener.

An unmarked Aubameyang should have doubled the advantage 15 minutes later when Gonzalo Castro touched a deft knock-down into his path, but Timo Horn did well to tip the miscued effort around the post.

Yarmolenko continued to cause problems throughout the first half as Philipp, Lukasz Piszczek and Nuri Sahin all tried their luck around the half-hour mark.
The winger then directed a header wide from Piszczek's cross as Dortmund looked to take complete control before the break, although their momentum momentarily stalled when Sokratis required treatment.

However, the Greece defender recovered to poke his side into a 2-0 lead on the stroke of half-time, punishing Horn for spilling a corner as the referee called on the VAR to reverse his initial decision of handball.Aubameyang's struggles in front of goal continued immediately after the restart when he broke through one-on-one, only to sidefoot his finish narrowly wide of the far post.

The speedy forward was instead gifted the chance to open his account from the penalty spot when the VAR spotted a handball in the area by Cologne defender Lukas Klunter.

After dispatching the spot-kick into the bottom-left corner, Aubameyang made it two in two minutes as he tucked away Piszczek's smart low cross for a sudden 4-0 lead. And it truly became a rout when Philipp capped the stunning 10-minute burst by deftly adding his second of the match from Mahmoud Dahoud's incisive pass.

Roman Burki was called on to make a rare save from Klunter in the closing stages, preserving his fourth league shut-out as Dortmund sounded a significant warning to their title rivals.

 

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Wenger confirms Welbeck groin injury


Danny Welbeck is set for a spell on the sidelines after sustaining a groin injury in Arsenal's Premier League draw at Chelsea on Sunday.

Welbeck has started all five of Arsenal's Premier League games this season, scoring three goals, while he also found the net for England in a World Cup qualifying win against Malta.

But the versatile forward will miss at least the next two Premier League matches for the Gunners, while he will also be unavailable for the Europa League trip to BATE Borisov."Danny has a scan today, we don’t know how bad his groin injury is but he will certainly be out until the international break," Wenger said ahead of Wednesday's EFL Cup tie at home to Doncaster Rovers.

"[Francis] Coquelin as well. [Mathieu] Debuchy is coming back slowly."Mesut [Ozil] is training again, but for tomorrow no [he will not feature]. He has a little inflammation of his knee."

Arsenal face a busy fixture list due to playing in the Europa League and Wenger offered a hint as to his team selection plans for the game against League One side Doncaster.

"Yes, [Calum Chambers] will be involved against Doncaster. Jack Wilshere is involved too," Wenger said. "Yes [it will be a mix], but it will be a similar team to the one that played against Cologne."

 

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Zidane: Real Madrid contract renewal is done


Zinedine Zidane has confirmed he has reached an agreement with Real Madrid over a contract renewal.The Madrid head coach signed a new deal in August last year that sees him tied to the club until 2020.

However, after a successful defence of their Champions League crown and delivering the Liga title last season, the Santiago Bernabeu outfit have moved to ensure he remains even longer.

"I feel fine. The issue of my contract renewal is already done, but that means nothing," Zidane said. "What matters is the day-to-day issues and I don't look beyond that."After struggling with injury last season, Gareth Bale has been a constant presence in Madrid's first-team this term, scoring two goals in seven games in all competitions.

And Zidane is delighted to have the Welshman back in the starting XI, and believes the fans' constant jeering of the attacker may be a good thing."I always said that we have to have patience with Bale and we know that if he is fit then he is very good, but he will need time. There's time for us to see the best of Gareth.

"I can't tell you why fans are booing him because I'm not in their heads, but this stadium has whistled at everyone."It is part of the player's career and sometimes it is good to notice that things are not going well.

"I'm not talking about Bale, I speak in general terms. It has happened to me and I think it's good, because you want to react and do better."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barcelona expect Dembele return in January after successful surgery


Barcelona expect Ousmane Dembele to return at the beginning of January following a successful operation on his hamstring.The France international suffered a torn tendon in the 2-1 La Liga win at Getafe and it was feared he could be out for up to four months.

However, after surgery in Finland, Barca now hope he will be back for close to the start of 2018.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the club said: "First-team player Ousmane Dembele has been operated on successfully on the rupture to the tendon of the femoral biceps of his left thigh by Dr. Sakari Orava and under the supervision of Dr. Ricard Pruna.

"The expected period of absence is three and a half months."Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu had expressed his optimism that their lower estimate on Dembele's length of absence would prove correct.

"I have spoken with him, he's affected, but that's normal," he told TVE. "He told me he knows everything will be okay, though, and that he's in good hands. By Wednesday or Thursday, he will be back in Barcelona.

"He could return in January, I hope so because that would represent a nice present for all Barcelona fans on Three Kings Day [January 6]."