..::Football IV::..

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Serie A Fixtures 2017.11.05

Serie A Fixtures 2017.11.05

Inter Vs Torino

Cagliari Vs Verona

Chievo Vs Napoli

Fiorentina Vs Roma

Juventus Vs Benevento

Lazio Vs Udinese

Atalanta Vs Spal

Sassuolo Vs AC Milan​

 

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Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.11.05

Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.11.05

Cologne Vs Hoffenheim

Wolfsburg Vs Hertha Berlin​

 

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Half Time

Chelsea 0 Vs 0 Manchester United

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Full Time

Chelsea 1 Vs 0 Manchester United

Chelsea Goal(s)

A.Morata 55'
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Manchester United play karapu widiyanam anthimai

Slow,Miss place passes godaianith 1ka attack 1kak nahaneFightback 1ka anthimaiLukaku gen deyak uneth nahaLast 10 minutes wala thamai podi hari fight 1kak dunne

Ohomanam baha ithin EPL win karannameeta wada team/Individual performance godak improve karaganna one EPL title 1ka hopes thiyaganna nam.danatama 8 points gap 1kak

Good Luck for the next match Manchester United!
​

 

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Sassuolo 0 AC Milan 2: Montella's men up to seventh after scrappy win


Alessio Romagnoli and Suso were on target as AC Milan eased the pressure on head coach Vincenzo Montella with a much-needed 2-0 victory at Sassuolo on Sunday.

The Rossoneri had won just one of their prior seven games in all competitions, but they edged a dull affair in Modena as Romagnoli netted a scrappy first-half opener before Suso's sublime second clinched the points.

Although this was far from a vintage display from Montella's men, it was the result that mattered as speculation continues to surround the 43-year-old's future at San Siro - Antonio Conte and Carlo Ancelotti two names that will not go away as the club reportedly seek potential successors.

Having started the game 12 points off the Champions League places, Milan and Montella could ill afford a slip-up and the coach must have felt a sense of relief when Romagnoli met Hakan Calhanoglu's deflected delivery to score shortly before the interval.

Andrea Consigli had kept the visitors at bay up to that point and he impressed again after the restart until Suso struck to end home hopes of a result.After consecutive away league wins, Milan have not lost sight of the European spots yet as they move up to seventh.


Consigli made a good early stop from Calhanoglu's curling free-kick, before Montella's latest blow arrived in the form of an ankle injury for Davide Calabria. As Milan reshuffled, Sassuolo assumed control of the contest and Gianluigi Donnarumma had to be alert to get down to Luca Mazzitelli's low strike.

While the Rossoneri steadily grew into the game, there was an evident lack of quality in both sides' play with a Fabio Borini blast from 20 yards causing Consigli little trouble.

Seven minutes before half-time, though, Franck Kessie finally ignited the visiting attack as he jinked free on the right to centre for a Nikola Kalinic header that Consigli saved instinctively.

The consequent corner would provide the breakthrough and the goalkeeper looked rather less accomplished as he fell cheaply under the challenge of Romagnoli, with referee Antonio Damato wisely rejecting appeals for a foul as the Milan defender nodded into the net.

Montella's men made a slow start to the second half, as they had the first, before building some momentum as the hour-mark approached.

Kessie shimmed onto his left to shoot straight at Consigli and the same man then charged through the midfield to test the keeper again with a stinging drive shortly afterwards.Suso put the game beyond Sassuolo with 23 minutes remaining, the Spaniard taking possession on the right flank, cutting inside and moving past Federico Peluso before ripping a finish into the top-left corner.

Milan kept pushing, but Kalinic could not stretch to direct a volley on target as Suso delivered a teasing ball and substitute Manuel Locatelli drew only a simple save from Consigli before the visitors saw out the final minutes without major concern.

 

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Real Madrid 3 Las Palmas 0: Zidane's men bounce back from Tottenham defeat

Real Madrid bounced back from consecutive defeats to Girona and Tottenham by producing a commanding display to beat Las Palmas 3-0 in LaLiga on Sunday, with Marco Asensio's stunning goal stealing the show.

Zinedine Zidane's men could ill-afford another loss after Barcelona went 11 points clear of them by beating Sevilla 2-1 on Saturday, but they rarely looked in trouble, showing a significant improvement from their Champions League loss to Spurs on Wednesday.

Madrid spent much of the first half on the front foot and created a host of chances, with Karim Benzema wasting a glorious opportunity early on and Cristiano Ronaldo - who endured another frustrating day in front of goal in LaLiga - going on to hit the post.

Las Palmas' resistance was finally ended by Casemiro just before the break, with the Brazilian's goal the first header scored by Madrid in any competition this season.


Asensio effectively wrapped things up early in the second half with a ferocious effort from 25 yards.

And Isco completed the scoring with an easy finish from Ronaldo's cross in the 74th minute, handing Las Palmas a seventh successive league defeat, while Madrid moved back up to third.

It took just four minutes for Zidane's side to carve the visitors open and create the first chance, but Benzema's finish was one of a player lacking confidence, as the French striker shot straight at Raul Lizoain when one-on-one.

Las Palmas almost made them pay for that miss a few moments later, Vitolo charging into the right side of the area and forcing Kiko Casilla into an important stop.The hosts remained the dominant force, however, and felt aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty in the 24th minute when Isco's chipped pass appeared to strike the arm of Ximo Navarro.

Las Palmas then had the frame of the goal to thank shortly after, as Ronaldo saw his curling left-footed effort clip the outside of the left-hand post from 18 yards.The breakthrough eventually came four minutes before half-time, Casemiro heading in from six yards after a corner was deflected through to him.

Las Palmas were more purposeful at the start of the second half and felt they should have had a penalty when Vitolo appeared to be pulled back by Casemiro.And Madrid took full advantage of that let-off in stunning fashion just before the hour mark.The visitors cleared a free-kick as far as the lurking Asensio and he lashed an unstoppable half-volley into the top-left corner from 25 yards.

Ronaldo showed signs of frustration as his poor league form in front of goal continued, but he did make a telling contribution 16 minutes from time, crossing in for Isco to tuck in a third.

Madrid probably should have been awarded a late penalty when Mauricio Lemos tripped Nacho Fernandez in the box, but it had no impact on the end result, as the hosts confidently secured all three points.

 

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Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0: Morata header gives Blues deserved win

Alvaro Morata's superb second-half header secured a deserved 1-0 Premier League win for Chelsea over an insipid Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

The Spanish striker was reportedly close to a move to Jose Mourinho's side before his eventual switch to the Blues and he haunted United with the game's decisive moment in the 55th minute.

The former Real Madrid man escaped the attentions of United's three central defenders – Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones – to meet Cesar Azpilicueta's cross with an immaculate header and secure all three points for Antonio Conte's side.

United looked bright in the opening 20 minutes – coming close through Marcus Rashford's looping header – but faded badly and posed little threat during a desperately poor second-half display.

The defeat means they are now eight points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, whose seemingly unstoppable march at the summit continued with a comprehensive 3-1 win over Arsenal earlier on Sunday.

Chelsea, who have now lost just once to United at Stamford Bridge in 16 league games, remain in fourth place, but are just a point behind their beaten opponents and Tottenham.


Conte responded to Tuesday's calamitous defensive display against Roma by replacing David Luiz with Andreas Christensen, while N'Golo Kante returned to the midfield after six games out with injury.

Chelsea had the ball in the net after just six minutes and might well feel aggrieved to have seen it disallowed. Marcos Alonso's cross was met in slapstick fashion by Jones, who skewed a volley past David de Gea, but referee Anthony Taylor ruled that Morata had pushed the England defender in the back.

United should have taken advantage of that reprieve just a minute later when Rashford escaped his marker to meet Ashley Young's cross. Fearing a challenge from Thibaut Courtois, though, the 20-year-old closed his eyes and his header looped harmlessly onto the roof of the net.

In a pulsating start to the game, Tiemoue Bakayoko then squandered a golden opportunity to give the hosts the lead. Davide Zappacosta's cross caused havoc in the United defence and fell invitingly for the former Monaco midfielder 12 yards out, but he could only horribly slice a half-volley over the crossbar.

Neither side could maintain the frenetic early pace and the next clear opening did not come until five minutes before the break. Cesc Fabregas' corner was met by the unmarked Christensen six yards out, but the Dane mistimed his jump and the ball bounced off his shoulder and over.

Chelsea's dominance in the latter stages of the first half continued into the second period, and they were soon rewarded as Morata scored his seventh league goal of the season.

Azpilicueta was given ample time to clip a cross towards the middle of the United area, where the Spanish striker sent a superb header into De Gea's top corner.Mourinho responded by hauling off Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jones for Marouane Fellaini and Anthony Martial, but it did little to quell the incessant wave of attacks by the hosts.

Bakayoko stole possession from the lumbering Fellaini but could only fire wide from the edge of the area, while the increasingly influential Eden Hazard saw a powerful drive parried away by De Gea.United's best chances of a poor second half both came in the final five minutes.

First, Rashford screwed a half-volley agonisingly past Courtois' post before the Belgian goalkeeper got down well to parry Fellaini's close-range effort.An equaliser for United, though, would have been an unfair representation of a game that Chelsea dominated and thoroughly deserved to win.

 

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Manchester City 3 Arsenal 1: Guardiola's men underpin favourites status as Gunners run ragged

Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus were on target as Manchester City underpinned their status as Premier League title favourites with a dominant 3-1 beating of an outclassed Arsenal.

Belgium international De Bruyne continued a sublime season by beating Petr Cech with a well-placed shot during a first half completely controlled by the home side at the Etihad Stadium.

Aguero, who became City's all-time club-record goalscorer in the 4-2 Champions League beating of Napoli, then completed a memorable week with City's second from the penalty spot early in the second half.

Substitute Alexandre Lacazette briefly restored hope for Arsenal, but Jesus – who also came off the bench – ended hope of what would have been an unfair comeback.

It was a more-than-deserved three points for City, whose mesmeric play, lightning speed and swift movement left Arsenal with no reply, and in truth the scoreline could have been worse had Aguero not missed an early chance and Sterling showed more composure in a two-on-one.

City, who had beaten Arsenal just once in nine competitive matches prior to this fixture, have now stretched their unbeaten run to 23 matches and lead the Premier League by eight points from Manchester United, albeit that gap will be cut back down if the Red Devils beat champions Chelsea.From Arsenal's perspective, the season may only be in November but a 12-point deficit to City appears insurmountable on this evidence for Arsene Wenger's men.


Aguero nearly stretched his new club record in just the second minute when he fired wide of the right post at the end of a frightening counter-attack started by a mislaid pass from Alexis Sanchez, who but for some failed last-minute deadline-day deals may have been lining up for City in this fixture.

The visiting goal was living a charmed life as another lightning break saw Aguero slip in Leroy Sane, whose ball across the face of goal needed just a touch from Sterling.It was with a certain sense of inevitability that City opened the scoring in the 19th minute.

Cech had just saved a De Bruyne snapshot, but possession was quickly regained and the Belgian played a neat one-two with Fernandinho before stroking a left-foot shot into the bottom-right corner for City's 50th goal in all competitions this season.

Arsenal remained camped in their own half, and had someone gambled on David Silva's pass across the face of goal or Sterling shown more composure to pick out Sane when two on one then City's lead would have been doubled. Chances for the visitors were at a premium, but Aaron Ramsey did test Ederson with a low drive on the stroke of half-time.

But it was normal service resumed early after the restart. Nacho Monreal was caught goalside of Sterling and brought the winger to ground in area, with Aguero converting the resulting spot-kick off the right-hand post.

Ederson nearly gifted Arsenal a route back into the match when he made a hash of a simple clip into the area from Alex Iwobi, but the Gunners did half the arrears in the 65th minute.

Arsenal capitalised on a dip in tempo from City and Ramsey slid in Lacazette on the right of the area where the France striker finished through the legs of Ederson.
The two-goal cushion was almost immediately re-established when Sane's corner was flicked on by Silva and met by Gabriel Jesus, who was denied by Cech's stunning point-blank stop.

But the game was put to bed in almost comical fashion. The Arsenal defence stopped in their tracks believing Silva to be offside from a Fernandinho throughball, and the Spaniard had all the time in the world to pick out substitute Jesus to sweep home.

 

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Juventus 2 Benevento 1: Second-half comeback saves champions' blushes

Juventus survived a scare with an underwhelming 2-1 home win over Serie A's bottom side Benevento sending them up to second on Sunday.

The reigning champions took their opportunity to leapfrog Inter, who drew 1-1 with Torino earlier in the day, as Gonzalo Higuain and Juan Cuadrado denied the determined visitors their first top-flight points.Benevento have now lost all 12 of their league games this season, but can take heart from giving the Bianconeri real difficulties at Allianz Stadium.

Roberto De Zerbi's side even took an unlikely first-half lead when Amato Ciciretti's free-kick left Wojciech Szczesny, in for the rested Gianluigi Buffon, rooted to the spot.

Although that was the visitors' only shot of the opening period, it took Massimiliano Allegri's men – wearing a special 120th anniversary kit – until the 57th minute to forge a breakthrough as Higuain coolly dispatched his fifth goal in four matches in all competitions.

Cuadrado then clinched the points with a close-range header to the relief of the home supporters, Juve now trailing Serie A leaders Napoli by only a point after their 0-0 draw at Chievo.


A dazzling early Douglas Costa dash down the left flank almost led to the opener as his low cross was parried awkwardly against the near post by Alberto Brignoli.
And Costa soon came close again – this time without the aid of the goalkeeper – rattling a left-footed strike against the angle of the upright and crossbar.

But the goal instead came at the other end. Benevento captain Ciciretti curled a free-kick around the wall and beyond the idle Szczesny, celebrating maniacally as the Allianz Stadium fell to a stunned silence.Cuadrado should have drawn Juventus level when he ran through from Paulo Dybala's pass, but the Colombian blazed his effort over the top.

Brignoli then brilliantly stood tall to block from Dybala after he shimmied through the visiting back line, before the same man somehow shot wide when Higuain teed up a clear opening.

The keeper saved again from a Costa free-kick as Benevento incredibly survived the onslaught to take their lead into half-time, with Juve initially continuing to struggle after the restart.However, the first big opportunity of the second half fell Higuain's way and he made no mistake, sweeping a pinpoint finish into the top-right corner from Blaise Matuidi's knockdown.

Brignoli persisted with his brave resistance as he denied Cuadrado's effort and then scrambled across his goal line to dive on Higuain's trundling rebound, before Matuidi nodded over.But the turnaround was complete in the 65th minute, with Cuadrado meeting Alex Sandro's deep cross with a firm downward header that bounced up past Brignoli.

Danilo Cataldi's wonderful dipping effort almost restored parity, but that represented the extent of Benevento's attacking intent as only a smart Brignoli stop kept Dybala's replacement Rodrigo Bentancur from adding a late third.

 

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Tottenham 1 Crystal Palace 0: Gazzaniga heroics backed up by Son strike

Paulo Gazzaniga played an unlikely hero act for Tottenham, repelling a dogged Crystal Palace before Son Heung-min struck to secure a 1-0 win at Wembley.

Dele Alli's absence from the teamsheet will have perturbed Spurs fans, but Gazzaniga's presence was most eye-catching, the former Southampton goalkeeper making his Spurs debut in place of the injured Hugo Lloris and Michel Vorm.Gazzaniga had not played in the Premier League since December 2015 and overcame a rocky start to deliver a fine performance, making three excellent saves to stop Palace opening the scoring.

And Spurs' only real moment of attacking quality was enough to seal it, Son slamming home his 20th Premier League goal to become the top-scoring Asian player in the competition's history, surpassing his South Korean compatriot Park Ji-sung.

Such a scrappy affair was some comedown for Mauricio Pochettino's men after beating Real Madrid at the national stadium in midweek, but a victory was key on a day in which the four teams joining them in the top five - Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United - take on each other.

Palace were left to rue Gazzaniga's heroics and an open-goal miss from talisman Wilfried Zaha. They remain rooted to the bottom of the league, four points away from the nearest team.


There was little sign of the highlights to come when Gazzaniga was perhaps lucky not to be penalised in the third minute as he cuffed Mamadou Sakho around the head, rather than play the ball, under a teasing Zaha cross.

Palace stuck gamely to their task, repelling numerous crosses and limiting Spurs to long-rangers, and home frustrations soon turned to fears when Harry Kane went down clutching his ankle after taking a kick from Tim Fosu-Mensah.

The stand-in skipper was fine to continue, but remained a peripheral figure in the match, heading tamely over under a half-cleared cross that would not sit for a volley.

Gazzaniga will have taken a confidence boost from denying Scott Dann's powerful downward header 10 minutes before the break, the Argentine flinging out a left hand to excellently deny the visitors and he was again sturdy to deny Andros Townsend's low shot after Serge Aurier gave possession away three minutes into the second half.

Aurier was again sloppy on the ball soon after, presenting it to Townsend, who freed Zaha in on Gazzaniga - the keeper misjudged his rush and the Palace star went around him, but scuffed his finish wide.Palace continued to knock at the door, Gazzaniga again forced to save by Luka Milivojevic after the hosts failed to clear a corner.

And the Argentine was finally backed up in the 64th minute as Spurs poured forward, Palace's stretched backline clearing twice but a third fell to Son on the edge of the area and the South Korean blasted past Julian Speroni left-footed.

Son ought to have brought up his 21st league goal for Spurs, dragging past the near post after deceiving Speroni one-on-one, and Gazzaniga had time for one final piece of assured play, nicking the ball off Ruben Loftus-Cheek to quell Palace's late attempts at a comeback.

 

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Inter 1 Torino 1: Eder strikes to preserve unbeaten record

Substitute Eder scored a late equaliser as Inter preserved their unbeaten record in Serie A with an entertaining 1-1 draw against Torino at San Siro.Torino's Iago Falque scored his fourth goal in his last six league games with an excellent individual effort in the second half, as missed chances and an impressive performance from Torino goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu frustrated Inter.

But Eder, who signed a new contract this week, smashed in from close range with 11 minutes remaining to salvage a point and make it 12 league games without defeat for the hosts going into the international break.

Luciano Spalletti's men had won nine and drawn two of their first 11 league games this season, but after the head coach had to dismiss comparisons with club icon Jose Mourinho in the build-up to the game, this result will also serve to temper expectations.

Inter could have gone top with a victory ahead of the other Serie A matches on Sunday, but now they may fall as low as fourth if Juventus and Lazio win their games against Benevento and Udinese respectively.

Unbeaten leaders Napoli, meanwhile, are away to Chievo and will move four points clear of Inter if they secure victory.Torino are seventh in the table after making it four points from their last two games.


The visitors were the first to threaten when a left-footed strike from Daniele Baselli forced Samir Handanovic to get down sharply to save and just about hold on. After being found by Antonio Candreva, Mauro Icardi scuffed a shot straight at Sirigu at the other end, while Roberto Gagliardini fired over with 30-yard drive.

Inter then created an excellent chance, with a corner from the left flicked on by Matias Vecino into the path of Milan Skriniar, whose looping header looked destined to find the top corner until Sirigu produced a superb fingertip save.

Handanovic then produced similar heroics at the other end, with the home goalkeeper at full stretch to tip away Baselli's flicked header after excellent work from Cristian Ansaldi down the left to create the opportunity.

It was Sirigu's turn to shine again early in the second half, the 30-year-old producing a reaction save to keep out Vecino's header from Yuto Nagatomo's left-wing cross.

And that proved crucial when Torino moved in front just before the hour mark, Falque collecting a pass from Lorenzo De Silvestri and dribbling inside from the right past the challenges of Miranda and Gagliardini before firing a left-footed effort into the bottom corner from 20 yards.Icardi almost responded when he showed composure to beat Nicolas N'Koulou in the penalty area, only to blaze over his finish.

Torino should have put the game to bed when Joel Obi somehow headed Adem Ljajic's free-kick wide from two yards against his former club and an end-to-end battle continued when an aerial effort from Skriniar was just off target for Inter.

The visitors' star man Andrea Belotti was relatively quiet and should have done better when he dragged a shot wide on the break as the match entered its closing stages.And Inter grabbed a leveller soon after as Ivan Perisic's cross was cushioned into the path of Eder by Icardi, the Italy international finding the top corner from six yards just 10 minutes after coming on for Gagliardini, his first goal of the season.

There was almost a dramatic winner for Inter as Vecino, from oceans of space, smashed an effort against the top of the crossbar from 30 yards, but the visitors held on for a point.

 

[sudokuu]

elaz football thread ekak hoya hoya hitiye rep7+

 

[aggregate]

Manchester United play karapu widiyanam anthimai

Slow,Miss place passes godaianith 1ka attack 1kak nahaneFightback 1ka anthimaiLukaku gen deyak uneth nahaLast 10 minutes wala thamai podi hari fight 1kak dunne

Ohomanam baha ithin EPL win karannameeta wada team/Individual performance godak improve karaganna one EPL title 1ka hopes thiyaganna nam.danatama 8 points gap 1kak

Good Luck for the next match Manchester United!
​

මැන්චෙස්ටර් යුනිටඩ් ටීම් එකක්ද මිනිහෝ ඔක්කොම ඕවරේටඩ් උන් ඉන්නෙ. ටොට්න්හැම් තමා දැනට ටීම් එකක් හැටියට ස්ටේබල් වෙලා ඉන්නේ

 

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Martial happy at Man Utd but wants more starts


Manchester United attacker Anthony Martial says he is happier at the club than he was last season, but still wants more playing time at Old Trafford.

Martial endured a difficult second season with Man Utd in 2016-17, scoring just eight goals in all competitions after a stellar debut campaign the year prior.

The 21-year-old has rebounded in 2017-18, scoring six goals and adding six assists in all competitions despite featuring largely in a substitute role as he battles Marcus Rashford for playing time.Martial has scored all four of his Premier League goals this season off the bench, as he has made just three starts in the league this term. He has, however, started three of his four Champions League appearances so far this season.

"It's easier to start the game," Martial told SFR Sport. "When you come off the bench, the other players are warmed up, they're totally in the game, and you have to get into it straight away."I prefer to start the game, I have more time to get myself into the game.

"I have faith in my qualities, and I think the manager has confidence in me, too, so it's up to me to continue putting in good performances, and if I do that, I think I'll play a bit more."

Martial's performances this season have earned him a recall to the France national team for their upcoming friendlies against Wales and Germany.The striker is in line to earn his first cap since October 2016 during the international break and he admits he feels much happier in the current campaign.

"I feel a lot better this season, and I hope I'm going to continue like that," Martial said."If I'm with the squad, you'll see I'm one of the first to have a laugh. But outside of that, I'm reserved, I don't show my emotions too much."Even if you don't see me smile, I'm still very happy."

 

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Rose: No problem with Pochettino after Spurs criticism


Danny Rose insisted his relationship with Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is "great", despite the full-back's public criticism of the club's transfer policy, wage structure and ambition.

Rose sparked controversy when he urged Tottenham to spend money on stars and not players you have to Google to find out who they are in an explosive interview with The Sun in August.

The 27-year-old England international — linked to Manchester United, Manchester City and Premier League champions Chelsea — also lobbied for a pay rise after hinting at a possible exit.

However, Rose — who made his competitive return against Real Madrid last month — said there is no problem with Pochettino after making his first Premier League start since a knee injury in January in Sunday's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace
"For my part, it is forgotten," Rose said. "I think it is forgotten on the club's part as well.

"There is no point dwelling in the past if we want to take the club forward and go that one stage further and win the league and go as far as possible in the Champions League.

"Me and the gaffer are fine, we speak most days. The last three years, the lads will tell you I am the one in his office the most, speaking to him and going through videos and sharing text messages, even going round his house.

"Me and the manager are fine. He has been great at integrating me back into the team and getting me some minutes."I thought him putting me on against Real Madrid, even though it was only for 10 minutes, was a class act on his part, making me feel part of it again, even though he didn't need to bring me on.

"As far as I'm concerned me and the gaffer are great and as long as we've both got the same goals, which is to win a trophy for Tottenham, then there's nothing to worry about."

"Me and the manager are fine. He has been great at integrating me back into the team and getting me some minutes."I thought him putting me on against Real Madrid, even though it was only for 10 minutes, was a class act on his part, making me feel part of it again, even though he didn't need to bring me on.

"As far as I'm concerned me and the gaffer are great and as long as we've both got the same goals, which is to win a trophy for Tottenham, then there's nothing to worry about."

 

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Besiktas official confirms interest in signing Fellaini


Besiktas are hoping to sign Marouane Fellaini from Manchester United, according to a board member of the Turkish champions.

The Belgium midfielder is out of contract at the end of 2017-18 and was linked with a move to Besiktas' fellow Super Lig giants Galatasaray ahead of this season.

Jose Mourinho swiftly shot down those rumours, although speculation briefly reignited last week when footage on social media showed a man matching Fellaini's distinctive appearance spending time in Istanbul.

It later transpired it was Fellaini's brother Mansour caught on camera, but Metin Albayrak, a member of Besiktas' executive board, has confirmed the club are keeping tabs on the 29-year-old."Fellaini is on our list, we have made efforts to sign him but not just him," he is reported as saying by Turkish media.

"He is not the only player we scouted, our scouting team watched 20 games live this week."Transfer plans never end, we are always working. We are keeping tabs on several players.

"The club has plans for Turkey and Europe, there are negotiations. We want to make the signing for the winter transfer window or for the end of the season."

 

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Kane and Winks join Alli in withdrawing from England duty


Harry Kane and Harry Winks have joined Tottenham team-mate Dele Alli in pulling out of England's squad for the upcoming friendlies against Germany and Brazil.

West Brom midfielder Jake Livermore has been called up by Gareth Southgate for the games at Wembley on November 10 and 14.

It was confirmed on Sunday Alli would play no part in the matches due to the hamstring injury that ruled him out of Spurs' 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.
And Alli has been joined on the sidelines by Kane and Winks as Southgate suffers a blow in his planning for next year's World Cup finals in Russia. Kane took a knock to the leg against Palace, with Spurs keen to avoid any risks being taken with his fitness ahead of their clash with Arsenal upon the resumption of the Premier League while Winks sustained an ankle problem during the same game.

Kane's absence increases the chances of Swansea City's on-loan Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham making his England debut.

 

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Inter are a bigger threat to Juventus than Napoli are in Serie A title race, claims Marotta


Inter will be Juventus' main threat for the Serie A title this season, according to the Bianconeri's chief executive Giuseppe Marotta.

Juve have won the last six league titles under Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri, taking the crown with a four-point advantage over Roma in 2016-17.

They sit one point off the pace after 12 games this season, though, with Maurizio Sarri's unbeaten Napoli leading the way after 10 wins and two draws.Inter are also in close attendance after an undefeated start of their own, and Marotta believes it is Luciano Spalletti's side that will push Juve the hardest for the Scudetto.

"I think that, given they have no international and European commitments, Inter are the ones who can tailor their preparation the best," Marotta told Domenica Sportiva."They're a very solid team, they're not spectacular but they're clinical and getting good results. So I think Inter are the ones who are the most fearsome."

He added: "At the moment, we're a point behind Napoli, but we have a point more than last year. I have to say that Napoli's journey has been extraordinary so far.

"[Napoli's] draw [against Chievo on Sunday] calmed the league down a little, but they're on an extraordinary journey while ours has been ordinary so far."At the same time, we're doing perfectly well when compared to last year, so we know that getting up there and staying there is very difficult."We apply our model, a particular model where suffering is important."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pirlo says goodbye to fans after career comes to an end


Andrea Pirlo has thanked New York City FC fans for their support after he played the last game of his career on Sunday.The 38-year-old midfielder made a late substitute appearance as NYCFC were eliminated from the MLS playoffs by the Columbus Crew.

The former AC Milan and Juventus star had already confirmed he would be bringing an end to his career when his contract ends in December, but with no games left this season for New York City, he has kicked his last ball in professional football.

A winner of six Serie A titles, two Champions League crowns and a World Cup, the Italy legend bowed out with a special message for team-mates and fans."Last match in MLS. As my time in NYFC comes to an end I would like to say few words," he wrote on social media.

"I want to thank everybody for the kindness and support they have shown me in this incredible city. Thank you to the amazing supporters, thank you to the coaching staff and everybody that work behind the scene, thank you to my teammates.

"Not only my adventure in NY comes to an end but my journey as a football player as well, that is why I would like to take the opportunity to thank my family and my children for the support and love they always give me, every team that I had the honor to play for, every teammate I have been pleased to play alongside, all the people that made my career such incredible and last but not least, all the fans around the world that always showed me support.

"You will always be on my side and in my heart."
Pirlo has already been linked with a move into coaching, with reports claiming he could head to Chelsea to become Antonio Conte's assistant.However, he said in October that he still has to decide on what is next."I'll do something else, I'll be back in Italy in December," he said. "Work with Conte? They say things, I have some ideas, but give me time to decide."