..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Tottenham 3 Fulham 1: Trippier and Kane help Spurs avoid Wembley wobble

Harry Kane broke his August Premier League hoodoo and Kieran Trippier netted a fine free-kick as Tottenham defeated Fulham 3-1 at Wembley on Saturday.

Fulham's last outing on this ground - the Championship play-off final in May - ended in promotion back to the top flight and they looked set for another productive afternoon as Aleksandar Mitrovic cancelled out Lucas Moura's fine opener - the Brazilian's first Premier League goal.

But Trippier, scorer of a sublime set-piece in England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Croatia, repeated the feat with 16 minutes remaining to get Spurs back in front.Much had been made of Kane's previous failure to score a Premier League goal in the opening month of the season but the striker broke that curse with a precise finish to wrap up the points for Mauricio Pochettino's men.


Lucas' moment of quality was a far cry from his opening contributions as he headed wide of an empty net from six yards before his control let him down when clean through having intercepted a poor pass from Calum Chambers.

Hugo Lloris was not reduced to a mere spectator, denying Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon but two minutes before the break, Chambers' weak clearance fell to Lucas, who curled a first-time strike in off the left-hand post from 18 yards.

Mitrovic struck the post early in the second period but enjoyed greater fortune soon afterwards, nodding home Sessegnon's lay-off from a seated position having thrown himself at Joe Bryan's delivery.The Serbian shanked wide when presented with an excellent chance to take the lead, and Kane's August hoodoo looked set to continue when he volleyed Eric Dier's cross against the bar.

Trippier's magnificent free-kick, dispatched over the wall into the left corner, restored the lead before Kane did get his goal with a side-footed effort inside the right-hand upright.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chievo 2 Juventus 3: Ronaldo's debut ends in dramatic win

Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus debut ended in a dramatic 3-2 victory at Chievo, though it was substitute Federico Bernardeschi who was the reigning Serie A champions' stoppage-time hero.Despite leading through Sami Khedira's early strike, Mariusz Stepinski's first-half header and Emanuele Giaccherini's penalty after the break ensured Chievo led.

Mattia Bani's own goal levelled matters with 15 minutes to go and Mario Mandzukic thought he had won the game for Juventus only for VAR to disallow the goal, with Ronaldo having possibly handled and collided with goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino in the build-up.

Yet Bernardeschi turned home Alex Sandro's cross in the 93rd minute to give Ronaldo and Juve a winning start.Three minute into Ronaldo's bow Juve were 1-0 up, though it was another former Real Madrid man that got the goal.

Miralem Pjanic's free-kick was reached by Giorgio Chiellini at the back post and his header was latched on by Khedira, who swivelled and fired home a half volley.Ronaldo missed the target with two openings and Chievo struck back prior to the break when Stepinski peeled off Leonardo Bonucci and headed in an equaliser.

Juve then fell behind when one of their former players converted a 56th-minute penalty. Joao Cancelo, another Juve debutant, dived in on Giaccherini to concede the penalty and the midfielder took the spot-kick himself to put Chievo ahead.Trailing in the game seemed to galvanise Ronaldo and, after heading straight at Sorrentino, he unleashed a terrific effort from range that the Chievo keeper had to palm away.

Only a brilliant last-ditch intervention from Fabrizio Cacciatore then denied Ronaldo, but his side did level when Bani put into his own net when trying to deal with Juve's returning defender Bonucci at a neat-post corner.

A dramatic finish then unfolded as Juve were denied a Mandzukic goal that was initially awarded. Replays showed the ball struck the back of Ronaldo's arm before he collided with Sorrentino, who was laid out when the ball looped up for Mandzukic to head home.

But Juve did net a winner as Bernardeschi scored past substitute goalkeeper Andrea Seculin, much to Ronaldo's delight.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea 3 Arsenal 2: Alonso snatches win after Gunners comeback

Marcos Alonso scored the decisive goal nine minutes from time as Chelsea shrugged off Arsenal's fightback to secure a 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge.

The full-back swept home Eden Hazard's cross to make it two wins from two under Maurizio Sarri and keep the Gunners waiting for their first Premier League point under Unai Emery.

It was a particularly galling end to the game for the visitors, who had dragged themselves level before the break thanks to Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi, after Pedro and Alvaro Morata had put Chelsea two goals to the good. Manchester City went ahead against the Gunners after 14 minutes last week, and Chelsea needed just nine to find the net, with Pedro finishing coolly from 12 yards after being teed up by Alonso.

It was 2-0 after 20 minutes when Morata turned away from Shkodran Mustafi and fired low past Petr Cech, just a minute after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, starting as the lone striker once more, had blazed over the crossbar with the goal gaping.

Mkhitaryan produced almost a carbon copy of Aubameyang's miss but made amends with a fine left-footed strike to get the away side back into the game, and Iwobi thumped high into the net from the Armenia winger's cross to level the scores before the break and leave the home crowd shell-shocked.

The Blues suddenly looked in disarray and could have been behind heading into half-time had Aubameyang and Iwobi been more accurate when finding space among a ragged Chelsea defence.

It was Sarri's men who looked the most likely to break the deadlock in a more scrappy second half, though, and they did just that with 81 minutes played, as Alonso finished with aplomb following fine work from substitute Hazard.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barcelona 3 Deportivo Alaves 0: Messi's milestone goal sets up victory

Lionel Messi scored Barcelona's 6000th goal in LaLiga as the champions sealed a 3-0 win over Deportivo Alaves on Saturday.

The Argentina star swept in a clever free-kick midway through the second half before Philippe Coutinho netted a fine second, with Messi doubling his tally late on to secure all three points for Ernesto Valverde's side.

Alaves did little to trouble Barca's goal even after going behind, but it was far from a convincing display from the hosts, who handed league debuts to Arthur and Arturo Vidal in the second half.

Barca looked laboured despite all their possession in the first half, with creativity at a premium in Coutinho's absence, although captain Messi hit the bar with a free-kick and Ousmane Dembele fired straight at Fernando Pacheco when through one-on-one.

Coutinho was introduced at half-time for full-back Nelson Semedo, but there was little to get the 52,356 fans inside Camp Nou out of their seats until the 64th minute, when Messi sent a free-kick under the wall and into the net.The Argentina star struck the woodwork again despite nearly slipping over in the build-up, before Luis Suarez – making his 200th appearance for the club – was denied by Pacheco when capitalising on a defensive slip.

Barca secured an opening-day win for the 10th time in succession eight minutes from time, though, when Coutinho rifled home from just inside the area, before Messi brought down Suarez's pass and slotted home with the last kick.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Messi is a genius' - Valverde still amazed by Barcelona ace


Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde feels football supporters should consider themselves fortunate to have been able to witness Lionel Messi's extraordinary performances.

The 31-year-old Argentina international, who is likely to be considered one of the greatest players ever when he calls time on his glittering career, struck twice as Barca overcame a stubborn Deportivo Alaves side in a La Liga match at Camp Nou on Saturday.

The opener was an opportunistic effort from a free-kick cleverly rolled under the opposition wall, and which happened to be Barca's 6,000th goal in the history of Spain's top flight.

"Messi is a genius," Valverde told a news conference. "We're lucky to be able to see him every day.

"We're lucky to be involved in football during the era in which he is playing -- we want him to pull a rabbit from the hat every day."There's still room for Messi to surprise us. He always surprises you -- he never ceases to amaze me, honestly.

"You have to be ready to expect anything from Messi because he sees what no one else sees."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho confirms imminent De Gea contract extension at Man Utd


Jose Mourinho has revealed that David de Gea is poised to sign a contract extension at Manchester United, bringing to an end any uncertainty surrounding his future.For a number of years, each passing transfer window has brought unwelcome transfer talk to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have always maintained that they have no intention of parting with a man who has been a model of consistency for them during a testing period – with that form recognised with a record-breaking haul of four Player of the Year awards.

Real Madrid had often led the chase for De Gea, but they snapped up Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea over the summer and United have been freed to focus on agreeing fresh terms with their No. 1.

Those talks are set to reach a positive conclusion, with Mourinho telling reporters when quizzed on what the 27-year-old could be worth in a market place where Alisson and Kepa Arrizabalaga have been on the move for £67 million ($85m) and £72m ($92m) respectively: “His [De Gea’s] valuation is zero, because he is a Manchester United player who, as soon as possible, will sign a new contract.

“He likes it here, we love him, we want him to stay, he wants to stay, so when a player is not in the market the value is zero.“A goalkeeper is a player and sometimes people forget that. A goalkeeper wins points and wins titles, so he is as important as another player."

Mourinho added on rising valuations of players across the board: “The old story of ‘I’d pay that for a striker, but I wouldn’t pay it for a goalkeeper‘ is old fashioned. The market now understands that and I am happy for the keepers.

“But with David, it is a collective situation involving the player, his agent [Jorge Mendes] and Manchester United.

“The agent didn’t create a war to try to achieve his objectives. He respected the club, he respected the player, the player was always keen to stay and happy to do so and the club understood how important he was.“So we have always tried to give him the conditions to make him happy, so credit to all three parties.”

Mourinho is delighted to see De Gea ready to commit as he considers the Spain international to be the world’s best in his chosen position.The United boss added: “I don’t want to be disrespectful or arrogant about other keepers and say Courtois is not good or Manuel Neuer is not good - there are so many.

“What I am saying is that I wouldn’t swap De Gea for anyone.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sarri: Chelsea are not title contenders yet


Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri insists his side cannot be considered as Premier League title contenders just yet, despite Saturday's thrilling win over Arsenal.

Having beaten Huddersfield in their season-opener, the Blues prevailed 3-2 at Stamford Bridge to make it back-to-back top-flight victories at the start of Sarri's tenure.

Marcos Alonso's late strike proved decisive after Arsenal had fought back from two goals down, but Sarri tempered any talk of challenging for the championship by suggesting he still had plenty of work to do.

"No, not in this moment," he said when asked if his side were among the favourites."We did very well in the last 25 minutes, but I think we have to work."We have to improve in the defensive phase and I'm not talking about only the defenders. The defensive phase of all the team, all the players.

"If we press very high, we are able to do well. But, at the other moments, when we are not able to press in the other half, we are in trouble. So I think we have to work and we need to improve."

Eden Hazard again started on the bench for Chelsea as he continues his return to fitness following an extended break after the World Cup.The Belgium star replaced Willian just after the hour, going on to set up the winner with a brilliant cutback into Alonso's path."It's clear. He is a great player," added Sarri.

"But I think that, at this moment, he's not able to play for 90 minutes, so I thought it was better to give him 25-30 minutes when the intensity of the match has come down."But I think, I hope, that in one week, maximum two weeks, he'll be able to play the whole game."Chelsea head to Newcastle next weekend.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Ronaldo did really well' - Allegri happy with Juventus new boy's debut in thrilling win


Cristiano Ronaldo “did really well” on his Serie A debut for Juventus despite not finding the target in a 3-2 win over Chievo, says Massimiliano Allegri.

The Portuguese superstar, who has been eased into the Bianconeri fold following a €112 million (£100m/$128m) transfer from Real Madrid, took in his first competitive outing for the club on Saturday.

Much is expected of Ronaldo after linking up with the Turin giants, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner seeking to replicate the success in Italy that he has previously enjoyed in England and Spain.

The 33-year-old did look a little rusty as Juve battled their way to a dramatic victory on the road, but Allegri believes that is to be expected and believes improvement will come over time.The Bianconceri boss told Sky Sport Italia: “Ronaldo held out well physically, has only been training with us for seven days and did really well. It’s a pity he wasn’t able to score a goal.

“It depends on the characteristics of the players near him. Ronaldo had several shots on target today, Sorrentino made several saves, there were also some good movements that were not rewarded by the midfielders. Those are movements that must be read from the back with the ball provided in the right spot.

“I was most impressed that Ronaldo settled in to the team, he was very happy in the dressing room and had his chances.“The main problem tonight was we let the concentration levels drop and we simply cannot afford to do that.”

Juve took the lead against Chievo inside three minutes, but were pegged back to trail 2-1 before a Mattia Bani own goal restored parity and Federico Bernardeschi snatched a stoppage-time winner.

Sami Khedira was the man to break the deadlock, with the German one of several stars looking to step up this season in the face of increased competition for places.

Allegri added: “Khedira is a player beyond reproach. He scored nine goals last season, immediately got one today. I heard a lot of criticism since he’s been at Juventus and he always replied on the pitch. He’s one of those players who understands the tempo of the game and you miss him when he’s not there.

“Joao Cancelo had a good first half, then after the penalty – which can happen – he let his head drop and almost seemed to feel guilty. These things can happen, the important thing is to react to them.

“When you have as much quality as we do, including Alex Sandro and Cancelo at full-back, you need to finish off the game earlier. We had the chances and dominated possession, but didn’t finish it.

“It’s a different approach to the attack and supply when Ronaldo is there compared to [Mario] Mandzukic. I saw some positive things, others less positive. In the first half we got stretched out and there was no reason for it. We had to remain organised.

“We were caught napping on the equaliser and did better with Bernardeschi and Mandzukic coming on towards the end. We need to find balance, but the most important thing is not to fall asleep when we’re doing well.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.08.19

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.08.19

Burnley Vs Watford

Manchester City Vs Huddersfield

Brighton Vs Manchester United

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[Wolverine GTR]

Good Luck Manchester United!
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[Wolverine GTR]

La Liga Fixtures 2018.08.19

La Liga Fixtures 2018.08.19

Eibar Vs Huesca

Rayo Vallecano Vs Sevilla

Real Madrid Vs Getafe
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[Wolverine GTR]

Serie A Fixtures 2018.08.19

Serie A Fixtures 2018.08.19

Torino Vs Roma

Bologna Vs Spal

Empoli Vs Cagliari

Parma Vs Udinese

Sassuolo Vs Inter
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[Wolverine GTR]

Brighton Vs Manchester United

Brighton Starting Line-up

Ryan
Montoya
Dunk
Duffy
Bong
Propper
Stephens
Gross
March
Knockaert
Murray

&

Manchester United Starting Line-up

De Gea
Young
Lindelof
Bailly
Shaw
Pereira
Fred
Pogba
Martial
Mata
Lukaku​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Good Luck Manchester United!
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[RottenCOLT]

Good Luck Manchester United!
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2-0

 

[RiFTeR]

Good Luck Manchester United!
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Well they are gonna need a lot of it now ...

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Full Time

Brighton 3 Vs 2 Manchester United

Brighton Goal(s)

G.Murray 25'
S.Duffy 27(PEN)'
Groß 44(PEN)'

&

Manchester United Goal(s)

R.Lukaku 34'
P.Pogba 90+4(PEN)'
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[Wolverine GTR]

3 points lost

Performance nam godakma madiloku improvement ekak wenna onenext Tottenham.Tough match ekak wei.

Good Luck for the next match Manchester United!
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[Wolverine GTR]

Brighton and Hove Albion 3 Manchester United 2: Murray lifts Seagulls to another win over Mourinho

Manchester United suffered an early blow in this season's Premier League title race as they went down 3-2 to Brighton and Hove Albion at Amex Stadium on Sunday.First-half goals from Glenn Murray, Shane Duffy and Pascal Gross gave the hosts a third league win in a row against the Red Devils on home soil, a run that stretches back to 1982.

Romelu Lukaku got on the scoresheet for the first time this season, while Paul Pogba converted an injury-time penalty, but the victory was no more than Brighton deserved, with Jose Mourinho's side poor throughout.

Brighton took control in the first half-hour thanks to two goals in the space of 143 seconds, with Murray clipping a delightful finish past David de Gea before Duffy swept home after United failed to clear a corner.

Lukaku, who missed a golden chance at 0-0, nodded in a lifeline for his side but more slack defending saw Eric Bailly bring down Gross, who dispatched his penalty a minute before the break.


With Alexis Sanchez missing the game through injury, Mourinho introduced Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard at half-time, but there was little improvement to their attacking display and Pogba's finish from the spot came too late to rescue a result.

The defeat means champions Manchester City have already stolen a march on their neighbours in the title race, after they thrashed Huddersfield Town 6-1 earlier on to make it two wins from two.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester City 6 Huddersfield Town 1: Aguero hits hat-trick as champions triumph

Sergio Aguero registered his 13th hat-trick for Manchester City as the reigning Premier League champions showed they were not missing Kevin De Bruyne in a 6-1 thrashing of Huddersfield Town.

Aguero got City's first, third and fifth goals, while Gabriel Jesus and David Silva, on his 250th Premier League appearance, also beat Huddersfield goalkeeper Ben Hamer.Terence Kongolo's own goal capped a convincing City victory which was only slightly spoiled by Jon Stankovic's effort for the visitors just before half-time.

It was a reminder from City and Aguero that they can cope without Belgian playmaker De Bruyne, who suffered a knee injury earlier this week that could rule him out for up to three months.The last time City beat Huddersfield at home in the league, in 1987, they scored 10 and after 35 minutes on Sunday the reigning champions were 3-0 up.

The 25th-minute opener came from Ederson's 70-yard goal-kick as he spotted Aguero in a one-on-one situation, and City's all-time scorer stayed cool to chip past Ben Hamer.

Jesus added a second six minutes later following good work from Benjamin Mendy and when the Frenchman delivered a cross that Hamer fumbled, Aguero accepted the gift to score City's third.

The only negative from Pep Guardiola's perspective was that Huddersfield pulled one back prior to the break as Stankovic capitalised when Steve Mounie flicked on a long throw.Yet the three-goal lead was restored within three minutes of the restart when Silva bent a beautiful free-kick into the top-right corner as Hamer stood motionless.

An Aguero hat-trick looked inevitable – he had already hit the post and narrowly missed the target by the time he flicked in Mendy's glorious delivery 15 minutes from time.

The striker was taken off straight after that but his replacement Leroy Sane was involved in City's final goal when his attempt was saved by Hamer but went in off the unsuspecting Kongolo.