..::Football IV::..

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Chievo 1 Inter 1: Pellissier punishes below-par Nerazzurri


Inter missed the chance to significantly strengthen their grip on a Champions League place as a stoppage-time equaliser saw them held to a 1-1 draw at Serie A's bottom club Chievo.

Luciano Spalletti's men were presented with an opportunity to increase the gap between themselves and fifth-placed AC Milan, who were beaten 1-0 at home by Fiorentina earlier on Saturday.

The visitors were never at their best, but looked set to claim all three points thanks to Ivan Perisic's close-range 39th-minute strike, which marked his first league goal since September.


However, a Chievo side that offered scant resistance provided a late sting in the tail thanks to Sergio Pellissier as the captain dinked over Samir Handanovic, meaning third-placed Inter are just six points clear of Milan in the fifth.
Chievo forced Handanovic into action in the first minute, the Inter goalkeeper dealing with an awkward bounce after Riccardo Meggiorini let fly with a long-range volley. Inter slowly took control of the game and only a fine reaction save from Stefano Sorrentino prevented him from turning home Danilo D'Ambrosio's left-wing cross.

Mauro Icardi and D'Ambrosio were involved as Inter broke the deadlock, though, combining down the left to set up Perisic to lash Inter into a lead that should have been doubled when Joao Mario shot wide from the Croatia international's low delivery.

Excellent build-up between Perisic and Icardi ended with the latter thwarted again by Sorrentino at the near post before a rare threatening Chievo attack saw Handanovic brilliantly turn Pellissier's effort behind.

It was Perisic who appeared the most likely to add to Inter's tally in a game that always looked in hand, but his inability to do so proved costly as Mariusz Stepinski headed on for Pellissier to earn Chievo's fifth point of a miserable season.

 

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Barcelona 2 Celta Vigo 0: Messi stars as Valverde's men restore LaLiga lead

Lionel Messi inspired Barcelona to a 2-0 win over Celta Vigo as Ernesto Valverde's side restored their three-point lead at the summit of LaLiga.

With Atletico Madrid having won earlier in the day to move level at the top, Barca reasserted their authority as first-half goals from Ousmane Dembele and Messi paved the way for a routine victory at Camp Nou.Messi was again at the heart of the hosts' best play, his shot being parried to the feet of the grateful Dembele to apply the finish inside the opening 10 minutes.

The Argentina star got in on the act himself in the final minute of the first half as Barca all but sealed the points before the interval.Barca quickly seized the initiative as Dembele pounced to nutmeg Ruben Blanco after the goalkeeper had kept out Messi's low drive.

The visitors narrowly escaped further punishment when Blanco rushed out to thwart Dembele, with Jordi Alba turning the loose ball towards goal where Nestor Araujo was on hand to intervene.Marc-Andre ter Stegen was finally called into action in the 24th minute and the Barca keeper proved equal to Maxi Gomez's effort.Messi doubled Barca's lead late in the half, calmly finishing from the edge of the box after Alba's searching pass had left Celta exposed.

Luis Suarez proved uncharacteristically wasteful when presented with a glorious chance to put the game to bed just past the hour mark, the forward shooting wide of the target with only Blanco to beat.

Blanco had stay sharp to deny Messi a second in a brief goalmouth scramble while Celta, despite enjoying more of the ball, continued to struggle in the final third.Brais Mendez's effort had Ter Stegen diving low to his left, but that save was as comfortable as Barca's whole evening had been.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Cardiff City 1 Manchester United 5: Solskjaer era starts with a bang

Manchester United cruised to an impressive 5-1 Premier League victory over Cardiff City on Saturday in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first match in charge.

Three goals in the first half from Marcus Rashford, Ander Herrera and Anthony Martial and a brace from Jesse Lingard earned all three points at Cardiff City Stadium, with Victor Camaras' penalty proving little consolation.

United stay sixth in the table, but the manner of the performance, as well as the result - the first time the side have scored five times in the league since Alex Ferguson's final game - will have been a welcome sight for the travelling fans at the end of a week that saw Jose Mourinho's contentious time in charge come to an end.


The new United era got off to a stunning start when Rashford blasted home a free-kick from 30 yards out that left goalkeeper Neil Etheridge rooted to the spot.Almost 81 per cent of possession underlined United's early control, and the scoreline reflected their dominance when Herrera's strike looped off Greg Cunningham's shoulder and into the net 29 minutes in.

Cardiff were gifted a lifeline when Camarasa fired high into the net from the spot, but United's two-goal lead was restored three minutes later, when Martial slotted beneath Etheridge after a sublime one-touch passing move involving Lingard and Paul Pogba, restored to the starting line-up.

And any hope of a Cardiff comeback was promptly extinguished 11 minutes into the second half, when Lingard dispatched a confident penalty after he had been bundled to the ground by Sol Bamba.Pogba and Phil Jones were each denied by good Etheridge saves, while David de Gea kept out a good Kenneth Zohore attempt.

It was 5-1 when Lingard rounded the keeper and slotted home from Pogba's pass in the 90th minute to secure a first away league win since November 3 in style and give Solskjaer extra cause for celebration against the club he used the manage.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Eintracht Frankfurt 0 Bayern Munich 3: Ribery double narrows the gap

Franck Ribery scored twice as Bayern Munich ended 2018 by moving into second place in the Bundesliga with a 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.On Niko Kovac's return to his former club, Bayern took the lead midway through the first half when Ribery swept in at the culmination of a slick counter-attack.

Bayern could have been ahead earlier on, had Kevin Trapp not pulled off a superb double save to deny Javi Martinez and Thomas Muller, who later hit the woodwork.


Robert Lewandowski should have wrapped up the win early in the second half, but his blushes were spared when Ribery scuffed in a second, with Rafinha's fortuitous effort adding further gloss to a victory that takes Bayern back to within six points of leaders Borussia Dortmund.Danny da Costa and Luka Jovic both went close as Eintracht started well, but the hosts would have been behind had Trapp not followed up a fantastic save from Martinez's diving header by denying Muller on the rebound.

Trapp was beaten in the 35th minute, though. Muller played in Lewandowski, who squared a wonderful reverse pass into the centre of the box, with Ribery on hand to tuck home.

Lewandowski almost turned provider again on the stroke of half-time, but Muller could only direct his header onto the bar.Ribery should have had an assist when he teed up Lewandowski, though the striker's first touch let him down, and that profligacy might have proved costly had Jovic connected with Da Costa's cross.

But any lingering hopes of an Eintracht comeback were ended when Ribery's mishit clipped in off the woodwork, with Rafinha's cross-shot then getting the better of Trapp as Bayern cruised to a fifth successive Bundesliga win.

 

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Juventus 1 Roma 0: Mandzukic adds to Di Francesco torment

Juventus dealt a fresh blow to Eusebio Di Francesco's job security in a routine 1-0 win over an outclassed Roma at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.Champions League semi-finalists last season, Roma have been a shadow of their former selves this term and were no match for the Serie A champions despite the narrow final scoreline.

Mario Mandzukic's commanding header, his eighth league goal of the campaign, gave Juve a deserved half-time lead and they were rarely troubled in restoring an eight-point gap to second-placed Napoli, who earlier beat SPAL 1-0.


Robin Olsen's string of stellar saves ultimately achieved little more than keeping the score down as the under-pressure Di Francesco was left to defend a run of just one victory in seven competitive matches.
Roma encountered intense early pressure and only an in-form Olsen prevented them from slipping to an earlier deficit.

The Sweden goalkeeper brilliantly denied Alex Sandro in the seventh minute and was at his athletic best in turning a Cristiano Ronaldo shot around the upright.His saves only prolonged the inevitable as Juve's opener arrived in the 35th minute, Mandzukic towering above Davide Santon and heading in Mattia De Sciglio's cross.

Ronaldo must have felt a sense of deja vu when Olsen frustrated him with two fine saves in quick succession prior to the hour, causing the Portugal attacker to kick out at the post in irritation.

Massimiliano Allegri's men twice had late goals disallowed on their way to sealing a record 16th victory in 17 Serie A fixtures. Giorgio Chiellini was adjudged to have fouled the Giallorossi goalkeeper, before substitute Douglas Costa's stoppage-time strike was overturned on VAR due to Blaise Matuidi's crude challenge on Nicolo Zaniolo in the build-up.

 

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Paris Saint-Germain 1 Nantes 0: Mbappe decisive in Neymar's absence

Kylian Mbappe made the difference in the absence of Neymar, scoring the only goal of the game as Paris Saint-Germain beat Nantes 1-0 to end 2018 in victorious fashion.

Brazil star Neymar had been allowed to travel back to his home country to rest following recent struggles with a groin injury, and while PSG missed his craft, they scraped the win nonetheless.

Angel Di Maria looked PSG's biggest threat in the first half, though his two best strikes did not quite hit the target as the hosts failed to make the most of their superiority.


PSG remained the controlling force after the interval and finally broke the deadlock through Mbappe in the 68th minute, and that proved to be enough as the hosts' first Ligue 1 game since December 5 – due to the 'gilet jaunes' demonstrations – ended with a triumph.

It took less than a minute for PSG to threaten, as Di Maria saw a controlled volley go agonisingly over Ciprian Tatarusanu's crossbar. But that failed to usher in a period of PSG bombardment, with their next opportunity not presenting itself until the 25th minute, when Julian Draxler shot over from 20 yards after Mbappe's cut-back.

Di Maria went close again a few moments later, his 25-yard strike flying past the right-hand post with Tatarusanu looking beaten.PSG continued to threaten from distance after the break, with Di Maria – again – and Mbappe shooting just off target in the first 12 minutes.

Draxler thought he opened the scoring after an hour, but VAR proved the ball went out of play in the build-up, despite Marco Verratti's best efforts.There was no denying Mbappe 22 minutes from time, though, as he turned in – via the crossbar – from close range after Marquinhos flicked on Di Maria's corner.

Di Maria saw another effort thud against the crossbar but it mattered little as PSG secured victory to open up a 13-point lead over Lille - beaten 2-1 by Toulouse - at the top of the table.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sarri concedes title defeat with it ‘impossible’ for Chelsea to catch Liverpool


Maurizio Sarri has thrown in the Premier League title towel, with the Chelsea boss considering it to be “impossible” for his side to catch Liverpool.

The Blues suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat to Leicester on Saturday to leave them a long way off the pace.An 11-point gap to Jurgen Klopp’s table-toppers would need to be bridged in order for Sarri’s side to get back into the race.

The Italian cannot see that happening and admits his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge is set to see him finish without the English top-flight crown.

“It was impossible from the beginning of the season,” Sarri told BBC Sport.“As I said at the beginning of the Premier League it is impossible to catch Liverpool and Manchester City, we have to be careful to stay close to the first four positions.”

Chelsea remain inside the top four for now, but have London rivals Arsenal breathing down their neck.Only goal difference is separating the two sides at present, with Sarri admitting his concern at seeing the Blues drop points against so-called ‘smaller’ sides.

He added: “Yes it concerns me, we have to understand the reason for it.“You can go 1-0 down, the important thing is how you are able to react. There was the time to score two goals today.”

Leicester broke the deadlock against Chelsea six minutes into the second half, with Jamie Vardy grabbing the only goal of the game.“The match changed after the goal,” said Sarri.“We played well for 55 minutes, after the goal the reaction was not the right reaction. We reacted a little shocked and with mental confusion.

“We had to only keep playing like we did before the goal, there was time to recover.“I think that of course in some situations we were unlucky but I think that we could have done something better.”

Chelsea will be back in action on Boxing Day when they make the short trip to Watford, with it possible that they will have slipped out of the Champions League places by the time they take to the field.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Solskjaer warns Manchester United players to 'never ever be outworked'


Manchester United caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he warned his players that they "should never be outworked" before Saturday's thrashing of Cardiff City.

The Red Devils claimed a 5-1 win in south Wales courtesy of two goals from Jesse Lingard and one each from Marcus Rashford, Ander Herrera and Anthony Martial.

It was the first time since Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 that United had scored five in a Premier League match, and marked an ideal start to life for Solskjaer, who replaced the sacked Jose Mourinho on Wednesday.

It was put to Solskjaer that this is the first league game in 2018-19 in which United had outrun their opponents - they covered 104 kilometres compared to Cardiff's 99 - and the former Norway star stressed that such work rate is a minimum requirement.

"One of the things I talked about is that a Manchester United team should never ever be outworked," he said. "It doesn't matter what team you play: you should run more than them and then your skills will give you a chance of winning again.

"I said the same to these lads as I do back home in Molde: 'Just work harder than them, enjoy yourselves, pass it forward, run forward, if you lose the ball I don't mind as long as you work to win it back', and they did."When you've got players like this with quality, they're always going to create chances.

"There's quite a few [positives]. The attitude and application of the boys when you go out there and see them, the attitude has been fantastic. The dressing room, the way they approached this game, because it's been a difficult week for everyone and to get the focus and perform as well as they did impressed [me].

"Now we can settle down and play, because that was key today. The first 15, 20 minutes, we know the energy of the crowd, we knew they were going to come long, first balls and second balls."Cardiff boss Neil Warnock was left to rue what he described as Sunday-league defending as they suffered their heaviest defeat of the season since a 5-0 loss to Manchester City in September.

"I thought we started the game quite well but to concede a goal like that was Sunday league, really," he told BBC Sport ."It was very disappointing the way we conceded those goals. You can't keep shooting yourselves in the foot like we did.

"Having said that, if you told me at the start of the season that we wouldn't be in the bottom three at Christmas, I'd have taken that."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'This is just the start' - Rashford enthused by five-goal opening to Solskjaer's tenure


Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has told fans that there is more to come after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tenure on the bench started in style on Saturday.Solskjaer stepped into the breach this week on an interim basis after Jose Mourinho was sacked from his post as club manager.

A cult hero during his playing days at Old Trafford, the Norwegian has been tasked with turning round a disappointing start to the Premier League season which has seen United lose touch with the first four.

And he enjoyed a dream start at the weekend, as his new charges romped to a 5-1 victory away to Cardiff City.

Rashford netted the first goal of the Solskjaer era just three minutes in, while Ander Herrera, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard, who hit twice, completed the scoring.
And the striker was delighted with the new boss' impact.

"He wants us to be positive on the ball and always look for the gaps. That was just the start. We're going to improve and get better at it," he signalled to BT Sport.
"The Christmas period is very busy so it is about recovering and making sure we're ready for the next games. We have to keep improving and go up another level."

Lingard was also pleased with what he saw from United, pointing to a more positive attitude on the pitch which paid dividends."The lads played with a lot of energy, enjoyment and excitement. We scored five goals, which is good," the winger stated.

And he enjoyed a dream start at the weekend, as his new charges romped to a 5-1 victory away to Cardiff City.Rashford netted the first goal of the Solskjaer era just three minutes in, while Ander Herrera, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard, who hit twice, completed the scoring.And the striker was delighted with the new boss' impact.

"He wants us to be positive on the ball and always look for the gaps. That was just the start. We're going to improve and get better at it," he signalled to BT Sport."The Christmas period is very busy so it is about recovering and making sure we're ready for the next games. We have to keep improving and go up another level."

Lingard was also pleased with what he saw from United, pointing to a more positive attitude on the pitch which paid dividends."The lads played with a lot of energy, enjoyment and excitement. We scored five goals, which is good," the winger stated.

 

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Valverde 'happy' with ending 2018 on top of La Liga


Ernesto Valverde knows his Barcelona side have room for improvement despite ending 2018 with a 2-0 win over Celta Vigo that keeps them three points clear at the top of LaLiga.

First-half goals from Ousmane Dembele and Lionel Messi sealed Barca's latest victory at Camp Nou and restored their cushion over Atletico Madrid, who had won earlier on Saturday.

"It was the objective to end the year as leaders, with the same advantage as we had before this round of matches started, so we are happy," Valverde was quoted as saying by his club's official website.

However, the coach recognised his side were below their best in an underwhelming second-half showing that saw Celta have 55 per cent possession, albeit without seriously threatening to pull off a comeback.

"What most satisfies me is to have dominated the first half and generated chances," Valverde told a news conference."If you concede zero goals, it's the easiest way to win. But it's not our goal. Our goal is to generate danger."

Despite the manager’s words, Barcelona ended 2018 with 102 league goals scored, the most among the top five leagues in Europe.Lionel Messi also became the only player from the only player in the top five leagues in Europe to score 15 or more goals in the last 11 seasons with his goal on Saturday.

Valverde had words of praise for Dembele, stating: "He is a player who is scoring goals, playing, working. We expect a lot from him. We hope he keeps making good decisions."

He also confirmed his players would be given a week off over Christmas, returning to training on December 30, before their La Liga campaign resumes on January 6 with a trip to Getafe.

 

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'Just be Manchester United' - Solskjaer reveals Rooney advice after the Red Devils thrash Cardiff


Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told his players to “be Manchester United” before their rousing 5-1 win against Cardiff on Saturday.

Jesse Lingard scored twice to add to goals from Marcus Rashford, Ander Herrera and Anthony Martial at the Cardiff City Stadium as United put on an electrifying performance to blow away the cobwebs that had collected during the final sorry weeks of Jose Mourinho’s reign.

Caretaker boss Solskjaer, installed until the end of the season after the Portuguese was sacked on Tuesday, restored Paul Pogba to the starting line-up after the World Cup winner was left out of Mourinho’s team for last weekend’s 3-1 capitulation to Liverpool, and he wasted little time in re-finding the form that once made him the most expensive player in world football.

And the Norwegian revealed after the game that he has received advice from United’s record goal-scorer Wayne Rooney on how to re-ignite the attacking energy that been lost under the Portuguese.“Football is easy if you've got good players,” Solskjaer told BT Sport . “They are a great bunch of players and their quality is unbelievable.

"I arrived on Wednesday night and only had Thursday and Friday with the players. Wayne Rooney texted me and gave me some advice - so it must be down to him! He told me to make them play football, enjoy themselves and be Manchester United.”

United impressed on all fronts going forward, and their dominance was threatened only briefly when Victor Camasara’s penalty pegged them back to 2-1 midway through the first half.

It was in stark contrast to the lifelessness of the team’s final performances under Mourinho – United had gone into the game with the fewest goals scored of any side in the top six and more goals conceded than 15th-place Newcastle.

"We had a session yesterday about patterns of play and we wanted Ashley Young and Luke Shaw to push on more,” said Solskjaer. “It worked out well today.

"Your work-rate is the easiest thing to work on. It is free. It is the attitude and application of the boys.

"If we approach all the games like this - and we want them to approach them all like this - with combination play and playing the ball forward then I'll be happy."The foundation was in the defending today. I thought the two centre-backs and two full-backs were brilliant today."

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixture 2018.12.23

Barclays Premier League Fixture 2018.12.23

Everton Vs Tottenham

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LA Liga Fixtures 2018.12.23

LA Liga Fixtures 2018.12.23

Valencia Vs Huesca

Leganes Vs Sevilla

Rayo Vallecano Vs Levante
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Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.12.23

Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.12.23

Augsburg Vs Wolfsburg

Hoffenheim Vs Mainz
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[Michael]

The way how United meant to play!

That Anthony Martial Goal though! That was a team goal... The players looks free!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

The way how United meant to play!

That Anthony Martial Goal though! That was a team goal... The players looks free!

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[Wolverine GTR]

Beating Juventus a step too far for Napoli - Ancelotti


Napoli may have been one of Juventus' main rivals for the Serie A title in recent seasons but Carlo Ancelotti says overtaking the Bianconeri is still a step too far for the Partenopei.Napoli finished in the top-three under Maurizio Sarri in each of the past three campaigns, ending as runners-up to Juve on two occasions.

Ancelotti replaced Chelsea-bound Sarri ahead of the 2018-19 season and has maintained their position as Juve's nearest competitors, however they still trail the league leaders by eight points after 17 matches.

And while usurping Italy's dominant side is a target, Ancelotti does not believe they are ready yet to go one better than Juve, who have won the last seven Scudetti.

"I think each of us must motivate ourselves not measuring ourselves against others, but measuring against ourselves," he told the Corriere della Sera."If you want to become [Leo] Messi then your path is influenced by genetics. But you can train every day to be better.

"It's the same when it comes to the squad. If I say that we have to commit ourselves to beating Juve it’s an objective that's too far away."I'm here to win. The objective is to have a team which fights until the end of the season."

The former Real Madrid coach also admitted a second stint at AC Milan almost materialised after his departure from Bayern Munich last season – the Rossoneri eventually opting for Gennaro Gattuso.

"Twice," he responded when asked if he had been close to returning to San Siro.
"When I left Real Madrid [Adriano] Galliani came hunting, but I had to recover from a back problem."Then another time with [Marco] Fassone there was half an approach after I left Bayern."

Napoli are back in action on Boxing Day when they take on third-placed Inter a crucial match in the race to secure a top-four finish.

 

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Pochettino or Zidane would be nice but Solskjaer deserves Man Utd job - Brown


Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deserves the chance to force himself ahead of Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane on Manchester United’s managerial wish list, says Wes Brown.

The Norwegian, who formed part of a Treble-winning squad back in 1999, has returned to Old Trafford on an interim basis in the wake of Jose Mourinho’s dismissal.

His reign got off to a perfect start with a 5-1 victory over Cardiff, with a side considered to have been released from their shackles now being tipped to push themselves into top-four contention.

Were they able to end the season inside that Premier League pack, then Brown sees no reason why the Red Devils would want to look anywhere else for a permanent appointment.

The former United defender told talkSPORT as various names continue to be linked with a high-profile post: “I haven’t seen Man United play like that in a long time.“You could see everyone was enjoying it [against Cardiff] and obviously for the previous manager they weren’t doing that, so there was something wrong.

“Ole has gone in there, got the smiles back on and just said ‘go and play’.
“If Ole can keep this going then I can’t see a reason why we can’t make the top four. The lads will scare a few teams if they keep playing like that.

“Personally, I think it would be great if Ole gets the job full-time. I would like to see him stay if he did well.“Obviously he’s been told it’s until the end of the season, but that could always change, you know how football is.

“If he can start producing, keep winning and playing like that, anything can happen.“It’s nice saying we would like Pochettino and Zidane, but it’s not as easily done.If Ole did okay I don’t see a reason why he couldn’t stay on.”

Were United to express an interest in keeping Solskjaer on, then a compensation package would need to be agreed with his current employers at Molde.A similar deal would need to be done in order to lure Pochettino away from domestic rivals Tottenham, and breaking him from a long-term contract would not come cheap.

No settlement would be required to land former Real Madrid boss Zidane, but he has no previous experience of English football from a glittering playing and coaching career.

 

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Mkhitaryan ruled out for six weeks with broken foot


Arsenal have confirmed that Henrikh Mkhitaryan has a metatarsal fracture and is expected to return to training in six weeks.

The Armenia international has featured sporadically for Unai Emery's side thus far this season, making 14 Premier League appearances but completing 90 minutes just six times.He has scored four goals and provided one assist domestically, however.

Mkhitaryan played the first half of the Gunners' 2-0 defeat to Tottenham in the League Cup, but was substituted at half-time and was subsequently missing from the Premier League clash with Burnley.

The 29-year-old received treatment following a tackle from Lucas Moura in the 30th minute but saw out the rest of the half.However, Mkhitaryan sat out the Gunners' 3-1 victory over Burnley on Saturday and is not anticipated to return until February.

The midfielder will miss clashes with Premier League leaders Liverpool and Chelsea, while Arsenal's meeting with Manchester City on February 3 is likely to come too soon.Unai Emery's defensive troubles continue with Nacho Monreal a doubt to face Brighton and Hove Albion on Boxing Day due to a right hamstring issue that forced him off in the first half against Burnley.

However, Shkodran Mustafi is expected to return to full training this week, having missed Arsenal's last four outings due to a hamstring injury.The Gunners are currently fifth in the Premier League, though they sit level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea, with only goal difference separating the two teams.

They are, however, 11 points behind league leaders Liverpool.

 

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Klopp open to Liverpool additions during January window


Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is ready to make a move in the January transfer market if opportunities present themselves.The Reds are four points clear of champions Manchester City at the top of the table and remain unbeaten after 18 Premier League games this term.

Nevertheless, with the FA Cup to add to their schedule next month and a blockbuster Champions League showdown against Bayern Munich to come in February, Klopp thinks it would be foolhardy to rule out doing business when the window opens.

"I'm very happy with what I have got and what I have but we don't know," he told a news conference ahead of Newcastle United's Boxing Day visit to Anfield.

"That's the only little bit where I keep the door open. If something happens we need to have a look"There are a monstrous number of game coming and it's really important that we can react.

"A long as we can react, then all good. If something dramatically changes we need to have a look"If nothing happens we will not do anything."Klopp's most recent example of January business certainly adds weight to the argument of strengthening mid-season.

Virgil van Dijk has performed superbly since joining for £75 million ($95m) from Southampton a year ago, marshalling a defence that has only been breached seven times in the Premier League this season."He's very, very, very influential. I'm happy," said Klopp."When I met him first I thought I knew about his personality, you feel something about that. I was pretty sure he would be like he is.

"On the pitch after the Tottenham game last October [a 4-1 defeat at Wembley] – after that [and] before Virg came in, we started already defending much better.

"Then Virg came in on top and that helped, of course."I have no problem with giving all the compliments and all the credit to the boys."I know the game doesn't work like that – you bring in one player, it doesn't improve unless the rest do as well."