Monday, October 31, 2022

African players in Europe: Osimhen fires treble in Napoli romp

Nigeria sharpshooter Victor Osimhen raised his goal tally to six from four matches with a hat-trick for Napoli in a 4-0 Serie A drubbing of Sassuolo at the weekend.

The 23-year-old, who moved to Italy from Lille two years ago, has netted seven league goals this season and shares first place in the Golden Boot race with Austrian Marko Arnautovic.

With Osimhen in clinical form, Napoli have built a five-point lead after 12 rounds as they chase a first Serie A title since 1990.

Here, AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

VICTOR OSIMHEN (Napoli)

His superbly taken hat-trick gave Napoli command of the Italian title race. He scored after two and 19 minutes and completed his treble 13 minutes from time.

Torino pulled off a shock 2-1 win over AC Milan on Sunday which extended Napoli's Serie A lead to five points in their bid for a first league title in over three decades.

Reigning champions Milan were on a run of four straight league wins but defeat dropped them down to third, six points behind Napoli, after Koffi Djidji and Aleksei Miranchuk netted twice in two first-half minutes to claim the win for Torino.

Stefano Pioli's side have been overtaken by Atalanta, who are one point ahead of Milan thanks to their 2-0 win at Empoli in Sunday's early match.

But the weekend's big winners are Napoli, who kicked off the action on Saturday with another avalanche of goals and look increasingly like a team that could bring the title to Naples for the first time since 1990.

"We weren't sharp, didn't bring any real quality, and we weren't at it during the moments that changed the game. We were poor in both our and the opposition's areas," Pioli told DAZN.

Torino had scored just twice at home before this weekend but are up to ninth following their fifth win of the season, a match which nearly boiled completely over after Junior Messias pulled a goal back for the away side midway through the second half.

A dreadful mix-up between goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and Alessandro Buongiorno -- plus what looked like a clear push from Messias -- allowed Milan's Brazilian to clip in his second goal of the season.

Torino coach Ivan Juric was sent off for his furious protests at no foul being given, but he calmed down after his team held out for a big win.

"It's all over. Now I'm happy," said Juric before saying he was wrong about Messias' goal after seeing footage with DAZN's analysts.

"From my angle at the time it seemed a lot worse... life's funny like that."

Marcus Rashford saves the united with a early goal

Cristiano Ronaldo was on the pitch – from the start – but it was Marcus Rashford with a Ronaldo-like header that powered Manchester United to a victory that further strengthened their case to be Champions League contenders.

In the end it was hard-fought, and a little fortunate, as West Ham pushed for an equaliser with Declan Rice driving them on and with Erik ten Hag desperately making changes to try and hold onto the three points.

They did it and, last season, this would have been a game where they would not have been able to do that. Ten Hag has installed a bit more resilience and belief. It is also now eight games unbeaten in all competitions for them with a gathering sense of momentum.

At the final whistle the United players rushed to congratulate David De Gea with the goalkeeper making two brilliant saves including one from Rice in the dying seconds.

Pre-match talk had been about Ronaldo regaining his place but it was Rashford who was United’s most effective forward and his first-half goal was his 100th for the club. He became the 22nd United player to reach that total – at the age of 24 – and the first since Wayne Rooney in 2009 and his timing was perfect.

Marcus Rashford heads the game's only goal - Getty

Not just with the superb leap with which he met Christian Eriksen’s precise cross but also in scoring in front of the watching England manager, Gareth Southgate, who announces his World Cup squad on November 10.

The timing was also appropriate with it being the 85th anniversary of United always having an academy player in their match-day squad, an impressive record that now stretches back 4,163 games.

There was also a rare start for Harry Maguire, his first in the Premier League since losing the first two games, with Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane injured and the centre-half was far better in the second-half after a shaky first 45 minutes which will have encouraged Southgate.

There was a decisive moment in injury-time as he inadvertently deflected a goal-bound effort from Jarrod Bowen which seemed certain to draw West Ham level.

Just three minutes later, Gladbach took the lead in the simplest fashion, with Nico Elvedi heading in a Lars Stindl corner.

With Union at risk of a second loss in a row, manager Urs Fischer brought on the cavalry, making five changes in a 10-minute period to try and get at least a point out of the match.

The changes worked, with Kevin Behrens heading in the equaliser just five minutes after being brought onto the field.

With the home fans in full voice, Union pushed for a winner and thought they had claimed the three points in the 87th minute, but Christopher Trimmel's goal was ruled out by VAR.

The home fans did not need to wait long however, with midfielder Jamie Leweling crossing for Doekhi to head home with the last touch of the match.

"We did not give up and we believed in ourselves," Fischer told DAZN.

"It was a fantastic second half."

A disappointed Gladbach coach Daniel Farke said: "At the Alte Foersterei you need to stay awake -- and to concede a late goal in this fashion, is difficult to bear."

Later on Sunday, Freiburg leapfrogged Borussia Dortmund into third with a 2-0 win away against Schalke thanks to two goals from Italian midfielder Vincenzo Grifo.

Usually a free-kick specialist, Grifo scored a superb open play goal in first-half injury time, before adding a second from the penalty spot in the 61st minute.

Mikel Arteta wants more goals from strikers as Arsenal look to reclaim top spot

Mikel Arteta admits the lack of goals from his Arsenal strikers is becoming a concern as they look to move back to the top of the Premier League with victory over Nottingham Forest.

The Gunners were held to a draw at Southampton last weekend before slipping to a Europa League defeat away to PSV Eindhoven on Thursday.

The 2-0 reverse in the Netherlands was just a second defeat of the season for Arsenal, who can move two points clear of Manchester City at the Premier League summit if they see off bottom club Forest on Sunday.

Despite their fine run, summer signing Gabriel Jesus is goalless in his last six appearances, while Eddie Nketiah’s strike against Bodo/Glimt on October 6 was the last time an Arsenal striker found the back of the net.

Gabriel Jesus has gone six games without an Arsenal goal.

Gabriel Jesus has gone six games without an Arsenal goal. (Mike Egerton/PA)

“We need goals and we need goals from our front players, that’s for sure, to win the games and to give us bigger margins (of victory),” Arteta said.

“Obviously, that run of a lack of goals has to end for us to be in a position to win more matches, that is for sure.”

With the impending winter World Cup meaning fixtures are coming thick and fast, Arteta knows he cannot rely on training sessions to help his forwards find their shooting boots.

“Training is very restricted but sometimes there are a lot of mental things that you can work on and then discuss about experiences they have had,” he said.

Nketiah's goal against Bodo was the last time a striker scored for Arsenal.

Nketiah’s goal against Bodo was the last time a striker scored for Arsenal. (Nick Potts/PA)

“It is not the first time that Eddie or Gabi have gone five games without scoring a goal in their careers – that happens to any striker that I have known of and they have to deal with that, it is part of their job.”

One of Arsenal’s issues last season was not being able to react to negative results but, having bounced back from defeat to Manchester United in September with a run of eight straight wins, Arteta wants to see the same again.

“The best way after defeat is to win the next game, that’s 100 per cent for sure,” he added.

“We have a great opportunity on Sunday in front of our crowd, we’ve been incredibly good at home and we have to see a different side.”

Bayern one point from top spot after Hoffenheim win

Bayern Munich climbed to within one point of Bundesliga leaders Union Berlin after a comfortable 2-0 win away at Hoffenheim on Saturday.

Bayern took the lead in the 17th minute when 19-year-old Jamal Musiala sidefooted in a corner from Joshua Kimmich while unmarked at the far post.

Bayern striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting then doubled the visitors' lead after 38 minutes, racking up his fourth goal in three games.

The win marked the first time Bayern have won two Bundesliga games in a row since August.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund thrashed a dishevelled Stuttgart 5-0, with English teenager Jude Bellingham netting a brace.

Dortmund, who had only scored 13 goals in 10 Bundesliga games this season, grabbed the lead after just two minutes when Bellingham guided in a cross from former Bayern centre-back Niklas Suele.

Suele got on the scoresheet just 10 minutes later, cracking in a cross from Julian Brandt.

American teenager Gio Reyna added another late in the first half, before Bellingham scored a superb solo goal in the 53rd minute to put the result beyond doubt.

Seventeen-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko scored his fourth of the season, tapping in a skidding cross from Raphael Guerreiro in the 72nd minute.

Bayer Leverkusen's luckless start under Xabi Alonso continued at home against Wolfsburg, with the side fighting out a 2-2 draw.

Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby missed a penalty after just 11 minutes when he pushed a limp shot just wide of goal. Remarkably, Leverkusen have now failed to score from the spot this season despite being awarded six penalties in 11 games.

Diaby then put Leverkusen in the lead just two minutes later, before conceding a looping own goal from German midfielder Robert Andrich.

Leverkusen then conceded a highly contentious penalty for what looked like a foul committed by Wolfsburg attacker Lukas Nmecha, with captain Max Arnold converting from the spot.

Madrid turn on the style to beat Sevilla and increase Liga lead

Just when it seemed Real Madrid might consider dropping points in the title race, the champions calmly moved up a gear to secure a 3-1 win over Sevilla on Saturday and extend their La Liga lead.

Carlo Ancelotti's unbeaten side moved six points clear of rivals Barcelona, who host Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, thanks to two strikes in three minutes from Lucas Vazquez and Fede Valverde in the final stages.

Sevilla thought they might take something from the game when Erik Lamela's leveller cancelled out Luka Modric's early strike, but Madrid confidently wrestled control of the match back.

Vinicius Junior, through on goal in the 79th minute, unselfishly squared for substitute Vazquez to roll the ball home and then Valverde continued his own sublime form with a rocket which left Sevilla goalkeeper Bono scrambling helplessly.

"We lost a bit of confidence when we let in the goal, but luckily, the substitutes gave energy to the team and more confidence," said Ancelotti.

"We scored the second goal with a spectacular counter and a great pass from Vinicius, and from there we were on our way."

The goals provided a rip-roaring finale to a fine night for Madrid supporters, despite heavy rain. Karim Benzema had offered the Ballon d'Or he won on Monday to the masses at the Santiago Bernabeu before kick-off, handed his trophy by former winners Modric and Zinedine Zidane.

Fans brandished gold sheets laid out for them by the club.

Although they were not able to watch the French striker here, with a thigh problem keeping him out, their team maintained their momentum.

It took Real Madrid just five minutes to open the scoring.

Vinicius was the architect, picking the pocket of Gonzalo Montiel, driving forward deep into the area and then sliding a perfect pass across to split the defence and leave Modric with a simple finish on his 450th appearance for the club.

Returning from a sciatica problem, Thibaut Courtois also presented his Yashin Trophy for being the world's best goalkeeper to supporters, which was his only task of note until the second half. He soon had another – picking the ball out of the back of the net.

LONDON — Chelsea and Manchester United battled to an entertaining draw at Stamford Bridge amid late drama galore.

A late Jorginho penalty looked to have won the three points for Chelsea but Casemiro’s header deep into stoppage time just crept over the to grab United a deserved point.

Graham Potter’s unbeaten run as Chelsea boss has been extended to eight games in all competitions, while Erik ten Hag will be delighted with this side backing up a win against Tottenham with this battling point at Chelsea.

With the point Chelsea have 21 on the season, one point ahead of Manchester United

Erling Haaland and Manchester City returned to form as the Premier League champions saw off Brighton 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

The prolific Norwegian endured a rare off day as City slipped to their first defeat of the campaign at Liverpool last week but he responded impressively by scoring twice against the Seagulls.

Both his goals came in the first half, the second from the penalty spot, but it took a fine Kevin De Bruyne strike to wrap up victory after Brighton rallied with a Leandro Trossard reply.

Haaland’s double took his tally since joining City to a remarkable 22 goals in just 15 appearances in all competitions. He now also has 17 Premier League strikes to his name, just six short of last season’s golden-boot winning total.

The striker did not see much of the ball in the opening stages and, intriguingly, manager Pep Guardiola called him for a chat during a break in play for Brighton’s Danny Welbeck to receive treatment.

Whatever was said enlivened the Norwegian and he had a strong penalty appeal turned down after being clipped by Robert Sanchez. His initial heavy touch on a De Bruyne pass perhaps spared the Brighton keeper.

Haaland’s opener in the 22nd minute owed much to his pace and strength. He first lost Lewis Dunk as he chased a long clearance from Ederson and then barged Adam Webster out of the way to claim the ball. With Sanchez caught off his line, Haaland calmly rolled the ball into the unguarded net.

Erling Haaland and Manchester City returned to form as the Premier League champions saw off Brighton 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

The prolific Norwegian endured a rare off day as City slipped to their first defeat of the campaign at Liverpool last week but he responded impressively by scoring twice against the Seagulls.

Both his goals came in the first half, the second from the penalty spot, but it took a fine Kevin De Bruyne strike to wrap up victory after Brighton rallied with a Leandro Trossard reply.

Liverpool’s mini-revival came to a crashing halt with a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest, who secured just their second Premier League win for 23 years thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal.

Awoniyi spent six years as a Liverpool player without ever making an appearance as he was farmed out on a series of loan spells, but came back to haunt his former club and move his current employers off the bottom of the table.

Liverpool were without the firepower of the injured Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz and it showed as they lacked the spark needed to unlock a deep-lying Forest defence.

The Reds have now already lost more league games in the first 11 matches than in the whole of last season when they lost out on the title to Manchester City by just a point.

Victory over City last weekend, followed by another 1-0 win against West Ham in midweek had seemingly given Jurgen Klopp’s men lift-off after a slow start to the campaign.

But with Thiago Alcantara also missing due to illness, they did not have enough in reserve even to see off a side without a win since August.

Forest have stayed patient with manager Steve Cooper, even handing the former Swansea boss a new contract, as he tries to bed in a record 23 new signings in one transfer window for a Premier League team.

The two-time European champions are slowly beginning to see some return on that investment after also withstanding a bombardment from Brighton to draw 0-0 at the Amex midweek.

Klopp made five changes in all from Liverpool’s win over West Ham on Wednesday midweek and it showed in a disjointed first half performance as Liverpool struggled to make over 70 percent possession tell in terms of chances.

The visitors' best opportunity to break the deadlock before half-time came from a corner when Virgil van Dijk inexplicably tried to head the ball in the direction of Roberto Firmino rather than go for goal himself from close range with a free header.

Ten minutes into the second period it was Forest who struck from a set piece as Ryan Yates’ initial effort came back off the post and Awoniyi was perfectly placed to tap into an unguarded

Comparisons in sports are inevitable. Sometimes they are even necessary to truly paint a picture. And other times they might seem a bit forced in a way of hanging onto a past that’s no longer reality.

LAFC right now falls somewhere in the middle of all that.

It does make sense why this team, which will be hosting the Western Conference final, right now is being talked about along with the 2019 squad. The similarities are hard to look past: won the Supporters’ Shield; earned a first-round bye in the MLS Cup playoffs; hosted and beat rival LA Galaxy in a wild first playoff game. That right there is exactly where the comparisons should end.

This LAFC is not the one of the past. It’s indeed a new era, trying to learn from prior mistakes but leave all that talk of 2019 where it belongs — part of history. Out of that roster that ran through the league in record-setting fashion, only three players remain: Carlos Vela, Eddie Segura and Latif Blessing. Let the captain tell you himself.

“No, I think we are really different,” Vela said. “Every single coach makes the team different. This time I think we have more experience in the group, more depth in our squad. I think everybody is a little bit more fresh because we rotate a lot. Everybody feels part of this group, feels important.”

The main factor that has this LAFC squad playing on a particular level is MLS Coach of the Year candidate Steve Cherundolo. Taking over the gig as a first-year head coach was never going to be easy, especially trying to live to the standard Bob Bradley created in his time in charge. But Bradley’s run in L.A. ended in a manner that had no more to give. It was his way and that’s it.

Will Manchester united stays strong form against Chelsea, tomorrow?

The question Is will Manchester united stays strong form to Chelsea on Saturday night which happens to be the Stamford bridge (home).

It was very clear that Manchester beats Liverpool, arsenal and spur which is more cleaver than before

So the argument is that will they use the same pattern for Chelsea, though James recce who was the best among the team have been declared injury.

Talking of the big teams Manchester deby wasn't a lucky chance for them

They loose the match, which the outcome was Manchester city 6:3 Manchester united

It is quite impressive that Liverpool was beaten 1:2, Arsenal 1:3, Tottenham Hotspur 0:2.........

Ten hag trying his best for Manchester united ever since he was the team manager.

Wolverhampton have decided not to sack Davis Steve still the year ends

Wolverhampton Wanderers have liked what they’ve seen from interim boss Steve Davis, who will stay in charge of the club until at least 2023.

Whether that means they have something lined up for after the World Cup is anyone’s guess.

Wolves have been linked with several coaches since sacking Bruno Lage earlier this month. The club has lost to Chelsea, beaten Nottingham Forest, and lost to Crystal Palace under his watch.

Julen Lopetegui and Michael Beale have reportedly turned down the job, while Peter Bosz and former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo have been linked with discussions.

Davis, 57, was player-manager at two of his former clubs before taking the player out of the title with Crewe Alexandria from 2011-17. He then led Leyton Orient for part of 2017.

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier wants his side to create some "distance" between themselves and their rivals at the top of Ligue 1 when they face Ajaccio, and Galtier's son Jordan, on Friday.

The reigning champions opened up a three-point lead at the summit last weekend with a tense 1-0 victory over Marseille, who have slipped from second in the table to fourth after back-to-back defeats in the last fortnight.

Igor Tudor's OM face a tough task to bounce back, though, hosting third-placed Lens on Saturday.

Surprise package Lorient, who sit second, could be six points behind PSG by the time they visit Troyes.

"We're top of the league, and there are some top-of-the-table clashes this weekend, so it's up to us to put in a complete performance and keep the chasing pack at a distance," said Galtier.

PSG will be hoping to race away with the title again this season after finishing 15 points clear of Marseille last term, giving them space to focus on their latest bid for a maiden Champions League crown.

The capital giants can secure their place in the last 16 in Europe on Tuesday with victory over Maccabi Haifa at the Parc des Princes.

But first they must overcome an Ajaccio side who have claimed seven points from their last four matches, featuring a shock 2-1 win over Marseille, after mustering just one point in their opening seven games.

"They're coming off the back of some good performances," said Galtier, whose son is the Ajaccio assistant coach.

"The start to the season was a bit difficult for them because you always have to get used to playing in Ligue 1.

"The stadium will be full, and there'll be a fiery atmosphere because the fans are close to the pitch.

"We'll need to turn up, show a lot of desire and not look too far ahead to Tuesday's game against Haifa."

Neymar continued his brilliant start to the season with the winning goal against Marseille. The Brazilian has already scored 12 goals this term but is suspended for the trip to Ajaccio, along with Sergio Ramos.

Ronaldo not starting against Chelsea in 13 weeks of English league

Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Manchester United has been plunged into fresh doubt after he was dropped from the squad for Saturday's clash with Chelsea following his tantrum against Tottenham.

Ronaldo stormed down the Old Trafford tunnel with several minutes remaining in United's 2-0 win over Tottenham on Wednesday.

The 37-year-old star reportedly told United manager Erik ten Hag that he did not want to come on as a late substitute.

Ten Hag said after the Tottenham match that he would "deal with" the issue on Thursday and Ronaldo was seen driving into United's Carrington training headquarters before the announcement of his punishment.

It was not the first time Ronaldo had shown public dissent at his role in Ten Hag's team's and the United manager has finally responded by wielding the axe.

"Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture," a United statement said on Thursday.

It is believed Ten Hag's decision to remove Ronaldo from the squad has the full backing of the United hierarchy.

United chiefs are said to be weighing up a decision on Ronaldo's long-term future after the disciplinary issue.

But whether there can be a way back for the unhappy Portugal striker remains to be seen.

United would have to wait until the transfer window reopens on January 1 before they could sell Ronaldo, whose huge salary could prove a stumbling block to potential buyers.

Disappointed by United's failure to qualify for the Champions League, Ronaldo has been trying to engineer a move away from Old Trafford since the end of last season

Aston Villa has fired Steven Gerrard moments after his 10-man side fell 3-0 to Fulham on Thursday.

Gerrard used his post-match press conference to say he wasn’t a quitter, but won’t get the chance after Villa called time on his tenure at Villa Park.

Villa is winless in its last four matches, drawing Leeds 0-0 and Forest 1-1 before losing to Chelsea and now Fulham. Douglas Luiz was sent off with Villa trailing 1-0 on Thursday.

Gerrard’s team is 2W-3D-6L this season after going 9W-5D-13L last season.

Next up for Villa? Brentford at Villa Park on Sunday

Manchester United cruise into 5th with easy win over Tottenham was well celebrate. Making it possible for Tan hag Erik to overcome the possibility of loosing his job.

Manchester United dealt a blow to Tottenham's Premier League title aspirations with a dominant 2-0 win at Old Trafford, while Liverpool's upturn continued with a 1-0 win over West Ham on Wednesday.

Chelsea's winning run came to an end in a 0-0 draw at Brentford, which allowed Newcastle to close within two points of the top four with a 1-0 win over Everton.

United are now just one point off the Champions League places and could leapfrog Chelsea when the sides meet at Stamford Bridge on Saturday after their most impressive display under Erik ten Hag.

The Red Devils had 28 shots on goal against a Tottenham side that been beaten only once in their opening 10 league games of the season.

Signs of progress for United since losing their opening two games of the campaign have been hampered by a lack of killer instinct up front.

But they finally got their rewards in front of a delighted full house when Fred's deflected effort found the bottom corner two minutes into the second half.

Bruno Fernandes then doubled United's lead with his first club goal since August.

Tottenham could have moved to within a point of leaders Arsenal with victory, but had no response to remain in third.

As the 12 weeks was played, Chelsea manage to draw the game which was a cleansheet since the arrival of Graham porter which is impressive to the league

They won four roll matches without conceiving,all thanks to kepa.kepa who had been the number 1 goalkeeper under porter ruins,well,his confident is enough than Mendy

There was also another injury scare for England boss Gareth Southgate after midfielder Conor Gallagher limped off early on.

Blues boss Potter had made five changes from the side which beat Aston Villa 2-0, with Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang dropping to the bench, but he had to make another switch when Gallagher trudged off.

Moments earlier Ivan Toney, another England World Cup hopeful, had a header from Mads Roerslev’s cross tipped over the crossbar by Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Chelsea had a let-off with 10 minutes of the first half remaining when Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s back-header from a free-kick inadvertently let Toney in.

The striker got to the ball before Kepa but was unable to direct his header on target.

Chelsea are interested in signing Lille striker Jonathan David in January, according to reports, but the French club will demand a big fee.

The 22-year-old has started the season in prolific form in Ligue 1, and should lead the line for Canada at World Cup 2022 next month.

Chelsea currently have two natural strikers in their squad, Armando Broja and summer signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Jonathan David

But a report in French outlet Jeunes Footeux claims that new Blues boss Graham Potter wants to add another centre-forward to his ranks in January.

David’s name is on the shortlist at Stamford Bridge, but it will require at least €60 million (£52m) to prise him away from Lille.

The Brooklyn-born hotshot has a contract until 2025 with the Ligue 1 side.

He joined Lille from Belgian outfit Gent in August 2020 and helped his new club to a shock title win in his debut season, scoring 13 league goals.

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter giving a press conference

David followed that up with a 19-goal season in 2021/22, including three in the Champions League, while he has started the current campaign with nine goals in 11 matches.

The striker also played a key role in Canada qualifying for their first World Cup since 1986, scoring five goals in qualifying as they impressively topped the CONCACAF group.

He is valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt

Manchester United report: Cody Gakpo reveals how close he came to Old Trafford move

PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo

PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo says he spoke to Erik ten Hag about joining Manchester United and was disappointed when a move fell through in the summer.

Gakpo was heavily linked with the Old Trafford club, but the £86 million arrival of Antony from Ajax ended his hopes of teaming up with Ten Hag.

The 23-year-old has now revealed how close he was to a United move, and that he had the chance to join two other Premier League sides too.

Erik ten Hag

“I was close to leaving, I spoke to Erik ten Hag a few times at Manchester United,” Gakpo told The Times.

“In the end the deal didn’t go through, which was a shame, for me and my development, and because Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, but also for PSV, because to transfer a player to Manchester United is a good thing for the club.

“It ended about a week before the end of the transfer window and in that week I had to decide if I would go to Leeds or Southampton. In the end I stayed, but it was a stressful period.”

Gakpo attracted United’s interest after a superb season where he scored 21 goals in 47 games for PSV.

Cody Gakpo

The Netherlands international has started the new campaign in sensational form, with 13 goals and 11 assists to his name already after 18 appearances.

Asked if it was difficult to regain his focus after the Manchester move fell through, Gakpo said: “I always said if I stay here, it’s my childhood club. It’s not a punishment.”

“I like being here, I want to win trophies here and do my best for the club.

“But if I got the chance to go to the Premier League or something, of course I would have to consider that option. At that time it was hectic for me but I recovered pretty quickly.”

Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood was Wednesday released on bail, days after being charged with attempted rape.

The 21-year-old forward was also charged with controlling and coercive behaviour and assault at the weekend.

He appeared at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Monday and was remanded in custody.

A bail application was held in private at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court on Wednesday.

Following the hearing, a spokesman for the court said bail had been granted, with conditions not to contact witnesses, including the complainant, and to reside at a specified address.

Greenwood, who did not appear for the short hearing, is due to appear in court again on November 21.

All three charges relate to the same woman.

The player was first held in January over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.

He had been on bail since but was arrested on Saturday for an alleged breach of conditions.

Within hours of the allegations surfacing online at the beginning of the year, Greenwood, who has made one appearance for England, was suspended from playing or training with the Old Trafford club.

Nike suspended and later terminated its sponsorship deal with the player, while Electronic Arts confirmed his removal from active squads on its FIFA 22 game.

A product of the United academy, Greenwood has played 129 times for United, scoring 35 goals. He signed a new deal in February 2021, keeping him at Old Trafford until at least 2025.

He made his England debut against Iceland in September 2020, but he and Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden were sent home after a breach of the team's coronavirus guidelines.

Bernd Reichart A Germanbussiness man have been apointed CEO of the company promoting the super league

German businessman Bernd Reichart has been appointed CEO of the company promoting the Super League, a dissident European football competition aimed at supplanting the lucrative UEFA Champions League.

The 48-year-old former boss of the RTL media group in Germany, Reichart takes control of A22 Sports Management, the European commercial sports development company announced on Wednesday.

Reichart's "initial focus will be to initiate an active and extended dialogue with a comprehensive group of football stakeholders including clubs, players, coaches, fans, media and policy makers," A22 Sports Management said in a statement.

"The aim is to facilitate the development of a sustainable sporting model for European club competitions that reflects the long-term and mutual best interests of fans and the broader football community."

Liverpool's Diogo Jota, right, duels for the ball with Manchester City's Rodrigo during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022.......

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Portugal forward Diogo Jota will miss the World Cup because of the injury he sustained against Manchester City, his Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp said on Tuesday.

Jota was taken off on a stretcher in stoppage time of Liverpool’s 1-0 win on Sunday and has a serious calf muscle injury.

“It will be for a long time,” Klopp said in a news conference about Jota’s expected absence from the tournament that starts in Qatar in five weeks. “We talk about months, so we will see.

“He knew it when we carried him off the pitch. At that moment he knew already it was a serious one and it could be pretty impactful for his World Cup dreams.”

Jota was an expected starter for Portugal in a World Cup group that includes Ghana, South Korea and Uruguay.

The World Cup starts on Nov. 20 and Portugal begins in Group H four days later.

Portugal also lost winger Pedro Neto last week because of an ankle injury on club duty for Wolverhampton that requires surgery.

Just a month before the start of the World Cup, Brazilian superstar Neymar was expected to testify in a Spanish court Tuesday at his trial over alleged irregularities in his transfer to Barcelona nearly a decade ago.

Neymar had been set to testify on either October 21 or 28 but the judge agreed to bring forward his hearing to avoid a clash with his football commitments.

Wearing sunglasses and a dark suit, the 30-year-old arrived at the Provincial Court of Barcelona for the start of the trial Monday with his parents who are also in the dock.

Neymar spent two hours at the court before he was excused by the judge for the rest of the day's hearing after his lawyers argued he needed to rest after playing Sunday night.

The player scored the only goal of the Ligue 1 match against Marseille.

"Da Silva Santos Junior scored a goal when I was already in bed," admitted court president Jose Manuel del Amo.

The high-profile trial is the culmination of a years-long legal saga over Neymar's 2013 transfer from the Brazilian club Santos to Barcelona.

He then joined Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain in a world record 222 million euro transfer in 2017.

Spanish prosecutors are seeking a two-year prison term for Neymar and the payment of a 10-million-euro ($9.7 million) fine.

He is one of nine defendants on trial on corruption-related charges, among them his parents and their N&N company, which manages his affairs.

Benzema was given the best player of the planet(B'dor)

🏆 It's official. Karim Benzema is the best footballer on the planet. 🇫🇷

He was the one which almost merit it due to he gave a hard trick goal against Chelsea at the championship football

He made the world known the position to be a center striker, making his team Real Madrid the best guarantee club in the world.

What a french chemistry of the year

🗣 Steven Gerrard: "I have the support of the board, but I've had injuries. I have to keep fighting."

😳 Aston Villa FC are in fact ready to 'move heaven and earth' to bring in Mauricio Pochettino to replace Gerrard at Villa Park

Gerrard confessing that he can move the team, forward due to the injury the team has been facing in an early season

It was a toughest match of the starting season,they called it super Sunday,it seems to been having issues over three less season that Manchester city have not be able to win Liverpool.

Due to injury Liverpool had they fitted at the eight point of the tables.

It was incredible that Mohamed Salah had never Misses his chance of scoring the game.

Haaland thought is still same Manchester united he had played,very well,at the 80minutes was a chance of the goal which Mohamed Salah didn't miss,

Glopp was given red card in the match due to his movement and disturbance of him to the referee.Gaudiolar seems unhappy of his formation in the field

Gloop claiming that this is anfiled which they should have an advantage

The first time goal of aubamyang in a season

Pierre Emerick Aubamyang bringing back the truth iconic celebration back to Chelsea

Monday, October 31, 2022

Sunday, October 30, 2022

Saturday, October 22, 2022

Friday, October 21, 2022

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Monday, October 17, 2022

Sunday, October 16, 2022

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