Новости за 07.12.2018

Mesut Ozil confirmed he is "working hard" to return from a back injury after posting pictures on social media of him at training. The former Germany international has missed Arsenal's last two Premier League outings - a thrilling 4-2 win over rivals Tottenham and a 2-2 draw away at Manchester United - due to the issue, which some reports suggest has been exacerbated by his lengthy sessions playing the video game Fortnite. Arsenal head coach Unai Emery revealed on Thursday that Ozil had stepped... Читать дальше...

Ernesto Valverde expects an intense battle in the derby against Espanyol as Barcelona wait to see if Luis Suarez will be fit to feature on Saturday. The LaLiga leaders make the short trip to their neighbours looking to become only the second visiting team after Girona to triumph at the RCDE Stadium this season. Espanyol sit seventh in the table - just three points off fourth-placed Deportivo Alaves - under the guidance of head coach Rubi, who has made a positive impression since his arrival from Huesca in June. Читать дальше...

Newcastle United did not make a £15million bid for Miguel Almiron as has been reported, according to Rafael Benitez. Atlanta United star Almiron is set to face Portland Timbers in the MLS Cup on Sunday having hit 13 goals in their run to the final. Reports have claimed Newcastle, again the subject of takeover talk, are keen on a January move for the Paraguay international, tabling a £15m offer. Atlanta president Darren Eales described the suggestion Almiron could leave on loan as "laughable",... Читать дальше...

Guillermo Barros Schelotto lamented how the unsavoury scenes that led to the postponement of the Copa Libertadores final has cost Boca Juniors and River Plate the chance to showcase the best of Argentine football to the watching world. The first leg of the eagerly anticipated fixture finished 2-2, but that has become somewhat of an afterthought following the incidents that twice led to the suspension of the return tie at El Monumental. Boca's bus was targeted by home supporters on November 24,... Читать дальше...

Schalke were the closest challengers to Bayern Munich last season as rivals Borussia Dortmund underwent a transitional campaign. But ahead of Saturday's latest edition of the Revierderby at Veltins-Arena, the gap between the two Ruhr clubs is vast – Lucien Favre's swashbuckling team lead the Bundesliga from Borussia Monchengladbach and RB Leipzig, with Bayern Munich nine points back in fourth. By contrast, Domenico Tedesco's Schalke are languishing in 12th on a mere 14 points from 13 games. Such... Читать дальше...

Claude Puel expects a happy Harry Maguire to remain at Leicester City for the remainder of the season, even if there is interest in the centre-back in January. The England international was strongly linked with a move to Manchester United in the last transfer window as Jose Mourinho looked to strengthen his defensive options. However, Maguire made clear his intention to remain at the King Power Stadium for the 2018-19 campaign and Puel does not see the player changing his stance in the near future. Читать дальше...

Atlanta United 1.0 has been a roaring success in MLS. In this era of Designated Players on big-money contracts, prompted by David Beckham's 2007 arrival in Los Angeles, Atlanta last year became only the fourth expansion side to reach the play-offs. Just 12 months later, they are hosting the MLS Cup. Former Barcelona coach Tata Martino, with the help of owner Arthur Blank, president Darren Eales and technical director Carlos Bocanegra, has built this club from the ground up with a South American flavour. Читать дальше...

Ajax coach Erik ten Hag refused to be drawn on the future of star midfielder Frenkie de Jong after the 21-year-old was linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain. De Jong is the latest Ajax youth product to garner attention from across Europe after impressing since making his first-team debut in 2016. Manchester City, Barcelona and PSG were said to be at the front of the queue for De Jong's signature, with reports in the Netherlands suggesting the Ligue 1 champions had jumped ahead of their rivals. Читать дальше...

Arsenal officials have pledged to open an immediate enquiry after shock tabloid reports that players were openly inhaling gases outside of a laboratory fume cupboard setting.A host of players, including Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette, were pictured consuming a substance from a balloon that was believed to be nitrous oxide but which sources now indicate could be an exotic gas such as Oganesson-294, which is de rigeur among elite footballers.While the club has moved to play down reports of rampant gas inhalation... Читать дальше...

Arsenal officials have pledged to open an immediate enquiry after shock tabloid reports that players were openly inhaling gases outside of a laboratory fume cupboard setting.A host of players, including Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette, were pictured consuming a substance from a balloon that was believed to be nitrous oxide but which sources now indicate could be an exotic gas such as Oganesson-294, which is de rigeur among elite footballers.While the club has moved to play down reports of rampant gas inhalation... Читать дальше...

Jose Mourinho remains "fully committed" to Manchester United and the Red Devils are "very happy" with the under-fire Portuguese, according to his agent Jorge Mendes. Mourinho has come under renewed pressure after Wednesday's 2-2 draw at home to Arsenal extended their winless run in the Premier League to four games. United sit eighth in the table ahead of Saturday's home game against bottom side Fulham and they are 18 points behind leaders Manchester City. Mourinho's men finished second behind... Читать дальше...

Mauricio Pochettino has dismissed Danny Rose's apathy with Wembley and described Tottenham's temporary home as a "gift" and "the best place in the world to play football". Just 33,000 turned up for the midweek home win over Southampton, after which Rose said playing at the national stadium was "not nice anymore" - a situation made even more frustrating as the delays over their new home continue. However, Pochettino was quick to stick up for a stadium that is arguably revered more around the world than in England itself. Читать дальше...

Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City need Champions League glory before they can consider themselves the best team in Europe. Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri bestowed such a label on City and his friend Guardiola ahead of the two sides meeting at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The reigning Premier League champions are top of the table once more and undefeated after 15 games of their title defence, having amassed 100 points last time around. They also collected the EFL Cup but lost 5-1 on aggregate... Читать дальше...

1. Steve Froggatt (Coventry vs Everton, 1998)"His first goal for Coventry City, will he ever get a better one?"No he wouldn't, Martin Tyler.Why is this goal so rarely seen on British TV? It belongs in the Premier League's title sequence until the end of time. We may reserve special affection for smooth technique and the finer parts of the game, but our shared guilty secret is that we all prefer goals of outrageous violence. This was that: a missile of a shot that might have killed someone but for the netting... Читать дальше...

Maurizio Sarri is striving to fix the "problems" within his Chelsea squad that have seen them slip further behind in the Premier League title race in the last month. After 12 games unbeaten at the start of the 2018-19 season, Chelsea have won once in their last four matches – losing to Tottenham and Wolves after a draw with Everton. That run has seen Chelsea fall 10 points behind leaders Manchester City – who they face on Saturday – and Sarri has identified issues that need fixing before they can challenge Pep Guardiola's side for silverware.

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone is not straining to enter the January transfer market despite striker Diego Costa undergoing foot surgery this week. Costa's surgery was declared a "success" by Atleti after he travelled to Brazil for treatment to address an issue that has hindered him this season. There was no word given on a return date and, speaking ahead of Saturday's match against Deportivo Alaves, Simeone was primarily focused upon the opportunities Costa's absence could hand to the likes of Nikola Kalinic. Читать дальше...

Genoa have confirmed Cesare Prandelli as their new boss to replace Ivan Juric, who lost his job following a shock Coppa Italia exit in midweek. The Serie A side - who have not recorded a win since September 30 - lost a penalty shoot-out against third-tier side Virtus Entella to tumble out of the competition on Thursday. Juric was appointed head coach for the third time in two years at the start of October, returning to the role following the dismissal of Davide Ballardini. However, the Croatian has now been replaced by Prandelli... Читать дальше...

Pep Guardiola has never lost to Maurizio Sarri in three meetings and the Chelsea boss admits he is still unsure how to beat his Manchester City counterpart. Chelsea welcome the Premier League leaders to Stamford Bridge on Saturday in a mouth-watering encounter, with City sitting 10 points clear of Sarri's Blues. After going 12 games unbeaten at the start of the season – Sarri setting a new record for a debutant Premier League manager – Chelsea have stuttered of late, losing ground in what looked... Читать дальше...

Kingsley Coman instantly showed he can give Bayern Munich "another dimension" on his return to first-team action, according to boss Niko Kovac. France winger Coman suffered torn ankle ligaments in Bayern's Bundesliga opener against Hoffenheim back in August and returned to the bench for last weekend's trip to Werder Bremen. An injury to Franck Ribery thrust the 22-year-old into action much earlier than planned but he turned in an enterprising display as a goal in each half from Serge Gnabry sealed a 2-1 win. Читать дальше...

Joe Gomez has thanked Liverpool fans for their messages of support and promised he will do his best to get back as soon as possible from injury. The England defender is set to be out for up to six weeks after he suffered a fracture in his lower left leg during the Reds' 3-1 win at Burnley on Wednesday. Gomez - who was hurt in a tackle by defender Ben Mee - is certain to miss Liverpool's crucial Champions League clash with Napoli next week, as well as the Premier League meeting with Manchester United at Anfield that follows. Читать дальше...

Arsenal could be without Rob Holding for up to nine months after scans confirmed the central defender ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee against Manchester United. Holding was forced off after 36 minutes of the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Wednesday, with Unai Emery admitting "the first news is not good" 24 hours later. Emery suggested Holding could miss a significant period of time, and Arsenal's medical update on Friday confirmed he will not feature again this season. A statement read... Читать дальше...

Manchester United need to be stronger defensively for Brazilian midfielder Fred to shine, according to Jose Mourinho. Fred arrived at Old Trafford in June for a reported £52million and was viewed as the box-to-box midfielder United needed to help them dominate games both in the Premier League and Champions League. His performances for Shakhtar Donetsk had seen him linked with a host of Europe's top clubs, but the lure of playing for United drew him to Old Trafford. The 25-year-old has struggled to adapt... Читать дальше...

Andre Gomes has impressed since breaking into the Everton first team, but Marco Silva is unsure whether the Barcelona loanee will make his move permanent. Having initially struggled with a hamstring injury after swapping Camp Nou for Goodison Park, Gomes has produced a string of solid displays in the heart of the Toffees' midfield. He has featured seven times since late October, earning rave reviews from the Everton faithful for his composure, vision and range of passing. Gomes is currently on... Читать дальше...

Keanu Baccus' first A-League goal helped get Western Sydney Wanderers back to winning ways on Friday as they beat Central Coast Mariners 2-0 at Spotless Stadium. The Wanderers had failed to taste success in their last three matches but Baccus' drive in first-half stoppage time and Jaushua Sotirio's close-range finish ended that wait, lifting Markus Babbel's side to sixth. Sotirio, Jordan O'Doherty and Oriol Riera all threatened the Mariners goal in a scrappy opening 45 minutes, but goalkeeper Ben Kennedy was rarely tested by the hosts. Читать дальше...

Manchester United need to quickly start turning draws into victories if they are to get themselves back into top-four contention in the Premier League, says Jose Mourinho. United have failed to win any of their last four league encounters, drawing three, to slip 18 points off leaders Manchester City after 15 games. Two of those draws came against strugglers Crystal Palace and Southampton, while they had to twice come from behind to earn a point against Arsenal on Wednesday. That 2-2 draw left... Читать дальше...