Monday, September 01, 2014

Leicester City 1-1 Arsenal : Gunners held to draw by Leicester City

Arsenal have dropped two points in their hunt for the Premier League title having been held to a 1-1 draw by Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

It was the hosts who came closest to opening the scoring on 18 minutes when some intricate link-up pay between Riyad Mahrez and Andy King on the edge of the box allowed the former to get a strike away at goal, which flew narrowly wide of the post.

Less than two minutes later Arsenal were ahead, however, and it was Alexis Sanchez who found the target, making no mistake from close range when the ball deflected into his path to bag his first league goal for the club.

Leonardo Ulloa provided an instant response for the Foxes when he headed Jeff Schlupp's inch-perfect cross past Wojciech Szczesny following some slack Arsenal defending.

Leicester began asking questions of the Gunners as the half progressed and they even had a shout for a penalty turned down, but the sides went into the interval level following an even 45 minutes.

Just moments after Santi Cazorla fired wide with his first-time shot, Ulloa came within inches of sending the newly-promoted side into the lead, but having cut inside his resulting effort could only find the side-netting.

Kasper Schmeichel was called into action on the hour to deny Yaya Sanogo, who was played in by Nacho Monreal, keeping out the Frenchman's shot from close range.

Arsenal pushed for a winner with Cazorla once more trying his luck, but the midfielder's attempt deflected narrowly over the target.

The last real opening of the contest fell the way of Leicester substitute Jamie Vardy, who got the better of Mathieu Flamini before playing in David Nugent. However, after receiving the ball back off his strike partner, Vardy was unable to find a way past Szczesny, who tipped the ball away.

The draw means that the Gunners move up to seventh in the league table, while Nigel Pearson's side are currently 15th.

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Real Sociedad 4-2 Real Madrid : David Zurutuza double seals Real Sociedad comeback to stun Real Madrid

Real Sociedad have completed a remarkable turnaround to beat Real Madrid 4-2 at home in La Liga this evening, with Jagoba Arrasate's side coming from two goals down at the Anoeta Stadium.

Carlo Ancelotti decided to give star man Cristiano Ronaldo a rest and his absence made no difference early on, as defender Sergio Ramos rose highest to head home from a Toni Kroos cross to make it 1-0 after seven minutes.

The visitors looked on course for a smooth victory when Gareth Bale put them two up after drilling into the bottom corner with his left having been found by Luka Modric.

Sociedad grew into the fixture and they soon clawed a goal back, with centre-back Inigo Martinez finishing from close range following some scrappy defending.

It looked as though Madrid would take a slender but well-earned lead into the break, but David Zurutuza had other ideas as he connected with Alberto De la Bella's cross to head home.

The home side turned the game on its head after the break when Zurutuza secured a brace by tucking in a low cross from Sergio Canales to make it 3-2 with just under 25 minutes to play.

The travelling Madrid fans were then left dismayed as they watched striker Carlos Vela collect a loose ball inside the box, before firing in low past Iker Casillas to ensure that the hosts grabbed a surprise three points.
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Genoa 1-2 Napoli : Napoli leave it late to beat Genoa

Jonathan de Guzman scored five minutes into stoppage time as Napoli began their Serie A campaign with a 2-1 victory against Genoa this evening.

The visitors took the lead in the third minute of the match when Jose Callejon was picked out by Gonzalo Higuain at the back post, before firing a volley into the far corner.

Genoa came close to a levelling the scores when Mauricio Pinilla saw his header pushed behind by Rafael Cabral.

With five minutes of the first half left to play the hosts equalised when Giovanni Marchese's cross was headed in by Pinilla.

After the break, Juan Zuniga was slipped through on goal and saw his close-range effort saved by Mattia Perrin, before Jorginho fired an attempt from range just over the bar.

With seven minutes left to play, Lorenzo Insigne wasted a gilt-edged chance to give Napoli the lead as he was slipped through on goal, but could only fire his effort straight at Perrin.

Dries Mertens then dragged a shot wide of the far post, before seeing a low strike saved by the keeper as Napoli continue to press for a winner.

In the fifth minute of stoppage time the visitors finally made their dominance count as De Guzman got on the end of a long ball into the box, before tapping home from close range to win the match.
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AC Milan 3-1 Lazio : Milan off to winning start in Serie A

Filippo Inzaghi has kicked off his AC Milan reign with a 3-1 victory over Lazio at the San Siro this evening.

Keisuke Honda got the Rossoneri up and running within eight minutes having converted Stephan El Shaarawy's pass inside the box.

Shortly after, Miroslav Klose came close to levelling it up, but he was unable to find a way past Diego Lopez with his shot down the middle.

Sulley Muntari tried his luck from range before the interval, but his effort ended well wide of the target.

The midfielder fared better 10 minutes after the restart, though, picking his spot before firing past Etrit Berisha to double his side's advantage.

Milan added a third through Jeremy Menez's penalty shortly after the hour, but it was not all plain sailing as Alex sent the ball flying into his own net when trying to clear the ball just three minutes later.

Substitute Stefano Mauri produced a stunning save out of Lopez late on, and the summer signing kept out Antonio Candreva's penalty in the dying stages to ensure that Milan held out for a comfortable opening-weekend victory.
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Villarreal 0-1 Barcelona : Late Sandro Ramirez goal seals win for Barcelona

A late goal from Sandro Ramirez has given Barcelona a narrow 1-0 win over Villarreal in La Liga this evening.

Lionel Messi tried to set up an early goal for the visitors, feeding the ball through for Pedro, but Sergio Asenjo was ready for the shot.

Victor Ruiz had Villarreal's best chance in the first half as he gathered from a Cani cross, but his final touch was lacking.

Messi came close to opening the scoring himself shortly before the break as he unleashed a curling effort, but his shot went just wide.

The hosts made a bright start to the second half as Denis Cheryshev tried his luck from the edge of the box before Jeremy Mathieu almost turned a Trigueros cross into his own net.

Messi continued to pose a threat for the visitors, almost heading the ball in from an Ivan Rakitic corner before seeing a low shot blocked on the line moments later.

The hosts were denied by the post inside the final 20 minutes when Tomas Pina unleashed a powerful strike from the edge of the box.

The miss proved costly as Barcelona finally broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute when Messi slid the ball forward for Sandro to tap in from close range.

The result leaves Barcelona at the top of the table with six points from their first two games of the Spanish season.
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PSG 5-0 St Etienne : Zlatan Ibrahimovic hat-trick leads Paris Saint-Germain to win

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a comfortable 5-0 win over Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 this evening.

The Swedish striker came close to opening the scoring after just 11 minutes, but his powerful effort from range was held by Stephane Ruffier.

It was the visiting keeper that gifted the French champions the lead when Ruffier met a backpass with a poor first touch, allowing the ball to bobble into his own net.

Florentin Pogba and Mevlut Erding both had chances to get Saint-Etienne back on level terms before half time, but the first shot was blocked, before Salvatore Sirigu tipped the second over.

Ibrahimovic doubled PSG's advantage just moments before the break, rising high in the middle of the box to head in from a Maxwell cross.

The hosts made a strong start to the second half as they tried to put the win beyond doubt, with Edinson Cavani forcing a save from Ruffier before Gregory van der Wiel fired just wide.

It was Ibrahimovic who added the third just after the hour mark, drilling the ball in from the right-hand side of the penalty area.

Cavani made it four just moments after the restart, drilling the ball in low from 25 yards out following a quick pass from Maxwell.

PSG continued to press, resulting in Ibrahimovic completing his sixth hat-trick for the club in the 72nd minute after Marco Verratti picked him out with a through ball to the centre of the box.

Jean-Christopge Bahebeck tried to add to the scoring with 10 minutes to go, but Ruffier managed to hold on to his powerful shot from just outside the box.

The result leaves PSG second in the table, while Saint-Etienne remain eighth.

View our homepages for Marco Verratti, Gregory van der Wiel, Edinson Cavani, Maxwell, Salvatore Sirigu, Stephane Ruffier, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mevlut Erding, Florentin Pogba, Paris Saint-Germain, Saint-Etienne, Football
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Tottenham Hotspur 0-3 Liverpool : Reds ease past Spurs on Mario Balotelli's debut

Mario Balotelli got his Liverpool career off to a winning start away at Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon, although the Italian was not directly involved in any of the goals as the Reds, who were being managed by Brendan Rodgers for the 100th time, ran out 3-0 winners at White Hart Lane.

The £16m signing had three chances to mark his debut with a goal during the first half, one of which was saved by Hugo Lloris from point blank range in just the third minute. He then headed wide soon after, before seeing an audacious volley from 40 yards out fly well wide, with the Spurs keeper stranded.

However, the away side did manage to make the most of their domination in the first half thanks to Raheem Sterling, who ghosted in at the back post to turn in Jordan Henderson's low cross with eight minutes on the clock.

Hosting Spurs grew into the encounter and, after Emmanuel Adebayor had earlier lofted an effort on to the roof of the net, Nacer Chadli had their best chance three minutes before the break. The Belgian's effort from 12 yards out had plenty of power, but visiting goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was able to parry clear the danger.

It would prove to be a crucial save from Liverpool's number one because, within four minutes of the restart, his side had doubled their advantage. Spurs defender Eric Dier was adjudged by referee Phil Dowd to have pulled back Joe Allen inside the area and from the resultant penalty, captain Steven Gerrard stepped up to beat Lloris.

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino reacted to his side having fallen two goals behind by making a double substitution which saw Andros Townsend enter the action, but the England winger's first contribution would cost his side a third goal on the hour mark.

He was caught in possession by left-back Alberto Moreno and the Spaniard proceeded to raid down the left flank, making his way into the Spurs penalty area in the process. With no home defender closing him down, the defender went for goal and he found the back of the net via the far upright.

From that moment onwards, Spurs had plenty of the possession, but it was Liverpool that continued to carve out the better chances, although they were unable to take any of them. The best fell to Sterling after he had beaten three Spurs defenders inside the area, but his finish was tame and easy pickings for Lloris.

Liverpool saw out the remaining few minutes unharmed, meaning that they have beaten Spurs 12-0 on aggregate over their last three meetings.

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Radamel Falcao close to Manchester City move

Falcao has reportedly edged closer to securing a move away from AS Monaco, as Manchester City are said to be close to completing a deal for the Colombian.

The striker is believed to be keen for a move away from last season's Ligue 1 runners-up, with Real Madrid, Arsenal and Juventus all having been linked with him.

However, the Daily Star reports that Falcao is likely to miss out on a move to the Bernabeu, as the European champions are looking to bring in Alvaro Negredo from the Premier League champions.

The report goes on to claim that the Spanish side see Negredo as a cheaper option to Falcao, but that City are keen to bring the Colombian in to replace Spaniard before tomorrow's transfer deadline.
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Southampton close to Toby Alderweireld deal

Southampton have reportedly won the battle to sign Atletico Madrid defender Toby Alderweireld.

The Belgium international is believed to have been in talks with Sunderland last week, while a number of other Premier League side are also said to have been keen on the 25-year-old.

However, Goal.com now reports that Ronald Koeman has made a late move for the defender, and it set to beat the Saints' Premier League rivals to the centre-back's signature.

Alderweireld joined the Spanish champions from Ajax last summer, but featured in just 12 La Liga matches last season.
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Sunderland to seal Sebastian Coates loan move

Sunderland will hope to seal a loan move for Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates on transfer deadline day, ruling out another loan move for Fabio Borini, according to a report in the press.

The Black Cats are keen on bolstering their defensive ranks, with the Daily Mail reporting that Coates will finalise a season-long deal to link up with fellow Uruguayan Gus Poyet.

However, should the move go through, it would potentially bring an end to long-term loan target Borini potentially moving to the Stadium of Light, as the Premier League only allows clubs to take one player from a team on loan.

Summer transfers for Premier League sides need to be partially secured by 11pm tomorrow night, with time being given to ratify some types of paperwork overnight.
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Arsenal line up Carlos Bacca

Arsenal are reportedly lining up a move for Sevilla striker Carlos Bacca.

The Gunners missed out on Loic Remy as the Frenchman joined Chelsea on Sunday, and Arsene Wenger's options up top are limited after Olivier Giroud broke his foot.

With the transfer deadline set for 11pm on Monday evening, Wenger has little time to act, and he has turned to the 27-year-old Sevilla forward, according to Goal.com.

Bacca has a £27.6m release clause in his contract, but it is believed that the Primera Division side would be willing to do business at around £12.5m.
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Atletico Madrid confirm Alessio Cerci signing

Atletico Madrid have confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Torino for the transfer of Alessio Cerci.

The forward has been heavily linked with a move to the Spanish Champions all summer and has this evening agreed a three-year contract with the club.

A statement released by Atletico on their website explained that the move will be completed after Cerci signs his contract and undergoes a medical.

Cerci joined Torino in 2012 from Fiorentina and has scored 21 goals in all competitions for the club.
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Liverpool to sign ex-Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes

Liverpool have made an enquiry to sign former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, it has been reported.

The 32-year-old is a free agent after leaving the Camp Nou at the end of last season.

According to the Daily Star, Reds manager Brendan Rodgers is interested in signing the veteran keeper to provide competition for current first-choice stopper Simon Mignolet.

Valdes, a mainstay at the Blaugrana between 2002 and 2014, is currently sidelined with a knee injury.
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Carlo Ancelotti: "Something has to change"

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has said that "something has to change" after his team were beaten by Real Sociedad this evening.

The European Champions were two goals ahead inside of 11 minutes, before they eventually fell to a 4-2 defeat in their La Liga match.

"It's not easy to evaluate this match," Marca quotes him as saying. "There were two. One that lasted 30 minutes, very very good. The other hour, very bad. It's difficult to think what happened, maybe we thought that the game was in the bag.

"I'm really sorry because I don't like the team playing like that. We didn't have a good defensive system to keep hold of our two-goal advantage.

"It's not a problem of one player or another. The problem is that of a team that lost everything after having played a very good thirty minutes. Something has to change and it will change."

Real Madrid return to action after the international break when they host Atletico Madrid on September 13.
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Sunday, August 31, 2014

Salomon Kalou joins Hertha Berlin

Former Chelsea attacker Salomon Kalou has completed a move to German side Hertha Berlin.

Throughout the summer the 29-year-old has been linked with a host of clubs, including Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Sunderland.

However, the Ivorian has decided to continue his career with Hertha following a two-year stint in France with Lille.

"Salomon Kalou is a top striker who has proven his class in the Premier League, the Champions League and with his national team. We are delighted that he is with us," managing director Michael Preetz told the club's official website.

Meanwhile, Kalou added: "After my time in England and France, I am totally looking forward to Hertha BSC and the Bundesliga."

The frontman has signed a three-year contract at the Olympic Stadium.
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