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Arsene Wenger has suggested that Alexis Sanchez could still be persuaded to sign a new contract at Arsenal, as he closes in on his return to first-team action.

The 28-year-old, now into the final year of his existing deal, has yet to feature for the Gunners this term due to an abdominal strain picked up on the eve of the campaign.

Wenger intended to have his star forward back in action for Sunday’s trip to face Liverpool and, with three days to go until that big showdown, the Chilean appears to be winning his fitness battle.

“Sanchez has worked hard to be back and available again,” Wenger told reporters. “Alexis works very hard, he’s very focused and gives absolutely everything. He loves so much to play.

“He looks ready, he has not played for long time so will have to decide what I do with him. We have to make that decision. We play on Sunday and he looks in good shape.”

Asked if Sanchez has been distracted by recent talk of a big-money switch to Manchester City, Wenger added: “I don’t think he’s too much disturbed by all the noise, players at that level are used to it now.

“He is very focused, very happy and the fact he goes into the last year of his contract doesn’t mean we cant extend it. At the moment we haven’t, we just want to focus as a team and not look too much at the contracts of everybody.”

Sanchez, the scorer of 24 goals in the Premier League last season, has not played a competitive match since Chile’s defeat to Germany in the Confederations Cup on July 2.
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Defending champions Manchester United will open their EFL Cup campaign against Burton Albion in the third round.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the hero last season as United edged Southampton in extra time to claim the trophy, and Jose Mourinho’s men are set to start their title defence at home to the Championship outfit in September.

It will be only the second meeting between the two sides following United’s FA Cup third-round replay win in 2006.

The draw was heavily criticised prior to Thursday due to the location and unusual time, with it scheduled to be staged in Beijing at 11:15 local time (03:15 GMT) in the Chinese capital.
And fans in Britain who set their alarms to follow the draw were left frustrated and waiting impatiently for proceedings to get underway.

When the draw finally started, 2016 winners Manchester City found out their opponents early as they received a trip to fellow Premier League side West Brom.

City lost in the fourth round last term and this season’s tie could see West Brom defender Jonny Evans – a reported target for Pep Guardiola – potentially feature at The Hawthorns as a visiting player.

Premier League champions Chelsea are at home, welcoming Nottingham Forest to Stamford Bridge after the latter stunned Newcastle United in the second round, while Tottenham will face either Barnsley or Derby County.

Liverpool – eight-time winners – will visit Leicester City in the third round. Jurgen Klopp’s men, who booked their spot in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday, were beaten in the semi-finals by Southampton last season.

League One’s Doncaster Rovers will head to the Emirates Stadium to play Arsenal – runners-up in 2011.

There will also be a reunion when Burnley’s record signing Chris Wood faces former team Leeds United, while Wolves – who ousted last season’s finalists Southampton in the second round – take on Bristol Rovers.

The draw in full with ties to be played week commencing September 18:

West Brom v Manchester City
Everton v Sunderland
Leicester City v Liverpool
Manchester United v Burton Albion
Brentford v Norwich City
Wolves v Bristol Rovers
Burnley v Leeds United
Arsenal v Doncaster Rovers
Bristol City v Stoke City
Reading v Swansea City
Aston Villa v Middlesbrough
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
West Ham v Bolton
Crystal Palace v Huddersfield Town
Tottenham v Barnsley/Derby County
Bournemouth v Brighton and Hove Albion
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes it is possible that Lionel Messi’s €300million buyout clause could be activated.

Messi has agreed to sign a new contract with Barcelona, though the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is yet to officially put pen to paper.

With Messi’s signature missing from the Barca contract, the Argentine star has been linked with Guardiola’s City in the Premier League.

Asked whether Messi’s buyout clause could be activated following Neymar’s €222 move to Paris Saint-Germain, Guardiola responded: “I don’t know. Someone might have if they have the money and want to spend it.

“It might happen.”

Guardiola was speaking after 10-man City’s 1-1 draw at home to Everton on Monday.

Raheem Sterling struck late as City salvaged a point against Everton, who also finished with 10 men following Morgan Schneiderlin’s late dismissal, after Kyle Walker was sent off in the first half.

Wayne Rooney’s 200th Premier League goal had put City on the backfoot until substitute Sterling volleyed past Jordan Pickford to equalise with eight minutes remaining.

“We are here for the results, at least to win games. And to take a result,” said Guardiola, who refused to discuss the performance of referee Bobby Madley.

“60 minutes with 10 against 11 quality Everton players. I prefer to win the game. We want to start good at home. We had chances again. They had one on the target. They scored a goal.

“We create chances, before the goal, three or four. Brilliant players closing, [Phil] Jagielka, [Michael] Keane. 10 against 11 for 60 minutes against Everton is always difficult, we never give up.”
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Burnley manager Sean Dyche wants club-record signing Chris Wood to follow in the footsteps of Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar.

Wood arrived from Championship side Leeds United on Monday as Burnley broke their transfer record in a deal reportedly worth £15million.

The 25-year-old New Zealand international signed a four-year contract at the Premier League outfit.

And Dyche wants his new striker to be like Neymar, who has not let his price tag weigh him down having scored three goals in two matches since joining PSG in a €222million deal.

“Neymar bagged a couple the other night, didn’t he? He went for a couple of quid. He just got on with it,” Dyche said.

“You remember when people used to ask, ‘Is it hard carrying that price tag around?’ That doesn’t exist anymore, because everyone’s got a massive price tag.

“10 years ago, people used to say, ‘He’s signed for a record fee – it must be really hard.’ Every player has a record fee now. You ring about any player and they go, ‘£20m.’ Everyone is £20m. So everyone’s got a price tag on their head.

“12 different clubs have broken their record this summer, because the market’s saying you’ve got to. It’s all changed. The psychology for players has changed. They can just get playing now.”
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“If you stack the best players in a team, you do not have any more competition.” That is the view of Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, who bemoaned Paris Saint-Germain’s potential signing of Kylian Mbappe.

French giants PSG are reportedly close to signing Monaco’s teenage sensation Mbappe, having already smashed the transfer record to lure Neymar from Barcelona.

There is speculation that PSG forward Lucas Moura could move in the opposite direction.

Outspoken Lyon boss Aulas, who has already been critical of Neymar’s €222million arrival, warned Mbappe’s potential move to Paris would severely impact the competitiveness of Ligue 1.

“When we see the game on Sunday night, is it useful that Mbappe comes to the PSG?” Aulas told RMC as he highlighted PSG’s 6-2 rout of Toulouse, in which Neymar scored twice and set up two others.

“Is this useful for the competition and for the economic development of football?

“If you no longer have an equilibrium in terms of investors, eventually you risk not having this great football as seen with PSG.

“I’m afraid that we get into a bicep surge, which is not useful. Will it improve the performance of PSG as Mbappe comes? If you stack, with supernatural money, the best players in a team, you do not have any more competition.”

Aulas also confirmed Lyon – who are unbeaten after three matches – are interested in signing PSG midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak, who is surplus to requirements at Parc de Princes, having only joined from Sevilla last season.
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MyNewJackeT:
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Chelsea boss Antonio Conte hailed “amazing” midfield performances from David Luiz and debutant Tiemoue Bakayoko after the dramatic victory over Tottenham.

Marcos Alonso scored his second goal with two minutes remaining in Sunday’s match at Wembley to give the Premier League champions a morale-boosting 2-1 triumph.

Conte sprung a tactical surprise with David Luiz deployed as an extra man in midfield alongside N’Golo Kante and Bakayoko, who unexpectedly played the full 90 minutes despite being short of full fitness after a knee injury.

And Luiz and Bakayoko drew the Italian’s praise after the match, which got the Blues back on track after their shock opening defeat at home to Burnley last week.

“It was an amazing performance from David,” said Conte. “He played with great experience, with great personality and was a real point of reference for the other players.

“Don’t forget we played with four new players if you compare to last season.

“When you change two players of your three central defenders – we change David Luiz and [Gary] Cahill and replaced with a young player like [Andreas] Christensen and then [Antonio] Rudiger in his second appearance – it is not easy.

“Despite this, we showed a great desire to stay compact, not to lose the balance and to show also that we are the champions – this was very important.

“It was the first game for Baka. I was a player – don’t forget that sometimes the motivation brings you to get over your physical condition even if you are not at the top.

“But a great stadium, great opponent, great occasion, great atmosphere brought him to have an amazing performance. But for sure he can improve and he needs to adapt more to our style of football.”
Conte insisted he was not surprised Alonso was his match-winner, given he had scored six league goals last season, a tally he felt could have been higher.

“I am not surprised,” said the Chelsea boss. “If you remember last season, he scored five or six goals last season. The same with [Victor] Moses.

“Alonso missed a lot of other chances to improve his [number of goals] last season. I know very well the wing-backs are the real wingers and sometimes they must become strikers.”
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Sergio Ramos now holds the joint-record for most red cards in LaLiga history after receiving his 18th in Real Madrid’s victory over Deportivo La Coruna.

Madrid won 3-0 at the Riazor on Sunday, with Gareth Bale, Casemiro and Toni Kroos all scoring in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo.

But the visitors’ captain Ramos was involved in controversy. He was fortunate only to receive a booking in the 53rd minute for raising his hand to the face of Depor defender Fabian Schar, who was also booked, as the pair argued over whether Madrid should have kicked the ball out of play while Zakaria Bakkali was down injured.

Then, in the second minute of stoppage time, he received a second yellow after being adjudged to have fouled Depor substitute Borja Valle with his arm in an aerial duel.
Ramos, 31, joins former Barcelona and Sevilla defender Pablo Alfaro and Real Zaragoza legend Xavi Aguado on 18 league red cards.

The defender was sent off once last season – against Barcelona in April – having received his marching orders twice in the 2015-16 campaign.
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Barcelona have cooled their interest in Philippe Coutinho and are looking for alternatives, according to respected La Liga journalist Guillem Balague.

The Liverpool midfielder has been on the Catalans’ radar all summer, with the Blaugrana stepping up their interest following Neymar’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record fee.

Reports emerged in midweek suggesting that Coutinho was to be unveiled as a Barca player this Friday, but Balague dismissed the rumours as a “search for media clicks” by outlets not linked to the club.

Balague posted on his Twitter feed: “Liverpool rejected second offer of Barcelona of €85m plus €15m adds on within 35 minutes of getting it.

“They plan to reject the next one too. They do not want to sell. FCB admit they might return but they also looking for alternatives.

“FCB always knew it’s a long saga and the search for media clicks (not the club) is what brought about false stories of imminent transfer.”

Ousmane Dembele of Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea talisman Eden Hazard have also been linked as potential replacements for Neymar at the Camp Nou.
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Former Arsenal striker, Thierry Henry, has given his verdict on Kelechi Iheanacho’s transfer from Manchester City to Leicester City.

Iheanacho completed a 25 million pounds move last week and has already featured for the Foxes, in their 2-1 win over Borussia Mochengladbach.

Henry described the move as “an amazing opportunity” for the Super Eagles forward.

He told Sky Sports: “It’s an amazing opportunity for him. I think back to Manuel Pellegrini’s last season at Manchester City. He wasn’t the only one but he was the spark in the team, fighting everywhere, scoring goals, trying his hardest. So I think it’s a good buy for Leicester.

“It will be interesting to see how he interacts with Jamie Vardy. Is he going to do the job of Shinji Okazaki? Is Okazaki going to keep his place? Are they going to be more adventurous? I don’t know whether Craig Shakespeare will play a 4-4-1-1 or a proper 4-4-2, but it’s a good signing.

“Whenever he had to do something at Manchester City, even when things were not great for the team, he delivered. People might say he had better players around him but let’s not forget that Leicester won the league two years ago. They have some good players too.”
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Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo scored a brace as Changchun Yatai beat Henan Jianye 2-0 away from home in their Chinese Super League match day 21 clash on Wednesday.

Odion Ighalo seemed to be making a statement to lead the Super Eagles attack for the must win double-header clash against Cameroon with his goal scoring form.

Ighalo who has scored at least a goal in his club’s last eight games increased his tally to a double figure with a brace in their away win over Henan Jianye.

The 2-0 away victory is their first win in their last four games, incidentally the games have been away from home.

Odion Ighalo’s goal came either half of the game he now has 10 goals in 19 games.
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Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has claimed that Philippe Coutinho will only seal a move to Barcelona if he creates a “war”.

The Brazilian is believed to be wanted by the Spanish giants following the £196m departure of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain.

Reports have claimed that Coutinho wants to move to the Camp Nou, but will not force an exit if Liverpool are unwilling to sell.

As it stands, the Merseyside outfit do not seem to be entertaining any offers having rejected a £72m bid and another in the region of £80m.

A group of club directors from Barcelona reportedly touched down in England yesterday to hold talks over a possible deal, which could cost up to £120m.

Gerrard understands why Coutinho wants to move having witnessed the likes of Javier Mascherano and Luis Suarez make the same transfer, but the retired midfielder is ‘praying’ that the playmaker stays at Anfield.

“It’s a dream for these South American players,” The Mirror quotes Gerrard as saying. “I’ve experienced it before – both as a fan and player – with Mascherano and Suarez. It is a very difficult situation for the club to be in.

“The good thing from Liverpool’s point of view is that the manager is desperate to keep hold of him and the owners want him to stay. This is not a situation where Liverpool need money or need to cash in. We are not a selling club so they will do everything in their powers for him to stay.

“But it comes down to Philippe Coutinho and his decision, what he is prepared to do, what type of war he is going to create to get out because Liverpool won’t make it easy for him. I pray he [stays] at Liverpool.”

Coutinho joined Liverpool from Inter Milan in 2013.
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Chelsea captain Gary Cahill admits the Premier League champions will miss the ostracised Diego Costa this season.

Blues head coach Antonio Conte has informed the Spain striker he is surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, with the pair having fallen out in January over Chelsea’s reported refusal to allow Costa to move to the Chinese Super League.

Costa has been Chelsea’s top scorer in each of his three seasons with the Blues, including two title wins, and remains at the club, with Atletico Madrid’s interest in re-signing the striker complicated by their transfer ban.

Alvaro Morata has arrived from Real Madrid to plug the gap left by Costa, but Cahill says he will prove difficult to replace.

“As a player, he will be missed,” Cahill told talkSPORT.

“Diego Costa is Diego Costa. He scores goals. He is an animated character and he is a big personality.

“He will be a big miss. We have obviously added to the squad with Alvaro and that is a great addition to the squad, but you are always to going miss big players.”

Conte reaffirmed to Sky Sports on Wednesday that Costa’s situation at the club remained unchanged, and confirmed the Blues’ transfer business is yet to be completed.

Tiemoue Bakayoko, Antonio Rudiger and Willy Caballero have arrived alongside Morata, but Conte says the signings made by Chelsea’s Premier League rivals mean defending their title is a tough prospect.

He said: “Every season I think it’s right every great team tries to improve the quality of the team.

“For sure, these teams [Chelsea’s title rivals] are very strong, they improved a lot. For this reason, this challenge will be very tough.

“I hope to improve our squad, our team. The transfer market is not finished. We want to be competitive and we want to try to fight this season for the title. My club knows very well what are my priorities.”
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Romelu Lukaku earned praise for his competitive Manchester United debut from Jose Mourinho, despite missing an open goal in Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid.

Zinedine Zidane’s men claimed UEFA Super Cup glory in Skopje thanks to goals from Casemiro and Isco, with Lukaku netting just after the hour to reduce the deficit.

However, the £75million striker had blazed an earlier chance over the bar from inside the six-yard box, after Keylor Navas had saved from Paul Pogba.

Despite that miss potentially denying United a chance at taking the Champions League winners the distance, Mournho was happy with his new number nine.

“He tried, and of course he missed his chance with an open goal but he scored his goal,” Mourinho told a news conference.

“He had a good fight against two good central defenders and I’m happy with his period and I’m happy with the way he fits into – I’m not tired to repeat – an amazing group.”

Alongside Lukaku, Victor Lindelof and Nemanja Matic made competitive debuts for United.

Matic afforded Dani Carvajal space to assist Casemiro’s opener before the Serbian was beaten by a one-two between Isco and Gareth Bale for the Spaniard’s clincher.

But Mourinho was nevertheless impressed with his former Chelsea charge: “I think he played really well, I think in the moment they were moving the ball well, of course, was difficult for us in the midfield.

“But you know in our good moment he was really good, especially in our period of dominance in the second half after the 2-0.

“He was what we wanted him to be, to move the ball in a simple way to give balance to the team to start building from the back and he’s a player with great experience, many years at the highest level and good experience good stability.”
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Gareth Bale says his sole focus is preparing for the new season at Real Madrid, with a mooted move to Manchester United publicly stalling.

Bale has reportedly been earmarked by Madrid as a saleable asset as they look to raise funds to a move on Monaco prodigy Kylian Mbappe, who could cost the European champions an estimated €180million.

After the winger helped Madrid overcome United 2-1 in the UEFA Super Cup on Tuesday, United boss Jose Mourinho said it was “game over” in their pursuit of the former Tottenham man. Florentino Perez has also insisted that last season’s double winners want to retain the services of the 28-year-old.

Having made just 27 appearances in yet another injury-punctuated season at the Santiago Bernabeu, Bale now hopes that he can work his way back into Zinedine Zidane’s plans.

“For me, I just want to concentrate now on getting fit, getting ready for the new season and playing as well as I can, ultimately,” he said.

Asked if he had told Real Madrid of a desire to stay, the Wales star laughed: “There’s been no need for anything.
“Everything’s gone on as normal, like it has every year. There’s been the normal speculation like there is every year.

“Obviously it’s a little bit more hyped up because we were playing Man United today. So it’s one of those things.”

Madrid are yet to sign a replacement for Alvaro Morata, after selling him to Chelsea, with Mbappe’s name often placed alongside the likes of Eden Hazard and Ousmane Dembele as potential attacking purchases.

Bale does not feel threatened by the speculation, however, accepting it as part and parcel of playing for one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

“I feel like I’m happy to fight for my place,” he said. “We’re all fighting for our places anyway – it’s nothing new in football, it happens at every club and you carry on as usual.”
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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has no regrets about his time in charge of Real Madrid, claiming he gave more to the Spanish giants than any other club.

Mourinho was in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu from 2010 to 2013 and won LaLiga in 2011-12.

However, he left the following season amid reports of fractured relations with key players Iker Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos, who described Mourinho as “just another coach” this week.

Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting between United and Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup in Skopje, Mourinho asserted that he left the Spanish capital feeling satisfied with a job well done.

“I left feeling quite at ease and feeling that I had nothing left to give,” he said. “I can truly say that I gave more to Real Madrid any club than I ever have before.

“I left with peace of mind, I left without wanting to take out the dirty linen.”
Asked about the difference between his Madrid side and that of current coach Zinedine Zidane who has guided the club to back-to-back Champions League wins, Mourinho added: “The basic difference is when I arrived they weren’t even top of their [Champions League] group.

“It was a team that, in spite of all their history, they couldn’t get beyond the quarter-finals – their most important players had never played in the Champions League semi-finals.

“When I left it was a team that had played three consecutive Champions League semis, they had been Spanish champions, they had won games at home as well as abroad. There were small and big differences.

“I left and it was difficult for the others to say many good things about me.”
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Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has backed Paul Pogba to be “more effective” this season, partly due to Nemanja Matic’s arrival.

The Serbian midfielder recently joined the club from Chelsea, becoming United’s third signing of the summer following the captures of Victor Lindelof and Romelu Lukaku.

If Matic plays regularly for Jose Mourinho’s side, Giggs believes that it will allow Pogba to move further up the pitch and cause more of an impact.

The France international returned to Old Trafford from Juventus last summer in an £89m deal, making the midfielder the most expensive footballer in history.

“I expect Pogba will improve a lot this season,” talkSPORT quotes Giggs as saying. “He’s been back a year now and the introduction of Matic is a good buy because it frees him up.

“That’s what you want to see from Pogba, getting on the end of crosses and scoring goals. I think he’s capable of dropping deep or playing in an old-fashioned midfield two but he can get further forward and I expect him to be more effective this year.”

Pogba scored nine goals last season.
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Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has said that he was ‘surprised’ by Thibaut Courtois’s wild penalty during Sunday’s Community Shield.

Chelsea stopper Courtois surprisingly stepped forward in the shootout after the match had ended 1-1 after 90 minutes.

The Belgian international sent a wild effort into the stands as Chelsea lost 4-1 on spot kicks, and Cech, who trained with Courtois at Chelsea, has admitted that he was confused by the 25-year-old’s effort.

“We played together and that is not normally where he shoots. Normally he goes the top corner on the other side,” Cech told reporters. “Maybe the fact that we know each other and I know the players maybe made it more difficult. I hoped that he was going to put it where I was going.”

Alvaro Morata also missed in the shootout as Chelsea suffered defeat in London.
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It was the David Villa show as New York City came from behind to earn bragging rights against neighbours New York Red Bulls, winning the Hudson River Derby 3-2.

Spain’s all-time leading goalscorer Villa was the difference at a sold-out Yankee Stadium on Sunday, scoring a stunning hat-trick in the MLS blockbuster.

After featuring for the MLS All-Stars against Real Madrid during the week, former Barcelona star Villa returned to New York and continued his stellar season with the game’s opening goal in the 28th minute.

A fortuitous block led to New York City captain Villa beating the offside trap and rounding Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles.
Bradley Wright-Phillies threatened to steal the spotlight away from Villa when he equalised close to half-time and put the in-form Red Bulls ahead just past the hour-mark.

However, Villa led New York City’s rally as he restored parity with a sensational solo goal with 18 minutes remaining.
Villa then converted a 75th-minute penalty after a drawing a foul inside the area for his 17th goal of the campaign – snapping the Red Bulls’ four-match winning streak.
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Aaron Ramsey is unlikely to play in Arsenal’s Premier League opener against Leicester City due to a calf injury, while Mesut Ozil is also in doubt for the Emirates Stadium clash.

Attacking midfield duo Ramsey and Ozil missed Sunday’s Community Shield showdown with Chelsea at Wembley, where new Arsenal signing Sead Kolasinac cancelled out Victor Moses’ opener to seal a 1-1 draw after Pedro was sent off for the Premier League champions.

Under the “ABBA” penalty shoot-out trial, Arsenal won 4-1, as Blues goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and record signing Alvaro Morata missed from 12 yards.

Wenger called for Arsenal to take encouragement from the result but guard against the early season stumbles that have hindered them over recent years, although they might have to make do without two key performers.

“Mesut got a kick on his ankle and it is swollen. He couldn’t practice and he couldn’t play,” Wenger told a news conference.

“Overall, we’ll see – he has a little chance to play on Friday night. Ramsey has a chance to play but he could be short as well. He has a little calf problem.”On besting Chelsea at the national stadium, as Arsenal did in the FA Cup final two-and-a-half months ago, Wenger added: “It’s an encouragement, it’s no more than that. We want to find a good balance between the confidence we can get out of this game and the urgency that every Premier League game demands.

“We’ve had some bad starts over the last four years in the first games in the Premier League but we have the intensity in our preparations that we need to be ready.

“Let’s go into the Premier League with the same discipline, the same spirit and see where we can go. You have seven or eight teams who will say, ‘we can win it, the Premier League’, so that makes it very interesting.

“Chelsea will be there again, they are a top-quality team. You cannot discount Chelsea.”
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Akwa United attacker Al Hassan scored a brace as CHAN Eagles thrashed Kano Pillars’ Feeders team in a warm up matched played this morning at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.

As the CHAN Eagles continue to prepare for their doubleheader clash against the Squirrel of Benin, Coach Rohr will be glad about the outcome the friendly although there is still a lot to be done.

Ikechukwu Ezenwa (GK), Akas Chima, Okoro Osas, Ariwachukwu Emmanuel, Eze Stephen, Aremu Afeez, Ibrahim Alhassan, Sikiru Olatunbosun, Samuel Mathias, Mfon Udoh and Eduwo Kingsley were the players selected to start against the Kano team B.

The CHAN Eagles will be away to the Benin Republic in the first leg on August 11 while the second leg will be hosted on August 19 in Kano.
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New Paris Saint-Germain signing Neymar has failed to make the shortlist for UEFA’s Champions League positional awards for 2016-17.

The Brazil star, who completed his world-record €222million move from Barcelona on Thursday, has been beaten to a place among the final three nominees for best forward by Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Paulo Dybala.

Monaco sensation Kylian Mbappe also failed to make the final list, despite excelling in his side’s run to the semi-finals.

Mbappe came fourth in the voting, ahead of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski in fifth and Neymar in sixth.

Champions Real Madrid dominate the shortlist, with six players making up the final 12 nominees.
The awards recognise the top performers in each position in the tournament, with the shortlist comprising the players with the most votes from a special jury.

Coaches of the 32 clubs in the 2016-17 group stage, along with 55 journalists selected by the European Sports Media (ESM) group representing each of UEFA’s member associations, made up the panel. The coaches were not allowed to vote for players from their own teams.
Meanwhile, Manchester United provide the final three nominees for the Europa League Player of the Season.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who left the club at the end of his contract, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba are the candidates for the prize after winning the highest number of votes.

Mkhitaryan and Pogba scored the goals when United won the final against Ajax in May.

The awards will be given at the ceremony for the UEFA Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year prizes on August 15.

Shortlisted players for Champions League positional awards:

Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid).

Defender: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus, now AC Milan), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).

Midfielder: Casemiro (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Luka Modric (Real Madrid).

Forward: Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid).
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AS Monaco have reportedly entered the race to sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal this summer.

The Chilean has just one year remaining on his contract at the Emirates Stadium but, despite being keen to leave the club, manager Arsene Wenger has insisted that he is going nowhere.

The Gunners are understood to be willing to lose Sanchez on a free transfer next summer rather than sell him during the current transfer window, but Monaco are reportedly planning to test their resolve with a £45m bid for the 28-year-old.

The Ligue 1 champions could use Arsenal target Thomas Lemar as a makeweight in any deal, with the Gunners having seen two bids for the winger rejected already this summer.

Monaco are keen to make a marquee signing this summer having already lost the likes of Bernardo Silva, Benjamin Mendy and Tiemoue Bakayoko following their impressive performances last season.

In-demand teenager Kylian Mbappe is also expected to leave in the coming weeks, with Real Madrid interested, so Leonardo Jardim is eager to sign a player to fill the void.

Monaco’s sales this summer mean that they would be able to afford a hefty transfer fee for Sanchez, in addition to being able to offer him a £300,000-a-week tax-free salary and Champions League football.
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Zinedine Zidane lamented Real Madrid’s poor pre-season form after the European champions scraped a 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory over the MLS All-Stars in Chicago.

Madrid were pegged back to a 1-1 draw after Dom Dwyer’s late equaliser cancelled out Borja Mayoral’s deflected opener.

Zidane’s son Luca saved Dwyer’s spot-kick and Giovani dos Santos hit the crossbar to hand Madrid the first success of their US trip, having been defeated on penalties by Manchester United before losing 4-1 to Manchester City and 3-2 against rivals Barcelona.

“The sensation overall is not good,” said Zidane, whose team face United once more in the UEFA Super Cup next Tuesday before a Supercopa de Espana double-header with Barca.

“It’s good that we got the result, but the sensation is not positive overall. We only won one out of four games.

“The tour is done, now we have four days to go back and prepare for the Super Cup, which is our first official match, and obviously we have some things to work out.”
Zidane is keen for an upturn in performances and results before Madrid begin their LaLiga title defence and he was unable to identify any standout reason for the slump.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” he said. “We started poorly, especially with results, and sometimes we hit a bad streak in those four matches.

“What I want and what everyone wants is to get back home and have a little bit of a rest.”

One man who should be physically well-rested is star forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who sat out the tour on the back of his exertions with Portugal in the Confederations Cup but is now appearing in Spanish court to respond to charges of tax fraud.

“He needed to rest and have his holidays,” Zidane added. “It was important after a long year.”
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Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic is relieved to have put a “strange” off-season behind him by debuting for his new side in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Sampdoria.

Matic started and completed 45 minutes as goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata secured victory in the friendly at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Having only confirmed his switch from Premier League champions Chelsea on Monday, the Serbia international admitted it was tough to adapt to a new team near the end of pre-season.

“I trained alone in London and it was strange for me but I tried to give my best to control the game well and to give balance,” Matic told MUTV.

“I think for the first game it was good for me.

“Step-by-step I think I will be better and better and I hope I will help the team to achieve something this season.”
Matic’s composed debut will have enhanced his chances of appearing in a competitive match for the first time in Tuesday’s UEFA Super Cup encounter with Real Madrid.

Despite his limited preparation, United’s newest signing is confident of being fit to play against the reigning Champions League winners.

“I am sure I will be 100 per cent ready and we can do something good with this club,” he said.
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It was a deal that seemed almost unthinkable barely a month ago, but it is happening: Neymar is poised to join Paris Saint-Germain for a scarcely conceivable world-record fee of €222million.

The departure of the 25-year-old is a huge slap in the face to Barca from a pride perspective, but more pressing now is the need to find a way to replace one third of their formidable ‘MSN’ strike force.

Of course, a windfall of nearly a quarter of a billion euros should provide ample funds for Barca’s hierarchy to go shopping, and several names have already been suggested.

But where should Barca go looking for their new Neymar? We examine the leading candidates to fill the boots of the world’s most expensive player…

SERGIO AGUERO (MANCHESTER CITY)

Although few people outside Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff can quite understand why, it looks as though Aguero is surplus to requirements at Manchester City.

The striker scored 33 times in all competitions last season but failed to convince his manager he can adapt to his style, and he only won his place back in the team from Gabriel Jesus when the Brazilian suffered a broken foot.

Guardiola and City have stated publicly they do not want to sell, but a sizeable bid from Barca will likely make them reconsider, especially given City’s recent spending. Lionel Messi would love one of his best friends at the club, too.

It would require a slight reshuffle of Barca’s attack to accommodate Aguero and Luis Suarez, but Valverde has set up with two strikers in the past.

PHILIPPE COUTINHO (LIVERPOOL)

It’s a rumour that simply will not go away, however much Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp tells anyone who will listen that Coutinho will not be sold.

The player himself has stated he is in no rush to quit Anfield and Neymar’s departure could, ironically, make matters more difficult, with Barca having reportedly hoped to use the Brazil duo’s friendship as a bargaining chip.

Nevertheless, the lure of LaLiga’s big guns is always strong for South American stars and an offer approaching the nine-figure mark might convince Liverpool to cash in.

There is no doubt that Coutinho would make a shrewd, if expensive, investment. He would have no problem slotting into the 4-3-3 set-up and would bring the kind of excitement on the ball that made Neymar such a Camp Nou favourite.
GERARD DEULOFEU (BARCELONA)

Of course, Valverde may decide he need look no further than the Barca dressing-room for the next Neymar.

Deulofeu was signed back from Everton for a comparatively miserly €12m, and there can be no doubt the Spain international has the wherewithal and the academy coaching to slot into the first team straight away.

However, although he would make a cheap and convenient choice, Barca fans would not be too impressed to see Deulofeu handed the Neymar mantle. He has never quite kicked on to become the player he was tipped to be at La Masia and there is a sense that he was only ever signed to play a back-up role.

ANGEL DI MARIA (PSG)

Having struggled in the first half of last season under Unai Emery, Di Maria began to recapture something like his best form to help PSG claim a domestic cup double last season.

Despite that, the Argentine has found himself linked with a move away, with Inter touted as the most likely destination, but Neymar’s departure could prompt Barca into making a move.

It would certainly be a gamble; Di Maria has never quite hit the heights he managed at Real Madrid during spells with PSG and Manchester United and his past connection to Barca’s great rivals would cause some hesitation over a deal.

But if Barca can use Neymar to negotiate a reduced price for the 29-year-old, it could be a risk worth taking.

OUSMANE DEMBELE (BORUSSIA DORTMUND)

A sparkling talent who lit up the Bundesliga in his first season in Germany, Dembele has regularly been linked with a move to Barca in the last few months.

The 20-year-old would only cost a small amount of the €222m at Barca’s disposal and a season spent in a hugely attack-minded set-up suggests he would have few problems adapting to life in LaLiga.

Dortmund have declared their transfer window is “closed”, but it’s difficult to see Barca not trying to test their resolve with a talent such as Dembele at stake.
PAULO DYBALA (JUVENTUS)

The favoured choice of Messi (according to reports), Dybala was tipped to make a future move to Barca long before the Neymar saga kicked into gear.

The Argentina international scored twice against the Catalans in Juventus’ Champions League quarter-final win last term and his development into a world-leading player has continued at a pace.

It would take a massive offer to persuade Juve to sell, but Dybala could force their hand if he makes it clear Camp Nou is where he wants to play. His versatility would also allow him to slot into the Neymar role or adjust to a front-line reshuffle with few difficulties.

KYLIAN MBAPPE (MONACO)

It seems odd that Barca have been strangely quiet amid the never-ending speculation surrounding Mbappe’s future.

The Monaco sensation has been linked with practically every club in Europe who boast deep pockets and the rumours have even caused Monaco to threaten to get FIFA involved amid accusations of tapping-up.

Being on the fringes of the Mbappe reports could work to Barca’s advantage. Approaching Monaco directly, rather than attempting to speak to the player and his entourage first, could be a key way to encourage the French champions to sell this year.

Mbappe could well cost north of €100m, but it would be an investment worth making for an 18-year-old who can play anywhere across the front line to devastating effect.
RAFINHA (BARCELONA)

Another home-grown option who would certainly save Barca some cash, Rafinha has undoubtedly been patient enough when it comes to first-team opportunities.

The 24-year-old has been a back-up for much of the past three seasons but he has impressed on the relatively few chances he has been given in the starting line-up, both in central midfield and a wide forward role.

Again, fans might feel let down at the prospect of watching Neymar go without a marquee replacement, but they would soon forgive Valverde if he were able to coax a stellar season out of one of their academy stars.

ALEXIS SANCHEZ (ARSENAL)

There is no doubt Alexis Sanchez has become a better player since leaving Barcelona three years ago, and a return now would make sense for all concerned.

The Chile star would get the Champions League football he craves and be able to slot into the team without much fuss, while the rest of the squad would likely welcome a man who was a popular figure in the dressing room before he left for Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger has made it clear they do not want to sell, but the prospect of letting Sanchez join a team abroad instead of a Premier League rival will have a certain appeal. What’s more, with his contract expiring in a year, the Gunners need to cash in now or risk losing him for nothing in 2018.
BARCELONA B

If the market proves unforgiving and Valverde sees no solution in the first-team squad, the time might be right to dip into the B team and find the next young talent ready to make the breakthrough.

Barca have already lost a gem in Jordi Mboula to Monaco, but there are others in Gerard Lopez’s squad who could be worth a gamble.

Striker Anthony Lozano is 24 and desperate to break into the first team sooner rather than later, while Moha Ezzerfani is a flamboyant 19-year-old who boasts the skillset to play down either flank in the attack.

There is also Palmeiras loanee Vitinho, a midfielder who can also operate on the wing and named Neymar as his idol upon signing for the club.
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Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann is happy at the club amid links to Barcelona, according to Juanfran.

Griezmann is the latest player linked to Barca as the LaLiga giants seemingly prepare to replace Neymar, who is reportedly set to join Paris Saint-Germain.

The France international extended his contract at Atletico in June, signing on for an additional year to take his deal through to 2022.

After his side edged Napoli 2-1 at the Audi Cup on Tuesday, Juanfran played down suggestions Griezmann would move.

“We are open to the market. It is getting a little crazy and any operation can affect you,” he said, via AS.

“Griezmann is happy at the Atleti and we want to give everything for the Atleti.”

Atletico came from behind against Napoli as Fernando Torres and Luciano Vietto struck late to send them into the final, where Liverpool await.
Juanfran said reaching the final of the pre-season tournament had been a goal for Atletico.

“It’s a sign of identity, the coach [Diego Simeone] has instilled it. We always want to win, give our best and the fans will be proud of us because we want to win,” he said.

“Now we play the final of the Audi Cup, which is what we wanted.”
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