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West Ham travel to Anfield to take on reigning Premier League champions, Liverpool. The Hammers head into the game in fine form, unbeaten in their last four games and off the back of a battling draw against Manchester City last time out. Jurgen Klopp’s side have lost one of their last five games, that stunning 7-2 drubbing at the hands of Liverpool, but have enjoyed a solid start to the season as they look to defend their title. West Ham’s brutal run of fixtures just keeps on relentlessly moving along, having drawn with Spurs and Man City in their last two games before heading to Anfield this weekend. Moyes’ side have come through the fixtures, so far at least, with flying colours and will be looking to build on their confidence before taking on Fulham at London Stadium next Saturday night. It’s just the small matter of the champions in their way at Anfield before that though and it is a test Moyes is looking forward to. Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Becker, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Wi...

The League Management Company have fixed the calendar of the Nigerian Professional Football League to commence any time from November 15, 2020, and end it in June 2021. As a result, the LMC have approved 13 stadia to play hosts to NPFL’s 21 matches and also listed 11 others for varying degrees of upgrade/repairs. Approved stadia are Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos; Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo; Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin; Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba; Okigwe Township Stadium; Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi; Pantami Stadium, Gombe. Others are Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi; Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna; Enyimba Stadium, Aba; Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina; Ilorin Township Stadium. Listed for upgrade/repair are Umuahia Township Stadium; Dutse Township Stadium; Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano; Agege Stadium; Akure Stadium; Warri City Stadium; New Jos Stadium; Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu; Lafia Township Stadium; Ifeanyi Ubah Stadium, Nn...

Chelsea have kept three clean sheets on the bounce in all competitions and will be looking to register another win at Turf Moor this weekend. The Clarets are seeking their first win in the top flight having taken just one point from their opening five games. But Sean Dyche’s side produced improved performances in a 0-0 draw with West Brom and a 1-0 home reverse to Spurs in their last two matches. Yet Frank Lampard’s side remain formidable opponents having enjoyed a Champions League victory over Krasdnodar in midweek while they have lost just once in the league this season. The game will be played against the backdrop of takeover talk at Turf Moor with Egyptian businessman Mohamer El Kashashy and sports lawyer Chris Farnell confident of securing a deal. Burnley XI (4-4-2): N. Pope, M. Lowton, K. Long, J. Tarkowski, C. Taylor, A. Westwood, D. Stephens, J. Brownhill, D. McNeil, A. Barnes, C. Wood Chelsea XI (4-3-3): E. Mendy, R. James, T. Silva, K. Zouma, B. Chilwell, M. Mount, ...

Manchester United goalkeeper Sergio Romero could reportedly quit before the end of his Old Trafford contract. Romero is now seen as United’s fourth-choice goalkeeper, having been back-up to David de Gea – a position Dean Henderson has taken. The Argentine’s deal at the Premier League giants expires at the end of the season with thoughts that he may leave in January. Though El Intransigente report that Romero could say enough is enough and ‘rescind’ his deal during the season. The shot-stopper has not featured for United since their Europa League quarter-final win over Copenhagen in August. Romero is believed to earn £100,000 per week at Old Trafford with his wife, Eliana Guercio, criticising United for their treatment. The 33-year-old will not be involved for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side at all in the first half of the season with Lee Grant named ahead of him as third-choice. United continue their campaign on Sunday as they welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford in the Premier League. ...

Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu confirmed his resignation earlier in the week, calling time on his time at the Nou Camp ahead of an expected vote of no confidence next month. But he didn’t go out quietly. Bartomeu was unhappy about having to leave Barcelona but knew he had to jump before he was pushed. And according to Spanish website OKDiario, the Spaniard blames Neymar’s move to PSG for the miserable way his Nou Camp presidency panned out. It’s said Bartomeu and board members who also resigned think ‘everything started’ with the sale of the PSG star, who left in the summer transfer window of 2017. Since Neymar’s move away, the La Liga giants have seen their big-name signings struggle to fill the void. They’ve fallen in the semi-finals of the Champions League for the past three years and haven’t won the competition since 2015, back when Luis Enrique was in charge. The report adds that Bartomeu remains unhappy about the ‘Neymar soap opera’ of last season. The B...

Manchester City is looking to get back to winning ways in the Premier League this afternoon at winless Sheffield United. Having come through one almighty examination at Liverpool last week, Sheffield United face another at home to Manchester City this afternoon. City was held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at West Ham last week but bounced back in midweek with a comprehensive 3-0 win in Marseille in the Champions League. Now, the challenge is to get three points on the board in the league once more ahead of next week’s clash with Liverpool. The Blades will have to be at their most mobile and agile to keep up today. Sheffield United XI (3-5-2): Ramsdale, Basham, Egan, Stevens, Baldock, Norwood, Ampadu, Berge, Osborn, Brewster, McBurnie   Manchester City XI (4-3-3): Moraes, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo, Guendogan, Hernandez, Bruyne, Mahrez, Sterling, Foden Kick-off is at 13:30 (GMT +1). The post-Sheffield  United v Manchester City: Confirmed Lineup Out was first publish...

  Wenger believes that nothing else other than Mbappe’s choice matters when it comes to his future. Speaking about whether he believes Kylian Mbappe will leave PSG next season, Arsene Wenger said: “I’m not sure he will leave Paris Saint-Germain. I think he has a hesitation because he’s two or one and a half years close to the end of his contract. “After that, I believe 90 per cent of the players, their career depends on where they go. 10% doesn’t matter, you know, no matter where they, they will be great players. “So it doesn’t depend on Zidane or Klopp for Mbappe to be a great player. He’s 22-years-old, he’s a world champion and he’s won everything championship every year. So it doesn’t matter too much. It’s just his choice that matters.” Wenger seems to be the only one who believes Mbappe won’t move next summer, with many other prominent ex-footballers or personalities tipping him to join Real Madrid. Los Blancos are said to regard the Frenchman ‘as a cornerstone’ of their future...

  Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen and Fikayo Tomori are all competing for two centre-back positions at Chelsea. Lampard is very aware of the fact that his man-management will be the key to the Blues' success this term. "I’m very conscious of it because to win anything you need to have a tight-knit squad," he added. 'We do have a big squad, we have five centre-backs and it’s not necessarily easy to manage. I say that in a genuine way," Frank Lampard told the pre-Burnley presser, as quoted by Goal. "We probably have to upset to some degree three of them every game in the way they are not starting depending on circumstances. I respect the players and feelings and I am sure that they expect and want to start and have a really good case to start. "I have to make sure the feel of the squad is good and the spirit is good. At the minute it feels really good. So the example of Toni coming in and training well over the past couple o...

  Barcelona's gem made history with both club and country on multiple occasions - and he's just turned 18! Here are his most important records. Youngest Barca player to score in La Liga Aged just 16 years and 304 days, Ansu Fati scored his first Barcelona goal in the 2-2 away draw at Osasuna on August 31, 2019. Youngest player to score and assist in the same game in La Liga 14 days later, Ansu scored the opener and assisted on Frenkie de Jong's goal just 5 minutes after his own strike in the 5-2 Valencia win. Youngest Barca debutant in the Champions League 3 days later, Ansu made his debut appearance in the Champions League, starting in the goalless draw against Borussia Dortmund away. Youngest player to score a goal in Champions League Aged 17 years and 40 days, Ansu scored the winner in the Champions League 2-1 away win against Inter on December 10. Youngest player to score a brace in La Liga Aged 17 years and 94 days, Ansu scored twice in the 2-1 Levante win on February ...

Arteta admits that the absence of supporters at the stadium makes his work of building a new winning team more difficult saying he needs fans back to generate synergy, cohesion and unity within them so that they could feel that they belong to what is being built. “What I can tell you is that obviously when you are trying to build a new project there is something that you need and that is your people and your crowd,” Mikel Arteta said as quoted by the Evening Standard. “If not, you are unable to generate that synergy, that cohesion, that unity within them to feel that they belong to what we are trying to do – that they feel united, they feel close to what we are trying to do. blog_image “It is really difficult and we are now suffering when they are not in the stadium because I really want them to see closely, not on TV but really closely, what the team is trying to do, what the players are putting in so they can feel that connection with them. “So they will then be really participating ...

  A teenager who publicly campaigns on the issues of homelessness and child food poverty in the United Kingdom and has been praised for using his platform to be a political activist and drive societal change. For his efforts, he was recognised as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2020. Big game player Whenever Man United head into a big game, you know you can rely on Marcus Rashford to produce the goods. Even if our other top stars have a stinker, Rashy ends up elevating them with his brilliant performances. His hunger for shining against the top sides have seen him score against almost every ‘big team’ he’s faced in his career. Last season itself he scored goals against Man City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea! Ever since his debut where he scored against Arsenal, Rashford has kept on shining on the biggest occasions and proven to be a true Big game player. United through and through Unlike some other players over the last few years, Rashford always prioriti...

The former Arsenal midfielder says that as a Frenchman he wants Mbappe to stay in his home country. But Pires believes that to grow into a world-class player, he must join Los Blancos. When asked about whether he sees Kylian Mbappe joining Real Madrid next summer, former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires told AS: “Of course. I’m French, I like Paris Saint-Germain and I’d like him to stay in Ligue 1. “But if he wants to keep growing as a player, he should sign for Real Madrid.” Not just Pires, but recently Mbappe’s national teammate Adil Rami also said he believes the PSG man will join Madrid next season. Los Blancos are ready to ‘bet everything’ on signing the young sensation and considering that Florentino Perez reportedly has already funds reserved for his transfer – everything points towards the Frenchman donning the Whites’ jersey next season.

Real Madrid are set to put a stunning offer on the ground for Juventus forward Paulo Dybala. The Argentinian has been in talks to sign a new contract with the Italian giants but an agreement is still far away. According to CalcioMercato, Real are seriously interested in signing Dybala and could end up offering up to two players in a player swap deal. Dybala’s current contract runs out in the summer of 2022 and it has been confirmed that the Old Lady want to extend that deal. However, talks about a new deal have been delayed multiple times due to the coronavirus and that has frustrated Dybala. It is believed that talks have re-opened recently but that an agreement is still far away. Zinedine Zidane’s side hope to benefit from the contract row between Juventus and Dybala as they are looking to bolster their attacking power next summer. It has now been suggested that Los Blancos are considering several options, including a full player swap with Vinicius Junior and Isco moving to T...

The coach believes the noise in the media is understandable given the youngster's stellar display against Juventus. The Dutchman says Pedri is unfazed by the reactions with his feet on the ground. "At 17 years [of age], playing the Clasico and then against Juventus, and to do it so well... It's normal for the press to talk about him," Ronald Koeman said when asked on Pedri's staggering rise. On the promising midfielder, the coach added: "He is a very humble boy who has his feet on the ground. He enjoys his games and has the help of his teammates to shine if he plays." Pedri produced a stellar performance against Juventus, destroying 32-year-old Juan Cuadrado several times. In total, the Blaugrana gem has accumulated 327 minutes in 7 games in all competitions, scoring once.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta insists he "tried his best" to make sure Ozil find his feet up and running in Arsenal and was "patient" and "fair" in his treatment of the German midfielder. Ozil has fallen down the pecking order and has been omitted from the Gunners' Premier League and Europa League squads and his fate does not look like changing at all. "What I can tell you that I tried my best, I tried to give him as many opportunities as I could," the Arsenal boss told Sky Sports. "And that from my own side, I've been patient, given him opportunities and been fair. "He's a player that belongs to a football club, he's been a really important player in the last few seasons. I have to respect that, I'm here to make decisions, the best decisions for the team and for the club. "This is what I try to do and then I have to explain them because people need the reasons and the right answers. I just give mine, whether ...

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been tipped to walk away from the Etihad but won’t necessarily be returning to Barcelona despite speculation linking him with a move to the Nou Camp. That’s the opinion of transfer expert Ian McGarry. Guardiola’s future is still up in the air, with the City boss in the final year of his contract. The Spaniard is yet to sign an extension, though he is believed to be in talks with the club. He has remained coy over his future, and hinted on Friday that he wanted to be at City beyond next summer. It has often been speculated that he would be more willing to leave the Etihad if they were to win the European Cup, but now he could be presented with a different alternative. After Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu resigned, the various presidential candidates started proposing their various visions for the club. But speaking to the Transfer Window Podcast, McGarry hinted that the manager could instead opt to head over to America and manage City’s...

According to a  report, Spanish giant  Barcelona could be declared bankrupt in January unless they reduce cost by imposing a significant pay-cut. The club has to reduce its wages bill by €190m with the deadline set on November 5. Luckily, the players finally started the negotiations over 30% salary drop this Friday. Earlier on October, Barca confirmed they closed the 2019-2020 financial year with a €97m loss while their debt rose up to €488m. The coronavirus pandemic is the main reason behind the economic crisis because Barca depends too much on tourism and ticket sales. Source: TRIBUNA.COM

According to Ear to the Ground's ranking, Barcelona and Liverpool are among the 10 most culturally-relevant sports brands in the world. Major 6 Criteria used in ranking this brands are as follows:  driving positive change (55%), disrupting the norm (37%), celebrating sports heritage (33%), standing for something (for example, for the #BlackLivesMatter movement) (29%), instigating cultural collaboration (23%) and forming authentic partnerships (23%). The full top 10: 1. Adidas 2. Jordan 3. The NBA 4. The Premier League 5. Nike 6. FC Barcelona 7. Los Angeles Lakers 8. Liverpool FC 9. EA Sports 10. Chicago Bulls

Barcelona German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen has been sidelined for about 3 months due to a recurring knee injury which needed him to undergo surgery. A patella tendon injury has plagued Ter Stegen all year, first having treatment on the issue in early January. After a brief respite, the German began feeling pain in his knee again and accepted that surgery was required, but he delayed the operation until the end of the season. The German will be back between the sticks for the La Liga clash against Real Betis on November 7. Marc-Andre ter Stegen is expected to receive the medical green light next Wednesday as Barcelona face Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League, according to Diario AS. Ter Stegen has missed 10 games through injury since August 2020.with second-choice goalkeeper covering up and so far has not done bad conceding just 6goals in 7 games with 3 clean sheets.

  Italian journalist Stefano Boldrini believes Frank Lampard is much more protected and is backed then Chelsea's previous managers Sarri in particular. "If Sarri had a start like Lampard this year at Chelsea he would be fired, Lampard was protected," Italian journalist Stefano Boldrini told TuttoJuve. Despite a huge splash of money in the transfer Lampard side is yet to hit top gear in the 2020/21 season winning 2 of their 6 Premier League games so far and Stefano Boldrini believes Sarri would have come under tremendous pressure. However, things are beginning to fall in place as the blues are yet to concede a single goal in their last 3 games across all competition. Maurizio Sarri was appointed as Chelsea manager in the 2017/18 season, where he won the UEFA Europa League in his only season with the club. He returned to Italy to coach Juventus in 2019, with whom he went on to win the Serie A title in his first season, becoming the oldest manager to ever win the Serie A.

  N'Golo Kante had a long, tough way to becoming the world-class player we know today. For years, he played in lower leagues in France, and it was only in the Premier League where the midfielder rose to stardom. It does not mean he was not a good player as a kid, though. His first team, JS Suresnes in Paris' western suburbs, even won some local trophies... although N'Golo was probably one of the last players to get his hands on them. Kante was one of the youngest and smallest players in the team - but we can also safely assume that his humility was also one of the reasons why he looked from afar as his teammates lifted the cups. Well, he's now raised more trophies than the rest of them combined, including two Premier League trophies, the Europa League and, of course, the World Cup in 2018. Not too bad for the smallest kid in the team. N'Golo Kanté born 29 March 1991  he joined Leicester City for a fee worth £5.6 million and became an integral member of the club'...

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder Frank Lampard's plan for Ethan Ampadu suggesting that the Chelsea boss sees the Welsh man as a sitting midfielder, not as a defender.  "The game has moved on, you have to be so mobile as a professional footballer now," Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder told Sky Sports. "Mobility is a keyword that everybody uses because of the mobility and athleticism in other teams, so I believe that was the right formation for us – obviously we changed it when we really had to go for it in the second half. "The game does become a bit stretched but when you’ve got the likes of Sander and Ethan, the way they get about the park, it gives you a little bit more security. I thought Ethan’s performance was outstanding. "I know the manager at Chelsea sees him as a sitting midfield player. He obviously played at right centre-half at Leipzig and in the middle of a back three as well in his time there, so they saw him in that position. "The g...

  Lyon boss Rudi Garcia has pointed out how important Dutch attacker Memphis Depay is to the team and is satisfied with his current form and is willing to do anything just to see the striker stay put in Lyon. "[It] makes me think about putting a tackle on Koeman when the time is right. But when the time is right, I will do it," Lyon's head coach Rudi Garcia jokingly said while discussing the Memphis Depay rumours. "I'm not surprised [about Depay's form]. He does what he says he is good at. He needed time after his long injury layoff. "He didn't have 90 minutes in his legs previously. At the start of the season, we hoped that he could deliver what he is doing now. He plays the role of captain excellently. He's very important to me as a coach," the Frenchman concluded. The former Manchester United man has scored 5 goals and 3 assists for Lyon in Ligue 1 this season. Source: TRIBUNE.COM

Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Brazilian midfielder Fbinho will not be involved in the game against West Ham on Saturday. Fabinho suffered a hamstring injury their game against Danish side Midtjylland in the Uefa Champions League as he was subbed off 30 minutes into the game and reports suggest he could be ruled out for several weeks missing out in games against West Ham, Atalanta and, most importantly, Manchester City. "Fab is not in," Jurgen Klopp said at a pre-game press conference. "He got a little injury if you want. He will be out for the weekend and probably slightly longer." The 27-year-old midfielder joined the reds from French side Monaco On 28 May 2018, signing for the club on a long-term contract for a reported initial fee of £39 million. His competitive debut for the club came as an injury-time substitute for Sadio Mané in a Champions League group match against Paris Saint-Germain on 18 September, a 3–2 win at Anfield. He made his leagu...

Billy Gilmour was spotted heavily involved during Chelsea's training session on Friday ahead of their meeting with Burnley on Saturday after been sidelined through injury for almost 4 months. The Scot got injured during the Chelsea game against Crystal Palace in July - right after the restart of the season suffering heavy knee ligament damage and had to undergo surgery. Having been tipped as frank Lampard favourite midfielder thou behind Mason Mount he featured in games against top teams like of Liverpool, Man United, Everton showing really how important he was to the boss. Gilmour joined Chelsea in 2017 after turning down a professional contract with Rangers. He has since then represented Scotland at under-16, under-17 and under-21 levels.

As Barcelona set to lock horn with Alaves we bring you some insight on pass records, available & non-available players due to injury or technical reasons and more...  Barcelona injury list. Marc-Andre ter Stegen (knee), Samuel Umtiti (lack of fitness), Ronald Araujo (thigh) and Philippe Coutinho (hamstring) are unavailable through injuries. Technical reason. Riqui Puig is left out for technical reasons. Squad list. Alaves (injury) First-choice defensive midfielder Pere Pons is injured. Stats to know.  Barcelona has won all of their last 8 fixtures against Alaves in all competitions. The Catalans have scored about 3.3 goals on average in the last 8 games vs Alaves. Alaves are currently La Liga's 10th side in terms of home form; Barcelona is 11th in terms of away matches. Probable line-ups. Barca XI : Neto; Dest, Pique, Lenglet, Alba; Busquets, De Jong; Dembele, Messi, Fati; Griezmann. Alaves XI: Pacheco; Navarro, Laguardia, Lejeune, Duarte; Mendez, Pina, Battaglia, Jota; P...

Mohamed Salah is set to feature for Liverpool in the Premier League against West Ham on Saturday afternoon despite limping down the tunnel during the Champions League victory over Midtjylland on Tuesday. According to Premier Injuries, the Egyptian forward trained as normal with the group on Thursday. Jurgen Klopp told reporters when asked for an injury update this week: “Fabinho, I don’t know. “Muscle injuries are like this, you get the result tomorrow morning probably. I don’t know [about Joel Matip], we have to see. “Look, if it would be only one game we play, if it was the last game of the season, I think we could make probably one or the other fit for one game – but we play three days later again and we need players again. “The players who are now injured, we cannot use them on the first day of being fit again – or not injured anymore. They need a proper build-up for the rest of the season and that’s what we try. “It is this juggle all the time between the fit players – how ...

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly tested negative for coronavirus and can return to action for Juventus this weekend. The Portuguese forward has missed the Turin club’s last four games in all competitions after contracting the virus on international duty with Portugal 19 days ago. And the Serie A champions confirmed on Friday that Ronaldo is no longer required to self-isolate at home following his negative rest, meaning he could return to action on Sunday as Old Lady travels to Spezia. Ronaldo first tested positive following Portugal’s fixtures against France and Spain on October 13 despite being asymptomatic throughout his entire self-isolation period. Two weeks after his initial diagnosis, Ronaldo took another test on Wednesday of last week – but another positive result saw his return to the Juventus squad delayed even further. The post-Cristiano  Ronaldo Has Finally Tested Negative For Coronavirus was first published on GoalBall.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has responded to talks of Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font wanting him to return to the club once he is elected. The Spaniard has entered the final year of his contract at City and talks about a new deal have not started yet. Responding to the rumours Guardiola has insisted that he is very happy at the Etihad. “I’m incredibly happy here, delighted to be in Manchester and hopefully I can do a good job this season to stay longer,” he said when asked about the link with his former club. With these comments, it only seems a formality that Guardiola will be offered a new contract soon. Earlier on the Spaniard said he needed to earn himself a new deal but with his performances over the years, it seems very unlikely that City will decide to part ways with their manager next summer. The post-Guardiola  Comments On Rumours Of Messi Reunion At Barca was first published on GoalBall.

Arsenal have already faced three of last season’s top five clubs with another big fixture coming up against Manchester United on Sunday. They’ve so far failed to beat Manchester City, Liverpool or Leicester. Arsenal currently sit 11th in the table and could drop down as low as 15th if they lose against United on Sunday. Despite the poor run of form for the Gunners, Arteta is still well supported by the board. But Jamie Redknapp believes that can quickly change if he’s unable to turn around results in the league. “It’s been a difficult run [for Arsenal]. Sometimes when you come in to a club you can make a big impact,” Redknapp told Sky Sports’ Pitch to Post podcast. “If they can start the game well they will see it as an opportunity to get a result. “Arteta was doing such a good job for a while but it doesn’t take long for it to turn. “You only have to lose a few games and the focus turns on you. Mikel will be well aware of that.” The post Arsenal Board Could Make Surprise Dec...

Arsenal’s head of football operations Huss Fahmy has become the latest in a string of high-profile club executives to leave the Emirates. He was considered Arsenal’s top contract negotiator but will depart after conducting a month-long handover. Fahmy’s exit follows those of head of recruitment Francis Cagigao and head of football Raul Sanllehi in August, while scouts Peter Clark and Brian McDermott were also let go. Arsenal announced last summer they would be making 55 staff redundant in light of the coronavirus outbreak, which caused “more significant and longer-lasting reductions in our revenue than we all hoped”. Fahmy joined the Emirate outfit from Team Sky in June 2017 and Sanllehi described him as “a talented and highly-capable leader of our football operations”. But he will leave his role negotiating contracts and meeting with agents, according to The Athletic, which adds sources close to the Gnners are “unsurprised” by his departure. Arsenal’s recruitment process has be...

Jose Mourinho admits Gareth Bale is no longer the player he once was and the Tottenham boss has promised the struggling Wales superstar will get better. The formerly lightning quick winger looks a shadow of the player who moved to Spain for a then world-record fee of £86million in September 2013. But Mourinho said: “I repeat the same – seven years is a long, long, long gap. “Which player in the world is the same as he was seven years ago? “Sometimes they’re not better or worse, they’re just different players. “For example, you look at [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi, and compare them with seven years ago… they play in different areas, different positions. “They transform their qualities to try and explore their qualities in other responsibilities in the tactical system of their teams. “I think it happens with the majority of the players, so for sure he is a different player.” Bale came off the bench in Tottenham’s last home top-flight match when they threw away a 3-0 ...

James Rodriguez will miss out of Everton’s Sunday trip to Newcastle as the Premier League leaders look to return to winning ways. Rodriguez played the whole 90 minutes against Saints despite Carlo Ancelotti raising concerns over his fitness before the game. Now, though, the former Real Madrid man will miss out at St James’ Park having enjoyed a fine start to life on Merseyside. “We have back Jonjoe Kenny and (Jarrad) Branthwaite. James will not be available, and we have (Seamus) Coleman out and Richarlison and Lucas Digne suspended,” Ancelotti said when asked for the latest team news. “He (Rodriguez) has played all the games. He had a little problem, so he needs to rest for this game and he will be available for the next game.” With a number of key men missing, Ancelotti believes his players now have the perfect opportunity to prove how strong his squad is. “It was not a good day against Southampton. We have moved forward and we are preparing well for this game. It is importan...