Atletico Madrid came from behind to snatch a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Barcelona and claim leade...

Atletico Madrid came from behind to snatch a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Barcelona and claim leadership of La Liga on Saturday.Pedri sent the Catalans ahead but second-half goals from Rodrigo De Paul and Alexander Sorloth helped Diego Simeone's side move three points clear at the top of the table, having played one match fewer than Barca.Hansi Flick's side dominated at the Olympic stadium but Atletico clung on before claiming a 12th consecutive victory across all competitions with Sorloth's stoppage-time strike.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Barcelona started the season in superb form but have stumbled in recent weeks and have now won just one of their last seven league games.This was their third consecutive home league defeat, their worst such run since 1987, while it was also Simeone's first ever away triumph against Barcelona in La Liga.Champions Real Madrid face Sevilla on Sunday and can also move ahead of Barcelona with a victory."We'd never won at Barcelona since I arrived, at last we've done it," Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak told Movistar."We suffered a lot, we started badly... but we are in very good form, we resisted, and after going a goal down we knew how to bear it out without letting in the second."Barcelona, missing injured teenage star Lamine Yamal, controlled the first half and suffocated Atletico with their press, albeit without constructing many chances.Raphinha missed with an early header and had another effort blocked, while Oblak fielded a stinging Inigo Martinez effort.The hosts appealed for a penalty when the ball struck Giuliano Simeone's arm in the area but it would have been a harsh punishment for the Atletico coach's son.Barcelona took the lead after 30 minutes with Pedri both the architect and scorer of the goal.The Spain midfielder burst forward with the ball and fed Gavi, who tried to turn and inadvertently nudged the ball back to the surging Pedri, who entered the box and slotted past Oblak.<h3>Super-sub Sorloth</h3>Barcelona should have doubled their lead early in the second half, with Fermin Lopez denied by Oblak's legs before Raphinha hit the crossbar.Pedri played in the Brazilian winger with a fine pass over the top and Raphinha lofted the ball over the goalkeeper but it struck the woodwork on its way down.Moments later Atletico were level, with Marc Casado's misguided backheel clearance falling to De Paul on the edge of the area.The in-form Argentine midfielder finished with a firm low effort into the bottom corner for his third goal in his last four league games.In the final stages both teams tried to snatch a winner, with La Liga's top goalscorer Robert Lewandowski missing from point-blank range, although Ferran Torres appeared offside in the build-up.At the other end Inaki Pena made a fine save to keep Pablo Barrios at bay, while Oblak saved from Raphinha after another superb Pedri ball.The outstanding Canarian midfielder had a chance to score himself but Oblak again proved too hard to beat, and his efforts did not go unrewarded.Deep in stoppage time Nahuel Molina crossed for regular super-sub Sorloth to strike and ensure Atletico will be top of the pile at Christmas.

BARCELONA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 21: Alexander Sorloth of Atletico de Madrid celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammates during the LaLiga match between FC Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on December 21, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.

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Atletico snatch last-gasp win over Barcelona to top La Liga

Mikel Arteta said the Premier League title race is "on" after his Arsenal side swept Crystal Pala...

Mikel Arteta said the Premier League title race is "on" after his Arsenal side swept Crystal Palace aside 5-1 on Saturday to move just three points behind leaders Liverpool.Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick against Palace in the League Cup at the Emirates on Wednesday, netted twice at Selhurst Park and was only denied a third by the width of a post, with Kai Havertz pouncing.Palace forward Ismaila Sarr, who had pulled his team level at 1-1, failed to make the most of two inviting opportunities early in the second half.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Instead. Arsenal added two more, climbing back into third place above Nottingham Forest, who had leapfrogged them earlier in the day.The only concern for Arteta - celebrating five years in charge at Arsenal - will be that Bukayo Saka limped off midway through the first half.The Gunners are now within touching distance of Liverpool, but Arne Slot's team have played two games fewer. Chelsea are second, a point clear of Arsenal.A bullish Arteta said the Gunners, who have not won the Premier League title since 2004, were now firmly in the title picture."We are not even halfway so we're going to try and set something. For us, it's on," he told Sky Sports."We're winning, we've done the job, we're in a really good run at the moment. Even though we drew two games in the Premier League (against Fulham and Everton) that we fully deserved to win, it's about the next one. That's it, enjoy," he added.<h3>'Going to enjoy Christmas'</h3>"I'm going to enjoy Christmas with my family because when you win, it's always better."Jesus opened the scoring in the sixth minute, finishing confidently after fine work from Saka on the right wing for his first Premier League goal since January.But Palace were level just five minutes later when Sarr collected a Tyrick Mitchell pass, opening his body and bending the ball past the diving David Raya.Arsenal's second came after a corner, with Jesus steering the ball in off the post with pinpoint precision when it fell to him.Brimming with confidence, he headed against a post in the 38th minute, with Havertz following up to tap in.Sarr could have done better with a diving header from close range in the opening minutes of the second half, but Raya got down low to save.Raya was called into action again minutes later, keeping out Jean-Philippe Mateta's fierce drive from distance and clutching the ball from Sarr's header on the follow-up.But Palace were unable to reduce the deficit and instead Arsenal stretched their lead - and again Jesus could have completed his hat-trick.Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson denied the Brazil international, but substitute Declan Rice made good contact with the ball and Gabriel Martinelli turned it in from close range.Rice scored himself in the 84th minute to make it five, curling a shot from the edge of the box into the far corner.

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 21: Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammate Gabriel during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Arsenal FC at Selhurst Park on December 21, 2024 in London, England.

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Jesus bullies Palace again to breathe life into Arsenal's title bid

Top-flight side Nice needed penalties to beat fifth-tier amateurs Corte to reach the last 32 of t...

Top-flight side Nice needed penalties to beat fifth-tier amateurs Corte to reach the last 32 of the French Cup on Saturday.Three-time winners Nice trailed 1-0 after 11 minutes as Christopher Boussemart opened the scoring for the Corsican hosts, who are bottom of their group in Nationale 3.Former Spurs and Napoli midfielder Tanguy Ndombele then brought the sides level after an hour.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>As the game went to spot kicks Corte's Fabio Perotto missed his side's fourth effort before France right-back Jonathan Clauss sent Les Aiglons into the next round.There is one outfit from the seventh-tier still in the competition.Regionale 2's Marmande head to third-tier Le Mans on Sunday.The highlight of this weekend's last 64 ties is Paris Saint-Germain's trip to Lens on Sunday.

Le Havre's Moroccan midfielder #5 Oussama Targhalline (L) and Nice's French midfielder #22 Tanguy Ndombele go for the ball during the French L1 football match between OGC Nice and Le Havre AC at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice, south-eastern France, on December 7, 2024.

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Nice avoid Coupe de France upset with shootout win over 5th-tier Corte

Sheffield United remained three points clear at the top of English football's second-tier Champio...

Sheffield United remained three points clear at the top of English football's second-tier Championship after a 2-0 win away to Cardiff on Saturday where Kieffer Moore scored twice against his old club."We're getting stretched a little bit at the moment with six senior players out, but this young team keeps doing what they do," said Blades manager Chris Wilder.It was a valuable victory given all of the Blades' three nearest challengers also won as well on Saturday.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Leeds stayed within three points of their Yorkshire rivals after overwhelming Oxford 4-0 thanks to goals from Dan James, Jayden Bogle, Brenden Aaronson and Manor Solomon.Burnley, meanwhile, remained a point further back after edging out fellow promotion hopefuls Watford 2-1.Jaidon Anthony and Josh Brownhill put Burnley on top before Kwadwo Baah's 80th-minute goal threatened a Watford revival.Fourth-placed Sunderland stayed in touch in the hunt for automatic promotion - only the top two at the end of the regular season are guaranteed places in the lucrative Premier League - by coming from behind to beat 10-man Norwich 2-1 Anis Ben Slimane gave the visitors a half-time lead at a windswept Stadium of Light but Daniel Ballard and Jobe Bellingham struck either side of the 72nd-minute dismissal of Jose Cordoba.At the other end of the table, Callum Lang scored all four goals for Portsmouth as they climbed out of the relegation zone with an extraordinary 4-1 win over Coventry at Fratton Park.Norman Bassette gave visitors Coventry, managed by former England midfielder Frank Lampard, the lead inside 150 seconds.But Lang, who had never previously scored a professional hat-trick, turned the game on its head with a superb individual display."Since Callum has come to the football club, he has scored some big goals and he has been our outstanding player this season," said Portsmouth manager John Mousinho."The energy he puts in, the amount of running he does, his physical presence ... it is about adding quality for him. Today he added the quality and was superb."Hull, who started the day bottom of the table, enjoyed a much-needed 2-1 win at home to Swansea, their first victory in 14 matches.Mason Burstow's 80th-minute strike earned new boss Ruben Selles his maiden Hull victory after Harry Darling's fine header cancelled out Joao Pedro's deflected opener for the hosts.Those results helped drop Plymouth to the bottom of the table after Wayne Rooney's men were involved in a thrilling 3-3 draw with a Middlesbrough side managed by his former Manchester United teammate Michael Carrick. Plymouth led three times through Lewis Gibson, Darko Gyabi and Mustapha Bundu, but Boro hit back on each occasion with goals from Jonathan Howson, Hayden Hackney and Emmanuel Latte Lath.Elsewhere, Millwall edged out Blackburn 1-0, QPR continued their rise up up the table with a 2-1 win at home to Preston, and Sheffield Wednesday defeated Stoke 2-0.

Portsmouth's Callum Lang celebrates scoring their side's fourth goal of the game during the Sky Bet Championship match at Fratton Park, Portsmouth. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024.

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Championship roundup: Sheffield United stay top, Lang's 4 goals soothe Pompey

Newcastle deepened Ipswich's plight and lifted themselves to seventh in the table with a 4-0 win ...

Newcastle deepened Ipswich's plight and lifted themselves to seventh in the table with a 4-0 win at Portman Road.Isak volleyed Eddie Howe's team ahead in the first minute and Jacob Murphy doubled their lead before Isak side-footed in from close range just before the break.The Sweden international scored his third nine minutes into the second half, poking the ball home after more fine work from Murphy.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>It was a ninth defeat in 17 games for Ipswich since they returned to the Premier League and they remain in the relegation zone, two points from safety.

IPSWICH, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 21: Alexander Isak of Newcastle United celebrates after scoring the first of his three goals during the Premier League match between Ipswich Town FC and Newcastle United FC at Portman Road on December 21, 2024 in Ipswich, England.

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Isak fires hat-trick as Newcastle inflict heavy defeat on Ipswich

Nottingham Forest stormed Brentford's fortress Saturday to climb to third in the Premier League t...

Nottingham Forest stormed Brentford's fortress Saturday to climb to third in the Premier League table.Forest won 2-0 for their third consecutive Premier League victory, condemning Brentford to their first home defeat this season.Coming into the game, Thomas Frank's team boasted the best home record in the league, with seven wins and a draw from their eight games at the Gtech Community Stadium.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>But they came unstuck against Nuno Espirito Santo's in-form team.Ola Aina slotted home the opener towards the end of the first half and Anthony Elanga made it 2-0 early in the second period.

Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match at the Gtech Community Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024.

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Nottingham Forest continue to defy expectations with win at Brentford

German international defender Benjamin Henrichs has torn an Achilles tendon in his right foot and...

German international defender Benjamin Henrichs has torn an Achilles tendon in his right foot and is expected to be sidelined for several months, his club side Leipzig said Saturday.The 27-year-old picked up the injury late in Friday's 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich and was stretched off.Leipzig said Henrichs will undergo surgery in Munich on Monday and is expected to be out for several months.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Marco Rose's side are already without Dutch playmaker Xavi Simons and French defender Castello Lukeba to injury.Leipzig are fourth in the Bundesliga table nine points behind leaders Bayern.

MUNICH, GERMANY - DECEMBER 20: Benjamin Henrichs of Leipzig in action during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and RB Leipzig at Allianz Arena on December 20, 2024 in Munich, Germany.

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Leipzig's Henrichs ruled out several months with Achilles injury

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insisted his struggling Premier League champions will regai...

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insisted his struggling Premier League champions will regain their confidence after a 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa on Saturday meant they had lost nine of their last 12 matches in all competitions.Jhon Duran gave Villa an early lead before Morgan Rogers doubled the Birmingham club's advantage in the 65th minute. Phil Foden's stoppage-time goal for visitors City came too late to change the result as Villa climbed above Guardiola's men into fifth place in the table.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Defeat extended the worst run of Guardiola's celebrated managerial career but the City boss was adamant he and his players could regain their confidence, telling TNT Sports: "Step by step, we have nice personalities in the team and sooner or later we are going to find it."Guardiola praised a Villa side managed by fellow Spanish boss Unai Emery by saying: "Congratulations Aston Villa and keep going. In the mid-block they are so strong. "We have good moments, we had chances, more chances than in the (Manchester) United game, but in the second half we dropped and our pressing was not good enough... We found a goal in the end, but too late."This result meant previously prolific striker Erling Haaland, a key figure while City were winning an unprecedented four successive Premier League titles, has now scored just once in his last six appearances."Of course we are disappointed," he said. It's not good enough, it's not good enough from me."Haaland added: "We have to continue. First I'm looking at myself, I haven't been doing things good enough, I haven't been scoring my chances. I have to do better, I haven't been good enough."Haaland, however, backed Guardiola to oversee a City revival. "He (Guardiola) won the Premier League six times in seven years, so we will never forget that," said Haaland. "He will find the solutions. He has been doing that every single year. We still believe in him, we have to work harder than ever right now."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (left) reacts on the touchline during the Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024.

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Guardiola says City will regain confidence 'sooner or later' after another loss

Aston Villa beat crisis-hit Manchester City 2-1 on Saturday to heap more misery on floundering ma...

Aston Villa beat crisis-hit Manchester City 2-1 on Saturday to heap more misery on floundering manager Pep Guardiola, who has now suffered nine defeats in his past 12 matches.Jhon Duran finished off a fine team move to give the home side an early lead and Morgan Rogers doubled Villa's advantage in the 65th minute.Phil Foden scored his first Premier League goal of the season in stoppage time to pull one back, but it proved to be too little too late.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Guardiola, in the worst run of his managerial career, said Friday that "sooner or later" things will turn around, but City's fear factor has vanished and they have just one win in their past 12 games in all competitions.City have now lost six Premier League games in the current campaign, twice as many as they suffered during the whole of last season, when they were crowned champions for a fourth straight season.They have dropped to sixth in the Premier League, nine points behind leaders Liverpool having played two games more, while Villa leapfrogged them into fifth.Guardiola said he trusted his players despite their shocking form."It depends on us," he told the BBC. "The solution is bring the players back. We have just one central defender fit. That is difficult.""We have to think positive and I have incredible trust in the guys," he added. "Some of them have incredible pride and desire to do it. We have to find a way, step by step, sooner or later to find a way back."Guardiola made six changes to the team side that lost last week's Manchester derby, bringing in goalkeeper Stefan Ortega and reshaping his defence with Rico Lewis, John Stones and Manuel Akanji.Mateo Kovacic and Jack Grealish also returned.But the defending champions started the match in chaotic fashion and could have been behind with just 15 seconds on the clock.Untidy work from Josko Gvardiol allowed John McGinn to steal the ball and he fed Duran, whose shot from outside the box was pushed behind by Ortega.Villa were millimetres away from taking the lead from the resulting corner, with Ortega, in for injured first-choice goalkeeper Ederson, producing a superb save to deny Pau Torres.City then settled and their possession numbers topped 75% but they created little.<h3>Duran strikes again</h3>Instead, it was Villa who took the lead in the 16th minute through Duran after a superb team move.Youri Tielemans delivered a wonderful defence-splitting pass to Rogers, who burst through City's backline with ease before squaring for Duran, and the Colombian international finished crisply for his seventh Premier League goal of the season.Foden tested Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the 35th minute after an incisive move involving Lewis.And Gvardiol squandered a glorious chance moments before half-time, heading a Grealish cross over the bar.Guardiola brought on Kyle Walker for Stones at the break, but Villa again took control, this time enjoying much more of the ball.Minutes into the second half, Matty Cash lashed an attempt into the side netting after a speedy attack before Duran had a strike ruled out for offside.Rogers, formerly of Manchester City, hit the foot of the post just before the hour mark after an intricate team move down the left.But Emery's men doubled their lead 20 minutes into the second half, with Rogers finishing unerringly from a McGinn pass.City created little as they searched for a way back into the game until Foden pounced for a late consolation goal.Emery told TNT Sports that Villa were "feeling strong.""We played the first half very well," he said. "In the second half, we kept possession more and getting in the box to score the second goal, we imposed and dominated more."

Manchester City's Phil Foden (centre) stands dejected after the Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024.

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Man City suffer 9th loss in 12 games with Aston Villa defeat

France international footballer Paul Pogba told AFP on Friday he wanted "to turn the page" after ...

France international footballer Paul Pogba told AFP on Friday he wanted "to turn the page" after his brother was sentenced to a three-year prison term, with two years suspended, after a high-profile extortion case."There is no winner in this case which involves members of my family and people I have known since childhood," the former Juventus and Manchester United star said through his lawyer.On Thursday, Mathias Pogba, the elder brother of the footballer, was told he would be able to serve his sentence at home while wearing an electronic device rather than behind bars. <div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The court also fined Mathias 20,000 euros for participating in the attempted extortion of 13 million euros ($13.5 million) from Paul Pogba in 2022, and for putting pressure on the player, his family and his business contacts to obtain the payment.Five childhood friends of the player were sentenced up to eight years in prison and handed fines of 20,000 to 40,000 euros, for extortion, kidnapping as well as participation in a criminal gang."I can finally turn the page on this extremely painful period," said Paul Pogba on Friday."This conclusion is an opportunity for everyone to focus on the future."The 31-year-old added: "Now that the judgement has been made, I can fully concentrate on my return to professional football."The trial came on top of professional woes for Paul Pogba, whose career has been far from smooth since France's 2018 World Cup win when he scored against Croatia in the final.He suffered through repeated injuries and patchy form that led to his departure from Manchester United in 2022. He returned for a second stint at Juventus, where problems continued to dog him.He is serving a suspension for doping which was reduced to 18 months on appeal and he will be free to play again in March next year, but last month Juventus terminated his contract.

CARLO CASTELLANI STADIUM, EMPOLI, ITALY - 2023/09/03: Paul Pogba of Juventus FC during the Serie A football match between Empoli FC and Juventus FC. Juventus won 2-0 over Empoli.

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Pogba keen to move on after brother sentenced: 'No winner in this case'

Tijjani Reijnders gave AC Milan something to cheer about over Christmas with the only goal in Fri...

Tijjani Reijnders gave AC Milan something to cheer about over Christmas with the only goal in Friday's 1-0 win at lowly Verona which was marked by more fan protests.Netherlands midfielder Reijnders lashed in his eighth goal of the season from Milan's first real chance of the game in the 56th minute, crashing home first-time from Youssouf Fofana's neat pass."It was very important... luckily we won because it was a difficult match but we got the three points and now we can celebrate Christmas," said Reijnders.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Reijnders' strike moved Milan up a place to seventh on 26 points, five from the Champions League positions and 11 behind leaders Atalanta who host Empoli on Sunday.That position is not where supporters expected to be this season under Paulo Fonseca and the away end loudly voiced its dissent throughout the first half.Chants demanding Gerry Cardinale, founder of Milan's owners RedBird Capital Partners, to "sell and go" rang around the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi, as did others urging the players to "show some balls".Milan chairman Paolo Scaroni said on Friday that Redbird are a "committed owner for the long-term" following the announcement of a refinancing of the vendor loan taken out with previous owners Elliott Management when acquiring the club in 2022.Reijnders has been one of the few consistent bright spots of an otherwise up-and-down season for Milan, whose celebrations for the club's 125th anniversary were ruined by angry fans barracking players and the ownership.Milan came into Friday's game missing a host of key players, including Christian Pulisic and Alvaro Morata, and lost Rafael Leao to a left hamstring knock in the first half.Leao was replaced by Theo Hernandez who was once again dropped to the bench despite Fonseca, whose job is reported to be under threat, insisting that the France full-back is not being punished for poor attitude."I just spoke to Rafa and I don't think it's anything serious," said Fonseca to DAZN. "We'll know more tomorrow but it (taking him off) was more a preventative measure because he didn't want to take any risks."Narrow defeat for Verona leaves Paolo Zanetti's team one point and place above the relegation zone.

VERONA, ITALY - DECEMBER 20: Tijjani Reijnders of AC Milan celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A match between Verona and AC Milan at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on December 20, 2024 in Verona, Italy.

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Reijnders gifts ailing Milan festive cheer at Verona

Serie A named Ezio Simonelli as its new president on Friday following a vote held during a meetin...

Serie A named Ezio Simonelli as its new president on Friday following a vote held during a meeting of Italy's top football clubs.Simonelli replaces Lorenzo Casini, who stepped aside after leading Serie A since 2022, after gaining the support of 14 of the division's 20 clubs.The 66-year-old was an aide to Silvio Berlusconi and close to the deceased former Italian prime minister's right-hand-man, Adriano Galliani, who is CEO of top flight club Monza.

ALLIANZ STADIUM, TURIN, ITALY - 2024/12/17: The official Serie A match ball Puma 'Orbita' is seen on a plinth prior to the Coppa Italia football match between Juventus FC and Cagliari Calcio. Juventus FC won 4-0 over Cagliari Calcio.

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Ezio Simonelli, former aide to Berlusconi, elected Serie A president

Manchester City defender Ruben Dias has been ruled out for up to four weeks with a muscular issue...

Manchester City defender Ruben Dias has been ruled out for up to four weeks with a muscular issue, compounding Pep Guardiola's problems as he seeks to save the club's season.The Portugal international missed all five matches in November with a calf problem but returned at the start of December and has been an ever-present this month.But he will not be available for City's trip to Aston Villa on Saturday, while there is uncertainty about the fitness of goalkeeper Ederson.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"Ruben is out for a long time and Ederson, I don't know if he will be ready tomorrow," Guardiola said on Friday.The City boss added that Dias would be out for "three or four weeks"."After 75 minutes against United he felt something," he said. "He's strong and wanted to stay on the pitch but now he's injured."Injury-hit City have suffered a dramatic collapse in form over recent weeks, losing eight of their past 11 games in all competitions and are fifth in the Premier League table.Nathan Ake remains out but fellow defenders Manuel Akanji and John Stones are back in full training."Manuel and John are back in training," said Guardiola. "That is good for us. As many players that are back the better."I don't know yet (if they can start against Aston Villa). Yesterday was their first training session, I would say, properly. They have been out for a while."City's current run is the worst of Guardiola's managerial career, which has included glittering stints at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.But he was defiant ahead of the trip to Unai Emery's Villa, who are in seventh place in the table."If you fall down six times, you have to stand up seven," he said. "There's not an alternative."I am fine. I am a normal person. When it is going well I am better, when it is not going well professionally we are more concerned about what we have to do."We have to start again but we don't know what will happen (at Villa Park). We have to try it again and sooner or later it will turn around."

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07: Ruben Dias of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Manchester City FC at Selhurst Park on December 7, 2024 in London, United Kingdom.

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Dias sidelined up to 4 weeks as Man City suffer fresh blow

Teenage striker Marc Guiu scored a hat-trick as Chelsea thrashed Shamrock Rovers 5-1 for their si...

Teenage striker Marc Guiu scored a hat-trick as Chelsea thrashed Shamrock Rovers 5-1 for their sixth straight Europa Conference League win on Thursday, advancing to the last 16 with maximum points.The 18-year-old Guiu took over as the competition's leading scorer with six goals, two of which came in the win away to Astana last week.The young Spaniard headed Chelsea in front after a defensive mix-up but a deflected effort from Markus Poom -- the son of former Derby, Sunderland and Arsenal goalkeeper Mart -- brought the Irish visitors level.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Guiu took advantage of another mistake at the back to restore Chelsea's lead at Stamford Bridge, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall adding another before Guiu completed his treble by heading home in first-half stoppage time.Marc Cucurella fired in a fifth for the Blues around the hour as Chelsea finished the league phase with 26 goals scored -- eight more than any other club -- and again underlined their status as the title favourites."A lot of people will say we are big favourites and honestly, we probably are, but in football it is not easy to keep winning," Dewsbury-Hall told TNT Sports."Six wins out of six is pretty good."This tournament is relieving a lot of pressure for some of the people who play in the Premier league and it's a chance for young academy lads to make their debuts."It is a good vibe at the moment."Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca admitted Guiu was frustrated by his limited opportunities, having not played a single minute in the Premier League since a substitute appearance in the opening game of the season."Marc is a bit unhappy as Nicolas (Jackson) and Christopher (Nkunku) are doing well," said Maresca."When you're a nine and another nine is doing well it is a matter of being questioned. It is important that they work hard day-by-day and then they get a chance."Shamrock, who began the night on course for the top 16 as one of only three remaining unbeaten teams, will instead head into the draw for Friday's knockout phase play-offs among the seeded sides.Joining Chelsea in qualifying directly for the last 16 were Vitoria Guimaraes and Fiorentina after a 1-1 draw between the sides in Portugal. Vitoria were the only other team not to lose in the league phase.Rapid Vienna, Djurgarden, Lugano, Legia Warsaw and Cercle Brugge will also go through to the last 16.Hearts missed out on a play-off spot after a 2-2 draw at home to Romania's Petrocub, who came dead last among the 36 clubs in the competition.Northern Ireland's Larne had already been eliminated but picked up their first points with a 1-0 win over Gent, while Welsh outfit The New Saints lost 3-2 away to Slovenia's Celje as their European run also ended.

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 19: Marc Guiu of Chelsea goal celebration after scoring to complete his hat trick during the UEFA Conference League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between Chelsea FC and Shamrock Rovers at Stamford Bridge on December 19, 2024 in London, England. .

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Conference League roundup: Guiu hits 1st-half treble as Chelsea run riot

Tottenham survived two calamitous errors from stand-in goalkeeper Fraser Forster on Thursday to b...

Tottenham survived two calamitous errors from stand-in goalkeeper Fraser Forster on Thursday to beat Manchester United 4-3 and set up a League Cup semi-final against Liverpool, staying on track for their first trophy since 2008.The home side were cruising at 3-0 in the 54th minute of a captivating tie in London after two goals from Dominic Solanke and one from Dejan Kulusevski.But Forster's mistakes allowed substitutes Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo to pull the score back to 3-2 with 20 minutes to go.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>It was one-way traffic after that, with United totally on top, but Spurs scored a fourth as Son Heung-min found the net from a corner and they held on despite a late Jonny Evans goal.Tottenham will face Premier League leaders Liverpool in the two-legged semi-finals, with Arsenal taking on Newcastle.Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou said his injury-hit team inflicted pain on themselves but gave a passionate defence of his gung-ho approach."It should have been a lot more comfortable there, but having said that, I still can't get away from the fact that this group of players have done an unbelievable job at the moment to get us through this," he said.The Australian added: "I know people will say, "Well, don't take any risks' and all that sort of stuff, but we wouldn't be scoring four goals and five goals."It's the hardest thing in the game to do, score goals, and we're doing it with bare bones."Tottenham, 10th in the Premier League, have not won silverware for 16 years, when they lifted the League Cup under Juande Ramos.But they are now just one stage away from a Wembley final in March, with Postecoglou still on track to deliver on his bold statement that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club.New United boss Ruben Amorim is back down to earth with a bump after his side's dramatic 2-1 Premier League win at Manchester City on Sunday.Amorim made five changes from the team that beat City while Spurs had six academy players on their bench.Marcus Rashford was left out of United's squad for the second consecutive game but Alejandro Garnacho, also absent on Sunday, was on the bench and came on as a second-half substitute.<h3>Solanke double</h3>Tottenham opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Solanke reacted quickest after United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, in for Andre Onana, parried a shot from distance into his path.Kulusevski doubled Tottenham's lead moments after the restart, finishing unerringly when Lisandro Martinez failed to deal with a James Maddison cut-back, only succeeding in diverting the ball into the Sweden international's path.Spurs were 3-0 up when Solanke ran onto a long ball over the top, drifting inside Martinez and Evans and finishing with confidence.But control turned to chaos just after the hour mark following some incredible goalkeeping errors from Forster, deputising for the injured Guglielmo Vicario.Forster, being closed down by Zirkzee, passed straight to Bruno Fernandes, whose ball found Zirkzee and the Dutchman slotted the ball into an empty net in the 63rd minute.Minutes later United scored again when Forster dithered after receiving a back pass.Diallo closed him down in a flash and slid in as Forster tried to clear, with the ball hitting Diallo and ending up in the net.United had further chances but instead Son gave Tottenham a cushion in the 88th minute.Even then United had time to find another, with Evans heading in from a corner, but they ran out of time."We were not the best team in all of the game, but most of the parts I think we were the best team," said Amorim."I think we disconnected for eight minutes. It was really hard to recover from that, but then the lads did a great job."

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 19: Son Heung-Min of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring.their side's fourth goal direct from a corner kick during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 19, 2024 in London, England.

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Spurs to face Liverpool in League Cup semis after surviving Man Utd chaos

Inter Milan strolled into the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup on Thursday after the Italian cha...

Inter Milan strolled into the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup on Thursday after the Italian champions' second string beat Udinese 2-0 at the San Siro.Simone Inzaghi's team will face Lazio in the last eight after first-half goals from Marko Arnautovic and Kristjan Asllani, who whipped in his first goal of the season straight from a corner.Asllani was one of eight changes to the Inter team which smashed Lazio 6-0 in Serie A on Monday night, and scored almost immediately after play was stopped for a few minutes for a medical emergency in the crowd.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The hosts then decided to see out the match rather than treat Udinese as they did Lazio, although Mehdi Taremi missed a great chance to add to his one goal scored this season when he struck the post one-on-one with Omri Glazer in the 77th minute.The only potentially bad news for Inter was Lautaro Martinez being treated for what looked like a knee injury on the final whistle, although there was no indication of its seriousness.The quarter-finals will be played as single-legged ties in February. Inter are three points behind Serie A leaders Atalanta with a game in hand and face Como and Cagliari in their final fixtures of this year.They will then jet off to take part in the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, where they will face Atalanta in the semi-finals on January 2.

MILAN, ITALY - DECEMBER 19: Kristjan Asllani of FC Internazionale celebrates with team-mates after scoring the goal during the Coppa Italia match between FC Internazionale and Udinese Calcio at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on December 19, 2024 in Milan, Italy.

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Inter cruise past Udinese, into Coppa Italia last 8

Tottenham survived two calamitous errors from stand-in goalkeeper Fraser Forster on Thursday to beat Manchester United 4-3 and reach the League Cup semi-finals, staying on track for their first major trophy since 2008.The home side were cruising at 3-0 in the 54th minute after two goals from Dominic Solanke and one from Dejan Kulusevski.But Forster's mistakes allowed substitutes Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo to pull the score back to 3-2 with 20 minutes to go.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>It was one-way traffic after that, with United totally on top, but Spurs scored a late fourth as Son Heung-min found the net from a corner and they held on despite a late Jonny Evans goal.Tottenham have not won silverware since winning the League Cup in 2008, under the management of Juande Ramos.But they are now just one win away from a Wembley final in March, with Ange Postecoglou still on track to deliver on his bold statement that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club.Despite the drama, the defeat will send United boss Ruben Amorim back down to earth with a bump after his side's dramatic 2-1 Premier League win at Manchester City on Sunday.Amorim made five changes from the team that beat City while injury-hit Spurs had six academy players on their bench.Marcus Rashford was left out of United's squad for the second consecutive game but Alejandro Garnacho, also absent on Sunday, was on the bench and came on as a second-half substitute.<h3>Solanke double</h3>Tottenham opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Solanke reacted quickest after United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir parried a shot from distance into his path.Bayindir, in for Andre Onana, should have pushed the ball wider and the United defence were sluggish as Solanke took full advantage, finishing neatly off the near post.Former Spurs player Christian Eriksen, now at United, had a couple of efforts that were easily handled by the home defence and Bruno Fernandes was impressive on the left side of the United attack.At the other end, Bayindir was forced to make a smart save at his near post to deny Kulusevski.Kulusevski doubled Tottenham's lead moments after the restart when Lisandro Martinez failed to clear a James Maddison cut-back.They were 3-0 up when Solanke ran onto a long ball over the top, drifting inside Martinez and Evans and finding the back of the net.But United got a foothold in the game just after the hour mark following some chaotic goalkeeping from Forster.The goalkeeper, being closed down by Zirkzee, passed the ball straight to Fernandes, who found Zirkzee and the Dutchman slotted the ball into an empty net.Suddenly the match changed complexion, with nerves gripping Spurs.Minutes later United scored again when Forster dithered after receiving a backpass.Diallo closed him down in a flash and slid in as Forster tried to clear, with the ball hitting Diallo and ending up in the net.United continued to pour forward but could not find another goal and Son gave Tottenham a cushion in the 88th minute.Even then United had time to find another, with Evans heading in from a corner, but they ran out of time.Former Celtic boss Postecoglou made himself a hostage to fortune earlier this season when he said he always wins silverware in his second season.Spurs have flattered to deceive in the Premier league, lying 10th in the table with seven wins and seven defeats from their 16 matches.The other League Cup semi-finalists are Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle.

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Tottenham survive big scare to beat Man Utd, reach League Cup semifinals

A Paris court on Thursday sentenced a brother of France midfielder Paul Pogba to a three-year pri...

A Paris court on Thursday sentenced a brother of France midfielder Paul Pogba to a three-year prison term, with two years suspended, after convicting him in a high-profile extortion case.Mathias Pogba will be able to serve his one-year sentence with an electronic bracelet rather than behind bars.The court also fined Paul Pogba's brother 20,000 euros for participating in the attempted extortion of 13 million euros ($13.5 million) from Pogba in 2022, and for putting pressure on the player, his family and his business contacts to obtain the payment.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The case involving six men linked to Paul Pogba has shocked the French football world because the alleged perpetrators included three childhood friends and Pogba's own brother.The five other defendants were found guilty of extortion, kidnapping and detention, as well as participation in a criminal association, and sentenced to up to eight years in prison, as well as fines of between 20,000 euros and 40,000 euros.Roushdane K., considered to be the mastermind of the case and the only person to appear in custody, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment.Mathias Pogba's lawyer Mbeko Tabula said the ruling was "extremely harsh," adding he planned to appeal."He's obviously in a state of shock," he said of his client."From the outset, he has maintained his innocence, saying that he was manipulated, that he was coerced, that he was pressured, that he would never have acted negatively towards his brother."Mathias was the one to go public in the case, publishing a video on social media in August 2022 promising revelations about his younger brother that were "likely to be explosive".Pogba told French investigators he had in March 2022 been "tricked by childhood friends" from the gritty Paris suburb where he and Mathias grew up.He accused them of snatching him before he was held at gunpoint by two hooded men with assault rifles, demanding 13 million euros for "services rendered" and blaming him for not helping them financially.Pogba said at the time that he had paid them only 100,000 euros.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JULY 15: Paul Pogba of France (c) celebrates victory with mother Yeo and brother Mathias during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

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Pogba's brother sentenced to 1 year in prison in extortion case

Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior both scored as Real Madrid cruised to a 3-0 victory over Mexica...

Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior both scored as Real Madrid cruised to a 3-0 victory over Mexican side Pachuca in the Intercontinental Cup final in Doha on Wednesday.Mbappe opened the scoring in the 37th minute before Rodrygo doubled Madrid's lead early in the second half. Vinicius sealed a comfortable win for the Spanish and European champions with a late penalty.France striker Mbappe returned to the Madrid line-up in Doha after missing Saturday's 3-3 draw with Rayo Vallecano due to a hamstring injury suffered in the Champions League win at Atalanta last week.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Mbappe swept in from close range to break the deadlock after brilliant play from Vinicius, who won the FIFA Best Men's Player award a day earlier after missing out on the Ballon d'Or.Former West Brom and Newcastle forward Salomon Rondon led the attack for CONCACAF Champions Cup winners Pachuca, but they never truly looked capable of an upset and Rodrygo's fine curling strike from the edge of the area put Madrid in total control.It was allowed to stand after the referee consulted the pitchside monitor even though Jude Bellingham was in an offside position and appeared to be interfering with the goalkeeper's line of vision.Vinicius added a third from the penalty spot six minutes from time following another VAR review after Lucas Vazquez was chopped down in the Pachuca box."We knew that after a long trip and playing just one game, it's hard. We struggled at the beginning, but we adapted well," Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde told Spanish television channel Telecinco.<h3>'Anxious' Ancelotti makes more history</h3>It is Madrid's second title of the season following their UEFA Super Cup triumph over Atalanta in August, a welcome boost after what coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted had been a difficult period."In this part of the season, I was a bit anxious because I didn't like the team, honestly, but this will change in 2025 I'm sure," said Ancelotti."It's important for us to get to Christmas alive. If we think about the team after the defeat by Milan (in the Champions League on Nov. 5), I think we've grown a lot and that gives us confidence for 2025."Ancelotti won his 15th trophy as Madrid coach, moving him past Miguel Munoz with the most in the club's history."It's a nice moment. It's an honour for me. Madrid are the club that everybody wants to coach because they're the best club in the world," said Ancelotti."It's easier than winning them in other places because you have a great team and fan base."This was the first edition of the FIFA-backed Intercontinental Cup, which broadly maintains the previous format of the Club World Cup and features the six continental champions.The latter is being expanded to include 32 teams in 2025 and will now be played every four years. A past version of the Intercontinental Cup ran from 1960-2004, involving the champions of Europe and South America.Madrid won that competition three times and then lifted the Club World Cup on a record five occasions.They are to due to play Pachuca again at next year's Club World Cup in the United States, as well as an Al Hilal team including Neymar, and Red Bull Salzburg.Madrid host Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday in their final game of the year. They will return to the Middle East in early January for the four-team Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.

DOHA, QATAR - DECEMBER 18: Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid celebrates with teammates Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo after scoring his team's first goal during the FIFA Intercontinental Cup between Real Madrid and CF Pachuca at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2024 in Doha, Qatar.

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Mbappe, Rodrygo, Vini Jr. all score as Madrid win Intercontinental Cup

Holders Barcelona overcame Manchester City 3-0 in the Women's Champions League on Wednesday to pi...

Holders Barcelona overcame Manchester City 3-0 in the Women's Champions League on Wednesday to pip their opponents to top spot in their group.In Group C, Arsenal pulled off a sensational comeback to beat Bayern Munich 3-2 and top their pool thanks to a late Mariona Caldentey penalty.In Catalonia, Claudia Pina opened the scoring for the dominant three-time champions late in the first half, before double Ballon d'Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas assured Barcelona of first place in Group D.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"We had lots of goal chances. The result could've been far more clear-cut," Bonmati told UEFA's website."But we have to be content with the fact we've done our job and now won the group."Both sides had already qualified for the quarter-finals but the question of who would claim the kinder draw in the knockouts was still to be decided when the teams met in Barcelona.The hosts dominated from the get-go with Salma Paralluelo, Ewa Pajor and Esmee Brugts going close.Goalkeeper Khiara Keating was on fine form and kept City level with a couple of fine saves around the half-hour.Pina finally made the breakthrough with a clinical finish one minute before the break.Even at 1-0 down, the English side were still set to go through as group winners thanks to their 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture at the start of October."We had a thorn in our side from the first game against City," said Bonmati. "We came into this game absolutely determined to show who we are and to put that right."A day after claiming her second FIFA Best award, Bonmati showed her class in the 57th minute as she netted to send Barcelona top on goal difference.Substitute Putellas made the victory safe with a deflected strike on 69 minutes.In Vienna, Hammarby of Sweden beat Austrians St Poelten 2-1 to finish third in the pool.- Resilient Arsenal -Trailing by one point going into the final matchday, Arsenal needed victory over group leaders Bayern to finish top.Bayern's Glodis Viggosdottir gave the hosts a perfect start when she turned into her own net from an Arsenal corner with seven minutes on the clock.A first leveller of the topsy-turvy fixture came courtesy of Magdalena Eriksson as the defender netted her first goal of the season six minutes before the interval.The 31-year-old then doubled up just before the hour by touching home Giulia Gwinn's cross.Arsenal reacted quickly to the tie being completely turned on its head, with Alessia Russo tapping in from yet another corner on 60 minutes.Time looked to be running out for the hosts as they sought a winner, until Caldentey's effort on goal was blocked by the hand of Tuva Hansen.The two-time Champions League winner -- with former club Barcelona -- made no mistake from 12 yards to complete a stunning comeback for Arsenal four minutes from time.Juventus ended their campaign with a 3-0 victory over Norwegian side Valerenga.The draw for the quarter-finals will take place on February 7.It will feature eight-time champions Lyon, Real Madrid, Wolfsburg, Chelsea, Barcelona, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Arsenal.

BARCELONA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 18: Players of FC Barcelona acknowledge the fans after the team's victory in the UEFA Women's Champions League match between FC Barcelona and Manchester City at Estadi Johan Cruyff on December 18, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.

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Barca beat Man City to top Women's Champions League group, Arsenal stun Bayern

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