AAO KHELEIN

New Delhi [India], Nov 1 (ANI): Arsenal skipper Granit Xhaka has finally broken his silence over the scenes that were witnessed during the team's match against Crystal Palace in the ongoing Premier League. The side's coach Unai Emery had substituted Xhaka in the later stage of the match, and this did not go down well with the player as he offered an angry reaction. He went on to rip his shirt and marched straight to the dressing room. Xhaka was also seen using cuss words and directed them towards the crowd. His actions have been widely criticised and breaking his silence over the row, the player has finally released a statement on Twitter. Arsenal shared Xhaka's statement on their Twitter account and captioned the post as "The following is a message from Granit Xhaka". In his statement, Xhaka said: "After taking some time to reflect on what happened on Sunday afternoon, I would like to give you an explanation rather than just a quick response. The scene...

New Delhi [India], Nov 1 (ANI): Striker Lionel Messi will make a return to Argentina's squad in November as the side prepares to take on Brazil in a friendly match in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. Messi last played a game for Argentina during the 3/4th playoff match in the Copa America and in the same game, he was given a red card for his clash with Chile's midfielder Gary Medel Argentina's football federation announced the teams for the senior and sub-23 category. In the senior lineup, Sergio Aguero has also been called back into the side. Messi was handed a three-month ban by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body after his comments against the corruption and lack of respect shown by the football body. Messi and CONMEBOL first had a fallout during Argentina's semi-final against Brazil in the Copa America. As Argentina went on to lose the match, Messi alleged that the entire tournament was set-up for Brazil to take the win. He even lamented upon the seco...

Buenos Aires, Nov 1 (IANS) Lionel Messi has been recalled to Argentina's squad for upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Uruguay after serving a three-month international ban, the Argentine Football Association has said. The 32-year-old Barcelona forward has not played for his country since being sent off in the Albiceleste's 2-1 defeat of Chile in the Copa America third-place playoff in July. He was subsequently suspended and fined $50,000 by South American football governing body CONMEBOL for claiming the Copa America was "corrupt", reports Xinhua. Messi missed four matches for Argentina during the ban -- a 0-0 draw with Chile, a 4-0 win over Mexico, a 2-2 draw with Germany and a 6-1 victory over Ecuador. Two-time World Cup winners Argentina will meet Brazil in Saudi Arabia on November 15 and Uruguay in Israel three days later. Following is the Argentina squad: Goalkeepers: Agustin Marchesin, Juan Musso, Emiliano Martinez, Esteban Andrada Defenders: Juan Foy...

Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) Odisha FC bounced back from two consecutive defeats in style as they hammered Mumbai City FC 4-2 to pick up their first win in Indian Super League (ISL) Season 6 at the Mumbai Football Arena here on Thursday. The visitors impressed with their aggressive approach in the first half and were three goals up at the end of it. Xisco Hernandez (6') opened the scoring before goals from Aridane Santana (21', 73') and Jerry Mawihmingthanga (41') sealed the win. Mohamed Larbi's (51') penalty and a late fortuitous hit by Bipin Singh (90+4') turned out to be nothing more than consolation for Mumbai who looked lacklustre. Odisha got off to a terrific start and scored in the sixth minute. Santana played the ball towards Xisco who dribbled into the box, dropped his shoulder to beat Pratik Chaudhari and curled a simple finish into the net. Josep Gombau's men were then denied by the crossbar as they chased a second goal. Santana's deflected e...

Guwahati, Oct 31 (IANS) A clash between two unbeaten sides in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2019-20 beckons as NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) play hosts to FC Goa at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium here on Friday. Robert Jarni's NEUFC have had an impressive start to their campaign with four points from two matches. They picked up a point from Bengaluru in Bengaluru, a feat that not many teams have achieved, and followed it up with a thrilling win over Odisha FC. NEUFC have shown a tendency to tailor their game to situations. They were cautious against a strong Bengaluru while they controlled the game against Odisha. However, in the second half, they were put under pressure by Odisha but managed to nick home a winner late in the game, helped by a red card to Odisha's Carlos Delgado. Now, a litmus test awaits them in the form of FC Goa against whom they do not have a great record. They've won just two games in 10 attempts against the Gaurs. However, Goa have never won in G...

London, Oct 31 (IANS) Reigning champions Manchester City will take on League One side Oxford United away in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup while five-time winners Manchester United will host League Two Colchester United, the lowest-ranked side left in the competition. The draw was made on Thursday which also saw Aston Villa hosting eight-time winners Liverpool, while Everton will be at home to Leicester City, a BBC report said. The ties are scheduled to take place the week commencing December 16. However, Liverpool's game is likely to be rescheduled as they play in the FIFA Club World Cup on December 18. "The EFL is in discussions with Liverpool to identify an alternative date given the club's participation in the Fifa Club World Cup competition," an EFL spokesman was quoted as saying by BBC. "If they don't find a proper date for us then we cannot play the next round and whoever is our opponent will go through - or Arsenal will play it," said...

Madrid, Oct 31 (IANS) Real Madrid cruised to a 5-0 victory over last-place Leganes and moved up to second in La Liga with 21 points, one less than leaders Barcelona, and one more than Granada, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla. More importantly, Real Madrid can take satisfaction from having delivered their first complete, drama-free performance of the 2019-2020 campaign, reports Efe news. On Wednesday, Zinedine Zidane opted to start 18-year-old newcomer Rodrygo up front alongside established stars Eden Hazard and Karim Benzema and the Brazilian international wasted no time in repaying the coach's faith in him, scoring in the 7th minute on his first touch in a Real Madrid shirt. After assisting on Rodrygo's goal, Benzema set up Toni Kroos to make it 2-0 just a minute later. Hazard ran rings around the hapless Leganes defenders and Benzema came close before Sergio Ramos converted from the spot in the 24th minute to boost the lead to 3-0. The visitors' only chance of the first ...

Liverpool [UK], Oct 31 (ANI): Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp has hinted towards a boycott of Carabao Cup's quarter-final boycott unless a suitable date is organised for the fixture. His remarks came after Liverpool's win against Arsenal in the round of 16 match against Arsenal on Wednesday (local time). The English football league (EFL) wants to schedule quarter-final matches of the tournament in the week commencing December 16, but if the games are indeed scheduled in that week, Liverpool will be unable to participate as they have to play their Club World cup semi-final in Qatar on December 18. "If they do not find an appropriate place and I do not mean Christmas Day 3 am, then we don't play the game. If they don't find a proper date and we can't play the next round, then whoever our opponent is will go through, or Arsenal play," Goal.com quoted Klopp as saying. "I think a lot of people from the Premier League were sitting watching on television h...

Liverpool [UK], Oct 31 (ANI): Liverpool defeated Arsenal in the round of 16 match of the ongoing Carabao Cup on Wednesday (local time) here at the Anfield Stadium. The Reds defeated the Gunners 5-4 on penalties, however in normal time, the match had finished at 5-5. The first half of the match saw five goals being scored between Liverpool and Arsenal. Arsenal Shkodran Mustafi's mistake (own goal) in the sixth minute costed the side as Liverpool went 1-0 up. However, Lucas Torreira Di Pascua gave Arsenal the equaliser in the 19th minute. The Gunners then quickly went into the lead as Gabriel Martinelli scored two goals within ten minutes to give them a 2-0 lead. Liverpool was handed a penalty in the 43rd minute and James Milner scored for the side, bringing the scoreline to 3-2 in favour of Arsenal. No more goals were scored in the first half and Arsenal went into the half time with a one-goal lead. In the second half, Ainsley Maitland-Niles registered a goal for Arsenal in ...

Chennai, Oct 30 (IANS) Chennaiyin FC's poor start to their Indian Super League (ISL) campaign continued as they lost by a solitary goal to ATK at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here on Wednesday. After a goalless first half, ATK took the lead in the 48th minute through David Williams, scoring the ISL's 1,000th goal in the process. The visitors proceeded to hold on to their advantage and inflict a second defeat on Chennaiyin, who are yet to score this season. The result sees ATK join Jamshedpur FC at the top of the table with six points from three games, while Chennaiyin remain eighth with just a point. Though the teams started with intent, it was the home team who had the best of the chances in the opening period. Edwin Vanspaul found Nerijus Valskis with a cross in the third minute, only for the Lithuanian striker to head it over. A deflection five minutes later sent Lallianzuala Chhangte in space down the left. His ball across the face of the goal, however, could not be tur...

New Delhi [India], Oct 30 (ANI): Ahead of their FIFA International friendlies against Vietnam, India senior women team's head coach Maymol Rocky said it is imperative to play against higher-ranked opposition to further improve themselves. "I think this is the first time that we will play against Vietnam. It's all about playing against higher-ranked teams so that we can further improve ourselves," the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) website quoted Rocky as saying. India rank 57th while Vietnam hold the 34th rank. India will play two friendlies against Vietnam on November 3 and November 6. Rocky is also setting her eyes on the 2022 Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers next year. "Right now, our efforts are to match them and be better than them. It's only when we play better teams that we can gauge our strengths and weaknesses," she said. "Our main aim is to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup. We need to have patience and keep improving at the ...

New Delhi [India], Oct 30 (ANI): As the team gears up to face Vietnam in two friendly matches, Indian women's team goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan said Vietnam will be a tough challenge for them. "Vietnam is going to be a tough challenge. We have seen the video clips of their matches against Myanmar and others. We know it will be a tough battle for us, a bigger challenge than Uzbekistan and the matches we played in Spain. But we are ready for it," Chauhan told ANI. The Indian team has won the SAFF Women's Championship, impressed in the AFC Olympic Qualifiers Round 2 and finished third in the COTIF Cup in Spain this year, set camp in New Delhi for six days before flying off to Vietnam. "The preparations are going well, we have been together for four-five days and leaving for Vietnam today. Where we will be playing matches on November 3 and 6. We had few new players who were selected from the senior national and got a chance to be part of our camp," Chauhan said....

Mumbai, Oct 30 (IANS) Mumbai City FC are geared up for their first home game of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2019-20 season against Odisha FC at the Mumbai Football Arena here on Thursday. Mumbai City started their season with two away games in a row against Kerala Blasters FC and Chennaiyin FC. They managed to take all three points in Kochi before getting a draw in Chennai. After a bit of away success, Mumbai will fancy their chances against Odisha FC who are still searching for their first win of the season after two close defeats. However, it will be an interesting game between managers who have completely contrasting philosophies. Jorge Costa's Mumbai City FC are known to sit back and absorb pressure as they look to hit teams on the break. While Costa does not put much emphasis on possession-based football, Josep Gombau's Odisha FC are very much comfortable on the ball and like to hog possession. "We didn't get the result. The first game we may have some pass...

Mohali, Oct 30 (IANS) All teams of Minerva Punjab FC, the sole representatives of Punjab and former champions of the I-League and defending champions of junior league and elite league, will now be known as Punjab Football Club (PFC) as per the agreement with RoundGlass Sports Private Ltd, a statement from the club said. It is part of RoundGlass Sports' expansion of their youth and grassroots football talent program which includes the players of Minerva Punjab Football Club's Champion Under-11 to Under-18 teams. The players are already training under the UEFA/AFC/AIFF certified coaches at RoundGlass Sports, the statement said. Minerva were crowned champions of I-League in 2017-18 season. The junior teams of Minerva have dominated the youth circuit and have won all the junior national league titles including those of the AIFF U-13, U-15 and U-18 leagues conducted by AIFF over the last four years. Minerva Punjab has won the (U-15) junior national league title for the last four...

Delhi Dynamos, which was the franchise that was based in the national capital, shifted their operations to Bhubaneswar before the start of the current ISL season and now play as Odisha FC. "If you see any top footballing nation, the capital is the hub. It has to be," said Chhetri on the sidelines of the third edition of Herbalife Nutrition's Fit Families Fest 2019. "We do have interest for football in Delhi. Why they (Delhi Dynamos) went to Odisha is something only they can answer. But whatever it is, we have to get an ISL or I-League club or a second league club from Delhi," he said. Chhetri, who spent his formative years in the national capital, also rued the fact that the city's air becomes an impediment for sports to be played at this time of the year. "It does bother us. When we come to Delhi, and now I come very rarely, we do feel irritation in our eyes. Some of the foreign players do wear masks. I don't know if that is based on something ...

New Delhi [India], Oct 30 (ANI): Indian striker Sunil Chhetri on Wednesday said that national capital has to be the hub of football. "It is not nice if you see any top footballing nation the capital is the hub. It has to be the hub. Do we not have an interest of football in Delhi? No! we definitely do have. We gonna make sure that we get it back," Chhetri told reporters. Delhi does not have any club in the ISL or I-League which are the two top-most football tournaments of the country. "But whatever the reason is, we have to work on them and we got to take a club, ISL club, I-League club or 2nd division club from Delhi," Chhetri said. The 35-year-old Chhetri who hailed from Delhi said that there are many kids who want to be a footballer but they can not find any club to join. "There are so many kids who aspire to play football professionally. If you don't have in your own state, a club to look up to, it becomes difficult. Then you have to come out to t...

New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) As the Indian senior womens team camps here for the forthcoming back to back international friendlies against Vietnam on November 3 and 6 respectively, Bala Devi hailed the recent changes in the national team set-up which she feels has "helped the players in innumerable ways." "Since making my debut in 2005, I have been playing in the national team for more than a decade now. But there has been a string of recent changes, and all for good," she maintained. "We have seen some considerable changes in the dietary regime, training sessions, and most importantly video analysis off late. Laying out a proper diet plan, carbohydrate balance, protein intake, are aspects which are being taken being care of nowadays, and all of that helps players recover faster," Bala, who plays as a forward for the team, explained. "When someone assesses your performance from the side lines and explains it later, it helps you detect the mistakes. Und...

Liverpool [UK], Oct 30 (ANI): Liverpool's Naby Keita has said that although he is pleased with his form, he would like to perform even better. "Of course I'm pleased with my form, but I'd like to do better," the club's official website quoted Keita as saying. Keita returned from injury as a substitute during the recent 1-1 draw at Manchester United. "Yes, I agree it's a good moment for me now to try to avoid picking up any injuries and to, therefore, get plenty of playing time. I feel that moving on from the recent injury that if I can get to play in a lot of matches, I can really try to help the team where I can," said Keita. The midfielder then also played during a clash with Genk against whom his club registered a 4-1 win. Keita attracted appraisal from many for his performance against Genk but he is of the opinion that he can do better than that. "I would say not, it wasn't - because I would like to do better than that. It was...

London [UK], Oct 30 (ANI): The Professional Footballer's Association (PFA) has urged the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to overhaul its disciplinary processes after expressing their "disappointment" at the sanctions issued to Bulgaria for the racist behaviour of supporters. "The PFA is disappointed at the sanctions announced, levied by UEFA towards Bulgaria in the wake of the disgraceful racist incidents witnessed two weeks ago. While the sanctions are in line with current UEFA disciplinary guidelines, this only serves to highlight that these guidelines need to be overhauled and far stronger deterrents imposed - not ruling out expulsions from competitions. Only then can the issue of racism be seriously confronted," PFA said in an official statement. "In addition, there is currently no BAME representation on UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Committee. This lack of diversity, we believe, will influence the way in which racist inc...

Barcelona, Oct 30 (IANS) Star striker Lionel Messi played a part in all but one of Barcelona's goals as the hosts pounded Real Valladolid 5-1 to reclaim the lead in La Liga. With 22 points from 10 matches, the reigning champions are two points ahead of Granada and Atletico Madrid, reports Efe news. On Tuesday, the Argentine superstar scored a brace and had two assists to bring Valladolid's undefeated streak to a screeching halt after five matches while extending Barca's domestic winning run to five. The hosts couldn't have hoped for a better start as a poor clearance by Valladolid set up an easy goal for Clement Lenglet to make it 1-0 Barcelona. Messi's first meaningful touch of the night was inauspicious, a hesitant free kick in the 14th minute that visiting goalkeeper Jordi Masip handled with ease. The next sequence saw Valladolid pull level on a goal by Kiko Olivas, who converted Michel's free kick thanks to some confusion on the Barcelona back line. Va...

Washington, Oct 30 (IANS) Los Angeles Galaxy star Zlatan Ibrahimovic added fuel to fire regarding his next possible transfer, posting a video on Instagram that said that he's "coming back" to Spain. The forward's contract with Galaxy is set to expire at the end of the year, and rumours have been rife regarding the 38-year-old's possible next club, reports Xinhua news agency. By posting the video on Tuesday, Ibrahimovic again grabbed the attention, but he did not say he's "coming back" to Spain for playing or just for a post-season vacation. Ibrahimovic started his professional career at Malmo in 1999 and went on to play for Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG and Manchester United before joining Galaxy in 2018. He had been linked with a move to Napoli in Serie A recently but failed to work out a deal. aak/in via Sify.com https://ift.tt/2q2V4B9

Barcelona [Spain], Oct 30 (ANI): Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde on Tuesday (local time) said that he has run out of words to describe the Argentine striker Lionel Messi as every time he touches the ball, he ends up doing something special. His remarks came after Barcelona's 5-1 win over Valladolid in La Liga. This win has also taken Barcelona to the top of tournament standings. In the match against Valladolid, Messi scored a brace and also had two assists to his name. "What else can be said about him? I have run out of words. We always know that he will appear, whatever the match. His talent is not comparable to anything, the reality is that every time he touches the ball, something special happens. I just don't know what to say," Goal.com quoted Valverde as saying. At the top of the table, Barcelona are two points clear of Granada and Atletico Madrid after 10 games. Valverde also indicated that Messi is coming into his own after injury and he also lauded...

Madrid, Oct 29 (IANS) Bulgaria has been ordered to pay a 75,000 Euros fine and play one game behind closed doors over racism during the Euro 2020 qualifier against England. Uefa announced the sanctions on Tuesday after racist chanting by fans during the match on October 14, that was won 6-0 by England, according to Efe news. Its control, ethics and disciplinary body imposed a two-match stadium ban, with the second closed game to be suspended during a probationary period of two years. Bulgaria Football Union was also ordered to pay a 75,000 euros fine. The sanctions mean that Bulgaria's qualifier against the Czech Republic on November 17 will be played in a closed stadium. Bulgaria has also been ordered to display a banner with the message "No to Racism" and the Uefa logo. The BFU was fined another 10,000 euros for disturbances during a national anthem, with England also ordered to pay 5,000 euros for the same offence. The match, played in Sofia, was interrupted twi...

Jamshedpur, Oct 29 (IANS) Jamshedpur FC made it two wins out of two with a dominant 3-1 win against Hyderabad FC in their Indian Super League clash at the JRD Tata Sports Complex here on Tuesday. Farukh Choudhary tapped a loose ball home in the 34th minute to convert his team's dominance into a goal. Marcelinho scored an unlikely equaliser in the 45th minute but Jamshedpur regained control after the break with goals from Aniket Jadhav (62') and Sergio Castel (75'). The result sees Antonio Iriondo's men surge to the top of the table while Hyderabad are yet to open their points tally. The hosts surged forward looking to take an early lead and tested Hyderabad custodian Kamaljit Singh when Isaac Vanmalsawma opted to shoot from outside the box in the eighth minute. A minute later, Mobashir Rahman's excellent diagonal ball into the box put Choudhary one-on-one with the Hyderabad goalkeeper who prevented the Indian forward from slotting the ball into the net. Jamshed...

Madrid [Spain], Oct 29 (ANI): Real Madrid on Tuesday announced a 19-man squad for their upcoming clash against Leganes. Real Madrid will compete against Leganes in La Liga on October 31. The club is currently placed on the sixth position on the points table with 18 points from nine games. Goalkeepers: Courtois, Areola and Altube. Defenderss: Carvajal, Militao, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo and Mendy. Midfielders: Kroos, Modric, Casemiro, Valverde and Isco. Forwards: Hazard, Benzema, Lucas Vazquez, Jovic and Rodrygo. (ANI) via Sify.com https://ift.tt/36bYQcd

Beijing, Oct 29 (IANS) The Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced a 25-man squad here on Tuesday to prepare for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. In the roster, six players from Chinese Super League powerhouse Guangzhou Evergrande have been called up to the national team, including 38-year-old captain Zheng Zhi, who was appointed the executive head coach of the club over Fabio Cannavaro last Sunday, and Brazilian-born naturalized striker Ai Kesen. Star forward Wu Lei, who plays for La Liga's Espanyol, was also listed in the national squad, reports Xinhua news agency. Head coach Marcello Lippi and his players will assemble on November 3 in Guangzhou to prepare for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. China will challenge the group front runners Syria in an away game on November 14. Squad: Goalkeepers: Yan Junling, Wang Dalei, Zeng Cheng Defenders: Zhang Linpeng, Zheng Zheng, Liu Yang, Wang Gang, Li Lei, Ji Xiang, Zhu Chenji, Fang Fan Midfielders: Zheng Zhi, Xu...

Kolkata, Oct 29 (IANS) ATK are flying high ahead of their clash against Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday. The former champions kickstarted the season on a wrong note but made up for it with a 5-0 hammering of Hyderabad FC at home in their last game. Not only did ATK's attack come good against the visitors, the overall performance was also exemplary as they controlled proceedings throughout the 90 minutes. The mood in the camp is good and they will be confident of getting a positive result from their travel to the South. "It was important to get the three points in the last match. For us, what was more important was the performance of the team. I am happy with the performance of the team," said head coach Antonio Habas. Their opponents, Chennaiyin FC, have not had the best of starts. They have just one point to show from two games and are yet to score a goal. However, Habas is not expecting an easy game in Chennai. "Chennaiyin...

Leeds [UK], Oct 29 (ANI): Fiorentina's Franck Ribery has been banned for three matches for pushing an official during the side's 1-2 defeat against Lazio in the Serie A competition. Ribery was caught on camera venting his anger after the final whistle. He went on to push match official Matteo Passeri twice, before being taken back to the dressing room by his teammates. In addition to the ban, the footballer has been fined 20,000 euros. With this ban, Ribery will be out of action until November 24 and will miss upcoming matches against Sassuolo, Parma, and Cagliari. "At the end of the game, Ribery approached the assistant referee in a threatening way and was gravely disrespectful behaviour," Goal.com quoted Italian FA as saying. "In addition to disrespectful comments, he pushed with an arm on his chest... as well as in a further thrust grabbing him by the arm," it added. After the incident, the left-winger issued a public apology on his Twitter account...

Buenos Aires, Oct 29 (IANS) Two-time world champion Argentina will meet South American rivals Brazil and Uruguay in international friendlies next month. The Albiceleste will face Brazil in Saudi Arabia on November 15 and Uruguay in Israel four days later, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) tweeted on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency. Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni will be free to recall captain Lionel Messi, who served a three-month ban after accusing the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) of corruption during this year's Copa America in Brazil. The friendlies will be Scaloni's last chance to test his squad in match conditions before the South American zone qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, which begin in March. Earlier this month, Argentina drew 2-2 with Germany in Dortmund before beating Ecuador 6-1 in Alicante, Spain. aak/dpb via Sify.com https://ift.tt/2BUtdpi

Chicago [USA], Oct 29 (ANI): Vlatko Andonovski on Monday (local time) was appointed as the new head coach of the USA women's soccer team. With this, he became the ninth head coach of the US women's football team. "First, I want to sincerely thank USA's soccer president Carlos Cordeiro, our women's national team general manager Kate Markgraf and soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart for this opportunity. It is a huge honor and I am very excited to get started with this group of players and staff as we work towards continued success for this program. All of the talented coaches and players that have come before have built a legendary tradition of excellence and I am committed to working very hard to continue to move this program forward," Andonovski said in an official statement. The 43-year-old Andonovski has been given the rein of USA's soccer team after serving as head coach during all seven seasons of the National Women's Soccer League. His sti...

Chelsea [UK], Oct 28 (ANI): Chelsea's Christian Pulisic said that manager Frank Lampard believes in him and that he is proud of the journey he has had so far. "He (Lampard) believes in me, he has told me that. I wanted to be on the field as much as I could right from the start, that's everyone's goal. I didn't come here expecting everything to be easy and to start every game," the club's official website quoted Pulisic as saying. "I had to work for my spot, just like anyone does, and I am proud of the journey I have had so far," he added. Pulisic was at his devastating best during the club's Premier League clash against Burnley on Saturday as he scored a hat-trick, helping his side register a 4-2 win. Pulisic further stated that he will have to keep working hard to earn a spot for himself. "I have to keep working hard in training and earn my spot. That's how it is at the highest level. I am going to continue doing so, and hopef...

Leeds [UK], Oct 28 (ANI): Liverpool's Jordan Henderson praised his teammate Fabinho after his 'good performance' against Tottenham in the Premier League. Liverpool registered a 2-1 win over Tottenham on Sunday. "Fab has been excellent. [It was] another good performance from him, he's so good in that position," Goal.com quoted Henderson as saying. "I've played in that position for a while and it is a tough position. He's perfect for it; he reads the game so well and breaks the play up and starts attacks off. He's a fantastic player and he's in great form. Hopefully that can continue," he added. Tottenham managed to take an early lead in the match as Harry Kane scored the goal in the first minute of the match. However, Liverpool made a brilliant comeback in the second half and netted twice to take away the win from Tottenham's hands. Liverpool will now compete against Aston Villa in Premier League on November 2. (ANI) via ...

Madrid, Oct 28 (IANS) After a weekend off due to the postponement of last Saturday's scheduled game between them at the Camp Nou Stadium, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are both back in action as the Liga Santander moves from its tenth to its 11th round of fixtures in midweek. Barcelona will be in action on Tuesday night as they entertain a Valladolid side that climbed into mid-table at the weekend after a 2-0 win at home to Eibar, reports Xinhua news agency. Barca coach Ernesto Valverde has midfielder Sergi Roberto available again after a minor knee issue, although Samuel Umtiti is still sidelined after taking a knock in training a week ago. Leo Messi, Luis Suarez, and Antoine Griezmann are all likely to start ahead of a midfield of Arthur Melo, Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong, which has begun to gel as a unit in recent weeks. Real Madrid has what should be a benign return to action as Zinedine Zidane's side entertain bottom of the table Leganes, who nevertheless claimed...

Liverpool [UK], Oct 28 (ANI): Liverpool's Dejan Lovren termed his club's 2-1 victory over Tottenham in the Premier League as a 'massive, massive win'. "We knew it would be a tough game, even though they didn't have brilliant results in the last couple of games. We knew it would be tough and unfortunately they scored in the first minute, but we kept our nerve, played our game and we had many chances," the club's official website quoted Lovren as saying. "We came in at half-time and the boss said: 'Usually I never say this, but I am satisfied even though we are 1-0 down. But we need to continue like that and keep our nerve.' We knew we would have another chance and we did it. It's a massive, massive win," he added. Tottenham managed to take an early lead in the match on Sunday, as Harry Kane scored the goal in the first minute of the match. However, Liverpool made a brilliant comeback in the second half and netted twice to take...

Jamshedpur, Oct 28 (IANS) Jamshedpur FC will look to make it two wins in a row when they host a depleted Hyderabad FC in their Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Tuesday. The visitors, playing their debut season, come into the match on the back of a 0-5 drubbing at the hands of ATK. On the other hand, Jamshedpur FC showed character and determination in a 2-1 win against Odisha FC, courtesy a late winner from Sergio Gastel, despite playing with 10 men for more than 50 minutes. Head coach Antonio Iriondo had to adjust his tactics after Bikash Jairu's red card and wait for their opportunities. However, against Hyderabad FC, they will look to control proceedings from the opening whistle. Piti, the experienced 38-year-old, will don the role of a playmaker and set the tempo for the team from the middle of the park. All eyes will be on Castel who has already made an impression in the opening game. "The team is still under construction and we are st...

Leeds [UK], Oct 28 (ANI): Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said he fully supports the team despite the defeat by Liverpool in the Premier League. Liverpool trounced Tottenham 2-1 on Sunday. Tottenham now holds the 11th position in the Premier League points table with just 12 points from 10 games. Liverpool top the points table with 28 points from 10 games. "I am behind our squad, supporting them fully. We have 29 players and they will all have the opportunity to play. After five years and a half at Tottenham, it is a time to all be together and show our support," Goal.com quoted Pochettino as saying. Although Tottenham lost, Pochettino feels that the club competed well. "It was a very competitive game today and we competed well. I am of course a little bit disappointed in that with the ball we didn't have the possession in playing and forcing them to play deeper. In that aspect I'm disappointed but we competed and we need to keep pushing," Pochetti...

Manchester, Oct 28 (IANS) England and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford scored his 50th goal for the club on Sunday as the Reds beat Norwich City 3-1 in an English Premier League clash. But the 21-year-old is not resting on his laurels, as he tweeted that it's all about getting to a 100 goals now. "All about the next 50 now," Rashford said in a tweet replying to Manchester United's post celebrating his landmark. Besides Rashford, Daniel James and Anthony Martial also found the back of the net. "I think the one thing we can improve on is making more clear-cut opportunities for each other," the striker told MUTV after the game. "For me, that's the next step. We're creating and making each other half-chances, but, as forwards, the easier the goals you can get, the better. We want to be able to just square it past the goalkeeper and tap it in. We've been working hard and I think, if we keep that up, it'll become easier for us,...

Buenos Aires, Oct 28 (IANS) Lionel Messi has conceded that he is less likely to finish his career in Argentina, describing Barcelona as a city that has given him "everything". Messi has long expressed a desire to play for Rosario-based Newell's Old Boys, where he played at youth level before moving to Catalonia with his family at age 13, reports Xinhua news agency. "I always say that I don't want to leave here, I have no thoughts of moving," the 32-year-old said in an interview with Argentina's TyC Sports. "I have the dream of being able to play for Newell's in Argentina, but I don't know if it's really going to happen because I have a family that is ahead of my desire. "It's a dream I've had since I was little, but I have a family, I have three children, I live in a place that has given me everything and where I am calm and can give my children a spectacular future. "We think much more about that than my desire of...

Manchester [UK], Oct 28 (ANI): Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that midfielder Paul Pogba is likely to be out until December as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. "I don't think we'll see Paul before December. He'll be out for a while," United's official website quoted Solskjaer as saying. The 26-year-old may possibly be back in time for the trip to Sheffield United in the Premier League on November 24, but looks set to be sidelined until the final month of 2019. "He needs time to fully recover. I don't think he'll be back, maybe for Sheffield United after the international break, but probably it will be December before we can see him," Solskjaer said. "I'm not a doctor but there is an injury there that needs healing. Yes, it's his ankle," he added. United's injury situation has cleared recently, with the likes of Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Aaron Wan-Bissaka available ...

Chennai, Oct 27 (IANS) Chennaiyin FC secured their first draw of the season with a goalless encounter against Mumbai City at home on Sunday's Indian Super League (ISL) fixture. Despite the number of chances that both sides got, they weren't able to find the target and the score remained 0-0 when the referee blew the final whistle. Mumbai City join NorthEast United at the top of the table with four points from two games. Chennaiyin could have stormed into the lead within 30 seconds when Rafael Crivellaro fed Andre Schembri through on goal. But the Maltese striker could only toe the ball forward on the stretch which was blocked by Mumbai City goalkeeper Amrinder. The rebound fell for Rafael who saw his effort miraculously palmed over Amrinder's outstretched arm. The home team looked full of attacking intent in that opening period, with Rafael pulling the strings. The Brazilian did exceedingly well to hold on to the ball in the 11th minute down the left wing, before rollin...

New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS) Bengaluru FC and India captain Sunil Chhetri had a special message to give on the occasion of Diwali -- that the festival may be associated with lights and holidays but not everyone gets to be with their families. In a video posted on his Twitter handle, Chhetri said that he feels the pain of all those who are not with their families during the festival as he and the rest of the Bengaluru FC squad are travelling to Goa for their Indian Super League (ISL) match against FC Goa. "We are at the Bangalore airport and we just met a cop who was not very happy that he is working on a Deepavali night," said Chhetri in the video. "We feel his pain as the whole team is going to Goa for a rendezvous with FC Goa. To everyone who is not with their family and friends for tonight and tomorrow's festival, all the very best. I hope you enjoy and have a good time. To everyone who are with their families, enjoy and have a great time also. For us, Mandar (Rao ...

Liverpool [UK], Oct 27 (ANI): Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp praised Georginio Wijnaldum saying that the 28-year-old has 'all the things you need' in a good footballer. "Gini speaks on the pitch for the way he plays. It is just so obvious, his importance. It is both directions, small spaces, big spaces, it is hard challenges, fine football, pretty much all of that," the club's official website quoted Klopp as saying. "Is he the perfect midfielder? From the skillset 100 per cent. He has all the things you need," he added. During the last season's Champions League semi-finals clash against Barcelona, Wijnaldum scored twice helping his club register a 4-0 win in the second leg. Klopp also termed Wijnaldum a 'pretty good footballer'. "There was his header against Barcelona too. He is not the tallest, but he is good in the air. He is a good jumper with good timing, all that stuff. It all makes him a pretty good footballer," he said...

Leeds [UK], Oct 27 (ANI): Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone urged that the players need to be 'together forever' after the team defeated Athletic Bilbao. During the La Liga clash on Sunday, Atletico Madrid registered a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao. "We have to be together forever. We are a new team, with many new players. Today, for example, we had a backline of new signings," Goal.com quoted Simeone as saying. Simeone also added that they need to be like horses looking forward. "We know what our aim is and we need the fans, directors, players, coaches to be like horses looking forward," he said. With this win, Atletico Madrid have equalled their points with Barcelona (19), who top the La Liga points table. However, Atletico Madrid have played 10 matches while Barcelona gained their points from nine matches. Atletico Madrid will now compete against Alaves in La Liga on October 29. (ANI) via Sify.com https://ift.tt/31M3Kct

Leeds [UK], Oct 27 (ANI): Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan feels that his team-mate Raheem Sterling can be on the top if he remains consistent with his performance. "He is among the five best attacking players in the world, definitely. Just now it's about consistency but he has shown in the last 12 to 18 months that he is able to stay consistent. If he can continue like that, he can be on the top," Goal.com quoted Gundogan as saying. Sterling scored the opening goal for the club during their Premier League clash against Aston Villa on Saturday. Manchester City registered a 3-0 win in the match. The club took their goal tally to three with the help of David Silva and Gundogan's strike. Manchester City now have 22 points in Premier League and are only behind Liverpool, who are three points ahead. (ANI) via Sify.com https://ift.tt/2qJrykc

Wolverhampton [UK], Oct 27 (ANI): Wolves' Willy Boly on Sunday (local time) picked up a 'serious' injury to his left ankle, the club's head of medical team Phil Hayward revealed. "Unfortunately, Willy Boly sustained a serious injury to his left ankle in training earlier today," the club's official website quoted Hayward as saying. "Initial tests show a fracture to his fibula, and he will undergo further imaging over the coming days to determine whether surgery is required or not," he added. Wolves are scheduled to play against Newcastle in Premier League today but the defender will not feature in the match and did not travel with the squad. Hayward also said that if surgery is required then it will take place next week. "If surgery is required that will take place during the next week," he said. (ANI) via Sify.com https://ift.tt/31NY5Cz

Leeds [UK], Oct 27 (ANI): Chelsea manager Frank Lampard hailed Christian Pulisic for his hat-trick against Burnley FC saying that he showed the 'full package'. "The way that he's trained over the past few weeks and the impact he's had when he's been playing, has said to everyone 'here I am', and what talent he does have," Goal.com quoted Lampard as saying. "I'm really pleased for him today, it's what we need from all our attacking players - to be a threat, to play like that, to have a ruthless edge about how they finish. He showed the full package today," he added. During the Premier League match on Saturday, Pulisic scored the opening three goals of the match handing his club a 3-0 lead. Willian also added a goal to Chelsea's tally. However, when the game was inching closer to full-time, Burnley FC scored two goals but still faced a 4-2 defeat. In Premier League, Chelsea will now compete against Watford on November 2. (...

Leeds [UK], Oct 27 (ANI): After Bayern Munich claimed the top spot in Bundesliga's points table, manager Niko Kovac said they now have the place they wanted. "Now we have the place we want. We are now first in the Bundesliga," Goal.com quoted Kovac as saying. During their Bundesliga clash on Saturday, Bayern Munich registered a 2-1 victory over Union Berlin. The club now has 18 points, one point ahead of the second-placed SC Freiburg. Lewandowski, who scored the second goal of the match, became the first player to score in the opening nine matches of a Bundesliga season. "Robert Lewandowski has set a Bundesliga record. That's nice. I'm glad that we all got out of the game healthy today. Because you know what I mean [because of the many injured]," Kovac said. Despite the victory, Kovac feels there is room for improvement. "I know we can still do better. If you look at the games from the last few weeks, it's always close games where we only...

Leeds [UK], Oct 27 (ANI): Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski is elated over his record-breaking performance during the clash against Union Berlin. During their Bundesliga clash on Saturday, Bayern Munich registered a 2-1 victory over Union Berlin. Lewandowski, who scored the second goal of the match, became the first player to score in the opening nine matches of a Bundesliga season. "I always try to do my best, to perform to the best of my ability. I'm glad we won. I want to help the team with my goals, with my play, with my movements," Goal.com quoted Lewandowski as saying. "I'm glad about the record of course, but I focus on football and training. Maybe I'll think about it more at the end of the season," he added. Bayern Munich will now compete against Vfl Bochum in DFB Cup on October 30. (ANI) via Sify.com https://ift.tt/2NhAtkp

London, Oct 27 (IANS) Manchester City topped Aston Villa 3-0 on the strength of goals by Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay G?ndogan in Premier League action. Sterling extended his form as he opened the scoring just 22 seconds into the second half on Saturday night, having notched a hat-trick in City's 5-1 win over Atalanta at a UEFA Champions League midweek clash. Then, De Bruyne doubled the score in the 65th minute on a cross that found the back of the net, reports Efe news. G?ndogan rounded off the victory in the 70th minute. With the victory, City recovered the second spot in the Premier League table from Leicester City, who beat Southampton away from home 9-0 on Friday. City temporarily closes the gap with leader Liverpool to three points, with the Reds hosting Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. kk/dpb via Sify.com https://ift.tt/2MS7aWN

Madrid, Oct 27 (IANS) Atletico Madrid are second in LaLiga after a convincing 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao that saw the hosts shine at both ends of the pitch. The win on Saturday lifts Atleti to 19 points, the same as league leaders Barcelona, who have a better goal difference. They are also a point better than capital rivals Real Madrid, though both Barca and the Blancos have a game in hand. The visitors, meanwhile, extended their winless streak to five despite enjoying an edge on possession and making the better start, reports Efe news. Only a stupendous effort by home goalkeeper Jan Oblak kept Athletic from taking the lead in the second minute on a potent header from Inigo Martinez on Saturday. The Slovene leaped to nudge the shot just over the cross-bar. Athletic set the pace, moving the ball with relative ease, but struggled to penetrate the Colchonero defense after that early chance. A last-second poke by Koke prevented what looked like a sure goal for Athletic's In...

Guwahati, Oct 26 (IANS) Former Ghanaian World Cupper Asamoah Gyan handed NorthEast United FC their first win in the Indian Super League (ISL) Season 6 after netting the winner in a 2-1 victory over Odisha FC at the Indira Gandhi Athletic stadium here on Saturday. The home team drew first blood when Redeem Tlang scored the quickest goal of the season in the second minute. Odisha equalised through Xisco Hernandez (71') before defender Carlos Delgado was sent off. The Highlanders made their advantage count through Gyan who popped up with a header six minutes from the final whistle. The win takes NorthEast to the top of the table while Odisha slumped to their second loss in as many matches. The hosts enjoyed the best possible start to the game when they roared into the lead with just two minutes on the clock. Martin Chaves started the move with a run down the left flank before finding Panagiotis Triadis down the middle. The Greek midfielder found Tlang in space down the right and t...

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 26 (IANS) The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Saturday that it will expand the AFC Champions League to include 40 clubs at the start of the 2021 season. The AFC Women's Asian Cup will also be expanded to 12 teams from eight in the last edition held in Jordan. "From the 2021 season, the AFC Champions League will be expanded to 40 clubs with an extra group of four being added in both the east and west zones and further growing the reputation of one of the richest continental club competitions in the world," the AFC's official website said. "In 2022, there will be four more teams in the AFC Women's Asian Cup -- going from eight in the last edition in Jordan to 12 in the next tournament. At present, the AFC have proposals from Chinese Taipei, India and Uzbekistan to host the tournament and with the added four teams, there will be further opportunities for more players, teams and member associations," it said. rkm/arm via Si...

Wuhan (China), Oct 26 (IANS) North Korea beat hosts China 2-1 in the final of the women's football event at the Military World Games here on Saturday. "Congratulation to the North Korean team. The match represented the highest level of Asian women's football," Chinese head coach Zhao Zhengchun said after the match. North Korea broke the deadlock in the 51st minute when Kim Yun-mi converted an easy goal after China's goalkeeper Peng Shimeng failed to hold on to the ball. The hosts found the equaliser seven minutes later with a long-range effort by captain Zhang Rui. However, Kim scored her second and the winner in the 85th minute. kk/arm via Sify.com https://ift.tt/2MPbhDa

Munich [Germany], Oct 26 (ANI): Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski on Saturday became the first player in the history of Bundesliga to score in the first nine games of a season. He achieved the feat during Bayern's match against Union Berlin here at the Allianz Arena in Munich. With this goal, he has taken his tally to 13 goals in the current Bundesliga season. Before Lewandowski, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang held the record as he scored in eight successive games for Borussia Dortmund during the 2015-16 season. In the match between Bayern and Union Berlin, the former was seen in impressive form and they did not allow their opponent to create any sort of momentum in the match. Munich enjoyed the bulk of ball possession and this finally paid dividend for them as they scored the opening goal of the match in the 13th minute. Benjamin Pavard scored the goal for Munich, giving them a 1-0 lead. No more goals were registered in the first half, and as a result, the side went into ha...

Southampton (England), Oct 26 (IANS) Leicester City have equaled Manchester United's record of registering the biggest win in English Premier League following their 9-0 demolition of 10-man Southampton at St. Mary' Stadium. On Friday, both Vardy and Ayoze Perez scored hat-trick to help Leicester continue with their imperious run in the ongoing competition, reports BBC Sport. The other three goals were scored by Ben Chilwell, Youri Tielemans and James Maddison. The rout equalled United's 9-0 demolition of Ipswich at Old Trafford in March 1995. Leicester's victory was also the biggest ever win by any side in an English top-flight league match in the 131-year history of the Football League. "We were ruthlessly simple in our game. When you're so many goals up, you can easily slow, but we kept focus. We want to be a top team and to be a top team you must be clinical," said Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers. "It was a very good team performance and we...

Manchester [UK], Oct 26 (ANI): Manchester City defeated Aston Villa 3-0 on Saturday in the ongoing Premier League here at the Etihad Stadium. With this win, City has now closed the gap on table-toppers Liverpool. The Reds currently lead Manchester City by just three points. City maintained the bulk of ball possession in the match. The side came out all guns blazing as they kept on making aggressive moves. However, Aston Villa's defence was up to the task and they did not allow City to register any goals in the first half. At the half-time mark, no team was able to break the deadlock and the scoreline read 0-0. However, as soon as the second half began, City's Raheem Sterling registered a goal to give the side a 1-0 lead. In the 65th minute, Manchester City doubled their lead as Kevin De Bruyne netted the ball into the goalpost. Aston Villa did not have any answers to the relentless attack by City and the latter put the final nail in the coffin as Iikay Gundogan scored t...