FOOTBALL UPDATE

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Manchester City were finally stopped from winning thanks to an admirable performance from Crystal Palace who certainly did more than their bit to make it a great contest.Crystal Palace, the team who lost their seven opening matches of the campaign before stunning Chelsea in October, looked did just that at Selhurst Park against none other than unbeaten Premier League leaders Manchester City.  The battling hosts came away with a point, which could have just as easily been three had it not been for Ederson's heroics. Despite starting on the front foot, Pep Guardiola's men struggled to dismantle the organised defensive scheme laid out by Roy Hodgson. The Eagles threatened City in equal measure, defending deep in their own half but proving a menace on the break and bringing the game to life with relentless tempo. Clear openings came at a premium at either end even though Sergio Aguero's deflected shot bounced off the post midway through the first half. The Argentine

Kevin De Bruyne was carried off on a stretcher late in Manchester City's 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday, with Gabriel Jesus also leaving the pitch injured and in tears, Pep Guardiola later confirming the Brazilian would be out for one or two months. Belgium international De Bruyne, who has been instrumental to City's success this season, suffered the injury after a collision with Palace's Jason Puncheon in stoppage time at Selhurst Park.Earlier in the match, Jesus landed awkwardly, and had to be withdrawn.    He made his way to the dressing room in tears, consoled by City's medical staff."Jesus will be out for one or two months," Guardiola said to reporters in his post-match press conference."The second half was a little better than the first, but we had some small problems and in the end, Ederson helped us get a point."

Transfer window hours away from opening, Barcelona are set to return for Coutinho. Having failed to find common ground with Liverpool in recent weeks, one final bid is in store to wear down the Premier League outfit.  Klopp has repeatedly insisted the club has no plans to sell Philippe Coutinho, frustrating the Catalans giants. Much like the events that transpired in last summer's transfer saga, Barcelona have run into a brick wall when trying to negotiate for the Brazilian. At least one big signing is expected to arrive at the Camp Nou in January and Barca chief Josep Maria Bartomeu is ready to press the situation for a player that is fundamental in Liverpool's Champions League aspirations. As reported by Spanish daily 'MARCA', Barcelona want to go all in for Coutinho who, if the transfer eventually does follow through, would not be elegible to play in Europe. With the potentially record-breaking fee Barcelona have lined up, they would hope for a recruit th

Manchester United were held to a goalless draw at home to Southampton yesterday. Lukaku was stretchered off and taken down the Old Trafford tunnel after an accidental collision with the Dutch defender. Hoedt appeared to head into the back of Lukaku’s head. The Belgian striker was left unconscious on the pitch and required medical treatment before he was further examined at the ground. But Mourinho refused to pin the blame on Hoedt. “He was just unlucky,” Mourinho told MUTV. I think the Dutch central defender goes with him for the ball and it's unlucky for Romelu and unlucky for Hoedt.  “It was nothing aggressive and, hopefully, nothing important. “But the first consequence of is he didn't play for the rest of the game." Mourinho confirmed Lukaku is likely to be out for two matches. He added: “I don’t know. I know that normally bad, bad news arrives immediately. Bad news didn't arrive. I think that there’s a problem for the next two matches.

Speculation continues to surround the future of Cristiano Ronaldo, but with an eye on the long term, the Real Madrid number seven already knows what he wants to do: make films. The Portugal international remains focused on his footballing career for now, but at 32-years-old, it is normal that he is considering his options for post-retirement."I'd like to make movies, I have my hotels, my gyms, my clothing line with Nike... I see myself as a business man," he told Alessandro del Piero in an interview for Sky Italia, which will be published in January. "Right now I am focused on what I am doing, although clearly I know that sooner or later the moment to retire will come."My life after football will be beautiful, I'm sure, and I don't mean with money, but with pleasure of doing other things. "Ronaldo also reflected on the past, revealing that he had contact with Juventus ahead of a potential move to Italy in 2003, when he instead joined M

Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool came from behind to maintain their push for a Champions League place with 2-1 victory over Leicester on Saturday. Jamie Vardy put Leicester ahead but Liverpool, who had new £75 million ($100 million) signing Vigil van Dijk watching from the Anfield stands, fought back after the interval to secure the points. Salah was again instrumental for Jurgen Klopp's side as he took his tally to 17 Premier League goals this season with two fine finishes. Liverpool, who remain fourth, are four points clear of fifth placed Tottenham. Klopp's goalkeeper rotation policy saw Loris Karius start ahead of Simon Mignolet, who dropped to the bench, and after just three minutes the German was forced to pick the ball out of the net. Joel Matip's timid pass from the back sold Emre Can short and Vicente Iborra's sharpness saw him steal possession and quickly release Riyad Mahrez down the right flank. The Algeria winger glided past left-back And

Chelsea demonstrated the yawning chasm in squad depth that exists in the Premier League with a 5-0 canter past Stoke City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. While both sides rotated their squads after a hectic series of fixtures, Chelsea maintained their quality on the pitch in a scintillating opening half-hour, racing into a 3-0 lead and effectively winning the match through goals from Antonio Rudiger, Danny Drinkwater and Pedro. A late Willian penalty and a fine individual effort from Davide Zappacosta completed the scoring in a game that had long since ceased to be a contest. By contrast, Stoke's team selection suggested manager Mark Hughes was prioritising Monday's New Year's Day game at home to fellow strugglers Newcastle United. Teenage full-backs Tom Edwards and Josh Tymon both started while influential midfielders Joe Allen and Xherdan Shaqiri were named as substitutes. It took just two minutes and 35 seconds for Stoke's makeshift side to be exposed. Will

We take a look ahead to today Premier League game between Liverpool and Leicester at Anfield.  Liverpool:  Jurgen Klopp will be without captain Jordan Henderson, who could be out until February with a hamstring injury. Left-back Alberto Moreno (ankle) remains sidelined along with fellow defender and long-term absentee Nathaniel Clyne (back). Daniel Sturridge may miss out through illness.   Leicester:  Daniel Amartey is once again available for selection after he missed the Boxing Day defeat to Watford through suspension. He may slot in at right-back, with Danny Simpson expecting to miss out once again, along with fellow defender Robert Huth and midfielder Matty James.   Possible lineups: Liverpool:  Mignolet, Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Robertson, Wiljnaldum, Can, Coutinho, Mane, Firmino, Salah. Leicester:  Schmeichel, Amartey, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs, Ndidi, Iborra, Mahrez, Gray, Albrighton, Vardy. Did you know?   Leicester haven't done the double over Liverpool si

We take a look ahead to today Premier League game between Chelsea and Stoke at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea:  'Blues' boss Antonio Conte has no fresh injury concerns ahead of the game, but may make changes to freshen up his squad ahead of the trip to Arsenal on Wednesday. Defender Andreas Christen could return to the starting lineup after missing the win over Brighton on Boxing Day due to illness. David Luiz and Charly Musona both remain unavailable with knee and gorin injuries respectively, but both are closing in on a return to action.   Stoke:  Mark Hughes is facing a defensive crisis ahead of the game, with Ryan Sawcross (calf), Bruno Martins Indi (groin) and Glen Johnson (knee) all injured, whilst Kurt Zouma is ineligible against his parent club. They could be boosted by the return of Erik Pieters, who has missed their last two games through injury.   Possible lineups: Chelsea:  Courtois, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill, Zappacosta, Bakayoko, Kante, Fabregas, Alo

Antonio Conte has urged Chelsea to take a significant step towards a top four finish in the Premier League by beating Stoke on Saturday. Conte's side know their chances of retaining the Premier League title are slim given Manchester City's record-breaking run has left Chelsea 16 points adrift of the leaders. But they have won their last six Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge and are currently just a single point behind Manchester United in second place. Chelsea also boast a four-point advantage over Liverpool, the club directly below them, and Blues boss Conte is looking to maintain that advantage heading into 2018. "In this league there is great motivation for all to try to stay there and fight until the end," Conte said. "I don't know if we can do this for the title because it depends on Manchester City, who are doing something extraordinary. "To win every game and draw one means you are having a fantastic run. "But there is g

Alexis Sanchez helped Arsenal to victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Thursday, though Palace boss Roy Hodgson will have been pleased with his side's battling display. Palace went into the game looking to extend their eight-game unbeaten run in the Premier League and whilst they put in a spirited performance, they fell to a narrow defeat on a landmark night for Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. Arsenal dominated the ball in the opening exchanges but they were unable to create any real openings. Granit Xhaka and Yohan Cabaye exchanged efforts from range, before the former saw a low effort hacked away following a cut-back from the left. Wilshere was the next to threaten with a low drive before Arsenal took the lead with 25 minutes on the clock. Palace failed to clear an Arsenal free kick and the ball fell nicely for Alexandre Lacazette to try his luck on goal. He hit a powerful effort towards the far corner and while Julian Speroni in the home goal managed to keep it

There was another trophy for Cristiano Ronaldo's bulging trophy cabinet as he added the best player gong at the Globe Soccer Awards 2017, in Dubai. Ronaldo, who was also received FIFA's The Best Award for 2017, helped Real Madrid to win five trophies during the calendar year. "It is a special moment and I am very happy to receive this award," said Ronaldo. "I would like to thank the coach my teammates and Real Madrid. Thanks to the people that voted for me and do the same next next year.  Asked where he puts all the trophies he joked: "don't worry I have a lot of space."

The 10 most expensive defenders in history? 10. Lilian Thuram (41.5m euros) Parma to Juventus (2001/02)  9. Leonardo Bonucci (42m euros) Juventus to Milan (2017/18) 8. Thiago Silva (42m euros) Milan to PSG (2012/13) 7. Nicolas Otamendi (44.6m euros)  Valencia to Manchester City (2015/16) 6. Rio Ferdinand (46m euros) Leeds United to Manchester United (2002/03)  5. David Luiz (49.5m euros)  Chelsea to PSG (2014/15)  4. John Stones (56m euros)  Everton to Manchester City (2016/17) 3. Benjamin Mendy (57m euros)  Monaco to Manchester City (2017/18)  2. Kyle Walker (60m euros)  Tottenham to Manchester City (2017/18) 1. Virgil Van Dijk (85m euros)  Southampton to Liverpool (2017/18)

Manchester City may be on a record-breaking 18-game winning streak in the Premier League but winger Raheem Sterling says the runaway leader’s main focus is to continue collecting points from their upcoming matches. The 23-year-old scored his 13th league goal to help City record a 1-0 win at Newcastle United on Wednesday as Pep Guardiola’s side maintained their blistering run to extend their lead to 15 points. ”I don’t think anyone is really thinking about records,“ Sterling told the club’s website. "They’re nice to have on your CV but we have to keep winning and getting three points. “Records only stand for a certain amount of time. Three points add to the table.” The England international is now the league’s third leading scorer, behind Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, and has already eclipsed his 10-goal haul across all competitions last season. “Most definitely, in terms of goals,” Sterling added when asked if he was performing at

An agreement in place and Liverpool will pay 75 million pounds (85 million euros), for Southampton's Virgil Van Dijk.  Manchester City, Barcelona and Chelsea were all beaten to the centre-back's signature despite registering interest. "The Reds have agreed a deal with the south coast club, and the player himself, that will see the 26-year-old defender move to Anfield when the transfer window re-opens on January 1, 2018," Liverpool said in a statement. "The Netherlands international will be assigned squad number four, upon his arrival at Liverpool." The English media highlighted that Van Dijk was very close to City, however, Jurgen Klopp's influence has believed to have swayed the deal. The Dutchman was left out of the Southampton squad and, finally, his situation has been resolved.

We take a look ahead to today Premier League clash between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park.    Crystal Palace:  Striker Christian Benteke returns to contention after missing the draw with Swansea through suspension, but defender Mamadou Sakho remains unavailable with a calf strain, whilst Joel Ward is also struggling with a groin problem.    Arsenal:  Defender Nacho Monreal will miss the game after picking up an ankle injury against Liverpool, with the Spaniard expected to be out for 10 days. Striker Olivier Giroud is also out with a hamstring problem, though manager Arsene Wenger is hopeful he will return sooner than the initial four to six week prognosis. Finally, midfielder Aaron Ramsey remains sidelined with a hamstring complaint, but is expected to return in early January. Spanish schemer Santi Cazorla remains unavailable long-term.     Did you know?   Arsenal have lost just one of the last 14 meetings between the two sides in all competitio

Liverpool have agreed a £75million deal for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk. Both clubs took to Twitter on Wednesday night to confirm that they have agreed a deal for the Dutchman, who is expected to pocket around £180,000 per week at Anfield. The deal will be completed when the transfer window reopens on January 1, 2018. The fee is a world record sum for a defender, breaking the previous record of £52m set when Manchester City lured Benjamin Mendy away from French champions Monaco during the summer. Liverpool attempted to sign the Van Dijk last summer, but were forced to withdraw their interest when the 'Saints' threatened to report them for an 'illegal approach'. Jurgen Klopp's side had been prepared to pay £60m for the player then, but given their occasional defensive woes so far this campaign and the bad blood between the sides they have been forced to up their offer in order to agree a deal, with former club Celtic expected to make £7.5m fr

This year has been a great one for English topflight forward, but who has done well in 2017?   ALEXIS SANCHEZ A few eyebrows might be raised by Sanchez’s inclusion due to his apparent drop in form in the second half of the year. However, it must be noted that the Chilean has still found the back of the net 17 times so far, a number loads of forwards will envy. The Chilean may have lost a bit of form and focus in the second half of the year, but he certainly was the Gunners’ most important player when performances were still up to scratch.   ROMELU LUKAKU Much has been said about the much-maligned Lukaku ever since he donned the Blue of Everton before proceeding to switch clubs in the summer. The Manchester United forward, though, on his day is one of the top forwards in the Premier League. With 25 calendar league goals for Everton and United combined the forward is surely one of the sharp shooters in the division. The Belgian may have struggled in recent months in

Liverpool showed their attacking prowess once again on Tuesday as they hit rock-bottom Swansea for five at Anfield. Sadio Mande was rested for the game, but the other three members of Liverpool’s ‘Fab Four’ made sure that it was a Merry Christmas for Jurgen Klopp’s side. They got off to the perfect start when Roberto Firmino robbed Jordan Ayew in midfield and fed Mohamed Salah. He found Philippe Coutinho on the edge of the box and the Brazilian curled a superb effort into the top corner with minimal fuss to give his side the lead. Liverpool were in complete control in the first half though they struggled to find a second. Andrew Robertson fired wide from the edge of the box, before Emre Can saw a tame effort saved by Lukasz Fabianski. Further efforts from range from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Firmino failed to test the Pole, before the latter waste a great chance on the stroke of half-time. Salah won the ball back and set Firmino away but he dragged his effort wide of the