Guardiola repeats call for player protection as City forge ahead

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola urged officials to better protect his star players after a 3-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday.

The result left his side with a commanding 15-point lead at the top of the Premier League but Guardiola was unhappy with a series of challenges, the worst of which saw Matt Phillips booked for a high-flying lunge at young City substitute Brahim Diaz.

The incident followed City’s FA Cup victory at Cardiff on Sunday where Leroy Sane suffered an ankle ligament injury which will sideline him for up to seven weeks — prompting Guardiola’s call for his players’ protection.

However, he was in a more conciliatory mood on Wednesday, although he did have an animated discussion with fourth official Kevin Friend on the final whistle.

“I’ve said what I said so we spoke with Kevin, the fourth official,” Guardiola told reporters. “They have an opinion, I have another one, they’re the bosses, I accept that. I have to accept it.”

The Spaniard added: “Today we were lucky, three or four days ago we were unlucky with Leroy. 

“The image speaks for itself. I could repeat what I said after the last game but it’s not necessary. The chat was good, that’s all.”

Guardiola was also unhappy with a late lunge by James McClean on Kevin De Bruyne, which earned the West Brom man a yellow card, and an Allan Nyom foul on Kyle Walker.

– ‘Poor challenge’ –

But Albion manager Alan Pardew believed Guardiola’s weekend comments had provoked City supporters into trying to put pressure on referee Bobby Madley in a bid to get him to hand out harsher treatment to the visitors than might otherwise have been the case. 

Pardew also pointed out that City were not faultless, highlighting an early incident in which home midfielder Fernandinho appeared to stamp on Grzegorz Krychowiak, who had to be replaced later in the first half.

“He’s a winger and in desperate situations wingers can make poor challenges. It was a poor challenge, make no mistake about that,” said Pardew of Phillips’s challenge.

“But I think Fernandinho made a similar one in the middle of the pitch. I’m not sure if the referee saw it.

“I thought Pep’s comments at the weekend affected the crowd. Every challenge, they were saying ‘you’re not protecting our players, referee!’. 

“There were a few songs sung about him but I actually thought he (Madley) had a decent game.”

Officiating aside, it was a routine victory for Guardiola’s team, with goals from Fernandinho, De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero sealing victory.

– ‘Amazing joy’ –

Their efforts also took City’s goal tally for the season to 101, an astonishing mark before the end of January, although Guardiola was conscious that his team missed a host of chances — Raheem Sterling in particular — and the manager warned they were chances which better teams would have punished his side for wasting.

“When you ask me what he (Sterling) can improve – that (finishing)!” said Guardiola, whose side remains in the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple of Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League titles in the one season. 

“When he is able to improve that he will be a top-class player, so I’m happy because today what I feel is this is one of the best performances we played this season.

“To play better than we played today is difficult but in knockout games, or cup finals, or Arsenal in the (League Cup) final, we need to be more clinical in front of goal or we will be in trouble.

“We create an amazing amount of joy — to watch these guys play, the joy they have to play in that way — but we miss a lot of chances and against the top teams it will be a problem if we are not able to improve.”

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Mourinho slams his flops as quick-fire Spurs rock United

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho accused his Manchester United stars of failing to follow instructions after Christian Eriksen scored just 11 seconds into Tottenham’s 2-0 win at Wembley.

United boss Mourinho was furious with his side’s sloppy defending as they made a host of mistakes that allowed Eriksen to blast Tottenham ahead with the joint second fastest goal in Premier League history.

Phil Jones allowed Harry Kane to win a header from the kick-off and, with the rest of the United defence caught flat-footed, Dele Alli pounced with a deft pass that Eriksen steered home from close-range.

Adding insult to injury for Mourinho, Jones booted a Kieran Trippier cross into his own net midway through the first half to double Tottenham’s lead.

United’s first defeat in nine league games would have been even more painful had the hosts converted more of the numerous chances they created.

Mourinho had no doubt where the blame lay as he criticised his players for failing to follow the warnings he had given about Tottenham’s aggressive start to matches.

“I don’t think it is very normal to concede a goal like we did after 15 seconds,” he said.

“It is especially ridiculous because the players, they watch it before, we analyse opponents and work on opponents’ dynamics and routines.

“The players they knew the long ball, they knew that Harry Kane – before the kick-off, is already inside the opponent’s half. We knew everything.

“Then we don’t press the ball – one mistake. We don’t pick the ball in the air – second mistake.

“We don’t win the second ball on the ground – third mistake. We don’t cover the inside when Eriksen comes – four mistakes.

“Four mistakes after 15 seconds and you are losing 1-0 against a good team.”

With second placed United clinging to faint hopes of catching leaders Manchester City, it was a badly-timed meltdown from Mourinho’s men.

They are now 15 points behind City and Mourinho admitted he harbours no hopes of catching Pep Guardiola’s side.

Instead, he will focus on ensuring United survive the fight to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top four finish.

– ‘Unlucky for me’ –

“I always think when the leader has a certain distance, I have been there a few times, you are calm, you are relaxed and you don’t feel the pressure,” he said.

“You know that your opponent, sooner or later, is going to drop at least a couple of points and you are completely in control.

“We play match after match, yes the Premier League finishes for us at Old Trafford in May against Watford but you knew the distance to the leader was already considerable even before this match.

“Now we have us, Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal – we will be there fighting for the positions.”

Mourinho also revealed a knee injury forced Marouane Fellaini to be taken off just seven minutes after his second half introduction as a substitute.

“Fellaini came off because he had something in his knee. Unlucky for him and unlucky for me,” he said.

Tottenham’s win puts them just two points behind fourth placed Chelsea and third placed Liverpool, with a crucial trip to Anfield looming on Sunday.

Mauricio Pochettino was enthused by the way his team dominated such formidable opposition, but the boss refused to rate it the best of a season that also includes impressive wins over Real Madrid and Liverpool.

“I don’t know if it was the best, but for sure one of the best. The performance was fantastic,” he said.

“Manchester United are a great team, so to dominate and to keep a clean-sheet, the team deserve a lot of praise of course.”

Pochettino admitted even he was shocked to see Eriksen score so fast and he was quick to salute the Dane’s express impact.

“Christian is such an important player for us. He’s a player that links everyone and of course when he’s not in the team we always miss him,” he said.

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EPL splashes cash as Arsenal sign Aubameyang and Giroud makes Chelsea switch

London (AFP) – England’s Premier League clubs have spent more money than ever in a January transfer window, with initial estimates suggesting they had reached the £450 million ($639 million, 514 million euros) mark come deadline day.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund for a club-record fee of around £56 million on Wednesday’s concluding day of business, with Olivier Giroud moving to Chelsea as part of a complicated transfer jigsaw.

The previous EPL record for a January window was £225 million in 2011.

Prior to Wednesday’s 2300 GMT deadline in England, Tottenham Hotspur announced the signing of Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain but Manchester City pulled out of signing Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez.

Top Premier League clubs have splashed the cash in the January transfer window, desperate to qualify for the top four, which guarantees entry into the lucrative Champions League.

Aubameyang, 28, signed a contract with the Gunners until 2021, becoming Arsenal’s second big-name signing of the January transfer window after Henrikh Mkhitaryan joined from Manchester United.

His arrival will boost Arsene Wenger’s forward options after the departure of Alexis Sanchez to United in a swap deal with Mkhitaryan but raises questions about Alexandre Lacazette’s future with the Gunners.

The prolific Aubameyang compared himself to club legend Thierry Henry, telling Arsenal Player he was attracted by the “big history” of the club, who lost ground in the Premier League with a 3-1 defeat by Swansea on Tuesday.

– ‘Crazy’ –

The Gabon international will be reunited at the Emirates Stadium with former Dortmund teammate Mkhitaryan — a tweet on Arsenal’s Twitter account pictured the two players together with the message “Friends reunited”.

Aubameyang posted a message on Instagram apologising for the circumstances surrounding his departure from Germany but describing himself as “crazy”.

“Perhaps it was not the best way for me to have decided, but everyone knows that Auba is crazy,” Aubameyang said.

“I never had any bad intentions. I will never forget these four-and-a-half years at Borussia Dortmund.”

Chelsea later announced the arrival of Arsenal striker Giroud on an 18-month contract for around £18 million and Michy Batshuayi’s departure for Borussia Dortmund in a loan deal until the end of the season.

Frenchman Giroud, 31, who has struggled to hold down a regular starting spot since joining Arsenal in 2012, said he was delighted to be joining their London rivals.

Belgian forward Batshuayi, 24, arrives in Dortmund as a direct replacement for Aubameyang, to complete the three-way puzzle.

Brazil winger Lucas challenged his new Spurs team-mates to win the Champions League after arriving from PSG for a reported £25 million.

Manchester City may have got nowhere with their interest in Mahrez, but the Premier League leaders paid a club-record fee of £57 million for young French centre-back Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao, in a deal confirmed on Tuesday.

– Strugglers seek loan boost –

Swansea, battling for Premier League survival, brought Ghanaian forward Andre Ayew back to Wales from West Ham late Wednesday — 18 months after he joined the Hammers for £20.5 million.

The Swans said they had re-signed the 28-year-old for a club record but undisclosed fee on a three-and-a-half year contract that will reunite Ayew with brother Jordan at the Liberty Stadium.

Newcastle, just a point above the bottom three, sealed a similar season-long loan move for Islam Slimani, the Leicester striker.

Slimani has struggled to live up to his £30 million price tag as Leicester’s most expensive signing, with 13 goals in 46 appearance since his arrival in 2016. 

But Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez, speaking after his side’s 1-1 draw with Burnley on Wednesday, said: “He is a player who can fight with defenders, challenge and score goals.”

Everton, who saw Theo Walcott, a £20 million window signing from Arsenal, score twice in a 2-1 win over Leicester on Wednesday, also made a loan signing Manchester City defender Eliaquim Mangala, now surplus to requirements at the Etihad after Laporte’s arrival, subject to Premier League clearance.

Earlier in the window, Everton’s local rivals Liverpool signed Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for £75 million — a world record for a defender.

German World Cup winner Mesut Ozil gave Arsenal a big boost by finally agreeing a new contract that will see him become the highest paid player in the club’s history, according to the BBC, which said he would earn around £350,000 a week.

There was no official confirmation from Arsenal but Ozil posted a tweet with a picture of him signing photos with the message: “Had a busy day signing things.”

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Puel vows to make Mahrez smile after Man City move collapses

London (AFP) – Leicester manager Claude Puel intends to do all he can to ensure that Riyad Mahrez comes back “with a smile” after the Algeria playmaker saw a potential move to runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City fall through on Wednesday’s transfer deadline day.

With the Foxes desperate not to lose one of the stars of their shock 2015/16 Premier League title success, there were reports in the British press that Manchester City baulked at Leicester’s £96 million ($136 million, 110 million euro) valuation of Mahrez and walked away without submitting a bid.

Mahrez was left out of the Leicester side beaten 2-1 at Everton later Wednesday and Puel said it had been a tricky situation for both the club and the player alike.

“We receive at the last moment something about City and I think it was harsh for us. It was difficult also for Riyad,” said Puel.

“We have to understand (all) parts: for me, for the squad, for the player. We will accept the decision, it was a decision taken between the two clubs.

“Of course I have all confidence about the owner to take a good decision about Riyad for the future and after we will see with Riyad when he can come back with us.”

The Frenchman added: “All the players and staff will help him to come back with a smile and to enjoy his football. Players know it will be difficult sometimes for Riyad. 

“We have a fantastic group, a fantastic squad, all the players have a fantastic relationship. All the players will give their best for Riyad.”

Everton were indebted to their new £20-million signing, Theo Walcott, for both their goals and Sam Allardyce was delighted by the way the former Arsenal forward linked up with Seamus Coleman, back after 10 months out with a broken leg.

“There’s a new partnership flourishing that’s come together for the very first time — Seamus and Theo,” Toffees manager Allardyce told Everton’s website.

“Theo could have scored a hat-trick,” the former England boss added. “Oumar Niasse could have scored a hat-trick — that’s how many good chances we created.”

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Conte under pressure as Bournemouth shock Chelsea

London (AFP) – Antonio Conte had no doubt the pressure on his position would intensify after his Chelsea side’s stunning 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

The Blues head coach insists his Chelsea team, the reigning Premier League champions, are over-achieving this season –- but claims he is “relaxed” if members of the club’s hierarchy view things differently.

Defeat left Chelsea in fourth place in the Premier League, just two points above Tottenham Hotspur and Conte accepted there were concerns over whether the Blues would qualify for next season’s Champions League.

“The pressure, it’s normal. It’s normal for a coach, for a manager,” Conte said. “It’s normal if you are Chelsea’s coach. 

“After the first game this season, you (the media) tried to put pressure on my job. But I’m trying to do my best.”

The Italian added: “If someone doesn’t think this club deserves this table (position) or deserve this situation. I repeat: we are doing everything, we are doing 120 percent. I’m exploiting this squad at the maximum level.

“But, if someone doesn’t agree about this, I’m here. I have to accept every situation. I’m very relaxed about this. I know that I’m doing a great job, a great work, me and the staff and the players.”

There have been reports that Conte has angered Chelsea’s Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich with thinly veiled criticism of the London club’s transfer policy.  

– ‘Reality’ –

Asked whether the transfer business conducted by Chelsea’s top four rivals had made the task of claiming a top four finish harder, Conte replied: “We have to understand that, if we want to speak about football and if we think to understand football we know very well this (a top four place) will be very difficult for us.

“If we want only to dream and not see the reality –- in this case, I can tell you now we can fight to win the title this season!”, added Conte, whose side area huge 18 points behind leaders Manchester City.

“It will be very important to look at the reality and to know that, if we are able to reach a place in the Champions League, it will be a great success for us. Otherwise we have a normal season.

“My task is to try to be more realistic and try to transfer this to the players, because the players… if they know and understand the danger… But the players are fantastic in their commitment. They understand very well what our situation is in this season.”

New signing Olivier Giroud watched the game from behind the dug-out but Conte said: “I don’t think now is the right moment to speak about Giroud  after a bad defeat.”

“Now the most important thing is to understand we have to fight. This season will be very tough. We must be ready to struggle this season for everything.”

– ‘Best feeling’ –

Goals from Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas and Nathan Ake in 16 second-half minutes secured Bournemouth’s impressive victory.

The win moved Bournemouth up to tenth place, although they remain just five points clear of the bottom three.

Eddie Howe said the victory at Stamford Bridge was the best moment in his nine years, spread over two spells, as Bournemouth manager.

Howe, who has steered the club through the leagues from third division League One, said: “This is the best (feeling) because of the performance.

“When we won here in our first season in the Premier League it was an historic performance, but it was backs against the wall. There was no luck connected today. It was a very strong performance. We’re improving, we’re getting stronger, we were very brave in our approach.”

“Full credit to the players: Chelsea are an outstanding team, but we defended very well, attacked with purpose, and the shape and balance were very good.

“We were unbeaten in five coming here and wanted to keep that going, picking up points,” Howe added.

“To win by the margin we have is something we didn’t expect, but are very proud of.”

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Football: Cahill takes tough route to World Cup

Sydney (AFP) – Veteran Tim Cahill says he left Australia to rejoin Millwall to ensure he gets to a fourth World Cup, and is excited by the appointment of Bert van Marwijk to lead the national team.

The 38-year-old quit Melbourne City in December after rarely featuring in the starting line-up since joining the A-League side in 2016, despite playing a key role in helping Australia qualify for Russia 2018.

According to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph he was so desperate to again challenge himself at the top level that he paid more than Aus$500,000 (US$400,000) to get out of his Melbourne contract.

“The easy option was to stay at Melbourne City and just be a passenger, but that’s not my style,” Cahill, Australia’s most prolific international scorer with 50 goals, told the newspaper Thursday.

“People questioned my decision — there aren’t many 38-year-olds who have gone back to the top leagues, especially after going home to the A-League.

“But I can’t teach kids to follow their dreams and break barriers if I pick the easy option.”

Cahill first debuted for Millwall in 1998, making more than 250 appearances before joining Everton in 2004. He later had stints with the New York Red Bulls, Shanghai Shenhua and Hangzhou Greentown.

He said he was still ambitious, despite his age.

“If players want to go to the World Cup or play at the highest level, you have to test yourself,” he said.

Cahill has scored in three World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014) and is looking forward to working with Dutchman van Marwijk and his assistant Mark van Bommel, who were appointed last month.

“I can only respect that they’re taking on a massive job in helping us do something special at the World Cup,” he said.

“I think their portfolio is amazing and as a country we should embrace that coaches of their calibre are coming for the ride to do something special.

“Their experience is massive for us and, being a younger team, I think the lads are going to learn a lot.”

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Calhanoglu blunder as Lazio hold Milan in Italian Cup

Milan (AFP) – Hakan Calhanoglu missed an open goal as Lazio held AC Milan 0-0 in the Italian Cup semi-final, first leg in the San Siro on Wednesday, leaving all the play for in in Rome next month.

The winner will play either Juventus or Atalanta with Massimiliano Allegri’s side winning 1-0 in Bergamo on Tuesday night to keep on track for a fourth straight Cup crown.

But Gennaro Gattuso’s home side failed to get a fourth consecutive win on the trot against the battling Romans who had fallen 2-1 to Milan in the San Siro last Sunday.

The best chance of the night came deep into the game when Calhanoglu fired over the bar on front of an empty goal after 75 minutes.

“It’s part of the game, but it’s important to be there and in the right place, at the end of the game he was in a terrible state and it seemed like the end of the world,” said Gattuso of the Turkish midfielder.

Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile returned from injury but also missed several chances to break the stalemate notably a header cleared by Gianluigi Donnarumma after 62 minutes.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic also tested goalkeeper Donnarumma, before substitute Patrick Cutrone’s header was cleared by Thomas Strakosha only for Calhanoglu to send the rebound over an open goal.

“We were lucky too, Donnarumma pulled off a miracle on Immobile — that’s football, mistakes are there,” added Gattuso.

“It was important not to concede a goal, a goal that is worth double away from home, we were good and in the first half it went well.”

Meanwhile, Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi revealed Cutrone had approached him after the game to apologise after scoring a controversial goal on Sunday with his arm.

The second leg will take place at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on February 28.

Lazio have reached the final in three of the past five years, and were beaten in 2015 and 2017 by Juventus, who also beat Milan in 2016.

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Eriksen stuns United as Chelsea crash to Bournemouth

London (AFP) – Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen scored within 11 seconds on Wednesday to overshadow Alexis Sanchez’s Premier League debut for Manchester United, while Chelsea crashed to a 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.

Manchester City ignored the carnage around them to march serenely on, widening their lead to an enormous 15 points with a 3-0 victory at home to West Brom with just 13 games still to play.

The build-up to Wednesday’s matches was dominated by late moves in the transfer window but Spurs ensured the focus switched back to the pitch immediately, stunning Jose Mourinho’s men with a performance full of attacking verve in a 2-0 win.

Chelsea, who earlier announced the signing of Olivier Giroud from Arsenal, conceded three second-half goals while Theo Walcott scored twice for his new club Everton in a 2-1 win against Leicester.

“We always try to be aggressive from the beginning,” said delighted Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino. “Our aim is to be focused from the beginning. You can win a game if you’re ready to fight. It was massive to be up early in the game.

“Three more points puts us in a very good position to fight for the top four. I’m sure new signing Lucas Moura enjoyed that a lot.”

The painful defeat for United realistically ends any lingering hopes they may have harboured of catching runaway leaders City.

Mourinho signed Sanchez this month to bolster his attacking options but Spurs caught the visitors cold at a packed Wembley, Eriksen opening the scoring from the kick-off following a long ball from inside the Tottenham half.

The goal, timed at 10.48 seconds, was the first United have conceded in 2018 but despite some bright moments of their own they were 2-0 down just before the half-hour after Phil Jones lashed the ball into his own net.

Tottenham, who announced the signing of Moura from Paris Saint-Germain shortly before kick-off, were a constant threat and had multiple chances to stretch their lead.

Mourinho threw on Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini in the 63rd minute but bizarrely took Fellaini off just seven minutes later, replacing him with Ander Herrera. The Belgium international took off his shirt and marched straight down the tunnel.

The impressive win for Spurs puts them right back at the heart of the hunt for a Champions League qualification spot, just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

“It’s a performance that starts with a ridiculous goal,” said Mourinho. “That goal after a few seconds has a big influence in the game because Tottenham can play the way they like to play.

“In the end we played against a very good team. Both goals were ridiculous goals.”

– Chelsea defeat –

Pochettino’s men were further buoyed by the defeat for Chelsea, who fielded only Pedro up front, showing their need for more firepower. Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas and Nathan Ake scored the goals for Bournemouth.

“We have to accept it’s a bad result and understand that we have to fight this season — if someone didn’t understand this they don’t understand football,” said Chelsea boss Antonio Conte. “Football is not simple.”

He said the signing of Giroud would not necessarily solve the club’s problems in front of goal.

“In the past with a striker we have chances and still don’t score,” he said. “I think now is not the right moment to speak of the transfer market for me. It’s not important, it’s important to work and do best with my players.”

It was business as usual for Guardiola’s City, who handed a debut to £57-million-pound ($80 million, 65 million euros) defender Aymeric Laporte, who only signed for the club from Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday.

City struck through Fernandinho midway through the first half and doubled their lead through Kevin De Bruyne in the second half before Sergio Aguero struck late on.

City earlier opted out of a bid for Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez, with reports putting the transfer package at £95 million, after ending their chase of Sanchez earlier in the transfer window, due to slam shut at 2300 GMT. 

In other big-money moves on Wednesday, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sealed a move to Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund for a club-record fee of around £56 million.

In other results on Wednesday, Newcastle drew 1-1 with Burnley, Southampton drew 1-1 at home to Brighton and Stoke were involved in a goalless stalemate with Watford.

On Tuesday, Swansea shocked Arsenal 3-1 while Liverpool beat Huddersfield 3-0 and West Ham drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace.

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Mourinho laments ‘ridiculous’ start as Spurs stun United

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho was left lamenting a “ridiculous goal” after one of the quickest strikes in Premier League history sent his Manchester United side on the way to a damaging 2-0 defeat by Tottenham at Wembley on Wednesday. 

Christian Eriksen fired Spurs into the lead after just 11 seconds before an own-goal from United defender Phil Jones secured victory for the home side before the break.

Defeat left United second in the table but a huge 15 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City.

In the Premier League era, Eriksen’s express finish is tied for second-quickest with a Mark Viduka effort for Leeds against Charlton in 2001.

Only Ledley King’s 10-second goal for Tottenham against Bradford in 2000 and Alan Shearer’s after the same time for Newcastle against Manchester City in 2003 are ahead of Eriksen and Viduka.

“It’s a performance that starts with a ridiculous goal. That goal after a few seconds has a big influence in the game because Tottenham can play the way they like to play,” United manager Mourinho told the BBC.

“In the end we played against a very good team. Both goals were ridiculous goals.

“The first goal is an accumulation of mistakes inspite of the fact that everything happened so fast. My players have watched the Tottenham kick-off many, many times,” the Portuguese boss added.

“It was a really, really bad goal.”

– ‘Kills the team’ –

But Mourinho said conceding an own goal had done almost as much damage to the visitors’ morale as Eriksen’s extraordinary opener.  

“The second goal mentally kills the team. A team to win matches needs to score goals and also defend well — on this occasion we were very bad.”

In the second half, Marouane Fellaini came on as a United substitute only to be replaced just a few minutes later but Mourinho said there was a simple explanation.

“He came off because he had something in his knee,” the Portuguese boss said. “Unlucky for him and unlucky for me. He came on with enthusiasm, but he has an injury in his ligament.”

Victory saw Spurs close to within two points of the top four and a Champions League place.

“We always try to be aggressive from the beginning,” said Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino as he reflected on Eriksen’s goal.

“Our aim is to be focused from the beginning. You can win a game if you’re ready to fight. It was massive to be up early in the game.”

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Eriksen stuns Manchester United as Chelsea crash to Bournemouth

London (AFP) – Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen scored within 11 seconds on Wednesday to overshadow Alexis Sanchez’s Premier League debut for Manchester United as Chelsea crashed 3-0 to Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.

Manchester City ignored the carnage around them to march serenely on, widening their lead to an enormous 15 points with a 3-0 victory at home to West Brom with just 13 games still to play.

The build-up to Wednesday’s matches was dominated by late moves in the transfer window but Spurs ensured the focus switched back to the pitch immediately, stunning Jose Mourinho’s men with a performance full of attacking verve.

Chelsea, who earlier announced the signing of Olivier Giroud from Arsenal, conceded three second-half goals while Theo Walcott scored twice for his new club Everton in a 2-1 win against Leicester.

The 2-0 defeat for United realistically ends any lingering hopes they may have harboured of catching runaway leaders City.

Mourinho signed Sanchez this month to bolster his attacking options but Spurs caught the visitors cold at a packed Wembley, Eriksen opening the scoring from the kick-off following a long ball from inside the Spurs half.

The goal, timed at 10.48 seconds, was the first United have conceded in 2018 but despite some bright moments of their own they were 2-0 down just before the half-hour after Phil Jones lashed the ball into his own net. 

Tottenham, who announced the signing of Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain shortly before kick-off at Wembley, were a constant threat and had multiple chances to stretch their lead.

Mourinho threw on Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini in the 63rd minute but bizarrely took Fellaini off just seven minutes later, replacing him with Ander Herrera. The Belgium international took of his shirt and marched straight down the tunnel.

The impressive win for Spurs puts them right back at the heart of the hunt for a Champions League qualification spot, just two points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, while United are a further three points ahead in second place.

– Chelsea defeat –

Mauricio Pochettino’s men were further buoyed by the defeat for Chelsea, who fielded only Pedro up front, showing their need for more firepower. Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas and Nathan Ake scored the goals for Bournemouth.

It was business as usual for Guardiola’s City, who handed a debut to £57-million-pound ($80 million, 65 million euros) defender Aymeric Laporte, who only signed for the club from Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday.

City struck through Fernandinho midway through the first half and doubled their lead through Kevin De Bruyne in the second half before Sergio Aguero struck late.

City earlier opted out of a bid for Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez, with reports putting the transfer package at £95 million, after ending their chase of Sanchez earlier in the transfer window, which slams shut at 2300 GMT. 

In other big-money moves on Wednesday Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sealed a move to Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund for a club-record fee of around £56 million.

In other results on Wednesday, Newcastle drew 1-1 with Burnley, Southampton drew 1-1 at home to Brighton and Stoke were involved in a goalless stalemate with Watford.

On Tuesday, Swansea shocked Arsenal 3-1 while Liverpool beat Huddersfield 3-0 and West Ham drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace.

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Man City extend lead at Baggies’ expense

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero were on target as Pep Guardiola and Manchester City continued their relentless march towards the Premier League title with a 3-0 win at home to struggling West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday.

Despite injuries in his squad, and the decision not to press on with the signing of Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez, the victory marked a successful end to the month for City who have now opened up a 15-point gap at the top of the table. 

Hours before kick-off, Guardiola had given up on his pursuit of Mahrez after the Foxes turned down a reported offer of £65 million ($92 million, 74 million euros).

But City did hand a debut to one transfer window signing, the French central defender Aymeric Laporte, who signed from Athletic Bilbao for a City club-record £57 million just 24 hours earlier.

It was a rusty start for the 23-year-old, featuring a couple of mis-hit passes but, otherwise, it was business as usual for the league leaders even though they were without the in-form Leroy Sane, injured in the weekend FA Cup win at Cardiff.

City were dominant from the start, England goalkeeper Ben Foster making a timely save at the feet of Sergio Aguero as he pounced on a Raheem Sterling cross.

David Silva struck a free-kick directly into the wall and Foster had a couple of anxious moments when required to punch away De Bruyne’s opportunistic effort.

It was hardly a shock, therefore, when City took the lead in the 19th minute following yet another magnificent through ball from De Bruyne.

The Belgian’s weighted pass played his Brazilian team-mate goal side of Gareth McAuley and Fernandinho produced a clinical finish past Foster from the corner of the six-yard area.

City should have doubled the lead minutes later, when Silva centred from the left-hand by-line through the six-yard area, but Aguero hesitated, and De Bruyne, of all people, was guilty of a rare error when played clean through on goal, with the midfielder shooting directly at Foster.

De Bruyne also shot over from an Allan Nyom clearance and brought another fine stop out of Foster after setting up an opening with a neat move involving Aguero.

Ilkay Gundogan, on for the injured David Silva, helped set up an early second half chance from which Sterling should have settled the outcome but the England forward curled his attempt wide.

Aguero maintained the pressure, with a clever piece of improvisation, as he back-heeled Bernardo Silva’s cross and found Foster alert once more.

City piled yet more pressure on Foster, who did well to parry Bernardo Silva’s 18-yard shot, before Oleksandr Zinchenko’s 25-yard shot flew just wide.

But, while they struggled to break down Albion’s massed defence, there was no such problem on the counter-attack, from which City scored their second goal in the 69th minutes as Gundogan led the charge.

De Bruyne took the ball on, being fouled by James McClean but continuing, exchanging passes with Raheem Sterling and converting impressively into the right-hand corner from a dozen yards.

De Bruyne was obviously inspired by McClean’s crude lunge — one which, correctly, earned him a booking — and moments later attempted an audacious chip from just inside the Albion half which had Foster back-pedalling furiously and tipping the ball over for a corner.

Substitute Brahim Diaz and Bernardo Silva almost scored from yet another counter before Aguero made it 3-0 in the final minute with an impressive chip over Foster after Sterling had played him into the Albion area with a selfless pass.

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Inter Milan loan Japan’s Nagatomo to Galatasaray

Milan (AFP) – Japanese international Yuto Nagatomo has joined Turkish giants Galatasaray on loan from Inter Milan until June, the Serie A club confirmed.

The 31-year-old full-back completed his medical in Istanbul on Wednesday.

No details were given of the deal but according to Italian press reports the Turkish club have an option to buy Nagatomo for seven million euros ($8.6 million).

Nagatomo, who joined Inter in January 2011 and has made 210 appearances scoring 11 goals, is hoping for more playing time ahead of the World Cup in Russia.

The former FC Tokyo player — capped 101 times by Japan — has played in just one of Inter’s last 10 league games.

He was also part of the side which won the Italian Cup in the 2010-11 season. 

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Gone in 11 seconds — Eriksen sparks Spurs as United crash

London (AFP) – Christian Eriksen fired the fastest Premier League goal of the season as the Tottenham midfielder’s strike after 11 seconds inspired a 2-0 win over Manchester United on Wednesday.

In the Premier League era, Eriksen’s express finish is tied for second quickest with a Mark Viduka effort for Leeds against Charlton in 2001.

Only Ledley King’s 10-second goal for Tottenham against Bradford in 2000 and Alan Shearer’s after the same time for Newcastle against Manchester City in 2003 are ahead of Eriksen and Viduka.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side made the most of their explosive start and an own goal from United defender Phil Jones wrapped up the points before half-time.

After taking just three points in five games this season against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and United, this was a much-needed statement that Tottenham can still compete with the big guns despite an inconsistent campaign.

Fifth placed Tottenham are now just two points behind fourth placed Chelsea in the fight to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top four finish.

The north Londoners, unbeaten in their last seven league games, head to Anfield for a crucial clash with third placed Liverpool on Sunday.

Second placed United’s first defeat in nine league matches leaves them trailing 15 points behind leaders Manchester City.

Adding to Jose Mourinho’s misery, Alexis Sanchez was utterly anonymous in his first league appearance for United following his blockbuster move from Arsenal.

It was also the first time United midfielder Paul Pogba had finished on the losing team in 37 Premier League appearances, dating back to October 2016.

Tottenham paraded new signing Lucas Moura at half-time, but the former Paris Saint Germain winger’s new team-mates quickly showed they already have plenty of attacking power.

With a Premier League record crowd of 81,978 still getting settled in their seats, Eriksen gave Tottenham the perfect start at Wembley.

Harry Kane overwhelmed Jones to flick a header into Dele Alli and he clipped a deft pass to Eriksen, who punished United’s slack marking by firing home from close-range for his eighth club goal of the season.

– Complete control –

Jones was struggling to deal with the movement of Tottenham’s forwards and Kane evaded him for a shot that forced United goalkeeper David De Gea into action.

A bad night for the United defender got even worse in the 28th minute.

When Kieran Trippier whipped over a low cross from the right, Jones should have cleared easily but instead he responded with a panicked attempt that diverted the ball past the stunned De Gea at his near post.

United were short of energy and composure and it didn’t help that they were getting a subdued performance from Sanchez.

The Chile forward was jeered mercilessly by Tottenham fans for his time with their arch rivals Arsenal and hardly looked worthy of his billing as the Premier League’s highest-paid player.

Pochettino has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, but when his team play like this they are a match for Europe’s superpowers.

Tottenham were in complete control and should have had a penalty before half-time when Antonio Valencia hacked down Alli, only for referee Andre Marriner to ignore their appeals.

So poor in the first half, United finally found some rhythm after the interval, but they were denied a penalty when Son Heung-Min blocked a Sanchez header with his arm, while Lukaku saw his drive turned over by Hugo Lloris.

That was the extent of the United comeback bid and Son almost rubbed salt into their wounds with a stinging drive that De Gea pushed over.

With Tottenham fans serenading their team’s passing with chants of ‘ole, ole’, United’s ignominious evening was completed when Mourinho took off Marouane Fellaini just seven minutes after sending him on as a substitute, although it was unclear if the Belgian was injured.

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Bournemouth stun Chelsea as Giroud looks on

London (AFP) – Olivier Giroud was a helpless spectator as Chelsea slumped to a shock 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth in the Premier League on Wednesday.

Giroud had completed a move across London from Arsenal worth a reported £18 million ($26 million, 21 million euros) earlier in the day, but the deal was done too late for him to face Eddie Howe’s side.

Instead, the France international was forced to watch from the stands at Stamford Bridge as his new team-mates were undone by three goals in 16 second-half minutes -– scored by Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas and former Chelsea defender Nathan Ake –- as the visitors moved up to mid-table and weakened the reigning champions’ hold on a top four spot.

Giroud’s arrival had triggered the departure of Michy Batshauyi on loan to Borussia Dortmund until the end of the season, with the former Arsenal man set to challenge Alvaro Morata for the central striker role in Antonio Conte’s side.

But with the Spaniard out injured and joined on the sidelines by Willian, the Chelsea coach handed Ross Barkley a first league start since his arrival from Everton with Eden Hazard moving inside to lead the attack.

The England international had been introduced as a substitute in a League Cup semi-final for his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury before the start of the season and Conte admitted the player would take time to recover his best form.

Even so, the Italian showed his faith in the recent addition while Cesc Fabregas was surprisingly left on the bench with Tiemoue Bakayoko preferred in central midfield.

Conte’s side had responded to their loss to Arsenal by easing past Newcastle United in the FA Cup but it soon became clear they would face a much sterner test as Bournemouth made a confident start that could have brought them an early goal.

Stanislas quickly brought Blues goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois –- back after a three-game absence with an ankle injury –- into action with a shot from the edge of the area after exchanging passes with Charlie Daniels.

Cherries winger Ryan Fraser was then left frustrated when his break on goal was halted because of a trip by Wilson on backtracking defender Andreas Christensen.

Jordon Ibe confirmed Bournemouth’s early threat by forcing Courtois into his second significant save of the evening.

A difficult spell for Chelsea threatened to get worse when Christensen was forced off after just 27 minutes with a hamstring injury.

But Conte’s side finally upped the tempo in the final 15 minutes of the first half without punishing Bournemouth.

Hazard was guilty of the worst miss, failing to make contact with Marcos Alonso’s cross when unmarked in the six-yard box. Alonso should have done better with a header, while Gary Cahill sent another headed opportunity inches over the bar at the near post.

Chelsea had reason to believe they could go on and claim three points but their hopes were extinguished in a remarkable second-half spell.

There had been little sign of Bournemouth’s threat in the opening six minutes of the half but when Wilson won possession and ran on to collect Ibe’s return pass, the striker slotted comfortably past Courtois.

Conte will have been alarmed at how easily his defence was undone but there was worse to come.

In the 64th minute, Bournemouth pressed high on the left flank with Wilson eventually winning possession before releasing Stanislas to advance on Courtois and beat the keeper with a powerful shot.

The home side were stunned but then came Bournemouth’s third goal three minutes later.

A corner was allowed to make its way through the penalty where Wilson recovered the loose ball and pulled back for Stanislas whose shot was turned in by Ake.

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Falcao at the double as Monaco set up PSG League Cup final

Paris (AFP) – Radamel Falcao struck twice as Monaco saw off Montpellier 2-0 on Wednesday to set up a French League Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain.

Falcao put the hosts ahead in the 15th minute at the Stade Louis II, before Monaco were denied a penalty by the video assistant referee system.

The Colombian doubled the lead before the half-hour mark, and although Rony Lopes had a second-period strike ruled out by video technology for offside, Leonardo Jardim’s men eased to victory to book a final date with PSG on March 31.

The hosts started brightly, with Andrea Raggi seeing a shot well saved by Montpellier goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte, but they didn’t have to wait long to take the lead.

Full-back Djibril Sidibe burst his way through before laying the ball off for captain Falcao to sweep home.

Monaco thought they had been awarded a penalty just seconds later when Stevan Jovetic was brought down by Lecomte, but a VAR review showed that the keeper had played the ball before taking down the Montenegrin international.

Montpellier, who were thrashed 4-0 by PSG at the weekend, continued to struggle and Monaco doubled their lead in the 29th minute.

Fabinho unlocked the away defence with a clever pass, before Lopes broke free and crossed for Falcao to tap in his 22nd goal of the season in all competitions.

Lopes thought he had added further gloss to the scoreline with 22 minutes to play, but another referral to the VAR showed that Falcao was narrowly offside before laying the ball back to the Portuguese midfielder.

PSG continued their bid for a fifth straight League Cup title by edging to a 3-2 win at Rennes in the first semi-final on Tuesday, as they held off a spirited fightback from the hosts after Kylian Mbappe was sent off on a VAR decision.

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Eriksen stuns United with goal after 11 seconds

London (AFP) – Christian Eriksen took just 11 seconds to fire Tottenham into the lead against Manchester United with the second fastest goal in Premier League history on Wednesday.

With fans still getting settled in their seats at Wembley, Eriksen’s quickfire strike was second only to Ledley King’s 9.9-second effort for Tottenham against Bradford in 2000.

The Danish midfielder slotted home from close range after Dele Alli met Harry Kane’s header with a deft pass to Eriksen, who punished United’s slack marking to open the scoring.

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No let-up as Barca target cup final, says Valverde

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde insists the Copa del Rey holders won’t overlook a Valencia side weakened by injuries ahead of Thursday’s semi-final first leg at the Camp Nou.

“When you get to the semi-final you have to make the most of your luck,” Valverde told a news conference on Wednesday. “A semi-final, it’s the chance to play a final and we must give everything to get there.

“Valencia will do the same thing. Reaching a final doesn’t happen every day,” added Valverde, whose side have already beaten Celta Vigo and local rivals Espanyol in the cup this month.

Barcelona, the record 29-time champions, are attempting to become the first team to lift the cup four years in a row since Athletic Bilbao in the 1930s.  

They will be strong favourites to reach a fifth successive final, with Valencia missing a trio of key players — Goncalo Guedes, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Ezequiel Garay — through injury.

“They’re feeling the effects of lots of matches this January,” said Valverde, who spent six months in charge of Valencia between 2012 and 2013.

Barcelona thrashed Valencia 8-1 on aggregate — following a 7-0 win in the first leg — at the same stage of the competition two years ago, but Valverde acknowledged a repeat scoreline is unlikely.

“It won’t be like the last time, a 7-0 is not normal for a first game. Valencia were in a delicate position then, but now they have a team that is good enough to win any match.” 

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Manchester United are top club online in China – report

Shanghai (AFP) – Manchester United have held onto their position as the top football club online in China, with Barcelona star Lionel Messi the number one player, a report said.

The annual Red Card report by Shanghai-based sports digital consultancy Mailman found Jose Mourinho’s side are the best-performing club for the second year in a row despite their lack of recent Premier League success.

United are followed in the list by European champions Real Madrid and Germany’s Bayern Munich.

Anthony Martial is the third most popular player in China, behind only Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, with United midfielder Paul Pogba and former captain Wayne Rooney completing the top five.

The report, which used eight different performance indicators, places the Bundesliga ahead of the Premier League as the number one European football league online.

“With over 107 million followers, China is one of Manchester United’s most important markets and we have a long history of innovation and fan engagement in the region,” Phil Lynch, United’s chief executive of media, said in the report.

“Through data analysis, geo-specific content creation and on-the-ground activities, we continue to be the most-followed football club on China’s major social media platforms: Sina Weibo and WeChat.

“We are honoured to receive the Red Card award for the second consecutive year and we are excited about the ongoing opportunities to innovate and build our brand, allowing our fans in China to interact with the club and our products.”

United have long boasted an enormous international following, with 72 million followers on Facebook and 17 million on Twitter.

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Champions League a spur to Lucas’s Tottenham move

London (AFP) – Brazil winger Lucas Moura challenged his new Tottenham Hotspur team-mates to win the Champions League after arriving from Paris Saint-Germain on a contract that will keep him with the Premier League club until 2023.

No fee has been disclosed by Spurs following Wednesday’s transfer deadline day deal, but reports in the British press this week said the London club had made a bid of £25 million ($35.4m, 28.5m euros) for Lucas.

@LucasMoura7 “It’s a chapter in my life, a new challenge for me. I am so happy,” Lucas, desperate for first-team action, said in a video posted on Tottenham’s Twitter feed.

The 25-year-old — capped 34 times — expressed his sadness to French sports daily L’Equipe earlier this week at being frozen out by PSG, with his compatriot Neymar’s arrival from Barcelona earlier this season and the form of Kylian Mbappe having seen him fall down the pecking order in Paris.

“I will give my best for this club because I think we have a lot of quality and we can win big things,” said Lucas. “I am so excited because everything is perfect and I’m sure we will do big things together.

“I want to play to help the team. I think the team is very, very strong. We can win a lot of things and why not the Champions League?”

Lucas’s arrival is particularly beneficial to Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino as he is eligible to play in the Champions League, having not appeared for PSG in Europe’s elite club competition this season.

Indeed Lucas has made just six substitute appearances for PSG this term, despite scoring 19 goals in all competitions for the club last season.

“The most important thing is to play,” said Lucas. “Here I think it’s a new challenge to show my talent, my quality. It’s also a big club. 

“The history of the club is very, very interesting. It’s a pleasure for me to play for Tottenham. Now I need to enjoy, to work hard and to show my quality.”

Neymar, however, speaking after PSG’s win over Rennes on Tuesday, lamented Lucas’s impending departure to Spurs.

“I’m sad, because he’s a good friend, he’s a quality player who was rarely used. I think it’s very unfair,” Neymar said.

“He is my brother in football. I wish him the best. Whatever the destination, I hope he will score a lot and he will return to the Brazilian national team.

“He’s not just a friend, he’s a very good guy. Here he could have been used a lot more but I’m not the owner of the team, not the owner of Paris.”

Lucas made more than 200 appearances in his five years at the Parc des Princes, helping PSG win four Ligue 1 titles in the process.

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Fernandez leaves Atletico for China’s Beijing Renhe

Madrid (AFP) – Argentina international Augusto Fernandez has been sold to Chinese Super League team Beijing Renhe by Atletico Madrid, the La Liga club announced on Wednesday.

“Augusto Fernandez has been sold to Beijing Renhe from the Chinese Super League,” said Atletico in a statement.

“His hard work and never give up attitude after his injury made him become a player loved by the fans and a respected leader in the dressing room.”

Spanish sport daily As reported that Beijing Renhe paid 4.5 million euros ($5.59 million) for 31-year-old Fernandez, who signed for Diego Simeone’s side from Celta Vigo for six million euros two years ago.

The midfielder has seen his time at Atletico disrupted by injuries, including a cruciate knee ligament tear in September 2016, and he has only made 10 appearances this season.

Atletico are currently second in La Liga, and take on FC Copenhagen in the last 32 of the Europa League.

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Lucas joins Tottenham in deadline day deal

London (AFP) – Brazil winger Lucas Moura has joined Tottenham Hotspur from Paris Saint-Germain on a contract until 2023, the English Premier League club announced on Wednesday’s transfer deadline day.

The 25-year-old — capped 34 times — expressed his sadness to French sports daily L’Equipe earlier this week at being frozen out by PSG, with his compatriot Neymar’s arrival from Barcelona having seen him fall down the pecking order.

“We are delighted to announce the signing of @LucasMoura7 from Paris Saint-Germain!,” said a statement on Tottenham’s Twitter feed.

“Lucas has signed a contract until 2023 and will wear the number 27 shirt.”

No fee has been disclosed by Spurs but reports in the British press this week said the London club had made a bid of £25 million ($35.4m, 28.5m euros) for Lucas.

His arrival is particularly beneficial to Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, with Lucas eligible to play in the Champions League, having not appeared for PSG in Europe’s elite club competition this season.

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Eto’o joins Turkey’s Konyaspor, Nasri leaves Antalyaspor

Istanbul (AFP) – Former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o on Wednesday signed a contract with Turkish top-flight club Konyaspor after parting ways with Antalyaspor, who also saw Samir Nasri leave by mutual consent.

“Eto’o is a very important player in the world and in Turkey. We are happy to see him in Konyaspor,” Konyaspor president Fatih Yilmaz said.

The 36-year-old former Cameroon international, who joined Antalyaspor in 2015 after a short spell in Italy with Sampdoria, signed an 18-month contract with Konyaspor.

The two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner enjoyed five hugely successful seasons with Barcelona from 2004 to 2009, winning two Champions League titles and three La Liga crowns before departing for Inter Milan, where he had more success under Jose Mourinho.

Eto’o helped Inter win the treble of Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia titles in his first season in Italy before moving to Russia’s Anzhi Makhachkala in 2011.

He also had brief stints at Chelsea and Everton in the Premier League.

Former Manchester City and Arsenal midfielder Nasri had only joined Antalyaspor in August as part of an ambitious transfer strategy led by club president Ali Safak Ozturk, who resigned from his role last month.

The club are now in the Super Lig relegation zone, after Nasri’s fellow former French international Jeremy Menez also left earlier in January for Mexican outfit Club America.

“Our roads separated with Samir Nasri by mutual agreement, and we thank him for the contribution he has made to our club,” Antalyaspor said in a statement.

Nasri, 30, scored two league goals for Antalyaspor, after spending last season on loan from Man City at Spanish club Sevilla.

Antalyaspor sit third-bottom, one place and two points above Konyaspor.

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Former Iraq football coach Stange signs up for Syria

Damascus (AFP) – Veteran German coach Bernd Stange took charge of the Syrian national team on Wednesday, his sixth international appointment in a career which has also included a stint with Iraq.

The 69-year-old, who started his career in East Germany, has also managed Oman, Belarus and Singapore as well as two years with Iraq from 2002-2004 when the country was still under the regime of Saddam Hussein.

“We have reached an agreement on all the conditions. He will be assisted by another German coach with some Syrian help,” said Syrian football federation president Salah Ramadan.

Stange’s contract is for one year and he will start his new job in February.

The German replaces Ayman al-Hakim who quit in November after the war-ravaged nation failed to reach the World Cup finals after a heartbreaking play-off loss to Australia.

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Arsenal sign Aubameyang, Giroud makes Chelsea switch

London (AFP) – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund for a club-record fee of around £56 million on Wednesday, with Olivier Giroud moving to Chelsea as part of a complicated transfer jigsaw.

But as the clock ticked down to the closure of the transfer window in England at 2300 GMT, Manchester City were reported to have pulled out of a move to sign Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez.

Aubameyang, 28, signed a contract with the Gunners until 2021, becoming Arsenal’s second big-name signing of the January transfer window after Henrikh Mkhitaryan joined from Manchester United.

The signing, which translates as $79 million, or 64 million euros, will boost Arsene Wenger’s forward options after the departure of Alexis Sanchez to United in a swap deal with Mkhitaryan but raises questions about Alexandre Lacazette’s future in the starting line-up.

“Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined us from Borussia Dortmund on a long-term contract for a club-record fee,” Arsenal said in a statement on their website, describing him as one of the world’s most highly rated strikers.

Aubameyang compared himself to club legend Thierry Henry, telling Arsenal Player he was attracted by the club’s “big history”.

The Gabon international will be reunited at the Emirates Stadium with former Dortmund team-mate Mkhitaryan — a tweet on Arsenal’s Twitter account pictured the two players together with the message “Friends reunited”.

Aubameyang posted a message on Instagram apologising for the circumstances surrounding his departure from Germany but describing himself as “crazy”.

“Perhaps it was not the best way for me to have decided, but everyone knows that Auba is crazy,” Aubameyang said.

“And yes, I am crazy lad, hahahaha. I have made mistakes, but I never had any bad intentions. I will never forget it these four and a half years at Borussia Dortmund.”

– Giroud move –

Chelsea later announced the arrival of Arsenal striker Giroud on an 18-month contract for around £18 million and Michy Batshuayi’s departure for Borussia Dortmund in a loan deal until the end of the season.

Giroud, 31, who has struggled to hold down a regular starting spot since joining Arsenal in 2012, said he was delighted to be joining their London rivals.

Batshuayi, 24, arrives in Dortmund as a direct replacement for Aubameyang, to complete the three-way puzzle.

Pep Guardiola’s City were reported to have pulled out of a bid for Mahrez, who won the Premier League with Leicester in 2015-16, after making a final cash-plus-player offer worth up to £65 million, according to Sky Sports.

City have lost influential Germany winger Leroy Sane for at least six weeks with an ankle injury and with the club competing on four fronts Guardiola suggested he may need reinforcements.

“Right now, it’s the same as (Alexis) Sanchez, it’s not the place to talk about it. It’s so difficult,” Guardiola said on Tuesday when asked about Mahrez.

“If things are not possible, then nothing is going to happen. We don’t have too much and we play every three days. We have to find solutions.”

City paid a club-record record fee of £57 million for young French centre-back Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao, whose deal was confirmed on Tuesday.

Tottenham are expected to confirm the signing of Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain for a reported £25 million.

The Brazilian winger, who has struggled for playing time after the arrival at PSG of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, arrived at Spurs’ training base on Tuesday morning ahead of a medical.

Swansea, whose win against Arsenal on Tuesday saw them move out of the Premier League’s bottom three, reportedly want to bring Ghanaian forward Andre Ayew back to Wales from West Ham.

The Swans are hoping to sign the 28-year-old for around £18-20 million, according to the Evening Standard.

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Dortmund sign Batshuayi on loan from Chelsea

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund signed Belgian forward Michy Batshuayi on loan from Chelsea just before the German transfer window closed on Wednesday — hours after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s departure to Arsenal.

Having sold Aubameyang to the Gunners, who spent a club record £56 million ($79.2m, 63.7m euros), Dortmund have already secured his replacement, just before the country’s transfer deadline of 1800 (1700 GMT).

The 24-year-old Batshuayi has been signed until the end of the season to fill Aubameyang’s boots having spent the season on Chelsea’s bench behind Alvaro Morata.

“Michy is a young, very interesting striker, who has a high quota of goals,” Dortmund’s director of sport Michael Zorc told the club’s website.

“He has proven his exceptional quality at both Chelsea and Olympique Marseille, in the Belgian league and the national team.”

Batshuayi has scored 12 goals in 26 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions this season having made just 12 starts for the Blues.

He is clear of his aim for the rest of the season.

“The World Cup takes place this summer and in order to reach my big goal, I want to play as much as I can and score many goals.”

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Chelsea sign Arsenal’s Giroud, Batshuayi departs for Dortmund

London (AFP) – Chelsea signed France striker Olivier Giroud from London rivals Arsenal on Wednesday’s transfer deadline day, freeing up Michy Batshuayi to leave Stamford Bridge on loan to German side Borussia Dortmund.

Premier League champions Chelsea revealed on their website that Giroud had signed an 18-month contract, with the 31-year-old saying: “Chelsea is one of the biggest teams in the Premier League. They have won maybe the most trophies in the last six or seven years.

“It’s a massive club and I am proud to sign for Chelsea, and I’m looking forward to playing.”

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Spartak sign Algerian Hanni from Anderlecht

Moscow (AFP) – Spartak Moscow signed Algerian international midfielder Sofiane Hanni from Belgian giants Anderlecht on Wednesday, the reigning Russian champions announced.

Spartak have reportedly signed the 27-year-old on a three-and-a-half year contract. No financial details of the deal were disclosed.

Hanni scored 18 goals in 61 league matches for Anderlecht, helping the club win the title last season, and has netted four international goals.

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Smartphone app keeps eye on Hertha Berlin stars’ sleep

Berlin (AFP) – Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin are keeping a “big brother” eye on the physical condition and sleep quality of their team with the help of a smart phone app.

Since the beginning of the season Hertha’s stars, such as former Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou, have to answer a short questionnaire each morning.

Using their smart phones, players must rate their level of fatigue, sleep quality, muscle soreness, stress levels and mood condition.

The players rate each category from one (worst) to five (best) and the questionnaire takes around 15 seconds to answer.

“It’s so we can learn how the boys slept, whether their legs hurt or their muscles are cramped,” Hertha coach Pal Dardai told German daily Bild.

The information goes to the club’s fitness coach Henrik Kuchno.

“At 8am (0700 GMT), each player gets the five questions on the phone, which he has to answer by 9am.

“It’s so we can control the subsequent training sessions perfectly and know the degree of stress of each individual.”

Kuchno rejects the notion that the app keeps tabs on a players lifestyle, “it’s not about monitoring the players”.

Training sessions are then tailor-made to get the best out of the players and provides a ‘personal picture’ of how each player is.

“We depend on the honest opinion of the players, of course,” added Kuchno.

“Naturally, a family man answers the questions differently than a bachelor.”

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Arsenal sign Aubameyang, Manchester City up bid for Mahrez

London (AFP) – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund for a club-record fee of around £56 million on Wednesday as Manchester City upped their bid to sign Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez in the final hours of the transfer window.

The 28-year-old Gabon striker signed a contract with the Gunners until 2021, becoming the Gunners’ second big-name signing of the January transfer window after Henrikh Mkhitaryan joined from Manchester United.

The signing, which translates as $79 million, or 64 million euros, will boost Arsene Wenger’s forward options after the departure of Alexis Sanchez to United in a swap deal with Mkhitaryan but raises questions about Alexandre Lacazette’s future in the first team.

“Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined us from Borussia Dortmund on a long-term contract for a club-record fee,” Arsenal said in a statement on their website, describing him as one of the world’s most highly rated strikers.

“This deal is subject to the completion of regulatory processes and Auba’s squad number will be confirmed shortly,” it added.

Aubameyang compared himself to club legend Thierry Henry.

“I think the club has such a big history and great players like Thierry Henry,” Aubameyang told the club website shortly after putting pen to paper on his contract. “He’s an example for us strikers.”

“I’m a fast player and I score goals too, like Henry a little bit,” added Aubameyang. “But as I said, I have to work a lot more.”

Aubameyang’s arrival will likely see the departure of French forward Olivier Giroud after six years at Arsenal, with Chelsea the likely destination. London’s Evening Standard reported that he would soon be unveiled after signing a deal at Stamford Bridge.

In a complicated game of musical chairs, the BBC reported that Borussia Dortmund had agreed a deal to sign out-of-favour Chelsea forward Michy Batshuayi on loan for the rest of the season, subject to a medical.

– Mahrez bid –

Pep Guardiola’s City are understood to have upped their bid for Mahrez, who won the Premier League with Leicester in 2015-16 with a cash-plus-player offer worth up to £65 million, according to Sky Sports.

City have lost influential Germany winger Leroy Sane for at least six weeks with an ankle injury and with the club competing on four fronts Guardiola suggested he may need reinforcements.

“Right now, it’s the same as (Alexis) Sanchez, it’s not the place to talk about it. It’s so difficult,” Guardiola said on Tuesday when asked about Mahrez.

“If things are not possible, then nothing is going to happen. We don’t have too much and we play every three days. We have to find solutions.”

City paid a club-record record fee of £57 million for young French centre-back Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao, whose deal was confirmed on Tuesday.

Tottenham are apparently closing on the signing of Brazilian Lucas Moura, who has fallen out of favour at French giants Paris Saint-Germain after the arrivals of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

Swansea, whose win against Arsenal on Tuesday saw them move out of the Premier League’s bottom three, reportedly want to bring Ghanaian forward Andre Ayew back to Wales from West Ham.

The Swans are hoping to sign the 28-year-old for around £18-20 million, according to the Evening Standard.

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Veteran Eto’o signs with Turkey’s Konyaspor

Istanbul (AFP) – Former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o on Wednesday signed a contract with Turkish top-flight club Konyaspor after parting ways with Antalyaspor.

“Eto’o is a very important player in the world and in Turkey. We are happy to see him in Konyaspor,” Konyaspor president Fatih Yilmaz said.

The 36-year-old former Cameroon international, who joined Antalyaspor in 2015 after a short spell in Italy with Sampdoria, signed an 18-month contract with Konyaspor.

The two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner enjoyed five hugely successful seasons with Barcelona from 2004 to 2009, winning two Champions League titles and three La Liga crowns before departing for Inter Milan, where he had more success under Jose Mourinho.

Eto’o helped Inter team win the treble of Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia titles in his first season in Italy before moving to Russia’s Anzhi Makhachkala in 2011. 

He also had brief stints at Chelsea and Everton in the Premier League.

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Henry the example for record Arsenal signing Aubameyang

London (AFP) – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang says Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is his barometer for success after he joined the Gunners for a club record fee reported to be £56 million ($79.2 million, 63.7 million euros) form Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old Gabon striker, who scored 141 goals for Dortmund since moving there in 2013, signed a contract with the Gunners until 2021.

Aubameyang said Henry, who scored 174 goals in 254 appearances for the Gunners in his first spell there and won the Premier League title in 2002 and 2004 — when the “Invincibles” won the league unbeaten all season — was the example to follow on his Arsenal adventure.

“I think the club has such a big history and great players like Thierry Henry,” Aubameyang told the club website shortly after putting open to paper on his contract.

“He’s an example for us strikers.”

Aubameyang, whose arrival will likely see the departure of fellow striker Frenchman Olivier Giroud after six years at Arsenal, said Henry’s pace was what gave him his edge over his peers.    

“I’m a fast player and I score goals too, like Henry a little bit,” said Aubameyang.

“But as I said, I have to work a lot more.”

The move sees Aubameyang reunited with former Borussia Dortmund team-mate Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who joined Arsenal as part of the deal that took Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United earlier this month.

His transfer fee outstrips the £46.5 million that Arsenal paid for French striker Alexandre Lacazette last August. Aubameyang’s arrival is likely to lead to the departure of veteran marksman Olivier Giroud.

“Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined us from Borussia Dortmund on a long-term contract for a club-record fee,” the statement from Arsenal said.

The club described him as “one of the world’s most highly-rated strikers”.

“He scored 98 goals in 144 Bundesliga games for Dortmund and had a hand in 172 goals in 213 matches in all competitions for his former club,” it continued.

“That works out at an average of 96 minutes per goal or assist.

“Auba is the Gabon captain and all-time top goalscorer, and became the first Gabonese winner of the African Footballer of the Year award in 2015.”

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Aubameyang – Gabon’s masked maverick striker

Berlin (AFP) – The transfer of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Arsenal will delight Premier League fans, but he left a trail of unrest in his wake at Borussia Dortmund.

Arsenal finally met Dortmund’s asking price for the Bundesliga’s top scorer last season, when Aubameyang netted 31 goals in 32 German league games.

The Gunners confirmed Aubameyang had joined for a new club record, reportedly £56 million ($79.2m, 63.7m euros).

However, despite clinical finishing and lethal pace, Aubameyang’s Dortmund legacy — 141 goals in 213 matches in all competitions — is tainted by the manner of his departure.

“I don’t know him any more,” fumed disgruntled sporting director Michael Zorc when Aubameyang, 28, made it crystal clear he wanted out earlier this month.

Dortmund’s French-born ‘Enfant Terrible’ has always been known for outlandish behaviour.

– Masks and somersaults –

Arsenal fans can expect him to don masks or somersault to celebrate goals.

However, a warning to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is that three Dortmund coaches — current boss Peter Stoeger, plus predecessors Peter Bosz and Thomas Tuchel — have had to discipline Aubameyang over the last 16 months.

It started with minor indiscretions, like shaving the logo of private sponsors Nike into his hair, although Dortmund are backed by Puma.

He was dropped by then coach-Tuchel in November 2016 for taking a private jet to Milan, just before a Champions League game, to see family.

Then he annoyed Dortmund team-mates by checking his father and brother into the team hotel during a winter training camp in Spain in early January.

Matters came to a head when he was kicked out of the squad for their first game of 2018, a goalless draw with Wolfsburg on January 14.

Having also been dropped in November by Bosz for arriving late to training, Stoeger again ejected him for missing a team meeting.

It left the club red-faced, a day after CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke had described Aubameyang as the “total professional” in a Die Welt interview. 

Andre Schuerrle admitted the squad shook their collective heads at Aubameyang’s recent behaviour.

“It creates restlessness, it makes you shake your head,” said the Germany winger.

The most blatant provocation came a fortnight ago, when he was left out for the 1-1 draw at Hertha Berlin after training poorly.

At the same time as the game, Aubameyang was playing 5-a-side with friends in Dortmund.

He wore a Dortmund shirt bearing the name of Ousmane Dembele — who forced Borussia to sell him to Barcelona in August by boycotting training.

Like Dembele, Aubameyang ultimately made it impossible for Dortmund to keep him.

He arrived in 2013 with a glowing reputation after hitting 37 French league goals in two and a half years with Saint-Etienne.

– Faster than Bolt? –  

Having started in AC Milan’s youth academy, Aubameyang first fulfilled his potential at Saint-Etienne after spells at Dijon, Lille and Monaco.

The 2012/13 season was Aubameyang’s breakthrough year in France as he won the League Cup before joining Dortmund for 13 million euros ($16m) in July 2013.

When Robert Lewandowski left for Bayern Munich in 2014, Aubameyang stepped up. 

He netted 16 league goals in 2014/15, then 25 more in his bumper season of 2015/16 when he netted 39 times in all competitions.

Aubameyang has expensive tastes, once wearing crystal-encrusted footwear to warm up for a Rhone derby against Lyon.

Masks are also his thing — especially those of superheroes.

He donned a spiderman mask after scoring for Saint-Etienne against Rennes in 2012/13.

A batman hood — with Dortmund team-mate Marco Reus pulling on a Robin mask — was then donned after netting against Schalke in the Ruhr derby.

Aubameyang is fast, once claiming to be quicker than sprint legend Usain Bolt over 30 metres.

When Bolt set the 100m world record in 2009, he clocked 3.78 seconds over the first 30 metres in Berlin.

“When I was with the Milan youth teams I ran 30 metres in 3.9sec, that was official, but I’ve run it in 3.7sec too,” Aubameyang told German daily Bild.

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Ozil becomes highest-paid Arsenal player – report

London (AFP) – German World Cup winner Mesut Ozil gave Arsenal a big boost on Wednesday by finally agreeing a new contract which will see him become the highest paid player in the club’s history, according to the BBC.

The broadcaster reported that the 29-year-old playmaker — who has been with the Gunners since joining from Real Madrid for a then-record club fee of £42.4million ($60million, 48.2million euros) in 2013 — signed a three-and-a-half year contract and will earn around £350,000 a week.

Speculation over both Ozil and Chilean Alexis Sanchez’s futures have plagued the club for almost a year, as both their contracts were up at the end of the present campaign.

However, whilst Sanchez left for Manchester United, where he has become the highest paid player in the Premier League at a pre-tax weekly wage of £500,000, Ozil has committed himself to Arsenal until 2021.

According to the BBC both parties reached an agreement last weekend, and Ozil signed the new contract at Arsenal’s training ground on Wednesday.

Mercurial playmaker Ozil, a key member of the Germany side that won the 2014 World Cup, has scored 36 goals in 182 appearances and provided a high number of assists.

Arsenal have had a busy Wednesday as Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang signed for reported club-record £56million from Borussia Dortmund, a move which is likely to prompt Olivier Giroud’s departure to Chelsea.

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Football: Aubameyang – Gabon’s masked maverick striker

Berlin (AFP) – The transfer of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Arsenal will delight Premier League fans, but he left a trail of unrest in his wake at Borussia Dortmund.

Arsenal finally met Dortmund’s asking price for the Bundesliga’s top scorer last season, when Aubameyang netted 31 goals in 32 German league games.

The Gunners confirmed Aubameyang had joined for a new club record, reportedly £56 million ($79.2m, 63.7m euros).

However, despite clinical finishing and lethal pace, Aubameyang’s Dortmund legacy — 141 goals in 213 matches in all competitions — is tainted by the manner of his departure.

“I don’t know him any more,” fumed disgruntled sporting director Michael Zorc when Aubameyang, 28, made it crystal clear he wanted out earlier this month.

Dortmund’s French-born ‘Enfant Terrible’ has always been known for outlandish behaviour.

– Masks and somersaults –

Arsenal fans can expect him to don masks or somersault to celebrate goals.

However, a warning to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is that three Dortmund coaches — current boss Peter Stoeger, plus predecessors Peter Bosz and Thomas Tuchel — have had to discipline Aubameyang over the last 16 months.

It started with minor indiscretions, like shaving the logo of private sponsors Nike into his hair, although Dortmund are backed by Puma.

He was dropped by then coach-Tuchel in November 2016 for taking a private jet to Milan, just before a Champions League game, to see family.

Then he annoyed Dortmund team-mates by checking his father and brother into the team hotel during a winter training camp in Spain in early January.

Matters came to a head when he was kicked out of the squad for their first game of 2018, a goalless draw with Wolfsburg on January 14.

Having also been dropped in November by Bosz for arriving late to training, Stoeger again ejected him for missing a team meeting.

It left the club red-faced, a day after CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke had described Aubameyang as the “total professional” in a Die Welt interview. 

Andre Schuerrle admitted the squad shook their collective heads at Aubameyang’s recent behaviour.

“It creates restlessness, it makes you shake your head,” said the Germany winger.

The most blatant provocation came a fortnight ago, when he was left out for the 1-1 draw at Hertha Berlin after training poorly.

At the same time as the game, Aubameyang was playing 5-a-side with friends in Dortmund.

He wore a Dortmund shirt bearing the name of Ousmane Dembele — who forced Borussia to sell him to Barcelona in August by boycotting training.

Like Dembele, Aubameyang ultimately made it impossible for Dortmund to keep him.

He arrived in 2013 with a glowing reputation after hitting 37 French league goals in two and a half years with Saint-Etienne.

– Faster than Bolt? –  

Having started in AC Milan’s youth academy, Aubameyang first fulfilled his potential at Saint-Etienne after spells at Dijon, Lille and Monaco.

The 2012/13 season was Aubameyang’s breakthrough year in France as he won the League Cup before joining Dortmund for 13 million euros ($16m) in July 2013.

When Robert Lewandowski left for Bayern Munich in 2014, Aubameyang stepped up. 

He netted 16 league goals in 2014/15, then 25 more in his bumper season of 2015/16 when he netted 39 times in all competitions.

Aubameyang has expensive tastes, once wearing crystal-encrusted footwear to warm up for a Rhone derby against Lyon.

Masks are also his thing — especially those of superheroes.

He donned a spiderman mask after scoring for Saint-Etienne against Rennes in 2012/13.

A batman hood — with Dortmund team-mate Marco Reus pulling on a Robin mask — was then donned after netting against Schalke in the Ruhr derby.

Aubameyang is fast, once claiming to be quicker than sprint legend Usain Bolt over 30 metres.

When Bolt set the 100m world record in 2009, he clocked 3.78 seconds over the first 30 metres in Berlin.

“When I was with the Milan youth teams I ran 30 metres in 3.9sec, that was official, but I’ve run it in 3.7sec too,” Aubameyang told German daily Bild.

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