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Paris St-Germain were without a number of star players, including new signing Lionel Messi and Neymar, but still had too much for Brest as they made it three wins out of three to top Ligue 1. Ander Herrera's volley and a Kylian Mbappe header put PSG in control before Franck Honorat pulled one back. Idrissa Gueye fired in from way out, but Brest refused to lie down with Steve Mounie side-footing in. Substitute Angel di Maria decided the contest for good with a neat lob. Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi is yet to feature for PSG after joining from Barcelona earlier this month. Both the 34-year-old and fellow forward Neymar started pre-season training late after an extended break following the Copa America, in which Messi's Argentina beat his club-mate's Brazil 1-0 in the final in Rio on 11 July. Also absent was another summer signing, defender Sergio Ramos, while European Championship-winning Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was on the bench. Such is the frightening level of talent available to PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino, his starting XI still included a host of internationals, including Mbappe, Achraf Hakimi, Giorginio Wijnaldum and Marco Verratti. Italian Verratti should have scored from close range in the first half before Herrera showed him the way with his brilliantly-executed finish from outside the box. PSG looked to be pulling away when Mbappe latched on to a loose ball to head in but Honorat was set up to fire in on the break as Brest kept the result in the balance. The best goal of the lot came from Gueye, who picked the ball up midway inside the Brest half and firing a dipping effort into the bottom corner - just his fourth PSG goal in 79 games. Mounie kept the game alive, but sub Di Maria underlined PSG's quality with a lovely lobbed finish after a rapid break. It takes Mauricio Pochettino's side to nine points, three more than Angers and Clermont, both of whom play their own third game of the league season on Sunday. Match ends, Brest 2, Paris Saint Germain 4. #ParisSaintGerman #Brest #Messi #Neymar Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58272543

Sergio Aguero has become the latest player to turn down the chance to inherit Lionel Messi’s number 10 shirt at Barcelona. The iconic shirt number is now lying empty at the Camp Nou after Messi left the club earlier this month to sign a two-year contract at Paris Saint-Germain. New arrival Aguero wore the same shirt number at Manchester City but he has rejected the opportunity to carry on with the number on his back following the exit of his close friend Messi. The Argentine striker has confirmed he will be wearing the number 19 shirt at Barca for this coming season after joining the club as a free agent this summer. Messi, 34, wore the iconic number at the Catalan giants for 13 glittering seasons after inheriting it from Ronaldinho but his move to PSG summer came after he was unable to pen a new contract at Barca. It follows on from a report on Wednesday that playmaker Philippe Coutinho had also turned down the chance to take on the number 10 shirt number for next season. Coutinho - who sat out the majority of last season with a knee injury - has been heavily linked with an exit from the Camp Nou but a dearth of transfer offers means that he appears to be increasingly likely to stay at the club this season. However, he has rejected the opportunity to switch to number 10 at the club - the number he wore across five seasons at Liverpool and during a loan spell at Bayern Munich in the 2019/20 campaign, where he won the treble. While he played no part in the 4-2 victory over Real Sociedad in La Liga last Sunday, striker Rey Manaj was named on the bench with Coutinho's former No.14 shirt. Aguero has now also passed up the opportunity to inherit the number from Messi as he confirmed a different shirt number on his social media account. Defender Gerard Pique launched his Twitch channel where he spoke with famous Spanish Youtubers Ibai Llanos, where they discussed the situation of who would take on the number 10 shirt. Ibai started the conversation by asking: "Nobody wears 10, right? No guts." To which Pique replied: "Well, I think someone will have to take it on. I told Kun (Aguero) to take that number. But Kun doesn't see it like that." Ibai then concluded: "That shirt goes with 30 extra kilos of weight." It remains to be seen which player will eventually replace Messi with the number 10 shirt at the Camp Nou but it seems unlikely that anyone in the current squad will take it on this season. #SergioAguero #Number10 #LionelMessi Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/barcelona-news-lionel-messi-number-24792076

Cristiano Ronaldo's latest transfer declaration will come as a blow to Jose Mourinho, who amusingly urged his former player to depart Juventus earlier this summer. Ronaldo, 36, earlier this week hit out at "disrespectful" reports linking him with a return to Real Madrid and insisted he is focused on the task at hand with Juve. "Anyone who knows me is aware of how focused I am on my work," the Portugal captain wrote on social media. "Less talk and more action, this has been my guiding motto since the start of my career. "However, in view of everything that’s been said and written recently, I have to set out my position. "More than the disrespect for me as a man and as a player, the frivolous way that my future is covered in the media is disrespectful to all the clubs involved in these rumours, as well as to their players and staff." Ronaldo went on to speak of his love for Real Madrid but warned the Spanish media they must stop "playing around" with his name. He added: "I remain focused on my career and in my work, committed and prepared for all the challenges that I have to face. Everything else? Everything else is just talk." Ronaldo's emphatic statement seemingly puts to bed any chance he could leave Juventus this summer and suggests he will see out the final year of his contract in Turin. This will come as a blow to Roma boss Mourinho, who will have the unenviable task of setting up a side to keep Ronaldo at bay when the two teams meet in mid-October. Mourinho joked about the five-time Ballon d'Or winner as he spoke to talkSPORT last month, saying: "He should leave Italy now and leave me in peace!" "Everybody says, and I say the same, he is not 25 any more. He is 36 and he doesn't score 50 goals, but how many did he score? The record is [still] incredible, the numbers speak by themselves." Ronaldo was the top scorer in Serie A last season with 29 goals in 33 games and Mourinho admits his former Los Blancos player will not let up in his pursuit of more records. "He is a legend, one of the big names that stays forever in football history, but the guy motivates himself with numbers and new things," said Mourinho of his compatriot. "He wants to win the gold ball X times, the golden boot X times, he wants to get the record from the Iran player (Ali Daei) for goals for an international team." #JoseMourinho #CristianoRonaldo #RonaldoTransfer Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/jose-mourinhos-plea-cristiano-ronaldo-24793346

Lionel Messi has joined Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year contract after leaving Barcelona upon the expiration of his contract. It was a deal that sent shockwaves through the world of football, with the best player in the sport leaving the club where he had spent the entirety of his career to move to the French capital. The move sees Messi link up with his former Barca teammate and close friend Neymar, who left the Camp Nou to move to Paris in a world record transfer fee of £200million four years ago. It will also see him form a formidable attacking trio which is completed by Kylian Mbappe, who is the second most expensive player in the sport - having joined the Parisians from Monaco in the summer of 2017. There is little doubt that those three players are firmly established as among the very best in the sport, due to their ongoing excellence at the top level of football. The Argentine has won a record six Ballon d’Or titles in his distinguished career, marking him as the best player in each of those calendar years - and many believe he could easily have won many more. That is one more personal title than his long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo, whom he faced for Barca against Real Madrid in a nine-year rivalry when the two established themselves as the undisputed best players in the world - and amongst the greatest ever to play the sport. Ronaldo’s £100million move to Juventus in the summer of 2018 brought an end to that particular era, with Messi now also departing La Liga to move to the French capital. Back in March 2019, Messi was asked who he believed were the greatest players in football at the time - and he, unsurprisingly, named future PSG teammates Mbappe and Neymar in his top five. The Argentine did exclude himself and Ronaldo from the top five ranking, in an indicated that he believed they had transcended the level of the sport in recent years. Alongside Mbappe and Neymar, Messi counted his close friend and Argentina international teammate Sergio Aguero, his then-Barca teammate Luis Suarez and Eden Hazard (then at Chelsea before moving to Real Madrid) in the top five. Messi told Marca : "It was nice to have Ronaldo in La Liga for the prestige it brought. "Excluding him [Ronaldo] and me, the best players in the world are Mbappe, Hazard, Suarez, Aguero and Neymar." #LionelMessi #Neymar #CristianoRonaldo Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/lionel-messi-news-best-player-24796109

Manchester City have sensationally been offered Cristiano Ronaldo – but insist Harry Kane remains their top transfer target. Former Manchester United forward Ronaldo has been offered to Europe's top clubs, including City, by the Juventus star's agent Jorge Mendes. Although City have not shut the door on Ronaldo, England captain Kane is still their main target and they will do all they can to sign him before the August 31 transfer deadline. City are ready to make an improved bid of £120million for Kane in the coming days, but are unwilling to meet Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy's £150m valuation of the prolific striker. But in an extraordinary twist to the saga, Ronaldo has been offered as an alternative to Kane, raising the prospect of a sensational return to Manchester – albeit to the blue half of the city. Ronaldo, 36, has been offered to City for a fee of around £25m, by Mendes, who is keen to move his client on from Juventus, but he has so far had no takers for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has already ruled out bringing Ronaldo back to the Bernabeu, but City could end up making a late move for the Portugal icon if they fail in their pursuit of Kane. Kane, 28, is back in full training ahead of Tottenham’s European campaign, which begins tomorrow in the UEFA Conference League against Pacos Ferreira. After a delayed start to his pre-season, Kane trained with the rest of his Spurs team-mates and has been included in the 25-man squad to face the Portuguese club. The inclusion of Kane in the squad shows boss Nuno Espirito Santo is intent on including the forward in his plans, despite the uncertainty surrounding his future. Despite Kane's determination to join City this summer to compete for the biggest prizes, Tottenham insist they will not entertain any offers below Levy's £150m valuation. City have had a £100m offer rebuffed, but plan to test Levy's resolve with the fresh bid, although they know they are likely to have to meet his asking price if they are to land Kane. It is understood Levy will not even entertain the prospect of allowing Kane to leave Spurs until his valuation is met and a replacement has been secured. Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez and Leeds striker Patrick Bamford are two possible replacements for Kane. Spurs may have to switch their attention to Bamford, with Inter unlikely to let Martinez leave in the same window as Romelu Lukaku, following his £97.5m return to Chelsea. #CristianoRonaldo #HarryKane #ManCity Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/man-city-respond-cristiano-ronaldo-24781316

Lionel Messi scores with fluke goal from 35 metres as Argentina beat Uruguay 3-0 in World Cup qualifier Lionel Messi became the first South American to reach 80 goals for his country on Sunday night – and it was certainly one of the strangest he had scored. The fluke from 35 metres set Argentina on their way to a 3-0 win over Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier in Buenos Aires. Uruguay came into the match on the back of an unbeaten eight-game run and made the early running with Luis Suarez hitting the post and forcing goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into making two great saves. But Messi then changed the game eight minutes before the break, although in a way no one would have anticipated. The Paris Saint-Germain forward floated a 35-metre pass into the area but it was missed by both advancing striker Nicolas Gonzalez and goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and somehow sneaked into the net. Further goals came from Rodrigo De Paul and Lautaro Martinez, and it could have been an even bigger win. Tottenham’s Giovani Lo Celso missed a golden chance to score when he rounded the goalkeeper but delayed before striking a shot that hit the underside of the bar and the goal line before rolling to safety. "We played a great game," said Messi, whose 80 goals have come in 155 internationals. "Everything worked out perfectly. "Uruguay wait for you and they generate danger. Once we got the first goal we started to find space and the goals appeared.” The win, combined with Brazil’s 0-0 draw at Colombia earlier in the day, narrows the gap between leaders Brazil and second-placed Argentina to six points at the top of the 10-team South American qualifying group. Uruguay ended the day in fourth, and the top four teams qualify automatically for Qatar with the fifth-placed side going into an inter-regional playoff. Additional reporting by Reuters #LionelMessi #Argentina #Uruguay Source: https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/lionel-messi-fluke-goal-argentina-uruguay-b959788.html

Germany have become the first nation to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after running out comfortable 4-0 winners against North Macedonia in UEFA Group J. Hansi Flick's side booked their spot in the Middle East for next season's showpiece tournament, having cruised through their qualification campaign with relative ease. Now, they can look forward to discovering who they will face just over a year from now, as they look to recapture their Brazil 2014 success eight years on after a frustrating Euro 2020. Heading into Monday's match in Group J, Flick and company needed only to defeat their hosts in Skopje and hope that Armenia dropped points against Romania elsewhere. On the road, the visitors held up their end of the bargain, with goals for Chelsea duo Kai Havertz and Timo Werner, plus a first finish for Jamal Musiala, seeing off any chance of a second upset after their reverse loss in March. With the Tricolours elsewhere managing to pick up a win against the Mountaineers, it confirmed Germany's place - and helped Flick clear his first major test in charge of the national team. Outside of the European nations who have officially staked their flag at next year's tournament, the only other side to be in the hat are the hosts - Qatar themselves. It is customary for the host nation to receive an automatic passage through to the finals, and they usually spend the qualification cycle playing a spate of friendlies. For what will be their maiden appearance at the tournament however, Felix Sanchez's side have actually run a schedule in tandem with UEFA qualifying Group A. They have played the spare side from the quintet consisting of Portugal, Serbia, the Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan during the international breaks this year. Even if no other sides manage to book their spots before club football returns this weekend, a whole host of nations will have officially confirmed their berth by the end of November. Next year's tournament will represent the intended final staging of the World Cup in its current format too, with the 32-team system set to be expanded by the time it next comes around in 2026. On that occasion, a triple-hosting bid from the United States of America, Mexico and Canada will take the competition across its widest geographical spread in history, following Russia 2018. #Germany #NorthMacedonia #Qatar2022 Source: https://www.goal.com/en/news/germany-become-the-first-team-to-qualify-for-qatar-2022/1db9os67ngsqz1a0n5t97yywkh Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Kylian Mbappe scored the winner as France came from behind to beat Spain 2-1 and win the Nations League. Mikel Oyarzabal followed up his pair of semi-final assists against Italy with Spain’s opening goal but Karim Benzema quickly hit back before Mbappe’s winner - returning profit for Sporting Life readers with a BTTS winner in Jake Osgathorpe's preview. It was a second successive comeback win for Didier Deschamps’ side after their thrilling 3-2 semi-final success against Belgium. Paul Pogba and Benzema linked up well early on but Cesar Azpilicueta prevented the latter from setting up Mbappe. Hugo Lloris saved easily from Pablo Sarabia at the other end, while Azpilicueta again thwarted Benzema with a key block. France defender Jules Kounde survived a VAR referral for a possible handball in the penalty area and Marcos Alonso then curled a free-kick just wide with Lloris, expecting a cross, helpless. Les Bleus lost defender Raphael Varane to injury just before half-time, in a blow to his club side Manchester United. Dayot Upamecano took his place. An error from Kounde allowed Sarabia to race clear down the flank, but his cross eluded Oyarzabal and Ferran Torres. A half-chance to Mbappe was then snuffed out by Alonso before the game burst into life in a dramatic three minutes. Theo Hernandez, who scored France’s late winner against Belgium on Thursday, was the width of the crossbar away from repeating the feat, but instead Spain broke up the other end and Oyarzabal latched on to Sergio Busquets’ long pass, took on Upamecano and scored in the 64th minute. However, France were level two minutes later as Pogba and Mbappe combined to create the chance and Benzema curled home brilliantly from a narrow angle. Mbappe shot off target and had another effort blocked by Aymeric Laporte, while Unai Simon saved from Pogba as Didier Deschamps’ side took the upper hand. And they got their full reward when Mbappe delayed his run to race on to Hernandez’s through-ball and finish clinically beneath Simon, with the goal upheld by VAR after a check for offside. Lloris saved brilliantly from Oyarzabal’s volley, while Simon denied Mbappe a third which would have been harsh on Spain. Simon was forward for corners in the five added minutes but Lloris’ save from substitute Yeremi Pino snuffed out the last Spanish hope. Italy finish in third Italy earlier beat Belgium 2-1 in the third-place play-off, with Domenico Berardi’s penalty proving decisive - a result tipped up at 13/10 by Jake Pearson. After Thibaut Courtois denied Federico Chiesa in another goalless first half, Nicolo Barella volleyed the Azzurri in front in the first minute of the second period and Berardi doubled their advantage after Leicester’s Timothy Castagne fouled Chiesa. Belgium hit the woodwork through Alexis Saelemaekers in the first half and Michy Batshuayi and Yannick Carrasco in the second but had to wait until the 86th minute to pull one back through Charles De Ketelaere’s first international goal. By Sporting Life - Mon, October 11, 2021 #KylianMbappe #Spain #France #UEFANationsLeague Source: https://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/spain-1-2-france-kylian-mbappe-hits-winner-in-nations-league-final/195254 Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Lionel Messi scores with fluke goal from 35 metres as Argentina beat Uruguay 3-0 in World Cup qualifier Lionel Messi became the first South American to reach 80 goals for his country on Sunday night – and it was certainly one of the strangest he had scored. The fluke from 35 metres set Argentina on their way to a 3-0 win over Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier in Buenos Aires. Uruguay came into the match on the back of an unbeaten eight-game run and made the early running with Luis Suarez hitting the post and forcing goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into making two great saves. But Messi then changed the game eight minutes before the break, although in a way no one would have anticipated. The Paris Saint-Germain forward floated a 35-metre pass into the area but it was missed by both advancing striker Nicolas Gonzalez and goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and somehow sneaked into the net. Further goals came from Rodrigo De Paul and Lautaro Martinez, and it could have been an even bigger win. Tottenham’s Giovani Lo Celso missed a golden chance to score when he rounded the goalkeeper but delayed before striking a shot that hit the underside of the bar and the goal line before rolling to safety. "We played a great game," said Messi, whose 80 goals have come in 155 internationals. "Everything worked out perfectly. "Uruguay wait for you and they generate danger. Once we got the first goal we started to find space and the goals appeared.” The win, combined with Brazil’s 0-0 draw at Colombia earlier in the day, narrows the gap between leaders Brazil and second-placed Argentina to six points at the top of the 10-team South American qualifying group. Uruguay ended the day in fourth, and the top four teams qualify automatically for Qatar with the fifth-placed side going into an inter-regional playoff. Additional reporting by Reuters #LionelMessi #Argentina #Uruguay Source: https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/lionel-messi-fluke-goal-argentina-uruguay-b959788.html Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

The takeover sees Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) take controlling 80-per-cent stake and end Mike Ashley's controversial 14-year ownership of the club; manager Steve Bruce is expected to be replaced; Newcastle are next in action against Spurs on Oct 17 - live on Sky Sports The £300m takeover of Newcastle United has officially been completed, with a Saudi-led consortium ending Mike Ashley's 14-year ownership of the club. The Premier League confirmed the takeover in a statement on Thursday, saying it had received "legally binding assurances" that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not control Newcastle United. The investment group is led by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and also comprises of PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media. Newcastle's new owners are expected to replace Steve Bruce as head coach, but no decision has yet been made on when this might happen. The consortium does not want to make any knee-jerk decisions, but it is understood one of the priorities is deciding who will take over in the dugout at St James' Park moving forward. Newcastle's next match is live on Sky Sports against Tottenham on October 17. #NewcastleUnited #SaudiArabia #Shorts Source: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11678/12427983/newcastle-takeover-completed-saudi-led-consortium-end-mike-ashleys-14-year-ownership

The takeover sees Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) take controlling 80-per-cent stake and end Mike Ashley's controversial 14-year ownership of the club; manager Steve Bruce is expected to be replaced; Newcastle are next in action against Spurs on Oct 17 - live on Sky Sports The £300m takeover of Newcastle United has officially been completed, with a Saudi-led consortium ending Mike Ashley's 14-year ownership of the club. The Premier League confirmed the takeover in a statement on Thursday, saying it had received "legally binding assurances" that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not control Newcastle United. The investment group is led by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and also comprises of PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media. Newcastle's new owners are expected to replace Steve Bruce as head coach, but no decision has yet been made on when this might happen. The consortium does not want to make any knee-jerk decisions, but it is understood one of the priorities is deciding who will take over in the dugout at St James' Park moving forward. Newcastle's next match is live on Sky Sports against Tottenham on October 17. #NewcastleUnited #SaudiArabia #Shorts Source: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11678/12427983/newcastle-takeover-completed-saudi-led-consortium-end-mike-ashleys-14-year-ownership Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

ANDROS TOWNSEND insists he did not mock Cristiano Ronaldo by mimicking his famous goal celebration. Furious Ronaldo refused to swap shirts with Townsend at full-time after appearing to sarcastically applaud his imitation of the trademark twist and jump when he scored Everton’s equaliser. The Manchester United superstar — who had started on the bench — stormed down the tunnel, but Townsend insisted he was not trying to take the mickey out of him. Townsend said: “This guy is my idol, “I was not imitating, it’s just a mark of respect to a guy who influenced my career. “I grew up watching Cristiano Ronaldo and spent hours on the training pitch trying to execute his techniques. “Maybe I should have spent a bit longer on the celebration because it wasn’t great. “But it was out of respect for Cristiano and the way he dedicated himself to football and it is an honour to be on the same field.” Townsend also later revealed Ronaldo HAD given him his shirt and posted on Instagram: “Nothing but respect to the GOAT.” Former United defender Rio Ferdinand defended Ronaldo, admitting: “We have all been there. He stormed down the tunnel, disappointed.” Ronaldo’s team-mate Bruno Fernandes admitted United threw away another win. United have dropped five points in their last two home Premier League matches. And Fernandes moaned: “We should win this game, we should not concede that kind of goal. It’s not the first time. “We should have more points. We drop points at home and we should not do that.” Frustrated United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer added: “In the second half we lacked that cutting edge to get the second, which is vital.” Townsend’s goal was his fifth since joining Everton on a free transfer from Crystal Palace. Townsend added: “I’m loving my football. It’s been a good start but I’m capable of much more.” #AndrosTownsend #CristianoRonaldo #ManchesterUnited #Everton Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/16312253/cristiano-ronaldo-andros-townsend-man-utd-shirt/ Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

ANDROS TOWNSEND insists he did not mock Cristiano Ronaldo by mimicking his famous goal celebration. Furious Ronaldo refused to swap shirts with Townsend at full-time after appearing to sarcastically applaud his imitation of the trademark twist and jump when he scored Everton’s equaliser. The Manchester United superstar — who had started on the bench — stormed down the tunnel, but Townsend insisted he was not trying to take the mickey out of him. Townsend said: “This guy is my idol, “I was not imitating, it’s just a mark of respect to a guy who influenced my career. “I grew up watching Cristiano Ronaldo and spent hours on the training pitch trying to execute his techniques. “Maybe I should have spent a bit longer on the celebration because it wasn’t great. “But it was out of respect for Cristiano and the way he dedicated himself to football and it is an honour to be on the same field.” Townsend also later revealed Ronaldo HAD given him his shirt and posted on Instagram: “Nothing but respect to the GOAT.” Former United defender Rio Ferdinand defended Ronaldo, admitting: “We have all been there. He stormed down the tunnel, disappointed.” Ronaldo’s team-mate Bruno Fernandes admitted United threw away another win. United have dropped five points in their last two home Premier League matches. And Fernandes moaned: “We should win this game, we should not concede that kind of goal. It’s not the first time. “We should have more points. We drop points at home and we should not do that.” Frustrated United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer added: “In the second half we lacked that cutting edge to get the second, which is vital.” Townsend’s goal was his fifth since joining Everton on a free transfer from Crystal Palace. Townsend added: “I’m loving my football. It’s been a good start but I’m capable of much more.” #AndrosTownsend #CristianoRonaldo #ManchesterUnited #Everton Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/16312253/cristiano-ronaldo-andros-townsend-man-utd-shirt/ Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he does not understand why some people refuse the coronavirus vaccine. There have been concerns about the rate of vaccination in the Premier League with fewer than half of players jabbed at most clubs. Klopp says "99%" of his players have been vaccinated and he has not had to convince anyone to do so. The German says he was jabbed to protect not just himself but "all the people around me". "I don't understand why that is a limitation of freedom," he said. "Because if it is, then not being allowed to drink and drive is a limitation of freedom as well - but we accept that. "I got the vaccination because I was concerned about myself but even more so for everyone else around me. "If I get it and suffer - my fault. If I get it and spread it around to everyone else - my fault and not their fault." This week it was revealed the Premier League is considering whether to "reward" clubs whose coronavirus vaccination rates are high. In an email to top-flight clubs last week, the Premier League said: "Only seven clubs' squads are more than 50% fully vaccinated, so we have a way to go." On Friday, it was announced that Premier League players will be allowed to travel to red-list nations to represent their countries in this month's World Cup qualifiers - but only if they are fully vaccinated. "I think we can say we have 99% vaccinated," added Klopp. "I didn't have to convince the players, it was more a natural decision from the team. "I can't remember really talking to a player and convincing him why he should because I'm not a doctor. "What I would give, like in a lot of other situations, would be my advice - but it was not necessary." #JurgenKlopp #Liverpool #Vaccine Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58775881 Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

There is still a romance to the way Andres Iniesta enjoys a career that, if it were a video game, would have been completed several times over. The 37-year-old has a trophy haul which reflects his status as one of the great midfielders of his generation - a World Cup and two European Championships with Spain, four Champions Leagues and countless other silverware with Barcelona. But for the past three years the midfielder has called Japan his home, adding an Emperor's Cup and Japanese Super Cup with Vissel Kobe. He recently committed to a new deal that will keep him playing until he is almost 40. Ask Iniesta how he continues to see the seemingly impossible pass, or wriggle out of the tightest situations, and he will take you back three decades and almost 7,000 miles to the instincts honed on the makeshift pitches of his hometown of Fuentealbilla. "I consider myself an intuitive player who reads the game a few steps ahead," Iniesta tells BBC Sport. "In the position I play those are maybe my strengths and I try to exploit them as much as possible. "There are things happening, things I am processing in my head. It's hard to describe them. They happen in an automatic way - I could have been learning them since I was young or through repetition. "In football, if you start thinking you can go too slow." Iniesta calls it an "essence". He scored the winner in the 2010 World Cup final and has produced mesmerising moments on the biggest stage, but the foundations are "stuff I used to do when I was 10 years old". "Those essences come out in training or matches and I am just led by them," he explains. "When I was a kid I was basically playing in the streets of my hometown or in the school playing yard, and that environment helps you evolve. "The connection to that environment and who you are and what type of person you are brings you to being a certain type of player. "Nowadays kids are maybe practising football in more well-prepared fields. In those environments they need to try to adapt and gain some skills. Each environment helps you get better." The gifted kid from the outskirts of Albacete grew up following Michael Laudrup and Pep Guardiola, and was given the chance to hone his raw talent in their shadows when he was exposed to Barcelona's revered La Masia youth academy at the age of 12, even if he did "cry buckets" on arrival. He did not know then the influence the latter would have on his career. Guardiola admired the understated up-and-coming playmaker when captain of the Catalan giants, famously suggesting fellow midfielder Xavi would retire him and "this lad Iniesta is going to retire us all", before as coach making Iniesta a pivotal part of his all-conquering side. "Barcelona was like an exam every game and you had to pass that," says Iniesta. "That's the base and each time you have to adapt to the environment, mould yourself to the style that is required of you - but always keeping the essence. "I've had different coaches. I started with Louis van Gaal and then there was Guardiola, Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde. All coaches teach you something and you can learn something from all coaches. Maybe there are times I played less, but that experience enriched me too. "It would be hard to point out a coach who has influenced me the most and that's the same with the players I have played with and learned from. I have been in Barca and Spanish national teams in very good moments and I have been with the world's best players and I have learned from all of them." Iniesta pauses for a moment to consider his answer and then continues: "It's not only what you have immediately around you, but an opponent, an opponent's system or style of play. I've always thought this motivation to learn is the motor to keep improving. #AndresIniesta #Barcelona #Japan Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58646027 Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Lionel Messi was ‘getting desperate’ for first Paris Saint-Germain goal against Manchester City Lionel Messi admitted he was "getting desperate" to score his first goal for Paris Saint-Germain before breaking his duck against Manchester City last night. Messi came back to haunt Pep Guardiola again and clinched a 2-0 win for PSG in the Champions League with a sublime finish after playing a one-two with Kylian Mbappe. The Argentine had failed to score in his first three appearances for PSG – against Reims, Club Bruges and Lyon – after joining on a free transfer from Barcelona, a drought by his standards, but said he is feeling more settled in the team, and warned opponents his relationship with Neymar and Mbappe is developing. "It’s true that I was getting desperate to score my first goal," Messi told broadcaster Canal Plus. "I hadn’t played much recently and I had only played once here at home but I am settling into the team little by little. “The more us forwards play together, the better our relationship will be. We all need to grow together and improve and keep giving our best." PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino said he had to celebrate Messi’s 74th-minute strike, which broke City’s will following Idrissa Gueye’s emphatic early finish, after watching the little genius score so many times against his teams. Messi once scored four for Barcelona against Pochettino’s Espanyol and netted twice in a sublime performance as the Catalans thrashed Tottenham 4-2 at Wembley in 2018. “I did celebrate the goal. Usually I don’t celebrate goals, I keep it to myself, but today, for Messi, I did," said former Spurs boss Pochettino. “I spent years watching Messi score goals from the opponent’s side so this time, scoring for my team, that’s great.” City were the better side between the goals and twice struck the crossbar through Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva in the first half, the latter an extraordinary miss, while PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made a succession of saves. Guardiola, whose side trail PSG and Club Brugge in the group after two matches, was pleased with City’s performance but admitted Messi is "unstoppable". “We dealt with PSG first of all but we know it’s impossible to control Leo during 90 minutes," he said. “He was not much in touch with the ball – of course he was coming back from injury, he needed a bit of rhythm – but we know quite well when he can run and get close to the ball he is unstoppable." By Dan Kilpatrick - 29th September 2021 #LionelMessi #ParisSaintGermain #FirstGoal Source: https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/lionel-messi-goal-paris-saint-germain-manchester-city-champions-league-b957837.html Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

The Moroccan says it is a "dream" for him to play alongside the six-time Ballon d'Or winner, who is more reserved than he had imagined Lionel Messi is "simple and quiet" in the dressing room, according to Archaf Hakimi, who admits being "surprised" by the Paris Saint-Germain superstar's behaviour. Messi saw his 21-year stay at Camp Nou brought to a premature end earlier this summer amid Barcelona's financial crisis, but he quickly selected PSG as the club where he wanted to continue his illustrious career. The 34-year-old signed a two-year contract at Parc des Princes and has been tipped to inspire Mauricio Pochettino's side to Champions League glory, but Hakimi has been taken aback by his reserved character away from the pitch. What has been said? "Building a technical relationship with him is easy! I give him the ball, I run and he will put it where it belongs!" the PSG full-back, who also joined the club in the summer transfer window, told L'Equipe. "I was surprised by the way he behaved, he is simple, quiet." Hakimi is grateful for the opportunity to play alongside Messi, and thinks he and the rest of his teammates can reach a new level while working with the six-time Ballon d'Or winner. "For Messi to leave Barca, like everyone else, I didn't expect it, and when I heard you were coming here, what can I say? A dream for me!" he added. "I played with many great players and the only one I missed was Messi! I am proud to evolve with such a good footballer. "To progress, I will pay attention to how he trains, how he plays. It will grow the team and each of the players that make it up. We speak the same language, in addition, little by little we are getting to know each other." How has Messi started? Messi had a short pre-season after leading Argentina to Copa America glory in July, with Pochettino opting to gradually integrate him into his plans at PSG. He finally made his debut from the bench in a 2-0 win at Reims on August 29 before being handed his first start in the Champions League group stage opener against Club Brugges. Messi produced a rusty display in the 1-1 draw and was equally underwhelming in PSG's 2-1 win against Lyon last weekend - during which he was substituted midway through the second half. The ex-Barcelona captain was then ruled out of the French giants' next two Ligue 1 games due to a knee injury, but could be in line to return against Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday. #LionelMessi #ArchafHakimi #MauricioPochettino #ParisSaintGermain Source: https://www.goal.com/en/news/messi-hakimi-surprised-psg-behaviour/hwcqqmca3ebg16d95dkm29oha Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Gabriel Jesus fired an early Premier League warning shot as defending champions Manchester City toppled title rivals Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge. Brazil forward Jesus angled a deflected finish to help City leapfrog Chelsea in the table on goal difference, ending the Blues’ unbeaten league start. City offered far the greater enterprise, with Jesus’ winner helping Pep Guardiola avoid an unwanted first of losing to the same rival manager four matches in succession. Tuchel and Chelsea had sunk City three times last term, culminating in the 1-0 Champions League final triumph in Porto. But in a new campaign that promises a mouthwatering title tussle between holders City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool, Guardiola’s men have delivered the first real statement victory. City’s ferocious press stifled Chelsea throughout, and the visitors to west London coped easily with the hosts’ formation tweak. Tuchel packed the midfield with all three of N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic, but that 3-5-2 left Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku too often too isolated up front. Mason Mount’s injury absence robbed the Blues of a major pressing threat at the top of their tree however, handing the visitors time to build from the back. Chelsea could do little more than contain the visitors in a first half where the home men found possession greatly limited. The Blues certainly sacrificed a creative edge for that central stability, with Werner and Lukaku often isolated up front. Werner did beat the City line once, but could not pick out Lukaku in the middle. Kevin De Bruyne’s cutback found no one in the area for City, leaving Chelsea to breathe a sigh of relief. And later Jorginho produced an important clearance after a Phil Foden corner. Then at the end of the half, Jesus hooked well wide from the best chance to that point. The City forward smartly lost Antonio Rudiger in the box, teed himself up well too – but let all that down with his botched finish. For once Tuchel resisted the temptation to make a half-time change, and no sooner had the second half started than the home boss would have wished he had twisted instead of stuck. Jack Grealish offered a warning shot by curling one wide, before Jesus finally broke the deadlock. Joao Cancelo’s low effort found its way to Jesus in the box, the Brazil forward spun in traffic and his low shot took a slight deflection en route to finding the Chelsea net. Edouard Mendy was left with no chance, as City gained just reward for boasting the greater attacking endeavour. Grealish almost doubled City’s lead minutes later, but the former Aston Villa man angled his effort just wide after neatly stepping beyond Cesar Azpilicueta. Just before the hour Tuchel finally made the first change, with Kai Havertz replacing Kante. France’s World Cup-winning midfielder had struggled to settle in his new role in Chelsea’s three-man midfield. City pressed on undeterred however, and Silva had to clear Jesus’ shot off the line after Grealish again left Azpilicueta for dead. Lukaku thought he had equalised for Chelsea from Havertz’s square pass, only for the Germany star to be rightly ruled offside in the build-up. Chelsea continued to press but with no clear incision, despite greatly raising their tempo. But City could have wrapped up the win when Grealish ghosted through on goal, only for Mendy to stand him up and produce a fine save. #Chelsea #ManchesterCity #GabrielJesus #PepGuardiola Source: https://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/chelsea-0-1-manchester-city-gabriel-jesus-fires-pep-guardiolas-side-to-victory/194856 Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

With zero Premier League goals to his name and scarcely any touches in the opposition box, the England captain is in a rare rut ahead of the derby As yet another Tottenham Hotspur campaign begins with Harry Kane in dreadful form it is perhaps unnecessary to think too deeply about his role in the team. He always seems to explode into life around this time of the year and his goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday could be the catalyst. But Kane’s transfer request and Manchester City’s failed pursuit lingers over the statistics this time around. It may not be a coincidence that this happens to be his worst ever start to a Premier League season. Tensions after the events of the summer may well be felt on both sides. This is not like the other seasons. Kane has managed a shocking 10 touches in the opposition penalty area across five league games. He has no goals from his first four starts for the first time since 2015-16. He has taken four shots at goal - in total. Against Crystal Palace he failed to take a shot or touch the ball in the box for the first time in his career. These are worrying times for Kane and Tottenham, but of course we cannot isolate one player’s form from the team as a whole. The tactical shift - and the teething problems - under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo help shed some light on Kane’s woeful start. “There are so many problems we have to solve," as Nuno said on Tuesday. “Harry is part of the team, like all of us. It's all about the partnerships and the way we do things - everyone has to be involved.” Spurs were never as good as their early-season, 100 percent record suggested. Nuno has implemented a relatively strong defensive structure thanks to a surprisingly effective centre-back partnership of Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez and their drop in form is partly explained by defensive injuries undermining his early work. Nuno - who is, roughly speaking, a Jose Mourinho disciple - works on a solid defensive foundation of compression between the lines and a non-confrontational, minimal-pressing approach that sees the players sit tight in a midblock. Like Mourinho, he expects his players to largely improvise their attacks, using counters to break behind the opposition or working out partnerships over time. Kane was sensational for periods under Mourinho precisely because he was given so much freedom to drop into the No.10 space and work in tandem with Son Heung-min, and presumably he will be given similar licence by Nuno. The problem, then, isn’t of incompatibility but this being the early days of a new manager whose ideas are yet to really get across. Spurs are struggling to pass through the lines coherently, looking a little static in their movement and disconnected from back to front because they have not yet worked out how to transition from the rigid defensive shape to something more fluid on the ball. Kane’s form is partly a symptom of a wider attacking problem. Spurs rank bottom of the league for ‘progressive passes’ (62.12 per game), a WyScout measure of “a forward pass that attempts to advance a team significantly closer to the opponent's goal”, and third bottom for ‘progressive runs’ (9.52 per game). Unsurprisingly, this inability to build attacks has left them 19th for shots taken (9.2 per game), per Opta, while understat.com’s calculation of Spurs’ expected goals [xG] for and against has them on four ‘expected points’ rather than the actual nine. Nuno’s start has been much rockier than those early results indicated. But just as Kane’s goal against Wolves brings hope, Tottenham’s first half performance against Chelsea last weekend ought to make supporters optimistic. In a surprising move, Nuno went with a high-pressing 4-3-3 in which two free eights moved high into the half-spaces - Tanguy Ndombele and Dele Alli - while the wide forwards - Kane and Giovani Lo Celso - dropped into the No.10 zone either side of Son. #HarryKane #NunoEspiritoSanto #TottenhamHotspur Source: https://www.goal.com/en/news/four-shots-no-goals-what-has-happened-to-harry-kane-this/etmrdkg81ax71g8h8qsyqvvgb Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

The manager discussed his line-up decisions as the club continues to play through a busy schedule. Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer explained why he didn't include Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad for Wednesday's Carabao Cup clash with West Ham. Ronaldo was not in the 18 at Old Trafford, with Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho selected to lead the attack. Before the match, Solskjaer explained Ronaldo's absence was part of several changes with the hopes of keeping players fresh. Solskjaer told Sky Sports: "We decided more or less before Sunday [to make changes]. We need more players to get match fit. Alex Telles is back and has been training for a week. It will be a long season. "Cristiano Ronaldo has come in and made a difference already, he wants to play as much as possible but I don't think it is possible. "If you are going to be successful at the end, you need the whole squad and minutes to be shared out. A risk making so many changes but we have played some games behind closed doors and hopefully we find the rhythm." The Portuguese star has scored four goals in just three games since making the move back to Old Trafford this summer. Three of those goals have come in just two Premier League appearances, with the other being a Champions League goal against Young Boys. Up next for Man Utd is a clash with Aston Villa this weekend before they take on Villarreal in the Champions League. #RonaldoAbsence #CristianoRonaldo #Solskjaer #ManchesterUnited #WestHam #CarabaoCup Source: https://www.goal.com/en/news/solskjaer-ronaldo-absence-carabao-cup-west-ham/exaovi8vjee610ai9cateej12 Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

The Argentine was untouchable at Camp Nou but is finding that life in France is not quite the same after being hauled off by Pochettino on Sunday If Lionel Messi thought his transition from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain was going to be seamless, he will quickly have appreciated that life in the French capital promises to be very different to what he was used to at Camp Nou. Messi had grown used to being the boss at Barca. More than 20 years at the club, a record number of goals and six Ballon d’Or titles had made him untouchable, a status that remained undiminished in recent years, even in light of the decline of the Catalan side. At PSG, though, things will not come quite so easy. If that was not apparent during his brief cameo in a victory over Reims on debut or even as PSG were asphyxiated by Club Brugge in the Champions League and forced to settle for a 1-1 draw, it was made evident in Sunday’s match with Lyon. Two incidents during the fixture were particularly telling. Prior to kick off, PSG midfielder Ander Herrera had been asked in an interview with Marca who would take the club’s penalties this season, with Messi vying with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for the responsibility. The Spaniard joked that they might play ‘paper, rock, scissors’ for the honour. When it came to the crunch against Lyon, though, Neymar simply scooped up the ball and took command of the situation. That was the first sign that Messi will not hold an untouchable status in his new home. The second came shortly afterwards as head coach Mauricio Pochettino withdrew him to be replaced by Achraf Hakimi. This was a particularly stinging blow to the Argentine, who is scantly used to being taken off, much less with the game still in the balance. His withering look to Pochettino was seen by the world while afterwards he was seen in discussion with compatriot Leandro Paredes on the bench. It proved a successful move by the coach as PSG went on to win the game thanks to a late header from Mauro Icardi after a delicious delivery from Kylian Mbappe, who continues to be the club’s clutch player, having recorded a goal or an assist in every match this season. “These are decisions made for the team and everyone knows we have many great players. We have to take these decisions,” Pochettino explained in the aftermath. “We made the decision to take Messi off because of a possible future injury. “We have important matches coming up and we have to protect him.” PSG do have a packed schedule in the days ahead, with a trip to Metz on Wednesday following by a potentially tricky match at home to Montpellier and then a Champions League meeting with Manchester City, which has taken on additional importance following the failure to win in Belgium. Legendary France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, who played with Messi at Barcelona and now works as a Ligue 1 pundit for Amazon Prime , explained the player’s feelings. “His reaction did not surprise me. Maybe he didn't want to come off,” he said. “We don't know what they're saying to each other. Let's not start the controversy. “He surely wanted to stay on the pitch so he could score.” Pochettino’s decision appeared to be justified on Monday as Messi was the recipient of a dead leg shortly before being withdrawn against Lyon and led to him failing to complete Monday’s training regime fully. Nevertheless, it is evident that if it were up to Messi, he would have remained on the field against Lyon. While Messi is still treated with a healthy respect at PSG, he has not yet held up to the untouchable iconic standard that was the case at Barcelona, where he was the undoubted alpha. Moving club for the first time and stepping into the territory of two big egos in the form of Mbappe and Neymar, he has quickly learned that he is not the boss. And so it has not been the dream start at PSG that Messi might have wished, but this is the reality that faces him. It is also one that he will have to quickly adapt to if this new chapter of his career is to prove a success. #LionelMessi #PSG #Barcelona Source: https://www.goal.com/en/news/messi-learns-that-barcelona-privileges-dont-extend-to-psg/n8szd5zj1vny1w3falp544h6l Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

The awarding of the prize was cancelled in 2020 and the world's best players are again making their cases to claim the coveted individual honour After being cancelled in 2020, the Ballon d'Or is back, with the great and good of the football world again eyeing the biggest individual honour the game has to offer. The prize will not be handed out until December, meaning that players can still make their cases to succeed 2019 winner Lionel Messi over the coming months, despite most of the major club and international silverware having been won already. So, by using the performances of the contenders so far, as well as predictions of what is likely still to come in 2021, who holds the most power in this year's race? Goal ranks the runners and riders...: 20. Nicolo Barella (Inter) Last time: NEW ENTRY In 2021: Five goals, 11 assists. Won Serie A & Euro 2020. 19. Pedri (Barcelona) Last time: 19th In 2021: Three goals, six assists. Won Copa del Rey & Olympic silver medal. 18. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) Last time: NEW ENTRY In 2021: 21 goals, 10 assists. 17. Mason Mount (Chelsea) Last time: 17th In 2021: Nine goals, seven assists. Won Champions League & UEFA Super Cup. 16. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) Last time: 16th In 2021: 14 goals, 12 assists. Won Coupe de France & Trophee des Champions. 15. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) Last time: 12th In 2021: 13 goals, seven assists. Won Premier League & Carabao Cup. 14. Harry Kane (Tottenham) Last time: 14th In 2021: 28 goals, five assists. 13. Ruben Dias (Manchester City) Last time: 13th In 2021: One goal, two assists, 24 clean sheets. Won Premier League & Carabao Cup. 12. Federico Chiesa (Juventus) Last time: 10th In 2021: 15 goals, five assists. Won Euro 2020, Coppa Italia & Supercoppa Italiana. 11. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain) Last time: 15th In 2021: 19 clean sheets. Won Euro 2020. 10. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) Last time: 11th In 2021: 28 goals, 11 assists. 9. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) Last time: 7th In 2021: 10 goals, 11 assists. Won Premier League & Carabao Cup. 8. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) Last time: 8th In 2021: 33 goals, four assists. Won Coppa Italia & Supercoppa Italiana. 7. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) Last time: 6th In 2021: 33 goals, 11 assists. Won Coupe de France & Trophee des Champions. 6. Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) Last time: 9th In 2021: 41 goals, 13 assists. Won DFB-Pokal. 5. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea) Last time: 5th In 2021: 29 goals, eight assists. Won Serie A. 4. N'Golo Kante (Chelsea) Last time: 4th In 2021: One goal, one assist. Won Champions League & UEFA Super Cup. 3. Jorginho (Chelsea) Last time: 3rd In 2021: Five goals, two assists. Won Euro 2020, Champions League & UEFA Super Cup. 2. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) Last time: 2nd In 2021: 48 goals, seven assists. Won Bundesliga, Club World Cup & DFL-Supercup. 1. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain) Last time: 1st In 2021: 36 goals, 14 assists. Won Copa America & Copa del Rey. Is there a scenario where Messi does not win his seventh Ballon d'Or in 2021? If there is, then a slow start to life at PSG is probably part of it, with the Argentine's substitution when Mauricio Pochettino was chasing a winning goal against Lyon on Sunday a sure sign that Messi is not quite hitting top gear in France yet. #BallondOr2021 #LionelMessi #Lewandowski #CristianoRonaldo Source: https://www.goal.com/en/lists/ballon-dor-2021-power-rankings/1l03egk461k3a1em4lb6gh8mhu#znxd1plsw2pv1pz774lwnnc2k Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Brazil legend Pele says he is "recovering very well" after briefly being readmitted to intensive care following a recent operation. The 80-year-old had surgery to remove a tumour from his colon this month and was initially released from intensive care on Wednesday. Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Hospital said he was readmitted "as a preventative measure". "My friends, I am still recovering very well," Pele wrote on Instagram. "Today I received visits from family members and I continue to smile every day. Thank you for all the love I get from you." Pele had been having treatment at the hospital since 31 August after the tumour was detected in routine tests. Media outlets in Brazil reported that he was readmitted to intensive care as a precautionary measure because of his age. The hospital later released a statement confirming this and added: "After stabilisation, the patient was transferred to semi-intensive care. "He is currently stable from a cardiovascular and respiratory point of view." Before the hospital statement was released, his daughter posted on Instagram: "I don't know what is going on with the rumours out there but my DMs are booming!!! "There's already a lot of anxiety roaming the world these days and we don't want to be the reason for more. "The normal recovery scenario for a man of his age after an operation like this, is sometimes two steps forward and one step back. It's very normal. "Yesterday he was tired and took a little step back. Today he took two forwards!" Pele's health has been a concern in recent years. He had prostate surgery in 2015 after he was admitted to hospital for the second time in six months, and he was admitted again for a urinary infection in 2019. Pele is Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 77 goals in 92 games and one of only four players to have scored in four World Cup tournaments. Lionel Messi recently passed him as the leading South American men's scorer in international matches with a hat-trick in Argentina's World Cup qualifying win against Bolivia. #Pele #Brazil #LionelMessi Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58604541 Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Manchester United have added some huge signings but their dramatic 2-1 defeat to Young Boys in the Champions League was a defeat engineered from the dugout. Manchester United have brought a legend home, signed one of the game’s greatest defenders and added one of the brightest prospects in European football. But at the highest level matches can still be lost from the bench and this was one of them. It was Jesse Lingard's rash back-pass that allowed Young Boys to complete a dramatic 2-1 win on this Champions League opener. It was Aaron Wan-Bissaka's lunge that left his team down to 10 men, changing the course of the evening. But it was Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer whose tactical decisions ensured that the Swiss side deserved the points. Everything had looked to be going to plan when Cristiano Ronaldo - who else? - put United ahead inside the opening quarter of an hour. But the red card to Wan-Bissaka late in the first half put the onus back on the manager. Things began to unravel. The initial decision to replace Jadon Sancho with Diogo Dalot was explicable. United needed a right-back on the pitch. The subsequent move to switch to a back three at half-time, bringing on Raphael Varane for Donny van de Beek, was far from necessary. Solskjaer's side went into containment mode, attempting to defend their one-goal lead but showing little appetite to do anything more than that. United did not even muster a shot after the 25th minute of a match in which their opponents had 19 of them. Their total of two shots is the fewest that they have had in any of their 138 Champions League matches since Opta began keeping records of such things in the 2003/04 season. "Manchester United couldn't get out of their half," Paul Merson told Sky Sports. "If that was Manchester City with ten men, Young Boys wouldn't have touched the ball." Some might think it is harsh to judge the performance once Wan-Bissaka had been sent from the field but the one-man advantage enjoyed by Young Boys hardly merited such caution, such paucity of ambition. Better teams would have offered more. "Look at the substitutions," added Merson. "You want the ball going the other way because if the ball goes the other way then your opponents cannot squeeze the game. That is all Young Boys did. They pushed up to the halfway line because there was no threat behind. "Without that threat, you aren't going to win too many football matches. If you are going to bring Ronaldo off, bring Mason Greenwood on because he has the pace." Ronaldo's admirers have spent much of the past fortnight explaining how this once complete footballer has become more of a penalty-box poacher in the latter stages of his career. That was of little use with United getting nowhere near that penalty box. Solskjaer waited until after the equaliser had gone in before withdrawing Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes - only to replace them with Nemanja Matic and Jesse Lingard. This was not about shifting momentum, it was about hanging on for the draw. In the absence of any attacking threat, Young Boys were able to continue to dominate. Still, with Varane, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof repelling everything that was tossed into the area, it looked like United would hang on - until Solskjaer's final interjection. Apparently realising the need to add some sort of counter-attacking threat, or perhaps in an attempt to waste time, the final switch was made - introducing Anthony Martial for Fred. The move required Lingard to drop into a deeper role. That had consequences. It was from there, finding himself in that unusual position, that Lingard made the mistake that ultimately allowed Young Boys to win the game. It felt more like the culmination of a series of debatable tactical decisions that conspired to consign United to defeat. David Wagner's Young Boys had been regarded as the outsiders in this group but the hope now will be that they can cause another upset or two. If Atalanta and Villarreal do the double over them, it will put huge pressure on United in their remaining games. This is the first game of six in this Champions League group. There is time to turn things around, the opportunity to recover from a disappointing start. United are top of the Premier League table. That alone shows that they are able to come up with results. #YoungBoys #ManchesterUnited #CristianoRonaldo #Solskjaer Source: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12408163/young-boys-2-1-manchester-united-ole-gunnar-solskjaers-tactical-decisions-under-scrutiny-following-defeat Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

At 36, the Ronaldo who has returned to Manchester United is seen as some way past his peak but has he proved against Newcastle, he can still make a big impact. "This is a different Ronaldo second time around," said Neville. "We know that he is the most alert, he is the one who anticipates in the box, he is the one most driven to score goals and create great numbers. "The best way to look at his career and how it has evolved, his involvement in the build-up is limited. If you look at his touches, he goes from 65 touches at Manchester United and it is decreasing year on year. "He is going from a winger who is involved in the game regularly to someone who is now essentially playing in the penalty box and having a lot fewer touches. "Again, his dribbles are nearly half what they used to be at Manchester United. He is not going wide, getting on the ball and going past people. That is not saying he will never do it but it has decreased enormously. "The chances that he creates for others, again, have decreased enormously in the last 10 to 15 years. His assists you can see are getting less. His shots are getting a lot less. His shots from outside the box are decreasing. "So all these stats are telling you that this is a penalty-box footballer who is restricting his play outside of the box, far greater than at any moment in his career, because of his age. "But then you look at his stats that are going up, the stats that are improving. Shot conversion has gone from 12 per cent at United to 17 per cent last season at Juventus, his highest ever level, the best of his career. "His goals, he is at 0.93 goals per 90 minutes last season for Juventus. That has always been high from his third or fourth season at Manchester United. "It just tells you what Manchester United have signed. This is a number nine. This is no longer the player who will counter-attack from box to box regularly in matches. "He will live in and around the box, he will live in and around the centre-backs, he will anticipate, he will make movements that are outstanding across defenders. "He will hopefully - from Manchester United's point of view - make a big difference in the games where there are narrow margins. "Manchester United had seven nil-nils last season, the most that they have ever had in Premier League history. They drew 11 games overall and lost six, finishing 12 points behind Manchester City. "If you are Ole Gunnar Solskjaer thinking about Cristiano Ronaldo, you are looking at stats like that. Is he the man to score a goal in narrow-margin matches. I know it is hypothetical but if they can convert those nil-nils to wins then Manchester United are champions. "That is the question now. Is Cristiano Ronaldo going to be enough to make Manchester United champions this season?" #CristianoRonaldo #GaryNeville #ManchesterUnited Source: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12407308/cristiano-ronaldo-or-lionel-messi-who-is-the-greatest-gary-neville-and-jamie-carragher-disagree-on-monday-night-football Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas