Messi sets sights on Champions League improvement

Yaya Toure made a stunning first Premier League appearance of the season with two goals in Manchester City s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

The visitors, having won only one of their previous five top-flight games, showed six changes from the 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough and it was Toure s inclusion that set tongues wagging.

It took the Ivorian 39 minutes to recapture some of the old magic as a superb interchange with Nolito preceded his emphatic opener.

Alan Pardew s side refused to give in and almost levelled when Christian Benteke s header brought a fine stop from Claudio Bravo 10 minutes after the interval.

Sergio Aguero could have sealed it midway through the second half for City – who lost Vincent Kompany to injury – but his…

Marseille defender Rod Fanni has likened Nice s signing of Mario Balotelli to a game of Russian roulette.

Having underwhelmed at Liverpool after joining from AC Milan in 2014, Balotelli, who has developed a reputation for underperforming and troublesome off-field antics, was sent back to San Siro on loan for the 2015-16 season.

The 26-year-old scored once in 20 Serie A appearances and, with the Rossoneri opting not to retain him, he was allowed to join Nice on a free transfer.

Balotelli could make his debut for the club in the Cote d Azur derby against Marseille at the Allianz Riviera on Saturday, and opposition defender Fanni is unsure whether the move will be a success.

[Signing] Balotelli is Russian roulette. It s all good if he has his head in place…

Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and head coach Marco Silva will not be punished further after the Football Association s appeal to lengthen their bans was rejected.

Mitrovic was banned for eight games for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh during Fulham s 3-1 FA Cup quarter-final loss at Manchester United last month.

Silva was given a two-match ban after being sent off in the same game for improper conduct and using abusive and insulting language.

The FA argued the punishments, imposed by an independent regulatory commission, were clearly insufficient and deserved to be extended.

But the governing body confirmed on Friday its appeal had been rejected, meaning Silva is free to return to the touchline, while Mitrovic will be back for Fulham s final three gam…

Putting in what was a rampant display in East London on Monday night as West Ham stormed their way to a against Leicester, it appears that the mood in the Hammers camp is at a red-hot high.

Opening the 2021/22 campaign with an action-packed 4-2 win away at Newcastle, David Moyes men have won their opening two fixtures of a Premier League campaign for just the second time in the club s history.

With Michail Antonio cementing his spot in West Ham folklore as he became their all-time Premier League top goalscorer on Monday night, could they now be set to finally dip into the transfer market?

With a Europa League campaign on the horizon and a stacked schedule this year, it is no secret that the Hammers are desperate to bring in reinforcements before the window slam…

Chelsea moved three points clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League as Frank Lampard s late penalty clinched a 2-1 win over Portsmouth on Wednesday.

Carlo Ancelotti s side were in danger of failing to win for the fifth successive match in all competitions when Portsmouth s Frederic Piquionne cancelled out Nicolas Anelka s first half opener.

But Lampard, making his 300th league appearance for the Blues, held his nerve to drive home a spot-kick with 11 minutes remaining and reestablish his team s lead over United, who had beaten Wolves to draw level on points 24 hours earlier.

Ancelotti can take heart from Chelsea s ability to grind out a win when the fates seemed to be conspiring against them, but this was another less than convincing display.<…

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp was charged with tax evasion on Thursday, a spokesman for English prosecuting authorities said.

The charges, which relate to Redknapp s time in charge of Premier League strugglers Portsmouth, result from a 26-month police investigation into alleged corruption in English football.

Redknapp, who has repeatedly protested his innocence, said he would fight the charges.

Henry (Harry) Redknapp, the former football manager of Portsmouth Football Club, has today been charged with two counts of cheating the public revenue, a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) spokesman said Thursday.

Meanwhile Redknapp s lawyer, Ian Burton, said his client had voluntarily attended a London police station on Thursday to be charged by officers…

David Beckham believes Manchester United s trophy drought will not end up as bad as rivals Liverpool.

United have not won the Premier League since 2013 when Alex Ferguson was still in charge at Old Trafford.

Liverpool, however, have not tasted top-flight success for 25 years but Beckham said he does not feel United will suffer the same fate.

I can’t see that happening to Manchester United, he said. I never think we’ll not be in contention to win trophies. There’s too much history.

Obviously you have to stay on the ball with that. But there’s too much embedded into this club to let it slip away like that.

Beckham said it was normal for a club to take a dip in form, but not for a hugely extended period.

There was a couple of seas…

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez are among the players selected in the FIFA FIFPro World11, with Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba two of the big names to miss out on selection.

Nine of the 11 players named in FIFPro s team play in LaLiga, with Juventus defender Dani Alves and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer the only ones not to do so.

European champions Real Madrid have five selections – Ronaldo, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Marcelo and Sergio Ramos  while Messi, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique are the four picked from Barcelona.

Griezmann, though, misses out despite being named in the final three for the Best FIFA Men s player award along with Ronaldo and Messi, as well as finishing third in the Ballon d Or.

No Premier League players…

Todd Boehly made it clear to Callum Hudson-Odoi that he wants the Chelsea loanee to return to Stamford Bridge after gaining experience with Bayer Leverkusen.

The 21-year-old was left frustrated during his time with the Blues under former coach Thomas Tuchel, moving to Leverkusen on loan in August after failing to make an appearance for Chelsea this season.

A lack of opportunities was the driving factor for the loan spell in the Bundesliga, where Hudson-Odoi has appeared three times and assisted once.

Chairman Boehly acknowledged in recent weeks Chelsea have too often lost bright young prospects, such as Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, and does not want to make the same error.

That is the reason Boehly refused to include a buyout clause in Hudson Odoi …

Thomas Tuchel is expected to lead Bayern Munich against Borussia Monchengladbach despite the head coach being hit by flu in recent days.

The former Chelsea boss missed training on Wednesday and Thursday through the illness and has looked a doubt for Saturday’s Bundesliga clash at the Allianz Arena.

Sporting director Christoph Freund stood in at the pre-match press conference but said Tuchel would “in all likelihood” be on the touchline as Bayern look to heap pressure on Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

“Thomas will come down to Sabener Strasse (training ground) today and take training,” Freund said. “He’s getting better. We’re positive he can be at the game tomorrow.”

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