October 2020 – Football Flame    
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Month: October 2020

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£27m Real Madrid star has decided he wants to join Everton

Isco of Real Madrid looks on during the La Liga Santader match between Real Madrid and Cadiz CF at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on October 17, 2020 in Madrid, Spain.Carlo Ancelotti's Everton are flying high in 2020/21.Despite losing their first game of the Premier League season at Southampton last weekend, the Toffees are top of the English top-tier after six game weeks.Ancelotti is working his magic at Goodison Park and the arrival of Colombian superstar James Rodriguez from Real Madrid has galvanised the team.The 2014 World Cup hero has scored three goals and notched as many assists in his six Premier League appearances, a mighty impressive return for a player many believed would struggle on English shores.Rodriguez's worldwide following has helped enhance Everton as a brand and it seems h...
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SERIE A

Juventus and Paulo Dybala ‘struggling to agree new contract as he demands £5m more per-season’

Paulo Dybala of Juventus looks on during the UEFA Champions League Group G stage match between Juventus and FC Barcelona at Juventus Stadium on October 28, 2020 in Turin, Italy.Juventus are struggling to come to an agreement with Paulo Dyabla over a new contract.Dybala's current deal runs until the summer of 2022, and Juventus want to retain his services until 2024.However, as reported by Calciomercato, the attacker is demanding £5million more per season in wages.Real Madrid are interested in signing Dybala, who has been at Juventus since 2015. The Spanish side could let Isco and Vinicius Junior join Juventus as part of a possible deal.Juventus are eager to keep Dybala but could be tempted by the prospect of getting two Real Madrid players in exchange. Isco and Vincius Junior hav...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hails ‘quality’ Manchester United forwards

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the UEFA Europa League Group B stage match between Arsenal FC and Dundalk FC at Emirates Stadium on October 29, 2020 in London, England.Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hailed Manchester United’s ‘quality’ forwards ahead of the Premier League clash at Old Trafford. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils welcome Arsenal to the Theatre of Dreams on Sunday, with both teams desperate for points to move up the table. The Gunners have lost three of their last four Premier League games to slip to 11th in the table, while Manchester United are currently 15th, having won only two of their five league fixtures. United trio Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood combined for 62 goals in all competitions last season and Solskjaer bolstered his attackin...
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Report: Barcelona to renew Eric Garcia pursuit in January

Eric Garcia of Manchester City looks on during the UEFA Champions League Group C stage match between Manchester City and FC Porto at Etihad Stadium on October 21, 2020 in Manchester, England.Barcelona are reportedly likely to make a fresh bid for Manchester City defender Eric Garcia during the January transfer window.With concerns over his first-team opportunities at the Etihad Stadium, Garcia has rejected the club's efforts to tie him down to a long-term contract.Barcelona missed out on a reunion with their former player in the summer as City played hardball over a transfer fee.However, according to ESPN, the Catalan giants will renew their interest in January, providing that a move gets the go-ahead from the next president.Although City could opt to keep the youngster until the end of th...
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SERIE A

Cristiano Ronaldo recovers from COVID-19

Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has tested negative for coronavirus, the club confirmed on Friday."Ronaldo carried out a check with a diagnostic test (swab) for COVID-19. The exam provided a negative result," the Italian champions said in a statement."The player has, therefore, recovered after 19 days and is no longer subjected to home isolation."Ronaldo first tested positive for COVID-19 on October 13 while playing with Portugal. He had been in self-isolation since returning to Italy.The 35-year-old has missed four games including Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat to Lionel Messi's Barcelona.Nine-time reigning Italian champions Juventus, are fifth in Serie A, four points behind leaders AC Milan after five games, and the next game is away at newly promoted Spezia on Sunday.
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Wolves share EPL lead after beating Crystal Palace 2-0

Wolverhampton Wanderers players celebrate following their team's victory in the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace at Molineux on October 30, 2020 in Wolverhampton, England.Rayan Ait-Nouri marked his Wolves debut with a goal as the Midlands club beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at Molineux on Friday to move up into third place in the Premier League.Victory put Wolves level on points with the leading Merseyside duo of Everton and reigning champions Liverpool ahead of the bulk of this weekend's fixtures.Ait-Nouri, the only change from the Wolves side that drew 1-1 with Newcastle last time out, needed just 18 minutes to put the hosts in front when his first-time shot found the bottom corner.His goal came soon after Palace's Michy Batshuayi had an effort correctly d...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Pep Guardiola keen to extend his stay at Manchester City

Manchester City's Pep Guardiola speaks during a press conference at Manchester City Football Academy on October 30, 2020 in Manchester, England.Pep Guardiola has said he would like to “stay longer” at Manchester City.The City manager is in the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and speculation over his future is likely to increase as the season goes on.Victor Font, a candidate to be the next Barcelona president, has expressed a desire to take Guardiola back to the Nou Camp, where his past successes included two Champions League triumphs.When asked about Font, Guardiola said at a press conference: “I am incredibly happy here. I’m delighted to be in Manchester and I hope I can do a good job this season to stay longer.”City have had to deal with a host of injuries in the early p...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Arteta sends message to Pepe after Arsenal winger’s goal against Dundalk

Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal is challenged by Patrick McEleney of Dundalk during the UEFA Europa League Group B stage match between Arsenal FC and Dundalk FC at Emirates Stadium on October 29, 2020 in London, England.Mikel Arteta has told Nicolas Pepe that he still needs to find more consistency after the winger scored in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Dundalk on Thursday.The 25-year-old - who became the Gunners' record signing when he joined from Lille for £72m last summer - had a frustrating first half, losing the ball on no less than 15 occasions.But he found the back of the net just after half-time with a superb effort from the edge of the box before being substituted off on the hour mark.It was a performance which encapsulated Pepe's up-and-down spell at the Emirates since signing, and speaking at...
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SERIE A

Ibrahimovic on COVID-19: You are not Zlatan, don’t challenge the virus

Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC Milan smiles during the UEFA Europa League Group H stage match between AC Milan and AC Sparta Praha at San Siro Stadium on October 29, 2020 in Milan, Italy.AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has recently recovered after testing positive for coronavirus, has joined an information campaign, telling the public to respect social distancing and wear a mask."The virus challenged me and I won," he said. "But you are not Zlatan, don't challenge the virus."Use your head, respect the rules: distance and mask, always. We'll win!"The video was posted on the website and social media accounts of the Lombardy region in Italy which has seen a surge in coronavirus cases.Despite missing two games after testing positive, the 39-year-old is Serie A's leading scorer with six goal...
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Manchester United enter race to sign highly-rated Barcelona target

(L-R) Mario Pasalic of Atalanta Bergamo, Ryan Gravenberch of Ajax during the UEFA Champions League match between Atalanta Bergamo v Ajax at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d Italia on October 27, 2020 in Bergamo Italy.Manchester United are among clubs interested in the services of Ajax’s Ryan Gravenberch, who is courted by a host of European clubs including Barcelona.According to Mirror, Ajax is braced for a potential transfer battle in January regarding the services of Ryan Gravenberch. Manchester United and FC Barcelona are just among few clubs interested in acquiring the Dutch midfielder.The 18-year-old is being regarded as the next big thing to come out of the Ajax youth academy that has already produced quality players like Donny van de Beek, Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong over the pa...
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NEWS

Antwerp upset Spurs to go top of Europa League group, Milan win again

Harry Winks of Tottenham, Lior Refaelov of Antwerp during the UEFA Europa League Group J stage match between Royal Antwerp FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Bosuilstadion on October 29, 2020 in Antwerpen, Anvers, Belgium.Belgian league leaders Antwerp secured a shock 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan extended their unbeaten run to 23 games as they won 3-0 against Sparta Prague in the Europa League on Thursday, while Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 win over Dundalk.Veteran striker Lior Refaelov's first-half goal gave Antwerp their second win in Group J and put them top with six points, three ahead of Spurs and LASK of Austria.Antwerp dominated the first half and went ahead just before the half-hour mark after a defensive lapse by Ben Davies allowed Dieumerci Mbokani to steal away the ball and ...
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LALIGA

‘A star is born’ – Pedri dazzles for Barca in Turin

Pedri of Barcelona is challenged by Rodrigo Bentancur of Juventus during the UEFA Champions League Group G stage match between Juventus and FC Barcelona at Juventus Stadium on October 28, 2020 in Turin, Italy.Barcelona’s 17-year-old midfielder Pedri may not have got on the scoresheet in his side’s 2-0 Champions League win over Juventus but the teenager was the unmistakeable star in a victory that gave life to his wounded side and put him on the map.Given a second start in a row despite looking fazed in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat by Real Madrid, Pedri played with ambition and bravery against the Italian champions, driving Barca’s play with slick passing and confident dribbling.“Knowing the age he is, what he did tonight was outstanding,” said Barca coach Ronald Koeman.“The fact he was able to sh...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Jose Mourinho Sees More Opportunities For Ex-Real Madrid Star

Gareth Bale of Tottenham Hotspur prepares to come on during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 18, 2020 in London, United Kingdom.Gareth Bale’s journey to rekindling his stellar football career took a big step forward as Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho assured the former Real Madrid standout that he has full confidence in him.“We all have not just the feeling but also the data that Bale is arriving,” Mourinhosaid in a report by the Guardian.“He’s working very hard. He’s been quite a great example for everybody. A big guy like him traveled to Burnley, stayed on the bench for 90 minutes, didn’t play one minute. His behavior as a team guy is incredible. His behavior as a Tottenham man is remarkable and he is coming...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard quizzed on Antonio Rudiger after Krasnodar win

Chelsea's goalkeeper Edouard Mendy (L) and head coach Frank Lampard after the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League Group E Round 2 football match between FC Krasnodar and Chelsea FC at Krasnodar Stadium.Chelsea boss Frank Lampard was quizzed on why Antonio Rudiger made a rare outing against Krasnodar.The Germany international made his first appearance of the season after falling out with the manager in the transfer window.It had been assumed that the centre-back was on his way out, with several clubs interested.AC Milan and Roma were keen, while Paris St-Germain were a surprise option but Tottenham were leading the charge.Ultimately, the Blues did not want to strengthen a Premier League rival as other moves faltered.It resulted in Rudiger staying put while him and Lampard had clear-the-air talks ...
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UCL

PSG wins Champions League match but loses Neymar to injury

Neymar of Paris Saint-Germain goes down injured during the UEFA Champions League Group H stage match between Istanbul Basaksehir and Paris Saint-Germain at Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadyumu on October 28, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey.Moise Kean scored two goals last night, both through assists from Kylian Mbappe, as Paris St-Germain defeated Istanbul Basaksehir on Wednesday evening. PSG won the UEFA Champions League group stage match 0-2, but suffered a blow as Neymar Jr. suffered an injury.Everton forward Kean, who is on loan from Premier League leaders Everton, broke the deadlock in the 64th minute to score the first goal of the match and to put PSG ahead. He scored a header off an Mbappe assist, which showed a promising link-up between the two forwards.Unfortunately for PSG, another attacking...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Arteta sorry to have left Saliba out of Europa squad

Mikel Arteta the Arsenal Manager during the Europa League Press Conference ahead of the UEFA Europa League Group B stage match between Arsenal FC and Dundalk FC at London Colney on October 28, 2020 in St Albans, England.Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said it hurt him to leave defender William Saliba out of his Europa League squad, a decision that looks to have backfired with the club face mounting injury problems at the centre back position.Saliba and Sokratis Papastathopoulos were not registered for the competition, and with Rob Holding, Calum Chambers, Pablo Mari and David Luiz all injured Arteta is left with Shkodran Mustafi and Gabriel Magalhaes as his only centre backs for Thursday’s match against Irish side Dundalk.“I feel really bad for William Saliba,” Arteta told reporters. “Because...
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UCL

Champions League roundup: Juventus fall to Barcelona, Man Utd cruise

Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona controls the ball against Juventus during the UEFA Champions League Group G stage match between Juventus and FC Barcelona at Juventus Stadium on October 28, 2020 in Turin, Italy.An early goal from Ousmane Dembele and a late Lionel Messi penalty gave Barcelona a 2-0 win away to Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday while substitute Marcus Rashford scored a quickfire hat-trick for Manchester United as they overwhelmed Germany's RB Leipzig 5-0.Dembele struck with a deflected shot in the 14th minute for a Barcelona side smarting from Saturday's home defeat by Real Madrid and rocked by the resignation of club president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Tuesday.Juventus, still missing Cristiano Ronaldo after he tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago, were frustrate...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool face nervous wait on Fabinho injury

Fabinho of Liverpool is seen to by medical staff after sustaining an injury during the UEFA Champions League Group D stage match between Liverpool FC and FC Midtjylland at Anfield on October 27, 2020 in Liverpool, England.Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was unsure about the seriousness of Fabinho’s injury after the Brazilian came off in the first half of the 2-0 home win over Midtjylland in the Champions League.The Reds’ latest defensive setback came around the half-hour mark when Fabinho – playing at centre-back again in the absence of Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matip – had to be substituted having pulled up while running.When asked afterwards what the early signs were in terms of the severity of Fabinho’s injury, Klopp said: “I don’t know. You know, muscle injuries are like this – you get the ...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Chelsea defender Rudiger back in contention, says Lampard

Antonio Rudiger of Chelsea during the UEFA Champions League Group E stage match between Chelsea FC and FC Sevilla at Stamford Bridge on October 20, 2020 in London, United Kingdom.Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger could make his first appearance of the season against Russian side FK Krasnodar in the Champions League later on Wednesday after the German defender held talks with manager Frank Lampard.Rudiger, 27, has not featured this season and was linked with a loan move to Tottenham Hotspur and Paris St Germain in the summer transfer window but looks set to return to the lineup with centre back Thiago Silva rested for the trip to Russia."I've had discussions with Antonio. I've always had a positive relationship with him," Lampard told a news conference ahead of Wednesday's match."Everything I do, I...
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NEWS

Cristiano Ronaldo still positive for COVID-19 before Barca game, FIFA president the latest victim

Cristiano RONALDO of Portugal during the Nations League - Group 3 match between France and Portugal on October 11, 2020 in Paris, France.Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive again for coronavirus on the eve of Juventus's Champions League clash against his great rival Lionel Messi's Barcelona, according to media reports in Italy and Portugal.Portuguese TVI reported that Ronaldo "has once against tested positive for COVID-19" following a swab carried out by Juventus. The 35-year-old is now awaiting the result of a UEFA test which, if also positive, would rule him out of the Group G game in Turin.Ronaldo first tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago while playing with Portugal, and has been in self-isolation since returning to Italy. According to TV1, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has ...
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