November 2023 – Page 4 – Football Flame

Month: November 2023

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SERIE A

Osimhen still out of Napoli training

 Victor Osimhen Centre-Forward of Napoli and Nigeria during the UEFA Champions League match between SCC Napoli and Real Madrid at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on October 3, 2023 in Naples, Italy.Napoli started training under new coach Walter Mazzarri today, but last season’s Capocannoniere Victor Osimhen was again ruled out.The club made the decision to sack Rudi Garcia yesterday and bring back Mazzarri, who had already worked here from 2009 to 2013.Mazzarri had his first session today at the Castel Volturno ground, but while many are away on international duty, Osimhen was meant to be there after shaking off the injury sustained playing for Nigeria last month.Instead, the striker was nowhere to be seen, with Napoli announcing he was suffering from flu symptoms.Napoli hope to have Os...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Palmer eyes England as Chelsea move ‘pays off’

 Cole Palmer of England passes the ball during the UEFA Under-21 Euro 2023 final match between England and Spain at Batumi Arena on July 08, 2023 in Batumi, Georgia.Cole Palmer says his £42.5m summer transfer to Chelsea from Manchester City is "paying off" as he eyes his senior England debut.The 21-year-old forward has scored four goals and registered four assists in 14 appearances since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.He was called up to the England squad on Monday after injuries to James Maddison, Callum Wilson and Lewis Dunk.Palmer said he left Treble winners City in search of first-team football."It happened fast, to be fair. I spoke to someone at Chelsea and I was speaking to my dad but I really didn't know what to do," Palmer said."I was just thinking about it for a couple of day...
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NEWS

Son called in for South Korea as Asia’s leading teams enter qualifying for the 2026 World Cup

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-Min warming up before the match during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux on November 11, 2023 in Wolverhampton, England. Son Heung-min will join South Korea for its opening game in World Cup qualifying, with head coach Jurgen Klinsmann aiming to start the second stage of Asian competition with a statement win.The Koreans and Asia’s five other 2022 World Cup participants start their qualification campaigns to appear at the 2026 tournament on Thursday.None of the continental heavyweights are taking this stage lightly, with European-based stars such as Son, Kaoru Mitoma and Mehdi Taremi picked for their national teams to take on some of the continent’s lower-ranked rivals.South Korea kicks off against ...
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NEWS

Egypt captain Salah leads African stars into World Cup qualifying

 Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield on November 12, 2023 in Liverpool, England. Prolific Liverpool scorer and Egypt captain Mohamed Salah will be among the stars in action this week when 2026 World Cup qualifying in Africa kicks off with two matchdays. His two Premier League goals against Brentford at the weekend raised his total to 200 in English football, and he is now set to shine against Group A rivals Djibouti and Sierra Leone. Salah was the second highest ranked African in the Ballon d’Or last month behind Napoli and Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen, who misses the first matchdays due to an injury. Omar Marmoush of Eintracht Frankfurt and Mostafa Mohamed of Nantes are ot...
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NEWS

Ederson misses Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers with foot injury

  Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson during the UEFA Champions League Group G match between Manchester City and BSC Young Boys at Etihad Stadium on November 7, 2023 in Manchester, England. Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has been ruled out of upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina with a foot injury, the Brazilian football federation announced yesterday.Ederson, 30, picked up the injury with club side City in last Sunday’s 4-4 Premier League draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.Brazil coach Fernando Diniz has called up Athletico Paranaense goalkeeper Bento for Thursday’s games against Colombia at Barranquilla and World Cup winners Argentina on November 21 in Rio de Janeiro.Unbeaten Argentina top the table with 12 points after four games, five...
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NEWS

John Obi Mikel keen to tempt Victor Osimhen into Chelsea transfer

 Victor Osimhen of SSC Napoli watches the match from the stands during the Serie A TIM match between SSC Napoli and Empoli FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona Naples Italy on 12 November 2023.Club legend John Obi Mikel has suggested that he will try to tempt Napoli forward Victor Osimhen into a move to Chelsea.For a number of transfer windows, Osimhen has been linked with an exit from the Serie A giants, a consequence of the impact that he has made in Naples.In 2022-23, the frontman contributed 26 goals from 32 appearances in Italy's top flight as Napoli won their first league crown in over three decades.However, with a contract until 2025, speculation persists that the 24-year-old will soon be taking on a new challenge, most likely in the Premier League.With Napoli president Aurelio ...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Eriksen and Hojlund face spells out for Manchester United

Christian Eriksen of Manchester United warms up ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Luton Town at Old Trafford on November 11, 2023 in Manchester, England.Manchester United duo Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund face spells on the sidelines following their withdrawal from Denmark’s squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers.United’s 1-0 victory over Luton ahead of the international break was soured slightly by injuries to midfielder Eriksen and forward Hojlund, who both limped off the pitch at Old Trafford on Saturday.They have pulled out of Denmark’s fixtures against Slovenia on Friday and Northern Ireland next Monday, with United resigned to being without Eriksen until the middle of December due to a knee problem.Hojlund’s muscle strain seems to be less sev...
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NEWS

Rudi Garcia leaves Napoli to return to France

 Rudi Garcia SSC Napoli head coach during the Serie A TIM match between SSC Napoli and Empoli FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on November 12, 2023 in Naples, Italy. Rudi Garcia boarded a plane to leave Napoli and return to France this morning after the club’s decision to sack him.The 59-year-old coach’s fate was sealed after the Partenopei’s painful 1-0 loss to Empoli on Sunday, but it only seemed like a matter of time after the team’s disappointing start to the season.Garcia took over as Napoli coach in the summer after Luciano Spalletti’s decision to step away, signing a two-year contract worth €2.8m net per season. A clause was included which allows the club to terminate his contract next June should he be dismissed in his first campaign.As reported by Gianluca Di Marzio, ...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Zinchenko’s thoughts turn closer to home

Oleksandr Zinchenko of Arsenal prepares to take a throw-in during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Burnley FC at Emirates Stadium on November 11, 2023 in London, England. No better time for pause and reflection than remembrance weekend and the start of a much-needed international break for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal who topped the table this time last year. A deserved return to winning ways leaves his side well-placed, nestled within a victory of overtaking champions Manchester City and a couple of weeks to get up to eight missing players closer to fitness by the time they resume action, at Brentford, on Saturday week.Burnley too, with injury issues of their own, need a reset after a brutal return to the top flight in which they have conceded 30 goals in their opening ...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Maguire: Patience has paid off in United revival

 Harry Maguire of Manchester United applauds the fans at the final whistle during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Luton Town at Old Trafford on November 11, 2023 in Manchester, England. Harry Maguire said his decision to stay at Manchester United in the summer has been vindicated after breaking back into Erik ten Hag's team.After a frustrating first season under Ten Hag, Maguire was close to a move to West Ham United during the transfer window, but ended up staying at Old Trafford.He started the current campaign on the bench, but has started the last eight games in all competitions and believes it shows he was right to remain at United."I played a few games last year, 16 or 17 starts, and I felt like I performed really well in the games I played in, I just ...
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BUNDESLIGA

Bayer ‘Neverkusen’ defying history at top of Bundesliga

 Bayer Leverkusen's Spanish coach Xabi Alonso celebrates after the German first division Bundesliga football match Bayer 04 Leverkusen v 1 FC Union Berlin in Leverkusen, western Germany on November 12, 2023.Xabi Alonso did it as a player. Now he's done it again as a coach.Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen have routed Union Berlin 4-0 to return to the top of the Bundesliga after matching the league's best-ever start on Sunday with 10 wins and a draw.As a classy midfielder, Alonso was also part of the Bayern Munich team that only dropped two points in the first 11 rounds under coach Pep Guardiola in 2015-16."We don't want to talk too much about the record," Alonso said. "We want to keep going, we want to look forward. It's going to be difficult before the winter break."But it's a brilliant star...
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LALIGA

Lewandowski double earns Barca comeback win over Alaves

 Robert Lewandowski of FC Barcelona celebrates with Joao Felix of FC Barcelona after scoring the team's first goal during the LaLiga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Deportivo Alaves at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on November 12, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain.Polish ace Robert Lewandowski has struck twice to lead Barcelona to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Alaves in the Spanish league, moving them to within four points of surprise leaders Girona.The home win on Sunday also moved Barcelona back within two points of second-placed Real Madrid, who had routed Valencia 5-1 the previous day.Fellow Catalan club Girona had also come from one down to win 2-1 at Rayo Vallecano, also on Saturday.Alaves took the lead in a breakaway one minute into the match in Montjuic, but Lewandowski help...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Villa maintain 100% home record with routine win

 Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa (R) celebrates with Youri Tielemans of Aston Villa (L) and Leon Bailey of Aston Villa (C) after scoring their 3rd goal during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Fulham FC at Villa Park on November 12, 2023 in Birmingham, United Kingdom.Aston Villa maintained their winning start to the season at home with a routine Premier League victory over a lacklustre Fulham side.Antonee Robinson's own goal and John McGinn's placed finish into the bottom right corner put Unai Emery's side firmly in control at the break.And Ollie Watkins' tapped in substitute Leon Bailey's cross, with McGinn again involved, just after the hour mark as Villa claimed a 13th consecutive win at home in the top flight for the first time since 1983.The result also means Villa ha...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool up to second after beating Brentford

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool shakes hands with Saman Ghoddos of Brentford following the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield on November 12, 2023 in Liverpool, England.Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool maintained their 100% record at Anfield this season with victory against Brentford to move up to second in the Premier League.Salah opened the scoring just before the break, latching onto a pass from Darwin Nunez before placing a finish beyond Mark Flekken.That was Salah's ninth Premier League goal of the season and his 10th arrived midway through the second half when he nodded in from Kostas Tsimikas' cross.Salah - once again excellent on home soil - really should have had a hat-trick, having also volleyed over from a superb Trent Alexander-Arnold cross ...
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SERIE A

Late Empoli winner piles pressure on Napoli boss Rudi Garcia

 Viktor Kovalenko of Empoli FC celebrates after scoring during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Empoli FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona Naples Italy on 12 November 2023.Empoli increased the pressure on under-fire Napoli boss Rudi Garcia with a 1-0 win in Serie A.Viktor Kovalenko’s injury-time winner gave the visitors the smash-and-grab points in Naples and left Garcia in no doubt about how the home fans feel about him after he received jeers.Last year’s champions are in fourth after this sorry defeat.It could have been so different had the hosts taken two early chances, but they came up against inspired Empoli goalkeeper Etrit Berisha.The Albania international tipped Matteo Politano’s effort wide and then kept out Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s header from the resulting corne...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

How can Chelsea stop Man City? Three ways to beat the champions

 Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino with Mykhaylo Mudryk and Conor Gallagher of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 06, 2023 in London, England.Chelsea host Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday looking to follow up their dramatic win over Tottenham.While Mauricio Pochettino's side managed a 4-1 win over their biggest rivals, questions remain given the circumstances in which it came.For swathes of Monday's contest, the Blues struggled to break down a nine-man Spurs side and will undoubtedly get much more of a test against Pep Guardiola's champions.Still, Man City have shown at least some weaknesses this season and Standard Sport's Nizaar Kinsella looks at three possible ways Chelsea can exploit...
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SERIE A

Ranieri frustrated at Cagliari errors with Juventus

 Jakub Jankto of Cagliari Calcio (C) battle for the ball with Filip Kostic of Juventus as Claudio Ranieri, Head Coach of Cagliari Calcio, looks on from the touchline during the Serie A TIM match between Juventus and Cagliari Calcio at on November 11, 2023 in Turin, Italy.Cagliari coach Claudio Ranieri was frustrated by the 2-1 defeat to Juventus, particularly the opening goal. ‘We worked all week on set play situations and they scored precisely the way we expected.’The Bianconeri managed to find a way through from a couple of Filip Kostic corners, the first nodded in by Gleison Bremer with a looping header, then 10 minutes later Daniele Rugani bundled it over the line with his chest from point-blank range.It was a tense finale, as Alberto Dossena rose to meet a corner of his own and t...
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BUNDESLIGA

Harry Kane sets another Bundesliga record as Bayern win

 Harry Kane of Bayern Muenchen (C) celebrates his team's first goal with teammates during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 at Allianz Arena on November 11, 2023 in Munich, Germany. Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane scored twice in their 4-2 victory over Heidenheim on Saturday to lift them provisionally into top spot in the Bundesliga while extending his own record-breaking scoring run in Germany.Harry Kane, who has now bagged 21 goals in 15 matches in the Bundesliga and the Champions League for Bayern, opened his account in the 14th minute with a superb turn and shot in the box. The England captain then struck again with a powerful header a minute before the break to become the first player in Bundesliga history to score 17 goals in the firs...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Wolves score twice in stoppage time to beat Spurs

 Mario Lemina of Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrates after scoring the team's second goal during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux on November 11, 2023 in Wolverhampton, England. Two goals in stoppage time sealed a dramatic victory for Wolves over Tottenham in the Premier League.Mario Lemina scored in the seventh minute of additional time, sliding the ball into the far side of the net after an expertly timed pass by Pablo Sarabia.Sarabia had levelled six minutes earlier with a sublime acrobatic finish, volleying home after flicking the ball to himself in the air.Spurs' eight-game unbeaten start to the season was cut short by their chaotic 4-1 defeat by Chelsea on Monday, but they issued an immediate response on Saturday as B...
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NEWS

Messi vows to win more trophies with Inter Miami

 Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF reacts against the New York City FC during the first half in the Noche d'Or friendly match at DRV PNK Stadium on November 10, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Lionel Messi with Inter Miami's managing owner Jorge Mas and co-owner Jose Mas, plus MLS commissioner Don GarberInter Miami held a cereony to honour Lionel Messi before Friday's friendly, dubbed 'Noche d'Or'Lionel Messi has "no doubt" Inter Miami will secure more silverware after he extended his record for Ballon d'Or wins.The 36-year-old Argentina forward was named the world's best player for an eighth time last month, after helping his country win the 2022 World Cup.He left Paris St-Germain to join Miami in July and the MLS club won its first trophy in August - the Leagues Cup."We are going ...
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