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Arsenal scrape past ten-man Newcastle

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Fabricio Coloccini's own goal gifted Arsenal a scrappy 1-0 win over ten-man Newcastle.

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Arsenal clinched their second Premier League win of the season as Fabricio Coloccini's own goal gifted the Gunners a scrappy 1-0 success at 10-man Newcastle on Saturday.

After Monday's goalless draw with Liverpool left them with one victory from their opening three matches, Arsene Wenger's spluttering side were already in danger of being cast adrift in the title race.

Although they were below their best again, Arsenal got back on track at St James' Park with the help of hot-headed Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic's latest indiscretion.

Referee Andre Marriner had infuriated Wenger when Arsenal were denied an early penalty after right-back Hector Bellerin appeared to have his heel trodden on by Florian Thauvin as he burst into the Newcastle area.

But Marriner was back in Wenger's good books in the 16th minute when he sent off Mitrovic after the Serbia international needlessly stamped on Francis Coquelin's ankle as he stretched in a failed attempt to reach a loose ball.

The combative Mitrovic's red card came after he had already been booked twice in his first three games since his pre-season move from Anderlecht.

Wenger's team eventually took advantage of their numerical superiority in the 52nd minute when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's low drive beat goalkeeper Tim Krul via a deflection off Coloccini as the Newcastle defender tried to block.

Newcastle are without a win in their first four league matches under new boss Steve McClaren.

The Gunners' away win also continued an unusual trend that has seen only six home wins from 31 Premier League matches so far this season.

Later on Saturday, leaders Manchester City will aim to extend their 100 percent start with a fourth successive win when they host unbeaten Watford.

After securing their maiden victory of the season at West Bromwich Albion last weekend, champions Chelsea take on fifth-placed Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool, in third place, face West Ham at Anfield, while Leicester, surprisingly in second place, travel to Bournemouth.

Tottenham's new South Korean signing Son Heung-min may have to wait for his debut following his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen on Friday.

The 23-year-old's transfer is subject to international clearance and obtaining a work permit, leaving him with a race against time to feature against Everton at White Hart Lane.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa play Sunderland and Stoke clash with West Brom.

On Sunday, Manchester United go to Swansea and Southampton host Norwich. – AFP

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De Bruyne jets off to City

Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne jetted off to England with his club Wolfsburg poised to agree a German record transfer with Premier League giants Manchester City.

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Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne jetted off to England on Saturday morning with his club Wolfsburg poised to agree a German record transfer with Premier League giants Manchester City.

De Bruyne sat out Friday's 3-0 win over Schalke which put Wolfsburg top of the league with club bosses about to agree a reported fee of around £54m before Germany's transfer window closes at 1800 (1600 GMT) on Monday.

German broadcaster Sport1 showed De Bruyne boarding a private jet at Braunschweig airport, near Wolfsburg, en route to Manchester shortly before 10am local time (0800).

On Friday night, Wolfsburg director of sport Klaus Allofs said there were “only small details” left to finalise in the transfer.

The deal will smash the Bundesliga transfer record of 41 million euros that Liverpool paid Hoffenheim for Brazil striker Roberto Firmino in July.

Reports suggest Wolfsburg could pocket up to 80 million euros, with an extra six million in bonuses, for De Bruyne if the attacking midfielder helps City win this season's Premier League title.

Germany's footballer of the year for 2014/15 helped Wolfsburg win the German Cup last season and finish second to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, as he scored 16 goals and provided 29 assists in all competitions.

The 24-year-old cost Wolfsburg 25 million euros when he joined from Chelsea in January 2014 after a year on loan at fellow German side Werder Bremen in 2012/13.– AFP

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Khune ready for long-range rockets

Twice this season, Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune has been beaten by long-range strikes from outside the penalty area.

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Twice this season, Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune has been beaten by long-range strikes from outside the penalty area – something unusual for a shot-stopper of his calibre.

It all started with a thunderous shot from Bloemfontein Celtic striker Helder Pelembe in the first leg of the MTN8 semi-final, with the teams playing to a 1-1 stalemate after Bernard Parker redeemed himself with the equaliser, having missed a penalty earlier.

Then followed a beautifully taken shot by Puleng Tlolane, who equalised for Polokwane City to salvage a point against Chiefs during their midweek 1-all Absa Premiership clash.

Heading to the second leg of the competition at the FNB Stadium today, Pelembe must be itching to launch another blistering shot to beat Khune.

However, the Chiefs shot-stopper has been working tirelessly at training to avoid being beaten by such goals again.

“Players are gaining confidence shooting from outside the box, but I have been working very hard at training with the rest of the team and it should be something we will fix going forward,” said Khune.

“But it is a collective effort; it is not only the goalkeeper who needs to deal with those shots.

“Even the players need to press the guy on the ball early and restrict him from getting a clear view of goals.’’

Khune reckons they will have to be rock-solid at the back and make sure they don’t allow Celtic to catch them on the counter.

“I’m saying the obvious, but it is very important to keep a clean sheet.

“We were 1-0 down in Bloemfontein, but we showed great character by coming back into the match and getting that important away goal.

“We are hosting Celtic, and we know just how good they are.

“The teams we play against sit back, wait for us to counter, then turn our counter into their counter-attack.

“So it is vital we remain disciplined and focused throughout. And, of course, not concede a goal. Then we are through to the final,” said the former Chiefs skipper.

“We are aware that each game in the MTN8 is worth R2-million. At the moment we have R4-million in the bag, so we are R4-million away from completing the R8-million.

“But it is not going to be easy.

“They are coming to FNB and you know what happens when teams come to our home base.”

Amakhosi were gifted two goals last time they played at home in their 4-0 victory over Free State Stars in an Absa Premiership clash, when Stars centre-backs, Robert Sankara and Liberty Chokomora, scored in their own net, which saw the Soweto giants record their first victory in the league.

Khune conceded that this season’s performance has not started like a house on fire but the team are working on it.

“We are not happy with the way we’ve started this campaign,” he said.

“Last season we went all the way to the MTN8 final without conceding a goal.

“However, this season we started badly by our standards.

“We’ve conceded four goals already in the same tournament, so we can only improve.

“And it will start today against Celtic,” said the ’keeper. - Saturday Star

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LVG wants more from United’s attack

Louis Van Gaal has warned Manchester United that they still have to prove themselves as an attacking force in the Premier League.

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Louis Van Gaal has warned Manchester United that they still have to prove themselves as an attacking force in the Barclays Premier League despite their four-goal cruise in Bruges.

The victory on Wednesday that booked United’s place in the Champions League group stage equalled their biggest win under Van Gaal, as Wayne Rooney returned to goalscoring form with a hat-trick.

It followed a return of just two goals in the opening three Premier League games and Van Gaal knows they are unlikely to have as many chances at Swansea tomorrow in his 50th match in charge.

‘We played very well against Bruges in ball possession, much better than matches before, but it was because they had to attack so they gave more space. Swansea have a good team so it be very difficult to beat them.’ Van Gaal will certainly expect United to be more ruthless after Javier Hernandez wasted Rooney’s generosity by slipping and missing a penalty in Belgium.

‘I am not surprised he gave it to him because Rooney is a very social guy,’ said Van Gaal. ‘He is a real captain. But we cannot do it at 0-0, then I’m very angry.

‘At 4-0, it was a great gesture.’

Van Gaal acknowledged that he has had issues to address at the other end of the pitch even though Sergio Romero has only conceded one goal in five games.

The impasse over David de Gea’s situation at Old Trafford — described as an ‘absolute joke’ by former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel yesterday — has seen Romero thrown in at the deep end. The Argentina keeper’s ball distribution has been a concern and he has yet to be fully exposed to the physical nature of English football because of the form of United’s defence. But Van Gaal revealed that Romero has undergone special training sessions to bring him up to speed. – Daily Mail

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Wenger not panicking

Arsene Wenger refuses to panic about Arsenal's spluttering start to the Premier League season.

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Arsene Wenger refuses to panic about Arsenal's spluttering start even though the Gunners boss admits his side aren't firing on all cylinders.

Wenger's men head to Newcastle on Saturday looking to win for just the second time in their first four Premier League matches.

A goalless draw against Liverpool on Monday left the north Londoners already lagging five points behind leaders Manchester City after a worrying repeat of the slow opening that eventually doomed their title challenge last season.

Wenger acknowledged his players aren't at their best yet, but he cautioned against writing them off too soon.

“We have not had the ideal start and we are conscious of that but we want to play 60 games in the season,” Wenger said.

“We have played three games now and we have lost one that we should not have lost, but we have to be conscious that the season is not decided yet.

“Maybe we are not firing on all cylinders at the moment. Not everybody is ready physically. Certainly at the moment we want it so much at home that we're trying to force it a little bit.”

Meanwhile, City winger Jesus Navas has warned the Premier League pace-setters not to get complacent after their blistering start.

Manuel Pellegrini's side have reeled off three wins from their opening three matches and the swaggering manner of their performances suggests City are back to their best after tamely surrendering the title to Chelsea last season.

With Raheem Sterling bedding in nicely after his move from Liverpool and a big-money deal for Wolfsburg's Belgium playmaker Kevin de Bruyne reportedly close to completion, City are assembling an awesome array of attacking talent that could leave the rest of the top tier trailing in their wake.

The leaders are firm favourites to maintain their flying start when they host promoted Watford on Saturday, but Spain international Navas is well aware of the dangers of underestimating a team who have drawn all three of their league matches so far.

“It is not only that we have won these three games, it is that we didn't concede any goals and we created a lot of chances. We are really happy,” Navas said.

“But we need to keep the same attitude, working really well defensively and also creating a lot of chances. That is the way to win more games this season.”

Like City, Liverpool, who host West Ham on Saturday, were disappointing last season as they followed a second place finish in 2013-14 by slipping down to sixth.

But, while City have recaptured the enterprising style that made them champions two years ago, Liverpool have focused on solidifying a defence that proved so porous over the last 12 months.

The early signs are promising for boss Brendan Rodgers as new full-backs Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez have helped third placed Liverpool keep three consecutive clean-sheets and take seven points from a possible nine.

“For two guys that have just arrived at the club, where the expectation level will be way above what they've experienced before, they already look as though they've been here a long, long time,” Liverpool assistant coach Gary McAllister said.

Buoyed by Wayne Rooney's return to form with a hat-trick in their midweek Champions League play-off round demolition of Club Brugge, fourth placed Manchester United can focus on the title race now their European progress is assured.

United, unbeaten in the league so far, will need Rooney at his best if they are to mount a sustained title challenge, so it was a major boost to see the England striker end his 878-minute scoring drought ahead of Sunday's trip to Swansea.

“I wasn't worried, if it was going on for three, four, five games more then maybe so but it's early days and I knew when the chances came I'd take them,” Rooney said.

With one win from their first three games, Chelsea find themselves in the unfamiliar position of languishing in mid-table, well below Saturday's opponents Crystal Palace, who visit Stamford Bridge in fifth place.

But spirits have soared at the Bridge following the impressive debut display of Pedro Rodriguez, who marked his arrival from Barcelona by scoring one and setting up another in Chelsea's maiden victory of the season at West Bromwich Albion.

Fixtures:

Saturday

Aston Villa v Sunderland, Bournemouth v Leicester, Chelsea v Crystal Palace, Liverpool v West Ham, Manchester City v Watford, Newcastle v Arsenal, Stoke v West Brom, Tottenham v Everton

Sunday

Southampton v Norwich, Swansea v Manchester United – AFP

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LVG out to end Swansea jinx

Louis van Gaal lost his first competitive match as Manchester United manager against Swansea City on the first day of last season.

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London - Louis van Gaal lost his first competitive match as Manchester United manager against Swansea City on the first day of last season and is expecting another difficult game from the Welsh side on Sunday.

Swansea went on to complete the Premier League double over United and the Dutchman is determined to take revenge at the Liberty Stadium.

“My first match was against Swansea and we lost, now I have my 50th and I hope we can show we have improved,” Van Gaal told reporters on Friday.

“I don't want to lose again. It's the only club we could not beat or gain one point against, I hope we can improve and that we can show that we are better than last year.

“It will be difficult but we are better prepared than this time last year.”

Towering Belgian Marouane Fellaini is available to play his first Premier League game of the season after serving a suspension but Adnan Januzaj will miss out due to injury.

Van Gaal could be tempted to start Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera who made a lively contribution and scored a goal in the 4-0 Champions League qualifying win at Club Bruges on Wednesday.

“I had a theoretical scheme in my head that he could play at No. 10 and he did it well against Bruges,” Van Gaal said.

United have taken seven points from their first three league games of the season and lie joint third in the table despite only scoring two goals.

Captain Wayne Rooney, however, bagged a hat-trick in Bruges to open his account for the campaign.

“It will be a difficult game, it's another year and another prospect,” Swansea manager Garry Monk said. “United have added quality to their squad with world-class players.

“It's becoming more difficult to compete with these kind of squads. We're up against one of the title contenders, it will be difficult but we're looking forward to it.”

Swansea are sixth with five points including a draw at champions Chelsea. – Reuters

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Milestones for Mourinho

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho reaches two more milestones at the club in their Premier League game at home to Crystal Palace.

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London - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho reaches two more milestones at the club in Saturday's Premier League game at home to London rivals Crystal Palace.

It will be his 200th league match, of which he has lost only 20, and a 100th home league game with only one defeat - by lowly Sunderland in April.

“I'm proud of the record but I don't think it has any influence in the future,” Mourinho told a news conference on Friday.

“It's not normal, 99 matches in the most competitive league and a defeat could have happened in so many matches.”

In his first spell at the club, between 2004-07, Mourinho won two league titles, adding a third on his return last season.

Chelsea have made a stuttering start to the new campaign with a win, a draw and a 3-0 defeat by league leaders Manchester City, having conceded seven goals in three games and had two men sent off.

The manager believes, however, that falling five points behind is not a problem.

“It's not normal that in three matches you have three penalties against and play with 10 men twice,” he added.

“Four points is not what we want but is not a drama. We know we're going to improve.

“Manchester City are a very good team and have started well but last season Chelsea started well and arrived at Jan. 1 with the same points as others.”

On Palace's last visit, in May, Chelsea clinched the league title with a 1-0 win.

Mourinho said Alan Pardew's side were even stronger this season and will be “top 10 for sure”.

He must do without captain John Terry, who was sent off in the 3-2 win at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

As usual Mourinho refused to comment about transfer targets like John Stones of Everton and Chinese defender Zhang Linpeng of Guangzhou Evergrande.

“I have a good squad. If I get another player, good, but if I don't, I go with what we have,” he said. – Reuters

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Spurs sign S Korean forward

Tottenham Hotspur have signed South Korea forward Son Heung-min from Germans Bayer Leverkusen.

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Tottenham Hotspur have signed South Korea forward Son Heung-min from Germans Bayer Leverkusen, the English Premier League club announced Friday.

Son has signed a five-year deal with the north London side for a reported transfer fee of £22 million ($34 million, 30 million euros), with the 23-year-old's move to White Hart Lane subject to a work permit and international clearance.

Son scored 29 goals in 87 appearances for Leverkusen after joining from domestic rivals Hamburg in 2013 for 10 million euros.

Leverkusen have already signed his replacement in Slovenia international Kevin Kampl from Borussia Dortmund.

Born in Chuncheon, the capital of Gangwon Province, Son - nicknamed 'Sonny' -- joined Hamburg's youth set-up at the age of 16 and first played for South Korea in 2010.

His move will give Tottenham an extra forward option, with rising star Harry Kane yet to score this season.

Should Son's transfer be confirmed, it may mean that Spurs' pursuit of Saido Berahino is at an end, with the club having already had two offers for the West Bromwich Albion striker rejected by their Premier League rivals.

Son has 11 goals in 44 international appearances and played at the 2014 World Cup.

“I'm looking forward to going there and performing for the Spurs fans as soon as possible,” Son told Tottenham's Twitter feed. “The support I get from the fans motivates me more and more.

“I'm a player who really loves football. I learned the game under my father who was a football coach in my school.

“I've trained with both feet so I can use them freely. Bold and daring -- this is how I like to try to play.”

Son leaves Leverkusen on the back of a public spat, though, after missing Wednesday's Champions League play-off victory over Lazio in order to complete his Spurs move.

Both Bayer Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt and Son's team-mate Haken Calhanoglu had criticised Son for the timing, saying the Korean had been “ill-advised”.

But the striker took exception to Calhanoglu's comments after the Turkish midfielder forced through his transfer from Hamburg to Leverkusen last year.

“People who lives in glasshouses shouldn't go throwing stones,” Son told German Kicker magazine.

“Everyone should mind his own business and there is certainly enough to take care of.” – AFP

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Intruiging MTN8 semis

Kaizer Chiefs take on Bloemfontein Celtic and Bidvest Wits host Ajax Cape Town in their respective MTN8 second leg semi-finals.

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Cape Town – It's crunch time this weekend as Kaizer Chiefs take on Bloemfontein Celtic and Bidvest Wits host Ajax Cape Town in the MTN8 second leg semi-finals.

Both of the first legs ended in 1-1 stalemates, with Chiefs and Wits each getting the away goals.

A stunner of a long range drive by Helder Pelembe put Celtic 1-0 up after 33 minutes in the first leg, but a goal on the hour mark by Bernard Parker made amends for his earlier penalty miss and arguably put AmaKhosi in the driving seat for the return game.

A 0-0 draw would be enough to take AmaKhosi into the final, while a 1-1 scoreline would take the match into extra time and penalties. Celtic are still looking for their first victory over Chiefs in all competitions since 2009.

Victory for the Soweto side on Saturday night would keep them on track for a 16th top eight title, while Phunya Sele Sele have won the competition once before, in 2005.

In all competitions so far this season, Chiefs have 11 goals in five matches, conceding five, with two wins and three draws.

Celtic meanwhile go in to the match boosted their first league win of the season, 1-0 against Orlando Pirates on Wednesday night. Clinton Larsen's men have won two of their five matches this season losing once and drawing twice, scoring six goals and conceding six.

Wits and Ajax will meet for the third time this season on Sunday, the Clever Boys having won 2-1 in Johannesburg in the league before drawing 1-1 in the MTN8 first leg semi-final game in Stellenbosch.

An 11th minute goal from Toriq Losper had given the Cape side the advantage, but the Students came storming back on a rainy evening to equalise through Henrico Botes' poacher's goal 15 minutes from time.

Ajax appear to be a side gaining in confidence, a 2-1 midweek win over Free State Stars, taking the Cape team to second on the league standings, thanks to three goals in two matches from Prince Nxumalo.

The Urban Warriors have won three and drawn one of their five outings this season, netting eight goals while Anssi Jaakkola has picked the ball out of his net five times.

The Clever Boys meanwhile secured a 2-0 midweek win over Maritzburg United to eradicate the memory of a 4-2 defeat by Mamelodi Sundowns last weekend.

Their record this season in all competitions is three wins, one draw and one defeat, with 10 goals scored and seven conceded.

Ajax, back in the MTN8 for the first time in five seasons, have never won the competition, their best showing coming in 2009 when they made it to the final, only to lose 6-0 to Golden Arrows.

The Students have won the top eight competition twice, the last occasion being in 1995 when they beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-0. - African News Agency (ANA)

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Tough CL draw for Manchester City

Manchester City drew a difficult Champions League group for the fifth season in a row. Juventus, Sevilla and Borussia Mönchengladbach will make Group D yet another “group of death”.

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Manchester City drew a difficult Champions League group for the fifth season in a row. Juventus, Sevilla and Borussia Mönchengladbach will make Group D yet another “group of death”, giving Manuel Pellegrini a difficult task as City try finally to make an impression on European competition.

In their four previous seasons in the Champions League, City have twice failed to qualify and twice finished second behind Bayern Munich, before being knocked out in the last 16 by Barcelona. While City have avoided those two European giants this season, they have arguably drawn the most competitive group in the whole stage, on a par with their opponents from 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Juventus, Italian champions for the fourth year in a row, and beaten finalists in this year's Champions League final, were City's opponents from the top pot. Even if they cannot keep one-time City target Paul Pogba, they will still be a force, having added Sami Khedira, Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala this summer. Sevilla, the Europa League winners for the past two years, and the first side to qualify for the Champions League through that route, could be just as difficult, having signed Fernando Llorente and Yevhen Konoplyanka this summer.

Finally, City face another trip to the Bundesliga - for the fifth year in a row - where they will face Mönchengladbach, whose key players are the Swiss duo Josip Drmic and Granit Xhaka.

Arsenal face the highest-profile opposition, welcoming 2013 champions Bayern Munich to the Emirates. It will be a familiar tale for Arsène Wenger's side, who have been eliminated twice in recent years by the Bavarian giants. In 2013, on their way to the treble, Jupp Heynckes' side beat the Gunners 3-1 at the Emirates before losing 2-0 at home, and so qualifying on away goals. The following year, with Pep Guardiola in charge, Bayern again won at the Emirates, 2-0, and qualified after a 1-1 draw at home.

Bayern remain one of the strongest teams in Europe, and have invested heavily this summer to upgrade their side, signing Arturo Vidal from Juventus and Douglas Costa from Shakhtar Donetsk. The rest of their group is slightly less intimidating, although Olympiakos will be tricky opponents, the featuring midfielder Esteban Cambiasso, who left Leicester City this summer. Croatian side Dynamo Zagreb complete the group.

Chelsea's group should not challenge them on the pitch, although the travelling may take a lot out of them. There will be another reunion between Jose Mourinho and Porto, at the club where he won the 2003 Uefa Cup and 2004 Champions League before joining Chelsea first time round. They will also face Maccabi Tel Aviv, the Israeli side whose sports director is former Manchester United and Barcelona midfielder Jordi Cruyff. They are managed by Slavisa Jokanovic, the Serbian coach who took Watford to promotion to the Premier League last season. Finally, Chelsea will face Dynamo Kiev, who just beat Shakhtar Donetsk to the Ukrainian title last season.

The easiest draw among the English teams belonged to Manchester United. They have another short trip to the Low Countries, to face PSV Eindhoven, the Dutch champions from whom they signed Memphis Depay for £25m earlier this summer.

United will also face Wolfsburg, another good side set to lose their star player if Kevin De Bruyne joins Manchester City for £52m. Wolfsburg do have the impressive Swiss full-back Ricardo Rodriguez and former Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner in their side, but they should not present United with too much of a challenge. Finally, United have a long-haul trip to Russia to play CSKA Moscow, whose coach, Leonid Slutsky, combines the job with managing the Russian national team.

In other groups, reigning champions Barcelona have drawn Bayer Leverkusen, Roma and BATE Borisov. Benfica will face the longest journey of the season, flying across Europe to face Kazakh side FC Astana, in a group with 2014 runners-up Atletico Madrid and Galatasaray. The 2014 winners Real Madrid have drawn Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donetsk and Malmo, meaning that PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will face the Swedish side where he began his career. In Group H, Valencia and Zenit St Petersburg are drawn with Lyons and Ghent.

GROUP STAGE DRAW TEAMS AND FIXTURES Group B

PSV Eindhoven

Manchester United

CSKA Moscow

Wolfsburg

Manchester United fixtures:

15 Sep PSV (a); 30 Sep Wolfsburg (h); 21 Oct CSKA (a); 3 Nov CSKA (h); 25 Nov PSV (h); 8 Dec Wolfsburg (a)

Group D

Juventus

Manchester City

Sevilla

Borussia Mönchengladbach

Manchester City fixtures:

15 Sep Juventus (h); 30 Sep BM (a); 21 Oct Sevilla (h); 3 Nov Sevilla (a); 25 Nov Juventus (a); 8 Dec BM (h)

Group F

Bayern Munich

Arsenal

Olympiakos

Dynamo Zagreb

Arsenal fixtures:

16 Sep D Zagreb (a); 29 Sep Oly (h); 20 Oct Bayern (h); 4 Nov Bayern (a); 24 Nov D Zagreb (h); 9 Dec Oly (a)

Group G

Chelsea

Porto

Dynamo Kiev

Maccabi Tel Aviv

Chelsea fixtures:

16 Sep Maccabi (h); 29 Sep Porto (a); 20 Oct D Kiev (a); 4 Nov D Kiev (h); 24 Nov Maccabi (a); 9 Dec Porto (h)

Group A

Paris Saint-Germain

Real Madrid

Shakhtar Donetsk

Malmo

Group C

Benfica

Atletico Madrid

Galatasaray

Astana

Group E

Barcelona

Bayer Leverkusen

Roma

BATE Borisov

Group H

Zenit St Petersburg

Valencia

Lyons

Ghent – The Independent

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Wenger hits back at pundits

Arsene Wenger has accused TV pundits of not doing enough research after Gary Neville’s stinging attack on the Arsenal manager.

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Arsene Wenger has accused TV pundits of not doing enough research after Gary Neville’s stinging attack on the Arsenal manager.

In his role as a Sky Sports pundit, the England coach branded Wenger ‘arrogant or naive’ during coverage of the Gunners’ goalless draw against Liverpool on Monday night.

Wenger hit back yesterday, claiming experts are not doing the preparation to justify their assertions.

‘You know in football you have to accept that anybody can be right,’ said Wenger. ‘The only thing I want is that when people have opinions, it is documented and worked out before, especially when it is football specialists.

‘I accept you can be right and I can be wrong. But what you do not want is just an opinion that comes out just because you feel like that. I watch sometimes, the guy doesn’t talk about the game — he tells you his life and what he thinks about football.

‘At the end, I don’t know the players who have played on the pitch because the guys don’t comment on the game.’

Wenger, who has worked as a pundit in his native France, added: ‘I am not against opinion, people can say they don’t think Arsenal are good enough.

‘What is a concern is that it puts pressure on players. People who have been in the game, I love that they go on television, but what I would like is for them to help people to love football even more. The first mission is to educate people.’

Arsenal could be without centre backs Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny at Newcastle tomorrow lunchtime. Mertesacker has a chest infection and Koscielny has a back injury. – Daily Mail

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Chelsea stonewalled by Everton

Everton insist the John Stones saga is over after formally rejecting the England defender’s request to join Chelsea.

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Everton insist the John Stones saga is over after formally rejecting the England defender’s request to join Chelsea.

Chairman Bill Kenwright issued a succinct three-paragraph statement last night to re-affirm the stance Everton have taken all summer — that Stones is not for sale.

Stones submitted his request on Tuesday in the hope of forcing through a move to Stamford Bridge but Everton manager Roberto Martinez told him during a meeting at the club’s Finch Farm facility yesterday that the club would not grant his wish.

As far as Martinez is concerned, it will be a case of business as usual and Stones will be selected for the squad that travels down to London for tomorrow’s clash with Tottenham.

It is understood that Chelsea returned with what they regarded to be a fourth and final bid earlier this week — it was in the region of £38million — but with that being rejected, it became clear that Everton’s position would not alter.

The 21-year-old (left) had been Jose Mourinho’s prime target. He has regarded Stones as John Terry’s long-term successor and has ambitions to pair the England international alongside Kurt Zouma.

But Everton have refused to buckle under pressure — Chelsea’s interest in Stones goes back months and there have been bids of £20m, £26m and £30m — even though they were aware of Stones’ desire to join the champions.

Kenwright said: ‘Everton Football Club has rejected a transfer request from John Stones.

‘Since the start of the transfer window, we have resolutely turned down offers from another Premier League football club for our player. John is not for sale and he will remain a highly valued member of our first-team squad.’

With Mourinho anxious to bolster his defence, he may now turn to Zenit St Petersburg’s Ezequiel Garay, but his admiration for Stones will not disappear and there is little doubt Chelsea will continue to track him.

Stones was subjected to abuse from Everton fans after his side’s dramatic Capital One Cup victory over Barnsley on Wednesday night.

Stones was in the starting line-up for the 5-3 extra-time win but was heckled off the Oakwell pitch by some of the away support as he headed towards the tunnel.

Footage from the stands showed one fan shouting, ‘F*** off Stones, you f****** rat’ at the 21-year-old, who was returning to his former club for the first time since he left in 2013. – Daily Mail

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Sturridge returns to training

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge could be closing in on a return to action after training alongside the first team.

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Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge could be closing in on a return to action after training alongside the first team for the first time since undergoing hip surgery in the United States in May.

The 25-year-old scored five goals in just 18 appearances for the Merseyside club in an injury-hit campaign last season with his last appearance coming in a 1-0 FA Cup win at Blackburn Rovers on April 8.

Sturridge went under the knife in New York to fix an issue believed to be behind the various muscle problems he suffered last term but looked to be moving well when he was put through his paces at Melwood on Thursday.

Meanwhile, midfielder Lazar Markovic appears set to join Turkish side Fenerbachce on a season-long loan, according to British media reports, with the clubs said to have agreed terms for the 21-year-old.

The Serbia international joined Liverpool from Benfica for a reported 20 million pounds ($31 million) last season but made just 11 league starts as he struggled to cope with the physical nature of the Premier League.

He has not featured in the squad for any of Liverpool's three matches this season.

Markovic will become the fourth player to leave Anfield this summer should the deal go through, following the departures of Rickie Lambert, Javier Manquillo and Mario Balotelli.

Unlike Balotelli, however, Markovic could still feature in manager Brendan Rodgers' long-term plans as the loan agreement does not contain a clause to make the move a permanent one, the reports added. – Reuters

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Champions League looks less predictable

The Champions League group stages took on a less predictable look after the draw, helped by Uefa's decision to tweak the seeding system.

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Moncao - The Champions League group stages took on a less predictable look after Thursday's draw, helped by Uefa's decision to tweak the seeding system.

Only Group A, where Paris St Germain and Real Madrid should steam through, and Group F, set to be dominated by Bayern Munich and Arsenal, appeared to be foregone conclusions after the hour-long ceremony in Monaco.

Other sections looked far more difficult to call, particularly Group D where anything could happen between Juventus, Manchester City, Sevilla and Borussia Moenchengladbach.

In past years Uefa have based their seeding system for the draw on club coefficients, a complex ranking based on results in European competition.

This time European soccer's governing body brought in a change, the top seeds were the champions of the eight most successful nations in club competition.

Real Madrid, who lead the club coefficients but were not La Liga winners last season, were one of the eight second seeds while Dutch league champions PSV Eindhoven, 37th in the coefficients, were one of the eight top seeds.

Whether by accident or design, the draw could pump a little more excitement into a competition that, recently in the group stages, has been short on romance and shock results.

Last season all but five places in the round of 16 were taken before the final round of matches in the group stages.

In addition, 11 teams have reached the round of 16 for the last two seasons in a row.

This time the thrills could start in Group B featuring Manchester United, VfL Wolfsburg, CSKA Moscow and PSV.

PSV will want to show Dutch club football is alive and kicking, Wolfsburg were Bundesliga runners-up last season and CSKA came through a dramatic playoff against Sporting Lisbon.

While United should go through, they will not want to depend on getting a result in their final match at Wolfsburg.

Atletico Madrid should progress from Group C, leaving Galatasaray and Benfica to scrap for second place with Kazakh outsiders Astana adding an exotic touch.

There are no clear favourites in Group D where Serie A champions and last season's runners-up Juventus could struggle after the departures of Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal.

City's poor European record has shown that Premier League status and riches do not guarantee Champions League success.

Europa League winners Sevilla are seasoned campaigners with a talented coach in Unai Emery and outsiders Moenchengladbach are capable of springing an upset.

Holders Barcelona should cruise through Group E but there is likely to be a fascinating battle for second place between Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma.

BATE Borisov of Belarus are unlikely to qualify but could throw a spanner in the works of Leverkusen and Roma, having beaten Bayern Munich and Athletic Bilbao in recent years.

Chelsea should dominate Group G although Porto are always dangerous opponents with a knack of replenishing the team after selling their top players.

Porto, however, are by no means certain to get the better of Dynamo Kiev having recently sold Alex Sandro, Danilo and Jackson Martinez.

Last season Kiev wrested the Ukrainian Premier League title from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Zenit St Petersburg, who as Russian league champions avoided the likes of Barcelona and Bayern, drew Valencia, Olympique Lyonnais and Ghent in Group H where two of the first three have a realistic chance of advancing. – Reuters

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English Premier League preview

Last season’s top two, Chelsea and Manchester City, are keen to reverse the most striking statistic of the new Premier League season this weekend – and they are not the only ones.

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Steve Tongue

LONDON: Last season’s top two, Chelsea and Manchester City, are keen to reverse the most striking statistic of the new Premier League season this weekend – and they are not the only ones.

Of the 30 matches played in the opening three rounds, only six have resulted in home wins, with more than twice as many going the way of the visitors, while the other 11 have been drawn.

Even at such an early stage of the campaign, leaders City are one of just three teams with a 100 per cent home record – Swansea City and Liverpool being the others – though each have played just one home match so far.

Having beaten champions Chelsea 3-0 in their only game at the Etihad Stadium, City will be confident of seeing off Watford for their fourth successive win of the campaign, although Quique Flores’ promoted side are unbeaten in the league, having drawn all three matches.

Chelsea, undefeated at home in winning the title last season, suffered an opening-day setback at Stamford Bridge this time when goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was sent off and Swansea City held them to a 2-2 draw.

Last weekend captain John Terry was dismissed at West Bromwich Albion, so he will miss the London derby with fifth-placed Crystal Palace.

Swansea won their only home game to date, against Newcastle, but now face a tougher task with a visit on Sunday from Manchester United, who must hope there is no hangover from Wednesday’s Champions League qualifying rout of Bruges.

Liverpool will be confident of beating West Ham, whose dreadful record at Anfield suggests their supporters should save the train fare – the Londoners have not won there since 1963, 42 games ago.

Arsenal’s form exemplifies the unusual trend of home and away results. They go to Newcastle in the early Saturday match after failing to score in two games at the Emirates but having won their only game on the road. – Reuters

Premier League fixtures

Saturday

Newcastle v Arsenal

Aston Villa v Sunderland

Bournemouth v Leicester

Chelsea v Crystal Palace

Liverpool v West Ham

Man City v Watford

Stoke v West Brom

Tottenham v Everton

Sunday

Southampton v Norwich

Swansea v Man Utd

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