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Massimiliano Allegri has explained his decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo against Udinese as transfer talk continues to rage around the Juventus star.

More than a few eyebrows were raised when Ronaldo was left out of Allegri's starting XI for Juve's first Serie A fixture of the 2021-22 campaign on Sunday.

The Bianconeri ended up blowing a two-goal lead and drawing 2-2 at Stadio Friuli, while Ronaldo saw a last gasp winner ruled out for offside after coming on for a second-half cameo.

What's been said?

It has been reported that Ronaldo is seeking a move away from Allianz Stadium before the summer transfer window closes, but Allegri gave little away when quizzed on why he decided to name the five-time Ballon d'Or winner on the substitutes bench.

“Ronaldo is feeling well. I had talked to him before the game, telling him he would start on the bench," the Juve boss told DAZN after the game. "He made himself available, he did well when he entered the pitch, he also scored a goal, but it was disallowed."

Will Ronaldo stay at Juve?

Ronaldo's former clubs Real Madrid and Manchester United have both been tipped to try and re-sign the 36-year-old, while a link-up with long-time rival Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain has also been mooted as a possibility.

The Portugal international only has 11 months left to run on his contract at Juve, but Allegri has insisted that a prized asset has no plans to walk away from the club.

"I just read the gossip in the papers. He never told us he wanted to leave," the Italian tactician said last week. "Ronaldo told me that he is staying at Juventus."

Allegri on Udinese 'lesson'

Allegri also gave an honest assessment of his side's performance against Udinese, admitting that a lack of match fitness led to defensive mistakes in the latter stages of the game.

“We played a good game. Unfortunately, that’s what football is about," he said. "We should have done better in the second half, we were unable to manage unexpected events. This must serve us as a lesson.

“We lost too many balls in the middle of the park in the second half. Perhaps we were a little tired. Still, you can’t concede these kinds of goals. We defended well, we hadn’t conceded a shot on target.”

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was at fault for Gerard Deulofeu's 82nd-minute equaliser, with Allegri left lamenting the Polish goalkeeper's failure to clear his lines at a crucial stage of the game.

“Szczesny is a great goalkeeper, he didn’t make a technical mistake," he added. "But we should have understood the moment and don’t be ashamed of throwing the ball in the stands."

Further reading

Manchester City will unveil statues to David Silva and Vincent Kompany outside the Etihad Stadium before the Premier League match with Arsenal on Saturday.

City commissioned the sculptures to the pair who are seen as the two of the greatest players in the club’s history - and will later add a third of former striker Sergio Aguero.

Kompany spent 11 years at the club while Silva was at the Etihad for a decade and helped transform City into one of the best teams in England.

What’s been said?

“It's still difficult to grasp. I go back to the very beginning when I signed for City and we didn't talk about statues at the time,” Kompany said.

"From day one it was just hard work and staying strong mentally and physically just to compete. At the end of my time at City, you get honoured with something that you didn't expect at all at no stage.

“Afterwards, you realise you've been part of a very special group of players for the history of the club and the start of something but it's difficult to grasp.”  

The bigger picture

Created by award-winning British artist Andy Scott, the finished works will remain a secret until they are officially made public this weekend.

Scott was only able to meet Kompany and Silva virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic and made them at his studio in Philadelphia.

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak announced the decision to honour the three players in 2019 following Kompany’s exit to manage Anderlecht.

“Ultimately, Vincent and David do not need statues to enshrine their achievements at Manchester City over the past decade, they are already revered as icons of their generation,” he said.

“But what these artworks give us, and generations to come, is the opportunity to be reminded of, and savour, the truly magical moments created by both men.”

Kompany was City’s long-time captain winning the Premier League title four times, as well as two FA Cups and four League Cups while Silva won one more League Cup medal.

Further reading

Mikel Arteta has delivered updates on the fitness and availability of Kieran Tierney, Ben White and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as under-strength Arsenal start to ready themselves for a meeting with Premier League champions Manchester City.

The Gunners are pointless two games into the 2021-22 campaign, with back-to-back defeats suffered against London rivals Brentford and Chelsea.

Several players were missing in a 2-0 loss to the Blues on Sunday, through injury and coronavirus, while a couple more were forced off at Emirates Stadium.

What has been said?

Tierney and Martinelli were unable to complete 90 minutes against Chelsea, with Arteta telling reporters afterwards: "They had to limp off. 

"KT had an issue with his quad and Gabi was cramping. He and Bukayo haven’t played 90 minutes for a long time. We’re asking them to do that right now when they’re not fully prepared. They tried really hard, the boys."

What about £50m man White?

Arsenal invested £50 million ($68m) in England centre-half Ben White over the summer, but saw him ruled out of their plans for a clash with Chelsea after posting a positive Covid-19 test.

The Gunners struggled defensively in his absence, with Pablo Mari given a torrid time by Romelu Lukaku, but the 23-year-old must serve a period of self-isolation before building his match sharpness back up.

Quizzed on whether White has any chance of figuring against City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, Arteta said: "I don’t think so, no."

Could Aubameyang face City?

Arsenal captain Aubameyang stepped off the bench for a 29-minute outing against Chelsea having overcome his own bout of coronavirus.

Alexandre Lacazette has also been laid low, while Thomas Partey, Gabriel Magalhaes, Eddie Nketiah and Hector Bellering are all nursing knocks.

Arteta will hope to welcome some senior stars back for a trip to Manchester, including new signing Martin Odegaard, but he does face unwelcome selection headaches in a testing period for the Gunners.

Asked about Aubameyang's fitness and whether he could start against City, the Spanish tactician said: "I don’t know. Auba made a real effort to be able to be on the bench today. He only trained one day. 

"He really struggled with illness - he was in bed for a long time but he wanted to be in the squad, he wanted to try to help the team and I thought he did help the team when he came on."

Further reading

Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich has signed a new four-year contract at Allianz Arena.

Kimmich initially joined Bayern from RB Leipzig as a teenager back in 2015, and has since established himself as one of the top midfielders in Germany.

The 26-year-old had just entered the final two years of his previous deal, but the Bundesliga champions have moved to tie him down to fresh terms which will see him stay put until at least 2025.

What's been said?

Kimmich expressed his delight after the announcement was made on Monday, telling the club's official website: "The most important reason for my contract extension is that here at FC Bayern I can enjoy my passion every day. 

"I have a team with which I can achieve anything, and a lot of my teammates have become real friends. That's why I started playing soccer in the first place: Because it should be fun. 

"I don't see myself at the end of my development yet and I am convinced that a lot is possible at FC Bayern in the next few years. In addition, my family feels very comfortable here. Munich has become a second home. 

"The combination that we have here cannot be found anywhere in the world."

Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic added: “With this contract extension, FC Bayern is sending a clear signal both internally and externally. 

"We want to sign our best players over the long term. Joshua Kimmich will develop his great quality as a leading player at FC Bayern in the next few years and make history. 

"He is a world-class footballer with an outstanding mentality and, as a professional and a person, offers everything that has always distinguished FC Bayern."

Kimmich's Bayern record

Kimmich has played in 264 games across all competitions for Bayern to date, with his latest outing coming in a 3-2 home win over Koln on Sunday.

The Germany international has also recorded 30 goals and 73 assists while helping the club win 17 trophies, including six league titles and the Champions League.

Will Goretzka be next?

Leon Goretzka's future at Bayern has also been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks, with the 26-year-old now only 11 months away from his contract expiry date.

Goretzka has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United, but Goal understands that he has already agreed to sign an extension at Allianz Arena worth between €12 million and €15m (£10m/$14m-£13m/$18m) per annum, with the new deal set to be made official in the coming days.

Further reading

Ghana international Kwasi Wriedt grabbed a goal as Willem II secured a 3-0 win against Vitesse in an Eredivisie fixture on Sunday.

The 27-year-old opened the scoring for the away team in the 18th minute before Che Nunnely doubled the lead in the 36th minute and Wesley Spieringhs confirmed the emphatic win with a goal in the 82nd minute at Gelredome.

Wriedt, who joined Willem on a three-year contract from Bayern Munich on July 1, 2020, scored the opener after jumping the highest to head home a well-delivered free-kick from Gorkem Saglam, which proved difficult for goalkeeper Markus Schubert to handle.

In the 21st minute, Wriedt thought he had doubled the away team’s lead after heading home another cross from defender Derrick Kohn, but the goal was ruled out for offside and a free-kick was given to Vitesse.

However, Willem II were able double their lead after a beautiful pass from Saglam found the unmarked Nunnely inside Vitesse’s dangerzone and he rounded keeper Schubert before slotting the ball into an empty net.

Willem, who had lost the first game 4-0 against Feyenoord at home, went into the half-time break enjoying a 2-0 lead, and after the resumption they continued to attack Vitesse seeking another goal to kill off the game.

In the 48th minute, Willem made three changes with Dasa, Gboho, and Frederiksen coming on for Yapi, Oroz, and Domgjoni.

Five minutes later, goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther made a double save – first from Lois Openda and on the rebound from Maximilian Wittek’s ferocious left-footed effort.

In the 70th minute, Wriedt was pulled out for Elton Kabangu before Spieringhs grabbed the third after some great individual play from Max Svensson set him up to drive the ball home with his right foot.

The first win of the season pushed Willem to position nine on the 18-team table with three points from two matches while Vitesse are a place below them also on three points.

Willem will next face PEC Zwolle at Konin Willem II Stadium on Saturday.

Thomas Tuchel discussed transfers after Chelsea's win at Arsenal, admitting that "we maybe don't have the biggest squad".

Chelsea built on their 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on the opening weekend of the new season by beating Arsenal 2-0 at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, thanks to first-half goals from Romelu Lukaku and Reece James.

The Blues spent £98 million ($134m) to re-sign Lukaku from Inter after adding backup goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli to their ranks on a free transfer, but have been tipped to dip back into the market before the August 31 deadline.

What's been said?

Sevilla defender Jules Kounde has been strongly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, however, Goal understands that the recent emergence of Trevor Chalobah has made club officials rethink their strategy.

Tuchel concedes that he isn't blessed with the largest squad, but doesn't feel any more changes are necessary due to the high-quality competition for places within his current ranks.

Pressed on whether there will be any more new arrivals at Chelsea this summer, the German head coach told a post-match press conference: "I am absolutely happy with our squad and the alternatives we have. It's not too big a squad, we were missing Christian Pulisic today and that meant everybody else was in the squad.

"That means we maybe don't have the biggest squad but that we have a very competitive squad in all positions. This, on one hand, is necessary because we play a lot of competitions and we play the World Club Cup in December. We also played very long last season and there was the Euros and Copa America.

"So if we want to compete we need this level. But at the same time, it's also important we're a strong group, this was maybe the key for the last half a year. We played with a strong bond and a great team spirit.

"This is a challenge for the team and for me to create this atmosphere again. And that everybody is ready to take hard decisions and keep pushing the team. If we do this we can achieve more than we have."

Will there be any more sales at Chelsea?

Tuchel may not be planning to bring in any more new faces, but a number of outgoings are expected at Stamford Bridge in the coming days.

The Blues have already sold the likes of Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Olivier Giroud and Victor Moses, while loaning out Michy Batshuayi, Billy Gilmour, Kenedy and Emerson Palmieri.

Davide Zappacosta, Danny Drinkwater, Ross Barkley and Tiemoue Bakayoko could also head through the exits, along with Kurt Zouma, who has been touted for a switch to London rivals West Ham.

Further reading

Arsenal fans across Africa have once again called for Mikel Arteta's sacking after the team suffered a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea in the Premier on Sunday.

The Gunners were outplayed  by their London rivals in front of their home fans, with first-half goals from Romelu Lukaku and Reece James handing them a second consecutive defeat, having lost the season opener 2-0 against promoted side Brentford.

The latest defeat saw Arsenal drop to position 19 on the 20-team table and they are yet to even score a goal, their worst start to the season in 128 years.

With the game against Manchester City coming up on Saturday, a number of Arsenal fans in Africa have aired their views on social media, insisting the club should do away with Arteta or else “they will be relegated.”

Below is how Africa reacted after Arsenal's defeat against Chelsea.

One of the key talking points for the African Football HQ team ahead of the new season was the excitement and anticipation for the campaign ahead for Arsenal’s African stars.

As well as heavyweights Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe and Thomas Partey, the Gunners have also recruited Albert Sambi Lokonga, while Folarin Balogun is expected to have a big part to play this term after signing a new contract in April.

There was much to be excited about, but it’s fair to say that things haven’t gone to plan during the first two matches of the season.

Following on from the opening game of the campaign against Brentford—an away defeat for Mikel Arteta’s side—Arsenal were then defeated by Chelsea at home in their second fixture on Sunday.

Romelu Lukaku and the Blues’ prowess across the park have rightfully dominated the headlines, but a second listless display from their London rivals—and zero points for Mikel Arteta’s side after two games—will heap the pressure on the Gunners.

There were few redeeming qualities to their performance, even Aubameyang’s return to action as a second-half substance couldn’t result in halving the deficit.

Pepe was again anonymous on the right flank, while—with Partey still absent—the Londoners’ midfield lacks power and control.

Lokonga, making his second start alongside Granit Xhaka, endured an afternoon to forget, as he failed to get to grips with his opposite men Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic, while failing to protect Cedric Soares from the rampaging runs of Marco Alonso.

Defensively, it’s clear that the Congolese-Belgian midfielder needs time to settle into this Arsenal side—wait for the returnees and new recruits—and adapt to life in the Premier League after arriving from Anderlecht. It’s a massive step up, and he needs both time...and a bit more bulk...to truly thrive.

However, there’s reason for optimism too.

His intelligence in possession is evident, while there were some delightful touches during the early stages which showcased his swagger, confidence and considerable technical ability. 

In time—and ideally with Partey alongside him—Lokonga should blossom into a quality midfield talent, although an ongoing climate of instability at the Emirates Stadium may make things a little trickier as he looks to establish himself.

Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly has credited manager Luciano Spalletti for their 2-0 victory over Venezia in their Serie A opening game on Sunday.

The hosts suffered a huge blow after Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen was shown a straight red card in the 23rd minute for violent conduct.

His sending off made Napoli play the majority of the encounter with 10 players, but they still came out on top with goals from Lorenzo Insigne and Eljif Elmas in the second-half.

Insigne first missed a penalty in the 57th minute, but he made up for the failed attempt five minutes later, with another penalty that put Spalletti's side ahead.

Elmas later doubled Napoli’s lead with his right-footed strike in the 72nd minute.

Meanwhile, Koulibaly was solid in the defence to help the Parthenopeans kick-off the 2021-22 season with a clean sheet and a win.

In his post-match assessment, the Senegal centre-back said Spalletti’s tactical instructions spurred them to victory despite playing with a man down.

"It was a painful and important victory,” Kouibaly told the club’s website. "It was not easy to be able to impose in numerical inferiority.

"At one point it seemed very hard to be able to find the way to the goal. Then in the second half the coach gave us the right indications."

Following Insigne’s substitution in the 85th minute, Koulibaly is next in line to get the captain’s armband and he reacted to the opportunity to lead the team.

The 30-year-old added: "Insigne was very important and gave us the right push to win. I am honoured to have taken the captain's armband from him. Today was the victory of the group."

Koulibaly will aim to help Napoli build on Sunday’s clean sheet when they travel to Genoa for their next Serie A match on August 29.

Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere has accused Marseille players of instigating the ugly fight that involved fans on Sunday and ultimately led to an early final whistle, even though home supporters had thrown objects at their opponents throughout the evening.

Rivere said Marseille players responded too forcefully after team-mate Dimitri Payet was hit by a bottle near the corner flag. He also claimed members of Marseille's travelling party "hit our players".

The game was called off when Marseille refused to come out of the dressing room at the Allianz Riviera over concern for their safety.

What has been said?

"What catalysed things was the reaction of two Marseille players (Alvaro Gonzalez and Matteo Guendouzi) who met the fans," said Rivere to RMC.

"It is disappointing that it ends like this. Things are quite clear. ... Marseille's security should not have come onto the pitch and hit our players.

“I don’t really understand why Marseille didn’t restart.”

Injuries sustained by Marseille players

Matteo Guendouzi and Luan Peres were among the players with visible marks on their necks left by Nice fans.

Payet, meanwhile, was pictured with a mark on his back, presumably from being hit by the bottle.

What was the result of the match?

Nice will be awarded a 3-0 win, according to Ligue 1 rules.

However, Marseille are sure to protest that decision in the coming week.

Further reading

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took issue with Southampton's physical approach in their 1-1 draw on Sunday, claiming the Saints fouled Bruno Fernandes in the build-up to their goal and generally exerted a rugby-like style in their "flying tackles".

Solskjaer said he appreciates referees being more leniant but warned the Premier League must still protect players, echoing the comments of Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp the day before.

His men battled back from their early deficit to secure a point when Paul Pogba assisted Mason Greenwood, but he was left disappointed by the result.

What angered Solskjaer?

Solskjaer felt United should have been awarded a free-kick for Jack Stephens' challenge on Fernandes in the build-up to Southampton's goal.

Fernandes was furious with the tough tackle, being booked for his protests - and his manager was similarly unhappy in his post-match press conference.

What has been said?

"We should do better, if you don't get a foul, we should make sure we block the shot, put your body on the line and make sure they don't get a strike on target," Solskjaer said. "That being said, it's a foul, he goes straight through Bruno, with his armpit across him.

"We can't go from one extreme of basketball to rugby now. I like the more lenient way, it's more men's football but still, that's a foul. You could see early on, with the fans, it gets the crowd going flying into tackles and we did suffer a few tackles that was part of their thinking early on if you like."

The head coach enjoyed the goal Manchester United produced to level proceedings but was displeased with their subsequent inability to get another.

"We did well to get the goal, build pressure, had another five or six mins with a good spell and then we lost our way a little bit and maybe tiredness, sloppiness came in and we gave their crowd stuff to cheer about because they had a few counter-attacks and some dangerous moments," he said.

"When Jadon [Sancho] came on, I thought he looked really sharp for the first 10 or 15 minutes but then the whole team fell away and in the last 15 minutes we didn't play particularly well.

"We [recalled Anthony Martial because] we wanted to get Anthony going, to have [another forward], Anthony to drift into the left and Mason coming inside from the right. Mason scores a very good goal, he didn't have one of his best days, but he still contributes."

Further reading

Simy Nwankwo and Joel Obi made their debuts for Salernitana in their 3-2 defeat to Bologna in Sunday’s Serie A opener.

The Nigeria duo joined the newly-promoted club this summer, with Obi moving first to the Stadio Arechi on a free transfer while Simy joined the Garnets on Thursday on a season-long loan from Crotone.

Marseille's Ligue 1 match against Nice on Sunday has been suspended after fans stormed the pitch, and the visiting club does not want to continue the action.

“We will not play! We will not play!” said Marseille president Pablo Longoria to officials in the tunnel (via Amazon).

However, Nice are trying to resume the match and are back on the pitch.

What happened?

Supporters at the Allianz Riviera had been throwing objects at Marseille players throughout the match, and forward Dimitri Payet threw a bottle back into the crowd in the 74th minute after being struck as he prepared to take a corner kick.

Soon after, fans invaded the pitch, dropping a billboard to access the field in order to battle with the Marseille players.

A coach embroiled in the chaos appeared to connect on a punch thrown at a supporter.

In the rush, one person appeared to be injured before being evacuated on a stretcher when calm returned.

Nice led 1-0 at the time of the incident.

Marseille targetted again

Two weeks ago Marseille's match against Montpellier was briefly halted because of the crowd throwing objects at visiting players.

Marseille midfielder Valentin Rongier came away with a busted lip from that match.

More to come...

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Stuart Baxter says brandishing the cheque book won't solve their problems following their clash with TS Galaxy on Sunday.

The Soweto giants were held to a 0-0 draw by the Rockets in their opening match of the 2021/22 PSL season which was played at Mbombela Stadium. 

Sifiso Hlanti, Kgaogelo Sekgota, Phathutshedzo Nange, Cole Alexander, and Keagan Dolly have all joined Amakhosi in the current transfer window.

However, Chiefs remain winless this season having lost to Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 clash last week and Baxter insisted that signing players don't guarantee success. 

"Cheque books don't usually solve anything. I think if you draw a game 0-0 away from home and then your only solution is the cheque book then that's a big question mark against the coach," Baxter told SuperSport TV. 

"We'll do some good work on the training ground, we'll try and inspire them. Our first line of attack will be to do the work on the training ground."

The British tactician, who is in his second stint as Amakhosi coach, admitted that his side was not good enough against a stubborn Galaxy side.

"Going into the first game you know very little because you've got very little to go on," he said as he reflected on the match. 

"They've got new players and you don't know if the coach is going to change. In principle, they played the way we thought they would play. We just weren't good enough. Our quality was too poor, especially on the breakdown.

"To get longer attacks and pick our way through a man-to-man inspired type of defence, when we did I thought we looked okay, but we didn't do it enough and the decision-making on the pitch wasn't good enough tonight."

Chiefs' star striker Samir Nurkovic was surprisingly substituted for Keagan Dolly just nine minutes into the second-half and Baxter explained why he made the change. 

"Samir was frustrated because good players usually are when they're not performing well. So Samir was trying very hard, But he just wasn't producing what he can produce," he continued.

"So Keagan's fitness allows him to play half an hour, forty minutes, a half. So we looked for the mobility and when he first came on I got what I wanted but because the decision-making drifted in and out we didn't get it enough.

"It's a frustrating evening. A point away from home you're on the board. We get more information and hopefully, the players like Keagan get those extra minutes and we can make tweaks to the way we play."

Baxter is hopeful that Chiefs can secure a victory when they take on Baroka FC at FNB Stadium on Wednesday with Bakgaga Ba Mphahlele having started the new term with a 2-0 win over Marumo Gallants.

"Hopefully we will take three points in our next game. I think the build-up play has got to be there before you get strikes on goal. I think there was one strike from us, one strike from them and everything else was a war of attrition," he added.

"Some sort of quality or a set play was going to win the game but neither side produced that so maybe 0-0 was the best both of us could hope for." 

Former Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna ripped Arsenal after their 2-0 loss to Chelsea on Sunday, saying "the DNA of the club is gone".

An everpresent force in Arsene Wenger's successful sides at Emirates Stadium of yesteryear, Sagna feels the team is now going to "concede a stupid goal" every time he watches the Gunners.

Arsenal have now lost both of their games to start the campaign, which has piled further pressure on manager Mikel Arteta.

What has been said?

“The DNA of the club is gone," Sagna told RMC. "When I watch Arsenal now, honestly, I know that they are going to lose the majority of the time, that something is going to happen, that we are going to concede a stupid goal.

"When I was playing, anyone would be excited to join Arsenal, now ... we have lost our identity."

Poor start to the season

Arsenal's defeat to Chelsea comes after they lost 2-0 to newly promoted Brentford on the Premier League's opening weekend. They are now tied for 18th place on goal differential.

Arteta had hoped for the opposite to play out heading into the year, as an eighth-place finish last campaign had created pre-season discontent among many supporters.

The Gunners face Manchester City away in their next league match, meaning three defeats in three games is a strong possibility.

Arteta responds to pressure

In recent weeks the manager has taken on a positive outlook, even as the on-field results have been bleak.

On Sunday, just before the Chelsea defeat, Arteta claimed his vision was finally coming together.

Further reading