EZEKIEL BASSEY SIGNS FOR BARCELONA.

FC Barcelona and Enyimba Football Club have reached an agreement for the transfer until the end of season of the player Ezekiel Joseph Bassey for Barça B.

''The agreement includes a purchase option for two more seasons. The 20-year-old Nigerian striker will undergo medical examination in the next few hours," Barca announced on their website on Tuesday.

Bassey, who can play as a forward or as a wide man, was one of 23 players in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) All-Star team that went for a week-long tour in Spain following the partnership between the League Management Company (LMC) and the Spanish La Liga.

The former Akwa United man has not featured in this season's NPFL, apparently tidying up the move to Barca.

However, if Bassey impresses at La Masia, he could earn himself a graduation to the senior team, joining the likes of Emmanuel Amuneke and Gbenga Okunowo as the Nigerians to play for the Catalan side at senior level.

EPL FULL TIME SCORES.

LIVERPOOL 1 CHELSEA 1.

ARSENAL 1 WATFORD 2.

SWANSEA 2 SOUTHAMPTON 1.

SUNDERLAND 0 TOTTENHAM 0.

BURNLEY 1 LEICESTER 0.

BOURNEMOUTH 0 CRYSTAL PALACE 2.

MIDDLESBROUGH 1 WEST BROM 1.

RYAN MASON ADMITS; ''I'M LUCKY TO BE ALIVE''.

Ryan Mason has admitted he is 'lucky to be alive' after undergoing brain surgery following his clash of heads with Gary Cahill.

The Hull midfielder spent just over a week in hospital after suffering a fractured skull during the 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, when he had a head clash with Gary Cahill.

Mason was released from hospital on Monday and has posted a statement on Twitter.
It read: "I would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming support that has been shown to both me and and my entire family over the past week or so.

"It has been an emotional roller coaster and I feel lucky to be alive, but I’m happy to say that I’m now at home resting and recovering.

"My fiance and family have read so many messages of support to me over the past week, To have had so many people send messages to me, including from fellow players, clubs (in particular the support shown to me from both Hull City and Tottenham Hotspur), so many fans as well as the support I have received from the general public around the world has been completely overwhelming.

"Each and every message of support really has given me strength and I cannot tell you how much it means to me.

"The love and support my mum, dad, sisters, fiance Rachel and all of my friends and family have shown to me during what has been an extremely traumatic time for all involved has been incredible and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for being there for me throughout.

"Finally, I would like to say a special thank you too to all of the medical staff at Hull, as well as the medical team at Chelsea and of course the fantastic treatment and support I have received from all of the staff during my stay at St Mary’s hospital.


"I will now be taking each day as it comes and concentrating on my recovery."
There has been no indication as to when, or indeed if, Mason will return to action with The Tigers.

ODION IGHALO COMPLETES CHINA MOVE.

Odion Ighalo has made a mega money move to China from Watford .
He passed his medical this afternoon and has joined Chinese Super League outfit Chongchun Yatai for £20m.

Striker Ighalo deliberatiled over the move after Watford accepted the bid with his preference to move to one of the clubs in Beijing or Shanghai.

But after that interest cooled Ighalo agreed to press ahead with the deal with Changchun Yatai.

He signed a £200,000-per-week deal.

Ighalo was top scorer across all four divisions in the calendar year 2015, when his 30 goals fired the Hornets to promotion and Premier League safety, in all but name, by Christmas.

Even when the goals dried up for him in the second half of last season, Shanghai SIPD made a mind-blowing £37.5m bid for Ighalo last summer – which the player rejected.

His market value plummeted as he finished 2016 with just six goals in all competitions, and Watford's top brass agree a fresh start is the best solution for all parties.

Another Chinese club, Shanghai Shenhua, were exploring the possibility of pairing Ighalo with Carlos Tevez, the world's highest-paid player on £600,000-a-week.

But they would not meet Watford's £27m asking price for a player their rivals SIPD had valued £10m higher only six months ago.

Ighalo appeared to be waving goodbye to travelling fans after the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth 17 days ago and was left out of the squad altogether for the embarrassing FA Cup defeat at Millwall on Sunday.

And after the arrivals of on-loan AC Milan striker M'Baye Niang – whose move is scheduled to become a permanent £14m transfer in the summer – and Mauro Zarate last week, Ighalo was sinking further down the pecking order than a mineshaft.

With £12.6m Isaac Success back in full training and skipper Troy Deeney among the crown jewels, Ighalo was faced with becoming fifth-choice striker.

FA CUP 5TH ROUND DRAW IN FULL.

Burnley v Lincoln City.

Fulham v Tottenham.

Blackburn v Manchester United.

Middlesbrough v Oxford United.

Sutton v Arsenal.

Wolves v Chelsea.

Huddersfield v Manchester City.

Millwall v Derby/Leicester.

ANTONIO CONTE WILL NOT ALLOW BEGOVIC LEAVE, UNLESS A REPLACEMENT IS FOUND.

Antonio Conte has warned Asmir Begovic he will not leave Chelsea before tomorrow's transfer deadline unless the Blues land a replacement.

The Bosnian keeper made just his fifth appearance of the season in Saturday’s West London derby win against Brentford and is frustrated playing second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois.

Begovic is a target for Bournemouth and could move to the Cherries before deadline on Tuesday.

Though he feels for his Goalie, but Conte is adamant there is no room for manoeuvre on the conditions of his sale.

"I have no news about Begovic but I think we have to wait to tomorrow and we will see the situation," Conte said ahead of Chelsea's trip to Liverpool.

"Begovic wants to go to play and he knows also our situation. If we are able to find a good replacement he goes, otherwise he stays."

The former Stoke shot-stopper insists he has no regrets joining Chelsea but admits he’s desperate to get back playing first-team football.

He said: “I have spoken with the boss - we are quite open about it, he knows I am desperate to play, and that’s all it is really.


“If he can make it happen for me he will. That is something that is going to be sorted out in the next couple of days.
“I’m 29 – 30 in the summer – and feel fantastic and in great shape. It would be a waste not to play and show people what I can do.”

He added: “I hope that the team lifts the title and maybe I will be part of that, but it is difficult when you don’t play for a certain amount of time. That overrides everything, your football.
"I like to play and I came here to challenge myself.”

SAIDO MANE HAVE BEEN SOLELY MISSED AT LIVERPOOL, DECLARES GERRARD.

Sadio Mane is the reason Liverpool's form has plummeted.
That's the opinion of Reds legend Steven Gerrard, who bemoaned the striker's absence and claimed his former club "miss him so much".

Speaking in the above BT Sport video, Gerrard explained that Liverpool have been less effective going forward, and have been unable to stretch teams without him.

He praised the Senegalese forward's pace and claimed that when he is in the mood he has the ability to take two or even three defenders out of a match.

Gerrard goes on to state that it is these gaps - the space he creates in attacking areas - that Liverpool have previously been able to capitalise from.

And without him, have struggled to break teams down, despite enjoying huge spells of possession.

Mane hasn't featured for Liverpool since the 2-2 with Sunderland on January 2, because of his international commitments in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Despite Jurgen Klopp's men dropping two points in that game, the Senegalese got himself on the score sheet, and the Reds' form has since plummeted.

They've won just once in the following six fixtures - in an FA Cup third round replay against League Two side Plymouth - and were knocked out from the EFL Cup by Southampton over two legs.

On Saturday Liverpool lost 2-1 to Championship outfit Wolves, in their FA Cup fourth round clash at Anfield.

The club have won just one game in all competitions in 2017.
When asked how he felt about Mane representing his country at the Africa Cup of Nations,

Liverpool boss, Jurgen Klopp admitted he had "mixed emotions."
"We knew about the Africa Cup of Nations before - it is the same for all teams," says Klopp.

"We have a lot of respect for what they are doing there. It is not too cool being in the middle of our season."

The Reds would however, be pleased to welcome their star man back to the team as the Terenga Lions have been knocked out of the AFCON.

He could even feature against the league leaders Chelsea on Tuesday in a match which could make or break Liverpool's season.

Sadio Mane's fifth and final penalty for Senegal was comfortably saved by Carmeroon goalkeeper, Joseph Ondoa.

Cameroon's Vincent Aboubakar made no mistake from the spot to blast his country into the last four of the tournament at the expense of Senegal.

CHELSEA'S GOALKEEPER WANTS TO LEAVE.

Asmir Begovic believes he is wasted warming the Chelsea bench as edges closer to the exit.
The Bosnian keeper made just his fifth appearance of the season in Saturday’s west London derby win against Brentford and is frustrated playing second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois.

Bournemouth are monitoring the 29-year old's situation, and he could move to the Cherries before Tuesday night’s deadline providing the Blues can sign a replacement.

The former Stoke shot-stopper insists he has no regrets joining Chelsea but admits he’s desperate to get back playing first-team football.

He said: “I have spoken with the boss - we are quite open about it, he knows I am desperate to play, and that’s all it is really.

“If he can make it happen for me he will. That is something that is going to be sorted out in the next couple of days.

“I’m 29 – 30 in the summer – and feel fantastic and in great shape. It would be a waste not to play and show people what I can do.”


The Blues are eight points clear at the top of the table, and Begovic admits it will be tough to leave a team who are the overwhelming favourites for the title.

He added: “I hope that the team lifts the title and and maybe I will be part of that, but it is difficult when you don’t play for a certain amount of time. That overrides everything, your football.

"I like to play and I came here to challenge myself''.

BEAUTY OF THE WEEK - ANA IVANOVIC.

Former Tennis World number One, Ana Ivanovic is our beauty for this week. The 29-year Old who is married to Manchester United's midfielder, Bastien Schweinsteiger, watched her husband start his first game of the premier league season; albeit in the FA CUP.

It was his first start of the season after playing just 16 minutes from the bench previously. He however, celebrated that fact with an assist and a goal in United's 4-0 hammering of the Latics.

First he crossed in for Marouane Fellaini to open the scoring late on in the first half, and then he crowned United's win with an acrobatic finish from close range late on.

His goal celebration was in honour of his Superstar wife - Ana who's now retired.

Congratulations Ana!!! You are our beauty of the week.

''SOME PEOPLE WILL LIKE TO PUT ME IN JAIL''... ARSENE WENGER.

Arsene Wenger has hit back at criticism of his four-match ban for pushing a fourth official insisting - my haters will think no ban is big enough.

The Arsenal boss sat out the first game of his FA suspension as his side beat Southampton 5-0 to reach the Fifth Round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

The FA have been lambasted for going easy on him. But Wenger said: “Those who don’t like me, any sentence will be too lenient.

“They would like to put me in jail somewhere without anything in the middle of winter - and that will still be lenient.”

Wenger will remain in the stands for Tuesday’s Premier League home game against Watford, next Saturday’s crucial clash at Chelsea and the subsequent home game against Hull.

Wenger went on: “My reaction is what I said after the game. Let’s not bring this situation back again.

“I do not want to judge what the judge says. I got a sentence and I decided not to appeal just to get this behind me.


"There is no need for me to come back on that.”

DIMITRI PAYET JOINS MARSEILLE FROM WEST HAM .

The Dimitri Payet saga is over after Marseille made his move away from West Ham official on Sunday night.

The 29-year-old has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal after a £25million deal was agreed between the clubs earlier in the day.

A statement on West Ham's official website read: "West Ham United have sold Dimitri Payet to Olympique de Marseille for a fee of £25m.

The French midfielder has been sold after stating that he no longer wished to play for the Hammers."

Marseille's official Twitter profile posted a short video of the player smiling and giving the thumbs up, with the caption: "[Olympique Marseille] agree terms with West Ham to bring french international @dimpayet17 back to the club."

The fee, confirmed earlier on Sunday by co-owner David Gold, for the playmaker could rise to around £30million with bonuses.

His co-chairman David Sullivan is disappointed by Payet's behaviour and would have preferred for him to remain at the club, where he'd been shunned from first-team training, to be made an example of.

"The club would like to place on record its sincere disappointment that Dimitri Payet did not show the same commitment and respect to West Ham United that the club and fans showed him, particularly when it rewarded him with a lucrative new five-and-half-year deal only last year," he said on the club's website.

"I would like to make it clear that we have no financial need to sell our best players and that the decision to allow Payet to leave was in accordance with the wishes of the manager and the interests of squad unity.


"To be frank, my board and I would have preferred for him to have stayed in order to make an example of him, as no player is bigger than the club.

"I am confident that with the quality of the players we have brought in during January already, the squad will be stronger at the end of this transfer window than it was at the start.

 "We now look forward to building on our recent good run of form with five league wins in the last seven matches as we focus on continuing our rise up the Premier League table."

Payet travelled to France on Sunday morning after he was given permission by the Hammers to complete his medical, which he duly passed.

He earlier took to Twitter to confirm he was homeward bound with a picture as he prepared to board a private jet.

West Ham made it clear that they wanted Payet - who has insisted his desire to leave is not about money - to prove as much by giving back a £1m bonus payment he was handed back in September.

The payment was made in October in a bid to appease Payet after he returned from his Euro2016 commitments with France unsettled and wanting to leave.

It is not yet known whether this payment was made and rather than wait for the morning to unveil the big money signing a smiling Payet was revealed on social media.

But he made it clear earlier this month that he no longer wanted to play or train with the Hammers.

Boss Slaven Bilic went public on the row after Payet refused to budge on his stance.
Defending the Frenchman’s, his camp are insistent that he only wants to leave for family reasons and that he is not motivated by finance.

Payet is set to earn £100,000-a-week at Marseille, £25,000-a-week less than his West Ham salary.

But the Irons want him to prove money really isn’t his motivating factor by giving back the cash they believed would convince him to stay.

FULL TIME AT THE SANTIAGO BERNABEU... REAL MADRID v REAL SOCIEDAD.

REAL MADRID 3 REAL SOCIEDAD 0.

Kovacic, Ronaldo, Morata

FULL TIME AT OLD TRAFFORD... MANCHESTER UNITED v WIGAN.

MANCHESTER UNITED 4 WIGAN 0.

Fellaini, Smalling, Mkhitaryan, Schweinsteiger.

MANCHESTER UNITED BACK AT THE TOP OF SPORTS RICH LIST.

Manchester United might not be matching their glory years in terms of top trophies.
In fact, in the last three years they haven’t even come close.

Currently lying sixth in the table, without a Premier League title for almost four years,
Champions League football is no longer a ­guarantee after missing out on a top-four finish in two of the last three seasons.

After the golden years under Sir Alex Ferguson, United have gone into a worrying decline on the pitch.
But off the field it’s the absolute reverse.

The cash tills are working overtime with United a super-charged money-making machine unrivalled in global sport.

And the American Glazer family – who own the club – now value United at a staggering £4billion.

That’s just the starting point for potential buyers too, with business analysts believing it will take that kind of jaw-dropping money to persuade United’s Florida-based owners to think about selling their prized asset.

Sports business analysts in both the UK and Asia believe there is growing interest in testing just how much the Glazer family want to keep hold of United.

And many believe it won’t be long before Chinese investors hit the Glazers with a monster offer.


The respected Forbes rich list of sports teams say the Dallas Cowboys NFL team are the most valuable in world sport at around £3.2bn.

But many believe United’s iconic history and global appeal would make them the world’s richest club if they were sold by the Glazers.

The men from Rochester, New York haven’t been popular since they took the club into private ownership following their £776m acquisition of the club in 2005.

And the fact they could potentially pocket a £3.25bn profit in just over 10 years by cashing in and flogging United is a projection that will have the anti-Glazer brigade raging.

But while a sizeable majority detest United’s ­distant owners, the Glazers have turned the club into the world’s richest football team – a fact that flies in the face of every business principle.

According to The Mirror, Deloitte Sports Business Group recently placed United at the top of the Football Money League for the first time in 13 years.
And senior manager Tim Bridge insists they are making so much money, it’s no surprise the Glazers can name their own price.

He said: “United are projected to earn £530m in the current financial year and normally when clubs are being bought and sold in the Premier League, deals usually happen generally around one or two times the value of incoming revenue.

“That would value United at just over £1bn but remember, when the Glazers bought United 11 years ago for £776m they paid 4.7 times the revenue at the time.”
If those principles were applied now, United would be valued between £2.5bn and £3bn.

But given they are an iconic global institution, the world’s money men believe there’s a strong case for believing United could well be worth £4bn – or more.

“This is an industry with variables and it’s very hard to accurately make valuations,” says Bridge.

''In United’s case their commercial deals set them apart from anyone else – even Barcelona and Real Madrid currently.”

United’s commercial success defies logic. For even in years of decline they are making way more money than rivals who are more successful on the pitch.

The club have 70 partner sponsors – a roster even Real and Barca can’t compete with.
United’s commercial, broadcast and matchday revenue was a record-breaking £515.3m in the last financial year while the club toiled on the pitch, finishing fifth under Louis van Gaal.

That was up a staggering £120m on the
2014-15 season when they finished fourth and secured Champions League football.
Bridge added: “United have been able to secure commercial deals other clubs cannot have thought possible.

“Their £750m, 10-year kit deal with adidas and the £330m shirt sponsorship with Chevrolet have set a benchmark for others to aspire to.

Their continued commercial success has ­surprised many in the football world and clubs will have to respond.

So far, the world’s biggest clubs have struggled over the last few years to compete with United commercially.

“And if United could match their on-field performance with their off-pitch performance levels there is every chance they’d remain at the top of our Money League for the foreseeable future.

“Their ability to increase revenue despite a significant fall in their on-pitch performance is simply phenomenal.

“It’s almost as if it doesn’t matter that they aren’t performing as well as they have done historically on the pitch.

They still generate huge revenue. “Fans flock to Old Trafford, they travel in their thousands and the club’s ability to strike global commercial deals has led to them topping the Money League.”

ARSENAL LEGEND ACCUSES DIEGO COSTA OF 'DESTABILISING' CHELSEA.

Diego Costa has been accused of "destabilising" the Chelsea dressing room amid speculation linking him with a big-money move to the Chinese Super League.

The Blues hitman was left out of the squad for the 3-0 win over Leicester early this month after having his head turned by the riches on offer in the Far East.

However, Costa returned to the fray for last weekend's victory against Hull and scored the first goal in the 2-0 victory.

But Arsenal legend Ian Wright reckons the Spaniard's actions could have had a serious impact on their title chances.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I said he's destabilising it. For him to just get up and say 'I'm leaving' - he's destabilised the dressing room.

"He's come out against Hull and hammered them. The fact is he's come back and silenced the crowd."

RAYMOND VERHEIJEN BLAMES KLOPP FOR LIVERPOOL'S RECENT WOES.

Jurgen Klopp has been slammed for 'running Liverpool's players into the ground' as their January dip continues.

The Reds were knocked out of the EFL Cup at the semi-final stage on Tuesday night as Shane Long's late winner secured a 2-0 aggregate success for Southampton. The result leaves the Reds with only one win in seven games.

Liverpool started the season in devastating fashion but it is now just one win in seven games; the only win came in the FA Cup replay against League Two Plymouth.

Former Wales coach Raymond Verheijen, who has been heavily critical of Klopp's methods in the past, is not surprised by the dip in form and believes the German has pushed his players too far.

In a series of tweets, the Dutchman hit out at
Klopp - and reminded his followers of his predictions in the summer that Liverpool "will struggle in the last months of this season."

He added: "Liverpool is not even playing in Europe. Just imagine how squeezed the players would have been if they had played Champions League or Europa League this season."

"The secret of 'pre-season periodisation' is to develop top fit players while maintaining rather than losing freshness. Quality over quantity.

''After a few seasons the Dortmund players were totally squeezed by Klopp: many muscle injuries, several ACL injuries & relegation problems."
Verheijen added;

"Overall, Klopp is one of the best managers in the world. But he clearly has some flaws in his pre-season training methods. Raise your bar!

''Hopefully, the next generation of coaches will learn from mistakes made by current generation of Klopp & Co."

DIMITRI PAYET SET TO SEAL MARSEILLE MOVE IN A FEW HOURS.

Dimitri Payet has agreed terms on a return to Marseille - and is willing to take a £25,000 pay cut to secure the move.

The Frenchman remains desperate to leave
West Ham and return home due to family reasons.

Marseille have made multiple bids for the 29-year-old, with their latest offer of £25m plus £3m in add-ons rejected, reports the mirror.

Talks have reached an impasse over a fee with West Ham holding out for £35m for last season's player of the year .

But the player has agreed terms on a £100,000-a-week deal, which would represent a £25,000 pay cut from the contract Payet agreed last February.

Marseille are still hoping a loan deal could be brokered with a fixed price in the summer.
High flying Ligue 1 outfit Nice are also looking into a loan deal for the Euro 2016 star.

Payet has been training with the club's Under-23s at the Hammers' Chadwell Heath training ground.


He has told the club he is facing a family crisis, with wife Ludivine determined to raise the couple's three children in their homeland.

In his absence, West Ham have won their last two Premier League matches to climb into the top half of the Premier League.

''I HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH MOURINHO''... MEMPHIS.

The Dutch International failed to live up to  expectations at Old Trafford, following his £25m move from PSV Eindhoven in 2015. Due to the winger's lack of opportunities at United,
Mourinho agreed to let him go to the Ligue 1 giants last week for an initial £16m fee.

Yet Depay, 22, bears no grudge towards the United manager and thanked him for his kind words as he stressed the pair enjoyed a good relationship.
"His words were nice,” Depay told OL TV.

"In Manchester, I always worked as I had to. For me personally, it wasn't all that easy, I needed to play. But we didn't have a bad relationship.
"He's a great coach and a great person. Now we'll see here how I play. In any case, I think he has said good things about me.”


After his cameo on Lyon’s 3-1 win over Marseille last week, the 22-year old said;
"I feel very good, in top form.”
"My first week was good, training went very well, and little by little I'm getting back into the rhythm.

"Now I think I'm ready to start a game as of the next match. I'm training hard, my fitness is good.
"I think I can push for a starting place for the next game."

JURGEN KLOPP REACTS TO EFL SEMI-FINAL DEFEAT.

Jurgen Klopp was left fuming after a chance to win his first Liverpool trophy was defeated by a controversial ‘handball’.

In particular, he pointed to what he said was “an obvious handball” from Shane Long that would have put his side ahead on the night and taken this tense tie into extra time.

Roberto Firmino’s effort appeared to strike the Southampton striker high on the arm, while Divock Origi was looking for a penalty when visiting defender Jack Stephens clamped on him in the area. Stephens appeared to take the ball but Klopp was left angry and bemused.

He said: “The handball was clear. Maybe it’s not interesting but it is really hard to accept week by week by week.

“Manchester United scored a goal three yards offside. Is my job to get a fine? The handball was obvious. 100 per cent obvious.

“I don’t know about the Origi moment, but if it was a foul that makes it even harder to bear. We have a lot of these situations and nobody comes and says they are sorry. Two penalties and we are through and nobody says anything about our performance.

“But that explains the performance, we really stuck to our usual plan, and immediately we had bigger chances – we would normally take them, but we didn’t and we are out and we have to accept it, the show must go on.

'' The Saints will play the winners of Hull City versus Manchester United game tonight at Wembley on 26 February.

SATURDAY'S FA CUP 4TH ROUND RESULTS.

Lincoln City 3 Brighton 1.

Blackburn 2 Blackpool 0.

Burnley 2 Bristol City 0.

Oxford United 3 Newcastle United 0.

Chelsea 4 Brentford 0. 

Tottenham Hotspur 4 Wycombe 3. 

Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 3.

Rochdale 0 Huddersfield Town 3.

Middlesbrough 1 Accrington Stanley 0.

Liverpool 1 Wolves 2. 

Arsenal 5 Southampton 0.

FULL TIME AT SELHURST PARK... CRYSTAL PALACE v MANCHESTER CITY.

..

CRYSTAL PALACE 0 MANCHESTER CITY 3.


Sane,  Sterling, Toure.

FULL TIME AT WHITE HART LANE... TOTTENHAM v WYCOMBE.

TOTTENHAM 4 WYCOMBE 3.



HAYES (2)

FULL TIME AT STAMFORD BRIDGE... CHELSEA v BRENTFORD.

CHELSEA 4 BRENTFORD 0.

Willian, Pedro, Batshuayi, Ivanovic

FULL TIME AT ANFIELD... LIVERPOOL v WOLVES.

LIVERPOOL 1 WOLVES 2.

Origi.

Stearman 1', Weimann 41'.

FULL TIME AT CAMP NOU... BARCELONA v REAL SOCIEDAD.

BARCELONA 5 REAL SOCIEDAD 2

FULL TIME AT THE KCOM STADIUM... HULL CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED.

HULL CITY 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 1

Huddlestone 31', Niasse 85'.

Pogba 66'.

AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS... EGYPT v GHANA.

EGYPT 1 GHANA 0.

FULL TIME AT ANFIELD... LIVERPOOL v SOUTHAMPTON.

LIVERPOOL 0 SOUTHAMPTON 1.

Long.

MICHAEL CARRICK HAILS 'STRONG' WAYNE ROONEY.

Michael Carrick has hailed Wayne Rooney for silencing his critics throughout his Manchester United career.

The England skipper scored his 250th goal for the Red Devils in Saturday's draw at Stoke to break Sir Bobby Charlton's goalscoring record.

And Carrick has piled praise on his teammate for the way he has coped with the pressure at the top for so long.

He told the BBC: “To play at the level he has done for so long, since he was 16/17 years old when he burst on the scene, not just club but for his country as well.

“You can't underestimate how tough it is to play so many games and have that scrutiny in the spotlight on you constantly.

“How he has dealt with that and how he has answered back and how he has shut people up over the years when they have questioned him, and he's still going strong today.”

ROONEY IS FREE TO GO TO CHINA; MOURINHO DECLARES.

Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande and Super League rivals Beijing Guoan are prepared to fork out a staggering £700,000-a-week to lure record-breaking Rooney away from United this summer.

“I don’t know, it’s up to him,” said the Special One. “I don’t like to be critical of players who decide to go to China. It’s their life, it’s their organisation of their life, their organisation of their career.

“The money is huge. The experience can also be interesting.
“I know some of my colleagues think they are more important than they are and think they can interfere in the lives of other people, but I’m not that sort of guy.

“Everybody is responsible for their own life. I’m not critical with anyone.
"To be honest, in Wayne’s case, I have no idea because he has never mentioned it to me.”

DAVID LUIZ HAS PRAISED DIEGO COSTA AFTER HIS RETURN.

David Luiz has defended Diego Costa after recent speculation surrounding his future by insisting the rumours came from people who 'talk a lot without knowing anything.'

Costa missed Chelsea's 3-0 victory over Leicester with a reported back injury, but returned last weekend, scoring the opener as the Blues defeated Hull be 2-0.

The Brazilian defender praised his teammate for dealing with the added pressure and lauded the Striker as one of the best players in the world.

"That's his job, to score goals, and he works on that every day," Luiz told French outlet SFR Sport. "He does his job very well. He's a great player who's in fantastic form right now.

"He's playing well, and I'm happy for him because sometimes people talk a lot without knowing anything, and he's had to go through that.

"But it's normal people talk about the best players in the world, Diego is one of them."
Luiz refused to be moved on the reason for his teammate's absence at the King Power Stadium, claiming everything was normal at their Cobham training base.

"I don't know. Things were normal," added the former PSG star. "Everyone has offers, everyone has things to talk about.

He's happy, always wants to play football, that's what's important for me."

''WHEN I DON'T PLAY, I'M SAD''... FABREGAS LAMENTS!

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas admits his lack of first-team opportunities at Stamford Bridge this season have left him feeling 'sad'.

Blues boss Antonio Conte has opted to deploy N'Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic in central midfield, leaving Fabregas watching from the bench on more occasions than not.

The Spaniard has started just five games in the Premier League this season, with a further eight substitute appearances.

He got an assist, taking the free-kick that Gary Cahill scored to make it 2-0 and secure the three points, and insists he wants more game time.

"That was nice," Fabregas told Chelsea's official website. "I play football to win and enjoy. When I don’t play I’m sad and I don’t enjoy it but I’m happy the team is doing well.
"Football is my life, it’s everything to me. Every time I’m on the pitch I try to do my best.

"In this game it went well again so I just need to keep going and show the manager I deserve to play."

ARSENE WENGER COULD MISS CHELSEA CLASH.

Arsene Wenger could be hit with a lengthy stadium ban - and likely miss Arsenal’s title showdown with Chelsea.

Football Association chiefs are determined to take a tough stand against Wenger because he pushed fourth official Anthony Taylor and they want to send a clear message.

Arsenal boss Wenger is likely to get a big punishment because he “made physical contact” with an official and they can impose a full stadium ban rather than a touchline suspension.

It could be three games or more which would rule Wenger out of Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Southampton, the home clash with Watford and then the crunch trip to front runners, Chelsea on February 4.

The FA’s misconduct charge comes after effectively two offences during Arsenal’s dramatic win over Burnley at the Emirates on Sunday.

Wenger was sent to the stands after swearing and launching a tirade at referee Jon Moss, then stayed in the tunnel area for the end of the game before pushing Taylor.

Arsenal have specifically denied claims that Wenger used the word “cheat” towards Moss who awarded two injury time penalties and sent off Granit Xhaka.

But Wenger is understood to have launched an attack on Moss, questioned his ability and he was furious at some of the decisions even though he admitted the red card was deserved.


There have been other cases this season as Stoke boss Mark Hughes got an £8,000 fine for a bust-up with Moss when he was a fourth official and Jose Mourinho got a one game touchline ban after a row with referee Mark Clattenburg.

But the reason why Wenger’s punishment could be much more severe is because he laid hands on Taylor and that is a step too far for the FA.

The FA statement read: “It is alleged that in or around the 92nd minute, he used abusive and/or insulting words towards the fourth official.

“It is further alleged that following his dismissal from the technical area, his behaviour in remaining in the tunnel area and making physical contact with the fourth official amounted to improper conduct.”

Wenger has until 6pm on Thursday to respond but is unlikely to challenge the charge as he has already apologised for his actions.

However, if Wenger admits the charge sooner then the case could be dealt with by a tribunal quickly and the FA Cup tie would count as a game but if he waits then the punishment may not be delivered until next week.

JURGEN KLOPP REVEALS LIVERPOOL HAVE BEEN MISSING SADIO MANE.

Speaking in his Liverpool vs Southampton pre-match match press conference on Monday
Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool are missing
Sadio Mane .

The Merseyside club have failed to pick up a single win so far in 2017 and Mane has been missing for five of those six matches.

The 24-year-old is currently at the African Cup of Nations with Senegal and has scored two in two for his country.

Senegal currently sit top of Group B and could potentially go all the way in the tournament. If they did succeed in making the final, Mane would not return until after February 5.

The Reds now face Southampton in the EFL Cup semi-final second leg on Wednesday - and Klopp is determined to not let Mane's absence be an excuse for Liverpool's poor form.

He said: "We missed Sadio, Phil and Joel Matip for a long time. But we've scored enough goals to win games.

"We did really well in most of the things. As much as I like Sadio, it’s not allowed to think that our problems are because we missed Sadio.

"We made other mistakes than not scoring enough goals."
Jurgen Klopp reveals Liverpool have been missing Sadio Mane - but refuses to let it be an excuse.

CHAPECOENSE AIR CRASH SURVIVOR, JACKSON FOLLMANN REVEALS HOW IT ALL HAPPENED.

Chapecoense plane crash survivor Jakson Follmann has recalled the moment the doomed aircraft lost power and began descending to earth.

Follmann was one of only six people to survive November's tragic accident, with the remaining 71 passengers - most of whom employees of Brazilian football club Chapecoense - losing their lives.

The 24-year-old, a product of Gremio's youth academy, is now retired after the injuries he sustained in the crash forced surgeons to amputate his right leg at the knee.

Speaking to Brazilian TV show Fantastico, Follmann described the chilling moment LaMia Flight 2933 began encountering problems.

"I remember when the aeroplane turned itself off, when the lights went out," Follmann said. "I saw that something was wrong. The plane did not actually fall; after turning off, it started to glide slowly.

I don't remember the moment of the crash because I passed out. It happened so quickly.

"I do remember waking up (before the rescue). I opened my eyes. It was very dark and very cold. I was shivering. I shouted, 'Help! I don't want to die!' Some of my friends, who were still alive, also shouted.

I heard the rescuers arrive, saying they were national police."
While the vast majority of his teammates died on November 28, Follmann woke up in a Medellin hospital four days later.

"My mum came in and spoke to me," he said. "It was difficult. That's when I woke up. I cried a lot when I opened my eyes."

Despite having to call time on his football career far earlier than he would have liked, Follmann is grateful to be alive.

"I'm going to get married," Follman responded when asked about his future plans. "I want to get back to a normal life."

ZLATAN CONGRATULATES ROONEY ON HIS LANDMARK

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic says English football does not appreciate Wayne Rooney enough after the Red Devils skipper surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton as Manchester United's top goalscorer.

Rooney's stoppage-time free-kick earned United a point on Saturday, as Jose Mourinho's side made it 17 matches without defeat.

The late equaliser was Rooney's first goal in the Premier League since the opening weekend of the season and has not started two Red Devils games in a row since he was dropped from the starting XI in September.

Despite Rooney's struggles, Ibrahimovic believes his teammate is a class act after overtaking Charlton's international and club records within 18 months.

"Everybody knows what Wayne is. But this country has to appreciate him," Ibrahimovic said. "I don't see any other strikers like him today. Give me some names. Tell me. And still you're not happy.

"He's a complete player. It's a big thing you know. Many great players have been here and his name is right on top."

"I'm very proud to have been on the same field as him when he did it and hopefully he can continue to do what he's doing. Off the field he's a real leader and on the field he's just complete."

Rooney himself is now intent on regaining his status as a United first-teamer.
"I just have to keep going," Rooney said . "Obviously, I've been a bit in and out this season in the team, so my main priority now is to try and fight for my place in the starting XI.
"That's my main priority now. I've been in and out of the team and I need to keep trying to perform and stay in the team."

FULL TIME AT STAMFORD BRIDGE... CHELSEA v HULL CITY.

CHELSEA -2-0- HULL CITY.

FULL TIME AT THE EMIRATES... ARSENAL v BURNLEY.

ARSENAL 2 BURNLEY 1.

FULL TIME AT ST. MARY'S... SOUTHAMPTON v LEICESTER CITY.

SOUTHAMPTON 3 LEICESTER 0.

FULL TIME AT THE SANTIAGO BERNABEU... REAL MADRID v MALAGA.

Real Madrid 2 Malaga 1.

EPL FULL TIME RESULTS.

LIVERPOOL 2 SWANSEA 3

BOURNEMOUTH 2 WATFORD 2

CRYSTAL PALACE 0 EVERTON 1

MIDDLESBROUGH 1 WEST HAM 3

STOKE CITY 1 MANCHESTER UNITED 1

MANCHESTER CITY 2 TOTTENHAM 2