SALTCITYSOCCER

12/25–Aston Villa: Pagliuca ignites for Martinez 12/25–Arsenal: the curse of Christmas 12/25–Miscellaneous: a touch in MLS for Isco? 12/25–Rennes: Inter thinks Truffert 12/25–Man Utd: an interest in malo gusto? 12/25–PSG: Galtier takes stock of the start of the season 12/25–Nice: At-Nouri too expensive? 12/25–Bara: no approach for Messi 12/25–Real: retirement, Kroos will decide soon 12/25–OM: Clauss very clear about his future 12/25–Al-Nassr: Ronaldo, on stand-by? 12/25–Manchester United: Martinez, Leboeuf advise Ten Hag 12/25–OM: Clauss wanted to « take the shots » 12/25–Milan: the optimistic direction for Bennacer 12/25–Arsenal: Martinelli towards an extension 12/25–Wolverhampton: Cunha a sign (official) 12/25–Spain: De la Fuente wanted to retain Busquets 12/25–EdF: the Benzema clan tackles Stéphane and the staff 12/25–Miscellaneous: F. Capello – « Ronaldo looked for him » 12/25–EdF: Stphan evokes the blessing of Benzema 12/25–Argentina: Capello also pays E. Martinez 12/25–Bara: Lewandowski is sent well to Catalonia 12/25–Belgium: De Bruyne without fault at the level 12/25–Tottenham: Tale angry with the calendar 12/25–Bara: Iniesta evokes a return as a coach 12/25–PSG: Joao Flix, a forgotten slope? 12/25–Tunisia: Ben Romdhane popular in L1! 12/25–Monaco: Badiashile, first offer from Chelsea! 12/25–Valencia: Inter want Musah 12/25–OM: Juve will be patient for Milik 12/25–PSG: when will Messi return? 12/25–Chelsea: Al-Nassr is also Kant! 12/25–Cruz Azul: Suarez finally at the Grmio? 12/25–Athletico: Felix could leave… on loan 12/25–Bara: Messi, Lewandowski’s dream 12/25–Nice: Delort thinks and separates! 12/25–OM: Longoria confirms its interest in Ounahi 12/25–Brussels: the Zidane track! 12/24–Sville: Sampaoli and Monchi, it’s tense… 12/24–PSG: offer for the night Vitor Roque? 12/24–Atlético: Griezmann has already taken over 12/24–Monaco: Chelsea talks for Badiashile! 12/24–ASSE: Lorient negotiates a loan from Green 12/24–Morocco: Halilhodzic still has no dig 12/24–Aubagne: an OM player killed by bullet 12/24–Lyon: Boateng pushed out! 12/24–Argentina: Souness smashes E. Martinez! 12/24–Manchester United: 120 M€ for Enzo Fernandez? 12/24–Tottenham: Tale encese Lloris 12/24–OM: extension in sight for Dieng? 12/24–EdF: the call of the (Site notre bureau spécialisé) of Saint-Maximin 12/24–Chelsea: Potter does not reassure Mendy 12/24–Liverpool: reinforcement, Klopp does not say no 12/24–Argentina: Vieira regrets some images 12/24–Spain: De la Fuente, Del Bosque valid 12/24–TFC: Van den Boomen first sees the maintenance 12/24–Benfica: a young Colombian striker arrives 12/24–Milan: a good effort to retain Leao 12/24–EdF: Ronaldo worships Mbappé 12/24–Real: Impressions of danger! 12/24–Brentford: coach Frank until 2027 (off.) 12/24–Man City: Philipps is back overweight 12/24–Man Utd: four players extended (official) 12/24–PSG: Verratti pays tribute to Matuidi 12/24–Milan: Another good month for Maignan 12/24–L1: Thiriez wants a state effort 12/24–Portugal: towards a refusal of Mourinho? 12/24–OM: the two priorities of the transfer window 12/24–Manchester United: Ten Hag reframes Martinez 12/23–CdM: a conspiracy in Argentina! 12/23–Bara: Laporta confirms for De Jong 12/23–Chelsea: Potter discusses Ziyech case 12/23–Tottenham: Conte not worried about Kane 12/23–Morocco: Regragui’s ambitions 12/23–Angers: Ounahi has no preference 12/23–PSG: Galtier and work during the break 12/23–Dortmund: the development of Moukoko 12/23–Argentina: E. Martinez realized his dream 12/23–PSG: a message for Matuidi 12/23–Leeds: Llorente until 2026 (official) 12/23–Argentina: no retirement for Di Maria 12/23–Juventus: Allegri will play to found the C3 12/23–Aston Villa: Emery will speak with E. Martinez 12/23–Chelsea: Kant will still have to wait… 12/23–OM: Gerson, Flamengo is starting to wonder 12/23–Nice: an interest for At-Nouri 12/23–Miscellaneous: Matuidi hangs up the crampons! (off.) 12/23–Man City: Guardiola ignites for Lewis! 12/23–Lyon: Maral paints a portrait of Textor 12/23–Man Utd: Ten Hag reassures Wan-Bissaka 12/23–Man City: De Bruyne wonder Carragher 12/23–CdM: a choice to enjoy the final! 12/23–Man City: Guardiola salutes Lingende De Bruyne 12/23–Rennes: Boxing Day, Genesio tackles the LFP 12/23–Bara: Laporta very clear for Kessi 12/23–CdM: Richarlison, the most beautiful but! (official) 12/23–Liverpool: Klopp loses to Man City 12/23–EdF: referee Marciniak responds to criticism 12/23–PSG: Nadal beats Mbappé at Real 12/23–OM: Gerson would train on his own 12/23–EdF: Benzema, a problem with the deal? 12/23–PSG: the Fred rumor 12/23–OM: Ronaldo, boli made management smile 12/23–Case: Mathias Pogba released from prison 12/23–PSG: Larqu fears a Messi-Mbappé quarrel 12/23–EdF: Deschamps, Dugarry explained 12/23–Salernitana: Ochoa, it’s a sign (official) 12/23–EdF: Ouda-Castera also pays for the Argentines 12/23–Cameroon: Onana says stop! (official) 12/23–Bara: Messi, Laporta made up their minds 12/23–Atletico: Cunha confirms the departure of his son 12/23–Strasbourg: the Puchacz side in the sights 12/23–Lyon: Blanc sends a message for the transfer window 12/23–PSG: Hakimi’s agent sweeps away the rumors 12/23–Lyon: Concerns for Gusto and Henrique 12/22–Argentina: E. Martinez tickles Tchouamni 12/22–Esp. (Cpe): Athletico wins in doubles 12/22–Eng. (Cpe): Map Manchester City Liverpool 12/22–Bara: De Jong is no longer pushed out 12/22–Chelsea: for Leboeuf, Kant must say stop

The last time we saw the Premier League was on Sunday November 13, with Manchester United snatching an injury-time winner from Fulham.

On December 26, the English top flight return, and just in case you’ve forgotten how we left it, BBC Sport will let you know.

The top view

Arsenal are top after a superb first 14 games of the campaign.

They have amassed 37 points, losing them in just two games so far – their only defeat at Manchester United comes in September.

After their best start to the Premier League, it’s the first time they’ve been top at Christmas since the 2007-08 season.

The seven teams that have won 12 of their first 14 games have won the Premier League title.

Another good omen for the Gunners is that the team that topped the table on Christmas Day have been champions in 10 of the last 13 seasons.

In their first match, against West Ham at the Emirates Stadium.

Second-placed Manchester City only played on December 28 – at Leeds – the Gunners’ thunderous victory eight points clear of the champions.

Newcastle – the surprise challengers at the top of the table – are at Leicester on December 26 and will want to pick up where they left off. A sixth straight win would put them above Manchester City and into second.

There are a few teams in the top half who would probably have appreciated being able to take stock during the World Cup before heading off again.

Tottenham beat Leeds before the break but had lost three of the previous four. They kick us off on Monday with an away game at Brentford (12:30 GMT).

Graham Potter’s Chelsea have not won in five Premier League games and passed the World Cup break in eighth.

down down

Based on the evidence from the first 14 or so games, this season’s relegation battle could be wide open.

Just nine points apart from the bottom 12 sides in the division, with Wolves backing everyone up.

Six teams were down over Christmas and stayed up – half of them in the first 3 Premier League campaigns – but Wanderers will look to reverse that trend with a new man at the helm.

Julen Lopetegui took charge on November 14 and is already seeing big improvements, including in his squad, the flying Spaniard six new recruits at the opening of the transfer window January 1st.

Southampton also made a managerial change shortly before the break, with Nathan Jones arriving from Luton to replace sacked Ralph Hasenhuttl at St Mary’s. The Saints have lost their last 3 games and are 19th, two points from safety.

It’s perhaps surprising that we no longer see clubs opting for a change, the world cup effectively offers a mini pre-season to mid-campaign.

Everton have stuck with manager Frank Lampard despite being 17th after two straight defeats, and David Moyes remains West Ham boss even though they have lost three on the trot and prove just a point above the bottom three.

The impact of the world cup

An intense mid-season World Cup always brought risks of fatigue and blessings for the players.

Arsenal bosses may well be the hardest hit following a Serious knee injury to Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus.

It could well be late February before we see him back in action after what had been an impressive start for the Gunners, although he had seen him fail to score in six league games before the break.

On the other hand, despite being the most players of any club at the World Cup with 16, Manchester City have no injuries to report.

The majority of their representatives in Qatar were knocked out of the tournament in the semi-finals, with Argentina’s Julian Alvarez failing the last eight.

Moreover, Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland was given a five-week rest, ready to come back and try to add to his remarkable tally of 18 goals in 13 appearances. The Norwegian striker played his first game for City since November loss by Brentford in a 2-0 friendly win over Girona on December 17, and scored, as did Belgian Kevin de Bruyne.

A keen interest will be poured to know which players who were injured before the World Cup will be ready for action again.

The tastes of ReeceJames and Wesley Fofana at Chelsea, Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin could all return, although Liverpool striker Luis Diaz has undergone knee surgery and faces another three months.

Fixtures are thick and fast

In order to integrate the world cup into the domestic season, matches will now be played regularly so that all matches can be filled in a timely manner.

By the end of January, there are five series of top-flight English matches. This all comes after some clubs were featured in the Fourth Carabao Cup Tourthese games having taken place from 20 to 22 December.

Moreover, the FA Cup 3rd Tour Will be played from January 6-9, before select teams represent European play in mid-February.

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The 2022 FIFA World Cup is now in the retrospection, with Lionel Messi and the Argentine lifting the trophy and enjoying a holiday that coincides with New Year holidays and festivals.

As a result, many wonder when the 35-year-old will return to the French giants and a recent report from The team (High Definition Ole) reveals when PSG can expect Messi to be back in training to resume the 2022-23 club (Site notre bureau spécialisé) season.

The French exit reveals that the Argentine still doesn’t have a stipulated return date. The capital club represent Ligue 1 games against Strasbourg on Wednesday at the Parc des Princes, which Messi will miss.

Moreover, the publication indicates that Messi will not be present on New Year’s Day when PSG head to Lens and there are doubts that the veteran striker will arrive for the Coupe de France round of 16 against Chateauroux five days more. late.

The Team Speculates that Messi could be on the pitch against Angers on January 11 at the Parc des Princes.

Focus on talents rather than routines

Earlier this week, Olympique Lyonnais confirmed the acquisition of American investor John Textor. The French first division team is now owned by Eagle (Site notre blog d’information) Holding, which already owns shares in clubs in England (Crystal Palace), Belgium (RWD Molenbeek) and Brazil (Botafogo). This change also has an impact on the transfer strategy, which should now focus more on the training of young talents. Already in the upcoming change period in January, there could be important personnel decisions that could also affect Jérôme Boateng.

The 34-year-old centre-back moved to France in the summer of 2021 after ten years at Bayern Munich. After 27 appearances in the first season, Boateng was sorted by then manager Peter Bosz at the start of the current season and did not make the squad. Under his successor Laurent Blanc, who took over at the start of October, the world champion was in the starting XI four times before the World Cup break. A future at the club now looks more uncertain than ever.

According to a report from French portal ‘(Site notre blog d’information) Mercato’, the club’s new owners have decided not to rely on Boateng anymore. It was previously considered unlikely that his contract, which expired in the summer of 2023, would be extended – this was also reported by ‘Sport Bild’ on Wednesday – but now the club are reportedly pushing for a winter departure.

There are reports that Lyon are accepting a free transfer from Boateng and even forcing him to drop the veteran from the wage bill. Due to the free transfer from Munich, Olympique had to accept a handsome salary in 2021 – which the new bosses would now like to give up to invest more in young players.

Lyon youth are among the best in Europe, including Karim Benzema, Samuel Umtiti, Corentin Tolisso, Alexandre Lacazette, Nabil Fekir, Amine Gouiri and Pierre Kalulu. « We hope that our global presence in talent development will benefit all of our Eagle clubs and communities, » Textor said Tuesday.

To the home page

After the end of the year celebrations, the president of the French (Site notre blog d’information) Federation Noël Le Graët and its general manager Florence Hardouin will have to answer for their management, on January 10, as part of the major audit wanted by the Ministry of Sports. . The truce due to the (Site notre bureau spécialisé) world cup – a new success in terms of the tricolor (Site notre bureau spécialisé) – did not get the better of the determination of the current minister, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, to shed light on the dark affairs which shake the instance.

 » The investigations will continue, this report will be completed by the end of Januaryspecifies on the airwaves of RTL this Friday the political figure of sports in France. There will then be a contradictory phase with Noël Le Graët. This will make it possible to have well-founded and established conclusions by mid-February. Acts of harassment, of a sexual nature, have sometimes been denounced and are the subject of investigations to this day.

No effect cut off from the world

 » The fault of everything about this analysis as it is about everything about the analysis of the dysfunctions related to the management and steering of this Federationinsists Amélie Oudéa-Castéra. These malfunctions, there are and they are known. It is necessary to understand the causes to find the right solutions with the authorities of the French (Site notre bureau spécialisé) who must also take their responsibilities in the resolution of these difficulties. […] The Federation must be exemplary and for the moment there is a gap which must be closed. »

And to add that the beautiful course of the Blues in Qatar should in no way influence the verdict of the current audit.  » The report and the nature of the conclusions are not indexed on the performance of the French team or on the Good Success of a world cup. […] The audit continues, Noël Le Graët will be heard on the horizon of January 10 as well as Florence Hardouin. They have already been one and the other have listened a first time and they will be a second time. Other people resting in the hearing. It is necessary to go to the end of this work, it is necessary to lead it to charge and to discharge. Without damaging the image of the flagship: the French team.

Dele Alli can’t do it. The 26-year-old English player, who has had some incredible moments with Tottenham, was lined up yesterday in the Turkish Cup against Sanliurfaspor in Turkey. The formation of D3 started flat out, even meaning 0-2 after only 15 minutes of play.

Faced with the delicate performance of his team, the coach, Senol Günes, decided to take a radical decision: leave the Englishman after 30 minutes. The latter was also entitled to very intense colors and therefore continues his descent into hell, he who could not win at Everton before joining the Turkish club.

Besiktas qualified for the final and won 4-2.

Lohmann only hits the post

Dream duo Stanway and Bühl

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Lyon beat the quarter-finals, Arsenal with a festival of goals

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According to information from the Parisian, confirmed by RMC Sport, Lionel Messi, voted best player in the World Cup in Qatar, gave his agreement in early December to wear the Parisian jersey for at least another season.

However, the case is not sealed. The precise duration and the amount of the contract must thus be refined as soon as the 35-year-old star returns from vacation, during a meeting with the president of PSG Nasser Al-Khelaifi and his (Site notre bureau spécialisé) adviser Luis Campos, writes the daily Le Parisien. .

The signature and the terms of the agreement have yet to be signed, confirmed by the Spanish newspaper As.

Contacted by AFP, PSG could not be reached immediately to confirm this information.

Messi had joined the Parisian team in 2021 for two seasons (plus one optional) after having spent his entire professional career with FC Barcelona until then.

Launched in the first team of Barça in 2004, the sevenfold Ballon d’Or won in particular four Champions League (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015) and ten Spanish championship titles in the Blaugrana jersey. In Catalonia, he also accumulated records: top scorer in the history of the club, top scorer in the history of the Spanish Liga, record holder for the number of goals in a calendar year (91 in 2012)…

Sunday in Qatar, « La Pulga » (« the chip ») conquered the only major title that was still missing from its huge record, the World Cup, after a final with a magnificent scenario won against France, champion of the title (3-3 ap 4-2 tab).

The Argentinian scored a double when his club partner Kylian Mbappé, the Blues’ star attaché, scored a triple for him, thus finishing as the competition’s top scorer with 8 goals.

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