Italy's Euro 2020 winning coach Roberto Mancini admitted Sunday that he had regrets over leaving ...

Italy's Euro 2020 winning coach Roberto Mancini admitted Sunday that he had regrets over leaving the Italian national team to take control of Saudi Arabia.Mancini left the Azzurri in August 2023 to take over as coach of the Saudis, but was fired from his role in October following a run of poor results during his 14-month stint in charge."If I could go back, I wouldn't take the decision to leave the Nazionale (Italian national team) again, because coaching this national team is the most beautiful thing," Mancini told public broadcaster Rai.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"Maybe the President of the Italian FA (Gabriele Gravina) and I didn't understand each other, maybe we were just going through a difficult period, maybe things could have turned out differently, but I have nothing against him."After surprisingly resigning from the top job with Italy, the 60-year-old penned a deal worth a reported $25 million a year with Saudi Arabia, which would run through to 2027.But after just seven victories in 18 matches, the Saudi federation decided to let go of the ex-Manchester City manager."My career speaks for itself," Mancini said, adding that he did not join the Gulf kingdom side for money. Rumours currently link Mancini with the Roma job at the end of the current season.However, the former Italy international insisted that he was "not in contact with anyone", before adding "but something will happen, it's only a matter of time".

DALIAN, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 09: Roberto Mancini, head coach of Team Saudi Arabia, looks on during a training session ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier third round Group C match between China and Saudi Arabia on September 9, 2024 in Dalian, Liaoning Province of China.

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Mancini regrets leaving Italy for Saudi Arabia: I quit 'most beautiful' job

Borussia Dortmund scored three goals in a devastating five-minute spell to beat Wolfsburg 3-1 and...

Borussia Dortmund scored three goals in a devastating five-minute spell to beat Wolfsburg 3-1 and end the year in the top six of the Bundesliga. Dortmund came into this game without a win in their previous three league outings but produced some stylish attacking moments to blow Wolfsburg away on the road. Dutchman Donyell Malen got things moving, turning in Ramy Bensebaini's corner from close range. <div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The visitors doubled their lead through the impressive young Germany star Max Beier, who met Julian Brandt's through ball with a sublime first-time finish with the outside of his right foot. Beier turned provider just two minutes later, cutting back a low cross for an unmarked Brandt to find the bottom corner. Wolfsburg were stunned, having conceded in the 25th, 28th and 30th minutes and the rest of the contest was a damage limitation exercise for Ralph Hasenhuttl's side, although they pulled one back in the second half through Denis Vavro. Dortmund had Pascal Gross sent off just after the hour but it didn't threaten to derail a win that keeps them within two points of third place. "In the first half we played really well, had very good positional play and kept moving forward with determination," said Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin."In the second half we allowed the opponent back into the game completely unnecessarily and you have to defend. Then you get a red card, which is totally unnecessary."

WOLFSBURG, GERMANY - DECEMBER 22: Julian Brandt of Borussia Dortmund and Serhou Guirassy of Borussia Dortmund and Donyell Malen of Borussia Dortmund celebrate the teams third goal during the Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund at Volkswagen Arena on December 22, 2024 in Wolfsburg, Germany.

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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca insisted he was "absolutely happy" despite his side losing ground in...

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca insisted he was "absolutely happy" despite his side losing ground in the Premier League title race following a goalless draw away to Everton on Sunday.The Blues could have leapfrogged Liverpool into top spot with victory at Goodison Park before the leaders kicked off at Tottenham Hotspur later in the day.But instead Chelsea saw their eight-match winning run end as they failed to score for the first time since October.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>And with Liverpool winning 6-3 in an extraordinary encounter in north London, it meant Chelsea ended the day in second place - four points behind the Reds and having played a game more than the table-toppers.Speaking before Liverpool's victory was confirmed, Maresca said: "I am absolutely happy. I just said to the players I am more happy today than I was after the Brentford game (which they won 2-1 last weekend)."The reason why was I was quite worried about this game. Tricky game, tricky stadium, tricky team."He added: "Defensively, they are top. They are one of the five best teams in Europe in terms of clean sheets, so you struggle to create chances against them."It was not an easy game and you have to learn how to play different games. Football is not only just how good you play on the ball. It is how you defend and how you deal with that."This was Everton's first match since The Friedkin Group (TFG) completed their takeover of the Liverpool club, with new executive chairman Marc Watts among the Goodison crowd on Sunday.This was struggling Everton's second successive goalless draw following last week's 0-0 at Arsenal, but Toffees boss Sean Dyche, out of contract at the end of the season, knows it is wins alone that will impress the club's U.S. owners.Everton have won just three of their 16 league matches so far this season, with the Toffees four points above the relegation zone."It wasn't my only goal (to send TFG home with a point) but it is a nice add-on," said Dyche."We've had a good meeting with them. They seem really good, really serious people."People talk about my own position - win games, they have made it clear. They are supportive of my role, what I've done here and what I hope we do. We have got to win games, though. I'm not naive."

Everton's English striker #11 Jack Harrison (front C) fights for the ball with Chelsea's English midfielder #19 Jadon Sancho (rear C) during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Chelsea at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on December 22, 2024.

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Atalanta surged back to the top of the Serie A standings with a Charles De Ketelaere-inspired 3-2...

Atalanta surged back to the top of the Serie A standings with a Charles De Ketelaere-inspired 3-2 win at home to Empoli on Sunday, while inconsistent Roma thrashed Parma 5-0.De Ketelaere was twice on target for Atalanta in the topsy-turvy encounter -- his second goal proving to be the winner with just four minutes left on the clock.Ademola Lookman was also on the scoresheet to ensure Gian Piero Gasperini's side leapfrogged Napoli back into top spot.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Bergamo-based side restored their two-point buffer over Napoli, who had moved a point ahead of them following their 2-1 win at Genoa on Saturday.Lorenzo Colombo gave 11th-placed Empoli the lead at the Gewiss Stadium on 13 minutes.But De Ketelaere hit back to level for the Europa League champions four minutes after the half-hour.Recently crowned African player of the year, Lookman got his 12th goal of the season in all competitions to put Atalanta in front in first-half added time.Sebastiano Esposito pegged back Atalanta on 57 minutes, converting from the penalty spot.As the game crept towards a disappointing draw that would have still sent Atalanta back top on goal difference, Belgian midfielder De Ketelaere popped up with his fifth league goal this term in the 86th minute.The 23-year-old showed skill and composure to glide along the edge of the box until a chance presented itself, and he then fired off a disguised left-footed shot which flashed past the goalkeeper.Earlier, Roma bounced back from last weekend's surprise 2-0 loss at Como, which had left Claudio Ranieri's side within two points of the drop zone, to thump Parma in the Italian capital.Paulo Dybala hit a brace, with goals also coming from Alexis Saelemaekers, Leandro Paredes and Artem Dovbyk as Roma moved to 10th place.Parma remain one point above the drop zone in 16th spot.Dybala converted a penalty and Saelemaekers slammed home a volley to give the home side a 2-0 lead inside the opening quarter of an hour.The Argentinian netted his second six minutes after the break. Paredes then scored from 12 yards in the 74th minute and Ukrainian striker Dovbyk put the cherry on top for the Romans with seven minutes remaining.Venezia climbed off the bottom of the table with a vital 2-1 home win over fellow strugglers Cagliari.Francesco Zampano and Marin Sverko scored either side of the break for the hosts, before Leonardo Pavoletti pulled one back for the Sardinians inside the final 15 minutes.The result leaves Cagliari 18th on 14 points, one ahead of Venezia, with Monza propping up the standings with 10 points.Monza can send Venezia back to the bottom of the pile later on Sunday, but to do so they must inflict a first league defeat of the season on Juventus.

BERGAMO, ITALY - DECEMBER 22: Charles De Ketelaere of Atalanta celebrates his goal during the Serie A match between Atalanta and Empoli at Gewiss Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy.

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Kylian Mbappe said he had bounced back from hitting rock bottom after helping Real Madrid thrash ...

Kylian Mbappe said he had bounced back from hitting rock bottom after helping Real Madrid thrash Sevilla 4-2 on Saturday to move second in La Liga above stuttering rivals Barcelona.After Atletico Madrid beat Barca on Saturday to claim top spot at Christmas, Carlo Ancelotti's side also took advantage with a comfortable home win which leaves them a point behind the leaders.Madrid coach Ancelotti said ahead of Sevilla's visit that Mbappe's adaptation period had ended following his summer switch from Paris Saint-Germain and the French forward proved the coach right with a strong performance and his 14th goal of the season across all competitions.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Fede Valverde also netted a brilliant effort from range, with Rodrygo Goes and Brahim Diaz on the scoresheet for the hosts too, the latter assisted by a clever Mbappe pass.Isaac Romero and Dodi Lukebakio scored for Sevilla, although they were thoroughly outplayed on veteran defender Jesus Navas' final game for the club."I think that we know each other better, my arrival changed a lot of things, and now, as the coach said, the adaptation is over and I feel very good in the team," Mbappe told Real Madrid TV."We can see on the pitch that I click better with my team-mates and now we're all playing better."Mbappe, back after a brief absence with a thigh injury, scored for Madrid in midweek as they won the Intercontinental Cup.It was welcome relief for the forward after missing two penalties in recent weeks against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao, as well as suffering criticism for his form."I know I've got much more in my legs than I'm showing, but in the last games I've played better," Mbappe added."The Bilbao game was good for me, I hit the bottom, I missed a penalty and it was a moment to realise that I have to give everything for this shirt and show my personality."With Vinicius Junior suspended, Mbappe took the reins and broke the deadlock in the 10th minute as Madrid brought the ball out from the back and worked it to Rodrygo on the left flank.The Brazilian squared to Mbappe on the edge of the area, who took one touch to control, another to set himself and with his third, smashed a fierce effort past the helpless Alvaro Fernandez."I think (Mbappe) has been self-critical, he's come out of a situation that could have been complicated for him," Ancelotti told reporters."Yesterday I said his adaptation period was over, today he showed it, sometimes I'm not wrong."The coach said Madrid had found their footing after struggling at times in the first half of the season. "We're running a bit more, playing with more intensity, we're doing things well again, as we have to do -- they've been complicated months," Ancelotti added.Madrid's second, 10 minutes later, was even better, with Valverde firing a screamer into the top corner from over 30 yards out after a short corner.Ancelotti's side were in full flow and the third followed in the 34th minute when Lucas Vazquez crossed for Rodrygo.<h3>Navas bows out</h3>Sevilla hit back within a minute, with Romero nodding home from Juanlu Sanchez's cross.Madrid stretched their lead after the break with Mbappe dinking a superb pass through for Diaz to finish clinically.Sevilla brought on Navas after the hour mark and he was applauded by the Santiago Bernabeu, with this his 705th and final appearance for the club, far more than any other player.Madrid and Sevilla players together gave the retiring Spanish great -- a World Cup winner in 2010 and two-time Euros champion -- a guard of honour at the start of the game.Navas, 39, won four Europa Leagues and two Copa del Rey trophies with Sevilla, but his final appearance ended in disappointment for the Andalusians.Lukebakio pulled one back late on for Sevilla as Madrid were able to finish an impressive year, in which they became Spanish and European champions, with positive vibes."Today was a spectacle, I haven't seen anything like that in my life at an away ground, it was crazy," an emotional Navas told reporters."I was thinking of all the moments that I've lived through, the joys I've given to my Sevilla and my national team."

MADRID, SPAIN - DECEMBER 22: Federico Valverde of Real Madrid celebrates 2-0 with Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid v Sevilla at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on December 22, 2024 in Madrid Spain

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Bochum ended the year on a high on Sunday, beating relegation rivals Heidenheim 2-0 for their fir...

Bochum ended the year on a high on Sunday, beating relegation rivals Heidenheim 2-0 for their first victory of the Bundesliga season.Rooted in last place in the table, Bochum took an early lead courtesy of striker Moritz Broschinski, whose expert low volley was reward for Ibrahima Sissoko's quality cross from the right. Bochum, who brought in veteran coach Dieter Hecking last month in the hope of igniting their season and saving them from relegation, appeared the hungrier of the sides. <div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>When the second goal came, it was no less than Bochum deserved. Matus Bero created space on the edge of the box and drilled in from 15 yards, putting the hosts in complete control before the break. Heidenheim improved after the restart but the damage was already done and Bochum, who had lost 11 of their previous 14 games, closed it out for a precious three points. Bochum stay bottom going into the winter break but end the calendar year having picked up four points from their last two games and stay within two points of Holstein Kiel, who are directly above them in 17th. Meanwhile, 16th-placed Heidenheim are in freefall. Last season, their first in the Bundesliga, was a huge success, finishing eighth and qualifying for Europe. But they are now coming to terms with their seventh-straight Bundesliga defeat and sit just two points ahead of Kiel.

Bochum, Germany - December 22: Matus Bero of VfL Bochum celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Bundesliga match between VfL Bochum 1848 and 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 at Vonovia Ruhrstadion on December 22, 2024 in Bochum, Germany.

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Wolves boss Vitor Pereira enjoyed a dream debut as his side won 3-0 at relegation rivals Leiceste...

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira enjoyed a dream debut as his side won 3-0 at relegation rivals Leicester.Replacing the sacked Gary O'Neil, former Porto boss Pereira left his role at Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab to fulfil his dream of managing in England.Goncalo Guedes started the Pereira era with a flourish as he met Nelson Semedo's cross with an agile finish in the 19th minute.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>As if that welcome gift from his fellow Portuguese wasn't enough, Pereira received another present from a compatriot in the 36th minute when Rodrigo Gomes slid in to notch his first goal for Wolves.Matheus Cunha's 44th minute strike from Guedes' pass ensured third-bottom Wolves would move within two points of fourth-bottom Leicester.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 22: Vitor Pereira, Manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers, celebrates his teams victory during the Premier League match between Leicester City FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC at The King Power Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Leicester, England.

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Atletico Madrid came from behind to snatch a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Barcelona and claim leade...

Atletico Madrid came from behind to snatch a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Barcelona and claim leadership of La Liga on Saturday.Pedri sent the Catalans ahead but second-half goals from Rodrigo De Paul and Alexander Sorloth helped Diego Simeone's side move three points clear at the top of the table, having played one match fewer than Barca.Hansi Flick's side dominated at the Olympic stadium but Atletico clung on before claiming a 12th consecutive victory across all competitions with Sorloth's stoppage-time strike.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Barcelona started the season in superb form but have stumbled in recent weeks and have now won just one of their last seven league games.This was their third consecutive home league defeat, their worst such run since 1987, while it was also Simeone's first ever away triumph against Barcelona in La Liga.Champions Real Madrid face Sevilla on Sunday and can also move ahead of Barcelona with a victory."We'd never won at Barcelona since I arrived, at last we've done it," Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak told Movistar."We suffered a lot, we started badly... but we are in very good form, we resisted, and after going a goal down we knew how to bear it out without letting in the second."Barcelona, missing injured teenage star Lamine Yamal, controlled the first half and suffocated Atletico with their press, albeit without constructing many chances.Raphinha missed with an early header and had another effort blocked, while Oblak fielded a stinging Inigo Martinez effort.The hosts appealed for a penalty when the ball struck Giuliano Simeone's arm in the area but it would have been a harsh punishment for the Atletico coach's son.Barcelona took the lead after 30 minutes with Pedri both the architect and scorer of the goal.The Spain midfielder burst forward with the ball and fed Gavi, who tried to turn and inadvertently nudged the ball back to the surging Pedri, who entered the box and slotted past Oblak.<h3>Super-sub Sorloth</h3>Barcelona should have doubled their lead early in the second half, with Fermin Lopez denied by Oblak's legs before Raphinha hit the crossbar.Pedri played in the Brazilian winger with a fine pass over the top and Raphinha lofted the ball over the goalkeeper but it struck the woodwork on its way down.Moments later Atletico were level, with Marc Casado's misguided backheel clearance falling to De Paul on the edge of the area.The in-form Argentine midfielder finished with a firm low effort into the bottom corner for his third goal in his last four league games.In the final stages both teams tried to snatch a winner, with La Liga's top goalscorer Robert Lewandowski missing from point-blank range, although Ferran Torres appeared offside in the build-up.At the other end Inaki Pena made a fine save to keep Pablo Barrios at bay, while Oblak saved from Raphinha after another superb Pedri ball.The outstanding Canarian midfielder had a chance to score himself but Oblak again proved too hard to beat, and his efforts did not go unrewarded.Deep in stoppage time Nahuel Molina crossed for regular super-sub Sorloth to strike and ensure Atletico will be top of the pile at Christmas.

BARCELONA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 21: Alexander Sorloth of Atletico de Madrid celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammates during the LaLiga match between FC Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on December 21, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.

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Mikel Arteta said the Premier League title race is "on" after his Arsenal side swept Crystal Pala...

Mikel Arteta said the Premier League title race is "on" after his Arsenal side swept Crystal Palace aside 5-1 on Saturday to move just three points behind leaders Liverpool.Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick against Palace in the League Cup at the Emirates on Wednesday, netted twice at Selhurst Park and was only denied a third by the width of a post, with Kai Havertz pouncing.Palace forward Ismaila Sarr, who had pulled his team level at 1-1, failed to make the most of two inviting opportunities early in the second half.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Instead. Arsenal added two more, climbing back into third place above Nottingham Forest, who had leapfrogged them earlier in the day.The only concern for Arteta - celebrating five years in charge at Arsenal - will be that Bukayo Saka limped off midway through the first half.The Gunners are now within touching distance of Liverpool, but Arne Slot's team have played two games fewer. Chelsea are second, a point clear of Arsenal.A bullish Arteta said the Gunners, who have not won the Premier League title since 2004, were now firmly in the title picture."We are not even halfway so we're going to try and set something. For us, it's on," he told Sky Sports."We're winning, we've done the job, we're in a really good run at the moment. Even though we drew two games in the Premier League (against Fulham and Everton) that we fully deserved to win, it's about the next one. That's it, enjoy," he added.<h3>'Going to enjoy Christmas'</h3>"I'm going to enjoy Christmas with my family because when you win, it's always better."Jesus opened the scoring in the sixth minute, finishing confidently after fine work from Saka on the right wing for his first Premier League goal since January.But Palace were level just five minutes later when Sarr collected a Tyrick Mitchell pass, opening his body and bending the ball past the diving David Raya.Arsenal's second came after a corner, with Jesus steering the ball in off the post with pinpoint precision when it fell to him.Brimming with confidence, he headed against a post in the 38th minute, with Havertz following up to tap in.Sarr could have done better with a diving header from close range in the opening minutes of the second half, but Raya got down low to save.Raya was called into action again minutes later, keeping out Jean-Philippe Mateta's fierce drive from distance and clutching the ball from Sarr's header on the follow-up.But Palace were unable to reduce the deficit and instead Arsenal stretched their lead - and again Jesus could have completed his hat-trick.Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson denied the Brazil international, but substitute Declan Rice made good contact with the ball and Gabriel Martinelli turned it in from close range.Rice scored himself in the 84th minute to make it five, curling a shot from the edge of the box into the far corner.

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 21: Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammate Gabriel during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Arsenal FC at Selhurst Park on December 21, 2024 in London, England.

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Jesus bullies Palace again to breathe life into Arsenal's title bid

Top-flight side Nice needed penalties to beat fifth-tier amateurs Corte to reach the last 32 of t...

Top-flight side Nice needed penalties to beat fifth-tier amateurs Corte to reach the last 32 of the French Cup on Saturday.Three-time winners Nice trailed 1-0 after 11 minutes as Christopher Boussemart opened the scoring for the Corsican hosts, who are bottom of their group in Nationale 3.Former Spurs and Napoli midfielder Tanguy Ndombele then brought the sides level after an hour.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>As the game went to spot kicks Corte's Fabio Perotto missed his side's fourth effort before France right-back Jonathan Clauss sent Les Aiglons into the next round.There is one outfit from the seventh-tier still in the competition.Regionale 2's Marmande head to third-tier Le Mans on Sunday.The highlight of this weekend's last 64 ties is Paris Saint-Germain's trip to Lens on Sunday.

Le Havre's Moroccan midfielder #5 Oussama Targhalline (L) and Nice's French midfielder #22 Tanguy Ndombele go for the ball during the French L1 football match between OGC Nice and Le Havre AC at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice, south-eastern France, on December 7, 2024.

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Nice avoid Coupe de France upset with shootout win over 5th-tier Corte

Sheffield United remained three points clear at the top of English football's second-tier Champio...

Sheffield United remained three points clear at the top of English football's second-tier Championship after a 2-0 win away to Cardiff on Saturday where Kieffer Moore scored twice against his old club."We're getting stretched a little bit at the moment with six senior players out, but this young team keeps doing what they do," said Blades manager Chris Wilder.It was a valuable victory given all of the Blades' three nearest challengers also won as well on Saturday.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Leeds stayed within three points of their Yorkshire rivals after overwhelming Oxford 4-0 thanks to goals from Dan James, Jayden Bogle, Brenden Aaronson and Manor Solomon.Burnley, meanwhile, remained a point further back after edging out fellow promotion hopefuls Watford 2-1.Jaidon Anthony and Josh Brownhill put Burnley on top before Kwadwo Baah's 80th-minute goal threatened a Watford revival.Fourth-placed Sunderland stayed in touch in the hunt for automatic promotion - only the top two at the end of the regular season are guaranteed places in the lucrative Premier League - by coming from behind to beat 10-man Norwich 2-1 Anis Ben Slimane gave the visitors a half-time lead at a windswept Stadium of Light but Daniel Ballard and Jobe Bellingham struck either side of the 72nd-minute dismissal of Jose Cordoba.At the other end of the table, Callum Lang scored all four goals for Portsmouth as they climbed out of the relegation zone with an extraordinary 4-1 win over Coventry at Fratton Park.Norman Bassette gave visitors Coventry, managed by former England midfielder Frank Lampard, the lead inside 150 seconds.But Lang, who had never previously scored a professional hat-trick, turned the game on its head with a superb individual display."Since Callum has come to the football club, he has scored some big goals and he has been our outstanding player this season," said Portsmouth manager John Mousinho."The energy he puts in, the amount of running he does, his physical presence ... it is about adding quality for him. Today he added the quality and was superb."Hull, who started the day bottom of the table, enjoyed a much-needed 2-1 win at home to Swansea, their first victory in 14 matches.Mason Burstow's 80th-minute strike earned new boss Ruben Selles his maiden Hull victory after Harry Darling's fine header cancelled out Joao Pedro's deflected opener for the hosts.Those results helped drop Plymouth to the bottom of the table after Wayne Rooney's men were involved in a thrilling 3-3 draw with a Middlesbrough side managed by his former Manchester United teammate Michael Carrick. Plymouth led three times through Lewis Gibson, Darko Gyabi and Mustapha Bundu, but Boro hit back on each occasion with goals from Jonathan Howson, Hayden Hackney and Emmanuel Latte Lath.Elsewhere, Millwall edged out Blackburn 1-0, QPR continued their rise up up the table with a 2-1 win at home to Preston, and Sheffield Wednesday defeated Stoke 2-0.

Portsmouth's Callum Lang celebrates scoring their side's fourth goal of the game during the Sky Bet Championship match at Fratton Park, Portsmouth. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024.

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Newcastle deepened Ipswich's plight and lifted themselves to seventh in the table with a 4-0 win ...

Newcastle deepened Ipswich's plight and lifted themselves to seventh in the table with a 4-0 win at Portman Road.Isak volleyed Eddie Howe's team ahead in the first minute and Jacob Murphy doubled their lead before Isak side-footed in from close range just before the break.The Sweden international scored his third nine minutes into the second half, poking the ball home after more fine work from Murphy.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>It was a ninth defeat in 17 games for Ipswich since they returned to the Premier League and they remain in the relegation zone, two points from safety.

IPSWICH, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 21: Alexander Isak of Newcastle United celebrates after scoring the first of his three goals during the Premier League match between Ipswich Town FC and Newcastle United FC at Portman Road on December 21, 2024 in Ipswich, England.

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Isak fires hat-trick as Newcastle inflict heavy defeat on Ipswich

Nottingham Forest stormed Brentford's fortress Saturday to climb to third in the Premier League t...

Nottingham Forest stormed Brentford's fortress Saturday to climb to third in the Premier League table.Forest won 2-0 for their third consecutive Premier League victory, condemning Brentford to their first home defeat this season.Coming into the game, Thomas Frank's team boasted the best home record in the league, with seven wins and a draw from their eight games at the Gtech Community Stadium.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>But they came unstuck against Nuno Espirito Santo's in-form team.Ola Aina slotted home the opener towards the end of the first half and Anthony Elanga made it 2-0 early in the second period.

Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match at the Gtech Community Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024.

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German international defender Benjamin Henrichs has torn an Achilles tendon in his right foot and...

German international defender Benjamin Henrichs has torn an Achilles tendon in his right foot and is expected to be sidelined for several months, his club side Leipzig said Saturday.The 27-year-old picked up the injury late in Friday's 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich and was stretched off.Leipzig said Henrichs will undergo surgery in Munich on Monday and is expected to be out for several months.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Marco Rose's side are already without Dutch playmaker Xavi Simons and French defender Castello Lukeba to injury.Leipzig are fourth in the Bundesliga table nine points behind leaders Bayern.

MUNICH, GERMANY - DECEMBER 20: Benjamin Henrichs of Leipzig in action during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and RB Leipzig at Allianz Arena on December 20, 2024 in Munich, Germany.

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Leipzig's Henrichs ruled out several months with Achilles injury

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insisted his struggling Premier League champions will regai...

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insisted his struggling Premier League champions will regain their confidence after a 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa on Saturday meant they had lost nine of their last 12 matches in all competitions.Jhon Duran gave Villa an early lead before Morgan Rogers doubled the Birmingham club's advantage in the 65th minute. Phil Foden's stoppage-time goal for visitors City came too late to change the result as Villa climbed above Guardiola's men into fifth place in the table.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Defeat extended the worst run of Guardiola's celebrated managerial career but the City boss was adamant he and his players could regain their confidence, telling TNT Sports: "Step by step, we have nice personalities in the team and sooner or later we are going to find it."Guardiola praised a Villa side managed by fellow Spanish boss Unai Emery by saying: "Congratulations Aston Villa and keep going. In the mid-block they are so strong. "We have good moments, we had chances, more chances than in the (Manchester) United game, but in the second half we dropped and our pressing was not good enough... We found a goal in the end, but too late."This result meant previously prolific striker Erling Haaland, a key figure while City were winning an unprecedented four successive Premier League titles, has now scored just once in his last six appearances."Of course we are disappointed," he said. It's not good enough, it's not good enough from me."Haaland added: "We have to continue. First I'm looking at myself, I haven't been doing things good enough, I haven't been scoring my chances. I have to do better, I haven't been good enough."Haaland, however, backed Guardiola to oversee a City revival. "He (Guardiola) won the Premier League six times in seven years, so we will never forget that," said Haaland. "He will find the solutions. He has been doing that every single year. We still believe in him, we have to work harder than ever right now."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (left) reacts on the touchline during the Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024.

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Guardiola says City will regain confidence 'sooner or later' after another loss

Aston Villa beat crisis-hit Manchester City 2-1 on Saturday to heap more misery on floundering ma...

Aston Villa beat crisis-hit Manchester City 2-1 on Saturday to heap more misery on floundering manager Pep Guardiola, who has now suffered nine defeats in his past 12 matches.Jhon Duran finished off a fine team move to give the home side an early lead and Morgan Rogers doubled Villa's advantage in the 65th minute.Phil Foden scored his first Premier League goal of the season in stoppage time to pull one back, but it proved to be too little too late.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Guardiola, in the worst run of his managerial career, said Friday that "sooner or later" things will turn around, but City's fear factor has vanished and they have just one win in their past 12 games in all competitions.City have now lost six Premier League games in the current campaign, twice as many as they suffered during the whole of last season, when they were crowned champions for a fourth straight season.They have dropped to sixth in the Premier League, nine points behind leaders Liverpool having played two games more, while Villa leapfrogged them into fifth.Guardiola said he trusted his players despite their shocking form."It depends on us," he told the BBC. "The solution is bring the players back. We have just one central defender fit. That is difficult.""We have to think positive and I have incredible trust in the guys," he added. "Some of them have incredible pride and desire to do it. We have to find a way, step by step, sooner or later to find a way back."Guardiola made six changes to the team side that lost last week's Manchester derby, bringing in goalkeeper Stefan Ortega and reshaping his defence with Rico Lewis, John Stones and Manuel Akanji.Mateo Kovacic and Jack Grealish also returned.But the defending champions started the match in chaotic fashion and could have been behind with just 15 seconds on the clock.Untidy work from Josko Gvardiol allowed John McGinn to steal the ball and he fed Duran, whose shot from outside the box was pushed behind by Ortega.Villa were millimetres away from taking the lead from the resulting corner, with Ortega, in for injured first-choice goalkeeper Ederson, producing a superb save to deny Pau Torres.City then settled and their possession numbers topped 75% but they created little.<h3>Duran strikes again</h3>Instead, it was Villa who took the lead in the 16th minute through Duran after a superb team move.Youri Tielemans delivered a wonderful defence-splitting pass to Rogers, who burst through City's backline with ease before squaring for Duran, and the Colombian international finished crisply for his seventh Premier League goal of the season.Foden tested Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the 35th minute after an incisive move involving Lewis.And Gvardiol squandered a glorious chance moments before half-time, heading a Grealish cross over the bar.Guardiola brought on Kyle Walker for Stones at the break, but Villa again took control, this time enjoying much more of the ball.Minutes into the second half, Matty Cash lashed an attempt into the side netting after a speedy attack before Duran had a strike ruled out for offside.Rogers, formerly of Manchester City, hit the foot of the post just before the hour mark after an intricate team move down the left.But Emery's men doubled their lead 20 minutes into the second half, with Rogers finishing unerringly from a McGinn pass.City created little as they searched for a way back into the game until Foden pounced for a late consolation goal.Emery told TNT Sports that Villa were "feeling strong.""We played the first half very well," he said. "In the second half, we kept possession more and getting in the box to score the second goal, we imposed and dominated more."

Manchester City's Phil Foden (centre) stands dejected after the Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024.

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Man City suffer 9th loss in 12 games with Aston Villa defeat

France international footballer Paul Pogba told AFP on Friday he wanted "to turn the page" after ...

France international footballer Paul Pogba told AFP on Friday he wanted "to turn the page" after his brother was sentenced to a three-year prison term, with two years suspended, after a high-profile extortion case."There is no winner in this case which involves members of my family and people I have known since childhood," the former Juventus and Manchester United star said through his lawyer.On Thursday, Mathias Pogba, the elder brother of the footballer, was told he would be able to serve his sentence at home while wearing an electronic device rather than behind bars. <div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The court also fined Mathias 20,000 euros for participating in the attempted extortion of 13 million euros ($13.5 million) from Paul Pogba in 2022, and for putting pressure on the player, his family and his business contacts to obtain the payment.Five childhood friends of the player were sentenced up to eight years in prison and handed fines of 20,000 to 40,000 euros, for extortion, kidnapping as well as participation in a criminal gang."I can finally turn the page on this extremely painful period," said Paul Pogba on Friday."This conclusion is an opportunity for everyone to focus on the future."The 31-year-old added: "Now that the judgement has been made, I can fully concentrate on my return to professional football."The trial came on top of professional woes for Paul Pogba, whose career has been far from smooth since France's 2018 World Cup win when he scored against Croatia in the final.He suffered through repeated injuries and patchy form that led to his departure from Manchester United in 2022. He returned for a second stint at Juventus, where problems continued to dog him.He is serving a suspension for doping which was reduced to 18 months on appeal and he will be free to play again in March next year, but last month Juventus terminated his contract.

CARLO CASTELLANI STADIUM, EMPOLI, ITALY - 2023/09/03: Paul Pogba of Juventus FC during the Serie A football match between Empoli FC and Juventus FC. Juventus won 2-0 over Empoli.

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Pogba keen to move on after brother sentenced: 'No winner in this case'

Tijjani Reijnders gave AC Milan something to cheer about over Christmas with the only goal in Fri...

Tijjani Reijnders gave AC Milan something to cheer about over Christmas with the only goal in Friday's 1-0 win at lowly Verona which was marked by more fan protests.Netherlands midfielder Reijnders lashed in his eighth goal of the season from Milan's first real chance of the game in the 56th minute, crashing home first-time from Youssouf Fofana's neat pass."It was very important... luckily we won because it was a difficult match but we got the three points and now we can celebrate Christmas," said Reijnders.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Reijnders' strike moved Milan up a place to seventh on 26 points, five from the Champions League positions and 11 behind leaders Atalanta who host Empoli on Sunday.That position is not where supporters expected to be this season under Paulo Fonseca and the away end loudly voiced its dissent throughout the first half.Chants demanding Gerry Cardinale, founder of Milan's owners RedBird Capital Partners, to "sell and go" rang around the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi, as did others urging the players to "show some balls".Milan chairman Paolo Scaroni said on Friday that Redbird are a "committed owner for the long-term" following the announcement of a refinancing of the vendor loan taken out with previous owners Elliott Management when acquiring the club in 2022.Reijnders has been one of the few consistent bright spots of an otherwise up-and-down season for Milan, whose celebrations for the club's 125th anniversary were ruined by angry fans barracking players and the ownership.Milan came into Friday's game missing a host of key players, including Christian Pulisic and Alvaro Morata, and lost Rafael Leao to a left hamstring knock in the first half.Leao was replaced by Theo Hernandez who was once again dropped to the bench despite Fonseca, whose job is reported to be under threat, insisting that the France full-back is not being punished for poor attitude."I just spoke to Rafa and I don't think it's anything serious," said Fonseca to DAZN. "We'll know more tomorrow but it (taking him off) was more a preventative measure because he didn't want to take any risks."Narrow defeat for Verona leaves Paolo Zanetti's team one point and place above the relegation zone.

VERONA, ITALY - DECEMBER 20: Tijjani Reijnders of AC Milan celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A match between Verona and AC Milan at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on December 20, 2024 in Verona, Italy.

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Reijnders gifts ailing Milan festive cheer at Verona

Serie A named Ezio Simonelli as its new president on Friday following a vote held during a meetin...

Serie A named Ezio Simonelli as its new president on Friday following a vote held during a meeting of Italy's top football clubs.Simonelli replaces Lorenzo Casini, who stepped aside after leading Serie A since 2022, after gaining the support of 14 of the division's 20 clubs.The 66-year-old was an aide to Silvio Berlusconi and close to the deceased former Italian prime minister's right-hand-man, Adriano Galliani, who is CEO of top flight club Monza.

ALLIANZ STADIUM, TURIN, ITALY - 2024/12/17: The official Serie A match ball Puma 'Orbita' is seen on a plinth prior to the Coppa Italia football match between Juventus FC and Cagliari Calcio. Juventus FC won 4-0 over Cagliari Calcio.

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Ezio Simonelli, former aide to Berlusconi, elected Serie A president

Manchester City defender Ruben Dias has been ruled out for up to four weeks with a muscular issue...

Manchester City defender Ruben Dias has been ruled out for up to four weeks with a muscular issue, compounding Pep Guardiola's problems as he seeks to save the club's season.The Portugal international missed all five matches in November with a calf problem but returned at the start of December and has been an ever-present this month.But he will not be available for City's trip to Aston Villa on Saturday, while there is uncertainty about the fitness of goalkeeper Ederson.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"Ruben is out for a long time and Ederson, I don't know if he will be ready tomorrow," Guardiola said on Friday.The City boss added that Dias would be out for "three or four weeks"."After 75 minutes against United he felt something," he said. "He's strong and wanted to stay on the pitch but now he's injured."Injury-hit City have suffered a dramatic collapse in form over recent weeks, losing eight of their past 11 games in all competitions and are fifth in the Premier League table.Nathan Ake remains out but fellow defenders Manuel Akanji and John Stones are back in full training."Manuel and John are back in training," said Guardiola. "That is good for us. As many players that are back the better."I don't know yet (if they can start against Aston Villa). Yesterday was their first training session, I would say, properly. They have been out for a while."City's current run is the worst of Guardiola's managerial career, which has included glittering stints at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.But he was defiant ahead of the trip to Unai Emery's Villa, who are in seventh place in the table."If you fall down six times, you have to stand up seven," he said. "There's not an alternative."I am fine. I am a normal person. When it is going well I am better, when it is not going well professionally we are more concerned about what we have to do."We have to start again but we don't know what will happen (at Villa Park). We have to try it again and sooner or later it will turn around."

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07: Ruben Dias of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Manchester City FC at Selhurst Park on December 7, 2024 in London, United Kingdom.

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Dias sidelined up to 4 weeks as Man City suffer fresh blow

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