Turkey Up to a Flying start .

Netherlands began their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign with a surprise defeat by Turkey. The Dutch, runners up in 2010, fell behind when Burak Yilmaz's deflected shot wrong-footed goalkeeper Tim Krul. Yilmaz then converted a penalty before Hakan Calhanoglu curled in a third. Memphis Depay saw a late spot-kick saved for the Dutch, who threatened to fight back via goals from Davy Klaassen and Luuk de Jong, but Yilmaz's superb free-kick rounded off the scoring. It proved a difficult evening for the Netherlands who initially struggled to trouble Ugurcan Cakır in the Turkey goal. Matthijs de Ligt went close to scoring for the Dutch just before half-time but his header was cleared off the line.

And while two goals in the space of two minutes, from substitutes Klaassen and De Jong, gave them a way back into the contest, they were second best for long periods.

Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool: Saka shines in Community Shield as Minamino makes his mark

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates his opening goal for Arsenal against Liverpool in the Community Shield Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's fantastic early strike handed Arsenal the lead and they held on for a long time at Wembley, before sub Takumi Minamino took his chance and converted from close range to draw Liverpool level. Joe Willock went closest to a winner but he couldn't direct a free header on target with five minutes left, not that it mattered in the long run. Rhian Brewster, brought on in stoppage-time to take a penalty, was the only player to miss as he blasted his effort against the crossbar and Aubameyang netted the final pen to hand the Gunners a 5-4 victory from the spot. Arsenal Emiliano Martinez - 8 Not forced into a save before the break as Arsenal's defence kept Liverpool out, but twice came off his line quickly to deny Mane, either side of Minamino's strike. He has taken his chance between the sticks with both hands and is full of confidence. Hector Bellerin - 7 Always a threat going forward and defended with discipline before going off. Will be disappointed at the amount of times Robertson was able to whip the ball into the box. David Luiz - 6 Gave the ball away whilst trying to play out from the back too often and did look nervous when doing that. Went about his defensive work well for the most part. Rob Holding - 6 Tipped to head to Newcastle on loan and the centre-back showed at Wembley why they would want him. Dealt with Liverpool's potent front three well and only let Mane get in behind him once from a long Van Dijk ball. Kieran Tierney - 7 Showed his usual desire to defend and clear balls from his box and also got forward lots, acting more as a left-back when Arsenal had the ball and a centre-back when they didn't. Tired as the game wore on but set for a big season. Ainsley Maitland-Niles - 8 The youngster really grew into the game and was fantastic up against Mohamed Salah and Liverpool's forwards. It's tough to see why Arsenal are reportedly prepared to sell the youngster, with Wolves interested, and he keeps producing on the big stage. Mohamed Elneny - 7 Probably never expected to pull on an Arsenal shirt again after spending a season on loan at Besiktas but produced a neat and tidy display. He used the ball sensibly when he had it and as part of the deep midfield duo, frustrated Liverpool. Granit Xhaka - 7 Did the ugly parts of the game so well in the first half as he picked up loose balls and made important interceptions. A vocal presence in the middle too.

Bukayo Saka showed his quality again at Wembley Bukayo Saka - 8 Seems to get better and better every time he plays. A great ball out to Aubameyang helped set up the goal and he should have had another assist when a perfectly-weighted pass led to Nketiah forcing Alisson into a smart save. Quieter after the break as Liverpool penned Arsenal inside their own half. Eddie Nketiah - 6 Lively through the middle and showed Arteta enough prior to the break to suggest he should be used there regularly. May feel he should have beaten Alisson in the first half but he did little wrong with his low finish. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 8 Delivered with his very first involvement. Fantastic finish into the top corner to make it five goals in his last three games at Wembley. Aubameyang has so much quality in the final third and the Gunners absolutely have to keep him if they want to progress this season. Subs Cedric Soares (for Bellerin, 58 minutes) - 6 Needless foul on Minamino gave Liverpool a dangerous free-kick and saw the ball rebound off him to set up Minamino's equaliser rather unfortunately. Joe Willock (for Saka, 82 minutes) - N/A Should have done better with a free header inside the box but could only direct it wide of the far post. Reiss Nelson (for Nketiah, 82 minutes) - N/A Showed good character to net from the spot. Sead Kolasinac (for Tierney, 82 minutes) N/A Liverpool Alisson Becker - 7 There was little Alisson could do with Aubameyang's fine strike but he did make a fantastic low save to prevent Nketiah make it two shortly after. Aside from that, it was not a difficult afternoon for the Brazilian as Liverpool dominated the ball. Neco Williams - 5 A nervous display from Williams who struggled with the fantastic Aubameyang. Gave the forward far too much space for the goal and was afforded little help from those ahead of him. Joe Gomez - 6 Felt the wrath of Van Dijk when he gave the ball away early and didn't always look comfortable as Nketiah buzzed around him. Shifted to right-back in the second half and showed his versatility. Virgil van Dijk - 7 Was needlessly offside as he converted Robertson's early free-kick. Went about his defensive work with his usual calm demeanour and sprayed a couple of lovely long balls, including one for Mane early in the second period. Andy Robertson - 7 Liverpool's best player in a surprisingly lacklustre first-half performance, Robertson put in eight crosses and they were all of the highest quality before the break. That nobody got on the end of them was not his fault and he carried that role on throughout the game. Fabinho - 5 After a bright start, he gave the ball away twice in quick succession which seemed to dent his confidence. Moved back into centre-back but was not tested greatly. James Milner - 6 The veteran was Liverpool's best midfielder while he was on the pitch, always busy and looking to find pockets off space when going forward. Gigi Wijnaldum - 5 Uncharacteristically sloppy in possession during a poor first-half display and just failed to make any sort of mark on proceedings. Was a surprise to see Milner taken off rather than the Dutchman. Sadio Mane - 7 Twice found himself thwarted by Martinez racing off his line to smother his attempts. Maybe should have done better with the first but was by far the sharpest of Liverpool's much-vaunted front three. Mohamed Salah - 5 Just could not involved in the game although it wasn't for a lack of trying. He had to leave the right flank to try and find opportunities as he tried to make an impact but Arsenal's stout defence kept him very quiet. Takumi Minamino impressed for Liverpool Takumi Minamino impressed for Liverpool Roberto Firmino - 6 Anonymous in the first half, Firmino came close to equalising as he picked up the ball and tried his luck from outside the box shortly after the break. But he found service lacking and when the balls were played into the box, the Brazilian could not get on the end of them. Subs Takumi Minamino (for Williams, 59 minutes) - 8 A really bright appearance off the bench from Minamino and he notched his first Liverpool goal as a result. Great composure when the ball bounced his way to beat Martinez. Had tried his luck from range shortly after coming on with a shot that was easy for Martinez and cleverly won a free-kick off Soares before that strike too. Naby Keita (for Milner, 59 minutes) - 6 Yet to live up to his price-tag and didn't have the same influence as his fellow sub Minamino. Curtis Jones (for Firmino, 82 minutes) - N/A A well-taken penalty when he had to score. Also See: Auba secures Arsenal shootout Shield win As it happened Rhian Brewster (for Wijnaldum, 92 minutes) - N/A Missed the penalty after being brought on just to take it.

Manchester City: 'This season has simply not been good enough' - European exit reaffirms faults

 

Manchester City have had Champions League disappointments before but few will have hurt as much as this - arguably their best chance to finally claim the prize they covet most, cast aside amid controversy but even more by self-inflicted wounds.

Pep Guardiola's side played with a potent mixture of confidence, discipline and panache to dismiss Real Madrid and set up a quarter-final against Lyon in this new one-off format in Lisbon that seemed to suit City perfectly.

And yet, as they have in Guardiola's previous four seasons at City, they have come up short when trying to cross the barrier into the Champions League semi-final.

Guardiola called this a "once in a lifetime" chance but it was wasted as the Catalan was overcome by caution, gripped by conservatism that cost him and his team dear.

 First, the shock 3-1 loss to underdogs Lyon means this must now be regarded as a season of relative failure for Guardiola and City when measured against the ambitions, aspirations and standards of the club.

The League Cup was won against Aston Villa but their Premier League title was lost tamely to Liverpool, while the FA Cup holders lost 2-0 to Arsenal in the semi-final.

Dress it up how you like. If City's final reckoning had been flagged up at the start of the season, no-one at Etihad Stadium would have accepted it. At best, very best, it would have been viewed as a desperate letdown.

The Champions League appears to cast a peculiar curse on City and on a manager who has not won it since Barcelona's 3-1 triumph over Manchester United at Wembley in 2011.

City were undone at the quarter-final stage last year by the merest touch and a VAR offside in the final seconds of the second leg against Tottenham, and here they can certainly offer a valid complaint about injustice.

Aymeric Laporte appeared to be clearly upended by Moussa Dembele before he scored Lyon's vital second but sympathy is in short supply for City elsewhere.

Raheem Sterling missed a crucial opportunity to draw the scores level at 2-2

How does Raheem Sterling, 31 goals this season, lash the ball over an open goal from five yards with the score 2-1? And how, just 59 seconds later, does the normally reliable goalkeeper Ederson fumble the most routine shot from Houssem Aouar, allowing Dembele to send City out?

In this instance, however, the main responsibility must lie with an over-thought, over-respectful approach from Guardiola, whose decision to play a back three allowed Lyon a lead and a foothold and left so many of his creators and manipulators-in-chief, such as Bernardo Silva, David Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden, on the bench.

It led to a dull first half lacking in creation. City, by Guardiola's own hand, gave Lyon confidence. He looked like he was guilty of over-thinking it again, a common problem with his previous Champions League strategies. Lyon are a decent side, they put Juventus out after all, but good enough for Guardiola to change tack so crucially? Surely not.

Manchester City, managed by Pep Guardiola, lacked creativity in a Champions League quarter-final. In football terms it sounds like sacrilege and that is exactly what it was.

And a fatal error.

In the wider context it simply reaffirmed the faults in this City team that led to them losing nine league games and being overpowered by Liverpool in the title race, undermined in the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal and becoming the victims of a classic smash-and-grab here.

 

Ederson has only kept two clean sheets in eight Champions League matches this season

Who knows how City would have fared against rampant Bayern Munich after their 8-2 torture of Barcelona? We will never know because they have never been good enough to reach the last four under Guardiola.

Guardiola reached the last 16 in his first season at the club and the quarter-finals in three subsequent Champions League campaigns. This is simply not good enough and cannot be disguised by all the wonderful domestic successes he and City have enjoyed.

City won the title under Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini and while nothing must be taken away from Guardiola, he was appointed as the man who would cross that final frontier and claim the trophy that would be confirmation of the club's arrival as a European superpower.

He has yet to achieve it. Could it be that City and Guardiola lurch under the weight of expectation and hope when they arrive at the latter stages of the Champions League, the prize regarded as they ultimate destination for the club's Abu Dhabi-based hierarchy?

In among the questions surrounding his system, City's defending was still self-destructive, as it has been too often in key moments in the past.

City drew level with Lyon in the 69th minute thanks Kevin de Bruyne's strike - but they were behind agan 10 minutes later

Guardiola, who surely made a mistake not replacing Vincent Kompany's leadership and presence when he left, already knows this side is in need of refreshing.

One man who definitely will not be back is the great David Silva, and what a sad end it was for the 34-year-old, a club icon after a decade at City, thrown on in a panic to replace Rodri with just six minutes left and the Champions League dream dying before his eyes.

Foden will fill that vacancy, while the promising Spanish attacker Ferran Torres has arrived from Valencia, but it is further back that Guardiola has his most pressing needs.

Laporte is outstanding, although not without flaw, but the arrival of Nathan Ake for £40m from Bournemouth is only a start and surely further reinforcements are needed in the mould of Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly.

Where does this leave England's John Stones, who is now a marginalised figure? Looking for a new club, one suspects.

City are also vulnerable in the full-back positions, with Kyle Walker inconsistent on the right and none of Benjamin Mendy, Oleksandr Zinchenko or Joao Cancelo looking anything like the class required on the left.

There is so much right with this side. Just look at the class of Kevin de Bruyne, the brilliance of Raheem Sterling, the easy-on-the-eye style that is gloriously deadly in full cry.

Too often this season, however, too much has been wrong and so it was again in Lisbon on Saturday.

Cut this any way you like, but another Champions League exit means this season has simply not been good enough for Manchester City and still leaves that gaping hole in Guardiola's record of success since his arrival at Etihad Stadium.

 

Sevilla break Man Utd hearts in Europa League semi-final - reaction

Comments from the Game:

Sevilla represent everything that is odious with modern football, diving around at every opportunity, lacking class and somehow (somehow) winning a game in which they were outclassed. Utd need a striker, if they had took half their chances they would have scored 6. They must be gutted, Sevilla should be embarrassed.

What is it with managers lately bringing on strikers or fowards with 3 or 6 minutes to go and expecting them to bag goals with such short time?

Inter sign Lukaku from Man United for €80m

Inter Milan have signed Romelu Lukaku from Manchester United for €80 million, bringing an end to their pursuit of the forward, which has lasted the majority of the summer.

Antonio Conte had targeted the Belgium international almost immediately after being appointed as Inter manager and, after a difficult negotiation, the two clubs were able to agree on a deal. Lukaku inked a contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2024. "Inter were the only club I wanted, because Inter is Not For Everyone. I'm here to bring the Nerazzurri back to the top," Lukaku said in a release by the club. Lukaku, 26, had appeared close to joining Juventus with the Bianconeri agreeing a swap deal which would have seen Paulo Dybala join United. However, the deal failed to materialise as United pulled out of talks with Dybala due to concerns over the Argentina international's desire to move to Old Trafford. Following the breakdown in negotiations, Lukaku trained with Anderlecht in Belgium, which led to a fine from United. Lukaku was a target for Conte's Chelsea in 2017, but he joined United from Everton for an initial £75m rising to £90m instead. He was the first-choice forward under Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford, but he lost his starting place to Marcus Rashford once the Portuguese manager was replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer named Man Utd caretaker manager until end of season

Manchester United have named former player Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as caretaker manager until the end of the season, a day after sacking Jose Mourinho. Solskjaer spent 11 seasons at Old Trafford, scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final. The 45-year-old takes over with United sixth in the Premier League. "Manchester United is in my heart and it's brilliant to be coming back in this role," said the Norwegian. "This is an opportunity I had to take. "I'm really looking forward to working with the very talented squad we have, the staff and everyone at the club." What can Man Utd expect from Solskjaer? Title winners to 'rotten to the core' - where did it all go wrong for Man Utd? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (left), celebrating with fellow Norwegians Henning Berg (centre) and Ronny Johnsen, won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the 1999 Champions League at Manchester United Solskjaer, who earlier this month signed a new deal as manager of Norwegian club Molde, will be joined by Mike Phelan, who returns as first-team coach having previously worked alongside Sir Alex Ferguson. Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna, both part of Mourinho's coaching staff, will continue to work under Solskjaer. Solskjaer's first match in charge will be against Cardiff - where he endured an ill-fated spell as manager - on Saturday. He was relegated from the Premier League with the Bluebirds during an eight-month spell as manager in 2014, then sacked after a poor start to the Championship campaign. United will look to appoint a permanent boss at the end of the season. "Ole is a club legend with huge experience, both on the pitch and in coaching roles," said Ed Woodward, United's executive vice-chairman. "His history at Manchester United means he lives and breathes the culture here and everyone at the club is delighted to have him and Mike Phelan back. "We are confident they will unite the players and the fans as we head into the second half of the season." Man Utd's next six fixtures Sat 22 Dec Cardiff v Man Utd Premier League Wed 26 Dec Man Utd v Huddersfield Premier League Sun 30 Dec Man Utd v Bournemouth Premier League Wed 2 Jan Newcastle v Man Utd Premier League Sat 5 Jan Man Utd v Reading FA Cup third round Sun 13 Jan Tottenham v Man Utd Premier League United confirmed the return of Solskjaer, who started his coaching career as the reserve team manager at Old Trafford, on Wednesday morning. The club appeared to inadvertently announce his arrival 12 hours earlier, when a video featuring Solskjaer scoring the winner in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in 1999 was briefly on their official website. It led to Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg welcomed Solskjaer's appointment on social media, writing: "Great day for Norwegian football. Good luck keeping control of the Red Devils." She later deleted the tweet. Solskjaer 'loan is a big opportunity' for Molde Molde's 2018 season has finished for the winter and does not restart until March. United's statement announcing Solskjaer's arrival as caretaker manager made no mention of whether or not he will return to Molde when the Premier League season ends. But the Norwegian club stressed they were only "lending" Solskjaer to United, indicating they expect him to return to his previous role. "This is a big opportunity for Molde FK, we think it will be developing and helping to put Molde further on the football card," Oystein Neerland, the club's chief executive officer, said. Solskjaer is in his second spell as Molde manager after returning to the club, little over a year after he was sacked by Cardiff, in October 2015.

https://sp897.com/tracking/9866/28631 In his first spell, Solskjaer led the club to their first Norwegian title in 2011, going on to retain the trophy in the following season. 'Is this where United are really at?' - former players react Former Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher described his old team-mate Solskjaer as a "smiling assassin", who is a "lovely fella" but can deliver some "cutting words" in the dressing room. "He'd let people know when they weren't doing things that were expected of them and he's been at the club with a lot of big characters," said the Stoke midfielder, speaking to BBC Radio 5 live before the appointment was confirmed. "But United shouldn't really be appointing an interim manager. There is a real concern that you could have two seasons of rebuilding again, which is a real worry, and Manchester United should never be in this position. It's mismanagement from the top level." Former Leicester City and Wales midfielder Robbie Savage, who was a youth player at United, said it was a "shambles" that the club would take Solskjaer from Molde. He said: "Is this where United are really at? Solskjaer is a legend and the fans still sing his name, but, really, the biggest club in the world appointing an interim boss who manages Molde?" John Arne Riise tweet Solskjaer's appointment is welcomed by his former Norway team-mate John Arne Riise 'The smiling assassin sums him up' Dafydd Pritchard, BBC Sport Wales At times, Solskjaer's scattergun approach in the transfer market gave the impression he was indulging in a real-life version of Football Manager, the computer game he said he had enjoyed playing before making the actual move to the dugout. Given that track record, if Solskjaer is to take the reins at United, it will be interesting to see how much influence chief executive Ed Woodward will allow the Norwegian when the transfer window reopens in January.

Jose Mourinho: Manchester United sack manager

Manchester United have sacked Jose Mourinho as manager after two and a half years in charge. The Portuguese, 55, won the League Cup and the Europa League at Old Trafford. But United are sixth in the Premier League, 19 points behind leaders Liverpool, who beat them 3-1 on Sunday. "A caretaker-manager will be appointed until the end of the season while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time manager," United said in a statement. "The club would like to thank Jose for his work during his time at Manchester United and to wish him success in the future." Liverpool were 'better, stronger, faster' - Mourinho United's haul of 26 points after their first 17 Premier League games, is their worst tally in the top flight at this stage since 1990-91. They are 11 points off the top four and closer to the relegation zone than the top of the table. Mourinho's sacking comes after a fall-out with £89m record signing Paul Pogba, who was an unused substitute for the defeat at Anfield on Sunday. And it continues his run of never completing four consecutive seasons in charge of a club. Only once has he made it into a fourth campaign, but he left Chelsea on 17 December 2015 during his second spell at Stamford Bridge.