Former Manchester United defender, Patrice Evra has said that Bruno Fernandes is a problem to the club despite his goals and assists.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Fernandes scored a brace for Manchester United in their most recent game, a 4-1 win over Wolves on Monday.

Evra told Stake that the Portuguese midfielder’s goals and assists hide a fundamental flaw in his game.

According to him, the midfielder is just everywhere during games and often does too much on the pitch, indicating a lack of positional discipline.

“It’s always sensitive to talk about Bruno. Bruno is giving assists and scoring goals, this has never been the issue.

“The issue for me is for him to control the team and the tempo when he gets the ball.

“You couldn’t tell me where he’s playing because he’s everywhere. And at the end, you’re not even at your right position.

“But United wouldn’t be where they are in the table if Bruno wasn’t playing.”

Fernandes has been heavily criticised for not acting like a captain should by being a leader.

He has also been accused of always showing frustration and easily distracted.

Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has acknowledged the significant financial strain placed on the club by the record-breaking summer signing of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

To secure the highly sought-after forward, Galatasaray committed to an unprecedented financial package, a move that is now impacting their operational flexibility.

The deal, which includes his salary, is projected to cost Galatasaray up to €150 million, a figure Buruk described as a “huge burden.”

The transfer shattered previous records in the Turkish Super Lig, where no club had previously spent more than €30 million on a single player.

Buruk speaks on Osimhen’s salaray

The squad’s lack of depth has become a pressing issue, forcing Buruk to occasionally rely on academy players to fill the bench.

When questioned about potential January reinforcements following the loss in Monaco, the coach pointed to the financial constraints imposed by the Osimhen deal.

“There are no defenders left on the reserve bench. If someone got injured, there would be no solution,” Buruk stated, according to Sport News.

“We are going through a difficult period, and we have not been able to get the desired results from some players.”

Osimhen back among the goals.

He elaborated on the financial limitations, explaining, “There are salary budget restrictions from both the TFF and UEFA for transfers. We bought Osimhen for 75 million euros, and his salary is also a huge burden.”

“We brought in important players like Sane, İlkay, Singo, but no one could have foreseen this scenario,” he added. “The responsibility is mine. We will make a correct plan in the winter transfer window.”

Arsenal kept their perfect Champions League run alive on Wednesday night with a confident 3-0 win over Club Brugge, stretching their league-phase record to six victories from six matches.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Noni Madueke delivered the standout performance in Belgium with a superb brace, while Gabriel Martinelli added another as the visitors controlled long stretches at the Jan Breydelstadion.

Mikel Arteta opted for heavy rotation in the club’s first competitive meeting with Brugge, reshaping his defence after fresh injury setbacks. Christian Nørgaard partnered Piero Hincapié at centre-back.

Arsenal settled quickly, with Martin Ødegaard forcing an early save. Hincapié struck the base of the post midway through the half, and Viktor Gyökeres flashed a header just wide.

Madueke’s opener arrived in the 24th minute after a smooth solo run from inside the Brugge half, finished with a powerful left-footed strike into the top corner.

Brugge responded before the break, with Carlos Forbs, Aleksandar Stankovic and Christos Tzolis all drawing saves from David Raya, but Arsenal recaptured control straight after the restart.

Two minutes into the second half, Madueke doubled the advantage by heading in at the far post from Martin Zubimendi’s floated cross.

Martinelli added the third soon after, curling in from the left to extend his run to five straight Champions League matches with a goal.

There was further encouragement for Arsenal as Gabriel Jesus returned after 332 days out with an ACL injury. He struck the crossbar from an Ethan Nwaneri pass and later drew another smart save. Sixteen-year-old Marli Salmon also made his senior debut, becoming one of the youngest players to represent the club.

Brugge rallied late on through Kaye Furo, Stankovic and Bjorn Meijer, but Arsenal saw out the win to remain three points clear at the top of their group.

They now turn to Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Wolves before returning to European duties against Inter Milan and Kairat Almaty in January.

Manchester City also enjoyed a strong Champions League night, coming from behind to defeat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Bernabeu and intensifying scrutiny around Xabi Alonso’s position.

Manchester City win champions League Match

Madrid struck first through Rodrygo Goes, but City turned the match on its head before half-time. Nico O’Reilly capitalised on a fumble from Thibaut Courtois, and Erling Haaland converted a penalty to give Pep Guardiola’s side a deserved victory.

Madrid, missing Kylian Mbappe due to knee discomfort, have now won just two of their last eight games.
Full Champions League Results (Matchday 6 of 8)

Tuesday, 9 December

Kairat 0-1 Olympiacos
Bayern 3-1 Sporting
Atalanta 2-1 Chelsea
Monaco 1-0 Galatasaray
Union Saint-Gilloise 2-3 Marseille
PSV 2-3 Atlético Madrid
Barcelona 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Inter 0-1 Liverpool
Tottenham 3-0 Slavia Praha

Wednesday, December 10

Villarreal 2-3 Copenhagen
Qarabag FK 2-4 Ajax
Leverkusen 2-2 Newcastle
Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City
Benfica 2-0 Napoli
Club Brugge 0-3 Arsenal
Athletic Club 0-0 PSG
Juventus 2-0 Pafos
Dortmund 2-2 Bodø/Glimt