International Football Thread

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Leverkusen sign former Real Madrid defender Vazquez​

The five-time Champions League winner joins on a free transfer

AFP
August 27, 2025

PHOTO: AFP

BERLIN: Former Real Madrid right back Lucas Vazquez has joined Bayer Leverkusen until 2027, the German club announced on Tuesday.

The five-time Champions League winner joins on a free transfer, having been a free agent since his Madrid contract expired in the summer.

The 34-year-old completed a medical in Madrid and is in line to play in Leverkusen's next match, away at Werder Bremen on Saturday.

In a statement, Vazquez said he was "looking forward to continuing my career at Leverkusen".

Vazquez revealed former Leverkusen coach and current Real manager Xabi Alonso and one-time Leverkusen player Dani Carvajal, who is now at Madrid, helped convince him to join the German side.

"With Lucas Vazquez we are signing an extremely experienced player who has won everything there was to win with Real Madrid over the past ten years," said Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes, adding the newcomer would become "a pillar" of the side.

Leverkusen were looking for a right-back after Jeremie Frimpong's move to Liverpool at the end of last season.

Other than a short stint at Espanyol, Vazquez spent his entire career with Real Madrid, winning four La Liga titles.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's arrival at Real meant Vazquez fell lower in the pecking order at right back, but the nine-time capped Spanish player wanted to continue his career.

Unbeaten domestic double winners two seasons ago, Leverkusen have undergone a complete rebuild this summer, with several key players leaving the club.

 

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Wolves inflict more woe on West Ham, Leeds crash out League Cup​

The Norwegian striker struck twice in three minutes

AFP
August 27, 2025

Jørgen Strand Larsen rises above the West Ham defence to score Wolves’ third goal.

LONDON: Newcastle target Jorgen Strand Larsen fired Wolves to a 3-2 League Cup win over West Ham on Tuesday as Premier League Leeds and Sunderland crashed out on penalties to lower league opposition.

Wolves have reportedly rejected a £50 million ($67 million) bid from the Magpies for Larsen, who could prove to be a replacement for Alexander Isak.

The Norwegian was only introduced 17 minutes from time as Vitor Pereira made eight changes after losing both his side's opening two Premier League games.

Larsen produced two blistering finishes in three minutes to turn the tie around at Molineux and heap more pressure on West Ham boss Graham Potter.

Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta had given the Hammers the lead after Rodrigo Gomes put Wolves in front.

But West Ham, who have conceded eight goals in losing their opening two Premier League games, remain without a win this season.

Leeds have splashed nearly £100 million on new players after returning to the Premier League, while Sheffield Wednesday fans have worried for the club's survival as wages to players and staff have regularly been paid late.

The home fans were encouraged not to attend by the club's Supporters' Trust in a protest against club owner Dejphon Chansiri.

However, it was Wednesday who could celebrate at Hillsborough as Leeds missed all three of their penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Sunderland were also embarrassed by League One Huddersfield on spot-kicks after a 1-1 draw.

Brentford won the other all-Premier League tie of the night with a 2-0 victory at Bournemouth thanks to goals from Fabio Carvalho and Igor Thiago

Burnley needed a stoppage time winner from Oliver Sonne to beat second tier Derby 2-1

 

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Dortmund sign Chukwuemeka from Chelsea​

He joins for a reported fee of 25 million euros

AFP
August 27, 2025

BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund's summer Premier League recruitment drive continued on Tuesday with the signing of midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka from Chelsea until 2030.

England under-21 representative Chukwuemeka, 21, joins for a reported fee of 25 million euros ($29 million).

He spent the second half of last season at Dortmund on loan, staying on as the club made the quarter-finals at the Club World Cup.

Chukwuemeka played 17 times for Dortmund in all competitions, scoring once and impressed despite struggling with injury.

In a statement, Chukwuemeka said he was "happy Borussia Dortmund is now my footballing home. I will give everything to make sure we achieve our goals as a team".

Born in Austria, Chukwuemeka moved to England at a young age and came through Aston Villa's youth academy before signing with Chelsea in 2022.

Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken said the club was "delighted" to sign Chukwuemeka, who "further increases the quality and creativity of our attacking midfield".

Dortmund also signed Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland and Yan Couto from Manchester City this summer.

Jobe's brother Jude joined Dortmund from boyhood club Birmingham City in 2020 aged 17, moving to Real Madrid three years later for a fee estimated at 100 million euros ($117 million).

German tabloid Bild reported on Tuesday that two further Premier League signings could arrive before deadline day on Monday -- Chelsea defender Aaron Anselmino and Wolves striker Fabio Silva.

Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, who has had two previous stints at Dortmund and just ended a loan spell at Chelsea, has also been linked with a return to the Westfalenstadion.

On Tuesday morning, Dortmund extended coach Niko Kovac's contract by one year until 2027.

 

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Alexander Isak selected by Sweden despite Newcastle standoff​

Sweden calls up Alexander Isak for World Cup qualifiers amid Newcastle transfer standoff

AFP
August 28, 2025

Alexander Isak has made it clear he wants to leave Newcastle for reigning Premier League champions Liverpool.

STOCKHOLM: Newcastle forward Alexander Isak has been called up by Sweden for World Cup qualifiers despite being sidelined by his club as he tries to force a move to Liverpool.

Isak is part of Sweden coach Jon Dahl Tomasson's squad for the games against Slovenia and Kosovo on September 5 and 8.

The 26-year-old has been banished from the Newcastle squad and has been training alone ever since he missed the club's tour to Singapore and South Korea.

Liverpool have bid £110 million ($148 million) for Isak so far but Saudi-owned Newcastle are reported to have slapped a £150 million price tag on the player who scored 23 Premier League goals last season and helped his club win the League Cup.

Tomasson said the 2026 World Cup, to be played in Mexico, Canada and the United States, was "important" to Isak.

"The situation he is in is not perfect and he has not trained with his team," the coach said.

"But he is a player who can be decisive and he wants to be part of our team. The World Cup is important for Alexander Isak," he added.

Isak's standoff with Newcastle has been the main Premier League transfer saga of the summer as the player insists he was told by the club he could leave.

He issued a statement on August 20 saying: "When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue."

"That's where things are for me right now - and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself."

That prompted a blunt answer from Newcastle, who said: "We are clear in response that Alex remains under contract and that no commitment has ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer."

Isak reportedly held talks with Newcastle's senior management this week and insisted he still wants to join Liverpool, the reigning Premier League champions.

As the clock ticks down to the end of the transfer window, Newcastle have had two bids for Norwegian international striker Jorgen Strand Larsen rejected by Wolves.

 

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Kane rescues Bayern in German Cup first round​

Kane snatches last-minute winner as Bayern survive dramatic German Cup scare against Wehen Wiesbaden

AFP
August 28, 2025

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane celebrates with fans after scoring a stoppage-time winner in the first minute of the German Cup.

MUNICH, GERMANY: Harry Kane scored a last-gasp winner to spare Bayern Munich's blushes in a dramatic 3-2 victory at third-tier Wehen Wiesbaden in the German Cup first round on Wednesday.

Bayern were two goals up and cruising not long after half-time thanks to a Kane penalty, his 31st successful spot-kick in a row for club and country, and Michael Olise's goal.

But Wiesbaden captain Fatih Kaya scored twice in five minutes to drag his side back into the match.

Kane was felled in the box but had his 76th-minute spot-kick saved, his first missed penalty since blasting over the bar for England against France in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals.

He redeemed himself however, heading in a Josip Stanisic cross in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time to help Bayern avoid embarrassment.

Bayern have not progressed past the German Cup quarter-finals since winning a record-extending 20th title in the 2019-20 competition.

Bayern took the lead on 16 minutes, Kane converting from the spot after Sacha Boey was fouled.

The Bundesliga champions did not add a second until the 51st minute, when the impressive Olise took advantage of a defensive error to sweep the ball into the bottom corner.

Bayern looked on course for a routine win until Wiesbaden summer signing Niklas May curled in an excellent cross for Kaya to cut the deficit in the 64th minute with a sliding volley.

The goal inspired the hosts, who grabbed an equaliser when a long ball forward was flicked on by Moritz Flotho, sending Kaya clean through on goal to score again.

Kane stepped up for another penalty but was denied by a brilliant save by home goalkeeper Florian Stritzel, who did equally well to keep out the England captain's follow-up effort before the ball was scrambled clear.

Kane had the last laugh, though, leaping high to nod in and break Wiesbaden's hearts.

The draw for the second round will take place on Sunday.

 

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Messi brace puts Miami into Leagues Cup final​

Telasco Segovia added a third in injury time

AFP
August 28, 2025

Lionel Messi scored twice late on as Inter Miami fought back to beat Orlando City 3-1. PHOTO: AFP

FORT LAUDERDALE: Lionel Messi scored twice late on as Inter Miami fought back to beat Orlando City 3-1 and reach the final of the Leagues Cup on Wednesday.

After missing two straight matches with a right thigh injury, Messi converted a penalty in the 77th minute to pull Inter level at 1-1 then combined with Jordi Alba to put the hosts ahead in the 88th.

Telasco Segovia added a third in injury time as Miami returned to the final of the Leagues Cup, the cross-border competition featuring teams from Major League Soccer and Mexico's Liga-MX.

Inter won it in 2023, Messi's first season in MLS.

They will face reigning MLS Cup champions Los Angeles Galaxy or Seattle Sounders in Sunday's final.

Orlando will play in a third-place game, and the top three finishers in the tournament earn berths in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

In a high-energy first half, Croatia's Marco Pasalic silenced the crowd at Miami's Chase Stadium with a goal in first-half added time.

Luis Muriel slipped a pass into the area and Maximiliano Falcon's attempt to clear it instead saw the ball deflect back to Pasalic, who rifled a left-footed shot into the net.

Inter players appealed saying the ball hit Pasalic's arm but VAR confirmed the goal.

Orlando, who had twice humbled their cross-state rivals this season, continued to stymie Inter in the second half.

Luis Suarez forced a save from Orlando keeper Pedro Gallese while Messi twice threatened in the area only to find himself swamped in a sea of defenders.

Inter coach Javier Mascherano was visibly frustrated as he watched from the stands, having received a red card during the quarter-final win over Tigres UANL.

Orlando lost some momentum in the 59th minute when Guatemalan referee Walter Lopez denied them a penalty shout after Sergio Busquets' foul on Ivan Angulo.

And the momentum shifted irrevocably Miami's way in the 74th minute when substitute Tadeo Allende drew a foul in the box.

David Brekalo's challenge included a tug on Allende's jersey and earned him a second yellow card.

He departed as Messi went to the spot, the Argentine great firing past Gallese into the lower right corner of the net.

Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi sparked joyous celebrations with his second goal 11 minutes later.

Orlando had won two prior matches against Miami this season by a combined 7-1 margin, including a 4-1 rout earlier this month.

 

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Milan get off the mark with 2-0 win over Lecce​

Loftus-Cheek and Pulisic scored for the former Italian champions

Reuters
August 30, 2025

Photo: AFP

MILAN: AC Milan recovered from their opening day loss with a 2-0 win at Lecce in Serie A on Friday, where Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic scored the goals in a match where the visitors again struggled to impress.

Milan fell to a 2-1 home defeat against promoted Cremonese last weekend to put manager Massimiliano Allegri under pressure on his return to the club where he previously won the league title in his first spell.

Allegri's side began brightly and looked to have taken an early lead when Matteo Gabbia headed in from a corner but a VAR check disallowed the goal for a push on his marker.

Milan, lacking attacking options after the departures of Tammy Abraham, Luka Jovic and Noah Okafor in the close season, while Rafael Leao is injured, deployed midfielder Alexis Saelemaekers as a makeshift forward alongside Santiago Gimenez.

It took over half an hour for Milan to create another real chance, this time Lecce keeper Wladimiro Falcone pulled off a one-handed save from Loftus-Cheek's close-range header.

Milan should have taken the lead just before the break but Gimenez pulled his shot wide when through one-on-one with the keeper.

Lecce, without a shot on target in the first half, had the opening chance of the second period but Mohamed Kaba's scuffed effort never troubled Milan keeper Mike Maignan.

Gimenez almost made up for his earlier miss when he collected a pass from Saelemaekers in the box and converted, but once again Milan's goal was disallowed, this time for offside.

Milan finally found a goal which was not chalked off, when Luka Modric floated a free kick into the box and Loftus-Cheek sent a glancing header looping past Falcone to give his side the lead in the 66th minute.

 

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Man Utd stars back Amorim says De Ligt​

Defender insists players must take responsibility for the team’s poor start

AFP
August 31, 2025

Photo: AFP

LONDON: Matthijs de Ligt insists Manchester United's players "stand behind" beleaguered boss Ruben Amorim and deserve the blame for the club's calamitous start to the season.

Amorim's side needed a last-gasp penalty from Bruno Fernandes to beat promoted Burnley 3-2 on Saturday after twice blowing the lead at Old Trafford.

United's first Premier League win in three games this term came just days after a humiliating League Cup second round loss at fourth tier Grimsby.

Amorim had admitted after the stunning cup defeat that he sometimes thinks about quitting United and often hates his players.

With speculation still swirling about Amorim's future despite the much-needed victory over Burnley, United defender De Ligt backed his boss.

"I think the only thing that counted was a win," he said. "Everybody saw how. We know we could have done that better, but the win was the most important thing."

Asked if he wanted Amorim to stay, De Ligt added: "Yeah, of course. I mean, as a player you are responsible for the results.

"They always speak about the manager, obviously, but I think as players we also looked at each other in the eye after Grimsby and said to each other 'guys, the performance of this week is not acceptable'.

"It will be really, I think, bad to say that it's the manager's fault or... it's mostly us, and we know that.

"So, yeah, obviously we still stand behind him, and he stands behind us, so we keep going like that. I think the result for today makes that feeling even more."

 

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Jackson hopes to revive Bayern move after Chelsea halt loan deal​

Chelsea pulled out of deal after injury to Liam Delap

AFP
August 31, 2025

Photo: AFP

LONDON: Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has reportedly stayed in Germany in a bid to revive his aborted loan move to Bayern Munich after the deal was called off at the last minute.

Jackson flew to Munich on Saturday to seal his season-long switch to the Bundesliga champions, only to be told the move had to be aborted due to Chelsea's injury problems.

Blues striker Liam Delap will be sidelined for up to eight weeks after suffering a hamstring problem in Saturday's win over Fulham, while England forward Cole Palmer is also out due to a groin injury.

With Christopher Nkunku having joined AC Milan this week, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca would be left with Joao Pedro as his only fit senior striker if Jackson were allowed to leave.

Speaking after a 3-2 win at Augsburg on Saturday, Bayern sporting director Max Eberl confirmed that the deal was off.

"Chelsea informed us that they would like the player back after we agreed yesterday," he said.

"The situation now is that the lad is here in Munich, but we are sending him back."

But Jackson, 24, was angry with Chelsea's late change of plans and is believed to have opted against leaving Germany on Sunday while his representatives work to resolve the stand-off.

Jackson's agent Diomansy Kamara had insisted on social media that his player was not returning to Chelsea.

"We're not going back. The plane doesn't go backwards: Munich," he said.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are reportedly exploring a move for Sporting Lisbon's Conrad Harder before Monday's transfer deadline, which could open the way for Jackson to join Bayern after all.

Chelsea are reported to prefer selling Jackson on a permanent basis rather than reviving a loan deal.

Earlier on Saturday, a deal had been agreed that would have seen the Senegal striker move for an initial £13 million (15 million euros) loan fee with an option for Bayern to make the deal permanent for £52 million.

Jackson, who has not played for Chelsea this season, had been told that he was not a part of Maresca's plans following the signings of Delap from Ipswich and Joao Pedro from Brighton.

Jackson has endured a turbulent time at Chelsea since joining from Villarreal two years ago, with criticism of his erratic finishing marring his spell in west London.

 

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Real Madrid rally to beat Mallorca 2-1 despite VAR woes​

Reuters
August 31, 2025

MADRID: Real Madrid recovered from a goal down to beat Mallorca 2-1 at the Bernabeu on Saturday as the home side made light of having three goals chalked off after VAR reviews to make it three wins out of three in La Liga this season.

What should have been a comfortable victory for the home side left fans with their nerves jangling, however, and they needed a goalline clearance from Alvaro Carreras to secure the three points.

Kylian Mbappe had a goal overturned by VAR when he pounced to score from a superb ball by Trent Alexander-Arnold in the seventh minute, but the review found him to be marginally offside.

Mallorca took a shock lead 11 minutes later when striker Vedat Muriqi muscled his way into the middle of the penalty area at a corner to steer the ball into the net with a combination of his back and shoulder.

 

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Arteta's cloak of caution ends in more Anfield misery for Arsenal​

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta could not change Arsenal's recent miserable record as they lost to Liverpool again

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer at Anfield

Arsenal flagged up the early heavyweight confrontation with Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield with the social media message: "Make a statement."

The game was billed as a meeting between the club that wears the crown and the pretenders whose recent attempts to win the title have ended in the bitter disappointment of falling short.

After Dominik Szoboszlai's brilliant 83rd-minute free-kick gave Liverpool victory, it is tough to escape the suspicion that the cloak of caution Arteta draped over Arsenal makes this a significant missed opportunity to secure a landmark - albeit very rare - Anfield victory.

Arsenal, on this ultra-conservative evidence, failed to read the pre-match memo.

No-one expects manager Arteta to order his players to throw the kitchen sink at Liverpool in their Anfield fortress, but this was a Gunners' display that seemed designed to get a point but ended with nothing.

Arteta has been handed the weapons to cure that shortfall as the biggest net spenders of the transfer window so far, with deals totalling £248m.

Chief among them was, finally, the acquisition of a recognised striker in Viktor Gyokeres - signed from Portuguese giants Sporting for £64m - then, most eye-catching of all, the coup that saw Arsenal snatch Eberechi Eze away from Tottenham Hotspur in a £60m move from Crystal Palace.

The pressure is on Arteta to finally end a barren era of five years without a trophy after that backing - and this means the big prizes of the Premier League or Champions League.

Arsenal ended up losing a dour, largely colourless, encounter - two teams showing each other huge respect until Szoboszlai curved a magnificent direct free-kick past David Raya from 30 yards.

They rarely troubled a Liverpool defence that has looked vulnerable even in victory in their first two league games against Bournemouth and Newcastle United.

 

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Arsenal's new £64m striker Viktor Gyokeres was frustrated in the defeat by Liverpool at Anfield

In the end, it was Liverpool who made the big early title statement against Arsenal, the side expected to be their closest challengers, by making it a maximum nine from nine without reaching anywhere near the standards that saw them stroll to the Premier League last season.

Arsenal could not shift the storyline of misery that accompanies them in Liverpool as the hosts struck an early psychological blow.

The Gunners are winless in their past 13 Premier League games at Anfield, losing eight and drawing five, since a 2-0 win in September 2012. And that 2012 win is also their only clean sheet in their past 27 league visits to Anfield.

Arteta will understandably offer the mitigating circumstances of the injury that cost him Bukayo Saka, the shoulder injury that restricted captain Martin Odegaard to the bench, and the problem sustained by key defender William Saliba that saw him leave the action after only five minutes.

It is, of course, a nonsense to suggest the third Premier League game of the season is any sort of defining moment, but it is reasonable to say an Arsenal win would have underpinned all their aspirations this season and sent a surge of self-belief through Arteta's team.

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Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai settled a tight encounter against Arsenal with a brilliant late free-kick

 

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Man Utd's vital win can't mask urgent goalkeeping issues​

Premier League highlights: Fernandes scores injury-time winner as Man Utd edge Burnley

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter at Old Trafford

31 August 2025 07:49 BST

Ruben Amorim finally had something to celebrate at the end of a turbulent few days at Manchester United.

He didn't actually see Bruno Fernandes' decisive stoppage-time penalty because he wanted to "watch the fans celebrate" as he was convinced his captain would score.

It was one of Amorim's more rational statements in a week when he seemed to be adopting a scorched earth policy - such is the rollercoaster his emotional state has been.

However, when he takes a step back, the last-gasp 3-2 win over Burnley has left him with plenty of puzzles to solve and issues to deal with - and some are quite pressing.

Goalkeeping problems​

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Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was at fault for Burnley's second goal at Old Trafford
Amorim gave the game away as he explained the difficulties his side were having in the opening weeks of the new campaign.

"We are in a moment where, with every possession near our box, they can score," he reflected.

This is clearly not a great situation to be in, but one of the reasons for it is his goalkeepers keep making big mistakes.

On the opening weekend, it was Altay Bayindir's failure to get clean contact on his attempt to punch Declan Rice's corner away from danger that led to United losing against Arsenal.

In midweek, United were already behind when Andre Onana failed to get a Grimsby corner away from his six-yard box, which led to a second goal for the hosts as the Old Trafford outfit slithered to their first defeat by a fourth-tier team.

Bayindir returned against Burnley, and duly failed to gather Loum Tchaouna's second-half shot, allowing the ball to roll to Jaidon Anthony, who, thanks to two deflections, made the score 2-2.

"I think it is hard to be a Manchester United goalkeeper in this moment," said Amorim.

"They are humans. At Manchester United, everything is in the news.

"Everybody talks about the goalkeeper. I can change the goalkeeper and situations happen. We are in that moment.

"The players are struggling a little bit with all the things around the club. That is normal. It's not just the goalkeepers. I think everybody has to improve."

 

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Liverpool sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle for British record fee: reports​

AFP
September 1, 2025



Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak reacts at the American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain on May 4, 2025. — Reuters/File

Premier League champions Liverpool have agreed to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United for a British record transfer fee, media reports said on Monday.

The Swedish forward is set to join the Reds in a deal worth around 130 million ($176 million), according to reports by The Athletic and The Telegraph, among other outlets.

The Athletic reported that Isak will undergo a medical on Monday before completing a six-year deal with the Merseyside club.

The 25-year-old striker scored 23 goals in the Premier League last season — behind only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah — as Newcastle qualified for the Champions League.

But he has been the subject of a protracted and occasionally acrimonious transfer saga this summer, training away from the rest of the Newcastle squad after making clear his desire to move to Liverpool.

On Saturday, Newcastle signed German international striker Nick Woltemade for a club record fee reported to be worth up to 69 million, in what was seen as paving the way for Isak’s departure.

 

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Liverpool win over Arsenal, Man City rocked by Brighton​

AFP
Szoboszla’s brilliant 83rd-minute free-kick gave the Reds 1-0 victor