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      Gary Neville fears Chelsea new boy Thiago Silva will struggle to cope with Premier League as he turns 36 this month

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      GARY Neville has said he fears for Chelsea new boy Thiago Silva as the 35-year-old prepares to start his Premier League adventure.
      The Brazilian did not feature last night as Chelsea won 3-1 at Brighton but Sky pundit Neville is worried England’s top division will be difficult to adjust to when he does eventually play.

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      Pundit Gary Neville has never been shied away from giving controversial opinions on Sky’s popular Monday Night Football programme

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      Silva missed out against Brighton as he had yet to train with his teammates

      The centre-backed signed for Chelsea for free in the summer after captaining Paris-Saint Germain in their Champions League final defeat and helping them to another Ligue 1 title.
      But despite his decorated career, Neville was unconvinced on how his Premier League career would fare with the player turning 36 later this month.
      He said on Sky’s Monday Night Football: “Again, it’s an unknown. 35 [years old], 36 next week, played in the French league now for a number of years.
      “The intensity in the French league is nothing like our league. That’s not to say Paris Saint-Germain are not a great team, they just got to the Champions League final, but you’re talking about the Premier League.

      “Particularly the intensity of this Premier League season, it’s compact.
      “It’ll be a massive challenge for him in terms of the amount of games, the speed of football compared to what he’s been used to. It’ll be a step up in that respect.”
      Manager Frank Lampard is looking to fix a leaky Chelsea defence which shipped 54 goals last season, the most of any team who has finished in the top 4 in the Premier League era.
      Along with Silva, he has also brought in 21-year-old Malang Sarr, who is set to spend his first season on loan away from Stamford Bridge.

      The Blues are also closing in on goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, with Lampard keen on a replacement in between the sticks for the mistake-prone Kepa Arrizabalaga.
      Neville is unsure on the effect all of the change and uncertainy will have on Silva.
      He added: “Can he play in matches, can he play at this level? Of course he can, he’s a world class player.
      “But at this stage in his career… again when you ask if Chelsea can win the league, it’s just a complete unknown. Will he adapt?
      “What’s the goalkeeper going to be like? How the forwards are going to adapt?
      “There’s a lot of unknowns with Chelsea. But on the other side of that, massive excitement.
      “I’m intrigued to see how this world class defender who’s played many years for Brazil, been a wonderful player for Paris Saint-Germain, is going to do in our league.”

      Timo Werner, another new signing, also had an opinion on the uniqueness of the top-flight after impressing at the Amex.
      He said he was surprised by the “big massive defenders” he came across on his debut last night.
      Chelsea host Liverpool on Sunday looking to keep up their 100% start to the league campaign, where Silva could make his debut.

      Frank Lampard reflects on the Chelsea performance after beating Brighton 3-1 More

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      Arsenal in talks to sign Dijon keeper Runar Alex Runarsson in £1.5m transfer to replace Emiliano Martinez

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      ARSENAL are in talks to sign Dijon goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson in a £1.5m deal to replace Emiliano Martinez.
      The 25-year-old Iceland stopper is understood to have had a medical in place ahead of signing a five-year deal.

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      Runar Alex Runarsson is set to occupy Arsenal’s bench this seasonCredit: Icon Sport – Getty

      He will become their new No2 behind Bernd Leno and is expected to play in cup competitions and the Europa League.
      The Gunners saw Runarsson as a cheap option, with Matt Macey set to stay as third-choice goalkeeper.
      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will then use the £20m from Martinez’s move to Aston Villa in other areas.
      He is desperate to land another midfielder with Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey and Lyon’s Houssem Aouar top of his list.
      The Gunners are still looking to get a number of fringe players off their books to fund any transfers.
      Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Lucas Torreira, Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers and Sead Kolasinac are all up for sale.
      The North Londoners are also willing to listen to offers for Alexandre Lacazette and Matteo Guendouzi.

      SunSport understands Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Rob Holding were two considered up-for-grabs.
      But Arteta has had a change of heart over the pair and wants to keep them after impressing in pre-season.
      Mohamed Elneny was also surplus to requirements, but put in a solid display in a 3-0 win at Fulham this weekend.

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      Kylian Mbappe ‘willing to take pay cut’ to complete Real Madrid transfer in blow to Liverpool and Man Utd

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      KYLIAN MBAPPE is willing to take a pay cut to sign for Real Madrid, according to reports.
      Paris Saint-Germain are determined to hold onto the French forward, whose contract expires in 2022.

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      Kylian Mbappe is set for a year of speculation over a potential move to Real MadridCredit: EPA

      But advances from Madrid are growing with more and more reports that an offer will be launched next summer.
      Should a bid land, Mbappe will reportedly do what he can to make the deal happen.
      That includes, according to Spanish show El Chiringuito, cutting his salary.

      Mbappe is thought to earn £375,000-a-week in Paris after signing from Monaco in 2017.
      Talks between PSG and the 21-year-old over a contract renewal have reportedly focused on bumping his wage up to £600,000-a-week.
      Yet money may be no issue if Mbappe gets the green light to join Real.
      Los Blancos hope PSG will not put up much of a fight if the player has already made up his mind.

      A transfer fee of just £111million has been touted for the World Cup winner.

      Such a price could even entice Premier League clubs such as Liverpool or Manchester United into making a bid.
      But Madrid are certainly the frontrunners in any Mbappe deal, with the striker calling Real boss Zinedine Zidane his childhood “idol”.
      He said in January: “I’ve had phases. To start, as a child, it was Zidane.
      “If you’re a boy and you’re French, your idol is Zidane.

      Real Madrid already have one of the highest wage bills in the world

      “After that, it was Cristiano [Ronaldo] and I’ve been lucky enough to face him. Then it was the Brazilian Ronaldo for the way he played.”
      The previous year, Zidane had remarked: “You know that I have known [Mbappe] for a long time.
      “I am already in love with him, firstly as a person, because he came to do a trial here a long time ago.”

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      Kepa is worse than rival Mendy in EVERY department as Chelsea near £28m transfer for Rennes goalkeeper

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      INCOMING Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy could make light work of Kepa Arrizabalaga – with superior stats in EVERY department last season.
      Comparisons between the Rennes star, 28, and the Blues’ current custodian, 25, do not come out well for the Spaniard.

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      Both men entered last season as first-choice for their team but Kepa was dropped on two occasions, resulting in 33 league appearances.
      Mendy, meanwhile, played 24 of the curtailed 28-game Ligue 1 season, having signed from Reims two days before their opening game.
      And yet, the Senegal international still kept more clean sheets than his new rival, producing nine shutouts to Kepa’s eight.
      Rennes only conceded 19 goals with Mendy in between the sticks, at a rate of 0.79 per game.

      Chelsea’s defence last season was notoriously dodgy, letting in 1.42 goals for every match Kepa played.
      In their Premier League opener at Brighton on Monday, the shot-stopper came unstuck in the face of Leandro Trossard’s long-range strike.
      But an earlier corner showed another of his vulnerabilities, as he unconvincingly came off his line and failed to punch the ball clear.
      In fact, Kepa only stopped 7.2 per cent of crosses last season, in comparison to Mendy’s 10.2 per cent.

      Mendy also comes out on top in save success rate, denying 78.4 per cent of shots he faced with Kepa back at 54.5 per cent.
      That meant the Chelsea No1 made only 1.6 saves per game, with third-placed Rennes calling their man into action 2.5 times per game.
      Despite the scare in his side’s 3-1 beating of Brighton, Frank Lampard insisted he has “very happy” with Kepa.
      The Blues boss said post-game: “I am very happy with Kepa. With the shot I’m not sure if he could’ve done any better.

      “But I saw a bit more confidence in how he was playing. Kepa is here, he’s our keeper and I’m happy with him.”
      Mendy is still expected to arrive with a £27.7million bid accepted, making him Ligue 1’s most expensive goalkeeper but far behind the position’s world record holder – £71m Kepa.
      With the Spaniard not expected to be sold, Chelsea will have two goalkeepers with great potential vying for one spot on the teamsheet.
      Lampard added: “If we are bringing in competition, it will be competition. That’s the nature of Chelsea and it goes throughout the squad.”

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      Neymar ‘faces SEVEN match ban’ for punching Marseille defender Alvaro as PSG support superstar amid racism row

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      NEYMAR may be hit with a SEVEN-game ban after he was sent off for punching Marseille’s Alvaro Gonzalez.
      The Brazilian was one of FIVE players sent off after a massive brawl at the end of Paris Saint-Germain’s shock 1-0 defeat on Sunday.

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      PSG star Neymar accused Marseille’s Alvaro of racismCredit: Reuters

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      Neymar was sent off for punching the defenderCredit: Reuters

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      Five players were dismissed in a fiery end to the Ligue 1 game on SundayCredit: Icon Sport – Getty

      Former Barcelona star Neymar accused Spanish defender Alvaro of racially abusing him.
      Neymar claimed Alvaro called him a ‘monkey son of a b****’.
      But after being dismissed by VAR for landing a blow on the back of Alvaro’s head, RMC Sport reports the 28-year-old could be suspended for as many as seven matches.

      Alvaro issued a strong anti-racism statement on Twitter after the game as he said ‘there is no place for racism’ alongside a photo with his black team-mates in an apparent denial.
      But PSG have publicly backed their star player.
      A statement issued on Monday read: “Paris Saint-Germain strongly supports Neymar Jr who reported being subjected to racist abuse by an opposing player.
      “The club restates that there is no place for racism in society, in football or in our lives and calls on everyone to speak out against all forms of racism throughout the world.”

      French governing body the LFP will review the incident before handing out an appropriate sanction and PSG said they ‘look forward’ to it ‘ascertaining the facts’.

      Neymar also took to Twitter to slam Gonzalez saying he is ‘not a man’, a ‘racist’ and ‘I don’t respect you’.
      He issued a further statement on his Instagram story on Monday where he explained that he ‘revolted’ and ‘could not leave without doing something’.
      He added: “Yesterday I wanted those in charge of the game (referees, assistants) to position themselves impartially and understand that there is no longer such a place for a prejudiced attitude.
      “Racism exists, it exists, but we have to stop it. No more, enough!
      “I accept my punishment because I should have followed the path of clean football. I hope, on the other hand, that the offender will also be punished.
      “The guy was a fool, I also acted like a fool for letting me getting involved in that.”
      Neymar ditched Nike for Puma to follow in the footsteps of legends like Pele and Diego Maradona and his new boots certainly had an eventful first outing.

      Marseille released a statement on Monday denying Gonzales is racist and slamming death threats he has received in wake of the clash.
      It read: “Alvaro Gonzalez is not racist, he demonstrated it to us by his daily behaviour since joining the club, as his teammates have already testified. 
      “The club remains at the disposal of the disciplinary committee to fully cooperate in the investigation of all the events which marked this meeting, and the 24 hours which preceded them.
      “This controversy is serious and already has serious consequences. 
      “The club thus condemns the dissemination of the private telephone numbers of Alvaro Gonzalez and his relatives this night on Brazilian media and social networks, giving rise since to constant harassment, consisting in particular of death threats.”

      Neymar Jr. aims to follow in Pele, Maradona and Cruyff’s footsteps as he ditches Nike for Puma after 15 years More

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      Neymar ‘faces SEVEN game ban’ for punching Marseille defender Alvaro as PSG support star amid racism row

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      NEYMAR may be slapped with a SEVEN-game ban after he was sent off for punching Marseille’s Alvaro.
      The Brazilian was one of FIVE players sent off after a huge brawl at the end of Paris Saint-Germain’s shock 1-0 defeat on Sunday.

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      PSG star Neymar accused Marseille’s Alvaro of racismCredit: Reuters

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      Neymar was sent off for punching the defenderCredit: Reuters

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      Five players were dismissed in a fiery end to the Ligue 1 game on SundayCredit: Icon Sport – Getty

      Former Barcelona star Neymar accused Spanish defender Alvaro of racially abusing him.
      Neymar claimed Alvaro called him a ‘monkey son of a b****’.
      But after being dismissed by VAR for landing a blow on the back of Alvaro’s head, RMC Sport reports the 28-year-old could be suspended for as many as seven matches.

      Alvaro issued a strong anti-racism statement on Twitter after the game as he said ‘there is no place for racism’ alongside a photo with his black team-mates in an apparent denial.
      But PSG have publicly backed their star player.
      A statement issued on Monday read: “Paris Saint-Germain strongly supports Neymar Jr who reported being subjected to racist abuse by an opposing player.
      “The club restates that there is no place for racism in society, in football or in our lives and calls on everyone to speak out against all forms of racism throughout the world.”

      French governing body the LFP will review the incident before handing out an appropriate sanction and PSG said they ‘look forward’ to it ‘ascertaining the facts’.

      Neymar also took to Twitter to slam Gonzalez saying he is ‘not a man’, a ‘racist’ and ‘I don’t respect you’.
      He issued a further statement on his Instagram story on Monday where he explained that he ‘revolted’ and ‘could not leave without doing something’.
      He added: “Yesterday I wanted those in charge of the game (referees, assistants) to position themselves impartially and understand that there is no longer such a place for a prejudiced attitude.
      “Racism exists, it exists, but we have to stop it. No more, enough!
      “I accept my punishment because I should have followed the path of clean football. I hope, on the other hand, that the offender will also be punished.
      “The guy was a fool, I also acted like a fool for letting me getting involved in that.”
      Neymar ditched Nike for Puma to follow in the footsteps of legends like Pele and Diego Maradona and his new boots certainly had an eventful first outing.

      Marseille released a statement on Monday denying Gonzales is racist and slamming death threats he has received in wake of the clash.
      It read: “Alvaro Gonzalez is not racist, he demonstrated it to us by his daily behaviour since joining the club, as his teammates have already testified. 
      “The club remains at the disposal of the disciplinary committee to fully cooperate in the investigation of all the events which marked this meeting, and the 24 hours which preceded them.
      “This controversy is serious and already has serious consequences. 
      “The club thus condemns the dissemination of the private telephone numbers of Alvaro Gonzalez and his relatives this night on Brazilian media and social networks, giving rise since to constant harassment, consisting in particular of death threats.”

      Neymar Jr. aims to follow in Pele, Maradona and Cruyff’s footsteps as he ditches Nike for Puma after 15 years More

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      PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi on trial in Switzerland over corruption charges for Fifa TV rights deal

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      PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN president Nasser al-Khelaifi and former Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke went on trial over corruption changes on Monday.
      The trial of the pair and Greek marketing executive Dinos Deris in Bellinzona, Switzerland, is expected to last two weeks.

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      PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi has went on trial over corruption chargesCredit: Reuters

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      Former Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke is also on trial in SwitzerlandCredit: AFP or licensors

      Qatari Al-Khelaifi, also head of broadcaster beIN Media Group, is accused of inciting Valcke to commit “aggravated criminal mismanagement” of TV rights deal.
      The court will hear that al-Khelaifi, now a member of Uefa’s executive committee, gave Valcke the use of his luxury villa.  
      Valcke and Deris face separate accusations of bribery.
      The former Fifa chief, banned from football in 2018, is said to have taken more than £1m in kickbacks over rights deals.

      Evidence in chief will begin on Tuesday.
      Fifa will help fund a global agency to tackle corruption in sport, its president Gianni Infantino said today.
      Creating a body like the World Anti-Doping Agency to address financial corruption, match-fixing and the influence of organised crime in sport has been talked about for more than a decade without a detailed proposal.

      Infantino said: “We at Fifa are ready to invest in it.”

      PSG have also suffered problems on the pitch as well as off it having lost their opening two Ligue 1 games this season.
      Three of their players were sent off in the 1-0 defeat against Marseille on Sunday after a huge brawl erupted in injury time.

      Angel Di Maria ‘spits’ on Marseille star Gonzalez in crazy end to PSG loss More

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      Watch Neymar get sent off for PUNCH with FIVE red carded as PSG icon says he was called ‘monkey son of a b****’

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      NEYMAR was one of FIVE players sent off after he punched Marseille defender Alvaro Gonzalez in the back of the head before accusing the Spaniard of racism.
      The Brazilian claimed the defender called him a “monkey son of a b****” after a huge brawl erupted at the end of Marseille’s shock 1-0 win at Paris Saint-Germain.

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      Neymar was one of FIVE players sent off after a brawl in PSG’s defeat to Marseille

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      The Brazilian punched Alvaro Gonzalez in the back of the head

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      Jordan Amavi and Layvin Kurzawa traded blows and were sent off

      It’s all kicking off in Parc des Princes! 🤬The game finishes 8v9 after the referee gives FIVE red cards, including one for Neymar, in the final few minutes! 😤CARNAGE! pic.twitter.com/3yZfmEju9I
      — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 13, 2020

      Neymar tells the fourth official there was a racist incident after receiving his marching orders…We expect to hear much more fallout from tonight’s Le Classique. pic.twitter.com/U6ELYKNaXp
      — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 13, 2020

      But, after the game, Gonzalez quickly took to social media in a bid to clear his name with a strong anti-racism message.
      Florian Thauvin scored the only goal of the bitter contest on the half hour mark to down last season’s Champions League finalists.
      But the real action ensued at the death as Neymar, 28, was among FIVE stars given their marching orders in a game that saw a staggering 15 cards dished out.
      Footage appears to show ex-Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria spitting at Alvaro.

      Neymar then accused the centre-back of racism as he made his way off the pitch.
      Neymar was seen pointing at the Spaniard and shouting what seemed to be: “Racism, no?”
      After the match, the PSG star doubled down on his accusation and tweeted: “The only regret I have is not hitting this a***hole in the face.”

      He posted another tweet soon after which read: “VAR catching my “aggression” is easy.
      “Now I want to see the image of the racist calling me “MONO H*** DE P***” (monkey son of a b****) that I want to see!
      “What’s up? You punish me. I am expelled. What about him? What’s up?”

      Único arrependimento que tenho é por não ter dado na cara desse babaca
      — Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) September 13, 2020

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      Neymar called on authorities to investigate Gonzalez for alleged racist comments
      But Gonzalez hit back at Neymar’s bold claims himself on Twitter.
      The Marseille star posed for a picture with only his black team-mates.
      Gonzalez captioned the post: “There is no place for racism.
      “Clean race and with many colleagues and friends on a daily basis.
      “Sometimes you have to learn to lose and take it on the field.
      “Incredible 3 points today. Allez l’OM. Thanks family.”

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      Gonzalez hit back at Neymar’s racism claim by proudly posing with his black team-mates, accompanied by a strong anti-racism message
      Neymar himself retaliated with an incredible reply to his tweet, saying Gonzalez is “not a man” and a “racist”.
      The Brazilian wrote: “You are not a man to assume your mistake, losing is part of the sport.
      “Now insulting and bringing racism into our lives no, I don’t agree.
      “I DON’T RESPECT YOU! YOU HAVE NO CHARACTER!
      “BE A MAN. RACIST.”

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      Neymar hit back with a reply of his own on Twitter, again calling Gonzalez ‘racist’

      The angry affair descended into chaos five minutes into the six added on at the end of normal time.
      Dario Benedetto triggered the pandemonium when he crashed into Leandro Paredes as the two battled for a high ball.
      The ref gave a free-kick but Paredes reacted angrily to the challenge and rushed at Benedetto and shoved him to the floor.
      Benedetto clutched of the face as players from both teams piled into the melee.
      Paredes then lunged at Alvaro, who went down in dramatic fashion.
      Next Layvin Kurzawa and Jordan Amavi traded Karate Kid style kicks in the midst of the scuffles.
      The ref produced straight reds for the pair as the handbags subsided.

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      Leandro Paredes floored Alvaro Gonzalez who rolled around in dramatic fashion

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      Neymar eventually marched off the pitch in disgraceCredit: AP:Associated Press
      He also gave second yellows and subsequent reds to both Benedetto and Paredes.
      Before a word in his ear from the VAR made him head to the sideline to check the monitor to sweep up any offences he had missed.
      And that is where the official spotted Neymar’s infringement.
      The sly striker clipped Alvaro on the back of the head with his fist after the defender as he argued with rivals after his clash with Paredes.
      But the cameras picked up the offence and the ref strode back over to issue a straight red which was met with suitable sarcastic applause from the disgraced Brazilian.
      The final whistle was blows soon after with PSG recording their second defeat of the season leaving them in the Ligue 1 relegation zone.

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