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      Aaron Ramsey boots water bottle in anger after being taken off 19 minutes into Juventus defeat to Fiorentina

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      AARON RAMSEY booted a water bottle in frustration after being hooked just 19 minutes into Juventus’ match against Fiorentina.
      The Welsh midfielder, 29, was hauled off before the halfway mark in the first period after Juan Cuadrado’s red card.

      Aaron Ramsey fumed as he was hauled off early by Andrea PirloCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The former Arsenal star was sacrificed by boss Andrea Pirlo in a reshuffle of his ten men.
      Colombian winger Cuadrado was given his marching orders just 18 minutes into the Serie A tie at the Allianz Stadium.
      He had initially been shown a yellow card by referee Federico La Penna.
      But after a VAR review the ref decided his reckless late lunge on Gaetano Castrovilli was worthy of being upgraded to a straight red.

      It meant things had gone from bad to worse for Cristiano Ronaldo and Co after they had conceded just THREE minutes in.
      Dusan Vlahovic’s exquisite early chip over another former Gunner in Wojciech Szczesny gave Franck Ribery’s Fiorentina a flying start away at the reigning champions.
      Cuadrado’s dismissal came on the night he was celebrating his 200th appearance for the Bianconeri but the Chelsea flop marked the occasion by trudging off for an early shower.
      The Bianconeri have now received the joint most reds in Europe’s big five leagues this term with Cuadrado’s their fifth already.

      Manager Andrea Pirlo only pockets £1.6million-per-year after taking charge of the club

      And soon Ramsey was following him off the pitch, looking visibly disappointed at the call to bring on Danilo to play at wing-back.
      He kicked a water bottle in disgust on the way up to the Juve bench before sitting down to watch the rest of the game alongside his team-mates.
      Pirlo’s men went in at half-time 1-0 down as Ronaldo had a chance to level up the game, only to be thwarted by Fiorentina keeper Bartlomiej Dragowski.
      Things only got worse after the break – with an Alex Sandro own goal and Martin Caceres strike sending Juve to a 3-0 defeat.
      The result leaves Andrea Pirlo’s side SEVEN points off Serie A leaders AC Milan.

      Watch Cristiano Ronaldo and Aaron Ramsey score as Serie A kings prepare for another assault on Europe More

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      Ex-Man Utd and Arsenal flop Henrikh Mkhitaryan the best midfielder in Europe’s Big Five Leagues this season, say stats

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      EX-MANCHESTER UNITED and Arsenal winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan is the best midfielder in Europe, according to the stats.
      The Roma winger topped the table for most goal involvements after he scored against Torino on Thursday.

      Stats show Henrikh Mkhitaryan was the best midfielder in Europe after his goal against Torino on ThursdayCredit: AFP or licensors

      Mkhitaryan, 31, rifled home the opener in the 3-1 victory, which put him on seven goals and five assists from 12 Serie A appearances.
      That total of 12 goal involvements has the Armenian top of the list of Europe’s most prolific midfielders, just ahead of Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Marseille’s Florian Thauvin.
      The United star has seven goals and four assists putting him on 11 total while Thauvin has five goals and six assists.
      Jack Grealish and Gael Kakuta complete the top five – both with ten total involvements.

      Mkhitaryan had a disappointing spell at Old Trafford between 2016 and 2018.
      He managed just 13 goals and 11 assists in his two seasons in Manchester.
      The wideman left for the Gunners where his return was equally underwhelming – managing just nine goals and 13 assists from 59 games.
      ⚽ Read our Arsenal live blog for the latest news from The Emirates

      12 – Henrikh #Mkhitaryan is the midfielder to have been involved in the most goals (12) in the current season in the Top-5 European Leagues (seven goals and five assists). Star.#RomaTorino #SerieA
      — OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) December 17, 2020

      Since leaving for Roma – first on loan in September 2019 and then permanently at the end of last season – Mkhitaryan has upped his efficiency in front of goal.
      The ex-Borussia Dortmund man has notched 17 goals and 14 assists from just 45 matches.
      He hit headlines earlier this month when he was PUNCHED by Young Boys’ Ali Camara in the Europa League.
      ⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

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      Barcelona icon Xavi keen to manage five Premier League teams, including Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea

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      BARCELONA legend Xavi has left Liverpool off a list of Premier League giants he would like to manage, preferring rivals such as Manchester United instead.
      And the Spanish World Cup winner, boss of Qatari side Al Sadd after retiring as a player in 2019, rates Manchester City chief Pep Guardiola as the world’s ‘best coach’.

      Xavi wants to boss a top European club once he has learnt his trade with Al SaddCredit: Getty – Contributor

      Xavi was part of a golden generation even for Barcelona standards – alongside Lionel Messi and under Pep GuardiolaCredit: EPA

      Xavi, 40, dreams of managing old club Barca but hailed the Premier League’s ‘atmosphere, packed stadiums’ and players as an exciting alternative.
      The ex-midfielder told Sky Sports: “Obviously if I had to choose, I would choose a big team, City or United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham.
      “Also, [Jurgen] Klopp and [Mauricio] Pochettino and Unai Emery, many people who have gone there are doing an extraordinary job.”
      The 133-cap icon said of his former Nou Camp chief: “Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world and I am a novice.

      “The comparison happened as a player but now we can’t be compared. I am in love with Pep Guardiola’s football.
      “You can win playing football in different ways but I like the one of City and Guardiola the most. I follow the Premier League a lot and I like it.
      “He is a brilliant, demanding, passionate, obsessive person, that’s why he’s doing so well.
      “It transmits a lot to the footballer. I learned a lot and enjoyed my time at his side.”

      Xavi won four Champions League titles and La Liga eight times with Barcelona.
      And he readily admits the Spanish giants would be his first choice once he has served his managerial apprenticeship.
      He said: “I don’t hide it, my goal is to return to Europe and return to Barca.
      “It is my challenge ahead, but I’m still learning in this project and I’m also enjoying it.”
      Xavi recently led Al Sadd to their 17th Amir of Qatar Cup and has previously snubbed the chance to take over at Barca, suggesting it’s too soon.
      But after getting his current team playing tiki-taka football like his playing days in Spain, it might not be too long until he’s back at the Nou Camp…

      ‘Drunk’ linesman allowed to continue refereeing Czech football match – despite not being able to run or stop falling over More

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      Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first player in 59 YEARS to score 33 Serie A goals in calendar year in Parma win

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO has become just the fourth player in Serie A history to reach 33 goals in a calendar year after bagging a brace against Parma.
      The Portuguese has been in stunning goalscoring form yet again this season for Andrea Pirlo’s side.

      Ronaldo produced a stunning leap and headerCredit: AFP or licensors

      CR7 doubled his tally with an accurate low driveCredit: EPA

      Ronaldo, 35, has shown no signs of slowing down, netting Serie A strikes number 11 and 12 of the season yesterday in just his ninth outing of the campaign.
      The brace took him to 33 league goals for 2020, becoming the first player to reach that tally in the competition since 1961.
      On that occasion it was fellow Old Lady star Omar Sivori that reached the landmark, following in the footsteps of Gunnar Nordahl in 1950 and Felice Borel in 1933.
      Ronaldo could yet add to his tally when Juve host Fiorentina on Tuesday night in their final league match of the year.

      CR7’s nearest competitor in 2020 has been Lazio’s Ciro Immobile, who has managed an admirable 26.
      While Ronaldo has remained imperious, Juve have gotten off to a somewhat underwhelming start in the league under Pirlo.
      While the former midfield maestro is unbeaten in Serie A, his side sit third, having drawn six of their opening 13 matches.
      Dejan Kulusevski slotted them into a 23rd minute lead against Parma yesterday.

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      And it was the Ronaldo show from then on, as he first produced a trademark leap and header to double their lead just three minutes later.
      He then made the points safe after the break with a low left-footed drive.
      Alvaro Morata capped off the 4-0 triumph with an accurate header five minutes from time.
      Third placed Juve are now three points behind Inter and four off leaders AC Milan the Serie A title race.

      Cristiano Ronaldo looks frustrated as the winner of the 2020 Fifa Best Men’s Player is announced More

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      Watch AC Milan star Leao score in SIX SECONDS vs Sassuolo for the fastest ever goal in Serie A and any Big Five league

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      AC MILAN star Rafael Leao made history as he scored after just SIX seconds.
      It goes down as the fastest goal ever recorded in Europe’s ‘Big Five’ Leagues.

      Rafael Leao scored before 19 players on the pitch had even touched the ballCredit: AP:Associated Press

      The 21-year-old scored the quickest goal in Serie A history against Sassuolo on Sunday.
      Just moments after kick-off, he received a pass from team-mate Hakan Calhanoglu.
      Leao took two touches then effortlessly slotted the ball into the back of the net.
      The official time of the goal has went down as 6.2 seconds.

      He smashed the previous league record of 8.9 seconds – which was set in 2001 by Paolo Poggi.
      Shane Long still holds the record for the fastest Premier League goal at 7.69 seconds.
      Unsurprisingly, a clip of Leao’s goal went viral on social media.
      One fan said: “Fastest goal I’ve ever seen or heard about.”

      The 21-year-old’s goal surpassed the record set by Paolo PoggiCredit: Reuters

      And one claimed: “Blimey, that’s one way to start a game.”
      Leao got AC Milan off to the perfect start during the crunch clash against Sassuolo.
      Alexis Saelemaekers then doubled his side’s tally to give them a 2-0 lead in the first-half.
      Milan are perched at the top of the Serie A table, but Inter Milan are hot on their tail.

      Franck Kessie talks about his time at AC Milan and plans for the future More

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      Parma 0 Juventus 4 LIVE REACTION: Cristiano Ronaldo scores brace in thrashing to inch closer to Milan – latest updates

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO scored a fantastic brace as Juventus thrashed Parma 4-0 to move closer to AC Milan in the Serie A table.
      RESULT: Parma 0-4 Juventus
      Parma XI: Sepe, Iacoponi, Gagiolo, Cornelius, Kurtic, Sohm, Bruno Alves, Hernani Jr, Osorio, Gervinho, Kucka
      Juventus XI: Buffon, Danilo, De Ligt, Bonucci, Alex Sandro, McKennie, Bentancur, Ramsey, Kulusevski, Morata, Ronaldo
      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…

      THAT’S ALL FROM PARMA
      Juventus picked up a major victory against Parma in their bid to return to the top of the Serie A table.
      Juve picked up their third clean sheet in the league in style with a dominant 4-0 win at the Ennio Tardini stadium.
      The Bianconeri opened the scoring after only 23 minutes with a beautiful finish by Dejan Kulusevski.
      Man of the Match Cristiano Ronaldo then doubled the lead just three minutes later as he picked up a fantastic cross from Alvaro Morata and beat Luigi Sepe with an astonishing header.
      Juventus continued from where they left off in the second half as Ronaldo completed a brace thanks to another assist by Morata in the 48th minute.
      The visitors had another goal ruled out as the ball went out of play before Matthijs de Ligt’s finisher.
      But Morata ultimately made it four with a neat header five minutes before full-time.
      Juventus are now third in the league but have the same points as Inter Milan.
      Andrea Pirlo’s men will now wait and see how Inter and table-toppers AC Milan fare on Sunday
      Thank you for following our page and have a lovely night!

      RONALDO SECRET
      Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo hinted that Cristiano Ronaldo’s impressive performance comes down to missing a penalty last week against Atalanta.
      Pirlo insionuated that it was his anger from that miss that pushed him to tonight’s brace and caused him to take out his frustrations at Parma.
      The Juve manager said: “Ronaldo was rightly angry, he missed a penalty, but luckily we had a few days to think about it because we had to prepare for this match. He scored. , even better if he does them on action “.

      GETTY IMAGES – GETTY

      MOR THAN ENOUGH
      Alvaro Morata also enjoyed a brilliant night as he was involved in three out of four goals against Parma.
      Morata scored the fourth and set up both of Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals.
      And it seems tonight’s performance is absolutely historic for the star striker…

      SERIE A TABLE
      This is how the Serie A table looks like after Juventus’ 4-0 victory over Parma.
      As you can see, Juve have caught up with Inter Milan but are still third.
      The Bianconeri have a game at hand and will be waiting to see how the Milan rivals fare on Sunday.
      Inter take on Spezia at the San Siro whereas Milan face Sassuolo at the Citta del Tricolore.

      STREAK GOES RON
      We mentioned before kick-off that Cristiano Ronaldo loves to score against Parma…
      Well, the streak has just been extended significantly as tonight’s brace marks a staggering total of six goals in five matches for Ronaldo against Parma.
      Smart advice suggests the hosts should be more careful next time.
      But how can anyone contain such a player…?

      GETTY IMAGES – GETTY

      CLEAN VICTORY
      Juventus have the best defence in all of the Serie A as they have only conceded 10 goals in 13 matches.
      But tonight’s result marked only their third clean sheet in the league all season.
      Pretty hard to believe considering Juve are still undefeated close to Christmas…
      Nevertheless, manager Andrea Pirlo will take this 4-0 victory as a sign of progress

      MAN OF THE MATCH
      Who else but Cristiano Ronaldo…?
      Ronaldo was on fire throughout the match and had no trouble dealing with Parma’s defence.
      And it’s not just the brace he scored that leads to tonight’s award…
      But the fact that the Manchester United legend had the most shots (5), most shots on target (2) and among the highest passing accuracy rate of 90 per cent.

      GETTY IMAGES – GETTY

      STATS
      Juventus dominated throughout the match but Parma got a decent 37.6 per cent of possession.
      This doesn’t come as a surprise as the hosts produced 11 shots, four of which were on target.
      Juventus, however, had a whopping 19 shots throughout the game, seven on target,
      Parma improved in the second half and that is shown by the fact that they won 53.8 per cent of all aerial duels.

      FT: PARMA 0-4 JUVENTUS
      Juventus pick up their biggest Serie A victory of the season thanks to a dominant display against Parma.
      Juve opened the scoring after just 23 minutes with a beautiful shot by Dejan Kulusevski.
      An in-form Cristiano Ronaldo doubled the visitors’ lead just three minutes later with an outstanding header.
      Juventus didn’t slow down in the second half as Ronaldo completed a brace in the 48th minute.
      The Manchester United legend didn’t get to complete a hat-trick but Alvaro Morata completed the Bianconeri’s triumph with an impressive header five minutes before full-time

      PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPP
      AND THAT’S FULL-TIME!

      PARMA 0-4 JUVENTUS
      90 Morata’s brilliant header marked his 10th goal in 15 matches across all competitions.

      GETTY IMAGES – GETTY

      PARMA 0-4 JUVENTUS
      89 CHANCE
      Bruno Alves produces a pass from the right wing and Danilo gets to the ball.
      The ex-Manchester City ace almost scores an own goal but the ball goes out for a corner kick

      PARMA 0-4 JUVENTUS
      88 By the way, this was Ronaldo’s sixth brace of the season across all competitions.
      He didn’t score a hat-trick but that’s a brilliant stat…

      PARMA 0-4 JUVENTUS
      85 Bernardeschi delivers a superb cross from a corner kick and finds Morata.
      The ex-Chelsea star produces a marvellous header and beats Sepe with ease.
      What a night this has been for Juventus…

      GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLL
      IT’S ANOTHER GOAL FOR JUVENTUS!

      PARMA 0-3 JUVENTUS
      84 CHANCE
      Juventus come close to a fourth goal with Portanova’s powerful shot.
      The substitute made a beautiful run and forced a save out of Sepe.
      Is there more for Parma?

      PARMA 0-3 JUVENTUS
      83 SUBSTITUTION
      Ronaldo is not getting a hat-trick tonight as he comes off the pitch.
      Chiesa takes his place for the last 10 or so minutes of the match.
      Pirlo is evidently trying to protect his best player ahead of some very important matches

      PARMA 0-3 JUVENTUS
      81 CHANCE
      Parma miss another chance with Cyprien who picks up a ball from Hernani.
      He then fires a shot at Buffon but the ball goes wide

      PARMA 0-3 JUVENTUS
      80 Only 10 minutes left until full-time.
      Ronaldo is after a hat-trick even though Juventus have sealed the victory.
      However, Juve want the clean sheet, which is under substantial threat as Parma are becoming dangerous

      PARMA 0-3 JUVENTUS
      76 SUBSTITUTION
      Portanova replaces McKennie and Cuadrado comes in for captain Bonucci.
      Juventus are wrapping up the victory

      PARMA 0-3 JUVENTUS
      75 WHAT A CHANCE!
      Parma comes close to a goal again with Inglese, who almost netted his first of the season.
      The striker get s a shot right in front of Buffon who saves it and a second shot is blocked by De Ligt

      PARMA 0-3 JUVENTUS
      74 CHANCE
      Gagliolo comes close to another goal with a shot from the left side of the six-yard box.
      But the ball goes just wide…

      PARMA 0-3 JUVENTUS
      72 WHAT A CHANCE
      Morata picks up a cross and flicks the ball over Sepe before it gets cleared from Parma’s defence.
      Juve are asking for a penalty but referee claims the ex-Chelsea ace was offside

      PARMA 0-3 JUVENTUS
      71 WHAT A CHANCE!
      Parma come close to a goal with Gagliolo, who picks up a beautiful header from a corner kick.
      The ball looks like it is going in but Karamoh gets in the way accidentally.
      Linesman’s flag then immediately comes up for offisde

      PARMA 0-3 JUVENTUS
      70 Juventus are enjoying a comfortable possession 20 minutes before full-time.
      But Parma are starting to find ways to counter-attack and seem more than capable to deny the visitors of yet another clean sheet

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      Arsenal joined by Juventus and Everton in Isco transfer race with attacker no longer wanted by Real Madrid

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      ARSENAL have reportedly joined the race to sign Isco from Real Madrid. The 28-year-old looks set to leave the Bernabeu in January after starting just three LaLiga games this season. According to Spanish newspaper Sport, the Gunners are on a long list of teams that are interested in Isco. Juventus, Sevilla, AC Milan and Everton […] More

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      Koulibaly or Upamecano not realistic so Liverpool shouldn’t sign Van Dijk replacement in January, claims John Barnes

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      JOHN BARNES has stated Liverpool should avoid looking to sign a replacement for Virgil van Dijk as their top two targets are not realistic options.
      The Reds are in the market for a centre-back in the New Year following the Dutchman’s ACL injury he suffered in the 2-2 draw against Everton in October.

      Napoli centre-back has been linked with a move to Liverpool as a replacement for injured Virgil van DijkCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      John Barnes believes the Reds have no hope of bringing Dayot Upamecano to Anfield next monthCredit: Reuters

      The Premier League leaders are hoping the defender, 29, returns before the end of the season, though he could well miss the remainder of the campaign.
      Jurgen Klopp has spoken of Van Dijk’s horror injury where he revealed that his knee ‘doesn’t look like how a knee should’.
      Liverpool have since been linked with Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly as well as RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano, but Barnes has stated the Merseyside outfit have no chance of signing them.
      Speaking to BonusCodeBets, he said: “If they can get better than what they have, yes [they should buy another centre-back]. 

      “But if they can’t get better, there’s no point in buying for the sake of buying.
      “The majority of centre-backs you would want are normally playing at top teams in the Champions League and may not be available.  
      “So, it’s not a question of looking to buy anybody, because he [Jurgen Klopp] has faith in the youngsters that he’s played.
      “If they can get somebody who they feel will improve them, that is obviously a priority, but not just for the sake of it. 

      How Virgil van Dijk compares to the rest of the PL’s defenders
      “Koulibaly – he’s not coming. It would be great if we could have him, but it depends on who you can get.
      “RB Leipzig are still in the Champions League and will be playing against Liverpool so [Upemecano] is not going to come.
      “It would be great to have him, or Koulibaly and other players, but you have to be realistic about who you can actually get. 
      “I don’t know anybody out there who is going to be a stopgap – and realistically isn’t going to be a great player. So, Klopp will have to have faith in the squad.”
      Liverpool have most recently been linked with a move to bring Inter Milan ace Stefan de Vrij to Anfield next month.

      A look back at Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur as it happened from the Premier League More