What the papers say

Juventus have emerged as potential suitors for Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, 30, according to the Daily Mirror. The Gunners have been linked with Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, 25.

Chelsea are streamlining their transfer policy with a “one in, one out” approach. The Daily Telegraph says the move could see a number of players making way for new signings.

Among those who could leave the Blues are 39-year-old Brazilian defender Thiago Silva, whose contract is set to expire next summer, according to the Evening Standard. England Under-21 defender Trevoh Chalobah, 24, who is up for sale is another who coule be on the way out.

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Tristan Aldcroft Panduro: Manchester City and Arsenal have sent scouts to watch the 15-year-old FC Copenhagen midfielder, reports the Daily Mail.

Marc Guehi: Manchester United have made Crystal Palace’s 23-year-old centre-back their primary January target, according to Football Insider.

Jamie Vardy scored for the 11th match in a row on this day in 2015 to break Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Premier League record and earn Leicester a 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

The England forward opened the scoring against Manchester United in the 24th minute to surpass Van Nistelrooy’s 10-game mark, which had stood since 2003.

Vardy found his 14th goal of the season when he got on the end of Christian Fuchs’ pass and rifled past David De Gea from close range and become the first player to score in 11 consecutive games in the Premier League era.

Manchester United managed to find an equaliser when Bastian Schweinsteiger cancelled out Vardy’s opener with a powerful header from close range to make it 1-1.

The 28-year-old started the run of consecutive games with a late penalty in a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth three months earlier in August which included doubles against Arsenal and Southampton, a winner against Watford and the record-equalling strike in a 3-0 win at Newcastle the week before.

Vardy’s incredible run came after he was made an England international in June, just three years after becoming non-league football’s first £1million player following a move to the King Power Stadium from Fleetwood in 2012.

After breaking the record, Vardy said: “It’s unbelievable. I think I got a bit carried away with myself.

“Obviously we’ve got a lot of pace in the team and I think counter-attacking is a big advantage for us.

“If we can break as quick we have, then obviously it is going to benefit the team.”

Vardy’s goals helped power the Foxes to the Premier League crown under Claudio Ranieri and he finished the season as the league’s second top scorer behind Golden Boot winner Sergio Aguero.

No player has yet to break Vardy’s record which still stands and he went on to win more silverware with Leicester, lifting the FA Cup trophy in 2021 before being relegated with the club in 2023.

Manchester City have unveiled a statue of club greats Mike Summerbee, Colin Bell and Francis Lee outside the Etihad Stadium.

The permanent bronze tribute on the west side of the ground captures the three players in dynamic poses characteristic of their styles of play.

Summerbee, Bell and Lee were the central figures in the City side that won the First Division title in 1968, the FA Cup the following year and both the European Cup Winners’ Cup and League Cup in 1970.

The names of all 29 players who featured during this trophy-winning era are also inscribed on a bronze plate on the statue’s plinth.

It is the latest in a series of tributes the club have made to honour past players, including the commissioning of statues of Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Aguero, in recent years.

Summerbee, 80, who scored 67 goals in 449 appearances for City and remains an ambassador for the club, said: “This is a truly special moment for me and my family. I joined Manchester City in 1965 and it is the best decision I could have possibly made.

“Fifty years later I am still here, still treated with such respect. I feel incredibly lucky to be recognised in this way, amongst friends whose contribution to our history this club never forgets, despite the amazing success we have enjoyed in recent years.

“It is an honour to be part of this extraordinary club.”

Lee, who scored 148 goals in 330 appearances for City and later had a spell as chairman at Maine Road, died in October. Bell, who died in 2021, scored 153 goals in 498 City games.

The statue has been sculpted by the British artist David Williams-Ellis and is 4.5 metres high and four metres wide.

City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said: “This statue honours three players who are unquestionably City legends and have deservedly earned a special place in the history of the club and hearts of the whole City family.”

Cairo Santos landed his fourth field goal of the night in the closing moments as the Chicago Bears edged past the Minnesota Vikings for a final score of 12-10.

Santos landed the decisive kick from 30 yards with 10 seconds remaining to decide the defence-dominated NFC North clash.

Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs was intercepted four times as they lost to the Bears for the first time in seven meetings.

Despite his problems, Dobbs found TJ Hockenson to put the Vikings ahead for the first time with less than six minutes remaining.

Fields fumbled for the second time in the quarter on the following drive, but moved the Bears into position for Santos’s winning kick.

The defeat dents the Vikings’ hopes of claiming the divisional title, dropping them to 6-6, behind the 8-3 Detroit Lions.

Gary O’Neil asked “what is the point in VAR?” after his Wolves side conceded a controversial late penalty during a 3-2 defeat at Craven Cottage.

VAR sent referee Michael Salisbury to the screen to award a penalty after Joao Gomes brought Harry Wilson down in the box, Willian scoring his second spot kick of the game to seal all three points for Fulham.

O’Neil highlighted the decisions involving the late penalty, Carlos Vinicius’ alleged headbutt on Max Kilman and why Tim Ream did not receive a second yellow for a foul on Hwan Hee-Chang.

The Wolves boss criticised the decisions during the game and believes VAR has not helped the referee.

O’Neil said: “I don’t think it’s helped the game,

“I think the ref would have done a better job on his own. I don’t think VAR helped him but in fact it hindered him.

“Sending him to the screen for one and not to the other, not advising him there is a headbutt or that Tim Ream should receive a red card. What is the point in VAR?

“They said they got the Harry Wilson one right (last penalty decision). There’s minimal contact and I don’t think there’s enough.”

O’Neil, who spoke to the referee after the match, also felt aggrieved about Fulham’s first penalty awarded for a foul by Nelson Semedo on Tom Cairney.

He told Sky Sports: “Nelson plays the ball, doesn’t touch Tom Cairney. I watched it back with the referee, and to be fair to him he says he thinks they’ve got that wrong and he should have been sent to the monitor.”

Fulham boss Marco Silva lauded his side’s mentality to end a run of four games without a win and to go ahead in the game on three separate occasions.

He said: “We knew Wolves would show resilience tonight again and they brought it back twice and we showed team spirit and I really believed we deserved three points.

“It is important to express ourselves on the pitch. We had some very good spells in some times in the game.

“But the mentality, team spirit and it was a game we had to win and we did it.”

Willian scored his second and third of the season from the spot and Silva praised the experienced 35-year-old.

“He is really important for us and we know the quality of Willian,” Silva added.

“My decision last season to change the taker because he is a player who needs more importance and confidence and it was nice to see him take responsibility with two very good moments from him.

“Overall his performance was very good. Two chances he must score and he did it in very good style, I must say.”

The Minnesota Wild fired head coach Dean Evason and top assistant Bob Woods on Monday.

The shake-up comes a day after the Wild’s 4-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings extended their losing streak to seven games. Minnesota is 2-8-3 in their last 13 games.

General manager Bill Guerin released a statement announcing the moves.

“Dean did an excellent job during his tenure with the Minnesota Wild, especially as head coach of our team,” Guerin said. “I am very thankful for his hard work and dedication to our organization … I wish Dean, Bob and their families all the best in the future.”

Guerin’s statement did not mention who would take over coaching duties, but The Athletic reported that former New Jersey Devils and Nashville Predators bench boss John Hynes would be the Wild’s next coach.

Evason, 59, landed his first NHL head coaching job when he took over behind the Wild’s bench mid-season in 2020, replacing Bruce Boudreau.

Evason led the Wild to a franchise-record 113 points during the 2021-22 season and followed up with another 100-point campaign last season.

The Wild had three straight first-round play-off exits under Evason, however, and this year’s frigid start was enough to prompt a change.

Evason had a 147-77-27 record behind Minnesota’s bench.

Gary O’Neil admitted Wolves’ 3-2 defeat at Fulham may have ‘finally turned him against VAR’ following a number of controversial calls.

Willian scored two penalties – including a stoppage-time winner – at Craven Cottage, while Alex Iwobi’s early strike was cancelled out by Matheus Cunha and Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan also scored from the spot.

The Cottagers won their first penalty after Tom Cairney beat Nelson Semedo to the ball and was brought down in the box, and a VAR check ruled the incident to have happened inside the area, with Willian stuttering in his run-up and sending Jose Sa the wrong way

After reviewing the decision with referee Michael Salisbury after the match, O’Neil told Sky Sports: “Nelson plays the ball, doesn’t touch Tom Cairney. I watched it back with the referee, and to be fair to him he says he thinks they’ve got that wrong and he should have been sent to the monitor.

“Doesn’t help me. It doesn’t help all the fans that have travelled all this way to watch the team. Doesn’t help the players who are feeling frustrated again. The Nelson one has pretty much been admitted by the referee that (there was) a mistake.”

Willian’s winner sparked more debate, O’Neil maintaining the second penalty, issued after Joao Gomes was deemed to have brought down Harry Wilson in the box, was “soft”, but Salisbury in that case stood by his decision to ultimately award the penalty – the result of VAR Stuart Attwell encouraging him to check the pitchside monitor.

O’Neil, who has seen his side emerge on the wrong end of decisions before, said: “It’s bad luck that it keeps going against us, but there are bad refereeing decisions in there.

“I’ve had a real grown-up conversation in there with him, I’m trying to remain calm. I’m not angry with anybody. I’m not in there abusing people. It’s literally a conversation around, ‘come on, guys, it’s six, seven points now that have gone against us, I’m managing a big football club here, and the difference that you’re making to my reputation, to the club’s progression up the league, to people’s livelihoods is huge’.

“It can’t be that with all the technology and all the time and the biggest league in the world that we’re getting so many wrong. It can’t be OK.

“I’ve always been for VAR but I think it’s causing a big problem at the moment. Maybe tonight has finally turned me against VAR when I thought it would probably help, but it doesn’t seem to be.”

Fulham boss Marco Silva, meanwhile, was relieved to have secured a first victory in five matches.

He told Sky Sports: “It’s a really important win for us. We wanted a reaction from the last, back-to-back defeats. Of course it is always tough for us. It is something that we are not used to.

“I really wanted to see that quality, that intensity, the pace, the will to go. The team showed very good spirit. Overall it was a balanced game but we were always trying to do more to win than Wolves, I believe.”

Carolina Panthers have sacked head coach Frank Reich after starting the new season with just one win in 11 games.

Reich was appointed in January but made little impact and Saturday’s 17-10 defeat to Tennessee Titans extended the worst current record in the NFL.

The Panthers confirmed that special teams co-ordinator Chris Tabor will take over as interim head coach, with senior assistant Jim Caldwell becoming special adviser to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, who assumes play-calling duties.

Panthers owner David Tepper said in a statement: “I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers. I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well.”

Mike Phelan has warned Manchester United not to get distracted by Galatasaray’s fierce atmosphere or any pre-match hostility 30 years on from his ‘Welcome to Hell’ experience.

Three losses in four Group A matches means defeat in Istanbul on Wednesday night will end the Red Devils’ hopes of making the Champions League knockout phase with a game to spare.

Galatasaray won last month’s reverse fixture 3-2 at Old Trafford and are sure to make life tough for Erik ten Hag’s visitors at what is set to be a rocking Rams Park.

The encounter brings back memories of United’s famous visit to the Turkish giants’ hostile old ground in November 1993, when Phelan started a wild second round second-leg clash.

“We arrived and they allowed everybody into the airport,” the former midfielder said. “There was a fair few there.

“I think they blocked it off with some glass, Perspex, something like that.

“There was a lot of police there, but they were just all shouting, jeering and holding these placards that we’re going to die over there.

“An unusual welcome, put it that way. But there was a lot of intimidation really in the atmosphere at the airport. When we got to the hotel, exactly the same.”

Gary Pallister was part of the travelling party and remembers the ‘Welcome to Hell’ placards, as well as the intimidation extending to their plush hotel.

“I was walking past this bellboy, he’s pushing one of the trolley things that you hang your suit on and carries suitcases,” Pallister said.

“As I’m walking past him, I just went ‘afternoon’ or whatever and he just went like that (makes a slit throat gesture) and I just carried on walking.

“I was like ‘wow, this is a bit different’. But I mean that’s what we faced most of the trip I would suggest.”

The air of intimidation continued throughout a trip that ended in United’s Champions League exit, with a 3-3 draw at Old Trafford followed by a 0-0 at the rickety Ali Sami Yen Stadium.

Eric Cantona was sent off towards the conclusion of a game that ended with the forward and Bryan Robson furious at having been attacked as they left the field.

United have made two less chaotic Champions League visits to Galatasaray since then and Phelan says cool heads are required in what is a huge game for both teams.

“Just play the game,” Phelan said. “The best place to be is on the pitch.

“Off the pitch is where frustrations are but on the pitch you are in control.

“On the pitch it is up to what you do, not necessarily what Galatasaray do. It’s what you do.

“What is your game plan? Can you execute your game plan? Have you got the confidence to go there to get the result that you need?

“Can your big players turn up? Because you need your big players. In big games and occasions, you need your big players.

“I think you’ve got to control the game because you can’t control the atmosphere.

“You might be able to, in a little way, if your retention of the ball is good and you’re not making mistakes, then you control the game, control the ball, and that can silence the crowd – don’t encourage the crowd.”

Victory on Wednesday would be United’s most important Champions League away win since their stunning 3-1 last 16 second-leg triumph at Paris St Germain in 2019.

Phelan was assistant to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back then and says they just need to keep the mentality that “it’s a game of football”.

“Galatasaray are in a fantastic position, being at home and knowing they can go through with a win, so their team talk will be slightly different to United’s,” he said.

“But United know the task ahead – they have to win two games. But you can only play one at a time, so win the first one, then take up the challenge of playing Bayern.”

Brendan Rodgers has warned his Celtic players they must avoid seeing red against Lazio on Tuesday if they are to have a chance of keeping their European campaign alive beyond Christmas.

The Hoops have taken just one point from their four Champions League matches so far and need to win in the Stadio Olimpico and hope Atletico Madrid defeat Feyenoord in order to go into their final match against the Dutch side with a chance of progressing to the knockout phase of the Europa League.

Celtic’s cause has not been helped by the fact they have had three players sent off in their two away games – Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm in the 2-0 defeat in Rotterdam and Daizen Maeda in the first half of their 6-0 thrashing in Madrid.

Rodgers is adamant there can be no repeat of such indiscipline in Rome.

“What is important for us is making sure we have 11 men on the field,” said the Hoops boss. “In our two away games we’ve been down to nine men and then 10 men.

“At this level, that’s a big ask. For us, it’s about keeping our players on the field, playing the level of football that we know we can and have shown, and hopefully we get our breaks in the game.

“I think we learned that over the course of the competition, against Lazio and the other teams, that we can really compete when we are 11 vs 11.”

Celtic have not won away in the Champions League since defeating Anderlecht 3-0 more than six years ago, but Rodgers is optimistic his team can get the victory they require in the Italian capital.

“We have two games left, we know what we have to do,” he said. “We’re going to give it everything to achieve the victories we need.

“I’m excited by it, I’m really looking forward to seeing us play. I think we can get the result that we want but we know we have to work very, very hard.”

Rodgers is relishing the prospect of seeing his team run out at the Stadio Olimpico as they bid to avenge the 2-1 defeat they suffered at home to Lazio at the start of October.

“You play football to play in the best stadiums, in the best atmospheres,” he said. “When I was here before, the atmosphere was amazing and I expect it to be the same this time.

“It’s a really iconic stadium. You always expect the supporters to get behind the home team. I always say the louder the opponents cheer, the harder we run, so hopefully we run very hard.”

Celtic will be without key wide players Luis Palma, Liel Abada and Maeda, but James Forrest is back in contention after missing Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Motherwell.

Defender Liam Scales is confident about the Scottish champions’ prospects of victory.

“If we win the two games we give ourselves a right chance so that’s what we’re looking to do,” he said. “We do believe we can do it. We’ve come close enough, we’ve gone toe-to-toe with teams and just come out on the wrong side of the results.

“Away wins in Europe are hard to come by and if we can do that here it would be amazing for us as a group to kick on and believe that we can do it again in the last game.”

Former Shamrock Rovers defender Scales, who spent last season on loan at Aberdeen, is revelling in the Champions League experience.

“I’m taking it all in, taking as much of it in as I can because you don’t know how many of these experiences you’re going to have playing in these stadiums against this level of opposition,” said the 25-year-old.

“Before the games I try and take a second to take it all in and then I get into game mode.”

RB Leipzig are hoping to restore some pride as they return to the scene of last season’s thrashing by Manchester City, coach Marco Rose has said.

The German side were crushed 7-0 by the eventual Champions League winners when they visited the Etihad Stadium in the last-16 stage of the competition in March.

The two sides meet again at the same venue for a group match on Tuesday, with both having already secured their places in the knockout stages.

Rose said at a press conference: “Last year with the 7-0 thrashing, it put us down, it knocked us down. We haven’t spoken about it but it was not a good feeling after the game.

“But we became cup champions in Germany after the game and we qualified for the Champions League, so it didn’t destroy us as a team.

“Tomorrow we want to do better for sure. We want to compete with one of the best teams in the world. We want to show that we can make it better, that we are better.

“It’s difficult. We will have to suffer tomorrow. I didn’t see a team here that had much possession. Even Liverpool I think had just 40 per cent ball possession.

“So we know what we’ll get but we are here to try again.”

Erling Haaland scored five goals for City in that last meeting and Rose knows all about the threat the Norwegian poses having managed him at his former club Borussia Dortmund.

He said: “I hope the relationship is as good as it always was but obviously he has to do his job tomorrow. We have to try and suppress him if we can.

“We’ll enjoy watching him play but hopefully we’ll be able to stifle him.”

Leipzig go into what is their penultimate game in Group G trailing City by three points. Top spot is still to be finalised but the Germans need to win to have any hope of overhauling the English outfit.

Nottingham Forest are working with the police to identify fans who are believed to have directed homophobic abuse at Brighton players and supporters on Saturday.

The behaviour under investigation took place during a 3-2 victory for 10-man Brighton, who had Lewis Dunk sent off late in the second half at the City Ground.

Forest condemned the alleged conduct and assured there would be consequences for those involved.

A statement on the club’s official account on X, formerly Twitter, read: “Following Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion, we have been made aware of some homophobic language aimed towards Brighton players and supporters from a minority of our fans.

“Homophobia, like all other forms of discrimination, has no place in football or society, and anyone engaging in discriminatory behaviour is committing a criminal offence. We are actively working with Nottinghamshire Police to identify the individuals involved, and they will be dealt with appropriately.

“We would like to thank all our supporters who reported incidents. Nottingham Forest is committed to creating an inclusive environment which embraces and celebrates our differences. We want everyone who attends our stadium to have a positive experience.”