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A.VILLA 0-3 LEEDS: BAMFORD HATRICK HELP WHITES DISRUPT VILLA PERFECT START.

Patrick Bamford’s hat-trick saw him create a little piece of history for Leeds as Aston Villa were denied top spot in the Premier League.

Bamford’s second-half treble saw the striker become only the second player to score in each of Leeds’s opening three away games in a top-flight league season, after Gordon Hodgson in 1937-38.

It took the 27-year-old to six Premier League goals for the season as Marcelo Bielsa’s team continued their impressive return to the top division.

Villa were chasing their own piece of club history, having never won their opening five league games of a season before. They still have not, and Friday night’s defeat saw them miss the chance to top the Premier League table for the first time since October 2001.

Bamford had a good early chance for Leeds but his diving header from Ezgjan Alioski’s deep cross from the left went narrowly wide.

A superb block by Ezri Konsa, throwing himself in front of Rodrigo’s driven shot, saw Leeds go close again shortly afterwards. From the resulting corner, Alioski sent another effort straight at Emiliano Martinez.

At the other end, Ross Barkley stung the palms of Illan Meslier with a shot from outside the penalty area.

Leeds enjoyed the better of the opening 25 minutes but Villa rode their luck and then had the best chance of the game so far.

Ollie Watkins’ low cross from the right side of the penalty area eluded Trezeguet in the centre and found Jack Grealish at the far post. The Villa captain got a good contact with his left foot as he turned the ball goalwards but Luke Ayling’s was on the goal-line to make the clearance.

Leeds survived a penalty scare late in the first half when Grealish went down under a challenge from Helder Costa just inside the area. Referee Paul Tierney waved away the appeals and his decision was supported by a VAR check.

A swift break by Jack Harrison saw him put Bamford in on goal with a lovely throughball but Konsa and Tyrone Mings did just do enough to put the striker off and he scuffed his shot wide.

Grealish was involved again at the start of the second half, almost opening the scoring with a sensational solo run. The 25-year-old collected the ball deep inside his own half before embarking on a driving forward run, riding challenges from three Leeds players on his way to the penalty area.

He took his time to work his way over to the right-hand side but with defenders sliding in all around him, but when he finally got his shot away it was straight at Meslier.

From the resulting corner Meslier then produced an acrobatic save to tip Konsa’s volley over the crossbar after he had beaten Ayling to the ball. It proved pivotal.

Despite Villa’s start to the second half, it was Leeds who went ahead after 55 minutes. Alioski and Harrison spearheaded a counter-attack, with the latter picking out the run of Rodrigo into the area. His effort was initially palmed away by Martinez, but Bamford was lurking to slot home the loose ball at the far post.

Leeds were in the ascendancy since going in front and doubled their lead shortly afterwards. It was Bamford again, curling a shot into the top corner of the net from just outside the area with unerring accuracy.

Bamford completed his hat-trick after 74 minutes, showing good feet to work a yard of space inside the penalty area before curling the ball beyond Martinez.

Leeds were creating chances at an alarming rate and Bamford had an opportunity for a fourth but looped his header into the goalkeeper’s arms, before Pablo Hernandez wildly blazed a shot over the crossbar when he had time and space to do much better.

Watkins had a sight of goal in stoppage time for a consolation goal for Villa but he dragged his effort wide.

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CAMP NOU SHOULD BE NAMED AFTER MESSI – PIQUE.

Gerard Pique has said Barcelona should name the redeveloped Camp Nou after Lionel Messi when it is finished and suggested the forward should have been allowed to leave in the summer if that is what he wanted.

Messi, 33, sent a burofax in August informing Barca of his desire to leave. President Josep Maria Bartomeu refused to let him go, though, and when Messi realised a legal battle was his only way out of the club — he argued a clause in his contract allowed him to leave for free — he decided to stay.

Pique has revealed he sent Messi a message at the time pointing out that a new president and board of directors would be elected within a year. However, despite encouraging him to stay, the Barca defender said Messi had earned the right to decide his own future.

“I didn’t have much to do with Leo during that moment because it was a very personal decision,” Pique told Spanish reporters. “I remember one message I sent: ‘Leo, it’s one year, then new people will come in…’

“Leo has more than earned the right to make a decision and if he felt he should leave… as president I would have acted differently. A player that has given so much in 16 years, you’re obliged to reach an agreement with him.

“[But] how can it be that the best player in history gets up one day and sends a burofax because he feels he’s not being listened to? What’s happening? Leo deserves the lot. The new stadium should be named after him.

“We have to preserve our figures, not discredit them. I am surprised people like Pep [Guardiola], [Carles] Puyol, Xavi [Hernandez] and [Victor] Valdes aren’t at the club. Something is not being done right.”

Pique’s interview provided the latest glimpse into the rift that exists between the players and the board at Camp Nou. He admitted his own relationship with Bartomeu is not great, said he would not have sacked Ernesto Valverde and was critical of plans to impose club-wide wage cuts to mitigate the financial consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Having won two leagues and being top, to sack [Valverde] halfway through the season, as a project, doesn’t seem very coherent — I didn’t think it was logical,” he said.

Following Valverde’s dismissal, Cadena Ser revealed Barca had paid a third-party company in charge of several social media account to smear people related to the club, including Pique and other current players. The saga became known as “Barcagate.”

“It’s an atrocity as a Barcelona player to see my club spending money — money they’re now asking for from us — to criticise not just external people with a previous relationship to the club, but players still here,” Pique added.

Barca are now requesting players take a pay cut to alleviate the effects of the health crisis on the club’s accounts.

Pique, 33, is one of four players to voluntarily sign a new deal which sees him take a hit on his salary this season before being remunerated in the latter years of the deal. However, he also signed a burofax sent to the club which criticised plans to push through salary cuts of up to 30% across the club.

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BARNSLEY NAMES ISMAEL AS NEW MANAGER.

Championship club Barnsley have named former Crystal Palace defender Valerien Ismael as their new head coach.

The France-born 45-year-old, who now has German citizenship, has replaced Gerhard Struber on a three-year deal.

Struber left Oakwell earlier this month to take charge of Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls.

Ismael made 13 appearances for Palace in 1998 during his playing career and has previously been head coach of Wolfsburg, Apollon Smyrnis and LASK.

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OGS GIVES TRIPLE FITNESS NEWS AHEAD CHELSEA TIE.

Man United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has delivered a promising injury update ahead of his side’s clash against Chelsea.

Harry Maguire, Edinson Cavani, and Mason Greenwood are expected to be available for Manchester United against Chelsea.

None of the trio were included in the matchday squad for Tuesday night’s Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain for differing reasons.

Maguire missed the game through injury, as did Greenwood who also sat out last weekend’s 4-1 win over Newcastle United which had been described as a ‘niggle’.

Meanwhile, Cavani – an arrival at Old Trafford on transfer deadline day – only started training with his new teammates on Sunday and stayed behind as the rest of the squad travelled to France.

But in a huge boost to United, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is hoping to have all three available for the big game against Chelsea.

“I hope and expect all three of them to be available for selection,” he said in his pre-match press conference.

“Of course we’ve got a training session this morning which is the last chance of preparation, but they’ve all got a chance, all of them.

“Edinson needs to tick all the boxes that he’s gone through in his programme to be ready and make an impact.

“I’ll have a discussion with him today, as well as with Mason and Harry.”

With Anthony Martial suspended after being sent-off in United’s 6-1 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur before the October international break, Cavani could be in line to make his debut.

If so, he could come up against Thiago Silva – his former teammate at PSG – and he’s already sent a message to the Blues defender.

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EMRE CAN TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS.

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Emre Can has tested positive for coronavirus ahead of Saturday’s derby agains Schalke.

The ex-Liverpool star is not suffering from any symptoms and has already entered a 14-day period of self-isolation in order to prevent the spread of the disease.

Can will miss the Bundesliga clash against Dortmund’s bitter rivals, but the club have confirmed that the game will go ahead as planned.

The 26-year-old was the only member of Dortmund’s playing and backroom staff to return a positive test on Friday.

The club delayed their training session by 90 minutes following talks with the Dortmund health department, but they will host Schalke at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday as scheduled.

Can missed the midweek Champions League defeat by Lazio due to suspension and has now been ruled out of games against Zenit St Petersburg and Arminia.

He is likely to return against Club Bruges on November 4, providing he tests negative for Covid-19 in the run up to the game.

Can becomes the latest big name to contract the disease, with Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo currently in self-isolation after being infected on international duty with Portugal earlier this month.

Other players to have tested positive for coronavirus in recent months include Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez and Crystal Palace new boy Jack Butland, who was also diagnosed on Friday.

Meanwhile, Dortmund go into Saturday’s game with second-bottom Schalke third in the Bundesliga table after three wins and a draw so far this season.

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LEEDS UTD 0-1 WOLVES: JIMENEZ SECOND HALF STRIKE HELP WOLVES BEAT THE WHITES AT HOME.

Raul Jimenez scored his third goal of 2020/21 as Wolverhampton Wanderers edged to a 1-0 win against Leeds United at Elland Road.

Leeds started on the front foot and Rodrigo Moreno twice sent headers narrowly off target.

It took a smart save from Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier to deny Daniel Podence following a swift Wolves counter-attack just before half-time.

Romain Saiss thought he had fired Wolves ahead on 54 minutes with a fine finish from Podence’s cross, but his effort was ruled out for offside in the build-up.

But Wolves went ahead 16 minutes later when Jimenez’s goalbound effort deflected in off Kalvin Phillips and left Meslier stranded.

Wolves move up to sixth position on nine points, two points ahead of Leeds, who slip to 10th place.

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LAMPARD BELIEVES VAN DIJK’S INJURY WON’T DISRUPT LIVERPOOL’S SEASON

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has questioned to what extent Liverpool will be affected by the absence of Virgil van Dijk.

Van Dijk will undergo surgery on a damaged anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee having been the victim of an unpunished x-rated challenge from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in Saturday’s Merseyside derby at Goodison.

While Liverpool are reluctant to rule the defender out for the season, the player is facing a lengthy period on the sidelines.

The injury leaves Joel Matip and Joe Gomez as Liverpool’s only two recognised senior centre-backs, with midfielder Fabinho a makeshift alternative.

But while admitting any team would miss Van Dijk, Lampard has suggested the Reds could have the strength in depth to cope with the Dutchman’s absence over the remainder of the campaign.

“I think Virgil van Dijk is clearly an outstanding player,” said Lampard, speaking on Monday ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League group opener against Sevilla on Tuesday.

He’s one of the outstanding defenders in world football and has been for the last two or three seasons.

The loss of a player of that quality and that size is going to affect any team because individuals and the quality of individual players like that make huge differences.

“But we’re talking about Liverpool, we’re talking about a squad that’s been built, that are so strong, with a great manager so – of course nobody wants to lose a player like that and obviously I wish him my best when I see that sort of injury – but it remains to be seen how much it affects Liverpool.”

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MLS ANNOUNCE PROGRAMS TO COMBAT RACISM, PROMOTE DIVERSITY.

Major League Soccer announced a series of initiatives Monday to combat racism, advocate for social justice and increase diversity in the sport.

MLS says the programs came after several months of discussions with key league stakeholders, including a recent meeting between the MLS board and the Black Players For Change, an independent organization of more than 170 MLS players coaches and staff aimed at confronting racial inequality.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber will sit on a new diversity committee consisting of members of the MLS board of governors, representatives of Black Players For Change, club executives, coaches, former MLS players and members of Pitch Black, a resource group of Black employees from the MLS office.

The committee will work with the league to develop a strategy toward diversity, inclusion, opportunity and social justice.

“Major League Soccer is committed to utilizing our wide-ranging platforms to create meaningful programs to address racism and social injustice in society and in the sport of soccer,” Garber said in a statement.

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WESTBROM 0-0 BURNLEY: IVANOVIC SHINES AS THE HAWTHORNS HELD TO A DRAW BY BURNLEY.

Branislav Ivanovic produced a standout display on his first Premier League match for West Bromwich Albion as they held Burnley to the first goalless draw of the Premier League season.

The 36-year-old was commanding at centre-back in his first PL appearance since featuring for Chelsea in December 2016, and went close to snatching the winning goal.

Hosts West Brom started brightly as Filip Krovinovic curled an effort narrowly wide and new signing Karlan Grant had a goal disallowed for offside.

Burnley’s Ashley Barnes then forced a fine save from Sam Johnstone on 28 minutes.

Both sides traded chances in the second half, with Nick Pope superbly denying Grady Diangana and Ivanovic in quick succession on 62 minutes.

Moments later Chris Wood’s header from Ashley Westwood’s cross hit the crossbar, before Barnes was denied by Johnstone.

But neither side were able to claim their first win of the season, leaving West Brom 17th on two points and 18th-placed Burnley on one.

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LONE RANGERS: STERLING RETURN MANCITY TO WINNING WAY AFTER FIRST HALF GOAL.

Raheem Sterling’s first-half strike returned Manchester City to winning ways, beating Arsenal 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

City started strongly and got their rewards on 23 minutes, with Sterling converting after Bernd Leno had parried Phil Foden’s shot.

Bukayo Saka almost levelled five minutes before half-time, but his shot after a one-two with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was saved by Ederson.

Nicolas Pepe tested Ederson with a header in the first minute of the second half and curled a free-kick wide as Arsenal searched in vain for an equaliser.

City’s first league victory since Matchweek 2 extended their run of consecutive Premier League wins over Arsenal to seven and moved them to up 10th on seven points.

Arsenal have nine points, having played a match more, and stay fifth.