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AC MILAN AND INTER MILAN SETTLE FOR DRAW IN DERBY THRILLER

AC Milan continued their unbeaten start to the Serie A season with a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan in an enthralling Derby della Madonnina on Sunday, maintaining the Rossoneri’s seven-point lead over the reigning Italian champions.

Hakan Calhanoglu, who crossed the divide by joining Inter on a free transfer from Milan in the summer, quickly made his mark against his former employers by winning and scoring a penalty 11 minutes in.

But Stefan de Vrij headed into his own net to draw the Rossoneri level six minutes later, before Milan keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu superbly saved a Lautaro Martinez penalty in a frantic first half.

Milan substitute Alexis Saelemaekers was inches away from a stunning 90th-minute winner when his powerful strike cannoned off the foot of the post, as Stefano Pioli’s side dropped points for just the second time this season in the league.

“The glass is half full, it was a complicated match. In the end the performance was positive against a strong team, but we showed that we are also strong,” Pioli told DAZN.

“We were brave, especially in the defensive phase. We attacked with a lot of players in the first half and showed great desire to bring home a big result. Only us and Napoli are still unbeaten in the top European leagues.”

Milan remain second with 32 points, behind leaders Napoli on goal difference, while champions Inter are third with 25 points.

It is the first time the Rossoneri have registered as many as 32 points after 12 games of a Serie A season in the three points for a win era.

The stakes were high for both teams, with Milan having the chance to go ten points clear of one of their major title rivals and Inter desperately needing a result to keep hopes of a successful Scudetto defence alive.

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi therefore saw the result in a different light to his Milan counterpart Pioli.

“For us the glass is half empty because with the chances we created and the penalty we missed, we deserved more,” Inzaghi told DAZN.

“But we were up against a great team that is deservedly on top of the table. We are lagging behind, but there is still time and games like this make us more self-aware.”

The game started with a bang when Calhanoglu was tripped by Franck Kessie to win a penalty, which he converted before celebrating in front of supporters of Milan, the club he represented for four years.

Inter’s lead lasted only six minutes before De Vrij headed a dangerous cross into his own net, but the Nerazzurri had a golden chance to regain the advantage when Fode Ballo-Toure brought down Matteo Darmian to concede a second spot kick.

This time Martinez stepped up, but the Argentina international’s effort was saved by Tatarusanu, who sprung to his right to get a hand to the shot.

Inter cranked up the pressure as Nicolo Barella had a shot cleared off the line and Martinez shot wide from a promising position, and after the break nobody could get a touch on Calhanoglu’s dangerous drilled volley across the six-yard box.

Milan finished the stronger as a Zlatan Ibrahimovic free-kick required a smart save from Samir Handanovic, but Saelemaekers came closest when his shot thumped the post and Kessie sent the rebound wide.

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WESTHAM END LIVERPOOL UNBEATEN RUN AS THEY CLIMB UP TO THIRD

West Ham leapfrogged Liverpool into third and denied Jurgen Klopp’s side a piece of club history with a stunning 3-2 victory.

Liverpool arrived at the London Stadium knowing that if they avoided defeat they would extend their unbeaten run to 26 matches, beating the club’s all-time record set by Bob Paisley’s team in 1982.

They looked on course to do just that following a wonderful free-kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

But West Ham mean business as well this season and proved it when Pablo Fornals, whose corner had been palmed in by Reds keeper Alisson for the opening goal, broke away to score a second.

Kurt Zouma then headed a third and although Divock Origi pulled one back with seven minutes remaining, the Hammers held on for a famous victory.

West Ham took the lead in the fourth minute when Alisson, under pressure from Angelo Ogbonna as he leapt for the ball, touched Fornals’ corner into the net.

After a lengthy VAR review, for a possible foul and then handball, the goal was awarded, much to Klopp’s dismay.

Diogo Jota, starting in place of the injured Roberto Firmino, could have equalised on the half hour but sent his header from Jordan Henderson’s cross over the crossbar, while Alexander-Arnold’s volley was also too high.

But it was not the first-half performance of a side who had scored at least three goals in their last six away matches in the league.

However, with five minutes of the half remaining Liverpool were awarded a contentious free-kick on the edge of the area when Mohamed Salah went down under Declan Rice’s challenge.

West Ham lined-up an eight-man wall, complete with Fornals as the ‘draught excluder’, but Alexander-Arnold bypassed it with a simple one-yard pass to Salah to his right.

It left the England right-back with the simpler task of lifting the ball over Jarrod Bowen on the end of the wall, rather than the imposing Rice, Dawson and Tomas Soucek, and he curled a superb effort up and over while leaving Hammers keeper Lukasz Fabianski totally wrong-footed.

Michail Antonio passed up a glorious chance to put West Ham back ahead when he was sent clean through by Said Benrahma, only for his control to badly let him down at the wrong time, and Bowen was thwarted by a perfectly-timed Virgil Van Dijk challenge in the area in stoppage time.

At the start of the second half Dawson’s header from another corner came back off the crossbar, while at the other end Sadio Mane’s volley was kept out by Fabianski.

It was Bowen, a player Klopp readily admits he admires, who unlocked the Liverpool defence in the 67th minute after Dawson and Rice smuggled the ball away for West Ham from inside their own half.

The forward ran at the back-pedalling Liverpool rearguard, drawing defenders in, before slipping the ball to Fornals who ran through to fire past Alisson.

There was more to come. Antonio and Fornals were denied by Alisson before Bowen floated in a 75th-minute corner and the unmarked Zouma nodded it in at the far post.

Origi turned and fired home from 18 yards to set up a grandstand finish, but Liverpool could not find an equaliser – Mane coming closest when he headed wide in stoppage time – and Hammers boss David Moyes celebrated a place in the top three and a first win over Klopp in eight attempts.

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EMILE SMITH ROWE SCORES TO HELP ARSENAL EDGE 10-MAN WATFORD

Arsenal go into the international break fifth in the Premier League after Emile Smith Rowe hit the only goal of the game to see off 10-man Watford.

Smith Rowe has hit three in his last three league games and has five in eight across all competitions with his second-half strike here enough to earn a 1-0 win at the Emirates Stadium, with Juraj Kucka sent of for the visitors late on.

Smith Rowe’s form was not enough to earn him a first senior England call-up but Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be pleased that his strike here was enough to secure the win in his 100th game in charge.

Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang endured a wholly more frustrating day at the office, seeing a penalty saved and a goal ruled out for offside.

Arteta’s men are now on a 10-game unbeaten run stretching back to August – the longest such streak of the Spaniard’s tenure.

Watford battled valiantly with Claudio Ranieri having made five changes from the home defeat to Southampton – but they had Ben Foster in goal to thank for keeping them level for so long.

The experienced stopped saved his ninth Premier League penalty since 2010, with Aubameyang now missing his last two spot-kicks.

Arsenal thought they had hit the front early on, Watford giving the ball away on the edge of their own box before Bukayo Saka would eventually turn home – only for the England man to be called offside following a VAR check.

The game became scrappy with both sides picking up a couple of cautions, before Arsenal were awarded a penalty just after the half-hour.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles miscued a long-range effort which fell towards Alexandre Lacazette, who was clattered by Danny Rose.

Referee Kevin Friend pointed to the spot but Aubameyang’s penalty was brilliantly saved by Foster.

The incident seemed to spur on Watford, with Kucka having a shot blocked behind and Rose scuffing a strike from the resulting corner.

Arsenal were still creating chances of their own, Foster again in fine form to keep out a Gabriel Magalhaes header just before the break.

The Gunners would impose themselves on the game in the second half but were still unable to click as they have in recent weeks when attacking.

That was until Smith Rowe continued his fine run of form by opening the scoring after 56 minutes.

Benjamin White rode a number of challenges before being tackled, with the ball breaking into the path of Smith Rowe, who added to his goals against Aston Villa and Leicester by finishing well.

Aubameyang’s off-day continued when he slid in to convert substitute Martin Odegaard’s cross-cum-shot on the line, only to see the offside flag rule out the tap-in.

Odegaard gestured in frustration with replays showing his effort would have gone in without Aubameyang’s touch.

Watford had a glorious chance to level as White and Aaron Ramsdale left a clearance for one another and Joshua King stole in but opted to shoot from an acute angle, hitting the side netting of Arsenal’s empty goal.

The Hornets would be reduced to 10 men in the closing stages as Kukca was shown a second yellow card for catching Nuno Tavares in an attempt to clear the ball from the edge of the box.

Albert Sambi Lokonga stung the palms of Foster as Arsenal looked to put the game to bed in stoppage-time, seeing out the six additional minutes to seal another three points.

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DOMINANT MANCITY CLAIM DERBY VICTORY WITH WIN AT OLD TRAFFORD

Manchester City delivered a dominant performance as an Eric Bailly own goal and a Bernardo Silva strike earned the champions their first Manchester derby victory in five Premier League attempts over their local rivals at Old Trafford.

Pep Guardiola’s side went ahead on seven minutes when Bailly diverted Joao Cancelo’s cross into his own net.

United briefly rallied when Cristiano Ronaldo’s shot was saved by Ederson and Mason Greenwood scuffed the rebound wide.

David De Gea made five big saves in the first half to deny Gabriel Jesus, Kevin De Bruyne, Cancelo, twice, and a Victor Lindelof deflection before City beat the Spaniard’s resistance again on the stroke of half-time.

Cancelo set up the second goal when his cross was turned in at the far post by Bernardo, who sneaked in at the far post behind a hesitant Luke Shaw.

The hosts improved in the second half but also lost Shaw to a head injury.

City, who move second with 23 points, almost scored again late on as Phil Foden clipped a post.

A fourth consecutive home match without a win drops United down to sixth with 17 points

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LA LIGA: ATLETICO BLOW TWO-GOAL LEAD TO DRAW WITH VALENCIA

Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann scored a sensational individual goal against Valencia on Sunday but the LaLiga champions let a two-goal lead slip in stoppage time to draw 3-3 on Sunday.

Valencia were trailing 3-1 when seven minutes of time were added on but Hugo Duro scored twice in the final stretch of the game to salvage a point, to the delight of their raucous home fans.

Luis Suarez had put Atletico in front in the 35th minute but Valencia levelled five minutes into the second half through an own goal from Stefan Savic.

Griezmann restored Atletico’s lead in the 58th with a superb shot into the top corner from outside the box following a marauding run from his own half in undoubtedly the Frenchman’s best moment of skill since returning to the club in September.

Sime Vrsaljko looked to have sealed the points with a scrappy goal from close range two minutes later that was initially ruled out and then awarded following a VAR review.

But Valencia came alive right at the end of the game, pulling themselves back into contention when substitute Duro slid in to meet a Jose Gaya cross and score in the first minute of stoppage time.

Duro then equalised in the fifth minute of added time with a towering header from a corner, deepening Atletico’s problems after they were easily beaten 2-0 at Liverpool on Wednesday to leave their hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stage hanging by a thread.

Atletico would have gone up to second in the standings with a win but instead are fourth on 23 points, four behind leaders Real Madrid after 12 games. Valencia moved up to 10th on 17 points.

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RANGERS GO FOUR POINTS CLEAR AFTER WIN OVER ROSS COUNTY

Rangers survived an early scare to brush aside bottom side Ross County 4-2 and go four points clear at the top of the cinch Premiership.

Celtic’s 4-2 win over Dundee at Dens Park earlier in the day put some pressure on the Ibrox men who found themselves a goal down to a Joseph Hungbo goal after only five minutes.

It was the fifth game in a row that Steven Gerrard’s side had lost the first goal but it was cancelled out by Joe Aribo’s header in 19 minutes before Ryan Kent, making his first start since September, scored his first goal of the season with a 25-yard piledriver.

Juninho Bacuna drilled in a third in the 49th for his first Rangers goal and captain James Tavernier’s cross was deflected into his own goal by County defender Alex Iacovitti

Substitute Jordan White, on for Hungbo, grabbed a late second for the visitors but Rangers go into the international break four points clear of their Old Firm rivals although Gerrard should have some concerns about his side’s sloppy start to matches.

The Gers boss had threatened to make changes following the 1-1 Europa League draw with Brondby in Denmark on Thursday night and Calvin Bassey, John Lundstram, Bacuna, Ianis Hagi and Kent came in while Ryan Jack was on the bench after being out since February.

After a minute’s silence in tribute to Remembrance Day, Ibrox was stunned when the Highlanders took the early lead.

Regan Charles-Cook sent Hungbo racing past the Gers rearguard and the attacker, on loan from Watford, slipped the ball past Gers keeper Allan McGregor.

The leveller came when a Tavernier corner was met by Aribo at the near post and he headed it into the far corner, to calm the growing anxiety in the crowd, made up of home fans only.

In the 29th minute only a terrific last-gasp tackle by Harry Clarke prevented Fashion Sakala getting a shot in from close range but when the Staggies failed to properly clear their lines following the corner, Kent sent a dipping shot from 25 yards over Ashley Maynard-Brewer and into the net.

The visitors found themselves further behind soon after the break when Bacuna played a one-two with Aribo and hammered a drive from the edge of the box past Maynard-Brewer to effectively seal the points.

Iacovitti was unlucky on the hour-mark when Tavernier’s cross from the right came off him and past Maynard-Brewer for a fourth.

Kemar Roofe replaced Kent immediately afterwards and then Nathan Patterson and Jack came on for Leon Balogun and Lundstram respectively with Jack getting a huge ovation from the Gers fans glad to see him back in action.

Substitute White fired past McGregor with three minutes remaining but it was too late to be anything other than a consolation.

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WESTHAM BAN TWO FANS OVER ANTI-SEMITIC SONG ON PLANE

West Ham have confirmed they have banned two supporters who were filmed singing an anti-Semitic song towards a Jewish man on a plane.

Essex Police have also arrested a second man in connection with the incident.

A video emerged on social media on Thursday appearing to show some Hammers supporters on a flight to Belgium singing the offensive song as the man walked down the aisle to take his seat.

The fans on the flight were on their way to watch West Ham play Belgian side Genk in the Europa League.

Manager David Moyes on Friday joined his club in condemning the incident.

“I don’t see our football club being like that. We are a diverse football club. There’s no room for discrimination anywhere,” he said.

A statement from Essex Police read: “Essex Police officers have arrested a second man on suspicion of a hate crime at Stansted Airport.

“Officers arrested the 26-year-old man as he stepped off a flight from the Netherlands.

“The man has been taken to an Essex Police station where he will be questioned.

“The arrest has been made in connection with our investigation of a video on social media of a man being subjected to harassment whilst taking his seat on board an aeroplane before it departed from Stansted Airport on November 4th.

“A 55-year-old man who was arrested on November 5th has been released on bail until December 1st. The enquiry is ongoing.”

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HARVEY BARNES HITS BACK FOR LEICESTER AS THEY TAKE A POINT AT LEEDS UTD

Harvey Barnes struck a superb first-half equaliser as Leicester held firm to eke out a point in a 1-1 draw at resurgent Leeds.

Barnes produced a brilliant, curling finish less than a minute after Leeds had taken a deserved lead through Raphinha’s 26th-minute free-kick.

Leeds carved out enough chances to earn back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time this season, while Leicester defender Ricardo Pereira stabbed the ball against his own post in the first half.

But a combination of dogged Leicester defending and the home side’s failure to find the killer pass ensured the points were shared.

In a breathless opening 10 minutes, Leeds twice went close to opening the scoring and had strong appeals for a penalty turned down after Barnes had been first to threaten for Leicester.

Barnes’ effort was easily gathered by Illan Meslier and at the other end Jack Harrison’s curling shot was turned away at full stretch by Kasper Schmeichel.

Schmeichel then produced a point-blank save to keep out Kalvin Phillips’ header from Raphinha’s corner and referee Darren England was unmoved when the Brazilian winger went tumbling under Ricardo Pereira’s challenge.

There was no let up as Leeds’ collective energy levels appeared to have been restored, with Raphinha and Dan James both threatening.

Raphinha curled Leeds into a deserved 26th-minute lead when his free-kick bounced inside Schmeichel’s far post, but the home side’s advantage was short-lived.

Straight from the restart, Barnes cut inside from the left and after shifting the ball on to his right foot, curled a brilliant equaliser beyond Meslier and into the top corner.

Youri Tielemans flashed a shot wide soon after the restart, but Leeds swarmed back on to the offensive.

James’ low cross was blocked, Caglar Soyuncu headed inches wide of his own post and Harrison somehow managed to miss in front of an open goal at the far post following Phillips’ header.

James fired another effort narrowly wide and Rodrigo miscued a volley at the far post as Leeds reproduced the high-octane form that had won them so many admirers last season.

Having failed to convert several chances, Leeds were then given a let-off in the 67th minute when Ademola Lookman’s far-post effort was ruled out for offside by VAR.

To have gone behind would have been harsh on Leeds but after more magic from Raphinha on the right, their final pass continued to elude them.

James spurned another scoring chance after Rodrigo had regained possession and, as Leeds continued to live dangerously at the back, Leicester defender Soyuncu dragged his effort wide.

Wilfred Ndidi scuffed his shot as Leicester still threatened to snatch all three points in the closing stages before Leeds’ hopes of victory ended when Raphinha’s thumping drive whistled over.

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JURGEN KLOPP SLAMS VAR ‘HIDING’ PROBLEM AFTER LIVERPOOL DEFEAT TO WESTHAM

Jurgen Klopp has taken issue with referee Craig Pawson and VAR, accusing the officials of hiding, after Liverpool’s defeat to West Ham on Sunday.

The Reds boss was unhappy with a number of decisions at the London Stadium as his side fell to a 3-2 defeat, and was adamant the Hammers’ opening goal should have been disallowed for a foul on Alisson.

And when asked about the goal after the final whistle, Klopp took issue with Pawson’s use of VAR and how there must be a ‘clear and obvious’ error for a decision to be overturned.

“It’s a clear foul on Alisson. How can it not be?” he insisted. “The arm is up, the arm from Ogbonna is there and I really don’t know.

“I don’t know who was VAR today. We always have to say the ref maybe in the game can see that but in the situation, when you see the dynamic of the whole situation when they all go down and they are so close to each other, how can that not be a foul already without pushing the arm of Alisson away?

“But the ref made it easy for himself and thought, ‘Come on, let’s see what the VAR is saying?’ The VAR had a look and said not clear and obvious, I don’t know why, and here’s the goal which is really strange.

“It’s all about the ref. The ref is always right. Not all refs but he does. Not all refs, it’s just the situation.

“He just thinks, ‘Okay, let’s see what he says.’ He did that today, definitely.”

He continued: “There was another situation. Trent Alexander-Arnold after a set-piece on the second ball, takes the ball on the volley and goes down. It’s not a foul but he has a proper bruise under his foot.

“Where’s that coming from? It’s just – don’t do anything and just see what the VAR is saying.

“And there we have the problem with the clear and obvious mistake because whoever is there in the VAR hides behind that phrase, and then we have two people hiding and in the end we have the wrong decision.”

Klopp also called for more protection of goalkeepers after West Ham’s opener was allowed to stand, suggesting Alisson had no chance to keep it out.

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NORWICH SACK MANAGER DANIEL FARKE AFTER FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON

Norwich City have announced the departure of head coach Daniel Farke with immediate effect.

The German leaves shortly after Norwich had earned their first Premier League win of the season, a 2-1 success at Brentford.

Despite the victory, Norwich remain bottom of the table with five points.

“In continuing to demand the very best for our football club, this decision was not an easy one,” Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber told the club’s official website.

“I know how determined Daniel and his staff were to succeed at this level, but we feel that now is the right time for a change to give ourselves the best opportunity of retaining our Premier League status.”

The club have confirmed that Farke’s backroom staff members, Eddie Riemer, Chris Domogalla and Christopher John, have also left.

Norwich are next in action after the international break at home to Southampton on 20 November.

“We have 27 league games remaining and a long way to go in the current season,” Webber added.

“We know we have the ability within our playing squad and staff to start picking up points and climbing the league table.”