Michael Keane has praised Burnley's never-say-die spirit after the club again showed their ability to strike in 'Fergie time'.

The Clarets extended their unbeaten run to 20 games in midweek thanks to Keane's last-gasp equaliser against Sky Bet Championship leaders Middlesbrough.

The defender, 23, kept Burnley on Boro's tail with a scuffed stoppage-time finish from a corner in a 1-1 draw which came just four games after Keane had also salvaged a draw at third-placed Brighton.

Keane came through the ranks at Manchester United at a time when the Red Devils, under Sir Alex Ferguson, would often score decisive late goals and the centre-back insists it is a trait Sean Dyche's promotion-chasers also possess.

DON’T MISS: Watch Preston vs. Burnley on fuboTV with a free 24-hour trial

"It's the same attitude – at United we were always told to go to the end," he explained.

"It's the famous 'Fergie time', isn't it? It's now 'Dyche time'! You try and carry that on wherever you go throughout your career. It's instilled in all the players here as well and all the staff. It's a great habit to have."

Dyche's side can move above Middlesbrough with a victory at Lancashire rivals Preston on Friday night, yet they will know North End are no pushovers having lost to them in the reverse fixture at Turf Moor earlier in the campaign.

It was Will Keane, Michael Keane's twin brother, who got the opening goal in a 2-0 win that day, though sibling rivalry will be put aside at Deepdale after the former Lilywhites loanee was recalled to Old Trafford in January.

"He's not involved any more but I'm glad he's not playing," Michael Keane added.

"It was disappointing when they came here and did a job on us but hopefully we'll go there, put in a good performance like we did on Tuesday and get a result.

"He's turned in to a Burnley fan now for the last few games so he's rooting for us."

SEE MORE: Schedule of Championship games on US TV and live streaming

Preston have already secured safety in the second tier following their promotion through the play-offs last year and a spot in the top six remains out of their reach too.

However, manager Simon Grayson has warned Burnley that they will be motivated by keeping hold of the berth in the top 10 that they currently hold.

"It was always going to be a big game because it's a Lancashire derby but there's a lot at stake for Burnley; it's getting to the crunch time of the season now," Grayson noted.

"We've got a quick turnaround and we'll go and try and put on a performance and get three points. We want to keep maintaining where we are in the division and not get out of this top-10 position that we're in now."

A potentially serious injury to in-form striker Divock Origi cast a shadow over Liverpool’s 4-0 thumping of Everton in the 226th Merseyside derby.

The usually ebullient Jurgen Klopp admitted he found it difficult to raise a smile despite Origi, Mamadou Sakho, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho completing a rousing victory over their near-neighbors.

Origi, who has become Klopp’s first-choice after scoring five goals in as many matches, was carried off on a stretcher after Ramiro Funes Mori was sent off for stamping on his ankle.

“Everything is okay – apart from Divock,” said the Liverpool manager.

“Usually after 4-0 I don’t know how to keep my smile off my face but it is pretty easy.

“If you told me before the game we would win 4-0 I thought I’d feel different.

“It is a big shadow on the game to be honest.

“Everyone who saw the pictures said maybe it is broken – it is not. We have to wait for a final assessment, it is too early.

“I went to Divock in the medical room and I saw him smiling.

“The ankle is twisted and we have to wait to see what has happened to the ligaments.”

The visitors were 2-0 down at half-time but once Funes Mori departed and then fellow centre-back John Stones went off ill they simply capitulated.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Premier League games on US TV and live streaming

Even Klopp appeared to feel some sympathy for their beleaguered visitors, who now have to lift themselves for Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United – a match which counterpart Roberto Martinez may well have to win to save his job.

“To be honest I could say it was really difficult but the second half wasn’t,” Klopp added.

“It was really difficult for Everton; red card, injuries, good opponent.

“The second half changed completely with the red card and then the next change when Stones had to come off that was really not easy for Everton.

“There was no real fight any more. That is not usual. There have been a lot more intensive derbies for sure and there will be a lot more intensive derbies.”

Quique Sanchez Flores will lead Watford out at Wembley on Sunday with question marks surrounding his future.

The Spaniard has guided the promoted Hornets to Premier League safety with room to spare and to an FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace.

Yet Watford's owners are reportedly unhappy at the club's recent slump in form, with just three league wins since the turn of the year.

And Flores did little to discourage the rumblings following his side's 3-1 defeat at West Ham on Wednesday night.

"I'm happy and I feel good," he said. "We have an amazing time, now. We have 41 points so the (league) position is very comfortable, and we are in semi-final of the FA Cup.

"My future does not depend on one thing. We will see what happens.

"I'm happy with everyone around me but it's important how people in the club value your work.

"I appreciate a lot what we are doing; keeping Watford in the Premier League was important and I appreciate a lot that Watford is in the FA Cup semi-final.

"But it's necessary that people working around me appreciate the same. If not we have different views."

Flores made seven changes at Upton Park with one eye on Wembley and West Ham ran out comfortable winners, even though Troy Deeney saw a late penalty saved by Adrian.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Premier League games on US TV and live streaming

Andy Carroll fired the hosts into an 11th-minute lead and two Mark Noble penalties either side of half-time put them firmly in control.

Sebastian Prodl pulled one back but Deeney's miss saved the Hammers from a nervous finale, while Watford had striker Nordin Amrabat sent off for a second booking at the death.

West Ham now have a 10-day break before their next outing, a trip to West Brom, and remain in with a chance of ending their final season at Upton Park with a place in the Champions League.

"We are going to use the break, rest a bit, then come back in really good shape for the last four games of the season," said manager Slaven Bilic. "We are going to give everything to win them."

Under-fire Roberto Martinez faced further fan fury as his Everton side crashed to a humiliating 4-0 derby defeat at the hands of rivals Liverpool on Wednesday.

There was also controversy as Toffees defender Ramiro Funes Mori was sent off for a poor challenge on Liverpool goalscorer Divock Origi, who consequently left the field at Anfield on a stretcher.

Funes Mori will now be suspended for Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United and Martinez also has numerous injury worries for a match that now seems critical to his hopes of keeping his job.

His side were completely outplayed by Liverpool, going down to goals from Origi, Mamadou Sakho, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho in a one-sided Barclays Premier League encounter.

Afterwards, Martinez could not hide from the bald facts of a miserable night.

The Spaniard, who has had to endure the sight of banners calling for his removal in recent weeks and was also taunted by Liverpool fans, said: “It was a horrible experience for everyone connected to the football club. The game becomes a non-event.

“Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. The whole chain of events was horrific and it is a showing we need to forget as quickly as we can.”

Martinez did not attempt to mount a strong defence of Funes Mori, accepting the Argentinian’s challenge could have warranted a red card.

He said: “He doesn’t try to hurt the player, it is a mistimed challenge. It could have been a yellow card, it could have been a red card. I can understand why the referee gave it. Ramiro probably got carried away with the emotion of the derby.”

As for his own position, Martinez was unwilling to answer questions at his post-match press conference.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Premier League games on US TV and live streaming

“That is not my focus,” he said. “My focus is to make sure we prepare properly for the game on Saturday.”

Further compounding matters was the loss of midfielder Gareth Barry with a groin injury on the night he made a record-equalling 571st Premier League start. He is now doubtful for the weekend, joining Phil Jagielka and Seamus Coleman on the injury list. John Stones also left the field at Anfield with stomach cramps.

Martinez must now attempt to rally his side for the weekend trip to Wembley.

He said: “Nobody deserved to experience that. I don’t think any fans deserved it, any players – nobody representing Everton.

“But the reality is that’s football and we have to move on quickly and repay our fans with a proper performance and a proper showing in the FA Cup semi-final.”

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness as he chases a record-equaling goal in the Premier League. The forward missed England’s games with Spain and France with a hip injury but trained on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s trip to Newcastle. The Foxes will assess the 28-year-old over the next 48 hours with Vardy a game away from equaling Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Barclays Premier League record of scoring in 10 straight matches when the Dutchman was at Manchester United in 2003.

MORE INJURY NEWS: Aguero hopeful | Klopp cautious with Sturridge | Cleverley fit

Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri said:

“Today he trained a little and tomorrow I hope he can continue to train. Maybe on Saturday morning I’ll choose.

“If he is fit he plays because every time he wants to play. I hope he is available. I speak with the doctor and the physio, if they tell me he is okay and 100 per cent, he plays. If not, I don’t want to risk a player – not just Jamie. In all my career I don’t want to risk a player for a match and then lose them for a month.”

Vardy has scored in nine consecutive games and is the league’s top scorer as he closes in on van Nistelrooy’s feat. He could miss the game and still return the following week to face Manchester United with his streak intact. The record is for scoring in consecutive Barclays Premier League appearances and not for scoring in successive top flight matches played by a player’s club.

Ranieri:

“Van Nistelrooy scored in two different seasons, at the end of one and the beginning of another. For me it’s important he (Vardy) feels good – if he scores or not scores it’s not my problem. I’m thinking about other things, I’m thinking about Newcastle, not penalties or records because it will be a tough match.

“Everybody wants to stop Jamie Vardy, it’s normal as he is our goalscorer. We know that – maybe we’ll try to pass the ball to other players.”

But Ranieri eased any fears Vardy would need an operation to cure the hip problem.

He added: “It’s not my decision, it’s the doctor’s decision but at the moment Jamie doesn’t need this kind of operation. I hope he can continue in this way. No pain, no injection so far.”

Ranieri is waiting on Wes Morgan to return following international duty with Jamaica but expects to have everyone fit except long-term injury victim Matty James (knee).

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has called for blood tests to be introduced as a matter of routine in professional soccer, insisting his sport is not immune to the scourge of doping.

The Football Association has contacted the Frenchman after he suggested, in a recent interview with L’Equipe Sport and Style, that he had come up against opposition who may have used performance-enhancing drugs.

SEE MORE: Arsenal’s best starting XI of all-time.

Wenger has long been an advocate of making advances in testing to ensure drug-free soccer and said it was a matter of personal pride he had never resorted to cheating, while claiming others may have done.

With the issue in the spotlight after recent revelations in athletics, Wenger has called on soccer to address the matter:

“To think we in football are just immune because we are football players is absolutely wrong.

“What I want is deeper tests, better tests, because what we test is superficial. And as well that when people are caught that they are punished and that the clubs are punished as well.

“We have to tackle these problems and not to close our eyes, because it’s a little bit unreasonable to think just because we are football we have no problems with it.”

WINTER FORECAST: What Arsenal can (and should) do before the January window.

Blood tests should be used, as urine samples are insufficient, Wenger says:

“Today, when you play away in the Champions League, most of the time we lose two hours when there is a doping control because people cannot fulfill the (urine) tests.

“With a little blood test it takes a minute and you can test for much more.

“It’s simple. Why can we not do it? And in the other sports they do it.”

Wenger’s comments come after a Dinamo Zagreb player failed a drugs test following the Croatian side’s victory over Arsenal in the Champions League earlier this season. The Gunners were beaten 2-1 in Zagreb in October before Arijan Ademi failed a drugs test for the Croatian side, although his ‘B’ sample is still being investigated.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has not ruled out Daniel Sturridge for Saturday’s trip to Manchester City, but he insists the striker has to put in more hours on the training ground to prove his long-term fitness.

The 26-year-old has played just 242 minutes across three matches this season after recovering from hip surgery which ruled him out of the final six weeks of the previous campaign. He has not featured since playing 90 minutes in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park — Brendan Rodgers’ last match in charge — in October after a collision with Jordon Ibe in training sidelined him with a knee problem.

SEE MORE: Liverpool’s all-time best starting XI.

Sturridge rejoined the full squad for training on Tuesday, but Klopp has still not decided whether to include him:

“He is as fit as he can be after a long break. Of course he is not at 100 per cent and of course we have to see.

“Today was the third full exercise with the team after four and a half, five weeks’ break – I’m not sure Liverpool had that long a break in the summer.

“For four and a half weeks he has not trained; not cycling, running, not, not, not.

“But because he is that skilled a guy maybe we should…..(include him at the weekend).

“As a striker sometimes five minutes are enough and I have to decide this tomorrow.

“I don’t know what I will do when I build the squad, I have to think about it.

“Everyone wants to see more of him on the pitch so you have to train but we have to find the right balance.”

Sturridge’s issue has never been his ability — scoring 42 goals in 72 matches for the club — but his ability to stay fit. The surgery he had in May was designed to clear up previous longer-term issues with calf and thigh, and his latest injury was purely accidental, although his recovery took longer than anticipated.

Klopp now just wants to see the striker put the hours in on the training ground at Melwood to ensure he is ready for the challenge which lies ahead in the remaining six months of the season:

“His quality is outstanding, we don’t have to talk about this, but everyone needs training.

“The problem with Daniel’s quality is that everyone can see it, it is obvious and he is an unbelievably strong player.

“We have to think about him but, for example, we can take him to Manchester and he can train around the game.

“He has to train now, that is for sure.”

MORE INJURY NEWS: Vardy close | Aguero hopeful | Cleverley fit

Klopp is hopeful of having captain Jordan Henderson, who has been out since mid-August with a heel problem and then a broken bone in his foot, back with the first-team group in the coming days. And he also offered positive news on Mamadou Sakho, who sustained medial ligament damage against Crystal Palace immediately before the international break and was initially ruled out until January, with midfielder Jordan Rossiter returning to training on Sunday after a hamstring injury.

“Henderson is in a really good way. Next week maybe [he will be involved in] parts of team training,” he said.

“Mama is good news too. It is not that serious as we thought in the first moment. We don’t want to give a time scale.”

WINTER FORECAST: What Liverpool can (and should) do before the January window.

Klopp had a visit this week from former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, on a post-season break from Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy, but the manager sought to play down their meeting.

“He is enjoying his holiday. It was good. I enjoyed the time together and we spoke about many things but if there is something to say about this it will be Stevie,” he said.

“He doesn’t want to play next week, he doesn’t want to train next week as he’s still on holiday.

“What I can say is if he wants to train he can, there is no question he can use Melwood as he has done for about 500 years, and then go back to LA and train and play.”

Sergio Aguero hopes to return for Manchester City in the Barclays Premier League leaders’ clash with Liverpool on Saturday. The prolific Argentina striker has missed City’s last seven games after suffering a hamstring injury while on international duty. A comeback for the 27-year-old — who scored five goals against Newcastle on his last City appearance — would be timely, with fellow forward Wilfried Bony doubtful with a hamstring problem.

Aguero told the club’s website, www.mcfc.co.uk: “I do hope I can play in this game. I’m doing everything in my power to get to the match in top condition. It’s been a frustrating time.”

MORE INJURY NEWS: Vardy close | Klopp cautious with Sturridge | Cleverley fit

Ivory Coast international Bony was sidelined during the recent international break after being forced off early during City’s goalless draw at Aston Villa on Nov. 8.

Playmaker David Silva could also be nearing a return after a seven-game absence with a knee injury, but Samir Nasri looks set to be out until February with a hamstring problem.

Saturday’s encounter against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium will see City come up against their former midfielder James Milner, who left the club for Anfield in the summer. Aguero said:

“He’s a great player, though it will be odd to see him wearing another team’s colours.

“He is a true professional and I’m sure he’s going to come against us with everything he’s got.

“It should be a great game. Jurgen Klopp has come in and he’s a great addition to the Premier League.”

Aston Villa boss Remi Garde revealed his daughter was in Paris during the terrorist attacks. The 49-year-old was flying back to France on Friday when extremists struck outside the Stade de France, where the national team were playing Germany, and across the capital.

SEE MORE: Wenger believes ‘life has to be stronger than fear’ after attacks.

The death toll from the series of attacks stands at 129 with many more seriously injured, and ex-France international Garde admitted he was scared for his daughter’s safety. He said:

“I was on the plane back to France when it happened. Then I was in the taxi and I heard the game on the radio.

“They said there was an explosion outside the stadium. We didn’t know too much at this time, then I went home and learned my daughter was in Paris for the weekend.

“I didn’t know that. I was scared a little bit but just for two hours because I had her on the phone and it was okay. Everyone in France has a cousin or daughter or friends in Paris.

“All the country was scared. It was very hard. When you know your family is safe it’s one point. But when you saw what happened – everybody has been affected a lot. We are still affected by that. It is such a nightmare to see such an attack.

“She was not near the place where it happened. She stayed in the apartment and understood quite quickly it was not the night to be out in Paris.

“We speak every day on the phone. I saw her and my family since.”

Villa go to Everton in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday with clubs set to play the French national anthem before the games. Garde, who is without Jordan Amavi for the season after a knee injury, would be pleased to see it sung but would not blame anyone if it does not happen:

“It would be a good thing but if it doesn’t happen I wouldn’t say it’s the fault of English not to sing.

“You have to not forget what happened but it’s very important we carry on. I am not sure the Marseillaise on every pitch should be sung, but if it’s the case I will be very happy but if it’s not I will not say ‘why have we not sung the Marseillaise?”

Everton boss Roberto Martinez insists the likes of John Stones will not be sold in January – and is refusing to be drawn on reports linking the Toffees with Ron Vlaar.

The Merseyside outfit stood firm over the summer amid bids from Chelsea for England defender Stones, who had a transfer request rejected.

There has been talk of the Barclays Premier League champions trying again in the January transfer window, and of the 21-year-old interesting Barcelona.

But when asked on Thursday about whether Everton's best players could be leaving in January, Martinez said: "Not at all, no.

"We're not in a position where we have to make financial decisions (like that).

"The focus is clearly on trying to be strong together and having a real continuity."

Martinez, who was speaking ahead of Saturday's Premier League home clash with Aston Villa, suggested Everton would not be involved in much business at all during January.

"From our point of view, the window will be to try to see if there is anything we can do to help the squad we have," he said.

"If there are any opportunities, we will always look into it. But we don't look at this window as one to be really involved, to bring players in or sell players.

"For us, it's more a matter of continuity."

One player Everton are reportedly considering recruiting is Vlaar, the Holland centre-half without a club since leaving Villa over the summer.

When quizzed on that matter on Thursday, Martinez indicated no talks had taken place with Vlaar, and said: "You're talking about a player that has very good experience in the Premier League and is not attached to other clubs.

"But at the moment it is not for me to mention about any other players apart from those we have in the squad. I have nothing to comment."

Everton's ex-Villa midfielder Tom Cleverley is poised to make his first-team return on Saturday from an ankle injury sustained in August.

And Martinez will make a late decision on whether Leighton Baines – who has also been troubled by an ankle problem – is ready to make his maiden first-team appearance of the season, saying it is a situation being assessed "day by day".

Midfielder Muhamed Besic could also make his comeback, while defenders Brendan Galloway and Tyias Browning are doubts due to knocks, with the latter having undergone a scan on his knee.

Meanwhile, Martinez has backed the idea of playing the French national anthem before all matches this weekend as a mark of respect for those affected by the terror attacks on Paris.

"I think we all experienced the feelings surrounding the game between England and France on Tuesday," Martinez said.

"It was a fantastic vehicle for showing solidarity and what the game of football can do, and I think this weekend would be exactly the same.

"It's a perfect way to show the game has a strong role in getting humanity together to show that solidarity."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes "life has to be stronger than fear" after the Frenchman reflected on the atrocities in Paris and the ongoing threat of terrorism.

Wenger was in the French capital last Friday when terrorists struck in coordinated attacks across the city, including three suicide bombers detonating vests outside the Stade de France where the national team were playing Germany.

The death toll from the series of attacks stands at 129 with many more seriously injured.

The 64-year-old had planned to attend the match, but a last-minute change meant he watched the game on television from his hotel.

Wenger was at Wembley on Tuesday night when England hosted France and TV cameras captured him singing a rousing rendition of the French national anthem 'La Marseillaise' as the two nations united in a show of solidarity.

The Gunners boss, whose players Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud were involved in both games, was asked for his reflections on the events when addressing the media ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier League match against West Brom.

"Life has to be stronger than fear and the way for us to get on with life is to focus on our job," Wenger said.

"You always think after this kind of event: do you continue or do you stop your life, (stop) to play?

"For me they made the right decision and I believe the event on Tuesday night has shown that it was the right decision.

"You cannot stop just everything. We have to continue with our lives and try to get as well people to focus on something else.

"The football world has responded the way you want it to respond in a big union and a big togetherness.

"To see the arch of Wembley in French colors was something that had a strong significance for French people. England handled this situation with a lot of class."

Asked if it would impact on his thoughts attending football stadia, Wenger added: "You have a bit more of a question of security, because it looks like it's not the end of it, in France especially."

Wenger believes Koscielny felt the impact of the horror and will speak to the defender to determine if he is in the right frame of mind to play at The Hawthorns.

SEE MORE: Terrorists are targeting soccer but fans’ power to unite will prevail.

"You could see that on Tuesday night he was not himself," Wenger added.

"It affected him deeply and I didn't recognize the player I saw on Friday night on Tuesday night.

"I will talk with him. What I will want from him is that he's completely committed and feels ready. If not, I will not play him."

Wenger says he felt shock more than fear last Friday in the French capital and is worried about the continued repercussions.

"Nobody in France has found an answer or a real explanation for what's going on and why," he said.

"What was targeted was the way of life, basically: football, going out, listening to music.

"I am more worried that it could divide the society and create some tensions inside the country that could damage the tolerant and multi-cultural society.

"You have to trust politicians to make the right decisions to counter attack against that."

France is scheduled to host the European Championship finals next summer.

SEE MORE: Watch Wembley Stadium sing La Marseillaise before England’s friendly with France.

Wenger added: "I feel the country can provide (a safe environment).

"One of the good things out of what happened now is that the security level will be raised and maybe the 2016 Euro in France will be more secure."

The Premier League is considering playing the French national anthem before all matches this weekend as a mark of respect.

Wenger added: "Symbolically it's a very nice gesture. I think it's a nice gesture of solidarity."

Arsenal resume Premier League action level with leaders Manchester City.

Full-back Hector Bellerin (groin) is set to be available again, but both midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey (both hamstring) remain out and Theo Walcott (calf) is not expected back for "one or two weeks".

Wenger played down suggestions new deals were imminent for key men Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.

"We have some time. We are not in a hurry. We want of course for them to stay at the club," the Arsenal boss said.

Tom Cleverley is poised to make his Everton first team return against former club Aston Villa on Saturday, with Toffees boss Roberto Martinez having declared the midfielder fully fit.

Cleverley, who was on loan at Villa from Manchester United last season before joining the Toffees over the summer, has been working his way back from an ankle injury sustained in August. Ahead of this weekend’s Barclays Premier League clash with the midlands outfit at Goodison Park, Martinez told Everton’s website:

“Tom is fully fit now.

“He had a little bit of a cold over the weekend that stopped him from training but he is back now and it is about making sure he gets in enough work in order to be considered 100 percent.

“He is not far away from being available for the squad.”

Meanwhile, Martinez has emphasized it is still too early to say when fullback Leighton Baines will make his first appearance this season.

WINTER FORECAST: What Everton can (and should) do before the January transfer window.

Baines — who has also been troubled by an ankle problem — came through 90 minutes of a behind-closed-doors friendly against Preston last week, providing a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win. And Martinez said:

“The (international) break has been exactly what Leighton needed.

“He has been able to have contact with the football and develop that match fitness that he needs.

“We need to be cautious because it was a re-injury, and he has been sidelined for a long period of time.

“We will give him as much time as we can but we are in a positive period. A lot of good work has been put in, he had the behind-closed-doors game and every day in training is another step towards getting him back to full fitness and being available.

“I think it is too early to tell when that moment will be when he can be reintroduced back into the team but certainly every day is a step towards that.”

SEE MORE: Everton’s best starting XI of all time.

Martinez has also revealed defenders Tyias Browning and Brendan Galloway are both doubts for the Villa game due to minor knocks that saw them withdraw from the England Under-21s squad as a precaution.

Everton have announced a record turnover but post-tax loss for the 2014-15 season. In a statement of accounts released on Wednesday, the Toffees said their total turnover had increased from £120.5 million in 2013-14 to £125.6 million. That was despite a £3.1 million reduction in broadcast revenue from £84.8 million to £81.7 million – in a season they finished 11th in the Barclays Premier League compared to fifth a year earlier.

Sponsorship, advertising and merchandising income rose by £2 million, while participation in the Europa League also contributed to an increase in revenue from other commercial activities by £5.1 million. Gate receipts grew by £1.1 million as the average league attendance at Goodison Park soared to 38,406, the highest recorded total since 2003-04.

WINTER FORECAST: What Everton can (and should) do before the January transfer window.

But Everton also reported on Wednesday that total staff costs had risen by £8.2 million to £77.5 million, and that, incorporating the annual net interest charge of £3.8 million, the results for the year showed a post-tax loss of £4.1 million.

The club had a record overall profit of £28.2 million in 2013-14, a campaign during which they sold Marouane Fellaini to Manchester United for £27.5 million. Ahead of the 2014-15 season, Everton splashed out a club-record £28 million on striker striker Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea. Before player trading, the Merseyside outfit had an operating profit for 2014-15 of £16 million – down from £23.7 million.

The accounts also show their net debt had increased by £3.2 million to £31.3 million.

Everton chief executive Robert Elstone said:

“Our financial performance, like so many Premier League clubs, was underpinned by the second year of a TV deal that beat all expectations, but also by increases in matchday and commercial revenues.

“We also continue to work hard managing and controlling our cost base and remain determined to ensure investment and spending is effective and delivers returns.

“Beyond the Premier League table, probably the most significant barometer of success is attendances and 2014-15 broke all recent records with our highest season ticket total for at least 10 years, the lowest season ticket non-renewal rate, 12 full houses and an average attendance in excess of 38,000 for the first time since 2004.

“As reported year-in, year-out, our revenues continue to be spent on sustaining a great academy, the best possible coaching, scouting, performance and medical teams and, of course, a first-team squad that can compete for a place in Europe. That strategy remains central to everything we do.”

Now in their third season under manager Roberto Martinez, Everton are currently ninth in the Premier League table.

Club chairman Bill Kenwright said:

“There is no more hard-working a manager in the land than the manager we have, no manager more determined to bring success to his football club, to bring silverware to his football club, to build a winning mentality and a winning team.

“Roberto’s mentality is resolute and relentless. This is what makes him such a remarkable man and a man I believe will definitely take the club forward.”

SEE MORE: Everton’s best starting XI of all time.

Meanwhile, Elstone has stressed the club remain in discussions about funding for a new stadium he feels will be “the real springboard to greater things.” Everton have identified Walton Hall Park as the intended site of a new ground to replace Goodison Park, and Elstone said in the 2015 accounts document:

“A consistent feature throughout 2014-15 has been our work on Walton Hall Park, in partnership with Liverpool City Council.

“When offered the site, the club responded to a regeneration agenda with conviction, recognizing that we had an opportunity to not only find a solution to our search for a new stadium but also make a significant, lasting and much-needed difference to north Liverpool, the city and the region.

“Those objectives underpin our ambition today and we continue discussions with the Mayor and his officers to finalize a funding model that gives the scheme a fighting chance of success.

“The real springboard to greater things will be the new stadium. It’s why we will continue to work with determination and creativity to find the solution.”

West Ham playmaker Dimitri Payet is relieved he does not need surgery on his injured ankle. The French midfielder, who has scored five goals in 14 appearances this season, faces three months on the sidelines following a heavy challenge from Everton’s James McCarthy on Nov. 7.

He told the club website:

“I am doing well. I am surrounded by very good people which has allowed me to recover and I am keeping my head high. It is a long period but I am looking forward to making a return to action.

“Of course it is a big relief for me that I will not need an operation. I speak from experience and having had a couple of operations it is not an easy thing to cope with. It is good news on that front but it doesn’t change the time that it will take me to recover.

“I want to get back playing as quickly as I can and perform to the way I have been doing so far this season. It has been a dream for me.”

Injuries to Payet and forward Enner Valencia, who will be out for six weeks with an ankle problem, could pave the way for Michail Antonio to break into the first team. Antonio cost West Ham £7 million from Nottingham Forest on transfer deadline day but has managed just 30 minutes of soccer so far, as a substitute at Manchester City. His lack of action was even the subject of an online prank when Hammers chairman David Gold retweeted a picture of a “missing” man, who turned out to be the 25-year-old winger. But Antonio could be drafted in when Slaven Bilic’s side head to London rivals Tottenham on Sunday.

SEE MORE: Batshuayi gives Arsenal a less expensive and available alternative to Benzema and Cavani

Bilic told the club website:

“Dimitri getting injured is a great loss as well as Enner. Their absence gives other players the chance to become the star of the club and allow them to show what they can do.

“Dimitri has been absolutely superb so far so he will be greatly missed. It’s time for the other boys to step up and show what they can do.

“When I joined, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to break through and stake my claim in the Premier League. It’s one of those things where I need to wait and bide my time.”

Dele Alli's remarkable ascent continued with a man-of-the-match display on his first England start, but there appears no chance of the teenager getting carried away.

Just six and a half months on from helping home-town club MK Dons out of League One, the 19-year-old has established himself at Tottenham and on Tuesday shone for Roy Hodgson's men at Wembley.

As impressive off the ball as he was on it, the midfielder's first international start brought with it a memorable goal as he took aim from 25 yards and beat club team-mate Hugo Lloris as half-time approached.

Alli then started the move finished by Wayne Rooney to wrap up a 2-0 win on a night when England stood shoulder-to-shoulder with France just days after 129 people were killed in the Paris terror attacks.

"It was important that we showed we are here for them and thinking about what happened," Alli said of the touching night of solidarity.

"It was a tragedy. It was an emotional night for both teams and I think it showed before the game.

"But I think it was important that we focused on the game as soon as that whistle went and I thought we played well.

"Obviously to get the goal here at Wembley (was great), but I think it was important that we got the win and thankfully I got the goal.

"I think sometimes it can sort of put a downer on it if you don't get the result you want.

"First, most importantly, we got the win and then thankfully I got the goal with it."

Alli's rise certainly shows no signs of abating and his performance on just his fourth England appearance certainly puts pressure on the experienced midfielders currently sidelined.

"I am not going to look too far forward – I've still got a lot to learn," the level-headed midfielder said when the subject of Euro 2016 was broached.

"I am just going to go back to my club and keep doing as well as I can and whatever happens, happens."

Alli remains "grateful even to get the call up" and plans to frame Tuesday's matchday shirt after his England team-mates all signed it.

He was not the only Tottenham midfielder to be handed his first start against France, though, with Eric Dier's transformation from defender to accomplished defensive midfielder rewarded by Hodgson.

"He is obviously a great player and it makes it a lot easier when you know you've got that security behind you," Alli said.

"I put a lot of trust into him and he puts a lot of trust into me.

"It's a bit of a funny relationship but he's a great guy and I couldn't think of anyone better to play with."

Alli admits it has been "a bit of a crazy start" to the season for Dier and himself, and was quick to thank Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino for giving them a chance at White Hart Lane.

"I think it's a great thing for the manager, you know? He puts a lot of trust into youngsters and I think it shows," he said.

"We're all playing well at the minute at Tottenham and we're just going to keep focused and keep trying to improve."

West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan has warned off rival clubs interested in signing rising star Manuel Lanzini. The Argentinian midfielder is reportedly a target for Liverpool following his impressive start to life in the Premier League.

Lanzini has scored four goals so far this season, including one against the Reds in West Ham’s 3-0 win at Anfield in August. The 22-year-old moved to Upton Park in the summer on a season-long loan from United Arab Emirates side Al Jazira, and Sullivan insists his club have an “unbreakable option” to sign him permanently. From the club’s website:

“I know there have been some reports in the media over the weekend surrounding the future of Manuel Lanzini.

“We have an unbreakable option with both Lanzini and his club, so any other team’s interest is irrelevant.

“Manuel has been a fantastic signing for the club and we all hope he can maintain this superb run of form for the rest of the season.”

Sullivan also confirmed forward Enner Valencia will be out until early January with the ankle injury he suffered against Everton recently.

Manchester United were hit by another injury scare after Anthony Martial left Wembley on crutches following France’s 2-0 defeat to England.

United midfielder Michael Carrick was carried off on a stretcher during England’s 2-0 defeat to Spain last week with an ankle injury, and on Tuesday they suffered another blow when Martial injured his left foot.

Martial was replaced by Antoine Griezmann in the 67th minute of the defeat to England in London because of the injury.

https://vine.co/v/iuZ0T2rwguY

The £36 million forward was seen limping through the player interview area on crutches following the match, with his left foot heavily bandaged.

Martial has scored five goals since his big-money move from Monaco and with United already short of strikers, they cannot afford to lose the Frenchman for a long time.

SEE MORE: Manchester United’s best starting XI of all time.

“He’s in quite a bit of pain after the match as a result of a play inside the area,” France manager Didier Deschamps said of the 19-year-old striker.

“It’s a knock to the top of his foot.”

Crystal Palace expect to soon announce new investment from Americans David Blitzer and Josh Harris. The duo, who co-own the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, are reportedly close to completing a deal to take 18% of the London club, equal to co-chairman Steve Parish, who will retain day-to-day control. Parish’s fellow Palace fans Stephen Browett, Jeremy Hosking and Martin Long, who alongside the former rescued the club from bankruptcy in 2010, will reduce their present 25% stakes to 15.33%.

Speaking to the BBC, Parish, who is expected to prioritize redeveloping Selhurst Park, said:

“(I am) really hopeful we can get it done.

“I want to move fast and to do that you need big funds. I’m prepared to do my bit, the three boys who are involved with me are prepared to do their bit.

“But we need to bring some new people in to accelerate it and make sure we’ve got everything we need. If I was a Palace fan, and I am, I’d be fantastically excited about the future.

“I really want to see the club fulfil the potential it should have fulfilled. We’ve had our share of bad luck: it’s time we put the record straight.

“There is a real buzz about soccer, football, in the US and we need to capitalize on it. So we’ll be back and forth here as much as we can trying to grab our fair share of support.”

The investment from Blitzer and Harris — the latter, who was once credited with a serious interest in buying out Palace’s South London rivals Charlton in 2013 — is also expected to be spent on upgrading the club’s already recently-improved training ground, and scouting network.

Mario Balotelli will undergo surgery on Wednesday to resolve a groin problem and is expected to be sidelined until the new year. Balotelli has made just four appearances, scoring one goal, since returning to Milan this summer on a season-long loan from Liverpool. He has not featured since Sept. 27.

A Milan statement read:

“AC Milan announces that tomorrow Mario Balotelli will have surgery to correct a persistent groin injury in Munich, Germany.

“The injury has been ongoing for weeks and conservative treatment has not had the desired effect.

“The operation will be conducted by professor Ulrike Muschaweck.”

No time frame has been given as to when the former Manchester City striker, 25, will be available for selection.

SEE MORE: Why Paul Pogba isn’t worth €100 million.

Balotelli scored 26 goals in 43 appearances for Milan in his first spell at the club before leaving in the summer of 2014 in a £16 million transfer to Liverpool.

Milan, coached by Sinisa Mihajlovic, are sixth in the Serie A standings as they look to bounce back from two disappointing seasons which saw them fail to qualify for European soccer. The Rossoneri are seven points adrift of league leaders Fiorentina and rivals Inter Milan after six wins in 12 games.

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has taken another step towards regaining full fitness by training with the rest of his teammates. The 26-year-old has yet to be available to Jurgen Klopp after sustaining a knee injury on the eve of the new manager’s first match at Tottenham on Oct. 17. Sturridge has played just 242 minutes across three matches this season after recovering from hip surgery which ruled him out of the final six weeks of the previous campaign.

SEE MORE: Liverpool’s best starting XI of all-time.

Press Association Sport understands the England international trained with Liverpool’s full group — those not involved in internationals — at Melwood on Tuesday afternoon. It was the first time Sturridge had been part of the group since a collision with Jordon Ibe in training sidelined him in mid-October. He was monitored by medical staff during and after the session to assess how he reacted, and they will continue to keep a close eye on him for the rest of the week.

Klopp has resisted the temptation to try to rush back the striker despite injuries to Danny Ings (knee ligaments) and Christian Benteke which left him with the raw Divock Origi as his only fit striker at one stage. Therefore the German is unlikely to take any chances with Sturridge ahead of Saturday’s trip to Premier League leaders Manchester City, although another step forward in the player’s scheduled recovery can only be positive.

Injury problems continue to beset Klopp, with captain Jordan Henderson still working his way back to fitness after an operation on a broken bone in his foot which has prevented him working with the new manager also, but he was boosted by the return to training yesterday of midfielder James Milner and winger Ibe after hamstring and knee injuries ruled them out of international duty.

Chelsea have moved a step closer to completing the purchase of AFC Wimbledon's ground at Kingsmeadow.

The deal will raise funds for the League Two club's proposed move to a new stadium at their original home of Merton.

The Blues want to use the Cherry Red Records Stadium to host their youth and ladies' matches.

At a special general meeting on Monday night the Dons Trust, the largest shareholder of AFC Wimbledon, voted overwhelmingly in favor of selling the stadium lease.

The next stage of the process will be for AFC Wimbledon PLC shareholders to pass a similar resolution in December, although that should be a formality as the Dons Trust controls over 90 per cent of the shares.

Dons Trust chairman Matthew Breach told the Trust's website: "The successful vote on the stadium sale is an important milestone in helping to return AFC Wimbledon to its spiritual home in Merton.

"On behalf of the Dons Trust board, I would like to thank our members for voting in such large numbers and for backing our proposals so unambiguously.

"There is still a lot of work to do to deliver a new stadium but the outcome of the vote shows the overwhelming support among Trust members and the club's fans for having AFC Wimbledon play where it belongs, back in Merton."

AFC Wimbledon bought the lease on the ground from non-league Kingstonian FC in 2003. The club, formed after the original Wimbledon relocated to Milton Keynes and became MK Dons, plan to build a new stadium where the old club used to play at Plough Lane.

Former Barcelona captain Xavi admits he initially thought Louis van Gaal was an “idiot” but changed his mind after a week working with him.

The ex-Spain international was a youngster breaking through at the Nou Camp when Van Gaal was in charge at Barca and his first impression was not great. However, he soon altered his view and grew to love the Dutchman – a feeling which does not yet appear to have materialized among Manchester United fans since he took over at Old Trafford last year, with Xavi admitting the 64-year-old is also “poorly valued in the media.”

SEE MORE: Manchester United’s best starting XI of all-time.

“After two days of training under him I thought, ‘Who is this idiot?’ After a week, I thought, ‘He’s right.’ He’ll always be in my heart, Louis van Gaal,” Xavi, now playing for Qatari club Al Sadd, told ESPN FC.

“[He is a] good person, very good trainer. He has a very strong character but he’s calm in the Premier League because there’s less pressure.

“He’s much calmer than when he was at Barca or Bayern Munich. He’s honest, methodical and a real perfectionist.

“He’s very demanding, he’s strict and he wants to achieve the highest levels possible.

“He’s a tough fighter, yet he put trust into me when I was 17 and 18 years old.”

Xavi also has experience of being coached by Jose Mourinho, who worked for Van Gaal at Barcelona, and he had nothing but praise for the Portuguese, whose methods are under growing scrutiny at Chelsea.

“He was excellent in his three years at Barca,” Xavi added.

“They said he was a translator. Rubbish. He was the assistant coach, someone who understood the philosophy of Barca and who shared many of the same characteristics of Van Gaal.

“He was very respected by the players. He trained us sometimes alone at Barca B and he was excellent.

“I’m surprised that he became known for another type of football, more defensive, because he wasn’t like that with us.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s injury worries have been alleviated slightly after both James Milner and Jordon Ibe returned to training.

Milner pulled out of the England matches against Spain and France after missing his first Premier League match for the club he joined in the summer with a hamstring problem sustained in the Europa League victory against Rubin Kazan 12 days ago. Ibe withdrew from England Under-21s squad with a bruised knee, but Press Association Sport understands both took part in full training at Melwood on Monday afternoon with the squad members not involved in internationals.

The pair were monitored during the session by medical staff to see how they reacted to their injuries, but the fact they were able to participate means both are in contention for Saturday’s trip to Premier League leaders Manchester City, providing they suffer no after-effects later this week.

James Milner reveals who is performing at the @JM7Foundation‘s charity ball next weekend https://t.co/YHVrtGJQr9 https://t.co/olg8XWiADJ

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 15, 2015

It offers a small glimmer of hope for Klopp, who has had to deal with a growing injury list since taking over last month.

The German has yet to have the opportunity to work with key players like captain Jordan Henderson (broken foot) or striker Daniel Sturridge (knee), although the pair are edging closer to a return to training.

SEE MORE: Liverpool’s best starting XI of all-time.

However, he has lost striker Danny Ings and Joe Gomez to long-term cruciate knee ligament injuries, defender Mamadou Sakho is sidelined until the new year with a knee problem while young midfielder Jordan Rossiter is still nursing his way back to fitness after sustaining a hamstring problem on international duty with England Under-21s a month ago.

Aston Villa defender Jordan Amavi will miss the rest of the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury, the Barclays Premier League club have announced.

The 21-year-old suffered the injury during France Under-21s' win over Northern Ireland on Thursday night.

A Villa statement read: "Aston Villa can confirm defender Jordan Amavi has been ruled out for the rest of the 2015-16 Premier League season with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

"Everyone at the club wishes Jordan a speedy recovery and we look forward to seeing him back on a football pitch as soon as possible."

The left-back was injured after making a challenge in the second half of the European Under-21 qualifier in Guingamp and was taken to hospital before undergoing scans on Friday.

Losing Amavi is a significant blow to new Villa boss Remi Garde, who replaced Tim Sherwood earlier this month.

Amavi has made 12 appearances since joining from Nice in the summer and was recalled by Garde for his first game in charge as Villa drew 0-0 with Manchester City immediately prior to the international break.

That result ended a run of seven straight league defeats for Villa but they remain rooted to the foot of the Premier League standings and five points adrift of safety.

Michael Carrick looks set for another long injury lay-off after suffering suspected ankle ligament damage during England's 2-0 defeat to Spain.

Carrick was carried off on a stretcher in the final minute of the loss at the Estadio Jose Rico Perez in Alicante after twisting his right ankle.

The Manchester United midfielder will fly back to England on Saturday and will not play against France on Tuesday – should the match go ahead following the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris.

The 34-year-old will have a scan on the ankle and Hodgson fears he will be out for a while.

"Michael Carrick doesn't look good," the England manager said.

"He's got a severely twisted ankle which normally means ligament damage. We won't know that of course until he's had an X-ray or a scan tomorrow, but it doesn't look good."

Hodgson recalled Carrick after the World Cup, but the midfielder has only started two games due to injury.

Hodgson is now without 16 regulars. Jamie Vardy missed the defeat to Spain because of a knee problem.

Other regular squad members like Luke Shaw, Jordan Henderson and Jack Wilshere are sidelined by long-term injuries.

Wojciech Szczesny is unconcerned about his future and is happy to wait until after next summer’s European Championship to make any decisions. The 25-year-old Poland international goalkeeper is currently on loan at Roma after parent club Arsenal let him leave on a temporary deal having made a move for Petr Cech in the summer.

Szczesny has settled into life in the Italian capital and has become a key player in Rudi Garcia’s side. But he has already declared that he would return to the Emirates Stadium immediately if called upon to do so – and has again told of his passion for the Gunners.

SEE MORE: Arsenal’s best starting XI of all-time.

“My future will be decided after the European Championships,” he told sports website przegladsportowy.pl.

“I love Arsenal, but I’m happy at Roma. I know that Roma want me, but I don’t see why Arsenal would not want me also.

“Leaving Arsenal was painful and it was a difficult decision to make. I can’t imagine myself with another English team.”

Szczesny suffered a dislocated finger in a Champions League match against Barcelona and has also made a couple of costly errors, but he is playing football and that is the main attraction for the former Legia Warsaw youngster.

“Garcia believes in me and so too do my teammates and the fans,” he added.

“Coming to Rome was the best choice. It’s best being a starter for the runners-up in Italy than sitting on the bench in England. Even Arsene Wenger thought it was the best thing for me.”

Szczesny has been told by Gunners boss Wenger that he does have a future in north London but, with Cech impressing since arriving from Chelsea, his path into the first team may remain blocked for the foreseeable future.

“Szczesny is a top-class goalkeeper – if he can play somewhere that would be good,” Wenger said in July.

“I believe he will have a future at Arsenal. I personally rate him highly – you do not take a boy and put him in the first team at the age of 20 (if you don’t).”

MORE BEST XIS: Barcelona | Chelsea | Everton | Liverpool.

Poland have two international friendlies in the coming days as they face Iceland and the Czech Republic having already qualified for Euro 2016 – but Szczesny has fallen behind former Arsenal teammate and current Swansea stopper Lukasz Fabianski in the pecking order for Adam Nawalka’s side.

Jordan Amavi will undergo scans in France on Friday as Aston Villa wait for further news on his fitness. The left back suffered a knee injury in France under-21s’ 1-0 win over Northern Ireland on Thursday.

Press Association Sport understands France’s medical team is optimistic the injury is not as bad as first feared after he went down making a challenge in the second half. He went to hospital and Under-21 coach Pierre Mankowski insisted it is too early to tell if Amavi’s season is over.

SEE MORE: Garde wants Villa’s dressing room speaking English.

He told a press conference after the game: “The first information that we have available is that it is a knee sprain. We don’t know yet if the ligaments are ruptured. It’s too soon to say that.”

Should the injury be serious it would be a major blow to new boss Remi Garde.

The 21-year-old defender joined Villa from Nice in the summer as part of Tim Sherwood’s summer rebuilding but Garde replaced Sherwood earlier this month with Villa bottom of the Barclays Premier League.

Amavi has made 12 appearances and was recalled by Garde for his first game in charge as Villa drew 0-0 with Manchester City to end a run of seven straight defeats last Sunday.

David De Gea is "really happy" at Manchester United and has thanked manager Louis van Gaal and the fans for helping him settle back in after the dramatic collapse of his move to Real Madrid.

The 25-year-old Spain goalkeeper was left out of United's team by Van Gaal at the start of the season ahead of an anticipated return to Spain, but the deal fell apart in the final moments of the transfer window.

De Gea's future was initially uncertain but Van Gaal reinstated him and he has signed a new United contract which runs until 2019.

Although reports suggest that new deal contains a release clause which could be triggered by Madrid in the future, De Gea has insisted he is enjoying life at Old Trafford.

"I felt in that moment that to extend my contract was the best thing to do," he said on ESPN Deportes.

"I'm really happy now, at one of the biggest clubs in the world, where I feel loved by the fans.

"Nobody let me down or disappointed me — these are things that happen. You must look forward, and I am very happy now.

"During the market anything can happen, it can all change inside a minute. Football is like that. There were difficult moments, strange moments, but they help you to mature. To be stronger."

De Gea described Van Gaal as "hard and strong" but also a "joker", and said he had a normal relationship with the manager despite his near exit.

"From the first I day I came back, after all that happened, he gave me a lot of confidence, told me I would play, to relax and keep doing what I had done before," he said. "He is a joker, makes a lot of jokes. Now and again likes to do something so that there is a good mood. But we talk mostly about football."

De Gea also thanked United's fans for helping him settle back in to the first team.

"The first game I returned, after all that had happened, was impressive," he said. "The way Old Trafford received me, it made the hairs stand up. It's very difficult to describe what that day was like. I really appreciate it."

Real Madrid could be open to bringing Jose Mourinho back to the Bernabeu should the Portuguese coach leave Chelsea, according to former president of the Spanish club Ramon Calderon.

Mourinho remains determined to turn the fortunes of the Barclays Premier League champions around, but has seen his position come under scrutiny following a poor run of results which sees Chelsea in 16th place following the 1-0 defeat at Stoke before the international break.

Calderon believes should the Spaniards decide to dispense with the services of current boss Rafael Benitez – whose side are second in the Primera Division table but remains to win over some sections of the supporters – then a move for Mourinho might be an option, especially given his relationship with current president Florentino Perez.

Mourinho was in charge at Real Madrid from May 2010 until June 2013, winning the league title in 2011/12.

Speaking to TalkSPORT, Calderon, who was in his role at Real Madrid from 2006 to 2009, said: "It is not a secret that the current Real Madrid president has backed Mourinho many times. He likes him a lot and you can't rule out seeing him again on the bench at the Bernabeu.

"I know it seems strange, but if Benitez doesn't have a good season and Mourinho gets sacked by Chelsea, I insist you can't rule out seeing him here again.

"I know that the president tried to have him here instead of Benitez, but Mourinho said he didn't want it and that it wasn't the right time to come back.

"But after two or three years I can see him here again – it happened the same with Chelsea, they sacked him but then he came back. In football that is normal.

"The current president has a lot of interest in Mourinho, he backed him a lot during his time at Madrid and Mourinho is his favorite coach."

Liverpool midfielder James Milner is hoping to shake off his hamstring injury in time to face his former employers Manchester City next weekend.

The 29-year-old was forced off in the Europa League win over Rubin Kazan last week and missed the Reds’ clash with Crystal Palace three days later before withdrawing from the England squad for the forthcoming friendlies with Spain and France.

The Palace fixture was the first Milner had missed in the Barclays Premier League since ending his five-year stint with City to move to Anfield this summer – and the midfielder is aiming to avoid missing any more time having pencilled in next Saturday’s meeting with his old club as a return date.

“It’s always disappointing to miss any games – and obviously missing last weekend and the England games is disappointing,” he told Liverpoolfc.com.

“It shouldn’t be too long and hopefully I’ll be back for the next game, but we’ll have to wait and see.

“You never like to put a time-frame on it because it’s a hamstring and they’re always difficult and a bit unpredictable, but hopefully I’ll be alright. It’s disappointing, but these things happen and hopefully I’ll be back soon.”

Juan Mata believes Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney deserves respect rather than the scrutiny and scorn of late.

The 30-year-old has enjoyed a record-breaking start to the season, but becoming England’s all-time top scorer has not failed to take attention away from a clutch of underwhelming displays.

SEE MORE: Memphis needs United’s patience, not supporters’ ridicule.

Rooney has netted just two Barclays Premier League goals this term, leading to questions about his starting role for club and country – talk that surprises Mata, whose Spain side welcome the Three Lions for a glamor friendly on Friday:

“When we speak about Wayne we’re speaking about the captain of England and my team Manchester United.

“He’s a very important player. He’s scored more goals than anyone in the English national team and at United.

“I know he can play in different positions. At the end it’s Roy Hodgson or Louis van Gaal who decides, but obviously if he’s close to the box he will score more.

“I feel very proud to play alongside him in my team and it will be very difficult to face him tomorrow.”

Spain will not face Rooney from the outset on Friday, though, after Roy Hodgson revealed his plan to experiment with the England line-up in Alicante. Despite the captain’s absence, Mata believes England boast more than enough players to threaten:

“Talking to Wayne every day in Manchester, I can tell that he is delighted with England’s national team.

“They have youth, desire to win and the capacity to achieve something important – you only need to look at their qualifying campaign in which they won every game.

“Tomorrow’s match will be a tough test for us and for them to see what level they’re at. I believe that England are one of our direct rivals for Euro 2016”.

Vincente del Bosque echoed those sentiments, although most of the questions the Spain coach faced revolved around star players such as the out-of-sorts Chelsea striker Diego Costa:

Mark Hughes is hoping Jack Butland’s England recognition can pave the way for Ryan Shawcross to join him in the national set-up.

Stoke boss Hughes has consistently pushed Shawcross’ international cause, but so far Roy Hodgson has overlooked the Potters defender. Shawcross has made only one appearance for England, which came three years ago when he came on as a substitute in a friendly against Sweden.

The suspicion has always been that playing for Stoke has counted against Shawcross, so Hughes is encouraged by goalkeeper Butland establishing himself as a regular squad member and even pushing Joe Hart for the number one shirt.

All-time Best XIs: Arsenal | Chelsea | Liverpool.

Speaking at a fans’ forum, Hughes said:

“Why he isn’t involved at England level, once again I have no idea.

“Okay, they may look at the fact and say that he hasn’t played enough football this season because of his injury, but even before that when he was performing exceptionally well he wasn’t getting a look-in.

“Since I’ve been here he’s been absolutely outstanding. There aren’t many defenders like him in the game, I have to say.

“Obviously Jack Butland is involved in the England set-up, so maybe he will be able to put in a good word for him and he’ll be involved in the next one. Don’t hold your breath, mind.”

Shawcross missed the first two-and-a-half months of the season after undergoing back surgery but has played in the last three games and came out on top of a match-long tussle with Chelsea’s Diego Costa last weekend.

Costa has earned quite a reputation since moving to the Premier League last season, but Shawcross said:

“I played in the Championship and there’s a lot nastier people in the Championship and tougher people.

“Once you’ve got Costa concentrating on you rather than the game, you’ve won the battle. I was pleased he was concentrating on me and just delighted to keep him quiet because he’s a fantastic player.”

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has withdrawn from the Belgium squad for their friendlies against Italy and Spain. The 29-year-old, who was not involved in full training with his country on Tuesday or Wednesday, was the subject of a club-versus-country row during the previous international break when he played in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Israel despite assertions from City boss Manuel Pellegrini that he was unfit because of a calf injury. There will no repeat of those arguments this month, though, after Belgium confirmed he had left the squad and been replaced by Anderlecht midfielder Steven Defour.

In October, Kompany was named in the Belgium squad despite missing five successive fixtures for his club side because of injury, and Pellegrini had declared he was not fit enough to feature in the games against Andorra or Israel. However, despite missing out against Andorra when his international colleagues booked their Euro 2016 qualification, Belgium boss Marc Wilmots started Kompany in the fixture against Israel to provoke Pellegrini’s ire.

SEE MORE: Hamstring injury keeps Bony out of international duty with Ivory Coast.

“I was not pleased because we sent Vincent with some medical report that he was not able to play but, as the manager of Belgium said, he can do what he wants in the international break,” the Chilean stated when Kompany returned for club duty. “He can use the players and he wanted to use him.

“But for me, when you don’t send a player to the national squad and you cannot use him for your club, I think the other sense must be the same. If a player didn’t play the last three games for his club he cannot play for the national squad.

“But these are the rules. I think some day clubs will protest about that.”

Kompany was an unused substitute in City’s next game against Bournemouth and Pellegrini denied there was rift with his player after he started the Champions League clash with Sevilla on the bench. The center back was restored to the starting line-up for the Manchester derby and has played in each of the Barclays Premier League and Champions League fixtures since.

However, he was not involved in full training on Tuesday with Belgium due to the fact he was part of a recovery session having played against Aston Villa two days earlier. Kompany was then absent from the group which trained on Wednesday too and Wilmots said he was “following an individual program of rehabilitation indoors”.

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas insists manager Jose Mourinho has the full backing of his players despite the Blues’ dismal start to their Barclays Premier League title defense.

Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Stoke was Chelsea’s seventh league loss and saw the London club head into the international break 16th in the standings, with just 11 points from 12 games.

The result left Mourinho’s future looking more uncertain than ever, but the Portuguese, who was unable to attend Saturday’s contest due to a one-match stadium ban, retains the trust of his squad, according to Fabregas.

SEE MORE: What Chelsea must do to finish fourth in the Premier League.

“I don’t think Mou will be sacked,” the 28-year-old told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope. “The coach trusts us and we trust him.

“We all have to work together to come out of this bad spell.

“The level of play at Chelsea does not correspond with the results, but I’m certain that we will improve.

“I feel good and I trust this group.”

Earlier this month, Fabregas denied reports that he was organising a “mini-revolt” at Chelsea and reiterated he was happy to work under Mourinho.

“I don’t know where that came from,” the former Arsenal captain said. “Someone invented a story saying that I was leaking information from the changing room.

“I have dignity and I had to defend myself.

“My relationship with Mourinho is good, as always.”

Fabregas is training in Madrid with Spain’s national team ahead of Friday’s international friendly against England in Alicante.

Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony has been ruled out of Ivory Coast’s World Cup qualifying doubleheader against Liberia.

Bony limped off in City’s 0-0 Barclays Premier League draw at Aston Villa on Sunday because of a hamstring injury, with Blues boss Manuel Pellegrini saying afterwards he did not think the 26-year-old would be able to play during this international break. It was subsequently confirmed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Wednesday that Bony would not be involved in the Elephants’ clashes on Friday and at home next Tuesday due to injury.

SEE MORE: Sergio Aguero targets Liverpool match for injury return.

Another City player who will not feature in those matches is midfielder Yaya Toure – although he has declared he will be “ready” to rejoin the national team next year. Toure, who won the African Nations Cup with Ivory Coast in February, has not been part of the squad of late having wanted a rest, but it seems he is not about to retire from international football.

Quoted on the CAF website, he said:  “I think the next appointment after this (the Liberia games) will be in 2016 with the continuation of qualifying for the 2017 African Nations Cup. In any case, I’ll be ready.”

Regarding his current absence, Toure said:

“With all due respect to our new coach, Michel Dussuyer, I wanted to have a moment of respite.

“I was coming back from a long period of intense activity with the Elephants and the end of an exhausting season with my club Manchester City. I even had injuries.

“During the off-season I cut short my vacation in Abidjan to return to the club so I could be subject to a rigorous fitness program.

“I had to follow to the letter and strictly my physical preparation program during this period under the supervision of private coaches.”

Meanwhile, City captain Vincent Kompany was once again not involved in full training with Belgium on Wednesday. That had also been the case on Tuesday, with it being understood the reason was not an injury but because he did a recovery session instead owing to the fact he had played only two days earlier. And Belgium boss Marc Wilmots said on Wednesday that Kompany was one of a group of players who were “following an individual program of rehabilitation indoors.”

He added: “What matters now is the mental and physical regeneration.

“It’s important to recover as much as possible for the two (home friendly) games against Italy and Spain (on Friday and Tuesday respectively). That’s why they are rested.”

Kompany’s fitness was a hot topic from the last international break, with Pellegrini expressing his unhappiness the defender had played for his country after missing five City games with a calf problem. Kompany played around an hour of Belgium’s 3-1 win over Israel on Oct. 13 then was an unused substitute for City four days later, and only got on in the dying seconds another four days after that, before being restored to the Blues first XI for the Manchester derby.

Wilmots is making no apology for his handling of Kompany and stressed the decision about the run-out against Israel was made jointly by the coach and player:

“I think we did exactly what we had to do.

“In this case a player and a manager had a conversation and agreed playing for 60 minutes would be the best preparation. Vincent agreed and we made the decision together.

“His situation is that he is a top professional player of 30 years who knows exactly what he needs to do to be fit. I allow him to work how he wants.

“Many players come here injured and return healthy and match fit. I don’t think we can do any better.”

Everton defender Leighton Baines is set to take another step towards a first-team recall but admits he does not yet know when he will be ready to return.

The 30-year-old left-back has not featured at all this season after sustaining an ankle injury just before the campaign kicked off.

He will play in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Wednesday as he steps up his comeback but knows he is not yet close to being up to speed.

"It's really difficult to judge because I've never been in this position before," he told the Liverpool Echo.

"I played 90 minutes in pre-season (in a friendly against Villarreal) and that's the only 90 minutes I've played in the past six months or so.

"In that six months I've probably spent a grand total of two weeks training with the team so it is new territory in that sense.

"But I'm trying to see it in the most positive light possible in that I've had a really good break.

"I've had two pre-seasons with a break in between and I feel really good for it and I hope to come back and be fully fit and ready to be available.

"I've done a lot of fitness work, a lot strength work but I am back into full training now and full contact and a we have a game this week so it is just about getting football fitness and match fitness now.

"I feel good in all other aspects so it is just about ticking those other boxes and with the work I've done over the last few months, hopefully that will stand me in good stead to progress through this next stage quite quickly."

What is in Baines' favor is the international break, which means he has another 10 days before Everton play again when Aston Villa visit Goodison on November 21.

Manchester United winger Memphis Depay has hit back at questions over his attitude, stressing he is a team player who is working hard on “getting back to the top”.

After a big-money move in the summer from PSV Eindhoven — with whom he finished 2014-15 as the Eredivie’s top scorer with 22 goals — Depay made a promising start at Old Trafford. The 21-year-old netted a brace in what was only his third competitive United game — a Champions League playoff first leg win against Club Brugge — and started every one of United’s Barclays Premier League matches up to the 3-0 loss at Arsenal on Oct. 4. But he was taken off at halftime in that contest and has since only been part of the first XI for the Capital One Cup clash against Middlesbrough on Oct. 28.

SEE MORE: Memphis needs United’s patience, not supporters’ ridicule.

Although saying he still believes in him, boss Louis van Gaal has suggested he is worried Depay might not be able to adapt to his philosophy at the club. Meanwhile, Holland boss Danny Blind was recently quoted as saying Depay is not always a team player. But Depay — a goalscorer in Van Gaal’s Dutch side at the 2014 World Cup — on Tuesday told Dutch media organization NOS:

“When I spoke to Danny Blind, it was a very good conversation.

“I think I’m a team player and the other players in the team also think that. I don’t think I’m in a difficult path of my career as the media talk, but I just think my form isn’t very good right now.

“I’m still working hard. Just because I don’t show the exact form that I showed at the World Cup or last year, it doesn’t mean I don’t work hard.

“Right now, I feel good again. Other people don’t see what I’m doing in training so people think I’m not busy with football but that’s not true.”

Depay admits he is finding life on the bench difficult but has emphasized he is feeling positive about the efforts he is putting in to rectify his situation at United:

 “Of course, it’s difficult when you’re on the bench but it’s going better right now.

“If I get my chance to play, I will take it.

“I think lots of things have changed. I’m in a new club right now and it’s a different level compared to the Dutch league.

“Such things are playing a big role when you’re trying to find your way and it was a bit easy at the start but then I fell back and you could see it in the way I played.

“However, you can assume I’m busy with working on that and getting back to the top.

“I feel fit and I’m trying to show on the training ground that I’m doing my best to perform well.”

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has reported good progress as he works his way towards a return to action against Liverpool a week from Saturday. Aguero has not played for City since scoring five times in the 6-1 demolition of Newcastle on Oct. 3, sustaining a hamstring injury soon after while on international duty with Argentina.

SEE MORE: Top 10 soccer podcasts.

Following Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Aston Villa, City boss Manuel Pellegrini, who saw striker Wilfried Bony limp off in that game with a hamstring injury of his own, expressed his hope Aguero would be making an imminent comeback to full training with the squad. And having subsequently on Monday posted on Twitter pictures of himself training alone outdoors and indoors accompanied by the message “giving it my all on recovery work.” Aguero told City’s official website on Tuesday: “I don’t think I’m too far away now.

“Physically, I feel good and I’ve kept as fit as I can during my lay-off.”

The Liverpool game at the Etihad Stadium is City’s next fixture. And Aguero said:

“I still need to work hard for another week and if not this week, then maybe next, I hope to start training with the rest of the lads and so my target is Liverpool.

“I’ll take things slowly and not rush into anything, but I’m not far away.”

City currently lead the Barclays Premier League on goal difference ahead of second place Arsenal, and the 27-year-old added: “We need to focus on what we’ve been doing and keep it going because we have an important game coming up against Liverpool and the result at Aston Villa wasn’t exactly what we’d wanted.”

Meanwhile, Press Association Sport understands the reason City captain Vincent Kompany did not take part in full training with Belgium on Tuesday was not an injury but because he did a recovery session instead, owing to the fact he had played on Sunday. Kompany’s fitness was a hot topic from the last international break, with Pellegrini expressing his unhappiness that the defender had played for his country after missing five City games with a calf problem.

Arsene Wenger has warned Chelsea and Tottenham they could struggle if and when they move to temporary homes. Chelsea may have to play their games away from Stamford Bridge if their proposals to redevelop the ground come to fruition, while Spurs will need to relocate from White Hart Lane when it is rebuilt.

SEE MORE: Arsenal were ‘knackered’ for draw with Spurs – Mertesacker

Wembley has been suggested as a possible temporary home for both clubs, but Arsenal did not perform well when they used the national stadium for Champions League games during the late 1990s, before the Emirates Stadium was built. Gunners boss Wenger told www.arsenal.com:

“When you move into a new stadium, you have to feel at home. You have to feel that it is the right place for you. That is only created by the history that you build slowly through the games.

“I still think it’s a little bit of a disadvantage, even for the fans, they do not feel completely at home, and that can transmit to the players.

“That was a big problem for us. In hindsight it was maybe a mistake to move to Wembley, but we had no real choice as UEFA did not accept us holding the games at Highbury.

“Looking back today, I say it was a handicap for us.

“The players were comfortable at Highbury and the teams that visited us weren’t comfortable. Suddenly it was like we were playing games on a neutral ground, basically.”

West Ham and Chelsea have been fined £40,000 and £50,000 respectively by the Football Association following last month’s Barclays Premier League clash at Upton Park. Both clubs admitted misconduct charges of failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during West Ham’s 2-1 win. The two clubs have also been severely warned as to their future conduct.

SEE MORE: What Chelsea must do to finish fourth in the Premier League.

West Ham’s players were unhappy with Nemanja Matic’s challenge on Diafra Sakho in the 44th minute of the London derby and surrounded referee Jonathan Moss. Chelsea’s players then did the same after Moss sent the Blues midfielder off for the foul.

Blues’ assistant coach Silvino Louro’s reaction to the decision earned him a red card, while manager Jose Mourinho’s halftime exchange with Moss resulted in him also being sent to the stands. Mourinho already had a suspended stadium ban hanging over him for previous indiscretions during this troubled season and subsequently missed Saturday’s defeat at Stoke.

An FA statement read:

“Following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing, West Ham United and Chelsea have been fined £40,000 and £50,000 respectively after both clubs admitted an FA misconduct charge.

“The charge was for failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the fixture between the two sides on October 24, 2015.

“Both clubs were also severely warned as to their future conduct.”

Wayne Rooney stole the show at a WWE wrestling event on Monday night by ‘slapping’ Wade Barrett after he goaded him from inside the ring. Barrett, a Preston fan, has had a feud with Rooney ever since he accused the Manchester United and England captain of diving to win a penalty against North End in the FA Cup last year, and on Monday Rooney came face to face with the wrestler at RAW in Manchester.

King @WadeBarrett and @WWESheamus just got SERVED by @WWECesaro and @ManUtd‘s @WayneRooney! #WWETitle #RAW https://t.co/ppwjG6qedR

— WWE (@WWE) November 10, 2015

Barrett spotted Rooney on the front row with his six-year-old son Kai at Manchester Arena and yelled from the ring:

“I don’t like the way you’re looking at me, Wayne. You’re looking at me like you’ve got some kind of problem with me.

“I would offer to have you step inside this ring so we can fight this out like men, but I would hate for your little boy to sit there and watch his own father fail because let’s face it he gets to experience that every single time you step on a football pitch.”

Barrett, who stands 6-feet-7-inches tall, then climbed out of the ring to confront Rooney in person.

Someone’s been looking for @WayneRooney! Hear what @WadeBarrett has to say on #MUTV, Thursday at 18:30 GMT (UK/IRE). https://t.co/KfWKBX3C4k

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 10, 2015

The wrestler threatened to knock Rooney out and prodded the striker in the chest. Rooney responded by slapping Barrett and he theatrically fell to the floor.

As is the case in all WWE fights, the action was pre-planned and done in the name of entertainment, so Barrett was not hurt.

Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is convinced manager Louis van Gaal will bring success to the club and urged fans to show patience.

Supporters have begun to show dissent at the style of play the Dutchman has brought in at Old Trafford, and chants of “attack, attack, attack” were in evidence during Saturday’s 2-0 win over West Brom. Despite fans’ concerns United are fourth in the Premier League, just two behind leaders and near-neighbours City, and Schweinsteiger urged them to have faith in Van Gaal’s methods:

“I recognize similarities between Louis van Gaal here and at Bayern Munich.

“In Munich if you remember it took a while before the team understood exactly how we wants to play football, but in the end we won the Bundesliga title and made it to the Champions League final.

“It is not about October or November, it is about May.

“I remember the fans were unsure about him early on at Bayern but in the end we did the double and so the fans in Munich loved him.

“I am sure Louis will bring success to United. I am convinced about that but we have to do our work and we have to improve. I am convinced it will happen.”

SEE MORE: Memphis needs United’s patience, not supporters’ ridicule.

While Schweinsteiger understands supporters’ frustrations, he insists the Premier League is so competitive it is not always easy to roll over teams, particularly the ones who arrive at Old Trafford with a defensive mindset. He does accept, however, the team have to do more at home:

“You have to be patient but, of course, during that you have to win, you have to get results and you have to score.

“You recognise what the supporters are saying but football is not only attack.

“There are teams with different game styles and they also win titles but I think especially in home matches we have to press and go forward.

“When you are playing a team who defend with 10 men it is not easy to find the gaps.

“It is not exclusive to England. You have seen Bayern draw 0-0 recently against Frankfurt because Frankfurt were defending with a lot of players.

“It happens but you have to find solutions and this is where we can still improve to make it easier for ourselves.

“There is still room for improvement but we did improve on breaking a team down.”

Swansea have parted company with Spain forward Michu by mutual consent. The move had been expected since last summer when manager Garry Monk confirmed that the once-capped Spain international would not play for the Barclays Premier League club again, but talks over terminating the player’s contract had dragged on until now, with both parties seeking to find a suitable settlement.

SEE MORE: What Chelsea must do to finish fourth in the Premier League.

“Both parties have reached a financial agreement over the remainder of the 29-year-old’s contract, which ran until the end of this season,” said a statement on Swansea’s official club website.

“The agreement will allow Michu to become a free agent and assist him to find a new club straight away in order to kick-start his playing career again in January.”

Michu proved an instant hit following his £2 million move from Rayo Vallecano in July 2012, scoring four times in his first three games and ending the season with 22 goals as Swansea won the Capital One Cup – the club’s first major trophy in 101 years. But Michu’s second season at Swansea became a frustrating affair despite the Oviedo-born player being capped by Spain coach Vincente Del Bosque in a World Cup qualifier against Belarus in Oct. 2013. Injury restricted him to 24 appearances, in which he scored six goals, and his final game for Swansea came in a 1-0 defeat at Hull in April 2014.

Michu joined Napoli on loan the following season but he made only five appearances for the Serie A club as he suffered further ankle misery, and he is expected to make the move back to Spain after his stint in Wales.

Arsene Wenger believes the way Arsenal’s depleted squad battled back to secure a 1-1 draw in the North London Derby showed they have the character needed to mount a sustained Barclays Premier League challenge this season. The Gunners, thumped 5-1 away to Bayern Munich in their midweek Champions League tie, missed the chance to head into the international break top of the table and capitalize on Manchester City’s goalless draw at Aston Villa earlier on Sunday.

Tottenham had the better of the first half at the Emirates Stadium as England forward Harry Kane continued his resurgence with a neat finish after punishing a high defensive line. However, the Gunners — missing the likes of Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hector Bellerin, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Danny Welbeck to injury — eventually leveled when substitute Kieran Gibbs, the fullback sent on as a makeshift winger, bundled in his first league goal since March 2012 on 77 minutes to set up a grandstand finale.

SEE MORE: What Chelsea must so to finish fourth in the Premier League.

While Wenger’s side could not conjure up a winner and remain level on points with City, the Arsenal boss is in no doubt of what the impact of such a performance can be over the coming months.

“We have shown character because we were a bit on the ropes and we responded,” said Wenger, who revealed midfielder Santi Cazorla had been suffering from dizziness during the first half and had to be substituted during the interval.

“When you look at Sunday’s results again you see Villa against City is 0-0, Liverpool lost, we played a 1-1 draw – it just shows you that the championship will be extremely difficult for everybody.

“The mental qualities can have a big influence in the future and I think we need these qualities.”

Wenger added:

“This was a very intense game with complete commitment from both sides. The team have shown great mental resource, we refused to give up.

“When you are 1-0 down, it is a mixture of relief and regret because if we were really clinical we would have won it in the last 15 minutes.

“(Olivier) Giroud had the chances to score, but if I try to be fair I must say the point is maybe a fair result.”

Despite the frustration of not taking maximum points, Arsenal remain in solid Premier League form with five wins and a draw.

“Overall I am disappointed that we haven’t won the game, but if you look at the recent period as a block it can happen that in six games you can drop points,” Wenger said.

Tottenham, meanwhile, continue to make progress under Mauricio Pochettino, whose side are within three points of the top four having gone unbeaten in the league since the opening day.

“We are very happy with the way our philosophy is developing and this was a good example to show the belief in the way we want to play,” Pochettino said. “From that, our supporters can be very proud.

“It is important not to set a limit. We are ambitious people and always think about winning the next game, but the end of the season is far away.”

Fabian Delph believes Manchester City fans protected him after his first return to Aston Villa.

The midfielder ran the Villa Park gauntlet in Sunday’s 0-0 draw as he faced his former club following his controversial summer move. Delph initially rejected the chance to join City before producing a dramatic U-turn and signing for £8 million. It came just seven months after he penned a four-and-a-half year deal at Villa, and he was mercilessly taunted by the home crowd, who also hissed at him after dubbing him a snake for leaving in July.

SEE MORE: What Chelsea must do to finish fourth in the Premier League.

Delph has only just returned from a hamstring injury and admitted his comeback at Villa was an eye-opener:

“It was great, the fans gave me great support and had my back. It was always going to be interesting coming back.

“Obviously we never picked up the three points but we never lost the game. We got a point and have to concentrate on the next run of games.

“It’s been really difficult (being out), I had a lot of injury problems when I was younger but I seemed to have overcome them. This is the first time in about four years I have picked up a niggle. It’s been frustrating but I’m back now and back fit. I’m ready to push on now.”

Delph will now link up with the England squad ahead of their friendlies with Spain and France after he initially suffered his hamstring injury in the first minute of the Three Lions’ Euro 2016 qualifier against Switzerland in September. His substitute appearance at Villa Park was his first league game back, and he is now eyeing England duty as a chance to get fully fit before City host Liverpool when he returns. From Manchester City’s official website:

Harry Kane feels Tottenham’s unbeaten Barclays Premier League run proves they can compete at the top end of the table.

The England striker scored his sixth goal in four matches to give Spurs the lead in Sunday’s north London derby, only to see hosts Arsenal snatch a point through substitute Kieran Gibbs. The 1-1 draw moved Mauricio Pochettino’s side up to fifth in the standings and just five points off the summit, having not lost in the league since their opening day defeat at Manchester United.

SEE MORE: What Chelsea must do to finish fourth in the Premier League.

“It shows that we can be up there with the big teams,” Kane, who will now link up with England, said of the unbeaten run.

“We probably deserved to win against Liverpool, we beat Manchester City and probably maybe deserved to win at Arsenal as well.

“We’re not just drawing where we’re hanging on, we’re drawing where we’re playing very well and there are chances we could be winning these games.

“We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing – there’s a lot of games still left to play. We’re now into the international break and when we come back it’s two more London derbies.”

Those derbies come against in-form West Ham and beleaguered Premier League champions Chelsea, with the Blues’ poor start to their title defence offering the chance for a different side to challenge for a top-four finish.

Jose Mourinho’s side are down in 16th place having lost seven of their first 12 matches, and although he refused to put Tottenham in the title picture, Kane knows they are good enough to be in and around the business end of the table:

“There’s still a long way to go and we’re not going to come out and say ‘we’re title contenders’ but we’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing.

“We’re in a great position at the moment, we’ve played a lot of tough teams but there’s still a long way to go.

“At this level you’ve got to maintain it throughout the whole season.

“We’ve done well in the past but then our form’s dipped in the New Year, maybe towards the end of the season, so it’s just about doing it as much as possible over the Christmas break and then into the New Year and we’ll see where it takes us.

“Obviously Chelsea are not playing very well at the moment but I wouldn’t write them off. They were champions last year for a reason.

“Again, we’ve just got to concentrate on ourselves, try not to think about the teams around us. We’re playing very well, we’re got great belief and we’ve just got to keep trying to move up that table.”

Per Mertesacker has revealed that Arsenal’s players were “knackered” as they labored to a draw at home to rivals Tottenham. The Gunners had Kieran Gibbs’ first Barclays Premier League goal in more than three years to thank for rescuing a point after Harry Kane had given Spurs the lead in the north London derby. Sunday’s 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium was not enough to take second-placed Arsenal to the top, but they remain unbeaten in the league since defeat at Chelsea on Sept. 19.

SEE MORE: What Chelsea must do to finish fourth in the Premier League.

This result came on the back of a 5-1 Champions League thrashing against Bayern Munich and, with seven injured players on the sidelines, Mertesacker believes those who are in the side have been feeling the strain:

“It was fun to play but we all looked a bit knackered, especially in the first half.

“We gave absolutely everything to get a draw here and we will enjoy next weekend off, a few of us, then back to duty the next week.

“We stayed with the same line-up as against Munich apart from Gabriel, and even (Tottenham) played on Thursday but they looked fresh in the first half and then suffered in the second.

“It is difficult to explain but to sum it up both teams gave their all on the pitch and that is why it was a joy not only to watch and a joy to play, especially in the second half.”

Aaron Ramsey, Hector Bellerin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could all return soon after the international break to ease the injury concerns of manager Arsene Wenger, who conceded ahead of the game he was worried by the sheer number of players on the treatment table. Mertesacker, too, feels there is only so long the Gunners can paper over the cracks, with the World Cup winner looking forward to welcoming his teammates back:

“It is very important (to have them back).

“Over a short period you can replace a couple of players, but with two games a week — and the intensity will not lessen — you need a lot of players who can replace each other and come and give energy.

“That is important. It is how we beat Bayern Munich, Theo (Walcott) played for 75 minutes and then Olivier (Giroud) came on and gave us a different style and had a massive impact on the game. We need game changers.

“That is why with injuries we suffer a bit, but I’m convinced that after the international break we will have more options and therefore more confidence.

“At times we need to give more and be more convincing with our game plan. There is room for improvement but we are in a good position and we want to continue that unbeaten streak.

“Obviously with players coming back we will gain some more energy. You could see today how great it was to have Gibbs on the bench – he gave us a big lift we he came on, he was fresh and gave everyone a lift with the goal.”

One concern for Wenger will be the travel times for the likes of Alexis Sanchez and David Ospina, who will link up with Chile and Colombia respectively, while fit-again defender Laurent Koscielny has been called up by France and could come up against Gibbs, who is in Roy Hodgson’s England squad. But if they and Arsenal’s other internationals come through unscathed, the FA Cup holders will be in a strong position to continue their Premier League title tilt in the run-up to Christmas.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists the first defeat of his Anfield reign can actually be of use providing the players learn something from the experience.

The German was obviously disappointed to go down 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace, and although he accepts such reverses are part of the game, he believes it was a loss which was “absolutely not necessary.” And he will be unhappy if genuine lessons cannot be learned from the performance.

SEE MORE: Klopp wants to keep fans on the edge of their seats, not walking up the aisles.

Liverpool dominated for an hour either side of good spells by the visitors but failed to capitalize on their advantage and then failed to find any response when they conceded late. Klopp, after the loss:

“It is not a problem to lose a game, it is football, it happens all the time but we have to learn the right things.

“If we learn the right things tonight it is very important and then it will be good we lost.

“At this moment I don’t know the reason for why it will be good but we have to learn the right things.

“I am satisfied with some moments but the problem I have is we have to play 95 minutes and if you are satisfied with 60 minutes after the game sometimes it is enough, sometimes not. That is the problem.

“We decide how strong we are, how good we are, how awake we are, how tired we are – nobody else. We have to learn that we decide.

“That is what we can learn and it (defeat) feels so bad because it was so absolutely not necessary.”

The defeat, the first since Manchester United won 3-1 on Sept. 12, halts some of the momentum built up during a six-game unbeaten run under Klopp, and the international break will give the players plenty of thinking time before their next Premier League match – at Manchester City on Nov. 21.

Winger Jordon Ibe, who put in another good performance following his match-winning goal against Rubin Kazan in the Europa League, admits the result stung. As told to Liverpoolfc.com:

“It’s disappointing, everybody’s angry.

“We played alright and we created chances to get the goals but it just didn’t come.

“[The manager] just told us to keep our composure because it shouldn’t be an excuse having a midweek game.

“We didn’t start the best, it’s just improving on that and starting from the first minute, keeping the ball, keeping composure, building into the game and trying to win.”

But despite the defeat, Klopp is still enjoying a honeymoon period, and there were further signs that his squad are continuing to get to grips with his methods. Ibe:

“New manager, new system; we’re just trying to build and keep the confidence in the team.

“Obviously losing will have an effect on some players but we just need to keep it going and hopefully we can win the next game.

“I thought the team did well and created chances, it’s just frustrating not getting the goals.

“When we get back from international duty hopefully we can work on that and start again.”

Former England goalkeeper David James has expressed his concern that Louis van Gaal’s style of management is inhibiting Wayne Rooney.

Much of the soccer Manchester United have played since the Dutchman’s appointment in 2014 has been predictable and provided a considerable contrast with the attacking focus so regularly seen under Sir Alex Ferguson. The club’s fans have become increasingly vocal about their displeasure surrounding that style, in which creative talents like Ander Herrera, Memphis Depay, Juan Mata and Antony Martial have been restricted. However it is Rooney, as captain for both club and country, who has attracted even stronger, more widespread criticism after struggling in front of goal this season.

SEE MORE: What Chelsea must do to finish fourth in the Premier League.

James played alongside Rooney, who was substituted during United’s 2-0 defeat of West Brom on Saturday, with the England national team from the start of forward’s international career until the 2010 World Cup. Having so regularly witnessed his talent and the performances he generated under Ferguson when he enjoyed greater freedom, James believes it is wrong to suggest his former teammate is in decline and simply believes that Van Gaal is mishandling his career:

“When you look at (Sir Alex) Ferguson at Manchester United – obviously (Rooney) had David Moyes at Everton first – as much as the hairdryer keeps getting mentioned, the team leads the changing room more so than a manager, and Wayne was allowed to be himself because however much he argued or (behaved) in his effervescent way around the changing rooms, his performances would justify his character.

“David Moyes comes back in, a bit more of an authoritarian, if you like; (Louis) van Gaal seems to be the same, therefore you’re suppressing this enthusiasm.

“Wayne, at 30 years old, there’s no reason why that old Wayne Rooney spark can’t come back. It’s not about him being reckless – it’s about allowing him to have a bit more personality in his performance. Allow him to take the odd liberty.

“That enthusiasm, that love for the game, I saw that in his performances (when I trained and played with him). I don’t know what he does now because I don’t go to Manchester United’s training ground, but he was special. When I do my coaching, I mention him regularly.

“He can play his way back into form.”

David James was speaking at the launch of Carlsberg1s Beer1d Beauty range of male grooming products, with all proceeds from sales of the range going to the Movember Foundation. To sign-up to Movember, please visit http://monetwork.co/beerdbeauty.

West Ham have been dealt a massive injury blow with the news midfielder Dimitri Payet could be ruled out for three months.

The French midfielder has been a major factor in West Ham’s fine start to the season following his £10.7 million summer move from Marseille. But Payet, who has hit five goals in 14 appearances, suffered an ankle injury after a challenge from James McCarthy in the 1-1 draw against Everton on Saturday. And Jack Sullivan, the son of Hammers co-owner David Sullivan, revealed the extent of the 28-year-old’s injury on Twitter:

SEE MORE: What Chelsea must do to finish fourth in the Premier League.

Ecuador forward Enner Valencia was also injured against the Toffees with the club awaiting the results of a scan on his ankle problem.