Golden Soccer 360

David Luiz insists he has learned a lot about himself as a player and a person after a difficult 2017/18 season at Chelsea under Antonio Conte. After playing a pivotal role in Conte's side as Chelsea win on the title in 2016/17, the Brazilian defender made just 10 Premier League starts last term, with his time at the club seemingly coming to an end. But Luiz is back in the side under new manager Maurizio Sarri and, in an exclusive interview with  Sky Sports , says he has taken the positives out of a difficult situation. Ahead of Chelsea's clash with Newcastle on  Super Sunday , Luiz told  Sky Sports:  "I think I always have to feel fresh start because I am getting old! It is amazing to play football, of course last season was not the best for me inside the pitch, but also I learned a lot outside the pitch as a person, as a man. It is always great to be on the pitch. "I learned a lot, sometimes you have to be patient, sometimes you have to take care of your...

Unai Emery has denied rumours that a rift with Mesut Ozil was the reason the German was not in Arsenal's matchday squad on Saturday. Ozil was surprisingly absent from the team as Emery picked up his first win in charge of the Gunners, beating West Ham 3-1 at the Emirates. When asked about Ozil's omission, and if it was due to a training ground argument, Emery was quick to dismiss the claims and said the player was missing due to illness. "Why is this information (out there)? It isn't true. I don't know who is telling you this information," he said. "He sat down with me and we decided that he would not play. He left training because he was going to his home because he is sick. "Today he was here, I told him to come in if he feels better and he feels better today and before the match he was with the team." Although it was far from a vintage performance, the result saw Emery pick up his first three points as manager, although admits ...

Liverpool climbed to the top of the Premier League with their 1-0 win over Brighton at Anfield. Here are five talking points from the game. Liverpool get it done Liverpool were a long way short of their best but perhaps it is a sign of their growing maturity that they were able to hold on for the win without too much cause for concern. They could not build on Mohamed Salah's first-half goal, his second of the season so far, but in the end it did not matter. Brighton came into this game having stunned Manchester United at the Amex Stadium, but there was none of the same complacency from Jurgen Klopp's side. Their attacking play lacked its usual fluency for much of the contest, but these are the kind of games they have let slip in the past. There was one late scare when Pascal Gross's header tested Alisson, but are they finally learning to grind it out and win ugly? For fans dreaming of the title, the signs are encouraging. Salah still the man The reigning PFA an...

Liverpool have confirmed goalkeeper Loris Karius has joined Besiktas on a two-year loan deal. The 25-year-old was named on the bench for Liverpool's opening Premier League fixture of the season against West Ham, but left out of the squad against Crystal Palace and Brighton. On Friday, Besiktas appeared to confirm the arrival of the Liverpool keeperwith a graphic of him on their Twitter page, and the move was completed on Saturday. The Turkish club have started their Super Lig campaign with two wins and are tied 1-1 with Partizan in the Europa League play-offs. Karius made 49 appearances for the Reds after joining from Mainz in 2016. Thirty-three of those appearances came last season, where he came under fire for his performance in the Champions League final, which included two errors that led to goals in the 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid. He was in tears at the final whistle and the Reds decided to sign Roma's Alisson, subsequently signing the Brazil 'keep...

Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez is backing his former club Chelsea to be part of a three-way battle for this season's Premier League crown. The Spaniard, who spent six months in interim charge at Stamford Bridge, delivering Europa League success and a third-placed finish, is confident the Blues will be title contenders once again under new head coach Maurizio Sarri. Benitez's Newcastle will welcome Chelsea to St James' Park on Sunday, and when asked if they can win the league this year, he said: "I think so. "Maybe at the moment, there are three teams that you could say that they are a little bit ahead of the others, for me - Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City - because of the level, the performances last year and the money they spent. "Then Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal, they have to go back to things they were doing well. They have quality in the squad and they can compete, for sure. "But if you have to pick three, I will pi...

Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris has apologised for his drink-driving offence and insisted it is "not the example I wish to set". The 31-year-old goalkeeper will appear in court in September having been charged following a routine patrol stop in the early hours of Friday morning. Lloris did not train with the squad on Friday ahead of their trip to Manchester United, live on Sky Sports Monday Night Football, after returning home after 11am. The France World Cup-winning captain said: "I wish to apologise wholeheartedly to my family, the club, my team-mates, the manager and all of the supporters. "Drink driving is completely unacceptable. I take full responsibility for my actions and it is not the example I wish to set." Tottenham said on Friday "the club takes matters such as this extremely seriously and it will be dealt with internally". A Metropolitan Police statement said the former Lyon keeper, of East Finchley, London, was stopped in Gl...

Unai Emery has told Aaron Ramsey to focus on his football and not on his future as his contract impasse at Arsenal continues. The Gunners have seen on-pitch matters overshadowed by drawn-out contract negotiations in recent seasons with Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Jack Wilshere. Ozil agreed fresh terms in January to become the best-paid player in the club's history, and reports suggest Ramsey, whose own deal expires at the end of the current season, wants to move closer to the wage of his German team-mate. Emery picked Ramsey in the opening weekend defeat to Manchester City but the Wales midfielder came off early in the second half before being dropped to the bench for last weekend's trip to Chelsea. Now the new Arsenal head coach has called on Ramsey to keep his mind on playing well for the club and not be distracted by things away from the pitch. "I spoke with him last week," Emery said when asked about Ramsey's situation. "I said: I want y...