Martínez strikes again as Inter grind out win at Cagliari

Inter Milan moved level on points with Serie A’s top four after a gritty 2-0 victory at Cagliari. Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring with his 12th goal in 12 games against the Sardinian side. Inter showed their intent early. Hakan Calhanoglu’s elbow in a second-minute aerial challenge set the tone as the visitors pressed high and denied Cagliari space. Martínez struck in the ninth minute, heading in Alessandro Bastoni’s precise cross. Cagliari struggled to respond. Sebastiano Esposito wasted a decent free-kick, while midfielders Michael Folorunsho and Alessandro Deiola were sloppy in possession. Martínez and Marcus Thuram kept testing the home defence, but Cagliari clung on to reach half-time only a goal down.    

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Milan edge Napoli to go top of Serie A after gritty 2-1 win

AC Milan beat Napoli 2-1 despite playing the final half-hour with 10 men. The victory moves them level on 12 points with Napoli and Roma at the top of Serie A.  Christian Pulisic was key again. The American burst past Luca Marianucci and crossed for Alexis Saelemaekers  to score at the back post just three minutes in. Napoli responded. Mike Maignan denied a Miguel Gutierrez header and a curling Scott McTominay strike. Strahinja Pavlović missed with an improvised effort, while André-Frank Zambo Anguissa blazed over. Milan struck again before half-time. Youssouf Fofana teed up Pulisic, whose deflected finish off Juan Jesus made it 2-0 and took him to four goals this season. Saelemaekers forced a sharp save from Alex Meret before the break. Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Anguissa wasted chances for Napoli as the visitors chased the game.  

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Barça rally to beat Oviedo 3-1 after surprise first-half scare

Barcelona came from behind to beat Real Oviedo 3-1 at the Carlos Tartiere, sealing the champions’ first win over the newly promoted side in 24 years. Oviedo have now lost five of their six La Liga matches this season. The hosts started brightly, winning four early corners and pressing high. Barça controlled possession but were sloppy with their passing. Marcus Rashford twice tested keeper Aarón Escandell, who also denied Raphinha after the winger struck the post. Against the run of play, Oviedo struck first. A poor clearance from Barça keeper Joan García left Alberto Reina free to loft a stunning 40-yard strike into the net just after the half-hour mark. Barça regrouped after the break and dominated. Their quality in attack eventually proved too much for the hosts as they scored three unanswered goals to secure the comeback win.

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Alonso warns Real Madrid against overconfidence ahead of derby clash

Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso urged his unbeaten side to stay sharp before Saturday’s Madrid derby at the Metropolitano. Los Blancos top La Liga after six straight wins but sit just two points ahead of Barcelona. Alonso, who played five seasons for Real, said his team cannot rely on their badge or early form. “Some games were a real struggle, so we can’t get overconfident,” he told reporters. “We need to stay switched on in every match at any ground. If we relax, a lapse can cost us.” Real have conceded only three goals in the league so far, but Alonso warned that focus will be key to extending their perfect start.  

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Yeray Alvarez

Alvarez brace leads Atletico’s five-goal derby rout of Real Madrid

Atletico Madrid ended Real Madrid’s perfect start to the season in stunning fashion thanks to Alvarez.  Real, unbeaten in seven matches across all competitions, hoped to stretch their La Liga lead but instead endured a nightmare evening. Diego Simeone’s men overwhelmed the visitors early on, and Robin Le Normand’s 14th-minute header from Giuliano Simeone’s cross gave Atleti a deserved lead. Real’s response was swift. Arda Guler split the defence with a precise through ball to Kylian Mbappe, who hammered in his 12th goal in 10 games for club and country. The visitors then went ahead as Vinícius Júnior’s pinpoint delivery found Guler, who finished superbly on the half-volley. But Atletico roared back, spearheaded by Julián Álvarez relentless finishing to power Simeone’s side to a famous derby triumph and halt Real’s early-season charge.    

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Lewandowski seals comeback as Barcelona edge Real Sociedad to go top

Robert Lewandowski late strike earned Barcelona a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad, sending the Catalans to the top of La Liga. Barca dominated early, enjoying nearly 90% possession in the opening 20 minutes, but Sergio Francisco’s men held firm. Marcus Rashford forced a brilliant save from Alex Remiro, while Ronald Araujo fired narrowly wide. Against the run of play, Real Sociedad struck first on the half-hour when Álvaro Odriozola converted a swift counter. Remiro then denied a freak own goal before Pedri’s rebound drifted wide. Jules Koundé equalised just before half-time with a towering header from a Rashford corner. Both sides went close after the break, but Barcelona’s pressure told when 17-year-old Lamine Yamal teed up Lewandowski to slot home the winner late on – the duo’s third goal combination in six league matches.  

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McGinn backs Watkins to silence critics after scoring in Villa’s comeback win

Aston Villa skipper John McGinn praised Ollie Watkins after the striker netted a goal. His first goal of the season in a 3-1 comeback victory over Fulham on Sunday. Villa had been struggling in front of goal, scoring just once in their first five Premier League games. When Raul Jimenez headed Fulham in front early on, the pressure mounted. Relief came in the 37th minute as Lucas Digne slid a clever pass to Watkins. Watkins then darted between defenders and lifted the ball over Bernd Leno to level the match. “He’s had a lot of criticism in recent weeks but what he’ll get from us as teammates and staff is love and support,” McGinn said after the game. “Hopefully that shuts a few people up. What he’s given us over the years has been brilliant. He works tirelessly and when he gets the chance, you expect him to score.” McGinn rifled Villa ahead four minutes into the second half, and Emiliano Buendía sealed the win soon after – Villa’s first league victory of the season, moving them up to 16th with six points. “It’s not an easy place to play when the crowd’s on your back, but when we have momentum. Villa Park is special,” McGinn added. “What a win and a huge show of character.”  

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football predictions today: newcastle vs arsenal

Arsenal fight back to beat Newcastle and close gap on Liverpool

Arsenal came from behind to earn a deserved win at St. James’ Park on Sunday, cutting Liverpool’s lead at the top to just two points. The Gunners had lost their previous three visits to Newcastle without scoring, but Mikel Arteta’s men started brightly this time. They fired three shots – two on target – in the opening six minutes, with Bukayo Saka captaining the side in Martin Ødegaard’s absence. Newcastle briefly steadied themselves as Malick Thiaw and Sandro Tonali tried to stem the pressure, yet Arsenal kept pushing forward, with Eberechi Eze and Riccardo Calafiori especially influential. Against the run of play, the hosts struck first when Nick Woltemade headed in Tonali’s cross just after the half-hour mark – only the sixth time a Newcastle player has scored in his first two home games. Arsenal kept their composure and turned the game around after the break to secure all three points, ending their Tyneside hoodoo and boosting their title hopes.  

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Sessegnon rues ‘lack of concentration’ after Fulham fall to Villa

Ryan Sessegnon said Fulham’s 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa came down to uncharacteristic lapses in focus. Raul Jimenez’s first-half header gave Fulham the lead, but Ollie Watkins equalised before the break. Two quick Villa goals early in the second half sealed the result and halted Fulham’s three-game winning streak. “It’s probably just a lack of concentration, which is bizarre because of how unusual it is for us. It’s very disappointing but we just have to pick ourselves up and go again,” Sessegnon told reporters. Sessegnon added: “We started the second half by conceding a goal, which can happen, and then for us to concede the next one straight away was disappointing. The game was pretty much done after that. “There’s no real explanation – it’s just poor. Poor defending from us, and quite unusual for us, but we’ve got to look at the game back this week and then see where we went wrong.” Fulham will look to respond when they face Bournemouth in the Premier League on Friday, October 3.  

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Saka slams VAR call despite Arsenal’s late win over Newcastle

Bukayo Saka criticised VAR after Arsenal’s first-half penalty was overturned in their 2-1 comeback win at Newcastle. Referee Jarred Gillett initially awarded a spot-kick for Nick Pope’s challenge on Viktor Gyokeres. However, he changed his decision after a lengthy review at the pitchside monitor. Arsenal went on to win the match with Gabriel’s dramatic late header, yet Saka was unhappy with the early call. “There are a few things we can speak about, for example, the penalty,” Saka said. “For me, if we have VAR, it is for a clear and obvious error, and the fact that it took the ref that long to decide shows it is not a clear and obvious error. “It is things like this that always go against us, but today we got what we deserved and that’s why we are all so happy. It doesn’t matter now, does it?”    

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