Ten-man Arsenal moved up to second in the Premier League after Alexis Sanchez's 97th-minute penalty sunk Burnley at the Emirates.
After watching Tottenham, Liverpool and both Manchester clubs drop points on Saturday, Arsenal went into this game knowing anything but a win would be regarded as a calamity. Miss the chance to gain points on four rivals simultaneously and forgo your right to be considered a title contender.
Whether it was the weight of this pressure or merely complacency, Arsenal seemed affected in the opening stages. They dominated the ball but lacked the requisite calmness to turn opportunities into goals. They snatched at chances, shot from distance and got in each other's way.
The second half saw a rise in their tempo and they were rewarded when Shkodran Mustafi scored his first goal for the club. The home fans' confidence did not last long, though. Just six minutes after going a goal up, they were a man down.
Xhaka flew in on Steven Defour and was shown a straight red card — his third of the season for club and country. Burnley's confidence surged as Arsenal retreated deeper into their own half.
The Clarets looked to have snatched a point when Francis Coquelin handed them a penalty, coolly converted by Andre Gray, three minutes into added time. But more drama was to follow.
With just seconds remaining on the clock, an offisde Laurent Koscielny was taken down in the Burnley box and Sanchez slotted the subsequent penalty.
Deadly Diego Costa sent Chelsea eight points clear at the top of the Premier League on his 100th appearance for the club.
The 28-year-old marksman struck in first-half injury time to notch his 15th goal of the season. Gary Cahill headed an 80th-minute second.
Costa had been left out of the Blues’ winning trip to Leicester last week after a row with boss Antonio Conte over a back injury he’d picked up.
The clash came as it emerged that Chinese club Tianjin Quinjian were been prepared to offer him a £576,000-a-week pay packet to quit England.
The match was stopped for nine minutes during the first half after a sickening clash of heads between Hull midfielder Ryan Mason and Chelsea defender Gary Cahill.
Cahill was able to continue but Mason needed lengthy treatment before being stretchered off with oxygen and taken to hospital.
Spurs defender Kyle Walker admitted after the game that he pushed Raheem Sterling in the box with the score at 2-1, but referee Andre Marriner let play continue.
Guardiola said: "We missed a lot of chances and when that happens the influence of the referee is higher.
"But the rules here are the rules."
The Spaniard added: "Maybe one day Mike Riley might explain them to me. When a player is pushed, I would like to understand."
Walker told BT Sport: "I wasn't going to get the ball. You have to put him off as much as possible."
Tottenham's equaliser came seconds later, with Son Heung-Min sweeping a low finish past Claudio Bravo.
The draw means City stay fifth - nine points behind leaders Chelsea, who play Hull on Sunday, and three points behind second-placed Spurs.
Asked if he thought Sterling had tried to stay on his feet because he has been accused of diving in previous matches, Guardiola added: "I don't know his past.
"I know you like honest people - Walker was, and I think Raheem was."
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino felt Marriner was correct to ignore the incident, however.
"It is the same if we complain that the first City goal was a handball by Leroy Sane," Pochettino said. "I thought it was a handball, but it is difficult for the referee.
"This is England, it is different - we review all the action. That touch in behind [by Walker] happened a lot in the game and the referee never said nothing about it.
"In the game there are lots of pushes in England that are not a foul and it must be the same inside and outside the box. For me, it wasn't a penalty."
Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema both missed clear chances, while Malaga's Chory Castro hit the post, before centre-back Ramos planted in a free header from Luka Modric's corner.
Ramos netted again shortly before half-time when he slid in another set-piece - despite appearing to stray offside following Toni Kroos' delivery.
Malaga replied through Juanpi's thumping 15-yard drive, but it was not enough to avoid a fifth straight defeat.
The 13th-placed visitors, who have now not won in eight, failed to build on their foothold in the game and rarely looked like stunning the home crowd with an equaliser.
Madrid looked likelier to kill the game off in the closing stages, Ronaldo hitting the base of the post with an angled drive.
However, they more than deserved to move four points clear of second-placed Sevilla, despite not adding a third.
Sevilla travel to bottom club Osasuna on Sunday (11:00 GMT) while Barcelona, a point further back in third place, go to ninth-placed Eibar (19:45).
Zinedine Zidane's side were looking to avoid a third straight defeat after seeing their 40-match unbeaten run ended by successive losses at Sevilla and Celta Vigo.
And they produced a functional, if far from vintage, display against a struggling away side expected to offer little resistance.
A nervy atmosphere engulfed the Bernabeu at various stages of Saturday's match, with home fans heard jeering their players - notably Ronaldo and Benzema - as they failed to hit their usual high standards.
Club legend Zidane, who has lost just two of 38 league games since replacing Rafa Benitez last January, urged supporters to show more understanding with his players.
"Our fans are always very demanding, but sometimes the players and coaches need more affection," said the Frenchman.
"When we have difficulties, we need the fans to be calm and support the team."
Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo has struggled to make an impact in the past three matches, in which France striker Benzema has failed to score.
Zidane also saw left-back Marcelo limp off in the first half, joining a growing injury list that also includes Wales forward Gareth Bale, centre-back Pepe and right-back Dani Carvajal.
"Karim and Cristiano might not have scored in recent games, but I'm not worried," he added.
"It's not the form of the attackers which worries me at the moment, it's the injuries."
Seventy-one people, including 19 players and staff, were killed as the Brazilian team travelled to Colombia for the final of the Copa Sudamericana.
The team recruited 22 new players and hosted Brazilian league champions Palmeiras in Saturday's friendly.
Three players who survived the crash, received the Copa Sudamericana before the game at the Arena Conda stadium.
Defenders Neto and Alan Ruschel and goalkeeper Jackson Follmann, who had his leg amputated, were among the six survivors.
They received the trophy and medals alongside families of the victims in front of 20,000 fans at Chapecoense's sold-out stadium, while another survivor, radio reporter Rafael Henzel, commentated on the game.
The club gave 241 journalists from around the world accreditation for the game.
The game stopped on 71 minutes as players from both teams and supporters stood and clapped in honour of the victims, before continuing with the match.
Chapecoense were awarded the Copa Sudamericana trophy following the disaster, a move backed by Colombian club Atletico Nacional, who were scheduled to face them in the final.
To rebuild the side, sporting director Rui Costa has recruited 22 players, most of them on loan, and appointed Vagner Mancini as manager.
Douglas Grolli scored Chapecoense's first goal and Amaral added a second as they drew 2-2 with Palmeiras.
Half of the match proceeds will go to the families of those killed, while the rest will be used to rebuild the club.
In the days that followed the plane crash in November, the Conda Arena became a site of mourning. Fans gathered with blank expressions; vigils were held with cathartic chanting. It culminated in the collective funeral services bringing together over 50 coffins to the stadium.
Today's events were completely different, yet irrevocably linked to that day. It was all about remembering what happened, before and during the match.
In the ceremony held before kick-off, families of the crash victims received medals in their honour, and the three players who survived received the Copa Sudamericana final. They cried on the pitch, and the fans cried on the stands.
Then 71 minutes into the game, the match was interrupted to remember the 71 victims. An stadium announcer said a similar tribute would be paid in every Chapecoense match from now on.
The fans were keen to celebrate their home team again and showed their support to the newcomers - but on the stands and on the pitch, it was clear that Chapecoense's drive to move forward will always mean looking back.
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is back in training and could return in two weeks, says manager Arsene Wenger.
Wilshere, 23, suffered a hairline fracture to his right ankle in training on 1 August and
it was thought he could miss up to two months.
But Wenger said the player's expected recovery time was three to four weeks.
He also confirmed Danny Welbeck, who has not played
since April, is at least three weeks away from returning from a knee
injury.
Tomas Rosicky has had knee surgery and will be out for over two months.
Midfielder Rosicky, 34, was injured while playing for Czech Republic against Iceland in a Euro 2016 qualifier in June.
Speaking before Arsenal's visit to Crystal Palace on
Sunday, Wenger said: "Jack is back in training, I thought it would be
six to eight weeks but it could be three or four weeks.
"He's in the second week now so he's on schedule."
Wenger added: "Tomas has had surgery on his knee. His
agent said he will be out for one or two months, but it will be longer.
How long exactly, we don't know yet."
David De Gea is surprised at being left out of Manchester United's team for the first two games of the season.
Contrary to
Louis van Gaal's comments,
sources close to De Gea say he never expressed a desire not to play.
De Gea has been training with United's reserve team and
will not be considered for selection by manager Van Gaal until the
transfer window closes.
De Gea, 24, is wanted by Real Madrid. United are demanding a world record fee and defender Sergio Ramos in exchange.
Championship side Brentford have signed right-back Maxime Colin from Belgian side Anderlecht for an undisclosed fee.
The 23-year-old Frenchman has signed a four-year contract with the Bees.
"After
losing Moses Odubajo to Hull
I am glad we have secured a new player for the right-back position quickly," coach Marinus Dijkhuizen
said.
"Maxime has experience of playing at a good level with
Anderlecht. He is an athletic defender who is also comfortable at the
ball."
Colin began his senior career at US Boulogne and spent
two years with Troyes before moving to Pro League side Anderlecht last
summer.
He has represented France at under-20s level.
"Maxime is a player who we have watched extensively
over recent weeks, so when Moses left it was a relatively
straightforward move," Brentford co-director of football Phil Giles
added.
He becomes Brentford's ninth signing of the summer transfer window.
Subject to international clearance, the defender could make his debut for the Bees against Bristol City on Saturday.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has stood by his criticism of club medical staff.
Dr Eva Carneiro and physio Jon Fearn were
criticised by Mourinho
after they left his side with nine men against Swansea by treating Eden Hazard.
Carneiro and Fearn will not be on the bench for
Sunday's match at Manchester City, but Mourinho has not ruled out their
return.
He met with his medical staff on Thursday and says they have a "good relationship".
Carneiro and Fearn tended to Hazard after he was
tripped in the final minutes of Saturday's 2-2 draw with the Welsh club,
meaning the Belgium forward had to leave the pitch.
It reduced Chelsea to nine men as goalkeeper Thibaut
Courtois had already been sent off and Mourinho afterwards said his
medical staff were "impulsive and naive" and did not "understand the
game".
Carneiro and Fearn were criticised by Mourinho for treating Eden Hazard during the Swansea match
Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Mourinho said:
"Jon Fearn and Dr Carneiro will not be on the bench. But that doesn't
mean they cannot be in the future. It is my decision."
Asked if he regretted his outburst, Mourinho said he
had an "open relationship" with his medical staff that was "open to
disagreement".
Mourinho praised his "fantastic" medical department,
adding: "They tell me they have never been praised as much as they have
done by me in the last couple of years.
"They also told me that we have had disagreements
during that period, we need disagreements to improve. We work together
and we improve together."
Eamonn Salmon, chief executive of the Football Medical
Association - which represents professional medical staff in the sport -
backed Carneiro and Fearn while Liverpool's former head of medicine
Peter Brukner
called for Mourinho to apologise
.
Carneiro posted on Facebook thanking people for their support, a move that was
criticised by a former Chelsea first team doctor
Ralph Rogers.
Mourinho added: "Every week I face a decision about the
bench. I have to choose. With the medical department, only two can go
on the bench and we have more than a dozen.
"The bench is important for some. For others it is about what they do behind the scenes and for the good of the team."
Mourinho refused to answer any other questions about
the incident, telling journalists: "Speak with me about football, speak
about other issues and I am not here."
BBC Sport analyses why Manchester City and Chelsea are new rivals in the wake of their Premier League clash this weekend.
Chelsea started their Premier League title defence with a
2-2 draw against Swansea City
at Stamford Bridge, while
Man City beat West Brom 3-0
in a confident manner.
Aston Villa have completed the signing of Barcelona winger Adama Traore for a fee reported to be around £7m.
The 19-year-old has signed a five-year deal at Villa Park.
"He's dynamic, very quick and a maverick-type player -
you never know what he's going to do next and I mean that as a
compliment," Villa manager Tim Sherwood told BBC WM 95.6.
"He's a huge asset for this club. He can hurt the opposition and I'm delighted to bring him here."
Traore made four senior appearances for Barca but the
majority of his football has been with the Spanish giants' B team,
scoring eight times in 63 Segunda Division games. He has represented
Spain at under-16s, under-17s and under-19s levels
"He comes from a very good academy with Barcelona and I've known him a long time," said Sherwood.
"He makes his mind up when he gets the ball and those
players are rare - there aren't many players in the Premier League that
can do that.
"We're getting him at the midway part of his
development, he's not the finished article by a long way but he can
certainly help us out in the short-term and in the future."
Middlesbrough have signed Leicester City striker David Nugent in a deal reported to be worth £4m.
The 30-year-old, who scored five goals in 32 Premier
League appearances last season, has signed a three-year contract with
the Championship club.
He joins Cristhian Stuani, Stewart Downing, Jack Stephens, Alex Baptiste and Diego Fabbrini as summer signings.
"I want to be back in the Premier league as quickly as possible," Nugent told BBC Tees.
"I'm sure the rest of the lads, the manager and the fans do - I'm here to try to help the ship move forward a bit more.
"Hopefully we can make that goal, go one further and get automatic promotion."
Manager Aitor Karanka
told the club website:
"I am delighted that David has agreed to join us. Everyone knows what a good player he is.
"We have worked really hard to bring David to the club
and everyone can see that we have not had to spend a crazy amount of
money to bring him here.
"It's important to get the right players at the right price."
Nugent, who netted 20 times to help the Foxes win the
Championship in 2013-14, has made one appearance for England, scoring
against Andorra in 2007.
Boro lost the services of Patrick Bamford back to
Chelsea after a successful season-long loan, while on-loan Genk forward
Jelle Vossen joined Burnley after the Teessiders failed to exercise
their option to buy.
In addition to Nugent, head coach Karanka has Stuani, Fabbrini, Kike and teenager Bradley Fewster as attacking options.
Spurs have agreed a deal for the Lyon striker worth £10m, with a further £2m in add-ons — and are still eyeing Saido Berahino
Tottenham hope to make £12million Clinton N'Jie the newest member of their strike force before Stoke's visit this weekend.
The north Londoners have agreed a deal with his French club Lyon worth £10m, with further payments of £2m based on appearances.
N'Jie, 21, is set to undergo a medical and agree personal terms over the next 48 hours.
He will join Harry Kane
in a Spurs attack which could yet be further strengthened by Saido
Berahino — despite West Brom's insistence that the England Under-21
striker is not for sale.
The Baggies' impressive £12m capture of
frontman Salomon Rondon this week means they are now more likely to
soften their stance on Berahino than they had been previously. In pictures — Manchester United 1-0 Tottenham:
VIEW GALLERY
N'Jie scored eight times for Lyon in 33 games last season and six times in 11 games for Cameroon.
His arrival at Tottenham
increases the influence of African players in the top flight. It also
comes after an impressive opening weekend of the top flight campaign for
the continent's players.
Yaya Toure scoring twice for Manchester
City on Monday meant that of the 30 goals in the Premier League's
opening round of fixtures, 10 were netted by Africans.
Nigerian
striker Odion Ighalo, who scored in Watford's 2-2 draw at Everton, said:
"It's a great thing for African football. It's great for the players
and for the clubs.
"I think Africa is blessed with talent but we just need the opportunities, more opportunities to showcase our talent.
Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Mo the merrier: Pochettino could sign TWO strikers before the September 1 deadline
"We, as Africans, look at the Premier League as a place where we can do even better as players.
"Scoring my first Premier League goal is a moment I have waited for all my career.
"When
I was back in Nigeria I was watching the Premier League hoping one day I
would play in it. Getting to the pitch was a joy for me and scoring a
goal against Everton, a good side, made me even more happy.
"I've
played and scored in the Italian league and the Spanish league, and
I've been looking forward to doing it in the English league.
"As a
striker, when you are scoring goals it gives you more confidence and
inspires you to do get even more. I think I can do better than I am
doing now with God's grace."
Candidate: David Nakhid will stand for the FIFA presidency
Former Trinidad and Tobago international David Nakhid has entered the race to become the new FIFA president.
Incumbent Sepp Blatter has vowed to step down in 2016 following the corruption scandal that engulfed the organisation earlier this summer.
A number of former players including Zico and current UEFA president Michel Platini have already vowed to stand, and now the lesser-known Nakhid has also joined the race.
"I have put my hat in the ring and we are looking forward to the challenge," he said on Wednesday.
Matthew Stockman / Getty
1998: Nakhid playing for the New England Revolution
Nakhid, whose former clubs include Malmo, PAOK and Grasshopper,
insisted he wants to take FIFA's focus away from Europe and help
football grow in the Caribbean.
"There's a vacuum in leadership with respect to Caribbean football,"
he said in a recent interview. "What we need to do is make a serious
investment in our potential by bringing the correct leadership
regionally and globally to take the Caribbean forward.
"We need to shift the paradigm, shift FIFA away from that Euro-centric look and bring the Caribbean at the table."
The Premier League is the playground of the rich and famous - and that's not just those on the pitch.
While the stars of the show are paid like kings those who own the clubs they play for very nearly actually are.
The self proclaimed #bestleagueintheworld, flushed with yet more Sky and BT TV cash, now has more money than ever.
But which club's owner boasts the most dough?
Here are the Premier League's owners and just how much they're worth:
20. Norwich - Delia Smith/Michael Wynn Jones - £23million
Britain's
most famous TV cook is a lifelong Canary and alongside husband Michael
were invited to invest in the Carrow Road club in hard financial times.
A
wholly positive influence on the club her interest was questioned after
her infamous on-pitch "let's be having you" rant in 2005.
Reuters
19. Swansea - The Morgan family - £32million
Entrepreneur Morgan and his wife launched a travel agency in 1992 and after much success sold it to Thomson seven years later.
A
relatively understated owner Morgan was thrust into the limelight in
January 2013 when his ballboy son, Charlie - then 17 - was kicked by
Chelsea's Eden Hazard.
Action Images
18. Everton - Bill Kenwright - £33million
Kenwright
made his money as a West End theatre producer and achieved critical
acclaim for high profile shows such as Blood Brothers and Joseph and his
Technicolour Dreamcoat.
He is often less acclaimed at Everton
where a number of fans regularly query his lack of investment in the
club and his perceived reticence in selling up to a richer benefactor.
Jan Kruger
17. Crystal Palace - Steve Parish - £45million
A
marketing expert by trade Parish, alongside three other businessman,
saved Palace from administration in 2010 when they successfully took
over the club after negotiating a deal with creditors.
A vocal
supporter of the club Parish is a outspoken voice on all things Eagles
and regularly converses with fans on social media.
Jamie McDonald
16. West Brom - Jeremy Peace - £50million*
An
established accountant, broker and banker Peace worked his way up
through the business world before joining the Baggies board in 2000.
Peace
was famous for the rigid structure he put in place at The Hawthorns but
has softened that stance since hiring Tony Pulis, amid continued
speculation he is looking to sell the club.
Nigel Roddis
15. Bournemouth - Maxim Demin - £100million*
Famous for not being famous Demin is the quiet and unassuming money man behind Bournemouth's fairytale.
The
Russian businessman became Cherries co-owner in 2011 and has since
helped oversee a meteoric rise all the way to the Premier League.
BNPS
14. Watford - Giampaolo Pozzo - £120million*
An Italian businessman Pozzo is part of the family who own three football clubs, Udinese, Granada and Watford.
Oft
criticised for their use of the loan market and wheeling and dealing
players between the three Pozzo has guided the Hornets back into the
Premier League and a significant spend in the summer of 2015.
Richard Heathcote
13. Aston Villa - Randy Lerner - £640million
The
American entrepreneur made his way in the business world with various
investment firms before being handed the Cleveland Browns NFL franchise
in 2002 when his father Al died.
Four years later Lerner bought
out Doug Ellis at Aston Villa for over £60million going on to help fund a
period of wild success under manager Martin O'Neill.
In May 2014 Lerner announced his intention to try and sell the club but as yet has been unable to find a buyer.
Getty
12. West Ham - David Sullivan - £850million
Alongside
partner in crime David Gold, Sullivan took control of West Ham in 2010
acquiring a 50% stake in the club, with Karren Brady joining as
vice-chairman.
Previously famous for his porn empire Sullivan has
gone to negotiate the Hammers' controversial switch to the Olympic
Stadium from the start of the 2016 season.
AFP
11. Stoke City - The Coates family - £925million
Peter
Coates and the Coates family rose to prominence with the rise of Bet365
but Coates himself was majority shareholder of the club before that.
In
two spells as owner, notably the second, Coates has seen the
establishment of Stoke as a Premier League club and a European campaign
2011-12.
Ian Walton
10. Liverpool - John Henry - £1billion
A prolific
sports franchise owner in the US, Henry and the Fenway Sports Group
became household names on these shores when they took over Liverpool in
2011.
Not a stranger to controversy Henry sacked club legend
Kenny Dalglish as boss in 2012 and kept Brendan Rodgers in a job this
summer despite widespread calls for him to go.
Responded to Arsenal's £40,000,001 offer for Luis Suarez with the now infamous "what are they smoking" tweet.
The
founder of CEO of King Power Duty Free, Srivaddhanaprabha bought
Leicester in August 2010 following a three-year shirt sponsorship deal.
Now
chairman with his son, Aiyawatt, vice-chairman he bankrolled the Foxes
back into the Premier League before controversially sacking manager
Nigel Pearson on the eve of the 2015/16 season.
Action Images
8. Southampton - Katharina Liebherr - £1.9billion
Katharina
rose to more public prominence when she took over from father Markus in
charge in 2010 when he sadly passed away from a sudden heart attack.
Not
at all popular in 2014 after overseeing the sale of a number of first
team stars fans appear to have warmed to her after the appointment of
Ronald Koeman as manager and the impressive 2014/15 Premier League
season.
An
Irish-American businessman Short founded private equity fund Kildare
Partners before gaining a controlling interest in Sunderland in 2008.
The
fourth American owner of a Premier League club has wielded the axe a
number of times but is yet to taste relegation with several narrow
escapes achieved under his stewardship.
Getty
6. Manchester United - The Glazer family - £3billion
After
the collapse of the Magnier-McManus ownership the Glazers first moved
in to purchase shares in United in 2003 and after two years of
manoeuvring finally established majority control in 2005.
Not at
all popular with fans - some even broke away to form FC United of
Manchester - their PR only got worse with numerous refinancing efforts
with the club and its assets effectively used as collateral.
Malcolm
Glazer died aged 85 in 2014 but his death didn't cause any significant
changes in how the club was run with sons Joel and Avram taking control
as joint-chairmen.
PA
5. Newcastle - Mike Ashley - £3.5billion
A self-made billionaire Ashley made his fortune in the sportswear industry, specifically the Sports Direct franchise.
Ashley
hit the headlines on the back pages when in 2007 he bought a 41% share
in Newcastle before going on to acquire a controlling stake when
chairman Freddy Shepherd stepped down in 2007.
An intensely
private person Ashley has come under fire for his perceived lack of
ambition, his reticence to invest fully in the club and his refusal to
engage with fans.
Getty
4. Arsenal - Stan Kroenke - £4billion
An American
entrepreneur Kroenke joined Arsenal's board in 2008. Three years later
he increased his shareholding to 63% after purchasing the stakes of
Danny Fiszman and Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith.
Another who is happy
to take a back seat Kroenke rarely gives interviews frustrating Gunners
fans with his reticence to talk openly about club business and his
intentions.
Getty
3. Tottenham - Joe Lewis - £4.9billion
A British
billionaire who made his money in currency trading Lewis is the main
investor with the Tavistock Group which in turn own a wide variety of
concerns including Tottenham.
Lewis is one of the richest men in world, with Forbes ranking him as the tenth wealthiest Briton in 2014.
Action
2. Chelsea - Roman Abramovich - £5.3billion
Perhaps
the most notorious owner in British sport Abramovich is one of the
world's wealthiest individuals having amassed a gigantic personal
fortune from the oil, steel and mining industries in his native Russia.
In
buying Chelsea for some $400million in 2003 Abramovich changed the
landscape of English football forever and has gone to bankroll the
greatest period of success in the club's history.
Equally as
famous for his penchant for sacking as he is for his reserved nature
Abramovich is yet to be interviewed publicly despite being possibly the
single most dominant and influential figure in the game over the last
decade.
After a volatile early period in the English top flight
Jose Mourinho's return seems to have mellowed him in what perhaps could
see a more stable period going forward.
Getty
1. Manchester City - Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan - £20billion
If
Abramovich changed Chelsea then Sheikh Mansour transformed Manchester
City in all recognition. In buying them for £200million in 2008 Mansour
made City the richest club in English football history overnight.
As
chairman of the Abu Dhabi United Group Mansour has overseen a colossal
spend which has seen some of the world's finest players move to the
Etihad.
That investment has brought unrivalled success to the
club with two Premier League titles as well as several Champions League
campaigns, albeit up to now not with the success the club are aspiring
to.
With no signs of the investment drying up and coupled with
the relaxation of UEFA's FFP regulations Mansour is sure to see City
continue their assault on the game both at home and abroad in the coming
years.
Not the tonic: Mourinho should not have criticised his own medics, says Peter Brukner
Jose Mourinho has been told he should apologise for his “appalling” behaviour towards Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro.
Both Carneiro and head physio Fearn have been stripped of their first-team duties and will no longer be on the bench during games or have any contact with the squad on match days.
Peter Brukner, a former head of sports medicine at Liverpool FC and
now the Australia cricket team's doctor, said: “I thought it was
appalling behaviour by the manager [Mourinho].
“He has a player who has gone down, who has remained down and the
referee obviously considered it serious enough to summon on the doctor
and the physio.
“They went on as they must do when they are summoned on and the
player is down, and as a result the player had to come off the ground. In pictures — Eva Carneiro at Chelsea:
VIEW GALLERY
“What do you expect the doctor to do? Just ignore the referee
beckoning them on?Maybe he should be criticising his player for staying
down, rather than the medical staff.”
Chelsea were already down to 10 men after keeper Thibaut Courtois'
sending-off when Eden Hazard picked up a knock. Carniero and Fearn went
onto the pitch to treat him, leaving his team temporarily playing with
nine men vs the visitors' 11 — to Mourinho's fury.
Brukner added on talkSPORT of the incident in Saturday's season-opening draw with Swansea: “The medical staff were only responding to the referee’s instruction to come and treat the player, who was on the ground.
“So then to criticise the medical staff publicly in the way that he did was absolutely appalling behaviour.
“The medical staff deserve a public apology and I’m very disappointed
that the club hasn’t come out and done something to support them - they
were just doing their job.
“Our first priority as doctors and physios is the health and safety
of the individual player, and that’s what they were attending to. They
were doing their job and they’ve been criticised very publicly for doing
the job. I think that’s a very disappointing result.”
Mike Hewitt/Getty
Chosen words: Mourinho has come under fire following row
Mourinho continues to have the backing of Chelsea hierarchy.
It is believed the controversy at Stamford Bridge last weekend was the far from the first time that Mourinho has been unhappy about his medical team.
Chelsea have yet to confirm who will take the places of Carneiro and
Fearn on the team bench for Sunday’s game at Manchester City.
But it is understood the club will confirm this week that they were unhappy with Carneiro’s decision to acknowledge the support she had received over the row on Facebook. In pictures - Chelsea 2-2 Swansea:
VIEW GALLERYThe Football Medical Association has also backed Carneiro,
saying: “If a player sustains or appears to sustain an injury and
indicates that he needs assistance, it is the duty of the referee to
permit medical assessment and evaluation to be provided.
“At that moment, the player becomes a patient of the medical team and
it is the duty and obligation of club medical staff to attend to that
patient accordingly and without prejudice to the interests of anyone
else, including the club employing them.
“Factors extraneous to the immediate medical needs of the patient
(such as the stage and state of the game) cannot be part of their
consideration at such time”
The players' union - the PFA - has also released a statement on the
issue, insisting the existing medical protocol in place should be
followed.
