Chelsea receive approval for new stadium

Chelsea has received approval from the Hammersmith & Fulham Council for the club to redevelop Stamford Bridge.

The proposed rebuild will increase capacity from 41,663 to 60,000.

The plan was presented in model form at a hearing at Hammersmith Town Hall on Wednesday. After a three-hour meeting attended by Blues chairman Bruce Buck and director Eugene Tenenbaum, permission was granted.

Chelsea’s new stadium is expected to cost £500m and take three years to build.

“We are grateful that planning permission was granted for the redevelopment of our historic home,” Chelsea said in a statement.

“The committee decision does not mean that work can begin on site. This is just the latest step, although a significant one, that we have to take before we can commence work, including obtaining various other permissions”, it added.

Stamford Bridge is the ninth biggest club ground in England behind Manchester United, Arsenal, West Ham, Manchester City, Liverpool, Sunderland, Newcastle United and Aston Villa.

Mourinho: We need help from Man Utd fans to beat Liverpool

Following the 2-0 EFL Cup semi-final first-leg win over Hull at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, Jose Mourinho has urged Manchester United fans to ‘raise the roof’ in Sunday’s Premier League clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford.

United boss Mourinho also insisted there was a need for improvement from himself and his players too as he urged supporters not to “come to the theatre” on Sunday but “come to play with us”.

After second-half goals from Juan Mata and substitute Marouane Fellaini steered his side to victory against the Tigers on Tuesday, Mourinho expressed his concerns, saying: “Maybe I didn’t do my job well to prepare the players for the game.

“But the players have to improve and I have to improve, and I am sorry to say I think the fans have also to improve for a big match on Sunday.

“Our performances (for the Hull match) were enough to win but for Sunday, we all have to improve.”

He added: “I always think that we are responsible for the fans’ participation in the game.

“If we play very, very well, very enthusiastic, they come to the pitch and play with us. When we didn’t play so well, with so much emotion and intensity, it is normal that they relax a little bit.

“We have absolutely amazing fans.

“What I feel is that Sunday is a special match for us, a special match for the Manchester United fans – so my invitation is don’t come to the theatre, come to play, play with us.”

Mourinho said his team “played slow”, “complicated things” and “always had one more touch, one more second to delay the decision”, although he did admit that in terms of this having been a ninth straight win in all competitions for United, he “cannot ask more” of his players.

And he said: “In spite of a match against Reading (Saturday’s 4-0 FA Cup win) where we could rest some players, it is an accumulation of matches in this period.

“So only after Liverpool we are going to have a little space until we play Stoke away.

“But now we need one last effort. Let’s recover and focus on Sunday.”

Jurgen Klopp jokes that Pep Guardiola was at Anfield to 'watch good football'

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, center, and Sunderland Moyes in attendance at Liverpool's Tuesday match against Stoke City.

Jurgen Klopp jokingly suggested that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola attended his Liverpool team's 4-1 win against Stoke City to "watch good football."

Asked in his post-match news conference about the Spaniard's attendance, Klopp said: "I respect them a lot, but I have not been to City's stadium this season or last to watch games. Maybe they want to watch good football."

Stoke  were the better side early on and went ahead through Jon Walters, but Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino scored before half-time before Giannelli Imbula's own goal and Daniel Sturridge's first in the Premier League this season 56 seconds after coming off the bench wrapped things up.

The win puts Liverpool in second place in the Premier League -- one point ahead of their Saturday rivals Man City -- while both teams try to make up ground on table-toppers Chelsea during the busy festive season.

Klopp added: "We are already looking forward [to Man City]. It's a difficult game for both teams, but an exciting one. The best news for us is that it's at Anfield.

"They're an outstanding side, we are not too bad. It'll be a nice game.

"Whatever I say tonight, we cannot win it tonight. But maybe I could say a few things that make it more difficult for us. It's probably best I shut my mouth.''

Earlier in December, Klopp took his Liverpool side to watch Barcelona in action against Borussia Monchengladbach in Champions League group play.

Liverpool to allow Lucas Leiva to join Inter Milan in January - sources

Liverpool will not stand in the way of Inter Milan's interest in Lucas Leiva due to the Brazilian's loyal service to the club and the fact Joe Gomez is considered to be ready for the second half of the season, a source has told ESPN FC.

Lucas, 29, is being eyed up by the Serie A side, whose interest "could take a couple of forms" in regards to a loan move or a permanent deal, according to a source.

Liverpool's position on letting Lucas leave will be influenced by manager Jurgen Klopp seeing young defender Gomez as the "real deal" and fully fit after recently recovering from a 13-month layoff.

The 19-year-old has been building up his match fitness with Liverpool's under-23s side of late, and Klopp believes he will be ready for first-team action in the second half of the campaign.

A source said that Liverpool will look kindly on Inter's approach for Lucas due to the service he has given the Merseyside outfit since his arrival from Gremio in July 2007 and the opportunity presented to the player, given his age and the Italian side's standing in European football.

Lucas -- a defensive midfielder by trade -- turned down a big-money move to Turkey this summer as the Reds needed him to cover in the heart of the defence, while Gomez was still on the road to recovery.

Gomez, who joined Liverpool summer in the 2015 from Charlton Athletic, began his career at Anfield as a left-back, but is now considered to be a centre-half by Klopp and the rest of Liverpool's coaching staff.

Having already made one sacrifice for Liverpool this term, Liverpool will not stand in Lucas' way and all the indications point towards a deal being struck to benefit all parties.

Lucas is currently Liverpool's longest-serving player but has been limited to just six starts in all competitions this season.

Kane is destined to wear Man Utd's no.9 jersey

Liverpool legend Jamie Redknapp believes that Tottenham forward Harry Kane is destined to wear the number nine jersey at Manchester United in the nearest feature.

The 23-year-old finished as topscorer in the premier league last season with 25 goals and after a spell on the sidelines due to injury at the start of the current campaign, he has resumed what he knows best with seven goals from 10 matches.

However, the England forward has failed to register a goal against Manchester United in six matches including last Sunday where Spurs lost 1-0 away at Old Trafford but Redknaap is convinced that Kane will in the nearest future play for the Red Devils.

“He is a player in a few years you could see wearing a number nine shirt for United, or any other top team.”

Tottenham have lost just twice in 15 matches this season and are currently placed fifth with 27 points, three above Manchester United in sixth position.

ESPN Premier League's Team of the Week: No City and Liverpool player

Andy King scored a fine goal in Leicester's thumping 4-2 win against Manchester City.

After each round of Premier League fixtures, ESPN FC brings you its Team of the Weekend. Our panel of experts carefully selects 11 star performers along with a manager.

Goalkeeper: Gabriele Marcotti chose Manchester United's David De Gea for a place between the sticks but Steve Nicol and Shaka Hislop both selected Lukasz Fabianski for his display as Swansea eased the pressure with a 3-0 win against fellow strugglers Sunderland. Former Premier League goalkeeper Hislop said: "It's been a tough season for the Swansea No. 1, in a tough for week in general for goalkeepers, but Fabianski was solid and reliable."

Right-back: Hector Bellerin's comeback from injury wasn't scheduled, but his return to the Arsenal team gave them a great boost as they came from behind to beat Stoke City 3-1. Marcotti makes a solid case for Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta, but Hislop and Nicol outnumber him 2-1, with Hislop pointing out: "Bellerin's return changed Arsenal for the better and his pace unsettled Stoke."

Centre-back: It's no surprise that the Premier League's big boys are beginning to circle Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk. The Dutch defender has been imperious this season and was a key man once again as the Saints kept their sixth clean sheet in the league this term with a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough. Marcotti took note, saying: "He was dominant in the air, first to the ball on the ground and dangerous at the other end."

Centre-back: Phil Jones' resurgence at Manchester United has been understated, but he put in another solid shift as Jose Mourinho's men shut out Spurs at Old Trafford to keep their first Premier League clean sheet since October. Marcotti and Nicol were full of praise for Jones and his handling of Harry Kane, with Marcotti saying: "He was strong defensively, didn't allow himself to be pressed or pulled out of position and matched Kane at every turn."

Left-back: Watford might have shipped two in their 3-2 win over Everton but Jose Holebas' performance going forward, which saw him set up two of the Hornets' goals, sees him rightly nominated for a spot in Team of the Weekend, although he was run close by Burnley's Stephen Ward. Marcotti said: "Holebas was steady from the flank and he delivered two pinpoint assists."

Midfield: Danny Drinkwater's suspension was supposed to cause problems for Leicester City, but judging by the performance of Andy King in the 4-2 win against Manchester City he won't be missed at all. "No Drinkwater, no problem," Marcotti enthused. "He did a double duty -- he scored a beauty that showed he has King Power."

Midfield: Before his departure on a stretcher, Henrikh Mkhitaryan was Manchester United's main creative outlet and the man who scored their winning goal against Tottenham. The Armenian has been a revelation since Jose Mourinho ended his exile and his form has impressed Nicol and Hislop. "Why was he not playing sooner?" Nicol asks, with Hislop adding: "He was exceptional throughout. That goal was the finish of a player in full confidence."

Midfield: If Swansea are going to avoid relegation this season, Gylfi Sigurdsson is absolutely crucial and he was central to the winning performance against Sunderland, scoring the first and setting up the second in a 3-0 win. Hislop and Marcotti give him the nod for this weekend's XI, with Marcotti observing: "He keeps Swansea ticking and his quick brain makes up for a lack of speed," while Hislop chimes in: "It all came together this weekend, when it was needed most, but it's got to continue if Swansea are to survive."

Forward: It was business as usual for Diego Costa, the Premier League's Player of the Month, as he scored his 12th goal in 15 appearances for the campaign and the TOTW panel could only sit back and admire his work in Chelsea's 1-0 win over West Brom. "Tireless and disciplined, he was the difference between one point and three points. Great goal too," Hislop said. Nicol agreed, adding: "He produced a piece of magic from nowhere."

Forward: On only his second Premier League start, Stefano Okaka was Watford's match-winner against Everton, scoring two goals, "One of them was a goal of the season contender: a gorgeous flying back heel flick," according to Marcotti, to lift the Hornets to the dizzy heights of seventh place. His performance also earned him the nod from Hislop.

Forward: Jamie Vardy's hat trick against Manchester City ended the striker's Premier League goal drought, which stood at 741 minutes, and lifted some of the gloom around the club following their poor recent form. "He had a party in Pep-land and tore up City's fragile backline on the counter-attack," Marcotti said, while Hislop adds: "Time to party again for the hat trick hero."

Manager: In a week when his job was questioned and Leicester suffered the heaviest Champions League defeat of any Premier League club ever, losing 5-0 to Porto, Claudio Ranieri proved he is still capable of getting a response from his players. "Leicester dialled the clock back to last season and were devastating on the break," Marcotti said. "They have the right character to bounce back." Hislop added: "I was torn between Ranieri and Bob Bradley but the always likeable Ranieri wins after cutting a frustrated figure of late."

Liverpool dominates Watford and goes top of the premier league table

Liverpool moved top of the Premier League for the first time under manager Jurgen Klopp, after putting six past Watford in a 6-1 dumping. Sadio Mane scored twice.

Mane added to goals from Philippe Coutinho, Emre Can, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum as Liverpool claimed their seventh win in eight Premier League matches, moving a point above Chelsea at the top of the table.

Liverpool took the lead through Mane’s header and Coutinho added a quickfire second with a fine 20-yard strike. Adam Lallana’s cross found Can to head home a third just before half time and Liverpool’s superiority continued after the break.

Lallana was the provider again for Firmino who converted the fourth and the Brazilian then picked out Mane for his second and Liverpool’s fifth.

Daryl Janmaat pulled a goal back for Watford but Liverpool had the final say as substitute Wijnaldum netted his first goal for the club in the 91^st minute.

Jurgen Klopp responds to Sir Alex Ferguson's endorsement

Jurgen Klopp has welcomed Sir Alex Ferguson's endorsement but joked he is in no position to return the compliment.

Ferguson admitted a year ago he was concerned by Klopp's arrival at Liverpool, the club he famously succeeded in "knocking off their perch" during his 26 years at Manchester United.

And the Scot this week said Klopp's impact at Anfield means the Reds are genuine contenders for a 19th English title and a first since 1990.

Asked for his reaction to such praise from one of Liverpool's most bitter rivals Klopp, whose side go into the weekend level on points with leaders Manchester City, said: "Is it allowed for me to say I like Alex Ferguson?

"I knew him before and he's a really nice person. He did what he had to do at Manchester and that automatically means it's not good for Liverpool.

"When he has to say something positive about Liverpool, it's better than if he would say something negative so it's all good. But it doesn't mean a lot. It doesn't disturb us or help us."

Ferguson claims Klopp has restored the club's "identity" and "enthusiasm", and the German said: "Maybe we had to change the minds of fans about the past, but while I don't know too much about enthusiasm I feel there is a positive atmosphere in and around Melwood at moment.

"That's good. It's not cool when you always think about football that you're 20 per cent more upset, you should be feeling better. That's our job to do. Until now it's worked somehow. It's really, really intense even when football isn't the most important thing."

Klopp revealed his own admiration for Crystal Palace ahead of Saturday's trip to Selhurst Park and believes Alan Pardew's side are realistic contenders for next season's Europa League.

He said: "It's a difficult place to play, small, atmosphere. We are looking forward to it. We have to prove we want to stay on track.

"Palace are a good team and very experienced in defence with high-quality offence. They have made good signings in the summer and in my opinion they can aim for Europe. They're a really good team."

One of those summer signings was Christian Benteke, signed from Liverpool after failing to convince Klopp he was worth a regular first-team place.

"Every player needs the space to develop and show things," the Reds boss said. "The move made sense. Palace bought the player.

"In the last year he always showed his qualities, especially good at heading. We had to make decisions. I'm always honest. My door is always open. The agreement we have is work hard."

James Milner is a doubt for the Palace game with a knock, while young defender Joe Gomez will not be back before the international break.

Daniel Sturridge made a case to start with both goals against Tottenham in the EFL Cup, and Klopp said: "I wasn't surprised by his performance. My selection isn't more difficult than before the game."

Liverpool set to continue on high at Palace

Liverpool will look to underline the strength of their squad when they continue their Premier League title challenge away to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Having survived a nervous finish as his team beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in the Premier League last Saturday, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp fielded a completely different starting 11 against Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, and secured another 2-1 victory.

Such squad rotation should ensure Klopp has plenty of players fresh enough for the visit to Crystal Palace, when his team will seek to extend an unbeaten run in all competitions of 10 matches.

Most of those who impressed on Tuesday, among them 18-year-olds Ovie Ejaria and Trent Alexander-Arnold, will return to the fringes this weekend, but midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum sees no reason why they should not be called on again.

"I think it’s a good sign for a team that you have players who can come in and fit into the team immediately," Wijnaldum said. “And it’s easy to make changes for a manager.

“It’s not a problem when someone is out, as you can change to a player with good quality. It’s a good thing for the team.

“It’s not easy for a young player to play in a big game for a big club. A lot of players get nervous and lose confidence, but I didn’t see it in these players.”

- 'TRUE CONTENDERS' -

Liverpool go into the weekend in third place, level on points with leaders Manchester City, and with Alex Ferguson suggesting that this could be the season that the league title goes to Anfield for the first time since 1990.

"You can now sense you truly have to count them in this year," said the former Manchester United manager in an interview with German magazine Kicker this week.

Liverpool are being helped in their title challenge by a relatively light fixture list. Last season, they played 63 games, 15 of them in the Europa League as they reached the final.

With no European campaign this season, the schedule looks far less daunting and that in turn may explain Liverpool's relatively short injury list.

Defender Joe Gomez and winger Sheyi Ojo are battling back from long-term injuries, but Divock Origi should be fit despite a bout of cramp on Tuesday, and Klopp otherwise is expected to have a full squad to pick from.

Crystal Palace’s fortunes improved when a run of three successive wins in September moved the south London club up into a mid-table position.

Since then, however, Alan Pardew’s side have taken just one point from their last three games and midfielder Yohan Cabaye insists the responsibility to turn things around lies with the players and not the manager.

"It’s the team that takes to the field," said the France international. "In the week we work on the strategy and tactics for the weekend and the manager works out the best options but then it’s up to us out there on the pitch.

"Sometimes it's too easy to say we lost because of the manager or we won because of the manager."

The arrival of Belgium international Christian Benteke from Anfield at the start of this season has helped strengthen belief at Selhurst Park, the forward kick-starting his Palace career with three goals in his opening seven league games and offering glimpses of the form that persuaded Liverpool to pay Aston Villa £32 million ($39 million, 36 million euros) for the striker.

Benteke will lead the Palace attack but centre-back James Tomkins will be missing from the Eagles' defence with a hamstring injury.

© AFP

Manchester United boss charged over pre-Liverpool referee comments

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has been charged by the Football Association for claiming it would be "difficult" for referee Anthony Taylor to officiate their game with Liverpool.

Mourinho added appointing Taylor for the 17 October match had put "pressure" on the Manchester-based official.

Managers are not supposed to speak about referees prior to matches.

Mourinho has until 31 October to respond to a charge of improper conduct and bringing the game into disrepute.

Taylor issued four yellow cards - all to Manchester United - in the 0-0 draw.

Former referees' chief Keith Hackett was among those to question the Professional Game Match Officials Limited's (PGMOL) decision to assign the match to Altrincham season-ticket holder Taylor, claiming it would be "intolerable" if he got a big decision wrong.

Mourinho foresaw the potential for the FA to take action against him when he spoke before the game, claiming that he "did not really want to say too much more on the matter. I have learned a lesson... by being punished so many times for my words about referees".

Managers were banned from talking about officials in the run-up to matches in 2009 in an attempt to prevent their comment from influencing decisions.

The Portuguese was given a one-match stadium ban and fined £40,000 in November after the FA backed referee Jon Moss' claims that the then-Chelsea manager refused to leave the officials' changing room and verbally abused him and his colleagues at half-time of a defeat at West Ham.

Mourinho was also fined £50,000 for claiming that referees were afraid to award penalties against his side last season after the Blues were beaten 3-1 by Southampton in October.