Howe taking plenty of positives despite frustrating Newcastle campaign

Joao Felix has tested positive for COVID-19, adding to Diego Simeone s problems ahead of Atletico Madrid s meeting with Celta Vigo.

Portugal international Joao Felix is self-isolating at home, as team-mates Mario Hermoso and Yannick Carrasco have been doing since Friday.

A brief Atletico statement read: Joao Felix has tested positive for COVID-19. The striker is isolating at home, in compliance with the health authorities guidelines and LaLiga protocols.

Simeone s men have a 10-point advantage at the top of LaLiga and welcome Celta to the Wanda Metropolitano on Monday. They then travel to Granada the following Saturday.

Hermoso and Carrasco are unlikely to return for the meeting with Celta, while Kieran Trippier will be absent due to suspension.

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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang marked his 50th Premier League appearance by scoring the winner as Arsenal beat Newcastle United 1-0 in their season opener at St James Park.

Arsenal coach Unai Emery put his faith in last season s top scorer, while leaving Alexandre Lacazette and new signing Nicolas Pepe on the bench, and he was repaid 13 minutes into the second half when Gabon international Aubameyang fired his side ahead.

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce had seen his new charges compete admirably until that point but an error from loanee Jetro Willems presented the visitors with an opportunity that they did not pass up.

There were better debuts for Magpies signings Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin the latter introduced from the bench but when Emery sent on Real Madrid …

While Tottenham would have wanted to have seen their name in Thursday s Champions League group stage draw, they did at least manage to extend on their own European adventure.

Despite suffering a shock 1-0 first-leg defeat out in Portugal last week, Spurs completed what was a rampant turnaround in North London as they breezed their way to a 3-0 romp against Paços de Ferreira.

Putting their name in Friday s hat and still tipped as one of the standout contenders in this year s inaugural Conference League, the Lilywhites will be watching closely with the draw scheduled to start at 12:30 BST.

On a night that saw Nuno Espírito Santo s side put on a real show in front of a packed-out Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we have taken a look at the major talking points.

Ka…

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has poured cold water on the idea of a Premier League all-star match after Chelsea owner Todd Boehly proposed the idea.

The new Blues owner floated the idea during his appearance in a conference in the United States, where he expressed his desire for English football to follow in the sporting footsteps of America.

Boehly specifically spoke about the potential of a relegation play-off as well as the introduction of an all-star match, where the top flight would be split into two halves, north and south, for an annual match.

Klopp, however, is not a fan of the proposal, highlighting that teams are already stretched by a packed schedule and the end of season period is not as extensive as those in America.

He doesn t hesitate, …

Roma dropped points in Serie A for the first time this season after being held to a 1-1 draw at Torino on Sunday.

The result brings to an end Roma s record run of 10 consecutive league victories, with Rudi Garcia s side now three points clear of Napoli and Juventus, the two teams immediately behind them in the table.

Kevin Strootman had put Roma in front after 28 minutes, sweeping home Miralem Pjanic s cutback after Torino had failed to clear a corner properly.

But the hosts hit back 18 minutes into the second half through Alessio Cerci, just the second goal that Roma have conceded in a remarkable start to their league campaign and first in a staggering 743 minutes.

Leaders Roma pressed hard for a winner in the final stages with a succession of dangerous free-kic…

Stoke City F.C. captain Ryan Shawcross has revealed he hopes the club will be able to keep in-form goalkeeper Jack Butland for the foreseeable future.

Butland, who joined Stoke from Birmingham City for an initial fee of £3. 3 million in January 2013, has become the Potters No. goalkeeper following the sale of Asmir Begović to Chelsea this summer.

The England international, 22, has impressed in between the sticks for Mark Hughes side this season despite having kept just one clean sheet in eight league fixtures, with his 10-save showing against Arsenal certainly catching the eye.

It s good for Jack and it s good for the club to have him involved with England, but he s had an excellent start to the season, Shawcross told The Sentinel.

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Memphis Depay scored twice to help the Netherlands get their World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Montenegro in Saturday s Group G clash.

Louis van Gaal s first game in his third spell in charge ended in a 1-1 draw in Norway on Wednesday, but the Oranje produced a much improved display at Philips Stadion.

Depay fired the Netherlands into a deserved first-half lead from the penalty spot and doubled his tally just after the hour mark with a clinical finish.

Georginio Wijnaldum added a third and Cody Gakpo scored his first international goal as the Netherlands picked up a win that keeps them level with Norway and one point behind Group G leaders Turkey, whom they face next.

2 For the first time in 70 appearances, Mem…

England lost their big friendly game with Brazil 1-0 and its lead me to wonder are England good enough to the World Cup. I have pondered this long and hard but I still don t have an answer.

Shadow team

The England team that took to the field against Brazil was far from England s first eleven. In fact only two out of the eleven that started against the Samba Boys are likely to start for England next summer. Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry and of Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.

Backups

The team that played struggled against an opposition that was a class above. None of backup players made much of an impact apart from James Milner who had a decent game. They were playing against one of the worlds best teams and showed why they aren t yet fir…

Kevin Phillips has agreed a one-year deal with Crystal Palace after enjoying a successful loan spell there last season.

The veteran striker, who turns 40 next week, scored the winning goal in the club s play-off final against Watford at Wembley in May.

Phillips, who last featured in the top flight for Birmingham in the 2010-11 campaign, will now get another shot at Premier League football.

I am absolutely delighted, I loved my time here at the end of last season and was always hoping to have another chance to play in the top flight, he told the club s official website.

It s unbelievable for me but I am really looking forward to it and hoping I can play a great part in the season ahead.

Everyone I spoke to said to keep going as long as the fitness and hunger…

Former Liverpool and Marseille striker Djibril Cisse will swap finals for vinyls after announcing his retirement from football, revealing plans to focus on a burgeoning DJ career.

Cisse picked up 41 caps for France during a playing career that also saw him win the Champions League, FA Cup and Super Cup with Liverpool, as well as the 2003 Confederations Cup.

But the 35-year-old, who last played for JS Saint-Pierroise in the Reunion Premier League, has now decided to call it a day.

He had reportedly been training with former club Auxerre with a view to a return after previously declaring his career over in October 2015 due to a hip injury.

I loved being a footballer, he told Yahoo Sport. So far football has been my whole life.

I would like to have…