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Pep Guardiola hailed Rico Lewis as one of the best players he has ever coached after his starring role in Manchester City’s hard-fought win at RB Leipzig. The 18-year-old produced a commanding display as the holders maintained the winning start to their Champions League defence with a 3-1 success at the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday. Lewis, who made his first-team breakthrough as a right-back last season, had a hand in Phil Foden’s opening goal and proved City’s main driving force throughout. City manager Guardiola, the former Barcelona boss whose past players have included Lionel Messi, said: “What a player! What a player! “I’ve been a manager for 14, 15, years and lucky to train one of the best players in the world in Barcelona. “To find a player like him playing in the pockets, how he has to move as a holding midfielder, moving in the spaces, he is one of the best I’ve ever trained by far. “He’s a humble guy, doesn’t talk much. He didn’t play much this season but he is going to play a lot.” Despite Lewis’ contributions, it took the introduction of substitutes Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku to secure a hard-fought victory. City controlled the first half and led at the break through Foden’s 25th-minute strike but they were pegged back after the restart by Lois Openda. The second half was a frustrating affair with Erling Haaland missing several chances and Foden hitting the bar but Alvarez made the breakthrough with a stunning effort on 84 minutes. Doku wrapped up a second successive win in Group G in injury time. After back-to-back defeats domestically, Guardiola was pleased to get back to winning ways. He said: “Three or four days ago it was no progress because we lost in Wolves. It was important to break that. “We played a fantastic game in all departments. We conceded two or three transitions in the second half but it’s normal. When a team is able to make a lot of passes early on, very nice things are going to happen in the game. “The guys who came from the bench, the contribution they have done is the key point. Everyone helped each other. I am really satisfied. It was a tough game.” Leipzig coach Marco Rose was pleased with the effort of his side but had no complaints about the result. Rose said: “Manchester City deserved to win, even if it was 1-1 in the 83rd minute and we had hoped to hold on until the end. “We did well after the break and got our equaliser. It was then an open game then but City put us under pressure at the death again. We are learning from the best.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Newcastle stun PSG as Manchester City, Lazio, Barcelona and Atletico all win Simone Biles wins 20th World Gymnastics gold by leading USA to team title Bill Sweeney believes English rugby is ‘on cusp of something quite spectacular’

Newcastle stunned Paris Saint-Germain on their first Champions League match at St James’ Park in 20 years as goals from Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff and Fabian Schar sealed a famous 4-1 win. Newcastle took the lead midway through the first half when Almiron steered a composed finish inside the post before Burn doubled their lead before the break with a towering heder, awarded following a VAR check. Longstaff added a dream third for Eddie Howe’s side and although Lucas Hernandez pulled one back for the visitors, the French champions and star forward Kylian Mbappe were subdued as they suffered a shock defeat. Schar then scored a screamer in stoppage time to cap a stunning night, and Newcastle’s victory puts them top of Group F after two games, with Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan playing out a goalless draw in Germany.Here are how the players rated from St James’ Park. Newcastle United Nick Pope, 7 PSG barely had a shot in the first half and the England international - who was so busy last time out to earn a point in the San Siro - was mainly a spectator here. Could not do too much about Hernandez’s header, as PSG pulled one back. Kieran Trippier, 8 The right back faced the sizeable task of marking Kylian Mbappe but was faultless against the best player in the world. Add in the quality of his set-pieces and an assist and this was another great performance from the England international. Jamaal Lascelles, 8 Newcastle’s captain would not have expected to start but was excellent as a replacement for Sven Botman. Was solid in the heart of defence and made an outstanding recovering challenge on Dembele. Fabian Schar, 9 The defender’s stunning strike from the edge of the box capped off another impressive night from the centre-back, who was sharp to PSG’s movement and kept the visiting stars quiet throughout. That he also has so much quality going forward is a real bonus. Dan Burn, 8 You feared the worst when the towering full-back lined up against the tricky Ousmanne Dembele, but it was Burn who gave PSG more problems. Doubled their lead with a dream goal, powering a header past Donnarumma. Sean Longstaff, 8 If anyone deserved a Champions League goal at St James’ Park, it was him. Shone in midfield on what was the biggest night of his career. Barely gave the ball away and smashed in a stunning third goal after half time. Bruno Guimaraes, 7 The Brazilian was full of quality touches and flicks to help Newcastle break forward against PSG. The timing of his pass is so often excellent. Sandro Tonali, 7 Helped Newcastle settle with his energy and drive in the opening stages, and looked more at home on the left side of the midfield three. Miguel Almiron, 9 Even with the talent on display at St James’ Park, Almiron was the most dangerous forward on the pitch. Kept his head to steer a precise first-time finish past Donnarumma for Newcastle’s opening goal and was a menace throughout. Alexander Isak, 7 Led the line well and was a handful the PSG centre-backs could not deal with, even if it was others in the Newcastle side who made the difference on the night. Anthony Gordon, 7 Another who rose to the occasion. Pressed furiously from the front and set the tone from the first few minutes as he closed down Hakimi and Marquinhos and then made sure he did his defensive work at the other end. Paris Saint-Germain Gianluigi Donnarumma, 3 The Italian was faced with an onslaught of shots and crumbled. If the fact both of Newcastle’s first-half goals came from rebounds suggested he could have done better, there was no doubt about the third as Longstaff’s shot went through his hands. A big player who went missing, but far from the only one. Achraf Hakimi, 4 The right back looked to be a key outlet for PSG with his runs forward but was largely pinned back by the lively duo of Gordon and Tonali. Fortunately for him, the defensive mess in the PSG back four was on the other side. Marquinhos, 3 What was the PSG captain thinking with his careless ball into midfield? The experienced centre-back was punished by Almiron and looked spooked by the occasion. Milan Skriniar, 3 Left an ocean of space for Longstaff to run into for Newcastle’s third goal. It summed up a complete mess of a defensive performance from PSG. Lucas Hernandez, 4 The Frenchman was run ragged by the excellent Almiron and was nowhere to be seen for Longstaff’s third goal. Popped up to pull one back. Manuel Ugarte, 4 If PSG’s approach seemed to leave him isolated in midfield, the defensive midfielder struggled to adapt. Needed to move it quicker and looked overwhelmed. Warren Zaire Emery, 7 Despite his age, the 17-year-old led by example and was the key link between PSG’s defence and attack with his bursts forward from midfield. Perhaps the only PSG player to come away with any credit tonight. Ousmane Dembele, 6 Went close at 0-0 with a wicked volley from Mbappe’s cross that just went past the post. You thought he could have troubled Burn but hardly tested him enough, although he was still the brightest of PSG’s forwards and stun Pope’s palms with a sharp volley late on. Kylian Mbappe, 3 Found no joy on the wing in the first half so drifted along the frontline after the break - but still struggled to get into the game until very late on. This is Mbappe’s team now and you expect him to take more responsibility, but he looks like a player who is ready to move on. Randal Kolo Muani, 3 A largely anonymous performance. Hardly saw the ball and it was no surprise that he was taken off before the hour. Goncalo Ramos, 4 The striker was unlucky with a strike that was deflected just wide but was otherwise quiet. Read More Newcastle’s local heroes stun PSG to twist a tale of geopolitical tension The twin tensions which explain Newcastle and PSG’s very modern rivalry

Celtic suffered more Champions League pain at Parkhead as Lazio scored a stoppage-time winner soon after the home side were denied a goal following a lengthy VAR check. With the score at 1-1, substitute Luis Palma fired home in the 81st minute after Daizen Maeda had attempted an overhead kick from Alistair Johnston’s cross, and the VAR officials decided he was offside. There was a bigger blow to come when former Barcelona and Chelsea forward Pedro headed home from fellow substitute Matteo Guendouzi’s cross five minutes into stoppage-time to secure the Italian club a 2-1 win in Group E. Celtic had taken an early lead through Kyogo Furuhashi but Matias Vecino levelled following a 29th-minute corner. Brendan Rodgers’ side looked the likelier team to find a winner but their 10-year wait for a home victory in the Champions League group stage continues and the ninth defeat in that 11-game run would be the most difficult one to take after a largely encouraging performance. The tie was a resumption of hostilities from four seasons ago when Celtic triumphed home and away against Lazio in the Europa League, their victory in Rome sealed by Olivier Ntcham, who appeared on a massive pre-match banner among the home fans in the standing section. Celtic settled quickly and Furuhashi netted his first goal in eight Champions League appearances 12 minutes in. The Japanese striker’s finish went through the dive of goalkeeper Ivan Provedel after he was played through by a first-time pass from Matt O’Riley after positive play from Maeda. The atmosphere went up a notch but Celtic did not build on their advantage. Despite having plenty of possession in the aftermath of the goal, most of it was inside their own half and the occasional slack pass put them in danger. They had a chance on the break when Yang Hyun-jun played Maeda in behind but the Japanese attacker mis-kicked his ambitious effort. Lazio’s territorial advantage paid off when they won three headers in a row from Luis Alberto’s corner. Joe Hart appeared to have saved the third one from Vecino but the Lithuanian referee ruled the ball had spun behind the line before being clawed away. Celtic got back on the front foot and O’Riley forced a good save from a first-time strike before getting back to make an important interception to foil a counter-attack. The start of the second half was finely-balanced. Felipe Anderson failed to make the most of receiving the ball in yards of space inside the Celtic box before the home side came close from a free-kick. Provedel made a good stop from Reo Hatate’s low drive and Johnston fired over from the rebound. Cameron Carter-Vickers made his comeback from a hamstring injury after a seven-week lay-off when he replaced Nat Phillips while Palma came on for Yang, who had enjoyed some good moments but generally failed to make the most of his possession. Hart got down well to save Daichi Kamada’s 20-yard drive before Paulo Bernardo snatched at a half-chance at the other end moments after coming on. Celtic continued to make the running. Palma was briefly bearing down on goal before Alessio Romagnoli slid in to win the ball, Liam Scales attempted an overhead kick which flew over and Furuhashi was denied from close range. Palma thought he had scored what would have been one of the best-worked goals in the Champions League this week after a lengthy passing move that went from back to front and side to side. The Honduran winger was booked for taking his shirt off in celebration before the VAR team delivered worse news, and a crushing blow would soon follow to leave Celtic bottom of their group without a point. Read More Newcastle’s local heroes stun PSG to twist a tale of geopolitical tension Kylian Mbappe frustrated as PSG humbled by Newcastle in Champions League Man City rely on Julian Alvarez to beat RB Leipzig as Erling Haaland falters Is Celtic vs Lazio on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Champions League Kylian Mbappe frustrated as PSG humbled by Newcastle in Champions League Man City rely on Julian Alvarez to beat RB Leipzig as Erling Haaland falters

Manchester City struck twice late on to continue the winning start to their Champions League defence with a hard-fought 3-1 success at RB Leipzig. Julian Alvarez finally settled City’s nerves in Wednesday’s Group G encounter with a fine strike six minutes from at the Red Bull Arena before fellow substitute Jeremy Doku wrapped up the win. Phil Foden had opened the scoring midway through a first half the holders dominated but the hosts responded against the run of play through Lois Openda. Foden hit the woodwork as City pushed for a winner but, with Erling Haaland faltering in front of goal, it looked like being a frustrating night until Alvarez struck. That City would need such late heroics from the bench seemed unlikely as they controlled the first half. The presence of Rodri, who is currently serving a domestic ban, brought a noticeable calm that was missing in his absence in Saturday’s defeat at Wolves. Yet it was Rico Lewis, playing alongside him in midfield, who caught the eye with his determination to win possession and some driving runs. Lewis had City’s first serious opportunity after a nice turn in the area but his shot was blocked. Foden drove the ball back across goal from the rebound but Bernardo Silva, returning to the side after injury, failed to turn it in at the far post. City’s opener came after 25 minutes from another attack instigated by Lewis. The lively youngster pushed forward and played a one-two with Silva before pulling back for Foden in the area. The England international met it with a first-time shot that bounced beyond Janis Blaswich. City pushed for a second before the break, with Haaland twice breaking free on the left but the Norwegian first shot wide and was then denied by Blaswich. It was not until the final minute of the first half that Leipzig had an effort on goal when Openda’s long-range shot was deflected over and City reached the break looking completely untroubled. All their good work was undone within moments of the restart as Jack Grealish misplaced a pass and they were caught by a Leipzig counter-attack. Yussuf Poulsen released Openda with a pass from the centre circle and the Belgium international raced through to beat Ederson with a low shot that went in off the base of the post. Haaland threatened to restore City’s lead when he fired wide and then spurned an even better chance when he missed the target from a Foden cross. Foden went closer when he curled a free-kick against the bar from a wide angle but Haaland’s frustration continued as he shot at Blaswich and skewed another effort over. City were caught on the break again but were reprieved when Emil Forsberg failed to find a colleague in the box and Ederson needed to punch clear after substitute Timo Werner broke free. Pep Guardiola’s changes made the difference as Doku teed up Alvarez to clip a fine shot over Blaswich from the edge of the area. Doku then put the seal on victory when he finished off a quick break in injury time as Leipzig paid the price for pushing players forward. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Bill Sweeney believes English rugby is ‘on cusp of something quite spectacular’ England career igniting convinced me to sign new Saracens deal – Ben Earl Local boys Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff score as Newcastle stun PSG

Geordies Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff both scored to help Newcastle put Paris St Germain to the sword as Champions League football returned to Tyneside with a bang. More than two decades since the Magpies last played in the competition, they rekindled memories of their first ever outing, a 3-2 victory over Barcelona in 1997, by thumping the French champions 4-1 in front of a crowd of 52,009 at a delirious St James’ Park. Miguel Almiron set the ball rolling with the club’s first Champions League goal since Alan Shearer’s double at Inter Milan in March 2003, but it was local boys Burn and Longstaff who put the Group F fixture beyond Luis Enrique’s side before Fabian Schar smashed home a superb fourth to secure three points to go with the one with which they had returned from AC Milan a fortnight earlier. PSG, whose owners Qatar Sports Investments have poured so much money into an as yet unrequited quest for European glory, simply did not cope with the home side’s high press before the break and failed to utilise fully the inestimable talents of Kylian Mbappe and company even after Lucas Hernandez had given them a glimmer of hope. The game kicked off amid a cacophony and the volume only rose as the industry of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon caused problems for keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and defender Marquinhos early on. However, it was the visitors who went agonisingly close to taking the lead with just five minutes gone when 17-year-old midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery broke from his own half and fed Mbappe, whose cross was volleyed inches wide by Ousmane Dembele with Nick Pope helpless. Achraf Hakimi was relieved to see Almiron fire over from distance after intercepting his loose pass seconds later, but Newcastle went ahead with 17 minutes gone after the Frenchmen once again shot themselves in the foot. Bruno Guimaraes got his head to Marquinhos’ poor clearance and although Donnarumma made a superb reaction save after Isak had spun and fired towards goal, Almiron pounced on the rebound to open the scoring with his third goal in as many starts. PSG responded in determined fashion and Goncalo Ramos saw his effort deflected out for a corner seconds after Schar had whipped a first-time shot inches wide of Donnarumma’s left post from Kieran Trippier’s intelligent corner. Isak was left bloodied after a clash of heads with Hernandez, but was able to carry on after having the wound bandaged and a change of shirt, and his side’s fortunes took a significant turn for the better six minutes before the break. The Paris defence failed to deal with Trippier’s free-kick and Donnarumma clawed the ball out of his top corner and then saved at his near post as shots rained in, but although the keeper also managed to get a hand to Burn’s header after he climbed high to meet the excellent Guimaraes’ cross, the ball was adjudged to have crossed the line after a lengthy VAR review. PSG returned knowing a sizeable improvement was required, but they fell further behind within five minutes when Almiron’s pace and the precision of Trippier’s pass to Longstaff allowed the midfielder to drill a shot towards Donnarumma’s near post, where the Italian could only help the ball into his own net. They grabbed a lifeline with 56 minutes gone when Hernandez timed his run to perfection to glance Zaire-Emery’s lofted ball beyond Pope and instantly looked a more dangerous proposition with Mbappe, Dembele and substitutes Bradley Barcola and Vitinha injecting much-needed vigour. But all too often, they lacked the precision to hurt their hosts and when they did create meaningful openings, as they did when Dembele span and fired towards goal with 13 minutes remaining, they found Pope in indomitable form. Mbappe blasted impotently wide with five minutes remaining to the delight of the home crowd, who were on their feet once again in stoppage time after Schar had thumped a shot high past Donnarumma and into the top corner. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Bill Sweeney believes English rugby is ‘on cusp of something quite spectacular’ England career igniting convinced me to sign new Saracens deal – Ben Earl Julian Alvarez strike helps Manchester City overcome stubborn RB Leipzig

Newcastle United entertain Paris Saint-Germain as they continue their exciting Champions League journey with Eddie Howe’s side hoping to kick-start their campaign after a goalless draw in Milan. Kylian Mbappe is leading a newlook PSG outfit, with Luis Enrique reshaping the profile and philosophy behind the Qatari-owned side as they look to claim a first European crown after the departures of Lionel Messi and Neymar. A thrilling display to ease past Dortmund last time out, with goals from Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi, makes Les Parisiens one of the strongest challengers to Manchester City and Real Madrid. Howe's side defeated Burnley 2-0 last weekend, with Miguel Almiron and Alexander Isak on the shoresheet. Follow the latest news and updates from Newcastle vs PSG below and get the latest odds and tips here. Read More The twin tensions which explain Newcastle and PSG’s very modern rivalry Champions League faces future rival as Saudi Arabia looks to transform Club World Cup Eddie Howe worried over growing injury list as Newcastle prepare for PSG clash

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Celtic welcome Lazio to Glasgow seeking their first points of this season’s Champions League campaign. The Scottish club suffered an opening defeat at Feyenoord in Group E, with both Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm sent off. Lazio, meanwhile, opened with a home draw against Atletico Madrid as goalkeeper Ivan Provedel scored a dramatic stoppage time equaliser. Maurizio Sarri’s side are struggling in Serie A, though, having won just twice in their first seven league games. Here’s everything you need to know. Get all the latest football betting sites offers here. When is Celtic vs Lazio? Celtic vs Lazio is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Wednesday 4 October at Celtic Park in Glasgow. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 3, with coverage on the channel from 7.30pm BST. Subscribers can also stream the action via discovery+. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. Team news Celtic’s Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm are suspended after their red cards against Feyenoord, but Joe Hart is back available after serving a domestic suspension at the weekend and should start in goal. Centre-half Cameron Carter-Vickers is expected to remain out until after the international break with his hamstring issue, while Liel Abada remains absent after picking up an injury to his thigh while away with Israel in September. Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri had hoped to give Ciro Immobile a day off before the 2-0 league defeat to Milan, but was forced to use the striker from the bench despite Immobile’s hip flexor issue. It may be that the Italian is able to start up front here, while a midfield reshuffle is also likely after youngster Nicolò Rovella started in that Serie A loss. Line-ups Celtic XI: Hart; Johnston, Phillips, Scales, Taylor; O’Riley, McGregor, Hatate; Maeda, Furuhashi, Palma Lazio XI: Provedel; Marusic, Romagnoli, Casale, Pellegrini; Kamada, Vecino, Alberto; Anderson, Zaccagni; Immobile. Odds Celtic win 9/5 Draw 13/5 Lazio win 11/8 Get the latest football odds here. Prediction A score draw. Celtic 2-2 Lazio. Read More Champions League faces future rival as Saudi Arabia looks to transform Club World Cup Every VAR apology so far: From Liverpool offside to Man City handball Victor Osimhen ends feud with own club Napoli in Instagram post Gary Neville responds after Jurgen Klopp calls for Liverpool replay: ‘That’s madness’ Manchester United are in crisis and Erik ten Hag is right about only one thing Chelsea’s Reece James fined and banned for abusing match official

After opening their Champions League campaigns with victory, RB Leipzig and Manchester City meet in Group G. The German side secured a significant away win at Young Boys in their opening group fixture, while last year’s Champions League winners got the defence of their crown up and running with a 3-1 victory against Red Star Belgrade. These two clubs met at the round of 16 stage of last season’s competition, with Leipzig holding the eventual champions at home but suffering a 7-0 thrashing at the Etihad Stadium. They may spy a Manchester City side in a vulnerable state, though, with injury problems mounting for Pep Guardiola and his team fresh from a surprise league slip-up against Wolves. Here’s everything you need to know. Get all the latest football betting sites offers here. When is RB Leipzig vs Manchester City? RB Leipzig vs Manchester City is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Wednesday 4 October at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage on the channel from 7.45pm BST. Subscribers can also stream the action via discovery+. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. Team news Experienced midfielder Kevin Kampl has been ailed by a hip problem of late and may miss out for RB Leipzig, who also have Timo Werner and Dani Olmo among those currently sidelined. Pep Guardiola was unable to name a full bench at Wolves in the weekend Premier League defeat, but will be boosted by the availability of key cog Rodri for this Champions League game - the Spain midfielder continues to serve a domestic suspension after his sending off against Nottingham Forest. Guardiola hinted that Bernardo Silva and John Stones are nearing a return, too. Predicted line-ups RB Leipzig XI: Blaswich; Henrichs, Simakan, Lukeba, Raum; Schlager, Seiwald; Simons, Forsberg; Poulsen, Openda. Manchester City XI: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Gvardiol, Ake; Foden, Rodri, Kovacic, Doku; Alvarez; Haaland. Odds Leipzig win 10/3 Draw 16/5 Manchester City win 7/10 Get the latest football odds here. Prediction Manchester City secure victory. RB Leipzig 1-3 Manchester City Read More Champions League faces future rival as Saudi Arabia looks to transform Club World Cup The Premier League now faces a credibility ‘crisis’ – and latest VAR farce is just the tip Manchester City legend Francis Lee dies aged 79 Mikel Arteta gives Bukayo Saka injury update ahead of Arsenal vs Man City Gareth Southgate waits on Bukayo Saka news ahead of England double-header Football rumours: Jadon Sancho keeping contact with Borussia Dortmund

Mikel Arteta defended his decision to play Bukayo Saka as the Arsenal winger limped out of their Champions League defeat to Lens. The Gunners had taken the lead through Gabriel Jesus but Adrien Thomasson levelled following a David Raya error before Saka hobbled out of the game. Lens would go on to win 2-1 courtesy of a second-half strike from Elye Wahi but it was the injury to Saka that will have concerned Arteta more. Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City visit the Emirates Stadium in five days and Saka’s involvement is now in doubt with the England forward having been forced off in the last three games. Asked if he regretted picking Saka following his issues against both Tottenham and Bournemouth, Arteta replied: “No. It was a knock that he had the other day and he was perfectly fine. It was a back-heel, an action that can produce that kind of injury. “Let’s see what the extent of it is and afterwards it’s too late. The last few were more knocks than anything else. “He hasn’t really missed games. We gave him a break against Brentford (in the Carabao Cup) last week and that was all. “He tried to backheel a ball in the first half and felt something muscular. He felt uncomfortable to carry on so we had to take him off. “We don’t know anything more. It was big enough not to allow him to continue to play the game and that’s a worry for us. “He was really looking forward to playing like every player. It was a big Champions League night. I painted a picture and the type of scenario we were going to face today and they all knew about it. “But this Champions League is so difficult to win away from home. Today we take a big lesson.” The defeat ended a forgettable 24 hours for Arsenal after bad weather grounded Arteta and his players at Luton airport for five hours on Monday as their journey to France was delayed. Now their hopes of avoiding a bumpy ride in qualifying for the knockout stages have also suffered a setback after a turbulent night at a rocking Stade Bollaert-Delelis. “No, let’s not put excuses,” Arteta said when asked if the preparations for the game had impacted on a poor team performance. “First of all, congratulations to Lens. They are a really good side. Really well coached. We knew it was going to be a really tough match. “In the boxes we had four or five chances we didn’t put away and we didn’t defend the boxes well enough. “It’s true there were moments in the second half we struggled to be more threatening in the final third and find spaces. “They defended with those numbers really good. That’s something to take for the next game.” Lens had started the season slowly but won their two Ligue 1 games leading into a first Champions League home game in 21 years and defender Kevin Danso was delighted with the outcome. “We gave it our all today in front of our own fans,” he said. “It was a difficult game, Arsenal had a lot of quality and made us sit back really deep, but we kept defending and kept our concentration. Luckily we won the game. “At home we know how strong we are, in front of our fans. That’s what we always try to do: win at home. I’m a bit gutted about the clean sheet, but we’ll take the three points definitely.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp wants Spurs clash replayed over VAR blunder George Turner knows Scotland must find their ‘best performance’ against Ireland Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw is an injury doubt for crucial Scotland clash

Mikel Arteta defended his decision to play Bukayo Saka as the Arsenal winger limped out of their Champions League defeat to Lens. The Gunners had taken the lead through Gabriel Jesus but Adrien Thomasson levelled following a David Raya error before Saka hobbled out of the game. Lens would go on to win 2-1 courtesy of a second-half strike from Elye Wahi but it was the injury to Saka that will have concerned Arteta more. Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City visit the Emirates Stadium in five days and Saka’s involvement is now in doubt with the England forward having been forced off in the last three games. Asked if he regretted picking Saka following his issues against both Tottenham and Bournemouth, Arteta replied: “No. It was a knock that he had the other day and he was perfectly fine. It was a back-heel, an action that can produce that kind of injury. “Let’s see what the extent of it is and afterwards it’s too late. The last few were more knocks than anything else. “He hasn’t really missed games. We gave him a break against Brentford (in the Carabao Cup) last week and that was all. “He tried to backheel a ball in the first half and felt something muscular. He felt uncomfortable to carry on so we had to take him off. “We don’t know anything more. It was big enough not to allow him to continue to play the game and that’s a worry for us. “He was really looking forward to playing like every player. It was a big Champions League night. I painted a picture and the type of scenario we were going to face today and they all knew about it. “But this Champions League is so difficult to win away from home. Today we take a big lesson.” The defeat ended a forgettable 24 hours for Arsenal after bad weather grounded Arteta and his players at Luton airport for five hours on Monday as their journey to France was delayed. Now their hopes of avoiding a bumpy ride in qualifying for the knockout stages have also suffered a setback after a turbulent night at a rocking Stade Bollaert-Delelis. “No, let’s not put excuses,” Arteta said when asked if the preparations for the game had impacted on a poor team performance. “First of all, congratulations to Lens. They are a really good side. Really well coached. We knew it was going to be a really tough match. “In the boxes we had four or five chances we didn’t put away and we didn’t defend the boxes well enough. “It’s true there were moments in the second half we struggled to be more threatening in the final third and find spaces. “They defended with those numbers really good. That’s something to take for the next game.” Lens had started the season slowly but won their two Ligue 1 games leading into a first Champions League home game in 21 years and defender Kevin Danso was delighted with the outcome. “We gave it our all today in front of our own fans,” he said. “It was a difficult game, Arsenal had a lot of quality and made us sit back really deep, but we kept defending and kept our concentration. Luckily we won the game. “At home we know how strong we are, in front of our fans. That’s what we always try to do: win at home. I’m a bit gutted about the clean sheet, but we’ll take the three points definitely.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp wants Spurs clash replayed over VAR blunder George Turner knows Scotland must find their ‘best performance’ against Ireland Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw is an injury doubt for crucial Scotland clash

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has called for their match against Tottenham to be replayed due to the glaring VAR error which cost them the opening goal. The fall-out from the VAR failure in Saturday’s defeat – in which officials wrongly disallowed Luis Diaz’s goal due to a misunderstanding of the on-field decision – is still being felt. The Premier Game Match Officials Ltd released the audio conversation between officials and the VAR after a request from Liverpool, but Klopp said that had made little difference to their thinking. “The audio didn’t change it at all. It is an obvious mistake,” he said. “I think there should be solutions for that. I think the outcome should be a replay. “The argument against that would be it opens the gates. It is unprecedented, it has not happened before. “I’m used to wrong and difficult decisions, but something like this never happened and so that is why I think a replay is the right thing to do.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live