The striker continues to shine for Diego Simeone’s men but feels the long and difficult year is weighing him down

Antoine Griezmann feels he is not at his best for Atletico Madrid despite his decisive double in their 3-2 win at Real Valladolid.

Griezmann doubled his side’s lead with a penalty on the stroke of half-time, but the hosts fired back in the second half to pull level.

The French striker settled the game with 10 minutes left, netting goal number 125 on his 300th La Liga appearance.

The 27-year-old is now on 10 goals in 23 games in all competitions this season, but he feels his pace is dropping as a long 2018, which included a Europa League title and France’s 2018 World Cup victory, is taking its toll on him.

“I can still improve, I am not at my best level, it has been a long year and sometimes I lack speed,” he told reporters.

“I’m very happy to be able to help the team. It’s a very long year, we have a game and then a little rest, there are games when it is difficult to be loose and fast, today was a day like that but I was able to score two goals.”

Griezmann was disappointed to see his side come under pressure in the second half after they controlled the opening 45 minutes, especially as coach Diego Simeone told them to take caution.

“We let them focus and we suffered, Simeone had warned us about that at the break,” he added.

“It was important to win away from home, which is what he is telling us. In the second half it cost us and the coach made changes that helped us to be better and we went to score a third.”

Griezmann’s penalty was held up because the referee paused to review a video replay, and the World Cup winner was asked for his thoughts on VAR.

“It’s long, but it was the right thing to do, it can make people angry. It’s a good thing especially when it’s going well for you. When it goes wrong, you get angry.”

Griezmann and Atletico face off against Espanyol in a week’s time, before they get a couple of weeks off until their next match against Sevilla on January 5. 

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The 18-year-old midfielder was included from the off by Mauricio Pochettino for the clash with Burnley at Wembley Stadium

Oliver Skipp has become Tottenham’s youngest Premier League starter since Gareth Bale after being handed his league start against Burnley.

Mauricio Pochettino opted to include the youngster from the off during the Premeir Lague meeting.

Skipp has been involved with the Spurs first-team on previous occasions this season, and made his debut in a Carabao Cup clash with West Ham.

He was then handed his first top-flight minutes when stepping off the bench against Southampton.

That outing came at Wembley Stadium, and he was back at the home of English football on Saturday.

Pochettino shuffled his pack against Burnley, with an 18-year-old asked to patrol the middle of the park alongside Moussa Sissoko.

Skipp is highly regarded by Tottenham as another product of their famed academy system.

In figuring against Burnley, he has followed in some illustrious footsteps for the north London outfit.

Bale was not a home-grown product for Spurs, having been acquired from Southampton, but he was a teenager when introduced to the fold.

The Welshman made his debut back in 2007 against Manchester United.

Skipp is the youngest Premier League starter since then, and the fifth youngest in Tottenham’s Premier League history.

Stephen Carr, Andy Turner and Philip Ifil join Bale on the list of teenage talents to have been introduced early, with that trio all 17 when used for the first time.

Skipp will be hoping he can go on to emulate the likes of Carr and Bale, who both enjoyed productive spells with Spurs before taking on new challenges.

He could form part of a Premier League title challenge this season, with Pochettino’s side still very much in the mix despite the impressive starts enjoyed by Liverpool and Manchester City.

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The Reds skipper refuses to buy into the belief that Jurgen Klopp’s side have adopted a more defensive mindset during an unbeaten Premier League run

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Jordan Henderson claims Liverpool are “still an exciting side to watch” and have merely become “more mature”, rather than less attacking.

The Reds earned plenty of admirers during the 2017-18 campaign with an entertaining brand of football which saw Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane thrive.

While they were always a force to be reckoned with going forwards, it was not until the January arrival of Virgil van Dijk that they looked more assured at the back.

The big-money summer signing of Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson has further strengthened the defensive unit and led to talk of Jurgen Klopp becoming more conservative.

Liverpool skipper Henderson refutes those claims, telling the club’s website: “We play the way that we play – I don’t think it has changed too much.

“We have controlled [matches] and maybe become more mature as a team in certain instances in games, where we have controlled the game a lot better, with the ball and even without the ball.

“I can definitely see that the maturity has helped us win games and keep clean sheets. But our style of play is there for everybody to see.

“We’re still an exciting team to watch, we want to be at a high intensity level. We want to score goals as well as defend well, that has never changed. The maturity in certain games has been much better this season.”

Henderson added on the improvements made at the back, with clean sheets being collected on a more regular basis: “We have defended very well – we’ve got a lot of clean sheets this season.

“To win trophies, you need to have that really, along with the attacking power and goals we’ve got.

“So far, it has been a good combination and we need to keep that going for the rest of the season if we want to do something really special. So far it has been good – hopefully it can get better, we can keep improving and keep winning games.”

Next up for Liverpool, who remain unbeaten through 16 Premier League games this season, is a crunch clash with arch-rivals Manchester United at Anfield.

The Reds have not tasted a league victory over their old adversaries in their last eight meetings, but Henderson is not overly concerned by that record heading into another meeting on Merseyside.

He said: “It’s about focusing on what’s important.

“It’s not a great record against them over the last few years but it’s a different year, different teams and different players.

“A lot has changed since the last time we played them. For us, it’s another opportunity to go out and win a football game.”

Everything you need to know ahead of the Premier League clash at the King Power Stadium on Wednesday

Manchester City will be hoping to recall some key players to the starting line-up as they look to get back to winning ways at Leicester City on Boxing Day.

Fernandinho and Kevin De Bruyne were not fit enough to start the 3-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace, and David Silva had returned to training but was not ready to feature in the squad.

David Silva and Vincent Kompany have progressed well from their recent lay-offs but were not ready for Saturday’s game. Neither are likely to start in Leicester but Silva, at least, could make the bench.

Danilo was among the substitutes on Saturday and he could come into the line-up for Kyle Walker, who has struggled of late.

Fernandinho was not fully fit on Saturday but could well feature on Boxing Day.

Benjamin Mendy (knee) and Claudio Bravo (Achilles) are definitely out.

Neither side have any suspensions.

Danilo could come in at right-back for Walker, while John Stones could drop back into defence if Fernandinho is fit enough to return to the midfield.

De Bruyne is likely to come back into the midfield, and he would be partnered by either Ilkay Gundogan or Bernardo Silva.

Sergio Aguero is a candidate to replace Gabriel Jesus up front, while Riyad Mahrez may be selected to start at his former club. 

Under-fire Leicester boss Claude Puel, who eased some of the pressure on him with a shock win at Chelsea on Saturday, has no new injury worries for the game.

Daniel Amartey and Matthew James are long-term absentees.

Kick off is 15:00 GMT (10 ET) on Wednesday. The game will not be shown on TV in the United Kingdom. It will be shown on NBC in the United States, and on various channels around the world.

Liverpool’s commanding Dutch centre-half is considered to boast the potential which can make him the best defender the Premier League has ever seen

In Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool have found a player that is “John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic all rolled into one”, says Jamie Redknapp, with the Dutchman potentially the best Premier League defender of all time.

The Reds invested £75 million ($95m) in the Netherlands international back in January, making him the costliest player in his chosen position.

While breaking transfer records can be considered a gamble, those at Anfield have seen their show of faith richly rewarded.

Van Dijk is considered to have contributed significantly to Liverpool becoming Premier League title contenders, with there few obvious weaknesses in his game.

Former Reds star Redknapp believes the 27-year-old is the finest all-round defender he has ever seen, telling the Daily Mail: “We are only halfway through the season but already nobody comes close to Virgil van Dijk in the race for Player of the Year. He is the one player every team would love to have in their side.

“Think of the best defenders in Premier League history — John Terry, Rio Ferdinandand Nemanja Vidic. Van Dijk is all three players rolled into one.

“He reads the game like Terry and is a lovely passer, getting the ball out of his feet and spraying 30-yard balls. Van Dijk is blessed with the pace of Rio, too. Rarely do you see him caught out in a one-v-one situation.

“While he is not as aggressive as Vidic, he has that same warrior spirit and will to win. He is calm, cool, composed in the air and is a brilliant leader.”

Redknapp added on Van Dijk’s potential to cement legend status while landing major honours: “Never mind player of the season — if he carries on playing at this level, he has all the attributes to be the Premier League’s greatest ever defender. I am just surprised that it has taken until now for him to be starring in a team competing for Premier League titles.

“To become the greatest, Van Dijk has to win trophies. He reached the Champions League final last season and now has a great chance of winning the Premier League.

“If Liverpool are to be crowned champions this season, Van Dijk is the one player they can least afford to lose to injury.”

Van Dijk has been an ever-present for Liverpool in the Premier League this season, helping them to cement a standing at the top of the table.

Jurgen Klopp’s side, who remain unbeaten through 18 games, have opened up a four-point lead on reigning champions Manchester City.

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Nemanja Matic was signed by former manager Jose Mourinho, having won a league title with the Portuguese at Chelsea, but was delighted with the 5-1 win

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told his players to run more and be more dangerous in attack after arriving at Manchester United, Nemanja Matic has revealed.

Solskjaer was appointed as interim boss at Old Trafford after Jose Mourinho was sacked on Tuesday, and got off to an emphatic start by beating Cardiff City 5-1 in his opening game.

The players had come under criticism for a lack of effort under their former manager, with some critics claiming Mourinho had lost the support of the dressing room.

United had renewed energy on Saturday though, and Solskjaer was pleased with how the players implemented his ideas.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Matic said of the Norwegian: “He is only two days with us but we had a few meetings. He said we need to play more forward, to be more dangerous in attack, to run more, to compete with everything and that’s exactly what we did today and we are happy because of that.”

Matic was signed by United in 2017 from Chelsea for £40 million ($50m), and had previously won a Premier League title under Mourinho at Chelsea.

The midfielder was then singled out by his manager last season as one of the few United players to be putting in consistent performances.

Matic was a key reason United secured a second-place finish in the Premier League that campaign, and he defended Mourinho after the club’s worst start to a season for 28 years.

“This is football,” he continued. “In football, this happens. We know, also, it’s not only the manager’s fault that results are not good but this is football and we have to carry on and to fight for the club.”

“I said after the Liverpool game we also needed to take responsibility and to do our best to play better and to win games.”

United face Huddersfield Town at home on Boxing Day next time out as Solskjaer aims for a win on his Old Trafford debut as manager.

They then clash with Bournemouth before a trip to Newcastle United to round off the festive period. 

The midfielder created a firestorm with a social media posting just hours after the Man Utd boss was sacked

Gary Neville has reiterated that his “one problem” with Paul Pogba was his controversial social media post in the aftermath of Jose Mourinho’s sacking. 

The French midfielder deleted a post that asked users to caption an image of Pogba with a wry smile just hours after Manchester United dismissed their manager. 

Pogba’s team insisted that the post was scheduled before Mourinho’s sacking, but Neville has dismissed that rationale. 

“Everyone always concentrates on Paul Pogba,” Neville said on Sky Sports on Wednesday. “I only have one problem with Paul Pogba and that was his post, which I think disrespected Jose Mourinho in losing his job.

“We know it didn’t come from the club, we know it didn’t come from adidas, we know it came from Paul Pogba, so my view personally is that was a massive disappointment to disrespect somebody that’s lost their job.”

Pogba and Mourinho had a notoriously poor relationship, with the manager often benching the Frenchman and stripped him of his vice captaincy earlier in the season. 

With caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the helm, though, Pogba has been reinvigorated. 

The World Cup-winner has four goals and three assists in Solskjaer’s first three games, and was named named Manchester United’s Player of the Month for December.

Neville has taken note of Pogba’s impact on the field, and is ready to led bygones be bygones when it comes to Pogba’s ill-timed social media post. 

“I’ve always said that Manchester United are a far better team with him in it,” Neville said of Pogba. 

“There is a line that needs to be drawn, perhaps you forget everything that’s happened in the past.

“However, all is forgiven because you move on in football but the fact of the matter is that he’s now performing how he should be, and that is a massive plus for United because he is a big player.”

The midfielder played with Reds man on international duty and believes he has since developed into one of the world’s greatest

Stoke City’s Charlie Adam has claimed Liverpool defender Andy Robertson is the best left-back in Europe and believes the Scotland captain is worth around £70m.

Few would have thought this was possible 18 months ago however, when Robertson was relegated to the Championship with Hull City, but the 24-year-old has since developed rapidly and is now a guaranteed starter in Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Adam, who spent 18 months of his career at Anfield, told The Scotsman in a recent interview that he recognised the full-back’s potential after seeing him up close and personal while on international duty.

The midfielder even encouraged Stoke to make a bid for Robertson when Hull were relegated in 2017.

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“I said to Stoke at the time we should have bought him for £8 million – it was cheap,” said Adam.

“Liverpool could afford to throw that at him though, and if it hadn’t worked it wouldn’t have been a gamble for them. What’s that £8m worth now? Put a five in front of it at least – it’s probably £60m, £70m, for a left-back. 

“Fair play to him. And the biggest thing for him now will be if they can win that league – they’re in a great position

“If Liverpool won the league, he’d be a cult hero,” he said. “The players love him, the fans love him – Liverpool have always had a tradition of Scottish players and the one thing they always love about them is how hard they work. We have the most endeavour, we want to win, we have a passion and they’ve related to him in that way.

“But don’t forget he’s also a quality player. His assists, the link-up play he has with [Sadio] Mane is fantastic,” he added.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing for Robertson since joining Liverpool, and he initially struggled to get the team ahead of Alberto Moreno.

Adam believes that makes Robertson’s short rise even more impressive.

“Although it took him three or four months to get the opportunity, he hasn’t been out of the team since,” Adam said. Jurgen [Klopp] had him on the sidelines, but he did well in training, got his chance and has never looked back.

“He’s been the best left-back in the league, probably the best left-back in the Champions League as well. He’s proof that it’s not where you start your career that matters, it’s where you finish.

“No disrespect to Queen’s Park but Andy knows where the low point is, part-time, working on match-days at Hampden – to get to where he is now is incredible.”

Amid speculation that this could be his final season at Camp Nou, the coach has declined to confirm whether he will sign an extension

Ernesto Valverde moved to cool speculation over his future at Barcelona by saying discussions over a possible contract extension would take place at the end of the season.

The 54-year-old coach prompted rumours that he might be set to leave Camp Nou when he told the club’s in-house TV channel that he did not know what he would be doing next season.

Valverde’s current contract does not expire until 2020 but both he and the club have the option to terminate the contract a year early.

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“It is true that the contract has an optional year and at the end of the season we will decide,” Valverde told reporters ahead of his side’s clash with Getafe in La Liga.

“We will be in a position later to assess. We have not even reached the middle of the season.

“The club and I have always been in tune with each other. As a coach, when you do not win, they put a price on your head, but I have a contract.”

Barcelona are three points clear at the top of LaLiga after 17 matches and Valverde is on course to lead the club to a second consecutive title under his leadership.

He reiterated that his relationship with the club’s directors is strong and said the decision over his future would not be his alone.

“I’m not saying that I have to decide,” he said. “It’s a question, we have a signed contract and we will respect both parties. We will be in a position during the year to see how things are going.”

Looking forward to the clash with seventh-placed Getafe at Coliseum Alfonso Perez, he added: “Getafe are a tough side who create intense pressure and are convincing.

“They’re battling for a spot in Europe and will be a difficult opponent.”

The Barcelona star has not played for his country since a last-16 defeat against France the World Cup

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni will hold further talks with Lionel Messi over the captain’s return to international action.

Messi has not featured for his country since the World Cup, where Jorge Sampaoli’s men were dumped out by France.

The forward dragged Argentina through the group stage with a wonderful goal against Nigeria, but a chaotic campaign ended in the last 16.

Messi has given no indication over whether he will play international football again, with Argentina beginning preparations for next year’s Copa America.

But Scaloni, appointed as Sampaoli’s successor after initially taking over on an interim basis, is planning to hold further talks with the talismanic forward after they met when the Copa Libertadores final second leg was played in Madrid in December.

“I do not talk very often with Messi, but we have a relationship,” Scaloni said on Friday.

“We are going to try for him to join us in 2019, we have pending talks and we are optimistic that it will be positive.

“For us it is something important. Any coach would like to coach him, myself more than any.”

Speaking last month, Messi’s Argentina team-mate Mauro Icardi said he hopes the Barcelona star can be persuaded to return to the fold.

“He’s the best player in the world and we all hope he comes back with us, especially with the Copa America coming up,” Icardi told TyC Sports after a friendly win against Mexico.

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