PSG’s Mbappe Unfazed by Transfer Speculation

 France's forward Kylian Mbappe arrives in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines on November 13, 2023 as part of the team's preparation for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament qualifying matches. (AFP)
France's forward Kylian Mbappe arrives in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines on November 13, 2023 as part of the team's preparation for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament qualifying matches. (AFP)
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PSG’s Mbappe Unfazed by Transfer Speculation

 France's forward Kylian Mbappe arrives in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines on November 13, 2023 as part of the team's preparation for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament qualifying matches. (AFP)
France's forward Kylian Mbappe arrives in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines on November 13, 2023 as part of the team's preparation for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament qualifying matches. (AFP)

Paris St Germain forward Kylian Mbappe said he would not let speculation over his future at the Ligue 1 club pollute his performances on the pitch.

Earlier this year, Mbappe said he would not renew his contract at PSG, which expires at the end of the 2023-24 season when he could leave Paris for free. The France captain has been linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

"(Questions around my future are) not something that weighs on me. On the pitch, I don't think about that. I just think about playing, being efficient, and winning titles," Mbappe told reporters ahead of France's UEFA qualifier against Gibraltar.

"I've always done that. I've always had a lot to deal with off the pitch and that hasn't stopped me from achieving what I have. When I'm out on the pitch, I don't get caught up in the outside world.

"I've started this season with the desire to think only about my football and not to think about outside things or bring in things from outside, to pollute my football, so the most important thing for me today is to play."

Mbappe also dismissed any talk of a rift between him and PSG manager Luis Enrique. The 24-year-old was singled out for criticism by the PSG boss following a 3-0 win over Reims last week, despite scoring all three goals in the league match.

Asked about the criticism, Mbappe said: "I honestly don't know. You'd have to ask (Luis Enrique) why this timing. But I took it very well and, as I said, he's a great coach. I know he has a lot to offer me, a lot to teach me.

"I'm a player who's very demanding with myself and if I can find that demand with my coach, I'm very happy, because I know it's going to take me very high up.

"I don't necessarily need the coach to say every day that I'm the best in the world for me to play well."



Liverpool ‘Not up to Standard’ Slot Says after Shock Defeat to Nottingham Forest

Callum Hudson-Odoi of Nottingham Forest (L) celebrates scoring the 0-1 goal during the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Liverpool, Britain, 14 September 2024. (EPA)
Callum Hudson-Odoi of Nottingham Forest (L) celebrates scoring the 0-1 goal during the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Liverpool, Britain, 14 September 2024. (EPA)
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Liverpool ‘Not up to Standard’ Slot Says after Shock Defeat to Nottingham Forest

Callum Hudson-Odoi of Nottingham Forest (L) celebrates scoring the 0-1 goal during the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Liverpool, Britain, 14 September 2024. (EPA)
Callum Hudson-Odoi of Nottingham Forest (L) celebrates scoring the 0-1 goal during the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Liverpool, Britain, 14 September 2024. (EPA)

All good things come to an end. Few expected Liverpool’s good thing to end on Saturday.

An uncommon perfect run of three wins to start the English Premier League without conceding a goal came to a stunning end at Anfield where Nottingham Forest won for the first time since 1969.

Forest had 30% possession, three shots on target — all after halftime — and only two corners but Callum Hudson-Odoi curled a shot beyond the reach of Alisson in the 72nd minute and it held up in a 1-0 win.

Liverpool’s effort was scrappy as passes went astray and touches were often missed. The players looked like they hadn’t seen each other for two weeks.

The international break took away 10 players but manager Arne Slot said that was no excuse.

“It’s always difficult, but I don’t think it had anything to do with it,” Slot said.

“Players came back strong and I saw today a team that wanted to fight until the end. That wasn’t to do with energy.

“If you look at the goals we scored until now, we scored quite a few from transition moments from winning the ball back, but the other team (Forest) played over our press a lot with a lot of long balls.

“Too many individual performances in ball possession were not up to the standards that I’m used to from these players.”

Liverpool’s best chance was its first when Luis Diaz shot against the near post and the ball ricocheted across the face of the goal.

The amount of possession Liverpool had made the result that much more pitiful for Slot.

“We had a lot of ball possession but only managed to create three or four quite good chances. That’s by far not enough.

“If you have so much possession and play so much in their half we need to be much better. We lost the ball so many times in simple situations.

“It is a big setback. If you lose a home game that’s always a setback.”