League Cup - Sunderland beat United to make final after shoot-out drama

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     OOJ  - Sunderland's players celebrate making it to Wembley

• League Cup fixtures/results

Manchester United fell to defeat by Sunderland in the League Cup semi-final after a dramatic match at Old Trafford and an appalling penalty shoot-out.

Just three out of 10 spot kicks were scored as Sunderland secured their place in the final with a 2-1 victory on penalties, after United had forced the issue by winning the second leg 2-1 after extra-time to make the aggregate score 3-3.

A goal deep into extra-time from former United man Phil Bardsleyappeared to have put Sunderland into the final but the visitors were made to wait when Javier Hernandez's even later strike for United sent the match to spot kicks.

United had taken the lead in the 37th minute, when Adnan Januzaj put a corner over from the right and Danny Welbeck miss-hit a first-time shot which bounced up and found the head of Jonny Evans at the far post. The defender headed in unmarked, having lost the Sunderland defender assigned to him.

Sunderland were much the better side in the second half, providing most of the attacking threat as United curiously seemed to be happy to hang onto their lead on the night. Indeed, as the game went into extra-time, they seemed to actively start wasting time, as at that stage they were heading through on away goals.

However, with a minute to go Salford-born and bred Bardsley lined up a shot which went straight at David De Gea, and the United keeper somehow let the ball slip through his fingers and into the corner of the net.

Sunderland thought they were through, but then Januzaj made space on the left side of the box, crossed low and the ball eventually found Hernandez at the far post, who stabbed into the roof of the net.

The game went to penalties, almost all of which were awful. Craig Gardner and Welbeck blazed the first two over, and Steven Fletcher's was weak and saved, before Darren Fletcher finally scored one, but only just.

Marcos Alonso levelled things up before Januzaj's tame effort was saved and Ki put Sunderland ahead with the next kick. Phil Jones then missed, followed by Adam Johnson, leaving Rafael the task of scoring to keep United in the game.

However, Mannone saved, putting Sunderland into the final, where they will play Manchester City.

KEY MOMENTS

37' - GOAL - EVANS GIVES UNITED THE LEAD - Januzaj puts a corner over from the right, Welbeck miss-hits a first-time shot which bounces up and finds the head of Evans at the far post, where he heads in unmarked.

119' - GOAL - BARDSLEY THINKS HE'S PUT HIS TEAM IN THE FINAL - Incredible scenes, and what a mistake by David De Gea. The ball breaks to Bardsley on the edge of the area, he hits a low shot straight at the United keeper, who somehow allows it to slip through his fingers and into the corner.

121' - GOAL - HERNANDEZ SENDS THE MATCH TO PENALTIES - Januzaj does brilliantly and plays a one-two, then puts a low cross in that Hernandez stabs in. Penalties ahoy.

PENALTY SHOOT-OUT - Mannone saves from Rafael to settle one of the worst penalty shoot-outs ever witnessed.

KEY STATS

Sunderland had only one shot on target in the whole 120 minutes - their goal.

However, they did have 54% of the possession.

Sunderland had 18 shots off target, while United had 19.

TALKING POINT

Yet more woe for David Moyes. It's impossible not to feel sorry for Moyes, sometimes. Had the usually reliable De Gea gathered a routine shot with a minute of extra-time to go, United would be in a cup final and have something of a silver lining on what has been a dreadful first season so far. As it is, he has more problems to deal with. Knowing his luck, Juan Mata will turn out to have a degenerative knee condition and that move will be called off tomorrow.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Adam Johnson (Sunderland): He's a frustrating and inconsistent sort, but more or less everything threatening Sunderland did came through Johnson, drifting from the right into the centre and providing cross after cross. He missed his penalty, but then again he wasn't alone in being terrible from 12 yards, so it would seem silly to single him out for that. He now gets the chance to face his former employers Manchester City in the final.

PLAYER RATINGS

MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea 4; Rafael 6, Smalling 7, Evans 7, Buttner 5, Kagawa 5, Carrick 6, Fletcher 6, Januzaj 7, Welbeck 6, Hernandez 5. SUBS: Evra 5, Jones 5, Valencia 6.

SUNDERLAND: Mannone 6, Bardsley 7, Alonso 5, Brown 6, O'Shea 5, Cattermole 5, Colback 6, Ki 7, Johnson 8, Borini 6, Fletcher 6. SUBS: Gardner 6, Altidore 4.

Any price for Chelsea's Courtois 'would be cheap'

Thibaut Courtois has been instrumental in Atletico Madrid's rise to the top of Spanish football 

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has said he is desperate to sign on-loan Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, telling Cuatro: "Any price would be cheap."

Courtois, 21, has been on loan at the Vicente Calderon since 2011, when Chelsea signed him from Genk, and has been a key part of the club's rise during that time.

It remains unclear whether he will be required at Stamford Bridge next season, with Petr Cech, 31, having been established as Chelsea's first-choice goalkeeper for close to a decade.

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Asked if he would pay €26 million for Courtois, who said earlier this month that he wants a swift decision on his future, Simeone replied: "Definitely. For me, any price for Courtois would be cheap. He is a young guy who has a huge future ahead of him and is on course to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

"To secure a goalkeeper of his quality would be a big coup. It will not be easy. It depends what Courtois wants. I always talk about football with the club, and the club know what we want, but it isn't up to us as he isn't our player."

Simeone, who guided Atletico to success in the Copa del Rey last season, has overseen a title challenge in the current campaign and said it had been "extraordinary so far."

However, he dismissed the idea Atletico can beat Barcelona and Real Madrid to the title.

"I'm just being realistic," Simeone said. "I think sometimes everyone is attracted to the idea that Atletico will continue to compete and that, the day we fall away and find ourselves in third, it would be considered a failure despite being an important step forwards for the club.

"Dreaming is for the fans. We have to live in reality, which is to say working training and working hard, preparing for games and not creating false expectations."

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United inching closer to Mata move

Manchester United are hopeful of securing a deal for Chelsea's Juan Mata by this weekend, sources at both Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge have told ESPN.

United officials have remained in London over the last two days to conduct negotiations for Mata and one other "European-based central midfielder" - believed to be Juventus' Arturo Vidal.

While the second deal is still some way off, and may even be for the summer, sources have stated that there has been considerable movement in Mata negotiations and, for the first time, Chelsea are considering a sale to a domestic rival.

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While any such move would involve United breaking their transfer record - with figures of around £40 million being mooted - the Old Trafford hierarchy is said to have been jolted into the action by the urgency of the club's situation after Sunday's 3-1 defeat to Chelsea.

Previously, Old Trafford insiders had been hugely concerned that officials were too rigid in sticking to a policy of refusing to "pay over the odds" in terms of fees and wages, even though that was all that was required in the case of many of the players United have pursued since June.

Any deal for Mata would involve a marked departure from that, and it is understood they are finally prepared to do so. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, however, will have the final say over whether the Spanish playmaker leaves - amid suggestions the club would still prefer to sell Mata abroad.

Meanwhile, United feel a significant wage increase can entice Vidal to the club - either now or in the summer. Although the Chilean midfielder is hugely happy at Juventus, and turned down Bayern Munich for the Italian champions, initial negotiations were encouraging for United.

The fact that Vidal is also on relatively low wages for a player at a big European club, and that Juve are maintaining a comparatively prudent approach to transfers, means United feel they have some leverage.

United are also keeping tabs on Vidal's team-mate Claudio Marchisio, and have renewed interest in Roma's Miralem Pjanic, Atletico Madrid's Koke as well as Newcastle United's Yohan Cabaye.

The range of targets reflect what has been a frustrating period in the market for Moyes, with United said to have scouted up to 40 players over the past few months.

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Premier League - Paper Round: Real ponder Rooney swoop

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    OOJ  - Wayne Rooney (Getty)

Real Madrid are weighing up a move for Wayne Rooney while Manchester United are in advanced talks with Chelsea over Juan Mata, whose signing will spark a £70m Old Trafford spending spree - here are the main stories making headlines in today's papers.

Real Madrid plan Rooney bid: Both the Daily Telegraph and The Times report that Real Madrid are lining up a summer swoop forManchester United striker Wayne Rooney. The Telegraph claims that the Spanish giants have turned their attentions to the £25 million England international as he is a more attainable target thanManchester City's Sergio Aguero, who is contracted at the Etihad Stadium until 2017. Real are aware they are unlikely to prise the Argentine away with The Times reporting that City have no intention of selling their most prized asset. The paper adds that Real also consider Radamel Falcao of Monaco as a more realistic targets, with another option, Luis Suarez, likely to command a world record fee and therefore falls into the same category as Aguero.

Paper Round's view: United are adamant that they will not sell Rooney, but if he is to move elsewhere at the end of the season, a deal with a foreign club would surely be preferable to selling him to a direct rival such as Chelsea. A Rooney-Ronaldo reunion at the Bernabeu is a mouthwatering prospect, but don't bank on it just yet - if United can bring in new faces this month, turn around their season, or at least give encouragement for the future, then Rooney may yet decide to stay put.

Read the full story (Telegraph)

Read the full story (Times - paywall)

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Chelsea prepared to sell Mata to United: United are closing in on sealing a deal with Chelsea for Juan Mata, with just the final approval of Jose Mourinho needed before a transfer of more than £40m is rubber stamped. That, according to The Independent, is likely to happen this week with only United prepared to match Chelsea's valuation of a player they believe has a similar value to Mesut Ozil who cost Arsenal more than £42m in the summer. Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked with the Spaniard, but are unlikely to go as far as United to get their man. Meanwhile, The Times claims United are hopeful of being able to conclude a deal before the Premier League match at home to Cardiff City on Tuesday.

Paper Round's view: This is one deal that appears to be happening. Mata's future clearly doesn't lie at Chelsea, and with United - in their desperation to salvage their season - the only club willing to go over the £40m mark, it seems as though the only remaining issue is his price. Whether it turns out to be £37m or £42m, it won't matter a jot to United fans, who will surely just be pleased to see a quality player arrive and inject some badly-needed impetus to what has so far been a disastrous season.

Read the full story.

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Mata signing to prompt spending spree: The Daily Mail claims that Mata's arrival at Old Trafford will spark a £70m signing spree, with Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye, £7m-ratedBayern Munich defender Dante and Borussia Monchengladbach winger Patrick Herrmann on David Moyes' radar. United are likely to test Newcastle's resolve with a £20m bid for Cabaye, while Dante admitted on Tuesday he hoped a deal could be done before the end of the month. A potential £8.5m offer for 22-year-old Hermann, dubbed 'the new Marco Reus', will follow.

Paper Round's view: That's quite some list, but you'd be forgiven for refusing to believe it until all four are wearing the red of United, given the club's recent failings in the transfer market. The Times suggests that at least the transfer of Dante will not happen, stating in its report that United are not interested in the Brazilian, despite "quotes attributed to the Bayern Munich defender yesterday claiming that the club did want to secure his services". Moyes is set to watch Hermann in action on Friday, but that's no guarantee the player wants to go to Old Trafford, nor that Gladbach will sell up, while there is no meat at all to the Cabaye story. Still, watch this space...

Read the full story.

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Laudrup expected to leave Swansea: Michael Laudrup is heading for the exit door at Swanseathis summer, even if the club avoid relegation, reports the Daily Mirror. The paper claims that the Welsh club's hierarchy believe this will be the Dane's final season in charge, with the only question remaining being whether he walks himself or is pushed. Laudrup admitted earlier this week that the club is facing "dark days" with the dressing room in turmoil and the manager's relationship with the board at breaking point. Swansea would be willing to reduce his £10m buy-out clause if another club comes in, while it would cost them £4m to pay him off in the summer.

Paper Round's view: Clearly all is not well at Swansea - inevitably that's the impression you get when police are called to the training ground amid reports of one player threatening another with a brick. Whether Laudrup can or should be blamed for the club's malaise is open to debate and it remains to be seen whether Swansea's plight has affected Laudrup as a commodity on the market. What is certain though is that the club needs a change.

Read the full story.

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Liverpool eye up De Jong: Liverpool are considering making a loan bid for AC Milan midfielder Nigel de Jong, reports the Daily Mail. With Brazilian Lucas expected to be unavailable for two months through injury, Brendan Rodgers is short in the defensive midfield department. Netherlands international De Jong would be a suitable stop-gap as Liverpool look to maintain their early season form for the remainder of the season.

Paper Round's view: De Jong has Premier League previous, with Manchester City, and would be able to slot into the Liverpool side without too much fuss, one presumes. However, as the report itself indicates, new Milan manager and fellow Dutchman Clarence Seedorf may be reluctant to sanction a move. So don't hold your breath.

League Cup - City stroll into final by brushing aside hapless West Ham

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     OOJ  - Manchester City's Alvaro Negredo (R) celebrates scoring with teammate Fernandinho (C) against West Ham United (Reuters)

ague Cup, Boleyn Ground – West Ham 0-3 Manchester City (Negredo 3' 59', Aguero 24')

Manchester City went through the motions to comfortably book their place in the League Cup final, running out 3-0 winners on the night and 9-0 on aggregate, taking their goal total for the season to 106 in the process.

After swatting aside their opponents 6-0 a fortnight ago, Manuel Pellegrini still named a strong and attacking line-up including Alvaro Negredo, Sergio Aguero and Jesus Navas. Sam Allardyce had little choice to do so after injuries had decimated his squad, particularly in defence, but Andy Carroll made his first start since his return from long-term injury.

City started where they left off in the first leg. A cross from Marcos Lopes found Alvaro Negredo in far too much space in the box after just three minutes, and he headed home with ease. James Tomkinswas the defender most at fault, and boos rang out around Upton Park.

After 15 minutes the lead was almost doubled, Jussi Jaaskelainen tipping an Aguero shot around his left-hand post, but the Argentine striker had to wait less than ten more minutes for redemption. Played through by Lopes, Aguero danced round a couple of hapless defenders before dinking over Jaaskelainen from ten yards.

On the hour mark, City made it three. Negredo looked to have overrun the ball, but that would do disservice to the Spaniard's strength. He got first to the ball, and lifted it over Jaaskelainen.

The game rather petered out as Manchester City slowed the tempo down almost to walking pace, whilst Allardyce and West Ham would have simply been happy at no further damage. However, Manchester City fans and manager will be concerned to have seen Negredo holding his shoulder in pain after a challenge with Tomkins in the final stages.

The 9-0 aggregate win is the biggest recorded in the League Cup.

KEY MOMENTS

3' – GOAL: West Ham 0-1 Manchester City. Ah, not the start they wanted. Cross from Marcos Lopes on the left, and Alvaro Negredo is completely free and heads home.

6' – DISALLOWED GOAL: Harsh on West Ham, but Kevin Nolan is offside as he volleys home past Costel Pantilimon.

16' – FINE SAVE: A diving stop from Jaaskelainen. Sergio Aguero runs from deep after Taylor loses the ball in midfield, and the Argentinean forces the goalkeeper to tip wide.

24' – GOAL: West Ham 0-2 Manchester City. Sergio Aguero gets his goal, and that's eight on aggregate. Fantastic work from youngster Marcos Lopes, who stabs it through to Aguero. He beats a couple of weak challenges before dinking it over the goalkeeper.

59' – GOAL: West Ham 0-3 Manchester City. You think that the chance has gone for City as Negredo overruns the ball, but the strong striker still gets to the ball first and dinks it over Jaaskelainen. Brilliant.

KEY STATS

Six goals in his last six games now for Sergio Aguero

Costel Pantilimon is yet to concede a goal during this League Cup run.

West Ham have won as many games in the League Cup as in the Premier League this season.

TALKING POINT

Can Allardyce hang on to his job? Big Sam talked about gaining some pride before the match, but was left with little apart from more problems. His side have won as many League Cup games as Premier League matches this season, but now the focus will turn to whether the reported 13th highest paid manager in the world can halt a rather alarming slide. One suspects that he is fast running out of time to save himself.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Marcos Lopes (Manchester City): Alvaro Negredo scored a brace, but Marcos Lopes set up two of City's goals as the only youngster in the visitors' line-up impressed mightily alongside his peers. The watching Manuel Pellegrini will have been convinced by both Lopes' ball control and confidence as he gave Razvan Rat a torrid time.

PLAYER RATINGS

WEST HAM: Jaaskelainen 6, Nolan 6, Tomkins 5, Rat 5, Carroll 7, Taylor 6, Morrison 6, Diarra 6, Diame 7, J.Cole 6, Johnson 6, C.Cole 6, Downing 6, Collison 6... Subs: Cole 6, Downing 6, Collison N/A.

MANCHESTER CITY: Pantilimon 6, Clichy 7, Nastasic 6, Lescott 7, Boyata 6, Lopes 9, Fernandinho 7, Garcia 6, Navas 5, Negredo 8, Aguero 8, Rodwell 6, Jovetic 6, Kolarov 6... Subs: Rodwell 6, Jovetic 6, Kolarov 6.

MATCH IN A TWEET

Australian Open - Radwanska knocks out defending champion Azarenka

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     OOJ  - Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland celebrates defeating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus (Reuters)

Silent assassin Agnieszka Radwanska ended Victoria Azarenka's bid for a hat-trick of titles at Melbourne Park and reached her maiden Australian Open semi-final with a 6-1 5-7 6-0 win.

The crafty Pole frustrated Azarenka with a scrambling, cat-and-mouse game early and completely dismantled the big Belarusian in the third set to close out the match in exactly two hours under bright sunshine at Rod Laver Arena.

Fifth seed Radwanska's triumph ensured the top three seeds have all been eliminated early, with world number one Serena Williams and third-ranked Maria Sharapova already dumped from the tournament.

The 24-year-old Radwanska will play 20th-seeded SlovakianDominika Cibulkova, who beat 11th seed Simona Halep, for a place in the final.

"The best quarter-final for sure," Radwanska beamed in a courtside interview after snapping a seven-match losing streak to the world number two.

"I have played a couple of quarter-finals before and I said to myself one day I need to take one step forward and make the semi-final and final. I'm so, so happy that I did it finally.

"It was always hard. I have lost so many times against her before and I knew she was a very great player, very consistent so I just knew that I had to play my best tennis.

"Play aggressive and go for every shot that I could. That was what I was trying to do and it worked today."

Double defending champion Azarenka was a picture of torment, spraying unforced errors all over the centre court as she slumped to a 5-0 deficit in the first set.

She finally held serve in the sixth game and pummelled her legs with her fists, letting out an angst-filled shriek to try to shake herself out of her stupor.

She was powerless to prevent Radwanska from closing out the set, however, when she bamboozled the Belarusian with a deft drop-shot that was harmlessly pushed into the tramlines.

Azarenka rallied and pounced as Radwanska served to stay in the set at 6-5, blasting a string of fierce returns to bring up set points and levelled the match with a searing crosscourt winner.

The Belarusian dipped again, though, double-faulting to bring up a second break point in the opening game of the third set, and then losing serve when she floated a backhand long.

After Radwanska held for 2-0, Azarenka needlessly blasted a volley into the back of the court raising jeers from the crowd, and promptly lost the next four points to go a double-break down.

Tested on serve at 4-0, Radwanska raised huge roars from the terraces with a succession of exquisite points, scrambling down a series of would-be winners to hold, prompting Azarenka to crumble in the final game of the match.

"I just didn't have the focus on finishing the point... She really took advantage of that," Azarenka said.

"My game wasn't there as I wanted it ... She was aggressive, she was making everything."

Quarter-final results

5-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat 2-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 6-1 5-7 6-0

20-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) beat 11-Simona Halep (Romania) 6-3 6-0

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Everton sweat on Coleman

Everton face an anxious wait to discover the extent of Seamus Coleman's hamstring problem, which could rule him out of the Merseyside derby.

The Republic of Ireland international limped off 10 minutes from the end of Monday's 1-1 draw at West Brom and will be assessed at the club's Finch Farm training ground later on Tuesday.

Everton travel to League One Stevenage in the FA Cup on Saturday before heading to Anfield three days later.

"We are going to be cautious and see what the problem is, but it's not a good sign because Seamus would never want to come off the football pitch," said manager Roberto Martinez.

"He felt his hamstring, so we will have to assess it. He has been in a terrific moment of form so we will try to get him back on as quick as we can."

The 25-year-old right-back has flourished since Martinez arrived in the summer, scoring six goals, with five coming in his last 11 matches.

Everton have cover in the form of John Stones, who has also been employed at centre-back this season after injuries to Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin, while the out-of-favour John Heitinga is still at Goodison Park, despite being told he can find a new club in the transfer window to boost his World Cup hopes.

Everton obtain work permit for Lacina Traore

Monaco striker Lacina Traore's expected move to Everton is a major step closer after the club obtained a work permit for the Ivory Coast international.

Everton boss Roberto Martinez wants to bring the 23-year-old to Goodison Park until the end of the season, and only the formalities with Monaco remain to be tied up.

"Everton confirm they have been granted a work permit for Lacina Traore," said a spokesman.

"Talks are ongoing with Monaco to secure the 23-year-old's services."

Martinez confirmed his interest following Monday's 1-1 draw at West Brom, saying: "Lacina is a player who I really like and is someone who would fit in really well in the role we want the player to come in.

"He is a very talented footballer. He is only 23 and has already had a couple of moves (totalling) nearly £30 million, but every work permit is a difficult one and we will try our best."

Traore is 6'8" tall, and is a replacement for Nikica Jelavic, who departed for Hull last week.

Chelsea set Mata price

Chelsea are understood to be willing to listen to offers for Manchester United target and Spain international Juan Mata.

The attacking midfielder - a £23.5m signing from Valencia in 2011 - has found first-team opportunities limited under Jose Mourinho this season, playing 90 minutes on just three occasions.

Reports of the 25-year-old's potential departure from Stamford Bridge have gathered greater momentum this week amidst reported interest from Manchester United.

David Moyes' side are seventh in the Premier league table and are in need of some fresh blood as they look to get their league campaign back on track.

Tuesday's newspapers claim the champions are set to make a move for the two-time Chelsea player of the year for a fee believed to be in the region of £37m.

One man who remains unconvinced by Mata's proposed arrival at Old Trafford is former Manchester United defender Gary Neville.

"That's a lot of money, 37 million quid, but they need a signing," Neville said on Monday Night Football.

"Does he fit with what I would call the typical philosophy of Manchester United? I would say no.

"The first question, I think, is where are you going to play? Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie are up top if they are fit so where are you going to play him? Are you going to play him off the left or off the right?

"They would have to change to accommodate Juan Mata in the way they normally play. They normally play with wide players. Sometimes they tuck in, but generally they have wide players and the thing for me is where is he going to play?

"He's obviously a fantastic football player, there's no doubt about that, but one thing it does do, I suppose, is that David Moyes, Manchester United and Ed Woodward need to sign a big player."

Dutch coach Andries Jonker to take over Arsenal Academy

Arsenal have named Dutch youth development expert Andries Jonker as the new head of their Academy.

The 51-year-old will join the Gunners at the end of the season from German club Wolfsburg, where he is currently working as their assistant manager.

Jonker previously spent seven years developing and implementing youth coaching reforms for the Dutch FA and also spent spells managing Holland's U15 and U21 teams.

He has been part of the backroom staff at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, both times in tandem with Louis van Gaal, and joined Wolfsburg in 2012.

His appointment follows Liam Brady's decision to leave his role of head of youth development and the Irishman will work with Jonker to ensure a smooth transition - Brady is maintaining his association with the Gunners in an ambassadorial role.

Boss Arsene Wenger said: "I am very pleased that Andries is joining us. He has a big reputation in the game and was a key part of the team which developed the structures which are now producing such strong young players in Holland.

"I look forward to working with him. I would also like to thank Liam for his work which has been outstanding over many years."

Chief executive Ivan Gazidis added: "Youth development is a key part of our philosophy at Arsenal and I am delighted that Andries is joining us.

"He has an outstanding track record in developing and identifying young players and creating systems to bring the best out of them. I know he will build on the tremendous work which has been done by Liam and his team over many years."

Mourinho undergoes elbow op

Chelsea have announced manager Jose Mourinho underwent surgery on his elbow on Monday in an attempt to cure a long-standing complaint.

The 50-year-old oversaw Chelsea's 3-1 Premier League defeat of Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday before attending a Football Writers' Association dinner at the Savoy Hotel where he was honoured with an award.

He then went under the surgeon's knife on Monday.

Chelsea stated on Twitter: "Jose Mourinho today underwent a minor arthroscopic procedure on a long-standing elbow complaint. He will return to work tomorrow."

Hazard shuns talk of PSG move

Eden Hazard has responded to speculation linking him with Paris Saint Germain by insisting he has no intention of leaving Chelsea.

The Belgian winger has been in sparkling form this season under Jose Mourinho, and reports in France claim that PSG have him on their radar.

But the former Lille winger is in no hurry to return to Ligue 1 and is very happy at Stamford Bridge.

"For four years, during each transfer market, there are rumours I will go here and there," Hazard told French television show Tele-Foot.

"Paris has money, Paris is a great club. But I am at Chelsea, there is no chance to see me leaving during that transfer market or during the next one, I think.

"I don't want to leave. To me, Chelsea is the best place to improve."

Hazard shuns talk of PSG move

Eden Hazard has responded to speculation linking him with Paris Saint Germain by insisting he has no intention of leaving Chelsea.

The Belgian winger has been in sparkling form this season under Jose Mourinho, and reports in France claim that PSG have him on their radar.

But the former Lille winger is in no hurry to return to Ligue 1 and is very happy at Stamford Bridge.

"For four years, during each transfer market, there are rumours I will go here and there," Hazard told French television show Tele-Foot.

"Paris has money, Paris is a great club. But I am at Chelsea, there is no chance to see me leaving during that transfer market or during the next one, I think.

"I don't want to leave. To me, Chelsea is the best place to improve."

Martinez: Traore deal agreed

Everton manager Roberto Martinez has revealed a deal has been agreed to sign Monaco striker Lacina Traore on loan subject to a work permit.

The Ivory Coast international joined the French league side earlier this month but they are willing to allow him to gain experience somewhere else for the next few months.

West Ham were in the running for the 6ft 8in forward but Everton have stepped in, and after a medical allayed any concerns over a hamstring injury the Toffees boss said they now just had to secure the necessary paperwork to allow him to sign.

"Lacina is a player who I really like and is someone who would fit in in really well in the role we want the player to come in," said Martinez.

"There are a couple of hurdles that we need to get over; the work permit is something we need to look into.

"If we can get through that he will be a player we will be very keen to add to the squad.

"He had a recent soft tissue problem but it is not too bad. He is a few days away from being fully fit and we were quite happy with the medical.

"Every work permit is difficult. We have a very strong case of showing why we need Lacina with us.

"He is a very talented footballer. He is only 23 and has already had a couple of moves (totalling) nearly £30million but every work permit is a difficult one and we will try our best."

Mourinho vows to see out contract

Jose Mourinho is determined to eclipse his own managerial record under Roman Abramovich by completing his contract as Chelsea manager.

Mourinho's first Stamford Bridge reign lasted from June 2004 until September 2007, identifying him as the longest-serving coach of the 10 to have worked beneath Abramovich.

The Portuguese's second spell at Chelsea is underpinned by a four-year contract and he believes the stability he now sees at the club will result in a longer stay.

"I have the record - three and a half years. I have to try and beat the record!" said Mourinho ahead of Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with Manchester United.

"The club is good - it is more mature and stable now. The club knows what it really wants. The basic thing is the club wants to win, but it also knows the direction it wants to go in.

"That's why I came back. Not just because I love Chelsea and want to be back, I came because I believe in the project.

"I'm here to do my best and to beat the record. I have a four-year contract, so hopefully I'll beat the record."

Mourinho shrugged off the perception that he excels at making an immediate impact, shaking up a club amid a wave of controversy before moving on.

The Chelsea manager insists he can change his managerial style to suit a long-term assignment.

"I study and reflect a lot about my style of leadership when I'm at a certain club," he said.

"If you want the best results immediately and for a couple of years, your leadership can be much more confrontational. It's a different way to educate your players.

"Having a relationship with players for a couple of years is different to educating players with the mentality that I will have them for six, seven or eight years.

"It's a different job for me at Chelsea this time. It's time to be different because of my own project of life.

"I have had my career project since the beginning. I wanted to work in Italy, Spain and England. I wanted to try to win the leagues in these big football countries.

"For us it's very important to be a family that lives together day by day. So I wanted to do it while having this family concept.

"I was so happy at Inter Milan, but the only reason I left was because I wanted to go to Spain. Otherwise I would have stayed at Inter.

"At this stage I don't have these ambitions. At this moment I know where I want to be, it's so simple."

Mourinho voiced his admiration for Manchester United's 18-year-old winger Adnan Januzaj - "he's a fantastic player, he's 25 not 18" - and admits it is a pressing concern for Chelsea's academy to produce a player for the first team.

"This is very important, it's something I want to happen," Mourinho said.

"John Terry was the last player to come through the academy into the first team and that was not with me, it was before me."

Mourinho also insists there is no plan to send Juan Mata out on loan during the January transfer window.

Cesar Azpilicueta knew Chelsea chance would come

Cesar Azpilicueta claims he always believed that he would get a chance under Jose Mourinho if he worked hard.

A change of manager at Chelsea over the summer, with Mourinho returning to succeed interim boss Rafa Benitez, and a late return for pre-season after Confederations Cup duty left the Blues' Spanish full-back playing catch-up.

Azpilicueta was forced to be patient in his pursuit of recognition, but he has been given his opportunity to shine over recent weeks.

Mourinho opted to deploy him at left-back ahead of the vastly-experienced Ashley Cole for a spell, but it could be that the pair line up in tandem down the left against Manchester United on Sunday.

Azpilicueta is not concerned where he plays, just as long as his hard work on the training ground is recognised with a regular role.

He told The Independent on Sunday: "I came (back) three weeks later so missed the team's early preparations.

"I kept working since that day and knew that if I had the chance to show the manager if he needs me, I will be there. I knew I could be better and try to give everything.

"He did say to me he had confidence in me and that I would have time to play - but I earn it on the pitch. That's the most important thing."

On filling in for England stalwart Cole, the 24-year-old added: "I know he's been playing for a long time. I try to play, he tries to play, and do our best after the manager makes a decision."

Mourinho appears to be getting most decisions right, with Chelsea five points off the pace in the Premier League title race with Sunday's crunch clash with United to come, and Azpilicueta believes everything has started to click into place at Stamford Bridge.

He said: "We have more stability, we have more time to prepare and the team, same as me, are settling really well.

"To be a big team, you need to play with the same players, the same manager. We are in a high level, so I think now we are starting to get that, and I think everyone is feeling on the pitch that we are starting to be a better team.

"Now hopefully, we will have a period of stability, with good results and everybody happy - and trophies."

Toure: Reds still contenders

Liverpool defender Kolo Toure believes their Premier League title hopes are not over, but admits some perspective needs to be applied.

In the build up to Saturday's 2-2 draw at home to Aston Villa, Reds manager Brendan Rodgers said they should be mentioned as genuine rivals to Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea.

They began the weekend six points behind leaders Arsenal but dropped points at home mean the gap is now eight.

Toure accepts the Merseysiders under-performed against Villa but stressed prior to the start of the season that no-one expected them to be as close to the top as they are.

"We are still in that (title race) because every team can lose points," he told Press Association Sport.

"For us we just need to think about the next game 100 per cent, try to win and be positive.

"What we have done so far no-one was expecting at the start of the season.

"We need to take that on board and just keep going. When you have hard times you see a strong team and we are a strong team.

"The first half was very hard but the reaction from the team was great after going 2-0 down to a good Villa side - last year they won (3-1) here and it wasn't easy for us.

"We got a point and that showed the character of the team. We don't want to lose and that is very important, especially at home.

"Other teams will make errors. We just need to maintain our focus and believe in ourselves. In 16 games a lot can happen."

Rodgers said he was willing to take the blame after his decision to pick an attacking line-up backfired in the first half.

He dropped defensive midfielder Lucas Leiva in order to accommodate Daniel Sturridge, making his first start since November 7 after injury, and although the striker repaid him with a goal Liverpool were already 2-0 down at that point.

The benefits brought by Sturridge's inclusion were offset by the absence of Lucas as Steven Gerrard struggled in the holding role despite Rodgers' lavish praise for his performance in that position at Stoke.

Lucas was introduced at half-time, allowing Gerrard the freedom to move further forward and supply the pass which resulted in Luis Suarez being brought down by goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Gerrard converted from the penalty spot but Liverpool could not force a winner.

"Every time we play at home we want to win and we didn't cope very well with that as a team from the start," said Toure of the offence-minded line-up.

"When you want to win games you have to put attacking players in and that is what we tried to do.

"Every season you have games like that and our reaction showed we don't want to lose at home.

"We didn't have a solution but the manager adjusted the team and then everything changed from there.

"The manager is very clever and our team can adapt to any system. We have the flexibility to do that and if one thing is not working, we change."

Liverpool saved their worst 45 minutes under Rodgers for the visit of principal owner John W Henry, over from America with chairman Tom Werner.

The Reds boss had already spoken to the pair the night before the match and received assurances there was money available in January to strengthen the squad.

"We had a good chat Friday night. I am very happy with everything they said," said Rodgers.

"If there are players available that we can get here then we will be able to do that business but I've known that for a number of months."

Villa boss Paul Lambert felt his side would have repeated last year's surprise win had they been more clinical in a dominant first half.

"We should have been out of sight and I thought we played better than we did last year when we won," he said.

"I thought we were outstanding, the whole game we were fantastic, and there were some massive performances. I thought we should have won."

Injury to Fernando Torres means no move for Demba Ba

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Demba Ba will not be leaving the club in January after Fernando Torres suffered a knee injury.

Torres suffered the problem in Chelsea's 3-1 win over Manchester United after he replaced hat-trick hero Samuel Eto'o.

After the match, Mourinho confirmed that they had now closed the door on any possible departure for Ba, who had been linked with several Premier League rivals.

"Now we lose Fernando for a few weeks with something in his lateral ligament [in his knee] and that is why we have Demba in the squad," said Mourinho.

"We decided not to open the door to him [to leave] because he is a good player and we need him. The next few weeks is Demba and Samuel and I hope they do well for us."

Mourinho hopes Ba will take his chance in the coming weeks.

"It's time for Demba. It's a pity because Nando (Torres) is in a good moment, but it's time for Demba," he said.

"Demba had a fantastic week; (it was) very difficult for me to leave him out of selection because he worked very, very well. Next matches is for Demba or Samuel. Let's go."