Ligue 1
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Unai Emery has all the aces but he has not worked out how to play without Marco Verratti, whose absence was painfully obvious in the 1-1 draw with Monaco
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Marseille have completed the £25m transfer of Dimitri Payet from West Ham United after a protracted saga in which the forward effectively went on strike
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Guardian Sport Network West Ham can afford to sell Dimitri Payet but they must keep Andy Carroll fit
West Ham win more matches, score more goals and are a stronger defensive unit when Andy Carroll is in the team -
Allegations of warring agents and accusations of high-pressure tactics have surrounded the young France striker’s move from Rennes to Borussia Dortmund last year
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Mario Balotelli was sent off in stoppage time as nine-man Nice saw their lead at the top of Ligue 1 trimmed to two points heading into the winter break
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Every deal in the top five leagues in Europe – Spain, England, France, Germany and Italy – as they happen. And sign up for updates on your team
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The Arsenal player doesn’t throw himself into tackles but he has a knack for winning the ball back high up the pitch and creating chances for team-mates
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Guardian Sport Network Will England regret missing out on Wilfried Zaha if he plays for Ivory Coast?
Wilfried Zaha put in another standout performance for Crystal Palace against Hull City at the weekend. Should Gareth Southgate try to intervene?
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The top two teams in the Premier League – and five of the top six in Germany – are not involved in European competitions. What does this trend mean?
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Nice are unbeaten in Ligue 1 this season and, with eight wins in 10 matches, they have more points per game than Bayern Munich, Juventus or Real Madrid
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A look at Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid, Celtic v Manchester City and Atlético Madrid v Bayern Munich, plus best XIs from six European leagues
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Nice’s brilliant start to the season continued when Mario Balotelli struck another double as they sank Monaco 4-0 in the Azurean derby to go top of Ligue 1 on Wednesday
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Leicester spent a lot of money on Islam Slimani, Ahmed Musa and Nampalys Mendy but their signings are not compensating for the loss of N’Golo Kanté
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Mario Balotelli scores twice on debut for Nice in 3-2 defeat of Marseille, then says joining Liverpool was ‘worst mistake of my life’
The best goals of the week The best goals of the week: Fernando Torres, Andy Delort and Jonny Howson