Barcelona 4-1 Real Betis while Messi suffer leg injury

Thanks to goals by Neymar, Pedro and a Cesc Fabregas double, Barcelona increased their lead at the top overcoming Real Betis and capitalize on a stumble by title rival Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

               

Messi limped off with a leg injury when the game was goalless before Neymar side footed Barca ahead after a low Cesc Fabregas cross.

Pedro's curling shot made it 2-0 before Fabregas finished off a fine team move.

Fabregas headed his side's fourth before Jorge Molina scored for Betis from the penalty spot.

It was too easy for the La Liga champions at times as bottom of the table Betis contributed to their own downfall with some poor defending.

"We started without any intensity and they were rolling over us for the first 20-25 minutes," Fabregas said. "But then we had a good 20 minutes before dominating in the second half."

Fabregas, who has started nine of Barca's 13 league matches and appeared particularly put out at not being chosen to start Wednesday's Champions League win over AC Milan, made it clear he wants to prove his worth to coach Gerard Martino.

"I know the starting 11 that my coach has in his head and that I am not in it," Fabregas said. "I will work as much as I can to erase any doubts."

Barcelona said Messi and Fabregas would undergo tests on Monday to determine the extent of their injuries.

Ramsey gave Arsenal a history win over Dortmund

Aaron Ramsey's header gave Arsenal a battling victory over Borussia Dortmund to keep Arsene Wenger's side top of Champions League Group F.

If Arsenal really are the symphony orchestra that Jürgen Klopp so colourfully described, there can be no doubt who has emerged this season as their lead conductor.

     

     

Aaron Ramsey had begun Wednesday by being voted Arsenal’s player of the month for a fourth consecutive time and ended it by scoring the winner in a hugely significant victory against Borussia Dortmund.

It was Ramsey’s 11th Arsenal goal in 17 games this season, equalling his return during his previous five years and 150 matches for the club.

Tomas Rosicky, the former Dortmund midfielder, switched the play to the right and, when the otherwise quiet Mesut Özil floated over a cross, Olivier Giroud challenged with every ounce of his physical strength. He did what he had to do and, suddenly, there was Ramsey, stretching to get there first, ignoring Neven Subotic's raised boot, to head beyond the clutches of Roman Weidenfeller. Ramsey has now equalled his goals return from his previous five seasons at the club.

In the end one goal was enough. Dortmund had failed to score only once in their last 60 home games and had won their last eight home ties in the Champions League, but their search for an equaliser constantly ran into dead ends and Szczesny did not have another serious save to make before the end.

The win gave Arsenal much-needed revenge for their defeat at home to Dortmund a fortnight ago, but their passage through to the last 16 is still far from straightforward.

Even if the Gunners beat bottom side Marseille at the Emirates on 26 November, they could still need to pick up a point at Napoli in their final group game in order to secure their progress.

Suarez want to win league title

Luis Suarez insists Liverpool are still aiming for the top despite being shot down by the Gunners at the weekend.

The controversial striker has dismissed reports linking him with a switch to Real Madrid in the January transfer window, by instead insisting he feels “comfortable and happy” at Anfield.


              

And he puts that down to an incredible team spirit he says won’t be diminished by the disappointing defeat at Arsenal, which saw the Reds blow a chance to go top of the Premier League.

“I know nothing of any interest from Real Madrid, and I am happy with Liverpool,” Suarez explained in an interview with Sport 890, a radio station in his native Uruguay.

“In the team we are all really excited, and looking forward to a good season. We have been at the top so far, and we are still aiming at the top - we still have momentum and we can believe that the top spot is marked for us.

“We believe in the team and we believe we can have a really good season - an exciting season.

“The Premier League is the best league there is. The stadiums, the atmosphere and the fans make football here so entertaining.”

Liverpool attacker Daniel Sturridge hopes strike partner Luis Suarez will remain at Anfield as he looks to build on a prolific start alongside the Uruguayan.

Suarez publicly stated his desire to leave during pre-season, prompting Arsenal to bid £40,000,001 million in an attempt to trigger a release clause, but the Reds held firm and rejected all offers.


             

The pair have since netted 16 goals between them this season but Sturridge is concerned by the continual uncertainty over Suarez, and admits it is ultimately the striker who will make the decision over his future.


"It’s great to play with him, we give defenders problems and we both play differently, so it’s good to have a strike partner you can bounce off," Sturridge told talkSPORT.

"It’s going to great for him and everybody wants him to stay and it’s up to Luis to decide what he wants to do.

"We as a club, the fans and the players, everybody wants him to stay, but if Luis wants to decide it’s best for him to move on then that’s the way it’s got to be. But I think everybody wants Luis to stay and I’m sure that he will."

Torino ended Roma's perfect start with 1-1

Roma's 100% start to the season was finally ended as Torino grabbed a fully deserved point, Alessio Cerci once again the hero for the Granata with his eighth goal of the season.

            

Dutchman Kevin Strootman put Roma ahead in the first half with a close-range finish.

But after the break Torino's top-scorer Alessio Cerci became just the second player to score against Roma this season to earn a deserved point.

Roma became the first team to win the opening 10 matches of a Serie A season when they beat Chievo 1-0 on Thursday.

           

Kevin Strootman put Roma ahead in the first half before Alessio Cerci's 63rd-minute equaliser ended Morgan De Sanctis's run of seven successive clean sheets and 744 minutes' playing time.

The only other goal Roma have conceded this season was in their third game against Parma, which they went on to win 3-1.

Roma lead Serie A with 31 points followed by Napoli and the title holders, Juventus, on 28.

Napoli beat Catania 2-1 and Juventus overcame Parma 1-0 away on Saturday night and the championship already looks likely to turn into a three-horse race.

Roma set a new Serie A record by winning their first 10 games and were on course for an 11th when the Dutchman Strootman fired them ahead after Miralem Pjanic had pulled the ball back.

But a lethargic Roma side handed the initiative to the hosts after the break. Riccardo Meggiorini had already forced a superb save from De Sanctis when he outmuscled the defender Mehdi Benatia and crossed low for Cerci to bundle the ball into the net against his former club.