Djibril Cisse: Ex-Liverpool striker questioned over sex tape plot

Former Liverpool and France striker Djibril Cisse has been released by police following his arrest over a sex tape extortion plot.

Cisse was one of four people held by police over an alleged attempt to blackmail an international footballer.

The ex-Sunderland and QPR forward, 34, was questioned because he knew the others involved, police said.

French prosecutors said Cisse was not thought to be an instigator of the conspiracy.

An official said the attempted extortion - an offence which carries a minimum five-year sentence - involved video footage of sex that had been recorded on a mobile phone.

The alleged victim has not been identified by the authorities "out of respect for their private life", reported Associated Press news agency.

Cisse joined Liverpool from Auxerre for a then club-record fee of £14m in 2004. He scored 24 goals in 79 appearances for the Merseyside club - winning the Champions League and the FA Cup - before leaving in 2007.

He then returned to the Premier League with Sunderland in 2008, netting 11 goals during a season-long loan, before signing for QPR in January 2012, for whom he scored 10 goals in an 18-month spell.

Cisse, who was released by Ligue 1 side Bastia in the summer, also scored nine times for France in 41 appearances.

Arsenal v Man Utd: Is Theo Walcott maturing into a striker?

Premier League: Arsenal v Manchester United

On the day Anthony Martial's status exploded as the teenager became a luxury-priced prospect for Manchester United, and Arsenal's vain summer search for an elite striker ended in disappointment, it was easy to reach the conclusion that the pool of established, talented forwards at the north London club was worryingly dry.

Both clubs had an easy £50m or so to spend on central strikers, and the best they could apparently come up with between them was a kid with a handful of goals to his name so far.

While Martial has been a revelation for United, a turbo-charged and cool-headed game-changer in terms of his impact on the team so far, Arsene Wenger was left examining internal solutions.

For Arsenal, who spent most of the transfer window like a teenager agonisingly watching the telephone to see if Karim Benzema's number would flash up, this was particularly frustrating.

Ever since the most prolific striker in their history, Thierry Henry, opined last April that Arsenal couldn't win the Premier League title without an upgrade in that department, the pressure to improve cranked up. "I'm afraid they need a top, top quality striker to win this league again," he said.

A tale of two strikers
	Olivier Giroud	Theo Walcott
Minutes played (2015 Premier League)	313	364
Goals	3	2
Assists	0	0
Shots	15	18
Shots on target	9	11
Sprints/90 mins	63.2	55.8

It was pretty clear, as far as Henry was concerned, that his compatriot Olivier Giroud was not in that "top, top quality" bracket.

It is telling that Theo Walcott was not really a major part of that conversation. At the time he was kicking his heels, mostly on the bench, trying to maintain the right mixture of patience and determination to take a chance when it came having spent a year recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.

More or less all of 2014 was spent rehabilitating, and changing his perspective as he became a father. Arsenal's first choice centre-forward? It was his ambition but it felt like a long shot.

Right now, ahead of a compelling challenge between Arsenal and Manchester United this weekend at the Emirates, the position feels like Walcott's for the taking. He has had to wait a long time to press his case. As he says: "I'll play anywhere, but the manager started playing me up front slowly."

Opportunities are now knocking. Wenger's inability to sign anyone in the last transfer window pushed Walcott up the pecking order, which appears to have been advanced even more by Giroud having a difficult time of it lately.

The Frenchman was jeered when he missed some chances for the national team, and sent off in Arsenal's defeat by Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, and Walcott looks to have eased in front. Giroud was the starter for the first two games of the Premier League campaign. But since then Walcott has started five of the last six Premier League and Champions League fixtures.

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright recently called for Walcott to be given "a genuine run of games up there… let him prove he can do it".

He has responded by chipping in with regular goals and assists. His chance conversion still needs to improve, but 12 from 13 Premier League starts is not to be sniffed at. Once he got that unexpected berth to lead the line at the FA Cup final, in which he opened the scoring against Aston Villa, this was always going to be a key season.

His confident body language suggests he feels he belongs up front now and welcomes the responsibility. He also possesses a coolness of character which means he doesn't look affected if he misses a chance, and just concentrates on waiting for the next one.

Can he be the answer? It is still too early to say, but one thing that is clearly different about this campaign is Wenger's attitude towards a player he has worked on for almost a decade. For the first time the manager regards Walcott purely as a central striker.

Every minute of this season he has played so far has been in that role, not at all on the right flank he occupied for a long time, where he could sometimes get lost.

Arsenal v Man Utd: When Arsenal hated Ruud van Nistelrooy

Arsenal v Manchester United

Venue: Emirates Stadium

The stark words hang in the air as Patrick Vieira reflects on one of the most tense moments of his Arsenal playing career, when he was sent off - deeply unjustly, he felt - following a skirmish with Ruud van Nistelrooy.

"At that moment, I hated him," confesses Vieira of the then Manchester United striker.

He is discussing, of course, the infamous Manchester United-Arsenal league match in 2003 which finished goalless but certainly did not lack incident and will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

His expression is bashful, as if he were aware of what a bizarrely severe impulse it is to vocalise more than a decade later, older and wiser and far from the heat of the moment.

Vieira is a genial, friendly man and now a key figure in Manchester City's coaching set-up. Van Nistelrooy, also said to be easy-going, has dabbled with coaching in the Netherlands since retiring from playing in 2012.

Yet embroiled in competition, the sparks of ill-will were easily ignited.

Battle of Old Trafford: How the drama unfolded
13 mins: Ryan Giggs free-kick hits outside of the post
21 mins: Roy Keane receives first of eight yellow cards shown in the game
77 mins: Patrick Vieira booked for foul on Quinton Fortune
80 mins: Vieira shown second yellow for kicking out at Ruud van Nistelrooy
81 mins: Van Nistelrooy also shown yellow card in angry scenes
91 mins: Van Nistelrooy misses injury-time penalty and is pounced upon by Arsenal players

There have been some pretty obvious personality clashes between Premier League footballers over the years. In the sense that football is only a microcosm of life, it shouldn't be so surprising to find people disagree, breed dislikes, and sometimes simply decide they can't stand one another.

Some of the cases have been particularly high profile, as when Luis Suarez was found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra during a stormy Liverpool-Manchester United match at Anfield in 2011.

Chelsea's John Terry and Wayne Bridge could not see eye-to-eye because of an entanglement in their personal lives that emerged in 2010, while in 2001, a long-running feud between Manchester rivals Roy Keane and Alf-Inge Haaland had a particularly vicious conclusion.

Sometimes an enmity develops that is purely about football - a clash of styles and ideology that means a player takes to the pitch very conscious he is coming up against an opponent of whom, to put it generously, he is not particularly fond. It infuses the game with an edge, an energy. Team-mates know about it. Fans can sense it.

Arsenal and Manchester United meet in the Premier League on Saturday and it speaks volumes for where the two teams are now - compared with a decade ago - that the levels of friction are minimal.

That era of rivalry between the two clubs was epitomised by their two charismatic warrior captains - Keane and Vieira. But when the two clubs locked horns in September 2003, the dynamic changed.

It became apparent that one player - Van Nistelrooy - managed to antagonise the entire Arsenal XI and they finally rounded on him in a scene that would not only become infamous but also cost Arsenal the Premier League's biggest ever fine for indiscipline, as well as a string of suspensions.

Chelsea: Has Jose Mourinho blown the title already?

The sound of Jose Mourinho insisting he is the best man to lead Chelsea just four months after taking them to the Premier League title is a measure of the scale of their decline this season.

Chelsea's 3-1 defeat at Everton on Saturday was their third in five league games - adding up to the club's worst start in 29 years as they lie in the uncharted territory, for Mourinho at least, of 16th place in the table.

Is Chelsea's title defence over already?

It takes a brave man to write off Mourinho and Chelsea after only five games of the new season - but even "The Special One" himself was reduced to offering assurances they would not be relegated after being bundled out of the way by Everton.

Study the evidence and, premature as it may seem, it looks like Chelsea's closest rivals Manchester City are already over the hills and far away, with five wins from five and 11 points ahead of the faltering champions.

Chelsea have lost four of their last seven Premier League games - they had lost only four of their previous 44 before this run.

Of course Chelsea will improve. Mourinho is too good a manager, there is too much quality locked in his squad for this poor sequence to continue and his talk of avoiding relegation sounding like a sideways swipe at those revelling in his struggles.

Champions Chelsea's terrible start
This is the first time that Jose Mourinho has lost two successive Premier League games since May 2006.
In their last seven Premier League games, Chelsea have conceded 16 goals - one more than they conceded in the whole of Mourinho's first season in charge in 2004-05 (15).
The last time that Chelsea had a worse start to a top-flight season was in 1986-87 (three points - P5 W0 D3 L2). They finished that season in 14th position.
Chelsea have already equalled their tally of defeats from the whole of 2014-15 (3) after five games of 2015-16.
Chelsea have lost four of their last seven Premier League games - they had only lost four of their previous 44 PL games before this run.
Chelsea's position of 16th after five games is the worst start by a defending champion since Blackburn in 1996. Rovers too were in 16th place after five games, but they were only eight points behind leaders Newcastle.

The bottom line is, however, that City are currently head and shoulders above the rest of the Premier League, showing a capacity to dig out wins at Crystal Palace - with a late goal from Nigerian teenager Kelechi Iheanacho - as well as outclassing Chelsea themselves.

Chelsea are already looking for City to lose four games while they start winning theirs - and the opposite looks more likely at the moment. The crown may have already been taken off their heads.

BBC Sport pundit Robbie Savage told Radio 5 Live: "Chelsea had no idea. I was looking at Jose in his press conference before the game and he didn't look quite right.

"I think the league is over for them, I really do. I can't see them clawing back 11 points on City."

Man Utd: Are the Premier League leaders genuine title contenders?

Manchester United are back on top of the Premier League for the first time in 770 days as the landscape suddenly shifts and Manchester City go from looking invincible to vulnerable.

United's 3-0 win over Sunderland saw them overhaul neighbours City -who lost 4-1 at Tottenham - to occupy a position they have not held since the first match of David Moyes' abysmal reign as manager, when they won 4-1 at Swansea on 17 August 2013.

And while this was a symbolic result rather than a statement of title intent, there were events elsewhere that made it a day of Premier League significance.

Are Man Utd genuine title contenders?

Manager Louis van Gaal can study the table with quiet satisfaction - but he will know this is merely an opening salvo and much work needs to be done.

Juan                                   Mata (third from left) has been involved in 11 Premier League goals in2015, four 

Even so, with City losing and Chelsea's defensive frailties without captain John Terry exposed as they were held to a draw at struggling Newcastle, Van Gaal might be tempted to burst into song once more at Saturday's developments.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho - who has never won a league game on Tyneside - was ultimately grateful for a point after his side came from two goals down late on to earn a draw.

It was, however, an unconvincing performance from the reigning champions, who are 15th, and one that suggested plenty of problems still need to be solved before they return to the authority of last season.

United's title credentials may become a lot clearer after their next three games, which take them to Arsenal, followed by a trip to Everton that often ends in disappointment then the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Sunday, 25 October.

What is certain is that the cards have fallen in United's favour in recent weeks and suddenly the future looks a lot brighter.

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Long way to go for United - Rooney

The failure of goalkeeper David de Gea's proposed move to Real Madrid followed by the 24-year-old's decision to sign a new four-year deal not only ended uncertainty and lifted the mood around Old Trafford, it meant United could restore a goalkeeper who is deservedly ranked among the best in the world as their last line of defence.

De Gea's mere presence increases United's chances of success - while the £36m move for 19-year-old Monaco striker Antony Martial on transfer deadline day is starting to look like a masterstroke.

The world's most expensive teenager has not only scored three goals in three Premier League games, he has demonstrated a natural eye for a finish and the sort of raw pace that will unsettle any defence.

Martial's impact looks certain to provide more space and opportunities for Wayne Rooney as an attacking foil - while Van Gaal will also be pleasedMemphis Depay got on the scoresheet against Sunderland.

So it is too early to say if United can challenge for the title - and realistically the odds are still against with visits to all their serious rivals to come - but there has never been any bad news in being top of the table.

Brendan Rodgers: Why Liverpool sacked their manager

 

Brendan Rodgers was sacked as Liverpool manager after travelling from the brink of history to Anfield oblivion in the space of 18 months.

On 27 April 2014, Rodgers was being carried along on a crest of euphoria that looked certain to make him the first Liverpool manager to win the title in 24 years.

A 2-0 loss to Chelsea, including the infamous slip from Steven Gerrard, started a chain of events that ended with his dismissal an hour after the 1-1 Merseyside derby draw with Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

So how did it go so wrong for a manager who seemed to have a glittering Anfield future in front of him?

The committee's fatal transfer flaws

At the heart of Rodgers's demise at Liverpool was a failed, flawed recruitment policy that saw nearly £292m spent since the 42-year-old's arrival in the summer of 2012 - but most of the world-class talent he possessed walk out of the door.

And to add to the dysfunctional decline Rodgers presided over was Liverpool's infamous "transfer committee", the group that led the club's buying strategy and was responsible for far more failures than successes.

The committee consists (or we should now say consisted) of Rodgers, scouts Dave Fallows and Barry Hunter, the man in charge of analysis Michael Edwards, owners Fenway Sports Group's (FSG) Anfield representative Mike Gordon and chief executive Ian Ayre.

They sought value, often in young and unproven players who could be considered versatile - although in many cases jacks of all trades who were masters of none.

Twenty-three players were signed on permanent deals during Rodgers's reign. How many were unqualified successes?

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Rodgers was dead man walking - Shearer

Certainly Brazilian Philippe Coutinho at £8.5m from Inter Milan and Daniel Sturridge at £12m from Chelsea until he was struck down by a run of injuries that have wrecked his last 12 months.

After that you are struggling and some have been out-and-out flops, particularly the £20m spent on defender Dejan Lovren and the same sum spent on Lazar Markovic, who is out on loan at Fenerbahce after one unfulfilling season.

By targeting potential rather than the finished product, Liverpool have tried to navigate a route around a transfer system that can simply not be circumnavigated.

It also daubed a grey area on Liverpool's policy. Who was ultimately responsible? Rodgers said he had the final word but in many senses he was beholden to member of this committee whose track record suggests they were simply not up to the task of finding players for a club of Liverpool's ambition.

It certainly gives Rodgers a get-out when he can point, with justification, to the fact that Liverpool's struggles were not all down to him.

The other edge of this sword was that during this time of financial waste on an industrial scale, Liverpool saw the world-class Luis Suarez leave for Barcelona in a £75m deal, Raheem Sterling off to Manchester City for £49m and Gerrard quit Anfield to move to LA Galaxy. Transfer double jeopardy.

Chelsea and Arsenal fined by FA for derby fracas

Chelsea and Arsenal have been fined £40,000 and £30,000 by the Football Association after failing to control their players during a fiery derby at Stamford Bridge .

Both teams were involved in a fracas before half-time when Arsenal's Gabriel was sent off for allegedly kicking out at Chelsea striker Diego Costa.

Gabriel had his red card overturned with Costa banned for three games.

The London rivals have also been warned about their future conduct.

In a tempestuous match that Chelsea won 2-0, Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla was also sent off after 79 minutes for a foul on Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas.

But it was the first-half incident, and the subsequent repercussions, that drew most attention.

Costa, 26, received his ban for violent conduct after appearing to put his hand in Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny's face, an incident which referee Mike Dean missed.

And once Brazilian defender Gabriel became involved, he and Costa received a yellow card each before the pair continued a running verbal battle on their way back to the half-way line.

It was then that Gabriel kicked out at Costa, and was sent off by Dean, but the FA subsequently rescinded the red card after an Arsenal appeal and chose to punish Costa for the earlier incident.

Gabriel still received a one-match ban and a £10,000 fine for failing to leave the pitch immediately.

Memphis Depay and Robin van Persie in training ground bust-up

Manchester United's Memphis Depay has been involved in a confrontation with Robin van Persie during a Netherlands training session.

Dutch boss Danny Blind confirmed the incident - which occurred before Saturday's 2-1 win over Kazakhstan - but played down its severity.

Blind said: "There are sometimes situations in training where players think different.

"Then you talk about it. That's what happened and then it's over."

Blind, whose son Daley is a team-mate of Depay's at United, also stressed the episode had had no part in his decision to leave Van Persie out of his starting XI for the Kazakhstan game.

Former United and Arsenal striker Van Persie, 32, is his country's all-time top-scorer with 49 goals in 100 appearances - the latest of which came courtesy of a late substitute appearance on Saturday