Zhang set to sign with Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg are set to present China midfielder Zhang Xizhe as a new signing to become the fourth Chinese to have played in Germany's top flight – with more likely to follow.

Zhang landed in Germany at Frankfurt airport on Saturday and with only details of the 23-year-old's transfer from Beijing Guoan to be finalised, he is set to officially become a Wolves player in the coming days.

He would be the only currently active Chinese player in the German league, but not the first.

He is set to follow in the footsteps of Hao Junmin, who made 14 league appearances for Schalke 04 in 2010 and 2011, Shao Jiayi, who joined 1860 Munich in 2003, then Energie Cottbus in 2006, and striker Yang Chen, who made 65 Bundesliga appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt up until 2001, scoring 16 goals.

Zhang has already started learning German and Wolfsburg, who are second in the Bundesliga only to Bayern Munich this season, are keeping an eye on other talent in Far East football.

"We've been monitoring the (Chinese) league and national team and there are quite a few interesting players there," Wolves' director of sport Klaus Allofs told Bundesliga.com.

"Chinese football is still developing, but I'm pretty certain there are plenty of good footballers there.

"It's something that is going to come on in the future.

"With Xizhe, we'll see how he adapts and settles in, then we will see what being a good player in China can translate to in the Bundesliga."

Zhang is unknown outside China, but Wolfsburg are hoping the Chinese Football Association's Young Player of 2012 will be able to transfer his obvious talent to the Bundesliga.

Zhang has carved out a reputation as both a goal-scorer and provider and scored on his Chinese Super League debut in 2010, managing 11 goals with 12 assists in 30 appearances in the 2013 season.

He has made 10 international appearances for China and scored his first of two international goals in a 6-1 thrashing of Singapore in September 2013.

Making the grade in Germany's top flight is not always easy as New Zealand's Marco Rojas discovered after the A-League's Young Footballer of 2013 joined Stuttgart, but is currently on loan at second division Greuther Fuerth after an injury-hit couple of seasons.

But Wolfsburg insist Zhang will be given time to adjust to German football with the Bundesliga set to break for winter next Sunday until Wolves first game of 2015 at home to Bayern Munich.

"He is a young player with a lot of potential," said Allofs.

"Even if the leap from China to the Bundesliga is a big one, we have every faith in him being able to manage it.

"Of course we are going to give him all the time he needs."

Wolves, who are on course to play in the Champions League next season, already have official accounts on Chinese social media channels Sina Weibo, Youku and WeChat and are set to launch the club's website in Chinese.

Bayern in their own league at the top

Bayern Munich are racing away with the Bundesliga again, surprising even coach Pep Guardiola. They are "in a league of their own," says Augsburg coach Markus Weinzierl after his side lose 4-0 to the German Bundesliga champions.

Bayern Munich continue to run away at the top of the German Bundesliga after clinching the "autumn championship" with their 4-0 win at Augsburg on Saturday.

With two games to go to the winter break Bayern have made sure of top place at the half-way stage, when the German league goes into its winter break.

Bayern have now been top at the winter break - the so-called autumn champions - 20 times, far more than any other team, and all but three times have gone on to win the league title.

"Bayern are in a league of their own, we can all agree on that. They have so much quality, so it's an absolutely deserved win," Augsburg coach Markus Weinzierl said.

"Bayern are an unbelievable team who play at such high pace," said Augsburg general manager Stefan Reuter, a Bayern player between 1988 and 1991.

Last season, Augsburg - third in the table before the game - had ended Bayern's run of 53 league games without defeat.

But this time there was no stopping coach Pep Guardiola's side who stepped up a gear after a goalless first half, winning with two goals from Arjen Robben and one each from Robert Lewandowski and Medhi Benatia.

Undefeated Bayern have moved to 39 points from 15 games, with 12 victories and three draws. Second-placed Wolfsburg, who were to play visiting Paderborn Sunday, are 10 points adrift.

At the same stage last season, Bayern even had two points more, but the gap was only four points over Bayer Leverkusen. This season it is hard to see anyone preventing Bayern securing a third successive league title and a 25th in all.

Guardiola is particularly pleased with the way his side has developed after last term's record-breaking season. There has been no trace of complacency or loss of form from international players following the World Cup.

"I'm constantly surprised by the mentality of this group of players who've won everything there is to win already," Guardiola said.

"We have two more games (until the winter break) and we'll try and win them both."

Lewandowski, who has added to Bayern's attacking threat after moving pre-season from Borussia Dortmund, epitomised a winning mentality by saying: "The autumn championship means nothing, we have to be first at the end of the season. There are plenty of games still to go."

Bayern have also been boosted by the return after injury of midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and the form of Dutch winger Arjen Robben.

Robben's brace took his goal tally to eight this season and to 64 in 116 games for Bayern. It was the 11th time he has scored twice in a Bundesliga match.

"Arjen is the best field player in the world," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.

Next up for Bayern is a home game on Tuesday against struggling Freiburg before a visit on Friday evening to Mainz for their last game of the year.

While Bayern continue to fly high, Borussia Dortmund - the team expected to be their chief challenger - are back in the dumps after a 1-0 defeat at Hertha Berlin.

Juergen Klopp's side are now third last on 14 points after their ninth defeat in the league, and are just a point off bottom side VfB Stuttgart.

"We weren't determined enough, didn't get behind the last line and didn't have attempts at goal," Klopp said.

"We enjoyed possession but couldn't carve open any real chances. This was the wrong path."

Dortmund now greet Wolfsburg on Wednesday before a trip to Werder Bremen on Saturday.

"Our mission is to dramatically improve our situation for the second half of the season. We are also counting on the atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park," Klopp said.

"If at some stage in the future we'll be able to get out of this slump, the bond between all those involved will be even stronger than it already is. The fans have done nothing wrong, which I can't really say about us.

Moses to return in New Year

Nigeria international, Victor Moses, could make a return to action for Stoke City in about three weeks.

According to the Stoke Sentinel, the Potters manager, Mark Hughes, expressed optimism that the winger looks set to make a return before or after the New Year since he turned up at the club's 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Hughes is encouraged by the 24-year-old's recovery from the thigh injury that has sidelined him since late last month.

Moses had been projected to be out for at least six to eight weeks, but Hughes now appears optimistic that the former Wigan Athletic could even return before the New Year.

"It was good to see him. The (medical) lads had a quick look at him and were happy with how he is.

"Hopefully, we will get him back before the New Year. Or if not, soon after. It's probably another three weeks before he comes back," said Hughes.

Moses is currently on a season-long loan to Stoke City from Chelsea and has played in 10 Barclays Premier League for the Potters, scoring once.

Pellegrini aims to keep Lampard

Manuel Pellegrini has set his sights on keeping Frank Lampard at Manchester City beyond his current loan spell with the Premier League champions.

Pellegrini's side overcame bottom club Leicester thanks to Lampard's 175th Premier League goal five minutes before half-time in Saturday's 1-0 win at Leicester.

The former Chelsea midfielder has now scored six goals since joining City on loan from New York City in pre-season and Pellegrini would dearly love to keep the influential 36-year-old at Eastlands for a larger portion of the season.

But, with his loan due to expire in January, there has been no decision on Lampard's future yet.

"Frank is very important, one of the reasons he played today was it was important to refresh the team," Pellegrini said. "Frank was very useful for us in that moment. Frank is a top player, he must continue scoring goals, he is great inside the box.

"We know exactly what we must do. Frank wants to stay, we want to keep him. We must resolve the problem with New York City and with the MLS."

Whether he stays or not, Lampard's presence will be especially important for City over the next two weeks as Pellegrini battles with a growing injury list heading into the hectic Christmas programme, with his team three points behind leaders Chelsea.

Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko sustained a calf problem in the warm-up and was unable to start against Leicester, while Belgium defender Kompany was hit by a recurrence of his nagging hamstring strain in the second half at the King Power Stadium.

The double setback adds to City's injury problems and leaves Pellegrini short in the attacking department, with strikers Sergio Aguero and Stevan Jovetic already sidelined.

"It's difficult to know what happened with both Vincent and Edin," said Pellegrini.

"Vincent has the same problem as his hamstring a few weeks ago.

"That was one of the reasons he did not play on Wednesday against Roma. Edin has a muscle injury in his calf so maybe both will be more than a couple of weeks.

"It is impossible that Vincent and Edin will be ready before the New Year.

"It's difficult because we have to play a lot of games. But I can never complain about the players who cannot play."

Leicester are now 11 games without a win but manager Nigel Pearson was pleased with his side's performance, if not the result.

"It was a disappointing result today we did not deserve it," he said.

"We're looking for results, I'm pleased with the way the players went about the game. Sometimes you can't break teams down.

"It was a soft goal in some ways but Lampard has built a career out of scoring goals from midfield.

"Ultimately we've not converted key chances for ourselves and have had an inability to keep a clean sheet."

Ben Hamer was in goal for Leicester after Kasper Schmeichel had surgery on Friday on a broken metatarsal.

"The operation went well," said Pearson. "It is always dangerous to set timescales where I have no idea what the actual timescales are.

"Four to six weeks is an optimistic one, but if it is a bit longer it will be what it is.

Mignolet loses Liverpool place at United

Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was left out of the starting line-up for his side's Premier League game at Manchester United on Sunday, with Australian Brad Jones starting instead.

Belgium international Mignolet, who joined Liverpool from Sunderland in 2013, has been criticised for some of his performances this season.

"I just felt that we needed to change the goalkeeper," said Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, whose side were eliminated from the Champions League by Swiss champions Basel in mid-week.

"Brad Jones has been a very loyal number two, Simon Mignolet has played a lot of games, and there is the need for change.

"The rest and coming out of the spotlight will do Simon the world of good. It is no gamble. Brad is experienced, he's been at the club a long time. I have no qualms about playing Brad Jones."

Italy striker Mario Balotelli, who has not played since November 8 due to a groin injury, was named on the Liverpool bench.

Rickie Lambert dropped out of the team, leaving Liverpool without a recognised striker. Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling were expected to form a fluid front three.

Phil Jones returned in central defence for United after two months out due to a shin injury, while 19-year-old striker James Wilson partnered Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie in attack.

Explaining his decision to select Wilson over loan signing Radamel Falcao, United manager Louis van Gaal said: "Radamel Falcao is fit to start. We need James Wilson in this match because of his speed."

United, who have won their last five league games, are bidding to return to within five points of second-place Manchester City, while Liverpool went into the game seven points below the top four in ninth place.

Teams

United: De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Evans, Young, Carrick, Fellaini, Mata, Rooney, van Persie, Wilson

Subs: Lindegaard, McNair, Blackett, Herrera, Fletcher, Januzaj, Falcao

Liverpool: Jones, Skrtel, Lovren, Johnson, Moreno, Henderson, Allen, Gerrard, Coutinho, Lallana, Sterling

Subs: Mignolet, Toure, Lambert, Lucas, Can, Balotelli, Markovic

Defeat "epitomises" Liverpool's season

Liverpool's toothless 3-0 defeat against arch-rivals Manchester United on Sunday epitomised their season, according to manager Brendan Rodgers who is still searching for the "solutions" to their problems.

For long periods at Old Trafford Liverpool dictated possession but failed to convert numerous chances against an inspired David De Gea.

United on the other hand were clinical and unerring when given the chance and ruefully exposed their wounded rivals who are languishing in mid-table.

Wayne Rooney fired home a 12th minute opener before Juan Mata doubled the lead, albeit from an offside position, with a header five minutes before halftime.

Robin van Persie capitalised on a miscued Dejan Lovren clearance to add a third in the 71st minute to seal United's sixth successive league win.

Last season's runners-up Liverpool have now lost seven Premier League games this campaign and trail leaders Chelsea by 18 points after 16 games.

Their 21 points represents their lowest return at this stage of a season since the 1964-65 campaign.

"I thought we had done enough to win the game, it epitomised our season really. I'll keep searching for the solutions," Rodgers told Sky Sports.

"It's been difficult this year but that's the way it works. It's clear we haven't scored or created enough goals."

Liverpool's regression this season has been almost as dramatic as their progression last season.

Their inadequacies are glaringly obvious.

They lack a commanding goalkeeper, a defensive leader and are bereft of a forward capable of providing the goals of the departed Luis Suarez or the injured Daniel Sturridge.

On Sunday Rodgers opted not to play a recognised striker and instead tasked 20-year-old Raheem Sterling with shouldering their attacking burden.

Sterling is undoubtedly an exciting talent but against arguably the Premier League's best goalkeeper in De Gea he was thwarted numerous times and failed to prove he is capable of filling the void.

"Today, we created opportunities which we haven't been doing," Rodgers added. "We also made defensive mistakes and that cost us today. We've just got to keep working. We came here last season and it was the reverse scoreline.

"Today we were the better side in the first half but you can't concede the goals we did."

Rodgers said he "does not feel any additional pressure" after the defeat but faces a testing League Cup tie away at Championship (second tier) leaders Bournemouth on Wednesday before the visit of Arsenal next weekend.

De Gea shines as United beat Liverpool

Manchester United recorded a sixth successive Premier League win when they beat old rivals Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The latest victory, sealed with goals from Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Robin van Persie, kept them in third place, five points behind neighbours Manchester City and eight behind the leaders Chelsea.

But they had Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea to thank for such a convincing margin. He made a series of fine saves from Raheem Sterling and then substitute Mario Balotelli.

Rooney scored against the run of play from Antonio Valencia's inviting pass to put United ahead in the 13th minute and although Mata was clearly offside as Van Persie flicked on Ashley Young's cross to him shortly before halftime the goal was allowed to stand.

De Gea made further important saves before Van Persie completed the scoring in the 72nd minute