CL qualification: Arsenal must win at any cost- Wenger

Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal are "desperate" to qualify for the lucrative group stages of the Champions League and challenged his side to beat Besiktas "no matter what it costs".

The Gunners will fly to Istanbul on Monday following a dramatic stoppage-time 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on the first day of the new Barclays Premier League season.

There is, however, little opportunity for Wenger's squad to regroup before focus turns to extending the record of reaching Europe's elite club competition for each of the last 16 campaigns.

Qualification would bring with it some 7 million pounds in prize money, with each subsequent group home match worth around 3 million pounds of additional match-day revenue.

Wenger knows all too well what is on the line against Slaven Bilic's side, who defeated Feyenoord 5-2 on aggregate in the third round of qualifying when former Chelsea striker Demba Ba scored a hat trick in the second leg.

"We are desperate to do it because we want to play in the Champions League and we know how big these games are," said Wenger. "We are desperate to go through. No matter what it costs we want to go through.

"We always have a difficult draw, we had Fenerbahce last year, this time we have Besiktas, so it is difficult."

Wenger added: "The preparation for us was a Premier League game we had absolutely to win, that's the best preparation for confidence.

"Now the preparation will be mainly to recover and to study Besiktas."

With Besiktas' Vodafone Arena ground being redeveloped, Tuesday night's match will take place at the 72,000-seater Ataturk Olympic Stadium, where Liverpool famously beat AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League.

Reports in Turkey suggest the home fans are preparing a hot reception for Wenger, whom they feel was critical of the club following their 8-0 defeat at Liverpool during the 2007-08 group stages.

"They are specialists at doing that. I never said that. They always create things like that. I am used to playing Turkish teams and I never said that," Wenger replied.

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Down-to-earth: As Pope Francis took public transport in Korea

He has built a reputation for his down-to-earth style and has no patience for pomp.  

But even so, Pope Francis surprised hundreds of ordinary commuters when he took public transport to celebrate a Mass in Korea where he is on a five day visit.

The pope scrapped his plans to take a helicopter from Seoul to his first public Mass instead taking a local train to Daejeon, where he held a service at a football stadium in the city.

Francis was seen riding in the fourth car of the train, in first-class, while another 500 people were on board, Korean media reported.  

The last-minute change in plans was on account of bad weather, according to organisers of the visit.

Spokesman Hur Young-yup told Yonhap news agency: 'The helicopter is his default means of transit because it is fast and safe, but the pontiff also considers other options, like the train, if taking them would allow him to arrive on schedule.'

Pope Francis' pared back humble demeanour has taken locals in status-conscious, ostentatious, Korea by surprise.  

Having refused a Popemobile and instead requesting Korea’s smallest compact car, he arrived from the airport in a black Kia Soul that many South Koreans would consider beneath his status as a global figure.

One South Korean user tweeted: 'The pope rode the Soul because he is full of soul.' 

Shon Cho-eun, a 22-year-old Christian student said: 'I feel honoured that Pope Francis will not be in a bulletproof vehicle. I hope he arrives safely and delivers good messages to us.' 

Francis has also rejected bullet proof popemobiles' , sparking security concerns on previous foreign trips such, as last year's trip to Rio.

He has urged priests around the world to travel in low-key cars.

In the Vatican he is driven around in a Ford Focus.

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Brendan Rodgers: Luis Suarez text message inspire Liverpool to Victory

Brendan Rodgers revealed that Luis Suarez helped inspire Liverpool to victory in their first competitive game since his departure by sending them a text message wishing his former teammates well.

Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge scored in Liverpool's 2-1 win over Southampton as the Merseyside club began life without their Uruguayan forward, who joined Barcelona for 75 million pounds in July.

But manager Rodgers, who reiterated that he remains keen to sign a forward to replace Suarez, said Liverpool are grateful that the former Ajax player had stayed in touch.

He said in a news conference: "He sent us a lovely text this morning wishing us all the best, which was a great gesture. He is a friend now of Liverpool.

"He is a great boy but he is gone now. Our ambitions here at Liverpool have to be bigger than one player. We do still want another striker but that will depend on the availability."

Sturridge scored the second-half winner on his 50th appearance for the club, meaning only the 19th-century forward George Allen has struck more often in his first 50 Liverpool games.

He added: "For Daniel, it was just a continuation. I think that is 36 goals in 50 appearances which is the [second] best of any striker in Liverpool's history. That shows the level he is at. He always looks like he will score. It was a poacher's goal."

Sturridge told Sky Sports 1: "It's important as a collective unit that we all provide the goals, but it doesn't matter how many we get so long as we defend well and get the goals we need,''

"The first game is always difficult. The pace was high, we worked hard and controlled things, but when they got a goal it was difficult for us. But we got the result and that's what matters."

Asked if Liverpool were stronger without Suarez, Sturridge added: "I think so, with the players we have brought in. No disrespect to Luis -- he's a great player and he'll be missed -- but we move on from that.

"We have shown we can win games, score goals and defend as well. But with the little man [Sterling] and the other players producing the goods, we'll be okay.''

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Armed men attack Liberia Ebola quarantine centre, freeing patients

A quarantine centre for suspected Ebola patients in the Liberian capital Monrovia has been attacked and looted by protesters, police say.

The incident happened in the densely populated West Point township on Saturday evening.

At least 20 patients who were being monitored for signs of the illness have left the centre.

Officials said blood-stained bedding looted from the centre posed a serious infection risk.

The protesters were unhappy that patients were being brought in from other parts of the capital, the assistant health minister said.

Other reports suggested the protesters believed Ebola was a hoax and wanted to force the quarantine centre to close.

The centre was set up to observe suspected Ebola patients and then transfer them to a main treatment centre if they prove positive, assistant health minister Tolbert Nyenswah told the BBC.

It is not known if those at the centre were infected with the virus, though one report suggested they had proved positive.

A senior police officer said blood-stained mattresses, beddings and medical equipment were taken from the centre.

"This is one of the stupidest things I have ever seen in my life", he said.

He said the looting spree could threaten to spread the virus to the whole of the West Point area.

Described as a 'slum', there are an estimated 50,000 people in the West Point neighbourhood.

The Ebola epidemic began in Guinea in February and has since spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

On Friday, the death toll rose to 1,145 after the WHO said 76 new deaths had been reported in the two days to 13 August. There have been 2,127 cases reported in total.

Health experts say that the key to ending the Ebola outbreak is to stop it spreading in Liberia, where ignorance about the virus is high and many people are reluctant to cooperate with medical staff.

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