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Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s grim verdict on Casemiro and Raphael Varane could lead to Manchester United exits

Natasha Everitt — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 11:11:34 +0000

Incoming Manchester United shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe does not rate the signings of Raphael Varane and Casemiro, talkSPORT understands.

The British billionaire is expected to buy 25 per cent of the Red Devils in a £1.25billion deal that will be ratfied in the coming days.

Ratcliffe is said to be unimpressed with two signings in particular

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But despite not getting his foot through the door at Old Trafford just yet, the INEOS owner’s views are already having an influence on the club.

Ratcliffe is expected to call the shots on the footballing side of things when he buys his stake.

Now, talkSPORT understands the 71-year-old isn’t convinced by the recent signings of two stars in particular – Varane and Casemiro.

Both players signed from Real Madrid, with Varane joining in 2021 for £34m and Casemiro arriving a year later for £60m.

But despite helping the Red Devils to win their first trophy in six years last season by winning the Carabao Cup, Ratcliffe isn’t impressed by them.

talkSPORT understands manager Erik ten Hag has fallen out with Varane and Ratcliffe’s verdict could be the final straw for both the defender and Casemiro, who has struggled for form this season.

Bayern Munich have expressed an interest in Varane, while Casemiro has offers from Saudi Arabia ahead of the January transfer window.

Ratcliffe is making a shortlist of people to bring in as sporting director, including ex-Tottenham chief Paul Mitchell.

Varane is one of the stars being linked with an exit

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Casemiro’s future is also being questioned despite fans loving him last season

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CEO Richard Arnold has also confirmed he’ll be leaving the club, with Ratcliffe being the one to remove him as part of the billionaire’s plan.

But alongside giving his views on players and making structural changes behind the scenes, Ratcliffe also faces the issue of a possible Man United ban in the Champions League next season.

I played against Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard but one midfielder was better than all three

Natasha Everitt — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 10:26:09 +0000

Kevin Nolan faced a number of incredible midfielders during his career, but one stands out above the rest.

The West Ham midfielder turned Hammers first-team coach played in the Premier League and the Championship between 1999 and 2015.

Nolan saw first hand just how good the Premier League’s iconic midfielders could be

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Playing alongside and against some of the best talents in football will no doubt be helpful now he’s bringing through the next generation of talent at the London Stadium.

But for Nolan, amongst all of the English top flight’s legends, three fellow former midfield stars stand out as being the best the Premier League has seen.

The former Bolton and Newcastle star joined Andy Goldstein and former striker Darren Bent on Drive on Thursday’s show and was tasked with naming his best Premier League XI.

As well as picking his midfield, Nolan also revealed the one star he believes stands head and shoulders above the rest.

“Roy Keane, [Paul] Scholes,” he said, as he began to reel off his three-man midfield.

After telling Bent and Goldstein how witty the latter, former Man United star was and how ‘good of a lad’ he is, the Liverpool-born coach went on to name his third and final midfielder.

“Them two and then, obviously, none other than Steven Gerrard who I think was the best.”

When asked by Goldstein if he means Gerrard – who scored 186 goals for Liverpool in 710 senior appearances – is the best midfielder we’ll ever see in the Premier League, he replied: “Yeah, for me.

Nolan made 401 Premier League appearances

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Nolan says Liverpool legend Gerrard was the best opponent he faced

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“I just think he could do anything, he had everything, you know the holding one, you could play him out on the right, he could be at right-back, he could be the attacking one.

“Playing against him was just so difficult. I mean look, we haven’t even mentioned [Frank] Lampard, [Patrick] Vieira and all these in this. But Steven had something which I don’t think any of the others [had].

“He had everything and I don’t think all the others had everything.”

Bent suggested Yaya Toure for his three in the middle, but Nolan says that while he thought the ex-Man City man was a star, he preferred the type of battles he had against his top three.

“I sort of relish more a Roy Keane battle, if you like, than a Yaya,” he said. “I mean, Roy could run over you, don’t get me wrong, but he was like hard, tough, sort of that sitting one and I’d be that attacking one trying to get one over on him.

“Whereas Yaya and Steven, one minute they’re there the next minute I’m like ‘where’s he gone?!'”

Nolan will return to the dug out alongside David Moyes this weekend following the international break, as the Hammers take on Burnley at Turf Moor.

Mikel Arteta reveals three Arsenal stars face late fitness test for Brentford clash

Lee Davey — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 10:06:46 +0000

Mikel Arteta hopes to call upon captain Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus and Ben White for Arsenal’s trip to Brentford.

The trio were injury doubts ahead of the trip to the Gtech Community Stadium but are now in contention to feature on Saturday.

Arteta is hoping to have Odegaard, White and Gabriel Jesus back in contention for the trip to Brentford

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Arsenal boss Arteta confirmed Odegaard had suffered a concussion on the eve of the 1-0 defeat at Newcastle causing him to miss the Gunners’ last three fixtures.

Striker Gabriel Jesus played 90 minutes for Brazil in a high-octane clash against Argentina on Tuesday evening after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Arteta told reporters on Friday: “He is available. He played 96 mins in a really competitive match. He had a long flight. I have to see the condition.”

Meanwhile Ben White is closing in on his return to action after missing the win over Burnley with a muscle injury.

“Hopefully if he’s able to train today he’ll be in contention, We’ll find out in the next 24 hours,” Arteta said.

The Spaniard confirmed that Aaron Ramsdale will make his first league start since September with David Raya ineligible to face his parent club.

But Arteta will be without Fabio Vieira who will serve the first of his three-match suspension after his red card against Burnley.

Arsenal head to Brentford on Saturday teatime aiming to keep pace with Manchester City and Liverpool who face each other earlier in the day.

Arteta confirmed Aaron Ramsdale will start in place of the ineligible David Raya

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The Gunners bounced back from their first league defeat of the season with a 3-1 win over Burnley last time out and Arteta will hope his side can kick off a packed schedule with three points at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Fans overhear Jurgen Klopp call Liverpool academy star ‘Virgil van Dijk 2.0 reloaded’ in training video

Natasha Everitt — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 09:07:17 +0000

One Liverpool academy star has earned seriously high praise from Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool head to Manchester City to resume their Premier League season on Saturday, with Klopp‘s side looking to leapfrog their opponents to go top of the league, live on talkSPORT,

Klopp was singing one star’s praises in particular

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Before the fixture, Klopp spoke to Sky Sports reporter Vinny O’Connor and the pair’s catch up was posted onto X, formerly known as Twitter.

The duo were heard praising Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton’s performances for England’s Under-21s in their Euro 2025 qualifier over the international break, with them both scoring against Northern Ireland.

But it was defender Jarell Quansah, who also played in that game, that appeared to get the ultimate compliment from the Liverpool boss.

Reds supporters are convinced they heard Klopp say Quansah was the ‘reloaded 2.0’ version of iconic centre-back Virgil van Dijk in the video.

Quansah, 20, only made his first team debut this season.

The Warrington-born centre-back has been with the Reds since 2008 when he joined at the age of 5.

After rising through the youth ranks and making it onto the bench in the first team’s Premier League and Carabao Cup ties, Quansah was sent out on loan to Bristol Rovers in January this year.

The England international made 16 appearances for the League One side, with then-Rovers manager Joey Barton tipping him to go to the very top.

Quansah has successfully made the step up from League One to the Premier League

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“He’s as good on the ball that you’ll need to be in terms of building out from the back,” he told Bristol Live in February. “He’s going to get bigger, he’s going to get stronger, he’s going to get faster. His anticipation of the game is going to be better because more senior games get you that.”

Barton added: “He has an enormous future in front of him.”

He’s since made nine appearances for Liverpool’s first team following the end of that loan, including two starts in the Europa League.

Considering Quansah has only just made his way into the Liverpool first team, to be compared to a Champions League and Premier League winner by one of the best managers in the world shows he must be doing something right!

Manchester United still without Christian Eriksen but handed Rasmus Hojlund boost in injury update

Robert Calcutt — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 23:50:36 +0000

Erik ten Hag has revealed that Christian Eriksen will miss Manchester United’s trip to Everton but Rasmus Hojlund could be set to play.

Both players picked up injuries in the Premier League giants’ 1-0 win over Luton Town in their final game before the international break.

It remains to be seen when Eriksen will return for United

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Eriksen was forced off on the approach to half-time, whereas Hojlund had to be substituted in the latter stages of the victory.

United return to action on Sunday when they travel to Everton, with boss Erik ten Hag providing an update on the injured duo.

“Christian will take a little bit longer,” Ten Hag told the Premier League in regards to Eriksen. “It will take some weeks until he will return.”

As for Hojlund, he said: “Not too bad. Everton will be a close finish but we’re working on that.

There is a chance Hojlund could play against Everton

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“We’re not sure if he can make that but, hopefully, in the next week, he will return to the squad.”

United have endured a fluctuating season thus far but have won four of their last five Premier League matches.

Form across all competitions is a cause for concern though, with Ten Hag’s side losing three of their last five.

Sunday’s clash against Everton will be far from easy, with the home crowd at Goodison Park set to be loud in their protests against their ten-point deduction.

A must-win match away at Galatasaray follows three days later, with United currently bottom of their Champions League group.

Eriksen will be unavailable for the trip to Turkey but it could be the tie in which Hojlund makes a full return to action.

All of the goals he has scored for United since signing in the summer have come in the Champions League, with the Dane netting five.

Liverpool need Darwin Nunez, Jeremy Doku could run riot for Man City but Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz could expose them

Josh Fordham — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 22:30:00 +0000

The Premier League is BACK!

What better way to celebrate the end of another international break than a blockbuster clash between Man City and Liverpool – and you can listen to it all on talkSPORT.

Guardiola has won just seven of his 20 games against Liverpool

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The Premier League heavyweights will go toe-to-toe at the Etihad and if it’s anything like their showdowns in recent years then we are in for a cracker.

Last season, they played each other four times and shared 15 goals across those matches.

They won two games apiece, with City thrashing Jurgen Klopp’s side 4-1 at the Etihad in April in their most recent encounter.

Erling Haaland was not fit that day, but that did not matter as they dismantled their rivals.

Haaland’s fitness is in doubt once again after picking up a knock on the international break, but they already have the blueprint on how to win without him.

So we asked some of our talkSPORT presenters to give their take on how Saturday’s epic clash will go.

Jim White | Co-host of White and Jordan

“The international break is over and we’re back to domestic football. And it all kicks off with Manchester City vs Liverpool.

Liverpool are just one point behind Man City

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“How do we think this will go? Well, both were scoring goals last time out.

“Manchester City were at Chelsea and scored four, but conceded four. And Liverpool, if memory serves me right, got three against Brentford.

“How is it going to go? I can never really see past Manchester City at home, so I’ll take Man City to win it, maybe 2-1.”

Alan Brazil | talkSPORT Breakfast host

“It’s going to be an absolute cracker and I cannot wait, especially after the international rubbish we’ve seen. This is what it’s all about, the Premier League, Manchester City v Liverpool.

“It’s a game Liverpool have to get something from. City will be looking at Arsenal and teams below them thinking, uh-oh, we can’t slip up here.

“I’m going to go 2-2 draw. I think Liverpool will be up for this, I think City are still the best team probably in the world, for me. But Liverpool on the day can really turn it on. And it’s Pep against Klopp, I’m going for a thriller, 2-2.”

Haaland is expected to be fit after picking up a knock on international duty

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Gabby Agbonlahor | Former Aston Villa striker

“This is a big game, they don’t really get bigger than this now in the Premier League.

“These two teams have been at it for a few years now, sharing the league titles between them. I just think Manchester City have got too much.

“I look at Liverpool and I still see some weaknesses around their team. Darwin Nunez is good one week, he’s off it next week.

“At the back, they’re conceding some goals as well. Manchester City are looking complete, they’ve got over their wobble, and I’m going to go for a Manchester City win by two goals to nil.”

Nunez has four Premier League goals so far this season

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Danny Murphy | Former Liverpool midfielder

“Trying to predict this one is really difficult because there’s two factors. One is the injuries and knocks coming back from internationals.

“We don’t know yet, Haaland is a doubt, etcetera.

“The other thing is the attitude of the managers to play those players who might be turning up from South America on Thursday morning.

“I think for Liverpool it’s crucial that you have pace. To score against City and beat City, generally, I think pace is key. Not just pace but energy as well.

“If Liverpool go there and win, it certainly cements their position as a contender again.

Murphy thinks Stones will be key

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“I think it’s a fascinating game because of the quality that’s on show. It’s a little bit disappointing that it’s a 12:30pm kick-off. Only because of the tempo and quality that you want to see the game played at.

“Putting that aside, I think it’s an intriguing game because what City have been doing recently is releasing one of the centre-halves into midfield, whether it be Akanji or Stones, rather than a full-back.

“We saw at Chelsea, if you’ve got pace against them, and there’s a quick turnover, there’s space to run into.

“If Liverpool have Diaz, Salah and Nunez up top, there’s no-one better equipped than utilising space in behind teams than those three.

“The way City play, it’s a great thing to watch. On the flipside, what you’ve got is Liverpool releasing Trent [Alexander-Arnold] into a midfield area from right-back.

“If Doku plays, with his amazing pace and directness, that’s going to cause Liverpool a problem because Konate’s been injured and if Matip plays there and has to cover Trent, with his lack of athleticism against Doku…. So there’s all these little technical things going on.”

I thought I got through to Ravel Morrison after he starred for West Ham but what he did the next day summed him up

Robert Calcutt — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 20:37:18 +0000

Kevin Nolan has revealed he is one of the many who tried to guide Ravel Morrison through senior football, but to no avail.

Morrison was a highly-rated product of the Manchester United academy and appeared destined for great success in the game.

Morrison was tipped for big things after his emergence in the United academy

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However, the now 30-year-old has played in what many have dubbed a ‘what could have been’ career as he failed to truly apply his talent.

Morrison has been somewhat of a journeyman across Europe and now in the USA for MLS side D.C. United.

The midfielder signed for West Ham from United in 2012 and Nolan was there to witness his talent, but even he couldn’t help the youngster fulfil his potential.

When asked about his quality on talkSPORT Drive, he said: “On the pitch he was unbelievable. Some of the things he used to do, and you look at Lucas Paqueta now and people like him, Jay-Jay [Okocha], he was a very special talent.”

Andy Goldstein recalled his stunning solo goal in a 3-0 win away at Tottenham in 2013 and Nolan added more praise for the then 20-year-old, but then hinted at how his lack of application off the pitch cost him.

A fine solo goal away at Spurs saw Morrison show his quality

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But Nolan was unable to help guide him on the right path

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“In pre-season that year, and this just sums him up, we played at Oxford United and it was me, him and Nobes [Mark Noble] in the middle, and he was unbelievable.

“It was only Oxford, don’t get me wrong, because we were Premier League and they were League One, that’s no thing to Oxford. But he was just, I mean, head and shoulders above everyone.

“We got on the bus after the game and we were like, ‘Rav, that was incredible mate, never seen anything like it for a long, long time. Mate, you’ve got to get your head down, this is going to be your year.’

“He was like, ‘Yeah yeah yeah, no problem, blahdy blah, yeah. I loved it, it’s been great.’ [We said], ‘This could be our midfield three now for this season, you doing what you do, Nobes and me being around you.’ He was just, ‘Yeah yeah yeah.’

“We thought we had him, me and Nobes, all the time he was texting his mate, ‘Yeah pick me up we’re going back to Manchester.’ He didn’t turn in the next day.”

Morrison now features in the MLS for D.C. United

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Goldstein then asked if Morrison would regret failing to live up to his potential, and Nolan replied: “I think he does now. I think if you asked the man he’d put his hand on his heart and he is a truthful lad, I think he would.

“I loved working with him, I thought all he done was just sort of wind me up because of the talent he had, and I think that’s what in the end, where Sir Alex [Ferguson] sort of got rid of him.

“I think Rio [Ferdinand] spoke really highly of him, all those players at that time, [Wayne] Rooney, everyone. But he just couldn’t put all the things that he had on the field, he couldn’t sort it out off the field.

“I think he was just a maverick, that’s probably the best word to describe him, sort of went by his own rules and no one could tell him otherwise. You’d think at some point, ‘Yeah we’ve cracked it, we’ve got him.'”

Morrison made just 24 appearances for West Ham before leaving on a permanent deal to Lazio in 2015.

QPR, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Derby are some of the other English clubs he played for before moving stateside to D.C. United, for whom he has played 14 matches.

Manchester United ‘legends’ team bizarrely featured three players who never played for the club

Lee Davey — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 18:42:50 +0000

A Manchester United legends team that took on a World XI last Saturday fielded three players who never played for the club.

United’s representatives lined up in the dressing room for a pre and post match photo which was later shared on Instagram by former winger Antonio Valencia.

@antoniovalencia2525United’s legends team had a strange look to it ahead of their clash with a World XI side[/caption]

Ex-Red Devils midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba and Mikael Silvestre featured on the left side of the image with Leicester City’s title-winning captain Wes Morgan bizarrely placed behind them.

Morgan, who never played for United, was stood next to Dimitar Berbatov with another player who never wore the famous red shirt, Nathan Dyer, crouching in front.

Former players Wes Brown and Dwight Yorke were also seen on the picture next to former Inter Milan and Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar who was the third player who never featured for the club.

Former United defender Danny Simpson who won the Premier League title alongside Dyer and Morgan crouched at the front of the group with Valencia standing behind him.

Also spotted were Patrice Evra, Jesper Blomqvist and Juan Sebastian Veron on the right of the image.

The match did not go the way of United as they were beaten 8-3 in the Legends Football League clash.

Berbatov showed he still had the magic touch in front of goal and Evra added another of his own but it was not enough to see off a talented World XI.

The Red Devils’ opponents consisted of Florent Malouda, David Trezeguet, Samir Nasri, David James, Robert Huth, Bacary Sagna and man-of-the-match Clarence Seedorf.

Valencia posed with former Argentina and Man United midfielder Veron

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However, fans were left fuming after Kaka, Didier Drogba and Roberto Carlos failed to turn up at the match.

It’s set to be taken across the world and will restart in India in January after its debut in Dubai.

Liverpool fans all say the same thing as Jurgen Klopp has play fight with Sky Sports reporter

Robert Calcutt — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 18:00:43 +0000

Jurgen Klopp was in a spirited mood on Thursday when he had a play fight with a Sky Sports reporter, and Liverpool fans loved it.

The Reds are preparing for their massive Premier League clash away at Manchester City on Saturday, live on talkSPORT.

Klopp is not afraid his fiery side in games, but showed his playful side on the training ground

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Such a fixture has brought out the explosive side of both clubs, in particular Klopp and his counterpart Pep Guardiola.

However, the former appeared more playful than stressed ahead of the crunch clash when he took training in the days prior.

Sky Sports reporter Vinny O’Connor paid a visit to their AXA Training Ground in Kirkby and was involved in a friendly tussle with the Liverpool boss.

“Thank you for the 12:30 [kick-off]” Klopp jokingly said as he had the journalist in a headlock and gave him a light punch in the chest.

Sky Sports reporter O’Connor was jokingly held in a headlock by Klopp

@VinnOConnor X

The Liverpool boss then gave him a cheeky punch

@VinnOConnor X

Liverpool fans were quick to react on social media and weren’t afraid to admit their jealousy of O’Connor for getting a hug from the boss.

Taking to X, one said: “You got a Klopp hug. Millions of us are v jealous.”

“You got a Klopp hug, you lucky git Vinny,” added a second with two laughing emojis.

An envious third said: “What I would give for that headlock and punch off Klopp.”

“Lucky b******,” a fourth very simply said along with heart emojis.

Speaking on what happened himself, O’Connor said: “He’s in a bit of a playful mood, I think it’s fair to say. Relaxed, but at the same time made a little bit of a reference as to how ‘happy’ he is with the 12:30 kick-off on Saturday as well.

“He came over, had a few words, sort of one little moment that was a potential red card I would argue. But he seemed in pretty good spirits.”

Klopp has been a fan favourite at Anfield amid the success he’s brought and his passion on the touchline, with the German giving his heart and soul for the club.

Saturday’s trip to City will be a huge test of their potential Premier League title credentials this season, with the hosts sitting top.

Liverpool are just one point behind them in second though, with a huge three points up for grabs at an Etihad Stadium that they last won at in the league in 2015.

Liverpool legend says Dominik Szoboszlai reminds him of Steven Gerrard – but he wouldn’t fit in at Man City or Arsenal

Jake Lambourne — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 17:46:08 +0000

Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai is a player in the mould of Steven Gerrard with the youngster capable of doing everything in midfield.

That is the view of club icon John Barnes, who believes the ‘incredible’ summer signing has been the Merseyside outfit’s ‘best player’ so far this season.

Szoboszlai has been one of Liverpool’s standout players so far this season

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The 22-year-old has earned rave reviews since the Reds activated his £60million release clause at RB Leipzig in July.

Featuring in 17 out of Liverpool‘s 18 matches in all competitions so far this term, he has chipped in with two goals and as many assists.

And the Hungary international will be hoping for another dazzling display when Jurgen Klopp’s side face Premier League leaders Manchester City at the Etihad in Saturday’s 12.30pm kick-off, live and exclusively on talkSPORT.

Szoboszlai is part of a new-look Liverpool midfield, who parted ways with Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner at the end of the last campaign.

Along with the former Red Bull Salzburg maestro, Liverpool also brought in Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo.

But it is Szoboszlai that has impressed Barnes the most, as he insisted Klopp’s style of play is getting the best out of him, whereas if he was at either Arsenal or Manchester City, he would struggle.

Speaking of the player during his appearance on the Hawksbee and Baker show, Barnes said: “Szoboszlai has been incredible.

“I’d kind of heard about him before, but I’ve never see him and that’s how good the scouting is, because Liverpool sign players who will suit the way Liverpool play.

Reds legend Barnes has been blown away by his performances in the middle of the pitch

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He has stated that the Hungarian reminds him of club icon Gerrard

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“I don’t think he’d suit Man City or Arsenal, and he probably wouldn’t go there!

“But when he came, having never heard of him, from the first time I saw him, he was just incredible, he could play anywhere.

“He reminds me of Steven Gerrard to a certain extent, because you don’t necessarily get box-to-box midfield players who can defend, who can attack, but that’s what he does.

“I’ve been so impressed with him and he’s level-headed, he’s 22, he’s been fantastic. He’s been our best player.”

talkSPORT host and ex-Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan believes that Liverpool are more exciting to watch than Pep Guardiola’s City side.

And Barnes, who was asked whether he’s enjoyed watching the team so far, believes this is due to Klopp’s signings, as he added: “Absolutely! We had our midfield issues last year.

“Of course we knew we had to address them, but the good thing about Jurgen and the trust we have in Jurgen, is that he resisted the urge to sign players just for the sake of it in January, because we needed midfield players.

“And the fans put up with trying to get the right people in, which is what we’ve now done.

Klopp’s side currently sit a point and a place behind leaders City

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“We’re still looking at a No6, [Wataru] Endo has come in, and [Stefan] Bajcetic has been earmarked for that role, but he’s injured, but in terms of everyone else, it’s fine.

“I understand what he’s [Jordan] talking about, because if you look at City, they play a very purist style of football, possession-based, very considered.

“Whereas I would say Liverpool is a mix between City and the way football was 20 years ago – aggressive – where midfield players would get up box-to-box to try and fight.”

He added: “It’s a very exciting brand of football, but you have to say Manchester City is a fantastic team.”

Sign a striker, bolster defence and sell deadwood – what Manchester United need to do in January transfer window

Jake Lambourne — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000

The January transfer window is looming large.

And after a disappointing start to the season, and with a change of the ownership structure afoot, Manchester United could be tempted to do some wheeling and dealing.

Erik ten Hag’s United side have struggled this season as they sit sixth in the table

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But what should their priorities be?

Bolster the forward line

It is pretty evident that United need to improve their misfiring attack.

The £72million Rasmus Hojlund has served up five Champions League goals, but is still to get off the mark in the Premier League while Marcus Rashford has endured a dramatic downturn in form from last season.

In fact, not a single United striker has scored a league goal at Old Trafford this season – a damning statistic that underlines why Erik ten Hag’s team find it so hard to win games.

In the past United have utilised the loan market in January to varying degrees of success (for every Henrik Larsson there is a Wout Weghorst).

But if they are to stand any realistic chances of finishing in the top four they may have to open the chequebook.

The obvious name on the lips of a lot of United fans is Napoli goal-machine Victor Osimhen, but it is highly unlikely the Italian champions will sell their star frontman mid-season.

Likewise, Brentford have placed a minimum price tag of £80m on Ivan Toney to ensure they keep him at least until the summer, while Evan Ferguson, a player admired by the United hierarchy, has only just signed a new deal at Brighton.

Hojlund is yet to open his account in the Premier League this season since joining from Atalanta

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United target Ferguson recently signed a new deal at Brighton

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United are among a cluster of Premier League clubs tracking Copenhagen wonderkid Roony Bardghji, but it is a risk asking a 17-year-old rookie to come in and ease the goalscoring burden.

Strengthen in defence

There is no hiding the fact United have been badly hit by injuries, particularly in defence and Ten Hag has rarely been able to name the same back four for successive matches.

In the case of Raphael Varane that should not be a surprise as the French World Cup winner has been dogged by fitness issues throughout his career, although the suspicion is that his recent omission from the team is more down to an issue with his manager.

Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo has been on the Ten Hag radar for some time, but it would upset Nice fans if incoming minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe was to raid his French club so soon.

The Red Devils could do worse than look at Bournemouth centre-back Lloyd Kelly, who is out of contract in the summer and wanted by a host of top clubs in Europe as well as the Premier League.

Kelly can also provide crucial cover at left-back, where the absence of Luke Shaw has hit United, and Rashford, particularly hard.

The Red Devils need to bring in a new centre-back no stranger to picking up knocks

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Legs in midfield

The make-up of Ten Hag’s midfield has been all wrong since the very first game of the season against Wolves.

Mason Mount is increasingly looking like a £60m luxury signing United did not need.

Meanwhile, Sofyan Amrabat, another summer addition, needs a runner alongside him to be seen to the best of his ability.

One name high on United’s wish-list is Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana and the Parisian is exactly the type of box-to-box midfielder they need without having to break the bank.

In terms of proven Premier League players, Douglas Luiz would also enhance United’s midfield armoury if Aston Villa could be persuaded to sell.

United are known to be admirers of France international Fofana

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Get rid of the deadwood

After such an underwhelming start to the season it might be quicker to draw up a list of players United should keep rather than look to move on.

Jadon Sancho has clearly kicked his last ball for the club, with his very public spat with manager Ten Hag providing an unhelpful side-show.

United will not get back anywhere near the £80m they paid to sign Sancho from Borussia Dortmund and he is also amongst the highest-paid stars at Old Trafford so a bit of flexibility will be needed on both sides.

Sancho has interest from Saudi Arabia and Juventus while Dortmund have also been closely monitoring his situation.

United would want at least an option to sign him permanently if not an obligation before sanctioning a loan deal.

They would also want the bulk of his wages covered.

Another player the Red Devils need to cut their losses on is striker Anthony Martial, whose contract expires at the end of the season and is also in the sights of Saudi Pro League sides.

Sancho appears to have kicked his last ball for United following his public spat with Ten Hag

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As talkSPORT revealed earlier this week, United will also consider any offers they receive for a seemingly declining Casemiro.

Getting those three big earners off the payroll would help provide funds to rebuild the squad.

Gabby Agbonlahor: Ghanaian MP should be first of many apologies to Manchester United defender Harry Maguire

Robert Calcutt — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 16:53:07 +0000

Gabby Agbonlahor believes that many pundits and fans should follow Ghanaian MP Isaac Adongo and apologise to Harry Maguire.

Adongo had previously debated vice president Mahamudu Bawumia, hinting he scored political own goals in what was also a dig to the United star.

MP Adongo apologised to Maguire whilst speaking in Ghanaian parliament

However, amid Maguire’s resurgence for the Premier League giants, Adongo publicly apologised to him whilst speaking in parliament, with the England international accepting in a reply on social media.

Agbonlahor has previously called for United fans to do the same after the defender faced huge swathes of criticism in recent years.

And now he has once again made such a plea, whilst also calling for fellow pundits to say sorry for their past judgements on Maguire.

Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast after the viral clip of Adongo this week, he said: “I think jokes aside, and everyone finds that clip funny when he first did it, but when that clip came out, it was disrespectful to Maguire.

Maguire accepted the apology amid his decent season so far for United

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But Gabby believes there should be more saying sorry to the defender

“He would have seen it going around Twitter (now X), everyone was having a dig at him, ‘You’ve got to leave, you’ve got to go to West Ham, you’re awful, you’re this…’

“Everyone was on his case, like there’s so many people that need to apologise to Harry Maguire because his mental health must’ve been all over the place.

“He’s dug deep, he’s got a good family around him, friends, and he’s stuck in there and he’s started playing his best football now. He’s in great form for England and Manchester United, keeping four-time Champions League winner [Raphael] Varane out the team.

“He’s keeping [Victor] Lindelof out the team, [Lisandro] Martinez comes back I’m sure Maguire will still start. So for me, there’s a lot of pundits and fans out there that should be apologising to Harry Maguire.”

Maguire has made 11 appearances for United this season, with starts coming in nine of those across all competitions.

Erik ten Hag’s side have had to deal with injuries in defence but the 30-year-old has proven to be an assured fixture at the back.

He scored their crucial Champions League winner at home against FC Copenhagen and assisted Scott McTominay’s winner in their late victory over Brentford.

Maguire has been rewarded for his efforts with further call-ups to the England team, with the centre-back in contention to play at Euro 2024 next summer.

Arsenal injury list: Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus close to returns but Ben White joins Jurrien Timber on absentee list

Jack Cunningham — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 16:19:03 +0000

Arsenal are still looking to mount another Premier League title challenge this year after falling short last season, but injuries aren’t helping.

The Gunners have been without new signing Jurrien Timber for the whole season, while Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus have both also had spells out of the side.

Timber damaged his ACL on the first game of the season and is set to be out until well into 2024

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Little niggles to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli haven’t helped, leaving Arsenal stretched in certain areas.

However, there does appear to be some positive news regarding a couple of players.

Arsenal’s injury list and how long they are out for

Jurrien Timber [ACL injury] – unknown

Timber impressed during the Community Shield win against Manchester City before leaving the field just minutes into his Premier League debut.

The Dutchman is currently recovering, but the latest reports from the Netherlands suggest he won’t be playing again until the start of next season.

Gabriel Jesus [hamstring strain] – few days

Jesus asked to come off during Arsenal’s Champions League game away against Sevilla with a hamstring problem.

He was then surprisingly called up by Brazil for the latest round of international matches but played 90 minutes in their 1-0 defeat to Argentina.

Jesus’ return should boost Arteta’s side

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Thomas Partey [unspecified muscle problem] – 6-7 weeks

Partey has struggled with injuries throughout the majority of 2023 and this latest issue looks set to keep him out until 2024.

When fit, the Ghanaian is a key part of Arteta’s team, but these medium-term issues leave the Gunners short in midfield.

Emile Smith Rowe [knee problem] 3-4 weeks

The England international isn’t a regular first-team player anymore but still has the quality to make an impact when called upon.

Unfortunately, he’s out with a knee injury and isn’t expected back until near the end of next month.

Smith Rowe is enduring a frustrating season

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Martin Odegaard [concussion] – few days

Odegaard missed a few games before the international break due to a couple of problems, but he’s overcome those and should be back in the first-team squad imminently.

The Arsenal captain didn’t play against Newcastle because of a hip issue and then suffered a concussion in training, meaning he missed out against Sevilla and Burnley.

Odegaard didn’t play for Norway in matches against Scotland or Faroe Islands during the break but is back in first-team training.

Odegaard has missed Arsenal’s last three games

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Ben White [unspecified muscle issue] – unknown

White is one of Arsenal’s most important players and is involved in nearly every game.

However, he currently has an unknown muscle problem that saw him miss the Burnley match, and Mikel Arteta will hope it’s nothing serious.

White is struggling with a muscle problem

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Forgotten Premier League striker completes unexpected move to non-league Macclesfield

Lee Davey — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 15:05:41 +0000

Macclesfield have completed the signing of former Everton and Hull striker Oumar Niasse on a short-term deal.

The 33-year-old has been without a club since leaving Morecambe at the end of last season following their relegation to League Two.

Oumar Niasse briefly featured under legendary Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti

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The striker who has represented Senegal nine times will spend the foreseeable future playing in the Northern Premier League.

A statement from the club read: “Macclesfield FC are delighted to have agreed terms to the signing of former Everton and Hull City striker Oumar Niasse on a short term deal subject to league approval.

“Boasting a wealth of experience, Niasse will be able to share his expertise from making over 50 appearances at the highest level.

“The former Senegalese International provides a real threat with his pace and power and adds real quality to Alex Bruce’s squad.

“Everyone at Macclesfield FC would like to wish Oumar every success during his time at The Leasing.com Stadium.”

Niasse is best known for a four-year spell at Goodison Park where he scored eight times in 35 appearances before successive loan spells at Hull and Cardiff.

His time at Everton was marred after falling out of favour with the then boss Ronald Koeman.

After featuring in a bit-part role during his first season at the club, Niasse was not given a squad number ahead of the 2016–17 campaign after being informed by Koeman that he would need to find a new club.

The Dutchman told reporters: “If Niasse likes to play football he needs to leave Everton.”

Niasse joined Hull on loan from Everton in 2017, scoring four times for the Tigers

Getty Images - Getty

Niasse failed to strike a move before the transfer deadline and was subsequently reintegrated into Koeman’s first team set-up and handed a new squad number.

But the striker’s renaissance didn’t last long as he was demoted to the under-23 squad two-months later.

Manchester United injury list: Andre Onana, Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund join Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro on sidelines

Jack Cunningham — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 14:23:00 +0000

It’s been a bizarre season so far for Manchester United, and the injuries are mounting up.

Several players like Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez have barely played a game for the Red Devils this year due to injury, and there are no signs of the problems easing.

Andre Onana is the latest player to join Man United’s injury list

2023 AMA Sports Photo Agency

Erik ten Hag‘s options in defence have been particularly limited, meaning Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire have had to step in.

But there are players missing all across the squad, which, when you are competing on three fronts, isn’t ideal.

Manchester United’s injury list and how long they are out for

Casemiro [thigh injury] – 5 weeks

Casemiro started the 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle but was substituted at half time with a thigh problem.

Ten Hag then revealed he would be out until Christmas, meaning he will miss the remainder of Man United’s Champions League campaign.

Casemiro’s season is falling apart

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Amad Diallo [knee inury] – 7-8 weeks

Diallo sustained a nasty knee problem during pre-season that was expected to keep him out of action until the New Year.

He’s yet to return to training but could play an important role for the Red Devils next year, with Jadon Sancho expected to leave and Antony struggling for form.

Christian Eriksen [knee injury] – 4 weeks

Eriksen is set for a month on the sidelines after sustaining a knee injury during the 1-0 win over Luton.

The Dane has been playing in midfield, and with Casemiro also out, there are going to be some tired legs in the centre of the park.

Jonny Evans [hamstring problem] – unknown

Evans rejoined United this summer, eight years after leaving to join West Brom, and he’s already played eight games this season.

However, he was withdrawn against Copenhagen with a hamstring strain after just 16 minutes, and it’s unclear when he will return.

Evans’ injury leaves Man United with very few defensive options

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Rasmus Hojlund [muscle strain] – 3 weeks

Hojlund started the 1-0 win over Luton but was withdrawn ten minutes before the end of the game with a muscle strain.

Man United hope he’s back before the end of November, meaning he shouldn’t miss too many games.

Andre Onana [unspecified problem] – unknown

Onana is the latest player to join Man United’s growing injury list with an unknown problem after leaving the pitch during international duty with Cameroon.

The goalkeeper was substituted in the 81st minute of Cameroon’s game against Mauritius and will now be assessed by the team at Carrington.

Tyrell Malacia [ongoing knee problem] – unknown

Where is he?

Malacia has yet to play a single competitive game this season and has been absent with an ongoing knee problem.

Ten Hag revealed in August that he was only a few weeks away, but the Dutchman is yet to return.

Malacia is yet to play this season

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Lisandro Martinez [foot injury] – 4-8 weeks

Martinez is expected to be out until at least Christmas due to a foot injury suffered at the end of September.

The Argentine has only made six appearances this season, and the Red Devils are missing his passing and aggression at the back.

Luke Shaw [unspecified muscle problem] – few days

Shaw is another who has been absent for some time, but he’s back in full training.

The left-back was one of United’s best players last season, and they are really missing him so his return could be very important.

Shaw hasn’t played since August

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Aaron Wan-Bissaka [ill] – 2 weeks

Wan-Bissaka has only just returned from a hamstring injury, but he’s now picked up a virus.

However, he should be back for either the Premier League return or the Red Devils’ Champions League clash against Galatasaray.

Man City star Erling Haaland spends over £13,000 on train tickets for fans of boyhood club

Lee Davey — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 12:31:01 +0000

Erling Haaland has splashed out £13,000 on train tickets for fans of his former club Bryne, ahead of their huge fixture on Saturday.

The 23-year-old sensation represented the Norwegian side at youth level and made his first senior appearance in 2015 before moving to Molde two years later.

Haaland began his career at Bryne before moving to Norwegian giants Molde [pictured above] in 2017

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But it appears Haaland still holds much affection for his boyhood club who face a trip to Kristiansand for their play-off game against Start.

Bryne snatched the final play-off place in the OBOS League and now Haaland has showed his generosity to the group of supporters.

With train tickets to Kristiansand costing £52 and 200 supporters set to make the journey, the Manchester City striker has parted with £13,100 to help fans get to the game.

Haaland even went one better by telling fans who opt not to travel by train that he will pay for them to travel by bus.

Byrne’s press spokesman Ole Morten Hobberstad heaped praise on Haaland and told the treble winner that everybody at the club appreciates his kind gesture.

“It’s nice that Erling wants to sponsor a trip for the Bryne supporters, it’s something the whole of Bryne really appreciates,” he said.

“It also contributes to the fact that several people who perhaps did not prioritise it in the first place due to price growth and interest rate increases are now travelling to support Bryne in the promotion qualification.”

Haaland will have the opportunity to tune in to the big game on Saturday night, but not before he takes to the pitch when Manchester City face Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium – exclusively live on talkSPORT.

Haaland will be hoping to add to his two goals in five games against the Reds

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A win for City can put daylight between themselves and second-placed Liverpool who come into the fixture undefeated in the last five games.

But Pep Guardiola’s men have been warned about the pace of Jurgen Klopp’s visitors ahead of the gargantuan showdown between the title rivals.

Ricky Hatton: Forget about Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, Liverpool is Man City’s scariest game

Lee Davey — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 11:53:17 +0000

Boxing legend Ricky Hatton has insisted Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool provide Manchester City with their scariest game of the season.

Jurgen Klopp’s side head to the Etihad for Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off – exclusively live on talkSPORT – aiming to leapfrog the reigning Premier League champions into top spot.

Liverpool and City’s rivalry has gained momentum as the pair tussle for domestic honours

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Liverpool come into the game on a five-match unbeaten run and just one point adrift of Pep Guardiola’s leaders.

The Treble winners ran out 4-1 winners at the Etihad in April, but City fan Hatton expects things to be tighter this time round against the Reds, whom he claims to be City’s toughest challengers.

“Obviously when the derby game comes up against Manchester United, derbies are always going to be tough,” the former two-weight world boxing champion told talkSPORT.

“I think [Liverpool] is our toughest game and none more so than this year because Liverpool have hit good form again.

“City’s last game [vs Chelsea] which is probably the best game I’ve seen this season, we were dreadful.

“I’ve never seen us play as bad as that and coming into Liverpool for our next game we need to pull our socks up and get back on track again and Liverpool always seem to do well against City.”

Manchester City are aiming to make history by becoming the first club to win four-consecutive Premier League titles.

City are overriding favourites to lift the title again in May, but Hatton isn’t counting his chickens just yet and expects a resurgent Liverpool to push them all the way.

Hatton calls on City to be at their best against a resurgent Liverpool

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Man City swept Liverpool aside with a 4-1 win at the Etihad in April

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Here is how City and Liverpool compare in the Premier League this season

“It’s always a big game when we play Liverpool. They’re going to push us close this year,” he added.

“If they keep maintaining what they’re doing, then it’s all about confidence. They could be our biggest threat. City are the standout team.

“I think we’d all agree with that. But there’s several teams like your Arsenals, your Chelseas and your Liverpools and your Tottenhams.

“But at some stage over the season, I’d like to think they’d all beat each other and we might pull away.

“But you play your rivals, the teams that will be pushing you and you need to put them to the sword a little bit to send them a message and that’s what City need to do on Saturday.”

Inside unlikely friendship between neighbouring Liverpool and Man City superstars Dominik Szoboszlai and Erling Haaland

Uma Gurav — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 11:49:08 +0000

Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has opened up about his friendship with none other than Erling Haaland.

Manchester City will welcome Liverpool to the Etihad for a crucial top-of-the-table match in the first Premier League fixture following the international break – live on talkSPORT.

The 23-year-old friends will turn into rivals on Saturday 25 November

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City currently sit top of the Premier League having picked up 28 points from their first 12 games – and Liverpool trail them by just one point.

But the match will see some old friends go head-to-head as Liverpool summer signing Szoboszlai reveals a strong bond with last year’s Golden Boot winner Haaland.

The two played together at Red Bull Salzburg from 2019 to 2020 where they won the Austrian Bundesliga and the Austrian Cup.

Szoboszlai told the BBC: “We got really close because we were both young.”

And he was full off praise for the Norwegian both on and off the pitch, calling him a ‘great player, great guy’.

Szoboszlai, who has just captained Hungary to qualification for Euro 2024, joined Liverpool on a five-year deal in July 2023 for a reported fee of £60million.

The 23-year-old then made the move to the North West of England – and ended up with a rather familiar neighbour.

He said: “(Haaland) has a house and then two houses between us, and then it’s my house!”

Szoboszlai has settled in well to life under Jurgen Klopp

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But now he must go head-to-head with his long-time friend

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Haaland was prolific during his time at RB Salzburg, scoring 29 goals in a year.

And Szoboszlai also flourished at the club – he spent three seasons at the club where he made 56 appearances and scored 16 goals.

He then made the move to RB Leipzig in 2020 where he spent one season out through injury, before settling in well and going on to make 62 appearances for the German side.

And with just hours left on his release clause, Liverpool finally swooped in for Szoboszlai in July.

He has made a strong start to life at the club having scored once in his 12 appearances so far.

And the midfielder has proved his worth, playing more minutes than any other outfield player at Liverpool this season.

Jurgen Klopp has also expressed his delight with the midfielder, who created the most chances of any Liverpool player in his first nine Premier League appearances since Harry Kewell in 2003.

But the Hungarian revealed the news of his transfer to Liverpool came as something of a surprise to his friend, Haaland.

He said: “When I came to sign, it was not official yet.

“I sent him a picture with a Liverpool shirt and he was like, ‘Oh, what’s happening?’

“And I said, ‘Yeah, we’re going to see each other.’

“And he said, ‘Congratulations – the Premier League is crazy!'”

Manchester City vs Liverpool is live on talkSPORT on Saturday 25 November from 12:30pm.

Only two Tottenham players named in Gabby Agbonlahor’s combined XI with Aston Villa

Jake Lambourne — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 11:27:21 +0000

Just two Tottenham players get into a combined starting XI with Aston Villa ahead of Sunday’s clash in the capital.

That is the view of former Villans striker Gabby Abbonlahor, who believes Unai Emery‘s side boast a better side on paper from the players available.

Fifth-placed Villa go into Sunday’s clash away at Tottenham full of confidence

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Villa go into this weekend’s match in fifth spot – just one point behind Spurs and three points off Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Only the Citizens have scored more [32 goals] than Villa [29 goals] so far this season, with the club – along with Spurs – winning eight out of their opening eight matches.

Spurs have a mini-crisis ahead of the fixture, with James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Richarlison all injured, meanwhile Cristian Romero and Yves Bissouma are ruled out through suspension.

And it is because of this that Agbonlahor has named a Villa-heavy line-up combined from the two teams.

Reeling his team off to co-host Alan Brazil on the talkSPORT Sports Breakfast show, he said: “[Emiliano] Martinez in goal, Matty Cash right-back, [Ezri] Konsa and [Pau] Torres are my centre-halves, [Destiny] Udogie for Spurs as my left-back.

“[Douglas] Luiz, [John] McGinn and [Boubacar] Kamara as my three midfielders.

“Son [Heung-min] on the left, [Moussa] Diaby on the right and [Ollie] Watkins up front.

“So only two Spurs players make my Villa-Spurs XI out of players that are available this Sunday.

This is how the two teams compare ahead of this weekend’s battle in north London

Maddison will be a huge blow for Spurs, with the midfielder out until the New Year

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“Maddison isn’t in there, Van de Ven, Romero, Bissouma – they’re not available. I think everyone would agree with that XI there.”

Such is Agbonlahor’s confidence in Villa, he believes that the Midlands outfit will finish higher than Spurs this season, even when the north Londoners have a full-strength squad.

He stated: “I think they’ll [Villa] finish in the top six. Have you seen the state of the Premier League? I think they’ll finish higher than Spurs.”

And unsurprisingly, Agbonlahor is confident his former employers will get the job done in the capital.

Replying to Brazil’s view that Spurs will earn at least a draw, the ex-Watford loanee remarked: “You don’t think so [Villa to win]?

“So with Spurs’ injuries and their suspensions and the way Villa are playing… you know Villa are only one point behind Spurs? Scored more goals than them.

“I think this is the sort of game that Villa will turn up, and it’s been a great season so far.”

Agbonlahor has named just two Tottenham players in his combined Spurs vs Villa XI

What are Everton fan’s protest plans? Toffees supporters plan to show anger towards Premier League after point deduction

Jack Cunningham — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 11:19:13 +0000

Everton fans, understandably, are very angry with the Premier League after they were deducted ten points for one Financial Fair Play breach.

As a result, the Toffees have united and have plenty of protest plans prepared against the top-flight ahead of the club’s return to action.

Sean Dyche has been left in a relegation battle when his side were clear of danger

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Everton have launched an appeal against the deduction, which has plunged them from midtable safety into the relegation zone.

It’s a tricky situation, and the club’s fans are going to make their feelings towards the Premier League very clear.

What are Everton fan’s protest plans?

Toffee supporters’ protest consists of multiple elements.

The first is a planned meeting outside of the Premier League’s London headquarters on Friday, November 24.

It’s unclear how many Evertonians will be there, but it’s just the start.

On Saturday, November 25, during Manchester City‘s game against Liverpool, live on talkSPORT, a group of Everton fans are planning to fly a plane over the Etihad with a message for the Premier League.

It’s unknown what it will say, but it will be a clear statement for the world.

GettyEverton fans are going to still get behind their team[/caption]

Everton fans have had 38 Thousand "Premier league corrupt" signs printed.

They will hand them out before the Everton vs United game on Sunday and are asking all fans to gold them up including United fans. pic.twitter.com/uDNGd8Wt94
— Paul 𝕏 Manc Bald and Bred (@MufcWonItAll2) November 22, 2023

Everton fan group the 1878s said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter: “We have had a lot of requests asking for a plane to be flown over Goodison on Sunday, with a message to the PL.

“Due to our kick off time, it will be dark. So instead a plane will fly over The Etihad on Saturday for City v Liverpool which will be watched by millions around the world. Once the banner is made from the company we can release a picture of this.”

Everton then welcome Manchester United to Goodison Park on Sunday, November 26, and it’s going to be an electric atmosphere.

The Toffees plan to roar their side on while also slamming the Premier League at every opportunity.

Thirty-eight thousand cards have been printed off, with the Premier League’s logo and the words ‘corrupt’ underneath them, and fans are expected to raise them in unison.

In total, £40,000 has been collected to fund these demonstrations, and supporters are likely to boo the top-flight’s anthem.

Sky Sports have also been told Everton fans plan to chant ‘Premier League corrupt as f***’ in the tenth minute, report the Times.

As a result, the broadcaster are reportedly going to lower the crowd noise or find some way to distort it.

So Everton fans have plenty of things planned, and that’s probably just the start.

It’s hard to imagine they will stop after one round of protests and are likely to pile even more pressure on the Premier League in the coming weeks.

Alan Shearer gives brutally-honest response to Roy Keane boxing match suggestion

Phil Spencer — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 10:40:11 +0000

Alan Shearer had a strong response to Gary Lineker’s attempts to set up a boxing match with Roy Keane, saying ‘I’m too old for that s***’.

Shearer joined the Match Of The Day host and Micah Richards on The Rest Is Football podcast when he was asked about the funniest thing that someone said to him on the pitch.

Shearer says that Keane threatened to knock him out

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The Newcastle United legend replied: “Roy Keane once said that he was going to knock me out.”

Lineker replied: “You do surprise me, and did he,” to which Shearer laughed: “Come on!”

However Lineker had his colleagues back, saying: “I think I’d back you against him, Al. Even now.

“I think that people would pay to see that. You get all of these celebrity fights now – get the two of you in UFC gloves or boxing gloves…”

However, Shearer was having none of it as he replied: “I wouldn’t. I’m too old for that s***, Gaz!”

Posing the same question to Micah Richards, the ex-Man City replied: “No one was messing with big Mics on the pitch! They were terrified of me.

“The only encounters I had were with Ashley Williams and Clint Dempsey.

“Back in the day, he was at Fulham and I was at Man City. He was playing sort of left wing and I was at right back and I was quite small then, but I had a great leap and I kept winning the ball over him.

Shearer said he was ‘too old for this s***’ when asked about a celebrity boxing match with Keane

YT: The Rest Is Football

Micah Richards then told a funny story about a run-in with Clint Dempsey

YT: The Rest Is Football

“He was just getting frustrated and one of the times I won the ball and he shrugged me like ‘what are you doing’.

“So me being from Chapeltown, I wasn’t having that – there was no chance I was having that!

“I said f*** off and it went back and forth and then he turned to me and said: “You don’t know where I’m from, dawg!

“I just thought, ‘what are you even on about’. It keeps bubbling on because you think ‘next time I see him he’s getting it’ but around that time people did a bit of research and found that he’s a pretend rapper.

“So the next time I see him, I said ‘f*** me, you can’t even rap’ and I just laid into him, saying: ‘who do you think you are, Eminem?’

“I was singing Slim Shady throughout the whole game!”

William Saliba hilariously mistakes former Arsenal defender for Sean Dyche

Lee Davey — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 10:37:43 +0000

William Saliba hilariously mistook a former Arsenal star for Everton boss Sean Dyche during a challenge to identify ex-Gunners stars.

The French defender has been in superb form for Mikel Arteta’s side and netted his first goal of the season in the 3-1 victory over Burnley a fortnight ago.

Saliba was on target for the Gunners in their recent 3-1 win over Burnley

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But it appears that his knowledge of Arsenal‘s past stars does not match up to his on-field talents, after he was handed pictures of former players that donned the famous red shirt.

His quest was to identify as many as possible and, whilst he struggled to identify some of Arsenal’s former heroes, Saliba’s reference to the Everton boss even had himself in stitches.

Saliba guessed correctly for Alex Song, Gervinho, Yaya Sanogo and Andrey Arshavin, but stumbled when tasked with identifying Denilson, Manuel Almunia and Eduardo.

However, the centre-back saved the best for last when a photo of former defender Philippe Senderos appeared.

Saliba squinted as he looked at the screen before uttering: “Is that the coach of Everton?”

After promptly being told his answer was incorrect, the 22-year-old burst into laughter knowing he had made a hilarious but rare error.

Saliba has become a fan-favourite at the Emirates since his integration into the starting eleven at the beginning of the 2022/23 season.

The France star was a key figure as the Gunners’ ran Manchester City to the wire in last season’s title race.

@nbcsportssoccerSaliba was wide of the mark when trying to identify former Gunner Philippe Senderos[/caption]

@nbcsportssoccerBut quickly found the funny side after being told the Swiss defender was not Sean Dyche![/caption]

How well can William Saliba identify Arsenal players throughout the years? pic.twitter.com/9UF3DIWa1z
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) November 22, 2023

A back injury picked up in a Europa League tie against Sporting Lisbon in March ruled him out of key games in the title race which many fans believe was a defining moment in the Gunners’ season.

But it has been business as usual this season for Saliba who has played every minute of Arsenal’s Premier League’s matches and featured in all four of the club’s Champions League ties.

Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai reveals everyone has been saying his name wrong

Connor Andrews — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 10:28:00 +0000

Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai is on track to become a household name, so we should probably all be able to pronounce it right.

The Hungary captain has made an impressive start since he joined the Reds in a £60million move from RB Leipzig this summer.

Szoboszlai has made an impression since his arrival at Anfield

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Szoboszlai enjoyed a fruitful international break, drinking a shot after his masterclass secured Hungary’s qualification for Euro 2024.

The 23-year-old scored two goals and providing an assist in games against Bulgaria and Montenegro to get his country over the line.

He didn’t take long to thrill Liverpool supporters upon his arrival by expressing his love for local hero Gerrard, and taking his no.8 shirt.

Szoboszlai has since played more minutes than any other outfield player at his club this season.

Asked if Szoboszlai had settled quicker than expected in September, Klopp said: “It’s so long ago that he’s here that I’ve forgotten what I thought but since the first minute of training it was pretty impressive.

“That’s how it is. He’s a top bloke, a top guy and it’s easy to step into the team and the dressing room and stuff like this.

“He’s a very naturally confident boy and that helps but it’s super hard work as well and that’s what you see today.”

But now that his name has been regularly spoken around England, the man himself made sure that fans have been saying it right.

Szoboszlai has quickly established himself as a firm fan-favourite

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With the midfielder in his Liverpool kit, the Premier League’s social media team asked how to pronounce his name properly, to which he replied ‘Dominik So-bos-lai’.

There had been some misconceptions over whether the ‘sz’ sounds were pronounced as a ‘sh’ in English, but Szoboszlai has now simply revealed his name is pretty much as it’s written.

Now all that is left is to learn how to spell it without checking…

How many names have you been saying wrong? pic.twitter.com/z6sb9uqEVf
— Premier League (@premierleague) November 22, 2023

Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez comparisons premature but Liverpool star now set to rival Man City ace after Lionel Messi praise

Jack Johnson — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 09:37:00 +0000

Lionel Messi has thrown praise onto Darwin Nunez amid the striker’s superb start to the campaign for both club and country.

And the Liverpool frontman may now be ready to finally challenge Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland, one year after he fell short of comparisons between the two.

Nunez is bouncing back from a poor season last year

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Haaland and Nunez meet this weekend, live on talkSPORT, as the rivals clash for the fourth time since they both arrived in England in the summer of 2022.

The forwards were the Premier League’s big-money deals of that transfer window and they were instantly compared against each other.

However, while Haaland quickly became one of the world’s deadliest goalscorers at Manchester City, Nunez struggled to settle at Liverpool.

The Uruguayan started his first season well but then a red card on his home debut derailed his success, only scoring nine goals during the campaign.

Compared to his Norweigan counterpart, he was a whopping 27 goals behind, as the Man City superstar broke the top-flight scoring record.

That proved that comparisons between the two may have been premature, even to the point that Jurgen Klopp was hoping Nunez wasn’t looking at what Haaland was achieving.

The Reds boss said last year: “Let me say it like this, I think Darwin Nunez would have scored a couple more goals if he had played in the centre of Man City this season.

“I hope it is not in a process where he compares himself with Erling Haaland. Don’t compare, I hope he is not doing that and doesn’t think about that. I don’t see that.”

Nunez has some impressive stats after only six starts

And it seems Nunez hasn’t got caught up on his disappointing first campaign in England.

He has come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders, scoring four goals and providing four assists in 11 games for Liverpool in the Premier League this season.

Haaland does still have more goals and is in fact now one away from becoming the fastest to score 50 in the top-flight, netting 49 goals in only 47 games in total.

But this campaign, he has started double the matches compared to Nunez, meaning the Reds striker having more passes and ball recoveries is extremely impressive.

His impact in all areas of the pitch has seen him become a key player for the Reds, with his incredible speed causing all sorts of issues.

That has led to Nunez getting praise from one of football’s greatest in Messi, who said before Argentina faced Uruguay: “Uruguay are good at rebounding and playing in space on the counter-attack.

“They have excellent players for that like Darwin [Núñez]…”

Nunez’s national teammate and Liverpool legend Luis Suarez has also spoken very highly of him, labelling him ‘one of the best No.9s in the world.’

Nunez in all competitions

Liverpool

Premier League – 4 goals and 4 assists in 11 matches
Carabao Cup – 1 goal in 2 matches
Europa League – 2 goals and 1 assist in 4 matches

Uruguay

Qualifiers: 5 goals and 1 assist in 6 matches

Total

12 goals and 7 assists in 23 matches

Nunez is on his way to becoming Klopp’s key man

AFP

His resilience has been nothing short of superb and the way he has bounced back from falling behind Haaland is impressive.

Klopp has also been speaking about Nunez’s contribution to his side so far this season.

“Outstanding! Outstanding!” he said after Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Brentford.

“Everyone can see; look at him how he kept the ball for us, who would of thought that last year?

“That he could do that for us. [The] standout was Darwin because Brentford wanted long balls so he started the pressing.

“[His] work-rate was insane.”

Nunez’s confidence is sky-high and he now seems ready to step up against Haaland.

And there will not be a better time to prove that he is the real deal than on Saturday afternoon at the Etihad Stadium.

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Gabriel Jesus makes shock admission about goalscoring that will worry Arsenal fans

Callum Vurley — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 23:24:36 +0000

Gabriel Jesus has admitted that goalscoring is not his strong point – much to the shock of Arsenal fans.

The Arsenal star has confessed that scoring goals is not one of his better strengths despite being a striker after he fired another blank in front of goal during Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Argentina.

Jesus has had a tough time in front of goal lately

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Nicolas Otamendi scored the only goal of the game as the Selecao looked toothless in attack – particularly Jesus, who started the contest.

The 26-year-old’s goal record for Brazil stands at 19 goals in 63 appearances and he has admitted that he does not count scoring as one of his strengths.

“Scoring goals is inevitable (but) it is not my strongest suit,” he told reporters after the match against Argentina.

“I play to score a goal, that’s why I’m in the national team. Scoring goals (again) will happen naturally.”

That might not be what Arsenal fans want to hear, especially considering that they are desperate to sign a striker.

Jesus has scored just once in the Premier League this season in seven appearances, though he has three in three in the Champions League.

The striker signed for the Gunners in 2022 from Manchester City for £45million, scoring 11 times in his debut campaign.

And for his country, he has scored just once in four years – netting the fifth in a 5-1 victory over South Korea in a friendly in June.

Jesus struggled against Argentina for Brazil

AFP

AFPJesus has scored just once in four years for Brazil[/caption]

It has seen concerns grow over Jesus’ goalscoring record while Arsenal have been linked with strikers ahead of the January transfer window.

Ivan Toney is one of the top names Mikel Arteta is looking at, while Chelsea are also keen on the Brentford star.

Jesus has also had his injury troubles over the past 12 months with Eddie Nketiah filling in largely when the forward is missing.

Kai Havertz has also been signed this summer and can play up top, though his goalscoring record is also less than impressive after one goal in 19 appearances.

Referee chief Howard Webb orders crackdown on players waving imaginary cards

Callum Vurley — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 23:09:25 +0000

PGMOL chief Howard Webb has ordered his referees to clamp down on players waving imaginary cards.

The referees head is keen to reinforce strict rules on dissent that were brought in at the start of the season.

Webb is keen to reiterate rules on dissent in the Premier League

He has also warned VAR officials that they must step in if ‘soft’ penalties are awarded, according to The Sun.

Ahead of the return of Premier League action this week after the international break, Webb has laid down the law to his team of referees during a meeting at their Loughborough base.

One of his key points was to reiterate a directive brought in to crack down on player dissent.

At the start of the season, there were a flurry of bookings for players that showed imaginary cards.

However, such a punishment has disappeared in recent weeks with players getting away with the action, something that did not happen earlier in the campaign.

The inconsistency has been pointed out by fans on numerous occasions and has been a point of contention.

Webb is keen to bring back the rule in a move that will see yellow cards likely rack up quickly once again.

He reiterated to his team that a policy put in place in August has to be consistent throughout the season.

Webb wants referees to crack down on dissent

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And the rules of dissent even stretch to the managers, with seemingly more than ever this season

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And the PGMOL chief is also eager to maintain a strong line against dissent in general as they look to battle back against players and managers behaving badly.

There have already been 88 bookings in the Premier League for dissent – Fulham top the list with 11 yellow cards.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag and Fulham manager Marco Silva top the list for most dissent bookings, seeing yelow three times each.

Meanwhile, Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta and Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff have been yellow carded for dissent three times each.

Referees have come under heavy criticism this season already with VAR facing calls to be scrapped.

Wolves have been particularly stung after suffering from three penalties given against them in a row that should have never been taken.

Luis Diaz infamously saw his goal incorrectly ruled offside despite VAR taking a look during Liverpool’s defeat to Tottenham in September.

And Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou recently said that VAR should be stood down until the technology works.

He said last week: “I would [scrap VAR] in its current form. I just don’t think that technology is ready for our game.

“I’ve got zero against goal-line technology. It’s a no-brainer and it works for our game.

“Our game is unique. People say, ‘Let’s get referees explaining their decisions’. Oh my God – seriously? Could you imagine sitting there listening to a referee explaining every decision in the game?”

Man City vs Liverpool is a fascinating tactical battle, believes Danny Murphy, and one key area decides it

Callum Vurley — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 22:49:08 +0000

Former Liverpool star Danny Murphy believes there’s one key area that will decide the outcome of the Reds’ blockbuster clash at Manchester City.

All eyes will be on the Etihad Stadium as Liverpool make the trip to on Saturday lunchtime to take on the Premier League champions, live and exclusively on talkSPORT.

Just a point separates Pep Guardiola’s City, who are top and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool going into the clash

The two Premier League giants are currently tussling it out at the top of the table.

City lead Liverpool by one point at the summit, meaning a win for either side could be crucial – even at this stage of the season.

Speaking ahead of the gargantuan fixture, ex-Liverpool star Murphy looked at how things will pan out tactically and there’s one key area that could be the difference between victory and defeat for both sides.

The key area

“I think it will be a fascinating game because of the quality on show. A little bit disappointing that it is on at half 12.

“But only because of the tempo and quality that you want to see the game played at.

Manuel Akanji is likely to step into midfield against Liverpool

Getty Images - Getty

“Anyway, putting that aside, I think it is an intriguing game because what City have been doing recently is releasing one of the centre-halves into midfield, whether that be [Manuel] Akanji or [John] Stones.”

Liverpool can exploit City with pace

“I think what we saw at [the 4-4 draw against] Chelsea was if you have pace against them and a quick turnover, there is space to run into.

“If Liverpool have [Darwin] Nunez, [Luis] Diaz and [Mohamed] Salah up top, there is no one better equipped in utilising space in behind teams than those three.

“I don’t see City changing at home what they have been doing. One of the centre-halves is released in midfield, which creates spaces.

City are electric on the ball, but Liverpool have plenty of pace and quality going forward

AFP

“They are confident in keeping the ball and scoring goals themselves, the way City play. It is a great thing to watch.”

But City can do the same to Liverpool

“On the flipside, what you’ve got is Liverpool releasing Trent [Alexander-Arnold] in midfield from right-back.

“And if [Jeremy] Doku plays, with his amazing pace and directness, that is going to cause Liverpool a problem.

“If [Joel] Matip plays there and has to cover Trent, there’s a lack of athleticism against Jeremy Doku.

Alexander-Arnold could step into midfield from right-back

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And that hole could be exploited by players like Doku

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“So there are all these little tactical things are going on.”

Listen to full commentary of Manchester City vs Liverpool LIVE and exclusively on talkSPORT

Manchester United could be BANNED from Champions League next season due to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ownership of the club

Jackson Cole — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 21:51:19 +0000

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of a minority stake in Manchester United could cost them a place in Europe next season.

Britain’s richest man is expected to purchase his 25 per cent stake at Old Trafford in the coming days in a £1.25billion deal that will be greatly appreciated by fans determined to see the balance of power move away from the Glazer family.

The Glazers would still be the majority owners but Ratcliffe would take a more hands-on role at Man United. However, an association with Ratcliffe could land them in a spot of bother

However, Ratcliffe’s ownership of French club Nice could pose a problem for the Red Devils in their pursuit of European football.

Nice are currently second in Ligue 1, a point behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain. If they stay anywhere near the top four at the end of the season then Man United would have to at least match them in the Premier League table to be allowed into the revamped Champions League.

Meanwhile, if Nice were to finish in fourth, then Man United would not be able to enter the Europa League either.

Man United’s only chance of playing any kind of European football would require them to finish sixth, while hoping for Liverpool or potentially Newcastle to win the Carabao Cup – which would see them gain direct entry to the Europa Conference League.

This is because Nice would need to enter the final play-off round for the main competition and risk ending up in the Europa League.

UEFA rules on ‘multi-club ownership’ state that no individual entity “may have control of influence over more than one club participating in a UEFA competition.”

Among the definitions of ‘control’ is “being able to exercise by any means a decisive influence in the decision-making of the club.”

Furthermore, the rules also say that no individual can be involved ‘in any capacity’ or have “any power whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club” participating in a UEFA competition.

Man United are in this season’s Champions League which could see them scoop up to £140million in TV and prize money

Getty

Ineos chairman and CEO Ratcliffe has made it clear that he will have command of the sporting structure at Man United while his stake in the 13-time Premier League winners clearly meets the ‘influence’ standard.

If two clubs under the same ownership umbrella qualify for Europe then only one of them can be entered – although there is a caveat which allows teams to qualify automatically for the Conference League if a sister club is directly entered into the senior competition.

However, the UEFA rulebook makes it clear that priority would go to the club that was ranked highest in its respective domestic championship.

England’s ranking at the top of the ‘access list’ means matching Nice’s finish would see Man United take priority.

This season has already presented a number of challenges for Ten Hag, and potential ineligibility for Europe is the last thing he’ll need

Getty

A UEFA source told The Sun: “As the rules stand, it’s a clear situation. Ineos own Nice and are set to have a significant role in running United.

“Unless the regulations are changed, or Ineos sell one of their stakes, they cannot both play in European competitions, unless one is in the Champions league and the other in the Conference League.”

Ten Hag’s side experienced a horror start to the league season but have won four of their last five, meaning they are currently sixth in the table, five points off fourth.

These rules could also impact Man United’s local rivals, Manchester City with Spanish sister club Girona, run by Pep Guardiola‘s brother Pere, the surprise leaders of LaLiga.

If Girona were to beat teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid to the title then City would have to win the Premier League or win the Champions League – becoming automatic top seeds – to qualify next term.

Manchester United on brink of £110m financial black hole as Sir Jim Ratcliffe nears takeover

Callum Vurley — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 21:33:58 +0000

Manchester United are staring a £110million financial blow which could haunt them over the next three years.

United have so far struggled in the Premier League and only some recent good form has clawed them up to sixth in the table.

United have had their troubles this season under Ten Hag

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And it means Erik ten Hag already has an uphill struggle to qualify for next season’s Champions League with Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City currently the favourites to finish in the top four.

United are already on the brink of exiting the Champions League after a hugely disappointing loss to Copenhagen just before the international break.

It has left them bottom of their group with Bayern Munich to face, as well as a trip to Istanbul to take on Galatasaray – a notoriously difficult venue to get a result at.

But crashing out of the Champions League at this stage and subsequently missing out of the top four will have disastrous effects on the club’s finances, just as Sir Jim Ratcliffe prepares to seal his 25 per cent stake in the club.

The Sun reports the initial cost would be the loss of £8.35m for qualification plus £5m in gate receipts – around about £13.5m.

With total gate receipts included, that figure could reach up to £60m, while United would also miss out on playing at the revamped Club World Cup.

FIFA are expanding the competition in 2025, usually a footnote of the season, and tempting clubs to take it more seriously by implementing a £1billion prize pot.

The tournament will involve 32 teams from across the world, 12 from Europe, with Chelsea, Real Madrid, City and this season’s Champions League winners earning automatic berths.

Ratcliffe is days away from being announced as United’s latest shareholder

AFP

Ratcliffe will also bring Jean-Claude Blanc with him to act as CEO

Getty

The other eight clubs from Europe will be decided by a coefficient table over four years.

But United missing out would cost them around £50m in prize money.

They are currently seventh in the coefficient table but are at risk of tumbling down the order if their current Champions League form continues.

Ratcliffe’s 25 per cent stake at Old Trafford is set to be announced in the coming days.

And that will also bring a raft of changes, including a switcheroo in the CEO hotseat with Richard Arnold making way for Jean-Claude Blanc.

FA to review Defoe transfer to Portsmouth which could lead to major sanctions for Tottenham

Jackson Cole — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 21:10:55 +0000

The Football Association is now looking into allegations of potentially serious breaches of agent rules in a Jermain Defoe’s transfer from Tottenham to Portsmouth.

An investigation by The Times said new evidence shows Spurs dealt with an unlicensed agent while agreeing to sell the ex-England striker to Pompey for £7.5million in January 2008.

Defoe joined Portsmouth in January 2008 before returning to Spurs a year later

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No action was taken by the FA at the time, but the inquiry now extends to a review of evidence uncovered by the newspaper and an attempt to interview former Wembley staff.

The Times reports that during a private hearing concerning the transfer of Defoe from Spurs to Fratton Park it emerged that Defoe, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and then-Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp, had all dealt with an unlicensed agent during the negotiations.

Breaches of FA agent rules have previously resulted in point deductions, transfer bans, and suspensions for club officials. In the same year, Luton Town were docked ten points for breaking agent regulations.

The Times claims: “At the arbitration hearing over the Defoe transfer, a panel of three QCs found that Mitchell Thomas, the former West Ham United and Tottenham player and an unlicensed agent, was a central figure in the deal. Thomas was named by the FA in 2008 on a list of agents who had been operating in football without a licence.

“It was also heard that Levy enlisted the services of Stuart Peters, an agent who was licensed, to act for Tottenham but that a representation contract — required under FA rules — did not appear to be in place. Levy agreed to pay Peters about £1 million for his role in the £7.5 million transfer, with agent fees for the transfer totalling more than £1.5 million.”

Tottenham declined to comment but Portsmouth said in a statement: “The signing of Jermain Defoe in 2008 occurred under a previous ownership and those involved in the transfer of the player’s registration from Tottenham Hotspur are no longer at the club, having left many years ago.

“The current board and ownership acquired the club in 2017 from the Pompey Supporters’ Trust and club presidents, who themselves formally acquired the club in 2013.

“The board and the new executive therefore have no knowledge of any negotiations that led to Portsmouth Football Club’s registration of Jermain Defoe in 2008.”

Defoe scored 91 Premier League goals during his Tottenham career

Getty Images - Getty

Agents are permitted to act for a player, or either the buying or selling club, in a transfer but must hold a licence and have a formal representation contract.

The contract between an agent and a player, or an agent and a club, must contain “the entire agreement between the parties in relation to the agency activity”, including details of the commission due.

Regulations from the FA at the time stated that both “players and clubs are forbidden from using the services of an unlicensed players’ agent.”

These rules remain in place today and also state that “a players’ agent shall be permitted to represent a player or a club only by concluding the relevant written representation contract with that player or club”.

The Times reports that a failure to comply with these regulations should be regarded as an extremely serious matter and could potentially lead to heavy sanctions, including a transfer ban, points deduction or even relegation. Meanwhile, agents and players can face anything from a warning or fine to a ban.

It’s also reported that the panel, which included Cherie Blair, wife of former prime minister Tony Blair – concluded in January 2010 that Thomas has been involved in helping Defoe to agree the terms of his move.

The Times says calls made by Thomas to Levy, Redknapp, Defoe and Peters were detailed in the verdict that concluded with an order for Defoe to pay compensation to his former agent, Sky Andrew.

The panel sent its findings to the FA but the governing body confirmed on Tuesday that ‘no disciplinary action was taken’.

But now the FA is set to reopen the case with a plan to obtain a copy of the verdict that was issued by the panel and any other evidence that may not currently be in the possession of the FA.

A statement from the FA read: “We are looking at the case, and as part of that we will be reviewing the arbitration panel award.”

It’s not clear what evidence of the case the FA retains. But the Times says an attempt will also be made to interview any former staff who have have been at the FA at the time in a bid to understand what happened in 2010.

David Lampitt was head of financial regulation but he left to become the chief executive of Portsmouth in April 2010. He is now the chief executive of a tennis data organisation.

Manchester United mocked by Checkatrade with not-so-subtle advert next to Old Trafford

Phil Spencer — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 17:00:25 +0000

Manchester United have received their fair share of stick this season, but now they’re even being trolled by Checkatrade.

The online business, which links tradespeople with those in need of a particular service, posted a huge billboard just a stone’s throw from Old Trafford to poke fun at their misfortune.

Checkatrade have plastered the picture a stone’s throw from Old Trafford

X: @MikeMinay

The advert pokes fun at the stadium’s poor condition, most notably the roof that has been pictured leaking during heavy rain.

It features a big green tick next to ‘leaky roof’ on the checklist, indicating that they’d be able to fix the issue, as well as a red cross next to ‘leaky defence’.

The advert then finishes with the sentence: “There are some things that even Checkatrade can’t fix.”

While light-hearted in nature, the huge billboard is targeting the believed huge lack of investment made by the Glazer family in recent years, leaving them struggling both on off the pitch.

As well as struggling to compete with fierce rivals Manchester City and Liverpool on the pitch, the run-down nature of Old Trafford means that they’re also struggling in terms of infrastructure, something that Gary Neville said would have been unthinkable during his heyday.

Appearing on the Diary of a CEO podcast, the pundit said: “I used to laugh when I went to Anfield and compared it to Old Trafford.

“I’d always think: ‘They can never catch up, they’re too far behind’.

“They’re building that second stand now behind the goal where the away fans sit.

A lack of investment from The Glazer family has left Old Trafford on its knees

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“The main stand now is towering up. Anfield will be a more modern ground than Manchester United and Old Trafford in 12 months. That is unforgivable.”

For Man United fans, the hope will be that Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s minority investment will start to put things right.

The INEOS owner is set to purchase 25 per cent of the club from the Glazers while taking ownership of sporting matters at the club.

I was a Liverpool star and Manchester United ‘hatred’ will always outweigh Man City rivalry

Natasha Everitt — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 16:47:10 +0000

A former Liverpool star has insisted the club’s rivalry with Manchester United has much ‘more hatred’ involved than the one with Manchester City.

The Reds travel to the City’s Etihad on Saturday, live on talkSPORT, with the 2021/22 title rivals going head-to-head in a top of the table clash.

Liverpool and Man City has become a tasty clash in recent years

GETTY

Despite being in similar geographical proximity to traditional rivals Man United, Man City had never really been on Liverpool‘s radars until the last decade.

Before being bought by Sheikh Mansour in 2008 and going on to win seven Premier Leagues, three FA Cups, a Champions League and six Leagues Cups since, City hadn’t challenged for trophies for some time and were even in the second tier in 2001/02.

The Reds are also famed for being the enemies of Everton too, with both clubs situated less than a mile apart, so already had a top rival to focus on.

But despite City a few classic title races, including one where they pipped the Merseysiders to the title by one point two seasons ago, ex-Reds Danny Murphy insists the club’s rivalry with City is nowhere near as big as the one with Man United.

That’s despite the Red Devils only winning one trophy since 2017 and barely battling for top spot since 2013.

Joining talkSPORT’s White and Jordan for his regular Wednesday spot, Murphy, who played at Anfield between 1997 and 2004, was quick to give his answer on the debate.

“No,” he replied when asked if the City rivalry was overtaking United’s. “I think there’s been some bigger games in recent years because of them fighting the title out and the games have become more pivotal and monumental in the moment.

“But the rivalry of Liverpool and Man United will always be greater than Liverpool Man City, irrelevant of what’s going on in the league.”

Murphy says the rivalry with Man United is superior

talkSPORT

He scored three goals against Man United during his time at Liverpool, including a very famous free-kick

Getty

Whilst Liverpool and Man City are the only teams to win the Premier League since Chelsea did in 2017, the Reds’ rivalry with the red side of Manchester has been going on for much, much longer.

There’s a reason why some fans of each club regard it as a bigger rivalry than their respective local derbies.

Each club claim supremacy over the other, with United boasting 20 league titles to Liverpool’s 19 and Liverpool for being European champions six times compared to United’s three.

And it’s that history that leads Murphy and Liverpool fans to believe the rivalry with the Red Devils is the biggest.

“There’s more hatred there. There’s more rivalry, it goes back decades that,” he said.

“The Liverpool-City thing would have to grow a little bit more. But, it’s a bigger game for Liverpool in many ways.”

Should Jurgen Klopp‘s side win all three points this weekend, they’ll go above City and top of the league, with Pep Guardiola’s side just one point above them as fans prepare to welcome back Premier League action.

Everton vs Manchester United team news and predicted line-ups: Mount and Antony earn vital chance while goal-shy Rashford leads line

Jack Johnson — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 16:46:44 +0000

Manchester United travel to face Everton this weekend as they continue to be impacted by injuries to key players.

The Red Devils are aiming to make it three wins in a row with a depleted squad and also pile some misery on Sean Dyche.

Ten Hag has had to deal with many injuries this season

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Dyche’s side come into this game in good form but low spirits after receiving a 10-point deduction over the international break.

That means the Toffees are now in relegation trouble, with a win in their first game back the best way to boost hopes at Goodison Park.

Everton

Dyche only has Seamus Coleman, Andre Gomes and Dele Alli carrying big injuries.

England’s No.1 Jordan Pickford will of course start in goal.

He’ll be behind a somewhat settled back four that includes former Man United player Ashley Young at right back.

James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitaliy Mykolenko make up the defence.

James Garner has been a key piece of Everton’s midfield this season with the question being who will partner him in the holding role.

It looks likely to be Idrissa Gueye after he replaced Amadou Onana at halftime during the 3-2 win over Crystal Palace last time out.

Dyche has some thinking to do now his side are in the bottom three

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Onana has since withdrawn from the Belgium squad with a calf knock, meaning he may not be risked with a start this weekend.

Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil will be on the wings while the Toffees’ top scorer Abdoulaye Doucoure sits in behind the striker.

And that striker will be Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The big man has struggled with injuries all season and hasn’t completed a full 90 minutes since his latest return.

However, he is closing in on full fitness and will play a big part.

Manchester United

Man United have an ever-growing injury list that is impacting them on the pitch.

Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen, Jonny Evans and Tyrell Malacia are all out while Rasmus Hojlund could also be absent.

Luke Shaw is back in training but this game is likely to be too soon for the left back.

Goalkeeper Andre Onana has also picked up a knock while on international duty but he is expected to be fit to start between the sticks.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka should return at right back with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof playing in the centre of defence with Raphael Varane out of favour.

Diogo Dalot could switch to left-back meaning Sergio Reguilon drops to the bench.

Mount could be handed a start after Eriksen’s injury

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In midfield, Ten Hag has an issue with both Casemiro and Eriksen out.

After Eriksen was substituted with an injury against Luton, he chose Mason Mount over Sofyan Amrabat to come on in his place.

That indicates that Mount will start this time around with Amrabat a sub once again.

Captain Bruno Fernandes will no doubt be starting while Alejandro Garnacho will keep his place out wide.

Marcus Rashford started on the right last time out but is likely to drop into striker with Hojlund’s fitness a question mark.

Rashford netted 30 goals in all competitions last campaign but has managed to find the back of the net just once so far this season.

That will mean Antony comes back into the starting line-up on the wing.

Jurgen Klopp has beaten Pep Guardiola more than any other manager but Liverpool boss struggles at Etihad

Jack Johnson — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 15:47:54 +0000

Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola meet once again this weekend as Manchester City host Liverpool in a huge Premier League clash.

The battle between two of the world’s best managers is always one to behold with their sides becoming rivals over the last few years.

Klopp and Guardiola have had many famous meetings

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They have come up against each other more often than any other opposing boss in their career, with the pair more than familiar after 28 meetings.

Guardiola is often referred to as one of the greatest ever coaches, so to beat him and his incredible Man City team is some feat.

But Klopp seems to be his kryptonite with the German winning more games against him than any other manager.

The Reds boss has beaten Pep more times than he’s lost the 28 meetings between the two, winning 12 and losing 11.

However, despite Klopp’s success against Guardiola, he has struggled when playing at the Etihad in the Premier League.

All but one of his wins have been at home or a neutral venue, with his only away victory coming during his first visit to the blue side of Manchester in 2015.

Liverpool won that game 4-1 but they haven’t travelled home with three points in eight years since.

The Reds have drawn five of the other 13 trips, losing the other eight.

Klopp has a lot more wins against Pep than some great managers

Klopp’s most recent clash with Guardiola came when Man City were closing in on becoming Premier League champions in April.

Pep’s side ran out 4-1 winners, picking up a comprehensive win despite going 1-0 down to pile on the misery for Liverpool who were coming to the end of a poor season.

The last point the Reds collected at the Etihad came in 2022 after a 2-2 draw that saw Sadio Mane score the equaliser.

But despite the record, Klopp will be confident of ending his poor streak on the road this time around.

His Liverpool side are unbeaten in the league since September and are only one point behind their title rivals after 12 games.

A win would take them to the top of the table and make a huge statement to the league.

And if there was one manager that has a chance of finding a way to beat Guardiola at the Etihad, it’s Klopp.

You can listen to EXCLUSIVE live commentary of the game on talkSPORT this weekend!

Harry Maguire gets public apology from Ghanaian MP who mocked him in parliament

Phil Spencer — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 14:52:14 +0000

A Ghanaian MP has apologised to Harry Maguire after using his name to discredit a political rival last year.

MP Isaac Adongo was debating the economic budget when he took aim at Ghana vice president Mahamudu Bawumia by saying that he loved to score political own goals, much like the Manchester United star.

Maguire was given an apology from a Ghanaian MP

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Those comments came during a disastrous 2022/23 campaign for the experienced defender, however this season has been markedly different for Maguire, who has featured regularly for both club and country

It’s that change in fortunes which led Adongo to reference Maguire once again, this time apologising to the footballing superstar while taking another potshot at his political rival.

Speaking in parliament, Adongo said: “If you remember last year I was very quick to compare [vice-president] Mahamudu Bawumia to Harry Maguire.

“Mr Speaker I now apologise Harry Maguire.

‘Mr Chairman, you got very angry when I used your defender as an example.

“Today Maguire has turned the corner, he’s a transformational footballer.

“Harry Maguire is now scoring goals for Manchester United.

“Mr Speaker Harry Maguire is now a key player for Manchester United, as for our Maguire, he is now roaming at the high heavens with a cup in hand.

“Today, Maguire has turned the corner and is a transformational footballer”

Ghanaian MP Isaac Adongo, who ridiculed Harry Maguire months ago for scoring own goals, has apologized to the Manchester United defender.#JoySports pic.twitter.com/WciD3D3SEL
— #JoySports (@JoySportsGH) November 22, 2023

“As for our Maguire, the economic Maguire, he was able to get pensioners to leave their homes and come and parade in the streets.”

Upon his speech, the Man United star took to social media to graciously accept the apology.

He wrote: “MP Issac Adongo apology accepted. See you at Old Trafford soon,” with a shaking hands and smiling emoji.

Saudi Pro League players Newcastle could sign in January to deal with dire injury woes

Josh Fordham — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 14:26:04 +0000

Newcastle are now free to sign players on loan from clubs owned by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) in January following a Premier League club vote.

The Premier League was defeated in its bid to stop loans between associated party clubs.

Amanda Staveley helped the Saudi-backed PIF take over Newcastle, and is now on the board

It was designed to prevent teams like Newcastle sign players from PIF clubs, following links to Al Hilal’s Ruben Neves.

It needed 14 out of the 20 clubs to vote in favour of the ban, but fell one short with just 13.

It was designed as a temporary measure to stop any moves in the winter transfer window, before a more permanent solution was found in the summer.

Newcastle, Manchester City, Chelsea, Sheffield United, Everton, Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Burnley voted against the ban.

It now means teams like Newcastle, whose owners have multiple clubs, can freely sign players on loan from then.

PIF took over four leading Saudi Pro League clubs in June – Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad.

The January transfer window is something that Eddie Howe will keenly be looking at, given the dire injury problems the club have been suffering.

Should they get through their Champions League group, then that depth will be vital for the remainder of the season.

Here are the players that could be signed by Newcastle in January.

Ruben Neves (Al Hilal)

The 26-year-old swapped Premier League club Wolves for the Saudi Pro League in the summer.

Neves has been linked following Sandro Tonali’s 10-month ban for betting.

The Portugal international has already played 177 times in the Premier League and previously been linked to the likes of Arsenal.

Neves can return to the Premier League if Newcastle want to sign him

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Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli)

The winger might be 32 now, but has vast Premier League experience having won five titles for Leicester and Man City.

He left City in the summer having captured the treble and scored 78 goals in 236 games for the club.

For Al Ahli, he has six goals in 14 games so far this season. His competition would be Miguel Almiron on the right.

Almiron picked up a small hamstring injury just before the international break that should not keep him out long, but for cover for the season half of the season Mahrez could be an option.

Mahrez plays at Al Ahli with Roberto Firmino and Allan Saint Maximin

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Sadio Mane (Al Nassr)

The 31-year-old was a Ballon d’Or runner-up in 2022 before he joined Al Nassr in August, to join a glut of former Liverpool players heading to Saudi.

He was a fan favourite at Liverpool where he won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.

Mane spent one season at Bayern Munich, where he was involved in a well-publicised bust up with Leroy Sane, before heading to Al Nassr.

Newcastle are thin on the left with Harvey Barnes out injured, leaving Anthony Gordon to start week in, week out.

Mane joined Al Nassr from Bayern Munich in the summer

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Aymeric Laporte (Al Nassr)

Newcastle have had plenty of injuries to contend with in defence this season, and that’s a problem Howe will want to address in January.

Sven Botman (knee), Dan Burn (back), and Matt Targett (hamstring) are all currently out.

One player in a PIF-backed club that may interest the Magpies is Laporte.

The centre-back headed to Saudi in the summer to join Al Nassr from Man City.

Laporte joined Al Nassr from Man City

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Aleksandar Mitrovic (Al Hilal)

Newcastle already have two strong strikers in Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson.

However, both have spent spells out injured this season and loan cover could be useful for Howe.

Mitrovic would be a name that immediately stands out, given his Premier League experience, including three seasons with the Magpies.

The 29-year-old scored 14 league goals for Fulham last season, before forcing a move to the Saudi club.

Mitrovic has 17 goals in 17 games for Al Hilal

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Newcastle told to raid Man City and Arsenal in January transfer window with Nick Pope questioned

Phil Spencer — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 13:24:45 +0000

Newcastle have been urged to sign Kalvin Phillips and Aaron Ramsdale by Gabby Agbonlahor.

The Magpies are going into the January transfer window in the hope of closing the gap on the Premier League’s elite by securing Champions League football for a second season in a row.

Newcastle should move to sign Kalvin Phillips in January, says Agbonlahor

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Given the hectic fixture schedule that has come with playing in Europe’s top competition, Eddie Howe‘s side have been struggling with many injury problems – something that has been made worse by the 10-month suspension picked up by Sandro Tonali for betting offences.

As a result, Newcastle are looking to sign a midfielder in January, with Agbonlahor suggesting out-of-favour Man City man Phillips as the perfect solution.

Speaking on The Sports Breakfast, Agbonlahor said: “I think that Newcastle will look at Kalvin Phillips.

“Neves would be amazing for them, he’s a top player, but I do think that Kalvin Phillips would make sense.

“Manchester City don’t really want him.”

Elsewhere Arsenal face Brentford this weekend with Ramsdale set to start due to an agreement in the loan deal which took David Raya to north London.

According to Agbonlahor, Ramsdale will be feeling the pressure with the goalkeeper gearing up for a move away in January.

He said: “It’ll be a tough game and he knows that all eyes are going to be on him because he hasn’t played for so long and this is his chance to shine.

Agbonlahor also suggested a move to sign Ramsdale due to his Arsenal standing

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“There’s a lot of pressure on Ramsdale but he has to go in January. Arteta has made it clear.”

Responding to Aaron Brazil suggesting Bayern Munich or Chelsea as a potential destination, Agbonlahor said: “I’m saying Newcastle.

“It’s Newcastle or Chelsea for me, because Pope’s a top shot-stopper but he can’t play with his feet.

“Every Premier League club near the top has a goalkeeper that can play out from the back and Pope can’t.

“That’s the reason that he’ll maybe miss out on going to the Euros with England, because he can’t play from the back.

“I think that Ramsdale to Newcastle [could happen], but Chelsea, their goalkeeper isn’t great, Sanchez.”

Why have Everton been deducted ten points and can they appeal? Toffees dealt major blow to survival hopes

Jack Cunningham — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 13:16:00 +0000

Everton’s season has been drastically changed after the club was hit with a ten-point deduction.

The Premier League have acted quickly to punish the Toffees, who now face a huge battle to remain in the top-flight.

Sean Dyche could be in a world of trouble

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Everton were sitting well clear of the drop zone, but this sees them sink into the bottom three.

Why have Everton been deducted ten points?

The Premier League have found Everton to have breached their Financial Fair Play rules and have dished out an immediate ten-point deduction.

The top-flight’s profit and sustainability rules are strict regulations that must be adhered to, and an independent panel has found Everton guilty of breaking these.

The club was referred to the panel in March 2023, and they met last month to discuss the findings.

From 2018 to 2021, Everton posted losses of £372million, which is well over the £250m allowed every three years.

In a statement, the Premier League said: “An independent Commission has imposed an immediate deduction of 10 points on Everton FC for a breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs).

“The Premier League issued a complaint against the club and referred the case to an independent commission earlier this year.

“During the proceedings, the club admitted it was in breach of the PSRs for the period ending Season 2021-22, but the extent of the breach remained in dispute.

“Following a five-day hearing last month, the commission determined that Everton FC’s PSR calculation for the relevant period resulted in a loss of £124.5million, as contended by the Premier League, which exceeded the threshold of £105million permitted under the PSRs.

“The commission concluded that a sporting sanction in the form of a 10-point deduction should be imposed. That sanction has immediate effect.”

Can they appeal?

Sean Dyche’s men have the right to appeal this decision, and they have already started the process of getting it overturned.

The club strongly deny breaking the Premier League’s rules and blame the losses on their new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock.

The Toffees don’t feel that a sporting sanction is fair and will attempt to use previous examples, such as fines handed out to the clubs that tried to join the European Super League, to prove their case.

In a statement, the club said: “Everton Football Club is both shocked and disappointed by the ruling of the Premier League’s Commission.

“The club believes that the Commission has imposed a wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction. The club has already communicated its intention to appeal the decision to the Premier League. The appeal process will now commence, and the club’s case will be heard by an Appeal Board appointed pursuant to the Premier League’s rules in due course.

“Everton maintains that it has been open and transparent in the information it has provided to the Premier League and that it has always respected the integrity of the process. The club does not recognise the finding that it failed to act with the utmost good faith, and it does not understand this to have been an allegation made by the Premier League during the course of proceedings. Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed by the Commission are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the evidence submitted.

“The club will also monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.

“Everton cannot comment on this matter any further until the appeal process has concluded.”

Everton are facing a tough remaining games of the season

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What has been said?

Former Arsenal chairman David Dein has called Everton’s 10-point a ‘disaster’ for other clubs such as Manchester City and Chelsea.

Speaking to talkSPORT, the ex-Arsenal chairman said: “One has to differentiate between the Premier League charging and what happens after that.

“It is an independent tribunal, the Premier League actually have nothing to do with the result and the decision.

“The Premier League do the charging but do not do the judgement.

“To me, it seems extortionate but there you are. It could have a knock-on effect at other clubs and that would be a disaster.”

England’s Arsenal and Chelsea starlets dumped out of Under-17s World Cup by Uzbekistan in shock defeat

Natasha Everitt — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 13:10:50 +0000

England’s Under-17s were sent home from the World Cup following a shock defeat to Uzbekistan on Wednesday.

The Young Lions fell to a 2-1 loss at the Jakarta International Stadium, with Man City’s Joel Ndala’s first half goal proving to not be enough to stay in the competition.

Uzbekistan pulled off a serious upset on Wednesday in Indonesia

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Arsenal‘s Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg and Chelsea defender Ishe Samuels-Smith were among those making up the Young Lions’ side for the clash.

Hashtag United star and Chelsea loanee Ted Curd was on the bench, too, but it wasn’t meant to be for the Young Lions.

Ryan Garry’s side had finished their group stage campaign with another 2-1 defeat to Brazil, but got through to the knockout stages on goal difference.

England won the competition for the first time in 2017, beating Spain 5-2 with Nottingham Forest‘s Morgan Gibbs-White and Manchester City‘s Phil Foden amongst those on the scoresheet.

Current England first team stars Marc Guehi, Conor Gallagher and Emile Smith Rowe were also in the squad managed by now-Forest boss Steve Cooper.

They then failed to defend their title after being unable to qualify for the last edition of the tournament in 2019.

The 2021 edition of the competition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Aside from Wednesday’s victory, Uzbekistan also impressed when they got themselves out of the group stages in the Under-20s World Cup earlier this year.

England were gutted at the final whistle

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Now, despite being ranked 73rd in the world, their Under-17s have reached their first quarter-final since 2011 where they will either face France or Senegal next.

Burnley vs West Ham LIVE commentary: Vincent Kompany aiming to end struggles against Hammers – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Jack Johnson — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 13:00:41 +0000

Burnley will be aiming to end their woeful start to life back in the Premier League against West Ham, exclusively live on talkSPORT 2.

The Clarets have lost 10 of their opening 12 games this season and they sit at the bottom of the table, below Everton who have been deducted 10 points.

Burnley have not got going in the top-flight

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Vinceny Kompany’s side have also only scored nine goals while conceding 30, with the step up from the Championship proving to be too much.

They now take on David Moyes’ Hammers who bounced back from three straight losses to beat Nottingham Forest before the international break.

Burnley vs West Ham: Terrible at Turf Moor

Burnley have lost all six games at Turf Moor in the Premier League this season.

If they are to lose again this weekend, they would become only the second team in English league history to lose their first seven home games of a campaign.

The Clarets would be the first team to do so since Newport County over 50 years ago in the old fourth division.

It is a record that Kompany will not want during his first stint as a top-flight boss.

The Belgian has already joined Mick McCarthy as the only two managers to lose their first six Premier League home games in charge.

And he’ll be desperate to put an end to the misery in front of the Burnley fans against West Ham.

Kompany’s side have not performed in front of their fans

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Burnley’s only Premier League win so far this season was at fellow promoted side Luton Town in October. They’ve lost each of their last five since then but haven’t lost six consecutive top-flight matches since December 1895.
West Ham have won their last seven Premier League games against promoted sides – their longest such run in the competition – while they’ve also won their last 10 against sides starting the day bottom of the table.

Burnley vs West Ham: Team news

Burnley could see the return of Hjalmar Ekdal who has not played for the club since August.

Manuel Benson is also getting closer to a comeback after not featuring in two months.

The Clarets will remain without Lyle Foster who is taking time away from football to focus on treating his mental health.

As for West Ham, they are set to be without star man Jarrod Bowen.

talkSPORT understands that Bowen’s knee injury will be assessed by a specialist after he was sent home from international duty with England.

Michail Antonio also picked up a knee issue with Jamaica and he could be sidelined for a while.

Midfielder Tomas Soucek was left bloodied while playing for Czech Republic but he should be fit to feature, possibly wearing a bandage on his head.

Bowen is going to be a huge loss for West Ham

West Ham United’s James Ward-Prowse has more assists than any other Premier League player in all competitions this season (9). Five of those have come in 11 appearances in the Premier League, six games quicker than any other Hammers player has reached five assists in the competition (17, Paolo Di Canio).
Only Enzo Fernández (21) has had more shots without scoring so far this season than Burnley’s Luca Koleosho (18). His 18 attempts have an xG value of 1.5, though just three of them have been on target.

Burnley vs West Ham: What has been said?

West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola is enjoying playing in the Premier League and Europa League this season.

He told the Hammers’ website: “It’s what we want, play every week in Europe and in the cups as well as the league.

“If we can go, like last season, until the very end, then we’ll fight for everything and be ready for it.

“We’ll prepare our bodies and there’s a lot that’s in our heads too, so we’ll fight for all of it.

“We’ve done a great job so far this season. We have to keep that going now.

“We need to be ready now, in our minds, and the body will follow.”

The Hammers are dealing well with the busy fixture schedule

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Burnley are winless in their last four Premier League meetings with West Ham (D2 L2), with the last two games in 2021-22 both ending in draws.
West Ham have lost seven of their last 10 Premier League away games (W2 D1), conceding at least twice in each defeat. Indeed, since the start of last season only Nottingham Forest (18) have lost more Premier League away games than the Hammers (16).

Burnley vs West Ham: talkSPORT coverage

This Premier League clash will take place on Saturday, November 25.

Kick-off at Turf Moor is scheduled for 3pm.

The game will not be broadcast live on TV in the UK due to the 3pm blackout rule.

talkSPORT 2 will have EXCLUSIVE live coverage of the match.

Commentary will come from Ian Danter and former England defender Micky Gray.

Fulham confident of beating Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United and Tottenham to £30m target

Natasha Everitt — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 12:35:04 +0000

Fulham are confident of signing Brazilian midfielder Andre in January, talkSPORT understands.

The Cottagers are in advanced talks with Fluminense over £30m rated Andre, who has also attracted interest from Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal.

Andre is on Premier League club’s radars

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The 22-year-old first caught the attention of some of English football’s biggest clubs last summer, but Fluminense were keen to keep hold of him until the conclusion of the Copa Libertadores.

The Brazilian giants ended up beating Boca Juniors 2-1 in the final, winning the competition for the first time ever.

Andre played the whole game and claimed his first ever piece of silverware in the process.

Now, though, he could leave the club he joined as a 12-year-old in 2013.

Fulham have seen a dip in form this campaign following last season’s 10th place finish.

The west London club have struggled to cope with the loss of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who left for Al Hilal over the summer. They’ve scored just 10 goals so far.

Andre has scored four goals and recorded three assists in 163 appearances for his current club since his senior debut in 2020.

The midfielder also has three caps for Brazil’s national team. He was included in the preliminary squad for the 2022 World Cup, but made his debut in June this year, coming off the bench to replace West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta against Senegal.

He has also admitted he’s a fan of England’s top flight.

“I follow the Premier League a lot,” he told The Guardian just before his side were crowned champions of South America. “It’s a very competitive league that demands a lot from players. But today my dream is to live day by day here in Fluminense.

“I don’t know what will happen in the future. I have a long contract at Fluminense [which runs until the end of 2026] and I really like being here.

“It’s been 10 years already so it’s where I feel at home. I’m still young, only 22 years old, so there’s no need for me to think too far ahead. I just need to keep doing my best, try to win this trophy and then see what happens at the end of the season.”

Tottenham vs Aston Villa: Spurs desperate to halt slip down Premier League table in huge clash – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Jack Johnson — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 11:41:39 +0000

Tottenham will be desperate to put an end to their slip down the Premier League table when they host Aston Villa this weekend.

Spurs were unbeaten in their first 10 games but they have lost their last two and fell from the top down to fourth before the international break.

Spurs’ dream start has come crashing down

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Life under Ange Postecoglou looked to be perfect, however, his side are now facing their first real test following back-to-back defeats to Chelsea and Wolves.

The Lilywhites will be hoping to get back to winning ways but they come up against Unai Emery who has his Villa side flying and in touching distance of top spot themselves.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa: Title challenge?

Are Aston Villa title contenders this season?

Emery’s men are only three points off Manchester City who sit at the top of the Premier League after 12 games.

Villa have been unstoppable at times throughout an amazing start to the campaign, scoring the second-most goals so far.

Ollie Watkins is firing while the signing of Moussa Diaby looks to be a stroke of genius.

The Villans are also playing in the Europa Conference League but the extra fixtures don’t seem to be taking a toll on their fitness.

A win in London this weekend would move them into the top four, proving that they are well up for the Champions League fight and maybe even a title challenge.

The Premier League’s top five are separated by three points

Having made a 10-game unbeaten start in the Premier League this season (W8 D2), Tottenham have now lost their last two matches. They’ve opened the scoring in both of these defeats, with only four teams ever losing three consecutive Premier League games after scoring first – Blackburn in April 2007, Sunderland in February 2011, Wolves in April 2012 and Leicester in December 2014.
Aston Villa did the Premier League double over Tottenham last season, as many victories as they’d managed in their previous 21 league games against them (W2 D3 L16). They last won more consecutively against Spurs between November 1994 and January 1996 (4).

Tottenham vs Aston Villa: Team news

Tottenham were worried about Heung-min Son’s fitness over the international break, however, he is expected to be okay.

But Spurs will be without James Maddison, Richarlison, Micky van de Ven, Ivan Perisic and Manor Solomon who are all out injured.

Destiny Udogie is back after serving his suspension for two yellow cards against Chelsea while Cristian Romero is still banned after a straight red in the same game.

Romero and Van de Ven’s absence means Eric Dier and Ben Davies are likely to start at centre-back again this weekend.

As for Aston Villa, they have no major issues to worry about.

Long-term absentees Emi Buendia, Jacob Ramsey and Tyrone Mings remain out.

Mings released an update on his recovery on Tuesday which allayed fears that the defender was set to retire following his ACL injury.

Villa are fit and firing under Emery

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Tottenham have conceded six goals in second half stoppage time in the Premier League this season, more than any other side. Each of their last four goals conceded have come in added time at the end of the match (2 vs Chelsea, 2 vs Wolves).
Aston Villa have won six of their last eight Premier League games (D1 L1). In fact, since the end of this season’s first international break (16th September onwards), Villa have won more games (6) and picked up more points (19) than any other side in the division.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa: What has been said?

Son picked up a knock during South Korea’s game against Singapore last week but he continued to play and scored a brace in the following match five days later.

The Tottenham skipper then spoke strongly about carrying on despite feeling pain, which shows Spurs fans they won’t be losing their key man any time soon.

He said: “I can’t give up a game just because I feel pain.

“If I can’t run anymore, then I can’t do anything about it but when I can run, I have to give 100 per cent for the team.

“I am fine now, I don’t like to lie down [on the pitch] in the winter.

“At that moment [going down] I couldn’t feel anything on my foot. I’m fine, no injury.”

Son won’t be missing games due to pain anytime soon

Tottenham’s Son Heung-min has scored five goals in six Premier League appearances against Aston Villa. However, all of these strikes have come at Villa Park – only Michael Owen has scored more against an opponent without netting one at home (6 vs West Bromwich Albion).
Only Lucas Paquetá (7) has made more successful through balls than Aston Villa’s John McGinn (5) in the Premier League this season. Three of these have been for Ollie Watkins, with only James Maddison (4 for Richarlison) providing more for a teammate so far this term.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa: How to follow

This Premier League clash will take place on Sunday, November 26.

Kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is scheduled for 2pm.

The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.

talkSPORT will also keep you up to date with all the latest news and reaction.

Premier League ‘big six’ holding up agreement over £900m solidarity package for EFL

Phil Spencer — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 11:39:28 +0000

Premier League clubs are still struggling to reach an agreement over how much each should contribute to the solidarity package for the EFL, talkSPORT understands.

A landmark £900million package has been discussed to support the 72 clubs across the Championship, League One and League Two following a spate of financial issues in recent years.

The Premier League are yet to agree their £900m package for the EFL

The so-called ‘New Deal’ would see top-flights side filter money into the lower divisions over six years and was top of the agenda at Tuesday’s Premier league shareholders’ meeting.

However, the historic ‘big six’ clubs Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham remain reluctant on the idea.

This due to the demands of their smaller counterparts to pay a greater percentage of their revenue into the pot.

The lesser clubs argue that a sliding scale payment system based on sporting merit is unfair and that overall turnover should be factored in.

A vote on the matter is yet to be held and the EFL are said to be becoming increasingly impatient.

The need for financial support comes following the financial struggles of numerous EFL clubs in recent years including Derby County, Reading, Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers.

In June, a report by the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee said that if no funding plan was reached soon, then the Government should accelerate bringing in the regulator to impose a deal.

Dame Caroline Dinenage MP said: “Unless the football authorities get their act together soon on agreeing a fairer share of revenue, we risk more clubs collapsing, with the devastating impact that can have on local communities.”

Bolton are one of many clubs to endure financial hardship in recent years

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The hope remains that a deal can be struck to bridge the gap between the Premier League and the rest of the football pyramid.

Everton vs Manchester United: Red Devils out to pile on misery following Toffees’ 10-point deduction – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Jack Johnson — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 11:01:40 +0000

Manchester United travel to Goodison Park this weekend as they aim to pile the misery on Everton following their 10-point deduction.

The Toffees have now dropped down to 19th in the Premier League table following the penalty which was handed out last week.

Dyche will be hoping his side can bounce back from the deduction

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And Man United will look to capitalise on that and build on four wins in their last five league games before the international break.

It won’t be an easy task though, with injuries ripping through the Red Devils and Sean Dyche’s side unbeaten in their last three.

Everton vs Manchester United: Point deduction

Everton were docked ten points by the Premier League for breaching financial rules.

The decision has plunged the Toffees into relegation danger as they are now inside the bottom three.

Profit and sustainability rules allow clubs to lose a maximum of £105million over a three-year period or face sanctions.

Premier League chiefs acknowledged the Merseyside club has not broken financial rules to gain a sporting advantage, but they were still hit with a points penalty.

Everton responded to the decision with an immediate appeal and an official statement revealing their ‘shock’.

But they will now begin their battle to regain the points lost, with a win over Man United the perfect way to reinvigorate fans and players following the disappointment.

Everton have slid from 14th to 19th place in the Premier League

Everton vs Manchester United: Team news

For Everton, Amadou Onana withdrew from the Belgium squad with a calf problem meaning he is a doubt.

Seamus Coleman, Andre Gomes and Dele Alli are the only players ruled out with long-term issues.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has still not played 90 minutes since coming back from his problem, with Dyche taking no risks of another knock.

As for Man United, they are still suffering with a whole host of injuries.

Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Tyrell Malacia are still on the sidelines but Luke Shaw is close to a return.

Christian Eriksen has joined the group of players out injured after picking up a knee issue against Luton before the international break.

And Danish teammate Rasmus Hojlund is also a doubt after suffering a muscle strain during the same game.

Andre Onana and Marcus Rashford were both seen taking knocks for their countries, meaning their fitness is also a worry.

Rashford is one of many injury worries for United

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Everton vs Manchester United: What has been said?

Man United are yet to get their money’s worth for ‘hugely disappointing’ Antony who is still without a goal contribution this campaign.

That is according to talkSPORT host and ex-Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino, who has named the 23-year-old as his ‘flop of the season’.

Speaking on the Weekend Sports Breakfast, Cascarino said: “He’s been hugely disappointing.

“For a player that’s been in the Premier League for a year and not seemingly improved from where he was last year, I would probably go Antony.

“Man United need him to be a really big star for them, they paid a lot of money – £80m for him.

“He’s not lived up to that in any shape or form.”

Antony has been criticised for his performances

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Everton vs Manchester United: How to follow

This Premier League clash will take place on Sunday, November 26.

Kick-off at Goodison Park is scheduled for 4:30pm.

The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.

talkSPORT will keep you up to date with all the latest.

And talkSPORT.com will be running a live blog of the action.

Chelsea and Man City among eight clubs who blocked ban on same-party loans

Natasha Everitt — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 10:05:59 +0000

Eight Premier League clubs blocked the proposed ban on teams being able sign players from related clubs on loan this January.

A proposed ban on clubs being able to execute same-party loans was voted on this week, and was narrowly defeated.

Newcastle will be able to bring in players from their sister clubs

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It would have stopped Saudi-owned Newcastle from bringing in players from the Saudi Pro League, with majority owners the Public Invesment Fund (PIF) also owning Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli.

But while 12 clubs did vote in favour of the ban, at least 14 teams out of the 20 in the Premier League needed to vote for the motion in order for it to pass, meaning no ban will be put in place.

talkSPORT understands Sheffield United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest all opted to say no to the rule change.

According to The Times, Newcastle were also joined by Burnley in vetoing the motion.

One club chief said there was ‘anger’ among some of those who voted for the ban towards Sheffield United for their stance on the matter. Their owner is the Saudi prince Abdullah bin Musaid Al Saud.

The motion for the rule change was introduced after the PIF purchased four Saudi teams over the summer.

Former Wolves player and Al Hilal player Ruben Neves has already been linked with a return to England’s top flight, with Newcastle reportedly preparing to bring him in this January following Sandro Tonali’s ban for breaching betting rules.

This week’s vote also saw a motion on tougher rules on commercials deals with associated parties rejected, with all of the same clubs voting against it except Burnley to result in a 13-7 outcome.

Neves can return to the Premier League if Newcastle want to sign him

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Two years ago, the Premier League decided that every transfer between associated parties involving teams in the league over the value of £1million would be checked to ensure it wasn’t artificially inflated.

That also includes any extra payments from associated parties to club officials, managers or players earning over £1m-per-year.

Players who could cost £100million in 2024 and join Jack Grealish, Declan Rice, Moises Caicedo and others in exclusive club

Jake Lambourne — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 22:00:00 +0000

Football clubs are getting ready to splash the cash once again following a record-breaking summer transfer window.

FIFA revealed in September how over £5.6billion was spent in the summer – an all-time record – with English clubs alone forking out £1.5bn.

Chelsea broke the British transfer record twice in 2023 to land Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo

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In 2023 alone, there have been five transfers that were agreed for £100m-plus, with three of the movers being England internationals.

Chelsea started the year off by bringing in World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a then-British record of £106.8m.

They then smashed that record to land Moises Caicedo from Brighton in a £115m deal.

Meanwhile Arsenal signed Declan Rice for a fee rising to £105m, Harry Kane joined Bayern Munich which could cost the Germans more than £100m and Real Madrid’s transfer for Jude Bellingham may rise to as much as £115m.

And with the January transfer window to open in less than six weeks, you can be sure of plenty more mega-money moves.

A switch mid-season usually comes at a premium with selling side unwilling to part with stars unless it’s for good money.

Here talkSPORT.com takes a look at some of those star-studded names that could join the £100m club.

England duo Bellingham and Rice are two of the biggest movers in 2023

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Kylian Mbappe – Paris Saint-Germain

The 24-year-old is already a member of the exclusive club following his permanent switch to PSG from Monaco in 2018 for £166m.

Mbappe looks set to depart Les Parisiens in 2024 having so far refused to extend his stay in the French capital.

All signs point towards him leaving on a free transfer, with Real believed to be a potential destination.

Los Blancos had a £189m offer rejected to sign him in 2021, but recently rejected claims they are close to finally securing his services.

While they can wait until the summer to land him for nothing, they could make a move for him in the winter window, which PSG could be forced to accept to avoid missing out on a fee.

Should he move for as low as £100m, he would become the first player to move for nine-figures on more than one occasion.

PSG forward Mbappe is one of the world’s best players on current form

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Victor Osimhen – Napoli

One of the world’s most in-demand strikers, the Nigeria international spearheaded Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years last campaign.

He banged in 31 goals in all competitions during the 2022/23 season, and already has six strikes from ten matches this term.

A move to the Premier League has been mooted, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United all understood to be admirers.

talkSPORT revealed in March how Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis had slapped a whopping £150m price tag on the 24-year-old.

And with the centre-forward to become a free agent in 2025, he knows he will have to cash-in on Osimhen soon amid his contract stand-off.

All eyes will be on Osimhen next summer, with Blues icon John Obi Mikel telling his compatriot to make the move to Stamford Bridge.

Napoli star Osimhen is one of the most feared strikers in Europe

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Ivan Toney – Brentford

Another striker who looks set to join a new team is one-cap England international Toney.

Like Osimhen, he too has a deal until 2025, but he appears to be preparing for a new challenge having switched agencies.

Toney is also on Arsenal and Chelsea’s radar, however a January transfer isn’t expected with the Bees desperate to keep him for the remainder of the season.

talkSPORT understands that Thomas Frank’s side are demanding at least £80m, with a potential bidding war to only raise the value of the former Newcastle man.

Asked ahead of the 2022/23 season how much he values Toney at, Frank said: “£100m plus?… What would you pay for a striker that guarantees you 20-plus goals?

“And this is 20 goals for a mid-table club. What can he do in a bigger club?”

Toney is set to return to first team action in the New Year with his eight-month ban for breaching FA betting rules close to coming to an end.

Toney has been heavily linked with a move to Brentford’s London rivals Arsenal

AFP

Evan Fergsuon – Brighton

Yet another striker who has been making waves, the teenager is one of the Premier League’s most talented youngsters.

He has already banged in five top-flight goals this season, which includes a hat-trick against Newcastle in September, to add to his six strikes last term.

Chelsea, who are desperate to bolster their front line, are keeping tabs on the 19-year-old, along with United and Tottenham, who are yet to replace Kane.

Potential suitors were dealt a blow earlier this month when the Ireland international penned a new deal at the Amex Stadium until 2029.

And if a club wishes to prise him away from the south coast, talkSPORT understands they will have to cough up over £100m to tempt the Seagulls into selling.

Ferguson is one of the top rising talents in the Premier League

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Mohamed Salah – Liverpool

The Liverpool legend was reportedly the subject of a world-record bid rising to £215m from Saudi Pro League giants Al Ittihad in September.

It was claimed that the 31-year-old had a £127m-a-year contract on the table to swap Europe for the Middle East.

Liverpool, who also rejected a £150m offer for Salah, were adamant the winger was not for sale, with the ex-Roma forward happy to stay at Anfield.

But rumours of a possible transfer refuse to go away, with Saudi Arabia already plotting a 2024 move for Salah.

With his deal in Merseyside to expire in 2025, it remains to be seen whether Liverpool would be tempted to cash in on Salah next summer.

Liverpool hero Salah is closing in on 200 goals for the Merseyside outfit

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Bruno Guimaraes – Newcastle

One of the top central midfielders in the English top-flight, the Brazilian has dazzled fans since joining the Magpies from Lyon in January 2022.

His performances have led to a host of admirers, with the 26-year-old attracting the attention of Real Madrid.

Newcastle have acted fast in tying the player down to a new five-year contract, with Bruno becoming the highest-paid player in the club’s history.

Though talkSPORT understands that his deal includes a release clause worth £100m.

And should he keep wowing supporters, it won’t be long until a team activates it.

Guimaraes has chipped in with one goal and as many assists in 11 Premier League games this season

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Jamal Musiala – Bayern Munich

The versatile Bayern star has impressed since joining the Bundesliga champions from Chelsea’s academy in 2019.

Musiala, who rejected England at senior level to represent his birth country Germany, has no shortage of suitors.

With 35 goals and 25 assists in 139 games for Bayern in all competitions at the age of 20, as well as boasting 25 caps for Germany, Musiala has shown maturity beyond his years.

Bayern have no desire to sell the youngster, but that hasn’t stopped clubs from keeping tabs on the four-time Bundesliga winner.

Liverpool have been linked with the player, meanwhile BILD have claimed that Real and Manchester City are keen on him.

The German news outlet has declared that Los Blancos could make a move for Musiala if they fail in their Mbappe pursuit, while Pep Guardiola is said to have identified him as a potential successor to Kevin De Bruyne.

Bayern star Musiala has no shortage of admirers

2023 Sebastian Frej/MB Media

Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen

Another one of Germany’s crown jewels, the 20-year-old playmaker has gone from strength to strength this season.

Wirtz is one of the main reason’s why Xabi Alonso‘s unbeaten men sit top of the Bundesliga table having won ten out of their opening 11 fixtures.

He has chipped in with six goals and ten assists in 17 games this term – almost double what he achieved in the whole of last campaign.

Tied down at the BayArena until 2027, it will take a monster offer to lure him away in the near future.

But an offer in excess of £100m could just be enough to sway Leverkusen into parting ways with Wirtz.

Wirtz is one of Germany’s hottest prospects having starred for Leverkusen

AFP

Liverpool man Harvey Elliott gets booed at England U21 game despite scoring delightful two goals

Jackson Cole — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 21:21:38 +0000

Liverpool man Harvey Elliott could only briefly silence the boo boys with two brilliant goals for England’s under-21 side.

Elliott’s double helped England to a 3-0 victory over Northern Ireland in their Under-21 European Championship qualifier at Goodison Park.

Elliott’s excellence was loved by his teammates, but not so much by the fans

YouTube @England

Elliott’s first and England’s second came on 52 minutes from a dead ball as he beautifully curled the ball past Northern Ireland goalkeeper Josh Clarke from 25 yards out.

Those in attendance at Goodison Park showed some appreciation for Elliott following his fine finish but he those cheers soon turned to jeers.

The Liverpool ECHO reports that there were boos heard at Everton’s home after it was announced who the goalscorer was, while Elliott was also booed earlier in the match.

Elliott then put Lee Carsley’s side 3-0 up on 80 minutes with a delightful dink after receiving a pass from Tyler Morton, but it’s reported that there were still boos heard after Elliott was announced as the goalscorer.

Stop that Harvey Elliott pic.twitter.com/DwAa7i1RqC
— 𝗜𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗼𝗳𝗳 (@Ivan_Schwakoff) November 21, 2023

Harvey Elliott what a goal Morton Assist #LFC pic.twitter.com/c3wBDQMq1L
— BradleyLFC23 (@BradleyLFC23) November 21, 2023

The boos could be due to the fact Elliott plies his trade with Everton’s rivals Liverpool. However, Morton and Jarell Quansah, who also represent the Reds, started the game and did not receive the same hostility.

Morton put the Young Lions ahead in the first half with a drilled finish from the edge of the box.

The result leaves England second in their qualifying group with four wins out of five, their only dropped points coming during a 3-2 defeat to Ukraine, who are top of Group F, in October.

Aston Villa man Tyrone Mings allays retirement fears with rehab video following cryptic Instagram post

Lee Davey — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 20:12:00 +0000

Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings says he’s not retiring despite fears over his future in the game after a cryptic social media post.

Mings has been on the sidelines since rupturing his ACL during Villa’s 5-1 defeat at Newcastle on the opening weekend of the season.

Mings was in visible distress as he was stretchered off against Newcastle

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The England international was fitted with a knee brace before being stretchered off in the first half with an injury that is likely to rule him out for the remainder of the campaign.

The 30-year-old took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a cryptic message about his recovery, stating he would give supporters further information later in the day.

Mings posted a black and white picture of himself with his head looking to the ground alongside the caption: “Grateful for all your support. I’ll share an update with you all later today.”

Fans were left fearing the worst over the defender’s future in the game.

To add to the intrigue, Mings deleted all but one of his Instagram photos with the only one remaining being an image of him being stretched off at Newcastle.

One fan wrote: “Doesn’t sound positive. Hope I’m wrong.”

Another added: “I hope he doesn’t have to retire.”

A third wrote: “I will cry my eyes out for Tyrone Mings if this is bad news.”

@tyronemingsMings posted the cryptic message to his Instagram account on Tuesday[/caption]

A fourth fan added: “That Tyrone Mings post looks ominous. Game over? I really hope not!”

However, talkSPORT’s Tom Ross revealed that any suggestion Mings is retiring is wide of the mark and the player was at the club’s Bodymoor Heath Training Ground on Tuesday continuing with his rehabilitation as he targets a return to first-team action.

And Mings himself has also moved to confirm he’s got no plans to retire just yet as he posted a video captioned: “Can’t get rid of me that easy! You’re all helping me way more than you realise [purple heart emoji].”

The video shows him undergoing another exercises at a facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as he looks to progress his recovery.

He said in the video: “I just wanted to start things off by saying thank you so much for all the messages people have sent me, I’ve read pretty much every single one.

“The cards, gifts in the post, tweets, everything has been so appreciated and has helped me through this early stage and I just want to share some bits with you as to what I’m up to.”

Mings appeared out of favour at Villa Park after the arrival of Unai Emery in late 2022 but the Three Lions star worked his way back into contention before suffering the injury.

The tough-tackling centre-back has played 166 times for Aston Villa and has been capped 18 times by England.

Edwin van der Sar gives savage reply to Manchester United goalkeeper who called him a hero

Sam May — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 17:39:38 +0000

Edwin van der Sar gave a brutal response after Manchester United star Altay Bayindir said the Dutch legend is his favourite ever goalkeeper.

Bayindir, 25, joined the Red Devils for £4.3million from Fenerbahce on transfer deadline day but has yet to make an appearance.

Man United legend Van der Sar offered a brutal reply in the way of Bayindir

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He joined current No.1 Andre Onana, who also made the switch to Old Trafford from Inter Milan after both David de Gea and Dean Henderson departed.

Bayindir was recently asked about his favourite glovesman in an interview that was posted on social media and waxed lyrical about Van der Sar, who won four Premier League titles and one Champions League crown as United’s No.1.

“My favourite goalkeeper for Manchester United when I was younger, I watched a lot of games of Manchester United, and my favourite goalkeeper, I say this and Edwin van der Sar is a legend, I know him,” he said.

His answer was seen by Van der Sar on social media, and he couldn’t resist this savage response…

The Dutchman said: “Hi Altay, will see you soon in Manchester and we will have a chat about goalkeeping but my favourite is still Andre as you will know!”

Van der Sar is the former chief executive of Ajax, where he worked with Onana, which would explain his love for the Cameroon international who is now a Red Devil.

However, it appears Erik ten Hag may soon give Bayindir his chance to shine between the sticks, with Onana set to head to the Africa Cup of Nationsin January.

Ten Hag recently heaped praise on the Turkish shot-stopper, saying: “He makes a very good impression in training, he’s really developing and progressing.

Bayindir joined Man United in the summer for £4.3m

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“So we’re very happy with that and we are convinced we have the two right goalkeepers in our squad to do the job for us.”

Ten Hag’s side are currently sixth in the Premier League standings, five points behind fourth-placed Tottenham.

Man United return to action when they take on Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Arsenal icon David Seaman picks out game that will determine who is Mikel Arteta’s first choice goalkeeper

Robert Calcutt — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 17:18:00 +0000

David Seaman has suggested that Mikel Arteta’s goalkeeping selection against Lens will reveal who his true no.1 is at the club.

Aaron Ramsdale and David Raya are both competing for the starting spot in between the sticks at the Gunners this season.

Arsenal’s goalkeeping situation sees two top stars fighting for one spot

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Ramsdale had been first choice for the club since he signed from Sheffield United in 2021 but he has been usurped in recent weeks.

Arteta has opted to start Raya over him instead, with the Spaniard joining on loan from Brentford in the summer.

As per Premier League loan rules, he won’t be able to start against the Bees in their clash this weekend, meaning Ramsdale will return.

However, Seaman suggests that if the England international is then dropped for the Champions League clash against Lens next week, then he is not Arteta’s no.1.

Seaman has plenty of experience in between the sticks for the Gunners, representing them for 13 years as a player

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He believes Arteta’s decision next Wednesday will be a telling one

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“If Aaron goes in at the weekend, then he’s left out for the next game, then we know who Mikel’s number one is,” he told BBC Sport.

“It’s not good for Aaron. He’s a top-class goalkeeper, there’s no doubt about that.”

Seaman also spoke on Ramsdale’s chances of starting for England at Euro 2024 next summer if his lack of game time continues.

“If he’s not playing [for Arsenal], it’s going to affect his [England] chances,” said the Gunners legend.

“Going into next summer, where Aaron is really pushing to become England goalkeeper, he needs to be playing.”

“I think January will be a bit too soon [for a move away],” Seaman, who made 533 appearances in goal for Arsenal, added. “It’s the game after this weekend, that’s where we will find a lot of answers.

“From what Mikel was saying when he brought Raya in, when he talked about rotating goalkeepers in games, which I still found a bit bizarre, we’ll have to wait and see after this game. Aaron’s too good to be a no.2, that is for sure.”

Arsenal’s home clash against Lens on November 29 will be their fifth match of the Champions League group stage.

Raya has started all of their continental games this season, with Ramsdale therefore sitting on the bench as a result.

A tough test away at Brentford stands in their way first though, with Arsenal sitting third in the Premier League table after 12 games.

Manchester City and Liverpool clash earlier on Saturday, live on talkSPORT, and if they draw, a Gunners win would send them top.

Premier League clubs veto new rule that means Newcastle could benefit in January transfer window

Callum Vurley — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 16:25:33 +0000

Premier League clubs have voted not to block loans between teams with the same owner in a boost to Newcastle, Chelsea and Manchester City, talkSPORT understands.

Plans were drawn up ahead of the latest Premier League shareholder meeting to create a temporary block on related-party loans.

Newcastle and Chelsea are part of multi-club models

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It would directly affect the January transfer window – and especially Newcastle, who have been linked with former Wolves star Ruben Neves.

The motion needed 14 of the 20 clubs to vote in favour during a meeting between Premier League shareholders that was held on Tuesday, but talkSPORT understands that only 12 clubs voted for the measures, meaning that the plans will not go ahead by two votes.

It means that Newcastle will be free to sign players on loan from the PIF-owned clubs in the Saudi Pro League in January.

That includes Neves’ current club Al Hilal, and the Portugal international has been strongly linked with a loan move to Tyneside.

Newcastle are not the only club within a multi-ownership model, with eight other Premier League teams also working in a similar way.

A proposal had been fast-tracked ahead of the meeting to ban transfers between clubs with the same ownership.

The measures would only be temporary before a long-term strategy would be drafted up to preserve the integrity of the Premier League.

Whether that long-term plan will come to fruition now remains to be seen while the temporary measures are set to be knocked down.

Newcastle are keen on signing Neves this January

AFP

Newcastle and Al Hilal have the same PIF owners

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talkSPORT revealed that Neves was one of the top names shortlisted by Newcastle this winter for a potential loan.

The Magpies had made Neves a top target to replace Sandro Tonali, who was handed a ten-month ban for breaking gambling rules.

But there has been outrage over how such a transfer could go ahead, considering that both clubs are owned by PIF.

Newcastle are not the only teams who could take advantage of the current loophole, though, with City and Chelsea also operating with multi-club models.

Under the guise BlueCo, Chelsea’s Clearlake Capital owners purchased Strasbourg in Ligue 1 this year.

Meanwhile, City Football Group own a roster of clubs including New York City, Melbourne City and Troyes.

Brentford vs Arsenal: Gunners could move top of Premier League on Arteta’s 200th game in charge – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Jack Johnson — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 16:14:36 +0000

Arsenal will be eyeing a place at the top of the Premier League when they take on Brentford in a London derby on Saturday evening.

With Manchester City and Liverpool facing each other earlier in the day, live on talkSPORT, the Gunners may be handed the opportunity to move above them in the table.

Arsenal beat Burnley last time out

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But Mikel Arteta’s side will need to win their game no matter what happens as they look to build on a 3-1 win over Burnley before the international break.

They take on Thomas Frank’s men who have turned their season around in recent weeks, however, they head into this one off the back of a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool.

Brentford vs Arsenal: Havertz at left-back?

Could we see Kai Havertz play at left-back for Arsenal this weekend?

Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann shocked fans as he decided to name the 24-year-old as part of the defence in his lineup against Turkey.

But the Gunners man silenced the doubters after only five minutes as he scored the opener.

Following the match, Nagelsmann said: “Kai said he wanted to do it, wanted to try it — for a first time in an unfamiliar position, he did extremely well.”

So considering Havertz was keen on playing there, will that encourage Arteta to try it out?

Arsenal’s left-backs usually come inside and join the midfield, meaning the German may suit the role and it could be a position that ignites his form.

Havertz has struggled to make an impact since joining the Gunners

After beating Arsenal 2-0 in their first-ever Premier League game against them in August 2021, Brentford are winless in their last three against the Gunners (D1 L2).
This will be Mikel Arteta’s 200th match in charge of Arsenal in all competitions (W115 D34 L50). Whatever the result today, he’s won more matches in his first 200 in charge of the Gunners than any of the other nine managers to reach the milestone with the club.

Brentford vs Arsenal: Team news

Brentford saw the return of Ben Mee last time out after he returned from a spell out.

Keane Lewis-Potter and Charlie Goode continued their recovery in a behind-closed-doors friendly alongside Ivan Toney who returns from his ban soon.

Rico Henry remains out long-term though, and so do Josh Dasilva and Kevin Schade.

For Arsenal, Fabio Vieira is banned after receiving a straight red card against Burnley.

Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Jesus, Thomas Partey, and Emile Smith Rowe are all expected to remain on the sidelines for this clash.

Captain Martin Odegaard is likely to be fit to play from the off despite not being picked by Norway due to an ongoing hip injury.

Gabriel Martinelli was also carrying a knock, however, there are no worries about the winger after he played 90 minutes and scored for Brazil on international duty.

Toney remains banned but is closing in on a return

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Since losing 3-0 to Arsenal in this exact fixture last season, Brentford have gone unbeaten in their last 14 Premier League London derby matches (W8 D6). However, only Arsenal (16) are on a longer current such run without defeat (W11 D5).
Arsenal have already won away at Brentford this season, beating them 1-0 in the League Cup third round. The last time they won two away games against a fellow London side in the same season was against Crystal Palace in 1992-93 (2-1 Premier League, 3-1 League Cup).

Brentford vs Arsenal: What has been said?

Havertz has been speaking about his time at Arsenal so far ahead of this game.

Speaking to the Gunners’ website, he said: “From outside, Arsenal always looked like a family.

“That’s the feeling I got when playing. And when I joined, that was exactly what it was like, and the staff are really nice too – and that makes life easier for a new player.

“From the first minute that I spoke to Mikel about joining Arsenal, I had this feeling that he respects all of us very much, so that was also a big part of me joining the club.

“I just felt the togetherness of the club from the players and especially within the fans and the whole club

“At the training ground, it’s like a big family – and this is a big factor to achieve great things.”

Arsenal has felt like a family for Havertz

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Arsenal have won their last two away games against Brentford in all competitions, beating them 3-0 in this exact fixture last season. The Gunners had won just one of their first seven visits to the Bees between 1902 and 2021 (D1 L5).
Brentford have lost just one of their last 10 home league games (W5 D4), going down 3-1 against Everton in September. They’ve beaten Burnley 3-0 and West Ham 3-2 in their last two at home, last winning three consecutively while scoring 3+ goals each time in March 2015.

Brentford vs Arsenal: How to follow

This Premier League clash will be played on Saturday, November 25.

Kick-off at the Gtech Community Stadium is scheduled for 5:30pm.

The game will be broadcast live on TNT Sports.

Fans can sign up to watch the match for £29.99/month. More details can be found here.

talkSPORT and talkSPORT.com will provide you will all the news and reaction.

‘Looked like a family’ – Kai Havertz convinced to join Arsenal following conversations with Declan Rice

Callum Vurley — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:59:23 +0000

Kai Havertz has opened up about how conversations with Declan Rice helped him decide to leave Chelsea for Arsenal.

Havertz left the Blues after three years in the summer in a £65million transfer after a disappointing season that saw them finish tenth.

Havertz signed for Arsenal in the summer from Chelsea for £65m

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Arsenal snapped up the Germany international for £65million in a surprise move between the two London rivals.

But the 24-year-old has revealed how Rice, who joined the Gunners after Havertz completed his switch, helped him choose life in north London.

“Before I joined, I spoke a lot with Declan Rice as well, who I know through Mason Mount,” he told Arsenal’s official website.

“For me it was very easy to come into the team because there are so many young players.

“I’ve played against a lot of them already so I know them from the pitch, and I have found it easy to make friends here. Hopefully, it will continue like this.”

Havertz is yet to hit real form at Arsenal having scored just one goal in 19 appearances – with his solitary strike coming from the penalty spot.

Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta has given the former Bayer Leverkusen plenty of trust while playing him across several positions including midfield, on the wing and up front.

That support has been echoed through the squad and Havertz is keen to repay them.

Rice helped Havertz pick signing for Arsenal

Rice was also a mega-money signing at Arsenal this summer, joining from West Ham for £105m

AFP

“From outside, Arsenal always looked like a family,” he added.

“That’s the feeling I got when playing. And when I joined, that was exactly what it was like, and the staff are really nice too – and that makes life easier for a new player.

“From the first minute that I spoke to Mikel about joining Arsenal, I had this feeling that he respects all of us very much, so that was also a big part of me joining the club.

“I just felt the togetherness of the club from the players and especially within the fans and the whole club.

“At the training ground it’s like a big family – and this is a big factor to achieve great things.”

Arsenal are back in action this weekend when they face Brentford in Saturday’s late kick-off.

Havertz is likely to start after an interesting international break where he ended up playing as a left-back for Germany.

Despite scoring in a 3-2 loss against Turkey, one German legend was not happy to see Julian Nagelsmann try out the experiment.

Newcastle vs Chelsea: Blues aim to build on eight-goal thriller and take advantage of tired Toon – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Jack Johnson — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:40:06 +0000

Chelsea will be aiming to keep up their positive turn of form when they travel to take on Newcastle this Saturday afternoon.

The Blues beat Tottenham 4-1 before superbly claiming a late point in an eight-goal thriller against Manchester City before the international break.

Palmer secured a late point in a thrilling 4-4 draw last time out

Getty

Mauricio Pochettino’s side now have to keep up their momentum to help them rise up the Premier League table in the run-up to Christmas.

They take on Eddie Howe’s Toon who have been struggling with their busy schedule, losing 2-0 to Bournemouth last time out following successive defeats to Borussia Dortmund.

Newcastle vs Chelsea: Opposite trajectory

Newcastle head into this game off the back of two straight defeats in all competitions with fatigue starting to set in.

The Magpies are playing domestically and in the Champions League this season, and the increased amount of games is taking its toll on the squad.

Injuries have cut through Howe’s men, leading to a weakened squad being beaten 2-0 by both Bournemouth and Dortmund earlier this month.

It’s the total opposite for Chelsea as they have scored eight goals in their last two games, beating Tottenham 4-1 and drawing 4-4 with Man City.

The Blues have found their shooting boots as things really start to gel under Pochettino.

And now could be the perfect time for them to take on Newcastle, with both teams at completely different levels of confidence.

Newcastle vs Chelsea: Team news

Newcastle have been suffering from an injury crisis with multiple key players out.

Callum Wilson has picked up a hamstring issue, joining Harvey Barnes, Sven Botman, Jacob Murphy, Dan Burn, Elliott Anderson, and Matt Targett on the sidelines.

However, they could receive a boost ahead of this game as Alexander Isak eyes a return from his groin problem.

Bruno Guimaraes will also be back after serving his suspension against Bournemouth but Lewis Hall will not be able to play a part.

As for Chelsea, their injury list is finally starting to get shorter.

Although Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Trevoh Chalobah all remain out of action.

Malo Gusto and Levi Colwill are both taking part in full training despite pulling out of their international squads due to small knocks.

Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku are moving closer to making their debuts.

Isak could be back in action for Toon

Getty

Newcastle vs Chelsea: What has been said?

Chelsea captain Reece James finally looks back to full fitness after making a return from yet another injury in recent weeks.

Speaking to the Blues’ website, James said: “There are times you feel things, but all you want to do is play.

“Then you push and realise something has happened. My body gave me a warning, but I didn’t listen. I’m more aware now when something is screaming, slow down a bit.

“I haven’t felt this good in a long time. I definitely feel my strength and fitness building up again.

“Recently, I’ve been able to play consistently. I haven’t been able to play 90 minutes yet, but I’m training and playing hard, and pushing the limits every day to get back to my best level.

‘I’m happy to be helping the team again as well. After almost three months out, it takes a while to build back up and find your form again.

“Some people think as soon as you come back you should instantly be at the level you left at, but it doesn’t work like that.

“You have to move slow and steady. That’s what I have been doing. I’m slowly progressing.”

James was back to his best for Chelsea against Man City

Newcastle vs Chelsea: How to follow

This Premier League clash will take place on Saturday, November 25.

Kick-off at St James’ Park is scheduled for 3pm.

The game will not be broadcast live on TV in the UK due to the 3pm blackout rule.

talkSPORT will keep you up to date with all the action on GameDay Live with Adrian Durham.

Simon Jordan vs Sky Andrew: talkSPORT host clashes with football agent in heated debate live on air

Robert Calcutt — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:30:46 +0000

talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan and Sky Andrew clashed during a heated debate about football agents.

Andrew joined White and Jordan amid the news that Tottenham face serious allegations of breaching transfer rules.

Andrew said that everyone should be happy when a player honours their contract

The Times claims new evidence shows they dealt with an unlicensed agent when agreeing to sell Jermain Defoe to Portsmouth in 2008, and the Football Association took no action at the time.

However, they are prepared to review the allegations that were first raised by Andrew after he was dropped by Defoe, who claimed to represent during in the deal in question.

talkSPORT’s Jordan has previously admitted his dislike for agents and he clashed with Andrew on the show…

Sky: “I noticed that when I was saying about players honouring their contract, Simon had a little smirk. But the truth of this matter is that players can’t win. If players honour their contract and the clubs want to keep them, then that’s a problem.

“If players honour their contracts and then clubs want to sell them… so all I’m saying is, let’s just get it straight here, agents, clubs, everybody should be happy if a player honours their contract.”

Jordan claimed that football agents are a ‘homogenous group’

Simon: “I wasn’t smirking at that. I was smirking at the ridiculous assertion that you guys empathise with players honouring their contract.”

Sky: “Don’t say you guys…”

Simon: “You guys, the lot of you in your fraternity, you make money from moves.”

Sky: “No no no no no. You can’t make a sweeping generalisation…”

Simon: “I can.”

Sky: “No you can’t!”

Simon: “I can!”

Sky: “Don’t be ridiculous…”

Simon: “I perceive you to be a homogeneous group…”

Sky: “That’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Andrew disagreed with the talkSPORT host, saying it was ‘absolutely ridiculous’

Simon: “That all act and operate in the same way because the principles of how you make money, and everyone knows it, is that you make money from moves.”

Sky: “You’re absolutely wrong, I’ll tell you why because you can’t make a sweeping generalisation about a group of people who act differently.

“I’m telling you, that I’ve told every single player I’ve ever represented to honour their contract. Sometimes, the clubs might not be happy with that, especially if a player is honouring their contract and they’ve got a value attached to them.

“You say a lot of good things, but what you’ve just said there is just absolutely ridiculous, you cannot make a sweeping generalisation about any group of people.”

Simon: “Well I can, because I’ve dealt with most of you and I’ve seen most of you. You might be an exception Sky but your reputation isn’t as up there as you might like to think it is…”

Jordan continued to insist he could make a sweeping generalisation of agents

Sky: “Don’t get personal, don’t get personal.”

Simon: “I’m not getting personal, I’m just making an observation…”

Sky: “Yes you are!”

Simon was then asked if he has dealt with Sky directly…

Simon: “No.”

Sky: “Well then, that’s just ridiculous then isn’t it?”

Simon: “But I’m well aware of how the industry is held together, so I can make the sweeping statement.”

Sky: “Have you dealt with 4,000 agents then, is that what you’re saying?”

Simon: “No I haven’t, but I understand the agent fraternity very well and the modus operandi, and the way you make money is by engineering and orchestrating moves.”

Premier League injury tracker: Each club’s fitness issues monitored – Haaland suffers ankle knock, Maddison out until new year, Hojlund adds to Man United’s woes

TalkSPORT — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:13:00 +0000

The 2023/24 Premier League season is well underway, and we are over a quarter of the way through, with the latest international break nearly over.

There have been plenty of injuries as the relentless pace of the top-flight already begins to take its toll.

Kevin De Bruyne, Christopher Nkunku and Tyrone Mings all now face long spells on the sidelines

Premier League footballers are some of the fittest athletes in the world, but they are susceptible to problems that can keep them out for weeks or months.

And it doesn’t matter where you are in the table, injuries are going to happen, and talkSPORT.com will keep you up to date on all 20 Premier League clubs’ injuries and how long each player is likely to be out for.

Arsenal

Jurrien Timber [ACL injury] unknown

Gabriel Jesus [hamstring issue] 1 week

Thomas Partey [unspecified muscle problem] 6-7 weeks

Emile Smith Rowe [knee problem] 3-4 weeks

Martin Odegaard [concussion] 1 week

Ben White [unspecified muscle issue] unknown

Cedric Soares [ill] 1 week

Jesus asked to come off against Sevilla but should be fit soon

Getty

Aston Villa

Emi Buendia [ACL injury] unknown

Tyrone Mings [ACL injury ] unknown

Jacob Ramsey [foot injury] 2-3 weeks

Diego Carlos [unspecified problem] unknown

Buendia’s season might be over already

Getty

Bournemouth

Ryan Fredericks [calf problem] unknown

Emiliano Marcondes [unspecified] unknown

Tyler Adams [hamstring surgery] 5-8 weeks

Darren Randolph [ill] unknown

Alex Scott [knee issue] 8-12 weeks

Max Aarons [hamstring strain] unknown

Philip Billing [knock] 1 week

Brentford

Josh Dasilva [hamstring strain] 2-4 weeks

Rico Henry [ACL] unknown

Kevin Schade [hip abductor surgery] 3-7 weeks

Keane Lewis-Potter [calf strain] 1-2 weeks

Aaron Hickey [hamstring injury] 8-10 weeks

Nathan Collins [possible ankle ligament damage] unknown

Hickey will be out until the new year

Brighton

Jakub Moder [knee injury] 2-3 weeks

Julio Enciso [significant knee problem] 2-3 weeks

Pervis Estupinan [unspecified muscle injury] unknown

Tariq Lamptey [knock] 2 weeks

Solly March [knee injury] unknown

Danny Welbeck [unspecified] unknown

James Milner [unspecified muscle problem] unknown

Lewis Dunk [groin strain] unknown

Evan Ferguson [tight hamstring] unknown

March was stretchered from the field against Man City

Getty

Burnley

Lyle Foster [mental health break] unknown

Foster is set for an extended break to look after his mental health

twitter:@burnleyofficial

Chelsea

Christopher Nkunku [knee injury] 2 weeks

Wesley Fofana [ACL reconstruction] unknown

Trevoh Chalobah [thigh issue] unknown

Romeo Lavia [twisted ankle] 2 weeks

Ben Chilwell [hamstring issue] unknown

Carney Chukwuemeka [knee setback] unknown

Levi Colwill [shoulder problem] unknown

Malo Gusto [tendon issue] unknown

Chilwell has sustained another hamstring injury

Getty

Crystal Palace

James Tomkins [calf strain] 1-3 weeks

Nathan Ferguson [hamstring surgery] unknown

Dean Henderson [thigh problem] unknown

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi [hamstring issue] unknown

Everton

Seamus Coleman [knee surgery] 2 weeks

Dele Alli [groin] 2-3 weeks

Andre Gomes [tight calf] 1-2 weeks

Amadou Onana [calf strain] unknown

GettyDele should be back in training soon[/caption]

Fulham

Tosin Adarabioyo [groin injury] 2-3 weeks

Issa Diop [possible foot fracture] 3-4 week

Rodrigo Muniz [knee issue] 1-2 weeks

Liverpool

Thiago Alcantara [hip issue] 8 weeks

Stefan Bajcetic [calf issue] unknown

Andrew Robertson [Shoulder injury] 10 weeks

Curtis Jones [hamstring tweak] 2 weeks

Ryan Gravenberch [knee issue] 1-2 weeks

Joe Gomez [unspecified] unknown

Ibrahima Konate [hamstring problem] 1-2 weeks

GettyRobertson might be out for some time[/caption]

Luton Town

Jordan Clark [ankle injury] 2-3 weeks

Dan Potts [foot problem] 3-4 weeks

Albert Sambi Lokonga [thigh problem] 3 weeks

Amari’i Bell [hamstring tweak] 1-2 weeks

Mads Andersen [hamstring issue] 6-9 weeks

Reece Burke [hamstring issue] 2-3 weeks

Cauley Woodrow [calf strain] 2-3 weeks

Alfie Doughty [knock] 1 week

Chiedozie Ogbene [ankle problem] unknwon

Man City

Kevin De Bruyne [hamstring issue] 8-10 weeks

Sergio Gomez [unspecified] unknown

Manuel Akanji [lower back problem] unknown

John Stones [thigh issue] unknown

Nathan Ake [knock] 1 week

Ederson [foot pain] 1-2 weeks

Mateo Kovacic [quadriceps strain] unknown

Erling Haaland [twisted ankle] 1-2 weeks

Matheus Nunes [unspecified muscle problem] unknown

De Bruyne is set to be out until the new year

Getty

Manchester United

Tyrell Malacia [knee issue] unknown

Amad Diallo [knee injury] 7-8 weeks

Luke Shaw [unspecified muscle injury] unknown

Lisandro Martinez [foot problem] 4-8 weeks

Andre Onana [abductor strain] unknown

Casemiro [thigh injury] 5 weeks

Jonny Evans [hamstring problem] unknown

Christian Eriksen [knee injury] 4 weeks

Rasmus Hojlund [muscle strain] 3 weeks

Aaron Wan-Bissaka [ill] 2 weeks

Martinez might not play until 2024

Getty

Newcastle

Harvey Barnes [toe problem] 2-3 weeks

Sven Botman [knee issue] unknown

Elliot Anderson [back stress fracture] 5 weeks

Alexander Isak [groin problem] 1 week

Jacob Murphy [dislocated shoulder] 11 weeks

Javier Manquillo [groin issue] unknown

Matt Targett [hamstring surgery] 11 weeks

Dan Burn [back issue] 8-11 weeks

Callum Wilson [hamstring strain] 6 weeks

Miguel Almiron [hamstring issue] 1 week

Sean Longstaff [ankle knock] 1-2 weeks

Barnes is recovering quicker than expected

Getty

Nottingham Forest

Felipe [ongoing knee problem] unknown

Gonzalo Montiel [calf injury] unknown

Callum Hudson-Odoi [pulled hamstring] 4 weeks

Sheffield United

Daniel Jebbison [long-term illness] unknown

Rhys Norrington-Davies [thigh issue] unknown

Max Lowe [ankle surgery] unknown

John Egan [ankle injury] 4 weeks

Chris Basham [ankle dislocation and ligament damage] unknown

Tom Davies [thigh operation] unknown

Anel Ahmedhodzic [pulled hamstring] 2-3 weeks

Ollie McBurnie [groin problem] 1 week

Rhian Brewster [hamstring strain] unknown

Basham sustained a horrible injury against Fulham

Rex

Tottenham

Ivan Perisic [ACL] 18 weeks

Ryan Sessegnon [hamstring surgery] 1-3 weeks

Alfie Whiteman [ankle surgery] unknown

Manor Solomon [meniscus tear] unknown

Destiny Udogie [unspecified muscle issue] unknown

Mick van de Ven [hamstring tear] 8-11 weeks

James Maddison [ankle ligament damage] 8 weeks

Richarlison [pubic bone surgery] 3 weeks

Maddison could be out for some time

Getty

West Ham

Jarrod Bowen [knee injury] awaiting assessment

Michail Antonio [strained medial ligament] 2-3 weeks

Nayef Aguerd [concussion] 1-2 weeks

Mohammed Kudus [back problem] awaiting assessment

Bowen picked up an injury during England training

Getty

Wolves

Hugo Bueno [hamstring issue] unknown

Joe Hodge [shoulder surgery] 7-10 weeks

Pedro Neto [hamstring strain] 2-3 weeks

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Erling Haaland out along with four teammates – how injury-hit Man City could line-up against Liverpool

Jake Lambourne — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:09:52 +0000

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side have been hit by an injury crisis at the worst possible time ahead of their crunch clash against Liverpool.

The two top teams in the Premier League face off at the Etihad in Saturday’s early kick-off – live on talkSPORT.

Guardiola could be without many of his first team stars for the Liverpool clash

AFP

Champions City go into the blockbuster match-up a point ahead of the Reds, knowing defeat could see them drop as low as fifth if results go against them.

But they could go into the top of the table match without as many as five first team players to add to Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones and Sergio Gomez’s long-term injuries.

One of those stars who could be absent is goal machine Erling Haaland, who has already banged in 17 times this season in all competitions.

The 23-year-old picked up an ankle knock while on international duty for Norway, resulting in him missing Sunday’s 3-3 draw against Scotland.

Commenting on his injury, Norway boss Stale Solbakken said: “It’s the movement in his foot that is the problem but it’s not a serious injury.

“Had it been a final, I don’t know [if he would have still risked playing]. All parties agree it is probably a little too soon but it is not a career-threatening injury.”

City goalkeeper Ederson has also picked up a minor injury, having hurt his ankle in the final stages of the 4-4 draw against Chelsea, resulting in him pulling out of Brazil’s squad.

Brazil’s team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar remarked: “After the game, the player got in touch, as did Manchester City’s medical department.

Haaland picked up a minor ankle knock when playing for Norway

AFP

“‘He suffered a foot injury in the final minutes and was able to continue the match, but the pain became intense. The foot became swollen, difficult to walk.”

Along with Haaland and Ederson, Mateo Kovacic, Nathan Ake and Matheus Nunes all have had setbacks of their own.

Should all five players be ruled out, Guardiola will have to tinker up his team in his quest to claim the three points.

Stefan Ortega would come in for Ederson between the sticks, with the German establishing himself as one of the best backups in the league since joining last year.

Just like in the draw away at Stamford Bridge, Guardiola could opt to play in a 3-2-4-1 formation.

With Ake potentially out, a back three could consist of Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.

And with Nunes and Kovacic major doubts, natural defender Manuel Akanji could once again play as a defensive midfielder alongside Rodri.

Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku could then be deployed on the wings, with Jack Grealish recalled to the starting XI to play next to Bernardo Silva in advanced central role.

Grealish could be recalled back to the starting XI by Guardiola this weekend

Getty

Should Haaland miss his first top-flight game this term, World Cup winner Julian Alvarez would then be tasked with leading the line.

Alvarez has been in great form playing behind Haaland this term – chipping in with seven goals and five assists in 18 games in all competitions.

This is how Man City could start against Liverpool at the Etihad on Saturday

‘Terrible winners, worse losers’ – Noel Gallagher’s reaction to Liverpool title sums up bad blood ahead of Premier League showdown

Lee Davey — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:02:46 +0000

Manchester City fan Noel Gallagher once called Liverpool ‘terrible winners, worse losers’ as the two teams prepare to reignite their rivalry this weekend.

City host Jurgen Klopp’s side on Saturday lunchtime in a mouthwatering clash – live on talkSPORT – pitting the Premier League’s top two against each other.

AFPCity and Liverpool have built a fierce rivalry in recent seasons as both clubs went head-to-head for domestic honours[/caption]

Although Arsenal ran City close in last season’s title race, it has been the Reds that have been the nearest challengers in recent seasons.

Pep Guardiola’s side have won five of the last six Premier League titles with Liverpool being the only club to break the mould when they cantered to the title crown in 2020.

Despite City’s dominance, Liverpool have been no pushovers for the reigning Treble winners, having won four and drawn three of the clubs’ last 11 meetings across all competitions.

However, Oasis legend Gallagher aimed a dig at the Reds’ most recent title triumph while claiming City are inching closer to emulating their European pedigree.

Gallagher told talkSPORT: “Liverpool for all their fans crowing, they’ve been the best team in England once in 30 years. That lot, they’re terrible winners but worse losers. Now we’ve got to emulate them in Europe somehow and I think we’re getting closer.”

The last meeting between the teams came in April which saw a rampant Man City side run out 4-1 winners at the Etihad and Gallagher would welcome more of the same this weekend.

Liverpool head to Manchester on the back of a five-game undefeated Premier League run, but their biggest test of the season awaits them in the form of the reigning champions.

For City, much hinges on the fitness of their key names after an international break to forget for Guardiola.

Oasis star Gallagher couldn’t resist the opportunity to get one over on the Reds

talkSPORT

Liverpool lifted their first ever Premier League title in 2020 at City’s expense

The Spaniard is sweating on the fitness of Erling Haaland who picked up an ankle injury on international duty with Norway.

Meanwhile, Rodri withdrew from Spain’s clash with Cyprus with a knock, adding to Mateo Kovacic, Nathan Ake, Matheus Nunes and Ederson who were all forced to withdraw from their respective national teams through injury.

Manchester City star Bernardo Silva opens up on dream future transfer as he rules out switch to two clubs

Sam May — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 14:10:18 +0000

Bernardo Silva has given an insight into the club he wishes to play for once he departs Manchester City.

The 29-year-old joined the Citizens in a £43.5million deal from Monaco in 2017 where he has established himself as a club legend.

Silva has revealed his dream move after he leaves Man City

Getty

He has got his hands on five Premier League titles along with the Champions League, as well as two FA Cups and four League Cups.

Still a key player under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage, he has chipped in with 58 goals and 62 assists in 319 games in all competitions for City.

In August, Silva ended any uncertainty surrounding his future by penning a new deal until 2026, having previously been targeted by both Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.

But there remains one team that he has admitted he would love to play for – boyhood club Benfica.

Having played three senior matches for the club in the 2013/14 season after rising through the ranks, the Portuguese playmaker has since admitted he plans to return in the future.

Speaking to CNN, he said: “I want to return to Benfica. If the club wants me at the time, obviously things will happen.”

Silva also revealed he would never play for Benfica’s rivals Sporting Lisbon or Porto, with his heart solely set on a return to the Estadio da Luz.

“I was incapable of playing for FC Porto or Sporting. It’s not going to happen,” he added.

Silva has scored three goals in nine Premier League matches so far this campaign

Getty

The experienced midfielder is now trying to lure his fellow countryman and youngster, Joao Neves, to City from Benfica.

But he faces a battle with Manchester City skipper Bruno Fernandes, who is looking to convince the 19-year-old to Old Trafford.

He told Sport TV: “I would love to have him at United. But it’s Joao’s choice.

“He has top quality. He’s a great player but it depends on the coach’s ideas. He will have a great future, in United or somewhere else.”

However Silva has insisted he will do everything he can for the midfielder to shun a switch to the Theatre of Dreams.

Quoted by the Metro, he remarked: “For City instead of United? If I can, I will pull strings to Joao Neves to go to Man City.

“I’d like to see Joao joining City instead of Man United, of course.”

Why is Brentford vs Arsenal kicking off at 5:30pm? TNT Sports move London derby due to Premier League blockbuster

Jack Johnson — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 13:14:13 +0000

Brentford and Arsenal clash in a London derby this weekend but fans will notice a strange change to the usual Saturday action.

The Gunners are one point off the top of the Premier League table and will be aiming for a crucial three points as they travel across the capital.

Arteta side are aiming to keep up with the league leaders

AFP

Mikel Arteta’s side take on the Bees who are looking to bounce back from a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool and get back to winning ways.

Due to unusual circumstances, the game will kick-off in the evening and there is also set to be an unusual difference in the UK broadcast schedule…

Why is Brentford vs Arsenal kicking off at 5:30pm?

Brentford vs Arsenal is kicking off at 5:30pm on Saturday evening after swapping times with Manchester City vs Liverpool.

The London derby was originally scheduled to kick-off at 12:30pm.

However, it has been changed as a knock-on effect from Man City and Liverpool being denied the evening slot due to concerns over fan trouble.

Manchester’s local safety advisory group that includes the local police did not give permission for the match to go ahead at 5:30pm.

That was due to previous clashes between supporters after a young Man City fan was injured and other fans were racially abused during the last game between the two sides at the Etihad in December.

There were also issues following the league fixture at Anfield last season, with the City team bus reported to have been vandalised as they left Merseyside.

Therefore, that game was moved to the 12:30pm slot, forcing Brentford and Arsenal to swap and take the early evening kick-off time instead.

Despite the change though, the game will remain on TNT Sports who usually have Saturday’s early kick-off every weekend.

They will now be broadcasting the action at 5:30pm, with Sky Sports instead showing the 12:30pm kick-off after the channels agreed to a swap.

Arsenal will be aiming to keep up with the league leaders who will now be playing before them on Saturday.

And should results go their way, they may be sitting at the top of the Premier League come full-time…

Brentford vs Arsenal: Betting

Match Odds

Brentford – 15/4

Draw – 13/5

Arsenal – 8/11

*odds correct as of 13:30 21/11/23

See more Premier League odds here

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Liverpool fan made petition to ban Lionel Messi and it got more than 16,000 signatures

Lee Davey — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 13:09:30 +0000

A Liverpool fan who once started a petition to get Lionel Messi banned was able to gain over 16,000 signatures.

The petition aimed to have UEFA retrospectively ban the Argentine for a ‘punch’ on former Reds midfielder Fabinho during the Champions League semi-final first leg defeat against Barcelona at the Nou Camp in 2019.

The Liverpool fan was angered after replays appeared to show Messi jumping into Fabinho

The Catalans comfortably saw off Jurgen Klopp’s side thanks to Messi’s heroics in a 3-0 victory.

Messi netted twice in the final 15 minutes, including a stunning free-kick, but Liverpool fans claimed the pint-sized star should never have been given the chance to take the set-piece because he was guilty of committing a foul.

Fabinho was penalised for blocking Messi’s run as he attempted to play a one-two with former Reds striker Luis Suarez.

The Brazilian was booked for his attempt at stopping the attack but some supporters believe Messi was at fault by launching himself at Fabinho.

Messi’s hand appeared to make contact with Fabinho’s face while attempting to hurdle the challenge, leaving the former Liverpool midfielder in a heap.

One Liverpool fan was in no mood to let the decision lie and promptly took to change.org to create the petition titled: ‘Get Messi a retrospective ban for clearly punching Fabinho in the head’.

It read: “So basically Messi gets a free-kick for punching Fabinho in the head and scores it, I feel like this needs to be looked at by UEFA.”

The petition gained some traction in the hours that followed but despite their best efforts to get UEFA to re-look at the incident, their attempts fell on deaf ears.

The petition definitely did NOT make a change, despite what it says on Change.org – not that it mattered for eventual European champions Liverpool anyway!

Change.org

Liverpool were finished off on the night by a stunning free-kick from the Argentine

getty images

Luckily for Liverpool fans, Messi’s inclusion in the second leg six-days later had no bearing on the result.

Klopp’s side cantered to a famous 4-0 victory – “corner taken quickly… ORIGI!” – in front of a buzzing Anfield crowd to secure a place in the Champions League final.

And the Reds went one better by seeing off Tottenham 2-0 in the final in Madrid to claim their sixth European Cup.

Tottenham face serious allegations of breaching transfer rules in Jermain Defoe to Portsmouth deal

Sean O'Brien — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 12:07:05 +0000

Tottenham are facing serious allegations of breaching transfer rules during Jermain Defoe’s move to Portsmouth in 2008.

The Times claims new evidence shows Spurs dealt with an unlicensed agent while agreeing to sell ex-England striker Defoe to Portsmouth for £7.5million in January 2008.

Defoe’s move to Fratton Park is under scrutiny 15 years on

AFP

No action was taken by the Football Association at the time, but it is understood the governing body are prepared to review the allegations.

Breaches of FA agent rules have previously resulted in point deductions, transfer bans, and suspensions for club officials.

“The case was heard by an independent arbitration panel 15 years ago,” a spokeswoman for the FA said.

“The FA was not a party to the arbitration. It is unclear how much information was shared with the FA at the time, and no disciplinary action was taken. If there is new evidence which was not available at the time, and which suggests serious breaches of our rules took place, we will review it.”

Luton were docked ten points for breaching agent regulations in the same year, while Tottenham finished three points above Manchester City to qualify for the Champions League in the 2009/10 season.

The allegations over Defoe’s move to Fratton Park were first raised by agent Sky Andrew after he was dropped by the former striker, who claimed to represent himself in the deal.

The Times claims: “At the arbitration hearing over the Defoe transfer, the panel found that Mitchell Thomas, the former West Ham United and Tottenham player and an unlicensed agent, was a central figure in the deal. Thomas was named by the FA in 2008 on a list of agents who had been operating in football without a licence.

“It was also heard that Levy enlisted the services of Stuart Peters, an agent who was licensed, to act for Tottenham but that a representation contract — required under FA rules — did not appear to be in place. Levy agreed to pay Peters about around £1 million for his role in the £7.5 million transfer.”

Defoe scored 91 Premier League goals during his Tottenham career

Getty Images - Getty

“The current board and ownership acquired the club in 2017 from the Pompey Supporters’ Trust and club presidents, who themselves formally acquired the club in 2013.

“The board and the new executive therefore have no knowledge of any negotiations that led to Portsmouth Football Club’s registration of Jermain Defoe in 2008.”

Matt Lawton, chief sports correspondent for The Times, joined talkSPORT to provide background on the story.

He said: “At that time, Defoe had a representation contract with Sky Andrew. It led to an arbitration because Sky was of the view that Defoe was in breach of his contract, because a footballer cannot use his agent if he basically does a negotiation himself.

“But the view was he’d used a guy called Stuart Peters, a licensed agent, and the assistance also Mitchell Thomas, the ex-Tottenham and West Ham footballer, who was an unlicensed agent.

“So there was a private arbitration and there was some reporting around this at the time but we don’t get to hear these arbitrations, what’s happened, we don’t get to hear the outcome or anything. Actually what we now know is that the outcome of this, Sky won the case and the panel, three QC’s at the time concluded that Mitchell Thomas, an unlicensed agent, had been a central figure in this negotiation.

“He basically helped broker the deal and had been involved in dealing with Tottenham, with Daniel Levy the Tottenham Chairman, had dealt with Harry Redknapp the Portsmouth manager, had dealt on countless occasions on the day of the transfer with Defoe himself. This was all detailed in phone records that had to be acquired through a High Court application and once the panel had these phone records, they then realised that there were potential breaches of FIFA agent rules and FA agent rules.

Defoe is the ninth highest goalscorer in Premier league history with 167 goals

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“These rules are in place to protect the integrity not just of football but of the transfer market, they’re are very serious rules that have to be complied with.”

Lawton added: “There was a further issue raised by the panel that the agent that Tottenham did enlist, there was no evidence in the hearing that there was a formal representation contract in place. You have to have one of those as well, so two potential breaches.

“When Luton Town, in the same year, were found to have paid agents without representation contracts, they received a ten-point deduction. When Massimo Cellino at Leeds was found in 2017 to have dealt with an unlicensed agent, he was banned from football for a year, received a £250,000 fine and the entire Leeds board had to go on an education course on how to deal with football intermediaries. So again, I want to emphasise, these are serious breaches.

“Now, at the end of such an arbitration, the arbitrators send the file to the FA. We don’t believe that the FA did anything about this case. We don’t believe that there were any charges issued, there weren’t any sanctions, no one got punished for this.

“Defoe was an England footballer, he played in the World Cup that summer, by the time that this award was given in early 2010.

“The FA have confirmed that no action was taken. They also, based on the statement they’ve given us, they are not clear that they received all the relevant information and now what they’re saying is if the full detail of this case comes to light, which we are revealing in The Times now, then they will review the case.”

Meanwhile, Defoe’s former agent Andrew questions the lack of action from football’s governing bodies.

He told talkSPORT: “Arbitrations need to be taken seriously, it’s supposed to be a serious process where people get evidence and people get to the truth.

“Once that happens, I think that the governing bodies then have to look at it and see if there’s anyone that’s done anything wrong or anything like that because otherwise, what’s the point of an arbitration?

“The whole point of it is to be a court of law, outside the court of law and a confidential process which comes to a conclusion and once it comes to a conclusion, then it has to go to the next phase.

“What Matt tells me is that it did go to the next phase and the governing bodies… well, I can’t say that they haven’t done anything because I don’t know that process, but it does seem that nothing’s happened.”

Read the full Times investigation here.

Jason McAteer once told Roy Keane ‘you can’t take your medals down the pub’ in feud that never ended

Lee Davey — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 11:33:50 +0000

Jason McAteer once told Roy Keane he would rather have ‘mates than medals’ as the pair recently reignited their long-running feud.

Former Manchester United captain Keane was a former Republic of Ireland teammate with McAteer but the duo seldom saw eye-to-eye.

Keane was sent off for an elbow on McAteer during a Premier League clash in 2002

The hostilities stemmed from McAteer’s criticism of Keane’s decision to walk out on his country on the eve of the 2002 World Cup.

A few months later, the pair clashed during a Premier League match between United and McAteer’s Sunderland.

Keane planted an elbow on his international teammate and was subsequently shown a red card for his actions.

Tensions simmered for a while before McAteer leaped to the defence of former Ireland star Jonathan Walters who came under fire from Keane for failing to win a trophy during his career and ‘crying on TV about his family situation’ during an interview with Off The Ball.

Former Liverpool midfielder McAteer condemned Keane for his attack on Walters, claiming he had let himself down with his comments.

“We all know Roy, he says what he wants and that’s why he’s box office because he says it how he thinks,” the former Liverpool midfielder told talkSPORT in 2019.

“It’s very watchable at times, but unfortunately I do feel he lets himself down with the comments he makes about other players and I was disappointed that Roy came out and said some of the things he did.

“Jonny is a brilliant guy and he’s an advocate for mental health. He’s gone on telly and put himself out on a limb because he feels it’s going to help people, and it is.

McAteer hit out at Keane after his comments on former Stoke striker Walters

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McAteer and Kene did not see eye to eye despite being teammates at international level

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“We need to create more awareness of mental health these days and what people go through, certainly elite sportspeople because it’s a very demanding environment and unfortunately when you come out of it it leaves you with problems sometimes.

“Jonny feels the need to come out and help people, which is fantastic, you take your hat off to him for that. So for Roy to bring him down and suggest he needs to stop crying on the telly, it was a poor comment.

“I think he got wrapped up in the environment, everyone was laughing, there was a lot of people in the audience and he maybe got a little bit too comfortable with his comments and he let himself down.

“As far as of the other comments between them, they are Roy’s opinions and Jonny has come out and said what he needed to say about the situation, and it’s just whose story you believe.

“Roy does like the medals one, but at the end of the day you can’t take the medals down the pub and have a pint with them. They don’t talk back to you. I’d rather have a couple of mates than a couple of medals, to be honest.”

The pair have reignited their feud in recent days after Keane admitted his elbow on McAteer in 2002 was deliberate, claiming he didn’t deserve to be sent off.

McAteer responded with an extravagant offer of a boxing match to settle their differences and even called on promoter Eddie Hearn to make it happen.

Why is Manchester City vs Liverpool kicking off at 12:30pm? Sky Sports takeover early slot for blockbuster game

Jack Johnson — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 11:30:06 +0000

Manchester City and Liverpool clash in a huge Premier League blockbuster this weekend as they kick off the run-in to Christmas.

Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp meet at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon, live on talkSPORT, with only one point separating their sides at the top of the table.

City and Liverpool meet for a massive clash this weekend

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All eyes will be on the huge showdown, which means fans will notice an unusual change to the UK broadcasting schedule and kick-off time…

Why is Man City vs Liverpool kicking off at 12:30pm?

Man City vs Liverpool is kicking off at 12:30pm due to concerns over fan trouble.

The highly-anticipated game was originally set to take place at 5:30pm on Saturday.

However, the local safety advisory group that includes the local Manchester police did not give permission for the match to go ahead at that time.

And that has led to some very unusual broadcasting times.

Sky Sports are known to have the evening kick-off on Saturdays, while TNT Sports always have the early kick-off.

But for this weekend, they have agreed to swap their usual times round due to the police concerns, in a move that will definitely confuse supporters.

The concerns over fan trouble come after a young Man City fan was injured and other fans were racially abused during the last game between the two sides at the Etihad in December last year.

Man City and Liverpool fans clashed last year

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Both teams then released a joint statement condemning the behaviour during the incidents.

There were also issues following the league fixture at Anfield last season, with the City team bus reported to have been vandalised as they left Merseyside.

So now the game will be played in the early slot and that change has had a knock-on effect.

Brentford vs Arsenal was set for the 12:30pm kick-off before they were forced to change, meaning the London derby will now kick-off at 5:30pm.

Man City vs Liverpool will also be exclusively live on talkSPORT, with commentary coming from Sam Matterface and Stuart Pearce.

Mohamed Salah name checked in unique Neil Ruddock rap for Liverpool vs Man City – and it’s even got Christmas No.1 odds

Robert Calcutt — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 10:44:08 +0000

Adele, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, you might want to keep a close eye on Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock ahead of this year’s race for Christmas No.1…

The former Liverpool star took a leaf out of ex-teammate John Barnes’ book and took to the talkSPORT airwaves to perform an epic rap about the Reds’ clash against Manchester City on Saturday.

Ruddock tried his hand at rapping, and he certainly did a great job…

Jurgen Klopp’s side take on Pep Guardiola’s treble winners, live on talkSPORT, in the biggest Premier League clash of the weekend.

Both sides look set to bring the excitement and goals, with City just one point ahead of Liverpool at the top of the table.

And to help build up the hype, Ruddock performed a unique rap about the two sides on talkSPORT Breakfast.

He did so in just his first take, but he seemed like a natural: “So listen up, listen up, it’s your boy Razor, football on talkSPORT can do me a favour.

“Reds versus sky blues, battle so tight, Salah on the wing, Foden taking flight.

“Big Rodri in midfield, Nunez on the run, on talkSPORT waves, the game second to none.

“Goals like thunder, fans screaming loud, Van Dijk’s in defence, making Reds proud.

“Alisson guarding, whose saves are so divine, the match is on talkSPORT, the football headline.

Liverpool hero Salah made a special appearance in the lyrics

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Sawyer was a huge fan of the rap, with Ruddock 50/1 to win Christmas no.1

“talkSPORT the stage, where dreams unfold, this is rap battle, let the football stories be untold.”

Former England boss Sam Allardyce gave it a 10/10 and presenter Natalie Sawyer was also highly impressed, so much so that she wanted to see if Ruddock could win the Christmas No.1 for 2023.

Dave from Coral joined the show to reveal his chances of success: “Forget The Pogues, forget LadBaby, forget Adele, forget Ed Sheeran, forget Taylor Swift.

“These are just some of the names in the betting for Christmas No.1. But, Razor ‘Rascal’ Ruddock has got to be put in the betting now, not 100/1, not 66/1, 50/1 to be Christmas No.1!”

December 22 is the date in which the winner of Christmas No.1 will be crowned, with Ruddock surely hopeful he can take the title… just as he hopes his beloved Liverpool will be crowned come May.

What TV channel is Manchester City vs Liverpool on? How to follow huge Premier League clash between title contenders

Jack Cunningham — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 10:14:33 +0000

The Premier League returns this weekend with a belter between Manchester City and Liverpool, live on talkSPORT.

The Citizens start the game top of the table by just one point, with the Reds close behind and preparing to launch a title challenge themselves.

Manchester City are starting to click into gear

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Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have had plenty of title fights across the years, and this season could be another one.

And the eventual winner might look back at this game as a huge turning point in the season.

Man City vs Liverpool: How to watch

This Premier League clash is set to take place on Saturday, November 25.

Kick-off at the Etihad is scheduled for 12:30pm.

The match will be streamed on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with their coverage set to start at 11am.

Sky Go customers will be able to stream the game through their laptops or mobile devices.

Alternatively, fans can purchase a NOW TV membership, with one-day passes starting at £11.98 or a monthly subscription for £34.99.

Liverpool head into this one off the back of a 3-0 win over Brentford

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Man City vs Liverpool: How to listen

talkSPORT will have live and exclusive commentary from Manchester.

Your host will be Reshmin Chowdhury, with commentary coming from Sam Matterface, England icon Stuart Pearce, and former Wales striker Dean Saunders.

talkSPORT.com will also be running a live blog to keep you up to date with all of the action.

Man City vs Liverpool: Team news

The hosts have picked up several injury concerns over the international break.

Erling Haaland has a twisted ankle but is expected to be fit to face Liverpool.

Rodri, Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes, Ederson, and Nathan Ake will all face late fitness tests.

But Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Gomez and John Stones are out with long-term injuries.

Meanwhile, the Reds will be without Andrew Robertson due to a dislocated shoulder.

Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic remain on the sidelines.

But Klopp will hope Joe Gomez and Ryan Gravenberch are fit after picking up minor niggles.

Curtis Jones and Ibrahima Konate will also be pushing to be involved.

Haaland is expected to be fit

AFP

Man City vs Liverpool: What has been said?

Oasis co-founder and huge Man City fan Noel Gallagher believes Liverpool are City’s closest contenders.

Speaking on talkSPORT Drive, he said: “I think it’s probably between City, Liverpool and Arsenal.

“I’d probably whittle that down to Liverpool towards the end because when Liverpool get towards the finish line, they’ve always pushed us all the way until the last day.”

However, he’s fuming that the game is at 12:30.

He said: “The 12:30 kick-off is set up to benefit people in other parts of the world. Liverpool have got a lot of fans in Southeast Asia, and I would imagine there’s someone sitting there thinking when Liverpool play half 12, the global ratings go through the roof.

“It’s one of the biggest fixtures in England, and we’re not going to see the best of the two teams; lord knows who’s going to turn up injured.”

Man City vs Liverpool: Betting

Match Odds:

Man City – 4/6

Draw – 31/10

Liverpool – 7/2

*odds correct as of 10:30 21/11/23

See more Premier League odds here

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Footage appears to show Roy Keane call Cristiano Ronaldo a ‘w*’ and ‘p’ during Manchester United game

Callum Vurley — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 08:53:48 +0000

Footage has resurfaced of Roy Keane appearing to call Cristiano Ronaldo a ‘w*****’ and a ‘p****’ during a Manchester United match.

Not many United players would have the bark to bring down Keane in the dressing room, not even Sir Alex Ferguson could.

Ronaldo and Keane weren’t always best mates on the pitch

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And the former Red Devils captain was renowned for keeping his players in line – sometimes utilising a bit of tough love.

Even Ronaldo was on the receiving end of one barrage of criticism when United took on Southampton in December 2004.

The Portuguese sensation, in his second season at Old Trafford, was gifted an easy chance to score.

Paul Scholes’ shot was saved by Kasey Keller, who was parachuted in from Tottenham on an emergency loan, but the rebound fell kindly for Ronaldo.

Instead of tucking it away, the forward tried to chip the American – blazing his effort over the bar.

And that lit a fire in Keane, who became instantly enraged by his teammate for not tapping in instead.

United were 2-0 up at the time and cruising but that meant little to the perfectionist that is Keane.

Footage resurfaced by Instagram account roykeane_archives of the United legend losing his cool with Ronaldo.

Keane was absolutely furious with Ronaldo going on an expletive-ridden rant

roykeane_archives

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roy Keane (@roykeane_archives)

And it does not take a lip reader to put together what he might have said as he appeared to shout: “Put the ball in the net you f****** w*****. F****** p****.”

It is fair to say that the message was received and understood by Ronaldo, who would not make the same mistake again.

Just moments later, the winger volleyed in brilliantly to put the Red Devils three goals up and he was instantly mobbed by his teammates to give him encouragement.

Aged just 19, it was a harsh but valuable lesson for Ronaldo, who adopted the same mentality to become one of the greatest players ever seen in football.

Ronaldo would go on to score and was mobbed by his teammates after

roykeane_archives

While his strike against Southampton was just one of five in the Premier League for him, he would drastically improve in the years to come.

He went on to score 118 times for United, including winning the first of five Ballons d’Or in his career in 2008.

Real Madrid would then come calling where Ronaldo’s legacy was cemented after an incredible nine years where he scored 450 times in 438 appearances, winning four Champions League titles in the process.

What is Jurgen Klopp’s record in 12:30pm kick-offs and why does he hate them? Liverpool in Saturday action against Manchester City

Joe Brophy — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 23:09:00 +0000

Liverpool could leap above Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table when they play each other in the dreaded 12.30pm Saturday kick-off this weekend.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is the most vocal critic of the Saturday lunchtime slot and his record in them shows why he hates them.

Klopp is welcomed back from the international break with a 12:30pm kick-off

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The early weekend slot is important to the Premier League due to the UK 3pm blackout of English football on Saturday afternoons.

It is also prime time in key Asian markets, which means the top six teams are often chosen to maximise the Premier League’s brand.

And this has regularly brought Klopp’s views on the subject to the forefront, with the German once involved in an infamous exchange with BT Sport journalist Des Kelly after a 1-1 draw with Brighton in 2020.

Speaking two years earlier, Klopp said: “I like night games, Saturday night is in general a night people don’t go to bed too early, it’s a good time to play football.

“Much better than at 12 — I’m hungry at 12, not at 7:45!”

But is there a deeper reason behind Klopp’s distaste of the traditional early afternoon game ahead of their visit to City, which will be live on talkSPORT.

What is Jurgen Klopp’s record in 12:30pm kickoffs?

Klopp won four of his nine early kick-off games (with three defeats) during his first season in the Premier League in 2015/16.

That regressed to just three victories but still three losses out of nine the following campaign in 2016/17.

Liverpool then slipped to relegation form in the lunchtime slot in Klopp’s third year, with one win in eight games that also included a 5-0 hammering to Manchester City.

The German looked to have corrected his early morning demons during the 2021/22 season where he came close to a quadruple.

Liverpool claimed four wins from four on the early schedule as they ultimately finished on 92 points, one behind champions City.

But their old foes reared their heads as the Reds’ form took a nose dive last term, with three defeats and zero wins from a possible six.

Liverpool’s last match against Man City at lunchtime ended in a 4-1 defeat

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But the Reds were successful in their last early kick-off, walking away with a 3-1 win over Wolves

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Liverpool's record in 12:30pm kickoffs last season

Fulham 2-2 Liverpool

Everton 0-0 Liverpool

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Liverpool

Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea

Bournemouth 1-0 Liverpool

Manchester City 4-1 Liverpool

Why does he hate them?

Klopp’s main gripe with 12:30pm kick-offs, aside from his stomach, are due to a lack of player welfare around the scheduling.

If a team plays a Champions League match on a Wednesday night then the following day is typically a recovery one.

However, if they are then scheduled to play first on Saturday that leaves them having to travel Friday night – unless the game is local – after only one session.

Kicking off later in the day therefore makes a sizeable difference to a club’s preparations in terms of travel, training and sleep.

Klopp himself said ahead of the Brighton match in 2020: “If you play in the afternoon obviously the boys sleep longer and you can ask whoever you want, sleep is a big part in recovery.”

Klopp has made no secret of his dislike of television scheduling

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This means that a lack of proper recovery between fixtures will lead to an increased risk of injuries to players.

As was the case when Klopp exploded on BT Sport when James Milner sustained a hamstring issue at the Amex three years ago.

The game came after Liverpool suffered a 2-0 defeat to Atalanta away in Italy on Wednesday.

Liverpool’s absence from the Champions League this season will theoretically spare them from many risky 12:30pm turnarounds, with Thursday’s Europa League participants in action Sunday instead.

But their upcoming showdown with Man City comes straight after another intense international break.

That will be the thirteenth 12:30/12:45pm kick-off following an international break since Klopp joined Liverpool – seven more than Tottenham and Chelsea in second.

He said: “How can you put a game like this on Saturday at 12.30pm?

“Honestly, the people making the decisions, they cannot feel football. It is just not possible.

“This is the moment the world pays the most to see a football game. And by the way, the players will all come back on the same plane, all the South American players, picking them up from different countries.

“You have to fight your way through the most difficult league in the world and be ready on Thursday and on Sunday, and Thursday. And if the Premier League has the opportunity to do it, be ready on Saturday at 12.30pm!”

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Chelsea fans joke Mykhailo Mudryk ‘retired’ Jorginho with rapid run before being denied clear penalty in Euro 2024 qualifier

Natasha Everitt — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 23:01:59 +0000

Mykhailo Mudryk was denied a clear penalty during Ukraine’s clash at Italy in a clash that also saw him ‘retire’ former Chelsea star Jorginho.

A victory for Ukraine in their final European qualifier would have seen them qualify for Euro 2024 at the competition’s reigning champions’ expense.

Chelsea fans went wild for one run by Mudryk in his game against Italy

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Italy saw out a 0-0 draw in the end, though, which means Ukraine will now have to enter into the play-offs in March to win a place at next summer’s tournament.

But despite the disappointing result, Ukraine and Chelsea winger Mudryk put a smile on the faces of Blues fans thanks to his battle with their former midfielder, Jorginho.

Mudryk could’ve given his side a last-gasp penalty and a chance to go through right at the end of the clash when he had his ankles clipped after receiving the ball in the box in the second minute of added time in the second half.

But despite being left in a bundle on the floor and his teammate’s complaints, the referee waved away the incident and it was Italy who secured their place at next summer’s tournament.

Drama in Leverkusen!

Mykhailo Mudryk is denied a late spot kick and Italy go through to the Finals #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/VoTWvMZ1nO
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) November 20, 2023

A gutting moment for Mudryk and Ukraine but he also enjoyed a fine individual moment at former Chelsea star Jorginho’s expense.

The Italian, who won the Champions League and Europa League with Chelsea but left for London rivals Arsenal last January, was seen trying to stop Mudryk from bursting down the left.

But the Blues star was far too quick for Jorginho, who ended up losing his footing in his pursuit of the winger and falling to the floor.

“Mudryk retired Jorginho,” one fan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, as they reacted to the moment.

Jorginho tried to stop Mudryk

Viaplay

But lost his footing

Viaplay

And fell to the floor whilst Mudryk sped away

Viaplay

Another said: “Mudryk absolutely bodied Jorginho today and that is what he deserves.”

Arsenal fans were quick to remind their Chelsea counterparts that it was Jorginho that was advancing to next summer’s tournament, thought.

“Jorginho has qualified tho, Mudryk can hold that as his qualification,” they wrote.

Tottenham ‘offer’ Cristian Romero to Barcelona in exchange for Raphinha

Callum Vurley — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 22:18:22 +0000

Tottenham are reportedly readying an offer for Barcelona star Raphinha – and are prepared to throw in an important player to tempt them.

Spurs have started magnificently in the Premier League under new boss Ange Postecoglou, even going top of the table and going unbeaten in ten games.

Raphinha is on Tottenham’s wish list this January

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However, they experienced two defeats in a row against Chelsea and Wolves in their most recent outings, which has badly exposed their lack of squad depth.

Postecoglou is helping to rectify the issue in the January transfer window and has eyed Raphinha for a potential arrival.

And he is prepared to offer key star Cristian Romero as part of the deal to take the Brazilian, according to Spanish outlet Sport.

Barcelona‘s financial problems, which have long haunted them, are forcing them to the negotiation table.

They are still demanding a hefty fee for Raphinha, though, who only joined from Leeds last year.

The Blaugrana have slapped a £61million price-tag on the winger, a year after leaving Elland Road for £50m.

It is a fee that Tottenham are not ready to meet but are ready to offer a player as a makeweight.

And that player is Romero, who has been on Barcelona’s radar since he was at Atalanta.

Romero could be allowed to join Barcelona

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Raphinha is wanted by Tottenham with Romero going the other way

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Signing a defender is also one of Xavi’s priorities with Andreas Christensen drifting out of form.

The emergence of Lamine Yamal has also made Barcelona consider axing Raphinha, who has had dips in form himself.

At just 16, the Spaniard has become a sensation with club and country this season.

Raphinha, meanwhile, has scored just twice this season in all competitions.

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Rio Ferdinand hilariously demands Joleon Lescott’s Premier League winners’ medal amid threat of Man City sanctions

Jack Cunningham — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 21:31:33 +0000

Rio Ferdinand has hilariously demanded that Joleon Lescott hand over his Premier League winners’ medal amid the threat of sanctions against Manchester City.

City are currently under investigation for an alleged 115 breaches of the top-flight’s Financial Fair Play rules, with many outcomes possible should they be found guilty, including their titles being stripped.

And Ferdinand senses he could get his seventh Premier League winners’ medal

FIVE, Ferdinand's YouTube channel

And amid this threat, Manchester United icon Ferdinand had a direct message for former Man City defender Lescott.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, FIVE, Ferdinand directly called out his fellow ex-England defender.

He said: “If anything happens with City, and they get punished. Joleon, I want your medal hand-delivered to my house, and I am wearing that medal.”

Lescott was part of the City side that famously won their first Premier League title ahead of United on the last day of the 2011/12 season when they came from 2-1 down against QPR to win 3-2, with a last-gasp Sergio Aguero goal, denying Ferdinand and Man United the title in the most dramatic way.

Ferdinand added: “That Aguero moment has gone, so, Joleon, just make sure you bring the medal.”

Of course, this is very much a hypothetical situation, and it should be clear that Ferdinand is very much joking.

In terms of the alleged charges, City are yet to be found guilty of anything, and it could be some time before any resolution is found.

And even if they are found guilty, the punishments are also unknown. Everton were docked ten points for violating the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules last week.

This is the medal that Ferdinand wants

PAUL ELLIS/AFP/GettyImages

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‘He just wasn’t a manager’ – John Obi Mikel explains what Avram Grant actually did at Chelsea

Sam May — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 17:15:35 +0000

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel says Avram Grant ‘had absolutely no clue’ when in charge at Stamford Bridge.

The ex-Nigeria international spent 11 years with the South West London club under eight different managers, including Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti.

Mikel has revealed what challenges Chelsea players encountered when Grant was in charge

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But one boss who does stick in his mind, however, was Grant, who took charge of the Blues during the 2007/08 season following Mourinho’s shock departure.

“For me, he [Avram Grant] just wasn’t a manager,” Mikel told ex-teammate Florent Malouda on the The Obi One Podcast.

“He wasn’t a manager because he [had] no clue of what he was doing. He absolutely had no clue.

“He [had] someone who does the training and someone who does the training – and all he does is come in and tell us stories about Michael Jordan and a fire that is burning somewhere.

“But it worked for him, he got us to a Champions League final.”

Grant managed a win percentage of 66.67% in a season that saw Chelsea miss out on the Premier League title by two points and lose the Champions League final on penalties to Manchester United.

He was sacked days after the season concluded but Malouda suggested it was a good call as he backed up Mikel’s claims.

“Yeah, I agree with you,” Malouda replied.

On the surface it appears Grant did a very good job at Chelsea but two of his former players have suggested he was out of his depth

Getty Images - Getty

“I remember in training when he tried to lead the session, he realised he did not have that skill so he had to find a guy who had that skill.

“But, I would say when you look at the results, we reached the Champions League final.

“At the time, he knew [his limitations] and he knew what he needed to help him, because management is not easy – even if you are experienced, it is very, very hard.

“So, I think he did well, because he was not experienced but he still did the job.”

Despite his coaching shortcomings, Grant is still in the management game and is currently in charge of the Zambia national team.

He also managed Portsmouth and West Ham in the Premier League, although he was once reportedly found asleep at his desk by players during his stint with the east London club.

Benjamin Mendy launches ‘multi-million pound’ claim against Man City over unpaid wages

Callum Vurley — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 16:35:18 +0000

Benjamin Mendy has launched a ‘multi-million-pound’ lawsuit against Manchester City over unpaid wages.

Through the Employment Tribunal, Mendy has claimed ‘unauthorised deductions from wages’ after being found not guilty on charges of rape and sexual assault in 2021.

Mendy left City in the summer after his contract expired at the end of last season

Getty Images - Getty

After the charges were made, the club suspended the former City star without pay. He last played for them in August 2021.

His contract expired at the end of June 2023 and he subsequently signed for French club Lorient.

In July, Mendy was found not guilty by a jury in a retrial at Chester Crown Court after being charged with rape and sexual assault.

The left-back, who has always denied the allegations, was accused of raping a 24-year-old woman in a bedroom in his Cheshire mansion.

He was also charged with attempted rape of a 29-year-old woman from two years before.

According to Sky Sports, Mendy has now opened a ‘multi-million-pound claim’ against City for wages owed.

As such, he will now seek the salary owed to him from September 2021 up until the expiration of his contract in June 2023.

Sky Sports read a statement on behalf of Nick De Marco KC, the prominent sports lawyer acting on Mendy’s behalf, which read: “Nick De Marco KC (instructed by Laffer Abogados (Madrid) is acting for the former Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy in a multi-million-pound claim for unauthorised deductions from wages.

Mendy was cleared of all charges of rape and sexual assault in July

AFP

“Manchester City FC failed to pay Mr Mendy any wages at all from September 2021, following Mr Mendy being charged with various offences, all of which he was subsequently acquitted of, until the end of his contract in June 2023.

“The claim will come before an Employment Tribunal.”

Sky Sports adds that Manchester City declined to respond when approached for comment.

Mendy signed for City in 2017 from Monaco in a £52million deal, making him the Premier League’s most expensive defender at the time.

While at the Etihad Stadium, he lifted three Premier League titles and was part of France’s World Cup-winning squad in 2018.

Mendy now plays for Lorient in Ligue 1, where he has made three appearances.

Jorginho’s agent sets deadline for Arsenal contract talks as situation sits at a ‘standstill’

Robert Calcutt — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 14:32:28 +0000

Arsenal have been set a deadline for talks over extending Jorginho’s deal at the club.

The Italian signed from London rivals Chelsea in January on a one-and-a-half year contract in a £12million deal.

Jorginho has just a few months left on his deal at Arsenal

Getty

With his contract expiring in June, he is therefore just seven months away from becoming a free agent.

Jorginho has made eight starts for Arsenal this season and was nearly a Premier League title winner with them last term.

However, with little time remaining on his current deal, his agent Joao Santos has issued a timeframe for the club to extend his stay.

Speaking to TUTTOmercatoWEB on the current situation regarding his client’s future in north London, he said: “Everything is at a standstill.

“We’ll think about it after February. However, the priority remains Arsenal.”

Jorginho is part of an Arsenal side that made two midfield signings in the summer, with Declan Rice and Kai Havertz both joining.

As a result, the 31-year-old is not guaranteed appearances in the starting XI under Mikel Arteta despite his experience.

He signed for Chelsea in 2018, winning the Champions League and the Europa League with the Blues before signing for Arsenal.

Despite a lack of certainty, the Gunners are his priority

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Having formerly played for Napoli, the midfielder has been linked with a move back to Italy on more than one occasion.

Jorginho has remained put for now though, although this could change in the coming months should he not extend his contract.

His deal has the option for an extra year, something Arsenal could choose to exercise to sustain their squad depth.

Jorginho has made 30 appearances in total for the Gunners across all competitions, although is yet to score for the club.

Kai Havertz in shock new role, Aaron Ramsdale returns but Gabriel Jesus out – how Arsenal could line-up against Brentford

Jake Lambourne — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 14:24:17 +0000

Mikel Arteta could decide to follow Julian Nagelsmann in playing Kai Havertz at left-back in a bold new Arsenal system this weekend.

The Gunners travel to Brentford on Saturday looking to make it back-to-back wins at the Gtech Community Stadium this season.

Havertz broke the deadlock for Germany when starting at left-back against Turkey

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Arsenal edged out the Bees in a close-fought Carabao Cup tie in September, with Arteta hoping for a similar outcome on the club’s return to west London.

And the Spaniard could be tempted to deploy £65million summer signing Havertz at full-back ahead of Oleksandr Zinchenko for the 5.30pm clash.

Germany boss Nagelsmann stunned fans when he fielded the ex-Chelsea star, who predominantly plays as a creative midfielder or striker, at left-back for Saturday’s friendly against Turkey.

But Havertz silenced his doubters just five minutes into the match after breaking the deadlock in an eventual 3-2 defeat.

Following the match, Nagelsmann insisted it won’t be a one-off him playing there, stating the 24-year-old wanted to try out the new position.

He said: “I don’t see this as a risk for him, but as a very, very big opportunity to play a key role at the Euros [next summer].

“Kai said he wanted to do it, wanted to try it — for a first time in an unfamiliar position, he did extremely well.”

And with Havertz struggling since swapping Stamford Bridge for the Emirates having chipped in with just one goal and as many assists, Arteta could look to deploy him there in his effort to get the best out of him.

Havertz has struggled to make an impact since joining the Gunners from Chelsea

Here talkSPORT.com takes a look at how Arsenal’s starting XI could look if Arteta does indeed decide to tinker his line-up with Havertz at left-back.

Despite being ousted by David Raya between the sticks, Aaron Ramsdale will make his first Premier League appearance since the 3-1 win over Manchester United on September 3.

That is because Raya, on loan from Brentford, is ineligible to play against his parent club.

Ben White could also return to the line-up at right-back to replace Takehiro Tomiyasu having missed the 3-1 win over Burnley with a slight knock.

And having had two weeks to recover during the international break, he could be set to play alongside the preferred centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel.

With defensive midfielder Thomas Partey still out injured, Jorginho is likely to keep his place in the team, which will see Declan Rice feature in the No.8 role.

Havertz has played alongside Rice in the same position in recent weeks with skipper Martin Odegaard out on the sidelines for concussion.

But the Norwegian maestro could be recalled with Fabio Vieira suspended following his red card against the Clarets.

Ramsdale is set to start this weekend with Raya ineligible to face his parent club

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Gunners captain Odegaard is also set to return to the starting XI

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Norway boss Stale Solbakken omitted Odegaard from his Euro 2024 qualifying squad, but recently stated the player should be fit to face Brentford.

He said ahead of his side’s 3-3 draw against Scotland: “I’ve just come from a 45-minute talk with Martin. He is getting better and better and gradually stepping up.

“It has been more or less three weeks without any special training, so it is important to take things step by step.

“Both he and Arsenal probably hope that he is available for the Brentford match.”

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are expected to feature on the wings, while Arteta has a headache over who to start up top.

Gabriel Jesus, who has been out for a month with a hamstring issue, could be in contention ahead of schedule as he looks set to to start for Brazil against Argentina.

But Arteta may decide against starting him out of fear he could suffer a setback, instead choosing Leandro Trossard, who was on target in Belgium’s 5-0 win against Azerbaijan on Sunday.

He has also scored in each of his last two Arsenal matches when leading the line ahead of Eddie Nketiah.

This is how Arsenal could start at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday

Manchester City vs Liverpool team news and predicted line-ups: Haaland fit, Foden new role hands Grealish lifeline, Mac Allister misses out

Jack Johnson — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 13:28:08 +0000

Manchester City and Liverpool go head-to-head this weekend as the Premier League’s top two meet at the Etihad Stadium.

Top-flight football returns on Saturday as we begin the run-in to Christmas, and talkSPORT will be on hand to provide live coverage of the biggest blockbuster.

Haaland is an injury doubt for Man City

AFP

City took part in a top-flight classic against Chelsea last time out but now Pep Guardiola has a couple of injury worries following the international break.

Jurgen Klopp however is expecting some key faces back in action following a week off, as his side aim to continue their superb form this season.

Manchester City

Erling Haaland is the main injury worry for Manchester City ahead of this huge clash.

The star striker picked up a knock while on international duty that forced him to miss Norway’s game against Scotland on Sunday.

Ederson pulled out of the Brazil squad with an issue, meaning the goalkeeper is also a doubt.

John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne are both out while Mateo Kovacic, Nathan Ake and Sergio Gomez are likely to remain on the sidelines.

Despite his knock, Ederson is still expected to start in goal.

Kyle Walker will play at right-back while Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and Manuel Akanji complete the Man City defence.

Akanji has scored in three consecutive Premier League matches and will be out to add another to his growing tally this weekend.

In midfield, Rodri will continue to be the crucial anchor to Guardiola’s side and he’ll line up behind Bernardo Silva who has had a superb campaign so far.

Julian Alvarez has been a regular in a deeper role this season, however, he may not be ready to start this one.

Argentina play at midnight on Wednesday, meaning he is unlikely to be back in England until late in the week, giving him limited time ahead of the early kick-off.

With Kovacic out and Matheus Nunes set to be assessed, Phil Foden could move into a central position.

This would allow Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku to be on the pitch at the same time after both players have been competing against each other for a place.

And up front, Haaland is likely to be fit to start despite his injury, with the issue not considered to be serious enough to keep him out.

Grealish and Doku have both been competing for minutes under Guardiola this season

City are on a roll

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Liverpool

Liverpool are expecting some key players back in action.

Ryan Gravenberch, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Curtis Jones could all return from injury after missing the win over Brentford.

Alexis Mac Allister also returns from suspension, however, he may not be thrown straight back into the team…

The Argentinian will have been playing for his country only days before the game, and the last time he played a 12:30pm kick-off in these circumstances, he was substituted at halftime.

Klopp is still going to be without Thiago and Stefan Bajcetic while Andy Robertson continues his recovery from shoulder surgery.

Alisson will, of course, start in goal.

Nunez is in great form and is likely to start again

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Mac Allister struggled due to a lack of fitness during a 12:30 kick-off after an international break

TNT Sports

Alexander-Arnold will play at right back and look to invert at times while Virgil van Dijk will be partnered by Joel Matip with Konate not rushed back.

Konstantinos Tsimikas provided two assists last time out and will start at left-back, although Joe Gomez remains an option should Klopp opt to go more defensive.

Due to Mac Allister’s possible fatigue, Wataru Endo will sit in defensive midfield behind Dominik Szoboszlai.

Three players could start alongside Szoboszlai, but Gravenberch may get the nod over Jones and Cody Gakpo if he is passed fit before the game.

Mohamed Salah will start on the right while Diogo Jota is expected to play ahead of Luis Diaz after doing so in the last game.

Darwin Nunez should keep his place up front, with Uruguay playing on Tuesday evening, allowing just enough time to recover.

Man City vs Liverpool: Betting

Match Odds:

Man City – 4/6

Draw – 31/10

Liverpool – 7/2

*odds correct as of 10:30 21/11/23

See more Premier League odds here

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Alejandro Garnacho mocked by Manchester United teammate for EAFC 24 team

Sam May — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 13:15:12 +0000

Manchester United midfielder Facundo Pellistri took the opportunity to mock teammate Alejandro Garnacho on social media over his EA Sports FC 24 team.

The game – no longer backed by FIFA – was launched back in September and, while it has split fan opinion over gameplay and various glitches, it remains the most popular football video game on the planet with plenty of professional players spending hours on it.

Garnacho was brutally mocked by his Man United teammate for his EA Sports FC 24 team

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During the international break, Garnacho posted a picture of his Ultimate Team line-up on social media.

The 19-year-old included many legends of the game, such as Peter Schmeichel, Patrick Vieira, and Ronaldo Nazario.

Garnacho also opted to include himself on the left side of the attack, despite only a 77-rating, while the rest of his players are in the 90s and high-80s.

His XI prompted Pellistri to brutally troll his Man United colleague, saying: “And he still can’t win any games.”

Garnacho then hit back: “Still 3-0 in games against you. Stop spending money; it won’t make you good.”

Before the Uruguayan replied: “He is lying.”

While Garnacho claims he has the upper hand on his United teammate online, Pellisti was definitely the winner on the pitch over the international break.

While Garnacho failed to make the Argentina squad, Pellistri was reaping the rewards with Uruguay.

His side recently ran out 2-0 winners over the World Cup winners, with Liverpool‘s Darwin Nunez and Nicolas de la Cruz on target.

Both Garnacho and Pellistri are expected to be part of the Man United team that travels to Goodison Park to face Everton on Sunday.

The Red Devils are sixth in the Premier League standings with 21 points, four behind fifth-placed Aston Villa, with Everton going into the game in the relegation zone following their points deduction.

Arsenal fans in awe of Leandro Trossard with ‘insane’ piece of skill for Belgium that humiliated rival

Robert Calcutt — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:23:40 +0000

Leandro Trossard pulled off an excellent piece of skill to leave Arsenal fans in adoration of one of their star players.

The 28-year-old started for Belgium in their 5-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win against Azerbaijan on Sunday night.

Trossard scored his seventh goal for Belgium at the weekend

AFP

Following four goals from Romelu Lukaku, Trossard completed the scoring in the 90th minute to cap off a resounding victory.

However, his close-range finish from inside the box may not have been the most impressive contribution he made in Brussels.

At one point during the match, Trossard used his deft touch to flick the ball over the onrushing Emin Mahmudov.

The Azerbaijan star tried to make the tackle but was beaten by a fine piece of skill from the Arsenal man and fans have been loving it.

Taking to X, one watched a clip of the move and simply said: “That’s insane.”

“Trossard has special tekkers. He’s Brazilian-esque with it,” added a clearly impressed second.

A third, along with a fire emoji, said: “We are lucky to have him at Arsenal!! What a player.”

“We have so many ballers in this Arsenal team,” added a fourth as they look forward to seeing him back in action for the Gunners.

During the match, Trossard was chasing the ball in a Belgium attack

@orehnato X

He flicked it over Azerbaijan midfielder Mahmudov

@orehnato X

The Arsenal man was able to evade the challenge thanks to his skill

@orehnato X

Trossard has made just seven starts across all competitions this season but has proven key for the side when during his appearances.

The January signing from Brighton has scored six goals and assisted a further two in 14 matches.

Leandro Trossard pic.twitter.com/3mGAobfpg2
— Renato (@orehnato) November 19, 2023

Two of his contributions came in their most recent win, a 3-1 victory at home to Burnley to take them 3rd in the Premier League.

Arsenal return from the international break with a Saturday evening trip to Brentford as they look to maintain their spot in the top four.

Manchester City vs Liverpool LIVE commentary: Haaland a doubt ahead of Premier League blockbuster – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Jack Johnson — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:35:51 +0000

Manchester City face title rivals Liverpool on Saturday afternoon in a huge blockbuster clash, exclusively live on talkSPORT.

The Premier League’s top two come to blows with only a point separating them, as Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp prepare for battle at the Etihad Stadium.

City took part in an eight-goal thriller before the international break

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Man City head into the game off the back of a thrilling 4-4 draw against Chelsea before the international break while the Reds beat Brentford 3-0.

Klopp’s side have only lost one game all season, however, it is always a tough task to come up against Guardiola the match after his side have dropped points.

Manchester City vs Liverpool: Reds’ 12:30pm nightmare

Liverpool are more than used to playing in Saturday’s early kick-off following an international break.

This game is set to be the Reds’ thirteenth 12:30/45pm start since Klopp joined the club.

Their total is seven more than Chelsea and Tottenham who have the joint-second most.

Last season, Liverpool struggled heavily in these matches, failing to win any of the six clashes in the early slot.

They did win their last 12:30pm game though, coming from behind to beat Wolves 3-1 earlier this campaign.

In the previous meeting between Klopp and Guardiola in an early kick-off, it was Man City who came out on top, convincingly winning 4-1 at the Etihad.

Liverpool were hammered by Man City in their an early kick-off last term

Getty

Manchester City vs Liverpool: Team news

Man City are sweating over the fitness of Erling Haaland after their superstar picked up an ankle injury on international duty.

He was ruled out of Norway’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Scotland with the knock and is now a doubt for this weekend’s huge clash.

John Stones is expected to still be out while Kevin De Bruyne continues his recovery.

Ederson and Nathan Ake are set to be assessed ahead of the game but Sergio Gomez is ruled out with a long-term issue.

As for Liverpool, Ryan Gravenberch should be back in action after missing the win over Brentford last time out.

Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate are also expected to make a return.

However, Thiago and Stefan Bajcetic remain out and Andy Robertson continues his recovery after surgery on his shoulder.

The Premier League’s top five are separated by three points

Manchester City vs Liverpool: What has been said?

Liverpool boss Klopp has voiced his distaste for playing in the early kick-off following the international break.

He said: “No one can say at the moment, but how can you put a game like this on a Saturday at 12.30pm?

“Honestly, people making decisions, they cannot feel football, it’s just not possible.

“And if that’s the moment where the world pays the most to see a football game then nobody has to tell us.

“I don’t know if that’s the case, I really don’t.”

Klopp hates playing in the early kick-off

AFP

Manchester City vs Liverpool: talkSPORT coverage

This Premier League clash will take place on Saturday, November 25.

Kick-off at the Etihad Stadium is scheduled for 12:30pm.

talkSPORT will have exclusive live coverage of the game presented by Reshmin Chowdhury.

Commentary will come from Sam Matterface and former Man City manager Stuart Pearce.

talkSPORT.com will also be running a live blog of all the action.

West Ham’s disastrous international break from Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen injuries to Vladimir Coufal being sent home

Jake Lambourne — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 10:49:13 +0000

West Ham’s preparations for Saturday’s clash at Burnley have hit a snag following a horror international break.

The Hammers, who sit ninth in the Premier League table, have seen injuries sustained to key players ahead of their trip to Turf Moor – live on talkSPORT 2.

David Moyes’ West Ham side could be without some of their key players this weekend

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And they have also seen one of David Moyes‘ regulars being sent home from international duty for violating team rules.

That is in addition to two of their starters suffering from uninspired performances.

Here talkSPORT.com takes a look at the setback the east London outfit have suffered in recent days.

Jarrod Bowen

In a huge blow for West Ham – and England boss Gareth Southgate – the forward has had to pull out of the Three Lions squad.

In contention to feature in England’s final Euro 2024 qualifier against North Macedonia, the 26-year-old picked up a knock in training.

It is understood Bowen has suffered a knee issue, but the severity of the problem is unclear with the Hammers ace set for a scan.

And, speaking to talkSPORT’s England correspondent Faye Carruthers, Southgate insisted no chances were being taken.

Bowen picked up an injury during England training which forced him to withdraw from the squad

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The England manager said: “Unfortunately Jarrod Bowen has picked up a bit of a knock in training which needs a little bit more assessment before we’re completely clear whether it would be the right thing to play or not.”

Bowen would be a huge blow for West Ham should he be set for a spell on the sidelines, having scored nine goals in all competitions this season.

Michael Antonio

To make matters worse for the Europa Conference League holders, Bowen’s fellow forward Antonio picked up an injury of his own.

He went off inside the opening 20 minutes of Jamaica’s eventual 2-1 defeat against Canada in their CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final first-leg clash.

A video emerged on social media of the 33-year-old limping as he made his way down the tunnel.

Reports online state that he has either suffered a hamstring knock, or has potentially picked up ligament damage.

Antonio is West Ham’s starting striker, with Bowen deputising as centre-forward when he is unavailable.

Should the pair both miss the upcoming fixture at Turf Moor, Moyes could turn to Danny Ings to lead the line.

Not good news for Jamaica and West Ham as Michail Antonio leaves the pitch early #reggaeboyz pic.twitter.com/NwLLp29XcI
— MG Sports Media (@MilitaryGooner) November 18, 2023

Tomas Soucek

Another potential injury scare, the Czech Republic midfielder suffered a horror head gash during Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Poland.

The 28-year-old, whose goal earned the visitors a vital point in their quest to secure an automatic qualification spot, required lengthy medical treatment.

He was was accidentally kicked in the head by Southampton defender Jan Bednarek while falling to the ground in his attempt to make a challenge.

Left bloodied by the incident, he managed to play the rest of the game after getting bandaged up, with the Czech national team uploading a picture of his wound on Instagram post-match.

He may be smiling in the photo, but Moyes won’t be best pleased if club doctors determine he has to sit out the next match.

An image of Soucek’s injury was shared by the national team

Instagram

Vladimir Coufal

Thankfully for the Hammers, Soucek’s international teammate hasn’t added to their minor injury crisis.

Though he did leave the national team in disgrace having been sent home ahead of tonight’s crucial clash against Moldova.

The right-back was one of three players to leave the squad with immediate effect.

Czech news outlet iSport has claimed that Coufal along with Jakub Brabec and Jan Kuchta broke team rules by going out partying ahead of the game.

The news outlet also stated that the trio were seen drinking alcohol.

While Coufal is available to face the Clarets, Moyes won’t be too happy with how he has returned to the club’s Rush Green training centre.

Coufal was sent home from the Czech national team squad along with two teammates

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Poor displays

As any club would want, not only are teams desperate for their players to return from the international break injury-free, but also high on confidence.

But that may not be the case in regards to Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez.

Kudus struggled to make an impact as Ghana laboured to a 1-0 win against Madagascar – ranked 108th by FIFA.

As for Alvarez, his Mexico side are on the verge of a shock Nations League exit after losing 2-0 in their first leg away at Honduras.

Mexico have a second leg to turn things around on Wednesday, otherwise Alvarez will be returning to West Ham hugely disappointed.

Erling Haaland may miss crucial Liverpool clash but Pep Guardiola has proven Man City can beat them without him

Robert Calcutt — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 10:34:06 +0000

Manchester City face one of their biggest tests of the season upon their return from the international break when they host Liverpool.

The reigning Premier League champions sit top of the table after 12 games but the Reds are close behind in 2nd by just one point.

Haaland could only watch City’s last meeting with Liverpool from the stands

AFP

A stoppage-time penalty from former star Cole Palmer sealed a 4-4 draw for Chelsea and denied City the chance to go three points clear.

Fan nerves ahead of Liverpool’s visit, live on talkSPORT, have been heightened as Erling Haaland picked up an injury on international duty with Norway.

He seemed to suffer a twisted ankle against the Faroe Islands and missed their Euro 2024 qualifying draw with Scotland as a result.

Such an injury could rule him out of action at Saturday lunchtime, but Pep Guardiola already knows how to beat Liverpool without him.

City took one huge step towards their third league title in April when they beat the Reds 4-1, despite going a goal down after 17 minutes.

Mohamed Salah netted for Liverpool before Julian Alvarez, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish won it for the hosts.

Haaland missed the clash due to a problem with his groin, just the third Premier League match he failed to appear in all season.

Despite his absence, Guardiola fielded a side who were so dominant in the second-half that Liverpool were simply blown away.

Despite City being without their top scorer, they will claimed a huge 4-1 win

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Guardiola was able to beat one of their biggest rivals without his star man

Getty

Grealish and De Bruyne both scored and assisted, with Alvarez the man to fill the void left by Haaland at the head of their attack.

Of course, circumstances between then and now are different, with Liverpool struggling for European qualification seven months ago.

They’re now establishing themselves as contenders in this season’s title race and could offer a more difficult test in five days time.

But City fans and Guardiola will be aware that even without Haaland, who has scored 17 goals this season, they can still find a way to win.

Haaland could be set to miss another home clash against Liverpool

AFP

In fact, all three of the matches he’s missed across all competitions since he signed last summer have ended in victory.

Leicester were the first to fail to capitalise on his absence and Sevilla were the second in the Champions League group stages last term.

Liverpool also tasted defeat against a Norwegian-less City and it could be deja vu on Saturday in their massive clash.

Listen to live and exclusive commentary of Man City vs Liverpool at the Etihad on Saturday at 12:30pm on talkSPORT.

Safety fears for Premier League stars over pitch for England vs North Macedonia

Josh Fordham — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:29:55 +0000

Fears are growing for the safety of the England players ahead of their final Euro 2024 qualifier against North Macedonia on Monday night.

Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions have already qualified top of the group, so the main focus for many will be getting through unscathed.

Concerns have been raised over the pitch England will play on

talkSPORT

A number of players have already withdrawn from the squad with injury and there are worries about more casualties on Monday.

The pitch in North Macedonia is in a terrible condition, having been relaid six weeks ago, and has a layer of coarse sand and stones on the top.

“That’s why you want to make sure you’re qualified well in advance,” Southgate said of the pitch.

“We said that right at the start of the qualifying campaign, you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get away from home.”

Southgate also insisted that Premier League managers would still be concerned about players, regardless of the state of the pitch.

He added: “No, we wouldn’t take any chances with players.

“Jarrod Bowen hasn’t travelled. He was just feeling something after training and we didn’t have time to really assess it.

“It would probably need a scan to give us the confidence that we’re not taking a chance. We never take a chance with a player, really.”

Southgate has addressed concerns about the pitch

Getty

talkSPORT’s England reporter Faye Carruthers was able to inspect the pitch close up and gave an insight into just how bad it is.

“It’s pretty terrible,” she said. “I went and had a look at close quarters last night and it looks patchy.

“When you go right down to pitchside, it looks really bad. It was relaid six weeks ago and it has not knitted properly. There’s quite coarse sand and stones within it.

“It doesn’t look great.

“Injuries are the concern and there will be managers in the Premier League looking at that closely.

“It’s not ideal. The North Macedonians have apologised for this previously because it didn’t look right, they’ve re-laid it and it still doesn’t look right.

“It is going to cause problems. They drew 1-1 with Italy on that pitch, so it is going to be a tricky one for England.”

Steven Gerrard calls Cristiano Ronaldo the ‘GOAT’ just a year after claiming Lionel Messi was the best following Saudi switch

Jake Lambourne — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:07:07 +0000

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has changed his mind regarding the GOAT debate – insisting Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest.

The 43-year-old followed the Real Madrid icon to Saudi Arabia in July after being appointed as the new Al Ettifaq boss.

Gerrard has had his say on who he believes is football’s GOAT

X: @SPL_EN

Having enjoyed many battles with Ronaldo during his playing days against Manchester United, Gerrard has now faced him as a manager in the Middle East.

And having seen the Al Nassr striker up close, as well as seeing him take the Saudi Pro League by storm with 27 goals in 28 games, he has opted for the Portugal skipper as his GOAT.

It was only last year that he declared that Lionel Messi was his choice in the never-ending debate between the two footballing greats.

Speaking on Gary Neville’s The Overlap, he said: “It’s Lionel Messi for me.

“But I’m someone who would never have a derogatory word to say about Ronaldo, because he is phenomenal.”

However in a brand-new interview with the Saudi Pro League, it appears he has had a change of heart.

Gerrard gushed over Ronaldo’s influence, as he declared the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was the catalyst in a host of star-studded names to move to the Gulf nation.

He remarked: “The arrival of ‘The GOAT’ as we call him, Cristiano, him arriving in January obviously was a huge signing. He still had a lot of football to offer.

Gerrard has opted for Al Nassr striker Ronaldo in a brand-new interview

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But it was only last year that he stated that Messi was the greatest

AFP

“So, from afar, for six months, I was looking in at Cristiano Ronaldo’s results, at the league, watching some games and watching some highlights.

“I think from that moment, the league around the world had become a very popular talking point for everyone.

“After Cristiano’s arrival, even more big-name signings, talents and skill sets were joining the league.

“At the time it coincided with me being out of the game and looking for my next opportunity, so I was fascinated from afar looking in.

“When my agent brought a couple of opportunities in the gulf area at the time, I was fascinated to explore them.”

Kalvin Phillips ‘one of the best professionals’ Declan Rice has seen amid ‘difficult’ time at Man City

Phil Spencer — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 23:12:21 +0000

Declan Rice has described Kalvin Phillips as ‘one of the best professionals he’s ever seen’ amid his Manchester City struggles.

The midfielder is enduring a tough time with the treble-winners after falling way down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola.

Phillips has endured a difficult season having started just once for Man City

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Phillips was limited to 21 appearances in his first season at City last term, while this season he’s started just once for the Premier League champions.

Despite his lack of match action, the 27-year-old has continued to be trusted by Gareth Southgate to play his part for England as they look ahead to 2024.

But while some have suggested that Phillips doesn’t deserve to be involved, Arsenal star Rice paid huge tribute to how the midfielder has dealt with his recent struggles.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Rice said: “He’s one of the best professionals I’ve ever seen, if I’m honest with you.

“I’ve seen players who don’t play and throw their toys out of the pram completely and with Kal, every time he comes back here he pops on a shirt and puts in 110 per cent.

“He played with me against Scotland and I think that was his first start in a while and he played really well, so I’ll never question his professionalism and I don’t think any of the lads will.

“As a person as well, he’s an all-round top guy and he brings that onto the pitch.

“It’s obviously difficult when you’re not playing as a footballer and I know he wants to be playing more, for sure, but mentally he hasn’t broken.

Declan Rice was full of praise for Phillips in his press conference

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The midfielder remains all smiles despite uncertainty over his club future

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“He hasn’t throw his toys out of the pram. He gives everything every day, he still improves and still plays with a smile on his face so I can’t speak highly enough of him.”

Phillips will be hoping to be in action for England against North Macedonia – a clash that will be live on talkSPORT on Tuesday night.

‘Old enough to be my dad’ – Reece James in cheeky jibe about Thiago Silva’s age but gives Chelsea star huge praise

Callum Vurley — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 18:35:20 +0000

Reece James could not resist a cheeky jibe at Thiago Silva over his age – though he has nothing but respect for the Chelsea star.

James was appointed Chelsea captain this season after long-standing skipper Cesar Azpilicueta left in the summer for Atletico Madrid.

James was given the captaincy over Silva by Chelsea this summer

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It came as a surprise to some that Silva did not take on the role as the most experienced player and still a formidable force in defence.

And with James already experiencing an injury-ravaged campaign, Silva has played every minute in the Premier League this season – at the age of 39.

Speaking to Chelsea’s official website, the England international joked the centre-back was old enough to be his dad, as he said: “The captaincy has been great.

“But it was difficult when I wasn’t fit because it is hard to affect things as much when I’m not with the group all the time.

“Thiago [Silva] probably helps me the most whenever I’m unsure, or I feel like I need advice on something.

“He is nearly old enough to be my dad! So he is the person I go to.

“It’s not for me to say what sort of captain I am, but I’ve enjoyed it so far. It’s an honour.”

Silva signed for Chelsea in 2020 on a free transfer after his Paris Saint-Germain contract expired.

James has admitted he still comes to Silva for advice

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James and Silva have won the Champions League together at Chelsea

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The French giants did not want to renew his deal due to his age, but the Brazil international has made a mockery of that decision by becoming a key part of Chelsea’s squad over three seasons, now in his his fourth year.

Initially signed on a one-year contract, Silva has proved integral to four different managers in Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino.

There are reports that the veteran star could return to Brazil next summer though.

Fluminese, his first club at the age of 14 in 1998, are heavily linked with a transfer.

Silva also played for the Brazilian outfit from 2006 to 2009, initially on loan before joining permanently.

Manchester United winger Antony named ‘flop of the season’ as Brazilian fails to live up to £85m price tag

Jake Lambourne — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 15:57:27 +0000

Manchester United are yet to get their money’s worth for ‘hugely disappointing’ Antony who is still without a goal contribution this campaign.

That is according to talkSPORT host and ex-Chelsea striker Tony Casacrino, who has named the 23-year-old as his ‘flop of the season’.

United winger Antony has flattered to deceive since joining from Ajax in 2022

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The Brazilian winger has struggled for form since arriving at the Theatre of Dreams from Ajax for a deal rising to £85million last year.

He is yet to chip in with either a goal or assist in 12 outings this term in all competitions, with United fans even losing patience with him.

Supporters could be heard cheering at Craven Cottage when he was brought off in the 1-0 win away at Fulham earlier this month.

United legend Andy Cole recently stated that Antony would drive him ‘absolutely mad’ as he questioned what he brings to the Red Devils.

Meanwhile cult hero Dimitar Berbatov has told the player to stop doing ‘stupid things’ if he wishes to remain part of Erik ten Hag‘s plans.

And now Cascarino has criticised Antony over his dismal displays when speaking on the Weekend Sports Breakfast.

Asked by co-host Natalie Sawyer to give his ‘Flop of the Season’ award so far, he gave the unwanted honour to the 16-cap Selecao international.

Criticising the ex-Sao Paulo star, Cascarino said: “He’s been hugely disappointing.

Antony is yet to chip in with a goal contribution so far this campaign

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“For a player that’s been in the Premier League for a year and not seemingly improved from where he was last year, I would probably go Antony.

“Man United need him to be a really big star for them, they paid a lot of money – £80m for him.

“He’s not lived up to that in any shape or form.”

His poor performances have led to Antony being omitted from Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers during the ongoing international break.

Antony will be hoping to end his barren spell in front of goal away at Everton next weekend – a ground he scored at last season in a 2-1 win for United.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes addresses Saudi Arabia rumours after rejecting summer transfer

Jake Lambourne — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 14:57:03 +0000

Bruno Fernandes has shut down any speculation linking him with a switch to Saudi Arabia by insisting he is ‘happy’ at Manchester United.

The 29-year-old, who replaced Harry Maguire as the club’s captain in the summer, was linked with a move to the Middle East ahead of the 2023/24 season.

United skipper Fernandes has ruled out a future move to the Saudi Pro League

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It was reported by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano that the Portuguese player turned down two approaches from Saudi Arabia.

And talkSPORT revealed how the Red Devils were not open to any offers for the ex-Sporting Lisbon star.

But rumours are refusing to go away over a potential reunion with former United teammate and compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo in the Gulf nation.

While away on international duty, Fernandes, who is tied down at Old Trafford until 2026 with the option of a further year, declared he has no desire to depart in the near future.

Though he did acknowledge the club’s poor start to the season, where they sit in sixth spot, on the cusp of a Champions League group stage exit and are already out of the Carabao Cup.

In an interview with Sport TV Portugal, he said: “I’m focusing on the national team and United. I’m happy where I am.

“In the national team, we had some very good times, at Manchester United we didn’t start the way we wanted.

“I don’t look at rumours. I don’t pay attention to them.

“Today, it’s very easy to spread rumours in the press. I prefer to concentrate on my goals.”

Fernandes has been linked with a reunion with Ronaldo in the Gulf nation

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The midfielder has had a quiet campaign so far by his standards – chipping in with four goals and three assists in 17 games in all competitions.

United legend Roy Keane ripped into the player following the derby defeat to Manchester City last month, stating he should be stripped of his captaincy.

His comments led to boss Erik ten Hag to defend Fernandes following his dramatic winner away at Fulham at the start of November.

He told TNT Sports: “I don’t understand it [calls to remove him as skipper].

“Everyone has mistakes and no one is perfect, but he’s doing a lot of things very good.

“He’s showed every time as a captain he’s an example, you’ve seen today how he’s working, how he’s pressing and in the end he scored the goal.

“So, he’s massively important for us.”

Ex-Arsenal chief David Dein criticises Mikel Arteta over VAR outburst – but credits him for bringing ‘hope’ back

Jake Lambourne — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 13:55:41 +0000

Mikel Arteta’s angry VAR outburst following Arsenal’s defeat at Newcastle damaged the ‘image of the club’.

That is according to the club’s ex-long serving vice-chairman David Dein, who believes his comments were ‘unnecessary’.

Dein believes Arteta’s angry VAR outburst did more harm than good

The Gunners boss was left seething after his side’s unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign ended at St James’ Park earlier this month.

There was no shortage of controversy from the match, with Arteta left dumbfounded how Anthony Gordon’s eventual winner was allowed to stand.

He labelled the VAR call as ’embarrassing’ and a ‘disgrace’, with Arsenal then rallying behind the ex-Everton midfielder with a statement, hitting out at ‘yet more unacceptable refereeing’.

Arteta was charged by the FA over his rant on Thursday, with Dein, who was Arsenal’s vice-chairman from 1983-2007, insisting the Spaniard was in the wrong.

Speaking on the Sunday Edition with Shaun Custis & Henry Winter about Arteta’s outburst, Dein was asked if he was at Arsenal, would he have defended him.

To which he said : “It wouldn’t have happened. But we’re in an emotional game and these things do happen, I think it’s unfortunate, and you live and learn.”

Pressed as to whether he would have taken Arteta aside and warned him about his conduct, Dein remarked: “Probably. But you don’t want to undermine the manager either.

“The manager in the heat of the moment – that’s what he believed in – I was at Newcastle that game, he felt aggrieved that he felt the decisions go against him.

Arteta has been charged by the FA over his extraordinary VAR rant

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“In the final analysis, I think it was a bit of misdirection, because the fact is, there was 101 minutes – three minutes added on in the first half and eight minutes in the second.

“In 101 minutes of football we only had one shot at goal, so you can’t really say that the team deserved to win. It is what it is.

“There is a process in place for how they deal with these things and I just think it was a little bit unnecessary.

“I don’t think it did the image of the club any good.”

Though Dein was full of praise for Arteta turning Arsenal into legitimate title contenders once again, stating he has brought ‘hope’ back to the Emirates.

He remarked: “I think under Mikel they’re doing a good job, I think there is a freshness there, you can see there is new belief – certainly the crowd have got it.

“There is a definite buzz about the place now that we haven’t seen for several years, and it’s the four-letter word – hope.

“You can see the team have got something good going for them, I think there’s something positive, it’s a bit of a renaissance going on at the moment at Arsenal.”

Despite Arsenal’s setback in Tyneside, they sit third in the table – level on points with second-placed Liverpool, and one point behind champions Manchester City.

And with the top two teams to battle at the Etihad next week, Arteta’s side could find themselves sitting at the top if results go their way.

Erling Haaland, Heung-Min Son, and Nicolas Jackson – best performances of the season ranked

Anton Stanley — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000

With the final international break of the year upon us now is as good a time as any to take stock on the Premier League season so far.

Here, WhoScored.com run through their 10 best rated performance of the campaign with stars from Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle all making the cut.

Chelsea star Jackson got high marks for his hat-trick against Tottenham

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10. Nicolas Jackson: Chelsea vs Tottenham – 9.53 rating

Nicolas Jackson could have left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with multiple match balls given the number of chances presented to the Senegal international in Chelsea’s eventual 4-1 win in north London earlier this month.

However, Jackson only managed a hat-trick at the Blues’ rivals.

The 22-year-old struck with three of six shots, and completed three dribbles, as he earned a WhoScored.com rating of 9.53, that the 10th best in a Premier League match this season.

9. Erling Haaland: Manchester City vs Fulham – 9.58 rating

Erling Haaland‘s best rated performance of the season so far came in Manchester City’s 5-1 thrashing of Fulham at the start of September.

The Norwegian goal machine bagged a hat-trick from four shots, and provided an additional assist from three key passes as Haaland returned a WhoScored.com rating of 9.58.

The 23-year-old has continued his rampant goalscoring form and heads into the international break three goals clear in the race for the Golden Boot.

Haaland is in scintilating form across all competitions

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8. Kieran Trippier: Newcastle vs Sheffield United – 9.58 rating

Like Haaland in City’s thrashing of Fulham, Kieran Trippier‘s best rated display of the season saw him yield a rating of 9.58, which he returned in Newcastle’s dismantling of Sheffield United.

The Magpies right-back registered a hat-trick of assists in the 8-0 win at Bramall Lane at the end of September, those coming from five key passes. In addition, Trippier made two tackles in that victory.

7. Heung-Min Son: Tottenham vs Burnley – 9.61 rating

Having made a sub-par start to the season, Heung-Min Son came alive in Tottenham’s 5-2 win at Burnley back in September.

The South Korean striker shone at Turf Moor, netting his first, second and third goals for the campaign as he and Spurs benefitted from a move to the spearhead of the attack.

Son mustered five shots in total against the Clarets as he earned a WhoScored.com rating of 9.61, that far and away his best for the season.

6. Bruno Guimaraes: Newcastle vs Sheffield United – 9.72 rating

Back to Bramall Lane now and Bruno Guimaraes was named the player of the match in Newcastle’s 8-0 win at Sheffield United in September.

The Magpies midfielder was directly involved in two of their eight goals in Yorkshire, netting with his only shot in the victory and providing one assist from four key passes. Guimaraes also made two tackles and one interception in a superb all-round display.

Like many of his teammates, Guimaraes starred in the thumping win over Sheffield United

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5. Solly March: Brighton vs Wolves – 9.73 rating

Solly March has only scored three league goals this season, two of which came in Brighton’s 4-1 win at Wolves in August.

March netted his brace at Molineux from five shots and he worked hard off the ball in a player of the match display as the 29-year-old made four tackles, four interceptions and three clearances to return a WhoScored.com rating of 9.73.

4. Eddie Nketiah: Arsenal vs Sheffield United – 9.86 rating

The third time Sheffield United have made the cut, but we move from Bramall Lane down the Emirates for Arsenal’s 5-0 win over the Blades.

Three of the five goals Eddie Nketiah has scored in the Premier League this season came from four shots against Paul Heckingbottom‘s side last month, a game in which the 24-year-old won two aerial duels and made one clearance.

Nketiah enjoyed a blistering start to the season

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3. Evan Ferguson: Brighton vs Newcastle – 9.96 rating

The second Brighton player on the list, Evan Ferguson was excellent in the Seagulls’ 3-1 win over Newcastle at the start of September as the teenager bagged a first career hat-trick at the AMEX.

Ferguson hit the back of the net with three of four shots all the while completing two dribbles on his way to a WhoScored.com rating of 9.96, that the third best in a Premier League match so far this season.

Ferguson has the potential to be one of the best strikers in the Premier League

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2. Jeremy Doku: Manchester City vs Bournemouth – 10.0 rating

Manchester City put six past Bournemouth earlier this month as the champions eased to a 6-1 win over the Cherries.

Jeremy Doku was directly involved in five of those goals as the Belgian returned an impressive four assists from five key passes.

In addition, the former Rennes man netted with one three shots and chipped in with five dribbles and two tackles to land a perfect WhoScored.com 10 rating.

Doku was the star of the show against Bournemouth

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1. Ollie Watkins: Aston Villa vs Brighton – 10.0 rating

The first perfect WhoScored.com 10 rated display of the campaign came as Aston Villa tore Brighton to shreds at the end of September.

Unai Emery oversaw a resounding 6-1 win at Villa Park, with Ollie Watkins the star of the show.

Watkins was directly involved in four goals, beating Jason Steele with three of six shots and providing an assist with one of five key passes in what is the best rated performance in a Premier League game in the 2023/24 campaign so far.

Watkins is hoping to become and England regular with his stunning displays

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Premier League Golden Boot 2023/24: Who has most goals this season and who has most assists and clean sheets?

Jack Cunningham — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 12:47:00 +0000

We are over a quarter of the way through the 2023/24 Premier League season and there have been plenty of stellar displays from some of the top-flight’s best players.

Erling Haaland is back among the goals for champions Manchester City and he leads the race for the Premier League Golden Boot once again.

Haaland leads the way in the race for the Golden Boot

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Elsewhere, the chase to be the Playmaker of the Season is hotting up, as is the battle for the Golden Glove.

Here’s all the latest stats from the current top-flight campaign.

Premier League 2023/24: Golden Boot race

After smashing in 36 top-flight goals last season, Haaland has picked up where he left off and has scored 13 times for City already this term.

He grabbed a double on the opening day against Burnley, scored again against Sheffield United and helped himself to a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Fulham before adding another against Nottingham Forest.

He then endured a little drought but got back on track against Brighton and scored two against Manchester United and added two more against Chelsea.

He is currently being chased by Tottenham’s Heung-min Son and Mohamed Salah.

Salah has been unstoppable for Liverpool so far

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Premier League 2023/24 Golden Boot race

1: Erling Haaland (Man City) – 13 goals

2. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 10 goals

3= Heung-min Son (Tottenham) – 8 goals

3= Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) – 8 goals

5. Callum Wilson (Newcastle) – 7 goals

6= Alexander Isak (Newcastle) – 6 goals

6= Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford) – 6 goals

6= Hwang Hee-Chan (Wolves) – 6 goals

6= Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) – 6 goals

6= Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth) – 6 goals

6= Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea) – 6 goals

Premier League 2023/24: Playmaker of the Season battle

Pedro Neto leads the way for the Playmaker of the Season award with seven assists, but he suffered what looked to be a serious hamstring injury against Newcastle, which could impact his campaign.

Kieran Trippier is just behind him with six.

James Maddison, Ollie Watkins, Jeremy Doku and James Ward-Prowse are then also not far off.

With Kevin De Bruyne set to be out for so long, the competition to win this award should be wide open.

GettyNeto has been sublime this season[/caption]

Premier League 2023/24 Playmaker of the Season race

1: Pedro Neto (Wolves) – 7 assists

2: Kieran Tripper (Newcastle) – 6 assists

3= James Maddison (Tottenham) – 5 assists

3= Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) – 5 assists

3= Jeremy Doku (Man City) – 5 assists

3= James Ward-Prowse (West Ham) – 5 assists

7= Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 4 assists

7= Vladimir Coufal (West Ham) – 4 assists

7= Darwin Nunez (Liverpool) – 4 assists

7= Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) – 4 assists

7= Julian Alvarez (Man City) – 4 assists

7= Conor Gallagher (Chelsea) – 4 assists

Premier League 2023/24: Golden Glove chase

England duo Sam Johnstone and Nick Pope are currently leading the way with the most clean sheets.

David Raya, Ederson and Guglielmo Vicario are just behind that duo.

Five other keepers are one back after ten games so far this season.

Former Manchester United ace David de Gea won the Golden Glove award last season, which means a new stopper will claim it this term.

GettyPope is back in form after a dodgy start to the season[/caption]

Premier League 2023/24 Golden Glove race

1= Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace) – 5 clean sheets

1= Nick Pope (Newcastle) – 5 clean sheets

3= Alisson Becker (Liverpool) – 4 clean sheets

3= Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham) – 4 clean sheets

3= Ederson (Man City) – 4 clean sheets

3= David Raya (Arsenal) – 4 clean sheets

3= Andre Onana (Man United) – 4 clean sheets

8= Bernd Leno (Fulham) – 3 clean sheets

8= Robert Sanchez (Chelsea) – 3 clean sheets

8= Mark Flekken (Brentford) – 3 clean sheets

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Is Erling Haaland injured? Manchester City star ruled out of Euro 2024 qualifier with ankle issue ahead of huge Liverpool clash

Jack Johnson — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 10:50:00 +0000

Erling Haaland has picked up an injury only days before Manchester City meet Liverpool in a huge Premier League clash.

The striker fell to the ground holding his ankle after coming off the bench during Norway’s 2-0 win over the Faroe Islands on Thursday.

Haaland picked up the knock playing for Norway

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He looked in a lot of pain as he clutched his leg, raising concerns over whether he would be fit for Man City’s crucial upcoming fixture.

And there has now been an update issued by his national team…

Is Erling Haaland injured?

Haaland seemed to suffer a twisted ankle, which is a similar injury he had when substituted at half-time against Bournemouth earlier this month.

However, after his latest issue, he continued to play the remainder of the game.

After taking some tests, medical staff came to the conclusion that the 23-year-old’s knock would force him to miss Norway’s game against Scotland.

Haaland was confirmed to be ruled out of the Euro 2024 qualifier, in a statement released on Saturday.

Norway’s team doctor Ola Sand said: “The injury is not serious, but he is in so much pain and somewhat restricted function that the Scotland game unfortunately comes a little too early.”

Meanwhile, manager Stale Solbakken revealed he won’t be bringing in a replacement for Haaland despite his absence.

Haaland would be a monumental miss for Man City should he be sidelined

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“It is of course a shame that Erling will not be ready for the match on Sunday, but we will not be bringing in a replacement,” he said.

“This is a great opportunity for the offensive players in the squad to show off.”

Haaland’s knock will be a huge concern for Man City, although Sand admitting the injury is ‘not serious’ will ease worries slightly.

And Fabrizio Romano has now reported that Haaland should be fit after the international break.

They take on Liverpool in the Premier League next Saturday as the top two in the table meet for a blockbuster at the Etihad.

Newcastle star Kieran Trippier withdraws from England squad due to ‘personal matter’

Josh Fordham — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 10:39:41 +0000

Kieran Trippier has withdrawn from the England squad due to a personal matter.

He will miss Monday’s trip to North Macedonia with Newcastle confirming the news on social media.

Trippier is out of the England squad

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The club said: “Newcastle United can confirm that @trippier2 has returned home from the @England squad due to a personal matter.

“Tripps played 90 minutes as the Three Lions defeated Malta 2-0 in a @EURO2024 qualifier at Wembley on Friday but will miss Monday’s trip to North Macedonia.”

Trippier played at right-back against Malta, but his absence from the squad further limits Gareth Southgate‘s options at full-back.

Fikayo Tomori filled in at left-back, with Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell out injured, with the Newcastle man also capable of playing of the opposite side.

Kyle Walker or Trent Alexander-Arnold are likely to come in for Trippier, but Southgate still has the left-back issue.

AC Milan star Tomori did not look overly comfortable in that position and now he will either have to start their again or move Walker or Alexander-Arnold out of position.

England have already cruised to qualification from what had looked to be a potentially tricky pool.

But Southgate wants his side to end 2023 with a bang as they round off Group C away to North Macedonia on Monday.

Southgate doesn’t want his team to take their foot off the gas

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But with Euro 2024 glory their stated ambition, the former defender wants his players to keep their foot on the gas.

“We’ve had a really good calendar year and we want to finish it well,” the England manager said ahead of the trip to Skopje. “Simple as that.

“We should be aiming to go, if we can, into the tournament unbeaten. We’ve got some tough games coming ahead.

“I mean, I’m a bit loathed to say that because then you start looking for draws when you want to go and win matches as well, so I want to get the messaging right on that.

“But, you know, it’s good for us to be away from Wembley again, a challenging environment because that’s what we’re going to be in next summer.”

Eden Hazard told former Chelsea teammate John Obi Mikel he got injured at Real Madrid because he tried too hard in training

Robert Calcutt — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 23:07:23 +0000

John Obi Mikel has revealed how Eden Hazard told him that his injury woes at Real Madrid were down to his high efforts in training.

The former Belgian captain announced his shock retirement from football in October, with his best spell coming at Chelsea.

Hazard enjoyed a hugely successful seven-year stint at Chelsea

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Hazard scored 110 goals and assisted another 92 in 352 appearances for the Blues, establishing himself as a club legend in west London.

Pace, flair and dribbling were just some of his best attributes, but Mikel previously named him as the ‘worst trainer’ he ever played with.

After seven years at Chelsea, Hazard signed for Madrid but much of his career in the Spanish capital was hampered by various injuries.

This was likely to be a deciding factor in his decision to retire aged just 32, with Mikel recalling what the former Blues talent told him was the cause of such issues.

Hazard secured a dream move to Madrid in 2019

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But much of his spell at the Santiago Bernabeu was affected by injury

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Mikel revealed that this was due to how he was in training with Madrid

Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE YouTube

Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE, he said: “I was talking to him the other day, he said to me, ‘Mikel, it’s not like I was not trying.’

“He said, ‘When I went to Madrid, I looked at myself and was like ok let me try, let me give it a go, let me put some effort in.’ But then I started getting injuries, my body couldn’t take it.

“‘I just looked at it and was like you know what, I’m just gonna quit.’ He said, ‘I got offers to go to Saudi Arabia, what am I going to do? I’ve got a lot of money right now, I don’t need the money.

“‘Should I go to Saudi where I’m going to take a million a week, and then what?’ He said to me, ‘I got about two or three offers to go to Saudi.’ He said, ‘Mikel, I’ve got a lot of money.’

Despite his woes at Madrid, Chelsea fans will remember Hazard fondly

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“He said to me, ‘You know how I live my life.’ I said, ‘Yeah I know.’ He said, ‘I don’t spend too much money.’ We know he doesn’t, he’s not a guy who wears flashy stuff, he wears one pair of Nike trainers for a very long time.

“He said, ‘I don’t spend money, so I have money now to live with my family and to bring up [my children].'”

Hazard played just 76 matches across four seasons at Madrid before he and the club mutually agreed to terminate his contract in June.

He called an end to his career four months later after winning two Premier League titles, two La Liga titles and the Champions League, as well as a variety of other major and individual honours.

Arsenal fans left stunned as Kai Havertz plays left-back for Germany and takes just five minutes to score in friendly loss

Robert Calcutt — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 20:31:46 +0000

Kai Havertz may find life tough at Arsenal but he has scored once again for Germany, even when playing at left-back.

The 24-year-old has struggled to make an impact at the Gunners this season since signing from their London rivals Chelsea.

Havertz certainly hasn’t found it easy at Arsenal

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He has scored just one goal for the club in 19 appearances, although has been playing more as a midifielder under Mikel Arteta.

Havertz spent most of his Chelsea career in the attack and has had to adapt to a fairly new position at Arsenal.

Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann took things to another level on Saturday though as he started him at left-back against Turkey.

Speaking beforehand, the German boss said “Kai won’t always be in this position.

Havertz was on target for his country though when playing in a new position

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“I have a great idea, he’s an exceptionally good footballer. This is a very good option. He won’t always play as a classic left-back”.

Despite such the eye-opening decision, Havertz took just five minutes to find the back of the net in the friendly match.

He rolled Leroy Sane’s low pass into the back of the net to score his 14th international goal for Germany in 41 appearances.

While he did give a penalty away late in the game, supporters were impressed with what they saw.

Arsenal fans on social media were quick to react with one on X saying: “HAVERTZ scores the opening goal for GERMANY This may be the confidence booster that Kai needs WELL DONE KAI.”

“MY GOAT BEST LEFT BACK IN THE WORLD,” added an excited second.

A third said: “That’s a magnificent goal! Wont find many better finishes than that! Puskas nomination.”

“The follow up to the ‘should we move Zinchenko to left 8’ is gonna be should we move Kai to LB,” said a fourth.

Unfortunately for Germany, the international friendly didn’t end as well as it started with Turkey running out 3-2 winners.

Manchester United fans love leaked 2024/25 kits which feature throwback to shirts made famous by Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy and David Beckham

Joe Moore — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 17:48:15 +0000

Manchester United fans are loving the early leaks of the club’s new shirts for the 2024/25 Premier League season.

The first details of the fresh designs have surfaced online, and the drafted up kits will be familiar to many Red Devils supporters who have fond memories of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

This is how Man United are set to look next season, according to early leaks

Footy Headlines

Next season’s home shirt will be red, obviously, but what is piquing the interest of supporters is their new sponsor, Snapdragon.

The American tech giants will replace TeamViewer as the main front-of-shirt sponsor for Man United from next season after agreeing a deal worth £65million-a-year with the Premier League giants.

And fans have noticed how their logo looks similar to the club’s Vodafone-sponsored shirts from the early 2000s.

The new kits will also be designed using adidas’ new Tiro 24 template, which features distinctive side panels which also hark back to the very first kits under Nike.

It was the shirt worn during the club’s 2002/03 Premier League title triumph in David Beckham‘s final year at the club before his move to Real Madrid.

It was also worn in the 2003/04 Battle of Old Trafford, which saw Ruud van Nistelrooy and Martin Keown famously clash as United and Arsenal drew 0-0 on the way to the Gunners becoming Invincibles champions.

While that won’t bring back good memories for the United faithful, they did win the FA Cup that year in a team that also featured a young Cristiano Ronaldo.

Footy Headlines report that the home kit comprises of two different shades of red, but it appears an unofficial drafted up design is already on sale in parts of the world which features black panels instead, and it bares a striking resemblance to United’s 2002/03 and 2003/04 shirts.

This unofficial version of next season’s Man United shirt is already said to be on sale in parts of the world

Van Nistelrooy led Man United to the Premier League title in the 2002/03 season with 25 goals, scoring 44 in all competitions

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United lifted the Premier League title wearing their first kit made by Nike in the 2002/03 campaign, in David Beckham’s final year at his boyhood club

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And many fans like what they see, with one supporter saying: “adidas on the beat.

“Looks like the Vodafone kits,” said another, with a third adding: “Snapdragon giving me Vodafone vibes.”

But, you can’t please everyone – this fan wrote on X: “We have more shirt sponsors than league titles since 2013, it’s painful!”

Meanwhile, it is claimed the away kit will be a deep navy blue colour called ‘Night Indigo’, and will feature a subtle zig-zag motif on the front of the shirt in the form of a repeating M.

Their third kit is said to be an off-white colour and will feature the classic adidas trefoil logo – used by the German sportswear giants in the 1970s and 1980s.

It will also see a return of their retro Red Devil badge that was brought back for the first time in this season’s change shirt.

I played with Harry Kane in his early days at Tottenham and didn’t think he was athletic enough to make it

Phil Spencer — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 17:39:15 +0000

Jermaine Jenas has admitted that he didn’t expect Harry Kane to become the superstar that he is today.

The presenter and pundit, who enjoyed a Premier League career with clubs including Newcastle, Tottenham and Aston Villa, was playing in north London when Kane made the step up to first team level.

Kane is in unstoppable form at the moment

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A fresh-faced teenager who would endure loans spells aplenty, few would have predicted that Kane would go on to become one of the top strikers in world football.

As well as becoming Tottenham’s all-time top goalscorer, the 30-year-old is now playing for Bayern Munich where he has racked up an incredible 21 goals in 16 matches.

But according to Jenas, the level of Kane’s performances were not something that he saw coming.

Speaking on talkSPORT Drive with Andy Goldstein, Jenas said: “If you watched Harry when he was at Spurs, playing under Mourinho and playing under Conte, they played very deep as a team.

“So they would suck teams onto them and Harry would drop into the little pockets of space, which as a kid, is how he used to play when he’d come and train with us in the first team.

“Everybody thought he was going to be like Teddy Sheringham and then Mauricio (Pochettino) turned him into more of an athlete and he would run in behind.

“When I was at Tottenham and he was probably 16 or 17 coming through the ranks with the likes of Andros Townsend, Danny Rose and Jake Livermore and so on.”

Asked if he knew Kane would become a superstar, Jenas said: “No, but this is part of Harry’s brilliance.

However it was Kane’s studious nature that saw him become one of the best, according to Jenas

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“He’s diligent, he works harder than the next and he’s driven by everybody who has told him he’s not good enough, essentially.

“That’s what he had for the early parts of his career and every now and then you’d see that he was working harder or working on his finishing and spending time speaking to Robbie Keane and Jermaine Defoe and getting information and putting into practice.

“Then it was like, right, he’s now got the make-up to do what he needs to do but from an athletic point of view he wasn’t as quick as he needed to be and wasn’t as strong or sharp as he needed to be, he just had a hunger to score goals.

“The rest was put together by Tim Sherwood, who played a massive part in his early development and then Mauricio probably took that on to another level.”

I loved Roy Keane, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo for Manchester United but Arsenal and Liverpool had best opposition

Natasha Everitt — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 16:04:34 +0000

Manchester United have had some of football’s most famous stars play for them.

But which players have been the most impressive both for and against the Red Devils?

Man United have boasted some of football’s biggest names

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Well according to talkSPORT’s resident Man United fan Mark Goldbridge, there’s three players on both sides that stand out.

And it turns out one of them even influenced his hairstyles when he was younger!

“I think my three top players of all time. It changes sometimes but there is a consistency to it so I’m just going with the three I consistently pick,” the talkSPORT host said when asked who is top three Man United players of all time are.

“Certainly Roy Keane. I’ve mentioned him before, he’s just a role model, as a lad I used to love his energy, his tenacity, he’s a good player as well, a leader, aggressive. I just love all that.”

Another star from that era earns a spot in Goldbridge’s heart too and, unsurprisingly, this one influenced his trip to the barbers.

“David Beckham I liked for different reasons,” he continued. “I mean, I remember I even had a hairstyle like him. When he got sent off against Argentina I was probably one of the only people in the country that stuck up for him.

“I just love the way he played the game, I don’t think he was the most naturally talented player but technically he just had a wand of a right foot. I love Beckham.”

One active player makes it into Goldbridge’s top three, and he gets in despite the unsavoury end to his second spell at Old Trafford before his move to current club Al Nassr in January.

Goldbridge has named his favourite Man United players, and those that put the fear in him

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Ronaldo gets the nod

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He continued: “And then, Ronaldo. Cristiano Ronaldo I think. It’s close, there’s a few others but I think I’d go Cristiano Ronaldo because I just think for two or three years he was the best player in the world and he was playing for Manchester United.

“Talking about goals and best goals I’ll never forget that free-kick against Portsmouth at Old Trafford in ’08 as well. It was a pleasure to have a player playing for you that you knew was the best players in the world.

“It’s just a shame he went to Real Madrid.”

But as much as those three Man United stars’ heroics have imprinted themselves into Goldbridge’s memory, as have the performances of their rivals’ legends.

“As for players that have been annoying over the years, there’s been a couple of individual performances,” Goldbridge said.

“I remember [Liverpool’s Fernando] Torres at Old Trafford scoring a hattrick. But I think consistently I’ve gone for three from different eras.

“In the current era, I think Mo Salah is ridiculously consistent against United, he always seems to score.”

Salah has netted 12 goals against Man United in as many games, the most he’s scored against any other Premier League side. No wonder Goldbridge fears him!

Salah became the first-ever player to score a Premier League hattrick against Man United at Old Trafford

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Henry was a real pain for Sir Alex Ferguson and co

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It’s no surprise Goldbridge gives a nod to a former Arsenal player that starred for the Gunners under Arsene Wenger during United’s fierce rivalry with them at the top of the Premier League in the 2000s.

“A little bit further back you’ve got Thierry Henry, I was always scared of him,” he said. “I didn’t particularly like him as a player because he had that arrogance and va-va-voom. He was just always a thorn in the side of Manchester United.”

But away from their better known rivals, there’s one other man that Goldbridge remembers being a troublesome opponent back in the day – Premier League record goalscorer, Alan Shearer.

“Then a little bit before that, another player I never really liked who wouldn’t sign for us but did score a lot of goals against us was Alan Shearer, who played in a team that won the league in front of us in ’95 for Blackburn.

“I’ll go with those three. There’s been a few, but those three across the Premier League era.”

But while Goldbridge looks back on all the amazing performances all of these players have given in their careers, he also explained to talkSPORT why he thinks stars like Keane don’t exist today.

I played against Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry but Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard was Premier League’s best player

Joe Moore — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 15:04:34 +0000

Former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel has named Steven Gerrard as the best player in the Premier League during his spell in England.

The midfielder faced a host of the most revered names in English football during his decade at Stamford Bridge.

Mikel has named Gerrard as the best player in the Premier League during his ten-year spell in England

AFP - Getty

It was a time when Chelsea were regularly locking horns with Thierry Henry’s Arsenal and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United for domestic honours, with Mikel collecting two Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups in a blue shirt.

Henry is often regarded as the most gifted player to have ever graced the English top flight, while Ronaldo’s early years at Old Trafford were an important precurser to his record-busting career at Real Madrid.

But Mikel – who recently joined us at talkSPORT for a brilliant interview about his Premier League career – insisted Liverpool icon Gerrard was the toughest player to face.

“I’ve always said my toughest opponent in the Premier League was Stevie G,” he told Rio Ferdinand in the latest edition of his Vibe with Five podcast.

“You remember when he started playing as a No.10 for Liverpool, with Fernando Torres up front? Oh my God!

“Quick, technically very good, strong, powerful, he could tackle as well. You’re looking at a No.10 who could tackle! I know he didn’t play in that position for very long, but he was the guy who was very, very difficult to play against. He knew how to find the space in between you and the defenders.

“Yeah, for me, Stevie G was the guy, he was that good.”

After naming his toughest opponent, the Five hosts then asked John Obi to name the best player he played against in the Premier League, name-dropping Henry and Ronaldo as examples.

Henry and Ronaldo are two of the finest players ever seen in the Premier League

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But Mikel says Gerrard was the best, as he hailed his partnership with Torres at Liverpool

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But the ex-Chelsea star replied: “Again, I’d probably have to go back to Stevie G. He was the best Premier League player, for me.

“He was so physically strong. I’m physically strong as well, I know I can get people off the ball, but not Gerrard. I could not get him off the ball.

“He knew how to find space behind me. You think you had him and he’s gone, because he was so quick as well and he can shoot right or left, it’s so difficult.

“And as soon as you lose him you know you’re in trouble, and that’s why the partnership with him and Torres was so good and they scored a lot of goals.

“We played in a lot of big games against Liverpool at that time, Champions League, Premier League and they became one of our close rivals. I had a few tough times against them!”

But there was another name on his lips when asked about the best player he faced outside of English football, with his answer likely to blow fresh embers on the GOAT debate.

“I’m a Messi fan,” Mikel said.

“I’m telling you now, when we played against United when Cristiano was there, we knew, ‘OK Ash [Ashley Cole] would deal with him, Ash will deal with him, he’s capable of dealing with him’.

“But every time it was against Barcelona, oh my God, training the whole week was all about Messi.

“We had to have two or three players with him, you can’t defend one-v-one against Messi, it’s impossible. You’re dead.

Mikel says he couldn’t get anywhere near Messi during their numerous battles at club and international level

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Messi is now a record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and regarded by many as the best footballer in history… depending on who you ask

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“The way Barcelona played and moved the ball around, the sole purpose is getting the ball to him. All he’s doing is watching the game, walking around just to find the space and once the ball gets to him, the movement, everybody is running. It’s so difficult, the way he touches the ball, the way he passes.

“Our game plan was just to kick him and get him off the ball, because you can’t get the ball off him, you can’t get close enough. You think you’re there and then he’s gone. That’s the only way we could stop him.”

Ferdinand, as CR7’s former teammate, later attempted to back up the Portuguese superstar, but Mikel wouldn’t have it.

“For me, I really don’t see the comparison between Messi and Ronaldo,” he added.

“I think Messi is from a different planet. I just think he’s that good.”

Emma Hayes: I put Mauricio Pochettino on hold so I could talk to Sir Alex Ferguson after Chelsea exit announcement

Natasha Everitt — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 14:47:04 +0000

Emma Hayes has revealed she had to ask Mauricio Pochettino to wait to speak to her after receiving a call from Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Chelsea Women’s manager called time on her 12 years at the club earlier this month, with the Blues confirming she’d be leaving west London to become the US Women national team coach at the end of the season.

Hayes was spoilt for choice when it came to speaking to football legends

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Hayes has received an outpouring of good luck messages from across the football world following the news.

But it turns out she had that many people wanting to speak to her that she even had to ask Chelsea men’s manager Pochettino to call her back.

Legendary Manchester United manager Ferguson rung Hayes up following the news of her next role while she was speaking to Pochettino, and the 47-year-old admitted she jumped at the chance to chat to the man who won 13 Premier League titles as a manager.

“We had a chat last week, he rang me, but I was in the middle of talking to Poch so I was torn,” Hayes said.

“There’s not many people you tell Poch to wait for but I did say to him it was Sir Alex.”

When asked if she expected the call from the Scot, she said: “He calls me from time to time so I wasn’t surprised.”

Ferguson was the last manager to lead Man United to a league title. Before his departure from the club in 2013, he also led them to two Champions Leagues, five FA Cups and four League Cups.

Hayes is of course a successful manager in her own right and has been a trail blazer for female managers, leading Chelsea to 13 major trophies in her time with the Women’s Super League champions.

Then Sir Alex came calling

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However, Hayes says Ferguson’s advice is something she always values, and their recent chat involved discussing how he left Old Trafford with a final league title in hand.

“Anything he says to me I always take with such pride. He is a legend of the game and someone whose opinion I value and he has a love of America,” Hayes said.

“We talked a little bit about that, a little bit about legacy, a little bit about leaving at the top. So there were wise words from him. I’m sure it won’t be the last phone call I get from him this season.”

Jack Grealish makes student and Manchester United fan’s day with heartwarming gesture in Wembley corridor

Joe Moore — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 12:35:28 +0000

Jack Grealish is the nicest guy in football – fact.

The England and Man City star showed his class again and he made a student’s day with a brilliant gesture following the Three Lions’ victory over Malta on Friday.

Grealish showed his class by staying behind to talk to an aspiring sports journalist

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Grealish didn’t even get on the pitch at Wembley Stadium, with the playmaker watching on from the bench as his teammates secured a 2-0 victory in their penultimate Euro 2024 qualifier.

But while other players might be left a little down after failing to get any minutes on the international stage, not Grealish.

Before leaving the stadium, he was seen spotting and chatting to a university student in a wheelchair within the corridors of the Home of Football.

The student was aspiring sports journalist Tom Horn, a Manchester United fan who was in the mixed zone to interview players after England’s win.

But as well as stopping for a football chat, Grealish appeared to stick around to hear about Tom’s career goals and pose for a picture before wishing him well for the future.

And that’s despite being a supporter of arch rivals Manchester United, with Tom admitting he has huge respect for the midfielder despite his ties to the Red Devils’ noisy neighbours.

He later posted his thanks to Grealish on social media, saying it was special moment with the England star.

“Jack was great,” he wrote on X. “I loved talking to him.”

Grealish is often spotted handing out his shirts to young supporters and taking time to talk to them – even if they’re fans of rival teams!

X @selormafc

It seems like such an insignificant gesture, to stop and talk to a fan for just a few minutes.

But in a day and age where it’s more common to see footballers with their heads down, headphones on, and largely just ignore supporters other than a cursory slap of the hand as they walk past, Grealish always seems to do the opposite.

While other stars might sign a shirt or pose for a photo and offer nothing more than a, ‘You OK?’, Grealish actually engages, and always with a smile.

It’s clear he loves interacting with fans, and actually understands how even the smallest of gestures can make a lasting memory.

And it’s not just fans who love him, with Pep Guardiola recently branding him the ‘most beloved’ player in Man City’s dressing room.

Much has been said of Grealish’s performances since his move to the Etihad Stadium, with the attacker not playing with the same fearless abandon or weighing in with as many goals as when he wore an Aston Villa shirt.

But it’s clear he has Guardiola’s trust and, it appears, his affection as the manager hailed his character on and off the pitch.

Guardiola says there’s a lot of love for Grealish in the Man City dressing room

AFP

“He’s one of the most beloved guys in the locker room,” the Spanish coach said about Grealish.

“We are really pleased with him in the last games and his mentality in training sessions. First year and last year especially was decisive. Every year he gets better.

“In terms of the community and how he takes care of the kids too.

“He always stops to write signatures and he has good connections out of the bubble professional people live.

“He’s down to earth and I love working with him. He’s so sensible and close to his family. We love him so much.”