WOLVES supplied the first jabs which dumped the Blades on their backsides in their opening game of the season in September.Last night they delivered the fateful knock-out blow which relegated Sheffield United and sent them hurtling out of the Premier League.
John Fleck and Co show their dejection as thy see Sheffield United go downCredit: Dave Thompson Telegraph Media Group
Interim manager Paul Heckingbottom consoles Sheffield United’ midfielder Kean BryanCredit: AFP
Keeper Aaron Ramsdale feels the pain after Sheffield United’s relegation is confirmedCredit: Reuters
Willian Jose slots the winner for Wolves on 58 minutes that sent the Blades downCredit: Reuters
Willian Jose’s first Wolves goal finally put Paul Heckingbottoms lightweights out of their misery, after spending so much of this nightmare season on the ropes.
In hindsight the Blades never recovered from the shock of conceding two goals in the opening six minutes to Raul Jimenez and Romain Saiss on Matchday One.
Those sucker-punches at Brammall Lane opened up gaping wounds which never healed.
From that moment on the Blades have been playing catch-up – only to keep slipping up.
Toothless in attack, porous and brittle at the back, it’s been one long slog for the South Yorkshire strugglers.
When you fail to win any of your first 17 games and have only two points on the board, you know exactly how the story ends.
If anyone needed a reminder of why the Blades will be back in the Championship next season, it only took a matter of seconds last night to sum up their plight.
Oliver Norwood reacts to Sheffield United’s inevitable relegation becoming officialCredit: Reuters
Enda Stevens finds the big drop hard to take for the BladesCredit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun
Aaron Ramsdale already has that sinking feeling after conceding Adama Traore’s openerCredit: Dave Thompson Telegraph Media Group
United weren’t quite throwing the kitchen sink at Wolves – more a plastic basin – but you get the drift. They were in the ascendancy. 
Then David McGoldrick provided a peach of a low cross which left Wolves defence spread-eagle and Enda Stevens steamed in to provide the final touch.
However his low drilled shot was brilliantly blocked by Nelson Semedo – and you can probably guess the rest!
Wolves countered at speed, the ball was shifted to Leo Dendoncker and Kean Bryan recklessley dived in to leave his defence horribly exposed.
Dendoncker sprang Adama Traore who pinned back his ears, sped past John Egan and centred for Willian Jose to clip the ball high past Ramsdale from five yards.
Suckered!
To their credit the Blades responded but Enda Steven’s rocket was tipped over by Patricio, who also defied Ollie Norwood when he shot straight at him.
Sheff U have only managed to muster 17 Premier League goals all season – last night was the 18th game they have failed to score in.
It’s not rocket science to see why.
They headed for Molineux like condemned men walking the green mile.
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Striker David McGoldrick wears a familiar look for Blades’ players at the final whistleCredit: PA
Adama Traore usually flies down the winger but this time it was up in the airCredit: AP
Wolves wideman lands awkwardly under the challenge of Enda StevensCredit: Getty
And how it all ended up – with Adama Traore in a vertical pile on the floorCredit: AFP
Newcastle’s lunchtime win against West Ham meant the trapdoor had opened beneath them.
To their credit they came out swinging and did their best to prolong their stay of execution.
But despite working their tails off it was Wolves who created the best chance of the first half too.
Rayan Ait-Nouri’s corner was chested down by Willian Jose and Willy Boly’s improvised backheel flick spun off a defender and looped over Aaron Ramsdale.
Somehow Ollie Norwood stretched every sinew to head the ball off the line with the aid of the crossbar.
⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

For one memorable season Chris Wilder’s boys had a blast in the Premier League and had the hipsters drooling over their false No.5’s and over-lapping centre-backs.
Last night they were honest to a fault and gave every last ounce against a Wolves team who still won in second gear.
In fairness to the brave Blades they literally did play until they dropped!
Wolves v West Ham as it happened More

TODD BOEHLY has become a regular visitor to the Chelsea dressing room.It is almost a shock if he does not wander into the changing area after a game.
Todd Boehly has already sacked two Chelsea managers this seasonCredit: Rex
Next time, though, maybe he should stop before spouting off in order to take a long look in the mirror.
Chairman Boehly is spot on if he truly believes the club’s plight this season is an embarrassment.
The players have been awful, the results terrible and the performances well below minimum standard.
But what the players must have felt on Saturday following defeat by Brighton is anyone’s guess after hearing that from the multi-millionaire businessman who has played as much a part in the shambles as them.
READ MORE CHELSEA
Boehly is into his third manager less than a year after taking over when he touted the ticket of long termism.
Almost £26million spent on paying off two managers in less than seven months.
He has splashed £600m on a record-breaking, mad-dash shopping spree for new players which has taken the club from third at the end of last season to 11th now.
That dressing room he went into at the weekend is a very crowded place, with 31 players in the senior squad according to the club website.
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If Chelsea fail to offload their unwanted stars quickly this summer to balance the books, the spectre of Financial Fair Play looms on the horizon.
Unless those struggling  players can deliver a minor miracle tonight against Real Madrid, Boehly can forget about the handy income stream of European football next season.
It is a vast understatement to say that Boehly’s debut year in English football has not gone exactly to plan.
Stamford Bridge is an overcrowded, frustrated place and if it was not for Frank Lampard stepping in to help out as interim boss, the team would be rudderless.
Some people at Chelsea say the visit by Boehly, co-owner Behdad Eghbali and Swiss financier Hansjorg Wyss shows they are all in it together.
Others might see it as a total lack of self-awareness. The pot calling the kettle black.
Either way, Lampard says he has an open-door policy to anyone from the higher echelons of the club who wants to chip in to help turn things around.
Ahead of battling to overturn a 2-0 first-leg defeat in their Champions League quarter-final with holders Real, Lamps said: “I remember the moments as a player of owners first coming into the dressing room.
“It first happened at Chelsea, never anywhere else before, and I remember being really happy that they were there.
“You could touch them, you could high five them and listen to them and feel them.
Kepa was one of the players that spoke with the owner after the defeat to BrightonCredit: Getty
“That’s not a bad thing in terms of the identity of the club and where you are wanting to get to.
“These are just passionate owners who want to bring a real vision to the club. And we are probably at the early stage of the process in those terms.
“We want to rise and stay at the very top of the game and, at the moment, we are just off that level.
“People always question everything in the beginning and the early stages and at any part of the process.
“There is an important stage with the way we are working — we just want to get our heads down and get on with the things in front of us.
“Passion is normal. I  don’t think that it is a problem. And I certainly don’t find it a problem.”
The simmering turbulence on the terraces culminated on Saturday with American Boehly getting a mouthful from an irate fan leaning precariously over the railings from his seat a tier above the chairman to vent his feelings.
Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was one of those who had a word with the top brass in the dressing room after their home defeat by Brighton — their fifth this season.
Kepa said: “Todd comes to the changing room in every game. He had different chats with us after different games. I am not going to say what he said. It is normal.
“Hopefully tomorrow we can involve all the fans, all of Stamford Bridge, deliver our best and make a different atmosphere to go through.
“It is not going to be easy. We have to go step by step and do the right thing in the beginning and then push as much as we can.
“What I can say is the atmosphere in the changing room, we are not happy, but the atmosphere is good.
“There is no fighting, nothing like this. We are trying to find a way to win the games.
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“We had a lot of changes. We know that. We know the situation.”
  CHELSEA (likely): Kepa, James, Silva, Fofana, Cucurella, Kante, Fernandez, Gallagher, Sterling, Havertz, Felix. More

BRITISH boxing returns with a bang in the spring after Eddie Hearn revealed a stacked start to 2022 with two Englishmen in major world title fights inside two months.Leeds hero Josh Warrington gets a shot at redemption and his former IBF featherweight world title when he faces old foe Kiko Martinez on March 26 in his hometown.
Eddie Hearn has announced six huge Matchroom fights including Josh Warrington vs Kiko MartinezCredit: Getty
Lawrence Okolie will defend his WBO light-heavyweight crown in London on February 27Credit: PA
And that comes a month after Hackney light-heavyweight WBO champ Lawrence Okolie defends his crown in London on February 27.
Nottingham ace Leigh Wood and Ireland’s Michael Conlan will try to clean up the greedy WBA’s confused featherweight division on March 12.
Mexico’s Leo Santa Cruz is the bonafide super champion but has not defended that title since 2018.
But Wood won the regular version of the title with a sensational win over Can Xu last year and Conlan holds an interim title from the cash-grabbing sanctioning body.
Hopefully the winner of the City Ground clash will be elevated to super-champion status or face Santa Cruz.
Tricky Portsmouth southpaw Michael McKinson bravely travels to America to face violent KO artist Vergil Ortiz on an away Golden Boy show on March 19.
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The Southpaw will need a life-changing performance and fair judging to pull off the upset on foreign soil.
Islington’s John Ryder – who was cruelly robbed of a super-middleweight world title win over Callum Smith in 2019 – finally gets another big fight when he lures Danny Jacobs to the Ally Pally on February 12.
And Liverpool’s Liam Smith kicks it all off on February 5 with trip to America to face Jessie Vargas.
Matchroom boss Hearn said: “We ended 2021 with a bang and I can’t wait to get started in 2022.
“It’s going to be such an exciting year for Matchroom and DAZN with massive events all over the world.
“And I’m delighted with the early schedule we’ve put together, unifications, world title action and career-defining nights.
“There’s so much drama packed into these nights, and we’ve got plenty more to add soon.”
Hearn is also close to agreeing a fight between his Mexican WBC flyweight world champion Julio Cesar Martinez and Croydon’s IBF master Sunny Edwards.
The Essex fight magnate will also have a hand in arranging Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
And he will lodge a purse bid with the WBC on January 11 in an effort to have Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte on his streaming platform.
UK fight fans will also have Frank Warren and BT Sports shows announced soon.
And Sky Sports will be hoping their brilliant February schedule of Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Williams (Feb 5), Amir Khan vs Kell Brook (Feb 19) and Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall (Feb 26) are not too disrupted by Covid or restrictions.
Fights list in full
Feb 5 – Cardiff – Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Williams
Feb 5 – USA – Jessie Vargas vs Liam Smith
Feb 12 – London – Daniel Jacobs vs John Ryder
Feb 19 – Manchester – Amir Khan vs Kel Brook
Feb 26 – Glasgow – Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall
Feb 27 – London – Lawrence Okolie vs TBC
Mar 12 – Nottingham – Leigh Wood vs Mick Conlan
Mar 19 – USA – Vergil Ortiz vs Michal McKinson
Mar 26 – Leeds – Kiko Martinez vs Josh Warrington 2 More

NORWICH full back Max Aarons has reportedly caught the eye of the European elite with both AC Milan and Barcelona chasing his signature.
Milan have joined Barca in the pursuit of Aarons despite still being in talks with Tottenham’s Serge Aurier, according to the Daily Mail.

1

Aarons has caught the eye of Europe’s elite with his impressive displaysCredit: Getty Images – Getty

The Serie A club are revamping their full back department this summer after both Andrea Conti and Davide Calabria both had poor seasons.
But Aarons, 20, is reportedly in advanced talks with Barca and is waiting to see if a move to the Nou Camp materialises.
Barca have had their sights set on Aarons this summer and have already had two bids for him rejected by Norwich, SunSports revealed a few weeks ago.
This didn’t deter the Spanish giants and they are said to have agreed terms on a five-year deal with Aarons.

Barca boss Ronald Koeman is a keen admirer of Aarons and watched him play for Norwich against Liverpool when he was in charge of the Netherlands national team.

However, the deal has stalled as Barca want a loan deal for the player, but Norwich will only agree to a move with an option to buy.
Despite Norwich’s firm stance, boss Daniel Farke has admitted that the club will sell if the right deal can be agreed.

He said: “We have said we don’t want to sell them unless we get an unbelievable crazy offer and the club has to make a decision.”

Barca and Milan are not the only clubs interested in Aarons, who has also caught the eye of European Champions Bayern Munich and PSG.
Aarons has gone from strength to strength at Norwich and was named EFL Young Player of the Year in the 2018/19 season.
He also had an impressive 2019/20 campaign and played in 40 games in all competitions, despite Norwich’s relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.

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CANELO ALVAREZ’s super-middleweight title fight with Billy Joe Saunders will also be for the WBC Mestizo belt, the governing body has revealed.The pair’s eagerly-anticipated 168lb unification fight will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on May 8.
Canelo Alvarez will defend his super-middleweight title against Billy Joe Saunders on May 8Credit: EPA
Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders will also vie for the WBC Mestizo beltCredit: Mark Robinson – The Sun
And the WBC have opted to create a special ‘Mestizo’ belt for the Texas tussle.
WBC chief Mauricio Sulaiman said: “Our great champion Saul Canelo Alvarez continues his plan to unify the super middleweight division by facing the WBO champion, British boxer Billy Joe Saunders, on May 8 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
“During this fight, it’s going to be where the World Boxing Council will give the world another piece of art, the beautiful Mestizo belt, made by the State of Mexico.
“As you may know, the WBC commemorates the two great Mexican dates (Cinco De Mayo in May and Mexican Independence Day in September), as the most important fights of the year are held on these dates and magnificent (title) pieces from various cultures have been created (for these fights).
“First it was the Huichol, then Chiapas, then the Mayan culture , and last year it was dedicated to the State of Mexico with the Mazahua and Otomi belts.
“As there were no fights in 2020 due to the pandemic, we agreed to dignify this entity in 2021, and very soon we will present the Mestizo (title).”
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How the two stars shape-up head-to-headCredit: The Sun
The undefeated Saunders goes into his clash with four-weight champ Canelo as a huge underdog, although many have tipped the Brit to give his Mexican counterpart some serious trouble.
Canelo’s head coach, Eddy Reynoso, isn’t expecting an easy night at the office, saying of the WBO champ: “He is a good boxer.
“He is a tough and left-handed fighter, but we will be ready for him. I am very motivated to get a great victory.”
Welwyn warrior Saunders, 31, is confident of shocking the world and handing the hard-hitting Canelo his second professional loss.
He told talkSPORT: “I’m the seventh Brit he’s faced, he’s dealt with six of them very comfortably.
“The Brits like dancing and moving and thinking they’ve gotta run away, but I will be there for him to hit.
“I will be in range for him to hit. I’ll be setting traps, the same as he’ll be setting traps.
“I don’t think running a million miles an hour is gonna do me any justice…
Billy Joe Saunders is confident of getting the better of Canelo AlvarezCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Canelo Alvarez’s lone defeat is his 2013 loss to Floyd MayweatherCredit: Getty

“He’s not got the best engine in the world, Canelo.
“He’s very good at what he does, extremely good at what he does, but there’s faults there.
“We’ve seen people try to run away and box him, we’ve seen people try to use the brawn, but we’ve only seen one man use his brain and that was Floyd Mayweather.
“Brain over brawn here. Brain wins this, technical thinking wins this.”
Is Billy Joe Saunders Britain’s best hope to defeat Canelo Alvarez? More