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      England star Eberechi Eze WINS final of Twitch chess tournament – but takes home less than a day’s wages

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      EBERECHI EZE is already king of the Palace.But it was his queen to E3 that won him £15,000 in a chess competition on Friday night.Eberechi Eze won £15,000 in an online celebrity chess tournamentCredit: Twitch / Chess.comHe secured a 2-0 victory in Friday’s finalCredit: Twitch / Chess.comThe Crystal Palace star celebrated his chess win more than his FA Cup semi-final wondergoalCredit: GettyEze, 26, was Crystal Palace’s knight in shining armour as he fired his side into the FA Cup final.The Eagles star scored a belting opener in last weekend’s Wembley semi-final victory over Aston Villa.But he showed plenty more quick thinking and tactical prowess as he soared to his chess tournament win.Eze lined up in chess.com’s 12-player celebrity PogChamps 6 which ran this week. READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAfter coming through the round-robin stage, he earned himself a bye into the semi-finals where he beat Stephen Nedoroscik 2-0.Then in Friday night’s final, he saw off Sapnap by the same scoreline.The final was live streamed on Twitch, with Eze sporting a white t-shirt and gaming headset at home – with a piece of artwork depicting him playing for England in the background.The ten-cap Three Lions hero – playing under the username Ebz Eze with a rating of 1,147 – stormed to the title, closing out the win with his typical class and style.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSHe moved his rook to the top end of the virtual board, putting Sapnap in check and forcing him to bring his king up.But that played perfectly into Eze’s trap as the Palace man immediately moved his queen into position.‘Raiders of The Selhurst Park’ – Bidding war for Geuhi and Eze imminient?And it meant Sapnap had nowhere to move his king into safety and therefore found himself in checkmate.When the screen flashed to confirm Eze’s triumph, the footballer hilariously shouted “come on” then raised a fist in celebration as he smiled at the camera before bursting into laughter.Ironically, despite earning almost exactly a day’s wages with the £15k prize, the £100,000-a-week playmaker celebrated his chess glory more enthusiastically than his Wembley wonderstrike. Earlier in the tournament, though, there was major controversy as one of the internet personalities was booted out for cheating. YouTuber DrLupo admitted he “f***ed up” by reading the live chat to attain “information he shouldn’t have had” against a higher-ranked opponent. Eze, meanwhile, will be hoping for another win on Sunday when Oliver Glasner’s side make the trip across the capital to face Tottenham.But much of Palace’s focus is already on the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 17 – with the South Londoners hoping to win their very first major honour. Read More on The SunSunSport also revealed Eze could be allowed to leave Selhurst Park this summer alongside team-mate Marc Guehi to raise £130million for a squad overhaul. He has two years left on his current contract but the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United may trigger his £60m release clause. Eze secured the title by moving his queen to E3Credit: Twitch / Chess.comEze came through the round robin and then won a semi-finalCredit: Twitch / Chess.comHe pocketed a day’s wages by being crowned winner of the 12-player competition featuring internet personalitiesCredit: Twitch / Chess.comEze will be hoping for another 2-0 win in this month’s FA Cup finalCredit: Getty More

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      Mourinho and Solskjaer reignite feud in Turkey after Special One questioned Man Utd icon’s parenting skills

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      FOUR years after they last parted, throwing barbs at each other, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will lock horns again tomorrow.Two legends of the Premier League, now holed up in Istanbul.Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce are set to lock horns with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s BesiktasCredit: GettyAfter their Prem rivalry they are now in opposite dugouts in TurkeyCredit: GettyThey will be reigniting their feud in the heated Istanbul derbyCredit: RexBoth the Special One and the more soft-spoken Norwegian will relish the passion and drama as Fenerbahce’s flickering title hopes require a win over Solskjaer’s Besiktas.You cannot help but suspect both former Manchester United managers would jump at one last chance in English football.Mourinho’s record of three Prem crowns across two spells at Chelsea more than trumps Solskjaer’s reigns at Cardiff and United, of course.The Portuguese lifted both the Carabao Cup and the Europa League during his Old Trafford spell, while Solskjaer’s highlight was a near-miss Europa final penalty shootout defeat to Villarreal in May 2021.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThat was less than two months after the pair had bickered like schoolkids following United’s 3-1 win at Mourinho’s Tottenham, just a week before he was sacked by Spurs supremo Daniel Levy.It was playground stuff, with Solskjaer accusing Son Heung-min of “conning” the referee to instigate a VAR check which ruled out a United goal.Solskjaer said at the time: “If my son stays down like that and gets ten of his mates around him, he won’t get any food.”Mourinho responded that Solskjaer’s comments had made him “very sad”, adding: “Sonny is very lucky that his father is a better person than Ole.Most read in FootballJoin SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford“As a father, you have to always feed your kids. If you have to steal to feed your kids, you steal.“I am very, very disappointed. Like we say in Portugal, bread is bread and cheese is cheese. I told Ole already what I think about his comments.”Crazy moment Jose Mourinho pinches Galatasaray manager’s NOSE before he falls to ground sparking chaosFour years on, with  Solskjaer having been appointed by the Black Eagles in January, they meet again.Since replacing Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Solskjaer, 52, has lifted his side from seventh to fourth in the Turkish Super Lig, with a chance of a Europa League play-off spot if they can overhaul third-placed  Samsunspor. For Mourinho, though, whose side trail arch-rivals Galatasaray by five points with five to play, it is a must-win game.However, at least before the match, the duo have downed their pistols.Pressed on their personal rivalry, the man whose outstretched right foot broke Bayern Munich hearts to complete United’s 1999 Treble demurred.The Besiktas boss insisted: “This is not a match between Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.“This is a match between Besiktas and Fenerbahce. The players will decide the score. I have great respect for Mourinho.“There are not many managers as successful as him, so I’m looking  forward to a derby like this.”Yet given their histories in English football, it does feel like an odd place for them to have both ended up — and surely not their final destination.It might not be easy to suggest a potential Prem club where Solskjaer would be an obvious fit, although his efforts at Cardiff suggest he could be an option for an ambitious Championship outfit.But one of the men who felt both the rough and smooth side of  Mourinho’s tongue, former Chelsea and England ace Joe Cole, is convinced the 62-year-old Special One has not run his last Prem race just yet.Cole said: “Jose is still a genius as a manager. He still has potential.“I’d love to see him back in the Premier League. He breaks box-office records. If you want to win something, Mourinho is the guy you go to.”Mourinho left Spurs with plenty to prove — winning the Uefa Conference League with Roma in 2022 to make his point.Like Solskjaer, he has unfinished business in England and would relish one last hoorah.This weekend, though, it is all about the colour and intensity of Istanbul.A draw would suit Solskjaer, who is hinting at playing without a recognised No 9, while Mourinho HAS to win.Read More on The SunThe only guarantee is sparks will fly both on and off the pitch.They wouldn’t have it any other way, either.Man Utd ratings vs Athletic Bilbao as Fernandes leads by example but Ugarte strugglesMANCHESTER UNITED are on the cusp of a first European final since 2021 after stunning Athletic Club 3-0 in Bilbao.Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes ran the show in Spain to sink one of LaLiga’s meanest defences.Ruben Amorim opted for a bold XI as United faced up to Europe’s best home rearguard.Bilbao had conceded just 11 goals at the Estadio de San Mames all season, with the arena a cauldron of noise in the early stages.But after some half chances for the hosts, the game turned on its head following Casemiro’s opener against the run of play – after Harry Maguire channelled his inner Lamine Yamal.The Brazilian headed United ahead, with Dani Vivian controversially sent off just minutes later for hauling down Rasmus Hojlund in the box.Bruno Fernandes stepped up to roll in the spotkick before adding to the rout on the stroke of half-time, firing past Julen Agirrezabala one-on-one.Bilbao retreated into their own half for the remainder of the game, keeping the score down to three.And United – so dismal for much of this season – are now overwhelming favourites to reach the Europa League final.Here’s how SunSport’s Jim Sheridan rated the Red Devils in Bilbao… More

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      Arteta tips ‘big talent’ Max Dowman, 15, as next to step up after Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri… with three more to follow

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      MIKEL ARTETA always has an eye on Arsenal’s future stars.Famously, within his first week of being appointed Gunners boss in December 2019, the Spaniard asked the academy for videos of a 12-year-old Ethan Nwaneri.Mikel Arteta has started the blood Arsenal’s young starsCredit: GettyMyles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri have become first-team regulars this seasonCredit: GettyNow, an 18-year-old Nwaneri is a history-making first-team star in a breakthrough campaign, alongside Hale End pal and England cap Myles Lewis-Skelly, also 18.You do not have to look too far to see the next one on the North London conveyor belt, with Arteta heavily hinting that 15-year-old midfielder Max Dowman will be a part of the senior squad next season and is a “big, big talent”.This is hardly news to Arsenal fans. Dowman — born in Chelmsford on December 31, 2009 — is considered to be one of the most exciting academy products to ever be produced by the club, and that is saying something.Declan Rice recently called him the “best 15-year-old in the country”, something Dowman is proving with the Under-18s and Under-21s on a weekly basis.READ MORE ON ARSENALHe currently has 12 goals and four assists in 13 games for the Under-18 side.In September, he became the youngest-ever scorer in the Uefa Youth League as a 14-year-old, before becoming the youngest-ever Premier League 2 player in December.All that has not gone unnoticed. Arteta has had Dowman training with the first team for most of this campaign, and even invited him on their mid-season Dubai trip.It is understood that Arteta would have given Dowman his debut already but for Premier League rules that prohibit players registered for the Under-16s or below from featuring.Most read in FootballMax Dowman is the next in line the break into the first teamCredit: GettyDowman joined in on the mid-season Dubai training campCredit: GettyThe 15-year-old regularly trains with the first teamCredit: GettyJoin SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from The EmiratesThat will change next term, starting with this summer’s pre-season trip to Singapore and Hong Kong in July. Arteta admitted recently the emergence of winger Nwaneri and defender Lewis-Skelly has altered his thinking when it comes to new signings.Mikel Arteta forced to pull back fuming Arsenal set piece coach after Declan Rice corner routine goes wrongDowman is coming into that equation, too.The Arsenal boss explained: “Let’s see how this evolves but we have certainly got a big, big talent there for the near future.”It was suggested teenagers are breaking through more regularly in the modern game, like the Arsenal teenage duo and Barcelona’s 17-year-old genius Lamine Yamal.But Arteta countered: “It is very difficult, there are not that many cases. You mentioned three in Europe and we have two, so it is very, very rare.“But now he is involved in the squad. He trains with us a lot. Does that mean he will play in the Premier League many games?“I don’t know, depends how good he is and how impressive he is and how much he offers the team like Ethan, like Myles, like any other player in the squad.“He is on the right pathway and everybody in the academy has done an incredible job to consistently protect him, inspire him, challenge him, keep him always up.“He is doing the right steps and taking it slowly. He will dictate how fast we go.”Nwaneri became the youngest Prem debutant as a 15-year-old in September 2022 but is there such a thing as too young?Ethan Nwaneri became the youngest Premier League debutant at 15 years old in 2022Credit: ReutersArteta replied: “You need to understand his age.The way you talk and communicate with him. “But if you look from afar and you don’t know he is 15 and you see certain things that he does, you have to judge him on that — you wouldn’t think he was different to any other player.”There is also the balance of bringing through young talents and signing players that will see Arsenal end their 21-year title drought.The Gunners are planning a huge splurge this summer, especially on an elite striker.Arteta said: “You are never going to get it right unless you bring academy players through and win trophies.“If you don’t do those two things at the same time, you are never going to win. So, both things together and we are in business.“I love the trophies and I love working with young players, especially the ones that have been through our academy, and see them playing, because that is a dream for any football club.“The first thing we do is, what do we have in the academy? Can we look at them? Can we promote them? Can we make them the lead players that we are going to need to win trophies? Do they have this mentality?“Throughout that period of three, four, five years, are you thinking about winning matches and actually winning trophies? Or are you thinking about your own steps?“Even if we get the best talent in Portugal for £50million, £60million, he comes here, maybe he has three wonderful months and then he drops for two or three months. That’s part of the game.”ARSENAL’S NEXT CROP OF TALENTBut it’s not just Max Dowman who is making a name for himself in the Arsenal youth ranks.Here SunSport break down three other youngsters set to burst onto the scene soon…MARLI SALMONMarli Salmon has been compared to William SalibaCredit: GettyAGE: 15POSITION: Centre-backNATIONALITY: EnglishCompared to William Saliba by those in and around the Arsenal academy, he has a great leap, loves a sliding tackle and is good on the ball.Salmon is only a year or two away from making the step up to men’s football.JACK PORTERJack Porter has already made his first team debutCredit: GettyAGE: 16POSITION: GoalkeeperNATIONALITY: EnglishMade first-team debut in September in the Carabao Cup, breaking records along the way. Porter has trained with senior team and is on Mikel Arteta’s radar. May need a loan move to get more experience.KYRAN THOMPSONKyran Thompson has been likened to Jude BellinghamCredit: GettyAGE: 15POSITION: Winger/strikerNATIONALITY: EnglishCompared to Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham.Read More on The SunArsenal beat Manchester City and Tottenham to sign Thompson from West Ham.Recently helped the Under-16s to the Premier League Cup. More

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      Arsenal should refuse to give Liverpool a ‘guard of honour’ – it’s a humiliating load of old b*****ks

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      CHELSEA will give Liverpool a ‘guard of honour’ before tomorrow’s Premier League match at Stamford Bridge.And next weekend, presumably, Arsenal will do the same.Chelsea give Manchester City a guard of honour in the 2022/23 seasonCredit: Richard Pelham / The SunLiverpool stars celebrate after winning the Premier League title following victory against TottenhamCredit: GettyBut like so many other things in modern football, it’s something I will never understand. Frankly, I think it’s a load of old b*****ks.It’s not so much a mark of respect as a humiliation for the team lining up to give the champions a little clap. It is as if Chelsea and Arsenal and everyone who plays the champs for the rest of the season, is saying, ‘Well done, we’re perfectly happy you beat us’.When my Watford team lost an FA Cup final to Manchester City, we had to stand and clap while they got their medals.But that’s after the match, that’s fair enough.I was never in a position where I was expected to be part of a ‘guard of honour’. During my top-flight days, Watford never played against a team who had already been confirmed as champions.But if I had been in that situation, I’d have refused point blank.That’s what Arsenal, Liverpool’s nearest challengers this season, should do next Sunday.BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSThat would really set down a marker for next season. No more Mr Nice Guys.I’VE got quite a lot in common with Jamie Vardy.We both came up from non-league football, through the Football League and into the top flight.Inside raucous Liverpool dressing room as Trent Alexander-Arnold leads celebrations and Darwin Nunez smokes a cigarWe both wore ankle tags while playing football after criminal convictions in our youth.We both became long-serving club stalwarts, him at Leicester and me at Watford.I’m pretty proud of what I achieved in the game, but Vardy . . . he’s something else.This bloke is Roy of the Rovers. He is football’s greatest underdog story.Jamie Vardy kisses the Premier League trophy after Leicester’s incredible 2015/16 triumphCredit: APHe won the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Golden Boot, he’s played for England and — unlike me — he got to leave his club on his own terms after 13 years of sterling service.Vardy is 38, 18 months older than me and approximately 18st lighter!But after announcing that he’s leaving Leicester, he can still do a serious job for someone in the Premier League next term.Wolves are keen on him and I could see that happening. But, for me, Everton would be a great fit.David Moyes will be bringing in a dozen or more players this summer for the Merseyside club’s new era in their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.And I’m sure he would love to have the option of Vardy. With his pace, he will always be dangerous coming off the bench against a tiring defence and he could still start in some matches.Vardy is unconventional, a maverick. Right down to his fitness regime and diet – which has often included vodka, Skittles and the tobacco product, snus.What I like most about Vardy is that he hasn’t tried to change one bit as a player or a bloke.Some players might win the Premier League and try to reinvent themselves, thinking they’re a real all-round footballer. But Vardy sticks to what he has always done best.He doesn’t drop back and try to dictate games, he just continues to dart in behind defences and score goals. Even this season, he’s scored eight times in a Leicester team that couldn’t open a front door, let alone a defence.Scoring goals in a terrible team which creates very few chances is a seriously tough gig, but Vardy has managed it.I get the Wrexham link — the Hollywood club meets the Hollywood footballer.Ryan Reynolds and Co have brought in a lot of veteran players on their journey up from the National League to the Championship, so you can see why Vardy would fit in there.But he would be a great option for many Premier League clubs and he could break Teddy Sheringham’s record as the oldest outfield player in the competition.Teddy was playing for West Ham in the top flight not long before his 41st birthday.Jamie Vardy is leaving Leicester at the end of the seasonCredit: PALeicester play Southampton today as two of the worst teams the English top-flight has ever known.It’s sad what has happened to Leicester in recent years because what they achieved in winning the title in 2016 was probably the greatest story English football has ever known.That was our first season in the top flight after winning promotion with Watford and at the start of the campaign, we’d have considered them to be one of our rivals for relegation.But like everybody else, we couldn’t have been more wrong.What a team that was. The quality of Vardy and Riyad Mahrez in attack, the midfield duo of N’Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater was one of the best I ever played against.During that season, Vardy broke Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Premier League record by scoring in 11 consecutive games.Honestly, when you understand what an achievement it is to score in back-to-back Premier League games, your mind boggles at the idea of 11 in a row.And people often forget Vardy’s strike partner, Shinji Okazaki. What a work-rate he had. He would come off the pitch like a race horse, literally with steam coming off him!Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester played a 4-4-2 and their back four were old-fashioned defenders — head it, kick it, keep it out. And I mean that with the utmost respect.One of them, the captain Wes Morgan, I knew pretty well. And after Leicester beat us that season he told me ‘mate, we are seriously good, a really special group of players’.He said that they genuinely all got on brilliantly, they chose to socialise with each other all the time. And, believe me, that is really unusual, particularly at a Premier League club — or at any workplace, really.And when Leicester were confirmed as champions, as Spurs failed to beat Chelsea in a war of a game on a Monday night, who was hosting the players’ house party to celebrate? Vardy, of course.The last two home games of this miserable Leicester season will now be celebrations of Vardy’s career as they say farewell to a legend.And rightly so, because he is a player who should inspire EVERYONE in the non-league and lower leagues.Jamie Vardy is the miracle man. More

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      Man City 1 Wolves 0: Kevin De Bruyne follows in Lionel Messi’s footsteps with vital goal for City’s top-five race

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      LET’S be honest, no-one ever seriously expected he would go quietly, did they?After all, when you’ve been a big noise at the Etihad for a decade, it’s not going to be a hush hush farewell come the final curtain call.Kevin De Bruyne scored as Man City beat Wolves 1-0Credit: ReutersErling Haaland was all smiles as City moved third in the tableCredit: RexBecause for all Kevin De Bruyne has never sparked headlines with off-field rants or blasts, he has made many on-field ones with flashes of genius for Man City.Like Friday night, for example, where he joined Lionel Messi as the only player to reach 250 goal involvements under Pep Guardiola.And so an evening which began with fans stunned by Pep’s admission he may quit when his contract is up here, ended with all eyes on a man who is definitely about to.Not by choice, admittedly. De Bruyne’s decade as an Etihad darling is coming to a close because his manager opted not to offer him a new deal when this one expires.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut the sad fact increasingly dawning on the fans who idolise the Belgian so much he will surely be the next with a statue, is that the sands of time are trickling away.And De Bruyne, playing his penultimate match at the stadium he’s called home since 2015, is certainly living up to the old adage of going out leaving ‘em wanting more.A couple of weeks ago it was by scoring one and creating three others in a five-star, five-goal win over FA Cup final opponents Crystal Palace.Against Wolves it was with the deliberate, side footed – although admittedly slightly scuffed – opener that broke the stalemate in a turgid game.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSThe headline act in a down-the-bill display from Guardiola’s fallen champions, who somehow got through another of the finals they must win to seal a top five finish.To be fair, there was precious little sign of them doing so until De Bruyne pounced, ten minutes before the break, as City huffed and puffed their way to, well nowhere really.Ruben Dias and Maya Jama’s romantic debut at Baller League matchThe fans who stayed away for the first six minutes, in protest at the number of years it has been since an increase in available season tickets, missed nothing.Not in terms of edge-of-the-seat raids from the champions of the last four years, yet now not even sure of a Champions League-placed finish.Indeed, the first serious one should have put Wolves ahead, when Jean-Ricner Bellegarde beat the offside trap a yard inside the City half.He could have shot but took the safer option of squaring for Marshall Munetsi to tap into an empty net.Well it should have been the safer option, at least. But Bellegarde over-hit the delivery, a stretching Munetsi wouldn’t have reached it with extendable legs and the chance was gone.De Bruyne showed his class with a strike 10 minutes before half-timeCredit: GettyThe Belgian is leaving this summer but showed he is still an important playerCredit: GettyA slap in the face which stung City into action? Well it was the spark for an even closer call…but once again created by those in old gold, not sky blue.Matheus Cunha may well be plying his trade in Manchester on a regular basis next term, if United push the boat out and make him the marquee summer striker they crave.But he gave a glimpse of what the can expected with an angled burst into the box that ended with the ball falling kindly for Rayan Ait-Nouri.The Algerian’s first effort came back off the foot of the post, but his second from the rebound was heading in until Josko Gvardiol hacked it away.Finally, finally, stumbling City kicked into top gear, Nico O’Reilly stinging Jose Sa’s fingertips with a rising drive.De Bruyne joined Lionel Messi as the only players to reach 250 goal involvements for Pep GuardiolaCredit: GettyCity are now looking on course to play in Europe’s top flight next termCredit: ReutersAnd then, 35 minutes in, came the moment they all wanted…from the goalscorer they all prayed it would be.Jeremy Doku’s quickstep blast took him to the byline, before deliberately pulling it back for the ginger genius.De Bruyne has hit plenty of crisper strikes over his decade as an Etihad darling, but this one still found the net despite bouncing first. Almost a bump-ball goal, you could say.Still, they all count and after a first half that was hardly blow-your-socks off impressive, City were quite happy to take it.Not that it ever looked like opening floodgates, or anything remotely close. There were still too many close calls for that.Erling Haaland was back on the bench after his injury layoffCredit: RexWolves were left flat after missing several good chancesCredit: AlamyNone more than Cunha’s out-of-the-blue snapshot that rattled an uprightUltimately, though, City hung on as their fans showed Guardiola what they thought of him by belting out his name louder and longer than ever in the closing stages.Read More on The SunMind you, nothing like the ear-splitting ovation they gave to De Bruyne when he took his bow five minutes from the end.With good reason, too. They didn’t need telling who had got them out of the you-know-what yet again. More

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      How Arsenal can beat PSG and reach the Champions League final with star’s return and new pressing plan

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      ARSENAL face a make-or-break battle against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.The Gunners are trailing in their Champions League semi-final battle after a 1-0 first-leg defeat at the Emirates.Arsenal are preparing for their biggest game in living memory against PSGCredit: GettySunSport’s tactics guru Dean Scoggins (right) explained how Arsenal can reach the Champions League finalCredit: The SunAnd Mikel Arteta’s men have it all to do as they look to overturn the deficit and book their place in the final.But just how can they go about achieving the seemingly-impossible?And just who will make the starting XI cut for Arsenal’s biggest game in memory?Here, SunSport’s tactics expert Dean Scoggins reveals all as he answers YOUR questions…READ MORE IN FOOTBALLSYSTEM CHANGE?Fan question: “Do Arsenal need to switch up their whole system in the second leg?”The short answer is no. It’s only half time. It’s game on.They don’t need to change the whole system but there’s a couple of subtle tweaks to make.PSG slot into three at the back and Hakimi goes to the right wing.Most read in FootballArsenal defended in a 4-4-2, with Odegaard joining the front man. It didn’t work.PSG’s diamonds meant they played out. I want to see Arsenal go man for man and be much braver on the press.The forwards go and the midfielders back it up, with the defenders also in a brave pressing shape.It could leave them vulnerable on the right. Do they bring Saka back in? It means Odegaard would go into a more natural position and Martinelli pushes on the left.PSG used clever wide diamond shapes to outplay Arsenal in the first legCredit: The SunThe Gunners’ pressing did not work and allowed PSG to cut through themCredit: The SunHakimi’s still a problem, but that’s where Lewis-Skelly comes in.He was unbelievable with his decision making in the first leg. He narrows off the midfield.So on paper, the system stays the same. But how they press and go from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 needs to slightly adjust.In the first leg, when it came into the central area, they should have set Merino and Rice onto PSG and steal the ball. Villa saw joy there against PSG.Rice was getting dragged wide and out of those positions. They have to cut off the central channel by forcing PSG infield and setting a trap to win it back.Arsenal need to be brave and squeeze the centre of the fieldCredit: The SunA compact shape will stop PSG from controlling the heart of the fieldCredit: The SunPARTEY’S RETURNFan question: “How vital will Thomas Partey’s return be?”He will be vital. Partey can change this. But it’s not just about him coming back in. It’s about Rice being freed up.Rice and Merino were split in the first leg with PSG playing diamonds out wide. They went picking those players up and PSG exploited it down the middle.We will now see a much more balanced midfield with Partey, Rice and Odegaard.Merino will definitely not be in midfield and it will be a difficult decision for Arteta as to who is up front.Arsenal are a different beast with Thomas Partey in the teamCredit: The SunHe straight away allows midfield teammates to operate in their natural areasCredit: The SunI’d err on the side of Trossard starting and Merino coming on later.But Partey gives you so much and takes the sting out of the game.He also favours the right side of the field, Arsenal’s attacks come from there.Partey drifts in to block the counter-attack and slots back into position.Going forward, Rice comes in for a 2vs1. And the right-back will help Partey too, allowing Lewis-Skelly to invert.They end in a very compact defensive shape. Partey on and off the ball will make a huge difference.Partey gives the attacking players licence to go and play. Without him you lose two, because you lose Rice as well.Partey will provide stability and flexibility in midfieldCredit: The SunHe will also drift to the right as Arsenal look to exploit their favourite flankCredit: The SunARSENAL FULL-BACKSFan question: “Will Arsenal’s full-backs need to step up in the second leg?”Lewis-Skelly showed you can get physical with PSG and upset them. He doesn’t lose duels, it’s remarkable.His body shape, size, speed, low centre of gravity… he almost took that side of the field on his own.Lewis-Skelly frees up Martinelli with his positioning, and his decision-making is also fabulous.Myles Lewis-Skelly was sensational in the first legCredit: The SunHe will tuck in as Arsenal aim to exploit the other flankCredit: The SunOn the right, you want Saka picking up the ball with the full-back coming to meet him.Odegaard has to do a deeper-lying job too, let’s not let Saka do that job.Timber’s got to be better and step up. They need to stop the ball going into Kvaratskhelia’s feet and leaving him 1v1.I think you start with Timber and accept if he gets booked, you make the change for White.White is very good on the overlap and works well with Saka, so later in the game he will overlap and that’s the substitution.Arsenal can use their full-backs to outwit PSGCredit: The SunBukayo Saka’s success depends on the support he gets on the rightCredit: The SunDEANO’S VERDICTArsenal have to score first but it doesn’t mean they should go all guns blazing early on.They’ve got to be sensible and dampen the crowd down.PSG are the team under pressure at home so the first 15 minutes might end up being cagey, which suits Arsenal.Read More on The SunThey’ve got to be brave though. Raya’s long passes will come into it, as will set pieces.The longer the game goes on, the more it plays into Arsenal going through. Go hard or go home. More

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      FA needs to urgently rethink policy on FA Cup semi-finals after rows and rows of empty Wembley seats

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      CAN you imagine turning up to a Taylor Swift gig and finding rows and rows of empty seats? Exactly, it wouldn’t happen.But last weekend, for a showpiece occasion at Wembley Stadium, there were banks of seating with no one in them.There were rows and rows of empty seats for the FA Cup semi-finalsCredit: ReutersIt was very far from a sell-out and the FA needs to urgently rethink their policy on FA Cup semi-finals.Push finally came to shove as the simple economics of attending matches in the capital hit home last Sunday as Manchester City against Nottingham Forest, two big clubs based many miles from Wembley, clashed for a place in the final.What greeted the millions of armchair viewers across the world, keen to tune in to the oldest football competition of them all? Thousands of unused plastic red seats.First of all, it’s not a good look. TV companies will not be remotely happy with this.Most read in FootballTrying to sell a tournament when there are empty seats galore is difficult if not impossible and it damages the image of the competition.A lot is said about the ‘magic’ of the FA Cup, but the TV coverage from Sunday will prompt many to ask why fans are not turning up.This is not a dig at City at all. They are one of the best-supported clubs but could only shift 27,000 of their 36,230 allocation.This was their 29th Wembley trip since the stadium was refurbished in 2007 so you can understand why a touch of London fatigue has kicked in.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSTicket prices cost between £30 and £150 and then you have the 400-mile round trip.Throw in food and drink, plus the Russian roulette of catching a train and you can see why thousands of die-hard fans said enough is enough.Karren Brady’s daughter Sophia reveals she’s pregnant with her second child – as Apprentic star is set to become a grandmother againAsking two clubs to travel so far from their fanbase is not only expensive, it’s also illogical.Why not use much closer, high-quality venues such as Villa Park or Old Trafford.Wembley should be reserved for the final. You might think that is traditionalist but some traditions are worth preserving.It always had a real aura about it and getting there was a kind of footballing El Dorado.By putting semi-finals there, the FA has diluted their own competition, with the result there were over 17,000 empty seats on Sunday.It’s not as if this was a rare occurrence as the 2023 FA Cup semi-final between City and Sheffield United attracted fewer than 70,000 at Wembley’s 90,000- capacity stadium.In 2019, just over 71,000 attended the semi-final between Brighton and City.I think some common sense as well as common decency is needed.If two clubs from the capital meet each other in an FA Cup semi-final, I can see the logic in hosting it at Wembley.Many Man City fans didn’t seem bothered to travel to the capital for the gameCredit: PABut dragging Northerners hundreds of miles to London, with the enormous costs involved, seems complete lunacy.Football needs to take care of its traditions and none more so than the FA Cup which, since it began in 1871, has seen 44 different clubs lift the famous trophy.It has been won by Blackpool and Burnley, Wimbledon and Wigan and the FA Cup needs to be cherished and respected.Perhaps the most famous FA Cup giant-killing goal of them all was Ronnie Radford’s screamer to help non-league Hereford knock out Newcastle in the 1970s.Read More on The SunRonnie’s reaction has gone down in folklore as he celebrated hands aloft, tummy out, wide-mouthed in disbelief.The reaction of the fans showed what it meant to the good folk of Hereford. Wouldn’t have been the same with rows of empty seats, would it? More

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      Pep Guardiola reveals he will ‘stop’ after Man City contract expires as he sparks retirement rumours

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      PEP GUARDIOLA has said he is going to “stop” after he leaves Manchester City as he refused to rule out retiring from management.Guardiola, 54, has been with Man City since 2016 and signed a contract extension with the club last November keeping him at the Etihad until 2027.Pep Guardiola has said he is going to ‘stop’ after he leaves Manchester CityCredit: AlamyBut the Spanish manager, who is widely thought to be one of the greatest of all time, could call it quits when that contract does come to an end.Guardiola admitted that he needs a break from the technical area when he does leave City, having started his managerial career some 18 years ago.He told ESPN Brazil: “I want people to remember me however they want.”After my contract with City, I’m going to stop. I’m sure. I don’t know if I’m going to retire, but I’m going to take a break. How I want to be remembered, I don’t know.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”All coaches want to win so we can have a memorable job, but I believe that the fans of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City had fun watching my teams play. “I don’t think we should ever live thinking about whether we’re going to be remembered.”When we die, our families cry for two or three days and then that’s it, you’re forgotten. In the careers of coaches, there are good and bad ones, the important thing is that the good ones are remembered for longer.”I’ll tell you that the most important thing is not what people think of you. After all, our lives as footballers have been very good. Most read in FootballGuardiola won the Champions League twice as Barcelona managerCredit: AFPThe Spanish manager won three Bundesliga titles with Bayern MunichCredit: Bongarts – GettyCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”There are new challenges as a coach. I don’t know what will happen in the future and in the end that doesn’t matter.”However, the City boss hasn’t ruled out extending his stay in Manchester even further than his current 2027 terms.Pep Guardiola slams own player as he reveals why Man City midfielder is playing out of position Probed on his comments on Sky Sports, he said: “When I finish my time here, one year, two years, three years, five years, six years.”Guardiola has won 18 trophies as Man City boss, and has amassed 40 major titles across his reigns with City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.Amongst those honours are six Premier League titles, three La Liga titles, three Bundesliga titles, 10 domestic cups and three Champions Leagues.As well as guiding teams to success as a collective, he has also been recognised as the World’s Best Coach by Fifa on three separate occasions. Guardiola has made history on multiple occasions too, icluding leading Man City to four consecutive Prem titles and becoming the first manager to see his side rack up over 100 points in a single Prem campaign.City have had an uncharacteristic season this term, falling away from title contention early and finding themselves in a battle for European football.However, they have still managed to earn a spot in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace – an opportunity for Guardiola’s third FA Cup success.Discussing the blow-par campaign, which saw City embark on a run of just one win in 13 games this winter, Guardiola said: “It was a year of great learning. “There is not just one reason why this year was difficult, there are many details, like wrong decisions made for me. So, it has been a year of great learning for me, personally.”People think we learn more from defeats than from victories. But I also think I learn from victories.Read More on The Sun”I knew there would be a moment when we would fall, but we fell a lot. We didn’t expect to be so far, but we can’t win them all. ‘What we did during 10, nine years was exceptional, but now we have to sit down and learn to try to understand what we need to produce in the future.”Guardiola’s managerial honoursHere’s a look at the silverware Pep Guardiola has won during his managerial career…Barcelona – 2008-20123 x La Liga winner2 x Spanish Cup winner3 x Spanish Super Cup winner2 x Uefa Super Cup winner2 x Champions League winner2 x Fifa Best Coach winner2 x Fifa Club World Cup winnerBayern Munich – 2013-20163 x Bundesliga winner2 x German Cup winner1 x Uefa Super Cup winner1 x Fifa Club World Cup winnerManchester City – 2016-present6 x Premier League winner1 x Champions League winner4 x League Cup winner2 x FA Cup winner3 x Community Shield winner1 x Uefa Super Cup winner1 x Fifa Club World Cup winner1 x Fifa Best Coach winner More