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      Transfer recommendations ahead of Gameweek 34: Must-have essentials and smart differentials

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      IT’S crucial that Dream Team managers don’t get caught out by the Gameweek 34 deadline.Gaffers must confirm their transfers before 6:30pm on Friday – those who leave it until Saturday morning will miss the boat!How it feels to miss a Gameweek deadlineCredit: GettyGameweek 34 has a similar feel to Gameweek 33 in that the European semi-finals will once again take centre stage after a full round of Premier League fixtures.Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea are therefore the four teams set to pull double duty.Dream Team bosses should wait until tonight’s fixtures have played out before finalising their next moves but it’s probably wise to keep faith in the likes of Bukayo Saka (£6.1m), Bruno Fernandes (£6.8m) and Cole Palmer (£4.9m) for at least another week.Now allow us to propose some other transfer targets…Vitalyi Mykolenko (£3.5m)Current ownership: 0.4%Credit: RexIt’s always worth checking which teams have the luxury of facing Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich as the three relegated sides have given up plenty of points this season.This weekend, Saints travel to the King Power while the Tractor Boys are due to face Everton at Goodison Park.This makes Mykolenko a viable option as the Toffees’ defender with the most points to his name.David Moyes’ side boast the fifth-best defensive record in the top flight this season.Most read in FootballLooking further ahead, Everton will host Southampton in Gameweek 36 – another excellent clean sheet opportunity.The Merseysiders will be highly motivated to give their famous old ground a proper send-off and there could be some cheap points on offer against demoralised opposition.Jordan Pickford (£3.9m), Jarrad Branthwaite (£3.2m) and Jake O’Brien (£2.6m) are all decent selections for the same reasons.Dominic Solanke (£3.5m)Solanke has 23 goal involvements in Dream Team this seasonCredit: GettyRefocusing on the double headers, the most inviting of the lot seems to be Spurs against West Ham and Bodo/Glimt.In the grand scheme of things, Ange Postecoglou’s side have underwhelmed throughout 2024/25 but they actually rank highly for total Dream Team points.Solanke averages a goal or assist every 133 minutes this season and his expertly-guided header against Liverpool last weekend showed that he is capable of healthy returns even when everything else falls apart for the North Londoners.Gaffers would be wise to wait and see how the first leg of the Europa League semi-final plays out before fully committing but, as Spurs’ first-choice striker, Solanke has to be considered an appealing selection for Gameweek 34.Bryan Mbeumo (£4.8m)A class actCredit: ReutersBrentford don’t have the benefit of a second fixture this coming Gameweek but this weekend’s home game against Manchester United comes at a good time.One suspects the Red Devils will be distracted by their two-legged Europa League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao and if that’s the case they could easily come unstuck at the Gtech, especially if Ruben Amorim rests his key players.Only Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle have scored more home league goals than the Bees at this stage, a testament to the formidable duo of Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa (£3.8m).Read More on The SunThe Cameroon international has made a mockery of his fixture deficit all season long to rack up 303 points – Fernandes is the only midfielder above him in the rankings at the time of writing.Recruiting Mbeumo now would also be a smart move for Gameweek 35, when Brentford travel to Ipswich.Score PredictorPlay Score Predictor with Dream Team this season!FREE to play£250 weekly prizePredict scores of five selected Premier League fixtures and earn points for accuracyMost points wins weekly cash prizePLAY NOW More

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      Trans Women Banned From Competing in Women’s Soccer in England

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      The Football Association, the national governing body, said that it had changed its policy as a result of a ruling last month by the British Supreme Court.Transgender women will be barred from playing for women’s soccer teams in England from June 1, the Football Association, the sport’s governing body in the country, said.In a statement, the Football Association, known as the F.A., said that it had changed its policy as a result of a Supreme Court ruling last month, which said that Britain’s equality laws were based on “biological sex” and that trans women did not fall within the legal definition of women.The F.A. is the latest body to update its policies as a result of the judgment, which all public and private bodies in Britain must now incorporate into internal practice on single-sex services and spaces.The association said that the Supreme Court’s ruling required it to change, meaning that “transgender women will no longer be able to play in women’s football in England.” The ban covers amateur soccer and regional leagues that are governed by the F.A., as well as the professional game.“We understand that this will be difficult for people who simply want to play the game they love in the gender by which they identify, and we are contacting the registered transgender women currently playing to explain the changes and how they can continue to stay involved in the game,” the association added.Other sporting bodies are in the process of developing policies resulting from the Supreme Court’s ruling. The Scottish Football Association has also announced that from the start of the 2025-26 season, “only biological females will be permitted to play in competitive girls’ and women’s football.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Thierry Henry calls for dramatic Champions League rule change after Barcelona and Inter Milan’s six-goal thriller

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      THIERRY HENRY has claimed he’d like to see the away goals rule return after Barcelona and Inter Milan’s goal-laden Champions League semi-final.Inter Milan were millimetres away from securing an historic win in the first leg after former Arsenal and Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan was flagged offside after scoring late in the second half.Thierry Henry has called for the away goal rule to be reinstatedThuram’s clever flick gave Inter Milan the lead after just 30 secondsCredit: GettyThe semi-automated offside showed just how close Mkhitaryan came to giving the visitors the lead going into the second leg at the San Siro next week. Barcelona twice fought back to restore parity in the match and were behind within the first minute after Marcus Thuram’s clever back-heeled flick left Wojciech Szczesny rooted.Then Denzel Dumfries doubled the visitor’s lead with an acrobatic overhead kick following a corner. But only minutes later Lamine Yamal came to life and pulled one back for Barcelona. Read more football newsThe 17-year-old Yamal was electric all match, and Ferran Torres pulled Barcelona level before half-time. Against the run of play, Dumfries scored his second to put Inter ahead once more, but a thunderous strike from Raphinha pegged back the visitors once more.After a breathless display from both sides, Henry suggested that Inter Milan should have perhaps deserved more for their effort.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSSpeaking about the away goals rule, Henry said: “I know it’s been like that for a very [long] time, and we have to accept it.Most read in Football”But off air I was talking to Jamie [Carragher], and I was like, ‘how can you score three goals away from home and you don’t have an advantage?”Absolute cinema’ – Kate Abdo dubbed ‘real talent’ after showing off incredible Spanish in Lamine Yamal interviewBut Yamal’s strike brought the hosts back into the gameCredit: Alamy”Away goals for me were massive, you score three goals away and you still don’t have an advantage 0-0 at home.”The rule was scrapped by Uefa in 2021, but gave added weight to goals scored by visiting teams, acting as a tiebreaker in the case that knockout ties ended level on aggregate.During his time as Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger argued that the away goals rule had too much weight and it encouraged the home team to take fewer risks.Without the rule, this semi-final will go to extra-time and penalties if the teams cannot be separated, meaning Inter’s three away goals go unrewarded. The winner will proceed to the Champions League final, with Henry admitting he was surprised by this Inter Milan performance.The French icon said: “I didn’t think that Inter Milan was going to perform how they did for how they played recently.”You have to give them a lot of credit for matching up what Barcelona gave them, coming strong in the game. To be honest, I didn’t expect that.” More

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      ‘World’s sexiest footballer’ Alisha Lehmann ‘BREAKS UP’ with Douglas Luiz as ex-Villa stars prepares to quit Juventus

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      ALISHA LEHMANN has reportedly split from Douglas Luiz.The pair met at Aston Villa and began dating in 2021.Alisha Lehmann and Douglas Luiz have reportedly splitCredit: instagram @alishalehmann7The pair made a double transfer to Juventus last summerCredit: Instagram @alishalehmann7Lehmann wants to stay in Turin and is under contract until 2027Credit: Instagram @tezenisofficialShe helped Juventus Women win the Serie A titleCredit: instagramThey both completed transfers to Juventus last summer, with Lehmann helping the women’s side win Serie A this season.Lehmann, who is known as the ‘world’s sexiest footballer’, celebrated wildly with her team-mates on the pitch but Luiz was not present at the match.Reports in Italy suggest the couple have split up.It has been claimed by Gazzetta dello Sport that they have not been together for some time.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe report adds Luiz is keen to quit Juventus, while Lehmann wants to remain in Turin.The midfielder is contracted at the club until 2027 and is aiming to nail down a regular spot in the team after an injury-hit season.Lehmann, 27, has completed 90 minutes in a match just once since her arrival from Villa.The win over Fiorentina, which clinched the title, was Lehmann’s first start since she completed the match against Sassuolo in November.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSFans baffled as Mark Goldbridge ‘chats up Alisha Lehmann’ on Baller League live watchalongLuiz, 26, has also struggled for game time with injuries limiting him to just three league starts.Reports claim he is now expected to leave in the summer with Manchester United interested in signing the Brazilian.Lehmann has been keeping busy while she battles injuries with Juventus by joining KSI’s Baller League in London.She has teamed up with TV host Maya Jama to take charge of MVPs United.Lehmann has plenty of Baller League experience having managed Lehmann’s Streets United in Germany – where the inaugural tournament took place after being founded by ex-Arsenal star Lukas Podolski and Mats Hummels.SunSport has contacted Lehmann’s representatives for comment.Alisha has teamed up with Maya Jama for the Baller League in LondonCredit: Getty More

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      ‘He does things nobody else does’ – Man who discovered Thomas Partey reveals how Arsenal ace would’ve prevented PSG loss

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      ARSENAL midfield machine Thomas Partey could’ve saved the club from a Champions League disasterclass.That’s according to the man who discovered him, Wilfred Osei Kwaku Palmer.Thomas Partey picked up a needless second yellow card against MadridCredit: ReutersPartey was on his way out but his form could prompt a new dealCredit: GettyArsenal will hope Partey can inspire a win next weekCredit: GettyPalmer, who owns Tema Youth football club in Ghana, gave a young Partey his first opportunity in football, long before the former Atletico Madrid star was tearing up La Liga and the Premier League.The Gunners paid dearly for his absence in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to PSG in their semi-final first leg, after his needless yellow card against Real Madrid.The talent-spotter and club owner believes the Ghanaian midfielder would’ve prevented PSG from dismantling Arsenal at the Emirates.Speaking to The Sun from his base in Ghana, Palmer said: “He does things nobody else does. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS”If you look at the goal Arsenal conceded against PSG that’s normally where he dominates. “His importance is quite clear, he does things in that team that nobody else does.”Partey was expected to leave Arsenal at the end of this season, but a rich vein of form has prompted the Gunners to consider offering him a new two-year deal.There are also reports linking him with a move back to Spain to join Barcelona.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKBut Palmer says Partey should seize the opportunity to become an Arsenal legend.He added: “This is probably his best season since he went there, and if there’s a chance for him to stay, then that should be his home.How PSG tricked Arsenal to gain Champions League semi-final advantage”The fans love him, and I know he could make more money elsewhere, but I know him and he’s got it in him to play at the highest level for the next five years. “So why not do that at one of the best clubs in the world?”Partey has featured in 31 league games for the Gunners this season, scoring four goals. But it’s his overall impact, breaking lines with his passing and press resistance that has made him such a key member of the team. More

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      Xavi new favourite to replace Ange Postecoglou as Tottenham tipped to make stunning swoop for ex-Barcelona manager

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      BARCELONA legend Xavi is the new favourite to replace Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham should he leave at the end of this season. Postecoglou, 59, has spoken of feeling like he is in “parallel worlds” as Spurs simultaneously sit 16th in the Premier League whilst also being in the final four of the Europa League.Barcelona legend Xavi is the new favourite to take over from Ange PostecoglouCredit: GettyPostecoglou could be relying on Europa League glory to save his jobCredit: RexBut, despite the prospect of European glory, their terrible form domestically has caused many Spurs fans to call for him to be sacked.Postecoglou’s side face Bodo/Glimt in their semi-final first leg tonight and have the chance to win a first trophy since the League Cup in 2008.With the prospect of a ‘back door’ route into the Champions League, this competition is a lifeline for Postecoglou to save his job.However, it would not be a surprise if he were to leave anyway come the end of this season after a tumultuous campaign.Read more footballThere are a substantial list of potential suitors if Postecoglou gets the boot including Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola (6/1) and Fulham’s Marco Silva (6/1) who have both enjoyed successful seasons.Brentford manager Thomas Frank is also short in the market at 5/1 after yet another impressive season in west London. But the former Barcelona boss Xavi, 45,  has had his odds slashed with BetVictor into 2/1 from 33/1 to be appointed.Former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino is second favourite at 11/4 to return to the club after being sacked in 2019, the season after he took Spurs to a Champions League final.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBut Pochettino only took over the USA national team last year and will be hoping to lead them into a home World Cup next summer.Xavi won four Champions League titles and eight La Liga crowns as a player with Barcelona and returned to the club as a manager in 2021. Tottenham fans fume at Spurs flops as Ange Postecoglou ‘stays out firing line’ after GOADING them during loss at ChelseaMauricio Pochettino is currently in charge of the USA national team but could be tempted by a returnCredit: ReutersAfter retiring as a player in 2019, Xavi managed Al Saad in the Qatar Stars League before his move back to his boyhood club.He guided Barcelona to a league title in 2022-23, but was sacked by the Catalan giants in 2023 following a disappointing run of results.  More

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      Premier League cult hero, 35, scores last gasp winner in wild seventh tier play-off clash with FOUR stoppage time goals

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      PREMIER LEAGUE cult hero Charlie Austin scored a last gasp winner to send his seventh tier side into a promotion play-off final.AFC Totton beat Dorchester Town 4-3 in the semi-final of the Southern League Premier play-offs – but only after some incredible theatrics.Premier League cult hero Charlie Austin booked his non-league side a place in a seventh tier play-off finalCredit: Ben Sayers / Sayers Sports PhotographyAustin scored a last-second winner for AFC TottonOne of the most insane non-league football matches of all time saw FOUR goals scored in stoppage time.Austin’s side were trailing 2-0 in the final minute of normal time and were set to end their season there and then at home.But it was somehow 3-3 by the time the referee’s full-time whistle was blown in the 12th minute of injury time.Former Luton Town striker Scott Rendell, 38, scored from the spot to make it 2-1 in the 90th minute.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSTotton’s Tony Lee hit goals in the seventh and 10th minute of added time to lead 3-2.But Dorchester’s Jack Dickson levelled the scores straight away to ensure extra-time.But with penalties looming, former Premier League star Austin stepped up to poke home from close range in the 119th minute.One fan wrote on X: “This was the best end to a game I’ve ever seen live!”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSAustin was still playing professional football last season for Swindon Town before joining the seventh tier Southampton side in July 2024.The 35-year-old is now at the 15th club of his career, having started in non-league before rising to the glittering heights of the Prem.Charlie Austin goes on furious rant about officials after Southampton’s draw with Watford Austin made 111 top-flight appearances across spells at Queens Park Rangers and Southampton.After scoring 18 goals in his debut Prem campaign with QPR, Austin was called up to the England national team by Roy Hodgson in 2015.He teamed up with former Southampton striker at AFC Totton – James Beattie, who is the club’s Director of Football.It is the second straight season that AFC Totton have reached the final, after they were beaten by Salisbury in May 2024.They will take on Gloucester City, who eliminated Walton & Hersham via penalties after a 2-2 draw in their semi final, on Wednesday. More

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      Marcus Rashford refuses to give up on playing again this season as Man Utd loanee jets to Dubai for rehab programme

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      MARCUS RASHFORD has flown to Dubai in a desperate bid to rescue his season.The Manchester United ace, currently on loan at Aston Villa, is battling back from a hamstring injury that threatens to rule him out for the rest of the campaign.Marcus Rashford has rediscovered his form since moving to VillaCredit: RexThe forward will make a decision on his Man United future in the summerCredit: GettyThere have been reports that he will not play again this season but SunSport understands that Rashford is not giving in at the moment.The 27-year-old has kickstarted a warm-weather rehabilitation programme in the Middle East to speed up his recovery.Sources say he’s targeting a shock return before Villa’s season ends, even if the odds are slim he wants to keep the momentum he’s had since his move to Villa Park.There is still three weeks of the season left with Villa fighting to secure European football next season.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSThe man who scored on his Manchester United debut against Arsenal in 2016 has got his eyes firmly set on pulling on the Three Lions shirt again, with England facing Andorra in a World Cup qualifier on June 7, followed by a Wembley clash with Senegal.After falling out of favour under Gareth Southgate, Rashford was thrown straight back into the mix by new boss Thomas Tuchel, starting both of his first two games in charge.Now he’s determined to prove he’s ready to roar again for club and country.Rashford’s future is still up in the air with reports that he could even take a pay cut to move abroad, with Barcelona and AC Milan recently linked.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKHe has enjoyed his time at Villa Park with four goals and five assists in the 17 games he’s been involved in under Unai Emery.Premier League club announce plans to expand stadium with new stand and concert venue boosting capacity to over 50,000Villa themselves have been reportedly impressed with his attitude and application but again he will have to take a pay cut to stay there.Rashford is currently earning £350,000-a-week and that would be a stumbling block for most clubs. However the England international wants to enjoy his football again and that could be key in his next decision.Emery will be hoping Rashford can get himself fit againCredit: Getty More