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      Dwindling returns a problem for Ollie Watkins owners but favourable weekend fixture promises points

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      OLLIE WATKINS (£5.5m) scored the first of England’s eight unanswered goals during the international break but his domestic form remains a concern.With an ownership of 17.6%, the Aston Villa striker is the fourth-most popular Dream Team asset in his position but his owners have a big decision to make ahead of Gameweek 12.A class act but his points have fallen off a cliff recentlyCredit: Dream TeamWatkins has mustered just six points (all appearance points) from his last three games at a time when the likes of Mohamed Salah (£7.3m), Dominic Solanke (£4.3m), Matheus Cunha (£4.5m) and Alexander Isak (£5.1m) have cashed in.The 28-year-old’s downturn has coincided with a miserable run of results for Unai Emery’s side.Villa’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield before the break was their fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions having also lost to Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Club Brugge.In fact, the Villains haven’t won since they beat Bologna 2-0 in Gameweek 8.Emery has issues to address after a downturn in resultsCredit: GettyWatkins has been a top-tier Dream Team asset ever since Emery took charge at Villa Park and his return of 84 points from the first 11 Gameweeks of 2024/25 is perfectly respectable.He’s scored five goals and provided three assists this term, averaging a goal involvement every 135.4 minutes.However, it’s worth noting that Watkins has had to share more of his minutes with super sub Jhon Duran (£3m) this season.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 NOWFew Dream Team bosses would doubt the overall quality of the Three Lions forward but his dwindling returns are a significant concern – he’s not registered a shot on target since Villa drew with Bournemouth in Gameweek 9.Most read in FootballOnly two players were transferred out of more teams ahead of Gameweek 11 and gaffers who remained loyal to Watkins will be tempted to follow suit before Gameweek 12’s deadline (11am on Saturday).But it’s far from an easy decision as Villa are set to host Crystal Palace on Saturday.The Eagles are currently languishing 18th in the table having won just one of their 11 top flight games.Oliver Glasner’s troops drew to fellow struggles Wolves in Gameweek 10 and lost to Fulham just prior to the international break.Watkins scored for England against Greece but could do with a goal at club levelCredit: AFPPlus, Watkins has the benefit of a midweek fixture in Gameweek 12 in the form of Juventus – Villa are one of just seven teams set to pull double duty.Watkins’ form indicates he’s a player to sell but his fixtures suggest he might be worth persevering with for another Gameweek at least.That being said, at £5.5m he’s the third-most expensive forward in the game – only Erling Haaland (£8.6m) and Salah cost more at the time of writing – and his backers may feel the budget is better invested elsewhere.BetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More

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      Ian Holloway fears Swindon’s scary form is down to ‘haunted’ training ground as he asks ‘witch’ wife to ‘cleanse’ it

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      SPOOKED former Premier League boss Ian Holloway claims Swindon Town’s training ground is “haunted”.The 61-year-old jumped at the chance to take over the League Two side last month.Ian Holloway has blamed the club’s latest injury on ghostsCredit: RexSwindon’s supposedly spooky training groundHolloway’s positive spirit has seen Swindon rise from the brink of EFL death, with their ghastly form improving since the arrival of the former QPR, Blackpool and Crystal Palace manager.He has overseen two wins, a draw and a loss amid the Robins rocking in relegation terror as they sit 22nd in the table.A frightened Holloway has blamed their poor start to the season on Swindon’s cursed training ground as “some strange things have been happening”.The veteran boss is now ready to go to drastic lengths to scare off the ghosts after doomed captain Ollie Clarke ruptured an ankle tendon during a session last week.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLFollowing their 2-2 draw against Accrington Stanley on Saturday, Holloway told the BBC: “I’m going to try and cleanse the training ground area because people are telling me it’s haunted.”There’s a graveyard somewhere near. Honestly, I’m not joking.”I think our training ground is very close to an ancient burial site.”I’m going to get my wife to come up and say sorry to all these people and hopefully we’ll have a bit more luck.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSBut Swindon’s first goal had an element of fortune about it as something possessed Accrington’s ‘ghoulie’ to charge off his line and leave an empty net for Harry Smith to head in to.Holloway’s “witch” wife Kim is now set to come to the training ground, or perhaps haunted house, this week with “sage” to end the jinx.’I was a zebra, Shane Duffy was Goldilocks’ – Norwich City star Kellen Fisher on wild Xmas partys, dinner with Delia and team-mates getting eggedHe has previously claimed his dad contacted him from the dead by changing the car dials on his car.Holloway says a ghost turned up while a Mariah Carey song played on the radio and a light came into his vehicle to leave him “shaking”.He explained: “The song was on and ‘shining down on me from Heaven’ got louder and louder and louder until it was completely top notch.“I saw it go from 10 up to about 35 and it was deafening. The minute the song finished that went right back down to normal.”I thought, ‘Has that really happened or what? Or is that me wishing that?’ Do you get what I mean? And I swear he came and showed me that, ‘Don’t worry son, you’ll be fine.’ Right?“Now, I would never have believed that, I wouldn’t have thought for one minute that he would have ever have done that because he said it was all a load of garbage.“So the truth is, I don’t know. And did I feel it? Did I want to feel it? Was it really there? I cannot honestly tell you. But I swear to you, I saw the dial move on its own.”Back in his playing days, he scored in his first game after his dad’s death and he felt him “in his boots” that day.READ MORE SUN STORIESHolloway is not the only manager to tackle a team’s spirit.Ex-Birmingham boss Barry Fry urinated in all four corners of the St Andrews pitch – running from corner to corner mid-flow – to ward off a curse he had heard about.Ian Holloway is trying to save Swindon from relegationCredit: Getty More

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      Tottenham release new badge with major change but confused fans say ‘seems pointless’

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      TOTTENHAM have released a new club badge which features a major change – but fans say it “seems pointless.”Spurs’ current crest features the clean look of a cockerel standing on a football.Tottenham have revealed a new club badge with a major changeThe words ‘Tottenham Hotspur’ have been removed from under the ballUnderneath the emblem are the words ‘Tottenham Hotspur’.And supporters have been used to the simplistic style ever since the badge was marginally scaled back in 2013.However, a new badge has now been released.And it has removed the words from under the football to make for an even more basic look.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAn official statement confirmed: “We have removed the curved ‘Tottenham Hotspur’ text from beneath the cockerel. “This enables us to increase its scale across different environments and stand proud as a true icon for the Club.”But there has been a mixed reception towards the new look from fans.One said: “Seems pointless.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAnother declared: “Would’ve got rid of the chicken and ball.”One noted: “A big difference.”Tottenham star Pedro Porro has everyone utterly baffled with bizarre fact about how he works his BINSSpurs first adopted the cockerel logo in 1921There has been a number of badges throughout the yearsAnother added: “Wow great change.”Founded in 1882, Spurs only started wearing the cockerel on their badge in 1921.It was a special addition to Tottenham’s kit for their FA Cup final against Wolves.Spurs won the match – which took place at rival side Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge – 1-0.And the cockerel has been a permanent fixture on the official club crest ever since.Between 1921 and 1972 the cockerel remained on its own before a football was added below.READ MORE SUN STORIESIt then underwent a variety of detailed transformations before the words ‘Tottenham Hotspur’ were added in 2006.And style-wise, Spurs’ new badge most closely resembles the “additional” one they had between 1973 and 1981.The designs became more complex in the 90sSpurs started to simplify the badge again in 2006Spurs’ most recent one, which removed an outline, ran from 2013 until today More

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      Chelsea star Sam Kerr and footballer partner Kristie Mewis expecting first child as they make heartwarming announcement

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      CHELSEA striker Sam Kerr and West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis have announced they are expecting a baby.The two WSL stars, who got engaged last year, shared the news on social media this morning.Sam Kerr and Kristie Mewis have announced they are expecting a babyCredit: Instagram / samanthakerr20The couple have been together since 2021 and announced their engagement last yearCredit: Instagram / samanthakerr20Posting a collage of black and white photos, Kerr wrote: “Mewis-Kerr baby coming 2025!”In one of the images, the couple can be seen holding up a picture of an ultrasound scan.In another, Kerr points towards Mewis’ stomach.Several WSL players were quick to congratulate the couple, with England Lioness and Manchester City star Chloe Kelly writing: “Congratulations to you both!”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLArsenal midfielder Lia Walti commented: “Congrats to you two!”While Kerr’s former Chelsea team-mate Fran Kirby wrote: “Omg 😍 congratulations both of you!”Mewis has made one appearance for West Ham this season – against Manchester United on the opening day in September.Meanwhile, Blues forward Kerr has been out of action since January due to an ACL injury.Most read in FootballThe 31-year-old suffered the setback during a winter training camp in Morocco.She is yet to put a date on her return.Kerr found herself in a “racism” storm earlier this year.In January, she allegedly called a police officer a “stupid white b*****d” after a night out in Twickenham.She was later charged with intentionally causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress to the male PC under section 31(1)(b) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The case is due for trial next year.Chelsea currently sit top of the WSL table with maximum points from seven games. More

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      Who is Trent Alexander-Arnold’s model girlfriend Estelle Behnke?

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      TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD is in a new relationship with Instagram model Estelle Behnke following his recent split in September 2024.The Liverpool and England star was dating actress Iris Law.Estelle Behnke is Trent Alexander-Arnold’s new girlfriendCredit: instagram/Estelle BehnkeTrent and Estelle were seen enjoying a meal together in Hale, CheshireCredit: mancpicss66But wasting no time in moving on, the Liverpool ace has been spotted wining and dining his new girlfriend Estelle Behnke — here’s everything we know about her.Enter Estelle BehnkeTrent started liking Estelle’s Instagram posts of her jet-set lifestyle on October 17, 2024 — just a month after his split from Iris Law.The influencer has almost 29,000 followers on the platform as of November 18.This digital flirtation soon blossomed into real-world romance.more on Trent Alexander-ArnoldEstelle Behnke has almost 29,000 followers on Instagram, where she shares snaps of her jet-set lifestyleCredit: instagram/Estelle BehnkeIn late October, Trent and Estelle took a romantic trip to the £6,000-a-night five-star Soho Farmhouse in the Cotswolds.Eagle-eyed fans noticed the duo had tagged themselves in separate posts from the private members’ club.And the following month they enjoyed a 2½-hour meal at celeb haunt Cibo in Hale, Cheshire.A source told The Sun: “It’s very early days but they are officially dating — they seem really into each other.Most read in Football”Trent hasn’t been single long and is enjoying spending time with Estelle.“They’re just really enjoying each other’s company and seem quite smitten.”[Trent and Estelle] seem really into each otherA SourceTrent’s relationship with Iris LawTrent’s romance with Iris Law became public knowledge in April 2024, when they were snapped enjoying a drink together on the fashionable Portobello Road in Notting Hill.In May 2024, the couple was also spotted on a date night in Monte Carlo, Monaco.They met while filming an advert for Guess Jeans, who both of them work for as ambassadors.Their five-month relationship was characterised by social media connections and high-profile vacations.Some of Iris’ pals opened up to The Sun’s Ellie Henman about why the couple decided to call time on their relationship.They said: “Trent and Iris had a really fun summer together and it was going great.“But life is about to get really busy for them both, with Trent’s schedule packed with first-team football and Iris having jobs all over the world.“They went on holiday with his family in July and they got on so well.Roy Keane says ‘looked like he’d never played right-back’ in savage criticism of England star Trent Alexander-Arnold“So even though they are not dating any more, Iris and Trent will definitely stay friends.“She was really into him and loved spending time together. But Iris is a career woman and she is focused on her own success.“And being a Wag was never really going to be her bag, especially as Trent lives up North and she’s based in London.READ MORE SUN STORIES“They’ve cooled things off now and are just going to stay mates.“There is no bad blood between them and Iris only has good things to say about Trent.” More

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      Harry Kane’s ‘fugly’ £7,200 statue branded ‘stuff of nightmares’ unveiled after sitting in storage for almost FIVE YEARS

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      HARRY KANE’S “fugly” £7,200 statue has been branded the “stuff of nightmares” after it was finally unveiled following nearly five years of sitting in storage.The England captain and former Tottenham star was all smiles as he sat next to his likeness at the Peter May Sports Centre in Walthamstow, London, on Monday.A new £7,200 statue of Harry Kane has been unveiledCredit: PAThe bronze sculpture had been sitting in storage for nearly five yearsCredit: PAThe bronze statue depicts Kane sitting down while holding a football on his lap.And the Bayern Munich ace happily posed alongside less than 24 hours after scoring in England’s 5-0 win over the Republic of Ireland at Wembley.Kane tweeted afterwards: “A real proud moment for me to go back to where my life in football began and unveil a statue. I hope it helps inspire the next generation to work hard and believe in themselves.”The statue cost a whopping £7,200 to create.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIt was commissioned by the borough of Waltham Forest, where Kane was born, in 2019 when he was still playing for Totttenham.The statue was built in honour of England’s all-time highest goalscorer, who has 426 career strikes to his name.But the council left Kane’s tribute sitting in storage for almost five years.That’s because they could not find a location deemed suitable enough to place it.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSHowever, it was decided to place Kane’s statue at the Peter May Sports Centre in Walthamstow.It now sits along a wall decorated with graffiti art highlighting the pinnacles of Kane’s illustrious career.England’s Stellar Performance: Player Ratings vs IrelandIt was unveiled alongside a mural dedicated to Kane in Walthamstow, where he was bornCredit: PAFans reckon the statue did not look a lot like the England captainCredit: PAThat’s after plans to display it at Chingford Rail Station were scrapped over fears it could be targeted by rival football fans.However, Kane’s statue has not gone down well with supporters, with many branding it “fugly.”One declared: “That’s the stuff of nightmares.”Another said: “I doubt Kane is happy with this.”One noted: “Why’s his head so big?”Another added: “Why does he have a goatee?”Kane is not the first footballer to receive a dodgy statue of himself.In 2017, an infamous bust of Cristiano Ronaldo went up at Madeira airport.READ MORE SUN STORIESHowever, it looked nothing like the legendary striker and widely ridiculed.It was removed after just 15 months on display and remains in storage to this day.Cristiano Ronaldo famously had a statue of himself go viralCredit: ReutersThe bust at Madeira Airport was removed after 15 monthsCredit: AFP or licensors More

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      BBC ‘make TNT Sports host shock contender to replace Gary Lineker as Match of the Day presenter’

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      TNT SPORTS presenter Reshmin Chowdhury has emerged as a potential candidate to replace Gary Lineker on Match of the Day.Lineker will step away from the popular BBC highlights programme at the end of the season.Reshmin Chowdhury has emerged as a candidate for the Match of the Day jobCredit: The SunChowdhury is one of the nation’s top sports presentersCredit: EPAGary Lineker will leave MOTD at the end of the seasonCredit: AlamyHis full-time replacement is yet to be announced, with MOTD2 frontman Mark Chapman understood to be the favourite.The Sun exclusively revealed last week that BBC bosses wanted him to share the job with Kelly Somers.However, Chapman has made it clear that he is NOT keen on the idea of splitting the role.The One Show presenter Roman Kemp is also in the frame for some sort of role.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLGabby Logan and Alex Scott are among the other names understood to have been discussed.But the Daily Mail claims TNT host Chowdhury is now in contention.The 46-year-old has admirers within the BBC having already worked for the company numerous times.At the start of her career, Chowdhury worked as a reporter for BBC London and BBC News.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSShe then joined the BBC Sport team in 2010 and went on to present MOTD2 as a stand-in.The presenter has also fronted coverage of the Women’s Super League and was a live match reporter throughout the 2018 World Cup.Gary Lineker’s best Match of the Day momentsAlex Kay-Jelski, the BBC’s director of sport, reportedly attempted to sign Chowdhury for The Athletic when he was previously editor.But the fan-favourite broadcaster could be tempted by one of the biggest jobs in football media.Chowdhury currently fronts TNT Sports’ coverage of the Europa League and Conference League.She has also presented coverage of the Champions League and FA Cup.As well as football, Chowdhury has also covered darts, tennis, the Olympics and the Paralympics. More

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      Chelsea star Cole Palmer rocks up at McDonald’s drive-through but fans joke ‘they don’t do chippy chips’

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      COLE PALMER rocked up to McDonald’s for a spot of dinner during the international break after missing England’s double win under Lee Carsley.Chelsea star Palmer withdrew from the latest Three Lions squad after picking up a knock to his knee in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United this month.Cole Palmer enjoyed a cheeky trip to a McDonald’s during the international breakCredit: XHe missed England’s wins after picking up a knee knock with ChelseaCredit: GettyPalmer pulled through to play all 90 minutes in the 1-1 stalemate with Arsenal a week later.But he opted to miss England’s wins over Greece and the Republic of Ireland to properly recover for Saturday’s trip to Leicester.And while regaining his strength, Palmer decided to treat himself with a late-night trip to Maccies.A picture shared on social media showed Palmer in the driver’s seat of a silver car which had pulled up to a drive-through window.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe Chelsea star was all smiles as he looked at the camera, which was being held from inside the McDonald’s.And on either side of the open window stood two workers who posed performing Palmer’s trademark ‘cold’ celebration.Palmer’s impromptu trip for a cheeky meal went down well with fans, although one warned the forward he would not be getting his hands on his favourite “chippy chips”.The supporter said: “They don’t do chippy chips.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAnother declared: “It’s too cold in here.”One noted: “Mc Chippy Chip.”Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca comments on Cole Palmer injury after draw with Arsenal Another added: “The influence is crazy.”Palmer enjoyed an incredible debut season with Chelsea last term following a move from Man City.He scored 22 goals and assisted 11 more in 34 games under former boss Mauricio Pochettino.And Palmer is looking just as sharp with Enzo Maresca, helping himself to seven goals and five assists in 11 outings in the new campaign.His form is likely to have resulted in a few of his favourite post-match Chinese dinners, which includes the legendary “chippy chips.”Palmer previously said: “(Favourite post-match meal?) Chinese, salt-and-pepper chicken, rice. Not salt-and-pepper chips, too much.“You know chippy chips? They have to be them chips or you don’t get them. Curry sauce, noodles.” More